#also for people reading on TH: this is the 4th chapter. the first 3 is Over the Hill + the breaking news updates

[raitrolling]

Team (Dis)orders

[Easy reading version on Toyhou.se]

(This drabble is the sixth episode of the Drive to Survive series)

The atmosphere of the Selatak GP felt different without Tira.

Not to the other nine teams, who were continuing on business as usual. And not to the majority of the members of Aeon Racing either, who were also going through the same procedures as every other race. Setting up the garage, unloading the cars from the freight trucks and setting them up to be race ready, conducting various internal meetings and debriefings, participating in interviews with the media, then finally completing all three practice sessions and the qualifying session.

Meanwhile, Sharle felt like he was the only troll who noticed that his teammate had been replaced.

Of course, that was definitely not the case. The media had been swarming around the reserve driver to get exclusive photographs of him in his racing gear, the other teams had been watching the data from Aeon Racing closer than ever to scope out the newest competition, and no one could escape being asked by interviewers how they think Zraike compares against the rest of the grid. 

But no one else seemed to notice the number 21 stickers on the car had been replaced with 29s. No one else seemed to notice the boards on top of the garages which designated where each driver was stationed didn’t mention a certain tealblood. And no one on that side of the garage seemed to have cared that they needed to install a different seat than usual, as the driver occupying that car was much taller than the previous one.

It was as if all traces of Sharle’s best friend had been wiped clean out of existence, and he was the only person who remembered who they were.

Sharle knew he couldn’t let the absence of Tira bother him too much either, as much as he did miss his company. He hadn’t been able to visit him since he’d been released from hospital, hobbling on crutches with his leg in a cast. Mansel had personally paid for the best surgeon in Revoire City out of his own pocket - more of a gesture of goodwill than of necessity given that Tira had ample funds to pay his own medical bills, - but the backing of the Team Principal allowed for the tealblood to receive preferential treatment within the medical system. 

Tira had reassured him that he’d be back by Midwestern Circuit in three races’ time, just like Sharle predicted. Tira, at the time, was also hopped up on enough painkillers to sedate a horse. 

Nothing else for Sharle to do but to keep his head down and get into the zone. Fortunately, he was very good at blocking out all other distractions whenever he was behind the wheel of a car.

The free practice sessions and qualifying passed with no issues. Even the humidity Selatak was famous for did not bother the blueblood in the slightest, he’d been spending the past few weeks training in the sauna to acclimatise to the intense heat, and every time he was out in the car had been wearing a cooling vest over his fireproofs. Mechanics would blast the car and its driver with dry ice whenever it was idling in the garage, and Ropikk was always quick to hand Sharle a bottle of electrolyte-infused water to keep up his fluid intake. 

Ropikk was also quick to complain about the things she had overheard from the opposite garage, something the falcon troll had not been paying any attention to outside of asking his race engineer the gaps between the cars and reading the telemetry. It was the same things Sharle already knew about Zraike: He was foul-tempered and hot-headed, and didn’t like when lower caste trolls gave him orders, even when they were his superiors on the team’s hierarchy. 

It was those traits that Mansel had hoped a weekend in the big league would help temper and force the younger seadweller to mature, so that he could become a good fit for the team as a whole. He may be quick and have that killer instinct to immediately fight for a championship, but an uncooperative driver does not do well for team morale.

Still, as the minutes started ticking down towards the beginning of the race, Sharle thought it would be best to check in on his replacement teammate. 

He ducked his head into Zraike’s garage, spying the zebrafish troll removing his cooling vest to get ready to step into the car. 

“Hey,” Sharle said as he approached, offering a handshake. “Er, good luck with your first race, Selatak must be a pretty tough one to start out at, huh?”

The intensity of Zraike’s glare could have killed a small animal.

“I don’t need your support, blueblood.”

Sharle blinked in surprise, and scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, not expecting that much vitriol.

Well, he tried.

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

Sharle pulled his car into the fifth grid spot after completing the formation lap, with Zraike not too far behind in eighth. The purpleblood had qualified higher than anyone had expected, making Sharle’s time a little underwhelming in comparison. Both trolls knew they had everything to prove, but only Sharle had the team’s chosen strategy in mind. 

The two cars had been fitted with medium tyres, with the intention that only one pit stop would be required, so the aim was to gain as many positions as possible in the beginning laps and then coasting until the ideal pit window opened. The biggest gamble, then, was if Zraike was capable of managing his tyres as well as the more experienced drivers on the grid.

He was not thinking about the reserve driver, however, as his race did not concern Sharle in the slightest. He was only staring straight ahead, watching the five starting lights begin to illuminate on the count down...

… And it’s lights out and away we go!

The driver in pole position did not get as quick of a start as second place, creating a slight delay for all the cars on the right side of the track. Predicting that third would move to the right to get around the struggling polesitter, Sharle opted to plant his foot down and drive straight ahead, ready to slot into any gap while the first few drivers fought for the top position.

He saw an opening on the first corner and passed fourth, but in the chaos of so many cars vying for that same gap, he was squeezed out into the run-off area. He didn’t feel any impact from bumping into any other cars, and simply swore to himself as he charged ahead to find an open space, cutting the first corner and ending up in third place in an illegal move.

“You know what to do, Sharle. Give the position back,” Prozit drawled into his ears, reminding him of the racing rules.

“Yeah, yeah, I know. Not my fault fucking Komaii squeezed me,” He grumbled in response, briefly pulling off the racing line to allow the rival driver past, and then returning before anyone took advantage of him conceding the position.

He’ll get him back in the next few corners.

And that he did, using the Aeon’s speed advantages on the long straight leading up to turn seven, overtaking the Taurouge Racing car belonging to Komaii from the outside at the sharp left-hand turn. He left little space for the other driver as he turned in, forcing him to back out and Sharle to speed ahead into the next series of sharp turns. He smirked to himself, perhaps that squeeze was a little petty, but that’s simply how racing is sometimes.

Sharle continued on, and once the first lap was cleared and the gaps between each car began to widen, settled into a routine of tyre management that would last until the pit window opened. Second place had gotten a couple seconds ahead of him during his initial fight with Komaii, while he was also pulling away handily from fourth place.

Prozit informed him over the headset that the Taurouge sustained a bit of damage, as the front wing clipped against the wall during the squeeze. The stewards were going to investigate that, but the Team felt confident they could make up for any potential time penalties received.

The blueblood responded with a quick “Understood” and resumed focusing on the road ahead of him.

Lap by lap, he inched closer to second place, getting within the DRS range at one point but having to back out of a fight for position as he would risk wearing down his tyres too much. Keeping within one second of the other car allowed him to take advantage of the slipstream… And any potential mistakes from lock-up or oversteering.

As he passed down the main straight for the fifteenth time this race, Sharle caught a glimpse at one of the large screens broadcasting the television feed for the audience in the grandstands to experience the race in its entirety. In those brief seconds, the camera was focused on one of the other team’s garages, singling out a driver’s girlfriend watching the feed.

He felt glad that Jamie didn’t receive that kind of attention despite being present at this race, as he was only recognised as a representative for Starsight, one of Aeon Racing’s sponsors. His matesprit would hate being filmed in this manne-

Ah, shit. The corner.

Sharle slammed on the brakes as the first turn appeared much faster than he expected, causing his tyres to lock up. Fortunately, he didn’t crash. But unfortunately, second place was able to pull much further ahead. 

He cursed again in Italian this time, making sure he didn’t accidentally bump the microphone and broadcast his adrenaline-fueled language to the team, and corrected his car to return to the racing line. Focus, Sharle. Focus.

He knuckled down for another four laps until his race engineer gave the signal of the radio.

“Alright, box next lap. Box box.”

One more trip around the circuit and it’d be time to come into the pits for the hard tyres. They’ll last until the end of the race, and provided there are no red flags or safety cars, he’ll be in prime contention for his second podium in a row-

Wait, how the hell did Zraike get right behind him?

The other Aeon was charging towards him at a speed that should not be possible on worn-down mediums. Sharle hadn’t noticed him in his mirrors, so he must have caught up during the long straight sections of the track. And as they were heading around the first few turns, Zraike was gaining on him fast.

“Oi, Prozit, how’s Zraike’s laptimes?” He asked through the headset.

“One minute thirty-six on fresh softs,” responded the engineer.

Soft tyres? That wasn’t in the pre-race brief, and neither was a two-stop strategy for either driver. But before Sharle could enquire further, Prozit seemed to have read his mind.

“Zraike pitted two laps ago. It was his call for softs, the mediums were not working for him.”

Which was code for ‘this guy doesn’t know how to manage tyres for a full race, and chewed them up trying to carve through the field’. That kind of tenacity could be admired from a rookie, but this wasn’t a practice session where the team was solely looking at the data. This was a race, where ideally both drivers should finish in the points without compromising the strategy.

“Uh-huh, copy. Can you tell him to get off my ass? He’s gonna ruin those softs too if he keeps riding me,” There was a slight annoyance in Sharle’s tone. There’s a time and a place for proper racing between teammates on track, but not when a rookie is trying to swerve around him when he can just wait another minute to get that track position.

While waiting for his engineer’s response, he took it upon himself to defend his position. That seadweller can learn to be patient. Zraike tried to weave around him again, but ran out of room before needing to brake to make the next corner.

“Affirmative. Negion has told him to ease off and wait for you to pit first.”

Sure didn’t seem like it… The blueblood grumbled to himself, as he looked in his mirrors and saw Zraike sitting firmly on his rear wing once again, ready to make a move to pass. He veered over slightly to block the other driver’s attempt, and could see the seadweller throw his hand up to flip him the bird.

Another voice piped in on the radio communications - the other race engineer this time, opting to speak to both drivers at once.

“Zraike, I said Casini is not your race. Keep it clean, boys. Mansel’s watching,” Negion’s tone was much more jovial than his twin brother’s, but his words were equally as serious. 

Sharle couldn’t help but chuckle at the other driver getting a scolding, as that message would definitely be getting broadcast on the live feed.

But, as he pressed his foot on the brakes to ease around the next corner, disaster struck.

The flat spot on the tyres from his previous lock up did not grip onto the road properly, causing Sharle to lock up a second time and run wide.

As he moved the steering wheel to correct himself, Zraike made a move to attempt to overtake from the inside line. Sharle’s car was ahead at the apex.

Sharle thought his teammate was going to listen to the team orders and back out. 

Zraike did not.

The seadweller’s front wing collided with the other car’s front, causing both cars to spin off the track. Sharle wrestled with the steering wheel to try and fight against it, but to no avail. Almost in sync, both Aeons hit the barriers.

“Confirming you’re okay, Sharle.” Prozit was on the radio immediately.

The blueblood groaned.

“Yeah, I’m good. What the fuck was that, man. What a fucking idiot, what was he even doing?” 

There was a pause, as if his race engineer didn’t know how to answer that.

“Switch off the car. They’ll be red flagging the race.”

Apparently by not acknowledging it at all. But sure enough, the marshalls positioned around the track began waving red flags to signal to the other drivers the race had been halted.

With another groan, Sharle switched off the car as instructed and removed the steering wheel. Next was his seatbelts, then finally the headrest. He couldn’t help but toss the headrest out of the car in frustration, fortunately not hitting anyone in the process. 

The blueblood winced as he climbed out of the car, slightly sore from the impact. Yeah, that’s definitely going to bruise, damn Zraike. Who the hell does he think he is?

He shook his head in annoyance, and once he reached the barrier decided to take off his helmet to get some fresh air. It wasn’t usually recommended to do that while technically still on track, but he was sweating up a storm under Selatak’s humidity. Setting the helmet and the steering wheel on top of the barrier for a moment, he took in a deep breath of that hot air, and-

Crash.

The blueblood almost jumped in shock. What the fuck?

A helmet - one belonging to his seadwelling teammate - had been thrown at him. Sharle turned around, and threw up his hand at the approaching troll.

“Dude, what the hell was that for?”

“You ruined my fucking race, you asshole! That position was mine!” Zraike yelled, baring his teeth.  

Sharle scoffed back, adrenaline running high.

“Mate, what about my race? I was about to pit, you should’ve waited to pass after like you were told. Team orders, man. You’re meant to listen to them, not ram me off the corner!”

“I don’t give a rat’s fucking ass about team orders that only care about you. What? Am I supposed to not race when I’m clearly faster? Can’t handle a bit of competition?” The seadweller sneered.

“What? No?” Sharle threw his hand up again in disbelief. “That’s just common sense, you fucking idiot. Don’t get aggressive with me, mate.”

By now Zraike was right up in Sharle’s personal space, and responded by shoving the smaller driver. 

“Mate, come the fuck on-” Sharle glared, looking ready to fight back himself. “You’re just being an asshole, and you ruined both our races!”

He gestured madly at the cars, brakes still smoking much like their tempers.

“Like, dude. You don’t just do this shit here, this ain’t a derby, come on.”

Zraike shoved him again, harder this time, and he was almost knocked backwards into the barrier.

“Don’t talk back to me, blueblooded bitch. You don’t get to call the fucking shots here just because you’re Mansel’s favourite, and you don’t get to throw a fucking tantrum when a rookie is better than you,” he growled, threatening.

“Mate, I ain’t throwing a tantrum, you literally drove into me!”

For a second, Sharle thought he saw sparks crackle off the seadweller’s horns, but was too angered to pay any attention to anything but Zraike’s audacious claims.

Zraike snarled, towering over the falcon troll and spraying spit into his face as he yelled, “And you don’t know how to fucking drive as soon as someone tries to overtake you! Is that why they keep that shitty midblood around? To make you feel better cuz he’ll never pass you? Everyone knows he doesn’t deserve a spot on this team, you fucking sabotaged me on purpose!”

Oh, that was it. Sharle had enough.

With little warning, he curled up his hand into a fist, and swung it at Zraike’s face.

Crack.

Both trolls looked shocked in the moment. Zraike stumbled sidewards, clutching his nose, and when Sharle recoiled his hand backwards he caught a glimpse of violet blood on his glove. Shit, did he just break it?

The zebrafish troll roared, sclera tinted red in pure fury. 

“You fucking cunt! I’ll fucking kill you! I’ll-!”

He made an attempt to lunge, snarling animalistically as blood poured down his face, but was grabbed by one of the marshalls and forcibly held back. Sharle too, felt two firm hands grab onto his arms from behind to drag him backwards. Other marshalls manning this corner of the track similarly swarmed around the two drivers to prevent the fight from escalating.

“Alright, break it off, you two. Get off the track, and go straight to the Stewards’ Office.” A commanding voice called from behind the falcon troll, and Sharle knew at that moment he was in deep trouble.

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

Within Aeon Racing’s garage, the team witnessed a replay of the confrontation on their television screens.

Ropikk screamed in horror at the impending PR disaster and covered her face. Mansel turned away, shaking his head as he suddenly felt a headache manifest. Jamie cackled like a madman, clearly enjoying the show. The pit crew and mechanics appeared to be evenly split between looking haunted by the amount of damage to the two cars and being wildly entertained by the slow-motion replays of Sharle’s fist connecting with Zraike’s nose.

At the pitwall, the twin race engineers stared at their screens, stone-faced with their fingers steepled in front of their mouths. As the camera crew zoomed in closely on the indigobloods’ faces for a perfect reaction to cut to on the public broadcast, the twin with a crooked horn on the left side cracked the slightest hint of a smirk.

[ahundredtimesover]

I've been struggling with sending you a feedback for chapter 3 and 4 for three reasons :

1. The confusion of changing dynamics and feelings has me reeling and i want to slow down (not the plot but my beating heart) before I form an opinion because it's easy to fawn over the closeness of our lead couple but there are too many variables attached.

2. I feel the guilt for Seri, I feel terrible for her.. Her boyfriend is one wide shouldered red flag who's had his reasons but they are ambiguous ones and even he can't figure out the reason for his secrecy. Also the fact that he hasn't thought about Seri or pined over her absence is another red flag. Calling it a red flag makes me guilty bcz this is Jin and we know what the plot is about but i just.. My inner female is growling and disapproving of this behavior

3. The third reason is quite stupid I just had a terribly hectic week and each time I tried to read the chapter or send you an ask i ended up passing out due to sheer exhaustion with the phone falling flat on my face and that's also why I've had a delayed response because I needed to read 3 and 4 several times together and note their flow with each other.

4. What I loved was:

a) the very domestic vibe they carried withe ach other. Its quite wholesome to see them interact and comfort each other as if it's a daily occurrence.

b) the skinship keeps increasing and it's borderline flirting. The sexual tension is building up very slowly and that's the charm of it. I enjoyed the second kiss in the 4th chapter because it stemmed from real feeling and curiousity I feel?

c) everyone including Taehyung is just rooting for them🥴 us included 😂 Sorry Seri😢

d) I love the soft pillow talk (wrong in this context but you know what I mean) the soft touches, caressing the cheeks, cupping them,the compliments were overflowing, the sunblock moment. Those soft secret and otherwise smiles Jin gives her at all times make for some very pleasant dreamy moments and makes the chapters so worthwhile to read.

5. Jin isn't a bad guy here but I think he's unfair, he's stringing Seri along. Even when he talks about her he feels relief that she's not fussy. She's just a side chick at the moment who he sees as he pleases. Idk relationships are complicated.. 😭 And im struggling to form an opinion on this part and just waiting to ride this one out.. But as the lead couple gets closer to each other, so does the guilt settle more and more in his heart.

6. This is an unpopular opinion and i may be hated for this but jin seems very fickle minded - his emotions keep swaying, he had a type in which Seri fit, OC is different so she's refreshing.. He is glad to spend all this time with OC and didn't even think about Seri.. I know these are turning points but I'm trying to find a ground for forming an opinion and currently my brain is overwhelmed with the possibilities that their relationship triangle will take..

I'm sorry for the late one i felt so guilty for not being prompt because that's how I show my love to amazing people like you 💕 hope you had a wonderful week and looking forward to chapter 5 and hoping it untangles some threads in my head 😂

Ahhh I always live for your asks no matter when you send them! I'm just thankful you're one (of several hehe) who even reads this story so thank you 🥰🥰

Ah, yes, the complication of all this. I think it's the first time I've written something that's not too straightforward or easy to judge in terms of relationship... and it will be like that for a litte while 🫣

My inner female is growling at Jin, too! But we'll get Seri's part a few chapters from now, and we'll get to understand her thinking, too, and why she held on as long as she did. While I was writing this, my best friend's words of "he makes me feel safe, and that's all that mattered," kept ringing in my head; she said that about her boyfriend who didn't have a good track record in terms of fidelity (I'm not defending it!) but that whole conversation made me think deeply about the values we prioritize over others, of what safety means, and the things we choose to overlook over something that matters more to us, given our respective pasts.

Pls never apologize for this! It's been a tough few weeks for me, too, but pls make sure you get proper rest. Love that you make time for this still huhu 🥹

Everything you said! In their own little world, things are indeed dreamy and giddy, and they find that peace in each other bc they're the ones put in this position, and I wanted to highlight that as well.

Jin is being unfair, but also not entirely a bad guy, and I wrote him as such! There are variables and human emotions and complications of relationships that I wanted to string in here and hopefully, the readers get to understand what I meant to portray at the end of it.

And no worries at all! Again, I wrote him as such. I've read a few boss Jin fics where he's very powerful and dominant. He still is in this story, in terms of how he handles his work, but given his own relationship experience and upbringing, he is the way he is - indecisive, fickle-minded. And I wanted to highlight that side of his character, too.

Thank you so much again! Not sure about chapter 5 entangling some threads for u hehehe but I hope you enjoy it! 💕💕

[comicteaparty]

November 4th-November 10th, 2019, 2019 CTP Archive

The archive for the Comic Tea Party week long chat that occurred from November 4th , 2019 to November 10th , 2019.  The chat focused on Princess Pop by carcarchu.

Featured Comment:

Chat:

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB START!

Hello and welcome everyone to Comic Tea Party’s Week Long Book Club~! This week we’ll be focusing on Princess Pop by carcarchu~! (https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/princess-pop/list?title_no=173793)

You are free to read and comment about the comic all week at your own pace, so stop on by whenever it suits your schedule! Remember, though, that while we allow constructive criticism, our focus is to have fun and appreciate the comic. Below you will find four questions to get you started on the discussion. However, a new question will be posted and pinned everyday (between 12:01AM and 6AM PDT), so keep checking back for more! You have until November 10th to tell us all your wonderful thoughts! With that established, let’s get going on the reading and the chatting!

QUESTION 1. What has been your favorite scene in the comic so far? What specifically did you like about it?

QUESTION 2. What do you think Kizumi’s secret is that she seems to be hiding? Why is she convinced it would change how others saw her? Additionally, how does Ritsu know the secret and why is Ritsu willing to keep it a secret?

FeatheryJustice

Just started reading but I wish I knew more about the poor girl who left her spot for Kizumi. Must be so disappointed later.

carcarchu

@FeatheryJustice I actually have plans for her but it'll will take forever to get to them at the pace i'm going

FeatheryJustice

Ohhh! I'm glad, I want her to be actually really good and it's like the feels bad moment if she just was able to stay in line long enough she would have been able to get in XD

Also so far I don't trust Rain, bubbly girls make me scared XD

carcarchu

ok this is somewhat of a spoiler but goldie (girl who's spot got taken by kizumi)'s entire character gimmick is that she has horrendous luck. in season 1 she tried to audition but got horrible food poisoning and couldn't make it too. basically her greatest enemy is herself

FeatheryJustice

RIPPO I love her

RebelVampire

@carcarchu Just so you know, spoilers get archived along with the rest of the chat. So make sure it's something you don't mind the public knowing before posting spoilers.

carcarchu

Yep it's no problem! Thanks for letting me know!

RebelVampire

QUESTION 3. At the moment, who is your favorite character? What about that character earns them this favor?

QUESTION 4. Given Yuna originally didn’t do so well at the beginning of her own season, what do you think changed how she sung and eventually caused her to win? How will this play a role in Kizumi’s story?

snuffysam

3) Hmm... I'd say my favorite character is... Luna. She's abrasive, but she's very practical rather than just being mean for mean's sake, which I like. Like, I find it interesting that Luna's deciding to be Kizumi's friend even after she (allegedly) tried to screw her over, because Luna knows Kizumi can be helpful to her. 4) My guess as to how Yuna's story plays into Kizumi's story is that Yuna sees herself in Kizumi. Like, she sees the potential for Kizumi to go beyond like she did (which I'm guessing is why she was disappointed in Kizumi's team performance). As for what specifically caused that change... no idea. Could be something like "she sings from the heart", or perhaps a really rigorous singing practice regimen?

RebelVampire

QUESTION 5. What has been your favorite illustration in the comic so far? What specifically about it do you like?

QUESTION 6. What do you think Ritsu’s story is given how cynical and serious she is about the world of idols? Do you think her mind can be changed, or will she continue to suffer through everything?

jaciopara

5) any panel with Luna being a snob in it. Shes my fav. We stan a queen 6) shes gotta have some kind of like,, tragic my parents were celebrities bg or like a bad experience with kizumis kind of hopeful personality

RebelVampire

1) My favorite scene so far has probably been the group session where Kizumi enacts her plan to have everyone just skip solos. It was nice to see Kizumi and Luna work together, and I kind of liked that someone not Luna was the "villain" in that moment. It really spoke to the fact that no matter how nice all the girls might be, they're all also rivals. 2) I feel like Kizumi must have some past as a celebrity. Either through her parents, or maybe she had been a failed child star. Or maybe she was a baby in a diaper commercial. I kind of feel like this isn't her first time singing though, granted probably the first time singing for people on such a large scale. Which I think this must be how she knows Ritsu. Ritsu recognizes her for showbiz way back in the day.

3) My favorite character is probably Kizumi. I like her overly polite attitude, because I kind of relate to that in a lot of ways. That and I respect her attitude to just want everyone to get along. I also like that this is kind of a double-edged sword, where sure she can play peace keeper, but then she get walked all over and dragged into contests she didnt want to be a part of. So I just really like this cute and sweet aspect about her. 4) I feel like Yuna must have had some transcendental experience. Like maybe before she wasn't inspired and that although she tried her best, she didn't have the right motivation to win. And then she met a singer who really inspired her and who changed how she viewed singing in general. And instead of something that sounds nice, she strived to make her singing something that changed the hearts and minds of those around her. As for how this plays into Kizumi's story, given this mysterious Nagato figure, I assume that is who changed Yuna's life. The joke dark theory I have is a storyline ripoff from one of my fave mangas where the singer made herself sing better by tapping into sad emotions. Which she made herself sad by killing people close to her. So maybe that's what Yuna did.

5) It's definitely the illustrations from Yuna's performance. https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/princess-pop/chapter-12/viewer?title_no=173793&episode_no=15 I like the color schemes used, but legit, I am super biased this time in terms of favorites. I just honestly really love Yuna's outfit. I could look at that outfit all day. <3 6) I feel like Ritsu was happy go-lucky, maybe kind of like Kizumi, and then got super betrayed and super burned because showbiz is cut throat. And I also feel like she must have people around her who have put intense pressure that she has to succeed as an idol. So Ritsu feels trapped while also incapable of showing trust. So this makes her cyncical and mean because that is not a fun way to live. I feel like Ritsu's mind could be changed, but I think she either has to be convinced to trust again or convinced that showbiz is dumb and do things that make you happy. I feel like either is a challenge, but I do think Kizumi could help her since they have this mysterious past connection.

carcarchu

@RebelVampire THANK YOU for your long and thoughtful comments!! i won't say how close you got on some of your theories but it was a joy to read them!

RebelVampire

QUESTION 7. Which characters do you enjoy seeing interact the most? What about their dynamic interests you?

QUESTION 8. What do you think this story has to teach us about rivalry, competition, and how people handle it? In what ways do you think rivalry will get the better of the characters, and what ways will they triumph over those obstacles?

redbeanbunny

1. Favorite scene is definitely Kizumi making the plan proposal to Luna, and their meeting afterwards. It's one of the most intriguing personality bits we've seen of Kizumi, and it's cool to see that Luna isn't a cookie-cutter prissy rival. Kizumi is a nice girl but she's not just passive! I'm so interested in what Kizumi will bring to the table in the future! >:3 (alsoluna'soutfitsareallstylish) 2/4/6. I think Kizumi may be related to Nagato, the singer Yuna likes, whether he was a relative or maybe someone who she met up with randomly and joined during singing sessions. IDK, maybe in a park somewhere lol? There's no way she would just be a wildcard singer with no training or interest! Yuna was probably fibbing a little bit about seeing herself in Kizumi, she really made a connection between Kizumi and that singer even if it was just through her voice or style. Maybe Kizumi didn't want to be judged for being related to a celebrity. Or maybe... when she was a child she accidently did something in the past that prevented Nagato from continuing to sing. Depending on what it was it could possibly make people angry with her and she avoided a great opportunity for it. Is it really a coincidence her home is so near the filming site of this contest? :3c I think Ritsu knows about it from childhood bc showbiz and is angry at Kizumi for giving up on something she worked hard to get but was easily given to Kizumi, and maybe she knew Nagato too so thought that Kizumi wasted his efforts on her. Maybe she was involved secretly maybe accidentally and this contributes to her anxiety? Who knows.... but someone is definitely putting pressure on Ritsu maybe forcing her to stay in the biz.(edited)

redbeanbunny

3. My favorite character so far is Luna. She's kind of mean, but she's direct, confident and knows what she wants. Not to say she's not complex, but right now being straightforward makes her stand out from the cast. But my favorite design is definitely Yuna. I think I need to know more about everyone. 5. Probably the last panel of Ritsu in the group concert. Her pose is so powerful. It's so different from her backstage anxiety, makes me wonder about her! (I also love the endcard of Kizumi in a black dress and pink teddy jacket ) 7. It was short, but definitely Luna and Kizumi for the aforementioned reasons. They both have potential to be successful for different aspects and really compliment each other! Like Rain is nice too, but I feel like she doesn't have much going for her right now and it's also a reason she didn't have the presence to bring together her team. Marina is hilarious (I'm sorry for laughing at your suffering Marina but I can also relate to people not pulling weight on a big production T^T...) and I thought the scenes where she was reacting to Kizumi to be great, even if it's more as commentary than them interacting. 8. I think there will be lessons about taking what you're given and working with it to solve problems and move forward. You can only go so far without support, but you can't just go with the flow with others. You can already see the differences in the group elimination. I'm not really sure what the winner of Princess Pop gets, but maybe the girls will find something else out of their time on the show.

RebelVampire

QUESTION 9. What sorts of art or story details have you noticed in the way the comic is crafted that you think deserves attention?

QUESTION 10. Who exactly is Nagato, and why is Yuna so obsessed with them? What does this have to do with Kizumi? Additionally, how might Yuna’s obsession bias how she judges the contest, and what consequences might there be for that?

RebelVampire

7) I enjoy seeing Kizumi and Luna interact the most. At first, I thought they were gonna have the typical bully/rival relationship. But then not only did Kizumi willingly say "Hey, let's work together," but then Luna through a curve ball saying, "Hey, let's be friends." Nothing about their relationship is typical for what their characters would normally be expected to do, so I like this aspect of figuring out exactly what their relationship is. 8) I feel the story shows us that there are two ways we can go about rivalry. We can use rivalry to drive us to a better place and use it as motivation to do better, in a respectful and friendly manner. Or, we can let rivalry and competition bring out the worst in us in the most self-absorbed way possible. Sadly, I think this comic is true to life in that we've seen a lot more of the worst than the best, and that when it comes to competition, we should probably prepare for the worst (and not think ourselves immune). I feel like the characters will are going to overcome the obstacle of having to hate your rival. But I think there's going to be lots and lots and lots of betrayals as characters have to pick between new friends theyve known a short time and their lifelong dreams.

9) I've really enjoyed the inclusion of bits from the last episodes in the new episodes at the very beginning. I know this is one of those things people will feel really mixed on, but I think in terms of not reading the comic in bulk, it's super helpful in the presentation. Sometimes people need a refresher if it's been a while, and the moments are pretty short so it doesn't hurt the bulk read all that much either. 10) As I theorized earlier, I think Nagato is someone who Yuna was moved by and influenced her own singing to the point she won the competition. I would say that maybe Kizumi is Nagato's reincarnation, but not sure that's the direction this story is going. Maybe Nagato is one of Kizumi's parents or something though. Also, yes. Yes this obsession will totally bias Yuna. We already saw it happen since she criticized for not being able to hear each singer individually. And I think the others will pick up on the fact she has a preference for Kizumi and get super mad at Kizumi for that. It's legit probably just gonna make Kizumi's life hell. ;_;

RebelVampire

QUESTION 11. What do you think are this particular comic’s strengths? What do you think makes this comic unique? Please elaborate.

QUESTION 12. Given recent events, why do you think Luna is suddenly interested in being Kizumi’s friend? Is it genuine, or does Luna have ulterior motives? What do you think Luna’s backstory is in general?

jestershark

11. I think this comic's strengths are definitely in the character interactions -- like all good idol competition shows! I also think one of the most compelling things is the subversion of some of the expectations that you have going in. 12. I think Luna is both interested in Kizumi and in it for her own purposes-- I think she's genuinely curious and interested in Kizumi, but maybe thinks of it as more of a self centered move.

redbeanbunny

9. I think a plus point is that everyone has a really unique style that i think matches their personalities, even ahen wearing different clothes. I also like when the artist tries to do something fancier with panels for moments like showcasing Ritsu in the group song or for Yuna singing. 11. I think the comic's strength is where some of our expectations of characters are challenged, while keeping it light-hearted though. 12. I think its probably that she's genuinely interested! I mean Kizumi technically reached out first after all. But she'll probably be okay with some messing and around and manip, but not malicious. Its competition. And you know what they say, keep your friends close and your enemies closer xD

RebelVampire

QUESTION 13. What are you most looking forward to in the comic? Also, do you have any final thoughts to share overall?

QUESTION 14. At the end of the day, who do you think will win the current season of Princess Pop? Will it be Kizumi or someone else? What do you think will become of the winners and losers?

RebelVampire

11) I think this comic's strengths are how it kind of defies expectations. There are a lot of moments in the comic where you think the story is gonna go one way based on past story flows and general character types. But then it doesn't. Instead, it takes you to a new place, so each plot point is really interesting to explore since the outcome keeps you on your toes. 12) I think Luna sees Kizumi as useful. So instead of trying to oust Kizumi from the start, she's decided keeping Kizumi in the competition longer is more interesting and more beneficial in the long term. As for this longterm benefit, it's hard to say. Maybe Luna feels that Kizumi's lack of cutthroat passion to slay the competition at all competition makes her sort of a weak leak when it comes down to individual competitions. So Luna can essentially focus on getting rid of the opponents she feels are stronger first and then easily oust the weaker links, so to speak. As for Luna backstory, I feel she's the type of person who must of had parents who put constant pressure on her and told her winning was the only important thing. So Luna developed a personality that was highly geared towards being self-confident, snobby, and a little bit manipulative, since those are the things most likely that have helped her in the past to win.

13) I am actually looking forward to Kizumi coming to a head with her roommate (whose name escapes me atm). But either way, I feel the roomie is not as innocent as she pretends, and I want to see their relationship pushed as the competition gets more heated and they both come to accept they can't both win. 14) I don't think it'll be Kizumi. I feel like though the experience will inspire Kizumi to go on to have a singing career, I think ultimately it'll be someone else who wins. As for who, I'm torn cause I need more backstory. I think it's gonna depend on who reason for singing is simultaneously sad but filled with surprisingly innocent and sincere passion. I feel like the winners who wanted a singing career will get that. But I think a lot more of the girls will discover showbiz sucks and instead pursue other things that fulfill them more. Cause kind of how we see through Ritsu, showbiz looks glamorous from the outside, but is 100% not for everyone and constantly exposes you and make you vulnerable. And I think they'll also learn you don't have to have a professional singing career to sing for fun and spread music around, especially when the internet is all powerful.

Kabocha

It's gonna take me some time to answer questions, but I'm going to answer them out of order! Huzzah! 14. At the end of the day, who do you think will win the current season of Princess Pop? Will it be Kizumi or someone else? What do you think will become of the winners and losers? You know, I'm kind of hoping it's Luna? Ritsu might have the skill, but I think being showbiz is going to destroy her emotionally. Kizumi may make it to finals, but I feel like she might just step back at some point for someone else to win. Seems like her type, especially since she's only going forward with this because her dad suggested it might be a good idea. (Besides, what happened to the REST of Kizumi's life, anyway?)

3. At the moment, who is your favorite character? What about that character earns them this favor? My favorite character... I like Rain, honestly. She's so cheerful, and has such starry eyes... ...Literally, too. She's a cute. A shame it looks like she's going home. I wonder if we'll see her some more? Maybe on the outside, she'll exchange numbers or contact info to talk to Kizumi.

2. What do you think Kizumi’s secret is that she seems to be hiding? Why is she convinced it would change how others saw her? Additionally, how does Ritsu know the secret and why is Ritsu willing to keep it a secret? I kind of wish I knew what her secret is! I feel like the audience drama could be heightened by knowing what Kizumi's deal is, and seeing what the potential fallout for the other girls knowing that is. In any case -- I feel like maybe she and Ritsu met in school, but Rebel's suggestion of her being a model or celebrity in the past makes sense too. Maybe there was a singing competition for school or somesuch, and Kizumi did well there, but Ritsu understands the stress of being popular and saw how it ate Kizumi then, and will probably eat her again. Or maybe the secret's just as simple as "Well, you took goldie's place" and that's it. And everyone kiiiinda knows that, but...

4. Given Yuna originally didn’t do so well at the beginning of her own season, what do you think changed how she sung and eventually caused her to win? How will this play a role in Kizumi’s story? Someone in her life died. ...I dunno. I don't think we have enough information at Yuna to really theorize, tbh. But I mean, clearly Yuna had something happen, and it made her want to change. So she did. It could just be realizing that the prize money coulda been used to help someone? Or having the career woulda been beneficial to meeting her goals? Who knows.

9. What sorts of art or story details have you noticed in the way the comic is crafted that you think deserves attention? THE DRESSES Gawsh, they're cute! Just... hhh. Yuna's dress during her special performance kind of inspired me so maybe something will come of that. Who knows.

Kabocha

7. Which characters do you enjoy seeing interact the most? What about their dynamic interests you? I really like Kat and Lobelia - and I'm curious to see how they play off one another as siblings. Will they do any sort of duet outside of the group? Will they simply go solo? What if one of them wins? How's that gonna affect their relationship?

Honestly, I can't see that going well in some regards, but hopefully they'll find a way to work it out since they're siblings.

Kabocha

6. What do you think Ritsu’s story is given how cynical and serious she is about the world of idols? Do you think her mind can be changed, or will she continue to suffer through everything? I'm inclined to think that Ritsu just has issues with getting panicky in crowds. It might not be anything more complicated than that, and she's just like, "LISTEN, if you don't do well with crowds, this is NOT THE JOB FOR YOU" But I suppose we'll seeeeee~.

Kabocha

12. Given recent events, why do you think Luna is suddenly interested in being Kizumi’s friend? Is it genuine, or does Luna have ulterior motives? What do you think Luna’s backstory is in general? You know, I wonder. Luna seems like the type who might avoid making friends just on principle. In competitions like these, it would be difficult to keep friendships made among contestants, so it's just better to be standoffish. I wonder if she expects Kizumi to be less likely to backstab her if they're friends? It's hard to tell.

mathtans

I thought the topic for the comic looked interesting and I needed a break from doing report cards so I'm going to participate this week. O.o Will peek at questions before other answers.

1. The scene where Kizumi calls her dad stands out to me, I think because it helped to ground everything in a sense of reality. Having parents is a thing. Also amusing that he was a fan of the show.

2. Kizumi is secretly an android. ... Okay, no, but not sure aside from probably relates to her family. Ritsu knows her from way back, so that makes sense, and I think all of them would hold off on saying things they could use for blackmail. O.o

3. I'm leaning towards Rain. I like her mix of seriousness and goofiness. Also, nice entrance ducking down from the bunk above.

4. Yuna may have been like Kizumi in terms of just going along for the heck of it, until she realized she might have a shot - or possibly didn't want to see someone else win. So that could connect.

5. I kind of liked the Halloween costumes, am I allowed to pick that even though it wasn't canon? Though in general I like how the art flows down the page, a bit like how one's eye would when looking at someone singing. And there's some neat extra arts at the end sometimes.

6. Ritsu may have family issues, could also be why she wouldn't out Kizumi for family issues. She may feel like she has to suffer for her art.

7. I rather like the Kizumi/Yuna interactions. Feels like there's always something under the surface there. What with Kizumi feeling like not measuring up and Yuna kind of dancing around straight answers.

8. I feel like the plan of "flying under the radar" works well when there's multiple rivals, as we kind of saw, but that only works for so long. Not sure what else it will get into. I could see some of the more naive characters falling for ruses.

Kabocha

Yuna? Straight answers!? That would involve Kizumi actually asking a direct question, too XD

mathtans

9. I guess I already mentioned the flowing down the page matching the tracking of an eye. I also think that some of the art reuse is well done, not simply as a quick recap to start, but callbacks to people singing, or in the dream sequence... that was clever. And some of the explanation font stuff (like 'applause') doesn't come across as weird or goofy.

Kabocha: Heh. You're not wrong. She only really seems to have opened up to Rain, and then only in part.

Kabocha

Yeah. I kind of wish Kizumi would come out more with what her deal is - it would save her a lot of drama! But on the other hand, this comic does give me a very shoujo-manga sort of feel, and those sorts of misunderstandings are a pretty staple trope in the genre :3 So it's not a bad thing, it'd just be interesting to see where it went, yanno?

mathtans

10. I don't recall the Nagato thread, I've been reading very sporadically over the past week.

11. Well, the topic seems to have drawn me in. And it seems to have a good sense of which characters to bring to the forefront out of what is theoretically an oversized cast. I'm not great at this sort of analysis. O.o

12. Oh, Luna definitely has ulterior motives, but I think for the moment the offer is genuine in that she sees Kizumi as being someone who would hold her own. And better to be friends with that sort of person than on their bad side. The ulterior motive being a belief that she could win if it came down to the two of them. Something like that - Luna seems to be a strategist too.

13. It'll be interesting to see how the field gets narrowed, as it is the writer managed to cut the field in fifths with one contest. Pity about Rain, I'm wondering how she's going to handle things. Also some of those helpers/employees in the background got full bios, I'm wondering when and how they'll pop up again.

Kabocha: Also good points there too. And yeah, though I like that there's not so much misunderstandings at this point as much as secrets.

14. Goldie will win, in the most bizarre twist ever. Seriously though, uhhh? Maybe it'll be a tie. That'd be a twist too.(edited)

Kabocha

That's fair Math~ And oh god, if Goldie came back.. That would be really interesting

The final showdown is between Kizumi and Goldie! That could be amazing.

carcarchu

Ahahaha very interesting analysis's guys~ it's very difficult to sow all these seeds and then have to wait so long to be able to pay them off, i hope it will all be worth it in the end!

Kabocha

It'll definitely be interesting to see as it goes on!

I have to admit, that starry dress that Yuna wore was sorta inspiring in a weird way. It's sparked the urge to make some new brushes, too so we'll see what comes out of that. XD

mathtans

Been reading through the other comments. Interesting idea about Ritsu having been burned in the past, I can see it. (It's interesting how she was set up as a rival and then Luna became an additional wild card.) I didn't mention Marina, and that's an oversight because she was a fun character.

mathtans

Also, how could I NOT end by doing ships? With so many wonderful female characters? I mean, there's the obvious Kizumi-Rain, but I'm not sure I see that going beyond friendship. Kizumi-Yuna has potential. Ritsu seems like a bit too much of a lone wolf... whereas Reeni could pair with any of them, she's precious. Luna-Yuna I like for the name alone. (Lyuna?) But part of me likes Luna-Kat, having secret romantic walks in the morning.

redbeanbunny

13. I'm excited to learn more about Ritsu and Luna, and I hope some healing from Ritsu. They say that ppl are most critical of the flaws they have in themself, and for now she's still lashing out at Kizumi. Also to get to know the other contestants. I have no idea who the cannon fodder is right now and who will actually stay and make it to the end. For all I know Luna could get booted in the next round (noooo...). I think there are so many ways things could potentially go. And not to be shallow but more outfits for the gals, please!! Excited to see how things roll from here on out ^^ 14. We haven't met everyone yet, have we? So there's still others to consider. And I think that the other bickering characters haven't revealed their full potential yet. We don't even know the interns that well yet and what they have to put in. I mean there has to be a reason they have names I assume others will be getting their time to shine, so to speak. I just have this feeling the winner won't be Kizumi or Ritsu,,, but eh that's my gut. Who will win is one thing, I wonder who will actually continue their singing career. Maybe someone will get an image change (Ritsu? maybe she'll switch to a different style in the future). (Also Kizumi and Luna duet please at some point!). I think the real wildcard has yet to show up, kind of like how Yuna suddenly changed in the middle of the competition. This is one of the reasons why I'm so confused about what she sees in Kizumi (besides the whole Nagato thing and Kizumi possibly being his protegee). Could be Rain even. You know, like those shows that bring back the old contestants to raise the tension(edited)

Kabocha

13. What are you most looking forward to in the comic? Also, do you have any final thoughts to share overall?

I'm looking forward to getting ANSWERS! What is your deal, Luna? As far as final thoughts, I look forward to see how this goes forward. I'm glad I read this week's comic, honestly :3

FeatheryJustice

I didn't have time to finish reading but I have to say I like the concept at least

RebelVampire

COMIC TEA PARTY- WEEK LONG BOOK CLUB END!

Thank you everyone so much for reading and chatting about Princess Pop this week! Please also give a special thank you to carcarchu for volunteering the comic and creating it! If you liked Princess Pop, make sure to continue to support it via some of the links below!

Read and Comment: https://www.webtoons.com/en/challenge/princess-pop/list?title_no=173793

carcarchu’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/kurumadraws

[newworlddiamond]

Wedding Anniversary Gift Ideas by Year

A wedding anniversary is one of the happiest occasions for a couple, and also the best time to shop lab created diamonds. It marks the completion of an adventurous year with your partner. If you look back, you realize how much you have grown as a couple together, the ups and downs faced, goals accomplished, and dreams that you two are working towards. Anniversaries are often one of the best events to give your partner a meaningful gift.

When we talk about anniversary gifting, a lot of people go by traditions while others get into modern gifting. For instance, traditionally paper is given in the first year, while silver in the 25th year, and gold in the 50th year. However, if you don’t want to stick by it, you can give anything that you think your partner will love and cherish.

Let us explore a few gift ideas by year that you can surprise your significant other with:

§   Year 1

The first year concludes the first chapter of your marriage, so seal it with a letter. Note down all your feelings, the happy and sad moments, and everything you achieved in your relationship in the first year. We’re sure your partner will be overwhelmed to read it.

Diamonds are another ideal gift for the first year. They are considered as the symbol of eternal love. So get a pair of diamond studs for him or a delicate pendant made from lab created diamonds for her.

§  Year 2

Treat your partner to a relaxing spa day on your second anniversary. You can then proceed with a date to a restaurant or the movies and spend some quality time together. Other gifts include a new phone, fine jewelry, or accessories.

Going by the tradition, another option is to get them something created from cotton, like a warm duvet to snuggle in or a cotton canvas with a personalized message.

§  Year 3

Get a gift made from leather as it can cover both the modern and traditional aspects. A leather bag, jacket, or wallet is among the many things you can choose for your partner.

§  Year 4

Take your partner on a weekend-long trip to their favorite city or country and romantically celebrate your 4th anniversary away from your busy lives.

§  Year 5

As you complete 5 years of being together, a sapphire gemstone makes for a perfect gift as it represents strength. Get identical sapphire rings for yourself and your partner. This gemstone is available in various hues so you can pick one according to your preference.

These gift ideas are not just applicable for the above-mentioned years but you can also get them if you’ve crossed the 5-year mark. For the best diamond jewelry for your partner, shop from New World Diamonds and save on the costs as well.

[reddie-set-goooo]

This’ll Be Fun

Read here on AO3

Summary for Chapter 4:

He couldn’t figure out why Richie seemed to be staring at his legs so intently. Also, why did Richie look so upset about them?

Author’s note: I realized I forgot to upload this 4th chapter when I finished it the other day, so Chapter 5 will also be up in the next few minutes!

Author’s note UPDATE: Wow so I kinda posted the Chapter 5 under this originally, but it’s all fixed now, and this is officially the Chapter 4 story below!!

Chapter 1 Chapter 2 Chapter 3

Chapter 4 - The Bonfire (Part 2)

7:30 PM – Monday Night

 Richie walked up to the group centered around the fire, his feet dragging along the ground, as soon as he entered the light of the fire everyone turned to him and he put on his normal, happy face.

 He tried to keep his attention away from Eddie’s arm draped across his “friend’s” shoulder. A small smile crept onto Eddie’s face when his eyes met Richie’s and Richie felt his stomach erupt into butterflies. He cursed himself, how could this guy already be causing him to feel like this. He decided that despite Eddie having a boyfriend, he could still flirt with him, he would never over step his boundaries, but Eddie was cute and Richie wouldn’t be able to not flirt with him if he tried.

 “Hey there Eds, glad you could make it,” Richie placed the stack of wood he’d been carrying into the pile with the others. He hid his face from the others behind his curls as he bent down, trying to hide his look of disappointment.

 Feigning casualty Richie stood back up and rolled his shoulders back, and leaned into Stan, “So, Eddie, this your bo-“ He was cut off by Bev yelling out, “BEN! You made it!” She ran out of the circle they were standing in and jumped into his awaiting arms.

 Everyone looked on with amused smiles, but while everyone’s attention was on Bev and Ben, Richie watched Eddie. He watched as Eddie dropped his arm from around his “friend’s” shoulders and waited for him to grab his hand. But they didn’t, instead their hands just swayed at their respective sides. Richie kept waiting for it to happen, but instead Eddie even took a slight side step away from his friend. Richie didn’t understand it.

 Bev and Ben made their way back to the circle after Ben had gently put Bev back down from the bridal carry she had jumped in to. See, they were holding hands, that’s what couples did right? Hold hands? Not that Richie would know from personal experience. Yea, he’d kissed people before, he had some experience in that, but actually being in a committed relationship? Richie hadn’t found anybody that made him feel like he wanted that yet. Eddie was the first guy in two years to really catch Richie’s attention.

 Once everyone was back in the circle Bev turned to the new guy and said, “So, your Eddie’s friend, what’s your name, I’m Bev, and this is Ben. Over there is Mike and then there’s Richie and Stan.” She motioned to each one of them going around the circle so he knew which name matched which face. Richie felt like he might have had a class or two with this kid over the last three years in high school, but he couldn’t be sure.

 “Uh, hi, I’m B-b-b-bill,” he stuttered out and immediately looked ashamed and turned his face to the ground. Richie saw Eddie reach out and lightly grip the back of Bill’s forearm as reassurance and Richie felt his stomach drop.

 “Well, hey Bill, it’s nice to meet you, glad you could join us tonight,” Mike said from his end of the circle. He always had a way of making people feel comfortable, Richie envied it. Richie acted like he was comfortable around everyone, and sometimes that made a person relax around him. Most of the time though it was too abrasive for people, and they tended to stay away from him and his boisterous personality. He worried sometimes that Stan and them would even find him too much one day and cut their losses and say goodbye, but he reassured himself when he had these thoughts that they loved him and would never do that to him.

 Eddie’s hand was still on Bill’s arm and he was giving Bill a questioning glance, asking him something with his eyes that Richie couldn’t translate. Bill just met his eyes and with a slight nod Eddie pulled his hand back. It all only took about a second, but with the amount of attention Richie was giving them, it felt like he’d just watched a full episode of some melodrama.

 Bill looked back up at the group then with a reaffirmed smile on his face, put there by whatever Eddie had conveyed to him no doubt, and said, “Yea, thanks for letting me c-come. Normally it’s just me and Eddie, so it’s nice to meet new people.” Eddie was giving Bill a look that resembled pride and gave him a slight pat on the shoulder. Richie hated every second of it.

 “Hey Stan, can you come with me for a sec, I think we could still use a tad more wood for the bonfire tonight,” Richie stated while turning briskly away from the fire, simultaneously gripping Stan’s wrist and pulling him along.

 “Dude, I think we have eno-“ Stan was silenced by the look that Richie gave him. The look saying, Man, shut the fuck up and walk with me. I Need to talk to you. Stan understood and followed behind Richie dutifully.

 Richie didn’t relinquish his grip on Stan’s wrist until they were out of eye sight around the bend in the path. Once he did Stan started to massage some feeling back into his fingers because of how tight Richie had been holding on.

 “Richie, what the hell man, what’s up?” Stan reached out and pulled on Richie’s arm to stop him from stalking toward the barn farther.

 Richie spun around to Stan, his face red and flustered, “He has a boyfriend, Stan! A boyfriend!”

 Stan considered this for a moment while looking over his shoulder to where the bonfire was, even though he couldn’t see it. “How do you know they’re dating? They could just be good friends, have you considered that?”

 Richie hadn’t. He’d seen Eddie’s arm around Bill and immediately jumped to the worst conclusion his mind could think of. But, come on, Eddie was the cutest thing on two legs, how could Bill not be interested in him. Richie put his hands on the back of his head as he thought it over.

 “Well, what about the arm around Bill’s shoulder, hmm? Or all the reassuring touches on his arm, or their silent conversations they were having with their eyes, that seems pretty damn intimate to me Stan.”

 Stan sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment, Richie had seen this face many times before, it was one he was well acquainted with. “Richie, none of those things really scream that they’re dating. Hell, you’ve done some of those things with us, just chill out and be yourself.”

 “What do I do, chill out or be myself, I can’t do both,” Richie said completely serious and held his hands out, palms up in question, waiting for Stan to answer. Stan just tipped his head to the side and closed his eyes, like he was asking God how he had come to be put in this position, and just turned on his heel and walked back towards the fire.

 Richie stood there for a moment watching Stan as he walked away and then called out after him, “Stan? Stan, which one do I do? Stanley?!” He just kept walking though and Richie sighed and jogged to catch back up.

 8:30 PM – Monday Night

 Eddie and Bill had taken a seat on the log next to the fire after Richie and Stan had run off. Well, more like Richie ran off and Stan got dragged along. Based on his expression though, Eddie assumed that this had happened to Stan on more than one occasion.

 The rest of the group who were left, Ben, Bev, and Mike, struck up a conversation about some poetry that Ben had been working on. Bev thought it was beautiful and Mike was giving him constructive criticism that Ben seemed to be accepting earnestly.

 Eddie bumped his knee against Bill’s to get his attention, “So, what’s the game plan for mission: talk to Stan tonight?”

 Bill blushed and ducked his head slightly, “Honestly I have n-no idea, what if I j-just stutter the whole time?” Bill looked at Eddie with worried eyes.

 Eddie rubbed the back of Bill’s shoulder reassuringly, “Bill, there’s so much more to you than just a stutter, you just need to show him that, and if he can’t see past your stutter than fuck him man.”

 Bill let out a breath and nodded his head like he was psyching himself up. “Yea, you’re right, totally. S-so, how should I start the conversation th-though?”

 Eddie considered that for a moment before coming up with something, “Well, he seems to be hanging out with Richie the most, so when they get back from getting more firewood, we’ll make our way over to the two of them casually, and when you’re feeling comfortable, you give me a signal and I find a way to get me and Richie somewhere else so you get some alone time talking with Stan, sound like a plan?”

 Bill smiled widely, “Yea, that works for me,” and then he smiled even wider for not stuttering.

 Eddie slapped him on the shoulder and was about to say something else when Bill’s attention was drawn to something over Eddie’s shoulder. He turned around on his seat and saw Stan coming back into the clearing shaking his head and pulling his hand up to the bridge of his nose. Eddie wondered what could have happened to cause this reaction. Then he noticed that Stan didn’t have any firewood, and then he noticed that Stan didn’t have a Richie with him anymore either. Just as he realized this, Richie came running back into the clearing calling out Stan’s name. He didn’t have firewood either. Weird.

 They had just reentered the circle when Mike spoke up and said what Eddie was thinking, “So, uh, guys, you get that firewood or what?” Mike started laughing and then Ben and Bev joined in. Richie looked confused for a moment before he seemed to have a light bulb go off.

 “Oh right, well we were almost to the barn and Stan was just complaining and complaining, really just going on about how we didn’t need any more wood, and I mean how could we, I have plenty right here,” and made a crude gesture towards his crotch that earned him eye rolls around the circle and two beep beep Richies, but he seemed unfazed and continued, “so I conceded and we turned around to come back, I mean, how can you say no to a face like that?” Richie put both his hands on either one of Stan’s cheeks, effectively framing his face, while Stan looked wholly unamused by Richie’s antics. At least he was a good sport about it Eddie thought, though one would have to be to be best friends with Richie.

 This earned several laughs from around the circle, including one from Eddie, and as soon as he had started laughing Richie looked over to him with a huge smile cracking across his face. He pulled his hands away from Stan and the two of them made their way towards Eddie and Bill. Turns out Eddie and Bill wouldn’t even have to get up to start the first phase of mission: talk to Stan. Eddie knocked his knee into Bill’s again to give him a heads up they were walking over in case he hadn’t seen on his own. By the way Bill knocked his knee back against Eddie’s he had noticed. Eddie was also noticing how Richie seemed to be staring at his legs.

 Eddie wondered if he’d forgotten about a bruise he might have on his shin or maybe a Band-AId from a cut his mom had insisted on treating like a battle wound. He looked down for a moment inspecting his legs for something wrong but found none. He couldn’t figure out why Richie seemed to be staring at his legs so intently. Also, why did Richie look so upset about them?

As they walked up to him and Bill, Eddie wondered frantically what he should say, he hadn’t thought far enough ahead to what their conversation should actually be about. He just had a general game plan. What if they walked over and just stood there awkwardly waiting for Eddie to say something? He wouldn’t know what to do! Fuck. He was freaking out.

“So, Eddie, how’d you like your first day on the job?” Stan said as he neared the log. Thank god. The only thing that had come to Eddie’s mind to talk about was the super germ his mom had mentioned earlier that night, not the best casual conversation topic.

 “Yea it was good, training was uh,” he paused as he felt Richie’s eyes boring into him while Eddie was answering Stan, and laughed nervously, “training was very interesting.”

 “Yea, I heard you got the third degree today, starting off on ticket sales …” Stan shuddered, “skeeves me out just thinking about it.”

 Eddie glanced at Richie, who seemed to be avoiding looking at Eddie for the first time that night, and then Eddie looked back to Stan, confused.

 “Where do most people start off?” Eddie questioned, wondering why he’d gotten a different training than others according to Stan.

 “We usually start on garbage pickup, it sounds worse, but its super easy work and you get to be outside instead of in one of those cramped booths, also you don’t have to talk to any customers on your first day. It’s a good way to learn the layout of the park as well.” Eddie grew even more confused, why would Richie tell Eddie that he trained everyone one way when Stan was telling him the complete opposite.

 Eddie looked to Richie again who was looking at Eddie sheepishly through his bangs. When he noticed Eddie looking though, he laughed over zealously and punched Stan in the shoulder, “Stan just likes that job cause it’s the only thing he’s good at, picking up garbage on the job and in relationships. Am I right Stanny boy?”

 Stan pushed Richie back and laughed half-heartedly, “Yea, yea Richie, yack it up, at least I’ve even had a boyfriend before.”

 Eddie and Bill both started at that, in one sentence Stan had pretty much confirmed that he and Richie were both gay, and both on the market. Eddie shook it off, but Bill seemed to have a renewed spark of interest in the conversation and turned pointedly to Eddie for a moment. Eddie didn’t get it at first until Bill bumped his elbow into Eddie’s and unmistakably raised his eyebrows at him again. Eddie understood this time.

 Eddie cleared his throat and looked behind Richie and Stan to the fire and said, “Hey Richie, that fire is looking kind of low actually, I think getting more wood would be a good idea after all. Could you show me where the wood pile is?” He looked expectantly up at Richie who paused for a moment looking at Stan nervously before regaining composure.

 “Right this way Eds my boy,” and made a sweeping gesture towards the barn and held his hand out for Eddie to grab to help him up.

 Eddie grabbed it cautiously and stood to follow Richie into the dark, leaving Bill behind to have a chance with Stan. Eddie glanced back over his shoulder and gave Bill a quick wink as good luck to which Bill only rolled his eyes.

 Eddie realized Richie was still holding his hand, pulling him forward, Eddie’s heart rate picked up. Oh no.

[allenmendezsr]

Competition Bbq Secrets 300 Deg Hot & Fast

New Post has been published on https://autotraffixpro.app/allenmendezsr/competition-bbq-secrets-300-deg-hot-fast/

Competition Bbq Secrets 300 Deg Hot & Fast

 Buy Now

    Now You Can Get Real Competition BBQ Secrets

We’re Declaring War on Average BBQ Everywhere!

You are just one small step away from skyrocketing your BBQ skills, saving yourself 5+ years of time, and becoming the new BBQ King in Your Neighborhood! 

BBQ Friend:

I’m Bill Anderson, head pitmaster on the Chatham Artillery BBQ Team and 8x Grand Champion. 

I’m going to help you to be a BBQ grand champion too! You see, I wasn’t always an expert BBQ pitmaster… I started out in my back yard like everybody else. I thought I was pretty good at it too – having “perfected” a few barbecue recipes that delighted my friends and family.

Then one day, I was asked to help my brother-in-law at a BBQ competition down in Douglas, GA. We took 2nd place ribs in the back yard division and we were hooked. We moved on up to the pro division and ran into some serious roadblocks. As it turned out, those guys in the pro division don’t mess around… they take their BBQ seriously!

It was clear that my back yard barbecue recipes were not going to cut it. So I practiced and practiced and practiced some more. I needed testers and people to eat all those trial runs, so my friends and family loved it! But it was costing me a small fortune.

Still, our competition scores were not up to par. 

Competition after competition we sat there and watched while the other teams “walked” to get their checks and trophies. I found out real quick that BBQ judges were a lot different than my friends and family. BBQ judges will insult your barbecue skills in a heartbeat (with bad scoring) – friends and family will always tell you your BBQ is great no matter what.

And therein lies the “big difference”…

Being a competitive person, I was determined to make the leap to competition quality BBQ recipes and not be satisfied with back yard quality anymore. After all, winning isn’t everything, it’s the ONLY thing. 

I did some judging and I took a $750 class to figure out flavor profiles and other things the judges were looking for. These things, along with my own knowledge is what allowed me to go on to win 8 contests over the next 2 years – I was winning every other contest I entered! Yiiiippppeeee! 

I had earned some serious bragging rights!

Not only was I king of my neighborhood, but I was king amongst professional barbecue teams too.

Now, I want to teach you all my secrets that cost me a small fortune to figure out!

So you can be the king (or queen) of your neighborhood too. Heck, you may even want to compete like I did. Or open a barbecue restaurant or BBQ food truck some day. With the info in Competition BBQ Secrets, you’ll blow your competition away because these competition quality BBQ recipes are even better than 99% of what most restaurants put out.

Don’t take my word for it, here’s just a small sampling of many, many satisfied students say about the BBQ Book…

I don’t know if this a real success story or not, But it is for me! I have been BBQing for over 67 years and it has changed a lot in my time. When just a short time ago I got Your book and found out that I had no more idea then a Jack Ass of what I was trying to do. I had entered in two contest preveiously and came in dead LAST! I thought You cooked your meat piled the best you had in a box and turned that in. WRONG! This past weekend I entered in Knoxville, Tn. and came in 9 th overall. With a 2nd in chicken, 14th in ribs, a 7th in brisket and 15th in pork….  Col. Dave Franks, long time US Army cook, author of Foods of the Southland, Alex Haley’s private chef, and head pitmaster for Lil’ Red Barn BarBQ Team

Hi Bill – My brisket turned out great I have been trying to smoke one for over ten years every time it would come out dry like boot leather. I learned so much from your book I’m going bear hunting in Colorado in September can’t wait to try it again for all my hunting buddys I hope you make the finals would love to try a pros BQ in AR keep me updated you have made my wife and daughter so happy that I can finally smoke a brisket!!! Tim

Bill,Wanted to let you know that your book is wonderfull , so much info. We used some of your suggestions along with our ideas and were grand champions at our 1st BBQ cookoff. Everyone should get your BBQ book–packed full of info. Tom Mashos Fossil, Oregon– Smok’n Hot BBQ Team

Well I’ll be! After three years of cook-offs, one trophy here, one trophy there. I bought your book, I read the dang thing at least five times. This past week-end, the Family Tradition cookers took reserve grand champs for the first time. IBCA cook in Willis Texas, 2nd chicken, 3rd ribs (highest ever), 9th in brisket. I look forward to your next email and any new books and recipes.Thanks a bunch. Erik

Great book. Very informative for those not only wanting to begin competing in BBQ but for the general home BBQ’r as well. – Michael M

We are Grand Champions of…

Hasan Shrine Spring Festival 2009 – Albany, GA (FBA) Some of the best teams in the Nation were there and we took 2nd in chicken, 2nd in brisket, and 1st in pork.

Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival 2009 – Tryon, NC (KCBS) There were 78 teams present at this KCBS event. We placed 1st in ribs.

(very rare back to back win!) Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival 2010 – Tryon, NC (KCBS), Back to Back wins! There were 87 teams this year. We took 2nd in chicken, 4th in ribs, 13th in pork, and 4th in brisket.

Festival of Discovery 2009 – Greenwood, SC (KCBS) There were 58 teams present at this BBQ contest and we placed 2nd in brisket.

Pigs & Peaches Festival 2009 – Kennesabbq contest grand championw, GA (KCBS). There were 43 teams present and we placed 1st in ribs, 2nd in chicken, 4th in pork, and 3rd in brisket.

Florida State BBQ Championship (KCBS) at Daytona International Speedway on July 4th weekend 2010. Some of the best teams in the Country were at this action packed event on July 4th weekend.

2010 Dillard, GA Bluegrass & Barbecue Festival with a surprise 1st place brisket and a good 6th place chicken. A good showing with 15th in ribs and 14th in pork rounded out the grand.

2010 “The Real Squeal” Lyons BBQ & Bluegrass Festival in Lyons, GA. We were 4th in chicken, 3rd in ribs, 3rd in pork, and 2nd in brisket.

2013 Sam’s Club Tour Finals in Bentonville, AR. 1st place brisket! We can legitimately claim to be the best brisket cooks in the Country after winning brisket in this playoff style series and also 3 other 1st places and a 2nd in brisket this year.

Here’s just a short list of everything you get in Competition BBQ Secrets…

This is NOT a cookbook! This BBQ book is more of an instruction manual. Don’t get me wrong, there are a good bit of recipes, but we don’t stop there… we go on to explain in fine detail how to smoke championship barbecue ribs, butts, chicken and brisket. There’s a separate chapter for each!

Best Brisket in the World – I’m not bragging here. In 2013, I was the best brisket cook in the world. Having won many first place briskets and going on to win first place brisket at the KCBS Sam’s Club Finals in Bentonville, AR against the best teams in the world. The complete and exact details on how to cook the best brisket in the world are in this book. No details are left out. Your mind is not even capable of understanding how good it is. You must experience it to believe it!

My competition sauce recipe – included at no extra charge. Most teams keep this info top secret – even if they are teaching a live class.

I’m your barbecue coach! Just email me anytime if you have a problem.

Cookers – the different types and how you can slow smoke on anything from a professional offset smoker to your old trusty Weber kettle grill and everything in between.

How to smoke a turkey, reverse sear a steak, jellyroll cut pork loin or beef tenderloin, and much more!

How your wood choice will impart that sought after smoke flavor and smoke ring.

How marinades, brines, and injections will improve the quality of your barbecue recipes.

You have to use rubs… your meats will be bland without them. We tell you all about them and even include some great recipes if you want to mix your own.

Your new book will also tell you how to properly use finishing sauces and glazes on your barbecue recipes.

We also give you some great information on competitions, how to prepare for competitions, and even a checklist of what to bring to a competition. Exact competition schedule is included too!

A complete list of all the BBQ Associations known to exist with the web address for each. Each BBQ Association has it’s own contests and you can find their schedules easily with the information in your new book.

How to trim spareribs St Louis Style and how to trim a brisket.

A whole chapter on barbecue science – smoke rings and maillard reactions.

A complete list of resources for smokers, rubs, sauces, and forums.

and much more!

Benefits of an eBook….

eBooks are in Adobe Acrobat .pdf format and you will be directed to the download page immediately after payment.

Speed – you will receive it immediately and shipping is FREE.

Save a Tree – Do you know how much resources are used to print a paper book?

Live links – throughout the book, there are many, many references to external web pages that contain a wealth of information that you need to read. With the eBook, just click on the blue “hyperlink” and you will instantly go to that web page.

Bookmarks – The entire table of contents is “bookmarked” for your convenience. Just click on a chapter title and you immediately jump to that chapter. At the end of the chapter, you can jump back to the table of contents.

Color Pictures – There are many pictures in the eBook that are color. A paper book with color pictures on every page would be very expensive.

Printable – The book is only 87 pages, so it’s easily printable after downloading.

Full 60 Day 100% Satisfaction or Your Money Back…

If, for any reason, you are not satisfied with your barbecue recipes, just send the processor (Clickbank) an email and they will immediately refund your money. There is a link to do this at the bottom of your email receipt. It’s simple, easy, and fast.

How much is this gonna cost me, Bill?

It’s not gonna cost you $750 for a live class like I paid. There are no travel expenses. It’s not gonna cost you 5+ years going to the school of hard knocks either. It’s not gonna cost you $1000’s in practice meat and fuel costs. I could easily charge you over $500 for this valuable information, but if you act now, you can get it all for the low price of $29.95.

And if you order now, before the timer expires, we’ll throw in the original Competition BBQ Secrets at no extra cost to you. The original is more of a low & slow version and the new one is hot & fast or what the competitors call power cooking. Why cook a brisket for 20 hours when you can cook it for 5 with better results? Remember, I won best brisket in the world cooking hot & fast.

Get Yours Now….

[overthinkingkdrama]

Old Souls

{A Scarlet Heart: Ryeo fan fiction}

Set immediately after the end of episode 20.

Chapter 1

Chapter 2

Chapter 3

Chapter 4

Chapter 5

Chapter 6

Chapter 7

 He’d said the word and her heart had leapt in answer.

Ha Jin rapped the knuckles against her breast bone, self-conscious of the heat in her face even though she was alone. Bags from her weekend trip were open, strewn around the room half unpacked. Before that phone call she had been so tired she could barely stand up, now she was uncomfortably awake and restless. Finally she’d settled for washing her face and perching on the corner of her bed, staring disconsolate at that digital display of her alarm clock, and silently cursing her own heart.

Traitor.

Logically, Ha Jin knew that Lee Jin Woo and Wang So were not the same person. From that start that truth had formed a wedge between them. It was the truth that would inevitably drive them apart. Her from him, and him from her. She’d knew that. And yet, he’d lingered by her side. Every day she depended on him more. Every day she was pulled deeper into the beautiful illusion of it all.

Her mind knew Wang So was gone, but not so body nor her treacherous heart.

“Get ahold of yourself, Ha Jin.”

She climbed under her covers and left the bedroom light on to scare away dreams of Goryeo. She worried for a long time whether she should call Jin Woo back, and what answer to give him, before sleep finally found her.

She was tormented by half-wakeful dreams. Rather than Goryeo, she dreamed about a new love, a wedding, and a child in the present. She didn’t remember the past because she’d never been there. She didn’t remember the 4th Prince or her little Byul. She had never lived in Hae Soo’s body. This stranger child was her first. Her newly minted daughter ran ahead of her down the path, and though she tried, she couldn’t seem to remember the little girl’s face when she turned her back. A husband with empty eyes was beside her. She’d never known him in a different body or in a different time. She didn’t even know him now. In her dream, Ha Jin thought of how happy she was. To be happy was to be free of pain. Happiness was like this, hollow and numb.

She opened her eyes to the disorienting mixture of light from her bedroom lamp and the pink hue of dawn. Her clock said she’s been asleep for several hours, but she felt as though her dream could have taken place between beats of her heart. Her anxiety had not dissipated, neither did she feel rested.

She relived her dream in the shower, thinking about it and what it could mean. It seemed like an unsettling glimpse of what might have been. One possible fate for the version of Ha Jin who had never recovered her memories. She shivered even as the hot water streamed over her body.

It was still too early for the sake of politeness, but she made a call to Professor Choi anyway. He answered on the second ring. 

“Have trouble sleeping as well?” 

“Early riser. Need to talk?” 

“I could use a little company.” 

“I’ll put the kettle on.”

Ji Mong was slowly becoming like an uncle to Ha Jin, or a much older brother. Though sometimes talking to him felt more like going to therapy, often times that was exactly what she needed. He knew when to remain silent and when to offer an opinion. The advice he gave was always thoughtful and politic. She supposed it came of being the trusted advisor to a series of ambitious, despotic rulers. In comparison to wrangling the Wang boys, parsing Ha Jin’s love life was probably a cake walk.

When she arrived at the Professor’s house he was at the door waiting to welcome her. As promised, a cup of tea was steaming invitingly on the kitchen table. They sat together quietly while she enjoyed hers. He must have known something was wrong, but he wouldn’t ask her first.

“Sorry for intruding on your morning.” She said.

“Don’t be. I need the occasional intrusion.”

 “You must feel very solitary here.”

“It’s quiet, isn’t it?”

“It feels like a library. Like I should be whispering. It probably feels even bigger because it’s empty.”

“Far too big for a middle-aged bachelor like me.” He said, grinning. Ji Mong’s expression revealed nothing, but Ha Jin felt something was hiding beneath it. “But I’m so set in my ways. I don’t think I could ever bring myself to sell it. When you stay in one place long enough, it starts to resemble you in some small way. You become a part of its history. Maybe you’re too young to know what I mean.”

“No, I think I get it.”

Without telling anyone about it, Ha Jin had started searching for traces of herself in history. She was becoming quite the Goryeo buff in her spare time. She read about King Taejo and his sons. She compared the books and archeological records to her own memories, noting the places where her own experiences contradicted the experts. She studied Gwangjong’s rule, his policies, his progeny and his death. Even as it ached, that comforted her somewhat. She couldn’t find what she was looking for, though. Not Lady Hae Soo, not her little Byul. Did that mean Jung had kept his promise? Perhaps it was just too long ago. Whatever it was she’d hoped to discover, she couldn’t find it. All she found was the same sad story repeating itself.

Finally, giving voice to her troubles she said, “I’m afraid of my own history repeating. When I was in the Damiwon, I spent so much time worrying about the future, fighting against it, and finally…succumbing to it. I don’t know if I could ever give myself over fully to another person, knowing it was already doomed from the start. Not again. Age and experience makes you wiser, it also makes you cautious. Cowardly.”

Ji Mong was smiling at her in his knowing way. “You talk like someone twice your age.”

“I feel twice my age.”

“Easy to do, I suppose. With two different lifetimes locked in your head.” He said, “Back then…especially when I was a young man it was maddening. Always knowing what was coming around the corner, never being able to tell anyone, watching history unfold helplessly. Once, when I didn’t think I could stand it anymore I tried to run away.”

“You did?”

“Yes, I tried to take the Crown Prince with me. I told him we should take our horses and just start riding in any direction. Didn’t matter where so long as it was far enough that no one would ever find us, somewhere we could start a new life under new names. You know what he told me? It’s not important how long you live, all that matters is the people you have by your side.”

“And that’s why you decided to stay? Even knowing what would happen?”

“That was when I realized I wanted to be one of the people by his side, yes.”

She couldn’t keep herself from wondering what kind of life Ji Mong led, apart from her. Longing for someone he couldn’t reach. Always searching in the faces of strangers for that familiar expression. Always hoping against hope that this would be the life where he would meet his lover again. How easy it must have been to lose that hope, to grow bitter. She wondered how he could bear it.

“You must think me miserably selfish. Living this way.”

Ji Mong shrugged and said, “I think selfishness is a defense mechanism you’ve had to develop to survive.”

“That’s not a no.”

“You don’t owe anything to anyone, my dear. Not to Jin Woo-sshi, least of all to me. Why shouldn’t you live freely and seek after your own peace of mind? You gave up everything the heavens asked of you and more. You spent your life in Goryeo trying to escape the palace walls, and even when he let you go you weren’t free. You’ve given up enough; you’re allowed to be happy now.”

Ha Jin wasn’t sure if she had escaped the shadow of the palace even now. In some moments it felt so distant it might have been a dream, but in others it was as though she was there even now, huddled in her little room in the Damiwon, waiting for the fear to recede.

“I’m free now, so why do I feel like I can’t take a single step forward or back? I’ve fallen into the same trap I was in before.”

“Not all scars are visible to the eye. I’ll never forget the way your expression shattered the day I had to tell you, you weren’t meant to be Gwangjong’s queen. I still think about it often. Of all the things I ever did to preserve history…Oh, I did many things I regret, but that memory still visits me on sleepless nights.”

“You were just doing what you thought was best. It’s not like either of us had a choice. Not really.”

“That doesn’t excuse it though. Forgive me.”

“There’s nothing to forgive.”

They sat in silence for a moment, as though both of them were trapped in thoughts too heavy to share. But before too long Ji Mong spoke again, “I guess what I’m saying is sometimes when we’re badly hurt we feel stuck like that. We build up this tight scar tissue around our hearts, and start to think that because we lost everything once we will, by necessity lose it again. And giving up the things we’re afraid to lose becomes a habit, just as harmful as those things that hurt us in the first place.”

“You think I’ve gotten into the habit of giving up?”

She remembered something the 4th prince had told her, about his boat and the lake, his favorite place at the palace and the only place where he felt truly peaceful. He’d forced himself to stay away and not visit the lake too often, because if he did he wouldn’t want to leave. If he allowed himself to grow too attached to something that made him happy, the separation would be even more difficult.

Had Jin Woo become her boat on the lake? Her hiding place? She was so afraid of liking him too much, because she though she would eventually have to give him up.

Upon Ji Mong’s invitation she spent the day in his garden and in his library, reading his books and drinking endless cups of his tea. She never specifically mentioned the event that had incited her to call him, disheveled and distractible, for the familiar balm of his company, and yet she felt she had already heard everything she’d needed to. It was a relief to spend the better part of her day in her oasis and pretend that the outside world didn’t exist. Ji Mong didn’t require her to be social if she didn’t want to, he just seemed to like having another life form in his big empty house.

She headed out in the afternoon, feeling clearheaded and full-hearted. She looked at her phone for the first time in several house and was surprised to find that the only messages she had were one from her mother—just some motherly fretting—and another from a coworker asking if she could cover a shift later in the week. Jin Woo hadn’t texted or called, and she felt a sudden flutter of anxiety pass through her as she stared at the screen for a solid minute, trying to think of how she could begin.

Eventually she put the phone away without sending anything.

Later. She thought. In person. It’s too easy to dissemble when you can’t look into someone’s eyes.

She had to go back home to do her hair and refresh her make up. She spent a solid hour picking out what she would wear. She was never this fussy getting ready to see Jin Woo. For some reason she really wanted to look her best when she saw him, even though her head was completely empty of what she was going to say when she did. She chose a brighter shade of red for her lips, a dress that hugged her figure, and then looking in the mirror was suddenly embarrassed and nearly gave up the whole enterprise.

She forcibly dragged herself through the door and down to the bus stop. She stopped at a shop first and bought a bottle of wine, not the cheap one she usually went for. She still hadn’t told Jin Woo she was coming. She knew the door code for his place and it wasn’t unusual for her to let herself in these days.

When she opened the door to his apartment she didn’t immediately see him, but she heard a sound from the direction of his bedroom. She wandered into the kitchen. She noticed the state of disorder. Plates and glasses that never saw use had been brought those down from the highest shelves and stacked here and there across the counter.

Hearing footsteps behind she started to say, turning, “I’m sorry I didn’t call—” at the same time that person said, “Hyung, I still can’t find the good silverware—”

She jumped. It wasn’t Jin Woo. But neither was it a stranger.

He said, “Oh.” Stopping short.

Ha Jin felt her mouth fall open. Of the litany of things she had been preparing for when she arrived, this face wasn’t one of them. The face of her dear friend she never thought to see again. Baek Ah.

“I’m sorry. I thought you were Jin Woo.”

“No, uh, it’s my fault. I came in without knocking.”

The two stood for a moment, him looking past her, shifting his weight from one foot to the other. She was conscious of her fixed stare. The young man didn’t know her, clearly, they had never met. But for the moment she couldn’t seem to tear her eyes away, afraid that she would begin to cry. Knowing that she would be unable to explain.

Finally he put his hand out to her and said, “You must be Ha Jin-sshi. I’ve heard so much about you.”

This is Min Ki. Of course, he would be Jin Woo’s best friend. Her hand was trembling as she took his. A lump rose in her throat as she tried to control her reaction, only partially succeeding she said, “It’s so good to see you…I mean meet you. At last.” She felt her eyes were welling and she finally glanced away, “Jin Woo is so fond of you, I feel as though we’re friends already.”

“Where is he?” She asked when she’d taken a few deep breaths.

“He was going to the corner store for some ingredients. Dinner won’t be read for a couple hours yet.”

“Dinner?”

“His mother and sister are coming into Seoul a week earlier than expected before heading to Macau and since we already agreed to host them—” As he spoke she saw things were clicking into place, that she had no idea what he was talking about. “He didn’t mention this to you.”

She shook her head.

“Well, it wasn’t like they gave us much notice.” As he was talking he received a text, pulled his phone out and gave an unguarded groan of frustration. “And now I guess we’re not getting those groceries because they changed their minds about needing picked up from the airport…” He began to curse mildly under his breath, “I’m sorry to send you off so unceremoniously but I’ve got a lot of—“

“Tell me what groceries you need and I’ll run for them. Do you have a list?”

“Uh…I can handle it on my own.” He said, glancing sidelong at the bottle of wine, “I know this probably messed up your evening plans, I’ll just tell Jin Woo that you were here–”

“It’ll be faster with two, right? I’ll fetch and carry for you. We have a little time before the get back. Think of it as my penance for coming by unannounced.”

She could see that he wanted to refuse her offer, but after a moment’s hesitation he nodded grudgingly.”

“Okay, yeah. Let’s do this. I don’t think I can pull it off alone.”

There was a shop not far from Jin Woo’s building where Ha Jin was able to gather the items on Min Ki’s grocery list. Most of them. She also grabbed a cheap bouquet for the table and a couple more bottles of wine.

When she got back Min Ki tossed her an apron and they set about turning the somewhat bare and utilitarian bachelor’s pad into something slightly more hospitable.

Min Ki was visibly uncomfortable with her there. He’d had no thought of meeting me this way, she thought, without Jin Woo here as a buffer. Perhaps he thought that she would dissipate, like a bad dream, and he would never be forced to meet her at all.

She didn’t mind his terseness. It was oddly familiar. It reminded her of the Baek Ah she’d met long ago. Protective and fiercely loyal toward the people he cared about. It hadn’t been until Myung Hee’s funeral had thrust them together in their grief that he’d started warming to her and trusting her intentions.

Ha Jin was putting the finishing touches on the place settings when Min Ki said, “They should be pulling up any minute. Have we pretty much done it?”

Pulling up? Already? She felt a sudden jolt of electricity running up her neck.

“I’ve gotta go.”

“You just spent all that effort on dinner and you’re going to leave without eating any of it?”

“Jin Woo isn’t even expecting me and we—” We haven’t even had a chance to talk about how he told me he loved me last night. I can’t meet his mother today. “I have no intention of crashing a family occasion.” She gestured to the table where she had set only four places.

To her surprise, Min Ki looked disappointed. He didn’t try to argue with her as she slipped her coat on and began moving toward the door. He said, “I’ll give Jin Woo your regards.”

“Uh…thank you.” She said with a hesitant bow of the head before she fled the scene.

As she retreated up the hallway toward the elevators, she thought. You did well, Ha Jin. You didn’t look like a complete nut case and you managed to escape a potentially excruciating social situation. Good work. She was still in the middle of mentally patting herself on the back when the elevators doors opened to reveal a startled Jin Woo looking out at her, flanked on either side by two well-dressed, imperious women—one in middle age, the other much younger, obviously related from their features—looking like lionesses in designer clothes.

“Ha Jin-ah.”

She froze.

They might have stood there stared at one another in silence until the elevator door slid closed between them but for the older of the two women clicking her tongue and spurring Jin Woo forward into the hallway.

“This is a surprise,” He said, “A nice one. I wasn’t expecting to see you this evening.”

“I thought I could skip out before I was caught.” Ha Jin laughed, playing off the remark as a joke.

“What brings you—” Jin Woo started to ask a halting question, when the younger woman said, “We can go in, right?” and strode past him toward his door.

Min Ki must have heard the voices, because he opened the door before she reached it and let the two women in with a gallant motion, while Jin Woo and Ha Jin remained loitering near the elevators.

“Sorry, I didn’t warn you I would be having guests tonight.” He said, “But I thought you wouldn’t want to see me anyway.”

“Why wouldn’t I want to see you?” She asked, “Anyway, no need for you to be sorry. I was just leaving anyway.”

“Leaving?”

“Yes.”

“I see.”

They were stymied again. She should have left but she couldn’t quite make herself step past him and punch the light up lobby button goodbye.

Simultaneously they said, “I’ll call you later.” And the high pitched unison of their voices made them both glance down and laugh.

“I don’t suppose you would stay with me. For dinner I mean.”

Ha Jin opened her mouth and closed it again.

“No, of course. Forget I said it. We’re not there yet.” He smiled and said, “We’ll talk soon.” There was something under that smile that said I have an ordeal ahead of me tonight. I won’t say so, but it would go easier on me if you were here.

As she was vacillating Min Ki stuck his head out once more and said, “You two coming? Or do we have to move the party out here?”

Dinner was brutal almost from the moment Ha Jin sat down at the table. Since the table was already set for four and not large, Jin Woo fetched a mismatched chair from somewhere and she was squeezed uncomfortably at the end between Jin Woo on her left and his mother on the right. After meeting Min Ki, if Jin Woo’s mother had turned out to be the spitting image of Queen Yoo, Ha Jin thought it wouldn’t have phased her.

Thankfully she wasn’t forced to test that theory. Mrs. Noh was not a familiar face to ha Jin, and though she lacked the cruel confidence and that ability to send icy darts into her heart with a flick of her eyes like the queen, there was certainly something intimidating about the woman. The way she summarily appraised and dismissed Ha Jin even before Jin Woo could properly make introductions.

“This is Noh In Sook, my mother. And my dongsaeng, Na Ni. Oemmani, this is Go Ha Jin-sshi.”

Ha Jin bowed where she sat, “Pleased to meet you.”

“Ha Jin-sshi. I don’t think I’ve heard that name before?” In Sook barely acknowledging her presence, addressing the question to Jin Woo.

“I don’t think I had the chance,” Jin Woo replied quietly, “She’s my, uh…”

Na Ni was far more direct with her looks and her words. She spoke Korean with a light American accent, “You must be Jin Woo oppa’s—”

To Ha Jin’s surprised, Min Ki interposed, “Chingu. My friend. I imposed on her all afternoon to help me with dinner. She didn’t want to stay but I had to insist she eat something after all her hard work.”

Ha Jin couldn’t seem to stop bobbing her head politely every time she spoke, “I hope it suits your tastes.”

“Thank you for your efforts, but you shouldn’t have gone to the trouble.” In Sook said, without a trace of sincerity, still not looking in Ha Jin’s direction.

“You really shouldn’t have.” Na Ni said, hiding a smirk as she prodded the soft tofu soup with a spoon, not tasting it, “Oppa could have taken us out.”

“I thought after so long out of the country, you would like to have a home cooked meal.” Jin Woo said, “Next time I’ll take you somewhere delicious. What kind of food do you like?”

“Anything. So long as it’s delicate and high end. I’m addicted to black truffle these days.” Na Ni gave a trill of laughter, “Really, oppa, I couldn’t ask you to put yourself out like that. My tastes have gotten hopelessly expensive. My Bong Bong pampers me so much.”

“You mean spoils you.” In Sook said tartly.

Na Ni laughed again, “It’s true. Ever since he proposed in the spring, he hasn’t been able to spend his money fast enough. Look at that.” She offered her hand to Min Ki to examine her engagement ring. Even from where Ha Jin was sitting she could see the stone was massive.

Min Ki took her hand and said, “Very beautiful,” with a flirtatious smile. Na Ni seemed to enjoy the touch as much as the attention. The two of them continued to talk about her fiancé and Ha Jin thought Jin Woo’s sister looked as his friend with a deal more appetite than the food. Min Ki was aware of this too, and did his part to valiantly keep her distracted. That left Jin Woo and Ha Jin only the mother to manage between the two of them.

Taking impossibly small bites of rice, In Sook addressed Jin Woo, “Most of Bong Soo’s family is still in the country. So we’re planning to have two ceremonies. One in the states later this year, and a more traditional family affair in Korea in the spring.” 

“Korea? I didn’t realize.” 

“Naturally you’ll be expected to help represent the family. I hope you do your best not to undermine your father’s reputation.”

“Of course.” 

“Considering the state of things at your firm, we hardly expected you to be dating, but I would still like to introduce your fiancé at the ceremony. I’ve spoken to a friend of mine who can start arranging a few set-ups for you.” 

“That won’t be necessary,” Jin Woo said firmly. 

“However an engagement happens, it should happen soon. Are you aware that Bong Soo is being considered for partnership?” 

Na Ni piped up at this point, apparently distracted from flirting with Min Ki, to join in bragging about her fiancé. “He was you hoobae at school, wasn’t he? Just think about it. Barely 30 and already partner. Your father is ecstatic. He said he’s always wanted to pass the baton on to a son. A son-in-law is like another son, he said—” Thankfully, Min Ki managed to wrest back her attention once more from their end of the table by asking about the proposal before she could go on. 

Ha Jin couldn’t help but notice the way the two of them wielded the word “father” like a knife. Jin Woo looked as though he was having trouble swallowing his food. He continually filled his water glass and drained it. As the conversation went on he looked like he was trying to escape to somewhere deeper in himself.

“You see what kind relations we’re acquiring. I want your father to be able to stand tall beside them.” 

“I understand that, but surely…my accomplishments are not so embarrassing that I can’t stand beside Kang Bong Soo. Besides, he’s had some…advantages that I don’t.” 

“Such as?” 

“Well, the fact that he’ll be working for his future father-in-law for one. Family background…” 

“Oh, Jin Woo-ya. I hope you’re not going to blame this situation on your background.”

 “That’s not what I meant.”

 “Your father wasn’t born a wealthy man, but you know how disgusting he finds it when people blame their own failures on not being born with advantages. His background hasn’t kept him from succeeding…with some little help from me. We still have friends on this side of the world. Enough to hear about the real reason for your leave of absence. Your little breakdown. From what we heard you were on your way to becoming the ace of your department. Now who knows if you’re ever going to be able to claw your way back to that position again?”

 Jin Woo didn’t retaliate. Instead he folded further in on himself and bowing his said, “You’re right. Forgive me.” 

Mrs. Noh’s tone had cut through whatever conversation Min Ki had managed to scrape together with Na Ni, and they’d fallen silent. All their attention riveted on what In Sook was saying. Ha Jin’s stomach was starting to ache. What is this? She wondered, Why is she talking to him like this? 

“You see, this is exactly why he’s never asked you to work with him. How can he with these rumors that you have mental problems? It’s an embarrassment.”

“Let’s stop now.” Ha Jin said, quietly. But Mrs. and Ms. Noh either didn’t hear her or didn’t care.

“I heard that you attacked someone.” Na Ni said, “That the police had to come and escort you from the building.”

“That’s not what happened.” Jin Woo said, but his voice was quiet and his face was pale.

“Please stop.” Ha Jin said again, a little louder.

Min Ki tried to help, “Yes, let’s talk about something.” But they were both ignored as the two women warmed to their subject.

“Not everyone has the temperament for this kind of work.” In Sook said.

“Bong Bong said you were always odd when you were in school together. That you barely said anything and he never saw you out with anyone. If it wasn’t for Min Ki here, he was afraid you might do something to yourself. Now considering what happened at your firm…”

“Are you sure you should be living alone like this?”

Face burning, Ha Jin stood up abruptly from the table, “Stop it now. Stop.”

Her outburst pulled In Sook up short and the whole table stared up at her in silence for a moment before she recovered, “Excuse me?”

“I don’t like you talking to him like that.”

“Why are you interfering with a family conversation?” She curled her lip and slammed her chopsticks down with a click.

“Nobody deserves to be spoken to the way you speak to him.”

“Who do you think you are?”

“I’m his girlfriend. I won’t sit by and see him mistreated. Because he’s mine.”

The meal didn’t last much longer after that. Min Ki offered to walk their guests down to the building’s lobby, which the latter happily accepted. As he went, Ha Jin thought she saw a fleeting look of admiration on his face.

“You didn’t have to do that.” Jin Woo said when they were alone, “But thank you.”

“I just couldn’t stand to listen to that anymore. They were being so ugly.” She felt a fresh rush of indignation thinking about the smug look on Mrs. Noh’s face. “Anyway, it’s nothing you should be grateful for. You’ll be hearing about it later, I’m sure.”

For a few moments of silence they cleared the table without meeting eyes.

“I liked it.” He said. “When you called me yours. It was nice.”

She felt her color rising and didn’t know what to say.

“Don’t worry. I’m not going to read too much into it.”

She thought about the word he’d said the night before for the first time in several hours. He hadn’t repeated the sentiment. Perhaps he intended to pretend it hadn’t happened if she didn’t acknowledge it first. But she felt like the specter of the word hung between them. Could she just ignore it? That seemed too cruel.

Jin Woo’s tiny dishwasher only held about half the dishes they’d dirtied, and they decided to wash the rest by hand. He insisted that she wear the one pair of rubber gloves he owned. The stood side by side, he washed, and handed her handfuls of soapy utensils to be rinsed.

“She’s not my real mother. Not my biological mother.”

The unprompted statement surprised her, she glanced at his expression but he kept his eyes forward as he worked.

“I didn’t plan for you to meet them this way, or I would have warned you about the way they behave. I’m sure it’s pretty shocking if you’re not used to it. How could a mother…but I’m not. Her son, I mean.”

“You don’t owe me an explanation.” Ha Jin said gently. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to.”

“I want to.” He replied.

Even so he didn’t continue right away. She tried to help him, “Your father remarried?”

“Yeah.” He cleared his throat, “Um…when I was, I don’t know, eight or nine my mom—my real mom—left us. For a long time I kept expecting her to come back. She’d done it a few times before. When Dad was between jobs and things were really tight, she would just pack a bag and disappear for a while. Sometimes a few days. Once I think she stayed away for two months. My dad would say she was visiting her hometown, but I don’t think he knew where she was going. Maybe he didn’t want to know.

“The last time she left and just didn’t come back. Divorce agreement came in the mail and that was it. I never saw her again.”

All the time he spoke his voice remained impassive, his gaze stayed in the sink.

“After passing the bar, Dad bounced between firms for a few years. He was unhappy. Didn’t like to come home. Never came home sober. I think I reminded him of her and he came to dislike me. He met Mrs. Noh through a mutual friend. She had a daughter from a previous marriage so they were in similar situations and she offered to get him a job with her father’s firm in the US. He decided to emigrate, and I stayed here.”

“That’s horrible.”

“It made sense at the time. I mean, I had already enrolled in high school. My dad wanted out, wanted to forget. We barely spoke to one another anyway. They were starting a new life together and Mrs. Noh didn’t want to raise another woman’s child. It seemed…logical.”

“How old were you?”

“I was fifteen.”

Ha Jin felt like she’d been punched in the stomach.

“I lived alone in our small apartment until college. When I moved into a boarding house for law students. I had this thought, if I passed the bar, if I made my own way as a lawyer, my father would ask me to come work with him. But he, uh…didn’t”

Have you ever once just looked at him? Just seen him? Have you wondered what he’s been through? She was having all those thoughts of self-accusation, realizing that she hadn’t been thinking of him as a complete and separate being. She’d been too scared of losing herself in the past to see the person who was in front of her. I’ve been wrong about him.

She said, “It must have been lonely.”

“Min Ki was my life line. Pried me out of my shell, practically dragged bodily me out of the study room and into the world. He was so passionate about everything. I wanted to be that way too.”

Ha Jin reached into the sink Jin Woo was leaning over, still diligently scrubbing off the plates as though to grab out another hand full of utensils. Her gloved hand brushed against his beneath the hot water. He paused in his movements imperceptibly, still not looking at her. She took it as permission and laced her fingers deftly into his. He looked surprised, as though it could have been a mistake.

She squeezed his hand gently.

“Are you okay?” She asked.

“I’m fine. I’m used to them by now.” He said it lightly, but she couldn’t believe that he wasn’t hurt. He was just good at covering it up. All that rejection, longing for family acceptance, things that Wang So had felt all his life. Ha Jin had never imagined that Jin Woo might have similar experiences. It seemed so unfair. How many times did a single soul have to suffer the same pain? Perhaps this was their fate, this relentless cycle they were trapped in. For him to seek in her the acceptance his family had denied him. For her to want to save him, to fail, and to lose herself in the process. Maybe it was their destiny to break one another’s hearts again and again.

No, Ha Jin thought, I can’t accept that. I have to believe some kind of redemption is possible.

“It’s okay if you read into it.” She said suddenly.

“What?”

“What I said at dinner. I meant it.”

“Ha Jin-ah…”

“I want to be in your corner. Like Min Ki. I want to be one of your people. If those women don’t want to be your family, we’ll be your family and…” She would have gone on, but she met his eyes. Caught in the intensity of his gaze her words dried up.

In one smooth motion he pulled her into an embrace, and she felt a warm, wet handprint blooming at the small of her back.

Resting his chin on her shoulder, against her neck she heard him whisper faintly, “It’s alright if I like you more, isn’t it? I don’t mind that you don’t feel the same, so long as you let me say it…I think I’ve gone and fallen in love with you all by myself.”

Her chest flooded with warmth and tenderness for this person, though she hadn’t said the word “love”. She hadn’t answered his confession in kind. Even now she didn’t know if she was ready, but her heart had claimed him. In this time and in this place, she could feel herself toeing her way to the cliff’s edge, ready to fall.

He drew back a little to study her expression. Clumsily, still wearing those oversized rubber gloves, she caught hold of the front of his shirt and pulled him toward her again, kissing him. He took her face in his hands, they were still dripping with dishwater but she didn’t mind.

Some moments later, a commotion from the front hall made them freeze and jump apart. They listened to the scuffing of feet as Min Ki changed from shoes to slippers and rounded the corner into the apartment.

“The two vultures have been sent off, so I was thinking the three of us could…” He started to say, finally looking up and taking in the scene. “Uh…was thinking I could just grab my stuff and head out for the night. Yeah”

As he said it he suppressed a little snort, glancing down. “It was really nice to finally meet you, Ha Jin-sshi…truly. The next time we’ll go for drinks just the two of us. No cooking.”

“I’m a good drinker.” She said, finding her smile.

“You look like you would be. Anyway, goodnight.”

Snagging his coat from where it was hanging off the back of the couch, he retreated, all the time looking like he was trying to hold back a burst of laughter.

When he had gone, she said aloud, “What was that all about?”

“Turn your head this way.” Jin Woo said, looking at her sidelong.

She looked at him and as soon as she turned her face he broke into a wide grin. Unable to contain his amusement he said, “You’re…it’s your hair. I’m sorry.” Picking up a kitchen towel, he held it out to her.

Ha Jin quickly ran her fingers over her hair, coming away with a hand full of suds that had been clinging to the side of her head. Exchanging a look, they two of them burst into helpless laughter.

[Chapter 8]

[roadpublication]

The Sultan of Salton

                                         The Sultan of Salton                                                                                       Chapter One

 The small beach side town of Bombay Beach is anything but picturesque, located on the Northeast shore of ‘The Salton Sea’. The average temperature is ninety-six degrees. The landscape, as it appears, has a post-apocalyptic feel about it, stark white sand, abandoned homes in every state of dilapidation covered with salt. Vehicles and motor boats left behind and scattered about, covered in salt and rust stripped of anything that may have held value.

 The small town is one of several that popped up around The Salton Sea in the 1950’s into the 1960’s. Resembling a gorgeous glittering sapphire on a bed of white satin, The Salton Sea was dedicated as “The West’s Greatest Playground” and developers planned to have it rival nearby Palm Springs. Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr. performed at the North Shore Yacht Club. Boat races were held in the summer months and developers invested money into The Salton Sea and the towns and cities that popped up on its shores. The town of Bombay Beach, Salton City and North Shore were designed, and big plans were laid out for their prosperous futures on the ‘Sea Surrounded by Desert’.

 However, unlike most fairy tales an unfortunate circumstance happened in the sea by the late 1960’s.The salinity in The Salton Sea began to increase; so much so it out number the Pacific Ocean salinity by 25% by the 1990’s. The increase in salinity caused the sea to turn from a gorgeous clear sapphire blue into a murky, cloudy alga blooms all throughout the sea. Along with the algae came a stench that when mixed with the desert heat became unbearable to stand next to. Development stopped. People moved away.

 Contrary to the written accounts of The Salton Sea and its bleak history, vibrant communities have developed and flourished. Bombay Beach became one of the most developed around The Salton Sea. Laid out in the traditional grid, Bombay Beach had nine avenues which ran north to south and named “Avenue A”- “Aisle of Palms” (Avenue I). The avenues were intersected by five streets which ran east to west and named 1st Street- 5thStreet.

 Salma arrived at ‘The Salty Shack’, the corner of Avenue C and 5th Street, a little after eleven in the morning on a Thursday in July. A thermostat that hung on the front porch of the shack read 107. She didn’t need a thermostat to tell her the temperature; from the smell of the sea Salma easily declared the temperature closer to 115. Unlocking the door to The Salty Shack, Salma had to give a nudge with her shoulder twice as the door would stick. Salt build up overnight was common with the building being so close to The Salton Sea. The door popped open with a haunted house style creak. Salma started to walk inside when she heard a shuffle and an incoherent muttering in the distance. Turning she saw Crazy Carl walking toward The Salty Shack along 5th Street.

 “Morning Carl!” Salma said waving.

 Carl didn’t acknowledge Salma and chatted to himself walking toward Avenue A. Salma picked up on the usual words Carl muttered “silver” “crash” “splash” “wet” “eat” and always “absorption” ending his chant before starting over. Salma forced a smile and felt the usual pity/helplessness for Crazy Carl who seemed lost and in search of something as usual.

In The Salty Shack Salma’s eyes looked at the index cards thumbtacked to the wall behind the register. “silver”, “crash”, “splash”, “wet”, “eat” and “absorption’ were written in her hand writing. She had written down the words Carl said since she moved to Bombay Beach and there was never an unfamiliar word or different order to the words Crazy Carl spoke.

Salma looked out The Salty Shacks front door as Crazy Carl passed on the same walking/shuffle loop; walking down Avenue E turning right on 5th Street walking to Avenue A turning right to 1st Street and ending back at his home on the corner of 1st Street and Avenue E. A big square that started and finished at the house Carl lived with his aging mother since the early 1960’s.

 Salma turned on the lights and got the day underway. On an average day at The Salty Shack only the locals would come in. Come in for a soda, a six pack or an ice cream. The air conditioning in the shack also provided the locals with an oasis away from their homes. Salma loved this part of the job, talking and catching up with everyone who lived in town. Getting the gossip, seeing if any tourists attempted to swim in the sea or the worst, if any tourists decorated the many ruins of Bombay Beach with spray painted graffiti. The spray painting and people further destroying Bombay got under Salma’s skin. When she moved to Bombay Beach she enjoyed the fact that the town looked apocalyptic and decayed. When out of towners came and desecrated ruins, she became vigilant. 

 Once, after first moving to Bombay, Salma was walking home down 5th Street toward Aisle of Palms and saw a tan Dodge Shadow parked precarious on the side of street. Walking toward the Shadow, Salma saw two young men in what was left of a streamline style trailer spray painting their names with what looked like a cat. It was dusk, the sky burnt orange, the Salton Sea a gorgeous blue and that same familiar fish stench permeated the air.

 Salma yelled, “WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING IN THERE?” before sprinting towards the streamline.

 The boys looked at each other, dropped their spray paint cans and ran further into the trailer looking for escape. Salma ran into the open section of the trailer screaming like a banshee about disrespecting property, calling the police and calling their parents. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath and heard giggles from a closed door in the front most portion of the streamline. Walking quietly toward the giggling, Salma open the door in a dramatic display and began reciting Shania Twain’s “Man, I Feel Like A Woman” in her native Turkish tongue while waving her arms in the air above her head. The young men had no idea what to think and ran past Salma out of the trailer and to the Dodge Shadow and sped out of Bombay Beach. Salma continued her walk home laughing to herself of her heroics of the evening. “This is my town. No one going to mess with it. Wanna make some noise, really raise my voice. Yeah, I wanna scream and shout. Man I Feel Like A Woman!” she sang to herself.

 It was just after 1 when the first customer of the day came into the shack. The tiny bell nailed at the top of the door jingled. Salma was sitting behind the register and looked up from her sketchbook. A man in his late thirties, balding, wearing black slacks, a black button down shirt with exotic flowers and shiny dress shoes with tassels stood in the doorway looking up, down and around The Salty Shack.

 Salma cleared her throat and forced a smile and asked, “May I help you?”

 The man turned and stared at Salma and asked “an ice cream sandwich. It’s quite hot out there.”

 “Yes, a normal July day in Bombay Beach. Not a cloud in the sky and so hot the smell of the sea makes your stomach turn! Ice cream sandwiches are the third freezer down.”

 The balding man looked at Salma over the rim of his glasses puzzled by her comment and said “Th-Thank you” and walked toward the third freezer.

 Salma faked smiled again and turned back to her sketchbook. She was shading a sketch of a fairy tale tower surrounded by a lake when the balding customer reappeared at the counter with 6 ice cream sandwiches in his hands. He dropped the sandwiches on the counter in front of the sketchbook.

 My name is Bob. I just moved here from Schenectady.” The balding man introduced himself.

Salma picked up and closed her sketchbook with an annoyance. “Welcome to Bombay Beach. You’re a long way from Schenectady. Where abouts’ are you putting down roots?”

 “Avenue H in between 3rd Street and 4th. Same block as The Sea of Life Church” said Bob.

 “So what brings a man in all black twenty seven hundred miles from New York?” asked Salma

 “I’m seeing Dean Martin at the North Shore Yacht Club Saturday night”.

[sanctferum]

Dangan Ronpa V3, chapter 3 free time!

Time to explore!

There’s a hidden Monokuma in Kaede’s lab. Ryoma’s lab’s been cleaned up by Monokuma, and the shower room is inaccessible because Shuichi doesn’t need to take a shower. The gym has also been cleaned up, and the inner tube in the pool has been neatly put away.

OK, the blackboards show different things in different chapters when you go into search mode. Or maybe it’s because we’re playing as Shuichi? I didn’t check them last chapter.

Monokuma knows. He knows that in order to be a Dangan Ronpa player character, an ahoge is necessary.

Another hidden Monokuma’s in the boiler room.

Oh, we can retry the escape game, huh?

Well, that didn’t work. I wonder what would even happen if we completed it successfully?

Found another Hidden Monokuma near the Kumasutra Hotel. I bet the last one is in the racing minigame again…

The casino minigames now include Mind Mine and Psyche Taxi equivalents.

Treasure Hunter Monolith: the music reminds me WAY too much of Chiaki’s execution music from DR2…

Outlaw Run: I am still very bad at this minigame. Give me Logic Dive back!

Don’t know how to unlock any category besides “Kind” for these minigames. Betting max coins didn’t work, getting an S rank didn’t work. Advancing a chapter hasn’t worked for the Hangman’s Gambit one, either.

Oh, did the exchange always sell Monopad themes?

Anyways, on to the actual free time! I’m gonna hang out with Kaito.

Kaito is still upset people are lumping Maki and Kirumi into the “murderous fiend” category. Let’s calm him down with this moon buggy model!

Kaito tell us about how astronaut training is super intense, and it’s a lot of work…but the universe is a harsh place. He’s got to be able to handle crazy situations if he wants to explore it. For the first two years of training, he learned the basic skills needed to be an astronaut – medicine, engineering, scuba diving, linguistics, survival training…pretty much everything.

There’s a training facility for astronauts at the bottom of the ocean? The most important thing for an astronaut is communication and teamwork. No one person can hope to explore space by themselves…you need a team, and you need to trust in that team. The facility at the bottom of the ocean helps people learn to work as a team. Also, as part of communication training, you have to master other languages and cultures…Kaito is fluent in Japanese, English, and Russian. He might be an idiot sometimes, but Kaito sure is incredible…

Bedtime already? I wonder if trying the escape game took up a portion of free time?

The Monokubs sure look beat up…well two of them at least. Monodam sure is harsh…

Time to train with Kaito! On our way out, we see Angie, who’s still trying to convert everyone. She claims to be prepared to work with everyone to make the Academy a paradise on Earth. Considering how well her last attempt at that went…hmmm.

Shuichi shows up to the usual training spot, but Kaito is nowhere to be f-

Oh. There he is, dragging Maki behind him. Well, I guess we’re all training together, huh?

Kaito kept ringing her doorbell till Maki answered. Then he dragged her here.

Maki thinks the whole idea is stupid and heads back to her room. Kaito tries to convince her to stay by…Kaito. Kaito, that’s stupid. You aren’t the hero of this story, and Maki isn’t gonna be willing to be your sidekick.

Kaito does say that from his perspective he might be the hero, but from our perspectives, we each are the hero of our own stories.

Maki knows from experience that this will all end in tears. But Kaito calls her out on the what he believes is the real reason she isn’t interacting with anyone. She’s afraid. She’s running away, when she should be standing tall and fighting.

Maki is getting pissed. Kaito, this is…

…going to work out well after all. Maki agrees to train, just so Kaito will stop bugging her about it.

And now. 100 pushups! Shuichi’s body is in hell, Kaito is going along…Maki is almost done. You don’t become an assassin by being out of shape.

Kaito tells her to show up for training tomorrow too. Maki ignores him and walks away.

Ah, so it ties back into what he was saying in the free time event. Teamwork…if you see someone who is weak, you help them become strong. Someone is suffering? You can’t just walk away. Kaito mentions that Shuichi and Maki’s cases are a bit different. Back to the rest of the pushups.

Monokuma Theater ti-

…Monodam Theater time.

He’s wearing a leather jacket and Kamina shades.

Morning announcement. Everyone will gather in the gym to get along, huh? Assembling in the gym is usually a rather bad thing. I’m not sure what to expect.

Kiyo mentions how he overslept, but is usually up by 6 AM and ready to go at 7:30 AM. A half hour to get ready? Is it because of his uniform? Kaito is also around but not going to the gym yet. He’s gonna make sure Maki comes with him to the gym, since everyone needs to show up. If someone doesn’t, who knows what could happen.

Outside, Himiko is complaining about having to go to the gym so early in the morning. Shuichi is apprehensive about all this, and Himiko mentions a student council meeting. What? Oh. Oh boy. Angie wants to throw a party…Atua decreed it would be a pool party?

Monokuma shows up. Looking awful still, huh? Is he gonna tempt us to peek on the girls’ pool party? Is this the scene that the Man’s Desire Gun or whatever unlocks?

Monokuma just stares at us until we randomly have a fantasy come up in our mind. A Man’s Fantasy, to be specific. Oh boy. Shuichi finds himself unable to resist it. Swimsuits…a zany-yet-romantic scene…yet, on the other hand, if anyone saw him, Tenko would beat him half to death twice…oh well, if such is the price we must pay…

Inside the Academy now…Keebo’s also worried about the sudden summons. Another motive, most likely. Keebo is determined to stop anyone from killing, no matter what!

In the gym, which again, has been cleaned up post-trial, we find everyone else. Miu talks about the computer on the 4th floor…the specs are insane…

Keebo is jealous of the computer. Godammit, I know Miu was being super suggestive at you, but…come on. You’re basically a computer yourself, anyways.

Kokichi is unnerved by Maki’s presence, and immediately begins trying to ruin the fragile atmosphere. Then Gonta shows up. He’s about to tell us something serious about the courtyard, possibly something that will help us make sense of “horse a”? Then the Monokubs show up before he can finish his sentence.

Monodam has a motive, all right. A motive to get along?

Tsumigi and Keebo…I’m getting the feeling Angie brainwashed them into her Atua cult too…Himiko was already in, but, um…

The motive will inspire fear like never before…forcing the Ultimates to unite to fight against it. Monotaro and Monophanie prepare to present, on Monodam’s behalf, the motive! It’s…a transfer student. What?

Resurrect one of the four people who’ve died so far…? How? Using the computer? Are we gonna resurrect Kaede? Or perhaps Kirumi, since she’s important to the world? Rantaro, so we might learn his talent? Ryoma…probably wouldn’t care to be resurrected. Anyways, what the fuck, and also, that’s the meaning behind the chapter title.

The Necronomicon? We’ve got a copy of that?

Once resurrected, we can welcome the student back, or, if we want to, kill them off again immediately. They’ll be part of the game again, in other words. Thanks for telling us that, Monotaro.

Monodam has no such thanks. Monotaro blames his exposition of killing on old habits.

Monodam instructs Monophanie to punish Monotaro…this is a complete reversal, the students are being spared and it’s Monotaro and Monophanie who are in deep shit. Monotaro doesn’t want to be punished by Monophanie, since he mocks for dumb shit all the time. Monophanie, remembering those times, decides sure, she’ll do it. Then the Kubs leave.

How can anyone believe that the dead can be resurrected? Well, Kiyo thinks that not believing it to because it’s scientifically impossible is folly in and of itself.

Funeral ceremonies…like the one we saw of ourselves…

Sending the dead to the next world. HMMM.

Kiyo believes souls are real…but they can’t be reached once the person is dead. Resurrecting the dead is impossible.

Angie believes it isn’t so strange, though. It’s not so much bringing the dead back to life as returning the dead to us…the difference is, the crime scenes were cleaned up perfectly. Perhaps the dead…had their deaths faked by Monokuma or themselves? In which case, they’re alive? Could the bodies have been fakes? If Monokuma and the Exisals can exist, is it possible for realistic corpses to?

Shuichi wants all this to be true, but he can’t believe it really is. To do so would be to turn away from the truth.

Gonta brings up that if the students were alive, they’d have to be here somewhere. Maybe one of them wrote “horse a” in the courtyard. He was gonna tell us something about the courtyard. Was it that the message is now longer?

“Twnm I”?

I see. The horse message wasn’t meant to be read  from top to bottom. It was meant to be read from left to right. TH, WOR, SE, N, I, MA…?

And the Monokubs left the Necronomicon here for us. It’s definitely a motive…but what kind? Maybe it’s a motive like this: we ignore it and the four people who are still alive somehow die for real? Angie is very appreciative of Gonta’s story…she goes over and hugs him…is she…she’s trying to get him to believe in Atua. Soon she’ll have brainwashed like half the survivors.

A gentle grandma? Isn’t Atua a handsome man? Himiko says Atua’s appearance depends on who’s looking. Kokichi thinks that sure is suspiciously convenient. Angie invites Gonta to the student council that Himiko mentioned. Apparently it’s part of Angie’s plan to stop the killing game. Keebo, Himiko, Tenko, Tsumugi, and Angie all met up and agreed to make the Ultimate Academy Student Council. Angie came up with the idea, and is Student Council President. Which means Atua is the one really in charge. Of course. Kokichi declares them brainwashed…Kiyo agrees. The Ultimate Academy, under the conditions of the killing game, is the perfect breeding grounds for a cult. And this has all the markings of a cult. Keebo, Tenko, and Tsumugi, and now Gonta, have been taken in by this nonsense…Tenko even put aside her love for Himiko to give her love to Atua instead.

Maki points out how clear of a trap the resurrection ritual is…but it’s to no avail. The Student Council members are beyond the reach of logic or reason. Meanwhile, Kaito’s been really quiet this whole time, and I’m somewhat worried about him.

But there’s no time to be worried…we need to head to the pool and spy on the girls, pronto!

Two girls wearing only bikini bottoms. One girl wearing pantaloons. And Tenko, fully in the nude. Enjoy the view, Shuichi, I guess? (Or, you could just ask Miu to flash you? Where is she anyways? Was she not invited? Guess not, student council girls only)

Himiko would rather conserve her MP than use them to grow her boobs as big as Tenko’s. She’s awfully jealous. Tenko reassures her that Himiko’s boobs may be small, but they’re nicely shaped. Angie, meanwhile, is trying to grope Tsumugi’s boobs. Shuichi witness it all and immediately remembers that this is morally wrong and stupid. Too late, dude. Too late.

Afterwards we return to our room. Time to go hang out with people! Not sure who, though…Himiko, maybe. Next time!

[chippokenabokura]

World Trigger Volume 18 Extras Part 2

Second part of the volume 18 extras and this should be everything. I know I haven’t been around the last couple of months (Touken Ranbu ate my life...I don’t even understand myself why I’m spending so much time on a sword collecting game...but they’re all so cute...) but I’ll try to use this chance to post more, like some of the asks in my inbox that I can actually answer (so ones that aren’t just gonna be me going ‘I don’t know’).

First the Mini-profiles:

Some notes: Naniwa is the old name for Osaka, hence why Ashihara pointed it out; the phrase ‘____ of Naniwa’ itself is a bit of a meme. Here’s a link to Wikipedia’s article of beta-carotene because it’s all science to me. And a link to rakugo. I don’t understand anything from Oki’s profile either. Kai’s Kewpie is a joke based on his Ouji Squad icon (and his hairstyle) just like Mizukami. And finally, both Tokyo University and Kyoto University are really good schools.

Next, I’ve already posted the results of the popularity poll, but the volume version has useful notes on whether a character has gone down or up, and the titles are funny too (though I can’t promise I can translate them well...)

1st Place - Mikumo Osamu: The immovable Four-eyes

2nd Place - Konami Kirie: Complains quite a lot but is no.2

3rd Place - Jin Yuuichi: Loves the rooftops

4th Place - Kuga Yuuma: Haven’t used his Black Trigger recently

5th Place - Izumi Kouhei: Nom nom munch munch

6th Place - Kazama Souya: Understated performance

7th Place - Miwa Shuuji: Loves BBQ

8th Place - Arafune Tetsuji: Guarding his butt from dogs

9th Place - Azuma Haruaki: The BBQ evangelist

10th Place - Hus: Wants to go home

11th Place - Amatori Chika: Makes things heavy machine

12th Place - Tachikawa Kei: Chopping machine

13th Place - Katori Youko: Complaining machine

14th Place - Satori Ken: Sparkling machine

15th Place - Nasu Rei: Riddling things full of holes machine 15th Place - Ninomiya Masataka: Snowmanchine

Everyone below this doesn’t get a title so I’m not going to post the rest, but I did translate Ashihara’s commentary:

Thank you to everyone who participated in the popularity poll.

How did you find the results of this Second Popularity Poll now that the number of characters has almost doubled?

The popularity poll last time used the system of ‘voting for 3 people on one postcard’, but the same kind of popularity poll was being carried out in other serialising works at the time and the person counting the votes had a nervous breakdown (due to all the votes) apparently, so this time the system became ‘Application Ticket Style’ and ‘voting for 1 person on one postcard’.

Despite that, we received 14433 votes, and I am a little worried whether the person counting the votes really managed to take it easy. Also, there were multiple people who bought several copies of Shounen Jump and volume 15 to vote, so I am considerably worried about the circumstances of the fans’ wallets too.

This time, we did a ‘Single Vote Version Tally’ that removed the extreme multiple votes again, and in that version First was Osamu, Second was Yuuma, Third was Jin, Fourth was Kazama-san, Fifth was Izumi, Sixth was Konami, Seventh was Miwa, Eighth was Arafune, Ninth was Chika, and Tenth was Ninomiya…was how it went.

What catches my eye is the man who ranked in at 8th place in both the multiple votes and the single votes, Arafune Tetsuji, who isn’t all that strong a character and doesn’t have that much involvement with the protagonists either, so why is he so popular? He’s more popular than Hus and Tachikawa, you realise? That’s right, in the Valentine’s Tally he also ranked around this place…. Could there were a lot of people who found themselves drawn in by Arafune’s macho-ish scheme? Perhaps people want to support characters whose ideologies are visible, or characters who are focused on the future and doing their best in the present.

Thank you for all the votes!

Finally, the corrections from the magazine chapters. In chapter 152:

Osamu’s thoughts have been changed from ‘This landscape…’Urban Area A’…!’ to ‘Kuga and Chika are on the opposite side...!’

Since the MAP is revealed before transmission occurs (in previous matches) this change removes the contradiction with previous matches.

Chapter 158:

The Kochi Kame eyebrows have been removed (understandably), since the people who just read the manga volumes won’t know about the project.

Chapter 155:

When Mizukami said ‘Asteroid’ but was actually shooting Meteora. Yuuma’s eyes have now been fixed to show that his Side Effect did pick up on Mizukami’s lie. 

Several scenes now have Bagworms removed or on the verge of disappearing to adhere better to the two triggers at a time rule.

Ch152:

Ch155:

Ch156:

I think that’s all the major changes.

[allenmendezsr]

Competition Bbq Secrets 300 Deg Hot & Fast

New Post has been published on https://autotraffixpro.app/allenmendezsr/competition-bbq-secrets-300-deg-hot-fast/

Competition Bbq Secrets 300 Deg Hot & Fast

 Buy Now

    Now You Can Get Real Competition BBQ Secrets

We’re Declaring War on Average BBQ Everywhere!

You are just one small step away from skyrocketing your BBQ skills, saving yourself 5+ years of time, and becoming the new BBQ King in Your Neighborhood! 

BBQ Friend:

I’m Bill Anderson, head pitmaster on the Chatham Artillery BBQ Team and 8x Grand Champion. 

I’m going to help you to be a BBQ grand champion too! You see, I wasn’t always an expert BBQ pitmaster… I started out in my back yard like everybody else. I thought I was pretty good at it too – having “perfected” a few barbecue recipes that delighted my friends and family.

Then one day, I was asked to help my brother-in-law at a BBQ competition down in Douglas, GA. We took 2nd place ribs in the back yard division and we were hooked. We moved on up to the pro division and ran into some serious roadblocks. As it turned out, those guys in the pro division don’t mess around… they take their BBQ seriously!

It was clear that my back yard barbecue recipes were not going to cut it. So I practiced and practiced and practiced some more. I needed testers and people to eat all those trial runs, so my friends and family loved it! But it was costing me a small fortune.

Still, our competition scores were not up to par. 

Competition after competition we sat there and watched while the other teams “walked” to get their checks and trophies. I found out real quick that BBQ judges were a lot different than my friends and family. BBQ judges will insult your barbecue skills in a heartbeat (with bad scoring) – friends and family will always tell you your BBQ is great no matter what.

And therein lies the “big difference”…

Being a competitive person, I was determined to make the leap to competition quality BBQ recipes and not be satisfied with back yard quality anymore. After all, winning isn’t everything, it’s the ONLY thing. 

I did some judging and I took a $750 class to figure out flavor profiles and other things the judges were looking for. These things, along with my own knowledge is what allowed me to go on to win 8 contests over the next 2 years – I was winning every other contest I entered! Yiiiippppeeee! 

I had earned some serious bragging rights!

Not only was I king of my neighborhood, but I was king amongst professional barbecue teams too.

Now, I want to teach you all my secrets that cost me a small fortune to figure out!

So you can be the king (or queen) of your neighborhood too. Heck, you may even want to compete like I did. Or open a barbecue restaurant or BBQ food truck some day. With the info in Competition BBQ Secrets, you’ll blow your competition away because these competition quality BBQ recipes are even better than 99% of what most restaurants put out.

Don’t take my word for it, here’s just a small sampling of many, many satisfied students say about the BBQ Book…

I don’t know if this a real success story or not, But it is for me! I have been BBQing for over 67 years and it has changed a lot in my time. When just a short time ago I got Your book and found out that I had no more idea then a Jack Ass of what I was trying to do. I had entered in two contest preveiously and came in dead LAST! I thought You cooked your meat piled the best you had in a box and turned that in. WRONG! This past weekend I entered in Knoxville, Tn. and came in 9 th overall. With a 2nd in chicken, 14th in ribs, a 7th in brisket and 15th in pork….  Col. Dave Franks, long time US Army cook, author of Foods of the Southland, Alex Haley’s private chef, and head pitmaster for Lil’ Red Barn BarBQ Team

Hi Bill – My brisket turned out great I have been trying to smoke one for over ten years every time it would come out dry like boot leather. I learned so much from your book I’m going bear hunting in Colorado in September can’t wait to try it again for all my hunting buddys I hope you make the finals would love to try a pros BQ in AR keep me updated you have made my wife and daughter so happy that I can finally smoke a brisket!!! Tim

Bill,Wanted to let you know that your book is wonderfull , so much info. We used some of your suggestions along with our ideas and were grand champions at our 1st BBQ cookoff. Everyone should get your BBQ book–packed full of info. Tom Mashos Fossil, Oregon– Smok’n Hot BBQ Team

Well I’ll be! After three years of cook-offs, one trophy here, one trophy there. I bought your book, I read the dang thing at least five times. This past week-end, the Family Tradition cookers took reserve grand champs for the first time. IBCA cook in Willis Texas, 2nd chicken, 3rd ribs (highest ever), 9th in brisket. I look forward to your next email and any new books and recipes.Thanks a bunch. Erik

Great book. Very informative for those not only wanting to begin competing in BBQ but for the general home BBQ’r as well. – Michael M

We are Grand Champions of…

Hasan Shrine Spring Festival 2009 – Albany, GA (FBA) Some of the best teams in the Nation were there and we took 2nd in chicken, 2nd in brisket, and 1st in pork.

Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival 2009 – Tryon, NC (KCBS) There were 78 teams present at this KCBS event. We placed 1st in ribs.

(very rare back to back win!) Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival 2010 – Tryon, NC (KCBS), Back to Back wins! There were 87 teams this year. We took 2nd in chicken, 4th in ribs, 13th in pork, and 4th in brisket.

Festival of Discovery 2009 – Greenwood, SC (KCBS) There were 58 teams present at this BBQ contest and we placed 2nd in brisket.

Pigs & Peaches Festival 2009 – Kennesabbq contest grand championw, GA (KCBS). There were 43 teams present and we placed 1st in ribs, 2nd in chicken, 4th in pork, and 3rd in brisket.

Florida State BBQ Championship (KCBS) at Daytona International Speedway on July 4th weekend 2010. Some of the best teams in the Country were at this action packed event on July 4th weekend.

2010 Dillard, GA Bluegrass & Barbecue Festival with a surprise 1st place brisket and a good 6th place chicken. A good showing with 15th in ribs and 14th in pork rounded out the grand.

2010 “The Real Squeal” Lyons BBQ & Bluegrass Festival in Lyons, GA. We were 4th in chicken, 3rd in ribs, 3rd in pork, and 2nd in brisket.

2013 Sam’s Club Tour Finals in Bentonville, AR. 1st place brisket! We can legitimately claim to be the best brisket cooks in the Country after winning brisket in this playoff style series and also 3 other 1st places and a 2nd in brisket this year.

Here’s just a short list of everything you get in Competition BBQ Secrets…

This is NOT a cookbook! This BBQ book is more of an instruction manual. Don’t get me wrong, there are a good bit of recipes, but we don’t stop there… we go on to explain in fine detail how to smoke championship barbecue ribs, butts, chicken and brisket. There’s a separate chapter for each!

Best Brisket in the World – I’m not bragging here. In 2013, I was the best brisket cook in the world. Having won many first place briskets and going on to win first place brisket at the KCBS Sam’s Club Finals in Bentonville, AR against the best teams in the world. The complete and exact details on how to cook the best brisket in the world are in this book. No details are left out. Your mind is not even capable of understanding how good it is. You must experience it to believe it!

My competition sauce recipe – included at no extra charge. Most teams keep this info top secret – even if they are teaching a live class.

I’m your barbecue coach! Just email me anytime if you have a problem.

Cookers – the different types and how you can slow smoke on anything from a professional offset smoker to your old trusty Weber kettle grill and everything in between.

How to smoke a turkey, reverse sear a steak, jellyroll cut pork loin or beef tenderloin, and much more!

How your wood choice will impart that sought after smoke flavor and smoke ring.

How marinades, brines, and injections will improve the quality of your barbecue recipes.

You have to use rubs… your meats will be bland without them. We tell you all about them and even include some great recipes if you want to mix your own.

Your new book will also tell you how to properly use finishing sauces and glazes on your barbecue recipes.

We also give you some great information on competitions, how to prepare for competitions, and even a checklist of what to bring to a competition. Exact competition schedule is included too!

A complete list of all the BBQ Associations known to exist with the web address for each. Each BBQ Association has it’s own contests and you can find their schedules easily with the information in your new book.

How to trim spareribs St Louis Style and how to trim a brisket.

A whole chapter on barbecue science – smoke rings and maillard reactions.

A complete list of resources for smokers, rubs, sauces, and forums.

and much more!

Benefits of an eBook….

eBooks are in Adobe Acrobat .pdf format and you will be directed to the download page immediately after payment.

Speed – you will receive it immediately and shipping is FREE.

Save a Tree – Do you know how much resources are used to print a paper book?

Live links – throughout the book, there are many, many references to external web pages that contain a wealth of information that you need to read. With the eBook, just click on the blue “hyperlink” and you will instantly go to that web page.

Bookmarks – The entire table of contents is “bookmarked” for your convenience. Just click on a chapter title and you immediately jump to that chapter. At the end of the chapter, you can jump back to the table of contents.

Color Pictures – There are many pictures in the eBook that are color. A paper book with color pictures on every page would be very expensive.

Printable – The book is only 87 pages, so it’s easily printable after downloading.

Full 60 Day 100% Satisfaction or Your Money Back…

If, for any reason, you are not satisfied with your barbecue recipes, just send the processor (Clickbank) an email and they will immediately refund your money. There is a link to do this at the bottom of your email receipt. It’s simple, easy, and fast.

How much is this gonna cost me, Bill?

It’s not gonna cost you $750 for a live class like I paid. There are no travel expenses. It’s not gonna cost you 5+ years going to the school of hard knocks either. It’s not gonna cost you $1000’s in practice meat and fuel costs. I could easily charge you over $500 for this valuable information, but if you act now, you can get it all for the low price of $29.95.

And if you order now, before the timer expires, we’ll throw in the original Competition BBQ Secrets at no extra cost to you. The original is more of a low & slow version and the new one is hot & fast or what the competitors call power cooking. Why cook a brisket for 20 hours when you can cook it for 5 with better results? Remember, I won best brisket in the world cooking hot & fast.

Get Yours Now….

[allenmendezsr]

Competition Bbq Secrets 300 Deg Hot & Fast

New Post has been published on https://autotraffixpro.app/allenmendezsr/competition-bbq-secrets-300-deg-hot-fast/

Competition Bbq Secrets 300 Deg Hot & Fast

 Buy Now

    Now You Can Get Real Competition BBQ Secrets

We’re Declaring War on Average BBQ Everywhere!

You are just one small step away from skyrocketing your BBQ skills, saving yourself 5+ years of time, and becoming the new BBQ King in Your Neighborhood! 

BBQ Friend:

I’m Bill Anderson, head pitmaster on the Chatham Artillery BBQ Team and 8x Grand Champion. 

I’m going to help you to be a BBQ grand champion too! You see, I wasn’t always an expert BBQ pitmaster… I started out in my back yard like everybody else. I thought I was pretty good at it too – having “perfected” a few barbecue recipes that delighted my friends and family.

Then one day, I was asked to help my brother-in-law at a BBQ competition down in Douglas, GA. We took 2nd place ribs in the back yard division and we were hooked. We moved on up to the pro division and ran into some serious roadblocks. As it turned out, those guys in the pro division don’t mess around… they take their BBQ seriously!

It was clear that my back yard barbecue recipes were not going to cut it. So I practiced and practiced and practiced some more. I needed testers and people to eat all those trial runs, so my friends and family loved it! But it was costing me a small fortune.

Still, our competition scores were not up to par. 

Competition after competition we sat there and watched while the other teams “walked” to get their checks and trophies. I found out real quick that BBQ judges were a lot different than my friends and family. BBQ judges will insult your barbecue skills in a heartbeat (with bad scoring) – friends and family will always tell you your BBQ is great no matter what.

And therein lies the “big difference”…

Being a competitive person, I was determined to make the leap to competition quality BBQ recipes and not be satisfied with back yard quality anymore. After all, winning isn’t everything, it’s the ONLY thing. 

I did some judging and I took a $750 class to figure out flavor profiles and other things the judges were looking for. These things, along with my own knowledge is what allowed me to go on to win 8 contests over the next 2 years – I was winning every other contest I entered! Yiiiippppeeee! 

I had earned some serious bragging rights!

Not only was I king of my neighborhood, but I was king amongst professional barbecue teams too.

Now, I want to teach you all my secrets that cost me a small fortune to figure out!

So you can be the king (or queen) of your neighborhood too. Heck, you may even want to compete like I did. Or open a barbecue restaurant or BBQ food truck some day. With the info in Competition BBQ Secrets, you’ll blow your competition away because these competition quality BBQ recipes are even better than 99% of what most restaurants put out.

Don’t take my word for it, here’s just a small sampling of many, many satisfied students say about the BBQ Book…

I don’t know if this a real success story or not, But it is for me! I have been BBQing for over 67 years and it has changed a lot in my time. When just a short time ago I got Your book and found out that I had no more idea then a Jack Ass of what I was trying to do. I had entered in two contest preveiously and came in dead LAST! I thought You cooked your meat piled the best you had in a box and turned that in. WRONG! This past weekend I entered in Knoxville, Tn. and came in 9 th overall. With a 2nd in chicken, 14th in ribs, a 7th in brisket and 15th in pork….  Col. Dave Franks, long time US Army cook, author of Foods of the Southland, Alex Haley’s private chef, and head pitmaster for Lil’ Red Barn BarBQ Team

Hi Bill – My brisket turned out great I have been trying to smoke one for over ten years every time it would come out dry like boot leather. I learned so much from your book I’m going bear hunting in Colorado in September can’t wait to try it again for all my hunting buddys I hope you make the finals would love to try a pros BQ in AR keep me updated you have made my wife and daughter so happy that I can finally smoke a brisket!!! Tim

Bill,Wanted to let you know that your book is wonderfull , so much info. We used some of your suggestions along with our ideas and were grand champions at our 1st BBQ cookoff. Everyone should get your BBQ book–packed full of info. Tom Mashos Fossil, Oregon– Smok’n Hot BBQ Team

Well I’ll be! After three years of cook-offs, one trophy here, one trophy there. I bought your book, I read the dang thing at least five times. This past week-end, the Family Tradition cookers took reserve grand champs for the first time. IBCA cook in Willis Texas, 2nd chicken, 3rd ribs (highest ever), 9th in brisket. I look forward to your next email and any new books and recipes.Thanks a bunch. Erik

Great book. Very informative for those not only wanting to begin competing in BBQ but for the general home BBQ’r as well. – Michael M

We are Grand Champions of…

Hasan Shrine Spring Festival 2009 – Albany, GA (FBA) Some of the best teams in the Nation were there and we took 2nd in chicken, 2nd in brisket, and 1st in pork.

Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival 2009 – Tryon, NC (KCBS) There were 78 teams present at this KCBS event. We placed 1st in ribs.

(very rare back to back win!) Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival 2010 – Tryon, NC (KCBS), Back to Back wins! There were 87 teams this year. We took 2nd in chicken, 4th in ribs, 13th in pork, and 4th in brisket.

Festival of Discovery 2009 – Greenwood, SC (KCBS) There were 58 teams present at this BBQ contest and we placed 2nd in brisket.

Pigs & Peaches Festival 2009 – Kennesabbq contest grand championw, GA (KCBS). There were 43 teams present and we placed 1st in ribs, 2nd in chicken, 4th in pork, and 3rd in brisket.

Florida State BBQ Championship (KCBS) at Daytona International Speedway on July 4th weekend 2010. Some of the best teams in the Country were at this action packed event on July 4th weekend.

2010 Dillard, GA Bluegrass & Barbecue Festival with a surprise 1st place brisket and a good 6th place chicken. A good showing with 15th in ribs and 14th in pork rounded out the grand.

2010 “The Real Squeal” Lyons BBQ & Bluegrass Festival in Lyons, GA. We were 4th in chicken, 3rd in ribs, 3rd in pork, and 2nd in brisket.

2013 Sam’s Club Tour Finals in Bentonville, AR. 1st place brisket! We can legitimately claim to be the best brisket cooks in the Country after winning brisket in this playoff style series and also 3 other 1st places and a 2nd in brisket this year.

Here’s just a short list of everything you get in Competition BBQ Secrets…

This is NOT a cookbook! This BBQ book is more of an instruction manual. Don’t get me wrong, there are a good bit of recipes, but we don’t stop there… we go on to explain in fine detail how to smoke championship barbecue ribs, butts, chicken and brisket. There’s a separate chapter for each!

Best Brisket in the World – I’m not bragging here. In 2013, I was the best brisket cook in the world. Having won many first place briskets and going on to win first place brisket at the KCBS Sam’s Club Finals in Bentonville, AR against the best teams in the world. The complete and exact details on how to cook the best brisket in the world are in this book. No details are left out. Your mind is not even capable of understanding how good it is. You must experience it to believe it!

My competition sauce recipe – included at no extra charge. Most teams keep this info top secret – even if they are teaching a live class.

I’m your barbecue coach! Just email me anytime if you have a problem.

Cookers – the different types and how you can slow smoke on anything from a professional offset smoker to your old trusty Weber kettle grill and everything in between.

How to smoke a turkey, reverse sear a steak, jellyroll cut pork loin or beef tenderloin, and much more!

How your wood choice will impart that sought after smoke flavor and smoke ring.

How marinades, brines, and injections will improve the quality of your barbecue recipes.

You have to use rubs… your meats will be bland without them. We tell you all about them and even include some great recipes if you want to mix your own.

Your new book will also tell you how to properly use finishing sauces and glazes on your barbecue recipes.

We also give you some great information on competitions, how to prepare for competitions, and even a checklist of what to bring to a competition. Exact competition schedule is included too!

A complete list of all the BBQ Associations known to exist with the web address for each. Each BBQ Association has it’s own contests and you can find their schedules easily with the information in your new book.

How to trim spareribs St Louis Style and how to trim a brisket.

A whole chapter on barbecue science – smoke rings and maillard reactions.

A complete list of resources for smokers, rubs, sauces, and forums.

and much more!

Benefits of an eBook….

eBooks are in Adobe Acrobat .pdf format and you will be directed to the download page immediately after payment.

Speed – you will receive it immediately and shipping is FREE.

Save a Tree – Do you know how much resources are used to print a paper book?

Live links – throughout the book, there are many, many references to external web pages that contain a wealth of information that you need to read. With the eBook, just click on the blue “hyperlink” and you will instantly go to that web page.

Bookmarks – The entire table of contents is “bookmarked” for your convenience. Just click on a chapter title and you immediately jump to that chapter. At the end of the chapter, you can jump back to the table of contents.

Color Pictures – There are many pictures in the eBook that are color. A paper book with color pictures on every page would be very expensive.

Printable – The book is only 87 pages, so it’s easily printable after downloading.

Full 60 Day 100% Satisfaction or Your Money Back…

If, for any reason, you are not satisfied with your barbecue recipes, just send the processor (Clickbank) an email and they will immediately refund your money. There is a link to do this at the bottom of your email receipt. It’s simple, easy, and fast.

How much is this gonna cost me, Bill?

It’s not gonna cost you $750 for a live class like I paid. There are no travel expenses. It’s not gonna cost you 5+ years going to the school of hard knocks either. It’s not gonna cost you $1000’s in practice meat and fuel costs. I could easily charge you over $500 for this valuable information, but if you act now, you can get it all for the low price of $29.95.

And if you order now, before the timer expires, we’ll throw in the original Competition BBQ Secrets at no extra cost to you. The original is more of a low & slow version and the new one is hot & fast or what the competitors call power cooking. Why cook a brisket for 20 hours when you can cook it for 5 with better results? Remember, I won best brisket in the world cooking hot & fast.

Get Yours Now….

[allenmendezsr]

Competition Bbq Secrets 300 Deg Hot & Fast

New Post has been published on https://autotraffixpro.app/allenmendezsr/competition-bbq-secrets-300-deg-hot-fast/

Competition Bbq Secrets 300 Deg Hot & Fast

 Buy Now

    Now You Can Get Real Competition BBQ Secrets

We’re Declaring War on Average BBQ Everywhere!

You are just one small step away from skyrocketing your BBQ skills, saving yourself 5+ years of time, and becoming the new BBQ King in Your Neighborhood! 

BBQ Friend:

I’m Bill Anderson, head pitmaster on the Chatham Artillery BBQ Team and 8x Grand Champion. 

I’m going to help you to be a BBQ grand champion too! You see, I wasn’t always an expert BBQ pitmaster… I started out in my back yard like everybody else. I thought I was pretty good at it too – having “perfected” a few barbecue recipes that delighted my friends and family.

Then one day, I was asked to help my brother-in-law at a BBQ competition down in Douglas, GA. We took 2nd place ribs in the back yard division and we were hooked. We moved on up to the pro division and ran into some serious roadblocks. As it turned out, those guys in the pro division don’t mess around… they take their BBQ seriously!

It was clear that my back yard barbecue recipes were not going to cut it. So I practiced and practiced and practiced some more. I needed testers and people to eat all those trial runs, so my friends and family loved it! But it was costing me a small fortune.

Still, our competition scores were not up to par. 

Competition after competition we sat there and watched while the other teams “walked” to get their checks and trophies. I found out real quick that BBQ judges were a lot different than my friends and family. BBQ judges will insult your barbecue skills in a heartbeat (with bad scoring) – friends and family will always tell you your BBQ is great no matter what.

And therein lies the “big difference”…

Being a competitive person, I was determined to make the leap to competition quality BBQ recipes and not be satisfied with back yard quality anymore. After all, winning isn’t everything, it’s the ONLY thing. 

I did some judging and I took a $750 class to figure out flavor profiles and other things the judges were looking for. These things, along with my own knowledge is what allowed me to go on to win 8 contests over the next 2 years – I was winning every other contest I entered! Yiiiippppeeee! 

I had earned some serious bragging rights!

Not only was I king of my neighborhood, but I was king amongst professional barbecue teams too.

Now, I want to teach you all my secrets that cost me a small fortune to figure out!

So you can be the king (or queen) of your neighborhood too. Heck, you may even want to compete like I did. Or open a barbecue restaurant or BBQ food truck some day. With the info in Competition BBQ Secrets, you’ll blow your competition away because these competition quality BBQ recipes are even better than 99% of what most restaurants put out.

Don’t take my word for it, here’s just a small sampling of many, many satisfied students say about the BBQ Book…

I don’t know if this a real success story or not, But it is for me! I have been BBQing for over 67 years and it has changed a lot in my time. When just a short time ago I got Your book and found out that I had no more idea then a Jack Ass of what I was trying to do. I had entered in two contest preveiously and came in dead LAST! I thought You cooked your meat piled the best you had in a box and turned that in. WRONG! This past weekend I entered in Knoxville, Tn. and came in 9 th overall. With a 2nd in chicken, 14th in ribs, a 7th in brisket and 15th in pork….  Col. Dave Franks, long time US Army cook, author of Foods of the Southland, Alex Haley’s private chef, and head pitmaster for Lil’ Red Barn BarBQ Team

Hi Bill – My brisket turned out great I have been trying to smoke one for over ten years every time it would come out dry like boot leather. I learned so much from your book I’m going bear hunting in Colorado in September can’t wait to try it again for all my hunting buddys I hope you make the finals would love to try a pros BQ in AR keep me updated you have made my wife and daughter so happy that I can finally smoke a brisket!!! Tim

Bill,Wanted to let you know that your book is wonderfull , so much info. We used some of your suggestions along with our ideas and were grand champions at our 1st BBQ cookoff. Everyone should get your BBQ book–packed full of info. Tom Mashos Fossil, Oregon– Smok’n Hot BBQ Team

Well I’ll be! After three years of cook-offs, one trophy here, one trophy there. I bought your book, I read the dang thing at least five times. This past week-end, the Family Tradition cookers took reserve grand champs for the first time. IBCA cook in Willis Texas, 2nd chicken, 3rd ribs (highest ever), 9th in brisket. I look forward to your next email and any new books and recipes.Thanks a bunch. Erik

Great book. Very informative for those not only wanting to begin competing in BBQ but for the general home BBQ’r as well. – Michael M

We are Grand Champions of…

Hasan Shrine Spring Festival 2009 – Albany, GA (FBA) Some of the best teams in the Nation were there and we took 2nd in chicken, 2nd in brisket, and 1st in pork.

Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival 2009 – Tryon, NC (KCBS) There were 78 teams present at this KCBS event. We placed 1st in ribs.

(very rare back to back win!) Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival 2010 – Tryon, NC (KCBS), Back to Back wins! There were 87 teams this year. We took 2nd in chicken, 4th in ribs, 13th in pork, and 4th in brisket.

Festival of Discovery 2009 – Greenwood, SC (KCBS) There were 58 teams present at this BBQ contest and we placed 2nd in brisket.

Pigs & Peaches Festival 2009 – Kennesabbq contest grand championw, GA (KCBS). There were 43 teams present and we placed 1st in ribs, 2nd in chicken, 4th in pork, and 3rd in brisket.

Florida State BBQ Championship (KCBS) at Daytona International Speedway on July 4th weekend 2010. Some of the best teams in the Country were at this action packed event on July 4th weekend.

2010 Dillard, GA Bluegrass & Barbecue Festival with a surprise 1st place brisket and a good 6th place chicken. A good showing with 15th in ribs and 14th in pork rounded out the grand.

2010 “The Real Squeal” Lyons BBQ & Bluegrass Festival in Lyons, GA. We were 4th in chicken, 3rd in ribs, 3rd in pork, and 2nd in brisket.

2013 Sam’s Club Tour Finals in Bentonville, AR. 1st place brisket! We can legitimately claim to be the best brisket cooks in the Country after winning brisket in this playoff style series and also 3 other 1st places and a 2nd in brisket this year.

Here’s just a short list of everything you get in Competition BBQ Secrets…

This is NOT a cookbook! This BBQ book is more of an instruction manual. Don’t get me wrong, there are a good bit of recipes, but we don’t stop there… we go on to explain in fine detail how to smoke championship barbecue ribs, butts, chicken and brisket. There’s a separate chapter for each!

Best Brisket in the World – I’m not bragging here. In 2013, I was the best brisket cook in the world. Having won many first place briskets and going on to win first place brisket at the KCBS Sam’s Club Finals in Bentonville, AR against the best teams in the world. The complete and exact details on how to cook the best brisket in the world are in this book. No details are left out. Your mind is not even capable of understanding how good it is. You must experience it to believe it!

My competition sauce recipe – included at no extra charge. Most teams keep this info top secret – even if they are teaching a live class.

I’m your barbecue coach! Just email me anytime if you have a problem.

Cookers – the different types and how you can slow smoke on anything from a professional offset smoker to your old trusty Weber kettle grill and everything in between.

How to smoke a turkey, reverse sear a steak, jellyroll cut pork loin or beef tenderloin, and much more!

How your wood choice will impart that sought after smoke flavor and smoke ring.

How marinades, brines, and injections will improve the quality of your barbecue recipes.

You have to use rubs… your meats will be bland without them. We tell you all about them and even include some great recipes if you want to mix your own.

Your new book will also tell you how to properly use finishing sauces and glazes on your barbecue recipes.

We also give you some great information on competitions, how to prepare for competitions, and even a checklist of what to bring to a competition. Exact competition schedule is included too!

A complete list of all the BBQ Associations known to exist with the web address for each. Each BBQ Association has it’s own contests and you can find their schedules easily with the information in your new book.

How to trim spareribs St Louis Style and how to trim a brisket.

A whole chapter on barbecue science – smoke rings and maillard reactions.

A complete list of resources for smokers, rubs, sauces, and forums.

and much more!

Benefits of an eBook….

eBooks are in Adobe Acrobat .pdf format and you will be directed to the download page immediately after payment.

Speed – you will receive it immediately and shipping is FREE.

Save a Tree – Do you know how much resources are used to print a paper book?

Live links – throughout the book, there are many, many references to external web pages that contain a wealth of information that you need to read. With the eBook, just click on the blue “hyperlink” and you will instantly go to that web page.

Bookmarks – The entire table of contents is “bookmarked” for your convenience. Just click on a chapter title and you immediately jump to that chapter. At the end of the chapter, you can jump back to the table of contents.

Color Pictures – There are many pictures in the eBook that are color. A paper book with color pictures on every page would be very expensive.

Printable – The book is only 87 pages, so it’s easily printable after downloading.

Full 60 Day 100% Satisfaction or Your Money Back…

If, for any reason, you are not satisfied with your barbecue recipes, just send the processor (Clickbank) an email and they will immediately refund your money. There is a link to do this at the bottom of your email receipt. It’s simple, easy, and fast.

How much is this gonna cost me, Bill?

It’s not gonna cost you $750 for a live class like I paid. There are no travel expenses. It’s not gonna cost you 5+ years going to the school of hard knocks either. It’s not gonna cost you $1000’s in practice meat and fuel costs. I could easily charge you over $500 for this valuable information, but if you act now, you can get it all for the low price of $29.95.

And if you order now, before the timer expires, we’ll throw in the original Competition BBQ Secrets at no extra cost to you. The original is more of a low & slow version and the new one is hot & fast or what the competitors call power cooking. Why cook a brisket for 20 hours when you can cook it for 5 with better results? Remember, I won best brisket in the world cooking hot & fast.

Get Yours Now….

[allenmendezsr]

Competition Bbq Secrets 300 Deg Hot & Fast

New Post has been published on https://autotraffixpro.app/allenmendezsr/competition-bbq-secrets-300-deg-hot-fast/

Competition Bbq Secrets 300 Deg Hot & Fast

 Buy Now

    Now You Can Get Real Competition BBQ Secrets

We’re Declaring War on Average BBQ Everywhere!

You are just one small step away from skyrocketing your BBQ skills, saving yourself 5+ years of time, and becoming the new BBQ King in Your Neighborhood! 

BBQ Friend:

I’m Bill Anderson, head pitmaster on the Chatham Artillery BBQ Team and 8x Grand Champion. 

I’m going to help you to be a BBQ grand champion too! You see, I wasn’t always an expert BBQ pitmaster… I started out in my back yard like everybody else. I thought I was pretty good at it too – having “perfected” a few barbecue recipes that delighted my friends and family.

Then one day, I was asked to help my brother-in-law at a BBQ competition down in Douglas, GA. We took 2nd place ribs in the back yard division and we were hooked. We moved on up to the pro division and ran into some serious roadblocks. As it turned out, those guys in the pro division don’t mess around… they take their BBQ seriously!

It was clear that my back yard barbecue recipes were not going to cut it. So I practiced and practiced and practiced some more. I needed testers and people to eat all those trial runs, so my friends and family loved it! But it was costing me a small fortune.

Still, our competition scores were not up to par. 

Competition after competition we sat there and watched while the other teams “walked” to get their checks and trophies. I found out real quick that BBQ judges were a lot different than my friends and family. BBQ judges will insult your barbecue skills in a heartbeat (with bad scoring) – friends and family will always tell you your BBQ is great no matter what.

And therein lies the “big difference”…

Being a competitive person, I was determined to make the leap to competition quality BBQ recipes and not be satisfied with back yard quality anymore. After all, winning isn’t everything, it’s the ONLY thing. 

I did some judging and I took a $750 class to figure out flavor profiles and other things the judges were looking for. These things, along with my own knowledge is what allowed me to go on to win 8 contests over the next 2 years – I was winning every other contest I entered! Yiiiippppeeee! 

I had earned some serious bragging rights!

Not only was I king of my neighborhood, but I was king amongst professional barbecue teams too.

Now, I want to teach you all my secrets that cost me a small fortune to figure out!

So you can be the king (or queen) of your neighborhood too. Heck, you may even want to compete like I did. Or open a barbecue restaurant or BBQ food truck some day. With the info in Competition BBQ Secrets, you’ll blow your competition away because these competition quality BBQ recipes are even better than 99% of what most restaurants put out.

Don’t take my word for it, here’s just a small sampling of many, many satisfied students say about the BBQ Book…

I don’t know if this a real success story or not, But it is for me! I have been BBQing for over 67 years and it has changed a lot in my time. When just a short time ago I got Your book and found out that I had no more idea then a Jack Ass of what I was trying to do. I had entered in two contest preveiously and came in dead LAST! I thought You cooked your meat piled the best you had in a box and turned that in. WRONG! This past weekend I entered in Knoxville, Tn. and came in 9 th overall. With a 2nd in chicken, 14th in ribs, a 7th in brisket and 15th in pork….  Col. Dave Franks, long time US Army cook, author of Foods of the Southland, Alex Haley’s private chef, and head pitmaster for Lil’ Red Barn BarBQ Team

Hi Bill – My brisket turned out great I have been trying to smoke one for over ten years every time it would come out dry like boot leather. I learned so much from your book I’m going bear hunting in Colorado in September can’t wait to try it again for all my hunting buddys I hope you make the finals would love to try a pros BQ in AR keep me updated you have made my wife and daughter so happy that I can finally smoke a brisket!!! Tim

Bill,Wanted to let you know that your book is wonderfull , so much info. We used some of your suggestions along with our ideas and were grand champions at our 1st BBQ cookoff. Everyone should get your BBQ book–packed full of info. Tom Mashos Fossil, Oregon– Smok’n Hot BBQ Team

Well I’ll be! After three years of cook-offs, one trophy here, one trophy there. I bought your book, I read the dang thing at least five times. This past week-end, the Family Tradition cookers took reserve grand champs for the first time. IBCA cook in Willis Texas, 2nd chicken, 3rd ribs (highest ever), 9th in brisket. I look forward to your next email and any new books and recipes.Thanks a bunch. Erik

Great book. Very informative for those not only wanting to begin competing in BBQ but for the general home BBQ’r as well. – Michael M

We are Grand Champions of…

Hasan Shrine Spring Festival 2009 – Albany, GA (FBA) Some of the best teams in the Nation were there and we took 2nd in chicken, 2nd in brisket, and 1st in pork.

Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival 2009 – Tryon, NC (KCBS) There were 78 teams present at this KCBS event. We placed 1st in ribs.

(very rare back to back win!) Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival 2010 – Tryon, NC (KCBS), Back to Back wins! There were 87 teams this year. We took 2nd in chicken, 4th in ribs, 13th in pork, and 4th in brisket.

Festival of Discovery 2009 – Greenwood, SC (KCBS) There were 58 teams present at this BBQ contest and we placed 2nd in brisket.

Pigs & Peaches Festival 2009 – Kennesabbq contest grand championw, GA (KCBS). There were 43 teams present and we placed 1st in ribs, 2nd in chicken, 4th in pork, and 3rd in brisket.

Florida State BBQ Championship (KCBS) at Daytona International Speedway on July 4th weekend 2010. Some of the best teams in the Country were at this action packed event on July 4th weekend.

2010 Dillard, GA Bluegrass & Barbecue Festival with a surprise 1st place brisket and a good 6th place chicken. A good showing with 15th in ribs and 14th in pork rounded out the grand.

2010 “The Real Squeal” Lyons BBQ & Bluegrass Festival in Lyons, GA. We were 4th in chicken, 3rd in ribs, 3rd in pork, and 2nd in brisket.

2013 Sam’s Club Tour Finals in Bentonville, AR. 1st place brisket! We can legitimately claim to be the best brisket cooks in the Country after winning brisket in this playoff style series and also 3 other 1st places and a 2nd in brisket this year.

Here’s just a short list of everything you get in Competition BBQ Secrets…

This is NOT a cookbook! This BBQ book is more of an instruction manual. Don’t get me wrong, there are a good bit of recipes, but we don’t stop there… we go on to explain in fine detail how to smoke championship barbecue ribs, butts, chicken and brisket. There’s a separate chapter for each!

Best Brisket in the World – I’m not bragging here. In 2013, I was the best brisket cook in the world. Having won many first place briskets and going on to win first place brisket at the KCBS Sam’s Club Finals in Bentonville, AR against the best teams in the world. The complete and exact details on how to cook the best brisket in the world are in this book. No details are left out. Your mind is not even capable of understanding how good it is. You must experience it to believe it!

My competition sauce recipe – included at no extra charge. Most teams keep this info top secret – even if they are teaching a live class.

I’m your barbecue coach! Just email me anytime if you have a problem.

Cookers – the different types and how you can slow smoke on anything from a professional offset smoker to your old trusty Weber kettle grill and everything in between.

How to smoke a turkey, reverse sear a steak, jellyroll cut pork loin or beef tenderloin, and much more!

How your wood choice will impart that sought after smoke flavor and smoke ring.

How marinades, brines, and injections will improve the quality of your barbecue recipes.

You have to use rubs… your meats will be bland without them. We tell you all about them and even include some great recipes if you want to mix your own.

Your new book will also tell you how to properly use finishing sauces and glazes on your barbecue recipes.

We also give you some great information on competitions, how to prepare for competitions, and even a checklist of what to bring to a competition. Exact competition schedule is included too!

A complete list of all the BBQ Associations known to exist with the web address for each. Each BBQ Association has it’s own contests and you can find their schedules easily with the information in your new book.

How to trim spareribs St Louis Style and how to trim a brisket.

A whole chapter on barbecue science – smoke rings and maillard reactions.

A complete list of resources for smokers, rubs, sauces, and forums.

and much more!

Benefits of an eBook….

eBooks are in Adobe Acrobat .pdf format and you will be directed to the download page immediately after payment.

Speed – you will receive it immediately and shipping is FREE.

Save a Tree – Do you know how much resources are used to print a paper book?

Live links – throughout the book, there are many, many references to external web pages that contain a wealth of information that you need to read. With the eBook, just click on the blue “hyperlink” and you will instantly go to that web page.

Bookmarks – The entire table of contents is “bookmarked” for your convenience. Just click on a chapter title and you immediately jump to that chapter. At the end of the chapter, you can jump back to the table of contents.

Color Pictures – There are many pictures in the eBook that are color. A paper book with color pictures on every page would be very expensive.

Printable – The book is only 87 pages, so it’s easily printable after downloading.

Full 60 Day 100% Satisfaction or Your Money Back…

If, for any reason, you are not satisfied with your barbecue recipes, just send the processor (Clickbank) an email and they will immediately refund your money. There is a link to do this at the bottom of your email receipt. It’s simple, easy, and fast.

How much is this gonna cost me, Bill?

It’s not gonna cost you $750 for a live class like I paid. There are no travel expenses. It’s not gonna cost you 5+ years going to the school of hard knocks either. It’s not gonna cost you $1000’s in practice meat and fuel costs. I could easily charge you over $500 for this valuable information, but if you act now, you can get it all for the low price of $29.95.

And if you order now, before the timer expires, we’ll throw in the original Competition BBQ Secrets at no extra cost to you. The original is more of a low & slow version and the new one is hot & fast or what the competitors call power cooking. Why cook a brisket for 20 hours when you can cook it for 5 with better results? Remember, I won best brisket in the world cooking hot & fast.

Get Yours Now….