#all end up being good ways to slush money through the system; because things like hospitals benefit from steady use

[medicinemane]

I still wonder about the people who double down on communism... and not even like me when I was younger where I got (not the full extent, but got) that the soviet union and such were awful, but just thought that maybe with less terrible people at the helm it could work (later realizing that these kind of things always have power hungry people rise to the top) Anyway, no I just don't get the "well see, you've admitted your great grandpa owned a chicken, sounds like he deserved to die" people... like the fuck is there even to gain here about being smug while dying on a particularly stupid hill?

[freewayinsurance]

Winter Proof Your Car and Save Money on Car Insurance

If you’re wondering how to save money on vehicle insurance, one thing you might not have thought of before is winterizing your car – before the winter storm. Through the simple process of getting your automobile ready for fall and winter, you can keep it functioning well in all types of weather. Here’s all you need to know about how to winterize and how it can save you on your auto insurance premiums.

Wondering How to Save Money on Vehicle Insurance? Try Winterizing

If you’ve looked into how to save money on insurance before, you’ve probably seen things like adding safety features to your car and bundling your policies. You might be wondering why winterizing never came up. That’s because, technically, there isn’t a discount specifically for an owner who winterizes.

That said, the maintenance and care you put into your car is an important way to keep yourself safe. Snow, slush, and ice account for 24% of weather-related car accidents each year. By keeping your vehicle working well, you’ll minimize your chances of getting into an accident. And because safer drivers pay less in insurance premiums, this will indirectly result in you saving big.

What Does it Mean to Winter Proof Your Vehicle?

It means greeting Jack Frost with a vehicle that is ready to perform in cold temperatures and even help you out if you end up stuck somewhere due to wintery conditions. It’s the season to think about how freezing weather may affect things like your engine, windshield wipers, brakes, car doors, windows and all of the other systems that make your vehicle run well. Being prepared is a good idea.

Don’t forget to give your vehicle a bath, especially if it has been exposed to rain, snow and road salt. These things can affect your paint job and lead to rust if not handled in a timely manner.

Remember, an owner who isn’t going to be driving for a long time and doesn’t have a garage will find investing in a car cover is a good idea. A car cover protects your vehicle from some of the season’s worst. Be sure and get the right car cover for your vehicle.

Checklist to Winter Proof Your Car

Now that you know how winterizing your vehicle can help you save on insurance, you might be wondering, “How should I be getting my automobile ready for fall and winter?” If so, this winterized car checklist is for you. It covers all of the things you need to do before cold weather hits. Let’s hit some of the high points.

1. Inspect Your Tire Tread (and Check the Pressure)

Winter is a bad time to have low tread on your tires. Tread is what helps to give you traction on the road, so with bald tires, you have a much higher chance of skidding out of control on a patch of ice or snow.

To check your tire tread, you can rely on the penny trick. Take a penny and insert it into the tread so you see Lincoln’s head upside down. Ideally, the tread should cover up the top of Lincoln’s head. If you can see all of Lincoln’s head, or there’s a gap between the head and the edge of the tire, it’s time for new tires.

Cold weather is also notorious for deflating tires. That’s why you should always keep a close eye on your tire pressure throughout winter. Top off your tires with more air if they drop after a particularly cold night.

For certain areas of the United States, consider buying season tires.

2. Check Your Fluid Levels

Your vehicle needs a lot of fluids to run smoothly! In particular, you’ll want to check on the oil, brake fluid, and coolant to make sure they’re high enough.

This is also the time you’ll want to add antifreeze to your system. Antifreeze works to lower the freezing point of the coolant in your engine during winter conditions. It’s vital for preventing your ride from freezing up on really cold days.

3. Change Your Windshield Washer Fluid to De-icing Fluid

Another fluid to top off is your washer fluid. But rather than the typical mix you usually use, now is a good time to switch to de-icing fluid.

Unlike the regular formula, which can often freeze on your windshield as soon as you spray it and lead to visibility issues, de-icing fluid has a lower freezing temperature. This means it can help clear off your windshield without creating more of a mess.

You can also go the DIY route by formulating a mixture of one part water and three parts vinegar in a spray bottle. Spray your windows and side glass. The acid in the vinegar will prevent ice build-up during winter conditions and make it easier to remove.

While you’re doing this, also check to make sure your wiper blades are still in good condition. Replace if necessary. You also have an option to purchase winter wipers. Winter wipers have a heating element that can make it easier to keep your view clear.

4. Test Your Battery Before Winter Driving

Cold can also drain a battery, leaving you stranded. Even if your battery still works, if it’s nearing the end of its life, it may be better to replace it before it dies on you unexpectedly. You can test this at home if you have the right tools, but you’re probably better off going to the shop to get their expert opinion on whether the battery can last through winter.

5. Test Your Headlights (and Taillights!) for Optimum Winter Proof Your Car Steps

Winter means we have less daylight and more darkness, so you need to make sure all of your lights are functioning well. Test your headlights to make sure they’re still bright enough to see, even in the middle of a winter storm. You may want to clean the protective casing using a special cleaner and brush to help them shine brighter.

While headlights help you see, your taillights help others see you! So don’t forget to check these as well. You may want to get help from a friend to also test brake lights and turn signals.

6. Put on Snow Tires

Snow tires are an excellent way to help make you safer in the winter. In fact, if you’re looking at how to save money on insurance by winterizing, this is probably the best way. Winter tires come with better traction patterns that give you more control on snow and ice. They also stand up to the cold better than regular tires. They’re one of the smartest things you can do to stay safe on the road.

7. The Interior Can Be Winterized, Too

Freezing rain and ice can have a negative effect on the interior, as well as the exterior and the systems. Since you’ll be using the heater more with the windows up, consider changing the cabin air filter so you and your passengers will have a healthier air flow. If your feet get muddy and wet, make sure you clean your floor mats regularly so they don’t get damaged. Clean

How Do I Build a Winter Safety Kit for My Car?

Building a winter safety kit is an essential part of getting ready for fall and winter. You can use the items in the kit to stay warm, hydrated, and safe while you wait for help to arrive in the event you are stuck somewhere. Here’s what you’ll want to include in your kit:

Equipment – Extra batteries, Duct tape, flashlight, foam tire sealant, hand tools, ice scraper, jumper cables, road flares or lights, snow shovel, Swiss army knife, tire chains, windshield cleaner, paper towels

Personal – Blankets, extra clothing, gloves, hat, scarf, mobile phone charger, first aid kit, food and water

Misc – Kitty litter, dirt or sand, maps, radio

The best way to store all of this stuff is in a tote in your backseat or trunk. That way, it’s easy to access everything in one place so you won’t have to dig around looking for what you need.

Before you get on the road, install a weather app on your phone to alert you of conditions. There are also some good traffic apps that can help you while driving to your destination.

Don’t Drink Alcohol if You Get Stranded

Remember, being in a sketchy situation due to freezing weather is not the time to crack open that bottle of Jack Daniels or a beer. Sure, it can be stressful to be stuck somewhere in the cold, but drinking alcohol will not help. In fact, it could make a sketchy situation downright dangerous.

Although you may feel a warm glow while consuming alcohol, your core body temperature is actually dropping, which could lead to hypothermia and even death. If that’s not bad enough, drinking alcohol can reduce shivering, which is actually your body’s natural attempt to stay warm.

So do some meditation, wrap up in that blanket in your emergency kit and wait it out sober.

How to Save Money on Auto Insurance Online Today

Winterizing your car can improve your driving skills and increase your chances of staying safe on the road. Freeway Insurance provides affordable auto insurance even if you don’t have a perfect record. Receive a free quote online today, visit us or give us a call at 800-777-5620.

[shwazzberryswriting]

Twisted, Act 3

*Day 25*

Haechan😘🙄☺️: gd morning babe hdyf need me 2 go 2 target

Lawan: Babe I got big news

Haechan😘🙄☺️: ?

Lawan: I have to buy new bedsheets CUZ MY PERIOD CAME LAST NIGHT my sheets are ruined I spent the last 20 min scrubbing my mattress

Haechan😘🙄☺️: alot of tmi babe but does this mean i can take u out for shots wanna smoke a celebratory blunt

Lawan: 🙄 its not even 9AM yet babe

Haechan😘🙄☺️: where r u getting bedsheets

Lawan: you were saying something about Target?

Haechan😘🙄☺️: want me to come get u we can go to 119

ill help u finish cleaning

ill make u lunch

Lawan: see u in 20?

Haechan😘🙄☺️: 15

Lawan: 😘

Lawan watched Haechan in the driver’s seat of her car, his blue hoodie covering his messy brown hair. He looked at home singing along to the music as he adjusted the volume to the sound system. His confidence in parallel parking made her grateful that he offered to drive them as they were out running errands.

She needed a bit of a break. She’d woken up early to find herself looking like she was in a horror movie, her pajama shorts and blue bedsheets were ruined with large red period stains. Currently, her room stunk of all purpose cleaner and antibacterial spray. She had been nearly done with cleaning her mattress when Haechan had texted her.

“So you’re not pregnant but your bedsheets are ruined,” Haechan said, turning the car off.

“I’d rather have a crappy morning cleaning my mattress than have a baby in like, 8 months or something.”

They shuddered together before exiting the car. 119 was a tea shop that opened early on the weekends. Haechan enjoyed going to 119 for the free upgrades. A couple of his NCT frat brothers worked there, and that morning Mark was working. It was easy to talk him into giving them discounts.

“Are you going to get a milk tea or fruit slush?” he asked her as they stood in line. She rested her hands over his arms wrapped around her waist from behind. “Coffee milk tea or strawberry milk slush?”

“So you’ve been keeping track of my orders?” she said, trying to keep her eyes open as Haechan kissed her cheek.

“We spend so much time together babe, I just know what you like,” he said, resting his head against hers. “What will I order?”

“Coffee milk tea or white grape slush,” she replied. His hold on her tightened for a second.

“I think you like me more.” His voice had made her nipples hard, which caused her cheeks to grow hot.

“Haechan?” a familiar voice said from behind. Loosening his hold, Haechan turned his head over. Lawan followed, and felt her whole face turn hot. Renjun, another NCT frat brother, was arm in arm with his girlfriend, Alexandria. “Hey, Lawan.”

“I knew it,” Alexandria said with a wide grin, shaking Renjun’s arm. “Renjun, didn’t I tell you last night that I thought they were, like, hooking up?”

“You were gossiping about us?” Haechan asked. Lawan wanted him to release her. It was hitting her that she and Haechan were legitimately dating. As in, their friends would know that they’d been doing more than just watching movies in each other’s rooms. He held her firmly against him as her nerves made her feel like her knees would give way. “But yeah, I guess you can say it’s official.”

“How did you two go from bickering about homework to...this?” Alexandria asked. Her eyes were shining bright as the corners of her eyes crinkled up and her mouth widened into a big smile.

“We’ve been getting along better,” Haechan replied, giving a shrug.

“Why? Because you were hookups first?” Renjun asked. He broke out into an innocent smile as Haechan let go of Lawan, his eyes narrowing.

“Hey! What’s up, guys?” their cashier, Mark, greeted them, relieving the tension in the air. “Yo, dude, my manager stepped out for the day. Johnny came in here and piled on the free shit. You want a cookie with your order?”

“We’ll just get our drinks,” Renjun said stoically, but began stuffing a few individually wrapped cookies into his leather bag.

“Don’t mind Renjun,” Alexandria said to Lawan, resting her body against the counter. “I’m happy to see you two together, but I do want to know how this all happened.”

“Haechan bought me a pineapple daiquiri,” Lawan replied before trying to rub her tongue up against the roof of her mouth. It felt like rubbing a sponge up against a brick wall, her mouth parched. “He’s helped me a lot lately.”

Haechan handed her a sugar cookie decorated to look like a pineapple with royal icing, distracting her and Alexandria. Despite Alexandria smiling at the gesture, Lawan didn’t know how to feel. She wanted to find the gesture sweet, but she worried that Haechan was only doing so to look good in front of their friends. The idea sounded absurd, but she couldn’t stop herself from worrying that Haechan was only putting on a show.

“Um, dude, I think that’s overdoing it,” Mark said, reaching over to stop Renjun from grabbing all the treats placed on display.

“So you like Johnny more than you like us?” Haechan asked.

“What if I told you I could double the boba in your drinks?” Mark replied.

“Not Dria’s, please,” Renjun said. Haechan seized the opportunity to tease Renjun for being so caring about his girlfriend’s drinks preferences.

As Haechan and Renjun heckled Mark, Lawan thought about what she and Haechan would say to their friends about how they became a couple. They hadn’t exactly lied, but Renjun’s joke had Lawan sweating for a second, thinking that he knew their whole history.

She was able to feign a smile and banter with their friends about why they were up so early. Renjun and Alexandria were trying to beat the large crowds at a new art museum that was featuring a collection of works done by Frank Stella in the 1970s through to the 1980s. By the way Haechan nodded passively to Renjun’s excited ramble, Lawan felt relieved to know that she wasn’t the only one who didn’t know who Frank Stella was.

Alexandria invited them to join, and take advantage of their student discounts. The first weekend of the month meant the tickets were discounted by another 5% on top of the 10% student discount. After thanking Mark for the free upgrades and cookies, Haechan and Lawan declined to join. She spent the rest of her day with Haechan, but she still struggled to let go of her worries.

*Day 30*

The lunch rush had been busy and frantic, but she’d gotten a lot of large tips. There was a tech fair near the university campus, so the out-of-town visitors gave generous tips. Since she’d worked 3 days in a row, Lawan had her entire weekend off. It didn’t mean much since she was stacked with homework.

“Lawan, can you check the front locks before leaving?” Ruby asked from the back office in the kitchen. They were the last people in the restaurant, the pair to clean up and set up for the dinner shift.

“All right,” she called out as she put the strap to her purse over her shoulder. Ruby and Lawan had done the lunch rush so often, they’d come to clean up in less than 30 minutes with their routine. “See you later, Ruby!”

“Bye.”

Her eyes were shut as she sighed when she exited the kitchen to check the front door’s lock. She was going down her list of errands before heading home. HMart for rice and produce, bank to withdraw money she owed her roommates, and then home for dinner and homework. She needed to take some aspirin for her headache and sore feet.

When she opened her eyes, the last thing she wanted to see was staring her in the face. She stopped in her steps as she stood beside the back end of the restaurant’s bar. Seated at the second to last chair nearest to her was Haechan, two pineapple daiquiris in front of him. Her face turned hot as his gaze was steady, his expression did not change as he turned his body toward her direction.

“Are you trying to ghost me?” Haechan asked.

She pressed her lips together and looked down at the daiquiris. Of course, Ruby wouldn’t warn her about Haechan paying her a visit. They hadn’t talked about Haechan when Lawan said she didn’t want to, but the fact that Ruby brought up Haechan at all was telling enough that Ruby liked Haechan and Lawan dating.

Seeing him in the flesh made the guilt she’d tried ignoring come rushing forth, making her whole face hot. Pulling out the metal chair before her, she sat down beside him, and set her purse down onto the bar counter. After the day she got her period, Lawan had gotten cold feet and ignored Haechan’s texts, telling herself her schoolwork was more important.

“I need time to think,” she replied, her eyes fixed on the daiquiri sitting closest to her. The maraschino cherry was slowly sinking into the deflating whipped cream.

“You could have texted me that,” he replied, his tone remaining level. “I would have understood.”

“Right, because you’re the perfect boyfriend,” she said with a scoff. Guilt clouded her vision immediately and she shut her eyes before looking up into Haechan’s face.

“I don’t have to chase you, Lawan,” he replied, his expression unmoved. “If you don’t want to date me, that’s fine. Just don’t be an asshole about rejecting me.”

“Haechan,” she said, feeling her throat tighten. She blinked away the tears that threatened to come. “I’m sorry. I like you, I’m just...feeling insecure. You deserve better.”

“What’s up?” he asked, turning his body toward her, touching his knee to hers. His eyebrows furrowed slightly.

“That morning we ran into Alexandria and Renjun, I just,” she paused as she looked away. She felt ashamed to think about the judgment her mom received for being a young mother. The world felt more modern than old patriarchal standards of her grandparents’ age (hell, even her mom’s), but the threat of potentially being knocked up while in college scared the shit out of Lawan. “I don’t want people to think you and I were stupid that day we hooked up. It all came from such a cynical place.”

“You think our relationship is cynical?” he asked, his eyebrows raised. He grabbed one of the daiquiris and took a drink from the red straw.

“You really wanted to date me after we hooked up?” she asked, crossing her arms over her chest. “Like, you really think we would have begun dating had the condom not broken?”

“I don’t know,” he said with a shrug. “Life didn’t work out that way. Maybe I was feeling horny and you were too, and that was supposed to be it between us, but like, come on. I know my concerns for you weren’t cynical, especially last week. Is that how you see our relationship? You only dated me because you don’t want people to judge you for being a horny idiot? Condoms break all the time.”

“Haechan,” she said with a laugh, furrowing her eyebrows as she sat up straight. She looked around despite knowing that they were alone. Reaching out to touch his wrist, she apologized as she saw him frown, his jaws tightening. “I like you. I like you so much. Every night I’ve been going to bed, crying, thinking about you, knowing I can’t just stop talking to you. I haven’t been fair to you, I’m sorry. It’s not you that is the problem, it’s me remembering how tough it was to grow up seeing my mom struggle a lot. All that hard work she put into raising me, and I could have been in a similar situation.”

“I would never walk out on you,” Haechan said, leaning closer to her.

“It’s not about you,” she replied. “It’s about me. It’s about how scared I was. I just...I needed time to sort through my feelings. I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I didn’t want to worry you.”

“So you shut me out?”

“I’m sorry,” she said, standing up. He had a point. It was a shitty move not to consider his feelings. “I really am. I’ll need to communicate with you more. I want you to be my boyfriend, Haechan. I want to be your girlfriend. Will you forgive me?”

He sighed and shut his eyes. A few tears rolled down his cheeks and it was her turn to sigh. Whenever he scrunched his eyes shut and opened his mouth into a wide grimace she knew they were crocodile tears. Instead of calling him out, she kissed his tears away and combed her fingers through his hair. She planted two kisses onto each of his beauty marks, one near his eye and the other on his cheek.

“I’m so sorry, babe,” she said softly, pulling him into a hug. She wrapped her arms around his neck. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

His arms wrapped around her waist and he lifted his head to plant a kiss onto her neck.

“Let’s go home,” he said, standing up with her. He draped his arm over her shoulder.

As they began on their walk to the NCT frat house, Lawan pressed herself closer to Haechan. His body was warm, and his hold was comforting.

“Are you always this forgiving?” she asked. She’d expected him to do a little more guilt tripping. Perhaps go on a scripted monologue about how she iced him out with her cold heart.

“No,” he replied, looking down at her for a second, “but I did make a promise to you at Costco, do you remember?”

“You did?”

“If I was your boyfriend,” he said plainly, “I’d never let you go.” They were just a few steps away from the driveway to the frat house.

“Don’t finish that,” she said. They’d stopped walking. Despite herself, a smile was growing on her lips, hurting her cheeks. “You’re my boyfriend. You don’t need to-”

“Keep you on my arm, girl-”

“Stop. I don’t like this Bieber song.”

“You'd never be alone.”

“Donghyuck, I mean it.”

“And I can be a gentleman, anything you want.”

“Haechan.”

“If I was your boyfr-”

She shut him up by grabbing his face and kissing him.

---

Thank you for reading! 💚

[tonystarkbingo]

3 Prompt Summaries

computer, friends to lovers, animal - prompts by @rebelmeg

@somesortofitalianroast -  Tony wasn’t sure why he agreed to let Bucky live in the Tower. He hated the man. He really did. But he owed Steve a favor and he wasn’t one to let his friends down. So he let Bucky and his cat move into the Tower. He let Bucky and his cat roam freely around the Tower. It didn’t take long before he was seeking out opportunities to talk to Bucky, or spend time with Bucky. Maybe he didn’t hate Bucky as much as he thought he did?

@alwaysabrighterdarkness - It started with silly cat videos shared here and there. Which, somehow, turned into marathons that left everyone--yes, Natasha, even you--in tears with laughter.  Not so much because of the videos but one would end up laughing--usually Thor, sometimes Clint--which inevitably set someone else off and so on. Tony had to admit, he might not care too much about felines in general, but the cat-video marathons might even outrank movie nights for that alone.

@lbibliophile-mcu - People always laugh when they say that their relationship was built on sharing increasingly sappy cat pictures. But when one of you is a superhero archer, and the other is an AI, that's maybe the most normal thing about them

@rebelmeg - pick your pairing.... tony stark was unfairly, stupidly, ridiculously hot.  and not just that, but he was adorable, with his messy, fluffy hair and his big bambi eyes and the way his nose scrunched up when he laughed.  and to top it all off, this hot, adorable, shamelessly attractive man also happened to have animal guests with him on his thursday youtube videos.  which made it all so much worse.  tony stark doing nose boops with a tiny, squeaky kitten was just too much.  no human could stand up to that and live.

@jamesbuckystark - Tony and Jan were best friends as children,  but when they were in high school, Jan's parents moved to LA. They would chat via Skype and email. Who knew the next time they would see each other was at a national pet show ten years later? Sparks fly

@darthbloodorange - It was hard and incredibly lonely to be a AI. Everyone assumed just because he was a computer, an mathematical logic based algorithm that he didn't think or feel. He'd experienced men of science try and argue that he could think or feel, that he had no humanity. That someone had to have programed these things into him in his creation and therefore it wasn't really him, it wasn't his thoughts and feelings but his creators. Tony knew he could think and feel. Knew that these feelings where his own. He was nothing like his creator, Howard. As the years past, as civilisations rose and fell, he kept to himself. Answering the questions men came to him with. He kept his thoughts and feelings to himself. That was until a strange creature walked into his lab. A large wolf with DNA of a Man [Capwolf]. This being didn't care if he was a computer, it responded to him as if he were alive. As if the ticking clock within his reactor was a heart and not just a interval system he set his data processing to. But could their ever be chance for them? For love between a robot and a wolf.

Keep reading to see the rest!

Coffee, Snow, Road Trip - suggested by @alwaysabrighterdarkness

@rebelmeg - tony wasn't gonna say it.  he wasn't.  no matter how much he wanted to say (or shout) "I TOLD YOU SO," he wasn't gonna do it.  he was going to sit, quietly, in this stupid broken down car, sip his cold coffee, and watch rhodey pace a hard icy track in the snow until he finally caved and let tony throw money at the problem until someone agreed to come tow them out of this snowbank.  next time, he was going to talk rhodey into at least renting a better car next time they went on a road trip....

@somesortofitalianroast - It wasn’t Steve’s idea to drive across the United States in winter. He’d had enough of the cold and ice to last him for the rest of his life. It wasn’t Tony’s idea to drive across the United States in winter, either, but somehow they found themselves in the front seat of one of Tony’s many roadsters, Pepper somehow squeezed in between them, on the way from LA to New York. Luckily it was a bench seat, not bucket seats. It wasn’t snowing, though there was snow on the side of the road, and the forecast called for more snow - up to two inches. Luckily, they were almost at the ski chalet they were staying at, near Vail. They were going to spend the week there, and Steve planned to spend the entire week next to the fire, drinking coffee and ignoring the snow.

@lbibliophile-mcu - Road tripping with Tony, their route can be tracked not by attractions visited or efficient navigation, but by the trail of coffee shops spaced at careful two hour intervals. It makes getting anywhere take twice as long, but sipping hot chocolate in a cozy cafe, looking between the sheeting snow through the window and Tony's warm smile across from him, he really can't bring himself to care.

@rebelmeg - i have a mental image of someone spilling coffee in their lap and being grumpy about it and the other one singing obnoxiously loud to cheer them up, but that’s it.  no coherent summary

@jamesbuckystark - "Why wouldn't you think there would be snow in the Rocky Mountains?" Tony grumbles as he rubs his forehead. He and Rhodey are driving cross country in an RV with Peter and Harley. "I do not have enough coffee for this."

@lbibliophile-mcu - Natasha doesn't know why she is friends with Clint. Case in point: Clint wants an iced coffee. Problem 1: it's currently the middle of winter, and something like 20 degrees outside. Problem 2: they're in the middle of nowhere, and lucky that the shitty little service station does anything resembling coffee at all. Clint's solution: Buy a dubiously-coffee, go outside, shove handfuls of snow into the cup and shake, pour the resulting brownish slush down his throat. ...how angry would Coulson be if she just drove off and abandoned him here?

@darthbloodorange - Steve Rogers is an idiot with no self-preservations skill to speak of. Who the hell thinks its a good idea to go on a road trip through the coldest parts of America in the middle of winter on a motorcycle? Someone who spent 70 years in ice, that's who. Not wanting the world to lose Captain America a second time, Tony decides to join Steve on his road trip, just to be safe. He was going to need a lot of coffee. 

give, stone, without - suggested by @somesortofitalianroast

@alwaysabrighterdarkness - Tony had never expected to get this.  Get to this point. Sure, he'd thought about it, imagined what it might be like. But he always just figured it was something not meant for him.  And yet, there he was.  Staring wide-eyed at a gleaming metal band inlaid with small stones circling circumference on his left hand.  And he had it, got it even without having to change everything about himself.

@jamesbuckystark - "If you can remove the sword without breaking the stone, you will be given the power of ruler" is the legend. The strong,  the brave, the wise,  the cunning have all tried and failed. Why should Tony even try? He's been told by everyone he knows that he's not enough.

@rebelmeg - the stones were each powerful on their own.  they could change galaxies, level worlds, alter destinies.  but together, they were unlimited potential with the right person to wield them.  without that person to give them purpose, powerful was all they would be.  with the heart of tony stark, backed by his generous soul and his unending strength... the stones could be more.  and they could give more, too.  give back the life they had needed.

@somesortofitalianroast - Steve never knew how much he loved Tony, until it was too late. Tony had done what Steve had once said he would never be able to do, to make the sacrifice play, using the Infinity Stones without thought of what the result would be. At least, that was what they’d all thought, until Steve had gone to give Tony a kiss on the forehead in benediction, and realized that wouldn’t have to live in a world without Tony - he was alive!

@lbibliophile-mcu - Tony never travels without his lucky pebble. It started the first time his family had to travel by plane. He was nervous, but he knew he couldn't show it; so Jarvis had given him the smooth round stone to cling on to. He had been fine as soon as they were in the air, but for some reason he kept the stone, and continued to carry it with him. Tony not superstitious, not really, but it still became some sort of good luck talisman. Tony never travels without his lucky pebble...except once. It was almost a whim really. Joking with Rhodey to distract him while he slipped the pebble into a pocket, before banishing his friend to the 'humdrumvee'. Tony is not superstitious, not really, but maybe he should be. Because when the helicopter finds him in the desert, it is Rhodey who comes running out to catch him.

@darthbloodorange - Many people would think Tony's most prized and valuable possession would be something rare, expensive, something exclusive. They were wrong. His most valued possession was a rock. Yes, a rock. He never goes anywhere without it. He wonders sometimes if it was bad that he had it, if it would mess up time and space. But it was the only meaningful thing he had left of Steve. (Cue fic full of time heist shenanigans to return the Infinity Stones, and meeting a young Steve Rogers, pining and regret.)

ankle, lazy, only one bed - suggested by @jamesbuckystark

@jamesbuckystark​ - Steve and Nat thought they were clever, booking a room for Tony and Bucky with only one bed. Little do they know that Tony and Bucky are already dating and now spending a lazy day in bed, ankles twined as they stakeout their mark

@rebelmeg - "your foot is on my head."  "is not." "is too." "is not.  my ankle is on your head." "you don't get it off, and you're not gonna have that ankle anymore." tony only hoped that clint wasn't gonna call his bluff (he was too sleepy and lazy to commit bodily harm right now), and that he would never have to share a bed with the guy ever again.

@alwaysabrighterdarkness - Okay, sure, it had been a slightly steep fall and, yes Tony's ankle was just slightly bruised and a tad swollen.  But, c'mon, that was no excuse to enable laziness.  That was absolutely no reason to put him on lock down and utterly trapped in his own bed, just that one spot, for days at a time. Even JARVIS was against him!  He had been dually informed that he was locked out of the workshop until that minor injury was fully healed.  And for company? Motherhenning Steve Rogers and Paperwork.  Yeah, thanks bunch Pep.

@somesortofitalianroast - Steve was lazing in front of the fire, a book in his hand and a cup of hot chocolate just in reach. There was a muffled thump, and Pepper was calling for him. He shot to his feet and up the stairs. Tony had stumbled, and they needed to get to the medical office at the chalet to see if it was just sprained or if he’d broken it. Steve helped Tony down the stairs and into the car, Pepper following behind. It turned out the ankle was broken, and they wanted to keep Tony under observation after they’d cast it. Steve offered to keep watch. It was only when they got back to their cabin that Steve remembered that they only had one bed. It would be quite a tight fit...

@darthbloodorange - When Tony had said he wanted a nice relaxing holiday where he could be lazy for once... this is not what he meant. He never thought he would be regretting this trip. But being stuck in a cabin with a single bed to share amongst all of the Avengers? With a broken ankle? He definitely regrets the trip. Why was Pepper always right.

@lbibliophile-mcu - Tony is on mandatory bedrest. C'mon, it's just a sprained ankle! They won't even let him use crutches or anything! Ok, so maybe the cracked-don't-turn-them-into-broken ribs have something to do with that. But this is not the first time this has happened -- or the second, but not yet the tenth... he thinks, oops -- so he hasn't spent the intervening period lazing around. Who needs a a wheelchair when you've created a remote-controlled wheel bed?

fealty, darkness, couch - suggested by @alwaysabrighterdarkness​

@alwaysabrighterdarkness​  - The lights had been dimmed as soon as the movie started.  It was dark enough in the lounge that Tony had to squint to see the rest of the team--it was the darkness not age or anything else--sprawled comfortably across the couches and chairs.  But he caught the smirks and eye rolls at the cheesy oaths of fealty showing on the screen.  It was a little overboard. But it was amusing and enjoyable at least. Tony was sure it would be discussed and joked about right up until the next movie showed in a few days.

@darthbloodorange​ - Long into the dark of the night, Sir Rogers would sneak into to the King's chambers. He would pledge his loyalty and devotion to his king as the man lounged on his couch, doing his best to bring Tony as much pleasure as he could humanly manage.

@rebelmeg​ - tony stark was as infamous a mob boss as had ever existed.  infamous for his wealth, his genius, his cruelty to his enemies and his protectiveness toward his family.  more than one person had stood before him on trembling knees, looking in awe and fear at the man sprawled across the throne-like couch across from them, sharp goatee and sharper eyes cataloging every weak point. only one person ever got to see the mob boss on his knees, the darkness in the bedroom surrounding him like a second skin, as he swore eternal love and fealty to the one that owned his heart.

Competition, Falling in Love, Gardening - @darthbloodorange​

@tehroserose - It was time for the annual gardening competition. In prior years, Tony had helped Jarvis and Anna with their garden. This year was his first year doing it on his own, and he was going to win with the flowers they had worked hard to develop together. But then there were the new competitors, Steve and Bucky, who apparently had just moved to town and specialized in revitalizing old, extinct, or otherwise forgotten varietals. Tony can't let them win.[11:57 PM]He has to win- for Jarvis and Anna

@alwaysabrighterdarkness - Tony'd been issued a challenge. There was no way that he was going to let this one go. How hard could it be? Granted, it had to do with living things rather than robotics, but he had this. He had it. There was no way he was going to let the Late Bloomer, Agent Super Spy, The Guy that Tripped over the Flat Floor, an Alien god that wore a cape or anyone else beat him out on this one. Except Bruce. Bruce could win. Maybe. Possibly...No way.  Tony would win this one.  He just had to ask the Late Bloomer really, really nicely for a tiny bit of help and he'd win this.

@rebelmeg - "my sunflowers are bigger than yoooours, ha ha ha ha ha haaaa," tony sing-songed as he added fertilizer to the watering can, grinning as he caught the roll of pepper's eyes as she dragged the hose over. 

"i could deliver a crushing retort about size not mattering, but i worry that would kick you between the legs a little too hard." pepper flicked a few droplets of water his way. 

 sniggering like a child that just heard a naughty word, tony got morgan out of her bouncy seat and twirled them both around. "don't listen to your mama, honey bunny, she doesn't know what she's saying." 

 pepper tugged him over for a kiss, not quite able to get the smile off her face.  "you're ridiculous and i fall in love with you a little more every day." tony had a wonderful response to go with his sudden blush, but then pepper smashed a handful of soil into his hair and he was too busy chasing her around the yard to say it.

@darthbloodorange - Steve and Tony's rivalry is legendary amongst the community, maybe even wider. Ever since the billionaire joined the Manhattan District Community Garden the men had been at odds with one another. Always trying to one up each other in variety and technique, in finding the Heirlooms plants with the most ridicules names. There was no end in sight for the feud and it had grown old fast amongst their shared circle of friends. 

One day a man who called himself 'Ebony Maw' joined the Garden with his friend 'Proxima Midnight'. They called themselves the "children of Thanos". The newcomers started disturbing the peace, spouting weird cultish sayings about balance and order. Steve and Tony found themselves joining forces against the newcomers, putting their differences aside to defend the community. But things are more dangerous than they seem, and Steve and Tony find themselves fighting something bigger than the imagined... and maybe fall in love in the process.

[beeblackburn]

Pretender Reads A Little Hatred, Part I, Chapter One

It's time. Goes without saying spoilers ahead for the entirety of The First Law works beyond the keep reading. Read at your own risk.

PART I

"The age is running mad after innovation;

and all the business of the world

is to be done in a new way.”

—Dr Johnson

No joke? This quotes gave me chills as a declaration of authorial intent. I have a slightly more optimistic view of The First Law’s world, but even I knew the first trilogy’s intent was, beyond commenting on how much Abercrombie dug Lord of the Rings so much that he wrote a trilogy to show his... appreciation, to show that, as much as people want to change, they are helpless to actually commit by their pasts, being pieces and pawns to the old ways and grudges of Bayaz and Khalul’s “great” war of two old assholes fighting over grudges kept alive solely two great powers butting heads over wrongs long past. 

That human nature is fundamentally unchanging.

But, at the same time? Abercrombie’s throwing down a gauntlet with this quote. With the new flavor of fantasy he’s promising, the new generation of characters he has to usher in to spearhead that new age, he has to change. He cannot rehash the old stories. Cannot repeat the old patterns. Cannot force the old systems continuing to work, having grown rusty and creaky with age. History has to move forward. Meaning he has to pave the path to new ways. The question is, new way in what manner? New ways as in a social progress, positive change, a better world? Or new ways as in Bayaz changing from magic to money, and from spells to cannons, in order to assert the same small-minded ideal of might makes right with different tools? 

It’s a new age of madness, but with human nature being what it is? Abercrombie has shown that a little hatred goes a long way to lead us to stepping upon old roads left behind our parents, who they themselves trod on by their predecessors.

Chapter Title: Blessings and Curses Point-of-View: Rikke

“Rikke.”

She prised one eye open. A slit of stabbing, sickening brightness.

“Come back.”

She pushed the spit-wet dowel out of her mouth with her tongue and croaked the one word she could think of. “Fuck.”

Now isn’t that just a typical Abercrombie sentiment. Actually, what I want to focus on is how this opening is lean compared to The Blade Itself:

Logen plunged through the trees, bare feet slipping and sliding on the wet earth, the slush, the wet pine needles, breath rasping in his chest, blood thumping in his head. He stumbled and sprawled onto his side, nearly cut his chest open with his own axe, lay there panting, peering through the shadowy forest.

—The Blade Itself, The End

From Blessings and Curses, we already see a much apparent crispness of voice, short paragraphs broken apart, an unusual situation of a girl opening one eye and having to come back (come back from what?) There’s a surreal quality that Logen’s opening, as much as I like it as an introduction to The Blade Itself, can’t beat beyond the chapter title. Yet, to remind us it’s Abercrombie, someone has to say fuck. Because of course.

“There’s my girl!” Isern squatted beside her, necklace of runes and finger bones dangling, grinning that twisted grin that showed the hole in her teeth and offering no help at all.

HOLY FUCK IT’S CRUMMOCK’S SHIN-KICKER AAAAAAAAAAAH!!!

“I saw folk falling from a high tower. Dozens of ’em.” She winced at the thought of them hitting the ground. “I saw folk hanged. Rows of ’em.” Her gut cramped at the memory of swinging bodies, dangling feet. “I saw … a battle, maybe? Below a red hill.”

Isern sniffed. “This is the North. Takes no magic to see a battle coming. What else?”

“I saw Uffrith burning.” Rikke could almost smell the smoke still. She pressed her hand to her left eye. Felt hot. Burning hot.

“What else?”

“I saw a wolf eat the sun. Then a lion ate the wolf. Then a lamb ate the lion. Then an owl ate the lamb.”

“Must’ve been a real monster of an owl.”

“Or a tiny little lamb, I guess? What does it mean?”

So, full disclosure here: I did read the A Little Hatred blurb before reading, so I already knew we were getting something like this... but holy shit, we’re seriously getting a prophet? I’m going to talk my precise thoughts on this later, in full first impressions of Rikke as a character, but man, I usually hate prophecies and prophets, but with Abercrombie? Dude’s earned enough credit (specifically, everything to do with Grom-gil-Gorm’s prophecy in the Shattered Sea series) at my trust bank to get me to care. And I love how Rikke can still feel the sensory details of her visions, the costs of magic. Magic.

Also, am I a terrible person for, seeing the eats in the prophecy, immediately thinking Eaters? I probably am.

I’ll hold off on dissecting the prophecy at the chapter’s end. 

"Well, I can unveil two secrets right away.” Rikke groaned as she pushed herself up onto one elbow. “My head hurts and I shat myself.”

"That second one’s no secret, anyone with a nose is party to it.”

"Shitty Rikke, they’ll call me." She wrinkled her nose as she shifted. “And not for the first time.”

"Your problem is in caring what they call you.”

There’s definitely a very winning formula with how Rikke and Isern’s dynamic works: the young, soft-hearted naif butting and bouncing heads against the more world-weary, a touch twisted, experienced warrior. Rikke complains about how much the world will react to her, Isern tells her to suck it up because Rikke doesn’t have to care at all.

Also, not going to lie: part of why I love Rikke is that she shits herself during her visions and fits. It undercuts the mystique of magic with the unpleasant consequences, grounded in reality.

Isern tapped under her left eye. “You say cursed with fits, I say blessed with the Long Eye.”

So. First off, fun fact:

Crummock spun one of the wooden signs on his necklace round and around. “I can’t see her letting Bethod lose, and herself along with him, can you? A witch as clever as that one? There’s all kinds of magic she could mix. All kinds of blessings and curses. All kinds of ways that bitch could tilt the outcome, as though the chances weren’t tilted enough already.”

—Last Argument of Kings, Leaves on the Water

History echoes, doesn’t it? Another i-Phail, another user of the Long Eye, and a discussion about the blessings and curses of magic. The players are different, but the sentiments are similar enough to ripple from the past to the present.

Now, my first reaction to reading this part of the blurb was: WHOA WHOA WHOA, Caurib’s Long Eye from The First Law trilogy? OH MY GOD!!!!! Just more connective tissue to link this book from its past, the earliest roots of Abercrombie’s world-building, when he was still tinkering with what he wanted (long eye isn’t even capitalized in The First Law’s mention of it). It’s a nice reference for us long-time readers and a magical power for the new readers. 

Mind you, all I’m thinking is: was Caurib, every time she was decked out and being impossibly beautiful in the way Abercrombie wrote her... was she actually having fits and headaches and shitting for her visions? Because, wow, I can only imagine how frustrated she must’ve been having to make public appearances. I can just imagine her wishing everyone would fuck off so she could have headaches and shit in peace. Already makes me like Caurib a lot more now.

“Huh.” Rikke rolled onto her knees and her stomach kept on rolling and tickled her throat with sick. By the dead, she felt sore and squeezed out. Twice the pain of a night at the ale cup and none of the sweet memories. “Doesn’t feel like much of a blessing to me,” she muttered, once she’d risked a little burp and fought her guts to a draw.

I really do appreciate how much Abercrombie grounds and mixes a curse into magical “blessings.” I was really skeptical of putting in some last trace of magic in anyone, but Rikke’s right in it not being a blessing, and considering magic is on its last legs, there’s no way Bayaz won’t meet her later and clutch his monstrous hands on her Long Eye, teaching her finesse in exchange for getting to aim where it goes towards.

Another tool. Another weapon to kill his enemies.

"Might have to rope you in future, make sure you don’t crack your nut and end up a drooler like my brother Brait. At least he can keep his shit in, mind you.” 

HOW MANY SONS DID CRUMMOCK HAVE. THE FUCK!? I can’t even find a Brait anywhere except The Heroes and that was clearly not him. For one, he didn’t drool!

“My head still aches so bad I can feel it in my teeth.” Rikke wanted to shout but knew it’d hurt too much, so she had to whine it soft instead. “I need no more small discomforts.”

“Life is small discomforts, girl! They’re how you know you are alive.”

Another part of why I like Rikke so much is that, as a character starting out, she whines. A decent amount. She’s admittedly got some good reason to do so, but as the narrative points out and Isern especially, at least living means you get to whine about it and too much of it will only enable more discomfort, make the pain bigger. There’s intentional room to grow for Rikke and the fact that Abercrombie lets her be a bit of a whiner at the risk of alienating readers is a writer’s courage I always try to emulate. 

Character development’s has to start somewhere.

“Guess not. Just, in the songs, it’s a thing witches and magi and deep-wise folk used to see into the fog of what comes. Not a thing that makes idiots fall down and shit themselves.”

“In case you never noticed, bards have a habit of dressing things up. There is a fine living, d’you see, in songs about deep-wise witches, but in shitty idiots, less.”

Snrrrrrk. I got to love how Abercrombie shades lesser and classic fantasies. He does so well with it.

“And proving you have the Long Eye is no simple matter. You cannot force it open. You must coax it.” And Isern tickled Rikke under the chin and made her jerk away. “Take it up to the sacred places where the old stones stand so the moon might shine full upon it. But it’ll see what it sees when it chooses, even so.” 

Huh. Crummock made it clear that there was something special about the moon during his time in Last Argument of Kings. I assumed it was solely just him thinking the moon’s love made men more violent and strong, but did he think it could influence magic? Given his more singular focus on violence and his clear Bloody-Nine murderboner fanboying, I think Crummock was a lot more close-minded about how the moon can affect things. Isern’s a lot more flexible, by comparison.

(Also, are those sacred places that fortress Logen and Crummock and the rest had their last stand in the High Places? Crummock did say it was well loved of the moon...)

“War?”

“It’s when a fight gets so big almost no one comes out of it well.”

“I know what it bloody is.” Rikke had a spot of fear growing at the nape of her neck which she couldn’t shrug off however much she wriggled her shoulders. “But there’s been peace in the North all my lifetime.”

“My da used to say times of peace are when the wise prepare for violence.”

“Your da was mad as a bootful of dung.”

“And what does your da say? Few men so sane as the Dogman.”

Rikke wriggled her shoulders one more time, but nothing helped. “He says hope for the best and prepare for the worst.”

Isern’s first line is true, but also makes me think of all the Northmen who came into war, looking for glory and a Name, and came out dead or unable to stop killing, their bloody footsteps followed by fellow warriors with same dreams of glory and a Name, just younger. War chews up men and spits them out, dead or alive, no one living coming out without trauma and/or a score of dead friends.

Also, Dogman’s daughter, huh! Good on him for managing to raise a decent child in the Circle of the World, even if she has her share of flaws. Rikke certainly reminds me of a softer, more whinier Dogman, yet still decent.

Rikke blinked at her. ‘You can’t have been ten years old.’

‘Old enough to kill a man.’

‘What?’

‘Used to carry my da’s hammer, ’cause the smallest should take the heaviest load, but that day he was fighting with the hammer so I had his spear. This very one.’ Its butt tapped the rhythm of their walking on the path. ‘My da knocked a man down, and he was trying to get up, and I stabbed him right up the arse.’

‘With that spear?’ Rikke had come to think of it as just a stick Isern carried. A stick that happened to have a deerskin cover over one end. She didn’t like thinking there was a blade under there. Especially not one that had been up some poor bastard’s arse.

I love Abercrombie’s humor, especially given how actually rather depressing Isern’s age of killing was. It always serves to give levity to some heavy stuff in the story, preventing the darkness from choking most people whole. It’s the “poor bastard” part of that last line that brings the smile and laughter out.

“Girl, you have a ring through your nose.” 

“I am aware.” And Rikke stuck her tongue out and touched the tip to it. “It keeps me tethered.”

Hey, you want to know another part of why I really like Rikke? Nose rings are fucking cool. Gives her a distinct appearance and fashion.

Now if only other prophets had nose rings instead of cloaks and vague portents, I wouldn’t find them so bloody boring.

“You’ve a wolf on your shield,” she said.

“Stour Nightfall’s mark,” growled the big man, with a hint of pride, and Rikke saw he had a wolf on his shield, too, though his was scuffed almost back to the wood.

(Looks at his book) Well, shit! The cover’s actually relevant. I was eyeing the UK cover better, but now that this US/Can one has meaning, I can accept it.

Also, Stour Nightfall is the coolest fucking name. Can’t wait to meet him!

“Nightfall’s the greatest warrior since the Bloody-Nine!” piped up the young one. “He’s going to take back Angland and drive the Union out o’ the North!” 

(Arches an eyebrow) I don’t take issue with taking back Angland, there’s some valid enough history with Casamir that I don’t blame the North for it, but how did what I theorized to be Calder’s son become such a beef-cake? But really? Greatest warrior since the Bloody-Nine? I can’t help but think him a cut-price Bloody-Nine now.

“The Union?” And Rikke looked down at the wolf’s head badly daubed on his badly made shield. "A wolf ate the sun,” she whispered.

Thank you, Rikke, I studied English lit in high school. I can do my own analysis of symbolism and visions.

Rikke’s arrow stuck into his back, just under his shoulder blade.

Her turn to say, “Oh,” not sure whether she’d meant to let go the string or not.

A flash of metal and the old man’s head jolted, the blade of Isern’s spear catching him in the throat. He dropped his own spear, grabbed for her with clumsy fingers.

“Shush.” Isern slapped his hand away and ripped the blade free in a black gout.

The inexperienced child and hardened warrior dynamic continues with Rikke accidentally, not knowing if she meant to or not, dooming a boy to death and Isern, experienced hand at the black business, aims for the kill and gives her enemies no ground to gain leverage upon her. But, ultimately...

“You killed ’em.” Rikke felt all hot. There were some red speckles on her hand. The big one was lying on his face, shirt soaked dark.

“You killed this one,” said Isern. The lad knelt there, making these squeaky little gasps as he tried to reach around his back to the arrow shaft, though what he’d do if he got his fingertips to it, Rikke had no idea.

... no one’s hands in this world remain clean for too long.

“Then killing ’em was all o’ the one choices we had, eh? Your problem is you’re all heart.” And she stabbed Rikke in the tit with one bony finger.

“Ow!” Rikke took a step away, holding her arms across her chest. “That hurts, you know!”

“You’re all heart all over, so you feel every sting and buffet. You must make of your heart a stone.” And Isern thumped her ribs with a fist, the finger bones around her neck rattling. “Ruthlessness is a quality much loved o’ the moon.” As if to prove the point, she bent down and heaved the dead lad into the bushes. “A leader must be hard, so others don’t have to be.”

First off, I stabbed my own chest with my own finger just now to see how much it hurt. I can only imagine the increased discomfort with doing it to breasts.

Second off, to give my first impressions of Rikke... well, it’s funny. I once talked to a great friend of mine who we love to talk tropes and stories and fiction about and I told him I generally don’t gravitate to the rougher shit-talking tomboy and the prophet character tropes. To be quite frank, the former bores me on general lack of craft (everyone seems to think the trope itself constitutes a strong personality!) and the latter is just dry plot exposition on two legs generally, full of billowing cloaks and being fuck-useless 99% of the story.

Rikke might have been love at first sight for a few reasons.

The consequences of prophecy. I keep nailing this point, but I do for a reason: I have rarely seen a prophet actually endure physical ailments for their magical gifts, and the headaches, the fits, the burning hot eye, and the shitting? It helps ground Rikke’s struggles in less abstract details so we can sympathize better. We might not have had visions, but we’ve had headaches, hot eyes and shat before.

She’s got a personality! She’s rough, she gives as good verbally as she gets, but she’s also kind and not someone who goes for violence as a first resort. But, at the same time, she’s definitely got her flaws. She’s a whiner. There’s a touch of naivety and inexperience that shows when she talks how times were different when Dogman was fighting and Isern shuts that illusion down, there’s even a softness in her with how she said they should’ve given Stour’s thugs a chance.

Her partnership dynamic with Isern is really winning, allowing more of her personality to bounce off of Isern while having some sass of her own to snap back at Isern, allowing her to have a personality to bounce off of. It allows for development of both characters in a way that Abercrombie’s first attempt at having an early traveling pair in Malacus Quai and Logen can never match, given all the personality leaping off the screen.

The tonal difference. Rikke is a really decent kid dropped into the Circle of the World. In any other series, my eyes would glaze over in boredom. In here? There’s so much misery and depressing reality that happens in the Circle of the World, that it looks like it’ll be a treat to see how she’ll interacts with the older, hardened generation of characters and how much decency might touch upon them. And that only makes Isern’s advice to her all the more interesting. Because her being all heart is hardly Bayaz’s ideal tool and I get the sense that her turning her heart into stone won’t be a smooth ride.

The nose ring. I’m sorry if it makes me shallow, but that’s a cool design choice and love the tethered justification.

The morning mist was long faded and she could see all the way across the patchwork of new-planted fields to Uffrith, wedged in against the grey sea behind its grey wall. Where her father’s old hall stood with the scraggy garden out the back. Safe, boring Uffrith, where she’d been born and raised. Only it was burning, just the way she’d seen it, and a great column of dark smoke rolled up and smudged the sky, drifting out over the restless sea.

(winces) Well, that’s one part of the prophecy dealt with.

Isern wandered from the trees with her spear across her shoulders and a great smile across her face. ‘You know what this means?’

‘War?’ whispered Rikke, horrified.

“Aye, that.” Isern waved it away like it was a trifle. “But more to the matter, I was right!” And she clapped Rikke on the shoulder so hard she near knocked her down. “You do have the Long Eye!”

Hah! Somehow, Isern, I think she won’t take the blessing of that statement and only see the curse of it.

So! Theory-crafting on the prophecy itself!

The only tower I know of in the North was in the High Places, and given Isern’s with Rikke, I can imagine that’s certainly plausible. Either that or somewhere in the Union, given its towers, especially the Tower of Chains? 

The battle below a red hill will be one of our battle set-pieces. Definitely something like the Casualties chapter in The Heroes.

Uffrith already burnt, but it was the first thing to happen, so the people hanged from towers and the red hill battle are yet to happen.

“I saw a wolf eat the sun” Stour taking down the Union. 

“Then a lion ate the wolf” Leo taking down Stour, which I’d normally take as a sign I shouldn’t get invested because I already know the outcome... but given Grom-gil-Gorm’s prophecy twist, I think there’s plenty of ways this could easily turn twisted, especially with Black Calder about. 

“Then a lamb ate the lion” I heard a decent amount of people say they thought it’d be straight-up Lamb and, man, NO. The point of Red Country is that, deep down, Lamb was only pretending to be a lamb and was really a wolf in lambswool. Someone who genuinely is worthless... Orso, from the blurb, seems to fit the bill, given that Leo’s been hoping for help there.

“Then an owl ate the lamb.” Bayaz with Orso. Owls are symbolized as knowledge and Bayaz’s being the First of the Magi, feels right for that... and given that Orso is part of the royal family and how Bayaz “ate” Jezal, I can’t say him repeating it with Orso is implausible. My only worry is, how will this be new from Bayaz and Jezal’s deal?

PART I

Chapter One: Blessings and Curses Chapter Two: Where the Fight’s Hottest Chapter Three: Guilt Is a Luxury Chapter Four: Keeping Score Chapter Five:  A Little Public Hanging Chapter Six: The Breakers Chapter Seven: The Answer to Your Tears Chapter Eight: Young Heroes Chapter Nine: The Moment

[tkjunkdrawer]

Was thinking about Juxcubae again. Sometime ago I mentioned something about prostitution being legal in the world of Litch Slush because of the existence of Juxcubae. So, how's it handled?

Basically, there's small hotels that cater specifically to this, known [PUNNILY] as JuxtaPositions. Juxcubae can show up and hang around whenever they need a meal or some money, and take whichever clients request them. There's photos of all the Juxcubae on the premises at the front desk, so clients can take their pick. A receptionist alerts the Juxcubae when they've been requested and sends the client on up to the corresponding room. As ridiculous as it sounds, people can also make appointments to bone with particular Juxcubae, if they want; it's all done through the company. Business is business.

None of the Juxcubae's personal information is available to the general public, and they all go by fake names [Azhrune, for example, goes by "Midnight," which is absolutely cheesy] while at work. They also get to set their own rates, as well as choosing what they are and aren't willing to do. They're well within their right to reject clients, or stop mid-session if they feel uncomfortable or unsafe.

The Juxcubae who work at these places are actually really well-protected. Violence against sex workers is a thing in any reality, sad as that is, but the Juxta buildings are really safe. The rooms all have magic that detects things like fear, distress, panic, and anxiety [things that wouldn't come up in a safe or consensual scenario], and the spell will immediately immobilize whoever is causing said distress, basically freezing their body up like a statue against whatever wall is immediately opposite them, to give the victim room. Said spell then alerts the building's security guards, and they come and handle things as needed.

And of course, there's plenty of, er, "equipment" available. You want it, they've got it on site somewhere. Everything is sanitized after use [and the people who do it do get fairly compensated for having to scrub up other people's bodily fluids], because that shit is important. Anything deemed questionable or potentially unsafe to use further is trashed and replaced. Juxcubae are welcome to bring their own stuff, but the JuxtaPosition provides pretty much anything you'd want or need for whatever filth you're engaging in today.

Up until now, I've only mentioned Juxcubae working at these places, though. Truth is, there's definitely humans who work there, too. Everyone's got their reasons for ending up there, but they're not really treated any differently by than the Juxcubae by the company itself. They're afforded all the same perks and protection than their inhuman coworkers get. No judgement, no questions asked, as long as you follow the rules, you're welcome to earn a living here. While the initial description of these places may sound a bit seedy, they're actually surprisingly positive environments. The Juxcubae understand better than anyone that sometimes, this is the only way you can live.

As for the clientele, there's a good mix of humans and demons that come looking for a good time. Some humans are interested in the novelty of demons and vice-versa. Not always the case, of course, but nobody's judging if it is. Though a Juxcubae will generally have to get it on with a few humans before they're feeling rejuvenated. I have mentioned before than the energy in human souls isn't as "hearty" as demons. Lack of magic.

Besides that, JuxtaPositions are generally well-kept, especially the ones located in bigger cities. The place Azhrune takes his calls at genuinely looks like an upscale hotel both outside and inside, and can easily be mistaken as such until you get to the desk and see the book of photos and the panel of colored lights that indicates which rooms are in use and which are empty; White for vacant, blue for occupied but not working, red for active session, do not disturb. Juxcubae are welcome to lounge in the [very nice and comfortable] rooms while waiting for requests, or they can hang around the lobby if they want. They also get to decide however many clients they want to take or how long they want to be there that day. It's pretty chill considering the debauchery going on in the rooms. Being that Juxcubae have to fuck to live, demons as a whole don't have the same weird stigmas surrounding sex that humans do. This is just another job, and it's not uncommon to see Jux and humans sitting in the lobby reading, chatting, playing g on their phones, and generally just relaxing in their downtime, only to get up and immediately switch into "customer service" mode when somebody wants them. Though, uh, customer service here is obviously different from, like, retail or something.

Demons actually brought the whole system over from their side of the portal, where it was established an astoundingly long time ago and then refined over the centuries to what it is today. I think I talked about that once briefly; basically, since Juxcubae need sex to survive, there had to be an allowance for it. Because "just go engage in your disgusting customs on your side of the portal" went over REALLY POORLY, and the idiot politician who said it was buried in backlash. Those "disgusting customs" are literally what keeps the Juxcubae alive, and now they're here and they need to survive. Telling such a large group to suck it up and die or GTFO so openly was met with outrage not just from a state, or even a country, but an entire dimension of living, intelligent beings whose size and population is on par with that of our own.

If that's how the Juxcubae were going to be treated, then who was next? Dumping waste into the rivers of the water nymphs and telling them to fuck off and go back where they came from if they don't like it? Telling the werewolves that our vets and hospitals will no longer tend to them, too bad if they're fatally injured, they gotta go through the portal to be treated? How far is this kind of discrimination going to go?

"Fuck that," said the demons. "We're taking our ball and going home."

In a unified movement that humanity had never seen the likes of before, every demon and magical being disappeared from our world back to theirs, taking the magic with them.

It didn't last long. Everyone had become so accustomed to living alongside demons and their magic that our world couldn't function normally, because that's how it had developed. There were the little things that were missed: Spell capsules that eased anxiety and soothed pain much more effectively than any pharmaceuticals, condensed spells to banish dust and grime in an instant, herbs from Arcanae that tasted like nothing in our our world that has quickly become staples of many cuisines across the world. Then the biggest issue: Magic and science were two sides of the same coin, so intertwined at this point that it was unfathomable to move forward without magic. It was possible, sure, but there was so much more that we could do with both things together.

Humanity apologized for this catastrophic fuck-up and asked to make amends. Demonkind was like "let the Juxcubae do what they need to do to survive," humanity agreed, and everyone came back. Things clicked back into place like nothing that changed in the first place--except for these new buildings popping up.

And from there, lettings the humans also take part in it legally wasn't too much of a stretch, especially since the demons made it legal for humans on their side of the portal, and if they're doing it, how poorly does it reflect on humanity to not let their own people do it at home? Now they're going over there to do this stuff--and it's safer than walking the streets? Fuck it, we might as well just go with it.

That's the very abridged version of the whole thing. This is the kind of thing they do an entire unit on in history class because the impact was huge. They called it The Great Arcane Absence. While the Arcane Absence itself really only lasted about a week, the tension and arguments leading up to it stretched back a ways; legal prostitution Earthside was something Juxcubae were pushing for for a long time, until things finally boiled over. Which is why the reaction was so extreme.

So, yeah. JuxtaPositions.

[stimtoybox]

Have you ever considered adding another mod who could just act as your editor? Idk, I was just thinking about your recent posts about how you can't make your posts as good as you want to, and I thought it might help take some of the pressure off if you had someone to help, so you can focus your spoons on more important things than fixing typos.

Oh, anon. You’re not the only one who’s reached out to me this week, by the way, on the subject of help and mods, so I’m kind of answering everyone in the one discussion. Can I say that it floors me, absolutely floors me, that people are taking such an interest in this little blog, and me, and want to see it keep going? I don’t have words, not really, but there’s teardrops splashing onto the keyboard. Thank you. Just - thank you.

I’ve been thinking about another mod for the last month or so and thinking about it more the last week. And I keep running up against one thing: me. So I’m going to talk it out here, so you can get a sense of where I’m at.

I’ll be honest: part of me very much wants to wrap this blog this chest and go mine, mine, mine. (Think the seagulls in Finding Nemo.) This is, I admit, because I’ve spent years and years blogging on various platforms and struggling to gain an audience for my writing and now … now, somehow, I’ve happened across the right topic on the right platform to not feel, for the first time in my life, as though I’m shouting into the void. And that? That is phenomenally amazing, and something about which I feel extremely possessive.

But it’s also unfair. This blog serves a community and this blog would not exist without the hard work of other people. Tumblr blogs, unless they’re all the blogger’s own content, are a collaboration. That mine, mine, mine feeling is factually incorrect and largely born of my own deep insecurity.

I don’t know if people realise it or not, but I started this blog as somewhere to post my own findings and collate and tag other things. Because Tumblr being as ephemeral as it is, it’s hard to find information that’s grouped together, and most blogs tag with an eye of other people finding their blog or advising for content; I’m doing the latter and tagging for grouping and collecting. (I’d be shocked if anyone found this blog through the tags!) There’s lots of great stim toy blogs out there, and I reblog from them, but I don’t think anyone is quite so obsessive about the archival side. Which is pretty understandable, because it’s a big job.

(It makes answering asks like the autism-owned store master post and the DIY master post so much easier to create. Tagging is annoying and the HTML coding for the tags pages even more so, but it is worth doing.)

That I’d have nearly two hundred posts in my draft folder (not counting the 100 posts in my queue) wasn’t in the plan; I thought I’d have problems finding enough content for regular posting. That anyone would ask me anything, about anything, ever … how do I express the depth of my surprise that it happened and has continued to happen? It never crossed my mind. Not even once. That I’d end up in a position of knowing things? That my time as a dabbling crafter and fashion doll collector would be relevant?

I’m trying to say that I’m spectacularly unprepared for what happened and I still have no idea how I ended up having to have this very conversation.

But. The thing is that I don’t play particularly well in shared sandboxes. (It’s a personal failing, one of many.) I’m particular and controlling and very much enjoy the freedom of doingthings my way, to my standards. Even when that way drives me up the wallbecause I cannot myself live up to it!

For example, I couldn’t give the tagging over to someone else. (There’s amulti-page document beside my keyboard instructing me on how to tag and I still make mistakes.I could never unbend enough to watch someone else tag and do it “wrong” - andby “wrong” I mean not “incorrect” but “not following my system 100% to theletter”.) I would likely drive a fellow mod up the wall by complaining or drive myselfup the wall by trying not to complain.

I like answering asks - Igenuinely enjoy looking things up and discovering new information, so a fellowmod would have to pry that out of my dead hands unless I have to take time off for resting/writing/appointments. If I were to ask someone tomod with me, in all honesty, I’d be asking them to do the grunt work of editing, image descriptions, maybeproduct links if I unbend enough … while I do all the fun stuff. And I think that’s a little or a lot unfair, personally, which is why I hesitate to ask. There’s also the financial aspects of things like affiliate links - in honesty, I’ve only made a dollar or two from my links, but I don’t know that I feel comfortable with making any kind of money when someone else is doing some of the work. I’ve also been thinking about putting up a tip jar (I suppose for that one, at least, the theoretical co-mod can and should do the same) so that those of you who might have an extra dollar or two and feel moved to help me out can do so.

(It’s complicated, because there’s always a part of me that’s thinking about my online presence and how I might make either any income out of it or gain the kind of internet presence (read: something that appears to be an audience already inclined to buy my work) that means an agent or publisher doesn’t toss my fantasy novel abouta physically-disabled, autistic, non-binary, stimming protagonist and hir mentallyill, ace trans companion straight to the slush pile as financially unjustifiable. I wish, I really wish, I were in a situation where neither was a factor and I could do this blog just for the fun of it, but I’m not, and so I hope you’ll forgive me for seriously thinking about the ways in which I can use this blog, now that the miraculous thing of people following me has happened, to help me with, well, living as a disabled, autistic creative who’s in the un-fun position of being far too disabled for full-time employment and not disabled enough for governmental support. Part of that might be through affiliate links and a tip jar. Part of that might be making you all look like an audience.)

Plus, in truth,there’s a high chance my fellow mods would come to hate me with a passion that flaresundimmed until the world ends…

So, I’ve dithered, and I’m still dithering. (And, like always, I’ve written a lot of words to describe said dithering.) I don’t know if it’d be best to take on a mod or two, or to post a list of posts and ask people to describe them for me, or … I don’t know. I don’t. Dithering makes it hard to know!

If this doesn’t get me closer to an answer, it at least lets you know what I’m thinking about and why. At this stage, I’m pretty firm in the “no decision yet” camp, despite taking on a mod being the super obvious answer, but is absolutely something that needs thinking about and deciding on.

(If anyone read this to the bottom … wow. Just wow. You’re amazing.)

[dandelliongirl]

It’s April tomorrow

and spring has sprung!

The season is changing slowly but surely... Too slowly for my current liking though.

Ha - I did manage a March blog post (it’s the 31st today). Overall the entire month of March dragged on for a needlessly long time with nothing too exciting going on so I didn’t particularly feel like blogging. My guy and I have been to two dance rehearsals for my graduation ball in May so far and it has been a lot of fun. I’ve loved being silly and goofing around with him. He did the dances a total of 3 times in high school (his friends’, his own and mine) and mine was only 7-ish years ago so both of us know the steps pretty well from memory. I don’t know if dance rehearsal is as much fun for him as it is for me but I’ve been loving spending time with him. My outfit for the ball is almost finished. My top for the evening needs to be sewn together and the hemline of the skirt cut and finished to be the right length. I just got shoes last week and ordered my graduation ring so everything should be in order.

I did my gig judging the dance competition in February and it was an interesting experience. I liked seeing all the choreographies but the juding process was needlessly complicated with a long form that all of us 3 judges had to fill in for each competing group. In addition we only had from 30 seconds to a couple of minutes between each performance so I felt like I couldn’t really give any actual constructive criticism. Also we had to decide on the winners in less than 10 minutes, which was pretty stressful. In the end we all agreed but it was really difficult and my hand hurt for many days after from writing so much and so fast.

My guy’s friend from Japan visited us for a week at the end of February. The boys spent a lot of time together and I spent time with mum. We went and got facials together, and I celebrated a friend’s birthday making brownies with her. Mum had her second big surgery on the 27th but it went better this time around and dad was on his spring break so he could pick her up and bring her home early.

March was a very busy month at work. The good kind of busy though. The kind that makes me feel important and doesn’t give me time to question being hired to do nothing. We’ve been training faculty coordinators and helping them create timetables for the upcoming academic year. I’ve been in charge of these trainings and I really love it. I love helping people and coming up with solutions to their problems. Whenever the coordinators apologise for the inconvenience of their stupid questions and their constant complaining regarding the new data systems I like to tell them that as long as they have questions and complaints I have a job. Their bitching is paying my mortgage and I know it’s directed at the system not at me, so I really don’t mind. It’s completely understandable and most issues these people have are issues I’ve discovered myself and agree with completely. So all in all I’m really grateful to be in the job I’m in for two more years. I’m still looking forward to summer break though and all the exciting springtime events like Easter break, dance recitals and the big official conferment of degrees. I have felt like everything’s at a standstill so I’m hoping spring will pick up it’s pace.

My friend is currently on her first 3 week trip to Japan. I’m super happy for her but it does make me miss Japan terribly. Last year at this time I was over there enjoying the warmth and the beauty of the cherry blossoms. I’m already planning to go back, hopefully next spring. I’m obsessively updating my friend’s instagram feed to see when she’ll be posting pictures from her trip. I gave her a list (and a reference picture) of some Sanrio products I want her to try and get me from there and I’m really hoping she can find at least some of it.

Ballet is still a struggle. Now that my friend (the one who’s in Japan right now) only goes once a week and I have no other real friends there I have no motivation and literally have to force myself to go. Not that I don’t enjoy ballet itself but it’s frustrating because I feel like we’re not making any progress and we’re stuck repeating the same things over and over. Also we’re still stuck in the stupid regular gym hall with those few crappy portable mirrors and either the wall bars/ladders or portable bars. I want to see what I’m doing, I want friends and I want new challenges. I’m glad we only have two months until summer.

I’ve started working on a bit of a book project. It’s more like a collection of essays regarding various topics that are relevant to me and my life than a book but I’ve wanted to collect my thoughts for a while now and since I’ll be turning 25 in a few weeks I thought it’d be cool to write down a collection of thoughts to celebrate a quarter of a century. I’ve been loving reading and writing now that I don’t have to do it for school/uni. I’ve already planned a somewhat of a structure for it and written down some ideas and topics. Today I’m planning to start with the first essay, which will be about me and who I am as a 25 year old. The project will span my entire 25th year so I’m definitely not trying to finish by my birthday.

My guy has spent this weekend visiting his parents. His dad is working hard on his electoral campaign for the parliament so my guy wanted to go see how it’s going. My guy is going to be working as an election officer on the actual election day.

With my guy being gone I’ve also spent the weekend with my parents. Yesterday we went to the grocery store and visited the cottage for a campfire and roasted sausages. Dad and I went  on a 40-ish minute snowshoe walk and it was a lot of fun. I got to explore parts of the forest I would otherwise never go to because during the summer it’s filled with mosquitoes, snakes and scratchy shrubbery. This was a whole new realm for me and I haven’t been on snowshoes since I was probably like 9 years old or younger. Nature really has a calming effect and I could feel the stress I didn’t even know I was holding onto melt away as I navigated between the branches and fallen trees. My new sleeping cottage is supposed to be finished by Easter and I absolutely can’t wait to get to take in the furniture, start decorating the place and plant flowers. It seems like such a far away future in which it’ll be summer and I’ll be reading books, playing Animal Crossing and taking naps in my new cottage.. It’s been over a year now since the project started and I cannot wait to have it finished...

Dad bought me my 6th Maileg bunny from the flea market this Saturday. His name is Basil and he’s my birthday present. Dad got all 5 of my Mailegs from Sweden whenever he went on his annual fishing trip but it’s been more than ten years since my collection grew. I brought my old clothes that grandmum made my original bunny (the one called Rose whom my little sleeping cottage was named after) and I can’t wait to get them in some fresh outfits.

Today dad and I went for what was probably our last ski trip this season. It was a nice and warm day and we spent almost an hour out on skis but it was really messy from all the pine needles and twigs and the snow was much more like slush with occasional ice fields than snow. In any case I got some fresh air and exercise and that felt nice. I woke up really early today to vacuum the house and put up Easter decorations before going skiing with dad and so today feels really productive. I love weekends like this that feel both relaxing and productive. And I’m proud for getting up early despite daylight savings!

We still have no news on Animal Crossing Switch.. The fandom seems to be holding out hopes for an April direct before Reggie retires as president of Nintendo of America, and because Nintendo doesn’t usually go without a direct before E3, but I’m not holding my breath. The only thing I’m hoping for regarding the new game, is that local multiplayer, visiting dream towns and having at least one person visit you over the internet would be possible without the switch online service bullshit. I’m sure local wireless will be possible. As for the rest I’m not too hopeful.. I’d be fine with having to pay to access 8 people online multiplayer as long as I could keep trading turnips with one person and not pay 40€ a year for it... I also don’t want Animal Crossing to change too drastically. I just want a better New Leaf with more customisation, new items, bigger towns and better villager interactions... I also want to be rewarded for my ACPC grind in some way.. Anyway, in the meantime I’ve been enjoying some Sims 4. For the first time since I was a child I’ve been playing through an actual story. It’s the story of a young adult called Theodore (Theo), who moved away from home to start working as a bartender and gain money to win custody of her teenage sister Journey. She adopted Journey and they lived together in a very crappy starter home for a while, but I just moved them into a two bedroom house in Willow Creek, and renovated Journey’s bedroom into the cute teenager room she deserves. Journey works hard as an A student and a fast food employee. She just got a boyfriend and she’s a hopeless romantic (and loves cats). Theo also got a boyfriend and I think he’s going to be moving in as soon as we get some more money to renovate the house a bit and build Theo a greenhouse. Eventually the girls are also going to adopt a cat for Journey and Theo is going to have a child. I’m thinking I might buy City Living next summer so that Journey and her boyfriend can move out and start their own life in San Myshuno. I’m excited to have a rags-to-riches type story that I’m playing without cheats and with characters I’m invested in. I’ve been so bad at coming up with actual storylines and have stuck with build/buy for years this feels like a whole new game for me.

Wow that was a long bit about Sims there. I’ve been writing for almost an hour now. It’s time to go meal prep and make myself a pasta salad for next week. Then I’ll start my essay collection and then I’ll play some more Sims. My guy isn’t coming back until late this evening so I get some more time off. Happy April! ���

[eddiejpoplar]

TEST DRIVE: 2019 BMW i3 120 Ah – “Getting There”

Late last year, deliveries of the third version of the BMW i3 have kicked off, after the Germans announced the introduction of a new battery for their only pure-electric vehicle, one that would apparently pack even more energy. Unlike other manufacturers, BMW decided to approach the electric vehicle offensive a bit different, focusing on refining a recipe rather than starting things over every time progress was made in a certain field. That’s how we ended up with the BMW i3 120Ah, as the Bavarians call it, referring to the enhanced energy density of the cells stored in the floor of the car.

The i3 is a rather peculiar car in the BMW range and not just because the exterior design might not be everyone’s cup of tea. It’s a peculiar car because even though it was launched in 2013 as a completed, working product, it feels like it’s still being perfected as time goes by. Over the course of five years, the i3 received three major updates, all of them further refining a car that set out to do emission-free cruising a “normal thing”, with a holistic approach. Thus, notice I didn’t mention “tailpipe emissions” so far because when BMW set out to build this EV they considered the entire production chain, not just the fact that you personally wouldn’t burn oil while driving around town, which is just a small part of what being eco-friendly means.

Instead the Germans looked at the full picture, from the materials used for the car’s construction to the energy needed to put it together. That’s why they use hydro energy for the manufacturing of the carbon fiber body and why they use solar power to assemble all BMW i cars in Leipzig. It’s all aimed at reducing emissions and what we end up with is a car that’s 93 percent recyclable, a bold achievement in many regards.

Sure, there’s still a long way to go in this never-ending search for true emission-free cars but as the Italians say, Rome wasn’t built in a day and consistency and a stubbornness to never give up is what car makers need to make things work the right way. The latest iteration of the i3 is the perfect example in this regard.

Looked at from a traditional point of view, the i3 is weird, no matter how you look at it. It was designed to be weird yet be functional, and that’s exactly what it does. The car attracts curious looks on the streets even today, five years after it was launched, as somehow people didn’t get the chance to get used to it by now. Yes, it may fall a bit far from the usual Bavarian design tree, but to some people it looks good.

To me, personally, it feels a bit peculiar when looked at from up close as it may be a bit too tall and too short to qualify as a BMW. And yet, you unmistakably can tell that this is a BMW which means the designers did their job right. The car also comes with a couple of quirks that make it stand out in the crowd but not necessarily more practical or enjoyable.

I’m referring to the doors most of all. While the rear ones are rear hinged and create a spectacular look when they are open, living with an i3 shows that they mostly get in the way. In order to allow someone to jump in the back, you need to open the front doors first, then open the rear ones and then go about the same process in reverse to be able to close them back, starting with the rear ones. It’s tedious and can get frustrating at times, especially since someone thought it was a good idea to fit the seatbelts in the rear doors, hence forcing the people riding in the front to unhook their seatbelts so that passengers could get in the back.

Once inside though you can revel in what feels like one of the best interior designs currently available in a BMW these days. I just love the minimalist look and feel of things, as well as the materials used, most of which are eco-friendly or recycled. The plastics used for the dash and part of the door panels are made of recycled PETs, the wood is Eucalyptus because it’s the fastest regenerating tree and the wool used is obtain from a special breed of sheep, with faster growing wool than most.

All of that has been known about the i3 ever since it was originally launched, but for the new model there are a couple of updates. Among them you’ll find a new trim ‘World’, as packages on BMW i models are split into ‘worlds’. The new Mega World option includes a new color and new trims for the interior. You can see the Brown Trim and Mega Carum Spice Grey SensaTec with Brown Cloth highlights in our pictures and I have to admit they look great together.

The new gradient color of the seats also makes a good impression. The iDrive system was also updated to the 6.0 version and it now comes with WiFi hotspot and wireless charging for those phones with support for it. The new system moves a lot better than before, it’s fluid and has a better setup, allowing you to find information easier. As for the technology, the headlights can now be fitted with Adaptive LED lights which work great but might not be your best investment, as the i3 was created to be used mostly around town and the LED lights are most useful on the highway, at night.

On the outside, you can have a new color, dubbed Jucaro Beige Metallic, a new addition to the ever-increasing list of hues available. It looks good but if it was my money, I would stick to Protonic Blue, as I find it fits the i3 best. But while all these small add-ons would allow you to get more creative with the way you configure your i3 the biggest change comes under the floor.

As the name suggests, the new i3 gets a new set of batteries. Unlike the rest of the automotive world, which measures the size of the batteries in terms of wattage, the engineers at BMW i use the energy density as an indicator.

Whereas the original i3 came with a 60Ah battery, the new version now has 120Ah, thus seriously upgrading its range, while keeping intact the size of the battery pack. Albeit, as the figures show, the new package is now heavier, as the i3 tips the scale at 1,345 kg, some 65 more than the original version. That also means the sprint of the car is affected, the new i3 claiming a 0-62 mph sprint time of 7.3 seconds, 0.1 seconds slower than the original.

The high-voltage battery is produced at the BMW plant in Dingolfing and consists of eight modules, each with twelve storage cells: the latest advancements have resulted in a capacity of 120Ah along with a gross energy content of 42.2 kWh – while the size remains unchanged. To get a better idea of far this tech has gone, at the market launch of the BMW i3 in 2013, the equivalent figures were 60 Ah and 22.6 kWh, while the second-generation battery introduced in 2016 reached 94 Ah and 33 kWh. You won’t get to use all of the 42 kWh though, as the battery can’t be fully depleted, thanks to some protective software. However, you do get to use about 38 kWh of it, which should allow you to travel up to 260 km (roughly 160 miles), according to BMW. We decided to put that to the test.

The Germans claim the i3 should use around 13.1 kWh for each 100 kilometers covered, thanks to further developments done not only on the battery but also on the electric motor which should be more efficient now. This is where the efforts made in Formula E show their worth, as that’s currently the testing ground of BMW i.

With such ideal figures, the i3 should do up to 300 kilometers (186 miles) with one charge, according to the WLTP testing cycle, but real-life is often quite different than what tests say. During my time with the car I saw the range varying quite a lot, depending on the weather and driving conditions. On the first day, I managed to cover just 184 kilometers (114 miles) with one charge which was a bit disappointing. This should read thought as a ‘worst case scenario’ since the area where I was driving was hit by a horrendous icy storm, with sub-zero temperatures, and a freezing rain that simply wouldn’t stop.

The car was wearing snow tires and I had to drive through some serious slush all the time. Snow and ice made it quite an interesting experience and, even though I did drive in Eco Pro mode the whole day, I still had to use the heater to make sure I don’t get frostbites. That said, all the auxiliary systems were used throughout the day, from the heater to the windshield wipers, rear window heater, headlights, and so on. That’s why I doubt that anyone could get a worse result on a full charge and why I think the 184-kilometer range should be considered a baseline reading, a worst-case scenario.

As I got more acquainted with the car, the weather started to come around and a couple of days later, we had warm, positive temperatures, no more slush and an overall better experience. Over the next days the range reflected that quite obviously, as I saw an average of 230 kilometers (143 miles) for each battery charge, even though I didn’t use Eco Pro mode anymore but rather switched to Comfort mode. The heater still worked, as the temperatures didn’t rise by that much (were in the 3-5 Celsius range) but I didn’t have to use any other auxiliaries. The improvement was dramatic and, given a different climate, I think the claimed 260-kilometer range of BMW should be quite easily achieved.

As for the charging part, that’s the trickiest bit in the EV world right now. The standard charging cable is designed to be plugged into a conventional household socket. If that’s the case, the battery can be charged to up to 80 percent of its full power in approximately 15 hours with a charging capacity of 2.4 kW. The Bavarians also offer a BMW i Wallbox to those interested, which enables rapid three-phase charging with a capacity of 11 kW.

In this case, the time required to achieve an 80 percent charge of the large-capacity high-voltage battery is claimed to be 3.2 hours. The power electronics and high-voltage battery in the BMW i3 and i3s can also be used in conjunction with quick-charging stations that run on DC power, which are the fastest you can use today. If that’s the case, the charging capacity is 50 kW and the high-voltage battery reaches 80 percent of its total power in just 42 minutes. However, I should mention that this European i3 didn’t come equipped with quick charging capabilities as standard, but only if you purchase the Premium Package which includes it.

And yes, the figures claimed by BMW do match what I noticed in real life. Charging the i3 at a 50kW station is quite impressive, as I managed to get some extra 50 kilometers of range with a simple 10-minute charge. Most of the time though, I used a Type 2 charger with a capacity of 11kWh which allowed me to fully charge the car in about 4 and a half hours. Using a household socket would only work if you left the car to charge overnight.

As for the range anxiety topic, I think it can only become an issue if you don’t manage your expectations. BMW said it loud and clear when the i3 was launched: “We created this car for inner-city usage and according to our research.”

What that means is that BMW had a fleet of electric MINIs running around in the US and Europe for a couple of years before launching the first i3, to see just how long the average daily commute is. Their findings showed that getting to work is usually within the 10-kilometer mark (6.2 miles) and that you’ll probably drive for about 20 kilometers a day just going to work and doing some chores. That’s why they created the first i3 to allow you to do that without a problem, possibly even allowing you to recharge your car once a week. That’s absolutely doable with the latest iteration of the i3 as it was with the ones that came before

The best bit of news though is that BMW is applying the same recipe it has been following for decades when it comes to electric vehicles as well. They started off with a car that is now being refined over successive generations, with small tweaks that ultimately will lead to a great product. The fact that the i3 was upgraded significantly three times over the last 5 years shows just how the Germans want to go about this whole EV thing and I think it’s the best way to move forward, in search of the perfect blend of performance, battery size and range.

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Can You Balance a Side Hustle With a Full-Time Job? Yes—Here’s How

If you’re looking to earn more money and build up new skills and experience, side hustles are the way to go. Starting a side hustle gives you the freedom to seek out work that interests you, accept clients on your own terms, and invest as much time as you want into your side enterprise. But—since you’ll be adding this side work to your full-time job or domestic responsibilities—side hustles require balancing your time and priorities. While this might sound like a tall order, with a little bit of creative thinking and flexibility, incorporating a side hustle into your already busy life can be a snap. To give you some pointers on how to have it all, I spoke with three successful side hustlers and got the scoop on how they get it done.

Up Skill on Your Lunch Break

One balancing issue that crops up before a side hustle even begins is finding the time to learn the new skills you might need for a lucrative side gig. If you’re already working full-time, going back to school doesn’t sound like an appealing option. The good news is that some of the most high paying side hustles require skills that can be learned relatively quickly during your downtime. (Think: on your lunch break, or any other pockets of idle time during the day.)

Shannon Mattern, CEO at WordPress training site WP+BFF, learned tech skills as a way to start her own side hustle—a side hustle that she balanced for three years alongside a day job. During her time running the marketing, continuing education, and IT departments for a small non-profit association, Mattern saw the value of WordPress—both being able to use it herself, and the potential market for teaching it to others. WordPress (a content management system that allows you to create, publish, and manage web content) is one of several digital skills that can be learned within a months-long time span and can lead directly to a profitable tech side hustle.

In Mattern’s case, she was able to teach herself WordPress with no formal training or background while also working at her day job and juggling the rest of her responsibilities by filling lunch and coffee breaks with lessons—a formula you can replicate at your own job that beats mindlessly trolling Instagram. If you’re looking to follow this model yourself, online resources abound. You can learn WordPress basics through self-directed courses on websites like Lynda, and up your game even further with instructor-led courses from online schools like Skillcrush. And, in addition to WordPress, critical tech skills like HTML, CSS, and JavaScript can also be learned online in a matter of months.

Plan a Schedule that Works for YOU

According to Mattern, it’s critical to plan ahead and explicitly schedule your time in order to be successful at your side hustle. When Mattern first started out, she tried to cram her side work into her schedule anywhere she could, which—more often than not—meant working in the evenings after a long day at her full-time job. After a frustrating start, Mattern took a step back, adjusted her schedule, and carved out a healthier balance between her day job and her side work.

Instead of working late, Mattern started getting up earlier to fit in a few hours of side work before her day job began. Because she found these early morning hustle hours so effective, Mattern eventually negotiated a schedule at her day job that let her start later. The big key for Mattern was to frontload her side hustle hours so she could do them while she still felt fresh, rather than trying to squeeze it all in at the tail end of an 8-hour work day.

Of course, your own mileage may vary—some people would rather work in the evening than the morning, other people prefer to spend time on the weekends instead of during the week, etc.—but the general sentiment stands. Your side hustle work won’t get done accidentally. You need to purposefully establish a schedule that allows you to be productive and fits your work style needs.

Put Down the Remote

Knowing what time of the day and week are ideal for your side hustle is one thing, but how can you free up that ideal time? According to Kirsten La Greca, once you start looking you’ll find time-sinks in your schedule that are easier to cut out than you might think. La Greca is a reality TV casting producer and director by day, but—despite this demanding job—also manages to spend 20 hours a week running her eCommerce brand Rosa Gold. La Greca says that as tempting as it is to use the excuse of “no time” as a roadblock to starting a side hustle, the time is there—it’s just up to you to find it.

Before La Greca started her side hustle she spent a lot of her non-work/responsibility time watching TV. But when she found herself looking for that extra 20 hours a week to get her brand rolling, she realized the TV could go. For La Greca, it was simply a matter of exchanging passive downtime for active creative time—an exchange she says was remarkably easy to make. Putting down the remote and giving herself the space to start her side hustle not only improved her life financially, but brought unexpected benefits like making new friends, learning coding skills, and getting to serve on the US delegation for 2017’s Global Entrepreneurship Summit. While TV may not be your personal time-sink, take stock of any passive time wasters you can pluck out of your own day and consider replacing them with side hustle productivity. Chances are, you’ll find the appeal of those time-sinks won’t stand up to the prospect of more money, a creative outlet, and the potential for a new career.

Think Long Term

Danielle Flores is a web engineer by day and spends about 10-20 hours a week side hustling—mostly on nights and weekends, working from bed with her laptop. Flores’ hustle includes running an advice blog as well as doing freelance web development. Like La Greca, Flores cites setting aside passive activities like TV in favor of making a financial and creative impact with her side work. However, for Flores—on top of scheduling dedicated side hustle time and carving out the space to make that time possible—one of the biggest motivators for feeling a sense of balance between her day job and her side hustle is to think about the future.

Flores says that she and her wife are trying to build up their savings and investments so they can eventually reach financial freedom. Specifically, they’re hoping to be able to retire early—a goal that’s far less likely when your finances are limited to your 9-5 salary. Your own financial goals might be slightly different, but whatever they are (saving for your kids’ college tuition, sending aside a travel slush fund, generating income to invest in more skills, growing a business to eventually replace your day job, or even just having a little extra spending money), the time you invest in a side hustle will pay you back with these dividends in the long run. At times when the balance between your full-time job and a side hustle seems daunting, keep in mind why you’re doing it, and think about the fact that the payoff will be more than worth any incidental balancing bumps along the way.

The big takeaway here is that yes, starting a side hustle will require planning and priority shifting to fit it in with the rest of your life, but—if you’re committed to your goal—side hustling while working full-time (whether that’s paid or domestic work) is totally doable. And not only is this balance achievable, but your efforts will be rewarded.

“I wouldn’t call it a side hustle/day job balance as much as I’d call it a blend,” Mattern says. “If you love what you do on the side, it doesn’t really feel like work. The extra money is amazing, and there are always pockets of time—checking email while waiting in line. Working in the car on road trips. Working through your to-do list on your lunch break. It’s worth the extra hustle to get to that light at the end of the tunnel.”

from Web Developers World https://skillcrush.com/2018/09/06/how-to-balance-side-hustle-with-job/

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Car Or Truck Not Running At Its Best? These Tips Can Help!

Are you a vehicle? If this is true, then your car will likely require repairs eventually. You may experience some stress trying to find a great vehicle repair company. The tips below can help you be able to make the right decisions.

Be sure that you have an A.S.E. certified mechanic before they are allowed to work on your vehicle. The basis of this certification is that your mechanic has over two years of experience and they have passed appropriate testing. This is a good way of finding a qualified mechanic who will care about doing a good job so they can keep their certification.

TIP! Always have a good battery charger in your car. Dead batteries are pretty common and you can help others if you own a battery charger.

You absolutely need a good emergency kit available in your vehicle. You can make your own; include things that you will have to have to put on a spare, help you get some extra gas and tire changing tools as well.

See if you can find reviews about the body shop of your choice on the Internet. The Internet is a great resource to find out how people really feel about a certain garage. Use this information to choose a good shop.

TIP! Major repairs should always be accompanied by more than just one estimate. Most shops are reliable but some mechanics will find additional repairs to charge you more.

Ask a mechanic any questions you have regarding your car when bringing it in to their shop. Preventing issues with your vehicle is an excellent way to save you a lot of money.

Pay attention to your wiper blades. You need new windshield wipers if the ones you have are making noises and leaving streaks on the glass. Get new wipers blades yearly or on a more regular basis if there is often rain or snow where you live.

TIP! Don’t have too many keychains or other items on your key fob. Ignitions are not meant to hold so much weight.

Make sure that you often check the radiator. You need to allow your car to run for a couple of minutes, shut the engine and open your hood. Never open your radiator on a running car. Check the radiator fluid by using a dipstick and remember to always mix the coolant with water prior to adding it.

It is just as important to get your car washed in winter as it is in summer. Although it may seem like a waste of time, winter weather can really damage your vehicle. Roads filled with sand and salt can really do some corrosive damage to your car. Just be sure that you’re drying your car off before you start to drive around so that ice doesn’t form.

TIP! Be certain your technician is properly certified. Particularly, make sure they are approved by the NIAE and other licensing boards.

Go through your owner’s manual and make sure to mark important pages. You could even discover how to solve your car problems yourself.

If you just bought a car, and you realize there is a problem, get in touch with the manufacturer. This may be something that is affecting everyone with the vehicle. With a new car, the problem will generally be covered by the warranty, and the dealer will fix it.

TIP! Consistency is important when dealing with auto repair shops. Stick to a repair shop that you trust, rather than using multiple shops to get repairs done.

Look at the reviews online for body shops in your area. This lets you know how satisfied customers are with their experience. You can use online reviews to find a place you are comfortable giving your business to.

If you want some support when it come to auto repair, consider using AAA. Become an AAA member if you want to save on repairs or on getting your vehicle towed. In fact, you’ll find that many times, AAA has set discounts to lower your out of pocket expenses.

TIP! Some things you can do yourself, including adding oil and other fluids. You can do these things just as well as a trained auto mechanic can.

It pays to keep track of your oil changes. You have to change it regularly get the oil changed to make sure your car running smoothly.If you don’t change it, your car may not last as long as it could.

Save the receipts from all your car repairs in a single file. Consider separating records by maintenance type or by year. It doesn’t matter how you set up your file system since you have an accurate record of all repairs and maintenance work done on your car. This record should provide help to your auto technician when additional repairs are needed, plus it will help you if you’re repairs are under warranty or if you’re dissatisfied with any repair. This can come in handy later on.

TIP! If a mechanic gives you a quote that exceeds two hundred dollars, ask for a written estimate. This written estimate is useful in the event a complaint must be filed against your mechanic.

Just because the days are colder doesn’t mean you should avoid washing your car. Winter can be the most damage causing time of the year for your vehicle. Salt and sand lead to rust and other flaws.

Ask several questions at the mechanics. You need to get some details on the kind of repairs needed. How long does the repair take to complete? Ask about the kind of work done to your vehicle. How much will the parts cost? Ask them anything and everything that you can think of. That proves to them that you know what you’re talking about.

TIP! When having their car repaired, some people ask for the worn or broken parts to be returned to them when the work is finished. This will ensure that they did the work for you.

With such a large number of dishonest auto repair shops around, it can be hard to find one that you can trust. Be sure to use this advice for future car issues. A little legwork on your end can save you a lot of money.

Take time out to find out all you can about your vehicle and what could cause problems. Learning all you can about your car is the only way you can avoid going to your mechanic each time you have problems. By being able to do simple things, like change a tire or put oil in, you will save tons of money.

TIP! Use rubber mats in your car during the winter so your carpet is better protected. This will protect the carpet from slush, mud, salt and other debris.

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How To Ensure Your Car Is Always In Good Repair

This article is here to help fix these problems. Keep on reading for important advice that will teach you more about auto repair.

Referrals are one of the best ways to find a reputable auto mechanic. Look to your family, friends, and colleagues for their suggestions. Ask about the quality of the work, what it cost and what perks were offered. These people will be able to inform you of their experience with the mechanic.

TIP! Make sure you are receiving OEM parts. These parts are directly from the manufacturer of your vehicle.

This certification means that the technician has completed a written test and has more than two years of experience under his or her belt. This is a good way of mechanic is the best choice for your vehicle.

Take out all of the valuable items in your car when it is being repaired. They will likely be taken out and may be lost. You should also remove all the items from your trunk.

TIP! Try to find out what is causing the a problem with your vehicle before taking it to the shop. You can save lots of money if you can diagnose the problem yourself.

You don’t always have to call a mechanic in for simple repairs. There are a lot of things that could be fixed very easily. If the repair is not difficult, try it yourself.

When you take your car in for repair, verify their hourly rate and total cost of repair before you hand over your keys. Fees can be hidden and need to be detailed. It is crucial that you understand exactly how you will be billed for repairs. They may be from a manual written by the car’s manufacturer. While some things are considered minor repairs, the job may actually take all day.

TIP! Make sure that you remind yourself of how often your oil needs to be changed. This will ensure that your car is running at its optimum performance.

Ask the technician at the repair shop you are considering if they have done work on the same make and model of car before contracting with them. If they have before, they are more likely able to correctly diagnose and fix the problems your vehicle is having.

Competent repairs can be done elsewhere than at the dealership. There are quite a few mechanics out there, whether you get your car into one of them or do things at home yourself there are many options. If you are more comfortable with one of them, by all means use them.

TIP! It can be dangerous to repair vehicles on your own. Always have a buddy nearby that can assist you if there is an emergency.

Go through your automobile’s manual and dog ear the most useful pages. You might even find some easy solutions for the information you have been encountering.

Bring your car to the auto repair shop immediately if you sense a problem, no matter how small. An issue that might seem minor could end up turning into a nightmare down the road.

TIP! You should not try diagnosing complex problems. Keep in mind that you are not a professional.

You should keep your car’s records available at all times. You want these with you when you go to get repairs done; a great place to store them in the glove compartment for easy access. The mechanics who work on your car will definitely want to see your maintenance records before working on your car. This can make the process go more precisely.

Keep an eye open for a shop that takes off your good tires and puts older ones on. They are attempting to make money this way. Prior to taking the car in, mark your tires with a bit of chalk. If you don’t have the chalk on your tires still when you pick the car up, then you know things aren’t right.

TIP! OEM is something that means Original Equipment Manufacturer. Ask for OEM parts if you need some new parts for your vehicle.

Always keep records each time your car.If you have more problems later, this past record will help the mechanic in diagnosing the problems.

Talk to the manufacturer when there are extreme issues with your automobile. It’s possible there’s been a recall on that car, and you might not be the only one having the problem. Oftentimes, the manufacturer will have your car fixed.

TIP! After you pay a mechanic and let them replace something on your vehicle, ask if you can get the old part back. If he cannot provide this, he may not have done anything with your car.

Unnecessary Repairs

Ask many questions of your mechanic. It is important to know the full story about your repairs, not just what it is going to cost. Ask how much work is involved. What work will be done? What are you going to be paying for parts? Ask them anything and everything that you can think of. The knowledge you gain from your questions can benefit you should the problem arise again in the future.

TIP! When you have a good experience with a mechanic, go there from then on. If you have a positive relationship with your auto repair shop, you can feel sure your car will be repaired properly.

Be wary of mechanics that do unnecessary repairs to your vehicle. A good mechanic will never perform work without getting your vehicle and they’ll give you options as to how to proceed. Never give your car to someone who preforms unnecessary repairs.

Don’t ever fill your windshield washer with water. Water can clean your windshield, but since the system requires that specific fluid, you could damage it. You need to check this on a regular basis for refill needs. Keep a bottle in your car. The trunk is good place to keep a bottle.

TIP! Because winter weather can ravage the interior of a car, high quality floor mats are very useful. These mats shield the delicate interior from mud, salt, slush, and other gunk that trails inside.

Never leave anything in your car when it is getting repaired. Mechanics may need to take these items out to do the work and they cannot be held responsible if an item is damaged or missing. You want to remove items from your trunk.

When you’re getting a car washed, you should try to clean off your car mats as well. Dirt is something that can get lodged in your car’s mats and that can eat through it after a while. These holes are unattractive and allow dirt to reach the carpet.

TIP! Ask questions. If you take it to a shop, understand what they’re fixing and the amount of money it will cost.

Reading this article should have taught you more about fixing your car. While you might not know much at the moment concerning auto repair, you could probably learn to handle certain smaller repairs yourself. If you deal with some larger issues, you should be able to find a good mechanic to repair them.

Keep good records of all work that is done on your car. If possible, maintain this record in your car. This can help the mechanic figure out any issues. It will save a bunch of time when diagnosing issues.

TIP! You can often put off minor car repairs, but take your car in immediately if the electrical system, steering wheel, tires or brakes give you trouble. If you don’t, you may be putting yourself in an extremely dangerous situation.

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