#sebastians rival list grows every day

[choccy-milky]

TADA!!! also my MC Alicent has seven siblings

Benedict , Charlotte, twins Dana and Elias , Fredric and Gwendolyn and adopted sister Renee. Sebastian is jealous at Benedict is mocking him, he's the one who's fighting his sister.

THIS IS IS SO CUTEE AAA THANK YOU FOR THIS😭💖clora is very good with kids so i could 1000% see this happening, her just surrounded by a swarm of children that sebastian has to combat LMAOO. also im dead at sebastian ready to throw hands with a literal child that's sticking too close to clora🤺🤺 LMFAOOOO he is so sane i love him💀 thank u again for drawing this and including clora with alicent and all her siblings this is so wholesome!!!😭🙏💖💖

[xxgodcomplexx]

possible lestappen fics

there’s a lot of fics i wanna write for lestappen yet have never gotten to cause of my fuckin adhd brain- so here is a list of the ideas instead

maybe I’ll write them some day…

(also- feel free to take these ideas and use them as prompts for your own fics)

Song of Achilles AU (Max is soooo Achilles coded, just imagine him saying: “There is no agreements made between lions and sheep. I shall eat you raw.” Jos as Thetis? Sebastian as Chiron? Fernando as Odysseus? Lewis Hamilton as Hector?)

Pride and Prejudice AU (Max as Mr.Darcy, Charles as Elizabeth) (maybe a side of Landoscar as Mr.Bingley and Jane)

Idea 1: ‘Max was not Charles’ first love, nor was he his second or third.’ (A fic where Charles reminisces of all his past loves and how Max fits into in. His first love was racing, second was Jules, and third was Sebastian. Ambiguous ending)

Idea 2: ‘Charles was Max’s first, second, and third love.’ (An accompanying fic to idea 1 from Max’s pov and his view on their relationship)

Idea 3: ‘Charles had hated Max before he even understood the true meaning of the word. Birds flew, fish swam, and Charles Leclerc hated Max Verstappen. It was simple really. It seemed predestined…inevitable- even.’ (A enemy to lover fic where it’s actually just Charles one-sided ‘hating’ Max until he realizes that he stopped hating Max somewhere along the way. Austria 2019 is mentioned here prominently)

Idea 4: ‘Charles thinks Max looks his best when he’s bloodied, his eyes wide and equally red with fury. Max thinks Charles looks even better when he’s crying, his pretty face bruised black and blue.’ (EQUALLY TOXIC RELATIONSHIP, Charles and Max find each other at a young age, classmates and neighbors. They don’t like each other and end up getting into a fight. The two quickly realize that they aren’t… normal after they get into their first fight. They grow up together as known enemies but they can only indulge their true selves in each other)

Idea 5: ‘Into the Lions’ Den’ (Charles pov beginning from before he even joins F1 all the way to current time. He reflects on Max’s past and future teammates and how they are essentially sacrifices. They enter the ‘lions’ den’ and are left to try and compare to Max, only to be left ripped apart. After all, who can hope to stand next to him? Red Bull has two drivers only because they need to. Despite that- as Charles reflect on all this…he can’t help but dream of standing next to Max as his teammate. Let himself be tore apart, let Max eat his heart and drink his blood)

Idea 6: Shameless smut (as the name suggests…it’s just shameless smut. This would be my first ever smut fic if I ever finish writing it. As an asexual person…this is especially hard to write. The plot is basically Max as the ‘successfully businessman who’s very busy and sexually frustrated’ and Charles as the ‘call boy who Max calls on accident when he was trying to find a call girl’. Max is confused and kinda disappointed at first, until he notices that Charles is very very pretty and that Max really wouldn’t mind sleeping with him- in fact -he would like it very much. This fic is just silly. Max is very horknee and not cool at all in this fic. Luckily Charles thinks he’s hot.)

Idea 7: ‘Turns out I don’t mind him kissing guys as long as it’s me he’s kissing .’ (Have you seen that one Reddit story of his guy who worries he’s being homophonic towards his gay roommate cause every time he sees him kissing a guy or bringing one home he feels sick and upset. They end up getting into an argument and he worries that he will ruin his friendship with his roommate. But he then finds out that he’s liked his roommate the whole time and that’s why he felt like throwing up every time he saw him with other guys. Yeah, that but Lestappen. Childhood rivals to friends, living together for college. Max who worries that he’s being homophobic cause he can’t stand seeing Charles with guys, and Charles who just wants Max to get the hint already)

I have more notes on each of these, so let me know if you wanna know more about any of these fics. I think I also might have some snippets for them :)

[thefeatherwrites]

Love Is.

I wanted to do some head-cannons of the three boys and my oc's for each of them. Their own lore, my own happiness. I love the idea of love, especially theirs.

Unedited, as per usual. Fluffy like a cloud. No angst this time, I promise. Sweet like your favorite piece of candy, unless you like sour candy... then just humor me and pretend.

Garreth Weasley loves the way she smiles when no one else is looking. The way her dark brunette hair waves in the wind, leaving behind the calming scents of her mint and eucalyptus shampoo in her wake. His heart swells when she encourages him to continue his experiments, even helping him keep organized notes and lists to look back on for improvements.

Her eyes, his favorite shade of green that would rival the fresh leaves of spring. The sound of her voice may sound harsh to others, but they have never heard her sing such sweet melodies when she thinks no one is listening.

He loves watching her eyes sparkle with the cracks of thunder, sitting on the windowsill as the rain falls with its torrential downpour. He revels in the way she humbles him, meeting his witty banter that almost always ends with her victorious wry grin.

He melts when she makes the first move, whether it be just a simple kiss or something more. His skin tingles with anticipation as she taunts him with small acts of affection, growing steadily as the day goes on until it becomes almost unbearable.

His breath hitches when she whispers sultry remarks in his ear, noting everything she loves about him, especially when it comes to his cock. His mind goes blank when he watches her beautiful face twist into pure ecstasy as he helps her ride out her orgasm, listening to her scream his last name as if it wasn't going to someday be her own.

He often imagined how she would react when he would propose to her, to see if she would give him a different smile or scream in delight, knowing that she would find her family in him. But oh, how he adored the way his last name looked with hers.

To Garreth, love is his number one fan, Julianna.

Sebastian Sallow loves the way her heart seems to grow with every passing day. How she never gave up on him, no matter how dark of a path he went down, always waiting to envelop him in her small but firm and warm hugs.

Her hair shined like gold in the summer sun, reminding him of the princesses Anne would read aloud to him when they were smaller. He could easily find himself lost in her sapphire blue eyes, more precious than any jewel in the world. He found her simply adorable every time he spotted her in a crowd, sporting her signature pink bow in her hair as she hurried to her classes.

He loved to watch her dance, even attempting to join her when she asked, because she had him wrapped around her tiny finger. While he was intrigued by her often foolish bravery, he felt honored that she always went to him for protection, making him feel important even on his worst days.

He enjoyed watching her run through the fields of the highlands, picking the wildflowers that bloomed in the spring, even though their beauty paled in comparison to her gorgeous smile. His heart could burst from his chest every time she pulled him close, having to stand on her tip toes just to kiss him.

He would moan loudly when she would pleasure him, only ever showing her disheveled side to him as she sloppily sucks his cock until his face flushed a deep shade of red. His eyes would darken as he watched her squirm under him, easily taking him as he fucked her into oblivion, begging him with her soft voice to go faster.

He had dreamed about how she would look on their wedding day, to see her in a dress that made her look like the angel she truly was. He looked at the ring in his hand, one that once graced his mother's finger, would now grace his future wife who had been his best friend since childhood.

To Sebastian, love is his beacon of light in the dark, Adeline.

Ominis Gaunt loves the way he can hear her footsteps glide into the room and immediately command the attention of everyone present. How she would always find him, ensuring his safety and comfortability, caring for him in a way no one else ever has.

Her hair reminded him of the moon, white with highlights of silver that only added to her ethereal beauty. Her eyes shined like stars, the rare gray-purple color accentuating her freckles that dotted her nose and rosy lips that seemed to hypnotize him easily.

He often enjoyed the way she was a creature of habit, from having the same cup of tea every morning to her nightcap of deliciously sweet liquor that he could often taste on her lips. He was moved by the way she dressed, always styling herself with soft fabrics that accentuated her curves and felt pleasing to his touch.

He loved to listen to her on the piano, hearing the melancholic melodies she often played as he would sometimes accompany her or just sit and listen to the sounds her delicate but strong fingers hit the keys. The hairs on his skin would raise when he listened to her commanding voice, shouting orders to wizards for their next move and yelling out dangerous dark magic towards their foes.

He did however, also enjoy her soft moans when he took charge in their bedroom. He felt excruciatingly aroused as he let his tongue snake across her neck, leaving welts of colorful bruises in his wake. His mouth would gape open as her once commanding voice, now sweetly shouting his name as they came together, basking in the afterglow of their hours long love making session just before they begin another.

He always reached out for her left hand when they strolled the gardens, twisting her wedding band in place, thanking every god that would listen that she came back into his life. He couldn't begin to describe how striking she looked on their wedding day, no matter how chaotic the circumstances were.

To Ominis, love is his fallen star from the sky, Estelle.

[the-chaotic-scilla-aster]

HL Scilla Aster HC

Something fun I've been wanting to do.

This is a project of sorts that anyone and everyone of the Hogwarts Legacy Fandom can join in on with their own HC.

I wanna see everyone's HC and how they differ from mine. Mine ended up seeming more like a list in the end, though.

I'm tagging @kiwiplaetzchen @legacyshenanigans and @gwendolyn-foxworth to join in on the fun

Background

Pureblood. (would never know till you ask)

Father is a squib. Mother ran away after graduating from hogwarts to marry her father.

The town she grew up in is actually a mix of wizardkind and muggles. Her childhood best friends were muggles.

her family is from Italy but has been going to Hogwarts for generations.

Mother's side of the family were Hufflepuff, fathers side of the family were Slytherin, she's a Ravenclaw.

Has a talent for baking and growing just about anything.

Wants a career with Magical Beasts, loves animals just as much as Poppy, if not more.

Warning. Do Not Piss Off (Sebastian approves of this message)

Interactions with the HL crew

In a constant state of tiredness, has been found asleep in corners with Ominis

Has an old, worn leather satchel her Nona and Mother used while at Hogwarts

Recently admitted to carrying a blanket in the satchel for when she finds Ominis asleep in halls (her housemates have yet to let her live down how red she turned when caught)

Has been seen hitting Sebastian with a potions textbook after making crude jokes and suggestive comments to the girls

"I was ignorant enough to willingly help you with your sister." her response to Sebastian calling her ignorant instead of trusting her.

Poppy and Her are often found trying to sneak in random beasts when hanging out together

Her friends and Professor Fig have heard “Don't tell my dad” more times than they can count.

Enjoys watching Garreth brew his potions on the chance it'll explode or shoot sparks.

Natty has been teaching her how to use wandless magic. Professor Ronin is excited to see them bond, but suggests it's best done outside.

Samantha Dale and her quiz each other over plants, and try to guess flowers over smell and feel while blindfolded. (Typically Ravenclaws)

Finds Amit sweet and well-meaning but tries to avoid him at all costs outside of Astrology class.

Will call fellow students “hun”, friends “sunshine” or “dumbass” and “Darling” or “Lovely” when trying to kill one of the lads. (mostly to Ominis because she loves seeing him lose his cool every so often)

School related chaos

Has already seen Headmaster Black office 3 times since starting Hogwarts. None of which were related to the Keepers.

Absolutely hates Divination and Ancient Runes, one because of headaches and one is best for nap time.

Only rivaled by Samantha In Herbology and Poppy in Beasts class.

Her Room is mostly a kitchen and Garden, Deek has developed a green thumb thanks to her.

Professor Hecat has started giving her more refined lessons on how to control her anger after that 3rd visit to see Black.

Don't let her fool you. She cried like a baby on the day she would have been sorted into her house as a first year and got teary-eyed while sitting on the stool.

Stuff that makes her…..Unique.

Everyone wants to put a bell on her. Ominis has “gifted” her one, shortly after scaring him in the hallway once.

Will start twirling a curl around her fingers at any given moment.

“Do you wanna do this the easy way? Or the muggle way?”

Can sleep standing up. (she has no idea how she started doing, so don't bother asking)

Will start speaking Italian when pissed or if she forgets how to English.

When asked for her favorite flower, she'll smile and respond with “Japanese Cedar and Magnolias”.

[gerec]

hi just finished watching james bond and now i really want to read cherik in james bond au. so do you hv any cherik fic recs where charles is q and eric as james bond? or other way round? tqxx

Anon, here's a list of fics I love that I think meet your criteria for 'James Bond-esque aus'. I did not include any aus that were clearly inspired by other works (i.e. Burn Notice, Kings Man, Man from UNCLE etc.) and nothing set during the World Wars. Happy reading!!!

A Lily and a Gun Barrel by ninemoons42

When an SIS agent dies under sudden and mysterious circumstances in Barcelona, M sends in the big guns, namely, someone who knows something about an unusual white-and-red rose, a modified sniper rifle, and a very nasty poison. Q is tasked to head the investigation, and Agent 008 comes in to consult - and the Mediterranean air of Antoni Gaudí's city becomes fraught with danger and tension and a pact of mutual snarking.

[Or: an XMFC/Skyfall fusion in which Charles Xavier is Q and Erik Lehnsherr is a double-0 agent!]

One Life for Yourself and One for Your Dreams by endingthemes

When 00 Agent Raven Darkholme manages to capture the elusive Magneto and bring him in for questioning about a dangerous arms deal involving international criminal Sebastian Shaw, it’s up to Quartermaster Charles Xavier to get him to talk. With time running out, Charles needs to convince Magneto to trust him, but they’re both far too good at keeping secrets, and the growing attraction between them is only making things more difficult.

Secret Agent Man by ximeria (part 1 of a series Secret Agent Man)

Erik Lehnsherr is a much feared Quartermaster at MI6. Apparently someone forgot to tell their newest agent this.

Cartoon Super Villains and Sexy Agents by ximeria (part 1 of a series MI6 - Mutant Division aka the Mad House)

Erik becomes part of MI6's Mutant Division. His team is bat shit crazy but damned good at what they do. He really wants to know who trained them, but everyone goes quiet when he asks, so Erik figures he better stop asking.

You Know My Name by danveresque

Erik and Charles are spies with something in common.

Licence to Thrill by lachatblanche

Erik thinks he knows what to expect when he is due to meet Agent 00X, the most legendary spy in the British Secret Service.

He quickly realises that he is wrong.

He also realises that he really doesn't mind all that much.

Keep My Heart Slow by lachatblanche

Erik remembers every single detail of what happened the last time that he saw Charles. The very last time, as far as he knew, before Charles had once again run off to do whatever it was that members of the British Secret Service did while on the job.

To say that he doesn't expect Charles to turn up in his office several months later is something of an understatement.

Spy vs. Spy by professor

The one where Erik is basically James Bond, and Charles is a rival spy who interrogates him with sex.

Spy vs. Spy (The Power Play Remix) by significantowl

Xavier is a legend in the field. He's known for his cultured charm, his unfailing competence, the power of his mind, and the sins of his body.

And he has information Erik wants.

Business And Pleasure (The Spy on Spy Remix) by helens78

Charles and Erik were rival spies once, but not these days.

[f1chronicle]

Best Formula 1 Books

When you’re looking for the best Formula 1 books to buy and read, one of the biggest problems you come across is that all the reviews are the same – copied and pasted from Amazon. Also, how do you know if the books you like are what the reviewer likes?

The Formula 1 books below have been read by me, not just copied and pasted from other listings. I like books that share stories, that get into the emotion of the subject and leave you feeling something. I’m not a facts and figures guys, so a book full of dates, cold facts, and specifications will have me putting the book back on the shelf half-read.

I like my books like I like my F1 – fast-paced and dramatic.

So if you’re like me, the below Formula 1 books will be for you…

The Best Formula 1 Books

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Life to the Limit: My Autobiography by Jenson Button

This is actually my favourite Formula 1 book, which is why it is at the top of the list. When you read it, you can’t help but have the voice of Jenson Button in your head, which makes his jokes funnier (and this is a very funny book). While there is a lot of humour, often self-deprecating, the tone definitely takes a turn and you can’t help but be moved when Jenson talks about losing his father.

Some of the chapters are super short too, as in a handful of pages, so if you’re someone who likes to read before bed and has to finish at the end of a chapter, this book will make sure you get to bed at a reasonable hour.

Read my full review on Life to the Limit: My Autobiography by Jenson Button

Jenson Button: Life to the Limit: My Autobiography

Amazon Kindle Edition

Button, Jenson (Author)

English (Publication Language)

361 Pages - 10/19/2017 (Publication Date) - Blink Publishing (Publisher)

$7.49

Buy on Amazon

Senna versus Prost

Before I read Jenson’s book, Senna versus Prost was my favourite.

Malcolm Folley has done a cracking job of creating a space for people to share their stories of Ayrton Senna and Alain Prost in a way that instantly transports the reader back to those great battles of the 80s and 90s.

What’s even better is Folley speaks with a lot of team personnel, people in the background who we’ve not really heard of, and lets us know what it was really like to be on the ground as the battles took place out on the track.

So much has been made of Ayrton Senna over the years, that Prost’s version of events was somewhat overlooked – until now. And although he could have used the book as an opportunity to lay the boots into his rival, Prost does a brilliant job of relaying events as he saw them.

Le Professeur off the track as well as on it.

Read my full review on Senna versus Prost

Sale

Senna Versus Prost: The Story of the Most Deadly Rivalry in Formula One

Arrow Books

Folley, Malcolm (Author)

English (Publication Language)

410 Pages - 05/26/2010 (Publication Date) - Random House UK (Publisher)

$16.49

Buy on Amazon

Murray Walker: Unless I’m Very Much Mistaken

Murray Walker is the voice of Formula 1. He has one of those voices that make the hairs on the back of your neck stand up when you’re watching an old race and his enthusiasm for F1 jumps through the speakers.

Some artists use paints, some use pencils, Murray Walker used a microphone.

Walker is a quintessential storyteller, so once again this is a book that you will most likely read in his voice. He tells vivid stories about growing up, his time in the war, all the way through to the Murray Walker we know from our TV screens commentating on Formula 1.

Known for the odd gaff in the commentary box, Walker isn’t shy about having a laugh with it, and understands it helped endear him to fans over the years.

Unless I’m very much mistaken, this is a must-read book that you will thoroughly enjoy.

Unless I'm Very Much Mistaken: My Autobiography by Murray Walker (2003-06-01)

Walker, Murray (Author)

06/02/2003 (Publication Date) - Willow (Publisher)

$25.32

Buy on Amazon

Niki Lauda – The Biography

If a book about a man who had a horrific crash at the wheel of a Formula 1 racing car, was given the last rights, then was back on the grid a month later doesn’t move you, then nothing will.

Niki Lauda was a man of little fuss or sentiment, and Maurice Hamilton has written this book in much the same vein. Starting from Lauda’s early days growing up in a proper family who felt motor racing was beneath their station, to his racing years, to flying, and much more.

If there is to be one criticism of this book, it’s that it doesn’t go into a great deal of detail on his time with Mercedes. However, the vivid recollections of his racing days from people who witnessed it definitely make up for this.

Niki Lauda

Hardcover Book

English (Publication Language)

Simon & Schuster UK (Publisher)

$19.06

Buy on Amazon

The Unknown Kimi Räikkönen

The Unknown Kimi Räikkönen gives great insights into Kimi’s path to F1, his upbringing, and now the importance of time with his growing family.

If you’re looking for a book of anecdotes from Kimi’s time in the paddock, this book isn’t it.

But if you want to learn more about Kimi’s path to F1, his motivation for quitting the sport, and his motivation for coming back to it.

The photos he shares are excellent too.

Read my full review on The Unknown Kimi Räikkönen

The Unknown Kimi Raikkonen

Hotakainen, Kari (Author)

English (Publication Language)

336 Pages - 08/22/2019 (Publication Date) - Simon & Schuster UK (Publisher)

$13.25

Buy on Amazon

Aussie Grit: My Formula One Journey

This is one that most Australian’s will love, as the Aussie legend shares anecdotes or ‘yarns’ from his time in F1 racing against some of the best drivers on the planet.

Those who remember the ‘Multi 21’ saga and breakdown in the relationship with Sebastian Vettel will like this book, as Webber gives his version of the events that unfolded in front of our eyes on race days.

A highlight of this book is Webber walking us through his personal struggles, as it’s not something often associated with the stoic Australian. This book is brutally honest in parts, and will give you a deeper appreciation of the man, not just the driver.

Aussie Grit: My Formula One Journey

PAN

Webber, Mark (Author)

English (Publication Language)

320 Pages - 09/28/2016 (Publication Date) - Macmillan UK (Publisher)

$16.30

Buy on Amazon

The Mechanic: The Secret World of the F1 Pitlane

Marc ‘Elvis’ Priestley was one the number one mechanic at McLaren, who as well as this book has an incredible YouTube channel where he shares his insights and analysis of Formula 1 regularly.

Simply put, his book needs to be on the bookshelf of every Formula 1 fan, it’s that good.

I’ll admit I’d never really thought about the pit crew. We see them for a few seconds each race, maybe more if something dramatic happens to one of their drivers.

This book takes us well and truly behind the scenes, into the life of partying and fast-living away from the track.

Priestley also shares a lot of secrets about the rivalries he was part of during his time in F1, which may make him a little unpopular with a few people…

Sale

The Mechanic: The Secret World of the F1 Pitlane

Priestley, Marc 'Elvis' (Author)

English (Publication Language)

256 Pages - 11/01/2018 (Publication Date) - Yellow Jersey (Publisher)

$8.49

Buy on Amazon

Chequered Conflict: The Inside Story on Two Explosive F1 World Championships

You could be forgiven for thinking this book by Maurice Hamilton is the work of a family member of Lewis Hamilton, but it’s not. Maurice Hamilton is the author of amazing F1 history books on the likes of James Hunt, Niki Lauda, Jackie Stewart, Frank Williams, and more.

Grand Prix racing in 2007 and 2008 was an explosive affair between Ferrari and McLaren, and this book captures all the drama perfectly.

2007 was the first time since 1986 that three drivers had a chance of winning the title going into the final race, and this book puts you back on the edge of your seat again as you re-live this piece of F1 history.

Chequered Conflict: The Inside Story on Two Explosive F1 World Championships

Amazon Kindle Edition

Hamilton, Maurice (Author)

English (Publication Language)

320 Pages - 09/04/2008 (Publication Date) - Simon & Schuster UK (Publisher)

$16.99

Buy on Amazon

The Mechanic’s Tale

This book by Steve Matchett is quite different to The Mechanic: The Secret World of the F1 Pitlane in that it is more about the author’s life, from trying desperately to break into the world of Formula 1. Although he’s not a racing driver, the struggles he faced are on par with some of the drivers mentioned in the books above.

Steve Matchett also shares a lot of his own eye-witness accounts of some of the greats such as Nigel Mansell, Ayrton Senna, and Michael Schumacher. Plus there is a lot on his time with Benetton which is great reading.

The Mechanic's Tale

Matchett, Steve (Author)

English (Publication Language)

240 Pages - 02/03/2000 (Publication Date) - Orion (Publisher)

$13.19

Buy on Amazon

Flat Out Flat Broke: The Original Stig

When you think of Formula 1, names like Lewis Hamilton, Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Damon Hill and Jackie Stewart come to mind straight away, but what about Perry McCarthy? No? Didn’t think so.

McCarthy spent the 1992 Formula 1 season ‘racing’ for the Andrea Moda Formula team, but unfortunately, never qualified for a Grand Prix.

That hasn’t stopped him from writing a hilarious autobiography that has already become a motorsport best seller.

While he didn’t have much luck in F1, or in a lot of other things, McCarthy bounced back to become the first ‘Stig’ on TopGear.

If you want to share a story with someone you care about that will inspire them to chase their dreams and never give up, then this is the one to give them. They don’t even need to be a Formula 1 fan to enjoy this one.

Sale

Flat Out, Flat Broke 3rd Edition: The Original Stig

McCarthy, Perry (Author)

English (Publication Language)

256 Pages - 05/01/2013 (Publication Date) - Haynes Publishing (Publisher)

$11.95

Buy on Amazon

Bestselling Formula 1 Books

Below you will find a list of bestselling Formula 1 books, many of which you would have seen listed above.

As I purchase and read more from the below list, I will add them to our Formula 1 Reviews section.

SaleBestseller No. 1

Formula One: The Champions: 70 years of legendary F1 drivers

Hardcover Book

Hamilton, Maurice (Author)

English (Publication Language)

240 Pages - 03/03/2020 (Publication Date) - White Lion Publishing (Publisher)

$28.49

Buy on Amazon

SaleBestseller No. 2

Formula One 2020

Jones, Bruce (Author)

English (Publication Language)

128 Pages - 05/12/2020 (Publication Date) - Welbeck (Publisher)

$17.99

Buy on Amazon

SaleBestseller No. 3

Formula One: The Pursuit of Speed: A Photographic Celebration of F1's Greatest Moments

Hardcover Book

Hamilton, Maurice (Author)

English (Publication Language)

272 Pages - 09/14/2017 (Publication Date) - Aurum Press (Publisher)

$27.49

Buy on Amazon

Bestseller No. 4

The Fastest Show on Earth: The Mammoth Book of Formula One™

Chicane (Author)

English (Publication Language)

416 Pages - 06/11/2019 (Publication Date) - Robinson (Publisher)

$19.99

Buy on Amazon

SaleBestseller No. 5

F1 Mavericks: The Men and Machines that Revolutionized Formula 1 Racing

Hardcover Book

Biro, Pete (Author)

English (Publication Language)

240 Pages - 08/06/2019 (Publication Date) - Motorbooks (Publisher)

$33.04

Buy on Amazon

Bestseller No. 6

Formula 1: The Official History

Hardcover Book

The Hague, Maurice (Author)

English (Publication Language)

272 Pages - 10/20/2020 (Publication Date) - Welbeck Publishing (Publisher)

$33.96

Buy on Amazon

SaleBestseller No. 7

Speed Read F1: The Technology, Rules, History and Concepts Key to the Sport (Speed Read (1))

Codling, Stuart (Author)

English (Publication Language)

160 Pages - 10/10/2017 (Publication Date) - Motorbooks (Publisher)

$15.77

Buy on Amazon

SaleBestseller No. 8

Formula 1 2019: Technical Insights (Preview 2020)

Filisetti, Paolo (Author)

English (Publication Language)

192 Pages - 12/01/2020 (Publication Date) - Giorgio Nada Editore Srl (Publisher)

$68.26

Buy on Amazon

Bestseller No. 9

Formula One Circuits from Above: 28 Legendary Tracks in High-Definition Satellite Photography

Hardcover Book

Jones, Bruce (Author)

English (Publication Language)

224 Pages - 09/03/2019 (Publication Date) - Carlton Books (Publisher)

$76.91

Buy on Amazon

Bestseller No. 10

How To Build A Car

Hardcover Book

Newey, Adrian (Author)

English (Publication Language)

09/16/2020 (Publication Date) - Harper Collins (Publisher)

$29.43

Buy on Amazon

Bestseller No. 11

Formula One Circuits From Above: 28 Legendary Tracks in High-Definition Satellite Photography

Hardcover Book

Jones, Bruce (Author)

English (Publication Language)

224 Pages - 10/06/2020 (Publication Date) - Welbeck Publishing (Publisher)

$34.95

Buy on Amazon

SaleBestseller No. 12

Formula 1 Technical Analysis 2016-2018 (Formula 1 World Championship Yearbook)

Hardcover Book

Piola, Giorgio (Author)

English (Publication Language)

208 Pages - 09/03/2019 (Publication Date) - Giorgio Nada Editore Srl (Publisher)

$52.11

Buy on Amazon

Bestseller No. 13

The Mechanic's Tale

Matchett, Steve (Author)

English (Publication Language)

240 Pages - 02/03/2000 (Publication Date) - Orion (Publisher)

$13.19

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336 Pages - 08/22/2019 (Publication Date) - Simon & Schuster UK (Publisher)

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320 Pages - 08/01/2018 (Publication Date) - Random House UK (Publisher)

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Arrow Books

Folley, Malcolm (Author)

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410 Pages - 05/26/2010 (Publication Date) - Random House UK (Publisher)

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[kurtbastian-land]

Hi! I'm currently on Kurtbastian fics binge read, so I was wondering if you could share your 10 favourites?

Wow, my top 10 favorites. That’s going to a tough one. I’m obviously going to skip the major well-known ones that this fandom knows - A Change In The Weather - cacophony, Don’t You Remember -  discordandrhythm and Glad You Came - daftydraw and JWMelmoth. With that being said, any other stories from that authors are bangers as well! But off to the actual list (in no particular order)

TOP 10 KURTBASTIAN FICS (MULTI-CHAPTERED, COMPLETED)

1. Europe Is Our Playground [Explicit] - GlassParade

Summary: Eight years and half the world away from home, a chance encounter in a Paris club leads Kurt and Sebastian - each running from the ghosts of their pasts - into the diversion of chasing each other across Europe.

2. A Shot In the Arm [Explicit] - somebetterwords

Summary: Kurt Hummel was a catch. Kurt was a catch, and Santana didn’t know what she was talking about. That’s what he’d tell himself until he believed it. But actually, talk was cheap. Kurt was going to go out and dangle himself at the gayest nightclub in the tri-county area and watch the men clamour to catch him. He wasn’t having a slutty meltdown or anything. His self esteem was not dependent on the attentions and opinions of strangers. He just needed an ego boost, one single night of his life for recalibration and encouragement from unbiased observers and also drinks. He just needed… a shot in the arm.(Though it wasn’t exactly a needle he was looking to stick in himself, and he didn’t want it going in his arm either.)

3. Live Without Shame / Call Me Anything You Want [Teen and Up Audiences] - Walden_pond313

Summary: Kurt is fed up with being heartbroken or disappointed when it comes to guys. Maybe it's time for some fun... / Sequel to Live Without Shame. Basically, season 2 if Kurt/Blaine never happened

4. Barista Confessions [Explicit] - TheFirstMrsHummel 

Summary: Unsure of his future following graduation, Kurt finds the status quo impossible to maintain. And when Sebastian Smythe comes crashing back into his life, it gets even more complicated. PLEASE NOTE NOT KLAINE/BLAINE FRIENDLY

5. The Boys of Summer [Mature] - MoreThanTonight

Summary: A camera. A jacket pin. A phone. Lemon balm leaves. A bottle cap. A box of condoms. A bottle of sleeping pills. On the last days of summer before college, Sebastian remembers the most eventful summer of his life and the items related to it. Kurtbastian.

6. Before You Met Me [General Audiences] - ellodoctor

Summary: When Kurt goes to Dalton to spy, he meets Sebastian Smythe who then points out lead singer Blaine Anderson, his latest “goal.” After Kurt runs into him again at sectionals (and actually meeting Blaine), he suddenly finds himself to be a fast and slightly coerced friend to them both. He’s thrown right into figuring out how much Sebastian cares about Blaine, how Blaine feels about Sebastian, confessing his bullying problems and dealing with Sebastian’s ego. And it actually seems to be worth it. But will that last?

7. give your heart (a break) [Mature] - drunkonwriting 

Summary: Post-TBU AU. Life moves on after heartbreak: Kurt knows that more than most. As he tries to put his life back together after Blaine, he finds an unexpected ally in his new coworker and Isabelle's nephew: Sebastian Smythe. As Kurt goes through his new life as a single man, he finds an unexpected depth to Sebastian and realizes that losing the first love of his life doesn't mean he'll never love again.

8. (Let’s give them) Something to talk - MemeKonGlee (MemeKonYA)

Summary: “I need you to—”“I heard you the first time,” Kurt interrupts, putting his fork and knife down on his plate and pushing his half-finished pancakes aside. “What I meant was: what the hell?”He points towards the neglected pancakes, trying to stall in the face of Kurt’s reaction.“Are you sure you don’t wanna finish that first?”The look in Kurt's eyes tells him in no uncertain terms that no, he doesn't want to finish his pancakes, Jesus.And so Sebastian has no option but to take a deep breath in, exhale slowly through his mouth and just… get on with it, internally cringing at how unbelievably ridiculous it all sounds when he puts it in words, all out there for the world (and more importantly, Kurt fucking Hummel) to judge. It all boils down to: I fucked up and I'm too proud to deal with it the mature way.

9. Twitch Verse [Teen and Up Audience] - sincerelyjessy*

*A series of oneshots that explores Kurt Hummel and Sebastian Smythe’s relationship

10. Would You Hold It Against Me [Mature] - deliriumbubbles 

Summary: The Warblers discover that they and McKinley will be doing the same musical during the fall semester. After a spot of espionage against their rival school McKinley, new Warbler Sebastian finds himself fascinated by one of the young auditioners… and unintentionally becoming the Warblers’ nefarious leader.

TOP 10 KURTBASTIAN FICS (ONESHOTS)

1. The Daily Grind - orphan_account

Summary: Kurt Hummel is a bored barista, and Sebastian never gets off his phone.

2. The One with the Amusement Park [Teen and Up Audiences] - a_storm_of_frustration

Summary: “It was the only place I could think of where we could have 'fun’”, he grits his teeth.Snorting indelicately, Kurt rolls his eyes as he fixes the lapel of his sky blue pea coat. “And by 'fun’ you mean snark at each other and insult each other’s weak points until we feel like murdering the other? And whoever gets to do it first wins?”Sebastian immediately grins. And he had to bite down that grin the minute that he sees Kurt grinning at him. “Well, I did pick a public place. Full of people. Potential witnesses.”“There are rides that provide some sort of privacy. I’ll take the chance, however brief it is.”“There’s always the Tunnel of Love.”Kurt gives him a look. Sebastian bites his tongue so hard he could taste blood.--In which Sam thinks that his best friend and his boyfriend should get to know each other better and…Well, bond.

3. Weather With You [Teen Audience and Up] - chocoholicannanymous

Summary: Kurt Hummel might not exactly be the last person Wes expects to see at the club, but not far from. Who he's with, and what he's doing however... Yeah, that might the last thing he expects.This is a fic-of-a-fic, showing a scene from "A Change In the Weather" from another point of view.

4. The Truth About Sebastian Smythe [Mature] - DasWarSchonKaputt

Summary: Sebastian Smythe does what he wants. Fuck the world. Now, if only the world would quit fucking him back. AKA: Sebastian Smythe's therapy journal, ages 17 to 18.

5. Misery Loves Company [Teen and Up Audiences] - prettypurpleflower

Summary: Kurt and Sebastian keep getting ill and it messes everything up. Especially their feelings.

6. One Shots, Drabbles and Prompts (Oh My!) [General Audiences] - bastiankurts (orphan_accounts)

Summary: A collection of various pieces of written work for Kurtbastian that are either too short to upload individually or that I just felt worked better archived in this bundle. The majority of these have been shared on my own tumblr in the past and are labelled with their titles and the blurb they originally were given when first uploaded, and they include different scenarios for Kurt & Sebastian as well as a few familiar faces along for the ride!

7. Joysticks and Glitter [General Audiences] - supercanaries

Summary: Series of daddies!Kurtbastian drabbles and oneshots going through Kurt and Sebastian's path as parents and their choices that drove them towards this direction.

8. First Brick [Teen And Up Audiences] - supercanaries

Summary: It’s only when he has almost managed to suppress any thought about his boyfriend’s unusual silence that Sebastian speaks, his breath heavy and preceding a revelation Kurt has been aware of for a long while now."I’m gay."

9. Let Them Look [Not Rated] - AnarchyWretch

Summary: Sebastian observes his boyfriend in his element, surrounded by adoring NYADA boys. It's kind of an inflation to his ego, really.

10. The Textactive Stalker [Teen And Up Audiences] - Wednesday Thunder (wednesdaythunder)

Summary: Sebastian: Ever since he started getting text messages from an unknown number, it becomes evident with every new text that the other person knows exactly who he was. Yet, even the creepy stalker factor wasn't enough to stop Sebastian from forming a real connection with a friend he only knows by written words. Or does he? Kurt: Never the one to go down without a challenge, he anonymously starts texting to Sebastian Smythe, trying to find any weakness in his armour. But never was he prepared for the boy he got to know, or the feelings to grow stronger with each unopened message...

Honorable Mention (if you truly want a binge)

1. Lady Divine (fhartz91)

[inkyardpress]

The 2017 Book Nerd Gift Guide

We guarantee we have the perfect read for everyone on your holiday list

1.       For the fantasy addict – The Black Witch by Laurie Forest

A new Black Witch will rise…her powers vast beyond imagining.

Elloren Gardner is the granddaughter and absolute spitting image of the late Black Witch, the most powerful mage her people, the Gardnerians, have ever known. Yet while everyone she meets expects her to live up to Carnissa Gardner’s formidable legacy, Elloren is utterly devoid of power in a society that prizes magical ability above nearly all else.

When she is granted the opportunity to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming an apothecary, Elloren joins her brothers at the prestigious Verpax University to embrace a destiny of her own, free from the shadow of her grandmother's legacy. But she soon realizes that the university, which admits all manner of people-including the fire-wielding, winged Icarals, the sworn enemies of all Gardnerians-is a treacherous place for the granddaughter of the Black Witch. As evil looms on the horizon and the pressure to live up to her heritage builds, everything Elloren thought she knew will be challenged and torn away. Her best hope of survival may be among the most unlikely band of misfits…if only she can find the courage to trust those she's been taught to hate and fear.

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2.       For the hopeless romantic – When It’s Real by Erin Watt

Under ordinary circumstances, Oakley Ford and Vaughn Bennett would never even cross paths. There's nothing ordinary about Oakley. This bad-boy pop star's got Grammy Awards, millions of fangirls and a reputation as a restless, too-charming troublemaker. But with his home life disintegrating, his music well suddenly running dry and the tabloids having a field day over his outrageous exploits, Oakley needs to show the world he's settling down-and who better to help him than Vaughn, a part-time waitress trying to help her family get by? The very definition of ordinary. Posing as his girlfriend, Vaughn will overhaul Oakley's image from troublemaker to serious artist. In return for enough money to put her brothers through college, she can endure outlandish Hollywood parties and carefully orchestrated Twitter exchanges. She'll fool the paparazzi and the groupies. She might even start fooling herself a little. Because when ordinary rules no longer apply, there's no telling what your heart will do.

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3.       For the activist – All Rights Reserved by Gregory Scott Katsoulis

In a world where every word and gesture is copyrighted, patented or trademarked, one girl elects to remain silent, rather than pay to speak, and her defiant and unexpected silence threatens to unravel the very fabric of society.

Speth Jime is anxious to deliver her Last Day speech and celebrate her transition into adulthood. The moment she turns fifteen, Speth must pay for every word she speaks ("Sorry" is a flat ten dollars and a legal admission of guilt), for every nod ($0.99/sec), for every scream ($0.99/sec) and even every gesture of affection. She's been raised to know the consequences of falling into debt, and can't begin to imagine the pain of having her eyes shocked for speaking words that she's unable to afford. But when Speth's friend Beecher commits suicide rather than work off his family's crippling debt, she can't express her shock and dismay without breaking her Last Day contract and sending her family into Collection. Backed into a corner, Speth finds a loophole: rather than read her speech-rather than say anything at all-she closes her mouth and vows never to speak again. Speth's unexpected defiance of tradition sparks a media frenzy, inspiring others to follow in her footsteps, and threatens to destroy her, her family and the entire city

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4.       For the Healer – If There’s No Tomorrow by Jennifer L. Armentrout

Lena has Sebastian on her mind, and has for as long as she can remember, but before their relationship can become anything more than friendship, a terrible accident leaves Lena filled with grief and wondering if she can ever get past the guilt she feels for what happened.

Lena Wise is always looking forward to tomorrow, especially at the start of her senior year. She's ready to pack in as much friend time as possible, to finish college applications, and to maybe let her childhood best friend Sebastian know how she really feels about him. For Lena, the upcoming year is going to be one of opportunities and chances. Until one choice, one moment, destroys everything. Now Lena isn't looking forward to tomorrow. Not when friend time may never be the same. Not when college applications feel all but impossible. Not when Sebastian could never forgive her for what happened. For what she let happen. With the guilt growing each day, Lena knows that her only hope is to move on. But how can she move on when tomorrow isn't even guaranteed?

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5.       For the adrenaline junkie – Firstlife by Gena Showalter

Tenley "Ten" Lockwood is an average seventeen-year-old girl…who has spent the past thirteen months locked inside the Prynne Asylum. The reason? Not her obsession with numbers, but her refusal to let her parents choose where she'll live—after she dies.

There is an eternal truth most of the world has come to accept: Firstlife is merely a dress rehearsal, and real life begins after death.

In the Everlife, two realms are in power: Troika and Myriad, longtime enemies and deadly rivals. Both will do anything to recruit Ten, including sending their top Laborers to lure her to their side. Soon, Ten finds herself on the run, caught in a wild tug-of-war between the two realms who will do anything to win the right to her soul. Who can she trust? And what if the realm she's drawn to isn't where the boy she's falling for lives? She just has to stay alive long enough to make a decision…

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6.       For the foodie – North of Happy by Adi Alsaid

His whole life has been mapped out for him…

Carlos Portillo has always led a privileged and sheltered life. A dual citizen of Mexico and the United States, he lives in Mexico City with his wealthy family, where he attends an elite international school. Always a rule follower and a parent pleaser, Carlos is more than happy to tread the well-worn path in front of him. He has always loved food and cooking, but his parents see it as just a hobby.

When his older brother, Felix—who has dropped out of college to live a life of travel—is tragically killed, Carlos begins hearing his brother's voice, giving him advice and pushing him to rebel against his father's plan for him. Worrying about his mental health but knowing the voice is right, Carlos runs away to the United States and manages to secure a job with his favorite celebrity chef. As he works to improve his skills in the kitchen and pursue his dream, he begins to fall for his boss's daughter—a fact that could end his career before it begins. Finally living for himself, Carlos must decide what's most important to him and where his true path really lies.

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7.       For the dreamer – Daughter of the Burning City by Amanda Foody

A darkly irresistible new fantasy set in the infamous Gomorrah Festival, a traveling carnival of debauchery that caters to the strangest of dreams and desires. Sixteen-year-old Sorina has spent most of her life within the smoldering borders of the Gomorrah Festival. Yet even among the many unusual members of the traveling circus-city, Sorina stands apart as the only illusion-worker born in hundreds of years. This rare talent allows her to create illusions that others can see, feel and touch, with personalities all their own. Her creations are her family, and together they make up the cast of the Festival's Freak Show. But no matter how lifelike they may seem, her illusions are still just that--illusions, and not truly real. Or so she always believed…until one of them is murdered. Desperate to protect her family, Sorina must track down the culprit and determine how they killed a person who doesn't actually exist. Her search for answers leads her to the self-proclaimed gossip-worker Luca. Their investigation sends them through a haze of political turmoil and forbidden romance, and into the most sinister corners of the Festival. But as the killer continues murdering Sorina's illusions one by one, she must unravel the horrifying truth before all her loved ones disappear.

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8.       For the squad – The Gatekeepers by Jen Lancaster

Multi-New York Times bestselling author Jen Lancaster’s YA debut features a seemingly perfect small town that is rocked when one student’s suicide becomes a suicide cluster and students form a watchdog group called the Gatekeepers—named for the patrolman on the Golden Gate Bridge who prevented more than two hundred suicides—to prevent more tragedy. For readers of Thirteen Reasons Why by Jay Asher, My Heart and Other Black Holes by Jasmine Warga, and I Was Here by Gayle Forman.

Anyone passing through North Shore, IL, would think this was the most picture-perfect place ever, with all the lakefront mansions and manicured hedges and iron gates. No one talks about the fact that the brilliant, talented kids in this town have a terrible history of throwing themselves in front of commuter trains, and that there's rampant opioid abuse that often leads to heroin usage.  Meet Simone, the bohemian transfer student from London, who is thrust into the strange new reality of the American high school; Mallory, the hyper-competitive queen bee; and Stephen, the first generation genius who struggles with crippling self-doubt. Each one is shocked when lovable football player Braden takes his own life and the tragedy becomes a suicide cluster. With so many students facing their own demons, can they find a way to save each other—as well as themselves?  Inspired by the true events that happened in the author’s home town, THE GATEKEEPERS is a moving story that offers an unflinching look at the pressures teens face and the hope that tragedy can be prevented.

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[vcg73]

5 and 1 fic - prompt by Runeburnz - 5 times Kurt put up with Blaine's shit, and 1 time he didn’t .

So, the other day I asked for some 5 and 1 prompts. I received a couple of responses, and I will try to do the Anonymous prompt later this week.

This one was hard because the canon series was basically Kurt putting up with Blaine’s shit time after time until it finally just wore him down to having no spirit left to deny whatever Blaine wanted. So, I went with the option of time-traveling back to ret-con Season 3, which is pretty much when Kurt’s storyline first started going to hell. I gave that downward spiral a logical breaking point and corrected a couple of annoying things at the same time. 

I even allow Blaine to not be a total dick, because at that point he still had the potential to be redeemable.

The First Time:

– Kurt knew he wasn’t ready for this. At least not the way Blaine wanted him to be. He had wanted romance, sweet words and caring gestures, a gentle understanding from his boyfriend that he was scared of not being good enough, and reassurance that he was loved enough to be good enough no matter what happened. He had at least wanted respect, to be allowed to have a say in the time and place of losing his virginity. Of losing their virginity together.

He couldn’t understand how Blaine could feel so differently about it. How he could have allowed himself to get drunk and try to force the moment in the back of a car, in the public parking lot of a bar of all places, when he had just spent the entire evening dancing with someone else. Someone who had made it very clear that he wouldn’t say no if asked.

Was it wrong that Kurt wanted the fairy tale? Did every other guy think that just taking it when the opportunity came along was the right thing to do? Was he stupid for thinking there ought to be more? Or was the idea that he – that both of them – mattered, just something that parents said to keep their kids from growing up for as long as possible?

Well, if that was how it was then he had no choice. If he didn’t get over his fears and move things forward, then he had proof standing by with a smirk and an ugly striped rugby shirt that Blaine would find someone who would. He had to make himself be ready. He would go to Blaine. He would pretend to be confident, suggest they go back to his boyfriend’s nearly always empty house, and he would do it. At least that way he could assure himself of privacy and exert some tiny measure of control. Enjoy some small illusion of romance and caring.

After all, that was what Blaine wanted. At least one of them would be happy and it was important to make the person you loved happy. Even if it left you feeling somewhat empty inside.

Growing up meant waking up, and even the most cherished of dreams had to be allowed to fade away.

Kurt was used to making sacrifices for the people he loved. What was one more?

 The Second Time

 – How could this have happened?  After everything they had gone through. After they had become a couple in every sense of the word. After Blaine had promised that he understood Kurt’s insecurities regarding his flirtatiousness with a clearly interested rival. 

Blaine had claimed that he had no interest in continuing a relationship with Sebastian Smythe. A false claim as it turned out. Not only had Blaine continued to be friends with Sebastian behind Kurt’s back, evidently enjoying a long string of email, text, and coffee dates without ever once mentioning any of it to his boyfriend, but he had actually shared New Directions’ set-list with him! He had betrayed the group, and betrayed Kurt’s trust.

 But somehow, Kurt was the bad guy. He had confronted Blaine, vented some of his justifiable anger, and Blaine had barely apologized before putting on that wounded expression that always made Kurt feel guilty. As if he was the one who had done something wrong, like kicking a puppy. Blaine had accused him of trying to control their relationship, of not being supportive of how much Blaine missed the guys at Dalton; saying how Kurt had “made” him transfer and wasn’t that good enough? Did he have to give up all his friends too?

 And somehow, Kurt had found himself caving in with barely an argument. He did not want to dictate who Blaine could be friends with, did he?  He wasn’t really jealous of how the guys at Dalton treated Blaine like a long lost brother, with their “once a Warbler, always a Warbler” credo, while Kurt – who had also been a Warbler for nearly 6 months – barely warranted a flicker of memory among the group, was he?  

 Well, maybe he did resent the latter one a bit. And Blaine had been one of them for nearly two years. But not Sebastian! He had made no secret of wanting more than just friendship from Blaine, and he had not even been at Dalton when they went there, so why did he fall under that blanket policy of Warbler brotherhood?  

 Blaine claimed he had been protecting Kurt’s feelings by keeping his ongoing relationship with Sebastian a secret. That he couldn’t be hurt by it if he didn’t know it was happening. He had done the only thing he could to keep them both happy. That was nothing to be angry about. And giving up the set-list had been an accident. Blaine had been betrayed more surely than Kurt had, and he was the one who deserved sympathy for his hurt feelings. It was Sebastian who was in the wrong, not Blaine!  Kurt should understand that. He should forgive that minor infraction.

 So he would do it, because he loved Blaine. He believed in him. And this time, Blaine had promised publicly to New Directions that he would not keep in contact any more. That was enough.

 Right?

 The Third Time –

 It was difficult to say whether Blaine had kept his word. Certainly, his relationship with Sebastian had cooled considerably if the other boy had decided to escalate his team’s rivalry with New Directions into an after-hours sing off in a parking garage. Whoever performed Michael Jackson better would win the right to perform his music at Regionals.

 It felt semi-ridiculous, but also just a little bit bad ass. The musical theater nature of it appealed to Kurt, excited him in a way that very little had lately. He had been feeling so down-hearted. It seemed like every time he spoke to Blaine, they ended up arguing about something. Blaine just kept bringing up the great sacrifice he had made in transferring, and the hardship of losing his friends at Dalton “for you”, as if Kurt had somehow put an invisible shackle on his leg that would sound an alarm if he dared speak to Nick, or Jeff, or even one of the graduated members like David and Wes.

 Kurt had done no such thing. He totally supported keeping up with old friends, just as he had done when he was the Warbler and his friends at McKinley had wanted to meet for coffee or shopping. But somehow Blaine did not see it that way. He acted like Kurt was being some massive hypocrite for not wanting him to sustain a friendship with a boy who not only threatened their personal relationship, but also used him to hurt their current team. It was not the same thing at all. It wasn’t!  

 But here they were, playing at “West Side Story” all over again, only with themselves as the Jets, and the Warblers as the Sharks. And Kurt somehow feeling like Blaine had cast himself in the role of Maria – caught between loyalty to his family and his one true love. Well, at least that meant he would finally get to be Tony!

 Except something went wrong. Sebastian had played dirty, which in retrospect is something Kurt was ashamed of himself for not expecting. Instead of a simple song and dance rivalry, the Warblers, including people Kurt had previously thought of as friends, like Trent, had come armed with Slushies. They had thrown them at New Directions, acting just like the hallway bullies at McKinley, attempting to humiliate them in a way that they could only have learned about from Blaine’s apparently continual over-shares to Sebastian. And Sebastian himself had armed his weapon with something nasty. Rock-salt, which combined with the stuff in the Slushie would react as a corrosive when thrown at someone.

 Given that it had been aimed at his chest, Kurt was certain the Slushie was intended to damage his clothes. The wardrobe that he loved so dearly and that Sebastian held in such utter contempt. It would have done his skin no favors either had it connected. But Kurt had had plenty of experience with people throwing gross substances at him and he had reacted instinctively to turn away and cover his face. The stuff should have just hit the side of his leather jacket and dripped harmlessly away. Only Blaine, perhaps feeling guiltier than he had previously admitted to, had unexpectedly decided to play superhero. He had ducked sideways, putting his face right into the path of the stream.  

 Kurt had never really considered until that moment that Blaine had somehow managed to never once be Slushied since transferring to McKinley, as if he was immune to the bullying that every other member of the team – Kurt in particular – received. As a result, he apparently had no idea that he should close his eyes when something was tossed in his face, and he had suffered damage to his eyes.

 Blaine was out of school for several weeks, recovering from his injury. Kurt felt horrible about it. Why had he not taught his boyfriend the standard duck-and-cover procedure for Slushie attacks? Why had he not followed his gut about Sebastian and argued harder against going against the Warblers, and just created an alternative set-list to present to New Directions?  Why did an internet search of scratched corneas, which suggested that they should be treated with eye drops and a few days in a protective eye-patch, but otherwise allowed one to live a normal life, make him feel so suspicious of Blaine’s claims of surgery and necessary weeks in bed being waited on hand and food? And why did having those suspicions make him feel like such a bad person?

 For surely Blaine would not lie to him. Not again. No, clearly this was somehow Kurt’s own fault. He would just have to live with that and do the best he could to assure Blaine that he was loved, and that his brave sacrifice had not been in vain.

 The Fourth Time

 – Another Valentine’s Day and another disappointment.

 For so long, Kurt had dreamed of having a perfect, romantic Valentine’s with the boy he loved. Long before he had a face to put with that fantasy, he had cherished the notion of sweet cards, cheap but lovingly presented chocolate candies, holding hands and ‘I love you’ exchanges, serenades and sweet kisses under the stars. (Or in a nice restaurant, February in Ohio being what it was.)

 Instead he had spent two years pining after a boy who had treated him as if he was just shy of a full on case of ‘cooties’, and another year hoping for a declaration of returned affection from his crush at Dalton – who had then enlisted Kurt to help him woo another boy entirely. Then this year, the first time ever that he had an actual boyfriend, somehow who had told him that he loved him, had kissed him, and with whom he was even having a physical relationship, Blaine was out with an injury. As if he was on some weird sports team that did not allow shows of affection while their players were on the bench.

There had been no requests for a visit all week. No cute little e-cards in his Inbox, though he had sent several of them. No gifts in the mail, even though Kurt had spent an entire week’s allowance on flowers to be delivered to Blaine’s house with a message of love and a cute little stuffed bear with a satin heart on its chest.

 Nothing at all, until the secret admirer gifts had begun showing up at school. Cards, balloons, stuffed animals. All of the things he had hoped for, and Kurt had been so touched that Blaine would do something so romantic. He usually hated public displays of affection, so for Blaine to abandon his comfort zone and make such a gesture for Kurt, just because he knew how much Kurt loved romance . . . that was something special indeed. And then Kurt was invited to dinner for two on Valentine’s night, the very same day that Blaine said his doctor might clear him for return to regular activity.  

 Kurt had sent thank-you notes to Blaine every time one of his ‘secret’ gifts came, and he had great plans for how to thank him in person when they met for dinner.

 Only it was not Blaine who showed up. It was an entirely unwelcome surprise to find that his former bully/tentative friend Dave Karofsky had done it all. Because Dave had unexpectedly developed a crush on him, and had assumed from Blaine’s long absence and lack of PDA that they were no longer together and the field was clear.

 It had made Kurt feel sick and sad. Blaine had apparently done nothing for him at all, but had allowed him to float through the week on a Cloud 9 of someone else’s making without even trying to set the record straight when he was thanked for someone else’s thoughtfulness. Dave had just declared his misplaced love, and Kurt was forced to let him down as gently as he could, trying not to feel hurt by the pain he was obviously causing someone who had gone out of his way to try and make him happy. And Kurt was to spend yet another Valentine’s day alone and disappointed.

 Then, Blaine showed up. He came to the restaurant just in time to take over the stage at Sugar’s party, to make a public gesture of being back. He had sung 2/3rds of a song, not a particularly romantic one but still about love, to the room in general before approaching Kurt and gesturing for him to join in. He had been so happy to see Blaine, smiling and fully recovered, and to salvage what was left of Valentine’s Day by spending it together, that he had put his other concerns aside.

 Until that night, when the crowd had gone home and they were walking to Kurt’s SUV. Blaine had thanked him for all of the cards and gifts, and then given him . . . nothing. Not a chocolate, not a flower, not even a lousy card. Apparently his mere presence was supposed to be enough. And Kurt tried to pretend to himself that it really was, even though his heart was breaking a little more. Blaine suggested that they go back to his house and ‘make up for lost time’, grinning like they were sharing some naughty secret because his parents still did not know what was going on. Kurt made the excuse of being tired after helping to set up for Sugar’s party, telling Blaine that he did not want him to tax his strength on the first day of his recovery.

 Blaine pouted, then he asked Kurt about the heart-shaped box of butterscotch candies in his hand, smiling expectantly and hinting that he thought Kurt had bought it for him. Kurt had taken the box because he did not know what to do with it after Dave ran out. It was still sealed, but he could not bring himself to offer it to Blaine under the circumstances. He sadly explained what the secret admirer gifts had really been about, expecting some measure of sympathy and maybe an explanation of why Blaine had not corrected his previous assumption about their origin. Instead, Blaine had adopted that horrible injured manner and all but accused Kurt of fooling around on him when he was injured.

 They had a fight, right there in the middle of the Breadstix parking lot on Valentine’s Day. A fight that somehow ended once again in Kurt apologizing for something he had not done while Blaine self-righteously allowed him to make it up to him by going home to have sex.

 The candy had been dropped somewhere during their argument. When Kurt found the box the next day, squashed and broken by some uncaring person’s tire, he could not help feeling that he and the lost gift had something in common.

 The Fifth Time

  – Cooper Anderson was even more gorgeous in person than he had been on TV. A phenomenon that Kurt had not known was actually possible. And he was, to Kurt’s utter shock, Blaine’s older brother. Kurt had a celebrity in his own family! (Well, practically.)

 But for some reason, Blaine did not like Cooper. To Kurt and everyone else, the man was charming, accomplished, funny, and altogether amazing. Okay, so perhaps he was a little on the stupid and self-absorbed side, but hey, not even the FreeCreditScore.com guy could be entirely perfect. The flaws just made him human, and even more attractive.

 It did not take long to realize that Blaine was jealous of his brother, and that Cooper had no idea how to relate to a kid brother who was a full ten years his junior, and probably had never been able to do so. They had stopped even trying to communicate years ago.  

 Kurt had done his best to be sympathetic, understanding, and to love him enough to make up for the love Blaine wanted and did not feel he was getting from his brother. But the Andersons’ issues were too complicated to really understand. After all, Kurt had only had the experience of a brother for a single year, and his was the same age. Plus Blaine seemed to resent him for even trying to relate, and even more for his none too subtle crush on the actor.

 It was not quite fair, given that Blaine had never once told him who the infomercial guy really was until the day he showed up at their school, and Kurt had done his best to stifle his admiration once he realized how much it bothered his boyfriend.

 But Kurt did not like it when people pushed him into revealing his deeper feelings before he was ready, so he tried not to feel hurt when Blaine rejected his offers to talk, or angry when he refused to even try to distract himself from his brooding by spending time together. Blaine retreated to sulk, not even willingly going along with the other Glee kids for ditch-day. As a non-senior he certainly wasn’t obligated, but Artie and Tina both went along more than willingly so it saddened Kurt that Blaine was the only no-show.

 He won Blaine a stuffed toy at the amusement park, and used it to playfully coax him into finally sharing some of his feelings about Cooper. It was more than obvious that neither Anderson brother was going to go out of their way to heal the rift between them, so Kurt decided to take matters into his own hands and he tricked them into meeting each other in the auditorium. He did not stay to watch. Kurt heard the opening strains of a duet and felt that his work there was done.

 The song in question made him raise his eyebrow a little, but hey, Blaine was nothing if not the master of finding inappropriate songs for every occasion!

 Afterward, he cornered Blaine to talk again. It seemed his plot had succeeded and the brothers were in a somewhat better place. Blaine seemed lighter, and though Kurt felt like he had run an emotional marathon in bringing it about, the improved mood made it all worthwhile. And if Blaine had been ignoring him an awful lot lately? Well, he would surely make up for it.

 That was just what you did for someone you loved.

 The Last Time

 – Blaine had been ignoring him for weeks. Again. When they did talk, they seemed to be arguing again. Usually about nothing, because Blaine was clearly angry and resentful about something, but Kurt did not know what it was. Blaine refused to tell him whatever was really stuck in his craw.  

 Date night was a thing of the past, and even their secret rendezvous had been sidelined. Blaine had been scheduling their make-out sessions on the excuse that they needed to be out of his house before the parents came home, and yet he refused to do it anywhere else. Kurt’s house made him feel uncomfortable, because Burt was something of a friend, or Finn might walk in on them. School was out of the question, given his aversion to PDA. Kurt did not share Blaine’s odd affinity for making out in cars, but gave in to it a couple of times just to cool his increasing desperation for some kind of affectionate attention.

 Unfortunately, the distance did not stop there. Blaine would not even discuss Kurt’s upcoming audition and potential enrollment into NYADA. He refused to go with him to pick out music, because it might lead to that same discussion. Basically, unless the conversation was focused on Blaine, and Blaine alone, he was no longer interested in having it.

 And Kurt was getting awfully tired of being nothing but a sounding board. Of being scheduled and sidelined right out of his own relationship.

 So when he went alone to buy some new sheet music, and met a boy who seemed so delighted to meet him, so openly admiring and excited for his college prospects, so amusingly complimentary and friendly, well . . . it was hard not to respond to that. Kurt had given Chandler his phone number. He had enjoyed the text messages, and felt a bit better about himself than he had done in months.

 He had showed the texts to Rachel, who instantly accused him of cheating on Blaine. That had taken some of the joy out of receiving them, though Kurt had thought her assumption ridiculous. Chandler knew he had a boyfriend, he had told him so on the very first day. This flirting was just teasing, funny things to make him smile. What was so wrong with that?

 But he did not tell Blaine. He mentioned that he had met a fellow New York bound high school senior at ‘Between the Sheets’, hoping Blaine would ask for more and open up a discussion, but the conversation was shut down so fast Kurt practically heard a slamming door. So he remained quiet. Just to be sure that Rachel had been wrong, he showed the texts to Sam Evans. They had become friends over time, if casual ones. One could only take so many sports metaphors, video game references, and movie impersonations, after all, but Sam was a good guy and he seemed interested so Kurt showed him. He had found the messages hilarious, just like Kurt did, and agreed that Chandler seemed like a nice ‘dude’.

 But Blaine, though sitting across the room sulking at the sight of Kurt laughing with Sam, never asked what they were looking at. Instead he came over to Kurt’s house after school, waiting until he was out of the room to start going through his phone. He had read all the funny, flirty text messages and immediately got mad and accused Kurt of going behind his back with the other boy. Kurt had gotten angry in turn, finally pouring out some of his frustration with the way Blaine had been ignoring him. He had denied any wrong-doing with Chandler, pointing out that he had done no worse than Blaine had done with Sebastian, but Blaine did not see it that way. It was one set of standards for him, and another for Kurt.

 As for going through his phone without permission, Blaine seemed to believe he had the right to do so, even though he would not even allow Kurt to borrow his laptop to look something up without releasing the password-protection and bringing up the search-engine personally, looking over his shoulder the entire time to be sure he did not go anywhere else. That behavior had made Kurt feel a bit paranoid about what Blaine was hiding, but he had always suppressed it, telling himself that Blaine was just interested in seeing the search results for himself.

 All the months of double standards and being ignored until it was convenient for Blaine to pay attention to him finally reached a boiling point the next day. Kurt had sent Blaine home after their argument, not apologizing first for a change, only to have a change of heart during the night as he imagined how he might have reacted to discovering that Blaine was (again) sharing flirtations with another boy without his knowledge. He had made up his mind to apologize in public by way of a song for the glee club’s Whitney Houston tribute week. Kurt had poured his heart into that song, looking at Blaine and willing him to get the message.

 The only message he apparently received was that Kurt had not groveled enough. Blaine countered with accusations of cheating, appealing to the other kids to get them on his side against Kurt. Kurt had seen the nods, the resentful looks being shot his way from people who had been cheated on in the past (and had done quite a bit of it themselves) and just assumed they knew what was going on, and finally he just had enough.

 “No,” he said firmly, standing and raising his voice to project through the room without actually yelling, and interrupting Blaine mid revenge-song. Blaine stopped singing and looked angry. Everyone else was brought up short, as if his objection had awakened them from whatever dark memories they had been caught in. “Blaine, I don’t know what’s going on in your head, but you know as well as I do that I have never cheated on you. Chandler is just a boy I met at a music store, who has a little too much texting time on his hands. I’m not attracted to him, and even if I was, I would never betray our relationship by fooling around with him.”

 “You say that now, but how do I know?” Blaine asked, flashing the room rather than Kurt with his patented wounded-puppy look.

 Kurt was not having it. “You know, or should know, because you know me. I waited a long time for what we have together, and it means too much to me to just throw it away on the first guy who tosses me a compliment. I love you, and that means everything to me.” He turned his head, addressing their friends, who were once again nodding, but this time in agreement with his own statement. “And the rest of you might just remember the last time you did this to me, when Sam was in trouble and I was helping him out.”

 Sam sat up straight, sudden resolve in his face as he shook off whatever doubts had been niggling at his brain. “He’s right, guys. He did nothing wrong then, and I know he’s still cool now. He showed me those texts and they were just lame pick-up lines. Kurt wasn’t even responding to them.”

 “You didn’t show me the texts,” Blaine blurted, clearly not liking that attention was drifting away from him. “You were carrying on with your new friend without even telling me.”

 “You mean like you carried on with Sebastian behind Kurt’s back?” Mercedes said coolly, giving him a narrow eyed stare. “Behind all of our backs?”

 Finn suddenly seemed to get her drift. “Hey, that’s right! And Kurt hasn’t been meeting up with anyone. He told us about meeting him at dinner that night, but Charlie lives in Westerville.”

 “Chandler,” Kurt corrected.

 “Right,” Finn said, then his brow scrunched as he looked at Kurt, “Dude, do you think he’s trying to steal our new set-list?”

 Kurt shook his head. “We don’t have a set-list yet, Finn. I think he was interested in me, but he didn’t push when I told him I had a boyfriend.”

 “He should be interested,” Brittany chimed in, giving him a once-over that made Kurt feel both flattered and slightly uncomfortable. Brittany never made a secret of it that she found many of her teammates physically attractive. “Unless he’s blind. Do even blind kids know you’re hot? I wonder if he sends his texts in Braille.”

 “Anyway,” Kurt said loudly, turning his attention back to Blaine, “the point is that I haven’t been doing anything wrong, and you have no right to try and use our friends against me. I admit that I probably should have showed you the messages when I first started receiving them, but I never saw Chandler as anything but a potential friend who is also interested in going to college in New York. Something that’s very important to me, but which you have been completely unwilling to talk about for weeks.”

 Blaine crossed his arms over his chest. “I know it’s important to you. It’s all you talk about! New York this, and NYADA that. Do you even care that I won’t be going with you? It’s almost like you’re happy to be leaving me behind!”

 The picture finally came together for Kurt. All the little passive aggressive behaviors of the last several months coalesced into a clear picture. “Is that what this has been about? I’m going away to college, and you resent me for being excited about it? Blaine! I’m graduating high school in a few months. I have to think about these things! That doesn’t mean I don’t love you, or don’t want you in my future. It means that we’ll have to learn to make a long-distance relationship work, like thousands of other couples do every year. It doesn’t mean that we should throw away the time we have left.”

 Blaine abruptly plunked down in a seat, arms still stubbornly crossed. “But you’ll be in a new place, with new guys. Hot guys who won’t even know I exist. How do I know you won’t cheat on me again?”

 “Oh for . . . I did not cheat on you this time!” Kurt said, voice rising. “Or any other time, and I wouldn’t do that. I hate that people do that to the people they claim to love!”

 The other members of New Directions all suddenly found somewhere else to look. Mr. Schuester seemed to remember that practice was still in session as he gave a halfhearted try at regaining attention. “Now guys, I don’t think this is really the time or place.”

 “It is, Mister Shue,” Rachel said, in that oddly authoritative way of hers that somehow always made the teacher back down. “If we don’t resolve our conflicts, they’ll just fester and drain our attention away from the important things like preparing for auditions and Nationals. These texts messages were a cry for help. A ticking time bomb. A guillotine blade waiting to fall!”

 Interrupting before Rachel could go full Joan of Arc on them, Artie cocked his head like a curious puppy. “By the way Blaine, why did you think he’d been text-cheating if Kurt didn’t show them to you?”

 “He went through my phone when I left the room,” Kurt said absently, his attention still focused on his pouting boyfriend. The sudden chorus of gasps and disbelieving noises made him look up. “What?”

 “You went through his phone?” Puck said, giving Blaine an incredulous look. “Dude, that’s not cool.”

 Quinn gave him a frosty look. “You would know.”

 “And why do you think that some vaguely possible and entirely hypothetical suitor swooping in to steal Kurt away from you give you the right to sabotage his need to find the best possible song to audition for NYADA?” Rachel piped up, glaring at Blaine and copying his cross armed gesture. “Kurt is loyal to his friends, and he’s forgiving of mistakes. Believing me, I should know! But this is his career we’re talking about. His entire future on Broadway could depend on this moment! You should be by his side, holding his hand and picking out songs, giving him point by point critiques on how to improve his performance ahead of the demanding task of performing for a difficult audition. What kind of boyfriend are you?”

 “That’s a good question,” Finn chimed in again. “Because I haven’t exactly seen you beating down our door to spend time with Kurt lately. In fact, ever since you guys started sleeping together, you’ve been using that as a power play to get him to do whatever you want.”

 Kurt smacked his brother on the arm, hissing, “Finn!”

 Santana blew a raspberry. “Oh, please. It’s not like everyone didn’t figure it out when you finally unlocked the chastity belt. The second night of the musical, wasn’t it?  You showed up the next day staring off into space with a stupid bittersweet smile on your face. I could practically hear the theme song from ‘Ice Castles’ playing every time you walked by. And short-stack was walking funny for the entire third performance. Congrats on that, by the way. I lost five bucks to Brittany. She was sure you’d be a top and I thought no way.”

 “Oh, my god, shut up!” Kurt begged, feeling his face heat up.

 “You have to admit that sex did improve his stage performance, though,” Artie added smugly. “Just like I told him it would.”

 Momentarily side-tracked from his conversation, Kurt looked at his classmate. “Excuse me?”

 Blaine looked away but Rachel jumped right in. “Oh, you know. When Artie told me and Blaine that being virgins would make it impossible to understand the passion that Maria and Tony felt for one another. It was terrible advice. After all, I wouldn’t have committed a murder if I was going to play Roxy Hart! I felt so silly for listening to him and trying to seduce Finn just for the sake of a play. Didn’t you Blaine? I’m sure Kurt was just as forgiving when you told him, though, since you guys were even closer after the show.”

 Kurt’s mouth had fallen open halfway through Rachel’s speech and as he stared accusingly at Blaine, the other boy suddenly looked like he wanted to be anywhere else. He avoided Kurt’s eyes and instead shot Rachel and Artie a pair of accusing looks. Kurt felt like his heart was breaking all over again, but this time there was a healing overlay of ice fusing quickly through the cracks. In a dangerously quiet voice, he said, “That night at Scandals. That’s why you suddenly went from ‘let’s both be comfortable’ to trying to force me to have sex for the first time in the back of your car. It wasn’t about me at all, or even about you having some sudden burning attraction for me. You did it because you wanted to be a better actor.”

 As the meaning of his words sank ain, the glee club turned shocked eyes upon Blaine, and Artie looked like he wanted to sink through the floor. “Not cool,” he muttered. It had clearly never occurred to him that for Blaine to lose his virginity, Kurt would have had to do so as well, ready or not. “Kurt, I am so sorry.”

 “I’ll deal with you later,” he said flatly, not quite ready to speak with a guilt-ridden Artie just yet. He continued to stare at Blaine. “Well?”

 “Hey, it all worked out!” he said, a note of begging in his voice. “We didn’t do anything until you suggested it. I didn’t choose the time and place, you did!”

 It was all Kurt could do to hold his composure. Tears were prickling at his eyes as he said, “Only because you made me feel guilty for ruining your moment. Only because you had spent the entire previous night dancing with Sebastian while ignoring me, and I was afraid if I didn’t give you what you wanted, he would.”

 “That is a valid point,” Santana said, exchanging nods with Puck.

 “But we worked it out!” Blaine said in a whining tone. “It doesn’t matter why you finally got over being afraid of it. You did, and it was good, and we’ve been great ever since.”

 He swallowed hard. “We haven’t been so great lately.”

 “Well whose fault is that?” he tried again.

 “Pretty sure that’d be yours, dude,” Sam suggested. “He’s been trying to talk to you for ages and you keep cold-shouldering him.”

 Quinn nodded. “I don’t get involved, but I’ve seen it too. Kurt has been pretty persistent about making you happy since you transferred here, but every time he needs your support you’ve suddenly got better things to do.”

 “I transferred here to be with him!”

 “Seems to me, you transferred here because it gave you a better shot at being top dog,” Puck observed. “You bogarted the musical, you flaked off on helping him campaign for the school election, you started fights with Sam and Finn to score more solos in here, you eye fucked another guy until Kurt gave it up to you, then you treated him like last week’s meatloaf every time you got your panties in a twist over nothing. Seriously, Hummel, there ain’t a lot of ass to be had around here for you gay dudes, but you could do better.”

 Much to his own surprise, Kurt found himself agreeing. He had loved Blaine devotedly and faithfully, ever since the day they first met on that staircase at Dalton Academy, long before he had any return on the sentiment, but the relationship had not made him happy in a long time. “It hasn’t made you happy either, has it?” he asked quietly.

 Blaine looked a little confused. “What?”

 “Us. You and me. It doesn’t make you happy,” Kurt clarified. “I love you, but I’m not happy either. This is a test. How we behave together when the prospect of a bigger hurdle comes between us. And we’re failing it, big time.”

 “Are you saying you don’t want to be together anymore?” Blaine demanded, his tone halfway between resentment and panic. “Kurt, don’t be stupid. Without me, what do you have?”

 Kurt looked around the room. “Friends . . . maybe?”

 More people nodded their agreement than he had honestly expected. It seemed that the revelations of the last few minutes had pulled a few people back from the weird ‘bro-ship’ that had formed between Blaine and seemingly every one of Kurt’s friends since he came to McKinley.

 “I think maybe it’s time we both faced the truth,” he said sadly. “I don’t want to be nothing but a convenience boyfriend. I want to go away next year and know that the people I leave behind will honestly wish me the best. I want to be able to know that you’re okay and that you’re moving toward your own future, and with someone who will make you truly happy. We were good together, for a while, but I think maybe our time has passed.”

 “No,” Blaine said, in a quietly choked voice. “I didn’t want this.”

 Kurt sat down in the chair next to his and took his hand. “Are you sure? Can you look me in the eye and tell me that you truly want us to be together? Because if I’m honest with myself, I can’t say the same. I never cheated on you, Blaine, and I never would. But I think we’re moving in different directions and we may have gone as far as we could.”

 Blaine shook his head, blinking rapidly against brimming tears. “I never meant to make you unhappy, Kurt. I never meant to lie to you, or to accuse you of awful things. I was just so scared of losing you.”

 “Of being alone,” Kurt corrected gently. It occurred to him, perhaps for the first time consciously, that Blaine had never really been alone before. He had had a brother, however fraught with difficulty their relationship was, then he had the crowd at Dalton who had adopted him quickly as one of their own. And then he had had Kurt, who had given him all the love and devotion he could possibly want. He had never really had to face anything on his own. Maybe that was why he had been so intent on sabotaging Kurt’s chances at bulking up his college applications. If Kurt failed to get into NYADA, then he might stay in Lima and continue to hold Blaine’s hand through every difficult moment. “Maybe it’s time for both of us find our own way.”

  Blaine finally looked Kurt in the face, his dark eyes wet with tears that were matched in Kurt’s. For the first time in a very long time, Kurt could see the boy he had first met and loved at Dalton. The other boy must have seen it too, for he smiled a bit tremulously. “Remember when you thought Pavarotti was gonna die because he was molting?”

 Kurt laughed a little, sniffling and dashing a hand across his nose. “Yeah. Turned out he was just getting ready to spread his wings and fly.”

 “I always said he was your voice.”

 “And after he did die, I lost that voice for a while,” Kurt agreed, “but I think it’s time that I found it again. Okay?”

 He nodded. Taking a shuddering breath, he said, “I’m sorry for all of that stuff, and . . . and if you still want to be friends then I’ll help you find a great song this weekend.”

 Grateful that Blaine was not about to flee the room in dramatic despair, or try to dump the entire glee club to vent his feelings, Kurt agreed, “I’d really like that.”

 “And maybe we can fill out some other college applications for you. Not that you won’t ace your audition, because I know you will, but just to be safe. I hear NYADA is a really competitive school, and I don’t want anything to keep you from following your heart to New York.”

 Recognizing a genuine olive branch in the offer, Kurt squeezed his hand. “That’s a good idea. I told Finn he should apply to a variety of schools. It’d be pretty arrogant of me to assume I don’t need to do the same.” He took a deep breath, fully aware that every person in the room was staring at them with a combination of sad and doting expressions and that Blaine had never really liked public displays of affection, then said, “And don’t ever believe that part of my heart isn’t being torn out and left behind in Lima.”

 He leaned close and kissed Blaine. A soft, heartfelt kiss of goodbye. Blaine hesitated a moment, then kissed him back and Kurt could feel the finality in that gesture.

 As they parted, the bell rang. With one final squeeze of Blaine’s hand, Kurt stood and gathered his possessions. He walked from the choir room with head held high. His heart was a little bit broken, a little bit sore, and it probably would be for some time to come, but as Mercedes suddenly stepped up to him and linked their elbows, something she had not done in a long time, and Finn and Rachel both stepped up to flank them on either side as if showing the world where their loyalties lay, Kurt suddenly felt lighter than he had in a very long time.

 It was time to spread his wings and see where the winds of fate would lead him.

 Kurt Hummel was ready to fly free.

 THE END

[katybudgetbooks]

YA Books We’re Anticipating in April 2017

Alex, Approximately by Jenn Bennett (4/4):  Seventeen-year-old Bailey moves to California to live with her father and, perhaps, finally meet an online friend and fellow film buff, but soon finds herself attracted to an annoying co-worker.

The End of Our Story by Meg Haston (4/4): Every love story has a breaking point... From the author of Paperweight comes the star-crossed romance of two high school friends in a tale rife with deeply buried secrets and shocking revelations. BEFORE: Bridge and Wil have been entangled in each other's lives for years. Under the white-hot Florida sun, they went from kids daring each other to swim past the breakers to teenagers stealing kisses between classes. But when Bridge betrayed Wil during their junior year, she shattered his heart and their relationship along with it. AFTER: When Wil's family suffers a violent loss, and Bridge rushes back to Wil's side. As they struggle to heal old wounds and start falling for each other all over again, Bridge and Wil discover just how much has changed in the past year. Though they once knew each other's every secret, they aren't the same people they used to be. Bridge can't imagine life without Wil, but sometimes love isn't enough. Can they find their way back to each other, or will this be the end of their story?

Shadowcaster by Cinda Williams Chima (4/4): From New York Times bestselling author Cinda Williams Chima, this is a thrilling story of the unfathomable costs of war, the allure of dark magic, and two principled and conflicted characters drawn together despite everything they stand to lose.Alyssa ana'Raisa, the reluctant princess heir to the Gray Wolf throne of the Fells, feels more comfortable striking with a sword than maneuvering at court. After a brush with death, Lyss goes on the offensive, meaning to end the war that has raged her whole life. If her gamble doesn't pay off, she could lose her queendom before she even ascends to the throne. Across enemy lines in Arden, young rising star Captain Halston Matelon is being sent on ever more dangerous assignments. Between the terrifying rumors of witches and wolfish warriors to the north and his cruel king at home, Hal is caught in an impossible game of life and death.Lyss and Hal's intricately linked fates become inseparable when they fall under the shadow of a new enemy--a force that threatens to extinguish the last rays of hope in the Shattered Realms.

Alex & Eliza by Melissa de la Cruz (4/11): 1777. Albany, New York. As battle cries of the American Revolution echo in the distance, servants flutter about preparing for one of New York society's biggest events: the Schuylers' grand ball. Descended from two of the oldest and most distinguished bloodlines in New York, the Schuylers are proud to be one of their fledgling country's founding families, and even prouder still of their three daughters--Angelica, with her razor-sharp wit; Peggy, with her dazzling looks; and Eliza, whose beauty and charm rival those of both her sisters, though she'd rather be aiding the colonists' cause than dressing up for some silly ball. Still, Eliza can barely contain her excitement when she hears of the arrival of one Alexander Hamilton, a mysterious, rakish young colonel and General George Washington's right-hand man. Though Alex has arrived as the bearer of bad news for the Schuylers, he can't believe his luck--as an orphan, and a bastard one at that--to be in such esteemed company. And when Alex and Eliza meet that fateful night, so begins an epic love story that would forever change the course of American history. In the pages of Alex and Eliza, #1 New York Times bestselling author Melissa de la Cruz brings to life the romance of young Alexander Hamilton and Elizabeth Schuyler.

The Freemason’s Daughter by Shelley Sackier (4/11): Saying good-bye to Scotland is the hardest thing that Jenna MacDuff has had to do--until she met Lord Pembroke. Jenna's small clan has risked their lives traveling the countryside as masons, secretly drumming up support and arms at every stop for the exiled King James Stuart so that he may retake the British throne. But their next job brings them into enemy territory: England.Jenna's father repeatedly warns her to trust no one, but when the Duke of Keswick hires the clan to build a garrison on his estate, it seems she cannot hide her capable mind from the duke's inquisitive son, Lord Alex Pembroke--nor mask her growing attraction to him.But there's a covert plan behind the building of the garrison--a secret that cannot be revealed. Will Jenna hide her family's mutinous plot and assist her clan's cause, or protect the life of the young noble she's falling for?In Shelley Sackier's lush, vivid historical debut, someone will pay a deadly price no matter what Jenna chooses.

Given to the Sea by Mindy McGinnis (4/11):  Kings and Queens rise and fall, loyalties collide, and romance blooms in a world where the sea is rising--and cannot be escaped. Khosa is Given to the Sea, a girl born to be fed to the water, her flesh preventing a wave like the one that destroyed the Kingdom of Stille in days of old. But before she's allowed to dance, an uncontrollable twitching of the limbs that will carry her to the shore in a frenzy--she must produce an heir. Yet the thought of human touch sends shudders down her spine that not even the sound of the tide can match. Vincent is third in line to inherit his throne, royalty in a kingdom where the old linger and the young inherit only boredom. When Khosa arrives without an heir he knows his father will ensure she fulfills her duty, at whatever cost. Torn between protecting the throne he will someday fill, and the girl whose fate is tied to its very existence, Vincent's loyalty is at odds with his heart. Dara and Donil are the last of the Indiri, a native race whose dwindling magic grows weaker as the island country fades. Animals cease to bear young, creatures of the sea take to the land, and the Pietra--fierce fighters who destroyed the Indiri a generation before--are now marching from their stony shores for the twin's adopted homeland, Stille. Witt leads the Pietra, their army the only family he has ever known. The stone shores harbor a secret, a growing threat that will envelop the entire land--and he will conquer every speck of soil to ensure the survival of his people. The tides are turning in Stille, where royals scheme, Pietrans march, and the rising sea calls for its Given.

The Upside of Unrequited by Becky Albertalli (4/11): From the award-winning author of Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda comes a funny, authentic novel about sisterhood, love, and identity.Seventeen-year-old Molly Peskin-Suso knows all about unrequited love. No matter how many times her twin sister, Cassie, tells her to woman up, Molly can't stomach the idea of rejection. So she's careful. Fat girls always have to be careful.Then a cute new girl enters Cassie's orbit, and for the first time ever, Molly's cynical twin is a lovesick mess. Meanwhile, Molly's totally not dying of loneliness--except for the part where she is. Luckily, Cassie's new girlfriend comes with a cute hipster-boy sidekick. If Molly can win him over, she'll get her first kiss and she'll get her twin back. There's only one problem: Molly's coworker, Reid. He's a chubby Tolkien superfan with a season pass to the Ren Faire, and there's absolutely no way Molly could fall for him. Right?

Bang by Barry Lyga (4/18):  A chunk of old memory, adrift in a pool of blood. Sebastian Cody did something horrible, something no one--not even Sebastian himself--can forgive. At the age of four, he accidentally shot and killed his infant sister with his father's gun. Now, ten years later, Sebastian has lived with the guilt and horror for his entire life. With his best friend away for the summer, Sebastian has only a new friend--Aneesa--to distract him from his darkest thoughts. But even this relationship cannot blunt the pain of his past. Because Sebastian knows exactly how to rectify his childhood crime and sanctify his past. It took a gun to get him into this. Now he needs a gun to get out. Unflinching and honest, Bang is the story of one boy and one moment in time that cannot be reclaimed, as true and as relevant as tomorrow's headlines. Readers of This is Where It Ends, The Hate List, and Forgive Me, Leonard Peacock will appreciate this extraordinary novel.

Grendel’s Guide to Love and War by AE Kaplan (4/18):  Tom Grendel lives a quiet life--writing in his notebooks, mowing lawns for his elderly neighbors, and pining for Willow, a girl next door who rejects the -manic-pixie-dream- label. But when Willow's brother, Rex (the bro-iest bro ever to don a jockstrap), starts throwing wild parties, the idyllic senior citizens' community where they live is transformed into a war zone. Tom is rightfully pissed--his dad is an Iraq vet, and the noise from the parties triggers his PTSD--so he comes up with a plan to end the parties for good. But of course, it's not that simple. One retaliation leads to another, and things quickly escalate out of control, driving Tom and Willow apart, even as the parties continue unabated. Add to that an angsty existential crisis born of selectively reading his sister's Philosophy 101 coursework, a botched break-in at an artisanal pig farm, and ten years of unresolved baggage stemming from his mother's death . . . and the question isn't so much whether Tom Grendel will win the day and get the girl, but whether he'll survive intact.

Legion by Julie Kagawa (4/25): From the limitless imagination of Julie Kagawa comes the next thrilling novel in The Talon Saga.The legions will be unleashed, and no human, rogue dragon or former dragonslayer can stand against the coming horde. Dragon hatchling Ember Hill was never prepared to find love at all--dragons do not suffer human emotions--let alone with a human, and a former dragonslayer at that. With ex-soldier of St. George Garret dying at her feet after sacrificing his freedom and his life to expose the deepest of betrayals, Ember knows only that nothing she was taught by dragon organization Talon is true. About humans, about rogue dragons, about herself and what she's capable of doing and feeling.In the face of great loss, Ember vows to stand with rogue dragon Riley against St. George and her own twin brother, Dante--the heir apparent to all of Talon, and the boy who will soon unleash the greatest threat and terror dragonkind has ever known. Talon is poised to conquer the world, and the abominations they have created will soon take to the skies, darkening the world with the promise of blood and death to those who will not yield.

[traderspro]

Saudi Arabia Just Warned That War With Iran Would Cause A “Total Collapse Of The Global Economy”

September 30, 2019

Biomedical Biopharmaceuticals Biotech China Crude Oil Daily Rundown Donald Trump Energy Sector IPO Oil Stock Picks Trade War

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Plus, the White House isn’t planning on blocking Chinese investments at this point, Forever 21 is filing for bankruptcy, and WeWork is formally requesting to postpone its IPO.

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Stocks were up to start Monday morning, with the Dow adding 0.1% at the open. The S&P 500 gained nearly 0.2%, while the Nasdaq added 0.1% at the open.

Stocks rebounded from Friday’s lows this morning on news that the White House isn’t “contemplating blocking Chinese companies from listing shares on the U.S. stock exchanges at this time,” according to Treasury spokeswoman Monica Crowley. The statement, alongside better-than-anticipated economic data out of China, lifted sentiment. After reports from Friday that the Trump administration was considering ways to limit Chinese investments, Chinese state media called the possible restrictions “the latest attempt at decoupling,” and warned of “significant repercussions for the Chinese and U.S. economies, as well as their companies, in the future” should such restrictions come to be. Delegations from the U.S. and China are expected to meet on October 10 – 11 in Washington D.C. to try to move closer to a deal to end the trade hostilities, though Eurasia Group’s Ian Bremmer said that the combative toneat last week’s UN General Assembly from both sides suggests a much deeper divide between the world’s two largest economies than six months ago. “The two sides are digging in and it’s gotten considerably worse in the past weeks,” Bremmer said.

President Donald Trump called for Adam Schiff, the Democrat leading the House impeachment inquiry, to be questioned for treason and demanded to meet the anonymous whistleblower who raised concern about Trump’s request to Ukraine to investigate his political rivals in a series of tweets Sunday evening. Trump also said that he wants the identities of the individuals who provided information to the whistleblower that’s cited in the report, which is likely to raise questions about whether the president is violating protections that are in place to protect government employees seeking to expose unethical behavior. According to CBS News, the whistleblower has been placed under federal protection for fear of their safety as their lawyer says “certain individuals” have offered a $50,000 bounty for the whistleblower’s identity. Adam Schiff said in an interview with ABC, that Congress expects to hear from the whistleblower “very soon,” though the timing will depend on how quickly the security clearance process for his or her lawyers takes. In other impeachment news, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said this morning that the Senate would have to take up impeachment of the president if the House votes to charge Trump. “I would have no choice but to take it up,” McConnell said. “How long you are on it is a different matter, but I would have no choice but to take it up based on a Senate rule on impeachment.”

War between Saudi Arabia and Iran would cause a “total collapse of the global economy,” according to Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. In an interview with CBS’ “60 Minutes,” the bin Salman said “If the world does not take a strong and firm action to deter Iran, we will see further escalations that will threaten world interests. …Oil supplies will be disrupted and oil prices will jump to unimaginably high numbers that we haven’t seen in our lifetimes.” While Yemen’s Houthi rebels initially claimed responsibility, the U.S., Saudi Arabia, and several major European countries have all blamed Iran for the September 14 attacks on two Saudi oil installments that temporarily knocked out nearly 5% of the global oil supply. Energy industry experts say that oil could surge to between $100 and $150 per barrel if Saudi Arabia and Iran go to war.

Forever 21 said Sunday that it is filing for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The apparel retailer has estimated liabilities on a consolidated basis of between $1 billion and $10 billion, and has secured $275 million in financing from its existing lenders with JPMorgan and $75 million in new capital from TPG Sixth Street Partners, as well as affiliated funds to help support its operations in bankruptcy. Forever 21 has 815 stores globally, and is expected to close most of its stores in Asia and Europe. The fast-fashion chain joins a growing list of big-name retailers, including Barneys and Mattress Firm, that have filed for bankruptcy protection recently.

WeWork parent We Co. has announced that it will file a request to postpone its highly-anticipated IPO. The embattled office-sharing unicorn formally announced its intent to go public on August 14, but has since had to delay its listing twice as concerns grew around its valuation and corporate governance, which forced its CEO to step down last week. “We have decided to postpone our IPO to focus on our core business, the fundamentals of which remain strong,” said WeWork co-CEOs Artie Minson and Sebastian Gunningham in a statement. “We are as committed as ever to serving our members, enterprise customers, landlord partners, employees and shareholders. We have every intention to operate WeWork as a public company and look forward to revisiting the public equity markets in the future.”

Stocks We’re Watching

Arcus Biosciences (NYSE: RCUS): Shares of Arcus Biosciences surged higher late last week after Mizuho Securities initiated coverage of the stock on Friday. Mizuho issued a Buy rating for the stock with a price target of $22, indicating possible upside of 152% over the next 12 months. Mizuho analyst Mara Goldstein said that Arcus’ approach to drug development, with an immune-based approach to fighting cancer, could generate enthusiasm for the stock. Data from clinical trials are expected over the course of the next year, which could push the stock higher.

Seattle Genetics (NASDAQ: SGEN): Seattle Biosciences shares are up nearly 11% this morning and jumped as much as 9% on Friday after the biotech unveiled promising cancer treatment regimens with Merck and Roche. Seattle Genetics’ enforumab vedotin in combination with Merck’s Keytruda produced a 62% objective response rate in patients with bladder cancer, while its tucatinib in combination with Roche’s Herceptin resulted in a 55% objective response rate. SVB Leerink analyst Andrew Berens said in a note to clients that the data releases represent “two wins” for Seattle Genetics’ stock and said “the promising initial (effectiveness) data suggests the potential for the combo to rapidly become the standard-of-care in (never-before-treated) cisplatin-ineligible patients and further validates the potential benefits that may be realized by combining ADCs and PD-1/L1 agents.”

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These 14 startups endorsed by the seed-stage investment firm Pear just hit the fundraising trail

Earlier this week, in a beautiful garden in Woodside, Ca., the team at the five-year-old, seed-stage venture firm Pear hosted it fifth annual demo day. It’s an event that’s limited to roughly 100 VCs who year after year happily fill the space to see what Pear — which has written early checks to the “unicorn” delivery service DoorDash and newly public Guardant Health, among others — has up its sleeve.

As with last year, what those investors wound up seeing on Tuesday was 15 teams, most of them six months old or younger and led by current students or recent graduates who’d been invited by Pear to build companies over ten weeks in its Palo Alto offices. These ranged from a startup with ambitious plans to build a new commercial space station, to a machine learning-powered cloud video platform that makes it far easier to edit video clips, to a startup that uses AI to negotiate salary discussions on behalf of its clients.

But in a bit of a twist, this time around, Pear also featured a sprinkling of young companies that are now ready for Series A funding, including a solar design and sales platform for residential and commercial photovoltaic systems, and a company that thinks its check-out free shopping technology could help all kinds of Amazon rivals compete with the giant’s growing number of surveillance-powered, no-checkout convenience stores.

In case you’re an investor or just someone interested in keeping your thumb on the pulse of what’s happening in emerging tech, herewith is a quick snapshot of each of the companies that were featured as part of the program. (Well, all but one that expressly asked us not to write about what it’s working on. We’ll just tell you that it’s a kind of social network and, remarkably, it feels fresh.)

If you’re interested in reaching out to any of these folks, you can find of all of their email addresses here.

Pre-Seed / Seed

Orion Span

Tagline: The World’s Private Space Station

Describes itself as: What was once the domain of governments is now the domain of private industry. So it was with aviation and now, too, it is with space travel. SpaceX revolutionized the launch business and is worth $27 billion today. Orion Span will do the same with the destination business. Orion Span’s Aurora Station’s patented IP and operational concepts emphasize simplicity, cutting costs in extraordinary ways and improving accessibility in ways never seen before in space station design.

Location: San Mateo, Ca, and Houston, Tx.

Employees: 5

Metrics: Twenty-six space tourists have agreed to put $80,000 each to be on the waitlist; 1,578 media outlets worldwide have covered us; and four partners are signed with three more on the way.

Team: Orion Span includes some of the folks who built the International Space Station. Its CEO is a marketer and entrepreneur with a few startups under his belt. Its architect designed the ISS Enterprise module. It CTO designed and built spacecraft systems for the ISS. And its COO oversaw the build of NASA Orion spacecraft as a former general manager.

Young Alfred

Tagline: Home Insurance Marketplace

Describes itself as: Young Alfred turns the nightmare experience of shopping for home insurance online into an informed, 15-minute transaction. As a customer, you get your top three curated home insurance options from a list of more than 20 carriers and can purchase with just one click. A marketplace model drives transparency, saves money, and leads to five times higher purchase conversion than a single-carrier model.

Locations: Philadelphia and New York

Employees: 6

Metrics: Thousands of applications for home insurance a month, with 24 direct carrier relationships across 13 states.

Team: The founders met during their first week at Wharton Business School. David comes from private equity and has experience acquiring and growing businesses. Jason is an engineer turned high frequency trader who has built trading systems for the likes of Citadel and DRW.

Aligned Carbon

Tagline: Next 1000x computing revolution using carbon nanotube

Describes itself as: Aligned Carbon is the first company to sell carbon nanotube wafers in a way that seamlessly fit into the nanofabrication requirements of the integrated circuit industry. The large historical gains in performance due to continued shrinking of silicon transistors are now only realizing marginal improvements with exponentially increasing costs. This has come at a time with the push for faster and lower power computing capabilities continue to grow rapidly due to AI, AR, big-data analytics and other memory-starved workloads. Monolithic 3D integration is the nanoelectronics industry’s next paradigm for computing and the sequential integration of carbon nanotube logic with traditional silicon logic and memory is the leading technology. Performance and efficiency improvements of over 1000x are anticipated, and Aligned Carbon’s products solve the carbon nanotube materials problem to revolutionize a $500B industry.

Location: Silicon Valley

Employees: 3

Metrics: Aligned Carbon has worked with over a dozen companies and universities while developing their unique carbon nanotube products of interest to the largest chip manufacturers in the world.

Team: Co-founded in 2018 by J Provine, Greg Pitner, and Cara Beasley, three Stanford scientists who met over a shared love for nanotechnology. Collectively they have over 35 years of nanofabrication research experience with universities, start-ups, and corporate giants.

Mirra

Tagline: Mirra creates products and experiences to make no-bullshit skincare easily accessible.

Describes itself as: Mirra is a skincare platform of more than 100,000 beauty nerds who believe that the most important ingredient is transparency. By marrying content, community and commerce, Mirra empowers millennial women with the tools they need to decode the unregulated, $14 billion skincare industry. After releasing a weekly skincare newsletter that grew to more than 100,000 subscribers without ad spend, Mirra is now launching an exclusive line of skincare products.

Location: San Francisco

Employees: undisclosed

Metrics: Mirra’s first product is a weekly skincare newsletter which has grown exponentially without ad spend. Now, after listening to the holes in its readers’ routines, Mirra is launching its own exclusive line of skincare products next year.

Team: Mirra is founded by Katia Ameri, a 26-year-old Stanford alumna with a background in venture capital and consumer products.

Reduct

Tagline: AI-powered cloud video: the power of video, with the ease of text.

Describes itself as: Reduct makes a machine learning-powered cloud video platform that anyone can use. If you can write a text document, you can search, edit, and share video with Reduct. By making tools for video creation accessible to everyone, the company aims to turn everyone’s favorite medium of consumption (the average American watches six hours of video a day) into a ubiquitous mode of communication. The company is currently enabling design & UX research teams to incorporate video into workflows and will create a horizontal product targeting professionals whose profession isn’t video editing.

Location: San Francisco

Employees: 4

Metrics:  Since January, the company has acquired 35 paying business customers, including Fortune 500 companies and several technology companies valued at more than $1 billion. It says it has also processed more than 50,000 minutes of video, and customers report time savings of more than ten times what they experience when using traditional video tools.

Team: CEO Prabhas Pokharel studied computer science at Harvard and product design at Stanford, and has spent the last decade creating human-centered products. CTO Robert Ochshorn is a machine learning researcher who has given talks at Google Brian, Apple and Stanford. He is an alum of Cornell CS, and has held research positions at MIT, Harvard, and Alan Kay-initiated CDG Labs.

Zubale

Tagline: A platform that empowers companies to make better product decisions in emerging markets.

Describes itself as: Zubale connects companies directly with consumers on their smartphones to crowdsource multiple digital tasks in exchange for rewards. Companies can crowdsource tasks like in-store audits, product trial activations, and market research studies, and receive real-time intelligence from consumers to make faster and more confident decisions. Consumers complete tasks and earn mobile phone credit and other digital rewards that they can redeem through making online purchases.

Location: Mexico City, Mexico

Employees: 10

Metrics: Zubale launched its mobile app three weeks ago and says it has had more than 20,000 branded tasks completed already by consumers.

Team: The founders, Allison Campbell and Sebastian Monroy, have over 15 years of expertise developing and selling new products to consumers at Walmart and Procter and Gamble. Allison launched and ran businesses for Walmart in India and led strategic initiatives across 25 countries. Sebastian led sales teams for P&G in Mexico and across Latin America to distribute products to reach the millions of mom and pop shops that make up 50 percent of spend.

Riva

Tagline: Your career advocates – helping the $2.3T job changer market

Describes itself as: Riva builds automation to help the 41 million people who changing jobs every year — and the 5 million college seniors who graduate — negotiate their job offers. Nearly two-thirds of people do not negotiate their job offers. And research shows that women especially tend to suffer in the negotiation process, furthering the gender pay gap. Riva builds software that can predict an employee’s worth and generate negotiation emails and phone scripts that can be used by the employee to negotiate with the employer.

Location: Palo Alto, California

Employees: 7

Metrics: The average increase per negotiation is $23,000. The company is already working with several large partners including schools, engineering communities, and nursing associations to get its product to the mass market.

Team: CEO Stephanie Young has four degrees from Stanford, including an MBA and graduate degree in computer science. She previously helped launch Google AdWords Express’ first ever mobile app.

LivingLab

Tagline: A shared living community offering per-room leases in furnished property.

Describes itself as: LivingLab is a platform that enables co-living in any rental property, making it easy for professionals to find community in shared housing. Our technology matches individuals to bedrooms in beautiful homes and then configures those properties to include furnishings, WiFi, utilities, housekeeping and community events. We can complete this process in 48 hours. By individually pricing rooms and offering flexible lease lengths, LivingLab is able to collect 30 percent of rent for its services.

Location: Durham, North Carolina

Employees: 6

Metrics: LivingLab says it has placed 500 users into 45 residents across 10 properties, generating on average $2,280 in recurring revenue per customer per year.

Team: CEO Mitchel Gorecki, CTO Patrick Wickham, and COO Colin Tai.

Kick It Labs

Tagline: Building consumer apps for high schoolers and college students inspired by youth culture.

Describes itself as: A creative lab that’s launching new consumer social experiences every week, inspired by youth culture, for high schoolers and college students in the pursuit of building the next billion person consumer product.

Location: Palo Alto

Employees: Undisclosed

Metrics: The company says its most promising and exciting experiments to date have centered around street wear, high school social products, and men’s fashion.

Team: Cofounders Akshar Bonu and Sathish Nagappan among others have graduated from Harvard, Cornell, and Stanford and have been building apps for high schoolers and college students for over a decade, they say. They have also spent time at Andrew Ng’s AI Lab, Nervana Systems, Amazon, Google and Intel.

Series A

Aurora Solar

Tagline: Building the operating system of the power source of the future.

Describes itself as: More than $200 billion per year is spent on developing solar projects through a fragmented network of solar installers, who work with financiers, equipment manufacturers, engineering service providers and more. Aurora’s software is used by thousands of solar installers to precisely quote, design and sell solar projects, without visiting the site. With the solar industry forecasted to grow over five times its curren size over the next decade, Aurora will be the platform through which every new solar project is designed, sold, financed and serviced.

Location: San Francisco, CA

Employees: 43

Metrics: More than 50,000 solar projects a month (totaling $3 billion in value) are created on the platform each month. More than1,500,000 solar projects have been created in the company’s software, it says.

Team: CEO/CTO: Christopher Hopper, is a Stanford MBA and MEng from Imperial College; COO/CRO Samuel Adeyemo, is a Stanford MBA/MSc and former portfolio manager for JPMorgan’s  Chief Investment Office.

Thinknum

Describes itself as: Thinknum creates datasets from a broad array of public online sources, capturing ephemeral information on the products, operating markets and labor markets of 400,000-plus global companies across sectors, and provides rich toolsets for extracting intelligence. Data sets include pricing trends for individual products at specific retailers, such as electronics and restaurant menu items, to hiring activity across macro industries and particular companies down to the location.

Location: New York, NY

Employees: 18

Metrics: The company says it’s currently seeing $3 million in ARR, thanks to its work with more than 150 corporations and investment firms.

Team: The founders met at Princeton University and worked at Goldman Sachs and a hedge fund before starting Thinknum.

EmCasa

Tagline: Real estate tech brokerage in Brazil

Describes itself as: EmCasa is the only brokerage in Brazil that offers 3D tours in the vast majority of its listings, helping buyers and sellers avoid unnecessary visits. Also, EmCasa is the only brokerage in Brazil that built a proprietary algorithm that offers online property valuations, better managing customer price expectations and providing more accurate listing recommendations. Finally, EmCasa is the only brokerage in Brazil that charges a 3 percent commission on full-service, which is half of what other companies charge.

Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Employees: 18

Metrics: The company says it has 650 active listings currently, versus just 20 in January; it also says its revenue growth rate of 118 percent CQGR.

Team: EmCasa’s CEO, Gustavo Vaz, is a Harvard MBA and was formerly COO of Easy Taxi and Chief Strategy of Frontier Car Group; Gabriel Laet, the company’s CTO/CPO, founded and sold Doubleleft, a gaming and software development company; and Lucas Cardozo, EmCasa’s COO, was a former Bain & Company consultant and the VP of strategy at Brasil Brokers, the second largest Brokerage firm in Brazil.

Polarr

Tagline: Big brains in small devices

Describes itself as: Polarr is a computational photography company that’s focused on computer graphics, computer vision and artificial intelligence. The company has created one of the most successful and two-time best of Apple App Store winning pro photography app; in the meantime, it’s developing its own Polarr Vision Engine for internal usage, as well as helping others to build immersive C.V. experiences on the edge.

Location: San Jose, CA, Beijing, China

Employees: 25

Metrics: Profitable, tripling revenue every year.

Team: Polarr’s CEO, Borui Wang has an M.S. in AI and HCI from Stanford, and is an ex-Googler at Youtube. Polarr’s CTO, Derek Yan, has an M.S. in EE from Stanford, and is an ex-Googler in ATAP.

Zippin

Tagline: Checkout-free shopping for every store.

Describes itself as: Zippin’s vision is to transform retail by banishing checkout lines and self-scanners for good using patent-pending AI, machine learning and sensor future technology. Its technology platform provides checkout-free shopping experience for retailers looking for a solution rivaling Amazon Go’s approach.

Location: San Francisco, CA

Employees: 10

Metrics: Working store in downtown San Francisco, and POCs with several globally recognized retail brands and real estate owners.

Team: CEO Krishna Motukuri has spent more3 than 20 years in retail and e-commerce, including with Amazon and Naspers. Chief Scientist Motilal Agrawal is a computer vision expert from SRI International, where he led and contributed to several products used by U.S. Defense and intelligence agencies. The company’s head of engineering, Abhinav Katiyar, previously spent more than 15 years with VMware.

Pictured above: Pear founders Pejman Nozad and Mar Hershenson.

Read more: https://techcrunch.com/2018/10/28/these-14-startups-endorsed-by-the-seed-stage-investment-firm-pear-just-hit-the-fundraising-trail/

Source: https://hashtaghighways.com/2018/11/01/these-14-startups-endorsed-by-the-seed-stage-investment-firm-pear-just-hit-the-fundraising-trail/

from Garko Media https://garkomedia1.wordpress.com/2018/11/01/these-14-startups-endorsed-by-the-seed-stage-investment-firm-pear-just-hit-the-fundraising-trail/

[garkomedia1]

These 14 startups endorsed by the seed-stage investment firm Pear just hit the fundraising trail

Earlier this week, in a beautiful garden in Woodside, Ca., the team at the five-year-old, seed-stage venture firm Pear hosted it fifth annual demo day. It’s an event that’s limited to roughly 100 VCs who year after year happily fill the space to see what Pear — which has written early checks to the “unicorn” delivery service DoorDash and newly public Guardant Health, among others — has up its sleeve.

As with last year, what those investors wound up seeing on Tuesday was 15 teams, most of them six months old or younger and led by current students or recent graduates who’d been invited by Pear to build companies over ten weeks in its Palo Alto offices. These ranged from a startup with ambitious plans to build a new commercial space station, to a machine learning-powered cloud video platform that makes it far easier to edit video clips, to a startup that uses AI to negotiate salary discussions on behalf of its clients.

But in a bit of a twist, this time around, Pear also featured a sprinkling of young companies that are now ready for Series A funding, including a solar design and sales platform for residential and commercial photovoltaic systems, and a company that thinks its check-out free shopping technology could help all kinds of Amazon rivals compete with the giant’s growing number of surveillance-powered, no-checkout convenience stores.

In case you’re an investor or just someone interested in keeping your thumb on the pulse of what’s happening in emerging tech, herewith is a quick snapshot of each of the companies that were featured as part of the program. (Well, all but one that expressly asked us not to write about what it’s working on. We’ll just tell you that it’s a kind of social network and, remarkably, it feels fresh.)

If you’re interested in reaching out to any of these folks, you can find of all of their email addresses here.

Pre-Seed / Seed

Orion Span

Tagline: The World’s Private Space Station

Describes itself as: What was once the domain of governments is now the domain of private industry. So it was with aviation and now, too, it is with space travel. SpaceX revolutionized the launch business and is worth $27 billion today. Orion Span will do the same with the destination business. Orion Span’s Aurora Station’s patented IP and operational concepts emphasize simplicity, cutting costs in extraordinary ways and improving accessibility in ways never seen before in space station design.

Location: San Mateo, Ca, and Houston, Tx.

Employees: 5

Metrics: Twenty-six space tourists have agreed to put $80,000 each to be on the waitlist; 1,578 media outlets worldwide have covered us; and four partners are signed with three more on the way.

Team: Orion Span includes some of the folks who built the International Space Station. Its CEO is a marketer and entrepreneur with a few startups under his belt. Its architect designed the ISS Enterprise module. It CTO designed and built spacecraft systems for the ISS. And its COO oversaw the build of NASA Orion spacecraft as a former general manager.

Young Alfred

Tagline: Home Insurance Marketplace

Describes itself as: Young Alfred turns the nightmare experience of shopping for home insurance online into an informed, 15-minute transaction. As a customer, you get your top three curated home insurance options from a list of more than 20 carriers and can purchase with just one click. A marketplace model drives transparency, saves money, and leads to five times higher purchase conversion than a single-carrier model.

Locations: Philadelphia and New York

Employees: 6

Metrics: Thousands of applications for home insurance a month, with 24 direct carrier relationships across 13 states.

Team: The founders met during their first week at Wharton Business School. David comes from private equity and has experience acquiring and growing businesses. Jason is an engineer turned high frequency trader who has built trading systems for the likes of Citadel and DRW.

Aligned Carbon

Tagline: Next 1000x computing revolution using carbon nanotube

Describes itself as: Aligned Carbon is the first company to sell carbon nanotube wafers in a way that seamlessly fit into the nanofabrication requirements of the integrated circuit industry. The large historical gains in performance due to continued shrinking of silicon transistors are now only realizing marginal improvements with exponentially increasing costs. This has come at a time with the push for faster and lower power computing capabilities continue to grow rapidly due to AI, AR, big-data analytics and other memory-starved workloads. Monolithic 3D integration is the nanoelectronics industry’s next paradigm for computing and the sequential integration of carbon nanotube logic with traditional silicon logic and memory is the leading technology. Performance and efficiency improvements of over 1000x are anticipated, and Aligned Carbon’s products solve the carbon nanotube materials problem to revolutionize a $500B industry.

Location: Silicon Valley

Employees: 3

Metrics: Aligned Carbon has worked with over a dozen companies and universities while developing their unique carbon nanotube products of interest to the largest chip manufacturers in the world.

Team: Co-founded in 2018 by J Provine, Greg Pitner, and Cara Beasley, three Stanford scientists who met over a shared love for nanotechnology. Collectively they have over 35 years of nanofabrication research experience with universities, start-ups, and corporate giants.

Mirra

Tagline: Mirra creates products and experiences to make no-bullshit skincare easily accessible.

Describes itself as: Mirra is a skincare platform of more than 100,000 beauty nerds who believe that the most important ingredient is transparency. By marrying content, community and commerce, Mirra empowers millennial women with the tools they need to decode the unregulated, $14 billion skincare industry. After releasing a weekly skincare newsletter that grew to more than 100,000 subscribers without ad spend, Mirra is now launching an exclusive line of skincare products.

Location: San Francisco

Employees: undisclosed

Metrics: Mirra’s first product is a weekly skincare newsletter which has grown exponentially without ad spend. Now, after listening to the holes in its readers’ routines, Mirra is launching its own exclusive line of skincare products next year.

Team: Mirra is founded by Katia Ameri, a 26-year-old Stanford alumna with a background in venture capital and consumer products.

Reduct

Tagline: AI-powered cloud video: the power of video, with the ease of text.

Describes itself as: Reduct makes a machine learning-powered cloud video platform that anyone can use. If you can write a text document, you can search, edit, and share video with Reduct. By making tools for video creation accessible to everyone, the company aims to turn everyone’s favorite medium of consumption (the average American watches six hours of video a day) into a ubiquitous mode of communication. The company is currently enabling design & UX research teams to incorporate video into workflows and will create a horizontal product targeting professionals whose profession isn’t video editing.

Location: San Francisco

Employees: 4

Metrics:  Since January, the company has acquired 35 paying business customers, including Fortune 500 companies and several technology companies valued at more than $1 billion. It says it has also processed more than 50,000 minutes of video, and customers report time savings of more than ten times what they experience when using traditional video tools.

Team: CEO Prabhas Pokharel studied computer science at Harvard and product design at Stanford, and has spent the last decade creating human-centered products. CTO Robert Ochshorn is a machine learning researcher who has given talks at Google Brian, Apple and Stanford. He is an alum of Cornell CS, and has held research positions at MIT, Harvard, and Alan Kay-initiated CDG Labs.

Zubale

Tagline: A platform that empowers companies to make better product decisions in emerging markets.

Describes itself as: Zubale connects companies directly with consumers on their smartphones to crowdsource multiple digital tasks in exchange for rewards. Companies can crowdsource tasks like in-store audits, product trial activations, and market research studies, and receive real-time intelligence from consumers to make faster and more confident decisions. Consumers complete tasks and earn mobile phone credit and other digital rewards that they can redeem through making online purchases.

Location: Mexico City, Mexico

Employees: 10

Metrics: Zubale launched its mobile app three weeks ago and says it has had more than 20,000 branded tasks completed already by consumers.

Team: The founders, Allison Campbell and Sebastian Monroy, have over 15 years of expertise developing and selling new products to consumers at Walmart and Procter and Gamble. Allison launched and ran businesses for Walmart in India and led strategic initiatives across 25 countries. Sebastian led sales teams for P&G in Mexico and across Latin America to distribute products to reach the millions of mom and pop shops that make up 50 percent of spend.

Riva

Tagline: Your career advocates – helping the $2.3T job changer market

Describes itself as: Riva builds automation to help the 41 million people who changing jobs every year — and the 5 million college seniors who graduate — negotiate their job offers. Nearly two-thirds of people do not negotiate their job offers. And research shows that women especially tend to suffer in the negotiation process, furthering the gender pay gap. Riva builds software that can predict an employee’s worth and generate negotiation emails and phone scripts that can be used by the employee to negotiate with the employer.

Location: Palo Alto, California

Employees: 7

Metrics: The average increase per negotiation is $23,000. The company is already working with several large partners including schools, engineering communities, and nursing associations to get its product to the mass market.

Team: CEO Stephanie Young has four degrees from Stanford, including an MBA and graduate degree in computer science. She previously helped launch Google AdWords Express’ first ever mobile app.

LivingLab

Tagline: A shared living community offering per-room leases in furnished property.

Describes itself as: LivingLab is a platform that enables co-living in any rental property, making it easy for professionals to find community in shared housing. Our technology matches individuals to bedrooms in beautiful homes and then configures those properties to include furnishings, WiFi, utilities, housekeeping and community events. We can complete this process in 48 hours. By individually pricing rooms and offering flexible lease lengths, LivingLab is able to collect 30 percent of rent for its services.

Location: Durham, North Carolina

Employees: 6

Metrics: LivingLab says it has placed 500 users into 45 residents across 10 properties, generating on average $2,280 in recurring revenue per customer per year.

Team: CEO Mitchel Gorecki, CTO Patrick Wickham, and COO Colin Tai.

Kick It Labs

Tagline: Building consumer apps for high schoolers and college students inspired by youth culture.

Describes itself as: A creative lab that’s launching new consumer social experiences every week, inspired by youth culture, for high schoolers and college students in the pursuit of building the next billion person consumer product.

Location: Palo Alto

Employees: Undisclosed

Metrics: The company says its most promising and exciting experiments to date have centered around street wear, high school social products, and men’s fashion.

Team: Cofounders Akshar Bonu and Sathish Nagappan among others have graduated from Harvard, Cornell, and Stanford and have been building apps for high schoolers and college students for over a decade, they say. They have also spent time at Andrew Ng’s AI Lab, Nervana Systems, Amazon, Google and Intel.

Series A

Aurora Solar

Tagline: Building the operating system of the power source of the future.

Describes itself as: More than $200 billion per year is spent on developing solar projects through a fragmented network of solar installers, who work with financiers, equipment manufacturers, engineering service providers and more. Aurora’s software is used by thousands of solar installers to precisely quote, design and sell solar projects, without visiting the site. With the solar industry forecasted to grow over five times its curren size over the next decade, Aurora will be the platform through which every new solar project is designed, sold, financed and serviced.

Location: San Francisco, CA

Employees: 43

Metrics: More than 50,000 solar projects a month (totaling $3 billion in value) are created on the platform each month. More than1,500,000 solar projects have been created in the company’s software, it says.

Team: CEO/CTO: Christopher Hopper, is a Stanford MBA and MEng from Imperial College; COO/CRO Samuel Adeyemo, is a Stanford MBA/MSc and former portfolio manager for JPMorgan’s  Chief Investment Office.

Thinknum

Describes itself as: Thinknum creates datasets from a broad array of public online sources, capturing ephemeral information on the products, operating markets and labor markets of 400,000-plus global companies across sectors, and provides rich toolsets for extracting intelligence. Data sets include pricing trends for individual products at specific retailers, such as electronics and restaurant menu items, to hiring activity across macro industries and particular companies down to the location.

Location: New York, NY

Employees: 18

Metrics: The company says it’s currently seeing $3 million in ARR, thanks to its work with more than 150 corporations and investment firms.

Team: The founders met at Princeton University and worked at Goldman Sachs and a hedge fund before starting Thinknum.

EmCasa

Tagline: Real estate tech brokerage in Brazil

Describes itself as: EmCasa is the only brokerage in Brazil that offers 3D tours in the vast majority of its listings, helping buyers and sellers avoid unnecessary visits. Also, EmCasa is the only brokerage in Brazil that built a proprietary algorithm that offers online property valuations, better managing customer price expectations and providing more accurate listing recommendations. Finally, EmCasa is the only brokerage in Brazil that charges a 3 percent commission on full-service, which is half of what other companies charge.

Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Employees: 18

Metrics: The company says it has 650 active listings currently, versus just 20 in January; it also says its revenue growth rate of 118 percent CQGR.

Team: EmCasa’s CEO, Gustavo Vaz, is a Harvard MBA and was formerly COO of Easy Taxi and Chief Strategy of Frontier Car Group; Gabriel Laet, the company’s CTO/CPO, founded and sold Doubleleft, a gaming and software development company; and Lucas Cardozo, EmCasa’s COO, was a former Bain & Company consultant and the VP of strategy at Brasil Brokers, the second largest Brokerage firm in Brazil.

Polarr

Tagline: Big brains in small devices

Describes itself as: Polarr is a computational photography company that’s focused on computer graphics, computer vision and artificial intelligence. The company has created one of the most successful and two-time best of Apple App Store winning pro photography app; in the meantime, it’s developing its own Polarr Vision Engine for internal usage, as well as helping others to build immersive C.V. experiences on the edge.

Location: San Jose, CA, Beijing, China

Employees: 25

Metrics: Profitable, tripling revenue every year.

Team: Polarr’s CEO, Borui Wang has an M.S. in AI and HCI from Stanford, and is an ex-Googler at Youtube. Polarr’s CTO, Derek Yan, has an M.S. in EE from Stanford, and is an ex-Googler in ATAP.

Zippin

Tagline: Checkout-free shopping for every store.

Describes itself as: Zippin’s vision is to transform retail by banishing checkout lines and self-scanners for good using patent-pending AI, machine learning and sensor future technology. Its technology platform provides checkout-free shopping experience for retailers looking for a solution rivaling Amazon Go’s approach.

Location: San Francisco, CA

Employees: 10

Metrics: Working store in downtown San Francisco, and POCs with several globally recognized retail brands and real estate owners.

Team: CEO Krishna Motukuri has spent more3 than 20 years in retail and e-commerce, including with Amazon and Naspers. Chief Scientist Motilal Agrawal is a computer vision expert from SRI International, where he led and contributed to several products used by U.S. Defense and intelligence agencies. The company’s head of engineering, Abhinav Katiyar, previously spent more than 15 years with VMware.

Pictured above: Pear founders Pejman Nozad and Mar Hershenson.

Read more: https://techcrunch.com/2018/10/28/these-14-startups-endorsed-by-the-seed-stage-investment-firm-pear-just-hit-the-fundraising-trail/

from RSSUnify feed https://hashtaghighways.com/2018/11/01/these-14-startups-endorsed-by-the-seed-stage-investment-firm-pear-just-hit-the-fundraising-trail/

[wesonerdy]

ABC reveals their upcoming 2017 – 2018 primetime lineup, and we’ve got the details, including the announcement about Scandal‘s last season.

Upfronts 2017 continues! Yesterday, NBC and FOX announced their lineup from the upcoming season, and earlier today ABC held their showcase to do the same.

Channing Dungey, president of ABC Entertainment, unveiled the network’s new lineup this afternoon at Lincoln Center’s David Geffen Hall in NYC, and there are some shake-ups.

What stands out most to me is the changes to Once Upon a Time. After news that the majority of the series’ regular cast is departing, ABC has still renewed the show for Season 7. There are lots of questions about the nature of the reset for the new season. Incidentally, I do think the Season 6 finale does a surprisingly good job of setting the stakes and creating some buy-in from long time Oncers. In any event, Once Upon a Time will be moved from Sunday evenings to Friday at 8:00pm ET|PT. This time spot is notorious for being a death sentence to TV shows, but there’s still reason to be optimistic (more on that later…).

Also, some changes are on the horizon for Shondaland and TGiT too. The Catch has been cancelled, and while Scandal has gotten a full season order, Shonda Rhimes (Scandal’s creator and executive producer) and ABC confirm that Season 7 will be the show’s last. According to Ms. Rhimes:

“Deciding how to end a show is easy. Deciding when to finish is quite simple when the end date is years away. But actually going through with it? Actually standing up to say: ‘This is it?’ Not so much. So, next year we are going all out. Leaving nothing on the table. Creating this world in celebration. We are going to handle the end the way we like to handle the important things in our ‘Scandal’ family: all together, white hats on, gladiators running full speed over a cliff.”

Gladiators right up until the end!

In addition to their returning series, ABC is also introducing one comedy (The Mayor) and four new dramas (The Good Doctor, The Gospel of Kevin, Marvel’s Inhumans, Ten Days In the Valley) in the Fall.

We can expect ABC to bring us TWO revivals, Roseanne, plus a revamped American Idol (moving to a new network after being cancelled at FOX in 2015). Rounding out the announcement is that we can expect two Live Musical Special Events The Wonderful World of Disney: The Little Mermaid Live! (debuting Tuesday, October 3) and Rolling Stone 50.

Take a look at the list of shows that have been renewed and canceled, followed by the trailers, synopses, and character images from the coming ABC debuts. Make sure to share your thoughts in comments too!

RENEWED

20/20 America’s Funniest Home Videos American Housewife The Bachelor The Bachelorette black-ish Dancing with the Stars Designated Survivor Fresh Off the Boat The Goldbergs Grey’s Anatomy How to Get Away with Murder Marvel’s Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. The Middle Modern Family Once Upon a Time Quantico Scandal Shark Tank Speechless To Tell the Truth

CANCELED

The Real O’Neals Dr. Ken Imaginary Mary American Crime Secrets and Lies The Catch Last Man Standing Time After Time

NEW SHOWS

ALEX, INC.

Based on the podcast StartUp, Alex Schuman (Zach Braff, “Scrubs”) is a brilliant radio journalist, husband and father of two who is about to do something crazy – quit his job and start his own company. He quickly discovers it’s going to be a lot harder than he thought. Zach Braff stars, directs and is executive producer with Matt Tarses (“Scrubs”) and Davis Entertainment (“Dr. Ken,” “Blacklist”). Matt Tarses is writer and executive producer. Zach Braff is director and executive producer. John Davis and John Fox are executive producers of the series, from Davis Entertainment, as are Alex Blumberg, Chris Gilberti  and Matt Lieber (Gimlet Media) in association with Sony Pictures Television and ABC Studios.

  AMERICAN IDOL

ABC is bringing back “American Idol.” The network, along with producers FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment, a division of CORE Media Group, will revive television’s most successful and recognized music competition series for the 2017-2018 season, bringing back the fan-favorite and making more dreams come true. A host and judges will be announced at a later time. “American Idol”‘s profound effect on the music industry is far-reaching and continually growing, launching the careers of superstars Kelly Clarkson, Carrie Underwood, Jennifer Hudson, Katharine McPhee, Adam Lambert and Chris Daughtry, among many others.  “American Idol” contestants have sold more than 60 million albums, resulting in more than 80 Platinum records and 95 Gold records. Its participants have generated more than 450 Billboard No. 1 hits and sold more than 260 million digital downloads. “American Idol” is produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment, a division of CORE Media Group. Executive producers include FremantleMedia North America’s Trish Kinane and Jennifer Mullin. FremantleMedia International distributes the series worldwide.

  THE BACHELOR WINTER GAMES

America’s favorite participants from past seasons of “The Bachelor” and “The Bachelorette,” from arch rivals to villains, will take competitive dating to a chilling new level.  In an ode to the Winter Olympic Games and slated to premiere in February 2018, “The Bachelor Winter Games” will reunite the all-stars at a luxurious winter resort, where they will go head-to-head in winter-themed athletic challenges, including the toughest sport of all – love. “The Bachelor Winter Games” is a production of Next Entertainment in association with Warner Horizon Unscripted Television. Mike Fleiss and Martin Hilton to executive produce.

  THE CROSSING

Refugees from a war-torn country seek asylum in a small American fishing town, only the country these people are from is America – and the war they are fleeing hasn’t happened yet. As the government tries to uncover the truth behind this mysterious migration only one thing is certain: The lives of the people here — both the townspeople and these newcomers — will never be the same.  Writers Dan Dworkin & Jay Beattie executive produce with Jason Reed. “The Crossing” stars Steve Zahn as Jude Miller, Natalie Martinez as Reece, Sandrine Holt as Emma Ren, Rick Gomez as Nestor, Jay Karnes as Craig Lindauer, Marcuis Harris as Caleb, Simone Kessel as Rebecca, Kelley Missal as Hannah, Rob Campbell as Paul, Grant Harvey as Roy, Bailey Skodje as Leah, Jon D’Leo as Will, Luc Roderique as Bryce and Tommy Bastow as Marshall. The pilot is directed by Rob Bowman. The series is from ABC Studios.

  DANCING WITH THE STARS JUNIOR

A fresh new take on an established favorite, “Dancing with the Stars Junior” will pair celebrity kids and kids of celebrities with professional junior ballroom dancers to perform choreographed routines, which will be judged by a panel of renowned ballroom experts, to be announced at a later date. Slated to debut in Spring 2018, “Dancing with the Stars Junior” is produced by BBC Worldwide Productions

  DECEPTION

When his career is ruined by scandal, superstar magician Cameron Black has only one place to turn to practice his art of deception, influence and illusion — the FBI. Using every trick in the book and inventing new ones, he will help the government catch the world’s most elusive criminals while staging the biggest illusions of his career.  The series is from writer/executive producer Chris Fedak (“Chuck”) and executive producers Greg Berlanti, Martin Gero and Sarah Schechter.  Illusionist David Kwong (“Now You See Me”) will co-produce. “Deception” stars Jack Cutmore-Scott as Cameron Black/Jonathan Black, Ilfenesh Hadera as Kay Daniels, Lenora Crichlow as Dina Clark, Amaury Nolasco as Mike Alvarez, Justin Chon as Jordan Kwon, Laila Robins as Special Agent Deakins and Vinnie Jones as Gunter Gustafsen The series is from Berlanti Productions and Quinn’s House in association with Warner Bros. Television. “Deception” is directed by David Nutter, who is also executive producer.

  FOR THE PEOPLE

Set in the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York, aka “The Mother Court,” this new Shondaland drama follows brand-new lawyers working for both the defense and the prosecution handling the most high-profile and high-stakes federal cases in the country – all as their lives intersect in and out of the courtroom. The series is created by Shondaland’s Paul William Davies and is executive produced by Shonda Rhimes and Betsy Beers. The series, from ABC Studios, stars Ben Rappaport as Seth Oliver, Susannah Flood as Kate Littlejohn, Wesam Keesh as Jay Simmons, Regé-Jean Page as Leonard Knox, Ben Shenkman as Roger Gunn, Hope Davis as Jill Carlan, Vondie Curtis-Hall as Judge Nicholas Byrne and Anna Deavere Smith as Tina Krissman.

  THE GOOD DOCTOR

Shaun Murphy (Freddie Highmore, “Bates Motel”), a young surgeon with autism and savant syndrome, relocates from a quiet country life to join a prestigious hospital’s surgical unit. Alone in the world and unable to personally connect with those around him, Shaun uses his extraordinary medical gifts to save lives and challenge the skepticism of his colleagues. The series is from David Shore (“House”), and “Lost” and “Hawaii Five-O” star Daniel Dae Kim. The series stars Freddie Highmore as Dr. Shaun Murphy, Antonia Thomas as Dr. Claire Brown, Nicholas Gonzalez as Dr. Neal Melendez, Chuku Modu as Dr. Jared Kalu, Beau Garrett as Jessica Preston, Hill Harper as Dr. Marcus Andrews and Richard Schiff as Dr. Aaron Glassman. The series is from Sony Pictures Television and ABC Studios. David Shore is writer and executive producer. Daniel Dae Kim, David Kim and Sebastian Lee are also executive producers. Seth Gordon directed the pilot and is also an executive producer.

  THE GOSPEL OF KEVIN

Kevin Finn (Jason Ritter, “Parenthood”), a cluelessly self-serving person, is on a dangerous path to despair. In a downward spiral, Kevin returns home to stay with his widowed twin sister (JoAnna Garcia Swisher, “Once Upon a Time”) and niece.  On his first night there, an unlikely celestial being named Yvette appears to him and presents him with a mission – to save the world.  A light drama from executive producers Michele Fazekas & Tara Butters (“Marvel’s Agent Carter,” “Resurrection,” “Reaper”). “The Gospel of Kevin” stars Jason Ritter as Kevin Finn, JoAnna Garcia Swisher as Amy, J. August Richards as Nate, Chloe East as Reese, Dustin Ybarra as Tyler and India de Beaufort as Kristin. The pilot is directed by Paul McGuigan. The series is from ABC Studios.

  MARVEL’S INHUMANS

Courtesy of ABC/Marvel

Courtesy of ABC/Michael Muller

“Marvel’s Inhumans” explores the never-before-told epic adventure of the royal family including Black Bolt, the enigmatic, commanding King of the Inhumans, with a voice so powerful that the slightest whisper can destroy a city. After the Royal Family of Inhumans is splintered by a military coup, they barely escape to Hawaii where their surprising interactions with the lush world and humanity around them may prove to not only save them, but Earth itself. The legendary comic book series will be brought to life in a way that has never been done before, as a version of the first two episodes will be shown globally in IMAX theaters for a two-week period beginning September 1, 2017. ABC will then air the entirety of the series on the network, with additional exclusive content that can only been seen on ABC. “Marvel’s Inhumans” stars Anson Mount as Black Bolt, Iwan Rheon as Maximus, Serinda Swan as Medusa, Eme Ikwuakor as Gorgon, Isabelle Cornish as Crystal, Ken Leung as Karnak, Ellen Woglom as an undisclosed character, Sonya Balmores as Auran and Mike Moh as Triton. The series is executive produced by Scott Buck, along with Marvel’s Jeph Loeb and Jim Chory with Buck serving as showrunner.  Roel Reiné will direct the first two episodes. This series is a Marvel and IMAX project and is co-produced by Marvel Television and ABC Studios.

  THE MAYOR

Young rapper Courtney Rose (Brandon Micheal Hall) needs his big break. For years he’s toiled away in a small inner-city apartment, making music in his junk-filled bedroom closet. Tired of waiting for opportunity, Courtney cooks up the publicity stunt of the century – running for mayor of his hometown in California to generate buzz for his music career. Unfortunately for Courtney, his master plan goes wildly awry, ending in the most terrifying of outcomes: an election victory. With the help of his mother (Yvette Nicole Brown, “Community”) and friends, including Valentina (“Glee’s” Lea Michele), Courtney will have to overcome his hubris if he wants to transform the struggling city he loves. The series stars Brandon Micheal Hall as Courtney Rose, Lea Michele as Valentina, Bernard David Jones as Jermaine Hardaway, Marcel Spears as TK and Yvette Nicole Brown as Dina. From executive producer Daveed Diggs (Tony winner for Broadway’s “Hamilton”), writer/executive producer Jeremy Bronson (“Speechless,” “The Mindy Project,” “Late Night with Jimmy Fallon”) and executive producer Jamie Tarses (“Happy Endings”), the series is from ABC Studios. The pilot is directed by executive producer James Griffiths (“black-ish”).

  ROSEANNE

Iconic comedy series “Roseanne” will return to The ABC Television Network, Channing Dungey, president, ABC Entertainment, announced today. The eight-episode reboot, featuring the original cast – Roseanne Barr (Roseanne), John Goodman (Dan), Sara Gilbert (Darlene), Laurie Metcalf (Jackie), Michael Fishman (D.J.) and Lecy Goranson (Becky) – will air in 2018. Sarah Chalke, who played the character Becky in later seasons, will also appear in another role. Roseanne Barr will executive produce, along with Sara Gilbert, Tom Werner, Bruce Helford, Whitney Cummings and Tony Hernandez. The series is from Carsey-Werner Television.

  ROLLING STONE 50

For half a century, Rolling Stone has remained an iconic and important voice in American music, culture and politics. Now, the people who have told their stories through the Rolling Stone lens are coming together to reflect on the last 50 years. “Rolling Stone 50” will pay homage to the brand’s influence and impact through a curated journey of its most seminal moments. Live from New York City, the three-hour special television event, set to debut Wednesday, February 7, 2018, will showcase live performances, short films, iconic on-stage moments, never-before-seen musical pairings, and celebrities that have shaped pop culture, music and politics. The special is a production of Done + Dusted and Wenner Media. Jann Wenner and Gus Wenner of Wenner Media and Ian Stewart, David Jammy and Katy Mullan of Done + Dusted serve as executive producers.

  SPLITTING UP TOGETHER

Based on the Danish series, “Splitting Up Together” is the story of a couple (Jenna Fischer, “The Office,” Oliver Hudson, “Scream Queens”) whose marriage is reignited by their divorce. Emily Kapnek (“Suburgatory”) writes and serves as executive producer of this new comedy, along with Ellen DeGeneres. The series stars Jenna Fischer as Lena, Oliver Hudson as Martin, Bobby Lee as Arthur, Diane Farr as Maya, Lindsay Price as Camille, Olivia Keville as Mae, Van Crosby as Mason and Sander Thomas as Milo. Jeff Kleeman, Mette Heeno, Mie Andreasen and Hella Joof are also executive producers of “Splitting Up Together,” which is based on the original series created by Heeno. It is produced by A Very Good Production and Piece of Pie Productions in association with Warner Bros. Television. Dean Holland directed the pilot.

  TEN DAYS IN THE VALLEY

“Ten Days in the Valley” stars Kyra Sedgwick as Jane Sadler, an overworked television producer and single mother in the middle of a separation whose life is turned upside down when her young daughter goes missing in the middle of the night. Just like her controversial police TV show, everything is a mystery, everyone has a secret and no one can be trusted. “Ten Days in the Valley” stars Kyra Sedgwick as Jane Sadler, Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje as John Bird, Kick Gurry as Pete Greene, Erika Christensen as Ali Petrovich, Felix Solis as David Gomez, Josh Randall as Tom Petrovich, Malcolm-Jamal Warner as Matt Abigail Pniowsky as Lake and Francois Battiste as Gus. “Ten Days in the Valley” is from Skydance Television. It is created and written by Tassie Cameron. Executive producers are Tassie Cameron, Kyra Sedgwick, Jill Littman, Dana Goldberg, David Ellison and Marcy Ross.

  THE WONDERFUL WORLD OF DISNEY: THE LITTLE MERMAID LIVE!

In a two-hour special event, ABC will take the iconic “The Little Mermaid” animated feature film and intertwine it with show stopping LIVE musical performances via cutting-edge technology for an explosive evening honoring one of Walt Disney’s most celebrated classics. Fans of “The Little Mermaid” and Alan Menken and Howard Ashman’s Oscar-winning songs will enjoy this never-before-seen live action/animation hybrid television experience featuring a soon-to-be announced roster of some of their favorite celebrity artists, whose performances will weave seamlessly throughout the original animated film. “The Wonderful World of Disney: The Little Mermaid Live!” is set to premiere on Tuesday, October 3. The special is produced by Done + Dusted with Hamish Hamilton, Ian Stewart, David Jammy, Katy Mullan, and Richard Kraft, of Kraft-Engel Productions, serving as executive producers.

  ABC FALL 2017 SCHEDULE (All Times ET|PT)

MONDAY 8:00pm—Dancing with the Stars 10:00—The Good Doctor

TUESDAY 8:00pm—The Middle 8:30pm—Fresh Off the Boat (new time period) 9:00pm—black-ish (new day and time period) 9:30pm—The Mayor 10:00pm—The Gospel of Kevin

WEDNESDAY 8:00pm—The Goldbergs 8:30pm—Speechless 9:00pm—Modern Family 9:30pm—American Housewife (new day and time period) 10:00pm—Designated Survivor

THURSDAY 8:00pm—Grey’s Anatomy 9:00pm—Scandal 10:00pm—How to Get Away with Murder

FRIDAY 8:00pm—Once Upon a Time (new day and time period) 9:00pm—Marvel’s Inhumans 10:00pm—20/20

SATURDAY 8:00pm—Saturday Night Football

SUNDAY 7:00pm—America’s Funniest Home Videos 8:00pm—To Tell the Truth (new day and time period) 9:00pm—Shark Tank (new day and time period) 10:00pm—Ten Days in the Valley

ABC Unveils 2017 – 2018 Primetime Schedule ABC reveals their upcoming 2017 – 2018 primetime lineup, and we’ve got the details, including the announcement about…