#we have to submit one page of hand written notes for each reading assigned so i cant just read thru it quickly or anything :

[rodrickheffley]

have to do a reading for my anthropology of food class that ik will trigger meeee

[thefinalcinderella]

Kaze ga Tsuyoku Fuiteiru Chapter 8 - Winter Comes Again (Part 5)

Hakone finally starts in the next chapter, which is like, 80 pages long

Full list of translations here

Translation Notes

1. Kamaboko is a type of fish cake and Odawara is well known for its high quality Kamaboko

2. Zouni is a type of soup that contains rice cakes and is usually eaten on New Year’s Day

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That night, Kiyose was planning to explain the Hakone Ekiden entries as well as hold a drinking party. After training and jogging, the residents gathered one after another in the twins’ room.

Kiyose had gone off somewhere after training. Nico-chan and Jouta were in charge of cooking; they were probably making something to serve as an accompaniment to the drinks. Thinking he should help, Kakeru was just about to leave the twins’ room and go down to the kitchen when his phone rang. It was his home phone number in Sendai.

His parents hadn’t contacted him once since he had moved to Tokyo. He had sent them a postcard with Chikusei-sou’s address, but that was it; just transferring the money for school fees and minimal living expenses into his bank account was enough for him. His parents had wanted him to go to university on a track recommendation because they had had high hopes for their son as a well-mannered track athlete.

When he pressed the button to answer the call, he heard the nostalgic voice of his mother say, “Kakeru?”

“Mm.”

“You were written up in a magazine, weren’t you? We told you so many times not to do anything that would make you stand out. Your father is very angry with you. Are you listening?”

“Mm, sorry.”

“Please put yourself in our shoes, living here. Okay?”

“Yes.”

“What are you doing for the New Year’s holiday? Are you coming back?”

“No, I’m going to be in Hakone, so I don’t think I have time to come home.”

“Ah, yes,” his mother’s voice took on a distinct note of relief. “Okay, then. Take care.”

Clutching his now-silent phone, Kakeru stood in the middle of the stairs for a while. In a daze, he belatedly noticed Yuki’s presence at the door.

“Oh, sorry,” Yuki said. “I didn’t intend to eavesdrop.”

Yuki was holding a bag from a record store in Shimokitazawa. No matter how busy he got, he never lacked music in his life. “No problem,” Kakeru answered, and walked down the stairs to stand in the hallway with him.

“Was that a call from home?”

“Yes. They got angry at me for standing out.”

“You’re the man of the hour, after all,” Yuki laughed. If it was Yuki, he might be able to tell him—Yuki was so far the only one not happy about being interviewed. He wanted someone to hear out his painful feelings, so Kakeru deliberately confided in him as though it was no big deal.

“I don’t get along well with my parents.”

Yuki was silent for a minute.

“I see. It’s the same for me,” he said. “In my case, I guess you can call it being overprotective. My mom remarried. The guy’s not a bad person, and I have a little sister who’s a lot younger than me, and she’s pretty cute, I guess, but… It bothers me when I’m told 'we’re your new family now' and get fussed over a lot. To be honest, I don’t want to get too close to them.”

“How old is your little sister?”

“Five.”

“Eh, so she’s more than fifteen years younger than you, Yuki-senpai?”

“Yeah. My mom’s doing her best,” Yuki pushed his glasses up as though to say, Good grief. “It’s a given that family members would bother you. You have to not expect too much from them and keep a reasonable distance.”

Yuki walked towards his room—it seemed that he had given his advice. “Okay,” Kakeru answered, and then went to peek in the kitchen, which had been noisy with the sound of running water and pots falling from a short time ago. Then, Yuki returned to the hallway.

“That’s right, Kakeru,” he said. He beckoned him to a corner of the hallway. “When I was coming back, I saw Haiji at Seijo Station.”

Is he doing some shopping? Although it was a station where express trains stopped, Kakeru and the others didn’t go to Seijou that often. If anything, they usually went to Soshigaya-Okura Station, which had a folksy and mixed atmosphere.

“He went into an orthopedics clinic in front of Seijo Station.”

Kakeru jerked in surprise. There was an old scar on Kiyose’s right shin; even after the qualifiers, he had looked like he was having a hard time. Kakeru had completely forgotten about it in the commotion of training and interviews.

“I don’t know much about the injuries of track athletes.” Yuki knitted his brows. “But maybe Kiyose’s isn’t completely healed.”

In any sport, the best athletes all had some sort of injury, and track and field was no exception. Hard training and risk had always gone hand in hand with each other—the more you trained, the sharper and more delicate your body became.

“If he’s seeing a doctor, they’ll stop him if he gets too reckless, so that actually makes me relieved, but…”

“Would Haiji listen to the doctor? Especially at this time.”

That’s true, Kakeru thought. The fact that he had gone to the doctor meant that he must be feeling some kind of discomfort, maybe even distinct pain. Even if he requested a prescription to suppress the pain, Kakeru had a feeling that Kiyose would not listen to the doctor’s advice.

“I understand. I’ll ask Haiji-san later,” Kakeru assured Yuki.

Kiyose returned to Chikusei-sou before they knew it. Kakeru carefully twitched his nose around Kiyose to see if he could smell a poultice, but he couldn’t find any evidence.

“You’re a strange guy.”

That was all Kiyose said to him.

“There’s been a lot going on lately,” Kiyose said, looking around at everyone gathered in the twins’ room. “Well, don’t worry about it. We’ll get our answers through our running.”

“Haiji-san, you’re so cool!”

“’What do you want with our Kurahara?’”

The twins, who had already been drinking, made fun of him. Ever since the incident with the Shinjitsu Weekly reporter, the twins seemed to have recovered their trust in Kiyose.

“The month of November is finally coming to an end. There’s no time left until the Hakone Ekiden,” Kiyose continued, ignoring the twins. “From now on, taking care of your physical condition will be the most important thing; be careful not to get injured at the last minute.”

At the word “injured,” Kakeru couldn’t help but exchange a glance with Yuki.

“Kakeru, explain the entries for Hakone,” Kiyose said, and Kakeru shook off his worries for now. The gazes of the residents, sitting in a circle, were focused on him.

“The first step is to submit the names of up to sixteen people per team to the organizer on December 10,” Kakeru began to explain. “At this stage, who will run which leg will not be revealed. Next, on December 29, it will be the leg entry, where the sixteen runners will be narrowed down to fourteen, and ten of those people will declare which leg they are running. The remaining four will be treated as alternates. Changes in leg entries are allowed on the day of the Hakone Ekiden. The final runners will be announced before the start times of the outward and return trips. However, once a runner is removed from a leg, they cannot be entered into another leg.”

“I don’t get it. What does that mean?” Jouji asked.

Kakeru thought about it a little, then simplified it. “Suppose Rokudou’s Fujioka was entered into the second leg on December 29. This means that Fujioka cannot be assigned the fifth leg in the final entry change on the day of Hakone. If Fujioka isn’t feeling well on the first day, they have no choice but to put one of the four alternates in the second leg, and even if Fujioka recovers on the second day, he wouldn’t be allowed to run.”

“I see.” Musa nodded. “Conversely, if Fujioka-san is one of the four alternates, can we assume that Rokudou will change its entry on the day of Hakone?”

“That’s exactly right,” Kiyose said. “If there’s a strong competitor in the alternate slot, then they are either not feeling well or they plan on changing the entry of an important leg on the morning of the race as a secret weapon. After seeing the entries for each leg on the 29th, each university will consider its strategy and, trying to read their opponent’s mind, unfold a new strategy.”

“We can’t lose focus even right before the start, can we?” King seemed to feel pressured. “But we only have ten people, so that’s got nothing to do with us. We don’t have strategies or anything.”

“It’s true that we will be showing all our cards on the 29th.”

Feeling uneasy, Kakeru looked at Kiyose; Kansei had no alternates, and once they made their entries, it wouldn’t be possible to switch legs. He wanted to know what Kiyose thought about that.

“We’re not the only ones with a small lineup,” Kiyose said calmly. “Changing your entry on the day of the race can be a good or bad thing. After all, sometimes it won’t go well when you’re suddenly asked to run. In fact, there are many schools that have a policy of not changing the leg entries unless there is a serious problem. Knowing that there’s strategy regarding the entries, it’s better to know early on which leg you’re running so that you can prepare.”

“Haiji, have you already decided which legs we’re going to run?” Yuki asked.

“Yeah,” Kiyose said and straightened his posture. “Of course, if you have any objections, we can discuss it, but I think this is the best we can do for now.”

Kiyose took out a memo from his track pants and laid it out in the center of the circle. Everyone leaned in to take a look and let out cries of surprise.

Hakone Outward Journey (Day 1)

First Leg Otemachi to Tsurumi   Prince

Second Leg   Tsurumi to Totsuka   Musa

Third Leg   Totsuka to Hiratsuka   Jouta

Fourth Leg   Hiratsuka to Odawara   Jouji

Fifth Leg   Odawara to Hakone   Shindou

Hakone Return Journey (Day 2)

Sixth Leg   Hakone to Odawara   Yuki

Seventh Leg   Odawara to Hiratsuka   Nico-chan

Eighth Leg   Hiratsuka to Totsuka   King

Ninth Leg   Totsuka to Tsurumi   Kakeru

Tenth Leg   Tsurumi to Otemachi   Kiyose

 “Me in the second leg? I cannot do it.” Musa was trembling all over. “The second leg is the section for the aces, yes? Why is it not Kakeru then?”

“It’s pretty bold to put Prince-san in the first leg…” Jouji reservedly tilted his head.

Even Prince muttered, “What are you doing throwing the race from the start?”

Kakeru immediately understood what Kiyose was trying to do when he saw the lineup he had planned. Haiji-san is going to try to win the race in the second half. He’s seriously aiming for us to get seeded. No, if the race goes the way Haiji-san thinks it will, it won’t be about seeding—with these placements, we can aim for a much better ranking…!

They were such a weak club that they were in danger of not surviving next year. They were just a bunch of amateurs that had finally managed to crawl up this far, but Kiyose didn’t know the meaning of giving up; he was always looking upward, holding up dreams and goals, and firmly leading the residents of Chikusei-sou. Aiming for the heights of running. Aiming to reach the top of the Hakone Ekiden—the ultimate intermediary between individual and team competitions.

Seeing from the entry form how serious Kiyose was, Kakeru clenched his fists. If he hadn't, he would have gotten so excited that he would have ended up looking like an animal.

“Prince is the only one for the first leg,” Kiyose said gently. “Maybe it’s because you don't have any interest in the 3D world, but you’ve never been scared at the meets or qualifiers; you’re the most suitable person for the first leg, which has the most attention focused on it. You’re also tough enough to have kept up with the training until now even with your very slow times. I’m sure you’ll be able to hold your own in the race.”

He casually said something rude again, Kakeru thought, but Kiyose wasn’t lying about his expectations. Prince must have felt that as well, and a light came into his eyes.

“But in these past few years, the first leg has often been fast paced.” Yuki asked a question based on the data he had collected: “This time too, won’t each school choose a runner for the first leg based on speed?”

“There’s also a chance that it’ll develop at a slow pace in reaction to that. That’s a gamble,” Kiyose readily admitted. “But even if Prince gets separated from the others, he can still make up for it in the first leg. That’s why I chose a solid group of runners for the second to fourth legs, and there’s no one but Shindou who could do the fifth leg’s mountain climb, right? Musa and the twins should be able to steadily make it there.”

“It is too much for me to run in the ace’s leg.” Musa didn’t seem convinced.

“What do you think?” Kiyose turned to Kakeru. “Musa seems to want you to run the second leg.”

“No. I think Musa-san is the perfect fit for it,” Kakeru said with conviction. “Musa-san has been training while pushing aside all sorts of pressures. Even though he never did long-distance before, he can now run ten kilometers in the low 29-minute range. And Musa-san has always encouraged me.”

His effort and personality were second to none. Musa was an ace among aces.

“You are giving me too much credit, Kakeru,” Musa said, embarrassed. But it was unanimously decided that he would run the second leg.

There were no objections to the twins running the third and fourth legs, and they were very enthusiastic about it.

“The third leg is a road that runs along the sea. The scenery’s really nice,” said Jouta.

“Can we buy some kamaboko (1) in Odawara?” said Jouji.

The fifth leg was good with Shindou, but the problem was the sixth leg, which was Yuki’s mountain descent.

“Why am I doing the sixth leg?” Yuki asked Kiyose, looking for an explanation.

“On the trial run the other day, your posture was very stable. Normally, when people run down a steep slope like that, they’d be bent forward,” Kiyose glanced at Yuki’s legs, which were in a cross-legged position. “Also…you have thick legs.”

“What?”

“No, it was a compliment. Anyways, if your legs and loins aren’t solid, the sixth leg is out of the question.”

“It’s like sturdiness is my only good point. You say that, but what would you do if I get hurt?”

“It’s fine, isn’t it? You already passed the bar. You won’t have any opportunities to do serious track and field after graduation.”

“Oi oi, that’s irresponsible and cruel…” Nico-chan said, but Yuki was surprisingly calm and said, “You have a point,” accepting Kiyose’s words. If it made sense, he would swallow any cool-headed opinion. It was a method of persuasion that perfectly grasped Yuki’s character, and Kakeru was once again in awe of Kiyose’s ability to manipulate people.

“About Nico-chan-senpai in the seventh leg and King in the eighth leg,” Kiyose continued, “I think that when you get to this part of the route, the runners will start to break up, and there will be times when you’re running by yourself. You won’t be able to see the runners from the other teams in front or behind you. Even in situations like those, both of you will be able to run at your own pace without panicking or becoming careless. The battle to get seeded will intensify, so this is an unassuming but important section.”

“Are we planning on getting seeded?” Jouji nervously asked.

“Of course,” Kiyose decisively stated. “Now, for the last two legs, I entered Kakeru into the ninth leg, which is also called the ace leg of the return trip. As for the anchor, the tenth leg, I’ll be the one responsible for it, as I was the one who said we’re going to the Hakone Ekiden and got you guys involved.”

Kiyose only gave a brief explanation for himself and Kakeru. However, Kakeru thoroughly sensed Kiyose’s feelings for the Hakone Ekiden, and he also knew what kind of running they would have to show in the ninth and tenth legs.

Kakeru looked at Kiyose. Kiyose was silent, then nodded at him.

“That’s all. Are there any questions or thoughts?”

No one raised their hand. Pulled along by Kiyose’s conviction, everyone was finally thinking about the Hakone Ekiden as something concrete, and their fighting spirit was rising.

“Okay. Until the announcement of the entries for the legs on the 29th, what I told you is of course confidential. I want each of you to do your own image training and study the leg you’ll be running.”

Kiyose picked up his cup full of alcohol and said, Let’s drink. “With this team, it’ll definitely turn out well. Twins.”

Jouta and Jouji looked up when they were called.

“I’ll show you the top. No, we’re going to experience it together. Look forward to it.”

Kiyose smiled like a fearless king.

After the drinking party had reached its climax, Kakeru quietly approached Kiyose.

“Haiji-san, your legs aren’t doing well, are they?”

“Why do you ask?” Kiyose gently countered and poured himself another drink. Kakeru was at a loss for words—there was no way Kiyose was going to complain, however doubts swirled in Kakeru’s chest.

Haiji-san told Yuki-senpai, “You won’t have any opportunities to do serious track and field after graduation.” Isn’t he really talking about himself? Isn’t he going into this Hakone Ekiden with the resolve that he’s not going to be able to run anymore?

He was scared just thinking about it. Not being able to run was the same as dying for Kakeru. He believed it was the same for Kiyose. And yet, he…

“There’s nothing like what you’re worried about.” Kiyose smiled and spoke, “Come on, you drink too.”

Kakeru couldn’t say anything and drank the alcohol Kiyose served him in one go, full of anxiety. Kiyose was wearing that padded kimono jacket with the frayed cuffs. Soon, Kakeru would have spent all four seasons with the residents of Chikusei-sou.

Kakeru recalled the night he met Kiyose for the first time—the night when everything started.

A strange feeling like nostalgia and longing sprouted in his chest.

---

The residents of Chikusei-sou continued to train wholeheartedly even into December and had a quiet New Year’s Eve together in their rundown apartment.

On New Year’s Eve, they went to a nearby shrine to ring the temple bell, and on New Year’s Day, they ate zouni made by Kiyose. (2)

The tension was building minute by minute, but even that felt good. It was because he wasn’t alone; in Chikusei-sou, Kakeru could feel the presence of the people he had been training and living with.

He wasn’t alone—until he started running.

He had comrades who were always, always, waiting for him to start running, to finish running and to come home.

The ekiden was that sort of sport.

---

At last, it was January 2.

The Hakone Ekiden began.

It was the end of the year-long battle the ten of them had been engaged in. At the same time, it was the beginning of the first and last fierce battle of the ten, which would be handed down as long as there was a Hakone Ekiden.

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[kinglazrus]

Therefore I am

Phic phight 2020

Submitted by @kili-kai-wox (kilikani on ffn): Danny is surprised when he receives an A+. I wonder what subject it could be from?

Summary: There are two things Danny never expected to get out of his philosophy class: an A+ and to be confronted about his never-ending existential crisis

Warnings: discussion of/thoughts about death and the meaning of death.

Word count: 2971

Today is a grim day for Danny Fenton. It just might be the end of him. He's backed into a corner, enemies approached from all sides. His allies have abandoned him. Friends, family, all gone. He's on his own out here and it doesn't look like he's going to make it. Rations are getting low.

Jazz slaps her hand against her forehead and groans. "Don't be so dramatic!"

Danny, pinned against the lockers by his friends and sisters, howls in outrage. "I'm almost out of gummy bears!" He shoves the near empty plastic bag in Jazz's face, shaking it furiously. "And look! It's mostly just the white ones! I might as well starve."

"Ooh, I love the white ones!" Tucker snatches the bag out of Danny's hand. Fishing a few gummies out, he pops them into his mouth and chews, a blissful smile on his lips.

Danny moans. "My rations."

Sam rolls her eyes.

Danny was on his way to the cafeteria for lunch when they cornered him. They came out of nowhere, surging out from the crowd of shuffling students, surrounding him before he could realize what was happening.

With Jazz in front of him, Sam to his left, and Tucker to his right, they block off all routes of escape. Except the ghostly ones, but too many students are milling about for him to safely use his powers.

Danny doesn't like the look in their eyes. Sam's eager glint, Tucker's grin, Jazz's stern frown. They all set him on edge.

"Can I just please go to lunch?" he begs. Thanks to Skulker, Danny didn't have time to eat breakfast this morning, except a handful of cereal. The only thing he wants right now is to go get some food, even if it's the crappy cardboard pizza they serve in the cafeteria. He needs sustenance damn it!

Tucker stealing his gummy bears is the deepest betrayal he could get right now.

"No," Jazz and Sam say at the same time.

Tucker stealing his gummy bears is the second deepest betrayal.

"Come on, man," Tucker says around a mouthful of gummies. "Just spill it."

"It wasn't my fault," Danny whines, wilting against the lockers. Jazz's frown deepens, turning from disappointment into a full-blown pout. Left with no other choice, Danny relents. "Fine! But I'm telling you, he was asking for it."

He's about to expose his plans but stops when he catches their confused faces. "What?" he asks.

"Lancer was asking for it?" Sam asks. She leans against the lockers next to Danny, eyebrow raised.

"Lancer?"

"Yeah. Mikey told us what happened in philosophy class. And we told Jazz," Tucker says. "What do you think we're talking about?"

Danny thinks about his parents' new ecto grenade—completely harmless to humans, of course—rigged up in Dash's locker, ready to explode as soon as someone opens the door. "It's not important right now. Philosophy? I got an A, yeah. Awesome, right?"

"And you didn't tell me!" Jazz says, offended.

Oh, Danny thinks. That's why she looked disappointed. He doesn't know how he was supposed to tell her, though, because this is the first time he's seen her all morning.

"Dude, you didn't just get an A," Tucker says.

"Okay, A+."

"Dude."

Sam, exasperated, grabs Danny's shoulders and forcibly turns him toward her. "Mikey told us how Lancer stood up at the front of the class and said your paper was the best he'd ever read in that class."

"Oh." Danny's cheeks burn and he ducks his head. "Yeah. That."

When he turned the paper in last week, he honestly thought he would fail the assignment. The night before it was due, Cujo managed to dig his way out of the Ghost Zone again and immediately wanted to play. Danny was happy to oblige since, for once, he had all his homework done on time and there were no ghosts to take care of that night. The real trouble came when he had to go downstairs for dinner, leaving Cujo in his room with a stern reminder not to leave it.

Miraculously, Cujo obeyed the command. But that meant there was a bored, excitable puppy in Danny's room, alone, for almost an hour, with nothing to play with. His room hadn't been neat when he left it, but it was trashed by the time he came back. His backpack was particularly mangled, and his essay ripped to shreds.

Danny hadn't thought Lancer would accept "a ghost dog ate my homework," as an excuse for not having the assignment done. But he no longer had the library books he used to write the damn thing in the first place. Which meant he had to replace his typed, carefully referenced, well-thought out essay with a rushed, handwritten mess that consisted only of Danny's personal thoughts.

Suffice to say, he wasn't too confident in the new essay. The last thing he expected was to get a passing grade for it, much less actual praise. Danny doesn't get praise, not outside hero work, at least. He gets lots of sighs and disappointed looks. Maybe a stern, "This is proof you can do better," when he pulls a grade higher than a D. But not praise. Never praise.

"It was... something," Danny says. He doesn't usually get embarrassed by attention, although that doesn't necessarily mean he likes it either. But getting called out by Lancer in front of the whole class was an entirely new experience.

Before Lancer started handing out the papers, he had stood at the front of the class and waved the stack in the air.

"I have to say, I'm very impressed by the work some of you did. Very thoughtful," he started. "But there is one paper in particular that I would like to bring up."

Lancer shuffled through the stack, shifting everything around until a bundle of loose leaf ripped from a notebook sat on top. The pages were stapled poorly, and the handwriting was borderline illegible. Danny knew instantly it was his and expected the worst.

"This paper was, perhaps, the most insightful essay I've ever read in all my time teaching this class," Lancer said. He beamed in Danny's direction. "It was speculative, introspective, and intuitive. Written purely from the student's own thoughts on life and death. This is what philosophy is about, and I hope I can see similar work from the rest of you in the future."

Danny sank into his seat as Lancer walked down the aisle, heading right for him, and held his paper out.

"Thanks," Danny muttered, taking his assignment. He couldn't bear to lift his gaze and meet the burning stares of his peers. The worst part, though was when Lancer asked to see Danny at the end of the day.

"Are you gonna go?" Tucker asks.

"I don't know." Danny's grip on his backpack tightens as he thinks about the paper stuffed inside. "I'm not in trouble or anything, and it didn't really sound like I have to go."

"I think you should." Jazz reaches out and ruffles Danny's hair, smiling proudly at him. "You did good, little brother. You're smart, and Lancer knows that. Whatever he wants to talk to about, I'm sure it's good."

Danny grumbles, shoving Jazz's hand away and fixing his hair. He doesn't make it neat, but he messes it up the way he likes it to be messed up. There's a difference.

"I guess. As long as no ghosts interrupt, I'll go," Danny says. Jazz is right—she usually is, much to his chagrin. Whatever Lancer wants, after what he said about Danny's paper, it has to be good. But he still hopes the Box Ghost shows up so that Danny doesn’t have to go.

"Can I have my gummy bears back?" Danny asks, turning to Tucker.

Tucker, cheeks puffed with gummies, looks down at the empty bag. He slowly shakes his head. "I don't think you want them back."

—

Danny hesitates outside Lancer's door. The final bell rang five minutes ago, and most students have already fled the school grounds. The football team is still here, somewhere, because they have practice in half an hour. Everyone else is out front waiting for their buses. Jazz left in the initial crowd. Sam and Tucker offered to hang around and wait for him, but Danny waved them off and told them to go ahead. They have better things to do.

It crosses Danny's mind that he can lie to them. If he skips out and only tells them he talked to Lancer, they will probably accept it and leave it at that. Jazz might probe him a little about it, but if he acts annoyed about it, she'll stop. But he's being ridiculous. There's no real reason why he can't walk through this door right now and get this over with. Jazz is right. It's probably a good thing. But something about it sets Danny on edge.

Sighing heavily, he reaches out and knocks on Lancer's door, standing on his toes to peek through the window.

Lancer, sitting at his desk, grading a pile of new assignments, looks up. He sees Danny and smiles, waving him inside.

Danny pauses for a second, then turns the handle and steps into the room.

"Please, Mr. Fenton, close the door and take a seat," Lancer says.

Danny does as told, closing the door a little too hard, and shuffles over to the desk closest to Lancer's. Swinging his backpack off his shoulder, he sets it down on the floor beside him and slides into the chair.

While Lancer makes a few more notes on the paper in front of him, Danny scans the classroom. Sometimes it feels like he spends half his day in this room. Lancer teaches a surprising number of courses. Danny's almost impressed by the range. Little hints of each course are scattered throughout the room. A poster about calculating surface area by the window, a cartoonish timeline of US history along the top of the wall, aperiodic table taking up most of the back wall.

For philosophy, there's a collage of famous philosophers taped to the front of Lancer's desk. Danny thinks a former student made it, because it's just some images cut out and glued onto a stiff piece of poster board.

Danny stares at each face in the collage, trying to recognize them. Friedrich Nietzsche is the only one he can identify by name. The only reason Danny remembers him in the first place is his wild mustache. Hard to forget something like that.

"Mr. Fenton."

Danny's head snaps up, gaze jumping to Lancer.

"I'd like to congratulate you again for writing such a wonderful paper" Lancer says. "But I had a few questions."

"Oh, yeah?"

"Are you okay, Mr. Fenton?"

Danny blinks. "I­­­– what?"

"In your paper, you spoke a lot about death, dying, and our perceptions of life now that we know there is some form of afterlife. Some of your points were rather... personal."

Danny thinks back over his paper. The moment he realized he had to make the whole thing up, he decided to talk about the one philosophical debate he was personally invested in: the significance of life after death. He mentioned his parents' views on the matter, that ghosts are mindless monsters, but mostly spoke about his own and what questions he had about it. Thanks to his personal experience with dying, he had a lot to talk about.

Lancer reaches for an open notebook sitting on his desk. Lifting it up, he scans the page for a moment, then reads, "'Some people falsely believe ghosts are not, and never were, human, but are instead creatures from another dimension connected to our own. While some ghosts definitely aren't human, I have met countless that were. They remember living and dying, and there is evidence of their human lives left behind. What does this mean for people who are still living? If we can die and nothing changes for us, does dying matter at all?'"

Danny immediately recognizes his own words. Lancer must have written down what Danny said in his essay. It makes him uncomfortable. He doesn’t want his thoughts lying around where anyone can read them. He especially doesn't want Lancer to pick and choose them at random for whatever this conversation is.

"That doesn't really sound personal," Danny mutters.

"No, it doesn't," Lancer agrees. "But the things you go on to say after this point are concerning, to say the least. Which brings me back to my original question. Are you okay?"

Danny's face scrunches as he thinks. So what if he got personal? It's a personal matter. That was the whole point when he wrote it. He doesn't understand what Lancer's getting at.

Lancer sighs and keeps going. "'Lots of people think about what happens after they die. Usually, they're talking about religion and what waits for them on the other side. Personally, I wonder about what happens to everything I leave behind, and what dying would do for me.' Would you like to expand on that?"

Danny leans away. "No?"

"What dying would do for you," Lancer repeats.

"What are you­­– oh." Finally, realization dawns on Danny. He squirms uncomfortably. "I'm not– I don't want to–"

He cuts himself off with a sight. How is he supposed to explain what's going on in his head without giving his secret away? Danny's not okay, but he isn't not okay, either. He's just... dead.

He died, but he lived, and it changed him. And yet, at the same time, nothing changed at all. In the grand scheme of things, Danny died and everything stayed the same. No one noticed, except his friends, who were there and are probably scarred for life.

Besides, Danny lived, in the end. So he's supposed to be fine, right? But he doesn't know how to deal with going through something that traumatic and realizing it didn't matter.

Ghosts look at life differently. They don't regret dying because once you're dead, whatever led up to that point no longer matters. They remember their lives, but they don't care about them. If Danny had died all the way that day, he wouldn't care either. Thinking about that messes him up.

Lancer watches him expectantly. Danny realizes he's been silent for too long, and he has to say something.

"It's complicated."

"We have the time, if you'd like to try," Lancer says.

Danny shakes his head. "I really don't. You don't need to be worried about me, or anything. I don’t want to die or anything. I just..."

My whole life is just one big existential crisis.

"Mr. Fenton." Lancer stands up, pushing away from his desk.

Danny keeps his eyes on the philosophy collage as Lancer approaches. Holding himself perfectly still, he doesn’t look away, even as Lancer crouches next to Danny's desk.

"Okay."

There's nothing special about the word, or the way Lancer says it. He has no clue what's going on in Danny's mind right now, but he's looking at Danny with warm eyes, offering him a comforting smile, and Danny actually feels like he could be okay.

"For whatever it's worth, Mr. Fenton, I don't think my days would be the same without you. But I understand."

He really doesn't, but Danny appreciates the effort.

"If this isn't something you'd like to talk about with me, I won't push it. Perhaps I could have approached you more delicately about the matter." Lancer pats Danny's shoulder. "I hope you will talk to someone, if you need it. And don't let this stop you from pursuing your interest in philosophy."

Danny doesn't have the heart tell Lancer he only took the class because he thought it would be easy.

"You have a knack for it."

"Um, thank you," Danny says.

Lancer pats him again, then stands. "Don't let me keep you. I'm sure, as you students would say, you have to get vibing."

Danny grimaces. "We really wouldn't."

Dismissed, he gathers up his backpack and practically sprints to the door, yanking it open. Halfway out, he pauses, looking back over his shoulder. Lancer is back at his desk already, resuming his grading.

"Thanks, Mr. Lancer," Danny says. "You're not really 'hip', but... you are kind of cool."

He runs out of the room before Lancer can respond. Lips pressed in a firm line, he contemplates whether today was good or bad after all. A+ on his essay? Good. Getting praised in front of the class? It sounded good, but it felt bad and it was awkward as hell. Tucker eating all his gummy bears? Definitely bad.

The talk he just had with Lancer? Debatable.

Danny rounds the corner, heading for the front doors, and almost barrels right into Dash. He swerves at the last second—thank you reflexes—and skitters out of Dash's way.

"Watch it, Fenfreak," Dash says.

Danny rolls his eyes. "You get more creative every day, Dash. Why are you even still here?"

"Practice tonight, duh," Dash says.

Right. Danny gives Dash a critical look. "Going to your locker?" he asks.

"My stuff's already in the gym, dweeb. Why do you care?"

"I just thought I saw Paulina put some in there early. Could have been a love letter or something." Danny shrugs.

An eager gleam enters Dash's eye. Danny almost feels sorry for the poor guy. He's probably the only person who can't tell Paulina is hopelessly in love with Star. Why else would Paulina say she can't date any boys because she's saving herself for the ghost boy? Seriously.

Dash runs for his locker, yanking it open. As a resounding bang echoes down the hall and green go splatters all over the walls, floor, ceiling, and Dash, Danny finally makes up his mind. Today is a very good day.

[slapshot-to-the-heart]

Flatbush & Atlantic: part i

Quick note: This is taking place in the 2020-21 season, as if the Islanders still play at Barclays; I know they won’t in actuality. In the story, I’m also going to be taking some liberties with what the duties of a team’s general counsel and legal team would actually be in charge of. My understanding, as a pre-law student, is that it’s more on the corporate angle, dealing with contracts and stuff — in addition to that, Cass will also be dealing with some more immigration and employment law as well. 

part i

October 1

“Adiós, mamá. Hablamos pronto. Te amo.” Cassidy hung up, breathing out a tense sigh and rubbing her temples with the heels of her hands. Talking to her mom usually helped to calm her down, bring her back to Earth, but for whatever reason it wasn’t taking. She took a brief glance at the casebook open on her dinged-up Ikea desk. Federal Indian Law. She liked the class, genuinely, but her day had started off bad and gotten worse pretty damn quickly. First she was out of her favorite tea, then her advisor cancelled their meeting, then it started raining as she walked back to her MTA stop, so she had missed the train. Another came fifteen minutes later, but the damage was already done. The only bright spot in the day, aside from calling her mom, had been the cute guy at the Polish deli down the street who had put extra peppers on her Philly cheesesteak. She unwrapped the sandwich, taking a moody bite out of the end. A caramelized onion dropped to the floor. Sighing, she leaned down to pick it up, hurtling it in the direction of the trashcan but only half-looking to see if it reached its target destination. Despite the name, Cass had never had a cheesesteak before she moved to New York, and it wasn’t even because she wasn’t a sandwich person. No, Cass loved a good sandwich, but between her proclivity towards a good BLT and her mom’s homemade Mexican food, she just hadn’t gotten around to it. 

Her laptop dinged with an email notification. What now? She swiped over to the mail page, taking another bite as she read the subject line. Experiential learning requirement - unmet. Her brow furrowed. Unmet? Clicking it open, she scanned the email, clearly something automated from the registrar’s office. Yet to complete Columbia’s experiential learning requirement...We suggest you connect with professors...You have until October 8 to submit...Cassidy never finished her sandwich. “Oh my God,” she muttered to herself, feeling her cheeks heat up. “How could you do this? How could you be so stupid, Cass?” She was normally so on top of everything, never missed a date, never forgot an assignment, so how could she have missed one of the only things left to do to graduate? Her law school required all of the graduates to complete some sort of experiential learning requirement — some kind of externship, clinic, summer associate position, anything to get them “out in the real world.” That’s when it hit her. She had coached her high school’s mock trial team the summer after her first year, and interned at the Hartford County DA’s the summer after. But they paid her. Her school had a weird ‘double-dip’ policy, where you weren’t allowed to take a position for class credit and get paid at the same time. It was a confusing rule, convoluted and bizarre and probably a little bit elitist, but it was a rule. As if the day couldn’t get any worse, and then somehow it did. 

Turning to her laptop, she started searching for just about anything that could possibly help her. The school’s website, the Manhattan District Attorney’s, state offices, NGOs, federal prosecutors, anyone that might have a lead. Frantically dragging over her resumé and throwing together a cover letter that probably (hopefully) looked way more interesting than it actually was, Cassidy fired off email after email after email. Two hours later, she had sent off some twenty-odd applications, hoping that at least one or two would end up panning out. Glancing at her watch, she let out an exasperated breath. 12:22 A.M. Her classes didn’t start until nine, but it took almost an hour and a subway connection to get to Columbia, and she had to eat and shower before. So, really, it meant getting up at about seven. She needed to go to bed. 

Stomach reeling and feeling more resigned than anything, Cass haphazardly brushed her teeth, flossed — it didn’t matter how tired she was, she’d never forget to floss — and clambered into bed, wearing a faded, way-too-big Rangers t-shirt. I’ll be okay. She took a deep breath. It’ll be okay. It has to be. Cassidy Cabrera Shaw was tough as nails and stubborn as hell, and she wasn’t going to let everything she had worked so hard for fall apart so easily. 

Whenever Cass was nervous, or anxious, or afraid, she was never able to sleep well. She ended up waking up at ten past six, sitting in her bed for fifteen minutes praying that she’d fall back asleep, and finally accepting her fate that sleep just wasn’t going to come. Rolling over, she grabbed her phone from where she had left it charging on the nightstand. Nightstand was maybe a generous term for it; technically, it was a wooden milk crate that she had spray painted white when she and the other girls had moved into the apartment two years prior. She had a little bit of money set aside from college, but every penny possible was going towards tuition and those ungodly-expensive books that she had to buy every semester. The mattress and frame were from Ikea, and Cass had brought some things like bedding and a desk from her old room. The rest of it — rugs, lighting, and decorations like her six-inch ceramic peacock (his name was Charles) had come from a combination of Goodwill runs and senior citizen yard sales. 

Wincing as she did so, Cass pulled up her email, bracing herself for the inevitable barrage of rejection. After scrolling past ten or so automated “no longer hiring” and “position has been filled” messages, one caught her eye. She had sent a few emails to professors of hers, not expecting to hear anything back for a few days. It wasn’t perfect by any means, but there certainly were advantages of going to school in a city as massive as New York. All of her professors knew someone and had some kind of connection from their own education, or days in the practice, or childhood summer trips to the Hamptons with someone who just so happened to be a judge on the Second Circuit Court — that last one was last year’s employment law professor. One particular subject line caught her eye. Thought you might be interested, Professor Murakami had written. David, as he preferred to be called, was her Sports Law professor from last year. She didn’t go into the class expecting to enjoy it all that much, if she was being honest. She had gotten a crappy registration time and most other classes were filled, so it had started out as a placeholder and nothing more. Over the semester, though, it had quickly become one of her favorites, combining pieces of everything else she had studied into one cohesive course. Cass also wasn’t in a position to be turning down any potential offers, so she opened the email and started reading. 

I got your email, Cassidy, and think I might be able to help. Okay, so far, so good. I happen to have a contact in the counsel’s office of one of the professional sports teams in the city. That’s exactly what Cass was talking about — where do these people meet each other? Is there some kind of exclusive speakeasy you’re given the password to as soon as you’re admitted to the state bar? Chris Cohen works for the Islanders, and I remember you talking about how interested in hockey you are. Okay, true, but the Islanders? She had practically been born with a Ranger’s jersey on. Beggars can’t be choosers, she thought. I gave him a heads-up that I’d likely be sending a promising candidate his way, so just let me know if this sounds like something you’d be interested in and I’ll send along your contact information. 

Cass couldn’t respond fast enough. Yes, please! 

---

Wednesdays were her ‘easy’ days, if you could say that. She had Environmental Law and Human Rights back-to-back, but anything after noon was pretty much fair game. That being said, it certainly didn’t mean that she was any less stressed. There were at least a hundred pages to read before class the next day, she had a sample essay due for bar prep, and her mind was still racing about the email. Grabbing a gyro from the cart outside of her last class of the day, Cass stress-ate with one hand while continually refreshing her inbox with the other.  Food wasn’t allowed in the library, so she ate the last few bites right outside the doors, throwing away the wrapper and squeezing past the hordes of clearly overwhelmed first-years running to get to class on time. 

Popping her Airpods out of their case and into her ears, Cass briskly made her way up the stairs to the third floor, crossing her fingers that her usual spot, a big blue chair over by the research desk, was open. She was in luck, pulling out a water bottle and laptop and getting to work on editing. Four hours later, she had reached some semblance of satisfaction with her work, shutting off her computer and making her way to the subway. There was about half an hour before she had to transfer to the line that would take her to the apartment; squeezing into one of the last free seats, she tugged out a textbook and a highlighter. Why her professor insisted on assigning the entire text of the United Nations charter was a mystery to her, but she’d rather jump off a cliff than be cold called on without an answer. Transferring at Grand Concourse took about ten minutes — it was rush hour, so the first train to come was entirely full — and another twenty or so minutes later, she was letting herself into her shared East Bronx apartment. 

Hanging up her denim jacket by the door and toeing off her sneakers, Cass let out a not-so-subtle exasperated sigh. 

“One of those days?” Alicia piped in from the kitchen. Alicia also lived in the apartment, one of the four sorority sisters-turned-roommates who had made the move from Connecticut down to New York after graduation. Cass padded into the kitchen, where she was greeted by Alicia in front of a skillet and rice cooker, intensely sautéeing some vegetables.

“You have no idea,” Cass said, hugging her from behind. “Whatcha making?” There were obviously some nights when not everyone was home — most often either Cass or Ryanne, who was in med school — but they always tried to have a few nights a week where someone would cook a meal for the whole house. 

“Japchae, it’s my mom’s recipe,” she replied. “I called her and asked how much sesame oil to use, and she just said ‘until it tastes right.’ Like, I love you, Mom, but that doesn’t really help my cause, does it?”

Cass snorted. “Oh for sure, it’s the same way with me. Do you remember the first time I made tamales down here?” Cass had grown up eating and making tamales with her mom and abuela, but she had never been allowed to really take the reins. She had the recipe, though, so the first night after they were moved in, she ventured down to the closest bodega, bought the ingredients, and decided to try her hand making them from scratch. The recipe, however, left out the key piece of exactly how much water to use for steaming — Cass didn’t know, and her mom had always just eyeballed it. So she had ended up putting in way too little and setting the stove way too hot, and to make a long story short, ended up setting off the fire alarm. The one saving grace was the extremely attractive police office that came to double-check the false alarm, but even he couldn’t wipe the mortified expression off of her face. 

“How could I forget?” Alicia responded with a grin. “Go put your shit down, it’ll be ready in a few.”

Cass playfully rolled her eyes, heading towards her room in the back. “Yes, mother.” Their apartment was a three bedroom; while obviously it would have been amazing for everyone to have their own, it was still New York City and none of them were exactly rolling in the dough. Cassidy and Ryanne were obviously still students, and while Alicia and Stella had actual jobs  — Stella worked international business down by Wall Street and Alicia did something with satellites in Queens — none of them were exactly inclined to set out on their own just yet. So Stella and Alicia shared a room, and she and Ryanne had their own. She shrugged off her jacket, slinging her backpack onto the bed before chugging the rest of her water bottle and checking her phone. Two new emails. A 20% off coupon to Lush, and one from Chris Cohen. Chris Cohen? It took her a minute to remember, but when she did, she couldn’t read it fast enough.

Honestly, Cass didn’t read the whole thing, but got enough information to know that she had an interview Friday afternoon at the office in Brooklyn, that Chris  — he had said to call him Chris — said she came with a stellar recommendation from Professor Murakami (an old law school buddy, figures) and that there was no way in hell she was going to fuck this up. She wouldn’t let herself. 

---

Cass was lucky her Thursdays were so packed; if she had any extra time to stress over her impending interview, she would have, but she couldn’t. She had two ‘free’ hours in between classes, but after she had scarfed down lunch (Alicia had, mercifully, made plenty of leftovers) it was the only stretch she had to hit the gym. Coupled with the time it took to walk there, change, and shower after, there really wasn’t much in the way of downtime. After classes was her bar prep group, and the day was so exhausting that it was pretty much all she could manage to take the train home, microwave dinosaur chicken nuggets, and stumble into bed. After flossing. 

---

If Cassidy lived in any other city, she would have felt wildly out of place on her morning commute. Who shows up to school wearing a suit? She wasn’t an absolute masochist, so her heels were in her bag. But for once in her life she didn’t feel so out of place among the presumably-highbrow, presumably-making-six-figures crowd surrounding her. The suit had been her first big purchase for herself  — she had scraped by without one in college, but invested as soon as she had a little saved up from her summer job at a boutique in town. Her mother had always told her that it was the woman who made the clothes, rather than the other way around, and Cass always did what her mom said. 

Samaira, one of her friends and another editor on the Columbia Law Review, caught up to her as they both left the twice-weekly morning meeting. “You seem kind of jumpy, Cass. What’s up?”

Cassidy wrung her hands and shrugged her shoulders. “I told you that I missed the internship requirement thing, right?” Samaira nodded. “Well, I have an internship in,” she paused to look at her watch, “two hours, and I’m so nervous I’m going to mess this up. I don’t know what I’m going to do if I don’t get it. There’s not time to look for something else, there’s no alternative, and I don’t know what to do if my own stupidity and forgetfulness is the only thing standing in between me and something I’ve worked so fucking hard for—”

Samaira cut her off. “I’m going to stop you there. That’s bull, Cass, and you know it. You are the furthest thing from a disappointment. You’re one of the kindest, sharpest, and most creative people I know, and you’re not going to let something as petty as a deadline stand in your way. Time gets away from all of us sometimes, and it’s nothing to beat yourself up over. I want you to be confident and have faith in yourself, because you deserve it, but if you don’t, it’s okay. I get it. I believe in you enough for the both of us.” She squeezed Cass’ hand. 

She managed a watery smile. “Thanks, Samaira.”

“Any time,” she replied easily. “I’ve got to run to class now, but I want to hear how it went the second you get out, okay?”

“I will.”

Samaira rolled her eyes. “I mean it. You’re going to crush this, Cass. Love you!” She added, waving goodbye as she turned the corner.

There was half an hour before Cass needed to head over to the interview, and before she knew it her feet had taken her to her favorite spot on the north side of Central Park. Grabbing a bagel, she thankfully found the bench empty. After finishing the bagel — she would have preferred cheese, but they were out, so cinnamon raisin it was — and the better part of her Hozier-dominated acoustic playlist, it was time to catch the train. She jumped on with barely a second to spare, grabbing a strap and trying to avoid bumping into anyone. 

A seat opened up about halfway to Brooklyn, and Cass took the opportunity to unceremoniously tug off her much more practical flats and switch into the much more professional ankle-strap heels that had been stuffed in her backpack all day. For a fleeting moment, she was worried what everyone around her would think; she was, after all, technically changing on public transportation. A man got on at the next stop who was dressed head-to-toe in neon orange while carrying a Pomeranian in his purse. Nobody batted an eye. She got over herself pretty quickly.

Getting off at the Barclays Center station, Cass pulled out her phone, opening up the camera to give herself a quick once-over. As much as she hated it, first impressions really were everything. Lipstick? Not smudged. Hair? Minimal flyaways. Teeth? No spinach to be seen. Triple-checking that she had the time right, Cass walked through the doors of the office building, Islanders logo emblazoned on the wall behind the secretary’s desk. 

“Hi,” she said tentatively, catching his attention. “I have an interview with Chris Cohen at 2?” 

The secretary nodded, smiling warmly at her. “No problem. I’m Josh, you can have a seat over there,” he nodded to the small waiting area off to the side, “and I’ll call you when he’s ready for you to be sent up.”

Cass didn’t wait for more than five minutes before Josh gave her the go-ahead, and she was soon headed up the elevator to Chris’ office. “Fourth door on the left. It should have his name on it,” Josh had added. 

She raised her fist, knocking quickly on the frosted glass. It swung open a second later, a kind-looking man with glasses and salt-and-pepper hair answering. “You must be Cassidy. I’m Chris Cohen, so nice to meet you. Come right in,” he said, ushering her through the room, where several other associates sat at desks, and into his office. 

“David’s always good at keeping an eye out for me in his courses, and I was happy he passed you along,” Chris said, pulling out her resumé. “And you’re a 3L, correct?” She nodded. “Good. So let’s dive right into it. What courses and work experience do you have that you feel best position you for success in this position?” Much though Cass was loath to admit it, if there was anything she was good at, it was talking herself up. There was a reason her high school superlative was “Most Likely to be Able to Talk Their Way Out of a Ticket.” She launched into a well-rehearsed response, making sure to lace in her love for hockey once or twice. If nothing else, it would hopefully at least get her some brownie points. He had a few questions about her resumé, asked about her work on the law review, a few hypotheticals about contract law. She was batting a thousand until he asked the dreaded final question. “Do you have any questions for me?” 

Cass was wracking her brain, trying to come up with some intelligent-sounding thing to ask, but nothing came. “Uh—” she started, but was saved by the bell. Or, rather, saved by a frantic door opening and a panicked-sounding Mat Barzal bursting into the room. “Chris, I’ve got a problem.”

[chaoticgeminate]

Freedom

This is the third part of the Outfoxed Series, my Lila Salt series that I started on a whim and got a ton of notes and likes. This is the last bit following the main plot of the series, which is the exposure of Lila and the fallout of that exposure, but I may consider exploring other POV’s like I did with Mrs. Rossi in the side story ‘Shattered’ posted to AO3.

The link below is to the AO3 page of this story, if you don’t want to deal with the Read more button.

[AO3]

Lila's arrest sent shock waves through Collège François Dupont, from the sexual harassment charges to the truancy and even the unlawful photography, anyone associated with her on a friendly level was scrutinized and that meant the class of the former teacher Caline Bustier.

Thanks to the school board there had been numerous counselors and therapists on site, to combat potential akuma victims from the accusations and anger that were sure to be part of the fallout, with a new security system installed with no blank spots in any hallways or rooms. Excluding bathrooms, of course, but there were cameras above bathroom doors pointing straight down to track who entered and when.

Nino wasn't at all surprised when Adrien was transferred out of their class, his Father definitely blamed them for playing a part in the mess and the teen DJ couldn't fault him for once, it was easy to see from the glimpses in the halls that his best bud was happier than ever now. He had managed to apologize to both Adrien and Marinette, telling them he wasn't asking forgiveness but that he wanted them to know he now realized he screwed up and had to work on some things, the pair had thanked him and that had been it.

As much as he wanted to go back to how things were, when they were all together and Alya was scheming her plans to hook them up, Nino was more than aware that if he wanted them to trust him again it had to be on their terms and he was okay with that. He'd believed in Lila because Alya did, no matter how strange the stories sounded, his girlfriend always researched everything so if she wasn't questioning then he didn't have a reason to.

Or so he thought, but Alya wasn't perfect and he'd made a mistake by not questioning it himself, Nino had promised he would do and be better for himself and his girl as well as his friends.

Alya walked into the room late, sliding a note onto their teacher's desk, after her blow-up in the cafeteria at Adrien the school put her on mandatory counseling sessions. For as tenacious and driven as she was, something he admired, Alya was stubborn and quick-tempered; in this case, though, she refused to allow any blame on herself. Lila was the liar in this and Alya had been loyal, Marinette hadn't told her the whole truth, Adrien hadn't told her the whole truth; but it was still Alya that hadn't done her research or trusted her friend.

He slid a note onto her desk, a simple love poem he'd found, he wasn't ready to give up on her as a girlfriend and he knew that once she accepted she'd made a mistake that she'd do the right thing and at least apologize.

He was a sweetheart, someone truly amazing that was far too mature for his age, Nino's poem made her heart race even if she'd seen it on Juleka's facebook page two weeks earlier. For the first time in a long time she felt lighter, her pocket no longer weighed down with her cellphone, the device submitted for evidence for her own lawsuit against Lila.

Aya wasn't an idiot, she hadn't believed a damn thing Lila Rossi was putting out, but she was too quick tempered and had moved far too quickly against the Italian. Giving the new girl a chance to fess up had led to a rabbit hole of trouble, Lila hadn't even tried playing clean and as soon as she had her ammo it was over, Alya hadn't thought the girl would follow her around for months in secret while she'd supposedly been traveling.

Lila had gotten video proof of Alya sneaking around with Nino, steamy make-outs in fairly public (though not in the open) places while they were supposed to be babysitting, and worst of all she'd gotten a series of photos with Alya and Nino in a VERY compromising position in the school.

'All I want is your support, you don't have to believe me but you do have to make the others believe me, I won't tell anyone or show these otherwise.'

It sucked but Alya had danced to Lila's song and done what she asked without question, it would ruin her and Nino's records and their parents would have a meltdown, she expected Lila to eventually make a mistake after all and even if Alya supported her that didn't mean one of the others was trapped by her web. Alya had tried hard to support Marinette, Lila's chosen target she soon learned, but after the first attempt at getting the designer expelled had failed Lila wasn't giving any leeway.

The second attempt worked far too well, after Lila took the picture of the funeral right from Alya's phone, and the reporter found herself doing the unspeakable at Lila's behest. Every article had her in tears and the public backlash made her sick to her stomach, if she wasn't terrified of the result from Lila it might've been easier to delete the Ladyblog entirely, and finally it all drew to a close with Lila's arrest.

Finding out Adrien had known all along, that he'd just said nothing, had ignited a fire in Alya that she couldn't extinguish and she tore into him for his inaction; the entire time he could have done something, he could have saved her from her own ruin. But now, finally, Alya had come clean on every last detail to her parents and the school; her parents, as disappointed and hurt as they were, contacted the AGRESTE lawyers with their own evidence of blackmail to add to Lila's charges once they spoke with Officer Raincomprix.

Nino was still in the dark, though not for long since his parents were contacted too in regards to the nature of the pictures and video, and several people had said her intentions to protect her boyfriend were noble even if she had done wrong. But Alya had a long way to go in order to forgive herself before she'd ask forgiveness of anyone else, she started with hand-written letters to be mailed out to a lot of people, her phone and computer taken and she was under house arrest for quite a while per her parents.

Focusing on the board, as their teacher talked about their assignment for geography, Alya scribbled her notes as the rest tapped and typed away on their tablets.

"BREAKING REPORT

BLACKMAIL CHARGES CONFIRMED AGAINST LILA ROSSI

As of Wednesday, we have word that more charges are being added to the already extensive list for Lila Rossi. The Italian student, living in France on a VISA due to her mother's work, has already been accused of a long list of charges by both the Agreste family and the Dupain-Cheng family as well as the school board. Sexual harassment, truancy charges, unlawful photography, bullying a French citizen, and now there is evidence surfacing of blackmailing a French citizen.

The Césaire family have come forward with very serious evidence that indicates Alya Césaire, the founder of the Ladyblog, was being blackmailed by Lila Rossi the entire span of her time at Francios Dupont and during the period she was skipping classes. E-mails, text messages, and threatening messages through Facebook and Snapchat depict Rossi as having compromising photographs and videos of Césaire and her boyfriend that could result in their own criminal charges.

When we asked Otis Césaire his thoughts on the matter he had this to say:

"My daughter was wrong in her actions, I will not try and say she was only a victim because she could have come to us before this started and we would have helped her, but I am appalled that the school officials were so easily fooled and allowed a girl to come in and manipulate them so thoroughly. They were supposed to protect their students, regardless of how much money the families of those kids have, but I see that their concern was elsewhere."

Alya Césaire herself is being reviewed for her own criminal charges based on the content of the photographs that were found on Lila Rossi's devices and has asked that any charges that might be applied to her boyfriend be dropped as she was the primary instigator for each incident. The AGRESTE legal team is asking that any other students, parents, or parties victim to any schemes of Lila please step forward so that they can compile a full list of charges and get this case closed."

The voice of Nadja Chamak played softly in the background of the office as Mayor Armand D'Argencourt adjusted his tie and looked around the bleak space, it was only a matter of time before the school board pursued the Mayor for his own corruption and Andre had paid out a hefty sum to avoid prison before being removed from office, the new election had come and Armand had taken post over Madam Lauren Richards.

As one of the few teachers not involved with Rossi, aside from Physical Education, he hadn't been questioned much and even then he never once allowed her any special treatment; if she cited an injury he made her go to the nurse, any conditions she claimed he would ask Miss Kensington for proof and there never was any. But his claims and reports to Phineas had gone unanswered and blown aside, as any with Miss Bourgeios often had, his reports to the school board had been added to the Dupain-Cheng case as had Priscille's own reports.

A knock on the door made him clear his throat. "Come in." He left the office door open, unlike the Mayor had, the knocking was just a courtesy. His secretary, Monsieur Hemsley, held a stack of papers and folders.

"I'm afraid to say there is a lot more of this, sir, but this is the start of what Mayor Bourgeios cited as unnecessary for Paris." The man looked apologetic and Armand shook his head, accepting the stack of things with no ill-feelings.

It was a new challenge. "I want to start with everything from the past year, Thomas, I've no doubt there were plenty of things he ignored or blew out to keep his hotel running and himself in office." Finding the corruption was the first step, all the business owners with an in that were paying into the Bourgeios to keep themselves on top, Armand wasn't going to fail his family's post or his city.

He glanced at his calendar. "Remember to keep tomorrow afternoon clear, I've got fencing to teach at the Agreste manor after school hours tomorrow." Thomas nodded and went to bring the next batch of papers to him.

"It's been quiet."

Sitting on top of Notre Dame, legs swinging freely as the lights illuminated the dark city below, Chat couldn't help but hum in agreement to the soft statement his partner whispered. With Lila's arrest and the continual charges being brought forward against her, as well as the fallout from the students, he'd expected much more in the way of akuma. "It's worrying, as much as I don't want it to be." He wanted it to be a good sign that there hadn't been problems with Hawkmoth, he wanted it to be an indicator that they were due for some peace and quiet, but they couldn't relax.

Ladybug's eyes were focused on the light at the Town Hall where his fencing instructor, now Mayor, was working diligently through years of corruption from Chloe's father in office. "I've been talking with Tikki and the other Kwami, they all agree that something feels... off. We have a lot of theories but nothing concrete, if I wasn't so afraid to bring the Miracle Box out in public I'd have brought it tonight with me." He almost choked with how deep a breath he drew in, that was not at all what he'd expected.

"You want- but you're the Guardian. Why would my-"

"Your thoughts and opinions are always important to me, Chat, we're partners. You just have horrible timing to be a flirty tomcat as well as an issue with the word no."

He opened his mouth to argue but didn't, she was right, he had no valid excuse for his behavior in the past. "I, uh, you don't have to worry about that LB. I have a girlfriend, outside the mask I mean, I won't tell you her name but she's incredible and I'm really happy with her." Chat could feel her looking at him and her expression was soft, fond and friendly, love without the romantic aspect of it.

Such a familiar look and he didn't even know why. "I'm really happy for you, Chat, you deserve someone who brings you happiness." He felt his cheeks warm, Marinette made him more than happy, he felt loved and like he was home when he was by her side.

But his expression schooled into something playful as his partner looked away, her own face pink. "Oh, is that a blush? Thinking of your own special boy?" Her scowl was lacking any real anger or annoyance and it twisted into a bright grin.

"The boy I like, the one I told you about, he asked me out and we're together now." At one point that would have hurt him, made his chest ache, but it just indicated how incredible Marinette was that he didn't feel anything but happiness.

His mouth spit out the phrase before he could even stop it. "Oh? So, the Bug has her Boo? I guess when you're on a date you're Bugandboo?" Her squawk of outrage had him laughing as he got up to run, delighting in just being able to play, a few people who were still awake cheered him on while others admonished him playfully for irritating the heroine.

By the time patrol ended he was sporting a sore arm, a hoarse voice from laughing, and the annoyance of being filmed falling off a roof into a dumpster when one of Monsieur Ramirer's pigeons flew in his face. But it was a good night and he promised to keep his eyes open for trouble in the form of butterflies.

Marinette knocked and waited for an answer, meeting surprised expressions, her own lips a flat line. "Can I...?" The nod was gentle as Marlena hugged her, whispering an apology of her own, but Marinette didn't blame her at all. Nora's hug was more like a wrestling move, cracking a few joints too, the twins were subdued for once. Walking to the open door, since Alya wasn't allowed to have her room closed off at all, Marinette knocked on the frame.

"Just cleaning my- oh." Alya emerged from her mess of clothes, the closet's contents emptied on the floor and sorted into piles, her expression guarded but somehow open.

Before she could lose her nerve, the designer cleared her throat. "I'm angry at you, for not telling me the truth about what was going on and then attacking my parents when you could have come clean before it got that far, but I'm sorry that you were a victim to her schemes too. I can't forgive you, at least not right now, but I respect you for trying to protect Nino even if I was the sacrifice because I don't know if I would have done anything different in your situation." Alya's eyes were watering and Marinette knew she was close to crying too, she'd decided that she wasn't going to hold onto grudges or anger any longer and had spent the day visiting her former classmates.

Part of moving on was deciding what emotions to hold onto, Wayzz and Longg had helped her come to terms with her lingering doubts and hurt emotions, she refused to be chained by the betrayal and hurt more than she needed to be. "Thank you, I always could trust you to be honest with me, for what it's worth I am sorry that I hid the truth from you." Marinette nodded at Alya and her grip on the doorframe tightened a little.

There wasn't a lot to say between them. "I want to trust you again, Alya, you inspired me to be better and to stand up for what was right and in a weird way you tried to protect me and Nino. Please do better so I can have my best friend back." Marinette's eyes watered and Alya's tears slid down her cheeks as she nodded, the designer opened her arms and the hug was everything she expected when Alya nearly tackled her, but it was what they both needed.

After their impromptu cry session, monitored by Nora to watch for butterflies, the two students said their farewells. Sliding under her Papa's arm as she exited the building, he'd insisted on coming with her to visit her former classmates, Marinette wiped her eyes with the offered handkerchief. "Feel a little better, dumpling?" He had been skeptical of this whole thing but supported her choice to do it.

"Yea, Papa, I do. I really do."

"Good, I'm glad. Now, I know you like to make all your clothes and for good reason, I've got a secret assignment of my own. You see, your Maman and I agreed I would know just what sort of dress you need to take Adrien's breath away for your date tonight. So, dumpling, we're going shopping." Marinette wanted to be upset but it had been a long time since her parents ever got to buy her clothes, a really long time actually, so she didn't argue as he caught a bus to the shopping district for them.

But she had to admit she didn't expect some of the choices he handed her to try on. Marinette might have accused him of asking Gabriel for help if not for the fact that all of the choices were all colors her father knew she liked and not things that were considered complimentary to her skin tone. After trying on what felt like hundreds of dresses, even if it was only twenty according to Tikki, Marinette and her Papa found one they both liked.

Pale rose in color with a fit and flare shape, the bodice was solid color with very short sleeves made of the same georgette lace that covered the knee-length skirt, she felt really cute in it and it wasn't too short or revealing. Marinette had white, round-toe, heels that she could wear with it and wanted to wear her hair down with loose curls. Her Maman, on their return home, admitted that out of the two of her parents it was her Papa that had an artist's eye and had often picked all of the dresses that Sabine herself wore on their dates.

Marinette hadn't known, though she decided it wasn't that surprising given her Papa's decorative skill, but she was glad that her Papa was happy for her relationship. "You have two hours to get ready before Adrien gets here, dumpling." That made her rush up the stairs and hurry to get ready since this was their first unsupervised date.

'That boy needs his Dad. Not his Father, Gabriel, or his boss. Adrien needs you in his life and if you don't shape up then I will report every last shred of truth on how you break labor laws and pull him from school illegally for photoshoots.'

Leonard's threat had hung heavy between the two men since the initial stirrings against Lila, the black eye Gabriel had sported for two weeks had been hidden with make-up but the bodyguard hadn't feared repercussions or assault charges, as a parent Gabriel respected Leonard and as a friend he respected him even more for doing what he'd done. Watching his son smooth down the jacket of his suit, planning to take his girlfriend to a restaurant known for their private settings so they could avoid the spotlight for some time, Gabriel was proud of Adrien and knew now that he had missed quite a bit.

Leonard met his gaze as the teenager rambled about his nerves, Nathalie busy reassuring him that Marinette would be thrilled to bits, the very slightest of nods from the man expelled most of the tension. Gabriel handed Adrien something he'd kept for his son, for quite some time, a delicate silver chain with loops for charms waiting. "You are under no pressure to accept this, or do what I had done, but I know you're nervous and hope that maybe this will help you with your own ideas for Marinette." Adrien's eyes were just as curious and warm as Emilie's were, it was both heartbreaking and so very amazing.

"Emilie had a book that she bought, I gave her a single flower on every date, she would press the flowers to preserve them; this is the start of a charm bracelet, I think perhaps Marinette would like something she can wear as a reminder of your affections." It was a guess but the girl proved to be very affectionate, though not incredibly handsy in public and it was a trait he appreciated, with her own anxious tendencies it would be best to have something tangible she could carry. Adrien grinned and nodded, looking at the time on his watch.

A smile on his face and a tight hug, Gabriel was nearly bowled over with the strength in his son's sudden motion, Adrien thanked him with a teary smile. "I already have plenty of ideas, thank you so much Dad!" Gabriel managed to hold off until Adrien left but the moment he was gone the tears started, it had been so long since he heard that title, Nathalie's hum was soft and Gabriel appreciated her quiet comfort. After a moment or two, managing to calm himself down, the man looked at Nooroo as the Kwami peeked out from behind the hall.

"Nooroo, if I were to give you back your Miraculous would you be able to find the Guardian?" The Butterfly hesitated but nodded, looking miserable to even admit that much. Gabriel removed the brooch and Nathalie only nodded as she took Duusu's brooch too, the two Kwami accepted them back with curious looks. "Nooroo and Duusu, I release you to be free and return to the Guardian. I am truly sorry that I allowed my grief to blind me to what I was losing and led me to abusing you as I had." The Butterfly Kwami offered a wavering smile, gratitude visible on his face as Duusu fluttered about energetically.

The Kwami nuzzled him. "I knew you were a good man, Gabriel, you just lost your way for a little bit. Thank you for setting me free." The two Kwami disappeared through the door and Nathalie followed him to what once was his lair, the butterflies and cocoons had disappeared, leaving just an empty garden and the glass chamber. Emilie had been embalmed in private, following her death, which was the reason she was in the state she was in now. Nathalie left him then to give him time to say goodbye, for the last time, Gabriel had no more tears to give and only apologized for losing his way.

"I will always cherish what we had, Emilie, I will never forget you; but I won't disappoint you any longer, I cannot allow myself to cling to us and continue to put Adrien in danger or push him away." As he placed his hand on the top of the glass, chest heaving with a deep breath, he contacted the burial company that had done the embalming. They hadn't thought much of his basement being a mausoleum of sorts, it was not new to plenty of the upper-class, once he activated the tinting on the coffin it looked just like any other.

Within the hour his wife was buried in her family plot, with the rest of the Graham de Vanily, and Gabriel gave himself the night to grieve. Free of the burden of the brooch, the burden of being chained to the past, and free to pursue a future beside his son once more.

Sabine laughed as Tom and Gabriel battled, with Adrien and Marinette on their date the two had contacted him and agreed to have him over, Leonard and Nathalie were on either side of her nursing hot drinks and their own chuckles. Having the man request to learn how to play Ultimate Mecha Strike had been a shock but he admitted that he wanted to be able to play with Adrien, he didn't know what his son was really fond of doing and needed a gateway of sorts, Sabine hadn't been able to help hugging the poor man and promising to help.

Watching him now, as he grunted with his hair free of styling products for once, she could tell there was something a little different about him this time; he ran another hand through his hair as he got locked into an animation sequence as Tom's mech unleashed a combo. "Take that you old pincushion." In the past she might have been worried but Gabriel never ceased to surprise her.

"Keep talking, you stale cream puff, once I figure this game out I'm going to make you eat those words." Gabriel was competitive, not that she was surprised by that, fashion was a cutthroat industry; but he wasn't to the point that he was a sore loser. In fact he appeared to be having fun and it warmed her to see a man trying to do better, especially after subjecting his son to harassment by that horrid little liar, Sabine glanced at her phone as it chimed.

Marinette and Adrien had both sent a picture, an adorable selfie of the two of them at the theater, they had done dinner and Adrien had gotten tickets for them to see Wicked together since it was currently playing. "The kids just reached the theater." Earning two non-committal sounds from the men, once again not surprised, the woman responded with a 'have fun' before leading Nathalie to the kitchen as Leonard continued to read his comic books.

"I've never seen him this relaxed, your family is quite amazing."

Sabine met the woman's gaze and smiled. "I like to think so too, shall we prepare some light snacks?" Nathalie nodded and Sabine was pretty happy to relay the ongoing news that Nadja learned from the interviews and messages flooding TVi.

“You mean-“

“I think he’s found it more important to prioritize what he has over what he’s lost.”

Chat Noir was quiet as Nooroo sat in his hands, Duusu perched on Ladybug’s shoulder quietly, the two Kwami had appeared in Ladybug’s room and she’d called him the following evening in order to give them time to rest. “I don’t understand why he’d do what he chose to, though I can’t say I wouldn’t do the same since I don’t know how I’d react, but I guess I’m glad he’s decided enough is enough.” Ladybug heard the sigh as she leaned on her partner’s arm, her own face wet with tears, she had taken one look at the tome that the two had brought with her and knew exactly where they came from.

Something she’d have to tell Chat Noir, she trusted him and didn’t want to keep him in the dark, but she knew how hard he’d taken it when she theorized her idol and boyfriend’s father as Hawkmoth the first time around. “I know who he was, these two coming to me only confirmed it, I am going to respect his request for a second chance. For me to have this make sense, Chat, you’ll have to know that I was one of Caline Bustier’s students at Collège François Dupont.” His eyes widened and he held out a hand for a moment, silencing her, then he cupped her chin and made her look at him.

Ladybug didn’t know what he was looking for. “Princess?” The hope in his voice sent a touch of warmth through her, making her throat tighten as she licked her lips.

“Mhm.”

Words escaped her then as she waited for his reaction, his pupils blowing wide and round, her heart thundering as her hands started to shake. She felt vulnerable and exposed, weightless as his silence kept her teetering on the edge of delight or misery, a part of her theorized who he was ever since Chat Blanc and she needed to be right. His mouth curved into a wide smile and his eyes glistened as green formed around him, leaving Adrien in his place, she’d never been happier to be right. “It’s you! It’s always been you! No wonder you’ve been wearing gray and pink a lot, you sneaky little bug mouse.” His weight crashed into her as she dismissed her own transformation and Tikki giggled above her as Plagg rolled his eyes, her mouth meeting Adrien’s in a frantic kiss.

Once they both laughed over how badly they had danced around each other, with promises to tell each other everything, Marinette knew it was time to finish what she’d been saying. “They brought me a book too, Adrien, the book Lila stole from you that got you pulled from school.” Adrien’s arms tightened on her waist and she squeezed his body a little, to remind him she was here with him, but there wasn’t any sort of anger on his face.

A weak acceptance, exhaustion, maybe some hope. “You want to give him a second chance?” Marinette nodded and cupped his cheek.

“I think we can do that, now that we know the truth, Chaton; he deserves that much, he’s been trying hard to be there for you.” He was learning how to play video games, the two were taking cooking lessons, Marinette had seen him at every photoshoot and he promised dinners with her family every other week as well as an appearance at the Parent’s Dinner the school was having for this year’s graduation award presentation.

Adrien’s eyes watered. “Thank you, Bugaboo.” He kissed her again and she giggled.

“I told you to stop calling me Bugaboo, Chaton, I like Princess more.” His eyes twinkled and he nodded as he cradled her close. “I’m glad though because I thought I liked two boys, I’m really happy it’s just one.” His chuckle into her collar made her giggle.

But he had a warm mischief in his gaze when he let her go. “Isn’t Chaton a little telling, I’m sure Aurore will connect the spots quickly.” Marinette poked his nose with a wink.

“I’ll just have to call you mon Chevalier.” He flushed and she transformed with a grin. “But, for now, I have to go to bed; I have school and I recall being promised fancy coffee and a wake-up kiss.” He tried to shout after her but she swung away with a whoop. The real surprise came nearly half-an-hour later, after a shower and changing, when her Maman said she had company.

Adrien had an overnight bag and a grin as he joined her in her room, the door left open per her parent’s request, they snuggled under her comforter and she cuddled Plagg as the cat Kwami snuggled against her neck. “A cat could get used to this, I’m moving in too Sugarcube.” Tikki’s giggle made Adrien hum as he agreed softly, cradling her close to him as Marinette felt her eyelids droop.

“So what now? No Hawkmoth or Mayura, you have all the Miraculous, just patrol and stop petty crime?”

Marinette grinned. “We learn how to be Guardians, not all threats are corrupt holders, I think there might be something bigger on the horizon now that the circle is closed again.” Adrien hummed as he nodded against her head, promising to study hard, sleep drawing them in and peace making it easy to feel at ease.

[mrswhozeewhatsis]

2019 Louden Swain FanFic/FanArt Project (feat. The Station Breaks)

This project is finished!!!

See the completed book online HERE.

Rob was sweet, as always, and very sad to hear we won’t be doing any more of these. He said he’s enjoyed reading them, but he understands not being able to keep churning them out. Even though we can’t do more, I’m proud of us!!

Rules for the project, as well as links to the original posts for all of the stories and art, are under the cut!

If you’re new to this project, check out previous projects:

2016 - Masterpost - Finished book

2017 - Masterpost - Finished book

2018 - Masterpost - Finished book

Let’s show Rob and the band some love by letting their songs inspire us!

I’m looking for BOTH writers and artists for this! Every project so far, we’ve had art/aesthetics/edits for every story and I’d love to do the same this year. Whether you’re drawing or making aesthetics or doing something else, WE WANT YOU. All art and stories will be put together, printed, put in a snazzy binder, and presented to the band at #SPNDC in November! (Anything related to The Station Breaks will also be included in the project given to Jason Manns.)

Here’s the schedule:

6/22/19 5:00PM EDT - I will post the rules and regs and open the projects up so you guys can start claiming songs. Only one song request at a time (though you can list a backup song or two if your first request is already taken). Once you have finished and posted your first request, then you may make a second request. (Note: Due to a mistake on my part last year, the fic for She Waits has already been written, so this song is not available this year.)

9/2/19 Midnight EDT - Deadline for writers. This gives writers 10 weeks, plus the US Labor Day holiday.

9/29/19 Midnight EDT - Deadline for artists. This give artists 4 extra weeks after the writing is done.

This schedule then gives me about three weeks to put everything together and prep for the con.

Here are the rules (below the cut):

Deadlines are final. NO LATE ENTRIES! If you find you need more time, let me know and we can try to work something out. I’m not going to make a deadline to sign up, but if you sign up the week before the end, you will only have a week to complete your part. If you want to do two, you must finish your first before you will be allowed to reserve a second song.

Artists: - You will be expected to work with writers so the art reflects the story. Whether you pick a song you like and get together with the writer, or pick a writer you like and get together on a song, it doesn’t matter to me. - If you’d like me to pair you with a writer, let me know, and I will match you up with someone. Most times, I have more writers than artists. If you are willing to work for multiple writers, I would be most grateful!!! In the past, I’ve had a pool of artists, and I tried to divvy up assignments as fairly as possible so no one artist gets all the work. - SEND ME AN ASK or an IM or whatever and let me know what you want to do. Whether you’re working with a writer on one, or willing to be part of a pool that works on multiple, just let me know! - When you’re making your art, keep in mind that it will be pasted into a Word document, printed on letter-sized paper, and put into a sheet protector in a binder. You might want to print out what you make to see how it looks on the page.  - You can post your art in your own post and tag me and #2019 Louden Swain FanFic FanArt Project or submit it to me through my blog or send it to me via carrier pigeon (please don’t send it via carrier pigeon, I have cats) or drop me a line and I’ll give you an email address to send it to. - I would love some original cover art! If you have an idea for cover art, let me know, and we can talk!

Writers: - Can be any pairing or ship, reader-insert or OC, or even no pairing, whatever floats your boat. Please no RPF. - Please no smut. Anything else is up for grabs. Or maybe just a headcanon kind of thing. - Pick a song and SEND ME AN ASK with the song you have picked to sign up. I will update this post with the songs taken. Songs will be assigned on a first come, first serve basis. - You can’t write for the same song you wrote about last year. This is to ensure variety in the stories from year to year. In honor of their album, Splitting the Seams, if you would like to rework an old story, or write a new story based on a song you have previously written for, go for it! These stories will be in a separate section of the book, and the introduction to each one will reference your previous story.  - Tag me in your fic, plus use the tag #2019 Louden Swain FanFic FanArt Project. You can also submit your fic to me through my blog, or send me a message and we can discuss the pigeon and email options. (Really prefer no pigeons.) - You must use a Keep Reading feature if your fic is posted to Tumblr and over 500 words. - Your fic can either be a story based on the song or just have it somehow highlight the song. Since Rob will get to read these, I’d rather the fics be more relevant than just a song playing on the radio in the background, but do what you can. - Your fic can also be a part of another challenge, BUT make your fic relevant to the song you choose, please! (Basically, please do more for this challenge than having a Louden Swain song playing in the background.) - If I haven’t liked or reblogged your post within a couple days, let me know I missed it! - I will give your work a basic grammar/spelling proofreading before adding it to the project. If you would like, I can beta read your story for you before you post it, too. Just let me know!

Everyone: - If you would like to include a short summary of why you like the song you picked, especially if the song has some special meaning to you, I will add that to your submission in the final project. If you look at the last three (links are at the top of this post), you can see the kind of thing I’m talking about at the top of some of the stories. Please keep these brief, though.

And now, for something completely different: If you are interested in doing something completely different than a Supernatural-related story or art/edit, talk to me about it, and I’ll figure out a way to include it. Letters to the band or stories that are not SPN-related can be printed out and presented separately, and a list of links to posted audio or video submissions can be added.

As songs are claimed, this list will be updated!

Able-Legged Heroes

Make Believe Starin’ at the Middle Paper, Plastic Head Check Grandma’s Song Yeah, Well St. Louis  When I’m Gone - @winchestergirl-13 (fic)  (art) Three Car Garage  In Like Finn Undergrad Prom 

Overachiever

Cast Off  Neurosis  Codependent Only Lyin’ Overachiever Uncle Bob Blank Card No Hero  Boy In Need

Suit And Tie

Suit And Tie Operator Gina Knows Blind A Lot To Learn  Rock Song - @waywardnerd67 (fic and art) Rockit Real Life Long Way St. Louis Walk It Off Homesick 

A Brand New Hurt

Better All I Need  Pop Tart Heart Kind Of Guy Downtown Letdown Mrs. Vance Election Day Silverspoon Holiday Ready Steady Alright  Medicated  Something To Say - @winchestergirl-13​ (fic)  (art) Wasted Afternoon

Help You (single)

Help You 

Eskimo

Like the Heart Goes  Eskimo  Carpool Lane CA Nation Cigarette Mamma’s Jam  Worlds Collide - @writingfromkitchenator (fic and art) She Waits - @leatherwhiskeycoffeeplaid (fic)  @alaskanartist​ (art) January Gamma Ray Be Me Wave  Past Perfect 

Sky Alive

Reunion - @impala-dreamer​ (fic and art) Lucky Cool if I Come Over  Hot Times Big One Fifteen Hey Darlin  Bandaged Hand Crooked Wheel Trigger Finger Honey Bee - @atc74 (fic and art) Angela - 

No Time Like The Present

Present Time Change The Locks Amazing  Taxi Driver Over Before It Began Leg Up  Roll Me Over Fair  This Is How - @mrswhozeewhatsis (fic)  @impala-dreamer​ (art) Night Light Juliet  Numb 

Splitting The Seams

Another Fool - @impala-dreamer​ (fic and art)  Too Far Away 

The Station Breaks

Slightest Thing Gone The Rest Free - @andromytta (fic)  @winchestergirl-13​ (art) They Ain’t You  Just Walk Away Stowaway Not Giving My Heart Away - @mandilion76 (fic and art) Old Neighborhood  Autumn Back 

Cover art by @alaskanartist​ 

Tagging past participants and possibly interesting people:  @a-winchester-fairtytale @adriellej @alangel1895 @andromytta @anotherwinchesterfangirl @archangel-with-a-shotgun @archangelsanonymous @atc74 @brothersinsync @castiels-forbidden-angel @crashdevlin @curliesallovertheplace @deansleather @dont-hate-relate-pls @ellen-reincarnated1967 @enchantedstarfleet @take-my-crookedwheel @growningupgeek @hideyourdemoneyes @i-cant-believe-its-not-satan @i-dont-understand-that-url @icecream-and-gadreel @iwantthedean @jelly-beans-and-gstrings @jpadjackles-mishamark @leatherwhiskeycoffeeplaid @lifeonsarz @littlegreenplasticsoldier @loudenswainfangirl @manawhaat @mandilion76 @multi-fan-dom-madness @mysupernaturalfics @narrettwist @notnaturalanahi @oriona75 @padamooseandgrasshopper @pastelspn @personal-boogeyman @purgatoan @robbenedictandco @roxy-davenport @samanddeanwinchester67 @sams-little-toy @samsexualdeancurious @saritaa-chan @scorpiongirl1 @sinceriouslyamellpadalecki @smmywinchester45 @stunt-idjit-number-two @thing-you-do-with-that-thing @toastiel @tricia-16 @trollhunter94 @waywardnerd67 @wideawakeandwriting @winchestergirl-13 @writingfromkitchenator @ilostmyshoe-79 @wingedcatninja @desiraelovesdestiel @impala-dreamer

[red-stick-rambler]

A chance encounter with, and a note of appreciation for, photographer Sam Abell. July, 15, 2019

Sam Abell was in Rockport, Maine where he’d given a photography workshop and was having an exhibition of his work. On the evening of my encounter he’d given a gallery talk reflecting on his life in photography. Now 74 years old, Sam had a lot to say.

The occasion for his presence and exhibition was a workshop he was teaching at the Maine Media Center. The modest audience, which appeared to be mostly his students, gathered in the gallery to hear the old master. Of the approximately 30 images in the exhibition he singled-out just four pictures to discuss, but in these were his acquired wisdom. Sam referred to a photograph of an owl flying above the horizon in the Artic. The image was made not long after the boat he was traveling on capsized spilling many rolls of his film and several cameras into the sea. He was taking a walk, brooding, when he came across an owl. They seemed to have startled each other and the owl flew away though cocked its head to make prolonged eye contact. Sam made one exposure. It’s dark, the focus is soft. It would never pass for a good “wildlife” picture- the magazine employs other photographers with those gifts. Still, the image captures how he felt in that moment and remains one of his favorite photographs. “You can teach someone how to make a picture but you can’t teach them how to feel.” Sam spoke about how growing up in rural Ohio he felt the horizon, always visible, was a sign of optimism. The line cuts through nearly every photograph in the show.

Sam discussed the influence of his soft-spoken father who taught him photography and the influence of his stern mother on his photographs that he only recently has come to realize. He pointed to his earliest picture in the show- a B&W 8x10 photo of silhouette of a man waiting for a train in a frozen landscape he made as a teenager and submitted to a contest, which he won. After making the photograph he made three prints – one that he owns, another is in the possession of a long-time friend (who lent it for the show), the last lives in a museum collection. The photograph, both the image and the gelatin silver print, are outstanding and point to his lustrous life to come as a picture maker. He spent 33 years working for National Geographic; mostly during the time I was discovering the world through the iconographic yellow-framed covers of the magazine. My grandfather had a nearly life-long subscription. He built two bookcases that created a wall between the dining and living rooms of the farmhouse with a space between them to pass through. These shelves were devoted almost exclusively to National Geographic. Older years of the magazine piled up in the children’s bedroom. At some point my grandfather gave a subscription to me. My mother still receives the magazine monthly. Some of the issues Sam shot cover stories for were on a nearby stage. I recalled each one. From my rural Kansas home I would look through the pages and dream of distant places. When I grew a little older I began to read the stories too. I frequently re-visited my favorite photo essays year after year. This was long before the critical reexamination of National Geographic that considered how it presented a colonialist gaze making an “other” of much of the world, especially that which wasn’t white. I suspect much of the distant world would have found my almost entirely white sparsely populated world on the Great Plains nearly as exotic. Still, it was the editors of the magazine that were shaping perceptions of those with little agency to tell their own stories for a global audience. The magazine has recently acknowledged, and sought to come to terms with, that history and vowed to do better. Regrettably, I no longer regularly see the issues and therefore can’t evaluate their progress. Though it had its faults, faults that reflected those of the nation, it was for me both an escape and education I’m grateful to have had.

After the talk Sam retreated to the side of the gallery to gather himself. I introduced myself, told him I was from rural Kansas and was very familiar with the horizon he spoke of. I told him how before I had any formal education in photography I had his photographs and those of his colleagues. They instilled in me a curiosity for the world that in the years since I’m grateful to have had the opportunity to explore. (My grandfather often said travel was the best education.) Sam’s photos also had a grace to them and demonstrated a man who seemed at ease in the world. He said during his talk that in making a photograph, “you and the world meet half way”. He was referring to how the photographer must prepare, consider all the surrounding elements, try to align them into an arresting composition, then wait for - in Henry Cartier Bresson’s words- “the decisive moment”. Sam has met the world, perhaps more than halfway, from his first assignment in Newfoundland in 1974, to the Arctic, to the Amazon, to … on and on around the globe. To me one of his most memorable stories was of cattle being branded in Montana. About fifteen years ago I was driving from Buffalo, NY to Kansas via Canada. I dropped back into the states in search of Laura Ingall’s Little House on the Prairie in South Dakota (after her stay in Kansas). Driving along a small desolate highway I passed ranchers in a field castrating and branding cattle. I turned around, parked off the pavement and went to talk with them and take some pictures. My camera then wasn’t very good and neither were my images- not on account of the camera but perhaps because I couldn’t shake the shadow of Sam’s images, which were one of the reasons I had stopped. My difficulty may have also stemmed from the squeal of a calf getting stuck with the hot iron or the plunk of its testicles dropping into a plastic bucket.  

Sam wasn’t one of my “photography heroes”. When his images made the deepest impression on me I wasn’t much concerned with who made them and I had yet to have an art education. Then, I couldn’t have named any living artist. Later in college Sam’s name was never mentioned, his photographs never shown. He’s not part of “the canon”. But he’s made a life making pictures and those pictures have reached and inspired countless people and that is a beautiful, and artful, thing. Now teaching photography I frequently use his images and one of his books, “The Life of a Photograph” as educational references in how to construct an image. The book shows variations of his iconographic photographs, the moments before, or the moments after “the one”. It’s like being given access to his contact sheets and even better, access to his thoughts as to why he choose the image he did. This was also represented in the exhibition with multiple image variations on display and hand-written notes scribed in cursive on the exhibition prints.

I had a still shrink-wrapped copy of my book “Louisiana Trail Riders” in the car that I gave Sam as a token of appreciation. He asked me to inscribe it so I retreated to a window seal in the back of the gallery to do so. While the ink was drying he came over and thanked me again. I wish I could have been a fly on the wall when he looked through the pictures. We spoke for a while longer, pausing for a snapshot together.

It was a serendipitous encounter. At a restaurant for lunch in Camden, ME a few days earlier I picked up a postcard for the show with information on the talk. Coming down Cadillac Mountain in Acadia National Park earlier in the afternoon-then enjoying a peanut butter sandwich on the rocky cliffs over-looking the ocean- I had just enough time to drive the 1 hour 49 minutes south to Rockport to hear Sam speak. I parked directly in front of the little gallery and walked in. While I was in the bathroom washing the sweat off my face from the hike I heard him being introduced.

The world, which appeared so vast in the pages of National Geographic where I first saw Sam’s photographs as a boy, has subsequently proved to be quite small.  

[basketcase789]

Written in the Stars III

“The past has been there all along, reminding us: this time - maybe, hopefully, against all odds, we will get it right.”

- Leslie T. Chang

Group: BTS

Member: RM

Genre: soulmate au

Chapters: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

By the time the nausea finally passed you were sure class would be over. After embarrassing yourself and then proceeding to puke your guts out, you came to the conclusion that the stress just wasn’t worth it. You had to drop Namjoon’s class.

You felt disappointed in yourself. This poetry class with Namjoon was the class you’d been most looking forward to ever since you first signed up for the year’s courses. And you didn’t even last two days.

You hoped the classroom wasn’t locked up yet; you’d still need to get the book bag and notebook you left inside. And you didn’t want to have to come back later and try to explain to Namjoon face-to-face why you had to drop his course.

You peeked through the window in the door and saw the desks were empty of students, but the lights were still on. You just might be in luck. You tried the doorknob, and fortunately the door opened.

You froze a few steps inside. Namjoon was sitting at his desk, reading a paperback novel. Alone.

This was bad.

He glanced toward you upon hearing the door opening, and adjusted his glasses. “How are you feeling?”

“Better,” you admitted.

You spotted your bag and notebook on his desk and you gulped. Red flags were going off in your head telling you to stay as far away from him as possible.

“I’ll have to admit, I didn’t take you for much of a partier, especially on a Sunday,” he said, his lips lifting into a teasing smile. There were those endearing dimples once again.

Wait, so he had noticed you last night at the pub, you realized. You wondered how foolish you must have looked at the time, and rubbed your arm. You glanced away. “I’m actually not into partying, I’m really embarrassed about that. Things just got out of hand I guess. I don’t normally drink so I didn’t really know my limits...”

“Hey, it happens,” he said, and stood from his desk. Now that he was standing in front of you you realized just how tall he was. He was close enough you could just feel the heat radiating from his body. “I’m glad you’re alright. Be more careful next time, okay?” He handed you your things, then patted you on the shoulder. “See you next week.”

His sincerity surprised you.

During your walk home it dawned on you: you were too far gone already. You knew you wouldn’t have the strength to drop the class - in a way, getting to see Namjoon once a week seemed to give you your fix so you could get through your other classes without being too distracted by thoughts of him. Besides, you already knew the truth that you were soulmates. Dropping his class wouldn’t change that fact. And, you had to admit, you didn’t like to back down from a challenge. You finally made the decision to commit to this class.

You just hoped you wouldn’t regret it. And you couldn’t help but wonder - had Namjoon seen your writing in the notebook you’d left behind?

“Hey, could I see your notes from last class?”

It was the words you’d been dreading hearing since the beginning of the semester. You’d distanced yourself from your classmates just to avoid it - they would recognize at a glance that you had the same handwriting as Namjoon.

“No, sorry, I missed last class too,” you invented. “I was going to ask you for your notes.”

You breathed a sigh of relief when she bought your excuse. You made a mental note to start bringing your laptop to class, despite how much of an inconvenience it would be for you to carry it across campus.

You didn’t know how much longer you’d be able to get away with this secret of yours. It felt like every day you were in Namjoon’s class was one day closer to you being revealed as his soulmate. School was stressful enough already, without the added anxiety of trying to hide your true identity from him and everyone else. One slip up and it could all be over.

“I’m passing around another sheet along with the attendance today,” Namjoon announced at the beginning of class. “We’re about a quarter of the way through the semester now, and each of you will have a mandatory one-on-one meeting with me to make sure we’re all on the same page. Please write your name in a time slot next to the days provided. We’ll be able to discuss any questions and concerns about your grades so far. Which brings me into today’s next topic…”

Namjoon handed out a rubric with the instructions for your midterm assignment. Worth thirty percent of your final grade. You began reading through the criteria, and part way down the page you felt yourself grow faint. There in bold letters read: must be handwritten.

You felt like banging your head against the desk. It was like he was purposefully trying to make your life miserable. There was no way you could submit a handwritten document to him. You had too much at stake.

But at the same time, there was too much at stake if you didn’t.

The attendance sheet came to you and you signed your name as usual. The next sheet of paper took a bit more of your time. Up until now you’d been trying to avoid being alone with Namjoon. It was too much for your poor heart to take, and your bond kept trying to make you slip out that you were soulmates. But, he said it was mandatory, so you signed your name next to a time that was convenient for you.

The day of your meeting with Namjoon arrived a little over a week later. Your bond wanted you to dress up, put on some makeup and look nice, maybe even spritz on some perfume. You had to remind yourself this wasn’t some kind of date, and got ready like any other day.

You’d brainstormed some questions ahead of time you could ask to make you seem more invested during the meeting, although you really didn’t have any issues with his class besides the obvious.

All your preparation slipped your mind the second you stepped into his office. He flashed you a smile, revealing his pair of dimples, from behind his desk as you walked in. You didn’t even have a chance to look around first.

You mentally shook your head, trying to focus on the task at hand. Just get in and out, get the meeting credit, and don’t reveal to him that you’re soulmates. That’s all you had to do.

“Please, close the door. Let’s discuss what you think of the course so far.”

You did as asked, then sat down in the chair in front of his desk. His office was neither large nor small. Intimate, you supposed. You would have assumed given his popularity he would have a bigger office, but perhaps he preferred to work from home rather than on campus and didn’t require a lot of space.

You placed your hands in your lap, trying to keep them from trembling under his gaze. “The course is great so far. I’m really learning a lot, and I think it’ll help with my writing in the future. I think your teaching is very engaging and stimulates class discussion.”

He nodded, and you felt yourself getting lost in his dark eyes. It’s like he was staring into your very soul.

“Do you have any specific questions for me?” he asked.

You tried to recall the questions you had prepared, but they were miles away now. You shook your head. “I haven’t had any issues so far.”

“That’s good. Have you decided on a topic for your midterm assignment?”

You nodded, but felt nervous about admitting it face-to-face. “I’ll be writing about my favourite author and poet…”

“I’m looking forward to it.”

You breathed a sigh of relief that he didn’t ask who it was.

“Well, I don’t want to keep you too long, if you’re sure you don’t have any concerns. I just have one more question.”

You nodded once more.

“Out of curiosity, why do you always sign your name on the attendance sheet?”

You hadn’t been expecting him to bring that up. Now that you thought about it, of course he would. It was weird.

You shrugged. “I just... prefer to. Why? Will you fail me if I do?”

He smiled back at you. “Not at all. I think, sometimes, it’s okay to break the rules.”

You tried not to read too much into his comment, and after being dismissed, got up to leave. You didn’t have to wonder anymore whether he’d read through your notebook after you left it behind that one day; he would have brought it up by now if he had.

[junionigiri]

Work In Progress [BNHA] [Preview of Chapter 1!]

Rating: T for strong language (since Bakugou is in it )

Summary: For the year’s Interscholastic Fantasy Festival, Class 2A is working on a musical! The reluctant Bakugou is assigned to work on the script with Uraraka, who proves to be a more eccentric writer than he thought.

Relationship: Kacchako <3

Notes/Warnings: This is a preview of a part of chapter 1. Since there’s the main story and the story within the story, the chapters are pretty darn long. I’ll start publishing the chapters in full once I’m five chapters in ^^’ Apart from Bakugou’s language and liberal 4th wall breaks I don’t think there’s anything to worry about in this fic~

Bakugou seriously did not want to work on Uraraka’s dumbass script. It’s not that he was bad at writing--in fact, beyond his good grades, he knew he was pretty good at it. Principal Nezu had personally informed him that the essay he submitted on “Why I Want To Be A Hero” was one of the most well-composed ones he’s ever read.

It’s just that Bakugou hated fantasy. And hated fiction-writing (because fiction was not real, therefore it was a waste of his fuckin’ time).

Most of all though, he hated having to work with other people to achieve any kind of common goal. Look at his damn stats for cooperativeness in the character book and anyone with half a brain would get it. And to cooperate for a stupid ass waste of time like the Fantasy Festival? Who the hell thought up of the stupid Fantasy Festival anyway?! Weren’t there more important things in society to worry about?

And the fact that he was working with Uraraka fuckin’ Ochako was in itself pretty aggravating. It’s not that he hated her--in fact, she was one of the few to earn Bakugou’s (grudging) respect, since their infamous Sports Festival encounter when they were first years.

However, since their encounter at the festival, Uraraka learned not to be the tiniest bit afraid of him anymore. He knew that this girl wouldn’t be the type to just shut up and do what he tells her to, and he really didn’t feel like making such an effort just to write a stupid play.

But now that he knew that fuckin’ All Might was counting on him to write the script, well… he couldn’t get out of it now, could he? Bakugou was many things, but a disappointment to All Might, he’d rather not be.

So that was how he found himself stomping his way away from the common areas to his room, with Uraraka bouncing right behind him. They were going to sit down there to look over her draft, but it was overrun by the costumes, set-design, and props people with all their shit.

“Why your room?” Uraraka said, huffing as she struggled to keep up with Bakugou’s pace. “I don’t think girls are allowed there…”

“Let ‘em try to kick you out, Round-Face,” he growled as he tapped on the elevator button impatiently.

“If you say so, Explodey-face,” she teased, earning her a growl which was received with a giggle. This was what Bakugou was talking about. This damn girl knew no fear.

They eventually made it to his room, with Bakugou stomping the entire way and Uraraka skipping like an oblivious little red riding hood romping through the forest with a picnic basket, the purest picture of ignorance and innocence, unwitting of the ravenous wolf who lurked in the foreboding shadows of the dark, nightmarish wood.

Ugh. Really, Bakugou? Already gearing yourself up to write this fuckin’ fantasy shit? You guys haven’t even sat down yet. Don’t be too fuckin’ eager. 

“Uwaa, your room’s amazing, Bakugou! I didn’t think it would be so neat and sparkly~”

Much to his annoyance, Little Pink Riding Cheeks was already making herself right at home next to his desk. He felt a vein or two pop over his forehead, like in animes if they were in an anime. “Why the fuck wouldn’t it be neat and sparkly?! You expect a guy like me to just live in a dump?!”

“I’m just sayin’, I wish my room was as neat. I knew you were great at lots of things, but even cleaning?” she said wistfully. “Hey, I have an idea! Next time, let’s go to my room, and--”

“I ain’t helping you clean your damn room, Round-Face.”

She pouted and innocently twiddled her thumbs. “I -wasn’t- going to say that, but, you know, now that you mentioned it…”

He grit his teeth so loudly Uraraka gasped and asked him if his teeth were okay. “Let’s just…!!! Get this fuckin’ script over and done with already!”

“Eh, fine, fine. Sorry for teasin’ ya! Watch yer blood pressure, a’ight?” She reached over to open her bag and pulled out a messy folder that was crumpled, filled to its limit with papers with tags pointing in all directions. A post-it with a messy scrawl on it flew out as she pulled out the mess. “So, this is what we’re gonna be workin’ on!”

“What the fuck is that mess? Did you fuckin’ sit on it and flush it down the toilet and set it on fire?”

“How rude!” Uraraka puffed her cheeks. “I only sat on it once! On accident! And I don’t bring homework to the toilet! That’s just unladylike.” She opened up the folder and revealed a disorganized array of handwritten scripts scrawled on legal pad, post-its, sketches, more post-its, reference photos of their classmates with post-its on them, receipts, a grocery list, and a few folded-up paper bags from Tokyu Hands.

Bakugou’s fingers itched. He spent so much energy restraining himself from fixing the mess that was now taking over his desk that he barely heard Uraraka’s spiel.

“So, in the meeting which you missed, we drew lots. Everyone’s working on the production and stuff but all of us will be acting in the play too. Some of us bit parts and stuff, but yeah. I asked everyone what they wanted their roles to be. Based on those ideas, I sketched out my ideas on what their characters would be.”

She pulled out the sketches, and Bakugou had to admit, they weren’t badly done. He would go so far as to say that she might have a talent in drawing. They were scratchy and messy, but Uraraka seemed to place great care in drawing out the likeness of each classmate, and the details of each character and costume and even background information were at least 70% fleshed out for each of them.

“So based on the lottery, Deku-kun’s the lead character. You, me, Tsuyu-chan, and Todoroki-kun are gettin’ large roles, plus we gotta pay attention to All-Might-sensei’s important cameo. We’re gonna write the story based on all of this! And, if we want to allot time for practice and stuff, we have to finish most of the script in a week!”

“The f-- I’m gettin’ a large role too?! Nobody said that!”

“It ain’t my fault you weren’t at the meeting, Bakugou-kun.”

The blonde boy scowled as he went through the sketches. The fucking nerd Deku’s role was that of a ‘Squire’ (but his costume made him look like a fucking hobbit). Uraraka had a hood (fuckin’ coincidence from his red riding hood fantasy earlier) and a staff, and she was a ‘Mage’. Frog was a froggy lookin’ barmaid. IcyHot was a Prince (probably of the Land of Half and Halfs where people were always shitty and constipated). All Might was a Legendary Knight in exile (also fitting, in a morbid sort of way).

And Bakugou was… a Bard. His sketch had him wear fuckin’ poofy pants and a stupid fuckin’ hat with a feather on it and a stupid shitty tiny harp that the chubby babies in those old fuckin’ European paintings had. He all but made the paper disappear from a blast from his fist. “Oi, Roundface. Who’s the fucker I gotta kill besides you for giving me this pansy-ass role?!”

“Hey, it’s your fault. You weren’t there yesterday.” Uraraka repeated, not even the least bit apologetic. “And that thing you destroyed was a brilliant joint effort between me, Kirishima-kun and Kaminari-kun. Nice goin’, Explodey-face.”

“Fuck y’all! I’ll kill those idiots!” He shredded the paper further. “Gimme that pencil!” Within seconds, he sketched out something different, muttering expletives the entire time. After he was done, he dumped the pencil on the desk, almost breaking it into tiny little pieces.

Uraraka gasped. “Wow, Bakugou! That’s really impressive! A Dragon Tamer, huh?” She traced his sketch with one finger, which showed him with a fur cape, tattoos, a necklace made of the fuckin’ skulls and teeth of his enemies, pants and boots, and lots of fire blazing in the background for extra badassery. She grinned at him teasingly. “So you have been thinkin’ about this so-called fantasy shit too!”

“Fuck you,” he said, shoving her in the face unceremoniously. “Now I know that I gotta change that fuckin’ script of yours. Let’s just get this fuckin’ shit over with.”

“Okay…” Uraraka pulled out the legal pads, but shielded them from Bakugou. “Um. Just so you know, Bakugou, these are really, really, rough drafts, okay?”

His jaw jutted out in annoyance. “The fuck you mean by rough drafts. I thought I was just gonna edit your shit.”

She gave him a ridiculous look. “Well, you are. But also, I started workin’ on this just a week ago sooooo you gotta help me finish like a teeny bit of it.”

“How fuckin’ teeny do you mean.”

“Um. Like. 50% of it, mmmaybe…?”

Bakugou could almost see the smoke coming out of his own fuckin’ nostrils.

“Anyway, that’s exactly why we can’t waste anymore time, right?” said Uraraka, a positive beam glowing out of both ears. “And don’t you worry! The story’s practically finished in my head!”

There’s probably nothing in there but a single light bulb struggling to survive, thought Bakugou in annoyance. He put his palm to his face and tried his hardest not to yell at her. “Fine, Uraraka. Let’s just fuckin’ start already. No matter what, I’m kickin’ you out of my room by 10 PM.”

“Okay! Glad ya see it my way, Bakugou-kun!” She smiled and pulled out the first page of the script, which read:

*

 - Deku and the Final Fantastic Lord of the School of Wizardry!: The Legend of the Airbender’s Song of Ice and Fire -

(A Work in Progress)

Act One, Scene One: In Which Deku-kun Leaves His House and Adventure Begins

Written by: Uraraka Ochako

 *

“The fuck? Are you trying to outdo Class B’s lameass play from the last year’s cultural festival, Round-face?”

 “It’s a work in progress! We can edit it out later.” Uraraka said as she scribbled Explodey McSplodeface next to her name on the by-line.

[hub-pub-bub]

Not sure where to send those great short stories you’ve written?

As with writing contests and fellowships, sometimes it can be hard to know where to begin. To help you figure out where to submit short stories, we’ve put together this guide to 23 publications that publish short fiction. The list includes a mix of publications across various genres and styles, ranging from prestigious, highly competitive options to those specifically seeking new and emerging voices.

While we’ll give you a brief idea of the flavor of each magazine and site, you’ll definitely want to spend some time reading your target publications before submitting to become familiar with the sort of pieces they prefer. And before hitting “send,” make sure you’re not making any of these submission mistakes!

Ready to get started? Here are 23 outlets that publish short stories.

1. The New Yorker

Might as well start with a bang, right? Adding publication in The New Yorker to your portfolio puts you in a whole new league, though it won’t be easy. Author David. B. Comfort calculated the odds of an acceptance at 0.0000416 percent!

It accepts both standard short fiction as well as humorous short fiction for the “Shouts & Murmurs” section. No word counts are mentioned, though a quick scan of the column shows most pieces are 600 to 1,000 words.

Submission Guidelines: http://www.newyorker.com/about/contact

Deadline: Open

Payment: Huge bragging rights; pay for unsolicited submissions isn’t specified. Who Pays Writerslists several paid pieces, though as of this post’s publication, no rates specifically for short stories.

2. The Atlantic

Another highly respected magazine, The Atlantic publishes both big names and emerging writers in fiction and nonfiction. Submission guidelines advise, “A general familiarity with what we have published in the past is the best guide to what we’re looking for.”

Submission Guidelines: http://www.theatlantic.com/faq/#Submissions

Deadline: Open

Payment: Unsolicited submissions are generally unpaid, although if the editors choose your piece for online content, you may receive $100-$200 depending on genre and length.

3. The Threepenny Review

This quarterly arts magazine focuses on literature, arts and society, memoir and essay. Short stories should be no more than 4,000 words, while submissions to the “Table Talk” section (pithy, irreverent and humorous musings on culture, art, politics and life) should be 1,000 words or less.

Submission Guidelines: http://www.threepennyreview.com/submissions.html

Deadline: January to June

Payment: $400 for short stories; $200 for Table Talk pieces

4. Zoetrope: All-Story

Founded by Francis Ford Coppola and Adrienne Brodeur in 1997, Zoetrope: All-Story’s mission is “to explore the intersection of story and art, fiction and film” and “form a bridge to storytellers at large, encouraging them to work in the natural format of a short story.” Submissions should be no more than 7,000 words.

Submission Guidelines: http://www.all-story.com/submissions.cgi

Deadline: Open

Payment: None, but this magazine has discovered many emerging writers and published big names like Salman Rushdie and Gabriel García Márquez, so publication here could win you some serious prestige points.

5. One Story

One Story is just what the name says: a literary magazine that publishes one great short story every three to four weeks, and nothing more.

Its main criteria for a great short story? One “that leaves readers feeling satisfied and [is] strong enough to stand alone.” Stories can be any style or subject but should be between 3,000 and 8,000 words.

Submission Guidelines: http://www.one-story.com/index.php?page=submit

Deadline: September 1 to May 31

Payment: $500 plus 25 contributor copies

6. The Antioch Review

The Antioch Review rarely publishes more than three short stories per issue, but its editors are open to new as well as established writers. Authors published here often wind up in Best Americananthologies and as the recipients of Pushcart prizes.

To make the cut, editors say, “It is the story that counts, a story worthy of the serious attention of the intelligent reader, a story that is compelling, written with distinction.” Word count is flexible, but pieces tend to be under 5,000.

Submission Guidelines: http://review.antiochcollege.org/guidelines

Deadline: Open except for the period of June 1 to September 1

Payment: $20 per printed page plus two contributor copies

7. AGNI

Thought-provoking is the name of the game if you want to get published in AGNI. Its editors look for pieces that hold a mirror up to the world around us and engage in a larger, ongoing cultural conversation about nature, mankind, the society we live in and more.

There are no word limits, but shorter is generally better; “The longer a piece is, the better it needs to be to justify taking up so much space in the magazine,” note the submission guidelines.

Submission Guidelines: http://www.bu.edu/agni/submit.html

Deadline: Open September 1 to May 31

Payment: $10 per printed page (up to a max of $150) plus a year’s subscription, two contributor’s copies and four gift copies

8. Barrelhouse

Published by an independent nonprofit literary organization, Barrelhouse’s biannual print journal  and online issue seek to “bridge the gap between serious art and pop culture.” Its editors look for quality writing that’s also edgy and funny — as they say, they “want to be your weird Internet friend.”

There’s no hard word count, but try to keep your submission under 8,000 words.

Submission Guidelines: http://www.barrelhousemag.com/submissions

Deadline: Currently open for books, comics, and a few other categories. Check the webpage to see all open categories and sign up for the newsletter to learn as soon as new open categories are announced.

Payment: $50 plus two contributor copies (print journal); unpaid (online issue)

9. Cincinnati Review

The Cincinnati Review publishes work by writers of all genres and at all points of their careers. Its editors want “work that has energy,” that is “rich in language and plot structure” and “that’s not just ecstatic, but that makes is reader feel ecstatic, too.”

Fiction and nonfiction submissions should be no more than 40 double-spaced pages.

Submission Guidelines: http://www.cincinnatireview.com/#/submissions/guidelines

Deadline: August 15 to March 15

Payment: $25 per double-spaced page

10. The First Line

This cool quarterly is all about jumpstarting that pesky writer’s block. Each issue contains short fiction stories (300-5,000 words) that each begin with the same pre-assigned first line. You can also write a nonfiction critical essay (500-800 words) about your favorite first line from a piece of literary work.

If you really want to get ambitious, you can also write a four-part story that uses each of that year’s first lines (which is due by the next year’s spring issue deadline). To find each issue’s assigned first line, check out the submission guidelines below.

Submission Guidelines: http://www.thefirstline.com/submission.htm

Deadline: February 1 (spring); May 1 (summer); August 1 (fall); November 1 (winter)

Payment: $25 to $50 (fiction); $25 (nonfiction) plus a contributor’s copy

11. The Georgia Review

Another one high on the prestige list, The Georgia Review features a wide variety of essays, fiction, book reviews and more across a wide range of topics. You can read specific requirements for each in the submission guidelines below, but the common theme among them all is quality, quality, quality.

Bear in mind submitting requires a $3 processing fee if you’re not a subscriber.

Submission Guidelines: http://garev.uga.edu/submissions.html

Deadline: Open except for the period of May 15 to August 15

Payment: $50 per printed page

12. Boulevard Magazine

Boulevard Magazine is always on the lookout for “less experienced or unpublished writers with exceptional promise.” It accepts prose pieces (fiction and nonfiction) up to 8,000 words (note: no science fiction, erotica, westerns, horror, romance or children’s stories).

There is a submission fee of $3.

Submission Guidelines: http://www.boulevardmagazine.org/guidelines/

Deadline: Open October 1 to May 1

Payment: $100 to $300

13. Camera Obscura

Camera Obscura is a biannual independent literary journal that publishes contemporary literary fiction and photography. Fiction should be between 250 and 8,000 words, although its editors have made exceptions for the occasional “exceptional novella” between 12,000 and 30,000 words.

You can also try your hand at a “Bridge the Gap” piece, where you review the current photo gallery and construct a story that “Takes the reader on an unexpected journey from the first image to the next.”

Submission Guidelines: http://www.obscurajournal.com/guidelines.php

Deadline: Stay tuned to the guidelines page to find out when the next deadline is announced.

Payment: $1,000 to one featured writer published in each issue, as determined by the editors; all other contributors receive two copies of the issue in which they are published. The best Bridge the Gap piece receives $50.

14. Crazyhorse

Open to a wide variety of fiction from mainstream to avant-garde, Crazyhorse puts no limitations on style or form. If you’ve got something people haven’t seen before and won’t be able to forget, its editors are looking for it.

Crazyhorse also accepts nonfiction of any sort, including memoirs, journal entries, obituaries, etc. — we told you it’s open to anything! Keep your word count between 2,500 and 8,500 words.

Submission Guidelines: http://crazyhorse.cofc.edu/submit/

Deadline: Open for submissions from September 1 to May 31, except for the month of January (when it only accepts entries for the Crazyhorse Prizes)

Payment: $20 per printed page (up to a max of $200)

15. Story

Story Magazine is, you guessed it, all about the story, whatever shape it takes. Each issue is based around a theme, but its editors encourage writers to think outside the box when it comes to how to address that theme — fiction, nonfiction, hybrid forms, “hermit-crab essays” and more are all up for consideration.

Submission Guidelines: http://www.storymagazine.org/submit/

Deadline: Open January 1 to May 1 (print magazine); open February, April, June, August, and October (online)

Payment: Not specified

16. Vestal Review

Prefer to keep your short stories extremely short? Vestal Review publishes flash fiction of no more than 500 words. Its editors are open to all genres except for syrupy romance, hard science fiction and children’s stories, and they have a special fondness for humor. R-rated content is OK, but stay away from anything too racy, gory or obscene.

Submission Guidelines: http://www.vestalreview.org/guidelines/

Deadline: Submission periods are February to May and August to November

Payment: Ten cents per word (for stories up to 100 words); five cents per word (101-200 words); three cents per word (201-500 words). “Stories of great merit” in their estimation can receive up to a $25 flat fee.

17. Flash Fiction Online

Flash Fiction Online allows for slightly longer flash stories — between 500 and 1,000 words. Its editors like sci-fi and fantasy but are open to all genres. As with Vestal, stay away from the heavier stuff like erotica and violence. As of March 1, 2015, FFO accepts previously published works.

Submission Guidelines: http://flashfictiononline.com/main/submission-guidelines/

Deadline: Open

Payment: $60 per story, two cents per word for reprints

18. Black Warrior Review

Black Warrior Review publishes a mix of work by up-and-coming writers and nationally known names. Fiction pieces of up to 7,000 words should be innovative, challenging and unique; its editors value “absurdity, hybridity, the magical [and] the stark.”

BWR also accepts flash fiction under 1,000 words and nonfiction pieces (up to 7,000 words) that examine and challenge beliefs and boundaries. There is a $3 submission fee.

Submission Guidelines: http://bwr.ua.edu/submit/guidelines/

Deadline: Submission periods are December 1 to March 1 and June 1 to September 1

Payment: A one-year subscription to BWR and a nominal lump-sum fee (amount not disclosed in its guidelines)

19. The Sun Magazine

The Sun Magazine offers some of the biggest payments we’ve seen, and while its guidelines specifically mention personal writing and provocative political/cultural pieces, they also say editors are “open to just about anything.”

Works should run no more than 7,000 words. Submit something the editors love, and you could get a nice payday.

Submission Guidelines: http://thesunmagazine.org/about/submission_guidelines/writing

Deadline: Open

Payment: A one-year subscription plus $300 to $2,000 (nonfiction) or $300 to $1,500 (fiction)

20. Virginia Quarterly (VQR)

A diverse publication that features both award-winning and emerging writers, VQR accepts short fiction (2,000 to 8,000 words) but is not a fan of genre work like romance, sci-fi, etc. It also takes nonfiction (3,500 to 9,000 words) like travel essays that examine the world around us.

Submission Guidelines: http://www.vqronline.org/about-vqr/submissions

Deadline: Submission periods are June 15 to July 31 and October 1 to November 15. VQR also accepts nonfiction pitches from June 15 to December 1.

Payment: Generally $1,000 and above for short fiction and prose (approximately 25 cents per word) with higher rates for investigative reporting; $100 to $200 for content published online.

21. Ploughshares

Ploughshares’ award-winning literary journal is published by Boston’s Emerson College. They accept fiction and nonfiction under 6,000 words and require a $3 service fee if you submit online (it’s free to submit by mail, though they prefer digital submissions).

Submission Guidelines: https://www.pshares.org/submit/journal/guidelines

Deadline: June 1 at noon EST through January 15 at noon EST

Payment: $25 per printed page (for a minimum of $50 per title and a maximum of $250 per author).

22. Shimmer

Shimmer “encourages authors of all backgrounds to write stories that include characters and settings as diverse and wondrous as the people and places of the world we live in.”

Traditional sci-fi and fantasy need not apply; Shimmer’s editors are after contemporary fantasy and “speculative fiction” with strong plots, characters and emotional core — the more unique the better. Keep your stories under 7,500 words (4,000 words is around the sweet spot).

Submission Guidelines: http://www.shimmerzine.com/guidelines/fiction-guidelines/

Deadline: Opens for submissions on September 4

Payment: Five cents per word (for a minimum of $50)

23. Daily Science Fiction

Sci-fi and fantasy writers, this one’s for you. Daily Science Fiction is looking for character-driven fiction, and the shorter, the better. While their word count range is 100 to 1,500 words, they’re especially eager to get flash fiction series (several flash stories based around a central theme), science fiction, fantasy, and slipstream.

Submission Guidelines: http://dailysciencefiction.com/submit

Deadline: Open except for the period between December 24 to January 2

Payment: Eight cents per word, with the possibility of additional pay for reprints in themed Daily Science Fiction anthologies

Where to find more places to submit your short stories

These 23 magazines and online publications are just a small subset of what’s out there. For more potential places to share your short fiction, check out the following resources, several of which helped us compile this list:

The Review Review’s Magazine Search

Every Writer’s Resource’s Top 50 Literary Magazines

Let’s Write a Short Story’s 46 Literary Magazines To Submit To

Do you write short stories? Where have you submitted them?

This post was originally published in May 2015. We’ve updated it to reflect the most accurate information available.

About the Author: Kelly Gurnett

Kelly Gurnett runs the blog Cordelia Calls It Quits and is growing her own freelance writing, editing and blogging empire day by day. You can follow her on Twitter and Facebook and hire her services here.

Cordelia Calls It Quits | @CordeliaCallsIt

[yuckitup-jwd]

Education Jokes

The graduate with a Science degree asks, "Why does it work?" The graduate with an Engineering degree asks, "How does it work?" The graduate with an Accounting degree asks, "How much will it cost?" The graduate with a Liberal Arts degree asks, "Do you want mustard with that?"

What Year are You? When I first started college, the Dean came in and said "Good Morning" to all of us. When we echoed back to him, he responded "Ah, you're Freshmen." He explained. "When you walk in and say good morning, and they say good morning back, it's Freshmen. When they put their newspapers down and open their books, it's Sophomores. When they look up so they can see the instructor over the tops of the newspapers, it's juniors. When they put their feet up on the desks and keep reading, it's seniors." "When you walk in and say good morning, and they write it down, it's graduate students."

The child comes home from his first day at school. Mother asks, "What did youlearn today?" The kid replies, "Not enough. I have to go back tomorrow."

On a bright spring morning, four high school seniors decided to skip all their morning classes. They arrived at school after lunch and told the teacher a very longwinded story about the flat tire the car had gotten and all the problems they'd encountered in getting it fixed. To their immense relief, the teacher did not seem too concerned with the story. She just smiled and said, "I'd like you to make up a test you missed this morning. Take seats apart from each other and get out your pens." When the boys were ready, the teacher said, "Each of you answer the following question: Which tire was flat?"

A recently seen bumper sticker on the San Diego Freeway: Hire college students, while they still know everything.

The parents were very disappointed in the grades that their son brought home. "The only consolation I can find in these awful grades," lamented the father,"is that I know he never cheated during his exams."

From The Seattle Times, Saturday, Dec 17th, 1988: The University of Wisconsin presented nearly 4,000 diplomas to graduates in May,but it took six months for someone to notice that the name of the state wasmisspelled 'Wisconson'.

The Professor enters the classroom, looks around, and bids his charges a hearty"Good Morning!" The freshmen respond with, "Good morning, Professor!" Thesophomores mutter, "Morning!" The juniors grunt. And the seniors simply writedown the Professor's greeting into their notes.

Reminds me of the one where the professor is droning away in the huge lecturehall when he notices a student sleeping way up in the back row. The professorshouts to the sleeping student's neighbor, "Hey wake that student up!" The neighbor yells back, "You put him to sleep, you wake him up!"

Two young men who had just graduated from Harvard were all excited andtalking effusively as they got into a taxi in downtown Boston. After hearingthem for a couple of minutes the cab driver asked, "You men Harvard graduates?" "Yes Sir! Class of '94!" they answered proudly. The cab driver extended his hand back to shake their hand, saying, "Class of'58."

A true story; happened right here, not apocryphal. In my college dorm, we play 'Assassin,' like lots of students. Unlike mostpeople though, we use Silly String(tm) instead of water pistols, so that if youhit your target there's never an argument about whether you really hit thembecause, well, they're covered with Silly String(tm). But for those two weeks, you carry your Silly String(tm) everywhere, eveninto classrooms where you're automatically safe. So there I was in thisPsychology class with my friend, and we were kind of holding our Silly String atthe ready while the professor lectured. The class was Psychology Of Group Behavior and the professor was describingour next assignment, which concerned group norms. (Group norms are the unspokenrules of a group, i.e. you don't grab someone else's dining-hall tray and starteating off it). She was telling us the project, which is to violate a groupnorm blatantly and intentionally and then write a little two-page paper aboutit. And my crazy friend gets up, walks down the aisle, and gets up on the stagewith the professor, and proceeds to cover her in Silly String(tm). Needless tosay everyone figured out what was going on, and the applause brought down thehouse. He only got a B-plus on the paper, though. Go figure.

Professor: I'm dismissing you ten minutes earlier today. Please get out quietlynot to wake up the other classes.

This maybe something of a 'college legend', but I heard it as true: A student taking a philosophy class had a single question on his final: "Whatis courage?" The student wrote: "This", signed it, and turned it in. I never knew what happened to the student, but I hope he got an A.

While visiting a country school, the chairman of the Board Of Educationbecame provoked at the noise the unruly students were making in the next room. Angrily, he opened the door and grabbed one of the taller boys who seemed to bedoing most of the talking. He dragged the boy to the next room and stood him inthe corner. A few minutes later, a small boy stuck his head in the room and pleaded,"Please, sir, may we have our teacher back?"

"If there are any idiots in the room, will they please stand up" said thesarcastic lecturer. After a long silence, one freshman rose to his feet. "Now then mister, why do you consider yourself an idiot?" enquired thelecturer with a sneer. "Well, actually I don't," said the student, "but I hate to see you standingup there all by yourself."

A certain professor arrived late for a lecture to find a most uncomplimentarydrawing of himself on the blackboard. Fuming, he asked the class joker in thefront row, "Who, pray, was responsible for this atrocity?" The joker won tremendous prestige with his reply, "I really don't know, but Istrongly suspect its parents."

Student: What's your opinion on the paper I submitted last week? Professor: It's absolute drivel. Student: I know, but let's hear it anyway.

A professor was grading the essay finals he had just given his class andopened the exam book of a failing student to reveal blank pages and a $100 bill.The only thing written in the book was "$100 = 100% - I get an A." A month later, the student approached the professor. "I don't understand,"he said. "I failed the course. Didn't you read my final?" The professor handed the student the exam book. The student opened it toreveal $50 and the phrase "$50 = 50% - You fail!"

One day, a very attractive undergraduate visited the professor's office. This undergraduate pulled the chair closer to the professor, smiled at him shyly, bumped his knee "accidentally", etc. Finally, the undergraduate said, "Professor, I really need to pass your course. It is extremely important to me. It is so important that I'll do anything you suggest." The professor, somewhat taken aback by this attention, replied, "Anything?" To which the undergradute cooed, "Yes, anything you say." After some brief reflection, the professor asked, "What are you doing tomorrow afternoon at 3:30?" The student lied, "Oh, nothing at all, sir. I can be free then." The professor then advised, "Excellent! Professor Palmer is holding a help session for his students. Why don't you attend that."

Teacher: Billy, name two pronouns. Billy: Who, me? Teacher: Very good!

An economics professor at school had a strict policy that the hourly examinations were to be completed at the bell and anyone who kept writing on their exam after the bell would take a zero on the exam. Well, one guy kept writing on his exam for a while after the bell and then confidently strode up to turn it in. The professor looked at him and said, "Don't bother to hand that paper in... you get a zero for continuing after the bell." The guy looked at him and said, "Professor, do you know who I am!!" The professor replied, "No, and I don't care if your dad is president of the United States...you get a zero on this exam" The guy, with a enraged look on his face, shouted, "You mean you have no idea who I am???" The professor responded, "No, I've no idea who you think you are." With that, the guy said "Good!", plunged his exam into the middle of the stack of other students exams, and did a hasty retreat from the examination room!

[felord]

CSE205 Object Oriented Programming and Data Structures Programming Project 4 Solved

1  Submission Instructions

Create a folder named asuriteid-p04 where asuriteid is your ASURITE user id (for example, if your ASURITE user id is jsmith6 then your folder would be named jsmith6-p04) and copy your .java source code files to this folder. Do not copy the .class files or any other files. Next, compress the asuriteid-p04 folder creating a zip archive file named asuriteid-p04.zip (e.g., jsmith6-p04.zip). Upload asuriteid-p04.zip to the Blackboard Project 3 submission link by the project deadline. Please see the Course Schedule section in the Syllabus for the deadline. Consult the Syllabus for the late and academic integrity policies. Please note that the deadline for submitting Project 4 is a hard deadline, i.e., there is no 24 hour late penalty submission period. This is necessary so we can quickly grade Project 4 quickly before final letter grades are due.

2  Learning Objectives

Complete all of the learning objects of the previous projects. To implement a GUI interface and respond to action events. To use the linked list, stack, and queue classes.

3  Background

In the lecture notes and video lectures for Stacks and Queues : Sections 3 – 7 we discussed an application that evaluates an arithmetic expression written in infix notation such as: (-1 - -2) * -(3 / 5) Infix notation is the usual algebraic notation that we are all familiar with where a binary operator (a binary operator is an operator that has two operands) is written between the left-hand and right-hand operands. For example, in the expression above, the left-hand operand of the subtraction operator is -1 and the right-hand operand is -2. Some operators, such as the negation operator, are unary operators meaning there is only one operand (uni = one). For negation, the operand is written to the right of the negation operator. Therefore, this expression contains six operators: negation, subtraction, negation, multiplication, negation, and division. In the algorithm that evaluates the expression, we also treat a left parenthesis as an operator, which it is not, but during the evaluation we have to push left parentheses onto the operator stack. In an infix arithmetic expression, each operator has a precedence level, which for a left parenthesis, is different when it is on the operator stack as opposed to when it is not (this will become clear when you read the trace of the algorithm for the above expression; see page 3): Operator          Normal Precedence Level                 Stack Precedence Level (                                     5                                                         0 –                                    4                                                         4 *  /                                3                                                         3 +  –                               2                                                         2 )                                     1                                                         1 Right parentheses really don't have precedence because they are not pushed on the operator stack, but we assign them a precedence level of 1 for consistency. The algorithm discussed in the notes did not handle the negation operator so I have modified it to handle negation. Here is the revised algorithm: Method evaluate(In: pExpr as an infix expression) Returns Double Create operatorStack -- Stores Operators Create operandStack  -- Stores Operands While end of pExpr has not been reached Do Scan next token in pExpr -- The type of token is Token If token is an operand Then Convert token to Operand object named number operandStack.push(number) ElseIf token is an InstanceOf LeftParen Then Convert token to LeftParen object named paren operatorStack.push(paren) ElseIf token is an InstanceOf RightParen Then While not operatorStack.peek() is an InstanceOf LeftParen Do topEval() operatorStack.pop() -- Pops the LeftParen ElseIf token is Negation, Addition, Subtraction, Multiplication, or Division Then Convert token to Operator object named operator While keepEvaluating() returns True Do topEval() operatorStack.push(op) End While While not operatorStack.isEmpty() Do topEval() Return operandStack.pop()  -- the result of evaluating the expression End Method evaluate Method keepEvaluating() Returns True or False If operatorStack.isEmpty() Then Return False Else Return stackPrecedence(operatorStack.peek())  ≥ precedence(operator) End Method keepEvaluating Method topEval() Returns Nothing right ← operandStack.pop() operator ← operatorStack.pop() If operator is Negation Then operandStack.push(-right) Else left ← operandStack.pop() If operator is Addition Then operandStack.push(left + right) ElseIf operator is Subtraction Then operandStack.push(left - right) ElseIf operator is Multiplication Then  operandStack.push(left * right) Else operandStack.push(left / right) End If End Method topEval Method precedence(In: Operator pOperator) Returns Int If pOperator is LeftParen Then Return 5 ElseIf pOperator is Negation Then Return 4 ElseIf pOperator is Multiplication or Division Then Return 3 ElseIf pOperator is Addition or Subtraction Then Return 2 Else Return 1 End Method precedence Method stackPrecedence(In: Operator pOperator) Returns Int If pOperator is LeftParen Then Return 0 ElseIf pOperator is Negation Then Return 4 ElseIf pOperator is Multiplication or Division Then Return 3 ElseIf pOperator is Addition or Subtraction Then Return 2 Else Return 1 End Method stackPrecedence It would be worthwhile to trace the algorithm using the above expression to make sure you understand how it works: Create the operand and operator stacks. Both are empty at the beginning. Scan the first token ( and push it onto the operator stack. Scan the next token – (negation) and push it onto the operator stack. Scan the next token 1 and push it onto the operand stack. Scan the next token – (subtraction). Since the operator on top of the operator stack (negation) has higher precedence than subtraction, evaluate the top (note: negation is a unary operator so there is only one operand to be popped from the operand stack): Pop the top number from the operand stack. Call this right = 1. Pop the top operator from the operator stack. Call this operator = – (negation). Evaluate operator and push the result (-1) onto the operand stack. Now push the subtraction operator onto the operator stack. Scan the next token – (negation). Since the operator on top of the stack (subtraction) has precedence less than negation, push the negation operator onto the operator stack. Scan the next token 2 and push it onto the operand stack. Scan the next token ). Pop and evaluate operators from the operator stack until the matching ( is reached. a. The top operator is a unary operator (negation): Pop the top number from the operand stack. Call this right = 2. Pop the top operator from the operator stack. Call this operator = – (negation). Evaluate operator and push the result (-2) onto the operand stack. The top operator is a binary operator (subtraction): Pop the top number from the operand stack. Call this right = -2. Pop the top number from the operand stack. Call this left = -1. Pop the top operator from the operator stack. Call this operator = – (subtraction). Evaluate operator and push the result (1) onto the operand stack. The top operator is ( so pop it. Scan the next token * (multiplication). The operator stack is empty so push *. Scan the next token – (negation). Since negation has higher precedence than the operator on top of the operator stack (multiplication) push the negation operator onto the operator stack. Scan the next token ( and push it onto the operator stack. Scan the next token 3 and push it onto the operand stack. Scan the next token / (division). Since the operator on top of the stack (left parenthesis) has higher precedence than division push / onto the operator stack. Now do you see why the precedence of ( changes when it is on the operator stack? Scan the next token 5 and push it onto the operand stack. Scan the next token ). Pop and evaluate operators from the operator stack until the matching ( is reached. a. The top operator is binary operator (division): Pop the top number from the operand stack. Call this right = 5. Pop the top number from the operand stack. Call this left = 3. Pop the top operator from the operator stack. Call this operator = /. Evaluate operator and push the result (0.6) onto the operand stack. The top operator is ( so pop it. The end of the infix expression string has been reached. Pop and evaluate operators from the operator stack until the operator stack is empty. The top operator is a unary operator (negation): Pop the top number from the operand stack. Call this right = 0.6. Pop the top operator from the operator stack. Call this operator = – (negation). Evaluate operator and push the result (-0.6) onto the operand stack. The top operator is a binary operator (multiplication): Pop the top number from the operand stack. Call this right = -0.6. Pop the top number from the operand stack. Call this left = 1. Pop the top operator from the operator stack. Call this operator = *. Evaluate operator and push the result (-0.6) onto the operand stack. The operator stack is empty. Pop the result from the operand stack (-0.6) and return it.

4  Software Requirements

The project shall implement a GUI calculator which accepts as input a syntactically correct arithmetic expression written in infix notation and displays the result of evaluating the expression. The program shall meet these requirements. The program shall implement a GUI which permits the user to interact with the calculator. Watch the Project 4 video lecture for a demonstration of how the application works. When the Clear button is clicked, the input text field and the result label shall be configured to display nothing. When a syntactically correct infix arithmetic expression is entered in the input text field and the Evaluate button is clicked, the program shall evaluate the expression and display the result in the label of the GUI. When the input text field is empty, clicking the Evaluate button does nothing. When the Exit button is clicked, the application shall terminate. Note: you do not have to be concerned with syntactically incorrect infix expressions. We will not test your program with such expressions.

5  Software Design

Refer to the UML class diagram in Section 5.21. Your program shall implement this design.

5.1  Main Class

The Main class shall contain the main() method which shall instantiate an object of the Main class and call run() on that object. Main is completed for you.

5.2  AddOperator

Implements the addition operator, which is a binary operator. AddOperator is completed for you. Use AddOperator as a guide when completing DivOperator, MultOperator, and SubOperator.

5.3  BinaryOperator

The abstract superclass of all binary operators. BinaryOperator is completed for you. Note that BinaryOperator implements one abstract method evaluate() which all subclasses must implement. The subclasses are AddOperator, DivOperator, MultOperator, and SubOperator.

5.4  DivOperator

Implements the division operator, which is a binary operator. Complete the code in this file by using the AddOperator class as an example.

5.5  DList

This is the DList class from the Week 7 Source Code zip archive. It implements a generic doubly linked list where the data type of each list element is E. DList is completed for you. For example, to create a DList which stores elements of the type Token you would write DList list = new DList(); much in the same way that we can create an ArrayList of Doubles by writing ArrayList list = new ArrayList(); 5.6  Expression Represents an infix expression to be evaluated. Use the provided pseudocode as a guide in completing this class.

5.7  LeftParen

Represents a left parenthesis in the expression. LeftParen is completed for you. Note that LeftParen is a subclass of the abstract class Parenthesis.

5.8  MultOperator

Implements the multiplication operator, which is a binary operator. Complete the code in this file by using the AddOperator class as an example.

5.9  NegOperator

Implements the negation operator, which is a unary operator. Complete the code in this file by using the AddOperator class as an example. Note, however, that negation is a unary operator so it only has one operand. 5.10  Operand An operand is a numeric value represented as a Double. Implement the class using the UML class diagram as a guide.

5.11  Operator

Operator is the abstract superclass of all binary and unary operators, i.e., it is the superclass of BinaryOperator and UnaryOperator. Implement the class using the UML class diagram as a guide. Note that all of the non-constructor methods are abstract, i.e., none of them are implemented in Operator.

5.12  Parenthesis

Parenthesis is the superclass of LeftParen and RightParen. These are treated as a weird sort of Operator because we need to be able to push LeftParens on the operator stack when evaluating the expression. Parenthesis is completed for you.

5.13  Queue

Implements a generic queue data structure using a DList list to store the elements. This is the same class that was provided in the Week 7 Source zip archive. Queue is completed for you. 5.14  RightParen Represents a right parenthesis in the expression. RightParen is completed for you.

5.15  Stack

Implements a generic stack data structure using a DList list to store the elements. This is the same class that was provided in the Week 7 Source zip archive. Stack is completed for you.

5.16  SubOperator

Implements the subtraction operator, which is a binary operator. Complete the code in this file by using the AddOperator class as an example.

5.17  Token

Token is the abstract superclass of the different types of tokens (i.e., symbols) that can appear in an infix expression. Token is completed for you.

5.18  Tokenizer

The Tokenizer class scans a String containing an infix expression and breaks it into tokens. For this project, a token will be either an Operand (a double value), a LeftParen or RightParen, or an arithmetic UnaryOperator (subclass NegOperator) or BinaryOperator (one of the AddOperator, SubOperator, MultOperator, or DivOperator subclasses). Tokenizer is completed for you. It is implemented as a finite state machine (FSM) which are commonly used in computing, especially when breaking a "sentence" of words or symbols into its component parts. If you have the time, you should study the code to learn how FSM's work and are used. 5.19  UnaryOperator UnaryOperator is the superclass of all unary operators. UnaryOperator is completed for you. 5.20  View The View implements the GUI. Read the comments and implement the pseudocode.

5.21  UML Class Diagram

The UML class diagram is provided in the zip archive /uml folder as two UMLet files. Because the images in this document are small, there are PNG images of the two class diagrams in the /image folder. Your program shall implement this design.

5.21  UML Class Diagram (continued)

6  Additional Project Requirements

Format your code neatly. Use proper indentation and spacing. Study the examples in the book and the examples the instructor presents in the lectures and posts on the course website. Put a comment header block at the top of each method formatted thusly: /** * A brief description of what the method does.  */ Put a comment header block at the top of each source code file formatted thusly (or use /** ... */ comments if you wish): //******************************************************************************************************** // CLASS: classname (classname.java) // // COURSE AND PROJECT INFO // CSE205 Object Oriented Programming and Data Structures, semester and year // Project Number: project-number // // AUTHOR: your-name, your-asurite-id, your-email-addr //******************************************************************************************************** Read the full article

[hetbigbang]

2017 FAQ's & Schedule

2017 FAQs Welcome to another year of Het Big Bang!! It’s a challenge for writers and artists to step up from any fandom, for any het pairing you want!

New this year: if you'd like to see works or information from any past Bangs, check this Masterpost. Our "menu of links" has changed a little bit, cleaned up to reflect only what's currently useful. New banners are up here. We've also added a "Page-A-Mod" page. If you have queries, emergencies, whatever, go ahead and drop us a line and one of the mods will get back to you ASAP.

Reminder: the support community has been emptied. Since it is members-only for those involved in the Bang, you will need to rejoin once you have signed up. (Please note: links to sign-up posts are not active yet, but will be fixed once the challenge goes live on May 1st.) GENERAL INFORMATION

What is a Big Bang? There are actually two portions of this Bang Challenge. The Big Bang and the Little Bang. There are many different types of big bangs, all varying slightly, but generally, it's a process in which authors write long fics (25,000 words or longer for the BIG bang portion, or 10,000 words for the LITTLE big bang version) and artists make art for the pieces of work that exceed 25k. Then, on one singular shining day, we reveal all completed stories and artworks so that everybody goes blind from the overwhelming awesomeness. Simple in concept, right? This bang challenge is centered around heterosexual (male/female) pairings from any fandom you can name. Everything preliminary for this bang challenge is hosted in this livejournal comm, but on the reveal date, all contributions (art, stories, vids, fanmixes, etc.) will be hosted on AO3. Any het pairing, any fandom. Why AO3? A poll was taken in this community several years ago, and overwhelming numbers (90%) were comfortable with AO3. If you want to participate in this challenge, you have to sign up at AO3. We're sorry if you don't like this. Mainly, we will be hosting the final stories on AO3 because: 1. It'll allow you guys to format your own fics and edit after the big bang goes live. 2. By using a Collection, I can ensure no one releases their fics early, and it goes up simultaneously. 3. If we post fics on LJ, it'll require multiple posts per fics, and organizing that for a single-moment reveal will be a headache. (Trust us on that.) and 4. Your mods don’t want to repeat the horrible experience they had in prior years with creating a website (again, trust us). Therefore, AO3 will be neat and simple.

There will be plenty of time for those that do not have accounts on AO3 to sign up. You can ask a friend for an invite code, or you can request from A03 here or at ao3_invitecodes. We have started a for 2017 Collection [LINK COMING SOON] Het Big Bang over at Archive of Our Own that is identical to the 2016, 2015, 2013 and the 2012 Collections. A collection is a group of works collected together under one heading: here, for all Het Big Bang submissions. Only the author of the work can add his/her story into this collection; so, you gotta upload your fic onto AO3, and then add it into this collection. Here is the FAQ of AO3. Since this is a moderated collection, each work has to be approved by the Het Big Bang mods before it appears in the collection. Do not post your work anywhere else before the deadline! Do not publish your fic before the deadline! After the deadline, post it anywhere you want. Why is there no art for the Little Bang portion? Because it’s the option for those writers within our ranks that want to participate in this challenge, without being held accountable to an artist to finish their work. It is the low-key, no mutual obligation option. What kind of timeline will I be under? Author Sign Ups - open till May 17th, 12:00 PM (NOON) PST Mandatory Author Checkpoint - July 15th Artist Claiming of Big Bang Stories - July 20th Art and Fics Due - August 27th, 11:59 PM (Midnight) PST (here is a timezone converter) Debut Date (DD) - August 31st Why the delay between Arts/Fic submission and the Debut Date? Because in the past, we've had a some delays with artwork and some of the stories submitted were not properly formatted. Therefore, we need time to find pinch hit artists and let authors know thie fics need fixing. It is very, very important that if you sign up as an artist and claim a story, you submit on time because otherwise the entire big bang may be delayed. Can I join this comm? Absolutely! Feel free to join and watch the comm even if you aren't signing up. If you ARE signing up, you need to join the comm ASAP. Some important reminders and post will be members locked. Is there a support comm for this Big Bang? Yep! There is a sister comm where participants can go for help and flailing. het_banghelp: a community for all your support needs. This is the place for all your hand-holding, sharing of fics snippets, and flailing. Like prior years, special writing and enabling events will be hosted on that comm, like Snippet Days and Block Writing Events. Use it however you deem necessary, as long as it's het_bigbang related - post away!! It's members-only and f-locked to only those that have officially signed up as authors/artists and betas/cheerleaders, so remember to add yourself as soon as you sign up. (Please note, we have gone through the entire member's list for our support comm, and emptied out all of last year’s participants. As soon as you sign up for 2017, you can request to join membership again.) How do I sign up? SIGN UPS OPEN MAY 1ST. An AUTHOR, go here. If you an ARTIST, please go here. If you are offering to BETA READ, go here. If you would like to be a CHEERLEADER, go here. Other Comm Volunteers and their duties are listed below, and can sign up by dropping a note to this post. Please read this post before signing up! I signed up last year, and then dropped out. Can I still sign up again? Yes!! Best way to contact a mod? Your mods are going to be inundated with hundreds of comments from a dozen different posts, so the best way to make sure we actually see your question/comment/concern is to (a.) pm your mods, red_b_rackham or traycer_; (b.) email the mods at thehetbigbang@gmail.com; (c.) drop a note on this FAQ post or (d.) comment on THIS "Page A Mo

WRITER'S REQUIREMENTS AND INFO What type of requirements are there for a writer? There are two portions of the Bang Challenge for Writers! The Big Bang and the Little Bang. The Big Bang: Your fic must be completed and at least 25,000 words long. Writers accomplishing this goal will get an artist assigned to them by the comm, and they will receive artwork for their story! You are also welcome to find your own artist. The Little Bang challenge is ditto to the above, but only at least 10,000 words long. There will be no assigned artists for these stories. (Authors can go out and find themselves an artist, if they want, but they MUST inform the mods that they have made these arrangements. Just so we can approve them for the collection submissions, when the time comes.) All stories must focus on or revolve around a het pairing of your choosing, and mandatorily beta-read before the posting date. At the time of signing up for this, you need to know the following: a) what you think you'll be writing (fandom/pairing, prompt -- and yeah, you can change your mind later all the way until the Mandatory Author Check-point in July!); b) whether you are participating in the Big Bang challenge or the Little Bang challenge (and yes, you can change your mind later on, all the way up to the Mandatory Author Check-point in July.) c) whether you already have an AO3 account, and if not, that you will be willing to acquire one before the submission deadline; d) give us your e-mail address; and e) then go to join het_bigbang AND friend the community. You *must* join and friend for updates; it's a requirement to participate in this challenge. Define a qualified het pairing, please! Any het pairing, any fandom. Crossovers and/or fusions, genderbender het, and RPF (Real Person Fic) are all allowed. There may be more than one het pairing in the fic. There may be other secondary slash or femslash pairings within the fic, as long as a het pairing is the primary focus. Slash, threesomes or moresomes should NOT be your focus. But what if our fic is, like, more gen but with a hint of ship? Um, that probably doesn't qualify. We want a het pairing as a primary focus. We are not going to psychoanalyze how "shippy" the fic you're writing is, but please use your best judgment. After much debate, it's been decided that Original Works based on your creations are allowed. All standard rules/procedures apply. Can I sign up more than once as an author? I've got so many plotbunnies! Yes, you can sign up as an author twice! Both times for the Big Bang, or both times for the Little Bang, or in both the Little Bang and the Big Bang! Your choice. However, it must be for stories centered around different pairings. (Same fandom is fine.) Don't sign up twice for the same pairing. You must sign up twice in the Author's sign up post with separate comments, so we are crystal clear that you are participating twice! I don't know what to write! I've got so many ideas! We're here to help! While you can change your plotbunny at any time, we're also offering you this post [LINK COMING SOON] to help figure things out. You provide descriptions of up to five of your plotbunnies, and we put up a poll here to see what people are interested in. No obligation to go with the winner, but it might help you choose! I've already been writing a het pairing story already. Can I use that? Was it written for last year’s Het Big Bang/Little Bang and just never completed? If so, sure! If not…. then for the Little Bang, you gotta start fresh. Sorry. However, either way, for the Big Bang you are allowed to use a WIP in this big bang if it's less than 10k written. Ideally, your story should not have appeared anywhere on the net already, and if it hasn't been posted anywhere, you only have to reach the goal of 25k total. However, if you do already have a couple thousand words of it up somewhere public (at max, 10k), then we won't count that towards your total 25k requirement, and you must immediately take it off the internet completely for the duration of the challenge. Can I write with someone else? Yes, you may co-author your big bang if you want to. Do I really have to have my fic be beta-read? Yes. Dear God, yes. A beta reader is a person who reads another person's written work with a critical eye, with the aim of improving grammar, spelling, characterization, and general style of a story before the author posts it up. All participants must get their fiction beta’d by at least one person. Betareading is love, people! There is a post just for volunteers who are willing to beta read at this post [LINK COMING SOON]. What happens if I can't write that much by the posting deadline? First, relax and don't panic! You've got until August for finishing this baby off! For writers, this is not a reciprocal challenge, so we're not going to go chasing after you with a big giant stick if you drop out. It's hard to write this much fic on a deadline! We understand! Don't stress yourself; fandom is meant to be fun. Usually in these things, at least half of the writers drop out. That's expected. But please, please, please - if you need to drop out of this challenge, drop your mod a quick note. Another note: If you fall short of the word count, don't panic. Do not sign up with the *intent* of writing anything short of a minimum word count, but if you fall a little short, just contact your mod and we'll try to work something out if we can. Wait, what is this I see about a Mandatory check-in later on? What's that about? The mandatory check-in for authors is scheduled on July 15th. All authors must participate, or they will be kicked out of the challenge. Authors must firmly declare whether they are in the Little Bang or the Big Bang. If they are in the Little Bang, they complete a comm poll and identify their fic’s fandom/pairing(s). (No changing your selections after this point!) If they are in the Big Bang Challenge, they complete a comm poll, identify their fic's fandom/pairing(s), and they will submit three small snippets (up to 500 words each) of their work to the Mods. The Mods will then put up a new post with all the fics' information (no author info attached) where artists will claim which stories they'd like to do art for. (No changing your selections after this point!) What if I am determined to be in the Big Bang portion at the time of the Mandatory Check-in, but then fall short of 25k? Can I still submit my story for the Little Bang portion? Keep in mind that your story will have already been assigned to an Artist after the Mandatory Check-in. You have committed yourself to a 25k fic at that point, just like your Artist has committed themselves to you. If you fall a little short in your story, we can be forgiving. But if you flagrantly ignore the 25k word count, that will be a problem. Talk to us about it, but just – don’t do this? Okay? Please? It’ll be insult to your artist and all the other participants in this challenge. Can I have contact with my artist? We will provide you with contact information once an artist is committed to you. From there, you absolutely can contact them to find out more about their interests. We would like to encourage you to be in contact with them and to share and collaborate, but ONLY in fun. The artist is under no obligation to work directly with you. Ultimately, what they create for your fic is their creation, just like how they cannot dictate what you write for your fanfiction. But we all want everyone to be happy with what they get and what they create, so I hope this remains a happy, fun, friendly experience. What if I hate my artist and/or dislike the artwork that is done for my fanfiction? The politest way I can honestly word this is: get over yourself. The artist is trying their best, I'm sure, to produce a good piece of work for you. Give thanks, and be on your merry way. Not everybody is a master but this Bang is intended to be postive and fun. Find something nice to say and move along!

ARTIST'S REQUIREMENTS AND INFO

How do I know what I'm making art for? After the writers have their mandatory check-in on July 15th, we'll make a claims post listing fandoms and pairings. In this post, we'll also include the story summary and any warnings the author gives. You can choose which fic you'd like to create art for, and then that person's fic will get crossed off the list. Author's names will not be attached to their fanfics on this post; the artist's claims will be done blind that way. This is done to even the playing field, so that an artist may claim a fanfic based on the summary/pairing/fandom, rather than the popularity of the writer. (Though by no means is the author prohibited at any point from telling people which fandom/pairing/story is theirs. We imagine that in any case, we'll be able to have a great number of educated guesses for authors based on the pairing/fandom alone. That's fine. We're just trying to make the artists' claims post less about favoring popular authors, and more about showcasing the merits of the story.) What are the requirements for art? You can make whatever kind of art you feel like, in whichever medium. Drawing, painting, digital, manips, vids, fanmix, anything you can think of. We just ask that you put some time and genuine effort into it, as our authors have put major effort into their story. You are required to make a minimum of ONE piece of art for the story you claim. MORE IS BETTER. We love more! We want more! But, based on feedback from prior year’s artists, we only have a requirement of one piece of artwork. Make it nice, put some serious effort into it! :) How do I sign up and/or claim an artwork? You can sign up to be an artist now, but claims will happen much later, on July 20th, after writers have had their mandatory check in. Claims are done on a first come, first serve basis. We will be putting up a members-locked post and the artists will reply to it with the story they claim to do art for (so make sure you are a member of the community!). Sign ups for artists will remain open until all fanfics get claimed! What if I sign up as an artist but there's no fandoms I can art for by the time claims go up? That's okay - sometimes it happens. Signing up as an artist does not commit you in stone, so it's okay if there's absolutely nothing you can art for. We hope you can maybe stretch outside your "known" fandoms and help an author out, but we understand it's not always possible. Just spread the word to all your artist friends and help recruit other artists to come make claims!! What happens if the number of authors doesn't match up with the number of artists or mixers? We will do several rounds of claiming so that EVERY fic has an artist. In the event that fics outnumber artists, we will allow artists to make a second or even third claim. Can I have contact with my author? We will provide you with contact information once you have committed to an author. From there, you can contact them to find out more about their interests. We would like to encourage you to be in contact with them and to share and collaborate, but ONLY in fun. You are under no obligation to work directly with the author. Ultimately, what you create for your artwork is your creation, just like how you cannot dictate what the author writes for their fanfiction. But we all want everyone to be happy with what they get and what they create, so we hope this remains a happy, fun, friendly experience. Also, if your writer does not complete his/her story by the due date, but you've completed your artwork, go ahead and submit it! It will still be showcased on AO3 anyway. You deserve recognition for your hard work! :) What if I cannot create the fanart by the deadline? Think very, very hard before claiming a story! This part is kinda set in stone. There is a person who is expecting some fanart for their work, and we'll have to hunt down a back-up artist to take your place if you end up dropping out. If you can't create the fanworks, tell us as soon as humanly possible. Everything will go live at once, on August 31st. Finding artists is hard enough with a decent timeline, but finding backups are a nightmare, so for this reason, if an artist drops out at the last second (within the last 10 days of the deadline), then they may be banned from participating in future bang challenges here.

TIMELINE What kind of timeline will I be under? Author Sign Ups - open till May 17th, 12:00 PM (NOON) PST Mandatory Author Checkpoint - July 15th Artist Claiming of Big Bang Stories - July 20th Art and Fics Due - August 27th, 11:59 PM (Midnight) PST (here is a timezone converter) Debut Date (DD) - August 31st What's the Author’s mandatory checkpoint? This one is mandatory check-in for authors. Authors firmly declare whether they are Big Bang or Little Bang participants. If you’re going for a Big Bang, you get assigned an artist. (More info above in the Writer’s Requirement section.) Will artists get checkpoints? We will be making sure everyone's on the right track and are able to finish their art before the deadline, but these checkpoints will be less formal, as there is no word count for a piece of art. Are there going to be any extensions? No. Extensions for final fic and art submissions will not be granted. We totally understand RL circumstances happen, we really do. But unfortunately, we have deadlines in place for a reason and extensions are unfair to everyone who completed them on time (also the mods just about melted down one year in the final days of the Bang due to trying to accomodate many people and we simply cannot do it that way again XD). We will not accept submissions beyond August 27th (the submission deadline).

POSTING REQUIREMENTS Where do we post our completed fics? We are using AO3 collections, with the reveal date of August 31st. You can post your fics anywhere else you like after that date, just don’t post them up anywhere before the Debut Date. Again, there is plenty of time for those that do not have accounts on AO3 to sign up. You can ask a friend for an invite code, or you can request from A03 here or at ao3_invitecodes. If you are unfamiliar with it, here is the FAQ of AO3. Submit your fic and art to our 2016 collection. Only the author of a work can add it to a collection, and then the mods approve it and we’ll reveal it on the Debut Date. Because we have experienced some glitches with AO3 collections in the past, we are also asking you to drop an email to thehetbigbang (at) gmail.com when you submit your work to AO3, with the following information: Email Subject Line: (Fic or Art Submission. YOUR NAME.)

AO3 Name/LJ Name: (both) Fandom: Pairing: Artwork or Fic: (artwork for "Title of Fic, by Author") or (Fic: "Title, rating, and word count. Big Bang or Little Bang.") Summary: (if applicable.)

Further Posting guidelines below. 1. Sign up for A03. You can check ask a friend for an invite code, or you can request from A03 here or at ao3_invitecodes 2. DO NOT POST YOUR FICS/ARTS SO THAT THE GENERAL PUBLIC CAN SEE THEM. Double check after posting to make sure it doesn't get posted to the general audience. If it does, delete the work and start over. Instead, you need to allow the mods to collect your fic/arts so that we can reveal everything together on August 31st. Go here, to the 2016 Het Big Bang Collection, and go the "Post to Collection" button in the top right corner. The collection is currently open, moderated and unrevealed. This will bring you to the normal template where you submit your fic/artwork. In the first block, you fill out all the tags: fandom, warnings, ratings, characters, pairings, additional tags, etc. In the second block, you fill out the preface information, including title, summary, and author's notes. 2a. For Artist: your summary line should include your author's name and the title of their story (if you know it). 3. In the third block, for "Associations," make sure the line for "Post to Collections/Challenges" lists "Het_Big_Little_Bang_2016." 3A. For Artists: the next line, "Gift this work to:" should be filled out as well. Artist, you know your Author's A03 name, which should have been provided to you through your emails. If for some reason it was not, please contact your authors and get this name from them. Fill in the "Gift this work to:" line with your author's name. That will link your artwork to them. After the submissions have gone live on the Debut Date, we would like you to go back and edit your submission to add in a link to the specific story you created your artwork for. But until the entire big bang goes public, the main way you'll attach your artwork to the piece will be by identifying the author through gifting. When you finally get the chance to link to the story, edit your submission and use the HTLM coding: <*a href="INSERT THE URL HERE">Title, by Author. (Remove the *) You can put this in your author's note or summary. 3b. For Authors: After the submissions have gone live on the Debut Date, we would need you to go back and edit your submission to add in a link to the specific artwork that was created for your story. You don't have to "Gift this work to:" to the artist, but it would be neat if you wanted to do so. When you finally get the chance to link to the artwork, edit your submission and use the HTLM coding: <*a href="INSERT THE URL HERE">Title, by Artist. (Remove the *) You can put this in your author's note or summary. 4. Formatting and coding guidelines are important. 4a. For Artists: AO3 video embeds are working from Youtube, Vimeo, blip.tv, Dailymotion, Viddler, Metacafe and 4shared. So if you have a video, you upload it to Youtube for example, and then embed into an AO3 post. For images like artwork and icons and banners and cover art, use the <*img src="INSERT YOUR URL HERE"> HTML coding (remove the *). You can first upload your images at Tinypic or photobucket or a similar image hosting website, and then make an A03 post with the HTML coding. 5. Submit your fic/artwork. You need to make sure when you hit "Post" that you see this text at the top of the resulting page:

"This work is part of an ongoing challenge and will be revealed soon! You can find details here: Het Big/Little Bang Challenge 2016"

6. Now, your fic should NOT be displayed to the general audience. It might not even show up on your dash, but fear not. You can still edit, add new chapters, mess around with it to your heart's content. We, the mods, unfortunately do not have access to your story. We cannot tell if it is properly formatted or not. THIS IS FRUSTRATING, but there's nothing we can do about it. We can only see your name. All works are titled "Mystery Works" until we reveal the entire big bang. So, please make sure your own fic is properly formatted. If you need to edit your fic, login and go to your dashboard. Go to the "Edit Works" button in the top right corner. From there, you can edit your works.

A03 will require you to format a header with all regular information on it. Remember to properly tag your works, including appropriate warnings.

Both HTML and Rich Text are supported, and you can edit/delete, have multiple chapters, etc… 1. The Rich Text Editor lets you add formatting, links and pictures to text without using HTML tags. It also has an option for pasting from Word which will preserve some of your Word formatting, although please note that this is buggy. The Rich Text Editor is only available for your work text. 2. The HTML editor allows you to change the look of your text with HTML tags. It can be used in any place you can submit text, although some fields permit only a small subsection of allowed tags. You can see a full list of the allowed HTML on the Archive FAQ, but the standard HTML tags is as follows: b, big, blockquote, br, caption, center, datetime, div, dl, dt, em, h1, h2, h3, h4, h5, h6, height, hr, href, i, img, ins, small, span, src, strike, strong, sub, sup, table, u, and more. Also, a few years ago, anr was a saint and provided you with a post that explained "how to format a fic for posting in less than 30 seconds no matter the story length or amount of formatting" trick. The mods won’t be overly picky about formatting. We'd prefer for all dividers and scene breaks to use <*hr> (remove the *) which creates a horizontal line that serves perfectly as a scene break. However, that’s optional. You choose your own way to format! Other optional suggestions, just for uniformity sake: How do I do Chapter Titles: Bold 'em. How do I timestamp and do locations: Italizice the dates and locations. How do I do subtitle stuff: Italicize it. There is only one major fail regarding format, and that has to do with paragraphs breaks. There must be a full line break between paragraphs. Example of doing it wrong:

Chapter One: The Invasion March 6, 2005 - The City of Atlantis Elizabeth ducked quickly behind a console and attempted to catch her breath. A flush of pink colored her cheeks and a thin sheen of sweat had appeared on her brow. If the situation weren't so dire, John would have been turned on. As it was, however, he couldn't give it much thought as he had to focus on the batch of Ancient zombies that were slowly staggering in through the Stargate. "At least they can't run," he offered lamely. Elizabeth spared him a glare. "Why can't they run?" "I don't know." John shrugged. "But they never seem to run. They always lurch. Maybe when they're brought back to life they don't get knees?"

Example of doing it right:

Chapter Two: Ancient Ex-Girlfriends Yes, They're Zombies Too Elizabeth peeked around the consol. "Oh, my god," she breathed. "Is that--" "Chaya?!" John squeaked. "Talk about creepy ex-girlfriends." Rodney scrunched his nose. "She doesn't look good in green." John cringed and crouched down lower. "Do you think she's their leader?" Elizabeth looked thoughtful. "Well, this may be better for us." She narrowed her eyes at John. "We can give them you in trade for a cease fire--" Something caught her attention behind John and she broke off. "No, wait. Look to the left! That's... oh, god, John. That's Teer!" John and Rodney stared in disbelief. "Damn you, Kirk!" Rodney groused, and hit John upside the head. "We're going to be killed by a legion of your dead ex-girlfriends!" "Okay, everybody calm down," John soothed. "Let's not overreact and go blaming--" "Hey, look, your ex-wife!" "What?!!"

Grammar and Spelling fail: If your fic doesn't look beta'ed, we will call you on it, which will create an AWKWARD situation for all of us. Having a beta is a REQUIREMENT. Grammar, spelling, proper paragraph structure, etc… these are all REQUIREMENTS. You need to give your beta ample opportunity to go over your fic for mistakes and edits, so remember to factor that into your deadline. Don't have a beta? Check out this post! Can I post it to my journal a few days early to show my friends? No. The first time you show your fic for this big bang must be on Debut Day (August 31st), on this comm. Mods will handle the revealing details. There will be more posts on that to come. Once the Big Bang collection goes live, feel free to post your stuff wherever.

PARTICIPATION FOR NON-WRITERS AND NON-ARTISTS Beta readers - Please comment here and state the following: what pairing(s)/fandom(s) you like, what your strengths are as a beta reader, and what kind of turn around someone can probably expect from you. Also, leave an e-mail address that will be good for the next few months. *g* Most people will already have their own beta reader, but hey, maybe they want to try someone new. Cheering - Please comment here. Sometimes people just need someone to read through their story and maybe help brainstorm a bit, give them a push or some encouragement. If this is something you'd like to do and can make yourself available for, let me know! Advertising this Big Bang - Go here. We need people to volunteer to pimp this Big Bang around on appropriate comms! SPREAD THE WORD. Tell different fandoms, tell flisters, go on Tumblr, twitter, dreamwidth, and other websites, SPREAD THE GLORIOUSNESS!

ADDITIONAL INSPIRATIONAL CRAZY STUFF You can find a bunch of banners and linkback buttons and icons HERE and HERE and HERE! Don’t hesitate to take advantage of our polling options if you're wavering on what to write. There will be community writing events and informal check-ins scheduled throughout the challenge. Stay tuned for timings/dates - be sure to friend the comm and watch for notifcations! We will continue the Random Stories/Artworks of the Day, where after the Debut Date, we’ll post about one to two random stories and their artworks every day, until we run through the entire selection. And last, regarding options to download fic or doing some type of customized e-reader. AO3 has a download option. Lucky us!! Any questions, let us know!! Now, sign up, already! ~ Standard disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their public respective owners. No money is being made from this project. No copyright infringement is intended. Plagiarism will not be tolerated in any way, shape or form. from Het Big Bang http://ift.tt/2oLa7Jp via IFTTT

[nbiclearance-online-blog]

HOW TO APPLY NBI CLEARANCE ONLINE

This post is centered on How to Apply NBI Clearance Online Application.

NBI Clearance has changed into a significant a part of our way of life. A few years ago, there is one solution to getting a duplicate from the Clearance but everything changes for the better. Our Government, out of your National Bureau of Investigation, opened the capacity because of the applicants to have an NBI Clearance online application that creates your process extremely powerful.

The serious problem when using the manual processing of NBI Clearance is that it is a lot not quick enough (the best venue for Red Tape). The majority from a applicants is ranting with regards to the long queue lines and driving them crazy!

NBI Clearance may be possible web skip several levels in the previous manual way. It also eliminates the manual submitting of application forms as you possibly can completed online. No more long queue lines. No more wasted time looking towards your turn. The NBI clearance online application eliminates 3 steps with all the process, namely: Data Verification, Payment on your Cashier and Filling the Application Form!

The only disadvantage or drawback in the new approach is it delays you for virtually any day because while using Scheduling Task concerning once you visit your selected NBI Clearance Outlet the place you process your NBI Clearance online application.

Let's start the How to Apply NBI Clearance Online

In this tutorial, I'm sure you can find your first NBI Clearance online

REGISTER AN ACCOUNT WITH NBI CLEARANCE APPLICATION ONLINE

Go for the website, its clearance.nbi.gov.ph.

Assuming you never present an account in NBI Clearance Online Application Website, with the right side within your screen, you'll see the -REGISTER- section. Find the checkbox click it for those who have a replica of old NBI Clearance or otherwise not. For the purpose of this tutorial, we'll select NO.

Once you checked the -NO- inside checkbox, the mandatory fields changes. As shown inside image below, you have to input all the necessary fields was required to complete the NBI Clearance Online account registration.

Type within your Gender, Civil Status, Birth Date, Complete Name (First Name, Middle Name and Surname), your active/working email contact info as well as your assigned password.

Once done, glance at the -I ACCEPT TERMS OF SERVICE- check box. Another startup window might have up. The message will show you in regards to the description of one's service and privacy. You don't intend to make the print, it is possible to just skip reading and click on for that -I AGREE- button.

After you clicked the button, a crucial reminder will demonstrate on top of your screen. The window may have you the important points it's likely you have previously entered. Make certain to ensure that it as this is actually the last chance it can be done to edit it.

I suggest to build paper line by line to learn if you've reached it right. Press -YES- the button to proceed if you confirmed what you've written is correct.

Log In for that NBI Clearance Account

Log in making use of your existing email address combined with assigned password in the previous step. Click the -SIGN IN- link using the right side within your screen.

After the confirmation inside the details, it's gonna redirect you for the NBI Clearance Application Dashboard. You will confirm for those who have successfully registered your money. If you're seeing a similar screen as shown from the screenshot below, which means you've successfully registered a free account with NBI Clearance.

FILL UP AND SUBMIT YOUR NBI CLEARANCE APPLICATION FORM

The option to accomplish should be to complete all the details needed together with your NBI Clearance Online Application Form.

This is where you must complete every one of the actual required Applicant's information. Kindly complete all from the needed details to proceed with all of the alternative of NBI Clearance Application.

Enter the next details, for example, your Contact Details, Family Background and more information for example Educational Attainment, Occupation, Religion, Height, Weight, Complexion plus your Identifying Marks if applicable.

You will be given to these pages, that you can watch every one of the Personal Information you've just entered. Double check each item for errors.

Once completed, head down on your bottom from the screen after which click throughout the -SAVE INFORMATION-.

Now you're almost done! Please note how the information you've entered above might be modified in the event you find any errors or mistake. In the most notable right-hand corner in the screen, there's some control named -EDIT INFORMATION-. Just click it so you come back again to NBI Clearance Applicant's Information page the spot where you can edit some bad information.

The alternative is the scheduling an appointment with NBI Clearance Appointment System.

At the top with the right hand of the screen, there's two buttons. The first one could be the -APPLY FOR CLEARANCE- combined with -EDIT INFORMATION- button.

We probably have learned just what the -EDIT INFORMATION- do if you click it right? So we'll proceed with every one of the alternatives.

SCHEDULE AN APPOINTMENT IN NBI CLEARANCE OUTLET

Click the -APPLY FOR CLEARANCE- button!

After clicking the button, a confirmation window looks asking you to definitely provide you using the what ID that you will be presenting when you are evaluating NBI Clearance. In this tutorial, I have chosen to present my Philippine Passport.

Write for the available Valid ID you have got for example Driver's License or Passport or whatever is accepted by NBI Clearance Branch.

Please understand that you need to bring a valid id whenever looking to get NBI Clearance. Valid IDs Accepted in Applying in NBI Clearance.

For this window, be sure you just see the Important Message and go while using -Close- button.

You might be then redirected to an alternative page that you have to schedule a scheduled appointment with NBI Clearance. This way, you may be competent at find the date if you will probably be processing your NBI Clearance.

Select the NBI Clearance Branch where you desire to process your NBI Clearance. Just find the name while using NBI Branch in the drop-down list.

Select your better date in case you must process your NBI Clearance. Schedule your NBI Clearance application by selecting your favourite schedule whether AM or PM. Click the blue boxes corresponding for the date you would like to process your NBI Clearance as well as the schedule.

We'll just tackle each section one at a time. We'll discuss first the NBI Clearance Branch.

In it, what you need to perform ought to be to have the NBI Clearance branch in which you want to process your NBI Clearance Application.

In my case, I will find the NBI Clearance Center Manila which could be the main branch of NBI Clearance located at UN Avenue Manila.

You can type inside the location to have the capacity to quickly search this list for a selected NBI Clearance Branch.

The next item on our list would be the NBI Clearance appointment starting time and date of your application.

Just right below the NBI Clearance Branch, you will likely be presented will a calendar showing time and also the variety of slots put on tomorrow. Select your very best self time and date in your NBI Clearance Application.

The highlighted dates are days that NBI Clearance branch accommodates applicants whilst the greyed out dates are unavailable. There is only two selected for the period over the application, AM and PM.

We're almost done!

Right after setting a gathering, you could possibly complete your NBI Clearance Application by paying the desired NBI Clearance Fees.

PAY YOUR NBI CLEARANCE ONLINE APPLICATION

As an NBI Clearance Applicant, you've four (6) options to pick the way we pay your NBI Clearance. These are through:

Banks (Over the Counter) Banks (Online) Mobile (Payment through GCASH) Bayad Centers Multipay ECPay 7-Eleven

For Over the Counter Payment in Banks - you must venture to accredited banks like BDO, Metrobank and BPI to cover up your NBI Clearance. In this kind of Payment way of NBI Clearance, something fee will likely be charged on an NBI Clearance. For BDO transactions, you'll cough up yet another P25 for longer than the counter payment while P50 is charged whenever you pay through BPI.

For Bank Online Payment - you'll manage to pay online making use within your Online Banking app like BDO Internet Banking, BPI Express Online, Chinabank Online, Metrobank Direct, RCBC Access one, Unionbank EON/Internet Banking & UCPB Connect. Just like non-prescription payment, something fee is going to be faced with an NBI Clearance. The amount differs in the others from P40 to P100 depending for the Bank in places you are transacting.

Mobile Payment - you'll be able to also pay along with your GCASH. A charge will likely be charged accordingly.

Bayad Centers - it can be done to proceed and pay to many BAYAD CENTER outlets so that you can their partners like Cebuana Lhuillier, SM Savemore, LBC, Robinsons, eBiz, Petnet, Landmark, Waltermart, Isetann, Sta. Lucia East Mall, USSC and selected branches of Villarica Pawnshop, Palawan Pawnshop, Prime Asia Pawnshop, 2go Express, Tambunting Pawnshop, Raquel Pawnshop, DIrect Agent 5, CVM Pawnshop, Sinag Pawnshop, San Roque Supermarket, Luzon Development Bank, Citystate Bank, Go Beyond Expectation Remittance Ci., plus much more. Just like the others, a web site fee could be charged accordingly.

Don't be puzzled by the service charge together with your NBI Clearance fee. The final amount might be considered to you along with all the NBI Clearance Payment Reference Number that you will present if you pay your NBI Clearance Application Online.

7-Eleven - I have written another tutorial regarding how to pay your NBI Clearance Application through 7-Eleven here.

Going back to the tutorial, click around the payment method you need. For this scenario, I will pay my NBI Clearance while with all the BANK OVER THE COUNTER method through BDO.

This window will be, please make out the print carefully and after that click -PROCEED- button.

The NBI Clearance website will demonstrate you the transactions summary of the NBI Clearance application. Click -PROCEED TO PAYMENT-.

Select your favorite Bank from a list. The NBI Clearance authorizes the subsequent banks to accept NBI Clearance Payment, they're:

BDO BPI MetroBank Robinsons Bank Union Bank I have selected BDO as my bank where I pay my NBI Clearance Fee. It will demonstrate the reference number along when using the final number which may be P155.00.

You may follow the link view and save the instruction online to look at the payment instruction for the reference.

A reference number, plus the final number that you will should pay for a NBI Clearance, will probably be shown. In my case, simply how much being paid isP155.00.

In case you're wondering the best way arrives about the P165 should your NBI Clearance is obviously only P115. Here's the breakdown of theP155.00 payment may be P130 for your NBI Clearance, P25 for that NBI Clearance E-Payment Services and P25 Bank Service Fee.

You may save the NBI Clearance Payment instruction on your own reference. If you don t work with a printer, it is achievable to just snap a photo consequently coming from your cell phone.

The important details listed here are the Reference Number, Account Number, Account Name, the BDO Deposit Reference No. and ultimately the Amount. Please be sure you spend it inside bank ahead inside Deadline indicated inside Payment Instruction.

Now go round the nearest BDO or any bank you have decided to spend your NBI Clearance and give the quantity for your NBI Clearance Application.

PRINT NBI CLEARANCE APPLICATION FORM

After paying your NBI Clearance in BDO, ensure that you probably have your deposit slips.

Now, return back towards the NBI Clearance Online application and log for a along with your registered email address contact info and password.

Go around the -TRANSACTION-. It may be found in regards to the left side from the website.

You are going to understand the previous NBI Clearance Application. If you haven't paid the career, it is possible to understand the status for the reason that -PENDING- the same as within the image below.

But if you have already settled the payment, the status will change to -PAID-.

Now, you have to print your NBI Clearance. Click for the Details button

Once this window appears, click for that button -PRINT APPLICATION FORM-. It will open another window

Here's a good example from your NBI Clearance Application Form Online.

HOW TO APPLY NBI CLEARANCE ONLINE PROCESS YOUR NBI CLEARANCE

You may now process your NBI Clearance in their NBI Clearance Office.

Some useful advice:

Bring Two (2) Valid Identification Cards. See Valid ID Make bound to keep for the appropriate dress code allowed inside NBI Clearance Outlets to be sure they allow you to definitely in without a problem. Bring the printed NBI Clearance Application form, one which I've shown in older times. When you arrive inside gate of NBI Main, or any kind of its satellite offices, don t waste your time and energy. Ask an NBI Personnel currently stationed to aid the NBI Clearance Applicants immediately. Ask them you are an NBI Clearance ONLINE applicant. He or she gives you some directions that you can proceed so listen carefully.

Have your picture taken after that your Biometrics may very well be the next step. The two steps are planning to be too simple, right? No need for a total reason behind this!

The last step will be the issuance within your NBI Clearance. This is that you go towards the printing facilities of NBI Clearance and receive your fresh-from-the-printer NBI Clearance!

If you've still got a problem using this type of Tutorial on How To Apply NBI Clearance Online, it is achievable to leave a comment below and we will reunite you soon.

[jhnz2019-blog]

Remind me

NGUYỄN VĂN PHÚ: Letters to my Children and Grandchildren

* NGUYỄN VĂN PHÚ

(translated by Minh Chau)

Editor’s Note: Vietnamese Americans who lived through the Vietnam War have many stories to share with the generation of Vietnamese who grew up in America. With our busy lives and because of language barriers, sometimes these stories are not shared, not even within one household. — writes a letter to grandchildren and this English translation enables him to share his memories and his opinions on modern Vietnam with his children. This article was written by Mr. Nguyen Van Phu, Principal of the Hung Dao private famous high school in VietNam, to inform and educate the 1.5 and 2nd generation Vietnamese-Americans about the history of the first Vietnamese refugee’s new life in America and out of exile. (NVTB News)

Dear old friend,

While waiting for our children to pick us up from our monthly meeting at the Seniors’ Association, you and I had, on several occasions, the opportunity to discuss and to agree on a number of important points. You urged to me to put our thoughts on paper to share with our descendants because, as you said, your hands tremble so much these days that you are having difficulty holding the pen. Moreover, this year marks the 30th anniversary of our self-exile as refugees and we both thought it would be useful to transmit a clear message to our children and especially our grandchildren. During these last few months, I endeavored to accomplish the task you assigned. Today, my work may be considered complete. For ease of presentation, I wrote this article in the form of a letter by a father to his children. Please review it at your convenience. I would very much appreciate any corrections and improvements.

****

My beloved children,

Your mother and I are both in our eighties now, longevity virtually unknown to the earlier generations. Over the years, we have had many occasions to talk to you about a number of important subjects, but you were often not all present at the same time to share the same conversations. Moreover, you may not have entirely retained our message. Hence, this letter to summarize the key points that your mother and I wish to impart to you. For your children who speak Vietnamese but do not read it very well, we ask that you find the best way to communicate our thoughts to them and offer them the necessary explanations. It is not enough to merely take note of what we put today in writing for you. Please make an effort to really grasp the fundamental meaning of our message.

Gratefulness — My beloved children, in fleeing the communist regime in search of freedom, we had to leave everything behind: our properties, our ancestral shrine, as well as our ancestors’ final resting place. The authorities and the people of this adopted land opened their arms and their hearts to help us rebuild our lives. Now that we are relatively well established, we should be grateful and show it by doing our best to help make this nation even greater, stronger and more prosperous.

The cause of our exodus — You must be sure to explain clearly to your children the reasons which pushed our family as well as hundreds of thousands of others to choose a life of self-exiled immigrants in a foreign country: we fled communism, in search of freedom. Your children have the great fortune of living in a democratic society. Having known nothing but freedom since they were born, they would never imagine the full extent of the duplicity and the cruelty exerted by the communists. They would find it difficult to believe the atrocities to which men can submit men. (In due time, you may let them watch the movie Journey from the Fall, directed by Trần Hàm, which premiered on April 30, 2005.) The communists are cruel in action, but very cunning in words and especially skilled in the art of concealment! Hence the need to really explain things to your children to ensure they have a full understanding of our background, not to incite hatred in them, but so they can be aware of the truth. We often repeat this saying amongst ourselves: “Don’t listen to what the communists say, just examine what they do.”

Our native land — Regardless of how busy you are, take the time to reflect on the history and the geography of Viet-Nam in order to understand the origin of our people and the creation of our homeland. Learn about the vicissitudes that our people experienced, including the moments of glory and the times of humiliation. Appreciate the wisdom and accomplishments of our forefathers as well as their mistakes. These are all lessons that we should learn and communicate to our descendants. The pages of our history books are alternatively filled with glorious achievements and painful tears. There was a time when our country had to bear the humiliation of Chinese occupation during a thousand years. Then, our heroic people rose to break the subversive bonds of domination and reclaimed our independence. Our past also included periods when we invaded and destroyed other countries. The most recent incident is the destructive ten-year occupation of Kampuchia, which incited the hatred of a neighboring country and created unwholesome karma, the fruits of which future generations will have to bear.

Recent historical events — Our country became a French colony around the end of the 19th century. In 1940, a World War erupted. In Việt Nam, on March 9, 1945, the Japanese overturned the French in a military coup. Emperor Bảo Đại enacted the abolition of the treaty of protectorate concluded with France and entrusted to Mr. Trần Trọng Kim the formation of the first government of the independent state of Việt Nam. On the global scene, the countries of the Axis – Germany, Italy and Japan – were overcome by the Allies – England, France, the United States, the USSR and China. In our country, on August 19, 1945, the Việt Minh revolutionary forces seized the power held by the Trần Trọng Kim government and proclaimed the creation of the Democratic Republic of Việt Nam. As France sought to restore its domination, on December 19, 1946, a war of national resistance was declared in view of defending our independence. At that time, the Việt Minh revealed its true communist nature and initiated a campaign to eliminate the nationalist groups. Faced with the danger of being gradually eradicated, the nationalist parties pulled back into special zones controlled by another non-communist government.

After the battle of Điện Biên Phủ, the Geneva agreement of 1954 divided our country into two: the North became the Democratic Republic and the South, the Republic of Việt Nam. The North pledged open allegiance to the communist bloc and immediately launched the process of conquering the South by force, an act which it dissimulated to the eyes of the world by operating behind an organization of its creation, called the Front of Liberation of the South. At that time, South Việt Nam accepted the support of the United States and the allied forces of the free world created to stop the expansion of communism. In the 1960s, as the invading forces from the North grew in numbers and in strength, the United States started pouring their own troops into the South, and the war intensified.

In 1972, after the rupture of relations between the USSR and China, President Nixon went to China and signed the Shanghai Agreement. Consequently, no longer needing an “outpost in the fight against communism”, the United States dropped their support of the Republic of Viet Nam! [The book “Khi Đồng Minh Tháo Chạy (When the Allies Ran Away)” by Dr. Nguyễn Tiến Hưng reveals the disappointing truths about the betrayal of the Americans in their shameful flight.] According to the Paris agreement signed in 1973, the United States was to withdraw their troops from South Viet-Nam and only leave in place a number of military advisers, while the North Vietnamese troops remained fully stationed in the South! The Communists of North Viet-Nam were therefore free to continue their unabated invasion of the South with the considerable assistance of the international communist bloc. Despite the courage shown in its war of self-defense, because of the serious lack of ammunition and fuel, South Viet-Nam was pushed into an untenable situation. On April 30, 1975, Saigon, the capital of the South, fell. In the months and years following that date, the world witnessed the exodus of the Vietnamese men, women and children fleeing communism, in search of freedom. I trust you already know the next chapters of our story with sufficient details.

Historical data and information — We live in an era of information and we are indeed swamped by a glut of data about everything. Much has been written about Viet-Nam and the Viet-Nam War, including photos and movies, but we found a serious shortage of books and films that are objective and truthful. There are of course a few authors who did try to provide an honest account of the war. Unfortunately, each of them only succeeded in relating one particular aspect of the truth, in the manner of the blind men in the ancient fable who tried to describe an elephant by each touching a part of its body. Moreover, many authors knowingly bend the truth to fit their personal justification or neurosis about the war. Still others, including certain monastic figures, make up stories for the purpose of slandering. The worst misrepresentations are found when those in power or their scribes engage in History writing. Alex Haley wrote in the last lines of his book Roots: “… preponderantly the histories have been written by the winners”. This is why we insist that you, and especially your children, should be extremely cautious and discerning in reading the books or viewing the films about Viet-Nam produced in the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st century, regardless of the authors and their nationalities.

From your parents’ perspective, the conflict that took place in our country from 1954 to 1975 was a war that opposed the North to the South, a civil war, a war by proxy resulting from the confrontation between the communist bloc and the free world, a war delivered with the weapons of the foreign countries and the blood of the Vietnamese people. For the South Vietnamese, it was a war of self-defense. Meanwhile, in the North, through propaganda and education of the masses, the communists portrayed it as a war delivered against the American puppet regime to reunify the country. The Northern winners had been arrogant and cruel; the defeated Southerners swallowed their pain and their anger, and bowed their heads in humiliation. There lies the heart of the deep chasm dividing our people (even though in all truth, there are many other reasons for the division). As long as one does not succeed in changing these two opposing views, it would be useless to speak about national reconciliation! Millions of dead people, a reunified country, but the Vietnamese people still remain deeply divided in their heart.

Visiting Viet-Nam — Many people asked us whether we had returned to Việt Nam. Our response has always been: “Not yet, because of our health.” Many have returned to Viet-Nam, each for their own particular reasons. Needless to say, we all long to be reunited with our homeland, but everyone has a personal view about the pros and cons of the matter! Returning to the country to care for one’s aging or sick parents, to help one’s family, to restore one’s ancestral tombs, to teach young students, to visit one’s country, these are valid reasons to go. Returning to the country to bring solace to victims of natural disasters, to selflessly help compatriots in need, these are also commendable motives. But returning to enjoy sensual pleasures, to take advantage of cheap tourism, or to seek monetary gains and official distinctions, then it is better to abstain.

Later, if the country has shown some real improvements, you may want to bring your children to visit our homeland. But we predict that they will not be particularly moved — one may not feel any emotion if there are no memories which associate one with something. Thus, in raising your children, please try to provide guidance and help them appreciate our native land, our people, our compatriots, and make sure they do not behave as vulgar tourists. As for the probability of your returning to live in Viet-Nam, we do not expect the prospects to be very positive.

The real situation in the country — If somebody tells you that the country has made progress — that the majority of the population are now able to eat rice with every meal, compared to the mix of rice and oats of the post-1975 era; that motorbikes and cars have mostly replaced bicycles — know that in truth, such progress only reflects the normal evolution of any country (after all, it would be unthinkable that after thirty years of peace, no growth or progress were achieved!). However, in terms of real democratic progress, if we compare Việt Nam to its neighbors, we cannot help feeling shame for the country’s failure in many aspects (even Kampuchea has an opposition party!).

If you want to know the real Việt Nam beyond the tall buildings, the shiny cars, the luxurious five-star hotels, the modern golf courses, then seek information from inside the country to see the extensive breakdown in many sectors (education, in particular), the excesses of “red capitalism”, the plague of widespread corruption, and the waste of our nation’s natural resources. And don’t forget to visit our compatriots who live in desolate poor regions in the back country. We need to look objectively at the actual situation without any make-up, that which is painted neither in pink nor in black.

For a clear view of the situation in our country, refer to a speech by Dr. Lê Đang Doanh, former Director of the Central Institute of Research on Management in Hà-Nội. In this speech, Dr. Doanh voiced the whole truth to the highest communist leaders. This document recently made its way abroad. In a presentation which is made of this text, one can read: “We should all pay attention to the numbers that point to the sad reality of the economic situation in Viet-Nam. Mr. Doanh underlines the weaknesses of the economy and the antidemocratic nature of the communist regime in Việt-Nam. He affirms unequivocally that the political infrastructure is obsolete and should be changed.” (Ngô Nhân Dụng, in Nguời Việt Daily, March 30, 2005).

Mr. Doanh relates the following story. An expert in international finances asked him the following question: “Clever as you claim to be, how come your country is still poor after such a long period? With your intelligence and your proud tradition, why do you beg all the time? Why don’t you give yourself a goal in time after which you will resolve to stop asking for alms? Is this possible?” How humiliating for us all! Our country is not populated only by incompetents; our people are not lazy; why this utter misery? It is all due to the dictatorship of the Party!

Having a political attitude — Our fellow expatriates are not the only ones who demand the abolition of the unique-party regime; some members of the Communist Party and progressive elements in the country are also clamoring for the same. Understand this: the fight against dictatorship, against a single party regime, against corruption, against the erroneous policies of the Communists, is not a fight against Viet-Nam; it is, quite to the contrary, an effort to move forward so that the country can improve and grow.

Some may say that the Vietnamese Communists did implement some change with the “Đổi Mới” or modernization program. Know that whatever modest change there was, it was the consequence of the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, of the fight against oppression by the Vietnamese people inside the country and abroad, and of international pressure. It was the threat of the disintegration of the Party which drove the Communists to institute economic modernization (with no modernization whatsoever on the political level). Even though we do not “do politics”, we must nevertheless adopt a political attitude; we must continue to support the effort to bring about effective democracy and freedom to our country.

The Secretary General of the Communist Party recognized that the Vietnamese Communists “committed several serious errors.” The question that begs to be asked is this: if errors have been made, then why not correct them? Why not offer to the people a public apology? Why not return the wrongfully taken land and properties to their individual owners and religious institutions? Why not compensate the victims of the land reform, of the repression against the intellectuals and artists in the Nhan Van – Giai Pham period, and of the waves of reforms in the industry and commerce sectors? Why not redress the harm done to those sent to the so-called “reeducation camps” and beg their forgiveness? In truth, everyone wishes to put aside hatred and resentments, but it is up to the Communists to demonstrate some constructive behavior that would convince the people of their good-will. It is utterly useless to simply say “let us erase hatred and resentments, let us forget the past and look towards the future” without doing anything concrete to turn the idea into policy and practice. To call for Dai Doan Ket or Great Union on the one hand, and to place the proposed reconciliation under the stewardship of a unique, all controlling Party (Constitution, article 4) on the other hand — how would you expect anyone to trust such empty words?

Our family — Let’s now talk about our family. Your mother and I belong to an older generation. We raised you in accordance with the standards of our generation, just like your grandparents raised us according to the standards of their time. You must have at times found us too strict. We simply followed the norm of our times. We hope that you will forget any unhappiness that, unaware, we may have inflicted upon you. Know that we did not seek an extravagant lifestyle, that we were never wasteful and that we lived well within the ethical and moral guidelines of our culture. We worked hard and saved every penny to provide for our family so that you could have a relatively comfortable life, a good education and a warm and happy home.

Because we had been despoiled of all our assets by the Communists, we experienced a rather difficult beginning on arrival in this country. Your mother and I had to accept very harsh working conditions. And you also, you had to work hard and diligently during your holidays in order to complete your studies. Today, everything seems to have fallen in place quite nicely. You should try never to be self-satisfied or to think of yourself as the best. Remember this: “When you look up, you will find that everyone is better; when you look down, you will see that everyone is worse.” Your personal talent, if any, counts only to some extent, the remainder results from the combination of favorable circumstances and the intangible benefits inherited from your ancestors and from your own actions in former lives and in this life. Always cultivate a virtuous life in order to improve your karma, in the same manner as a motorist must recharge the battery of his car. One reaps what one sows. Such is the universal law of cause and effect which leaves no one untouched!

Regarding your small family unit, here is our advice: between husband and wife, it is important to respect one another, to share and to compromise. Frictions are inevitable; resolve problems with patience, calm and wisdom. Anger is bad council, avoid it at all cost.

With respect to your children, love them without spoiling them. Be sure to keep an eye on their social circles. Establish contacts with the parents of their friends in order to obtain a fuller and deeper understanding of who they are. In our society today, bad peer influence is such a widespread phenomenon! The time spent watching television, playing video games or “chatting” on the Internet should be limited. On the other hand, it is important to encourage the practice of some physical activities and sports. This also applies to you personally. Be sure to include physical exercise in your routine in order to balance your activities. Let your father’s health condition be an inspiration to you. In my youth, I spent countless hours tied to my work. As a consequence, today, in my old age, my body “demands justice”, and I am frequently ill.

In your daily life, be thrifty (but not miserly). Make an effort to protect the environment because the resources of the world are limited; we must think of the future generations of our descendants. Do not waste anything, not even the Kleenex that you use to clean your hands. From time to time, let your children view the photographs and the films showing little children who are suffering terribly from hunger and cold; this will help them learn that in this world, a great many still live in misery.

Between brothers and sisters, keep in mind the following Vietnamese proverbs: “Brothers and sisters should be linked like hands and feet”; “when an elder sister falls, the little sister must help her up”; “a drop of blood is more valuable than a pond of water”; “when a horse is sick, the whole stable stops feeding”. The secret to maintaining good relationships between brothers and sisters may be found in one word: “forgiveness”. Do not hold rigor with your brothers and sisters for their defects. Any discord between you would be extremely painful to us.

In this society, as everyone seems to be short of time and can barely take care of his own immediate family, the extended family is somewhat neglected, much to our regret. Please make an effort to emphasize the tight relationship and unity in the extended family. To our daughters and daughters-in-law, we have a special request: help your husbands to maintain good relations between your brothers and sisters, as well as with all relatives on both the paternal and the maternal sides of the family.

Speaking Vietnamese — Some points need to be mentioned here. Your children have grown up as citizens of our host country with all the related rights and duties. Their daily life at school and in society forces them to speak and to write English and/or French impeccably, or they would run the risk of not being able to fully integrate in their social environment, of being insulated and missing out on opportunities for success and growth. They communicate with each other quite fluently in the two languages. Even though you do encourage them to speak Vietnamese at home, we feel their command of our language is rather weak. Their conversation skills are lacking, and their writing skills are even worse. This is understandable because they never dedicated enough time practicing reading and writing in Vietnamese! To help your children acquire any meaningful command of our language, it is simply not enough to spend a few hours each weekend at the language school with a teacher, as dedicated as she may be. Just think: in Vietnamese, the nomenclature, the hierarchy and the forms of address for various members of the family are one of the most complicated in the world!

Our fellow expatriates often point out the need for maintaining the use of the Vietnamese language. We agree with them. But to really think about it, a child cannot be the fusion of two children (Vietnamese and Canadian, or Vietnamese and American.) If too much pressure is exerted, the children will not bear it. In addition, we have to make time for their other interests such as sports, music, etc… Therefore we must make intelligent choices and establish a proper balance to avoid transforming your children into “studying machines”. Your children will be making progressive achievements in this country. Help them be prepared and adapted to their environment in order to ensure a satisfactory quality of life.

The Western society — We live in a society of excessive consumption. Don’t let yourself be caught by skilful marketing techniques which encourage you to consume without control. Surrounded by wants and needs, we become the easy preys of publicity; at the same time we are being conditioned and influenced by the banks and the insurance companies. Practice this motto: “Minimize your wants, be content with little.” Buy only what you need. This rule is also applicable to the houses and cars you buy; these should be well within your means and should provide the security and the basic functionality needed in your daily life. That’s enough. Avoid too much debt. This will lead to a much better worry-free life. Please understand that our advice is not mere theory. Today’s society is slipping lower and lower in many moral and spiritual aspects. The reason, in our opinion, is that when people are so focused on the appearances, they become egoistic, attached to material possessions, and cannot find happiness anywhere. To be truly happy, one needs to be less selfish. One must think of fellow human beings and learn to share with others.

Your old parents — With old age comes illness, and then one day, the old and the sick must depart… for good! That’s the universal law of life! When this day arrives for us, please make sure that our funerals are solemn but simple. Burying us in a cemetery may pose some problems for you, should you be required in the future to move away for your work. It would be difficult and impractical to take care of our tombs in this city. We prefer the cremation solution, which is more practical and does not require our bodies to be entombed. We believe future generations will need the land more than us. You could disperse our ashes on the mountain, in a river, or even in the ocean. We will return to dust, that’s all! Instead of spending on a funeral reception, please save the money to contribute to some worthy causes of collective interest. Do not be concerned that you would be criticized for this untraditional funeral. In time, people will understand and will approve.

One more important point: if, by misfortune, we should be sick and require life support in a vegetative state, please have the courage to remove our artificial life support system. Why prolong such a state which can only be a major burden to everyone?

The family shrine — Given today’s limited living space, it is not very easy to install a family shrine at home. To keep the memory of your ancestors, of your grandparents, both paternal and maternal, and of your parents, you may display photographs in the most suitable place of your house to show your respect and to reaffirm your commitment to never dishonor your ancestral tradition. On the anniversary of our death, prepare a small table on which you will lay out a cup of pure water, some scented flowers, fresh fruits and an incense rod (an electric rod would do as well). This would be sufficient. It is the expression of your love and that of your children that would be most meaningful and valuable to us on that day. We did mention “your children” to point out the need to make sure they understand the significance that we, Vietnamese, ascribe to the celebration of the anniversary of death of members of the family. During these special days, concentrate on good thoughts, do a few more acts of kindness compared to other regular days, give charity to the poor, donate clothes or food to charitable organizations. On these occasions, it would be wonderful if all brothers and sisters get together to renew and strengthen our family bonds. Please make an effort to organize such family reunions.

We hope that you will read this letter carefully, that you will meditate on it and that you will try to carry out our recommendations.

We thank you all for having always taken good care of us for so many years, and to have done all that’s required so that we can enjoy our old age in serenity.

With much love to you all, our beloved children and grandchildren, and a thousand kisses.

Father and Mother

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POST MGT 211 Full Course Latest

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   Post MGT211 unit 1 Discussion latest

 Our text and learning unit 1 lists and discusses several myths of entrepreneurship and small business Please complete the following HRB Quiz at:

http://blogshbrorg/2010/02/should-you-be-an-entrepreneur/

What surprised you as a result of completing the survey? Do you agree or disagree with the results? Explain

List and discuss three characteristics you believe to betrue about entrepreneurs and why you selected these characteristics

  Post MGT211 unit 21 & 22 Discussion latest

 21 Discussion

 Finding and Using NAICS Numbers

Part 1 of the feasibility study requires you to identify the NAICS code of your proposed business concept As mentioned in this week’s learning unit, the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) provides not only a system to classify your business but also provides valuable industry information and data, which is an invaluable tool to a startup or existing business In this discussion thread, you will practice using the NAICS site and discuss your findings with your classmates as presented in Skill Module 72 (Katz & Green)

What is your NAICS code? (Katz, pl 190) Please go to the updated site:

http://wwwcensusgov/cgi-bin/sssd/naics/naicsrch?chart=2012 In the text box that says “enter keyword” enter the name of the industry that best describes the industry in which your proposed business idea is located You should end up with a 6 digit code for the industry in which your business will be located If you are not sure of your industry, it may take some experimentation See examples in Skill module 72

Once you locate your NAICS code, go to wwwcensusgov and click on “economic census” Once you are in “economic census” enter your NAICS code and look for data related to your industry

Find and share one fact about your industry that you find particularly intersting and that is available at this cite such as number of establishments, annual revenue, trends, etc Also refer to Table 71 on page 200 for additional information and ideas

For your convenience, I am also attaching a table with the NAICS structure and numbers

2012_NAICS_Structurexls (255 KB)

 22 Discussion

 Not all good ideas represent profitable business opportunities Ideas must be tested and you will have an opportunity to do so in your feasibility study which is the primary written requirement for this course You will also be introduced to many free resources available to you in developing your feasibility study such as the SCAMPER acronym (Katz & Green) Tim Hayden (See Focus on Small Business, Katz & Green) developed a web-based application so that baseball fans could watch TV instant replays while enjoying a baseball game at a stadium Using the SCAMPER acronym, discuss at least two methods in the acronym that Tim may use to update his App to 2014? How will you use these methods in developing your feasibility study?

  Post MGT211 unit 3 Discussion latest

 Part 2 of your feasibility study will require you to describe your customer base This process requires careful research to identify the types and concentration of customers you will need to start and grow your business

Please go to Skill Module 112 on page 367 Following the directions in Skill Module 112 and using the site: wwwzipwhocom,

Please enter the state and city where your proposed business will be located and share at least three pieces of information describing your customer base such as education level, ethnicity, age, etc

Discuss how this information will assist you in completing Part 2 of your feasibility study

  Post MGT211 unit 4 Discussion latest

 Each year corporations spend millions of dollars for a few seconds of advertising during the football championship super bowl game Please watch the advertisements in the link below, which includes 15 advertisements shown during the 2014 super bowl game

Discuss the target market and market segment of at least four advertisements in terms of age group, gender, education, and any other marketing demographic information

http://wwwthedailybeastcom/articles/2014/02/02/the-15-best-super-bowl-2014-commercialshtml

Enjoy!

  Post MGT211 unit 51 & 52 Discussion latest

 51 Discussion

Locate your state’s Secretary of State home page on the Internet Find information on forming LLCs Answer the following questions and discuss your findings with your classmates

1 What state did you research?

2 Discuss reasons why you would or would not use the services of an attorney to assist you in submitting your application

 52 Discussion

If a start-up entrepreneur lacks certain competencies such as understanding cash flow or not knowing how to use social media marketing techniques, using the BRIE Checklist (Katz & Green, p 14), discuss at least three strategies the start-up entrepreneur could use to compensate for his or her deficiencies You may also want to refer to Skill Module 22

  Post MGT211 unit 6 Discussion latest

 Read the case, Debbie Dusenberry and the Curious Sofa (Katz & Green, pp 409-10) Discuss the following concepts with your classmates

Discuss the differences between profit and cash flow

Will completing breakeven analysis (p 311) help Debbie? Why or why not?

Where or how can Debbie find help to save her business?

  Post MGT211 unit 7 Discussion latest

 View Table 82 on page 225 of our textbook Discuss the differences and similarities between conducting a feasibility study and writing a complete business plan

How can the conduct of a strong feasibility study help to minimize or avoid some of the most common critical risks in a business plan listed on p 238? Have you observed any of these risks in the parts of your feasibility study completed to date?

Where would you find funds to start a business? (See Table 151, p 489)

  Post MGT211 unit 8 Discussion latest

 An effective elevator speech is specific and has the capacity to “sell” your business concept quickly to your classmates who will play the role of venture capitalists The elevator pitch is designed to be brief but is a specific statement about your startup investment opportunity The idea is to be able to sell your idea to a potential investor in an elevator going up or down about 30 floors, about 2 minutes It should also include the amount of startup cash or resources you would be requesting of a potential investor Please refer to “The Thoughtful Entrepreneur” (p 242) and to the notes in the “Written Assignments” in the Course Information Tab

  Post MGT211 FS Part 1 The Business Concept assignment latest

  Part 1 Due by Sunday, 11:59 pm

 IFeasibility Study

 According to the research, a number of critical factors are important for a new venture’s success and must be assessed in a systematic way prior to investing additional time and one’s other resources Those factors are summarized in “Exhibit 42, The Feasibility Study Outline” in the textbook, pages 93-96 and in the Appendix, Sample Feasibility Study, pages 95-98 Your feasibility study assignment will consist of four (4) written parts designed to assess the initial financial viability of your business concept Each written component should be two pages in length and single spacedThe page limitation is designed to encourage you be brief but specific Part four will require the completion of two spreadsheets that will be linked or attached to that assignment

The feasibility analysis is a prelude to writing a business plan, which is more detailed and thoroughly researched and is required if a bank loan or investment funds are being sought The purpose of the feasibility study is to assess whether or not a good idea represents a profitable business opportunity and is designed to gain sufficient information and data to provide you with a a “go or no-go” decision in moving forward in completing a full business plan

For each assignment, please include the Part number, eg Part 1, Part 2, etc; and please include the title of each lettered subsection in each assignment, eg a b c etc Also make certain that your name is on the top of the pageand that your electronic submission includes your name at the beginning of the submission title eg Smith, J Part 1For your convenience, I have also included text page numbers discussing the various feasibility topics The assignments are as follows:

  Assignment 1

 Part 1The Description of your Business Concept (2 pages single-spaced, please include subheadings) 10%

1.     Describe your product or service in a paragraph or two Ref pages 274-279

2.     Present the Mission of your business, eg fundamental reason for being; and a Vision statement, what you hope your business will become

3.     Describe the features or cost benefits of your product or service Ref pages 188-197

4.     Describe the value benefits of your product or service Eg why would someone pay for or buy your product/service over your competitors Ref pages 188-197

5.     Will your business be 1) an online business; 2) an on-ground business; or, 3) a combination of both? Explain

6.     Provide the six-digit NAICS (North American Industrial Classification System) number for your business NAICS numbers may be found at the following site:Error! Hyperlink reference not validcensusgov/cgi-bin/sssd/naics/naicsrch?chart=2012″>http://wwwcensusgov/cgi-bin/sssd/naics/naicsrch?chart=2012

Locate the “keyword box” in the upper left hand corner and enter a keyword describing your business, eg health food, pet products and this will lead you to your NAICS number

  Post MGT211 FS Part 2 Customer/Industry Analysis assignment latest

  Part 2 Due by Sunday, 11:59pm

Part 2 Customer/Industry Analysis (3-4 pages single-spaced, please include subheadings) 15%

1.     Describe the industry within which your business will be located and describe at least three recent trends in that industry Note:This information and item b following may be found using your NAICS number and in trade organization publications Also, see Skill Modules 31, p 54) and 72 (p 190) And pages 18-190 and NAICS link above in assignment 1

2.     Describe the market growth rate for your product/service, ie, what is the market demand likely to be in the next 1-3 years You may also try using Google or Bing for this information or trade associations (Skill Module 31, p54) for your proposed business idea

3.     Describe your market segment and your market niche within that market segment, ie describe your customers, who they are and where they are located Ref pages 393-95

4.     Describe at least three of your competitors, why they are competitors and where they are located

5.     Where will you locate your business? If a wholly online business what will you do to attract customers?

6.     How will you market or promote your product/service? Ie, online sales, social media marketing, search engine optimization, personal selling, etc Describe in detail

  Post MGT211 FS Part 3 Management Team and Operations assignment latest

 Part 3Due by Sunday, 11:59 pm

Part 3 Management and Operations (2 pages single-spaced, please include subheadings) 10%

1.     Describe who will be the CEO and his/her qualifications/experiences in the product/service industry, including both education and work and other relevant experiences

2.     Describe briefly how you will distribute your product or service Ref pages 348-358

3.     Describe how many employees you will need at startup, their particular expertise (eg marketing, financial, operations, etc), and how they will be paid

4.     Describe what types of external advisors you will need and how they will be paid (eg lawyer, accountant, etc)

5.     Describe the legal organization of your business (eg sole proprietor, LLC, Partnership, C Corporation, S Corporation) and reasons for selecting this legal organization form Ref page 600, Table 185

6.     Describe unpaid advisors who will assist you during startup and 3 years thereafter

  Post MGT211 FS Part 4 Financial Analysis and Requirements assignment latest

 Part 4 Due by Sunday, 11:59pm

Part 4 Financial Analysis and Requirements (3 pages single-spaced plus spreadsheets, please include subheadingPlease include a link to your spreadsheet or include as attachments to part 4 document Thank you!)

1.     Describe your pricing strategy for your product/service Ref Table 91 page 295

2.     Describe the amount of startup funds you will need, where you will get them, and how they will be used

3.     List 3-5 assumptions governing your cash flow projections For a startup, assumptions are your “best educated guesses” regarding goals such as how many units you will sell and why, or what your cash flow will be at the end of each month and why, etc will you pay yourself, what will you pay your employees, will you use full or part-time employees, what services will you outsource or contract out, etc

4.     Complete your startup sources and uses of funds using the “Opening Day Balance Sheet”(third bullet point under “Finance Templates”) on the following website:

 Error! Hyperlink reference not validscoreorg/resources/business-plans-financial-statements-template-gallery”>http://wwwscoreorg/resources/business-plans-financial-statements-template-gallery(see notes below)

1.     Develop a one-year projected (pro forma) cash flow statementusing the Cash Flow Statement (12 months)at the (eighth bullet point under “Finance Templates) on the following website:

 Error! Hyperlink reference not validscoreorg/resources/business-plans-financial-statements-template-gallery”>http://wwwscoreorg/resources/business-plans-financial-statements-template-gallery(see notes below)

 Notes:

 Financial Worksheets on the SCORE website:

The SCORE Opening Day Balance Sheet and Cash Flow Statement (12 months) worksheets are “live” excel worksheets and all you need to do is to (1) read the introductory information, (2) enter your company name and (3) complete the spreadsheets indicated Once you get into the website, under “Finance Templates” click the third bullet for the Opening Day Balance Sheetand click on the eighth bullet for the Cash Flow Statement (12 months)Make certain that you have a full page view in order to see the full page These worksheets are active and include appropriate formulae You just need to insert your projected numbers When you click on the worksheet tabs, go to the “review” panel in excel and “unprotect” the worksheets This will give you working access and then you will be able to save your completed worksheet as your own in your files

  Opening Day Balance Sheet (or Sources and Uses of Funds)

 The Balance Sheet is a snapshot of your financials at a given point in time In this case, it will on the first day of start-up, representing your pro forma projections of how much you will need to start your business and where the funds will come from The Balance Sheet is a statement of an owner’s assets, liabilities, and equity and should balance; that is, assets must equal liabilities plusthe owner’s equity This balance sheet is active as well, and your assets, liabilities, and equity should be based on your best case projections and subsequently are reflected in your Cash Flow Statement worksheet You just need to insert your numbers and, as above, you don’t have to use all items, if not appropriate to your business

  Cash Flow Statement (12 months)

 The Cash Flow Statement worksheet projects your business’ cash inflows and outflows over a given period of time (in this case, one year, Jan 1, 20xx to December 31, 20xx) and should reflect your assumptions for growth during that time period Please indicate your assumptions in an attachment to the worksheets Along with your assumptions, include when you project your breakeven point to be; that is, the time period after which you project a profit (and how you calculated your breakeven point) You do not have to use all items listed in spreadsheet Use only those items that may be appropriate to your business

 Note: I am providing these SCORE “Business Plans & Financial Templates for your convenience You can create your own excel spreadsheets or find and use other similar templates

  Post MGT211 Final Examination assignment latest

 This final examination is comprehensive based on the Red Jett Sweets, Inc business plan and is to be completed using the essay format It is worth 30% of your final grade The final is due by Sunday at midnight EST.