#i bet someone out there would wear this to Versailles

[potatostoreon]

Classic *unhinged* Louis XIV enjoyer according to Aliexpress

[ego-meliorem-esse]

Wow it's the fashion disaster man himself, Francis needs-therapy Bonnefoy

A few headcanons about my favourite fictional Frenchman.

Appearance, Fashion and Demeanor:

Clear blue almond shaped eyes. Long light-brown eyelashes. Well-kept eyebrows. Narrow, slightly roman-like nose. Not really thin, but definitely not full lips. Square jaw with high cheekbones. Most of the time has a stubble. Spotless face in general! Generally, just looks like a straight-up model. Though you can definitely see the age on his face. Francis definitely doesn't look younger than at least 40. And that's on a good day!

Truly beautiful man!

His looks are a big deal to him. (Though we knew that of course) Francis finds beauty in everything and everyone, regardless of their outward appearance. He is, however, very strict when it comes to himself. He has a strict skin care and hair care routine. Francis is one of those people who detest when people use the 'Head and Shoulders 5 in 1' shampoo. Being naturally lean, he doesn't work out regularly. Although he has a full on workout routine, he hates the feeling of sweating and often has to talk himself into actually working out.

You bet he plans his clothes ahead of time! Francis never just puts clothes on. He wears them. He is a slave to the latest trends. Very active on Instagram too. Takes too many selfies and full-body shots. Instagram fuels his narcissism.

Francis is half of the time surrounded by people, and the other half he spends alone with his existential crises. Loves people, but needs to spend some time alone before he can enter society again. The majority of his isolation is spent by painting, overthinking and general brooding.

Family and Friends:

Oh boy, don't let me start with friends and family…

Francis is a great friend. He will go out of his way to make someone happy. His best quality is that, while he sees beauty in everyone, he also sees their flaws but can reason through them and learn to love them just as much. That being said, he is a petty french bitch. A sappy, depressed and self-centered bastard. He truly can hold on to grudges. It's his specialty.

Francis today is on very good terms with Ludwig. Since Germany and France are allies today, Francis and Ludwig spend a lot of time in each others company. Ludwig is very easy to talk to. He is a great listener and Francis needs exactly that. Someone who will listen to his rants. To a certain degree Francis still wants to hate Ludwig for what his country has done during both world wars (he still holds a grudge, it's just that he forgets that sometimes), but he finds it exceedingly hard to do so these days. Whenever Francis has his 'i-isolate-myself-from-the-world-because-the-world-is-shit-and-we-all-die' phase where he sits in his bathtub with a glass of wine in his hand, Ludwig is the one pulling up a chair and listening to his philosophical bullshit.

Not surprisingly, Francis is not a family man. He tried to be during the time he had control over the North American colonies (Canada). He loved little Mathieu with all his heart. He truly did. But. The 17th and 18th century was a time when Francis was occupied with a lot more than just Canada. I believe that at that time he would be living in Versailles (at least 1/3 of the time) with all the other nobles. It's where he would have conducted his business, where he threw lavish parties, showed off his affluence... All of this to say that his paternal duties weren't his primary concern. Especially since Canada wasn't as profitable for the French throne as previously thought. Of course, he wasn't indifferent to having little Mathieu taken from him after the war, but he really wasn't sad to the point of crying like other fathers would for their child. I believe that regret came very late for Francis, when Matt grew up. But that is a story for another post lol

When it comes to Alfred and Francis' relationship, I don't see Francis as his new father at all. Alfred sent a big 'fuck you' to Arthur and definitely disowned himself from the Kirkland legacy, but he didn't think of Francis as family. Maybe a cool uncle (rich wine aunt more likely)…

If there is anyone Francis will ask for help with new tech, it's our golden retriever himbo boy Alfred.

Unlike his clear fondness for Alfred, his relationship with that rat man, Arthur, is on another level. I very much like those two old men. Pure unfiltered hatred on one hand and understanding and companionship on the other. I mean, Chefs kiss!

In conclusion, Francis is one of my favourite characters and I would simultaneously die for this man AND run this man over with my Honda Civic at any given opportunity.

(I have so much more to say about this character, but this post is getting too long, and I don't want to keep rambling nonsense that just randomly pops into my head...)

[megashadowdragon]

whats the point of yamato

comments on youtube

Here's my take: the Wano Arc is about the "burden of inherited will." By this I mean something like, the burden of upholding the promises and dreams of those who came before. We've seen inherited will as an unambiguously good thing in the series so far, but the Wano Arc is trying to complicate the narrative, by showing what a burden it can be to take on the dreams of those who came before. And this theme isn't just in one storyline, it's laced throughout the Wano Arc, in the motivations of so many characters: * We have Momo struggling with the burden of living up to his father's legacy as a leader, and the burden of the throne of Wano. He's anguished over this, he weeps, because it's a burden to live up to someone as great as his father. * In Oden's flashback, we seem him struggle with the burden of his own father's dreams (that he become the Shogun, settle down, etc), only for him to eventually return and take on the burden of the country (literally, he puts his followers on his back!). * We have the Scabbards struggling with the burden of achieving Oden's dream of opening Wano's borders. They spend twenty years waiting and suffering, or travel across the sea and suffer, all for the sake of their leader's dream. We see Ashura-doji grow bitter under this burden, we see Denjiro mentally break, we see Kine'mon refuse to have a joyful reunion with his wife, all because they suffer under the burden of an inherited dream. * Orochi felt compelled to uphold the will of his ancestors and depose the Kozukis and throw the country into ruin. There's a reason we see his ancestors basically manipulate him into pursuing his path. They pass on their dream to him. * So obviously we have Luffy also taking on the dream of Oden, to defeat Kaido and Orochi, etc. But it's not a coincidence that in this arc we have two characters to whom Ace made promises: Tama and Yamato. They've become part of Luffy's burden, because he inherited Ace's will. (That's one way Yamato fits in) * But we also have Yamato struggling under the burden of a will she does not want to inherit, her father's. He wants her to be imprisoned, literally chained to a will that is not her own. That's quite the burden, I'd say. But there's another will she would prefer to inherit, obviously: Oden's. I think in the conclusion of this arc, we'll see characters (Luffy, probably) say something about inherited will being something chosen, it has to be a burden you choose to bear, not one forced on you. Yamato will probably feature in this conclusion in a few ways: (1) as a character foil to Momonosuke. It's not a coincidence that they're the exact same age and each want to take on the will that was forced on the other. Momo was swept across the world and travelled with Luffy in order to fulfill his role as Oden's son, but he wants to be Shogun. He takes on Kaido's appearance (via his Devil Fruit). Yamato was chained to Onigashima, and wanted nothing more to escape and travel the world with Luffy, but Kaido wants her to become the Shogun. She takes on Oden's appearance. The arc will conclude with something about Yamato and Momo freely entrusting each other with the dreams of their fathers, or something. (2) as a feature in Luffy choosing to uphold Ace's will. By taking her with him and reaffirming a promise with Tama, we'll see Luffy choose to take on Ace's will. In this way, we'll see that what makes a will truly inherited isn't a bond of blood or destiny, it's a bond of friendship, trust, et cetera. Yamato's storyline will be used to punctuate that theme for Luffy and Momo, the actual central characters of this arc.

I feel like Yamato’s storyline is learning about inherited will and not having to actually be someone (Oden) to carry on their will/dreams.

Hannya, which Yamato’s mask is based on, are well known in Japanese theatrical stage culture for representing characters who are the physical manifestation of twisted female souls.

Yamato seems to be inspired by Oscar François de Jarjayes, from the shōjo manga The Rose of Versailles, who is a woman raised by her father as if she were a boy in order to succeed him as the commander of the Royal Guard at the Palace of Versailles. 

an authors comment for chapter 945 oda talked about how he read rose of versailles and was surprised oscar was a woman 

The Shogun must be a male of Seiwa Genji lineage according to Japanese history so this explains why she is referred to as son.  Oda based Yamato on 2 people.  1) Yamato Takeru a crossdressing Japanese prince and 2) Oscar from Rose of Versailles.  Yamato Takeru being the son of Emperor Keiko who crossdressed to kill his enemies.  Oscar being a girl raised as a boy to succeed the throne.  Oda is mixing Japanese folklore with Rose of Versailles to tell a story of Kaido trying to force his daughter to be the Shogun/a boy.  Do you think I rip this from nowhere?  Chapter 945 if I recall correctly on VIZ Oda is on the authors comments speaking on Rose of Versailles.  Yamato wears a Hannya mask which originates from Noh theater and represents female obsession (Oden obsession) and I bet this arc has a theme of deliverance.  Not just deliverance from physical chains but familial bonds as well.  The people who refer to her as “he” miss the underlying themes the Shogun must be male and Kaido is probably upset he has no actual son.  Yamato does not want to be the Shogun and referring to the last chapter Kaido is trying to tell her what her fate is.  The Vivre Cards will not say (Male Heart) like in close reference to Kiku’s card and she will not come out and say “I am a man at heart!”  She uses the pronoun boku which is ambiguous and abnormal which is in reference to the “Oden” funny delusional act she has going on.  Coming chapters will reveal this more and more.  Since the combination of the title card saying daughter -> the Hannya mask -> explosive cuffs and the Shogun theme it was clear she was being bruteforced into something.

Not trying to speak for everyone here, but to say people use "he" because they don't pick up on themes is simply not the case. People use "he/him" pronouns because so far in the story, that is how Yamato has made clear that he would like to be referred to and so people use he/him pronouns out of respect for those desires. I'm not trying to say at all that I disagree with the themes/connections you've mentioned, but to say that you've "cracked the code" and you know better than Yamato on how they should be gendered is disrespectful to them. It may well be the case that everything you said is true and that by the end of the arc Yamato will wish to be referred to with she/her pronouns, but like I said to just assume this before it actually happens is disrespectful. Imagine refusing to use he/him pronouns for a trans-man because you know that their father always wanted a son and assuming their desire to use these pronouns only exists to validate their fathers wishes. I'm not trying to draw a one to one equivalence with this example, I get that One Piece is a story where information does just exist but is introduced with a specific purpose, I just hope I can better explain why many people believe he/him are the correct pronouns to use for Yamato at this time. Frankly, I think the presence of Kiku as a trans-women in this arc might be odas way of setting up the exact scenario you mentioned with yamato while still making sure he doesn't come across as invalidating trans identities. Hopefully that makes sense. Again I'm not trying to be argumentative, only trying explain why many people believe it is more respectful to use he/him pronouns at this time for yamato DESPITE the themes you've mentioned.

Quick fact check: Oscar wasn't raised as a boy to succeed the throne, she was a raised as a boy to become commander of the royal guards

This might not be accurate as I'm just saying off the top of my head but in a way, Yamato might represent wano itself. She was chained up and abused by Kaido like he does to wano in a sense.

Yamato is literally old name of Japan, lol

  Yamato by taking Oden legacy she is impersonating the man who's the main representation of wano to the world 

On a larger scale we are fighting to save wano from kaido

On a individual scale Yamato who disguises as Oden who represents wano is fighting to save herself from kaido 

It's like NAMI all over again 

A girl who is representing an entire population and territory is fighting to save herself and the people and territory she represents from a fish that keeps her and her territory enslaved

Her not being part of the mainland is symbolic to Wano exactly lol, isolated from the other world and chained there by Kaido for decades. She, like the people of Wano, has this black and white perception of Oden that they blindly follow without looking into why he did what he did. Even now people are putting Momo on some pedestal worth dying for without understanding who he is, similar to their past expectations of Oden for his dad. Yamato is doing the same with her declaration of dying for him based solely on his dad and the stuff in the journal.

Yamato's development seems to fall in parallel to Momo. Momo had to deal with the expectations of being Oden's son and his people want him to be just like Oden they don't see Momonosuke Kozuki. 

On the other hand Yamato similarly was thrust with a path set by Kaido her father but wants to be Oden this person who inspired Yamato to the point of worship that every action is posed with the question "what would Oden do."

The climax of both their arcs might be to just choose to be who they are and act as they would do not as their predecessors as they both could never be Oden for instance.

I sort of dislike how some people act like Yamato realizing not to “be oden” and Yamato joining the strawhats are mutually exclusive

if yamato does join the strawhats and is the 11th that would confirm the idea that yamato isnt trans  she just cosplays as oden due to idolizing him if you believe the MFMM theory due to people noticing that in east blue  the recruitment went zoro, nami, usopp, and sanji  in grand line it was chopper, robin, franky and brook a male female male male .

jinbe is the 10th who joined in new world  ( the male ) and it fits for him to be followed by the 11th a woman . ( so if yamato joins the strawhats and is the 11th ( meaning carrot doesnt join)  yamato isnt trans 

if yamato and carrot both join then yamato really is a transman

both okiku and yamato wore hannya masks

after okiku put on a hannya mask she revealed that she was a man in body but a woman in heart and a hannya mask represents female demon 

yamato was introduced as kaidos son while in a hannya mask but after she took it off revealed she was his daughter

"Yamato" (大和やまと?), meaning "Great Harmony", is an ancient name for Japan (originating from the Yamato Province) and can can also refer to the Yamato period of Japanese history, which lasted into the 8th century. Relating to that, Yamato is the dynastic name of the ruling Imperial House of Japan and further refers to the dominant ethnic group of Japan, the Yamato people. Otherwise:

Yamato Takeru is a legendary Japanese prince of the Yamato dynasty, prominent in mythology.

Yamato is the name of a prominent WWII-era Japanese battleship.

Yamato nadeshiko is a phrase that refers to the idealized image of a Japanese female.

[pentakillmaven]

The Nose Knows, Chapter 11 (NaNoWriMo 2018)

Here we are--the penultimate chapter! Once again, thank you so much for all the likes, reblogs, and new followers! I will be revising and posting this on Archive of our Own, along with a bonus sin chapter :) so please look out for that! Also, this chapter includes links to visual references for the outfits I have in mind for the characters if you want to check those out.

Chapter Rating: T

Chapter Warnings: Mild language, canon-typical violence

Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 Chapter 5 | Chapter 6 | Chapter 7 | Chapter 8 Chapter 9 | Chapter 10 | Chapter 11 | Chapter 12

Chapter 11

The next week seemed to pass by in a blur; between school, Ladybug duties, and working on her dress for the fashion show, Marinette was lucky to get five hours of sleep a night. But unlike the week before, when the dread of the standardized testing had dragged her down, she felt light as a feather despite the relative lack of sleep.

When Saturday rolled around, Marinette was just putting the finishing touches on her dress, hand-stitching the green embroidery along the neckline. The dress itself was a fairly simple knee-length, one-shoulder black dress, with leather-edged horsehair ruffles giving the skirt some dimension. On the bodice, playful embroidery brought to mind one particular feline superhero. As always, Marinette stitched in her signature, letting it flow into the design running down the side of the bodice under the single shoulder strap. She tied off the thread, snipped the excess down, and stepped back to survey her handiwork. "Well, Alya, what do you think?" she asked, turning to her best friend.

"I think… it looks amazing! This has definitely got to be some of your best work yet!" Alya, on her part, was already dressed for the evening, opting for a burgundy-colored full-length jumpsuit with a tie waist that offset her hair beautifully. Said hair was up in curlers at the moment, while Marinette's was still unstyled, a messy topknot keeping it mostly out of the way. "And you finished just in time, too--we only have three hours to get ready before we have to leave."

"Oh, merde, is it really that late already?" Marinette whimpered as she looked at the clock, confirming that it was already after four. "All right, I'm going to jump in the shower really quick, and then we can finish your hair before we do mine."

"Sounds good, girl! See you in a few minutes."

Marinette slipped into her strappy pumps, wrapping one of her mom's black faux-fur stoles around her shoulders for warmth as the girls put on the finishing touches to their outfits. The choker Adrien gave her nestled right at her collarbone, the green stones in the pendant pairing beautifully with the embroidery just below. "I feel like that should be a bell instead of a pendant," Alya teased Marinette gently. "That way Adrien knows where you are at all times."

Marinette giggled, an embarrassed flush visible even through her makeup. "I don't think Adrien's really the collaring type… Now, if it was Chat Noir, I wouldn't be surprised."

Alya's eyes widened in shock at the innuendo, but she burst out into laughter a moment later. "Oh my god, Marinette! Since when do you have such a dirty mind?"

"I guess someone is rubbing off on me," Marinette said pointedly. "Or am I not the one you confide into regularly when it comes to your love life?"

"Touché. I'll give you that one." The two girls hustled downstairs, where Nino was waiting with his car. Being the oldest of their friend group, he was the first to get his license, and his side gigs as a DJ allowed him to afford to get a car. It wasn't a top-of-the-line model by any means, but it was better than public transportation or walking. "Ooh, don't you clean up nice?" Alya asked as she slid into the front seat alongside her boyfriend, leaning over to kiss him on the cheek.

"Thanks, babe--you look pretty foxy yourself." Nino gave Alya a wink. Marinette didn't miss the glare and subtle tilt of the head that Alya gave Nino in return, figuring that it was in response to the "foxy" comment.

For once in his life, Nino wasn't wearing his hat, though Marinette could see it tossed into the back seat alongside his pea-coat. He had on a nice button-down with a waistcoat and tie paired with dark-wash jeans and a leather belt. "You look very nice too, Marinette," Nino added as he pulled away from the bakery. "Adrien's going to have a heart attack when he sees you."

"That's the idea," Alya replied, turning up the heater and crossing her arms over her chest for warmth. The night was clear, but cold, temperatures already in the single digits Celsius now that it was past sunset.

"Okay, so I'm headed to the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles, right?"

"Yeah, that's it. Adrien said there will be people directing traffic, so we just have to show them these badges. Apparently we get special parking, too." She pulled the three VIP badges out of her clutch, handing one to each of her friends and keeping the third for herself. She slipped the lanyard over her head, nestling it under her wrap.

"Damn, I knew Adrien and his dad were, like, famous and all? But I had no idea that things were going to be this cushy tonight."

"Yeah, have you read these passes, Marinette?" Alya asked, looking down at the fine print on the back of the badge. "We get free VIP parking, special seating, free appetizers and drinks, the works! I bet this is what it feels like to be Jagged Stone."

"I heard a rumor that he might actually be here tonight, actually. Another DJ I see around sometimes has a cousin whose best friend is acquaintances with Jagged Stone's agent, and he said Jagged had some big party to go to."

"If he's there, I'll have to say hi," Marinette replied absently, staring out the window. She was starting to feel nervous, the butterflies building up in the pit of her stomach. Even though she didn't have any of her work on display in the fashion show, this was still a huge event, and she was wearing a dress of her own design. What if some famous designer said it was horrible? What if Audrey Bourgeois was there and she called it a failure? What if Adrien didn't like it?

"Hello! Earth to Marinette!" Marinette jumped as she snapped out of her thoughts, looking toward Alya, who had turned in her seat to look back at her friend.

"Sorry, Alya, what's up?"

"I was going to ask if you wanted to grab a bite before we go, since we have time, but you look like you're about to be sick. What's wrong?"

"Oh, you know… just nerves, that's all."

"Marinette, honey… you look banging, your dress is lit and you're just going as an guest, not as a designer. You have nothing to worry about. If Adrien doesn't declare his undying love for you tonight, the boy has way more serious problems in his future."

Marinette gave Alya a small, wan smile. "Thanks for the vote of confidence, Alya. But I am kind of going as a designer. There's always someone there who asks the VIPs, 'Who are you wearing?' If I tell them I designed my dress myself and people don't like it, that could mean my design career is over before it even begins."

Alya reached out a hand toward Marinette, who took it; Alya squeezed her fingers comfortingly. "I highly doubt that. You're a talented designer! Even if this dress doesn't dazzle people--which I think it will--you still have a lot to offer in other departments. Your hats, your purses and bags? I mean, you designed Jagged Stone's glasses that one time, right?" When Marinette nodded in confirmation, Alya continued, "So if formal dresses aren't your thing, then you design what you do know that you do well!"

"That's true; thanks, Alya. I needed that." Marinette let go of Alya's hand and leaned back into her seat, tucking her arms back up under her wrap for warmth. She looked back out the window, watching the city lights go by, a quiet sigh escaping her lips. 

The trio decided to forgo a food stop for the sake of getting to the venue early; it ended up being a blessing, as traffic was absolutely snarled in the vicinity of the Paris Expo Porte de Versailles. It was already close to 8 when Nino pulled off of the road, spotting a sign for "VIP Parking." With a flash of their badges, the guard waved them on. "Pull up to the side of the building over there and a valet will take your car from there," the guard explained.

"Valet parking?" Nino glanced back at Marinette through the rear view mirror; the midnight-haired girl shrugged in confusion. "Damn, this really is fancy. I could get used to this." Pulling up to the building, a young man in a red vest approached them. The three teens all climbed out of the car, Nino passing the keys to the valet along with a five-Euro bill. "Merci beaucoup," the valet replied with a bow, hopping in the driver's seat and pulling away from the curb.

"Wow, this is kind of incredible," Alya said. Just ahead of them was a red carpet, paparazzi lining both sides snapping photos while Nadja Chamack interviewed a group of people for the local TV news station. "Oh, shit--isn't that Chloé and her parents?"

Marinette's head whipped around, spotting two familiar-looking blondes standing near an older man with a red, white and blue sash wrapped around his torso. "God damn it… I was really hoping not to run into them… I should have figured they would be here."

"Hey, Marinette, it's okay! Just keep your head up and don't let them see you sweat." Alya reached up and unhooked the clasp holding Marinette's wrap closed, revealing the embroidery on her dress. "No matter what, you created this. Your hard work deserves recognition. All right?"

Marinette couldn't help but smile. "Thanks, Alya. I needed to hear that." Shaking her head and straightening her back, she led the group of three toward the red carpet.

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng! What are you doing here?" Marinette clenched her teeth to maintain a smile at the sound of Chloé's voice.

"Hello, Chloé. We were invited by Adrien personally," she replied, gesturing to the VIP badge hanging from her neck.

Chloé looked at Marinette, Alya and Nino behind her, then turned away with a sniff as she crossed her arms over her chest. "Well.. I hope you have a good night, then," she muttered under her breath.

"Chloé, who are these children? Do you know them?" Audrey Bourgeois pulled her sunglasses down, peering at the teens over them. "Oh--you're that girl, the one who made the feather hat, aren't you?"

"Yes, Mme. Bourgeois." Marinette straightened up a bit more as Alya poked her in the back, tugging her wrap off of her shoulders to fully expose the embroidery.

"Your dress is… fantastic! That embroidery work is impeccable. Who is your designer?" Audrey asked.

"Mère! You can't be serious!" Chloé whined, stomping her foot. "Her dress is so, so... "

"It's inspired, is what it is! Tell me, did you design this yourself?" Audrey continued.

"Yes, madame. I was actually inspired by the necklace, you see." Marinette reached up and touched the pendant hanging from around her neck.

"Oh, yes, I can see the influence! The color selection is fantastic, and the texture of the ruffles is divine compared to the smooth embroidery. Well done!"

Marinette's whole face was flushed under Audrey's praise, though only a faint glow came through under her makeup. "Thank you, madame." She looked toward the door, realizing that Nino and Alya had gone ahead of them. "I need to be getting back to my friends, but thank you again."

Audrey nodded; with that signal, Marinette made her way around the rest of the people on the red carpet as politely as she could until she got to the door leading inside the building. Through the glass, she could see Alya and Nino talking to Adrien, who was dressed to the nines in an impeccably tailored black suit with patent leather shoes.

"Gee, thanks so much for having my back, guys," Marinette said as she walked up, shoving herself between Alya and Nino and giving them both a playful elbow.

"Why would you need us to have your back? Clearly you handled yourself out there just fine!" Alya replied. "Chloé looked like she was going to combust when her mom started praising your dress."

Marinette couldn't help but giggle at the mental image of Chloé exploding like a firework. Turning to Adrien, she smiled shyly, entangling her fingers behind her back. "So… what do you think, Adrien?"

The blond just started at Marinette dumbly for a long moment until Nino sidled over. "I think he might be broken," the bespectacled young man said, reaching out to poke his friend in the side of the ribs. Adrien jumped in surprise, shaking his head. "Are you with us now, dude?"

"Y-yeah, sorry… Marinette, you look… wow." Adrien seemed to be awestruck by Marinette's appearance.

Marinette's flush became even more pronounced at Adrien's praise. "I'm glad you like it."

"And you're wearing the necklace," Adrien said, his voice soft.

"Of course. It's part of the reason i designed this dress specifically."

"You designed that dress? And made it in a week? Marinette, that's incredible!"

"Thanks, Adrien. That means a lot, coming from you."

"Adrien? Adrien, where are--oh, there you are." Nathalie walked up to the group, her noticeably pregnant stomach covered with a soft empire-waisted dress in a navy blue color. "The show is about to start. You're needed in the back."

"Okay, Nathalie, I'll be right there." Adrien turned back to his friends. "You guys are going to be right up at the front; any of the ushers can lead you to your seats. I'll try to come out and sit with you guys if I get the chance."

"Are you modeling tonight, Adrien?" Alya asked.

Adrien shook his head. "Thankfully, no. I'll probably have to come out on stage with Father and M. Spadafora at some point, but I won't be wearing any of the designs."

"Oh, that's too bad. I know Marinette always likes to see you on the catwalk." Adrien's eyes widened for a split second before he chuckled, rubbing the back of his head.

"Sorry to disappoint. Maybe next time. I'll see you guys later!" With that, Adrien turned and walked away, leaving the other three teens alone.

"Guess we should find our seats, if the show is about to start, huh?"

"Yeah, sounds like a plan," Nino replied. "Marinette, since this was all because of you, why don't you lead us?"

"Oh, all right." Marinette headed toward where the seating area was set up, creating a U-shape around a temporary raised stage with a catwalk jutting out of it. Around the perimeter of the seating area, more men in red vests waited to lead guests to their seats. "Hello, we're in the VIP Section?" Marinette said questioningly to the nearest usher.

"Of course, mademoiselle. Right this way." The usher led the three down to the very front on the left side, into a seating area marked off with red velvet ropes.

Rather than standard folding seats, this area was furnished with soft, cushy-looking couches, a handful of waiters holding trays of champagne glasses and hors d'oeuvres. Marinette could see the Bourgeois family sitting in a similarly-furnished area on the opposite side of the catwalk. "Oh, thank God we don't have to sit with them," Marinette whispered to Alya and Nino. "I think I would have had a heart attack."

"Yeah, I don't think I could handle an entire night of sitting with them, even if we didn't have to speak to one another." Alya glanced over to see Nino already stuffing his face, giving a heavy, long-suffering sigh. "Why don't you go find us a seat? I need to get my boyfriend before he makes a fool of himself."

"Sounds good." Some of the couches had already been claimed, but there was one couch right up at the front that was still empty. Marinette hurried over, using her wrap and Nino's coat to save seats for the other two. Glancing down the row of couches, she spotted some familiar faces--and a very familiar crocodile. "Jagged Stone! Penny! It's great to see you!"

"Marinette Dupain-Cheng! It's wonderful to see you, doll," Jagged Stone said as Marinette made her way closer to their sofa. "What are you doing here? Do you have some designs in the show? Killer dress by the way. Very Rock and Roll. Made it yourself, I presume?"

Marinette couldn't help but laugh, unable to get a word in edgewise until Jagged stopped to take a sip of champagne. "I was invited by my friend Adrien; his father is the owner of the Agreste fashion design company, so they're hosting the show. No, I don't have any designs in the show itself, but yes, I did make this dress. I'm glad you like it!"

Penny smiled gratefully at Marinette for coming over, struggling to hold Fang's leash as he tried to climb up onto the sofa with them. "I'm glad you're here, Marinette. Jagged is working on a new album, and he actually wanted to ask if you'd be willing to design another album cover for him."

"Really? I'd love to!"

"Great! I believe I still have your email, so I'll send you some of the tracks we have recorded so far so you can get a feel for the album's sound. Do you think you can have the cover done in, say, two weeks?"

"I can definitely do my best! I look forward to getting the email from you."

"That's what I like to hear!" Jagged piped up, leaning over and scratching Fang on the head. "Who's a good boy, who's a good boy?" he baby-talked to the enormous crocodile.

Penny couldn't help but smile at the man, who was now sliding off the sofa to sit on his knees in front of his pet. "Thank you again, Marinette, and tell your parents thank you for hosting us last time.  Oh, and if you see Ladybug, will you thank her for me as well?"

"Wh-what makes you think I would see Ladybug?" Marinette asked quickly, tucking her hands behind her dress to hide the sudden shaking of nervousness.

"Well, because you live here, and we don't. We fly back to the States first thing in the morning for more recording."

"Oh--of course! That makes sense. I'll definitely let her know if I see her."

"Thanks, Marinette. It looks like your friends are back, so we won't keep you, but it was great seeing you!"

"Great seeing all of you too! Good-bye, Fang!" she specifically said to the crocodile, who turned its head and lolled its tongue out at Marinette almost like a dog. With a giggle, Marinette returned to the other end of the VIP section, where Alya and Nino had taken up station on the couch she'd reserved.

"Well, would you look at that?" Alya commented. "Nino's friend was actually right!" She took a sip of her glass of champagne.

"Yeah, I guess so. Honestly I thought his 'information' was pretty sketchy, but he was right for once," Nino added

"I'm not surprised," Marinette replied. "He is a celebrity, after all. Celebrities tend to get invited to these sort of events."

"True." Alya handed Marinette a glass of champagne, but the midnight-haired girl waved it off. Shrugging, Alya finished off her own and then started on the second. "So when is this thing supposed to start?"

"I think any minute now." As if on cue, the lights in the exhibition hall dimmed, twin projection screens rising on the back of the stage. A video started to play, showing drone footage of Paris on the left screen with footage of what Marinette presumed to be Milan on the right. A female voice started to speak in English:

"Paris and Milan. Two cities separated by over 600 kilometers, a mountain range between them--yet never before have they been closer than they are today."

The drone footage on the Paris side closed in on the Eiffel Tower, while the Milan side focused on a massive Gothic cathedral. With both landmarks on screen, the Agreste logo and Spadafora Leatherworks logos appeared, superimposed over their respective cities.

"With the collaboration between Milan's own Spadafora Leatherworks and Paris's crown jewel, Agreste Fashion, these two cities are coming together like never before."

Twin spotlights came up, focusing on either end of the stage. From the Paris side, Gabriel and Adrien stepped out; Gabriel was wearing a similar suit to Adrien's, both impeccably tailored, showing off the family resemblance between father and son. On the Milan side, Vincenzo Spadafora walked out with his own twin children, his bald head gleaming under the spotlight, contrasting with his blue-tinted sunglasses and dark goatee. Gabriel and Vincenzo approached the center of the stage, shaking hands and then embracing like old friends as if to show the closeness of the collaboration between their companies. The crowd erupted into cheers at the sight, the screens going black except for the combined logos for the new collection that would be premiering in France for the first time.

Gabriel began to speak, his voice amplified by the microphone clipped to his lapel. "Good evening everyone; thank you all for coming. It is my great honor and pleasure to introduce to you, for those who may not recognize him, the president and CEO of Spadafora Leatherworks, Vincenzo Spadafora." The bald man gave a wave at the introduction. "Like Agreste, Spadafora is a family brand. The Spadafora family has raised cattle in central Italy for over ten generations. When I first visited Vincenzo's family's cattle ranch in Tuscany, I knew they had something special going there. However, the Spadafora legacy has spread beyond the family ranch. The Spadafora Leatherworks global headquarters in Milan is where the real magic happens. Tuscan leather is turned into high-end accessories fit for any fashion-forward individual, and the company is spearheading the development of eco-conscious faux leathers that are truly indistinguishable by the naked eye. That was when I knew that the Spadafora and Agreste companies could create something truly special. And that is what we bring you tonight." The crowd broke into applause and cheers once again. "Please sit back, relax, and enjoy the show. Thank you so much." The two families split off, heading backstage, while the spotlights reset for the start of the show.

"This is so cool!" Alya hissed in Marinette's ear as the music started, a deep thrumming bass practically shaking the floor. Marinette just nodded, her eyes trained on the stage, watching the first handful of models walk out to show off the collaborative designs.

"I wish I would have brought my notebook!" Marinette replied, more to herself than to Alya. Her fingers were itching to draw, to create, inspiration striking at the most inopportune time.

"What do you think, Nino?" Alya turned to her boyfriend.

"I think whoever is in charge of the sound needs to turn the bass down a bit, or they're going to blow out the subwoofers," the DJ replied, wrinkling his nose. "I can barely hear the treble over the shaking of the bass line."

"Well, you're no fun either." Alya took another sip of her champagne, tucking her other hand under her arm.

Marinette looked over at Alya apologetically. "Sorry, this really is awesome! I can see all of the little details from here. It's just making me want to draw!"

"That's fair!" Alya conceded. "So what makes this stuff so special anyway?"

"Well, from what I've been able to find out, Spadafora has been able to make a faux leather that feels and acts like real leather. The only way to tell the difference is under a microscope or with other scientific equipment."

"Oh, that's neat!" Marinette nodded in agreement.

"Yeah, I'm actually kind of surprised there wasn't a crowd of protesters outside when we pulled up--stuff like this can sometimes draw those kinds of people, you know?"

"Yeah, I've seen stuff on TV before, especially around Fashion Week. Isn't that part of the reason why the locations of some of the events is kept private?"

"Yeah, that's part of it. Also the secrecy helps to protect the different fashion houses from having competitors rip off their designs."

"Oh right! That's, like, a big deal in the design world, isn't it?"

Marinette nodded again. "Yeah. All of the major fashion houses have their employees and models sign things like non-disclosure agreements, and some of them even require non-compete clauses."

"Wow. That's pretty serious. Is the fashion world really that cutthroat?"

"You have no idea."

All of a sudden, from behind the seating area, a loud crashing sound interrupted the show, a sudden chill coming into the exhibition hall from the blown-off front doors. Standing in the entryway was a villain whose outfit seemed to span myriad different fashions, ranging from a Renaissance-style neck ruffle to bell-bottom jeans. In one hand, she held a large, feather quill, which seemed to glow with dark magical essence. "Peasants! I am Villainista! Turn over Ladybug and Chat Noir's Miraculous to me at once, or suffer the consequences!"

Screams erupted at the sight of the villain, the mass of people in the exhibition hall running for the exit on the opposite side of the room. However, before some of them could get out of range, a beam of the dark energy shot out of the pointed end of the quill, striking the victims. At the moment of impact, they froze in place for a moment, before righting themselves and approaching the villain. "Is there anything we can do for you, Mme. Villainista? Anything at all! Just say the word!"

"Bring me Ladybug and Chat Noir at once!" Villainista ordered her simpering slaves.

"Yes, Mme. Villainista! At once!"

Marinette, Alya, and Nino watched the exchange with horror in their eyes, but before any of them could react, Adrien ran over and grabbed Marinette by the hand. "Come on! You need to get somewhere safe!"

"Adrien!" Marinette's eyes widened as she was dragged bodily away from the VIP area. "Forget about me, you need to get somewhere safe too!"

"Come on, I know a hiding spot. You can wait there for Ladybug and Chat Noir to get here and take care of the villain."

"What about Nino and Alya?" Marinette looked over her shoulder for her friends.

"I saw them running away too. Come on, this way." Marinette started running under her own power, following Adrien, his grip still firm on her hand. On the far end of the exhibition hall, Adrien opened the door to a supply closet, shoving Marinette inside. "Stay here until I come get you, all right?" Adrien said.

"But, Adrien," Marinette started, but the blond interrupted her with a quick kiss to her lips.

"Please. For me." Marinette nodded mutely as Adrien closed the door between them. As soon as she heard his footsteps running away, she opened her purse, Tikki flying out.

"I don't know what just happened, but there's an Akuma outside, and we need to take care of it. Tikki, spots on!" A flash of light filled the supply closet as Marinette transformed into Ladybug. She opened the door and darted outside without looking--only to run smack-dab into a solid chest. A very familiar chest.

Chat Noir stood in front of her, a knowing smile on his lips. "I was hoping it was you, My Lady."

[laurent--stpierre]

ORIGINS & FAMILY:

Name: Laurent Saint-Pierre.

Nickname: None. He hates when people try to shorten his name to anything. Last name is generally abbreviated to St. Pierre, though.

Birthday: December 28th. 

Age: 37.

Gender: Male.

Place of Birth: Élysée, Paris, France.

Places Lived Since: Launceston, Massachusetts, and Porto Velho, California, United States. Messina, Sicily, Italy.

Current Residence: Chelsea, Kensington & Chelsea.

Nationality: French. Doesn’t hold dual-nationality.

Parents: Grégoire Saint-Pierre, Céleste Évreux.

Number of Siblings: Four. Odile, Agnès Saint-Pierre (sisters), Étienne, Jean-Paul Saint-Pierre (brothers) Laurent is second youngest, after Odile. 

Children: One (that he knows of) a daughter, Gaia Cacace. That is something he has shared with nobody. Not even Odile.

Relationship With Family: It’s complicated. Growing up, Laurent’s parents were always more focused on working and their own hectic lives. It meant that the kids pretty much fended for themselves, despite the nannies, and whilst it might seem like that would have driven him closer to his siblings, the only one he ever really bonded with was his sister Odile; the single relative from Paris he still actively keeps in contact with. It was the rejection of his parents as a young boy that drove him into the streets of Paris in the first place. When he stole, they simply threw more of their wealth at him, thinking that if they bought him what he needed then he would stop. Obviously, it didn’t work, and he’s not really sure they’re sorry about it. Don’t get him wrong, it’s pretty fucked up (considering they essentially abandoned him during his prison time) but he still loves them. He just…doesn’t like them. Laurent saw them briefly when he got engaged to Claudia, but hasn’t bothered trying to see them since.

Happiest Memory:  Without a doubt, his best friend’s wedding. Laurent might not have always approved of Oliver and Aurélie’s relationship, but finally seeing the man happy after all the shit they’ve been through was important to him. That was a good fucking time. I think all of the French took count of the things they had to appreciate in their lives at that point. It was a few days where they could just celebrate and forget about all the shit they had to go back to in Launceston.

Childhood Trauma: Besides his shitty upbringing, and ignorant parents, nothing.

PHYSICAL:

Height: 5′11″

Weight: 177lbs.

Build: As we say in the UK: built like a brick shithouse. Laurent is a big guy in terms of muscle, despite having a smaller frame than some of his colleagues. Serves him well.

Hair Color: Brown.

Usual Hair Style: Usually, he doesn’t do much to it. Has a habit of just falling into a scruffy look that suits him. Is also sporting a beard for the first time in his life.

Eye Color: Blue.

Glasses? Contacts?: Neither, his eyesight is perfect.

Style of Dress/Typical Outfit(s): Laurent is incredibly picky about what he wears. He knows that it’s important to look good to make an even better first impression, and for that reason, he takes a lot of pride in his appearance. Suits make up the majority of his closet. Tom Ford three-pieces for formal, Hugo Boss for daily. If you’re lucky enough to catch a glimpse of the rare, non-suited Laurent, then he’s probably in some black jeans, a plain t-shirt, and a leather jacket.

Typical Style of Shoes: The expensive leather kind. So try not to bleed when he’s kicking you in the fucking head. 

Jewellery? Tattoos? Piercings? No piercings, no tattoos. The only jewellery he wears is his St. Clair signet ring, and it’s a great source of pride for him.

Scars: Far too many to list them all. I suppose his most obvious are the ones when he got shot up at the Versailles hotel opening. Took four gunshots that night, and was lucky to survive. Has some pretty nasty ones from his time in the basement, but thankfully they spared his face. I would imagine the rest of his body looks pretty torn up though.

Unique Mannerisms/Physical Habits: None.

Athleticism: Incredibly fit. Laurent used to compete as a junior boxer, and has definitely kept his skills up. If he’s not at Vixen, sleeping, or on the job, he’s probably working out. Does a lot more strength than cardio. Loves to fight.

Health Problems/Illnesses: Cocaine addiction. Probably only has half of his liver left, too.

INTELLECT:

Level of Education: Secondary education, at a private, Catholic school. Finished at 16.  Nothing after that.

Languages Spoken: French and English fluently. Was in the process of learning Italian for Claudia, and is pretty good at it. Would consider himself intermediate.

Level of Self-Esteem: It’s so hard to tell with him. It’s on the lower side, but he’s still incredibly confident and thinks he’s better than you? Laurent can hate all his flaws, but the rest of you bitches are not allowed to point them out.

Gifts/Talents: Besides his boxing, he is also a rather gifted pianist. It was the compromise he had to make with his mother to be able to go to the gym. As she was adamant fighting was too aggressive, he attempted to appease her with something a little more refined. Though he always acted as if he hated it, he didn’t really, and ended up being quite good at it. He even has a piano that he takes to from time to time, though if anyone asks, he doesn’t hesitate to tell them it’s just for decoration.

Mathematical?: Fuck no. 

Makes Decisions Based Mostly On Emotions, or On Logic?: A mixture of both. Laurent is influenced pretty easily by anger and frustration, and for that reason, his actions can be swayed by that. But when it comes to anything else, his feelings slip into insignificance, and he’s pretty logical.

Life Philosophy: Trust is a weakness.

Religious Stance: Was raised a God-fearing Roman Catholic. Lost his faith in prison and never really revisited the idea of religion after that. Claudia did try to encourage him back to church when they moved back to Italy, though.

Cautious or Daring?: Daring to the point of fearlessness. That’s going to have to change now he’s boss, though, and he knows that.

Most Sensitive About/Vulnerable To: People mentioning Pénélope or Michel. Also Odile. You fuck with his sister, you drive him to violence.

Optimist or Pessimist?: Pessimist.

Extrovert or Introvert?: Introvert. 90% of the time he wants you to leave him the fuck alone.

RELATIONSHIPS:

Current Relationship Status: Single

Sexual Orientation: Heterosexual.

Past Relationships: Pénélope and Claudia are the key ones. More info here.

Primary Reason For Being Broken Up With: Being closed off. Inability to commit. Being an awful fucking person. His infidelity. 

Primary Reasons For Breaking Up With People: Boredom. Laurent usually likes the chase more than actually getting the woman, and so moves on pretty quickly when they start showing serious interest. Also if they’re clingy. Nope.

Ever Cheated?: Yes.

Been Cheated On: Yes.

Level of Sexual Experience: Way too fucking experienced.

Story of First Kiss: He was fifteen, and a particularly pushy girl—the daughter of a family friend who’d been visiting their house for some kind of social function—was adamant that he was going to be her first kiss. It wasn’t like he was going to decline. As soon as she left, he’d run to tell Michel all about it, because they’d made a bet earlier in the year about who could kiss a girl first, and now he’d won.

Story of Loss of Virginity: The same girl as above, a few weeks later. Nothing monumental.

A Social Person?: The thing is, whilst I think he’s instinctively a loner, when he’s not being a total douche bag, he’s actually a really good friend. Some people see that, and really want to stick around. I think he has stages where he really enjoys the company of others (particularly female), but then relapses and hates the world, and wants them all to play in traffic.

Most Comfortable Around: Oliver. Veronika. Odile. Évelyne. 

Oldest Friend: Évelyne is the oldest friend he has that hasn’t fucked him over since.

SECRETS:

Life Goals: Laurent would say he’s doing pretty well, to be honest. I don’t really think there’s anything career-wise beyond this point? He has peaked. I guess his life goal now is to keep up the good work, and maybe try not to be miserable forever. Taking control of London from the Rutherfords would be a nice bonus.

Dreams: Same as above.

Greatest Fears: Terrified of spiders and will act little bitch if he sees one. Getting old scares the shit out of him. Probably because he worries about two things that will follow: Losing his looks, and being less useful on the job. Something happening to his sister. Something happening to him that means he’s not around to look after her anymore. Someone hurting Oliver, Aurélie, or Ronnie.

Most Ashamed Of: How much he trusted Michel. Leaving Gaia in Italy, even though he knows it was the right decision. Still makes him feel like a shit person.  

Secret Hobbies: Besides his pianism, none. 

Crimes Committed (Was he caught? Charged?): Okay, let’s be real, I can’t list all of the crimes he’s committed because I’d be here forever. The only time he’s been caught and charged for anything, however, was when he took the fall for a job both he and Michel had been responsible for. The dick left him injured at the scene of the crime, and ran away to freedom. Laurent ended up with eight years in prison. It should be noted that Laurent’s kill count is relatively high in comparison to other non-assassins in the Organization, but the two biggest names on his list are Michel Chevalier, and Margaux St. Clair.

DETAILS/QUIRKS:

Night Owl or Early Bird?:   Night owl. Unless work calls for the contrary, it’s rare Laurent gets out of bed before lunchtime.

Light or Heavy Sleeper?: Unless he’s crashing from a high/dealing with a hangover, his natural sleep is pretty light. He likes to think it’s a good thing because it means no one can sneak up on him.

Favorite Animal: Cows.

Favorite Food: Dauphinoise potatoes with bacon from Adrienne’s. That shit is banging.

Least Favorite Food: Generally not a fan of Indian. Beetroot. 

Favorite Book: Laurent isn’t a big reader, and doesn’t really have a favourite book. He has neither the patience nor concentration to finish one.

Least Favorite Book: See above.

Favorite Movie: A Beautiful Mind.

Favorite Song: I Want To Break Free - Queen.

Favorite Sport: Loves rugby. Used to get into so many arguments with the bros about it, because they were all football bitches rooting for PSG.

Coffee or Tea?: Coffee. Black, two sugars.

Crunchy or Smooth Peanut Butter?: No.

Type of Car He Drives: Doesn’t have a car in London currently. Had a silver Bentley in the United States, though.

Lefty or Righty?: Right-handed.

Favorite Color: Navy Blue.

Cusser?: Every other word.

Smoker? Drinker? Drug User?: All three. Laurent smokes like a chimney, drinks like it’s going out of fashion, and regularly uses cocaine. Has dabbled with heroin because it was always a big thing back in Launceston. So was marijuana. There are few drugs he won’t touch, to be honest.

Biggest Regret: Same as the things he’s ashamed of.

Pets: A Siamese cat called Franz. Though he usually hates animals, he likes that cats are independent. Also, Franz is a bit of an asshole. Laurent can appreciate the attitude.

[quillandsaber]

30 Days of Beauty and the Beast: Day 2 (Jealousy)

When Adam sent the letter to Versailles announcing his intention to wed, he had expected (hoped for, were he being honest) a perfunctory banishment from court. While Belle's maternal grandfather had been a sieur, the marriage of a prince to anyone less than a comtesse is scandalous in the extreme. Good riddance, he thinks. Versailles made him the monster that he was; going back would only be painful.

He does not count on the Queen. More accurately, he does not count on the Queen's dedication to promoting virtue within the kingdom and the fact that a famously profligate prince who had disappeared for ten years and was now appearing to be dedicating himself to being a just and principled ruler due to the influence of a virtuous (and presumably pious) woman of lower birth would be exceedingly interesting to someone with that goal.

A month later, they are inundated with congratulations and, horror of horrors, invitations. Many are clearly directed with his bride-to-be in mind, clearly indicating "Anne-Isabelle, newly Princesse de Bretagne" in flourishing script next to his own name and title. He automatically refuses those coming from his more-libertine acquaintances without guilt--it helps that Belle agrees with him rejecting the people who had fostered his former morals or lack thereof--and writes excuses for as many of the others as he can, until one day a messenger rides up on a white horse in an unmistakeable gilt-and-blue coat delivering a letter with far too much wax and perfume to not know what it is.

It's from the Queen. They can't refuse an invitation from the Queen, so Belle suggests they get it over with as quickly as possible. Show their faces for a week, plead that they need to return to continue to set their lands to rights, and then mysteriously never show up at Versailles again unless dragged by royal invitation. It's a good plan, so Adam agrees. They plan. They pack. They go.

...and as soon as he sees those white columns again for the first time in over a decade, he panics.

It's too soon. He's not ready to face Versailles again. If Belle weren't sitting next to him in the carriage holding his hand, he'd be tempted to throw himself under the wheels so even the thought of him going to Versailles would be moot. But she is there, so he swallows and reminds himself it's just for a week. He survived not having real feet for ten years; he can survive this for a week.

Hopefully.

They arrive too late in the day to do anything but supervise their trunks' arrival to their room (which, he notes, is in a better place than when he was at Versailles on his own), but the next morning, he goes to the Levee, she to the Toilette, and he is instantly reminded that this is a terrible idea, that he needs to be nowhere near these men and their ways. He is fortunate, he supposes, that enough men have arrived who outrank him that he is in no danger of having to participate in the ceremony, merely observe, but the King's eyes rest on him uncomfortably long during the grande entrée, and he's not sure if it's a good thing or even if he wants it to be a good thing. Perhaps it's merely because, but for his clothes and hair, Adam looks exactly as he did ten years ago when standing in this exact spot. Another thing to be thankful for: etiquette keeps everyone else's eyes on the King and off the wayward prince who looks no different but acts like another man.

He follows along with the crowd to chapel and to watch the King dine, and only after it is time for the King to meet with his ministers is he free to try to find food and his wife, not necessarily in that order, but his attempts are thwarted by an encounter with three former friends who accost him in such quick succession he is sure it was planned. He goes with them in the quest for sustenance, but when they find it he keeps his mouth full to avoid having to choose between diplomatic silence and outright condemnation. How he ever thought these men were good friends is beyond him now; ten years of drink and whoring had made their mark on their faces so clearly that no amount of powder could mask it, and he thanks God that he had somehow managed to avoid the pox in his youth.

No, he will not go into Paris with them. No, he has other activities planned for the evening. Yes, they are with his wife.

The men smile knowingly. Perhaps they think he wants to make sure that his pretty young wife finds no other lover in libertine Versailles. Let them think that; it means he does not need to be far from her for very long. It means that he has a perfect reason to excuse himself to track down said pretty young wife, but the men insist on following him. One is sure that he had seen a new lady in pale blue in the Queen's radius that morning, and Belle had been wearing a light blue gown when she had left earlier, so at least Adam has a lead.

It takes but a few words to be admitted to the Queen's apartments, and Adam holds his breath as the ushers open the series of doors to admit them into the antechamber where--thank heavens!--Belle sits at a table piled high with books surrounded by several animated young women (some he vaguely recognizes as having been children when last he saw them), a middle-aged man he doesn't recognize at all, and the Queen. He and his compatriots are announced by the usher, and they all pay their respects to the Queen as prescribed. Adam remembers her putting great stock on etiquette, and he's not willing to bet she's budged much on that count. He tries not to smile too much as he sees Belle's face light up to see him.

The Queen invites him to sit, and his compatriots are summarily dismissed. The conversation, it seems, relates to a particular new book about the history of France. Belle is flourishing, he can tell. Her eyes are alight with curiosity, and she drinks in every word. The Queen looks on her with a tiny but benevolent smile that Adam has never seen before. The other women ask her for opinions, recommend recent books that she should buy in Paris before returning to her home, but she should come back as soon as she's able because everything happens at Versailles or Paris, all the best minds are there. She's in her element, and she's been in the byzantine Versailles for less than a day, whereas he's been floundering in his natural habitat.

Before he knows it, it's time for the Queen to prepare for supper, and it's time for the men to leave the room. The Queen with characteristic grace bids Belle leave as well, mentioning with that same benevolent smile that the young woman is probably exhausted from the journey to Versailles and shouldn't tire herself too much her first day at court. Adam recognizes the form of dismissal as an invitation for Belle to return the next day, and he bows as graciously as he can before backing out of the room with his wife.

They walk in companionable silence back to their room, her hand resting lightly on his silk-covered elbow. Heaven smiles down on Adam for once that day, and they don't run into any of his former acquaintances. Belle's maid is waiting in their room, and she leaps to extract her mistress from her stiffened bodice and wide panniers as Belle carefully removes her jewelry (all originally his mother's, he feels a little guilty for it, but Belle seems to love them all the more for not being new). Adam stands well out of the way, wondering to himself why he never considered before just how bothersome court skirts had to be to those who wore them. In what feels like an hour, Belle is free of all her layers, and she slips into her wrapper as her maid hangs the contraptions and promises to find some supper for the pair once she's done.

Once they are left in privacy, Adam goes to his wife and holds her close to his chest.

"How was your day?"

"It went well," she replies contentedly. "I'm glad Cogsworth helped me find those books of court etiquette, or else I would have been completely lost."

"And the queen?"

"She asked me lots of questions after chapel about how we met, the curse, how it was lifted. I think I answered them correctly." She leans back so she can look her husband in the eye. "I mentioned that we oughtn't stay long, and she seemed to accept it when I told her why."

"Praise God for that. Did she seem concerned that there might be rebellion?" It was the only thing he had feared from Belle's earlier plan. Claiming they needed to manage their lands closely might look close to mismanagement.

"Oh, no. That's not the reason I told her." She bites her lip, then she takes his hands in hers, moving them from her shoulders to her belly. "That's why."

His brain goes blank. "You...you're certain?"

"As certain as any woman ever is at this stage," she says, blushing. "I spoke with Mrs. Potts before we left about it; I should be very certain in about a month and a half."

It sinks in fully then, and the cares of his day fade away. This, this is what matters. His wife. His soon-to-be child, God willing. He is so lucky to have this second chance at life alongside a woman he can only pray he will one day deserve.

"Thank you," he pulls her close again, murmuring fervently. "Thank you, thank you, thank you."

[manuelclapid]

December 15, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Quick question: Are you a new subscriber? Are you ready for some fun and tips that will save you sweet moola? Good. You're at the right place.

Have you been a subscriber for more than a week? I'm pretty sure the reason you continue to open these newsletters is to see if they've rescinded my Internet privileges here at the sanatorium!

Make Up Not Out!

I'm involved in a fun project of curating lots of the stories about me growing up. As I get deeper into this project, I find myself basking in memories so thick I have to brush them away from my face! Trust me, it's liberating to turn the skeleton key unlocking the attic door of your mind. Dusting off certain memories can reward you with quite a bit of pleasure.

CLICK or TAP HERE to read one of the stories.

Just today I was thinking about my first kiss and making out. It happened at Versailles State Park in Indiana when I was maybe 12 or 13. I'm pretty certain I was wearing brown shoes, but I digress!

What I really want to talk to you about is makeup air, not make out kisses that might take your breath away for goodness sake, silly!

CLICK or TAP HERE to discover more about what you see in that image above.

But, for the full story, CLICK or TAP HERE to understand WHY you should consider a makeup air vent so you DON'T DIE of CARBON MONOXIDE poisoning!!!

Repointing Fireplace Mortar

A few days ago, I received a question via the Ask Tim page on my website. The gentleman wanted to know about tuck-pointing mortar INSIDE his fireplace.

I know that's not the best photograph but what you're looking at are the actual high-temperature firebrick in the last house I built.

What's that gray stuff in between each of the brick? The exact name?

Are you SURE you know? Come on, be honest. CLICK or TAP HERE and let me know if you were right.

I'm willing to bet you don't know what it is. In fact, I'm willing to wager you one delicious giant Aglamesis dark chocolate pecande, but not the one on my desk! You should only be so lucky to have a prize like this!

If you were wrong and accepted the bet, then email me and I'll give you the address to send me my pecande!

Compact LED Flashlight!

Are you looking for a fabulous flashlight? You know, you can't have too many flashlights.

Honesty Moment: I do have a tendency to hoard flashlights like I do jackets. It's nice-to-know information about how many of each I have!

Your eyes are locked onto the Coast G10 LED flashlight.

I'm here to tell you this LED flashlight is one that you MUST HAVE. It's an excellent prize to give to someone who might put it on a nightstand. It could come in handy in a power outage. You might find it useful to find small chunks of pecans that spewed from your mouth as you were savoring that dreamy caramel and dark chocolate pecande under the covers.

CLICK or TAP HERE now to see lots of different photos of the G10 and to discover WHY I'd have one of these Coast G10s on every floor of my house and in my car and truck.

CLICK or TAP HERE to order one before they sell out. This is the perfect stocking stuffer for all those on your Christmas list.

I LOVE the quality of Coast products. I've had their flashlights for years.

Penny-wise or Pound Foolish

Each day, I get quite a few questions at my Ask Tim page on my website.

All too often, the questions are quite involved and require quite a bit of typing. I've answered hundreds and hundreds of questions like this over the 25-plus years I've been doing Ask the Builder and know that each time I provide an answer the homeowner comes back with two, three, or more followup questions.

It's not a prudent use of my time to do this as you might expect.

This is why I developed my 15-Minute Phone Call product.

But here's what you need to know. Those questions I can't answer in 15 seconds or with a fast "Yes" or "No", I send this:

"Your situation requires lots of typing and I know you'll have more questions. I can solve your problem over the phone for an affordable price. If you're not happy with the call, it's FREE."

Here's the sad truth:

Only one in fifty homeowners decides to make the investment in the phone call that can save them HUNDREDS or THOUSANDS of dollars.

I'm convinced that those who ignore the offer of my protection think, "Hells bells about investing in the right answer! I'll go find it for FREE online!"

Well guess what? There's a good chance you'll discover the wrong answer long before you uncover the right answer. And if you don't know the RIGHT answer, then how do you know if you stumbled upon it?

Don't be foolish. Don't HOPE you have the right answer. You only should hope for things you can't control like the weather.

Deluxe Shed Plans

Are you paying lots of money each month to store a bunch of your stuff at one of those steel buildings somewhere? SCREW THAT!

Build your own shed - a DELUXE one - and have all your stuff where you can get it easily. What's more, a great shed ADDS VALUE to your casa.

Here's my Christmas prize for you.

Normally these amazing super-detailed plans cost $19.95 at my shopping cart.

Purchase them now. I'm offering them to you for a LIMITED TIME at the unheard of price of $9.95.

You don't have to build the EXACT shed as I did, but you can use the plans for inspiration or you can modify them to your situation.

You'll discover all the information you need on the SEVENTEEN PAGES of the plans!!!

CLICK or TAP HERE to get these INSTANT DOWNLOAD plans now.

Listen, that's enough for a Sunday.

Don't forget to get a pecande and send it to me if you were wrong about the firebrick mortar!

Tim Carter Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com So Clean I Beam - www.StainSolver.com Morse Forever - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. Riddle me this:

Do you know how to identify what circuit breaker controls WHAT outlets and lights in your home? Can you do it ALONE without SCREAMING ten times from the garage, "Is THAT THE ONE?!!!!!"

Would you like to see how I discover what breaker controls WHAT outlets in my house? I thought so.

CLICK or TAP HERE now.

The post December 15, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter appeared first on Ask the Builder.

from Home https://www.askthebuilder.com/december-15-2019-askthebuilder-newsletter/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[williamccreynolds]

December 15, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Quick question: Are you a new subscriber? Are you ready for some fun and tips that will save you sweet moola? Good. You're at the right place.

Have you been a subscriber for more than a week? I'm pretty sure the reason you continue to open these newsletters is to see if they've rescinded my Internet privileges here at the sanatorium!

Make Up Not Out!

I'm involved in a fun project of curating lots of the stories about me growing up. As I get deeper into this project, I find myself basking in memories so thick I have to brush them away from my face! Trust me, it's liberating to turn the skeleton key unlocking the attic door of your mind. Dusting off certain memories can reward you with quite a bit of pleasure.

CLICK or TAP HERE to read one of the stories.

Just today I was thinking about my first kiss and making out. It happened at Versailles State Park in Indiana when I was maybe 12 or 13. I'm pretty certain I was wearing brown shoes, but I digress!

What I really want to talk to you about is makeup air, not make out kisses that might take your breath away for goodness sake, silly!

CLICK or TAP HERE to discover more about what you see in that image above.

But, for the full story, CLICK or TAP HERE to understand WHY you should consider a makeup air vent so you DON'T DIE of CARBON MONOXIDE poisoning!!!

Repointing Fireplace Mortar

A few days ago, I received a question via the Ask Tim page on my website. The gentleman wanted to know about tuck-pointing mortar INSIDE his fireplace.

I know that's not the best photograph but what you're looking at are the actual high-temperature firebrick in the last house I built.

What's that gray stuff in between each of the brick? The exact name?

Are you SURE you know? Come on, be honest. CLICK or TAP HERE and let me know if you were right.

I'm willing to bet you don't know what it is. In fact, I'm willing to wager you one delicious giant Aglamesis dark chocolate pecande, but not the one on my desk! You should only be so lucky to have a prize like this!

If you were wrong and accepted the bet, then email me and I'll give you the address to send me my pecande!

Compact LED Flashlight!

Are you looking for a fabulous flashlight? You know, you can't have too many flashlights.

Honesty Moment: I do have a tendency to hoard flashlights like I do jackets. It's nice-to-know information about how many of each I have!

Your eyes are locked onto the Coast G10 LED flashlight.

I'm here to tell you this LED flashlight is one that you MUST HAVE. It's an excellent prize to give to someone who might put it on a nightstand. It could come in handy in a power outage. You might find it useful to find small chunks of pecans that spewed from your mouth as you were savoring that dreamy caramel and dark chocolate pecande under the covers.

CLICK or TAP HERE now to see lots of different photos of the G10 and to discover WHY I'd have one of these Coast G10s on every floor of my house and in my car and truck.

CLICK or TAP HERE to order one before they sell out. This is the perfect stocking stuffer for all those on your Christmas list.

I LOVE the quality of Coast products. I've had their flashlights for years.

Penny-wise or Pound Foolish

Each day, I get quite a few questions at my Ask Tim page on my website.

All too often, the questions are quite involved and require quite a bit of typing. I've answered hundreds and hundreds of questions like this over the 25-plus years I've been doing Ask the Builder and know that each time I provide an answer the homeowner comes back with two, three, or more followup questions.

It's not a prudent use of my time to do this as you might expect.

This is why I developed my 15-Minute Phone Call product.

But here's what you need to know. Those questions I can't answer in 15 seconds or with a fast "Yes" or "No", I send this:

"Your situation requires lots of typing and I know you'll have more questions. I can solve your problem over the phone for an affordable price. If you're not happy with the call, it's FREE."

Here's the sad truth:

Only one in fifty homeowners decides to make the investment in the phone call that can save them HUNDREDS or THOUSANDS of dollars.

I'm convinced that those who ignore the offer of my protection think, "Hells bells about investing in the right answer! I'll go find it for FREE online!"

Well guess what? There's a good chance you'll discover the wrong answer long before you uncover the right answer. And if you don't know the RIGHT answer, then how do you know if you stumbled upon it?

Don't be foolish. Don't HOPE you have the right answer. You only should hope for things you can't control like the weather.

Deluxe Shed Plans

Are you paying lots of money each month to store a bunch of your stuff at one of those steel buildings somewhere? SCREW THAT!

Build your own shed - a DELUXE one - and have all your stuff where you can get it easily. What's more, a great shed ADDS VALUE to your casa.

Here's my Christmas prize for you.

Normally these amazing super-detailed plans cost $19.95 at my shopping cart.

Purchase them now. I'm offering them to you for a LIMITED TIME at the unheard of price of $9.95.

You don't have to build the EXACT shed as I did, but you can use the plans for inspiration or you can modify them to your situation.

You'll discover all the information you need on the SEVENTEEN PAGES of the plans!!!

CLICK or TAP HERE to get these INSTANT DOWNLOAD plans now.

Listen, that's enough for a Sunday.

Don't forget to get a pecande and send it to me if you were wrong about the firebrick mortar!

Tim Carter Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com So Clean I Beam - www.StainSolver.com Morse Forever - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. Riddle me this:

Do you know how to identify what circuit breaker controls WHAT outlets and lights in your home? Can you do it ALONE without SCREAMING ten times from the garage, "Is THAT THE ONE?!!!!!"

Would you like to see how I discover what breaker controls WHAT outlets in my house? I thought so.

CLICK or TAP HERE now.

The post December 15, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter appeared first on Ask the Builder.

from Real Estate https://www.askthebuilder.com/december-15-2019-askthebuilder-newsletter/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[andrewmawby]

December 15, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Quick question: Are you a new subscriber? Are you ready for some fun and tips that will save you sweet moola? Good. You're at the right place.

Have you been a subscriber for more than a week? I'm pretty sure the reason you continue to open these newsletters is to see if they've rescinded my Internet privileges here at the sanatorium!

Make Up Not Out!

I'm involved in a fun project of curating lots of the stories about me growing up. As I get deeper into this project, I find myself basking in memories so thick I have to brush them away from my face! Trust me, it's liberating to turn the skeleton key unlocking the attic door of your mind. Dusting off certain memories can reward you with quite a bit of pleasure.

CLICK or TAP HERE to read one of the stories.

Just today I was thinking about my first kiss and making out. It happened at Versailles State Park in Indiana when I was maybe 12 or 13. I'm pretty certain I was wearing brown shoes, but I digress!

What I really want to talk to you about is makeup air, not make out kisses that might take your breath away for goodness sake, silly!

CLICK or TAP HERE to discover more about what you see in that image above.

But, for the full story, CLICK or TAP HERE to understand WHY you should consider a makeup air vent so you DON'T DIE of CARBON MONOXIDE poisoning!!!

Repointing Fireplace Mortar

A few days ago, I received a question via the Ask Tim page on my website. The gentleman wanted to know about tuck-pointing mortar INSIDE his fireplace.

I know that's not the best photograph but what you're looking at are the actual high-temperature firebrick in the last house I built.

What's that gray stuff in between each of the brick? The exact name?

Are you SURE you know? Come on, be honest. CLICK or TAP HERE and let me know if you were right.

I'm willing to bet you don't know what it is. In fact, I'm willing to wager you one delicious giant Aglamesis dark chocolate pecande, but not the one on my desk! You should only be so lucky to have a prize like this!

If you were wrong and accepted the bet, then email me and I'll give you the address to send me my pecande!

Compact LED Flashlight!

Are you looking for a fabulous flashlight? You know, you can't have too many flashlights.

Honesty Moment: I do have a tendency to hoard flashlights like I do jackets. It's nice-to-know information about how many of each I have!

Your eyes are locked onto the Coast G10 LED flashlight.

I'm here to tell you this LED flashlight is one that you MUST HAVE. It's an excellent prize to give to someone who might put it on a nightstand. It could come in handy in a power outage. You might find it useful to find small chunks of pecans that spewed from your mouth as you were savoring that dreamy caramel and dark chocolate pecande under the covers.

CLICK or TAP HERE now to see lots of different photos of the G10 and to discover WHY I'd have one of these Coast G10s on every floor of my house and in my car and truck.

CLICK or TAP HERE to order one before they sell out. This is the perfect stocking stuffer for all those on your Christmas list.

I LOVE the quality of Coast products. I've had their flashlights for years.

Penny-wise or Pound Foolish

Each day, I get quite a few questions at my Ask Tim page on my website.

All too often, the questions are quite involved and require quite a bit of typing. I've answered hundreds and hundreds of questions like this over the 25-plus years I've been doing Ask the Builder and know that each time I provide an answer the homeowner comes back with two, three, or more followup questions.

It's not a prudent use of my time to do this as you might expect.

This is why I developed my 15-Minute Phone Call product.

But here's what you need to know. Those questions I can't answer in 15 seconds or with a fast "Yes" or "No", I send this:

"Your situation requires lots of typing and I know you'll have more questions. I can solve your problem over the phone for an affordable price. If you're not happy with the call, it's FREE."

Here's the sad truth:

Only one in fifty homeowners decides to make the investment in the phone call that can save them HUNDREDS or THOUSANDS of dollars.

I'm convinced that those who ignore the offer of my protection think, "Hells bells about investing in the right answer! I'll go find it for FREE online!"

Well guess what? There's a good chance you'll discover the wrong answer long before you uncover the right answer. And if you don't know the RIGHT answer, then how do you know if you stumbled upon it?

Don't be foolish. Don't HOPE you have the right answer. You only should hope for things you can't control like the weather.

Deluxe Shed Plans

Are you paying lots of money each month to store a bunch of your stuff at one of those steel buildings somewhere? SCREW THAT!

Build your own shed - a DELUXE one - and have all your stuff where you can get it easily. What's more, a great shed ADDS VALUE to your casa.

Here's my Christmas prize for you.

Normally these amazing super-detailed plans cost $19.95 at my shopping cart.

Purchase them now. I'm offering them to you for a LIMITED TIME at the unheard of price of $9.95.

You don't have to build the EXACT shed as I did, but you can use the plans for inspiration or you can modify them to your situation.

You'll discover all the information you need on the SEVENTEEN PAGES of the plans!!!

CLICK or TAP HERE to get these INSTANT DOWNLOAD plans now.

Listen, that's enough for a Sunday.

Don't forget to get a pecande and send it to me if you were wrong about the firebrick mortar!

Tim Carter Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com So Clean I Beam - www.StainSolver.com Morse Forever - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. Riddle me this:

Do you know how to identify what circuit breaker controls WHAT outlets and lights in your home? Can you do it ALONE without SCREAMING ten times from the garage, "Is THAT THE ONE?!!!!!"

Would you like to see how I discover what breaker controls WHAT outlets in my house? I thought so.

CLICK or TAP HERE now.

The post December 15, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter appeared first on Ask the Builder.

from builders feed https://www.askthebuilder.com/december-15-2019-askthebuilder-newsletter/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[thegregorybruce]

December 15, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Quick question: Are you a new subscriber? Are you ready for some fun and tips that will save you sweet moola? Good. You're at the right place.

Have you been a subscriber for more than a week? I'm pretty sure the reason you continue to open these newsletters is to see if they've rescinded my Internet privileges here at the sanatorium!

Make Up Not Out!

I'm involved in a fun project of curating lots of the stories about me growing up. As I get deeper into this project, I find myself basking in memories so thick I have to brush them away from my face! Trust me, it's liberating to turn the skeleton key unlocking the attic door of your mind. Dusting off certain memories can reward you with quite a bit of pleasure.

CLICK or TAP HERE to read one of the stories.

Just today I was thinking about my first kiss and making out. It happened at Versailles State Park in Indiana when I was maybe 12 or 13. I'm pretty certain I was wearing brown shoes, but I digress!

What I really want to talk to you about is makeup air, not make out kisses that might take your breath away for goodness sake, silly!

CLICK or TAP HERE to discover more about what you see in that image above.

But, for the full story, CLICK or TAP HERE to understand WHY you should consider a makeup air vent so you DON'T DIE of CARBON MONOXIDE poisoning!!!

Repointing Fireplace Mortar

A few days ago, I received a question via the Ask Tim page on my website. The gentleman wanted to know about tuck-pointing mortar INSIDE his fireplace.

I know that's not the best photograph but what you're looking at are the actual high-temperature firebrick in the last house I built.

What's that gray stuff in between each of the brick? The exact name?

Are you SURE you know? Come on, be honest. CLICK or TAP HERE and let me know if you were right.

I'm willing to bet you don't know what it is. In fact, I'm willing to wager you one delicious giant Aglamesis dark chocolate pecande, but not the one on my desk! You should only be so lucky to have a prize like this!

If you were wrong and accepted the bet, then email me and I'll give you the address to send me my pecande!

Compact LED Flashlight!

Are you looking for a fabulous flashlight? You know, you can't have too many flashlights.

Honesty Moment: I do have a tendency to hoard flashlights like I do jackets. It's nice-to-know information about how many of each I have!

Your eyes are locked onto the Coast G10 LED flashlight.

I'm here to tell you this LED flashlight is one that you MUST HAVE. It's an excellent prize to give to someone who might put it on a nightstand. It could come in handy in a power outage. You might find it useful to find small chunks of pecans that spewed from your mouth as you were savoring that dreamy caramel and dark chocolate pecande under the covers.

CLICK or TAP HERE now to see lots of different photos of the G10 and to discover WHY I'd have one of these Coast G10s on every floor of my house and in my car and truck.

CLICK or TAP HERE to order one before they sell out. This is the perfect stocking stuffer for all those on your Christmas list.

I LOVE the quality of Coast products. I've had their flashlights for years.

Penny-wise or Pound Foolish

Each day, I get quite a few questions at my Ask Tim page on my website.

All too often, the questions are quite involved and require quite a bit of typing. I've answered hundreds and hundreds of questions like this over the 25-plus years I've been doing Ask the Builder and know that each time I provide an answer the homeowner comes back with two, three, or more followup questions.

It's not a prudent use of my time to do this as you might expect.

This is why I developed my 15-Minute Phone Call product.

But here's what you need to know. Those questions I can't answer in 15 seconds or with a fast "Yes" or "No", I send this:

"Your situation requires lots of typing and I know you'll have more questions. I can solve your problem over the phone for an affordable price. If you're not happy with the call, it's FREE."

Here's the sad truth:

Only one in fifty homeowners decides to make the investment in the phone call that can save them HUNDREDS or THOUSANDS of dollars.

I'm convinced that those who ignore the offer of my protection think, "Hells bells about investing in the right answer! I'll go find it for FREE online!"

Well guess what? There's a good chance you'll discover the wrong answer long before you uncover the right answer. And if you don't know the RIGHT answer, then how do you know if you stumbled upon it?

Don't be foolish. Don't HOPE you have the right answer. You only should hope for things you can't control like the weather.

Deluxe Shed Plans

Are you paying lots of money each month to store a bunch of your stuff at one of those steel buildings somewhere? SCREW THAT!

Build your own shed - a DELUXE one - and have all your stuff where you can get it easily. What's more, a great shed ADDS VALUE to your casa.

Here's my Christmas prize for you.

Normally these amazing super-detailed plans cost $19.95 at my shopping cart.

Purchase them now. I'm offering them to you for a LIMITED TIME at the unheard of price of $9.95.

You don't have to build the EXACT shed as I did, but you can use the plans for inspiration or you can modify them to your situation.

You'll discover all the information you need on the SEVENTEEN PAGES of the plans!!!

CLICK or TAP HERE to get these INSTANT DOWNLOAD plans now.

Listen, that's enough for a Sunday.

Don't forget to get a pecande and send it to me if you were wrong about the firebrick mortar!

Tim Carter Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com So Clean I Beam - www.StainSolver.com Morse Forever - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. Riddle me this:

Do you know how to identify what circuit breaker controls WHAT outlets and lights in your home? Can you do it ALONE without SCREAMING ten times from the garage, "Is THAT THE ONE?!!!!!"

Would you like to see how I discover what breaker controls WHAT outlets in my house? I thought so.

CLICK or TAP HERE now.

The post December 15, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter appeared first on Ask the Builder.

from Home https://www.askthebuilder.com/december-15-2019-askthebuilder-newsletter/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[thegregorybruce]

December 15, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter

Quick question: Are you a new subscriber? Are you ready for some fun and tips that will save you sweet moola? Good. You're at the right place.

Have you been a subscriber for more than a week? I'm pretty sure the reason you continue to open these newsletters is to see if they've rescinded my Internet privileges here at the sanatorium!

Make Up Not Out!

I'm involved in a fun project of curating lots of the stories about me growing up. As I get deeper into this project, I find myself basking in memories so thick I have to brush them away from my face! Trust me, it's liberating to turn the skeleton key unlocking the attic door of your mind. Dusting off certain memories can reward you with quite a bit of pleasure.

CLICK or TAP HERE to read one of the stories.

Just today I was thinking about my first kiss and making out. It happened at Versailles State Park in Indiana when I was maybe 12 or 13. I'm pretty certain I was wearing brown shoes, but I digress!

What I really want to talk to you about is makeup air, not make out kisses that might take your breath away for goodness sake, silly!

CLICK or TAP HERE to discover more about what you see in that image above.

But, for the full story, CLICK or TAP HERE to understand WHY you should consider a makeup air vent so you DON'T DIE of CARBON MONOXIDE poisoning!!!

Repointing Fireplace Mortar

A few days ago, I received a question via the Ask Tim page on my website. The gentleman wanted to know about tuck-pointing mortar INSIDE his fireplace.

I know that's not the best photograph but what you're looking at are the actual high-temperature firebrick in the last house I built.

What's that gray stuff in between each of the brick? The exact name?

Are you SURE you know? Come on, be honest. CLICK or TAP HERE and let me know if you were right.

I'm willing to bet you don't know what it is. In fact, I'm willing to wager you one delicious giant Aglamesis dark chocolate pecande, but not the one on my desk! You should only be so lucky to have a prize like this!

If you were wrong and accepted the bet, then email me and I'll give you the address to send me my pecande!

Compact LED Flashlight!

Are you looking for a fabulous flashlight? You know, you can't have too many flashlights.

Honesty Moment: I do have a tendency to hoard flashlights like I do jackets. It's nice-to-know information about how many of each I have!

Your eyes are locked onto the Coast G10 LED flashlight.

I'm here to tell you this LED flashlight is one that you MUST HAVE. It's an excellent prize to give to someone who might put it on a nightstand. It could come in handy in a power outage. You might find it useful to find small chunks of pecans that spewed from your mouth as you were savoring that dreamy caramel and dark chocolate pecande under the covers.

CLICK or TAP HERE now to see lots of different photos of the G10 and to discover WHY I'd have one of these Coast G10s on every floor of my house and in my car and truck.

CLICK or TAP HERE to order one before they sell out. This is the perfect stocking stuffer for all those on your Christmas list.

I LOVE the quality of Coast products. I've had their flashlights for years.

Penny-wise or Pound Foolish

Each day, I get quite a few questions at my Ask Tim page on my website.

All too often, the questions are quite involved and require quite a bit of typing. I've answered hundreds and hundreds of questions like this over the 25-plus years I've been doing Ask the Builder and know that each time I provide an answer the homeowner comes back with two, three, or more followup questions.

It's not a prudent use of my time to do this as you might expect.

This is why I developed my 15-Minute Phone Call product.

But here's what you need to know. Those questions I can't answer in 15 seconds or with a fast "Yes" or "No", I send this:

"Your situation requires lots of typing and I know you'll have more questions. I can solve your problem over the phone for an affordable price. If you're not happy with the call, it's FREE."

Here's the sad truth:

Only one in fifty homeowners decides to make the investment in the phone call that can save them HUNDREDS or THOUSANDS of dollars.

I'm convinced that those who ignore the offer of my protection think, "Hells bells about investing in the right answer! I'll go find it for FREE online!"

Well guess what? There's a good chance you'll discover the wrong answer long before you uncover the right answer. And if you don't know the RIGHT answer, then how do you know if you stumbled upon it?

Don't be foolish. Don't HOPE you have the right answer. You only should hope for things you can't control like the weather.

Deluxe Shed Plans

Are you paying lots of money each month to store a bunch of your stuff at one of those steel buildings somewhere? SCREW THAT!

Build your own shed - a DELUXE one - and have all your stuff where you can get it easily. What's more, a great shed ADDS VALUE to your casa.

Here's my Christmas prize for you.

Normally these amazing super-detailed plans cost $19.95 at my shopping cart.

Purchase them now. I'm offering them to you for a LIMITED TIME at the unheard of price of $9.95.

You don't have to build the EXACT shed as I did, but you can use the plans for inspiration or you can modify them to your situation.

You'll discover all the information you need on the SEVENTEEN PAGES of the plans!!!

CLICK or TAP HERE to get these INSTANT DOWNLOAD plans now.

Listen, that's enough for a Sunday.

Don't forget to get a pecande and send it to me if you were wrong about the firebrick mortar!

Tim Carter Founder - www.AsktheBuilder.com So Clean I Beam - www.StainSolver.com Morse Forever - www.W3ATB.com

Do It Right, Not Over!

P.S. Riddle me this:

Do you know how to identify what circuit breaker controls WHAT outlets and lights in your home? Can you do it ALONE without SCREAMING ten times from the garage, "Is THAT THE ONE?!!!!!"

Would you like to see how I discover what breaker controls WHAT outlets in my house? I thought so.

CLICK or TAP HERE now.

The post December 15, 2019 AsktheBuilder Newsletter appeared first on Ask the Builder.

from Home https://www.askthebuilder.com/december-15-2019-askthebuilder-newsletter/ via http://www.rssmix.com/