#combat child zing

[andi-dromeda]

This is Combat’s original team but she does end up getting more team mates as the story goes on.

Zeal and Zap are her first friends. They’re both from the future with her. Zeal is an iron valiant which is the future version of a gardevoir so I made Zap a future version of a combee. Zap is an electric bug type.

Zap - hasty, likes sweet, hates sour, encourages Combat’s impulsive and often poor decisions

Zeal - careful, likes bitter, hates dry, is basically the team mom, is one of two responsible team members

Zing - impish, likes sour, hates dry, is the “cool” one, obsessed with being cool, not much can phase him

Zenith - brave, likes spicy, hates sweet, is very altruistic, encourages Combat to be kind and help others, if Zap is the devil on Combat’s shoulder then Zenith is the angel

Also this is Combat in her Leaf era!

[frankrosspharmacy123]

Health Foods & Drinks - Frank Ross Pharmacy

Now get a healthy lifestyle with health drinks and Healthy foods. Get best discounted offer at Frank Ross Pharmacy.

Healthy and Tasty Kachchi Ghani Mustard Oil by Emami is rich in MUFA (Monounsaturated Fatty Acids) and Omega-3 that help combat the risk of colon tumour and heart diseases. It is 100% cholesterol free. Manufactured using the best quality seeds by First Press Technology, post filtration, this oil retains its purely natural pungent flavour that adds an extra zing to your recipe.

Healthy and Tasty Rice Bran Oil is a cholesterol free oil and is rich in MUFA (Monounsaturated Fatty Acids), Oryzanol and Tocols. The oil has high smoke point which ensures less smoke during cooking. It is a heart-friendly oil that helps control the serum cholesterol levels and lowers the risk of heart disease. It helps improve immunity.

Horlicks is a health drink that has nutrients to support immunity. Horlicks is clinically proven to improve 5 signs of growth and is clinically proven to make kids taller, stronger and sharper. Horlicks is scientifically proven to improve power of milk. Horlicks is available in 4 exciting and yummy flavors - Classic malt, Chocolate, Elaichi, Kesar Badam. You can enjoy your Chocolate Horlicks with a cup of hot milk or a glass of cold milk. Horlicks Health Drink contains many important micronutrients (vitamins B6, B12, C, D, calcium, copper, folic acid, iron, selenium, and zinc amongst others) and is clinically proven to help children grow taller, sharper and stronger when included as part of their regular daily diet. Horlicks is a special health drink that has nutrients to support boost immunity. Horlicks is also clinically proven to improve 5 signs of growth and is scientifically proven to improve the power of milk.

Pediasure Vanilla Delight (750 g) contains a combination of 37 important nutrients that are essential for the development and growth of your child. This health supplement also contains a blend of probiotics and prebiotics that enhance your child's immunity system. It also contains Omega 3, Taurine and Choline that is essential for the development of the brain .

Prolyte Ors is a ready to serve energy drink that is tasty, in a delicious apple flavour, that keeps you energetic for longer. The drink restores electrolytes, boosts energy, and contains vitamin C, that gives you the energy to keep going longer. Very easy to drink by inserting the straw into the tetra pack from the top. Sip to relish the delicious drink. Prolyte Ors tastes best when it is served chilled. Drink whenever you feel low on energy or experience fatigue – be it post-workout, travel, or when feeling exhausted at work.

Start your day with a dose of Ayurveda with help from Saffola Iummiveda Chyawanprash. This formulation has been created with the knowledge of 50 ingredients passed down from ancient times such as Ashwagandha, Amla, Pippali, Giloy, Honey and many others. When consumed by adults as well as children, aged 3 years and above, it helps improve the immune system, solves respiratory troubles, provides antioxidants and improves strength and stamina to carry out daily tasks and physical activities with efficiency and focus. A spoonful of Saffola Immuniveda Chyawanprash can be consumed on its own or can be taken with a glass of milk. This Ayurvedic formulation is 100% vegetarian and acts like a bio-availability enhancer.

Glucon-D Lime (450g) is enriched with Vitamin-D and Calcium for easy assimilation and quick replenishment of essential vitamins, minerals and body salts that helps to restore your energy levels instantly in the scorching summer heat. Containing 99.4 percent glucose, it restores energy 2 times faster compared to ordinary drinks to fight tiredness and fatigue. With instant body absorption, it quickly revitalizes and energizes your body. Available in zingy lime flavour, it does not take much preparation time. You can take it directly or mix it with water.

frankrosspharmacy.com

[shih-coulda-had-it]

If Izuku had met the Young Torino?

I like the idea of Prime Torino being punched into present-day canon (punched by who? Toshinori, of course), and being the only one able to keep up with Deku as Deku scours Japan for AFO. Prime Torino just wants to get back home. He's too young to be a grandfather!

//

captions, and a starter beneath the 'keep reading' -

Gran Torino: What did you do to my cape?

Izuku: Ah.

Descriptive arrow pointing at the cape lists, 'bloodstained, tattered, singed,' and 'riddled with bullet holes.'

//

Not too long after Izuku cuts contact with All Might, he finds a cluster of masked people terrorizing a high-rise. Zero hints as to whether or not they’re aligned with All for One. But they’re extorting supplies from the people hiding within, and in any case, when Izuku hears the wail of a child, all bets are off.

Fighting comes easier to him now. Even if the holders disapprove of Izuku’s pace, they lend their expertise, smoothing out the wrinkles in his techniques.

He ducks under a wild swing, lashes out with the Fifth’s Quirk, yanks his opponent towards him and feels One for All flare within his veins as he preps for a punch. Standard. What is not so standard is the First’s urgent voice, saying, “Something’s wrong!”

Izuku has to drive the punch forward. There is nowhere else to redirect the energy.

One for All surges, unfamiliar and wild, and Izuku barely has time to process the foreign emotions: rage-loss-grief--a young voice that screams, “You’re awful! You’re not helping me, you’re just taking your anger out on the closest, most convenient target! I hate you!”

Something tears in the world. It’s different from a Warp Quirk, if only because it wrenches at Izuku’s gut, and also, because an extremely bright and heavy weight is flung into existence and into Midoriya Izuku. Izuku yelps, trying to slow his and the newcomer’s momentum.

They crash into a storefront on the opposite side of the street.

Amidst the shattered wooden boards (no glass? a lucky break, then) and under the stranger’s heavy form, Izuku coughs. His backpack digs uncomfortably against his spine. “Who is he,” he asks the empty air and prods wearily at the now-cheerful flames of One for All.

“Sorahiko,” says the Seventh, Shimura Nana. Her voice is soft, stunned, and terrified.

Izuku blinks. Presumably, Gran Torino stirs. His voice doesn’t sound like it did several months ago, like it’d been run through a blender and mixed with gravel, but the weariness is the same. He murmurs, “Shimura, help…”

“Help him, Ninth,” she snaps, and Izuku sees her spectral form manifest and circle their perimeter. She crouches by them, and as Izuku struggles out from beneath Gran Torino, he sees her fingers brush against the off-white suit. The Seventh twitches back as if stung.

“Did you just--?” Izuku blurts out.

“No.”

He has his doubts, but the important thing is to roll Gran Torino over so he’s not breathing in dust and splinters. The yellow cape he wears is the brightest, sunniest thing Izuku’s seen all month, and presumably, Gran Torino as he is now is the darkest, meanest he’s ever been in his whole life. Izuku heaves the man face-up and tears his own hood off, in case Gran Torino feels like punching first and talking second.

“Gran Torino?” he tentatively calls.

The Fourth’s Quirk zings, and Izuku dodges the grasping hand just in time.

“Where am I,” snarls Gran Torino, surging to sit upright and immediately looking nauseous. His hand goes to his abdomen, gingerly pressing at some invisible wound.

“Roppongi,” says Izuku. He telegraphs his raised hands, and he bears the cursory, critical once-over with patience. Torino’s grimace softens to a frown; he instinctively lifts a hand to touch the collar of his own cape, as if to make sure it hasn’t been looted.

“Your name?”

“Deku.”

Torino registers the title without comment. Instead, he nods, and he says, conversationally, “Excuse me, but I’ve got to go kick my student’s ass. If the little shit thinks he can dump my body in the middle of Tokyo without suffering any consequences, he’s got another thing coming.”

He attempts to rise, and Izuku, struck by the horrifying thought that seeing a Gran Torino in his prime will really cut All Might’s life short, hurries to say, “What year is it?”

Torino pauses. His expression darkens.

“It’s 20XX,” says Izuku, terrified of the missing answer. “Did you--did you just start teaching…?”

“I’m going to kill that boy,” says Torino, apropos of nothing.

Eep! goes Izuku’s heart. He gets to his feet, unnerved, and watches Torino lever himself upright. Gran Torino in his prime is tall, taller than even Endeavor--he thinks the Seventh is only a tad shorter. Before Izuku can witness the sheer presence Gran Torino used to exude, the Fourth draws his attention to the high-rise.

“You’re not allowed to kill All Might,” Izuku declares, too distracted to watch his words. He pulls his hood back up and over his face. “Sorry, um, I have to--”

He bolts to deal with the villains. A loud curse follows his exit, and then Gran Torino chases after him. The fight would have been a minor nuisance for Izuku, but with the added help, it’s a breeze.

Gran Torino in his prime is a nightmare in close combat. Izuku is only done knocking out two when Torino impatiently connects the dots and one-two-three-four-five men and women collapse, knocked out cold. When Torino touches down, he watches Izuku handcuff each villain to the other like a daisy chain.

“Aren’t you a little young to be a pro-hero?”

“I’m licensed.”

“Hn.”

A little awkwardly, Izuku activates the Fifth’s Quirk and gathers the cluster of villains. He doesn’t know if the nearest police precinct can hold them; too many people have broken the law in the name of survival. The country is in perpetual triage.

“Sorry,” Izuku says again, “but I need to relocate these guys.”

“Where to?”

“Somewhere else. I can call, um...” Endeavor? Is Endeavor qualified to handle a foulmouthed, time-traveling pro-hero who in his prime, could give Hawks a run for his money as the fastest hero on the registry? If Gran Torino wants to escape surveillance, then nothing can stop him.

“I’m going to follow you,” says Torino intently. “I have a feeling you’re the key to getting me back home.”

“I’m busy.”

“Too bad. I’ve been told I’m difficult to shake off.” Gran Torino pops his neck from side to side. “Thirty-some years in the future, and you know All Might. You know me. Get me up to speed, Deku, or I’ll go to U.A. and start from there.”

Izuku pales beneath his mask. If he sends Gran Torino like this to U.A., then All Might really will have a heart attack! And Izuku has no good news to tell Torino, not about the future in general, and definitely not about Torino’s own fate. “There’s a lot to cover?”

“Then let’s get to a private location.”

(A bit later…)

Gran Torino glances down at Izuku and says, “Is that a scarf?”

Izuku feels insulted on Gran Torino’s behalf. Certainly on Izuku, the cape’s ends are tattered and singed, bloodstained and pockmarked with Lady Nagant’s bullets. But on the old man, it had trailed on the ground, purposely dragging in the dust. “It’s yours. You gave it to me.”

“Well, what the hell did you do to it?”

“Ah… Funny story…”

[hecatemoon87]

Heart of Darkness - A James Delaney Vampire Tale

Warnings: Violence, Blood & Sex

Genre: Steam Punk/Horror

Chapter V: The Cemetery

Catherine had consumed any and all knowledge on the subject of how some of the other bloodlines approached the existence of the supernatural. She had read that the Kaiser family, during the late thirteen hundreds, formed an order, Die dunkle Einheit. It was composed of six family bloodlines that could withstand the elixir and several supernatural beings, such as a vampire from the South of Germany, a werewolf from Russia, and several more creatures of the night that were willing to help protect humanity, rather than prey upon it.

Catherine never felt more betrayed by what she had been taught as a child. Yes, the supernatural could be dangerous, but humanity could be just as brutal. She felt ashamed that she had gone after James and hoped she had not created a permanent enemy out of him. And she knew that she was going to commit to an alliance with the vampires, she’d have to become stronger. So, one cold spring night, Catherine extracted the vial from her father’s chest.

This elixir was the only thing that could enhance her abilities and extend her life, aside from becoming a vampire. She was afraid, but Catherine didn’t see any other choice. Before thinking any further, she unstopped the vial and tipped the light green liquid into her mouth.

It was surprisingly tasteless, but as it slid down her throat it began to heat up her body, like a shot of whiskey, but not at all pleasant. It burned and when it hit her stomach she fell to her knees in agony. All at once, she could feel the sting of the elixir webbing out into her veins. Catherine looked down at her hands and could see the outline of her veins, now a dark green color.

Her pupils began to dilate, the black almost consuming her entire iris. She could feel her bones begin to ache, as if they were all about to splitter into pieces. Catherine believed she was about to spontaneously combust before she passed out from the pain. But in the morning, she would find that her appearance had returned to normal. However, she could feel the power of the elixir pulsating through her body.

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

James had followed two men into an ancient cemetery. A large stonewall surrounded the cemetery’s perimeter and a giant iron gate blocked its entrance. While the men broke the lock on the gate with a crowbar, James scaled the wall with ease.

The men were body snatchers. Entering the cemetery to dig up the freshly buried corpse of a young woman. While some would think this was in the name of science, as the body snatchers would sell the corpse for medical study, these two men had a bad habit of killing innocent people and using their fresh kills instead of waiting for a natural death.

Tonight, these men seemed to be doing honest work, but that would not redeem them from their past. As the body snatchers found the location of the grave, they placed their shovels into the freshly upturned earth. James snuck up behind one of them and pulled him back into the shadows. The other snatcher looked around in fear, holding his shovel up for protection.

James dragged the first victim behind a mausoleum and bit deep into the man’s carotid artery. Drinking deeply, James' arms crushed the man’s frame. Once he was done, he tossed the husk to the side. He was about to attack the final snatcher when he felt a crossbow bolt zing by his face. James expected to see his huntress, but instead it was a man with fiery red hair and matching beard. The man was tall and imposing, shoulders broad and stance wide.

“Alright you blood sucking bastard. Time for ya to die.” The man growled and moved forward to engage in combat with James.

James did not hesitate to accept the man’s aggression. The man raised the crossbow again and fired at James’ chest, but James picked the bolt right from the air and threw it aside. Colliding into each other, Man and Vampire locked arms. James was surprised by the strength of this man. He was able to withstand James’ power and he pushed James back, albeit with a little effort.

Again the man came at him, this time with a hard right hook. The fist of the hunter almost connected with James’ jaw. As James’ focused on the man’s right fist, he failed to calculate that the hunter would bring up his left knee into his chest. If James still breathed, the wind would have been knocked out of him. With lightning speed, the hunter pulled out an ash stake. The stake was about to be thrust into James’ heart when a throwing knife flew through the air, knocking the weapon from the hunter's hand.

“Enough, Alastair!” Cried a familiar voice.

Catherine emerged from the shadows.

“Catie?” Alastair asked with befuddlement.

“You are going to leave London, Alastair. This is my territory and I’ll do as I see fit with it,” She said.

Alastair looked her up and down. “You’ve taken it, I see. Your dad would be down right ashamed of you.”

“Dad’s dead. And his way was not the only way. You can fuck off, Alastair. I doubt you can take me and the vampire at the same time.”

Alastair hesitated, looking from Catherine to James before sheathing the stake.

“You’re no better than a fucking Kaiser. A disgrace to the Beaumont name.”

“I think you better leave as Catherine suggested. Or I’ll tear your fucking throat out,” James growled.

Alastair turned to glare and James, but he spun around and disappeared into the night.

Catherine stayed where she was standing, watching James, wondering what he would do.

“I’m…I’m sorry, about before. I did what you said and looked into the other bloodlines. There is another way, a way to coexist.”

He walked up to her and stood only but a foot in front of her.

“You’re different, now. Like him?” He said.

Catherine cast her eyes down. “I had to be ready to fight him, so I took the elixir.”

James moved even closer, his hand coming up to hook a finger under her chin, so he could gaze down in her gray eyes. The heat of the battle had distracted his senses before, but now he could smell blood, Catherine was on her cycle. He closed his eyes, trying to maintain his focus.

“I…I want you to take me.” She said, suddenly.

“Here?” He asked, opening his eyes.

— Stay tuned for Chapter VI! The Union. This shit is about to get SMUTTY AF.

— But I want it to be good, so this is gonna take a little time…patience my friends!

[vvitchering]

32. “I think I’m in love with you and I’m terrified.” for bobadin?

This is my first time writing for this ship and my second time writing Boba so I am FEAR (TM) but I think I actually like the way this came out?????

~ It’s been a month and a half since the beroya had come to stay at the palace. Six since the loss of his child and his creed. Boba doesn’t like to think about what Din had been doing to himself in the time between handing his son over to the jetii and when Boba had finally managed to track him down halfway across the galaxy. He hadn’t known Din long at that point, but anyone could have seen the defeat and hopelessness in his posture and demeanor. 

If Boba had taken any longer to find him, he isn’t sure there would have been much left to find.

Given purpose once again as a hunter and personal guard for the usurper king of Tattooine, Din is flourishing. Now, Boba counts on him almost as much as he does on Shand. She may be his right hand, but Din is as close to clan, aliit, as either of them are going to get and that means something to Boba. They’re both orphans, survivors from a scattered culture; and in every word of mando’a they speak to each other, every nostalgic smile, every instance of innate understanding, they grow a little closer. 

Things have been going well, possibly too well, suspiciously well. So while it isn’t a complete shock when Din begins to pull away again, it still hurts. They haven’t shared a meal in days. The mats laid out for combat practice have gone unused. Din hovers at the edge of Boba’s vision when he absolutely must make an appearance and he all but evaporates like a desert breeze the second he’s no longer needed. 

Din begins to stay out on hunts for longer stretches of time. He reports the relevant details on his return and disappears again until he’s summoned. His absence burns like acid but Boba tries to give him his space. He doesn’t know what he’s done to offend the man, but it’s clear there’s been a shift in their relationship and if he doesn’t want to lose the wayward beroya yet again, he’s going to have to do something soon.

He gets his chance one afternoon after he’s yelled at his court to disperse and he’s made his way to the chambers they use for exercise and weapon storage. Din is already there, moving through his forms, beskar spear in hand. His movements grow stiff and unnatural the moment he realizes he has company and Boba feels the last of his restraint snap.

“Do you have some issue with me all of a sudden?” he asks. Din flinches like he’s been struck. 

“Have I offended you in some way? Made you feel uncomfortable or unwelcome?”

Din fidgets with the spear and shifts his weight from foot to foot as if he’s debating making a break for it. Boba frowns. He’s never pressured Din to go helmetless, he knows he finds a certain kind of comfort and familiarity in keeping that part of himself intact, but he finds himself wishing for the umpteenth time that Din trusted him enough to remove it in his company. 

Right now, it feels like just another impenetrable barrier between them.

“No, it’s not that.” Din finally responds, tilting his head as he speaks in that curious way of his.

Boba moves closer, motioning for Din to continue. They’re having this discussion, no matter how much Din looks like he’d rather take off running. Whatever he’s hiding, it’s hurting them both and Boba can’t, won’t, stand for it any longer. He’s come to value Din’s companionship in a way he’s quickly realizing is frighteningly irreplaceable. The thought of losing it permanently sends cold shivers up and down his spine in a way nothing else ever has. 

Boba sets his jaw. Despite the avoidance techniques Din has been favoring lately, he is still Mandalorian, as is Boba. They will clean the air as their kind have done for centuries. 

Boba lunges. 

The attack catches Din completely off guard and they fall to the mat covered floor with a muffled clatter. Din loses his grip on the spear and it rolls away out of his reach. He struggles under Boba’s weight in a weak attempt to avoid being pinned down, but Boba has him just where he wants him. He leans almost his full weight onto Din’s chest, keeping him down, and presses his forearm into Din’s throat. He takes care not to press too hard; he wants to subdue and restrain, not hurt. 

Din inhales raggedly but goes obligingly limp, unwilling to fight back. It’s like the fire that they’ve both worked so hard to kindle has left him again. Cold fear zings through Boba, mingling with the adrenaline from their short lived tussle and he feels sick to his stomach as he realizes this might be the last time he’s allowed this close to Din. 

“Tell me. Please.” He begs. And it is begging. How far the mighty Boba Fett has fallen, pleading with a no-name beroya from some backwater covert for forgiveness for some unknown slight. He’d fall even further if it meant he could keep Din by his side just a little longer. 

He can’t see Din’s eyes behind the dark of his visor, but he can feel the strength of his gaze. He can feel him tense again beneath him as he registers Boba’s pathetic pleading. There’s a moment of complete stillness before the world tilts and Boba gasps for breath as Din manages to swap their positions and slams him into the ground. It’s not gentle. There’s force in his movements, real intent, and Boba would sigh in relief if he hadn’t just had the air mercilessly knocked from his lungs.

“I have lost everything in my life that mattered to me,” Din begins, and his normally calm voice is edged in steel. “My home. My family, twice over. Everything I had left fit inside a storage locker in my ship and that’s gone, too.” 

“You’re not the only one who’s lost things, Din.” Boba reminds him gently.

Din laughs miserably. He’s shaking slightly, Boba can feel the tremors where Din is pressed against him. 

“Sometimes I think I’m cursed.” Din says quietly. “I never get to keep anything important. My creed, my ship, the kid, everything I loved...” He trails off, viciously biting off what sounds like the beginning of a sob.

Din’s hold on Boba loosens significantly as he falls apart and Boba takes the opportunity to grasp at Din’s wrists, gripping them lightly but securely. He’s not great with words and even less so with comfort, but he can do this at least. He can anchor Din, help him weather the storm he’s fighting through, and see him safely back to shore.

“I pulled away because I thought if I ended this myself before it turned into anything it might hurt less than waiting for something to come along and end it for me. Cut something out of my life on my own terms for once, you know? Couldn’t do it, though.”

“Din--”

“Ne’johaa, I’m not finished.”

Boba swallows his interruption and stares up at Din pointedly. 

Go on. Get to the point of all this. 

Din takes a measured breath and then lets it go. 

“I think I’m in love with you and I’m terrified. I don’t want you to be another thing I lose. I won’t survive it. Not again.”

“Oh. Is that all?”

“Is that all...Boba--”

“Now it’s your turn to shut up. C’mere.”

Boba shifts his grip to hold Din by the forearm with one hand while the other slides up over Din’s shoulder to pull him down by neck. Their helmets clink together at their foreheads and the sound echoes through the chamber. Din makes a short shocked sound and throws his free hand down beside Boba’s head to support himself but makes no attempt to pull away. 

“I’ve lived through far more than my fair share of hardship in this life. You don’t get to look like I do without having survived some absolute shit situations.”

They’re separated by the metal of their helmets, but Boba would swear he can feel Din’s warmth seeping through.

“If this is something you want to pursue,” he continues, “I’m amenable to that. I’m here. I’m not going anywhere any time soon, verd’ika.”  

Din makes a strange wheezing noise somewhere between a sob and a laugh and sniffs loudly before collapsing slowly on top of Boba in an exhausted but relieved heap. 

“Not that I’m not enjoying you sprawled out on top of me like this, but do you think we could relocate to a more comfortable surface? A training mat isn’t exactly an ideal place for a cuddle.” 

“Trying to get me into bed already? You’re shameless.” Din laughs, clear and true, and it’s the sweetest sound Boba has heard in a long time.

--

Thanks for reading! If you enjoyed this, do a writer a favor and reblog! Likes are nice, but they don’t get this story out there for more people to see. I’m also toying with the idea of putting this one up on my ao3. Thoughts?

mando’a words beroya - hunter Ne’johaa - shut up verd’ika - literally “little soldier”, used here as an affectionately insulting term of endearment as its usually used for little kids

(I really like Mando’a as a language, I think its fascinating, and writing a ship that consists of two Mandalorians gives me the perfect excuse to WAY over use it because I barely ever get to. I apologize for NOTHING. I wasn’t expecting this to be so long. I’m fully planning on coming back to this when I have fresh eyes and revising and editing some parts where the pacing feels a little off!)

[gold-from-straw]

Enough - ch6/8 (possibly 9...)

AT LAST! Erik arrives, half way through the fic! On the plus side, this is now ACTUALLY and officially a Cherik fic since they are at least on screen together. on the down side... this is not going to make it any less angsty, I’m sorry!

Read from the start on AO3!

Charles regretted being out in New York on the day of the protest. The streets were crowded with mutants and allies, and behind them trailed the counter protesters, the ugly hum of anger thick in the air, pressing on his temples and making him flinch at shadows.

He hurried down the side street. His errand was over, another student booked to visit the school in a week. Luckily this one had supportive parents who wanted to look around as well, make sure their child was going to be well cared for while they learned to hone and control their teleporting powers.

He heard the minds before he saw the men, before he heard their feet pounding on the tarmac. Run quick round here Trask’s waiting we’ll get him fuck he’s fast run!

Charles flinched back as two men raced past. Even with the loud projecting, they were both surrounded by a haze of fear, but unlike someone just running away, they were also saturated with anticipation… even excitement.

Seconds behind them, legs and arms pumping, came a tall, furious looking man, projecting determination, and righteous anger, and Charles knew with a horrifying certainty that he was running into a trap. “Wait!” he yelled, and tore after him.

He could hear the voices ahead of him, the first men had doubled back and were standing with a trio of other minds, and in a panic, Charles reached out into the pursuer’s mind and cried out again, wait!

The man stopped and spun on his heel, glaring at Charles. “Was that you?”

Charles caught up to him, breathing hard, and held his finger to his lip. But it was too late - the other minds were coming closer, anticipation a tingling zing to the edges of their minds. “Please, trust me?” he asked the tall man.

The man curled his lip up, but before he could retort, the ambush arrived.

Charles gripped the man’s elbow and concentrated hard, pressing his fingers to his temple in his old childhood crutch. He reached into their minds, a part of him already bemoaning the loss of his morals, yet again, and simply cut himself and the man out of their awareness.

“Well, where the hell is he?”

“He was right here!”

“What are you--”

Shhh! Charles insisted in the man’s mind, and oh God he had such a beautiful mind, it was all he could do not to reach in, brush against all the sweeping lines, the architecture of it. It’s harder if you talk.

“You said he was following you!” snapped one of the ambushers, a bulky guy in combat trousers and black boots.

“He was,” insisted the second runner who’d passed Charles. He was almost pleading with his boss.

“Well he sure as hell ain’t here now,” yelled Combats. “You fucked up, that’s what happened. You were supposed to piss Lehnsherr off enough that he’d have to follow you, and now what? What are we going to do with the transport we’ve hired?”

The man at Charles' side, Lehnsherr, tensed at this, radiating a fury so powerful that Charles was amazed the attackers couldn’t feel it.

“I swear, boss, he was following us,” whined runner number two. “He should be here.”

“He was, definitely,” nodded runner number one, nodding. “We hit that blonde bitch with the dart, and we made sure he saw us - he was definitely coming after us.”

Combats threw his hands up. “Well he’s not here now, is he?”

The two runners looked at each other and shuffled their feet like naughty schoolboys as their boss ranted and raved. Charles was considering pushing them to leave, making the decision for them, when Lehnsherr reached out his hand. The metal of the fire escapes whipped out like cobras, curling tendrils around the three men’s arms and hauling them up, trapping them against the wall. Lehnsherr grinned, all his teeth showing in vicious glee, and stepped forwards out of Charles’ grip, lifting a huge rubbish skip in front of the screaming, writhing captives.

For a moment, Charles was staggered by the overwhelming beauty of his mind as he used his powers, aurorae dancing around his senses, reaching out and limning all the metal in the immediate vicinity with a twisting light. He lost his grip on the men’s minds as he stared and soaked up the incredible presence.

Then he yelled and rushed forwards, standing between the men and Lehnsherr. “Don’t! You’ll kill them!”

“Yes, that’s rather the point,” he said dryly.

“You can’t just kill them!”

“It’s better than what they’d have done to me, isn’t it? I bet they’d take you, as well, a powerful telepath like yourself. Where did you have in mind, boys? Some lab somewhere in the wilderness? Pump me full of drugs, see how far you can push me, how much it’ll take to tear away my powers, how much it’ll take to make them explode uncontrolably? Why do you think I should let you live?”

His mind was sharp-edged with fury and grief, but Charles held up both his hands and took a step closer. “Because you have it in you to be the better man.”

“We already are the better men,” he snarled. “These… these baselines are the Neanderthals of the present, they know they’re in the presence of the next stage of human evolution, and they’re fighting their own extinction.”

Charles rolled his eyes so hard it hurt. “Oh, and you were doing so well! Don’t tell me you’re still subscribing to that utterly Victorian notion that evolution is a linear process with some sort of optimum species in mind. And here I was thinking you were intelligent - your mind is so beautiful, how can you still believe that Homo neanderthalis was in any way inferior to Homo sapiens? You do know that nearly all people of European origin have approximately two percent Neanderthal DNA, and that Neandertals and Homo sapiens populations lived side by side for centuries, interbreeding, until finally genetic drift and climate change and the end of the megafauna spelled the end of them, don’t you?”

The alleyway was silent. Water dripped in the corner.

Charles cleared his throat. “Anyway. What I’m saying is that… umm… just don’t use biology as your excuse for bigotry and supremacist leanings.”

Lehnsherr bit his lip, creases forming at the corners of his eyes. “Two percent, hmm?”

“Yes,” said Charles primly, crossing his arms.

“Well, that’s very interesting information, Mr…?”

“Xavier. Charles Xavier. Now, are you going to put that skip down?”

“Skip?”

“Garbage… thing. Whatever you Americans call it.”

“I’m not American, I’m German.”

“Well, I don’t know what you call it in Germany- look, are you going to put it down or are you going to discuss linguistics?”

“I’d much rather discuss biology,” he said, lowering the skip to the ground and completely ignoring the squirming, yelling humans still pinned to the wall behind them. “Say, over coffee?”

Charles blinked rapidly. “I… I beg your pardon?”

Lehnsherr held up his hands. “Sorry, I mean… platonic coffee would be good too. But if my gaydar is correct...”

“You want to take me out for coffee?”

“If you want to accompany me, yes.”

Charles opened and shut his mouth, completely lost for words. He bit his lip, and Lehnsherr flicked his eyes down, and back up to his eyes. “Ummm… your, uh… your gaydar’s correct,” he said at last, weakly.

Lehnsherr grinned, shark-like, and his mind sparked at the edges, like flint on steel. “Excellent. Oh- I do still want to hear more about Neanderthals, of course. I’m not just asking you out because you’ve got glorious blue eyes and the most fantastic mutation I’ve ever seen.”

Charles’ butterflies didn’t know what to do with themselves. He felt himself breaking into a wide, utterly silly grin, and goodness knows what he would have said if the captives hadn’t spoken up just then.

“Oh, Christ, they’re faggots as well.”

Charles turned and narrowed his eyes at them as Lehnsherr lifted the skip again, making them shriek and howl in fear. He held out his hand to Lehnsherr. “Wait, I’ve got a better idea. One that won’t send you to prison.” He pulled out his phone and dialed. “Hey, Moira? Yes, we’ve got three men here who just attacked my friend and I. If you come down to…” he looked around. “Cortlandt alley, I think? I’ll check and text you my location anyway. We’ve got a lovely little trio, armed with tranquilisers and suppressants, and a van somewhere they’ve been planning to use to transport their victims. Oh, perfect. Thank you, Moira, I owe you one.” He glanced up at Lehnsherr. “I think my friend and I will clear out before you get here. It’s still a bit hairy for mutants in this area, if you know what I mean. Yes, thank you. You know how to get hold of me.”

He hung up and smiled sweetly at the men, straining at their bonds. “You’ll never get away with this, mutie scum,” snarled one of them.

Charles pursed his lips and tutted. “Oh really. This isn’t Scooby-doo. And I have very good links with the local police. And quite exceptional lawyers, as well.” He turned to Lehnsherr. “Shall we?”

Lehnsherr raised an eyebrow, mischief twinkling. “I still say we should kill them.”

Charles shrugged. “Well, as I said, my lawyers really are very good, so…”

He laughed, throwing his head back, and Charles felt shockwaves of desire rushing through him. He pushed them back, trying to stay pragmatic. He would enjoy this for as long as he got, but at some point this gorgeous man, this beautiful mind, would remember what he was, what he could do, and he’d move on. But first, maybe there would be coffee…

[notyouratlas-blog]

— have you seen atlas xhaferi, the astronomy student around oxford yet ? i hear they can be rambunctious and carefree, but those who know them insist they’re reminded of neon lights reflected on a rainy road, eccentric clothes, chipped black nail polish, paint strewn on combat boots, and blurry polaroids when they’re around. rumour has it that she’s impersonating her missing twin to attend oxford. is it true ? only time will tell…

hey hi i’m also lacey (finger guns the other lacey in this group) but u can call me lace or mr. steal yo girl cos i will respond 2 both

slaps down this horribly written intro while i am? wildly hungover so pray 4 me plz

background shit

atlas and artemis were twins of an albanian father and a greek mother.

contrary to their names, atlas became the louder, bitchier and social twin while artemis stuck to what she knew best — laying low and keeping to herself.

artemis admired atlas because looking at her was like looking in a mirror — no, better — it was reflecting on someone she could’ve been or one day could be. more talented. more popular. just… more. (probably gna write some cool diary entries on this oOOoo)

while she’s covering for atlas one night (while she snuck off on a trip with some people she met at a bar), therefore pretending to be her, she experiences more things in one night than she had in her entire life.

with the help of eden, her new (and literal) partner in crime, she now attends oxford university under her sibling’s identity. it’s not quite yet defined what exactly happened, but still working out the kinks so bear with me folks !

on to the good stuff

she will

get into bar fights

pull pranks on the other students

probably whisk you away on an adventure or two if you let her

pick on you. a lot

always be down to drink and party

kind of reckless? doesn’t respond to authority well two times out of three, i guess it depends who she’s speaking to

tends to be stubborn and childish if she doesn’t get her way. HATES being restricted more than anything

probably be all over bad ideas if you have any

usually means well bt..

charlie from it’s always sunny vc: WILDCARD BITCHES !

long story short if you watch a lot of tv think the personality child of nick miller and chloe from don’t trust the b

so yeah that’s about it

i think

beep boop

i clearly don’t know what i’m doing

some random hcs to get a better feel of her character:

she’d totally chew on her burger obnoxiously or sip an emptied drink to make that annoying sound while looking you dead in the eye to piss you off

like that

so therefore maybe not the most graceful presence either

she loves to paint. like LOVES to paint. she thinks she’s really good at it too, but she’s actually not. you can totally take this and run with it

the same applies to cooking. if she bakes you a cake it’s in your best interest to decline the gesture because she probably tossed soy sauce and more mystery ingredients somewhere in there to add an extra “zing”

the one thing she’s actually good at/serious about is playing the bass. she named him sid and she loves sid more than she loves anything else. she’s still picking up on little tricks and techniques in her free time, but she’s a damn good bassist.

she totally has a weird obsession with fire. like she watched that part in the breakfast club where he lights his boot on fire and does it too now ‘cause it just looks cool. john bender? her god

as previously mentioned, she always means well but probably just stirs up more trouble or goes about touchy/sensitive issues the wrong way

some wanted connections brewin about (i’ll totally make a stats and wcs page later bt yaaa)

someone she gets high with, someone she drinks with. parties with. you know the works

someone she unwillingly drags with on adventures — like she knows they don’t want any part of it and they probably complain the whole time too but they stick around anyway

her rock? someone who keeps her out of trouble (more so than she already gets herself into ig jkdlsfd) and is like. a good influence in some way

ppl she hates/ticks off

nd the optional addition of someone she has slept with or has sexual tension with?? bow chicka wowWOW

oh oh pretty please give me someone who’s like. over her shit and just picks her up and drags her out of bar fights because she will be getting into pLenty

maybe some plots regarding her twin?

someone who knew her twin, or even dated her twin, maybe. preferably from like high school, or something. still kinda flexible about where she comes from, so maybe we can work out back stories and shit

someone who was close to either one of them that can tell something’s off with atlas

or even BETTER

someone who had a thing with/dated Artie (Artemis) before the whole switcharoo and maybe even fooled around with the other twin during this time? could call for some SERIOUS dramz once she finds out as Atlas now

wow lace stop bein extra

cOOL SO

feel free to click that ❤ or shoot me a message on discord @ mr. steal yo girl#2180 if you’d like to plot!!

[bylaudelekha]

*runs onto the stage in your absense* this is fine this is fine ok right

are ya ready, friends?

hey, come on!

let's learn a little something from the pokemon!

there's persian and mudsdale, donphan and huntail

sandygast, froslass, nosepass, lapras!

i love to say the pokemon, but here's the catch:

saying them all kinda seems farfetch'd!

let me axew a question

wanna help me out?

it's time to throh in more names

come on give me a shout!

*audience participation*

those pokemon are tentacool!

*second audience participation, accompanied by brian's fabulous dab which i am never getting over oh GOD i got so many flashbacks from that*

and those pokemon are trash!

combee my friend, i've got more to say!

and if we diglett-le deeper, we can learn today!

so why not get comfey, don't be krabby or blue

here are some lessons and i rotom for you!

if you muk around in class you'll be distraught!

don't bidoof-us, just study a lot (i swear i'm TRYING leave me alone)

if you're slaking in school, you'll drop out sooner

and abstinence is key, or you'll get a mime jr. (i hope you know that this is the one line i didn't have to check the video for)

swanna grab some candy for a sweet treat?

amaura-zing snack is a pichu can eat!

bewear of shiftry strangers who offer you hugs

and don't stick forks into eelectric plugs

wear a shelmet when you rhydon bikes

keep a well stocked bagon extra long hikes!

make sure to stay away from that ferroseed,

and that's just one name people have for weed!

there's pansage and slowbro, oddish and bonsly

tropius, seedot, nuzleaf and stunky

and blissey, loudred, dewgong and goodra

bounsweet, bayleef, hypno and munna!

you'll be drowzee if you swellow that tangrowth smoke

also koffing and weezing, hey, you might machoke!

so if someone says 'hey, want some dank lombre?'

just look 'em dedenne the eye, and say 'no way!'

i tell you natu do drugs, but if someone's smoking treeko

does that make them a bad person? definitely no

i don't mean to carr-yanma point in the next verse is that alienating drug users makes things worse!

don't lock someone up if they take a hitmonchan

and criminalising addicts is a really bad plan!

big pharma is the root of our country's problem with opiate addiction.

golem.

gastly, horsea, chansey, burmy

clefairy, mankey, klefki, goomy

hoo! rapping's hard, let me catch my breath

might as well check how many we've got left!

*music switches*

*spoken* there's less than 150 left! can i really do this?

*sung* i used to have this dream

back when i was a child

i'd make the pokerap listenable

and everybody called me reckless and wild

but i never gave up!

i kept at it every day!

and with pikachu beside me and my 'dex to guide me,

i knew that there'd be a way!

to ignore all of the naysayers

i'd need a thicker skin than metapod

wynaut leave my comfort zone,

jump in the unown

maybe someday everyone will applaud

it's absol-utely worth taking a risk,

plusle make a few friends as i try

seaking how to be strong as i raichu a song

though i still don't know where to put mr. mime

but who cares if i couldn't find a good place to put Togedemaru, Pyukumuku, Mawile, Sceptile, Weavile, Sandile, Helioptile, Leafeon, Gengar, Malamar, Marshtomp, Chatot, Simipour, Ferrothorn, Toxicroak, Minccino, Cinccino, Azumarill, Tranquill, Excadrill, Marill, Beedrill

...and Togetic, Basculin, Gigalith, Crabominable, Kingdra, Ambipom, Gastrodon, Bastiodon, Hippowdon, Vivillon, Bisharp, Liepard, Dunsparce, Aipom, Slakoth, Ralts, Dustox

i still found a way to put 'em in there!

no matter the scizor the scope of the task

i don't need a magikarp-et ride

i'machampion hero, there's nothing to fearow

my true power comes from inside

and that brings us all of the way to the top

i've said every name i can say

i'll let my body confess the names that i can't express

yes, it's time for the dream ballet!

come on!

*interpretive dance*

*interpretive dance with a friend (moni i hope this'd be you)*

*pat's beautiful combat roll back to the desk*

but there's one pokemon, my own holy grail

that i gave kevin punt, i hope that bastard's in jail

'cause of all tangelas, terry is the apex

and i gave him up for my 'dex

when you love terry terribly, and then terry is gone

what's the point of having every other pokemon?

there's a wound in my heart that i can't get rid of

how can i find joy, without my tangly boy?

why catch them all if you can't keep the ones that you love?

*big inhale* TERRY-

hey moni give me your thoughts on the perfect pokerap

lekha, this ones for you

i wanna be the best (best) (best)

uh bulbasaur, charmander, squirtle

caterpie, butterfree, wurmple

scorbunny, sobble and grookey

lickitung and lickilicki

haxorus, cofagrigous,

polywrath, mismagius

fraxure crabrawler dewpider

shellder cloyster haunter grimer

golurk, luxio swampert

liligant tynamo seismitoad polytoad palpitoad seel

parasect trevenant toxapex spheal

mandibuzz scatterbug graveller pelipper

elgyem pikipek clawitzer conkeldurr

propobass scolipede delibird ursaring

blaziken fenniken quilladin nidoking

(be the best)

skrelp! alakazam patrat

woobat swoobat crobat golbat zoobat

poochyena caracosta teddyursa umbreon

alolamola chikorita gothorita druddigon

snowrunt tyrunt (nice) charjabug

ninjask yamask avalugg

Finneon, Drapion, Jolteon, Sylveon, Glaceon, Espeon, Jigglypuff

Igglybuff, Wigglytuff

Dhelmise, Servine, Rockruff

Porygon, Porygon-Z, Porygon2, Ribombee

Skuntank, Klang, Klinklang

Miltank and Metang, Luxray

Pidgey, Hitmonlee, Skitty, Happiny, Mudbray

Lotad, Durant, Serperior, Gourgeist, Stoutland, Exeggutor

Abra, Seadra, Nidorina, Dewott, Chesnaught, Primarina

Omanyte, Dragonite, Charizard

Magnemite, Meditite, Dusknoir

Ivysaur, Venusaur, Minior, Garbodor, Ariados, Tyranitar

Glameow, Meowth, Exploud

Wobbuffet, Furret, Bellsprout

Starmie, Starly, Frogadier

Delcatty, Escavalier

Venonat, Poliwag, Hippopotas

Spinarak, Marowak, Jumpluff, Feebas

Foongus, Amoonguss and Pidgeotto

Weepinbell, Victreebel, Hakamo-o

Aurorus, Aromatisse

Medicham, Mamoswine, Slurpuff, Flabébé

Feraligatr, Eevee

Sigilyph, Elekid, Anorith, Inkay

(Gotta catch 'em all!)

Rowlet, Golett, Honedge, Archen, Croconaw

(Gotta catch 'em all!)

Sentret, Pignite, Bergmite, Mantyke, Kakuna

Sudowoodo, Wishiwashi, Popplio, Abomasnow

Charmeleon, Darumaka, Hariyama, Sharpedo

Whiscash, Raticate, Sableye

Sandslash, Kricketune, Cutiefly

Beautifly, Togepi, Volcarona

Magnezone, Lunatone, Roggenrola

Samurott, Oshawott, Whimsicott, Kangaskhan

Larvitar, Pupitar, Omastar, Kecleon

Togekiss, Simisage, Nidoqueen, Cottonee

Forretress, Salamence, Jellicent, Bunnelby

Piloswine, Carnivine, Illumise and Remoraid

I think we are done with the trip-l-et rap, so now let's rap to educate

Alright, here we go!

Are ya- *noscope 360'd from the audience*

[aion-rsa]

Warrior Season 2 Episode 1 Review: Learn to Endure, or Hire a Bodyguard

https://ift.tt/eA8V8J

This Warrior review contains spoilers.

Warrior Season 2 Episode 1

Now that the Warrior world is established, the season 2 premiere concerns itself with more character development and the interweaving of story arcs. The action, however,  is even more promising as the season premiere opens with (what else?) a fight scene. 

When we rejoin Ah Sahm (Andrew Koji), he’s getting beaten and bloodied again, locked in combat in a new no-holds-barred arena, the Barbary Coast Fight Pit, and flashing back to his brutal defeat by at the hands of Li Yong (Joe Taslim) last season. It’s a decent fight scene that shows off Koji’s intensity. His manager (and new cast addition), Rosalita Vega (Maria-Elena Laas) senses that he’s working out some issues since Ah Sahm is back with the Hop Wei and doesn’t need to earn money in the pit. He’s got something to prove and it may take all of season 2 to prove it. And as the show catches up with the rest of the cast, it’s clear that Ah Sahm isn’t the only one starting anew.

While bringing flowers to the graves of his wife and two boys, Dylan Leary (Dean Jagger) crosses paths with another new addition, Sophie Mercer (Celine Buckens). Despite their class differences, they spark an immediate chemistry, teasing of things to come. Sophie is a promising addition to this season. She’s a fresh young face that brings a new spunk to the show. Unfortunately, her personal values come from a position of naive entitlement, which will surely backfire in the world of Warrior. Later, tensions grow over breakfast between Mayor Samuel Blake (Christian McKay) and Penelope Blake (Joanna Vanderham) about her hiring of coolies in her metal factory, Mercer Steel, an action that opposes his political platform. When Sophie joins them, she proves to be another thorn in Samuel’s side. The sisters have their own tension with Sophie being young and idealist while Penelope is jaded and pragmatic. 

Meanwhile, back at the brothel, Ah Toy (Olivia Cheng) makes a sexy entrance down a spiral staircase in a resplendent cheongsam dress, showing off how season 2 is prepared to elaborate on its costumes. Until now, the fashion in Warrior has been strictly period. This season, Ah Toy’s outfits and makeup have gone overboard with outrageously baroque fantasy outfits. Ah Toy’s mascara looks more like something from a modern day rave than the late 19th century, but it’s still San Francisco, after all. The fantastic costume design echoes the precedent martial arts series, Into the Badlands, which was a fantasy where all the attire was dazzling. Warrior also imitates Into the Badlands with its guitar riff soundtrack but will have to step up its fight choreography to reach their level. 

 As she tends to Ah Sahm’s post-fight injuries, they discuss a new gang that he saw at the Barbary Coast, the Teddy Boys, who wear cut off queue trophies on their jackets like scalps. Ah Sahm wants revenge but Ah Toy has reservations. They’ve been too active lately and she doesn’t want to draw more attention from the Bulls (the SFPD). But Ah Sahm is resolute and Ah Toy concedes to help him. The relationship between Ah Sahm and Ah Toy is developing. They are more like siblings than Ah Sahm and Mai Ling and it’ll be interesting to see how that progresses in Season 2. It’s refreshing to see them not fall into a sexual relationship, as most of the other couples on this show do in typical soap opera fashion. 

Bill O’Hara (Kieran Biew) is still working as a debt collector for Zing (Dustin Nguyen) to settle accounts from season 1. Later, O’Hara tries to escape his service to the Fung Hai Tong, but takes money from Zing anyway. O’Hara uses it to buy steak for his family, but his wife Lucy (Emily Child) grows suspicious about where he’s getting it. O’Hara knows being a Tong-controlled cop won’t end well.

While walking about Chinatown, Mai Ling (Dianne Doan) and Li Yong meet a lemon vendor. Like Ah Toy, Mai Ling’s costumes are also leveling up. While Ah Toy’s dresses are becoming more sexy (befitting of a brothel madame), Mai LIng’s outfits are now leaning more towards a fantasy warrior princess. The exaggerated costumes are anachronisms but serve to distance the fiction from history. And the exotic clothing is easy on the eyes. Seeing that the vendor’s wife is sick, Mai Ling shows some compassion and buys their entire stock of fruit. Then they cross paths with Ah Sahm and Young Jun (Jason Tobin) and more tensions percolate.

Ah Sahm and Mai Ling cross at a temple where she is offering lemons to the altar for their deceased parents. Warrior takes some liberties with Chinese culture here because lemons aren’t common funerary offerings. They are usually only used when certain rituals call for five fruits. The five fruits represent the five elements and are colored green, yellow, red, white, and black, and lemons would be used for the yellow. The most common fruits for offering are oranges, which stands outside the five element color scheme. However, while California is a major orange producer now, those might not have gotten to San Francisco as readily back in the 19th century. Lemons are commonly grown throughout the area so perhaps the writers are accurate here. Afterwards, Li Yong and Ah Sahm stare each other down, teasing an inevitable rematch. 

The Teddy Boys cut the queue off a Chinese man, accusing him of stealing jobs, raping their women, and bringing disease. Sound familiar? Warrior has become uncomfortably timely in regards to modern day politics. The Teddy Boys start to lynch the man, but Ah Sahm, Ah Toy and Lai (Jenny Umbhau) come to his rescue and kill all the gangsters in a bloody act of vengeance. It’s a sanguineous fight scene with throat slitting, dismemberment, and lots of gratuitous sword stabbing. Most of the fight sequences here are one action to one take where it is simple to swap in stunt people. Koji delivers some nice more complex combos that show off his martial arts background and Umbhau demonstrates her acrobatic skill.

Umbhau is a stuntwoman by trade and perfectly cast in Warrior. While many of the cast have come to Warrior with minimal martial arts background, Umbhau stands alongside Koji, Nguyen and Taslim, all of whom have practiced martial arts long before they joined the show. She came to the U.S. to be part of Cirque du Soleil, but the show was unfortunately shut down and she’s been stuck in the states due to the pandemic ever since. Hopefully, her exposure on Warrior will bring her more opportunities to move on. 

O’Hara and Lee confiscate Wang Chao’s (Hoon Lee) illegal weapon cache to pressure him into giving up the swordsman. Chao deflects O’Hara by implying he knows about his connections to Zing. Merriweather (Andre Jacobs) continues to pressure Penelope to buy Mercer Steel, when the injured coolies arrive. Back at the brothel, Ah Sahm tries to buy a lead on an alternate molasses source from Chao, but he denies him. Chao tells Ah Toy to cool it with the vengeance because it’s affecting his business. Ah Toy serves Chao tea, which he accepts casually with one hand, a Chinese faux pas because tea is always accepted with both hands, even when poured by a whorehouse madam. Chao says he’ll see his secret, but that’s left for a future episode. 

At the Barbary Coast Fight Pit, Ah Sahm beats down another challenger and then taps Vega for information. As a typical writing device, the Fight Pit bookends this episode, which was directed by writer Jonathan Tropper. Given that this is Bruce Lee inspired, the fight choreography is a key element. This season opener brings the fight focus on Koji as the lead, but fails to deliver anything that inspiring. With so many martial arts based television series recently like Cobra Kai, Wu Assassins, Warrior Nun, the aforementioned Into the Badlands (although this was cancelled), and the upcoming reboot of Kung Fu, Warrior must really up their fight game if they want to stay ahead of the pack.

cnx.cmd.push(function() { cnx({ playerId: "106e33c0-3911-473c-b599-b1426db57530", }).render("0270c398a82f44f49c23c16122516796"); });

The final scenes of the season opener feel more like an epilogue. It would’ve been more elegant to leave it with the bookend fights, and then the final teaser for the next episode. There’s a scene of Walter Buckley (Langley Kirkwood) picking up a prostitute that’s superfluous. It’s a nod to his depravity but his manipulations of the Mayor have already betrayed his villainy. Then in bed, Li Yong and Mai Ling discuss Ah Sahm with some gratuitous nudity. The episode ends with an explosion as Leary lights a cigar, igniting the possibilities of the next episode.  

The post Warrior Season 2 Episode 1 Review: Learn to Endure, or Hire a Bodyguard appeared first on Den of Geek.

from Den of Geek https://ift.tt/2Gc9NSV

[asongforthestorm]

Questionnaire

What is your full name? Was eating when the person walked up and began asking her questions, has happened a couple of times since joining the Crushers, "I am the Singing Siren of Storm, the Violent Violet of the Verse, the Blade Bearing Battling Bard, The Traveling, Tall Tale Telling Treasure Hunter, the Amusingly Astute Artificer, The Intrepid Idol from Idyllshire, Sparktox Karaoke Skyfallen!"

What do your friends call you? “Most of the Cityfriends in Idyllshire call me Sparky but my Uncle and most of my friends in Thanalan call me Kara!”

What is your favorite animal? Raises her arms up excitedly, “Birds!”

Where were you born? “I dunno, my mom found me on a crashed airship but I grew up in Idyllshire.”

Do you have children? Blushes almost as red as her hair, “No.”

Is there a person/people you love? “I love my momma and my aunt and my uncles aswell as everyone back home! I love my friends and my coworkers!” The mammet beside her beeps, “Eh? Oh... OH!” She shakes her head no.

What is your favorite color? "Purples, lavenders, violets!”

What is your full occupation? "I’m the Chief Mechanic for the Curious Commodities free company. They hunt for treasure while I built and currently maintain their airship with my team of mammets! Also I am now on a blitzball team!”

Are you good at physical fighting? Grins and clenches her fist before her, “Yes! Auntie made sure that I trained to fight everyday pretty much from the day I first learned to walk.”

Which form are you best at? “My auntie taught me the martial arts form from her family back in Hingashi. So punches, kicks, and being sneaky! Well... I’m not the best at the sneaky bit, well I guess that’s not true, just not when I’m fighting!”

What about magic? "I know some ninjutsu but nothing all that helpful in combat.”

Which type are you best at? "While not professionally trained in any magical arts I’m good at manipulating lightning aether. I just use it to give my punches and kicks a bit more... zing?”

Craftsmanship? "Gobbie trained in smithing and tinkering along with some training I’ve picked up from my travels.”

Any other skills? "I like to sing and I can play several instruments!”

Are you an only child? "Technically, mom only adopted me but I consider all the orphans to be my brothers and sisters.”

Where do you see yourself in five years? "Well... I mean, my whole reason for leaving Idyllshire was to make it big in some way! So hopefully fame and fortune!”

Have you ever almost died? “A few times. Most recently thanks to a banshee and some weird thing that I nicknamed Mr. Gangly. HE was mean, sent me through a wall with a wave of his hand!”

Do you have a secret, not just a secret, but like a really big secret, hardly anyone knows? "Yup but I’m not tellin’!”

Salty or sweet? "Yes!"

Do you like yourself? "Yes! Might be a bit biased but I think I’m a pretty good person.”

Do you believe in the Twelve? “Mom never really taught me anything, Aunt and Uncle believe in the Kami, and my other Uncle is all about honor!”

Are you religious? "Not particularly.”

Do you carry prejudice with you? "I don’t think so? I mean, I’m not a fan of bullies, does that count?”

What do you consider entertainment? "I love seeing plays and reading books and and oh music! I love music!”

Favorite drink? “Lavender Tea!”

Do you have any family traditions? "Well, my aunt taught me her family martial art, not sure if that counts though?”

Are you a good person? "Like to think of myself as a champion of peace and love!”

[keepthingslocal]

Hammersmith Homes To Buy: Horton and Garton - A Christmas Reflection

Why Horton and Garton gives back to the community… John Horton ‘Since opening in 2008, we’ve always supported local charities and schools, arts groups, residents’ associations and churches,’ says John Horton. ‘It is extremely important to us as a successful independent, family-owned business, especially at Christmas time. ‘Why? As a Hammersmith resident and the founder of Horton and Garton, I believe more businesses should help out in the communities they serve. At a time of ever-increasing austerity and cuts to essential services, Horton and Garton is proud to go the extra mile, not only for our clients, but for the community at large. ‘Here are just a few of the charities, fine causes and organisations that we know and love and currently support. Their positive work actively improves the lives of people in Hammersmith and Shepherds Bush. West London Action for Children (WLAC)

‘This charity promotes the wellbeing of local children in need, working with them, their families and carers to achieve positive change. ‘This Christmas, WLAC has put together a cookbook of delicious recipes. These come from celebrity kitchens, including pop stars, actors, authors, restaurant owners and even our MP! The WLAC mission is to help children and that’s why we’ve sponsored this year’s cookbook and purchased more than 100 copies to support the charity. Some lucky elves in Hammersmith may just find a copy in their stocking…’ https://www.wlac.org.uk/ Hammersmith & Fulham Foodbank

‘I have seen first-hand the huge demand for the local Foodbank. We have helped spread the word about the service and included it in our regular appeals. In 2019, it’s unacceptable that families in our community should be unable to feed themselves or their children. ‘The Foodbank provides three days’ nutritionally balanced emergency food and support to people who are referred in a crisis. It is part of a network of foodbanks, supported by The Trussell Trust, that works to combat poverty and hunger across the UK.’ https://hammersmithfulham.foodbank.org.uk/ The Addison Singers

‘Founded more than 30 years ago, this West London group consists of three different singing classes and four choirs for singers of all ages, abilities and musical interests. David Wordsworth has served as Musical Director since 1995. See and hear them perform The Gravity of Kindness on Saturday 7 December at 7.30pm at St. Peter’s Church, Acton Green W4.’ https://www.addisonsingers.com/ Grove Neighbourhood Centre

‘The Centre provides a social centre for local people, a drop-in support service and premises for a wide variety of groups and practitioners in Brackenbury Village. It was launched in 1973 from a house in Overstone Road – and has been at the heart of Brackenbury ever since. Horton and Garton helps sponsor its seasonal fundraisers as well as special events that draw in the community to this vital hub.’ http://www.groveneighbours.org.uk/ Hammersmith & Fulham (H&F) Council Christmas Lunch

‘Residents aged 60 and over who aren’t having lunch with anyone on Christmas Day are invited to enjoy some festive cheer at Hammersmith & Fulham Council’s annual Christmas Day Lunch. ‘I have volunteered and attended on Christmas Day and helped serve food and drink. It’s a great way to meet new people and hear some great stories. I see a lot of people every day in Hammersmith and it’s always nice to put a name to a face.’

‘Held this year at the Novotel Hotel on Hammersmith Broadway, guests will enjoy a hearty Christmas lunch, music and dancing. Door-to-door transport, qualified carers and a team of volunteers ensures guests are well looked after. RSVP by 5 December.’ https://www.lbhf.gov.uk/xmaslunch Petros Singers

‘The Hammersmith-based Petros Singers is one of London’s leading amateur chamber choirs. They give three or four concerts each year in London and sometimes further afield. ‘Our sponsorship of the Petros Singers has enabled the choir to create two bursary places to help coach new singers and push the choir’s singing forward. See and hear them at A Festival of Christmas on Saturday 7 December at 7.30pm at St Peter's, Black Lion Lane, W6.’ http://www.petrossingers.com/ The Upper Room

‘The Upper Room in Shepherds Bush has been helping the homeless since 1990 and it recently moved back to St Saviour’s Church in Wendell Park after a year-long renovation. ‘Horton and Garton has helped raise funds which will allow the charity to expand its work. It provides inter-linked services that focus on giving the socially disadvantaged the tools and skills they need to restore their dignity, reduce their risk of homelessness and help them to become economically independent. ‘In the autumn, my team and I attended The Upper Room’s fundraising curry lunch at Indian Zing in King Street and donated cash and prizes to their auction. On the day, £2,300 was raised!’ https://www.theupperroom.org.uk/ GIVING IS THE JOY OF CHRISTMAS

‘The Christmas Present Tree appeal at St Peter’s Church collects new Christmas presents for local children in need. Horton and Garton are long-time sponsors of St Peter's as it is close to my heart. It’s my local church, I am a parishioner and it’s where my two sons were christened. ‘If you can help with the Christmas appeal, just take a tag (with gender/age of child) from the tree in the Hammersmith church and return it with a wrapped present + tag attached. The deadline for presents is Sunday 8 December. For more details or a list of suggested gifts, visit https://stpetersw6.org/

‘If we can lend a hand, don’t hesitate to reach out to us.’

John Horton

Read the full article

[godsfalldc]

If Godsfall Elves are born from trees and reproduce asexually, why are they male and female?

You know when you are getting into bed, tired and happy for a nice Sunday spent with loved ones, and just as your head hits the pillow a question suddenly demands to be answered?

If Godsfall Elves are born from trees and reproduce asexually, why are they male and female?

It just zinged me out of the blue. I sighed, resigned to the fact that I wasn’t going to sleep until this was answered.

For those that haven’t gotten to this part yet, I am spoiling nothing by revealing what we already know about Elven reproduction:

Elves can only reproduce with other Elves; there are no Half-Elves in Godsfall.

Elves and humans can, however, engage in sex.

Elves are all bisexual by nature.

Elves reproduce when one, two or even a group of Elves ask the Ironwood trees for a child. If the forest agrees and a tree is willing, it becomes the Birth Tree for that child (or in very rare cases, twin children).

If all of the above is known and true, why are there male and female Elves? And why would they have genitalia?

After thinking about this for a bit I have come up with some answers. I also freely admit that if I had thought this out properly I would have simply made all Elves completely androgynous.

The following things about Elven sexuality in Godsfall are now canon:

Elves do not possess genitalia.

Slightly more than half of Elves present as female and grow breasts, because while Elves reproduce asexually they still breastfeed.

Elves have sex through intense physical contact. An easy way to describe it is that foreplay is sex and their skin, lips and tongue their sex organs. All physical contact between Elves, sexual or not, can generate intense feelings and emotional bonds that survive their millennia of life.

Elves can share this intense physical contact with other humanoids.

Elves also can develop intense connections and basic understanding of animals and other creatures through physical contact (providing them all with Advantage on Animal Handling checks if they make physical contact with the animal). 

Elves are also at Disadvantage when making Constitution saving throws due to physical pain, as they feel pain more than other humanoids.

Their increased ability to experience pain is directly related to their general focus on distance combat - they desire to keep the enemy (and pain) at bay, even subconsciously.

Because their emotional bonds need to be so intensely powerful to survive their long life, Elves can be reluctant to form deep friendships with others, especially creatures they will surely outlive. They are forever flummoxed by the way humans bond so easily and naturally.

Elves have sex and breastfeed because 1) sex can be really fun and 2) sex and breastfeeding can create intimate bonds of love and nurturing.

I think that covers it.

- DM Aram

[decoloniszing]

The first issue is out. Subscribe here! Here are a few snippets:

text ID: Slide one: dob logo: three lines that look like books placed on a shelf, about to topple. caption: “The Zing, Issue #1:Decoloniszation

For our first issue we will be looking at the idea of decoloniszation itself...” A map by the 12th century geographer Abu Abdullah Muhammad al-Idrisi al-Qurtubi al-Hasani as-Sabti.

Slide two: Screenshot of the newsletter.

Caption:

“Before we begin, here is a glossary of our first issue:

Capitalism: An economic system characterised by private or corporate ownership of capital goods, by investments that are determined by private decision, and by prices, production, and the distribution of goods that are determined mainly by competition in a free market. (6) To understand it better, here is Rosa Luxemburg explaining capitalism with the help of spoons!

Classism: Class discrimination, also known as classism, is prejudice or discrimination based on social class. It includes individual attitudes, behaviours, systems of policies, and practices that are set up to benefit the "upper class" at the expense of the oppressed class. (6)

Imperialism: Imperialism is a policy or ideology of extending the rule or authority of a country over other countries and people, often by military force or by gaining political and economic control. (6)

Colonialism: The imperialist expansion of a nation (e.g.: Europe, Japan) into other regions in which a dominant imperium or centre carries on a relationship of control and influence over its margins or colonies. Such a system carried within its inherent notions of racial inferiority and exotic otherness. (6)

Settler Colonialism: Settler colonialism is a distinct type of colonialism that functions through the replacement of indigenous populations with an invasive settler society that, over time, develops a distinctive identity and sovereignty. (1)”

Slide 3: Screenshot of the newsletter

A banner of movie posters of Merata, Camp De Thiaroye, 5 Broken Cameras, West Indies, A Idade De Terra between the captions: “What we are watching” and

Camp de Thiaroye (1988) Directed by Ousmane Sembène, Thierno Faty Sow: A Senegalese platoon of soldiers from the French Free Army are returned from combat in France and held for a temporary time in a military encampment with barbed wire fences and guard towers in the desert. Among their numbers is Sergeant Diatta, the charismatic leader of the troop who was educated in Paris, has a French wife and child, and Pays, a Senegalese soldier left in a state of shock from the war and concentration camps and who can only speak in guttural screams and grunts. (available on YouTube).

West Indies (1979)Directed by Med Hondo: A single-set colour musical tracing the history of the West Indies through several centuries of French oppression. It juggles the colonial, post-colonial, and neocolonialist eras while heavily satirizing French imperialism. (available on YouTube)”

end ID.

[gonzalodutton-blog]

Townhouses Component 2 (The Trouble).

They're developed to decrease major car incidents, however are they instead enhancing the lot of rear-end wrecks? People there certainly withstood a lot of wars consisting of The Thirty Years' War. If you have browse through for vibrant metropolitan areas, Rajasthan excursions are regularly enjoyable tours as well as it is certainly not memorable. Today this method links downtown Atlanta georgia with the flush areas north of the urban area. As well as while a lot of his brother or sisters lived without notice 3 of his siblings took a particular niche, albeit indefinite, on their own during their life times. Christie purportedly phoned London's Updates of the Planet 3 days later on. Like the LG V30S ThinQ, the Artificial Intelligence Web cam are going to drift several achievable object identifiers on the viewfinder as it's "believing" as well as determining what the item in fact is. I discovered that it determined "Pet," "Person," "Food," as well as "City" effortlessly sufficient. If he had actually been as ill-natured to all of them as he was actually to everyone else, he could have depressed their largest area at some zing, as well as barely have actually understood that he did it. With the hurricane of his sigh, he can possess removed the roofings coming from a hundred properties and also delivered countless the occupants whirling through the air. When it comes to the Pygmies, their capital area was actually laid in ruins due to the blast and also resonance of the air; and, though there was actually uproar good enough without their assistance, they all set up a blare out of three numerous little throats, desiring, certainly, that they swelled the Giant's bellow by at the very least 10 times as a lot. It must have been actually really pretty to observe their little areas, along with roads two or three feet vast, led along with the littlest pebbles, and bordered by habitations about as large as a squirrel's crate. Credit: social domainHe left behind Style outside picking flower petals while he went upstairs in your home as well as removed each of his apparel (to steer clear of blood spattering on all of them). " Though I was actually quite surprised, the citizens in Freedom Area created me think comfortable from the first day," Rajendran stated. I can not definitely speak about other urban areas, but all I understand is that whether you are actually a reddish city or a blue urban area or even anywhere in between, you would like to be actually a leader on financial development. Often those oversights turn up on your marital relationship certificate, either considering that you mistakenly provided the incorrect relevant information or the salesperson slipped up. For townhouses, our experts are actually restricted to an optimum of 50% of the complete great deal region to become dealt with by properties (less for condos and http://prettybody-Dietblog.info also less in the lower-density regions). I have actually always possessed a soft spot for Pelgrane's superpower cop specifying Mutant Urban area Woe, but I might never create it function. As a consequence, citizens teams, community companies and also social actions are left out from any kind of core function in the 'day-to-day lifestyle' knowledge of the majority of people. Natives hiding in the brush were pointed to kill the women and more mature youngsters - just youngsters felt certainly not aged sufficient to speak and also state information were spared (though one child was actually peremptorily sent off en option to Sodium Lake Metropolitan area when the toddler started recollecting information of the massacre as well as seeking its mama). " People of New york city Area should combat against an over-reaching federal government bureaucracy" that is actually acting on misimpressions about the threats of sodium, Salt Institute profession team Head of state Lori Roman claimed Monday. The additional opportunity you invest getting to and also coming from work, the less likely you are to become fulfilled along with life, states a brand new Waterloo research. The American Red Cross has actually currently helped to generate courses which help folks to avoid a foreclosure, despite the cause they can certainly not pay their rent. After seeing the Score Twain property, mind to Elizabeth Playground to absorb the meticulously polished landscapes along with 800 ranges of roses.

[aaltjebarisca]

Smart Ways to Save For A Child’s Education

As parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles or guardians, we want the best for our kids. And for most of us, their education is not only top of mind, it’s a top priority.

With a solid education, children will have better job prospects. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the average college graduate earned 56% more than high school graduates in 2015. This huge gap illustrates the financial importance of higher education.

To get ahead of the rising cost of education, it is important to start saving and investing early. Not only will compound interest help us reach our financial goals, but we will develop a habit of saving and investing.

Preschool

The costs for preschool and related early education programs can add up fast.

Depending on where you live and the details of the program, preschool average costs can range from $4,460 – $13,158 per year. If you’re not financially prepared to take on those additional annual costs, you may go into debt or your child may not get to go to school.

With a little preparation, you can stay out of debt and the kids can start learning early. Here are a couple of options to consider.

Start a Sinking Fund

This method can save 1/12 of the annual cost each month into a savings account. This way, by the time the school payment is due, you’re ready to pay the full amount without borrowing.

For example, if preschool is $12,000 per year, then you’d save $1,000 per month to prepare. This method also works well for other annual or semiannual expenses, such as holiday celebrations, birthdays or car insurance payments.

When saving, try to partner with an online bank that provides a high-interest savings opportunity. As of this writing, a lot of these banks are offering close to 2%, which was unheard of just a year ago.

Review Multiple Pre-K Options

Not all preschool programs are created equal. The school that is closest to the child’s home may be convenient, but it could also be expensive.

Take time to investigate other quality programs that could be a better fit for the family budget. You may be surprised at the savings just 15 minutes away.

If the distance isn’t going to work, carpooling with another parent or family may do the trick.

Private School

Not everyone lives in an ideal public school district. And some people prefer private schools for religious reasons. With the average annual cost of elementary private school coming in at $9,398, and private high school coming in at $14,205, choosing to send kids to private school is an extremely important financial decision for families.

Those who choose private schools and want to avoid debt have options, such as utilizing the sinking-fund methodology and shopping around for lower-cost options.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, signed into law in December 2017, allows families to use their 529 college savings account to fund private school, as well.

There are cons to using 529s for non-college education, however. You’ll want to be careful here. Money taken out now to fund private school will lose the major advantages of compound interest. For example, if your 529 was meant for a 6-year-old’s college tuition and instead is used to fund private kindergarten, that child may be in a tough spot when he or she turns 18.

College

With the cost of college rapidly increasing each year, you need to start preparing today … even if the kids won’t be in college for 10 – 15 years.

The student debt crisis is real. You can help keep the kids from drowning in student loans, but it will take a lot of preparation and action.

Here are some savings routes to consider.

Start a 529 College Savings Account

If you start early and contribute often, a 529 account can grow enough to cover a large chunk of a child’s college costs.

A 529 is a post-tax savings option that allows people to save for a kid’s future college expenses. The money can be invested in the stock market through state-sponsored programs.

Each state has its own program, and programs are not all the same. Some have better investment options, while others may have lower fees. Do your research, speak with a financial advisor and find the best 529 plan for your situation.

Some states allow you to receive tax deductions based on your contributions, as well.

18 years of investing (or even 10) can significantly increase your chances of saving enough for a little one to attend college in the future.

Apply for Scholarships

Another untapped resource for combatting the cost of college is scholarships.

I’ve interviewed parents who have helped their kids cover their entire cost of college, including room and board, tuition and supplies. One parent-and-child duo earned over $700,000 in college scholarships.

This is free money that is waiting to be earned!

One of the major keys to winning scholarships is not giving up. You’re probably not going to win the first scholarship you apply for. You may not even win the first 10, but if you stick with it and improve application skills, free money awaits.

How are you paying for a child’s education? Please let us know in the comments below.

The post Smart Ways to Save For A Child’s Education appeared first on ZING Blog by Quicken Loans.

from Updates About Loans https://www.quickenloans.com/blog/smart-ways-save-childs-education

[mikebrackett]

Smart Ways to Save For A Child’s Education

As parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles or guardians, we want the best for our kids. And for most of us, their education is not only top of mind, it’s a top priority.

With a solid education, children will have better job prospects. According to the Economic Policy Institute, the average college graduate earned 56% more than high school graduates in 2015. This huge gap illustrates the financial importance of higher education.

To get ahead of the rising cost of education, it is important to start saving and investing early. Not only will compound interest help us reach our financial goals, but we will develop a habit of saving and investing.

Preschool

The costs for preschool and related early education programs can add up fast.

Depending on where you live and the details of the program, preschool average costs can range from $4,460 – $13,158 per year. If you’re not financially prepared to take on those additional annual costs, you may go into debt or your child may not get to go to school.

With a little preparation, you can stay out of debt and the kids can start learning early. Here are a couple of options to consider.

Start a Sinking Fund

This method can save 1/12 of the annual cost each month into a savings account. This way, by the time the school payment is due, you’re ready to pay the full amount without borrowing.

For example, if preschool is $12,000 per year, then you’d save $1,000 per month to prepare. This method also works well for other annual or semiannual expenses, such as holiday celebrations, birthdays or car insurance payments.

When saving, try to partner with an online bank that provides a high-interest savings opportunity. As of this writing, a lot of these banks are offering close to 2%, which was unheard of just a year ago.

Review Multiple Pre-K Options

Not all preschool programs are created equal. The school that is closest to the child’s home may be convenient, but it could also be expensive.

Take time to investigate other quality programs that could be a better fit for the family budget. You may be surprised at the savings just 15 minutes away.

If the distance isn’t going to work, carpooling with another parent or family may do the trick.

Private School

Not everyone lives in an ideal public school district. And some people prefer private schools for religious reasons. With the average annual cost of elementary private school coming in at $9,398, and private high school coming in at $14,205, choosing to send kids to private school is an extremely important financial decision for families.

Those who choose private schools and want to avoid debt have options, such as utilizing the sinking-fund methodology and shopping around for lower-cost options.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, signed into law in December 2017, allows families to use their 529 college savings account to fund private school, as well.

There are cons to using 529s for non-college education, however. You’ll want to be careful here. Money taken out now to fund private school will lose the major advantages of compound interest. For example, if your 529 was meant for a 6-year-old’s college tuition and instead is used to fund private kindergarten, that child may be in a tough spot when he or she turns 18.

College

With the cost of college rapidly increasing each year, you need to start preparing today … even if the kids won’t be in college for 10 – 15 years.

The student debt crisis is real. You can help keep the kids from drowning in student loans, but it will take a lot of preparation and action.

Here are some savings routes to consider.

Start a 529 College Savings Account

If you start early and contribute often, a 529 account can grow enough to cover a large chunk of a child’s college costs.

A 529 is a post-tax savings option that allows people to save for a kid’s future college expenses. The money can be invested in the stock market through state-sponsored programs.

Each state has its own program, and programs are not all the same. Some have better investment options, while others may have lower fees. Do your research, speak with a financial advisor and find the best 529 plan for your situation.

Some states allow you to receive tax deductions based on your contributions, as well.

18 years of investing (or even 10) can significantly increase your chances of saving enough for a little one to attend college in the future.

Apply for Scholarships

Another untapped resource for combatting the cost of college is scholarships.

I’ve interviewed parents who have helped their kids cover their entire cost of college, including room and board, tuition and supplies. One parent-and-child duo earned over $700,000 in college scholarships.

This is free money that is waiting to be earned!

One of the major keys to winning scholarships is not giving up. You’re probably not going to win the first scholarship you apply for. You may not even win the first 10, but if you stick with it and improve application skills, free money awaits.

How are you paying for a child’s education? Please let us know in the comments below.

The post Smart Ways to Save For A Child’s Education appeared first on ZING Blog by Quicken Loans.

from Updates About Loans https://www.quickenloans.com/blog/smart-ways-save-childs-education