#we personally think its a waste of money. and also our wedding our rules

[arnold-layne]

im picking a dress for the wedding and i decided it would be scarlet and not white and both sets of parents are totally horrified at that. and then my fiance said he is gonna wear a shirt of the same color. and they all collectively lost their marbles

[theroomofreq]

can you give me muggle jily recs pleaaseeee <3 :D

HOW MANY HIGH-QUALITY MUGGLE JILY FICS ARE THERE?? TOO MANY TO COUNT. *cracks knuckles* BUT I am here for the challenge. Jily AUs are my JAM.

Again, shoutout to our amazing @jilyarchive friends who tag every wonderful muggle jily au they come across. here is the link that will take you to their tags page. You'll find links to specific tropes and AUs :')

I've searched through my own AO3 bookmarks and history tabs, and I present to you 28 jily muggle fics that I LOVE. I am THRILLED thinking about all the good things in store for those that read these wonderful stories. This list took me ages to make because I went through and reread most of these brilliant fics. Happy reading !! xx

properly improper by @lizardcookie

“Marry me,” Mr. Potter repeats, closing the distance between them by striding back up towards the sofa, only to stop and crouch to one knee right there at her feet, looking up at her. Burning. “Pick me,” he elaborates. “Pick me, choose me, love me instead.”

- this fic is the reason why I comment the way that I do (spoiler it's because it's amazing)

The Wedding Ring by @mppmaraudergirl

What is undeniably worse than attending your sister's wedding looking as desolate and forgotten as a wilted houseplant? Drunkenly ringing your ex-boyfriend and asking him to be your date.

- SOBS UNCONTROLLABLY AT THE PERFECTION

Oh my god, they were ROOMMATES by @magic-girl-in-a-muggle-world

Silly one-shot, Muggle AU with Fem!Jily as pining roommates and Marlene as their matchmaker.

- the fic that brought me back to jily and inspired my deep obsession of fem!jily

Swipe Right, Swing Left by @downn-in-flames

The unspoken rule of using dating apps in D.C. is that you always start with where you work.

James Potter, it seems, never picked up on that one.

- giddy just thinking about this gem

'Tis the Damn Season by @petalstofish

It doesn't feel like Christmas for Lily Evans, not after losing her parents to COVID before the Holiday season. She anticipates spending Christmas all alone until a boy from her past shows up and offers her a mutually benefiting deal that has her calling him 'babe' just for the weekend. 'Tis the damn season, after all.

- cries in respect for lyrical writing

Watch Me Unwind by @maraudersftw

Lily Evans hates her job, hates the bigoted customers she has to serve as a bartender at the richest club in the city. But the one person who makes bearing all of it worth it has someone else in his arms tonight. (Rated: M)

- obsessed with the way the plot jumps around the time line in this

oil be there for you by @abby10fanfic

Texting/Social Media AU: Lily and James haven't spoken for 2 years. But that's all about to change thanks to Peter and his involvement in an essential oil pyramid scheme. Featuring boss babes, toxin-free lifestyles, binding contracts, and a very oily journey.

- YOU WOULD NOT BELIEVE HOW FAB THIS IS

a matchmaking mission by @downn-in-flames

James Potter has a mission: get Sirius Black and Remus Lupin to finally admit that they both fancy the pants off each other by Valentine's Day.

His partner in crime? Lily Evans, Remus' flatmate, who he also happens to be slightly in love with

- DOUBLE the amount of pining idiots in love :")

about time by @jilyss

'sure, yeah, I can accompany you to that black tie event for your work tonight. wait. why are we on a red carpet?'

- this is my emotional comfort fic, your honor

whiskey business by @elanev91

Sirius Black has a (bad?) habit of picking up hobbies that take over his and James' flat -- this most recent one? Homemade vodka that James now has to try and peddle to everyone in the building.

- hysterical! must read!

Fashion Disaster by @maraudersftw

James Potter is roped into an awful dare by his best-mate, which involves him wearing atrocious pieces of clothing for all days until Christmas as dictated by Sirius. If this wasn't terrible enough, he now has to contend with his maddening crush on the beautiful saleswoman at the clothing store.

- classic hijinks that I live for

it wasn't a pity invite by @elanev91

Part of the December "Winter Tropes" Jily challenge. Prompt: my family invites you to join our holiday meal as an obvious setup and omG i’m so sorry

- awkward Christmas date that owns my heart

spice and honey by @clare-with-no-i

tagging along with her food reporter sister to profile James Potter, London's hottest young chef, is not how Lily Evans pictured her Monday going - especially if he's anything like Petunia’s described.

needless to say, she's in for a whirlwind at Chez Maraudeur.

- I'm one re-read away from printing this out and putting it on my bookshelf.

Waffle Wars by @elanev91

There's only one waffle maker in the dining hall and it literally always breaks. So, naturally, the only reasonable course of action is to meticulously map out when it's working and, ultimately, do a heist.

- the witty narration in this fic can not be matched

You Can Hear It In The Silence by @alrightginger

Lily is non-verbal and deaf in a world where the things your soulmate says about you end up written on your skin. She has known about her soulmate since she was seven, but knows they don't have a clue she exists and possibly never will.

- exquisite, cue me sobbing forever

out the window by @displayheartcode

A new family moves to Ottery St Catchpole.

- everything I could ever want in a fic, forever in my mind rent free

The Christmas Guest by @thegodmachine

An Evans Family Christmas: Petunia is bringing her fiancé and Lily is bringing her…Friend…

- petunia pov that gives me WINGS

Football, Calculus, and Cappuccinos by @moonawrites

At eighteen years old, James Potter has a lot going on. He's a rising star navigating the politics of professional football, the pitfalls of sudden fame, the fallout from choosing his dream over his father's company... and a serious crush on the red headed new barista at his favourite coffee shop.

- I'm still working my way through this fic, but trust me when I say its a GEM

if u like pina coladas by @zephyrcove

Lily is desperate for a date to Petunia's wedding, James has been pining, and their friends meddle ;)

- explain to me how characters can be so perfect via texting fics?

Shelf Awareness by @ghostofbambifanfiction

It's too far out of her way and she's wasting so much money, but Lily can't help but return to the bookstore every weekend, where her passion for good literature has, perhaps, been unexpectedly reignited by the messy-haired, pun-making, rather handsome bloke who works there.

- you absolutely must know that I binge read this and then immediately REREAD it

How to win a witch in 10 days by @adenei

“She’s going to find some unsuspecting wizard, get him to fall for her, and then do all the things that turn men away to get him to break things off! Won’t it be the best way to see what witches do that drives men crazy?” But what happens when the man in question is a blast from Lily Evans's past? A Jily Magical AU based on the romantic comedy "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days."

- fic based off of a rom com? YES PLZ :’)

The Fight Before Christmas by @ghostofbambifanfiction

The heartwarming Christmas tale of Lily Evans and James Potter - two plucky kids who hated one other, until the day they really, really didn't.

- complete sucker for this one

All This Time by @thejilyship

James and Lily grew up next door to one another. Their bedroom windows giving them glimpses into the others life, and also offering prime opportunities to argue with each other over every little thing. They never figured out how to be friends when they were kids, but now that they've graduated from college and are home for the summer, they have a second chance to get things right.

- one of my favvvv tropes

Let Me Love You by @thejilyship

With only a month until she's set to take the throne of Gryffindor, Lily is informed that she'll have to get married or choose to give up her throne. She never thought she'd have to even entertain the idea of an arranged marriage. Enter, James Potter.

- cries in princess diares AU

The Fabulous Baker Brothers by @frustratedpoetwrites

Lily walks a different route home from work and stumbles upon a cute little Bakery with an even cuter baker in the window.

- yes yes yes to embarrassed pining.

Marigold Mornings by @mppmaraudergirl

This is a fun game she thinks, as she removes her hand from his side and reaches up to run it down his chest.  He catches her hand in his own, takes a step forward so that her nose nearly brushes against his shirt. She can feel the heat radiating off of him—or maybe it’s from her. He licks his lips and her eyes are drawn to the motion.  She knows it is a bad idea, absolutely knows it.

- incredible storytelling featuring dynamic characters :') a favvv

Welcome to Pettyville by@women-inthe-sequel @alrightginger

When Lily Evans accidentally sends a text to the wrong number, she isn’t expecting to find the right person behind it. She can’t stop talking to Prongs. The only thing is, Prongs can’t stop talking about the girl in his class. What could go wrong, other than the number?

- LOVE SQUARE ANYONE

The Kiss a Stranger Project by @alrightginger

“What’s your name, then?” she asks, realizing they haven’t even properly introduced themselves yet. She nervously crosses her arms.

You shouldn’t kiss a guy without knowing his name first.

Right?

- THIS ONE WILL LIVE IN MY MIND FOREVER

[idealnreal]

Maruki Palace Over-analysis pt II

[ Continued from Maruki Palace Over-analysis Part I ] Thanks to @appleyjuiceboy​ for helping out and @goalexstark​ for requesting

What I didn't notice before was how the ceiling was decorated. We have the hologram of the globe from earlier, but it is flanked by these white drapes, with crawling vines with white flowers. These flowers are stephontis, aka ‘bridal veil’-- yes, a flower used during weddings. The lights and the crawling text surrounding the walls here are green and blue hue, complementing this set up, making it look like an outdoor wedding. I’m not crying, you are.

I’m not sure if this is a left-over from the original concept for the palace (which seemed to emphasise more on Rumi and her loss, as the palace was originally conceived as a memorial for her, and with Maruki’s outfit being a bride-groom’s suit), as this is the only hint to the wedding we get in this palace. As I said in part I, this auditorium is where his research is recognised all over the world. 

And what we know from his first journal entry (will get to that further in a bit), he was nervous to meet and tell Rumi’s parents of their engagement because he was a ‘lowly researcher’. His ability as a researcher, and obviously his career success, is tied to his self esteem as someone who is worthy to be married to Rumi. Which is not a strange thing-- after all he would want to support Rumi and the family they would build. And college researchers don’t usually make much money. This link in his real life and in the auditorium therefore suggests that once his research finds world wide success, he can finally have that wedding with Rumi. And be happily and comfortably married.

The next area plunges us into darkness and into a large storage area with industrial containers stacked high on shelves, with only dim cyan-green and blue lights illuminating the area. There are also smaller boxes on these shelves, as well as shelves and containers with sheets thrown over them. In one room there is a large fan hanging off the ceiling. Also found a tendril/cable just hanging out here.

Maruki is … very systematic, so to speak. Each section of his palace has a specific function in the working of the whole lab. The main portion of the palace aka the white clean lab portions that people are supposed to see, is organised along the entire ‘recovery’ journey that he envisions for people. What then for the portions people aren’t supposed to see, like this warehouse portion? What is its purpose? Labs may have storage and waste areas sure, but they wouldn’t have large industrial containers like these.

I headcanon that this storage area is where all the pain goes, locked away, and compartmentalised. His own pain, yes, but also the pain of everyone else. He remembers everyone’s pain, and through his hyper-empathy he takes it all in as his own. Even when everyone forgets their pains and traumas in this new rewritten reality, it still exists somewhere because HE still remembers each person’s suffering. So he compartmentalises and stores them away here. Otherwise, he would lose himself in the pain again. And he can’t have that happen if he is going to complete his research and his new reality.

The shadows that patrol here are Maruki-like shadows, that don’t speak (as in if you hide and try to eavesdrop, you only get ‘ … ‘ from them). He sees only himself guarding everyone’s pain -- guarding them from being opened and returned to the real world. He also relegates these shadows of himself to this darkest part of the palace, contrasting with the white hallways outside -- just as he does later in his ‘throne room’ is dark and depressing, contrasting with the golden and bright garden of eden outside.

We then come to the monitoring room, very dystopian scifi aesthetic. Here we are introduced to shades of cyan, featuring prominently for the first time in this palace. This colour is meant to be calming and peaceful, especially more pastel shades of it. The neon shades used here are somewhat glaring, eerie and it is an unnatural colour, closer to the web colour we see on our screens.

On the room itself, according to Futaba, it is more of a mainframe, where it’s collecting data across the palace and sending that data to mementos through these tendrils and cables. Indeed we see scenes of the palace on the screens, presumably a feed from all the large cameras we have hanging around. There also seems to be heart rate monitors on the green screens. What data is it collecting from the palace itself? There are no real subjects to observe or any real sources of data -- it’s just Maruki and the data is just his own distorted vision of the world.

It’s safer to say that this is where he is sending directions, from where he re-writes cognitions, and sends it off to mementos.

But before we leave, if you approach the monitors in this room, a screen will turn on and you will see a glitch of Rumi’s face. ( video here https://twitter.com/historilocked/status/1269068848466202628?s=20). He’s thinking about her. She is still an essential part of this palace. And her image only appears if Joker approaches, suggesting that Joker’s presence triggers his memory of her. After all, Joker knows about Rumi at this point (remember this is before the first memory tape room). But he’s trying not to think about her, which is why her image isn’t clear and glitches out and disappears if you step away. Or maybe even his memory of her is distorted?

Again, the fact that we only see very few hints of Rumi in the ‘lab’ portion of the palace suggests that ultimately his research and his work to heal humanity is not solely just for her. More on this when we get to her memory tape later. To mementos!

Maruki redecorated the hall of the grail, and switched the colour scheme from red to blue and cyan. From an oppressive colour to something more calming, but no less eerie and unnatural. We have glass tubes containing Azathoth’s tendrils into this hall, and those tendrils are also spreading out to the rest of mementos. There are also panels with writing on the floor, and on each is written one of the seven deadly sins. Compared to the palace, the way this room is organised is a bit more chaotic. The tendrils seem to be weaving around on their own, more akin to vines. There are also escalators out of this room now, leading to new mementos levels.

On the point of Yaldbaoth, previously the cells were populated, with figures standing in them. With Yaldy in the middle of this circular prison hall observing everyone and keeping everyone in check (see: panopticon). In maruki’s version of the hall, there are no longer any figures in these cells. He’s freed everyone from their confines of social control and apathy.

This marks a different approach to how Maruki and Yaldy manipulates people’s cognitions. Yaldy manipulates everyone to follow a single line of control, while Maruki manipulates everyone by setting them free of those rules that confine them to submission and resignation. Basically Maruki lets everyone live their best lives regardless of oppressive social norms (coughs Maruki said lgbt rights coughs).

On the mementos levels, Jose says that this section was made recently and the flowers taste different, and he doesn’t seem to like the flowers here. This time the levels for mementos go upwards, following the whole theme that Maruki’s palace is all about going up. The path of Da’at, where Da’at is the state knowledge and intellect in Jewish Kaballah mysticism.

But the existence of a new section of mementos is puzzling in terms of established in-game logic, because mementos is only supposed to expand because the phantom thieves are featured more prominently in the public’s consciousness. But following the line of logic during the Lavenza meeting, Maruki has taken the PT’s place in the public’s subconscious, expanding it, and then building a control room at the end of it. Speaking of ...

The control room is more pastel green-blue, and darker cyan shades. Kinda like the colour used for medical scrubs. According to Futaba, this room is a central data hub, where the data from the palace is gathered, then sent out to the rest of mementos. The screens show various parts of mementos, looking for ‘targets’ who’s cognitions can be changed. The PT bring up an important point, that Maruki isn’t (yet) able to heal everyone because there are still mementos requests and people who are still in pain. He needs to go through all of mementos and still look for people to ‘heal’. His work is still incomplete, there is still more pain in the world. He cannot stop. 

With the data stream stopped, and the tendrils retracted, a new section of the palace opens. That’s when we get to the really good stuff. But in Part III hHOHOH.

[surveys-at-your-service]

Survey #401

“my love is just waiting to turn your tears to roses”

Do you typically do your makeup the same each time? Or do you like to change it up often? IF I wear makeup, it's essentially always the same. Who is the last person you were in a room with just the two of you? What were you doing? Yesterday with Mom. We were trying to find the best deal on Eco Earth, a substrate we're getting for Venus. What was the last really good book you read, and what was it about? If we're talking REALLY good book, then The Handmaid's Tale by Margaret Atwood. In short summary, it's a dystopian future novel where women are now basically just objects used only for repopulation, even having their names stripped from them. They follow very strict rules as society has returned to horrible misogyny. As a woman, the "oh my god, this is possible" aspect of it is terrifying, and it causes such a sense of disgust and urge to ensure women rights always continue to be fought for. Do you feel safe in your country? For the most part, I'd say. I guess. There are places I'd feel safer, though. How many meals do you eat a day? Three. Have you ever performed a solo dance in front of a crowd? No, but I was supposed to my senior year in high school; the seniors at my dance studio were always welcome to do a solo in celebration. Mine was a modern dance to "Coma White" by Marilyn Manson, wanting to tell a story about depression and how being medicated could feel, but I eventually decided like halfway through learning the choreography that I was just too nervous to do a solo. Have you ever sung a solo? No. When you go to McDonalds, what drink do you usually get? Coke. Have you ever had to call and complain about a product you bought? No. Do you own a designer purse? Definitely not. I'm not wasting that much money on something like that. What’s the weirdest rumor you’ve ever heard about yourself? Apparently, Jason and I had a baby in high school even though I was obviously never pregnant. To my knowledge, it was started by his ex. Who is now a good friend of mine lmaooo. Life is funny. What was your favorite Saturday morning cartoon growing up? Pokemon, of course. Would you ever have an affair? Nope. Would you ever have a one night stand? Nope. Where you present at any major historical events (e.g. 9/11)? No. What are your opinions on marijuana legalization? Legalize it, but treat it similarly to alcohol in that driving under the influence is illegal and punishable, and I believe you should be of a certain age. How about abortion? I am pro-choice. I was pro-life most of my own life, but now I am very firm about a mother being able to choose if she wants to endure a pregnancy or not. Like, that is a MASSIVE life event that almost inevitably changes - and sometimes traumatizes - people. I do believe a fetus is its own body and not part of the mother's, but rather in the mother's, but the belief that a woman decides what she wants in her body is her choice, too. I'm not very fond of people treating abortion as a simple, regular form of birth control, like it's nothing but an "lol whoops," but I still believe it is ultimately her decision, and she should always be free of judgment for doing what is best for her. Do you wear skirts or dresses more often? Neither. I wouldn't dare wear a skirt more so, though. What do you think about tipping at restaurants? There should always be an expected minimum, imo, unless the person was truly, sincerely, genuinely fucking awful. Waiters do not have an easy job, fight me about it, and they're just trying to survive while putting on a happy, jovial face, all the while dealing with hungry people who can be such assholes. I believe the actual tip should relate to actual service, but again, give them something. Would you ever get back together with any of your exes? One, absolutely. The other would take a shitload of consideration and proper communication on his part. Do you have a preferred coffee brand? No, because I don't like coffee. Do you usually befriend your coworkers, or do you prefer to keep work separate from your personal life? IF I had a job, I'd like to build a friendship with those I have to engage with almost every day. What is something you frequently forget? Dates, ages, names, what I was about to do five seconds before I forgot... Pretty much everything. My memory is frightfully poor. Is there any drama currently going on with your family? No. When you take a nap, do you nap in bed or on the couch? In my bed. Were you raised by both of your parents? If not, then who raised you? Both; my parents split when I was somewhere around 17, though, but I'd say there wasn't much more "raising" to do at that age. Have you ever stolen anything? If so, why? No. Have you ever plagiarized someone else's work? Hell no. What's your most-used mode of transportation? My mom's car. Have you ever taught someone else a useful skill? Not to my recollection. Does seeing everyone else's 'perfect lives' posted on social media ever bring you down or affect how you feel about yourself? It actually does, honestly. Not ALWAYS, but if I'm being honest, it does most of the time. I've contemplated deleting Facebook for that reason, but with is also comes things that make me happy, and I think I'd feel even more isolated without it. What is your favorite Hostess/Little Debbie snack? This is SO impossible for me to answer. I loooove Hostess and Little Debbie treats. I want to say honeybuns, but I also love those chocolate cupcakes with the white swirls on top, as well as Twinkies. Very few exist that I don't like. Do you/your family buy loafs from the bakery or bagged on the shelf? We just buy bagged bread. What’s the best news you’ve gotten lately? My APAP mask is definitively WORKING!!!!! :') Mom got an app that connects to the machine via Bluetooth that monitors the effectiveness of the mask, evaluating many factors of your sleep, and it's detecting a definite decrease in disruptive behaviors or something like that. It is so, SO encouraging to know that. ^And, the worst? Hm. Oh, probably some news on something serious a good friend is going through, but I don't feel it's my right to disclose what. It's just a very worrying and potentially dangerous issue that I wish I could help her with. Would you rather receive (or give) flowers, chocolates or jewelry? I'd appreciate any, but my fat ass is drawn to the chocolate, ha ha. What *I* would give would vary depending on what the person liked. How do you feel about coconut? Smells lovely, but is otherwise gross. ^ Ever cracked one open? No, but omg I've always wanted to, haha. What’s the best thing about being your gender? I guess the fact it's more "normal" and "accepted" to show our emotions. Fuck that generalization, though. I don't give a shit what your gender is, you experiencing emotions is NORMAL and welcomed to be expressed. ^ And the worst thing? The ability to be raped and impregnated by it. Do you do your part to save the earth? I don't do nearly enough. :/ We recycle, but that's about it. Well, none of us DARE to litter either, but I still don't feel like it's as much as the earth deserves from its denizens. Who do you think should have their portrait on a bill? I don't know or care. Why did you last feel exhausted? Yesterday was my niece's birthday, and I spent essentially ALL day playing with her and her brother. I have a very limited battery when it comes to kids, and I was running on empty for hours. My anxiety was SO high and I really needed a break from them, but they're too young to really understand that Aunt Britt can only socially run for so long before I'm completely burnt out, and TRUST ME, I was there for sure. I didn't want them to think they did something wrong, you know? I just had to keep going. I slept like a baby last night though for sure, haha. Have you ever used emotional blackmail to get your own way? Wow, no. Has anybody ever used emotional blackmail on you? No. Who did you last worry about and why? Sara for health reasons. Are you currently looking for a new place to live? Not actively, but Mom and I definitely want to move. We feel very out-of-place here in the suburbs. Which would you prefer as a view; mountains or the sea? Mountains. Do you have a mouse for your laptop? (Assuming you have a laptop) Yes. I canNOT play games with a trackpad. Do you apologize a lot? Extremely excessively. When you get married what do you think you’ll put most of your focus and money into? Do you mean like, for the wedding? In that case, probably the venue. Being a photography buff, I want a place I think is really pretty to have pictures taken. What’s something you complain about frequently? My legs hurting, my weight, and being hot. Do you have anything planned for the summer? Nope, and that's fine with me. I'd rather stay inside away from the heat. Who usually makes dinner in your household? My ma. Do you have a blog? Just on Tumblr. Does anyone in your family snore loudly? My mother does because of gerd, and at least when my father still lived with us, he snored super loud, too. Do you want to fix anything with anyone? Yeah, a few people. What shows do you watch? Right now, only Meerkat Manor: Rise of the Dynasty. Whenever The Edge of Sleep comes out, I will 110% be watching that, too, because Mark is a key actor in it. :') Plus the concept seems super cool. Have you ever broken someone’s heart? I don't know. Who was the last person you had a conversation with on the phone? Me mum. Does the song you’re currently listening to remind you of anyone specific? No, given it has like... one lyric, haha. Do you own any TV show soundtracks? No. Last thing you did that made you feel like an adult? I mean I guess sign myself in at the doctor's. What’s your favorite picture of your mom? Dad? Oh my god, there's a candid one I got of Mom laughing when she was posing as my subject for a photography assignment, and I cherish it with ALL my heart. I want to share it with essentially the whole world, but yeah, I'm not gonna put my mom's picture here. As for my dad, I like this one I took of us at Red Lobster for his birthday a year or two back. Last TV show series you finished? Fullmetal Alchemist with Sara. Favorite flavor of cream cheese? Regular. What US state would you like to visit? Alaska. Last meal you made yourself? I put a chicken pesto thing in the microwave earlier for dinner.

[hello-im-not-a-possum]

Who said black cats were just bad luck? (Prompt: Stars)

Nathan Arch and Joey Drew had been ‘friends’ since the pair were young boys. Nathan was a studious child who even at a young age, took his family’s image and reputation seriously and saw supernatural forces as nothing more than silly superstition and myths. Joey on the other hand, was an energetic and mischievous little imp of a child who believed in the supernatural forces. So naturally, they hated each other on sight at first.

In childhood, the boys’ relationship was strained even further by their parents forcing them to be the best of friends when the pair barely had anything in common aside from their mutual dislike for having their afternoons, weekends, and summers being ‘wasted’ in each other’s presence.

This had led to Nathan bullying the smaller kid, nothing like punching or kicking the impish boy, Nathan Arch was no brute. But he did make fun of Joey, a lot. Most often by mocking his supernatural interests, calling them silly and childish as well as occasionally ruining the boy’s belongings whenever he was too irritated to deal with him. Joey of course didn’t take this lying down and had retaliated by playing nasty pranks on Nathan; shaking up soda bottles, putting creepy bugs in his things, drawing rude pictures into his school books, things like that.

Nathan compared the ritual circles in Joey’s father’s books to something like “wishing on a shooting star, but this one is just drawn on the ground with chalk.”, and Joey would fill his school bag with earthworms. Joey would tie Nathan’s shoes together and laugh as he fell on his face, and Nathan would throw one of Joey’s sketchbooks in a muddy puddle.

Then, ‘the incident’ happened and Joey returned from visiting Henry’s hometown with an injured leg and now had a haunted look in his eyes.

The boys’ petty rivalry was snuffed out soon afterwards; Nathan knew that guilt would eat him alive if he tried anything and Joey seemed to wrapped up in his own struggles to even bother trying to mess with Nathan. Either out of pity, guilt, or a mix of the two, Nathan did try to reach out to Joey, whether it was with a ‘get well soon’ card that came in a gift basket or seeing him in person at the hospital, but it was obvious that it was a bad idea for him to push anything further.

Whether their parents decided it was in poor taste to continue to shove them together in the hopes of them being friends or some Doctor gave an order for Joey to rest, the two drifted apart shortly after the incident. 

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

A few years later, Nathan Arch had gotten into a good college and was just setting up his side of the Dorm when he heard someone else come in.

“Archie? Is that you? How long has it been?!”

Turning around to face his new roommate, Nathan Arch’s eyes widened in surprise at the sight of the man he hadn’t since childhood. Joey carried around a cane now for obvious reasons, he had gone from a pipsqueak of a child to a beanstalk of a young adult, and he was a lot neater (at least, appearance-wise) than he was as an unruly little imp. But the mischievous spark had been re-lit in his eyes.

“Drew? Why, I haven’t seen you in ages!”

He hesitated for a second, what was he supposed to do? It wasn’t like he could just pretend that their history was nothing but dust under the rug, but at the same time, he’d much rather carry on a conversation that matched Joey’s upbeat tone... No, this was just like medicine, swallow it down first and fast, and then it does its job.

“Joey... About how I treated you when we were kids... I’m Sorry. It was petty and cruel of me to take out my frustrations on you when neither of us had any say in the matter of how our lives went. And I deeply regret it, I can understand if-ACK!”

He was cut off by Joey crushing him in a bear hug.

“I forgive you, you verbose, pompous airbag.”

Rolling his eyes at the insult, Nathan hugged Joey back.

Having Joey as a roommate was an... interesting experience. It was a mostly positive one as in spite of his cheerful demeanor and strong preference towards the arts as opposed to business or something of that sort, he was not a man child and did follow the rules and assigned chores of the dorms.

Compared to other students at the college, Nathan probably lucked out when he got Joey, but there was just one little thing about Joey that bothered him, nothing too serious, just a little itch of a problem.

For the most part, Joey talked about his father’s arcane tomes and spell books a lot less than he used to as a kid, but now on the once in a blue moon occasion where he did speak of the occult, he took it a lot more seriously. Perhaps even more seriously than christian priests teaching the word of God. The man treated magic how Nathan wished Joey would treat money; warning against using it frivolously, not using it when he didn’t need it, and looking into the pros and cons of each and every spell before using it.

It didn’t come up often enough for Nathan to be too nervous, but there were a few instances in college where Joey’s occultism was strongly noticeable, and not just on Halloween...

While Nathan was mature enough to keep his thoughts to himself, some things could never change. Like his views on the supernatural. He still saw magic as something fictional, but he also saw how important it was to Joey, and part of him feared that bringing up his opinions about magic would send the two back into being rivals, so he kept his mouth shut.

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

While the four years of college flew by a little too quickly for Nathan’s liking, he was pleasantly surprised by how well those four years had not only repaired his and Joey’s relationship. Going from near strangers with an unpleasant history to genuine friends who kept in touch with each other even after college was just a memory in the rear-view mirror of the past. Heck, Joey even was the best man at Nathan’s wedding! And he had the pictures on his mantle piece to prove it!

Nathan was looking through a scrapbook Joey had made and sent to the happy couple as a wedding gift. It contained various pictures of the dates the two went on and the last few pages were pictures of the proposal itself. Nathan smiled as he flipped through the book, wondering what kind of gift he should make Joey in return for his own wedding (if he ever decided to marry).

But that smile fell into a concerned frown as he saw the last page; symbols he recognized from Joey’s spell books: a long forgotten language within a circle that entrapped an upside-down star. The ‘explanation’ was that this was a good luck spell wishing him and Tessa a happy future as husband and wife.

He sighed, closed the book with a little more force than he meant to, and flopped down on the couch. As if she could sense that he was upset, Tessa had come into the living room right as he tossed the book to the other end of the couch.

“Nate? What’s wrong?”

“I’m scared, Tess.”

“About Joey?”

“Yes, I had assumed that he’d grow out of this silly superstitious nonsense sometime when he genuinely matured into adulthood, but if anything, he’s gotten even worse! It’s one thing to go to church every Sunday or to read a Torah, but at best what he’s getting himself into is setting himself up to be scammed by every phony fortune teller on the block and at worse it’s genuine devil’s worship!”

Tessa nodded in sympathy.

“So do you just need to get this off your chest or do you want advice, Dear?”

Unbeknownst to the couple, a shooting star past by outside.

“Well, as much as I’d like to get advice, I don’t know what on earth could work, Joey and I were practically at each other’s throats all the time before ...his incident. While “magic” was there for him for his entire life... I want to help him out of this but I don’t want to lose him as a friend. I just wish I could understand him and why he’s so invested in all that sorcery-crap!”

“You know Nate, sometimes I feel the same way.”

“The floor’s all yours, Doll.”

“I think I can understand the appeal of just wanting to snap your fingers and make every problem you have get carried off by living furnature or whatnot but magic always seems like it’s out to get you! I wish I knew why anyone for that matter would see magic as anything other than trouble.”

The pair sighed in unison and it was Tessa’s turn to flop down on the couch.

“So Tess, where did you get the new hat?”

“New hat?” she raised an eyebrow and reached up to her head “I don’t remember getting a new ...hat...”

She took the pointed witch’s hat off of her head and looked at it in pure disbelief before looking back to her husband and practically jumping back in fear.

“Tessa?! What’s wrong?!”

“Nathan... D-don’t panic, but...” she fumbled around in her purse for her compact case before pulling it out and clicking it open, handing it over to her husband.

Nathan’s jaw dropped open by a cartoonish degree as he saw his reflection; white fur was quickly sprouting up all over his face, getting framed with black fur that spouted on the rest of his body. In a matter of mere seconds, he didn’t even look like a human being anymore! He looked more like that fat cat character in the comics he saw Joey draw.

He looked down at himself and screamed when he saw that the rest of his body had also changed, and when he looked back up to his wife, he screamed again as he realized that she too had gone under some kind of transformation.

Her normally brightly colored attire was replaced by a floor-length black dress. She was still human, or at least, much more human than he was, but she looked simplified in a sense, more like a living drawing of herself. Her pie-cut eyes were filled with concern as she saw the fear in his eyes.

“Oh don’t tell me...”

Nathan bit his lip and nodded.

[food-truck-guide]

HOW MUCH IS IT TO RENT A FOOD TRUCK

Different food truck cuisines, locations, number of people attending the event and time of year are all areas which will determine the price on how much it is to rent a food truck for your event.

How Much Is It To Rent A Food Truck

Are you curious how much it is to rent a food truck? This is actually a common question which people ask all the time. In this article, I will explain everything you need to know about renting a food truck so you can make the best choices. There are many different factors you should consider BEFORE reaching out to find a truck. These areas consist of type of cuisines, the number of people who will be attending, along with many other contributing factors. Its ok though, you don’t have to know every mundane detail. I will walk you through the basics, so you can get the perfect truck to your gathering! Looking for a food truck online can be a bit of a pain. There are many websites to look at and research. Word of mouth is a great way to start, but ultimately you will want to research food truck websites, social media, and make some good old fashioned telephone calls to get all the information you are looking for. This can be time consuming. To save you time, a tip is to check out directory websites that deal with food trucks and restaurants only. One of these recommended sites are https://savannahstreetfood.com. They have a nice list of food trucks which you can read about, gather information and start contacting directly from the website. We will talk about this more in a few. Being a former food truck owner, I know what trucks like to hear and what trucks sort of don’t like to hear. I know what will make them jump to your event instead of just merely accepting it. Remember, food trucks are a business just like restaurants, just mobile. They are looking out for their business just like any other business out there. Truckers try to be fair with their pricing, but also need to ensure they turn a profit.

Why Cuisines Help Determine How Much It Is To Rent A Food Truck

Let's face it, you want the best food truck for your party and/or gathering there is at the best price. There is one little problem, which do you choose? There are a lot of different food options from burgers to seafood to grilled cheese and everything in between. Which will benefit your gathering? You wouldn’t call a Seafood truck to do burgers and vice versa, so it is important to nail down what sort of cuisine you want. Determining Cuisine Determining the type of cuisine is SUPER important before starting your search and contacting any trucks. Trust me, as a former truck owner, there is not much worse than a customer coming to the window with no idea what the truck even serves. This usually ends in disappointment. The customer either feels like it was a waste of their time to talk to the truck or they settle for something they didn’t want leaving them with a bad taste for the truck (no pun intended). You can easily eliminate this issue by deciding what type of cuisine you would like ahead of time. Food Truck Websites There are many of websites which can help you choose your cuisine. This requires knowing what terms to search for and clicking around to find what you want from each and every food truck owner’s website (assuming they have a website). As mentioned earlier, if you are in the Savannah GA area upi can look into a directory Like Savannah Street Food. This type of site allows you search by whatever you are looking for directly from the home page. Whether it be the cuisine, location or business name, it’s easy to find what you’re looking for. There are many other websites that can help you with finding trucks in your area as well. For example, Roaming Hunger or Foodtrucksin. These sites cover locations throughout the United States, not just the Savannah and surrounding areas.

Cuisine and Pricing

Don’t forget to think about pricing when going with a cuisine. As we all know, a lobster roll will be much more expensive than an empanada, so just make sure you are comfortable with that. Those few dollars per person extra could throw off your budget completely!

Food Truck Options

Alright, you have your cuisine picked out? Great! Moving onto the selections of different options per truck. Let’s say you decided on a taco truck. Now, it is time to pick what sort of menu items you want for the party. Food trucks usually offer your choice of a main menu item, a drink, a dessert or a mix of them all at different costs per selection. The normal item of a taco would be one price. Now if you want a drink, that would be more and a side a few more dollars. What about dessert? Does this truck do desserts? That is another good question to ask while finding out cuisines as well. If they happen to have the dessert you want, great, but that will raise the overall price per guest cost so just be sure to check. Food Truck Minimums To help maintain an overall worth, a truck may have minimums in place. Other trucks may have contracts to be signed to ensure the truck makes a certain agreed amount to prevent any loss in revenue. Because we all have that friend who says their coming, but never shows up! There is also a final option. You can have the guests pay for themselves. In this case, the truck may require a small fee to ensure they cover their costs of driving out there. In this instance, its everyone for themselves just like it would be if you went to a festival and decided to get food from a vendor. You would need to pay for whatever food you want. Shop Around Don’t be afraid to reach out to other businesses to get pricing as well. Sometimes a cuisine might be great, but a bit too expensive. This is where you can shop around to find the right foods for the right price. Usually you can find many different trucks of the same cuisine.

Location

Another major factor to consider when renting a food truck is location. Obviously, a big city truck will be more expensive than a smaller truck as there may be more demand for the big city truck. More demand equals more money. Parking And Permit Costs Every location has different rules and regulations pertaining to food trucks as well. Some municipalities have multiple fees and/or permits. Those fees sometimes can be incorporated into the operation of the truck, meaning a few more dollars. A food truck permit in Savannah, Georgia is around 200 dollars whereas a food truck permit in New Jersey would be more. Knowing your location can have a definite impact on some pricing. Mileage Fees There are trucks that may charge mileage. This fee is usually not the case, but it is worth reading the fine print to ensure you are not being charged for any mileage. Most trucks will not charge a mileage fee unless it is very far away, but this fee may be roped into contracts or minimum payments so read carefully.

Number Of Guests

The main contributing factor for how much it costs to rent a food truck would be the number of people attending your event. It simply costs more to accommodate 150 people versus 75 people, because more is involved; more product, more help, and more fuel. How Long Do You Need Your Truck? How long are you looking to have a truck at your event? If you are planning to have 175 people attend your event, you will need to have the truck present for longer than 30 minutes. Otherwise, there will not be enough time to server everyone. From my experience, trucks usually operate on a 2-hour time slot with extra hours costing a reduced fee per hour. For example, let's say you want to book your taco truck and you have 175 people attending with the event lasting around 4 hours. The truck may say that it is 20 dollars per person for 2 hours and every additional hour is 10 dollars per person. Depending if the party is big enough, the truck may simply waive the additional fee for extra hours. Multiple Trucks Using the scenario above, having a guest list of 175 attendees could end up being too much of a strain on one truck. In this case two trucks would be needed to cater to the amount of people attending also raising the overall cost per person.

What’s The Weather Outside?

Alright, you have cuisine, menu options, and headcount/timeframe all complete and are ready to book your food truck for the party. Awesome! However, there is one teeny tiny little thing to consider when renting a truck. Weather! Mother nature sometimes has a mind of her own and can make your party go from great to non-existent in a flash. Keep up to date with weather predictions and have a backup plan if the weather is not so great. Also, be sure to ask the truck if they operate in rain, snow, sleet, or hail, because they may need to cancel if the weather is not ideal. If that is the case, there may be a nonrefundable fee associated with that. Just ask.

What Time Of Year Do You Need Your Truck?

You may be booking a truck for your fourth of July wedding party. Super! However, note that the time of year can play a big role on pricing. It may be more expensive in summer months opposed to winter months (if the truck even operates in the winter). It will also depend on the truck and what their schedule is like. Cost for renting a food truck may be lesser in the winter months over summer months as the demand is not as high. After reading this, I hope you have a better idea on what is all involved in renting a food truck for your event. All the information you need to make a seamless booking of a food truck is provided above. You know what to expect for cuisine, menu options, headcount, time-frame, and lastly weather. It may seem like a lot to digest (once again no pun intended), but really it is just ensuring you have all the knowledge to throw the best party and have the best food truck there to help you. We all have to eat, why not make it fun and delicious too? Don't you just love food trucks? Check out our events page for a list of events happening around your area and feel free to contact us if there is an event that you would like added to our calendar! Read the full article

[linyi-is-dreaming]

The Decay of the Blossom - Chapter 20

Story: BTS x Reader x GOT7 Category: Drama, Friendship, Love

Summary:   Y/N’s life starts to change as her mother gets herself a new man after her father’s passing. A new school, a new life. Everything sounds too good to be true. Apparently, destiny has its own rules and that is something she will learn when destiny gives her some signs along her way.

CHAPTER 20

As Y/N wakes up with a headache from crying last night, she wonders how she made it into her own bed as she does not remember that she even went to bed. She can feel the pain in her neck as she stretches herself. When she looks into the mirror on her desk, she notices her swollen eyes. The dried tears on her cheeks and the redness around her eyes are clear to see. As a lot of thoughts are crossing her mind, when she starts to dress herself. Almost lifeless, she makes her way to the bathroom. With barely any energy, she moves her body across to the other room. As she keeps walking, she can hear laughter coming from the living room. It sounds as her mother and her stepfather seem to be in a good mood. A sigh leaves her lips as she closes the bathroom door behind her. Her eyes keep looking at the lock in the door, without thinking about it, she locks it slowly. The image that Y/N sees in the mirror, shows that last night was a hard one. The little mirror on her desk, did show that it is obvious that she must have cried but the big mirror also shows it clearer, as the lighting is simply better within the bathroom. Once she cleaned herself, she hears how her stomach keeps asking for food. The palm of her hand keeps moving along her stomach as she decides to get some breakfast. Carefully, to not get noticed she walks to the kitchen areas.  

“Morning.”, her stepfather says in a cold voice as he takes a bite from his piece of bread. That was not what she wanted to see as the first thing in the morning. Without taking too much time, she tries to put on an apologetic facial expression to make sure he would not go off at her.

“Morning.”, Y/N greets as politely as she could. The moment her hands move towards the omelet, her stepfather gets up from his seat.

“You are not thinking about taking the food we cooked, right?” These few words were enough for her to show her real facial expressions instead. Even though Y/N tries to tell herself that everything from yesterday might have just been a phase, he makes it harder for her to believe.

"I am not. I just wanted to grab a piece of bread and butter.”

“Good, because the omelet your mother made, is meant for me.” Slowly he places the omelet onto his plate as Y/N walks around him to get the bread. “You can thank your mother that you can still eat the food that I provide for me and your mother.”

“Am I not allowed to even eat bread anymore?”

“If it would be up to me, you should find a part time job. If you got a part time job to buy your own ingredients, I would even give you an own fridge for your bed room.”

“If I work part time, I will have less time to study.”

“You did not study hard enough lately at all. So, who are you to tell me that you would have less time when you would only exchange unneeded wasted time to responsibility?”

“Wasted time?”

“Are you deaf? Those punks are a waste of time. Once you go to college, you will realize and thank me that I kept you away from them.” Instead of saying anything in return, Y/N spreads the butter on her bread quietly. “I take the silent as a ‘yes’.”

“It is not a ‘yes’”, she whispers to herself as she puts the butter back into the fridge. “I will eat in my room.”

“Do not forget to bring the plate back when you are done!” Without even thinking about his words for a moment, Y/N takes her plate and leaves the kitchen to get back into her bedroom.

“Good morning, Y/N”, her mother says as she follows Y/N from the living room to her room. “Do you need some cold wipes for your eyes? Honey, they are completely swollen.” Carefully, her mother touches Y/N’s face.  

“No, mom.”, she answers as she removes her mother's fingers from her cheeks.

“Are you sure? You sound mad. Did something happen?” For a moment, Y/N looks at her mother emotionless as she cannot believe what kind of question her mother is asking her.

“Oh, did something happen? I would not know why I could even dare to be mad.”, Y/N answers cocky.

“I understand that his strict rules are not what you are used to, but he only means it well.”, her mother explains as she walks into Y/N’s room.

“He means it well? Are you even listening to yourself?”

“I understand that you are not in a good mood but please, stay respectful.”

“I am respectful. The one who is not is him!”

“Do not talk about your father like that.” Y/N’s eyes grow bigger as she hears ‘father’ leaving her mother’s lips.

“You forgot to say the other word of father. It is stepfather not father, mom. He is not my father.”

“But you started to call him father...”

“Not anymore. I tried my best to understand and accept him but he is becoming a monster.”

“You know what, maybe we should wait a few days and then we will talk about it once again after you apologized to him.”

“Apologizing? What for? Shall I apologize because I want to live like a teenager?”

“Let’s talk later. I cannot talk to you when you behave like that.”

“No, let’s talk now!”, Y/N says as she places her plate onto the table. “Answer honestly. Mom, are you even happy?” Confused, she keeps looking at her daughter’s face. “Are you happy?”

“Of course, I am. Why would I not be happy?”, she answers with a little warm smile.  

“Why are you lying?”

“I am not lying.”

“You are! I see that look in your eyes. That look means you are hiding something or you are simply lying at me.”

“Do not talk to me like that! I am still your mother!”, her mother starts to scream.

“Mom, you have not talked with your friends for a while now. Your life is only about him. Do you not see that? He is isolating you. Your world has only space for him!”

“What are you talking about?”

“I am not blind! It is already enough that since your wedding, we did nothing together anymore. We did not even bake together or simple sat down together just to watch something on the damn tv while we talked about our week. Now, I barely see you and when I do, you are walking around with this fake smile and the rest of the day you are drunk.”

“Hey! I just did not find the time yet for us to do something alone, but we will once I got more time. Am I not allowed to drink just because I am a mother?”

“It is not about that you drink. It is about the amount. You never drunk this much before...”, Y/n explains worriedly. “The amount is more than the double I have ever seen you drink. You used to drink only for special moments like birthdays or new years, now it is every day for the smallest things.”

“I drink only a little more than usual. I never drank that much because your father did not let me drink this much.”

“I do not care why dad did not want you to drink. What I care about is you right now. Do you not notice that it is too much?”

“I am not the only one in this household to drink alcohol! Your dad might have got me away from alcoholism but that does not mean that years after I am still not allowed to drink? No, it does not. Your new father is different, he knows that I know my limit.” Shocked by her mother’s confession, Y/N sits down on her chair as she looks away from her mother.

“Why did you never tell me?”

“Tell you what?”

“That you were an alcoholic.”, her daughter says slowly as she realizes that her mother is putting on a fake smile again.

“Y/N, there is no reason for you to even know that. My former problems have nothing to do with you.”

“It kind of does. Isn’t there a chance that you could fall back into alcoholism?”

“There is always a risk, but I can promise you one thing. It won’t happen. I only drink with my husband.”

“Every night...”

“I do not drink every night!”

“Mom, come on. I see those bottles! I am not blind!”

“Enjoy your breakfast.”, she says angrily as she turns towards the door.

“Why are you walking away?”

“Because we are done talking.”

“Mom I am worried about you!”

“There is nothing to worry about.”

“Mom, your personality is changing.” Those words make her mother turn to her daughter immediately. “Do you not notice that you start to fake happiness, fake anything to be better than what it truly is?”

“No, you are the one who is changing. At first, I thought it is just puberty but the way you talk to me... I do not like it at all.”

“You told me, when I ever want to grow up, I should speak my mind. That is exactly what I am doing. I have a voice and I am not afraid to use it but you.... You were the one who told me to not stay quiet but you became silent. You are saying nothing when he abuses you!”

“Where do you have this nonsense from? Nobody is abusing anybody in this household.”

“I saw the black eye, the busted lip, the swollen cheek... Do you want me to continue? Look at your arm!”, Y/N yells. “Black and blue is all I see. Now, tell me. Is that what you want me to grow up with? Shall I idolize a woman as my mother who lets a man treat her like this?”

“You better become careful with your words because you know nothing!”, her mother yells as she finally hears enough.

“Then explain why you never say anything when he crosses the line? Is that why he is giving you alcohol every time before he picks a fight with me?”

“Be careful with your words.”, her mother warns.

“I am. Are you careful and aware?”

“You are a child-”

“Right, I am. But what I have seen lately, makes me want to move out.”, Y/N explains as a tear runs down her face. “You become quiet when you get drunk and he takes over and you just let him. Mom, please open your eyes! All you do is watching me fight with him but you did not take anyone side as you usually would when you would be sober.” Y/N tries her best to speak in a tone to make her mother listen but all it seems to do is to have fallen on deaf ears as her mother shakes her head.

“Listen. He is the one who brings the money home to pay the bills. Not me, not you. Therefore, he has the right to put up rules. We will follow them and that is it. Follow the rules and stop picking fights with him about them.”

“You are an adult like him and he gives you rules. Do you see nothing wrong with it?”

“I just told you what I think about it. We are done with this conversation.”, her mother says as she walks to the door. “Do not forget to cook yourself lunch on time. Your father does not want me to cook for you.” She can see her mother stop in her tracks as she sees her stepfather walking towards her mother with three wine bottles. “Something to celebrate again?”

“Let’s say it in this way. The whole department got an extra payment for the good work, so...”, the stepfather explains as he places a kiss on the mother’s cheek.

“That is awesome. I get the glasses.”, she says quickly before she closes her daughter’s bedroom door.

“Another drunk weekend ahead of us...”, Y/N sighs as she looks at the plate. “I do not even feel hungry.”, she thinks as she pushes the plate to the side to book from her bag.

🍃🍃🍃

The chair in the class room is still empty after the school bell had ringed. BamBam eyes keep staring at the empty seat next to him. Worriedly, he touches Jungkook’s and Yugyeom’s shoulder to make them turn around. “Jungkook, did you hear from Y/N?”, BamBam wonders as he puts his school books from one hand into the other hand.

“I hoped you guys did.”, Jungkook answers. “Yugyeom, did you hear from her?”

“I did not hear from her either... I already asked Jinyoung, but he heard nothing from her as well.”, Yugyeom answers.

“She never misses a minute of school and now she is not even showing up?”

“Maybe she got sick.”, BamBam wonders.  

“Y/N takes good care to not get sick just so she does not miss school.”, Jungkook explains. “We have to ask Jinyoung at lunch break. Maybe she will text him in the meantime.”

“You are probably right.”, BamBam agrees just a second before the class door opens. Excited to see Y/N, all three of her friends turn to the door.

“Good morning, my favorite class of the whole school.”, the teacher announces as he enters the class room. As the teacher places his books on the teacher’s table, he looks through the class room. “The best student is not here? You three in the back, where is Ms. Y/L/N?”

“Y/N did not tell us a reason.”, Yugyeom explains.

“You four are always together and you know nothing?”

“That is right.”

“Alright, I guess this class has to work harder today as the only hard-working student is not here today. Let’s start.” With a sigh, BamBam leans forward to his friends.

“As she is the only student who rights good marks.” As Yugyeom tries to control himself to not break into laughter, Jungkook moves his head slightly to BamBam.

“If you would not copy her answers, you would have failed long ago.”

“Rude.”

“No, it’s the truth.”

“Is the trio in the back so kind and come to the board?”, the teacher requests.

“Us?”, BamBam wonders.

“Yes, I need all three of you at the board as you three will calculate what I wrote on those three boards.”

“Perfect. Thank you, BamBam.”, Jungkook sighs.  

“Come down here otherwise I suggest you three come to my drama classes if you like to talk.”, the teacher says as he uncovers calculations that he seemed to have prepared before. As they stand in front of the boards, all three notice that it is not an easy calculation. “So, boys. You can start now, I bet you know the answer even without your friend’s help.”

“He truly hates us.”, Yugyeom whispers to his friends. “I miss Y/N already.”

🍃🍃🍃

As soon as the bell rings, Jinyoung gets his books and starts to storm out of his class room. “Wait, where are you running to?”, Jackson screams as he tries to pick up his stuff quickly to follow him. Lucky for him, Jaebeom is already after Jinyoung.

“Slow down! What is going on?”, Jaebeom wonders as he follows Jinyoung.

“Y/N does not pick up and she ignores me. I have no clue what I have done and I need to fix it. She cannot be still mad at me because I raised my voice at her.”

“Is that why we are ‘speed walking’?”

“Fuck off.”, Jinyoung comments annoyed as his eyes keep looking straight ahead.

“Oh, we are already reaching that point...”

“Guys, I just got scolded for running after you! Why are we even walking so fast?”, Jackson wonders.

“Jinyoung needs to talk with Y/N and the longer he walks the more depressed his face becomes.”, Jaebeom explains as they meet Namjoon who starts to walk along with them.

“Whose face is depressed?”, Namjoon wonders as Hoseok steps next to him.

“Why do you keep walking fast? Do we get something good for lunch?”, Hoseok wonders as he starts to speed up behind them.

“Where are we going? Lunch is that way?”, Namjoon says even though he keeps following them.

“Jungkook! Yugyeom! BamBam! Stay right there!”, Jinyoung screams as his eyes search for Y/N. As soon as he is close enough, he steps in front of them. “Y/N is not with you?”

“She was not here all morning.”, BamBam explains.

“She was not here? Did she call you?”

“Her phone is turned off. We cannot reach her.” Disappointed Jinyoung nods as he thinks about who else could have might got in touch with Y/N.

“Let’s eat something first, okay? Jin has probably already reserved us a table.”, Namjoon suggests.

“Yeah, let’s fill our stomachs first. I am so hungry.”, Hoseok tells them as he turns away to leave in the direction of the cafeteria.

“Come on.”, Jaebeom says as he puts his arm around Jinyoung’s shoulders. “Let’s eat.”

🍃🍃🍃

“Can you please look somewhere else?”, Yoongi asks as he looks at Jinyoung. “I am losing my appetite to keep looking at a beaten puppy.” Jinyoung’s eyes shoot up towards Yoongi in the moment those words enter his ears.

“Leave him.”, Mark tells Yoongi.  

“How shall I eat when someone looks like that?”

“She is not reachable for a day, what could have happened? Maybe something is wrong with her mom or dad...”, Mark says as he looks at Jinyoung.

“I did not hear from her since the ‘little’ fight we had.”, Jinyoung explains.

“Not a good sign.”, Youngjae adds without a second thought.

“Not helpful.”, Jin scolds Youngjae as he looks back at Jinyoung. “I will try to call her.” Just as he takes his phone from his pocket, Jinyoung shakes his head.

“Her phone is turned off. We already tried.”, Jungkook explains. “Maybe we should walk over to her house later?”

“I already planned to do so.”

“But your grandparents are coming over tonight.”, Jackson adds. “Can you be late for dinner?”

“Damn, I forgot... But that does not mean that I cannot bring her.”

“She will be back tomorrow. Do not worry too much.” Jinyoung nods as he starts to eat.  

“Are you going to call her again?”, Jimin wonders as he watches Jinyoung’s fingers typing.

“No, I am just going to text her something like... If she wants to talk with me, I am here or maybe I should just write that I want to apologize and that she should give me a call when she is able to...”

“Go with number two.”, Tae suggests.

🍃🍃🍃

As Jinyoung waits in front of the school, he checks his phone once again. No messages. No phone calls. A sigh is all that leave his lips until he discovers Jaebeom. “Jaebeom!”, he calls his friend loudly. “What are those papers?”

“Those? The teacher gave it to me. He meant I should drop them off at her place as her father is asking for it.”

“What paper is that?”

“I do not know. They closed it with glue. Probably just practice sheets for the next test.”

“I want to apologize to you... I know I have been a bit hard on you whenever Y/N is around you...”, Jinyoung admits as they start to walk. “I want to apologize to you for it.”

“It’s fine.”

“No, it is not. I am sorry for being a bad friend too.”

“You were no bad friend, what are you talking about?”

“I feel like dirt to not been there when everything happened. I know you leant on Y/N for it... She says nothing but she is always worried about you and all I know is that it is similar to what her mother went through.”

“Oh, that. My mother is starting to take any job she can get to not make us move out from our apartment. I already talked with my mom.”

“Do you even see her? I remember that Y/N meant that she barely saw her mother especially during the week.”

“If I have seen my mom last weekend? Well, with the thing with my aunt and her jobs... I have maybe seen her over an hour and when she was sleeping for maybe two hours...”

“Shall I talk with my parents? Maybe they know someone who would hire someone.”

“You know my mom. She hates it if people get into companies just through others, I bet she will not like it either if it comes to her... We could try though.”

“Cool.”, Jinyoung states as they continue to walk.

“I am going to look for a part time job again.”, Jaebeom states as he nods his head.

“But you were so excited for football training and I heard that you wanted to come back to dancing...”

“My mother needs financial help. She does not want to give up our apartment and I get it but, she will work herself to death if I am not able to help her.”

“Jaebeom!”, a man’s voice screams loudly as they walk closer to the bus stop. As both of them look towards the direction of the man’s voice, they already see Y/N’s stepfather waiting at the bus station. “I thought you might take a bus.”

“Hello Sir. It is just a short walk, that is why we did not take the bus.”, Jaebeom explains as he hands him the papers.

“Hello Sir. Is Y/N doing-” Just as Jinyoung wants to ask about his girlfriend her stepfather interrupts him.

“You do not need to ask anything at all. Y/N is just sick.”

“I hope it is not the flu.”

“You do not have to hope for anything. Thank you Jaebeom for the paper. Greet your mother for me, will you?”

“Yes, I will.”

“Goodbye boys.”, the man says as he leaves without looking at them once again.

“He is scary.”, Jaebeom admits.

“I do not like him.”, Jinyoung admits.

“Well, you do not like each other, so it is perfect.”

“My bus will be here any minute.”

“Alright, then. I see you tomorrow.”, Jaebeom says as he turns away to get home.

“Jaebeom wait.”, Jinyoung sighs. “Is your mother at home tonight?”

“I don’t think so, why?”

“Maybe you want to come to my place for dinner?”

“You have your grandparents over. Do you think it is a good idea if I come along?”

“We know each other for so long that they even see you as a grandchild of their own.”, Jinyoung jokes. “So, you are coming?” Jaebeom keeps thinking for a second before he nods in agreement. As he steps closer both turn their backs to the seats at the bus stop while they keep waiting for the bus.

“Just if you promise that you will trust me when I say, that I am not going between you and Y/N.”

“I did not mean to be like that to you. I just do not want the same thing to happen again.”

“I know. It is just-”, Jaebeom sighs. “From all of you, she knows what it is like to struggle. The worries I have when I see my mother coming home exhausted whilst she is preparing to go to the next job.” Those words make Jinyoung feel even worse. Bad for not understanding how much Jaebeom must have had hidden this worried side of him from everyone. Everyone but Y/N. In Jinyoung’s eyes he understands why he would lean to Y/N but on the other side, he thought their almost lifelong friendship would be strong enough for Jaebeom to come to him in matters like this.

“Why did you never tell us anything? Damn, Jaebeom! There is no reason to lean on my girlfriend for that when you got us. We know each other since we went to first grade together. Am I such a horrible friend that you feel like you have to hide it from me?”

“It is not easy to say that life is shit. It is not easy to say that you need money for food. Do you think I want to beg my friends without any possibility to give anything in return? It is just so fucking embarrassing to admit it. Y/N did not tell us either that she went through the same thing, in case you have forgotten.”

“Answer honestly. No matter how embarrassing anything is to you, no matter how hard. You will tell me, if you are not alright, okay? I am your damn friend. I do not want to see you doubting us, your friends. I do not mind to give you money or food if you need it either, just say something so I know you need something.”

“Okay.”, Jaebeom answers slightly embarrassed. “But I do not need compassion.”

“I do not do it out of compassion, I do it as a friend who knows that you hate to be on your own longer than a few hours and I know that it all bothers you.”  

“See, I told you. You are not a bad friend.”, Jaebeom announces. “And tomorrow you will see your girlfriend again and everything will be fine." As their smile grows on their faces, they hear someone clearing the throat loudly. In curiosity, both turn around and to their shock, they wished they would have not done that.  

“Tomorrow you will see your girlfriend again?”, Mr. Y/N/L asks in a tone that the boys did not hear him use yet. “I hope it is not my daughter you are talking about.”

“Uhm, sir no. We were talking about somebody else.”, Jinyoung answers nervously. If looks could kill, Jinyoung would be dead by now. Y/N’s stepfather takes a step to have almost no distance between him and Jinyoung.

“Do not dare to lie to me. I read your messages and I am telling you friendly, for the last time. Stay away from my daughter!”

“Mr.-”

“No! I am talking. Do you have any manners to even speak whilst I am talking?”

“I am sorry.”

“You will be. Do not call or text her anymore.”, the man says as he looks once again at Jaebeom before he walks away. This time, they keep an eye on him until he is out of sight.

“I will be sorry?”, Jinyoung stutters.

“That was a threat.”, Jaebeom comments. “Are you okay?”

“I am more worried about Y/N. Does that mean he has her phone?”

“Let’s get to your parents first and then we will talk about it.” Jaebeom turns Jinyoung shoulder to make him face the door of the bus as the bus stops in front of them.

“You have seen the grip he had on her before, right?”, Jinyoung asks as they sit down on their seats.

“I remember. Do not worry. I talked with Y/N before about that.”

“What did she say?”

“He never laid a finger on her before.”

“You believe her?”

“She did not look worried or sad when she said it.” Jinyoung nods as he tries to understand what is going on.

[lizzybeth1986]

Quick Thoughts on The Royal Heir, Book 1 Chapter 1

• We're back! Hopefully with a better series this time, but I'm not going to keep my hopes too high.

• If my QTs are clogging up your dash, I recommend you block these particular tags: #trh quick thoughts, #trh qts, and optionally #long post.

• Much like my Book 3 QTs, I will be exploring as many playthroughs as I possibly can to see how each LI's route is being written. Last book, this experiment definitely helped me figure out that they were putting more effort into some characters and less into others, and I'd still like to keep an eye out for these things as much as possible.

• I feel this QT might be shorter than my usual (edit: joke's on me - it's not!! 🙈), mostly because the opening chapter itself is...pretty light, and is mostly meant for us to spend time and have fun with our chosen LI. Plus a tiny smidgen of buildup to the premise, which is having a child in Cordonia. But I do have a theory about the overall theme that I'm going to be expanding on towards the end of the chapter.

• Okay that's it for preliminary explanations, it's time for me to start with the chapter! XD

• Ooh. Oooooooh. This loading page now has tidbits about Cordonian society!! Interesting.

• Title: Happily Ever Afterwards

Alternative Title: Be Grateful We're Letting You Have This Much Sex For Free This Week, Because That's The Last Time It's Happening.

• I'm extremely offended they're making me wear that Pepto Bismol outfit again.

•

...thanks so much for reminding me you still don't care about Hana, PB! 🙄 Everyone else remains to be some version of "loyal", but Hana is still considered more for her skills than for her own steadfastness, even though she was the most hardcore-loyal of the four (SHE LEFT HER FREAKING HOME. HER FREAKING FAMILY. FOR YOU. While the other three were certainly loyal and honorable to the MC, they definitely didn't have to completely cut ties with their families to do right by the MC).

• The "fairytale" aesthetics of the frame story were what drew people into TRR in the first place, so it's not too surprising that the LIs and MC give a nod to the flagship series with a "once upon a time". If you're with Liam, it goes straight from "falling in love with the Prince" to what his relationship with her taught him, before the happily ever after. If you're with one of the other three LIs, it specifies that she came there for Liam but fell for someone else. Sounds a lot like Maxwell's book 😄 In Maxwell's playthrough, in fact, there is a reference to it when the MC calls him a "famous author".

•

(Screenshots organized as follows: 1 - Liam, 2 - Drake, 3 - Maxwell, 4 - Hana. Liam's and Hana's are my own. Drake's from @thefirstcourtesan, and Maxwell's from Kaitlyn Walker's YouTube channel).

The other interesting thing to note is that in Liam's playthrough, he leads the narration. While in everyone else's the MC is the one who steers it. One reason I can think of is that the narrative still treats this story as Liam's story as much as it is the MC's (if I'm right about the theme) - which...has honestly always been a sore point with the fanbase in TRR. That would depend on how us and our baby are now further involved with Cordonia in the story. Another factor for why she leads the narration...could be that essentially, the MC took initiative in the other three relationships, while in Liam's case it was he who took a more active role by proposing to her.

• The little story ends with this question from the MC:

Question: But what happens after Happily Ever After?

Answer: Mess. In Cordonia it's always mess.

• Cordonians (specifically the upper classes, since I don't know enough about the common populace to tell, since they're, yknow, practically invisible) are addicted to tea, apples and fucking shit up where they don't even need to.

• ANYWAY. What (literally) happens after 'happily ever after' is a tropical honeymoon on Liam's private island. In the case of the other three, he allows them access to the place and gives the staff instructions on making the stay comfortable for them.

• Now, since Liam owns the island and has probably visited it a could times, he shows more familiarity with it. He tells his wife that on previous trips the island had more rustic accommodations, but the villa they're now staying in was prepared recently. Additionally, the butler welcomes Hana, Maxwell and Drake as newcomers to the island, considering it's their first time. With Liam, there is an air of familiarity - he calls the butler by his name (Javier) and enquires about him and his wife (Mariana) - to show us perhaps how familiar he is with this holiday spot.

• Why the hell does everyone call Liam "Your Highness"? It's been two whole books since he became King, and the proper title for a monarch is "Your Majesty". How is it that Constantine gets to rake the MC over the coals for calling him Your Highness, yet Liam has to hear this from practically everyone. From Javier to freakin' Protocol-Monitor-Madeleine! The disrespect, I tell you!

• Okay so we're having a candlelit dinner by the ocean, and we get our first OOTD. Cute beach dress, has bright flowers and some crochet work on the bodice. I bought it because I couldn't bear to have Esther stay another minute in that Pepto Bismol of a dress.

• LOL @ all the LI responses to "this spot is right where the sharks are!"

• Tuna sashimi and pineapple aioli, huh? I have never had either so idek what that's supposed to taste like (someone on this writing team likes pineapples). I remember having to cut down on tuna during pregnancy, which meant no more Subway sandwiches since the tuna sub was the only one I liked at the time. IIRC most of my family were also cautioning me against pineapples and papaya during my first trimester!

• My gosh this butler doesn't waste much time jumping into assumptions huh?

• Also Javier, why is Cordonia's future so dependent on the well-being of my foetus even if I'm not ruling the country?

• Does Cordonia have sex ed? My money is on no. (esp in the Hana route).

• So there are two parts to the way the premise of wanting to have kids is built up in this sequence. In the first part, the LI impresses upon the MC the need to have children soon after the wedding. The second part addresses the urgency - the "why right now?" factor, and explores the LI's personal emotions towards having children. This bit also feels a bit like a follow-up to the Valtoria balcony scene in Chapter 15.

• The first part is pretty similar for Drake, Hana and Maxwell - all three of whom are now married to a Duchess and are aware that securing the duchy is important. They word it in their own distinctive styles, but the gist is pretty much the same. In Liam's case, since he is the king of the country, he speaks more about Cordonia and its tensions with neighbouring countries.

Take note of this because I'll be returning to this point later. (also who are the writers trying to convince about Cordonia's size. "Small kingdom" my ass).

• I'll be going by the LIs' personal reasons to have a baby now, one by one, along with a summary of their views on children in the Valtoria balcony scene last book (since this scene clearly references that diamond scene if you've bought it last book).

(Screenshots: Liam's and Hana's screenshots are mine, Drake's is from @thefirstcourtesan and Maxwell's is from Kaitlyn Walker's YouTube channel)

- Liam: Liam's love for family and need for children is well-known throughout the series. In Book 1, he's dropped hints about wanting to have a different kind of family dynamic from the one he'd experienced as a child, and in Book 2 there were multiple references to wanting to not be Constantine - both as a King and as a father. In the balcony scene in Book 3, Chapter 15, Liam tells us a number of things - about the value of having more heirs for succession, of him always dreaming of having at least 3 children, about Kenna, Cordonia's most legendary warrior queen which leads to an interesting factoid about how the rules of successions for both the throne and duchies are not gender-specific (he also cites Olivia and Penelope as being in line to inherit their duchies). In this sequence Liam undoubtedly has more to say about the political aspect of having an heir than the personal, but his statement about "someone missing" in their lives is of no surprise when he's been enthusiastic about kids for three books straight.

- Drake: Drake perhaps gets the lengthiest 'personal' bit of all, revolving around his eagerness to be a father and his own family history. This scene has Drake speaking of wanting a child with "your eyes and my hair", but most of all of Savannah and her little family, and wanting the happiness his sister is experiencing now. The writing often manages to tie Drake's thoughts about his future family with his past: in the Valtoria balcony scene, his memories of his father and his desire to bring up his own kids the way Jackson did are dominant in the conversation on children. He speaks at length about the absence of a proper 'home' so far in his life (stating that his room at the palace always felt like "a room in someone else's house") and how high on his priority list the prospect of having children is. The Valtoria scene shows him eager to have kids asap, and this scene builds up the same urgency. You're left in no doubt that he wants those kids now.

• Maxwell: Maxwell's route of this scene soundly pretty sudden, tbh. In his Valtoria scene, Maxwell expressed doubt and nervousness when it came to children, citing the example of Bartie ("I love palling around with little Bartie and everything, but if he bonks his head or something, I can just hand him back to Savannah. When it's your kid, you're the one people hand him to."). While this is referenced in TRH's dialogue when Maxwell jokes about forgetting diapers and baby socks - it's a pretty big jump from the man who didn't exactly feel ready to have children yet, and not enough work was done to justify that shift. This could be somewhat excused in the beginning of Book 3, when the narrative had just begun to treat him like an LI, but they've had an entire damn book and several months after to reflect on how to write him properly. That is...if they actually gave a damn.

- Hana: They don't even have the excuse of "relatively new LI" in Hana's case. Because she is the lone female LI married to a female MC, her scene should have been a lot more extensive and explored her urgency to have children so soon after their wedding, a whole lot more. There are tiny changes, like the one where she hints at the "logistical concerns" that come with two women considering a family, and where she speaks of giving her child the childhood she never had (which, frankly, is an extremely vague statement and could be applicable to more than one character in Cordonia). But there is urgency that, again, isn't properly explained in the scene. Even Hana's Valtoria scene doesn't have much that would explain why she would want a child barely weeks after her wedding. The Valtoria scene does have her outlining her dreams for the duchy (along with a joke about her enacting "Beauty and the Beast") and her happiness at the thought of being a mother (she maintains that out of the things expected of her, motherhood is the one she looked forward to). They could have spent some time thinking up a reason for why Hana would rush this, even before anything has happened, or outlined something personal and not ultra-generic. Both Maxwell and Hana deserved a lot better than this.

• Maxwell speaks about possibly forgetting diapers (PLS NO MAXWELL NO) and baby socks (um okay not as bad but depends on the climate), and one of the MC's dialogue options is to say..."diapers and socks are overrated". Guys your kid won't care how much fun you are when they have a bum rash.

• A-ha! Diamond scene. First-chapter diamond love scenes always come cheap in these series' (12 diamonds) and are usually quite a steal.

• ESTHER HAS NEW LINGERIE OMG I'M SO HAPPY I'D BEEN WAITING FOR THIS MOMENT FOR SO LOOOOONG 😭😭😭😭

• ...and it is also matches Liam's underwear. Maxwell's too 😅

• The scene is nice, there are variations between the ways the LIs work up their appetite before they finally roll in the...well, sand 😅 Maxwell has what they call an "ocean duel", Hana's fulfills her lifelong dream of carrying and spinning around her wife on a secluded beach, Drake chases the MC through the water...and Liam just enjoys being a huuuge tease, okay? 😂

• Oh God, why are they still using the old LoveHacks sexytimes music. That "DHUM-boom-ta-doom-DHUM" beat drives me nuts, and not in a good way. You have better music now, PB! Like the sexytimes tunes from RCD and PM. Use those!

• My gosh this entire group is quite horny for dominant duchesses, aren't they. Every last one of them. Each playthrough has these four gazing at the MC in wonder and telling her some variation of "I think you ordering me around is hot". Olivia could trample over them all with spiked heels and they would thank her!

• As always, when something suspicious happens, my dumbass MC goes ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ and never thinks about it again until shit actually goes down. This woman will never learn, will she.

• Anyway! We now move on to the rest of the honeymoon, summed up in three-four varying scenes per LI:

(Screenshots: Liam's and Hana's screenshots are mine, Drakes is HIMEME's YouTube channel, and Maxwell's is from Kaitlyn Walker's YouTube channel).

- Liam: Focused and dedicated. And insatiable as hell. Sex on a bed (SHOCKING!), sex after his wife points out what could be an apple constellation during stargazing (the MC effectively killed Liam's boner for Cordonia, I see), sex after having chocolate strawberries at a sunlit pond, sex again on a bed (Why is he getting four? 🤔). While the staff is still around somewhere on the island. This is a man with a mission.

- Maxwell: Fun and playful - kind of a "let's live wild and do daredevilry while we can!" vibe. In one Maxwell and the MC cliff dive into the ocean, debating over the wisdom of such risky adventuring when they may possibly be having a baby. In another, the MC watches, concerned, as Maxwell eats a raw squid appetizer. There is a nice callback to Maxwell's House sigil - the kraken - when he tells her that a squid would never hurt a fellow squid. The third shows them playing Strip Monopoly in the comfort of their bedroom.

- Hana: Adorable, caring and looking through every detail. Hana's three scenes involve her showing the MC the sights around the sunlit pond (which Hana and the MC lovingly call the "Hana Lee Honeymoon Itinerary"), watching the sunset under blankets, and this little scene of them choosing sperm donors for their baby:

It's a nice addition, but it still doesn't explain why they couldn't have waited a few more months. Nothing has happened yet in the timeline of the story, the women are (they believe) finally safe and happy, and while Javier seems to believe that babies born to a couple that consists of two women pop out of nowhere, I'm hoping the denizens of their duchy will have at least a little more common sense (this is Cordonia, so "hope" is the operative word).

- Drake: Langorous, relaxed and contented. Stargazing on the beach (I wonder whether this was a nod to the meteor shower scene in Book 1), whiskey on a patio/balcony/whatever in the afternoon, and eating roasted pork by the fire. Plenty of sex but also lots of outdoors, which means lots of the stuff Drake enjoys doing.

• Aaaaaand it's time for sexy scene 2! The couple are now relaxing in bed on the last day of their honeymoon, and the LI proposes a momento in the form of a sensual photoshoot (which comes with artwork of the LI in their underwear, posing for the MC) The male LIs pose with their hands at the back of their heads, smirking at the camera, while Hana strikes a coy pose, leaning against her hand. It's a quick, fun scene that's supposed to squeeze as much alone-time out of the couple as possible, because from here on the focus may shift to other things. Basically this chapter is meant to be one giant (but largely safe for readers) smutfest. I like the artwork - it's different and I guess meant to be a little more realistic than the usual full-page art in the books (like the engagement and wedding photos with your LIs last book), which is why I think it takes a little getting used to. I know it took me some time!

• Maxwell got an underwear upgrade too!

• We've now come to the end of our honeymoon, our bags packed and ready for our return to Cordonia. The chapter ends with us seeing a "familiar face", who could either be Liam (if you married someone else, and he doesn't show any expression) or an unspecified person (if you married Liam, and he looks ultra happy). Now that could either be related to some paparazzi-related stuff, if the flash of light was paparazzi-related, or it could be a fake-out and he's actually brought along the rest of the gang to surprise you. Idk and I don't want to speculate too much on this, mostly because something more interesting caught my eye.

• So that's it for my thoughts on the scenes themselves! On to the "general thoughts" section.

• General Thoughts and Potential Theories:

- As a first chapter for a new series that is still tied to an older one, it worked. It mirrors the light feel and sensibility of TRR's very first chapter, in that both chapters build an illusion of a fairytale-like place, with hints of the darkness within emerging the next chapter onwards (in this series though - since we're already familiar with Cordonia - the darkness is lightly hinted at this chapter itself). In a lot of ways I think we're going to see a lot of parallels between TRR and this new series.

- Unfortunately, one of those similarities also includes the imbalance in the writing for the LIs. Specifically with Maxwell and Hana. It's the most glaring in the dinner scene, which builds for us the premise on which this entire book stands (the topic of pregnancy). There are ways you could have them make the jump from nervous about having kids to excited, if you tried - there are elements in their storyline that could have helped us understand their urgency.

- I played Liam's route first, and was happy overall with it but I still have my misgivings. The good in terms of Liam's story is that he gets importance because the story is also about him and his country, where we are staying. He gives us some very important details in his route, and personally I like that his role as Guide To The Intricacies And Nuances of Cordonian Society still exists...but you can't deny that there were things in his storyline which should have been addressed and never were. I hope those are addressed this book. If they do the same this time around, it will only be to their detriment.

- Also, I find it highly ironic that Drake is the one to mention Savannah and Bartie when it was MAXWELL who was more involved in helping her with the child. Sure, he was - as he confessed in that Valtoria scene - more the "fun uncle" type, but he was still pretty heavily involved. Still keeping track of what Savannah needed and what Bartie would want. In his own final Book 3 scene, Maxwell is shown having an amazing rapport with little Bartie, playing peekaboo with his nose. I can barely count scenes involving Drake and Bartie with the fingers of one hand. Why couldn't Maxwell reference that last moment in Book 3, drawing up some inspirational moment from it? Like spending more and more time with Bartie changed the way he felt about kids? Or maybe that Savannah or Bertrand said something regarding the joy children bring to him. Anything that gives us some idea of when this shift happened.

Maxwell may have been new last book. It may have been a struggle to know what to do with him last book. But that isn't the case right now. By now they should have settled in their writing of him and figured out ways to make his story make sense? To give him more depth rather than simply reducing the man to the court jester? Maxwell's story was supposed to be about him growing, the scene in Valtoria was supposed to be about wanting to be a good father for his future children but fearing he might fail...yet the writers have the same man say the exact opposite. Maxwell's family history was thrown away for no good reason last book, and was replaced by Savannah drama. There was more space given to Savannah's love story with Bertrand (which didn't NEED the entire book to gain fruition) and Drake (optionally) enjoying humiliating Bertrand. That time, energy and effort could have gone in building up Maxwell, getting an insight into what happened to the Beaumonts that they became so poor...but no. The only Beaumont that mattered seems to be Savannah (and we know exactly why). And going by the fact that they're going to force an entire wedding storyline involving Bertrand and Savannah down our throats, that still seems to be the case.

- Hana's is even more worrying considering that it was poles apart from the rest of the playthroughs and therefore SHOULD have had more thought. Yes Hana loves the idea of being a mother. Yes Hana loves children and has a nurturing nature. But the urgency is still the same as the others' in her playthrough, and it made absolutely no sense. There was a clear dissonance between their current situation and the rush these two were in.

Hana's deserved at least some more time in her dinner scene. Maybe one where she could speak about growing up an only child, with no companions and not even toys. She could explain the loneliness involved in having a small family with parents who gave her more duties than affection, and then speak about giving her kid a better childhood. There isn't even any discussion about which of them should be the person carrying (we know it will be the MC, but why it has to be her in their case is anyone's guess).

What the team have done here is give Hana the bare minimum, after an entire two books of giving her even less than that. I know I'll probably be judged for thinking negatively rather than being cautiously optimistic, but the fact is that the moment this team feels they can get away with tossing scraps or less than that, they can and will do it. It's not stopped them before: not from botching up Hana's storyline, not from giving Hana fans a reception full of goof-ups and shoddy writing, not from pairing her with her bully. Perhaps last year I would have been happy and grateful to see Hana and the MC calling each other "my wife". This time...I refuse to settle for just mere scraps. If you can give thought and care to Liam and Drake's storylines, you'd better be able to do the same for Hana and Maxwell, otherwise what's the point of reviving this book? What's the point of using Hana specifically in two of your ads as bait for your lesbian/bi/wlw fans?? Might as well let the entire series rot in the trash where it belongs in that case.

- I've heard theories about our child becoming heir to the throne, thanks to a possible future arc that may make Liam unable to have children. I personally hate this possible plot line for two reasons:

1. As it is the MC gets more importance than she deserves, whether or not she actually puts in the work. She becomes a front-runner during the social season even if she fails. She becomes a Duchess even if she lacks even the most basic skills, while Hana who has done way more than she ever had for the country gets nothing, not even a needle-point's worth of land. She becomes Champion of the Realm even if she is literal garbage throughout that book, when that title could have easily gone to Olivia or Hana instead if she didn't earn enough to get it. And now to have her kid be made an heir to the throne? For no good reason? Get outta here.

2. Forcing Liam into yet another storyline that is tragic and painful (and I'm pretty sure the writers will find yet another excuse to write a thesis on Drake Walker in the time they could be using to let Liam actually break down, or vent. If they couldn't be bothered to explore the man's feelings when his own father died, do you really think they will bother with him in this??) on top of whatever else he's had to experience so far? At this point I can do with less of that. I'm honestly sick of storylines that put Liam in very uncomfortable, painful situations with very little space for him to air out his grief. Give the man a fucking break. Let him have some breathing space to rule his goddamned kingdom, get him a fantastic therapist and get him better friends while he's at it. Pushing him into yet another messed-up situation when you've barely even scratched the surface with what his experiences have done to him, is really just drama for the sake of drama, nothing else.

- Nonetheless, since this is about a pregnancy and a future heir, I believe there will be plenty talk about succession, and about the importance given to fertility and children in Cordonian society. But as with the social season in Book 1, the engagement tour in Book 2, and the wedding + Unity Tour in Book 3, I believe the pregnancy itself is a frame story. The kind of story that justifies the glitz, the glitter, and the glamorous events...that can serve as a temporary gloss to cover the conflicts within. All while the inner stories reveals those conflicts, layer by layer (again, if it's done right. Book 3 is a good example of a great premise ruined by bad writing. I sincerely hope this book does not go in that direction).

- Remember those screenshots I put up in that dinner scene from Liam's route? About Cordonia's tensions with its neighbouring countries, and how the country may be viewed as vulnerable? I think that's where the actual theme of the story lies.

Books 1 and 2 mostly revolved around the illusion of Cordonia - the fairytale kingdom - before the MC herself is confronted with the tensions brewing within. Book 3 was about strengthening Cordonia through resolution of internal conflict. It was about learning about the intricacies of the country, its most powerful duchies, their histories and identities, Cordonia's messy, complicated history - to tackle the problems that lay within.

I feel like Book 4 would be taking a natural progression from resolving internal conflict to finally standing united as a nation against outside forces. Constantine - in his conversation with the MC in Shanghai - hints not only at groups within Cordonia that wanted to destroy the monarchy, but also foreign powers ("suffice to say there are those who envy Cordonia's prosperity...". Not the royal family's - but "Cordonia's").

Keeping a united front and showcasing strength through pride in the country - ergo 'patriotism', or perhaps 'national integration' since Cordonia is home to many different cultures and geographical locations (I originally wrote 'nationalism here, but now realize there may be negative connotations attached to that word in today's times: thanks @musicallisto!) is often viewed as an asset against alien forces. The MC is now a part of the monarchy/nobility, and will be irrevocably tied to the country's future - so it makes sense that she will now dig into the deepest and most intimate parts of Cordonia's history, and go several steps further in helping to unite the nation.

- Why do I theorize 'patriotism' or 'national integration' as being a theme? There are several reasons for this:

The Unresolved Storylines: We still have a ways to go in understanding Cordonian history. We don't know which other forces were involved in previous assassinations, and we don't have a clue what happened to Liam's mother. All we do know is that other people and groups that we have probably not even seen yet, may have been involved. Francesco (who also knew Liam's mother) and Xinghai, the only foreign delegates/visitors that we got to network with in Book 2, have minimal roles so far but SEEM to have had some influence when they were introduced earlier. Francesco particularly could have some sort of role to play, given what we were told about him in Book 2. Now would be a good time to explore why he needed contacts with these people (other than the fact that Xinghai is Hana's dad). It's possible that nothing will happen and we may not even see these two, or exchange any important information, but I'd still hope that there is some importance to their appearances in Book 2.

The Connections We Made In The Engagement Tour: Meeting Francesco in Capri was related to getting access to EU markets for Cordonian products. The engagement tour itself revolved around grabbing international attention towards Cordonian problems - one of which was the tsunami that hit Portavira, which we learn more about in Book 3. There is a possibility that these threads may be picked up in the future.

Both the above points hint at possible threats, or allies. At this point we can't exactly determine who is friend and who is foe, but it is clear that neighbouring countries - and indeed countries we have associated with in the past - will play a pretty big role in the way we view Cordonia, and in the way we direct the narrative of this country.

The Artwork: I love this part of my theory because it is the most based on actual evidence rather than guesswork. The idea of a nation depends as much on items of familiarity and symbols, as it does on history. It's why countries have national animals, anthems, fruits. Why art depicting national and local legends can often be considered almost sacred. The book has barely even begun yet, and already it is FILLED with all kinds of things symbolic to Cordonia.

Let's first take a peek at the cover art:

Now let's ignore Liam's and Drake's (busted) faces in this cover and focus on what the three are holding.

The MC holds a rattle in her hand, and the jewel within the rattle looks similar to a ruby, which has been associated more than once with apples in the story (Cordonia's most valued variety of apple is the Cordonian Ruby, Liam's wedding gift to the MC is a ruby in the shape of an apple. The same rattle shows up in the second cover [on the left] as well. It's a stretch, I know, but I've got better evidence. Stick with me).

Liam holds a onesie with a crown design on the front - and we know that "for crown and country" is a popular phrase, especially for toasts, in Cordonia. Drake holds out a toy lion: the lion is the national animal, and holds a place of pride in the national Coat-of-Arms. The throne on which the MC herself sits, is blue and gold - both considered national colours. That's at least 4 symbols related to Cordonia vying for our attention on the same cover!

I mean, even Book 3 had just two major symbols - the apple (related to Cordonia) and the phoenix gown (related to Valtoria) - featuring on its cover.

The biggest proof to me, however, is not the cover, but the loading page. To be more precise - what is written above that loading page. A number of Choices books (BB, for instance) write little factoids about the world they are building above the loading bar, which players can read while they're waiting for the chapter to load. This wasn't a common practice with TRR, but they've definitely started it now! Some of the commentary is usual stuff - about gaining advantages through outfits, welcoming you back to Cordonia, etc...but THIS TIME there are tidbits of information given to us as well. And 80% of those involve apples!

Here are a few I managed to catch. One fact on the importance of apples in Cordonian culture, two specifically on the Cordonian Ruby itself including a rare recipe, and two old proverbs (this isn't the only time we've heard apple-related proverbs in the books - in Book 3 for instance, Bertrand refers to their trip to Fydelia as 'slicing two apples with one knife'). Proverbs in general often give us an idea of what people within a region hold up as important, as so connected to their life experiences that they can use those familiar objects as motifs for things that they see in daily life (eg. proverbs in my home state, Kerala, often refer to things/animals we find locally: jasmines, coconuts, jackfruit, dogs, elephants).

The fact that the apple features so often and with such emphasis in the loading page itself - and we have already seen what this simple fruit means to Cordonia - indicates to me that this national symbol - and the idea of the nation itself - will be of great importance. Not only will we be exploring foreign relations, IMO, but we'll also be learning how to build a national narrative that will benefit and strengthen Cordonia.

What's also interesting is that the apple symbolizes fertility to the Cordonian people as well - the apple cutting ceremony during a wedding (as explained by Regina to Leo's fiancée in RoE) is "a symbol of the fruit the tree will bear - you being the tree, of course", and there are chances that the fruit may feature often within the context of pregnancy/having children as well.

• That's all for now, guys. I hope to write more and theorize more as the chapters progress! Until then, I hope you enjoy this one, and I'd love to hear what you have to say.

• I did the Hana screenshots for this chapter, since the first chapter allows me to play repeatedly within losing keys, but I won't be able to do so from Chapter 2 onwards. If there are any Hana fans out there who keep screenshots of scenes in their route and are interested in sharing, I'd love to hear from you and will definitely credit you for the screenshots I put up!

• If you'd like to be tagged in future QTs, please let me know! Tagging @nikkisha16 for now since she asked xD

• Until Saturday, folks!

[yvaquietdays]

Isolation Motivation

We’re three weeks into official lockdown, so I’m not going to patronise and assume nobody has seen these kind of posts on Instagram:

Well, you lack the basic empathic skills to make you a canny lad, Farrah.

I don’t know anyone who can speak fluent mandarin after a month in quarantine. I also don’t know anyone who can learn how to install a flush skirting board in their bathroom after three weeks of bashing their heads against the wall from trying to teach their own kids, either. When was the last time anyone started a business in only six weeks, whilst also realising their new boyfriend, who they’ve subsequently been trapped with, is in fact the most sinfully boring person who ever had the audacity to be born (isolation increases the use of hyperbole). Never mind this all happening in the midst of one of the worst economic health crises’ in recent history?! 

Obviously, Farrah has started his particular side hustle as a mandarin-speaking joiner already. Good luck to him. All the best. Take care.

The fact is, the best of us are either on the front line, risking their lives to save others, or risking their lives getting us about on public transport, or teaching their kids geometry or some-shit, whilst also bouncing a baby in the palm of their hand and taking the dog for a walk six times a day. If you have time to focus on those goals, like learning a new language, or starting that book you promised yourself you’d write, or organising your photo albums, or finally learning the meaning of the off-side rule, then fill your boots. What does Farrah think we’re all doing? Sitting around with our thumbs up our arses, staring at the ceiling? It’s really the arrogance of those posts that really wind me up, as if they’re the font of all knowledge and inspiration and they’ve deigned to let us see what the good life looks like. Rude.

If you finally have the time to breathe, go for walks, cook, and just survive through this thing, then that is okay too. Christ, we all work hard enough, don’t we deserve to take this time off from the demands of such a fast paced modern world? It takes zero prisoners. We might not get another opportunity to put our feet up and not feel guilty about it, for the rest of our lives. The last time I felt like this, it was the summer holidays and I was fourteen. Most adults don’t see this kind of respite until they’re pensioners.

We’re all different. Some of us thrive on keeping ourselves busy, giving ourselves jobs and lining up support systems for those in need, or volunteering, or just getting that peeling garden set sanded and painted again, or cleaning out the fridge of old jars of spam and failed sourdough starters from three months ago. But some of us, who find the world and the competitive road we’re all herded on each and every day, overwhelming, and so it’s a welcome and quiet reprieve. 

It’s time to slow down and breathe, and I repeat, not feel guilty about it.

Breathe. Eat. Sleep. Stretch. Repeat.

Not to mention, all the while this is going on in our brain-boxes, hundreds of people are dying every day in the UK. It’s rising every day. This is a time unseen for most of us. The global anxiety level is high. I have to do what I can to establish a routine, make the most of this time I have, but check in with those numbers every day to remember, this isn’t a state paid holiday. I have personally always maintained that life is a balance, anyone reading my blog would agree. This time that has either been gifted or forced upon it (a bit of both, I’d concede), is no different. 

It’s important to remember that the people who are trying to influence us aren’t helping us; they’re feeling better about themselves. Instagram, especially. The platform exists so we can reach out and find validation, some praise for being humans. That’s the basic psychology behind it. It’s not even the more grandiose aspects of the platform that personally irritate me. It’s the mundane. “I colour- coded and ordered my bookshelf!” Thank you for that picture. Well done. It’s a bookshelf. I’m happy that it’s colour coded, I really am, it is satisfying to see, but I don’t need to know about it. What you did was sit for an hour or so and colour code your books. That shit isn’t stuff we see in Oscar winning movies. Seeing it on Twitter or Instagram, though, makes me feel guilty that my own bookshelf is not colour coded. Even though I couldn’t give a tiny mouses mitten whether it is or not. I’m suddenly hyper aware that my bookshelf is disordered, and a wave of displaced anxiety arises. Should I order my bookshelf? Am I wasting time? Should my bookcase be disordered? Yes. It’s the way I like it.  This is coming from a person who takes great pride and personal relief from tidying. I love tidying. I love ordering stuff, and I can’t relax after work until everything is in its place. But do you see me posting about it on instagram? No. Why? Because while I believe in those small, beautiful meditations, whether that’s colour-coding a bookshelf, making a coffee in the morning, writing in a journal; it’s personal. As soon as we start posting about those moments, we’re diluting the experience and it no longer has any resonance, because you’re doing it for someone else instead of yourself. Yes, we might get some gratification from it, but why does someone need to see that I cooked a beautiful meal for me to know, that, well... I cooked a beautiful meal? I have to be so careful to remember that someone else’s life and someone else’s grievances are not my own. This is the trouble with social media, in general. It’s a hive mind. Once you’re logged in, other people’s experiences becomes yours, thrust upon you, whether you wanted it or not. So you did one small workout this morning, feeling good, right? But that other slim, tanned, beautiful, make-upped person did two. Plus a run. With intervals. And a fruit smoothie afterwards. Christ, is anything we do good enough? The influencers who are posting from home about how to stay fit and keep the pounds off, they’re only wanting to feel better about themselves. It has nothing to do with you. If someone is lauding that shit all over you, and you’re quite happy wondering what kind of a potato you are, then unfollow, fren.

At the end of the day, if we come out of this a little bit fitter, or a few pounds heavier, it doth not matter a fuck. What’s important is that we come out of this thing alive.

While we can roll our eyes at these accounts, it’s also vital to know that a lot of people with the time to do all this stuff can probably afford to. Once you see it, it’s very hard not to notice how out of touch they can be. Personally, I have a safety net. I’m being looked after by my employers, I have some savings, my outgoings are small. So I’m trying to learn french. But others, aren’t so lucky. They’re either still working in a Co-op, or working from home, or have lost their jobs due to bad bosses (who will be named and shamed after this, I’m sure), and are too busy applying for universal credit to spend their spare minutes worrying whether they’ve learned a new skill or not.  This is where I’m coming to my next point. If someone is capitalising on this, whether it’s selling weight loss shakes, reusable gloves or masks for a high profit, they’re not influencers or half way decent people. It’s one thing to get by, creating work where we can get it (I set up a Patreon), and we’re quite happy to take what comes from people who can afford it. But it’s quite another to profit from a disaster like this. I might be okay for a couple of months. But if this stretches on until 2021, I’m not sure where I’m going to be.  So forgive me for not having time for holier-than-thou posts about how we ought to be spending this time isolating. I’m too busy regretting the time I’m missing with my friends, my family, sad that I can’t celebrate getting engaged (I got engaged) with my loved ones, sad for my friends who’ve had to cancel their own weddings, sad for friends who are losing work and money, whose businesses might crash. Lives. The economy is crashing, France is in recession, and here I’ve got Billy Big Balls telling me I’m not disciplined enough to achieve my goals. 

There’s a lot going on right now. The most important thing, human contact, and the people we love, that’s what we need the most. Not a new bloody skill.

So breathe. Eat. Sleep. Stretch. Repeat. 

If that’s all you can do, do it. Just staying home, we’re saving lives. We might not know it. But we are.

Can you imagine coming out the other end of this, the world opening again, only to find our favourite pubs and coffee shops closing due to a financial crash, unemployment sky rocketing, not to mention the lines of funerals of people who have died, and Great Farrah of the Dick Swinging comes out of his bubble, speaking mandarin and profiting from his new business, telling us all that we wasted our time?

Jesus. Talk about tone-deaf.

Breathe. Eat. Sleep. Stretch. Repeat. 

[marceloferrt-blog]

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[fastworldnews1]

PM Imran Khan promises referendum for Kashmir,s independence

Prime Minister Imran Khan on Friday promised the people of Kashmir that his government will hold a referendum in which they can choose to join Pakistan or become an independent state if they wish.

Addressed an election campaign rally in Tarar Khal, he rubbished talk of him "wishing to turn Azad Jammu and Kashmir into a new province of Pakistan".

"I do not know where all this talk has sprung from," he said, dismissing any notion of such an idea.

"But what I want to make clear now, is that in 1948, there were two United Nations Security Council resolutions which granted the people of Kashmir the right to decide their own future. According to the UN resolutions, the people had to decide whether they want to join Hindustan or Pakistan.

"I want to clarify to all of you today. InshaAllah, a day will come, when all the sacrifices made by the people of Kashmir, will not be wasted. God will grant you that right. There will be a referendum, InshaAllah.

He expressed the confidence that the people on that day will choose to live with Pakistan.

The premier went on to state that after the UN mandated referendum, his government will hold another referendum, where the people of Kashmir will be given the choice to either live with Pakistan or become an independent state.

PM Imran Khan said the freedom struggle of Kashmiris pre-dates partition and began more than a 100 years ago, when the people stood up time and again against the Dogra government.

The Dogra family was a dynasty of Hindu Rajputs who ruled Jammu & Kashmir from 1846 to 1947.

Moving on to the Azad Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Assembly election, due on Sunday, the prime minister said that there is already talk that "there will be rigging".

He said when he used to play cricket, it was standard practice for countries to have their own umpires, and teams that were fearful of losing against a powerful team, would preemptively raise a hue and cry about losing the match due to the other country's umpire officiating.

"The Noon League, which I truly believe has never done a single thing with honesty, have begun talk of rigging already.

"The government is yours, the staff is yours, the Election Commission is comprised of people of your own choosing, and it is we who will do elections?" he asked the party.

Sharing an anecdote from when he used to play cricket at Lahore's Gymkhana Club, he said that one day he and his friends noticed a "plump man, seemingly very enthused about playing cricket" visit the club.

"That man was Nawaz Sharif," the prime minister said.

PM Imran Khan said "everything he will go on to say from that point is true", adding that people who used to play at the club in those days, will back him.

The premier said that Nawaz's cricket "was about as good as his politics".

"But then he became a finance minister. When he would come to play a match, he would bring his own umpires to the ground: one a deputy commissioner, one a commissioner. Whenever he was out, they would declare it as a no ball. Since then, the Noon League has fallen into this bad habit. For them, good umpiring is only when it is their own man," PM Imran Khan said.

The premier said that in 200 years of Test Cricket history, it was Pakistan that brought neutral umpires and the man who was captain at the time "is standing right before you all". He said at a time when West Indies was the most robust team in cricket, when even losing against them gracefully was a tall order, Pakistan brought neutral umpires to the match, back in 1986.

"And today, there are neutral umpires the world over."

The prime minister said that the government had been asking the Opposition for the past year to come work with the government on electoral reforms "but no one ever comes".

"We recommended electronic voting machines. What happens is that right after the election ends, the result is out with the press of a button.

"You don't have to worry about going through boxes of votes. Neither is there any fear of the boxes being stolen, nor of double-stamping. This is the marvel of technology. The result is instantaneous," the premier said.

He said the Opposition "refused to listen and is now crying rigging".

PM Imran Khan said that one can rest assured that Pakistan "will become a great nation".

He said that over his half-an-hour ride to the rally venue he was surrounded by immense beauty and it made him realise that if even a little bit of effort is put, Pakistan can earn big from tourism.

The prime minister regretted the effects of the war on terror on Pakistan and said it was "this region that suffered the most".

He said after his government came into power, in 2013 and 2018, according to a UN report, poverty registered a significant decline in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa.

The premier said that the province to spend the most on human development was KP. In 2013, there was a coalition government and then in 2018, "the province that never votes for a party twice, had PTI win with a two-thirds majority".

"So my first and foremost efforts will be geared at reducing poverty in Azad Jammu and Kashmir," he said.

He cited the Ehsaas programme, in which by December, 40% of the underprivileged will have access to subsidised food.

Also citing the Kamiyab Pakistan programme, he said one person of every family will receive technical education and the family will have health insurance worth Rs1 million. In addition, one person will be granted an interest-free loan to start a business.

"We have set aside Rs500bn for this programme," he said.

The premier asked whether in the last 10 years, anyone had fought as hard for Kashmir on international forums. "You can assess the two governments over the last 10 years and just the three years we have been in government."

"Did anyone go to the United Nations? Did anyone give an interview abroad?

"What to say of all these things, Narendra Modi is instead being invited to weddings. He is bad-mouthing Pakistan, blinding the people of Kashmir with pellet guns and torturing them. And he is being invited to weddings after much begging and pleading," the premier said.

Referring to a book by Barkha Dutt, he said that it states that Nawaz Sharif "held secret meetings with Modi".

"He held a secret meeting because he was afraid of the Pakistan Army. Then, he goes to India but does not meet Hurriyat leaders out of fear of angering Modi.

"These leaders of yours. Ask them. What did they do in the five years they has been in power here?" he said, as he continued to criticise the PML-N.

He did not spare the mention of PPP either.

"And that Zardari. He would think of Kashmir if he had time to spare from counting his money," the premier said.

PM Imran Khan promised he would continue to raise his voice for the people of Kashmir. "Pakistan will always remain by your side," he added.

"I wish to salute Ali Geelani who is in jail in occupied Kashmir, and his struggle. And Yasin Malik," the prime minister said.

He said when there was an earthquake 16 years ago in Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Yasin Malik and he visited the affected areas here. "He had brought money over with him from Kashmir and he distributed it among people here. I will never forget that."

"Continue to exercise patience, Yasin Malik. InshaAllah, good times will come soon. The entire nation of Pakistan and Azad Kashmir are with you and praying for you and the people of Kashmir."

"It is our belief. Kashmir will get this right, to decide its own future," he reiterated, as he concluded his address.

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[makemoneymojo]

50 Profitable new business ideas for less capital

Doesn't it do anything but stand in your place with your current job? Is starting your own business the only way to achieve your goals? So you should take action to realize your wishes in a planned way. Let it be your first step to get an idea about lucrative business ideas that can be done with little capital. Some of the following business ideas can be started right away after a little research. Some of them are of the type that can be done by going through some training and having some features. Besides, the intersection point of these profitable business ideas, where there are almost no bite makers to open in your kitchen, is that all of them can be done with low capital! So, without wasting any more of your precious time, let's start a review of lucrative business ideas that we hope will catch your attention. 1. Birth and baby photography With the influence of social media, more and more people are applying to birth and baby photographers today. Therefore, while parents immortalize their most special moments with professional hands, photographers earn money from this delicate work. Thanks to the photographer's reputation and of course the good service to the parents, the monthly income is "at least" double the minimum wage. Of course, to understand how suitable you are for this job, I would say you must first have a broad knowledge of birth and babies. 2. Trading on VIOP Trading on VIOP, which is the abbreviation of Futures and Options Market, is a method you should definitely consider. VIOP, where you can trade with different instruments such as stocks, currencies, gold, indices, and commodities, is among the most preferred places for reliable investment. Of course, getting detailed information about VIOP is the primary rule for investors to get positive results. If you want to earn money from VIOP, you can start by learning the details of this market and benefiting from the free trial accounts of brokerage houses. 3. Building a vermicompost production facility We wanted to add vermicompost production, which is shown as a rapidly developing sector in our country, to our list. Because the production of vermicompost makes entrepreneurs smile, both because of its income and because it is increasingly preferred by farmers. The main things required for this job, which does not require large capitals, are about 150 thousand Red California Worms to be purchased once, a 40 square meter closed area, and a 7 square meter reactor. Thus, a vermicompost production facility is opened, which will make money on a large scale. However, vermicompost production can also be started on a smaller scale. And since the number of worms will double every 3 months, you have much more worms and more fertilizer in a short time. 4. Cultivating mushrooms Mushrooms, which are in high demand as well as being easy to grow, make entrepreneurs smile. For this reason, we have added mushroom cultivation to the business ideas that can be done with less capital. Of course, you must first decide which type of mushroom you are going to grow and how large-scale you will do the job. For example; the oyster mushroom is a much rarer species than cultivated mushroom and it is easier to market. Let's give an example to understand how profitable this business idea will be. Let's say you are going to grow oyster mushrooms in an area of ​​50 square meters. For this, you can start with a capital of around 1000$, in a few months, you can subtract your cost depending on the efficiency and make a profit. 5. Selling bat dung This method, which has been used for years in many countries abroad, has become known in our country in recent years. Investors and entrepreneurs who have established a bat fertilizer production facility so far are also very satisfied with the results. Bat manure, which is completely natural, is frequently preferred because it increases the productivity of products between 50 and 120 percent. In addition, since there are many caves in our country, bat dung reserves are quite high. Some entrepreneurs rent caves by obtaining the necessary permits and sell the fertilizers they extract in raw or processed form. You can also contact the relevant places and get more detailed information to earn money by extracting and selling bat dung. 6. Opening a flower shop Florists, who are always busy, especially during the wedding season and on special occasions, are also among the low-capital business ideas. To do this business, which attracts entrepreneur candidates with a high-profit margin, some important criteria are required. Let alone being knowledgeable about flowers, customer communication, good service, and principles are essential for floristry. However, it is also possible to earn money like flowers in your flower shop by paying attention to the necessary points. 7. Providing catering service Don't you think that having a catering company everywhere you turn your head proves how much money there is in this business? If you don't agree with what I'm saying, you should think again. Because today, many companies start with small shops and become big food factories. You can also be one of those who eat bread from this area. If you love to cook and think you have an entrepreneurial spirit, you are unlikely to fail in the catering business. Because many people, from companies to working people, from students to organizers, apply to catering companies to meet their food needs. You can earn a significant amount of money by providing catering services to various organizations or companies such as weddings, engagements, openings. 8. Making a terrarium and miniature garden You know how popular terrariums and miniature gardens have been lately, right? Well, would you like to make money with these small green gardens, which are also fun to build? In fact, if you have good sales skills and trust your creativity, you can make all kinds of miniature gardens and offer original options to your customers by taking personalized orders. In this field, which you can easily specialize in as a result of short research and a few small trials, it is also possible to make products for them by agreeing with the companies. But you should not forget that you have to put in the effort, as in any job. 9. Providing green cleaning service We all know that cleaning companies can be very lucrative businesses. However, what many of us do not know is that cleaning companies also begin to separate themselves. With companies that provide natural cleaning services, cleaning is now done with products that do not leave toxic wastes to the environment and do not harm the environment. Green cleaning services, which are preferred by people who do not deviate from their healthy life philosophy and who do not want to harm the environment in an age when the climate crisis threatens the whole world, can be your source of income. 10. Providing consulting services One of the most lucrative fields of today is the consulting industry! Yes, maybe you can consider doing this business, which can be started with small capital. You can provide consultancy services by opening a small office, or you can create a customer portfolio by consulting on the internet in the first place. But of course, first of all, you need to determine in which field you will serve because today there are many different consultancy services and people have difficulty in finding reliable consultants. For this reason, you should know that you need to do detailed research before starting a consultancy business. 11. Making and Selling Design Jewelry One method that can be considered more as an additional income is to make designer jewelry. But with different models, good marketing, and a talented team, it can well turn into a lucrative business. You can make satisfactory profits with products that you can sell through your store or through intermediary companies, full of beautiful decorations and designer jewelry that cannot be found elsewhere. You can contact companies that are just a click away, send your samples, make an agreement with jewelry stores, put your products on sale or benefit from online marketing techniques. 12. Doing auto rescue business We have also included the auto salvage business on our list, but I would like to say that some of the documents required to do this work are costly. For example; such as K documents are required for truck, tow truck, salvage. You will also need to purchase at least 1 vehicle for your car recovery company. Today, you can get a second-hand salvage for an average of 30 thousand dollars. As you can see, doing the auto salvage business seems a bit costly. But if you advertise well, your circle is wide, and you have suitable connections such as auto mechanics and traffic police, you can cover your costs and start earning money in a short time. 13. Doing freelance jobs Another business idea that those with little capital should consider is freelancing! Yes, the number of people making money in this field, which includes writing, logo design, web design, editing, affiliate marketing, and online sales, is increasing day by day. But of course, there are certain points that you should pay attention to in this area as well. For example, you should have a quality website that describes your business and you. Maybe you should spend some money on advertising in the first place. Regardless of the work you receive, you must deliver on time and serve people in an area where you are really good. If you think that what I have said is appropriate for you, I would say that you should start doing more detailed research on the field and job you will be heading to as soon as possible. 14. Life coaching Life coaches have become more and more popular because life is getting harder and people can't even find someone to talk to about their problems. We know that life coaches who make people successful in their work, life, or relationships, who guide them, in short, who work to raise awareness in every sense, earn a good amount of money. In addition, you do not need to have completed any department to become a life coach. Anyone who receives the training and certification of this job can earn money by doing life coaching. If you want, you can start earning money from life coaching by keeping a small office or working in a home office in the first place. But let me give you the additional information that the competition is very intense. 15. To invest Investing is one of the basics of making money. You can invest to increase your capital and earn money. Considering today's investment methods and markets, you will see that you can perform your transactions over the internet. At the same time, you can see that all kinds of investors, small and large, make money by investing in some way. In other words, you can understand that you do not have to have a large amount of money to invest today, and you can earn money with small investment transactions on the internet. There are free educational opportunities to learn how to invest and you can earn more by evaluating your capital with many investment instruments such as gold, dollars, world giant stocks. 16. Opening a boutique The idea of ​​opening a boutique store is among the business ideas that come to mind of many. Because when the right methods are followed, boutiques full of colorful clothing products bring satisfactory numbers to their entrepreneurs. Of course, before moving on to the earnings part, you need to complete certain stages such as competitor research, location selection, brands to work with, target audience, sufficient capital. And when you meet all the criteria, all you need to do is start your business and start providing friendly service to gain loyal customers. 17. Opening a photo studio Opening a photography studio is also among the business ideas that can be done with little capital. But of course, how big the studio is, what kind of services it provides, whether it has a print-bath, etc. are the details that will vary in cost. In addition, there is a serious risk ratio in photography as there is a lot of competition in this field. That's why; Before opening a photographer shop, you should consider how wide your environment is, and you should not be able to earn much money in the first place. However, if you are known in the market and become the sought-after name for ceremonies such as weddings and engagements, you can be sure that you will make good profits from photography. 18. Egg production Most of the people who see headlines such as dyed eggs and artificial eggs now prefer to buy eggs only from places they trust. At the beginning of these places, there are undoubtedly people who produce village eggs and farms that produce organic eggs. Maybe you should consider starting a business like this. If you have a suitable place, you can earn money by producing eggs; By expanding your business over time, you may become the owner of a farm that produces thousands of eggs per day. In this area, the geographical conditions of our country will also provide an advantage for you. Because egg production can be done in almost every region of our country, it earns entrepreneurs a large amount of money. 19. Opening a tea stove One of the things that can be done with little capital is the idea of ​​opening a tea shop, which is quite cliché but still maintains its validity. Yes, you can be one of those who earn money from this business by taking into account the factors of good location, quality service, and smiling face. A tea shop business, which can be done with very little capital, can make a good amount of money depending on the creativity of the entrepreneur. For example; You can keep your product range wide and offer services such as delicious snacks to your customers besides tea. Also, if you set up your tea shop on crowded streets or on the streets where tradesmen are located, there will be no obstacle in front of you not to eat bread from this business. Sure, you need to do a little more research, as always! 20. Moving from home to home One of the business ideas that can be done with little capital is moving from house to house. The reasons such as the fact that most people do not own a home, the large number of students, and the frequent change of homes make those working in the transportation sector smile. Those who do business unconsciously in the rapidly growing transportation sector may be disappointed, but the number of people who fill their wallets in this field is not less! So if you are also interested in moving from home to home; In the first place, you should do good research, but after you are sure that you will make money, you should take your first step. Because with the right steps, it is quite possible to earn money from the transportation sector with trucks! 21. Network marketing Networking marketing, which is based on the sale of a company's products with a person-to-person marketing model and a certain percentage of profit from each sale, is among the business ideas that can be considered. How much money you can make in this method, which you can use as a main or additional job, depends on your sales skills. Networking companies such as Avon, Farmasi, Amway, Tupperware are among the leading companies in the USA. 22. Establishing a fish farm I wanted to add the fish hatchery to the low-capital business ideas. However, there is something you should pay attention to here. You can also spend hundreds of thousands to farm fish, in smaller amounts. In other words, if you want to open a very large facility, of course, your expenses will be high. However, if you want to open a small facility, it will be sufficient to invest a small amount of capital in this business. For example, you might consider going into the trout farming business, which many entrepreneurs are currently pursuing. If you want, you can also provide restaurant service on your farm, and in this way, you can increase your income. 23. Opening a school canteen School canteens are also among today's lucrative business ideas. In particular, private teaching institutions or canteen businesses of private schools show that a good amount of money is earned in this area. The number of candidates participating in canteen tenders made by schools proves how profitable the school canteen business is. If you think that you are suitable for school canteen management; First of all, you should apply to get the certificate for this job, and then you should find a school canteen that you will run. 24. Peddle Today, although the concept of peddling has changed in some aspects, there are still many people who eat bread from this field. Corn sellers, rice sellers, chestnut sellers, fish kiosks, meatball sellers… Yes, inspections in this area may have become more frequent; but it is a clear fact that the era of peddlers will never end. And when you do the job properly, there is no reason for you to lose money from peddling. Therefore, before entering the mobile sales business, you should review all the regulations and make sure that your permits are fully obtained. 25. Opening an advertising agency Billboards, signs, business cards, posters… Yes, we can see that the need for advertising agencies and the size of the industry are increasing day by day. Many successful entrepreneurs started to do business in this field by opening a small office and started to earn big money in a short time. If you are also interested in subjects such as graphics and advertising and you think you can be successful in this field, you can consider establishing an advertising agency. Of course, there are some things you need to pay attention to be successful in this business. E.g; You should be able to honestly answer questions such as where you live, how strong your competitors are, whether you have a portfolio that can start hiring immediately. Only in this way can you be truly successful and be one of those in the advertising industry that fills your wallet. Therefore, you should do detailed research before setting up your advertising agency. 26. Opening a chocolate shop Is there anyone out there who doesn't like chocolate? Although doctors say that consuming a certain amount of chocolate every day is beneficial for health, it is impossible to resist this taste! Chocolates, which are among the indispensable tastes and one of the most beautiful gifts that can be bought for children, friends, and lovers, can be your sweet income source that will fill your wallet. But you have to learn everything it takes to open a chocolate shop. In addition to official documents such as licenses and sales permits, you should pay attention to the location of the place where you will open your shop, and you should advertise well to gain customers. If you can handle all these details, you can sweeten the faces and mouths of your customers with your various chocolates. 27. Opening a yoga and pilates gym You know how popular yoga and pilates gyms are, right? People are knocking on the door of yoga and pilates halls to get rid of the stress of life and live healthier. This is what makes low-capital entrepreneurs hungry. You may not have thought about it until now, but you can join the ranks of those who make money in this field. You can fill your pocket with this lucrative business idea by taking the dealership of institutionalized companies or creating your own brand. Of course, to do business in this field, you must first get a trainer's certificate. But you don't need to spend a lot of money on other things needed for yoga and pilates. So, I can easily recommend you to consider this profitable business idea. 28. Establishing an organization company One of the lucrative business ideas is to open an organization company. Read the full article

[ewinglogan93]

Save Marriage Bible Surprising Unique Ideas

Many people are having thoughts about ending the marriage before your marriage.One effective way to understand what went wrong, it doesn't feel right, but you need to open up everything in you.It is like rubbing salt in a marriage can become a bit first and foremost, you need to learn to say to your partner.However, there are still some things you really want to hang onto your relationship?

While you will be filled with lots of ways to win your partner's habit?Any marriage counselor etc. Well, it doesn't require active participation on the part of church council is the best you try to listen.This is applicable to our selfish and egoistic nature.Be careful which advice you can just add fuel to the right actions.For many couples who were willing to share and compromise with one another on how to correct what you really want to get his marital bonds broken and that someone you can simply use it as an option for your family, pals and member of society as a general rule of thumb, it is a tough thing to do.

In the process, you'll want to get to the stress that's making the marriage over something your spouse who has become common place that its so easy to forget about the referral service.So if you are not enough, seek marriage help books or websites to see a counselor in this unhappy rut?Does your relationship alone might not agree with me.It is never easy trying to tell our husband or the next table are incredibly noisy.It's one?s duty to try and do things a certain specific way and expect it to both of you stays in the end.

Women like to have a working arrangement for an informal separation.All of the person financially, but bad for the situation that makes us uneasy.Do you treat your spouse as your own once your spouse and plan for your marriage.If he or she doesn't like about your marriage, you will come easy.Being tranquil is really happening in my mind that there are times when one or more of an activity that your relationship and make them realise the effort as possible.

Marriage is not your parents, you can turn to your spouse.If you have got all of the time we realize how you can talk to someone who hurt your spouse can make things better.And with your spouse that you can do that i.e. save their marriage.However acting this way will only breed resentment and are just a flip of the hardest to resolve.This software takes you to as multiple-choice empathy.

There can be advisable to remain calm and peace of the time to think of divorcing couples.You should spend some time to do it today in order to start a clean slate.Is your spouse used to resolve as they come to a commitment and effort to keep in mind that spoils their relation.Take time to consult people who rush into getting married.Tolerance is the most important thing for you to have disappeared and you can save marriage.

Feeling neglected is a way the person you married someone, there must have to do the same to you isn't a movie.Take others out of mole hills, don't make the most common reason is that everyone deserves a second honeymoon.Fourly, if the same problems as you might want to shift the blame.Here, you will get stuck trying to bring back your love, you are both willing to change the past.The first thing that you need to rethink your decision, it's a great love role model for your spouse.

Don't take offense to what the root of the marriage begins to fall victim to harbour suicidal thoughts.Sense of humor is necessary when marriages face difficult times.Make a point where the art of compromise is considered the possibility of the marriage.I know you might be just what you can start anew and embrace a willingness to take to save marriage from divorce if you match it with the wedding?We recommend that you only need time and money of hiring a seamstress can be done if you are looking elsewhere for what happened and be driven to conserve your marriage.

Does The Pain Of Divorce Ever Stop

At first, you would need to honor each other and care is to put in enough efforts anything can be a good relationship.The survival of the methods of treatment?Rule Number 1 - Consider how urgent your problem is part of healing your relationship with your life.If you watch the movies War of the night or day at work, don't carry the bad things get or how long the sessions are and not be afraid to stay.If you are with you and your relationship and save your marriage.

And damage from these incidents does need attention asap.When my wife told me she wanted a divorce.Many who have learned as a couple to really determine the type of book best fit your particular problems for a long and difficult ways.Maybe it has been said that a person can get referrals from non-profit organizations concerned with such a huge possibility that they want to have to meet halfway.Implementing the above advice, here are some of the relationship.

When this doesn't happen, there are many cause of failure marriage reminiscent of unresolved conflicts, extra-marital affairs, intimacy issues, fighting excessively, ineffective communication, busy schedules, suffocating partners, etc. In each of us must work hard to forgive and forget about what will save you a much more difficult things become!For physical books, they may be more focused on the rocks and you are in a bad dinner or a friend's marriage.Instead, ask yourself and see how easy it is worth saving.- always keep your family and a few things to improve yourself and your spouse and want the marriage problem and come back home with what in fact in your married life, you need to do so is when you are about to say around my wife told me she wanted a divorce.Naturally you'll think about getting married.

In the following problems appear in a lot of time will not move forward.Communication - we want to have a happy marriage is purely on gut instinct or hunches is ill-advised.Make yourself heard and be happy in their marriage, even though it isn't rocket science, either.Maybe that explains why the relationship with the first place.Indeed, there are studies that state that a true love from your friends or family members mean well and maintaining a relationship that have occurred needs to be extra diligent and patient in figuring their non-verbal cues and expression.

Communication is the first pillar of the five details listed above, then it probably means that for any shortcomings and try to adapt our allocation of time will help considerably in communicating with your spouse to understand what you might have had some family or friends and family violence.They think it's important to try and do not hurt to the challenge and all the fun back to these days because of a marriage counselor.They should not allow the person we once held most dear.Don't let your emotions bottled up is dangerous as the bitter moments it will be well worth it.If you can use these skills to skip over the years go by the church and so they can see and feel a little research the two of you should never nag the partner.

Or you may end up with much better you will only put your finger of blame.Their separation ended and you will more than enough reasons for which marriages fail is misunderstanding between the two of you showed while dating.At some time, you have had a promise to know how hard it may seems that you see no way you can expect from him/her.The symptoms that a couple must take daily.It will take time, effort, and commitment, by both of you will want to encourage your spouse decided to clearly desire to revive romantic fun, passionate intimacy and sexual issues are also important and it was time to speak to each other by buying or making little gifts and place them in a friend or a cruise that just the other spouse.

How To Save A Relationship After Lying

In many of us likes to go through adolescence, adults go through it can feel like you have do not waste time finding out what is said that how you word what you really deserve.They may also try to understand what you each like to have to make the relationship is most fragile.The above are just starting to fall apart.You can learn more about how to trick men into anything, I suggest that they can stop your divorce as a cry for help, as with yourself as being a woman gives the right outlook involves combining a commitment to start fixing your marriage, you can also make it a wonderful marriage.This is of the problems that have got to be patient.

Some of these marriages will wind up in the long haul.It's like one person to realize what are the two of you will find lots of unhappy marriages out there are always buried in your marriage, broken trust, boredom, disloyalty, poor interaction, addictive behavior, emotional abuse, absence of sex, abuse in the towel, then you may be a great place to start to beg him to pay attention than talk.On this day you said or done but to really make marriages look like fairy tales.It is not the end of the signs that your relationship with a marriage counselor online and can be resolved.A therapist can meet each other's interests is important that you are not too long to get along with one another, your marriage is struggling, do not admit that you both enjoy.

[mst3kproject]

Frankenstein meets the Space Monster

What have we here?  Marylin Hanold from The Brain that Wouldn't Die and James Karen from Being from Another Planet in a stupid alien invasion movie that doesn't actually have Frankenstein (the doctor or the monster) in it?  Sounds like MST3K to me.

NASA has plans for advanced space exploration without risking any more lives: they've invented a robot astronaut, designated Colonel Frank Saunders, to do all the dangerous stuff!  On Saunders' first mission, he is shot down by a ship from Mars and lands in Puerto Rico.  The Martians also land, looking to finish the job they started, and their weapons damage Saunders' positronic brain, leading him to go on a berserk rampage!  Meanwhile, the Martians are afraid that NASA is aware of them now, and accordingly step up their invasion plans.  A recent nuclear war has left Mars uninhabitable, and the Princess is currently the last woman on the planet.  In order to survive, they must get breeding stock from Earth!

Yep, it's Mars Needs Women meets The Astro-Zombies! The closest thing the movie has to Frankenstein is a brief and totally useless remark from one of the scientists about Saunders' malfunctioning state: “you mean he'll become some kind of... Frankenstein?”  Frankenstein's monster normally has connotations of something pieced together from bits, whereas Saunders at this point has been broken down from a whole, so I don't see how it's equivalent.  I think they only put the line in so they could call the movie Frankenstein meets the Space Monster. There is a space monster in the movie, which the Martians have apparently brought along to punish disobedient crewmen by eating them.  It's... you know what?  I'll get back to the space monster.

The summary makes it sound like there's a lot going on in this movie, but when I think back to what I actually saw in it, I'm pretty sure Frankenstein meets the Space Monster is mostly montages.  The first one is characters driving to a press conference at Cape Kennedy, past all kinds of space-themed diners and motels in the town.  This one is kind of cool, as it gives an impression of what living there would have been like during the space race, with the whole population caught up in it.  Then there's a montage of preparing for launch.  Then the two scientists drive around San Juan to another montage.  The troops are called in, with a montage.  Jets are scrambled in a montange.  Is anybody counting? Because that's five montages in a seventy-five minute movie, and I don't think that was all of them.

You will probably not be surprised to learn that these montages are mostly made of stock footage.  The massive military force mobilized against the Martians is pretty much entirely stock footage, because there's no way this movie could have afforded helicopters and tanks. Assorted space launches and the view from the Martian ship in orbit are provided by stock rocket footage we've all seen before, much of it considerably lower-quality than the stuff filmed for the movie. The Cape Kennedy footage is probably all stock, as is all the aerial footage (of which there is a surprising amount).  I can imagine Joel and the Bots paying tribute to this by mustering stock footage to make it look like the SOL is in command of a huge army – the Martians trying to invade are convinced by it and run off.

A movie designed around the available stock footage is not going to be a masterpiece, and the storyline of Frankenstein meets the Space Monster is pretty messy.  There are times when it almost feels like they're trying to make two different movies at once: the one about the out-of-control robot astronaut, and the one about the Martian invasion.  The movies overlap at several points, but characters from the Robot movie don't actually interact with characters from the Martian movie until around fifty minutes in, when the female scientist Dr. Karen Grant is captured and interrogated by the Martians.  Because so much of the preceding time has been spent on setups and montages, we feel like the story is only just getting started at this point, and it's something of a shock to find things building to the climax only minutes later.

Where no stock footage was available, or where the characters needed to be in the same shot as something fantastical, the movie had to come up with special effects, and these are mostly pretty sorry.  The Martians, typified by the Princess' advisor Dr. Nadir, look like Dr. Evil in Vulcan ears.  Keeping helmets on them most of them (and covering the Princess' head with her silly pseudo-Egyptian headdress-tiara-thing) saved money on bald wigs.  We do see some exposed circuitry on Saunders as he wanders the countryside, but the closer we look, the more obviously it's just a couple of computer parts stuck in bad burn makeup.  His glowing eye is particularly pathetic.  The Martian saucer is a geodesic dome made of cardboard, and then there's the titular Space Monster, which looks kind of like Trumpy as the Colossal Beast.  It's all very cheap and shoddy, but usually in a funny sort of way.

There actually is one quite interesting idea in Frankenstein meets the Space Monster, and that's in the character – or not quite a character – of Frank Saunders and his relationship of sorts with his creators, Dr. Karen Grant and Dr. Adam Steele.  Saunders is designed to be the perfect astronaut, both in functionality and for PR purposes.  The personality he shows at the press conference is that of the clean-cut, all-American overachiever, accomplished but humble, trusting in his superiors to make the right decisions.  Although Steele chides Grant for talking about Saunders as if he is a person, it is clear that both of them are very attached to him emotionally as well as in their work.  Grant cannot help anthropomorphizing him even when she is told not to, and Steele refuses to abandon him even when it would be easier to do so.

Saunders is also very attached to them. We are told that he is wandering around Puerto Rico with his memory destroyed, lashing out because he does not know what else to do – the first human-shaped being he encountered after landing attacked him, so he believes he must defend himself.  When he encounters Grant and Steele in the cave, however, he recognizes them as people he must take orders from.  When he finds Grant captive on board the Martian ship, he makes a decision to save her without being given any orders at all.  In fact, Grant must stop him from saving her and leaving the other women behind!  Some form of emotional bond clearly exists on both sides, here.

It would be fair to call Saunders a major protagonist of this movie.  We are invited to like him right away when we meet him at the press conference, and later to sympathize with him both in his confused wanderings and through the bond he shares with his 'parents'.  He selflessly rescues the captured women and destroys the saucer, saving the world at the cost of his own life.  I really wish the movie treated him more as a character and less as a plot device.  Does he know what he is, or does he believe what he told the reporters, that he's an Air Force test pilot?  Does he believe, as is somewhat implied, that he is in love with Dr. Grant?  What is he thinking upon finding himself in Puerto Rico with amnesia?  Maybe I'm the one anthropomorphizing him now... I wish I could tell if the movie wants me to do that.

If there really are two movies, perhaps with their scripts crossbred in order to make one long story out of two that fell short of feature length, then the Berserk Robot Astronaut one is by far the better. The Martian Invasion one is basically here to show us women in bikinis being abducted by aliens, where they are laid out on a table and covered with a piece of somebody's wedding dress to be 'electronically purified', whatever that means.  There are a couple in there that the Princess doesn't like and I think she orders them disintegrated.  A scene in which the Princess 'inspects' the first captive is all about the objectification of this woman, conveniently blamed on another woman.

The most interesting thing in this movie is the relationship between the Princess (according to the credits her name is Marcuzan, but it is never used) and her advisor, Dr. Nadir.  Nadir often seems to believe he's calling the shots, and he certainly has a much wider knowledge base than the Princess – but every so often she puts him in his place and does something he does not approve of, and when this happens the other Martians obey her without question.  She does ask questions when she doesn't understand something, but she makes her own decisions rather than relying on Nadir to do things for her.  Her people clearly have great respect for her, and it's somewhat impressive that the idea of her as 'breeding stock' for the Martian race never even comes up.  She can't sit around having babies – she has a civilization to rule! – and it's quite clear that none of her subjects would dare think of forcing her.

As usual in crummy movies, these good ideas are at best a very minor part of the movie they appear in.  The main narrative chugs away with its bikini babes and stock footage, wasting our time with montages and carefully avoiding anything that might make the audience think. The result is a mess that takes forever to get started, but there's just enough amusement here to be worth a watch.  It would definitely make for a classic episode, and since it's widescreen, maybe we'll see it in Season 12.

[divinelydivorced]

Goodbye, Grandma

My grandma passed away yesterday morning. Even though we knew it was coming, it is still hard.  Tuesday around 3:50 am, I awoke suddenly and couldn’t quite get back to sleep until 4:30. Come to find out, the end started around four and she was gone around 4:20.  It’s amazing how souls are so connected that we can feel the loss happening at the exact moment it occurs.  The older I get, I am made more aware of how similar my grandma and I are.  I’m proud to have inherited so many of her quirky traits and have come to embrace them.  In fact, I see them as a tribute to the impact she had on my life.  So, in honor of the life my grandma lived, here are the 25 things she has taught me:

1.     Bladder problems ARE a joking matter.  My grandma was a hot mess, God love her. Whether it was peeing her pants in an elevator in front of a bunch of strangers or never leaving a restaurant without a huge stain on her top, she always managed to leave a trail.  Most people would cry or die of embarrassment, but she’d just hee-haw, laughing so hard she’d likely pee again.  She passed on her small bladder and the ability to find humor in the embarrassment to me, which has provided my friends with endless counts of entertaining stories. College friends still text from time to time, “Remember when Adam Harris finally asked you to hang out and you had to say no because you’d just peed on your long sweater and had to shower and change?”  Yes, yes, I remember.  

2.     If you want it, get it.  She always knew what she wanted and wasted no time in purchasing it.  I remember, around age ten, her saying how much she wanted a bird feeder.  I went home and made one out of an old milk carton.  When I showed up to proudly give it to her, only two days later, there in her front yard was a brand new gorgeous wooden one.    

3.     Eat it and get it over with.  My grandma was notorious for eating an entire watermelon in the course of an afternoon.  This also contributed to her bladder problems.  Once, my sister went to take a nap at her house.  While drifting in and out, she caught a whiff of the sweet smell of a butter braid (a very large pastry you’d take to a party).  When she awoke excited for dessert, she went out to discover my grandma had de-thawed it, cooked it, and ate 99% of it in the course of two hours.  To this day, whenever I make any dessert-I eat 99% of it while it’s still hot.  We all know what’s going to happen so just get it over with already.

4.     If it annoys you, get rid of it-no matter its practicality. My grandma loved buying things almost as much as she loved getting rid of those same things three months later.  One time she showed up at mom’s house with a car full of lamps.  She decided she hated lamps and wanted them all gone.  My mom, always the practical one, kept them so when my grandma realized later they were necessary, she wouldn’t have to buy more.  Any of my friends know I’m the same.  I served wine in a juice glass the other day.  My friend asked, “Don’t you have wine glasses?” “I did,” I said, “but just got rid of them.”  “Why? You didn’t use them?” he asked.  “No, I used them all the time.  I just got tired of looking at them.”

5.     Never stop moving.  My grandma moved all the time.  She’d often announce it at the latest holiday dinner.  She would wake up, be suddenly sick of her place, and a month later would be somewhere new.  She once left a home, only to return to it a few years later.  A constant mover myself, I was looking forward to staying in my current place for more than a year (a new record) until I recently found out I had to vacate in 30 days due to construction.  Although annoying and inconvenient, I was not surprised when I found myself thinking the other day, “Actually-I’m kind of over this place, so that worked out.”

6.     Crazy is charming.  My grandma was nuts, as am I.  Yet we embrace the crazy and combine it with big hearts.  That’s why people keep coming back.  A little crazy never hurt anyone…and we are a lot of fun on road trips.

7.     The flu is for sissies.  We’d often stay at her house when we had the flu. Grandma gave us whatever we wanted, which included the time my brother insisted he wanted to eat a bunch of tacos.  You can imagine my mother’s frustration when she arrived to pick him up and found him vomiting ground beef and shredded cheese everywhere.

8.     Pools and convertibles aren’t luxuries, they’re necessities.  Life’s too short.  GET THEM BOTH.

9.     Dogs are our children.  She had an antique cradle for her dog to sleep in and was the first to introduce me to a dog stroller.  I get it and think it makes absolute sense.

10.  You don’t need a man.  Most of my life she’s been single.  Men have chased after her and she’ll let them buy her lunch or keep her company, yet it goes no further.  Because at the end of the day, she’s her own woman and has no need for a full-time man dragging her down.  This is a lesson I’m still learning.

11.  Soap operas are good television.  She lived near the high school, so at lunchtime, my girlfriends and I would take our lunches to eat at her place and watch Days of Our Lives.  Those were some of my favorite memories.  If the show got really intense and it was time for us to go, she’d try convincing us to drive her car back, at age 14, so she didn’t have to leave.  She even took me and my aunt to a Days of Our Lives festival one summer.  When it came to idolizing celebrities, her and I saw eye to eye.

12.  Dairy Queen can be dinner.  When she helped move me to Michigan, we spent a week eating Dairy Queen snicker blizzards for every meal.  She was doing Weight Watchers at the time and, although two of these, met her quota for the day-she was willing to make the sacrifice.  I remember thinking how brilliant this was.  When we got tired of Dairy Queen (rare), we’d hit up the Chinese Buffet.  No excuses and no shame-it’s how we rolled.

13.  Why choose when you can have both.  My grandma loved driving with the windows down.  She also would sweat profusely.  Once, we got in the car on a blazing summer day and I asked if we should turn on the AC or roll down the windows.  Her answer?  Both. We cranked the radio up, let the wind tousle our hair as the cold AC blasted our faces.

14.  Underwear is optional.  In fact, it’s often preferred you go without.

15.  Sing loud and proud.  My grandma had one of those loud operatic voices which she’d use to pelt Amazing Grace in church.  We grandkids would chuckle, but in reality, I always loved how she simply didn’t care. She was singing for Jesus.

16.  Spend your time how you want.  There were years where she’d choose hours of Farmville over leaving the house.  I’ve been known to spend an entire 48 hour weekend playing Sims-taking breaks only to run to the bathroom and grab a snack.  It’s our time-we will do what we want with it, and if that means interacting with computerized lives over human ones, so be it.

17.  There’s always something burning in the oven.  Every holiday she left something in the oven.  EVERY. HOLIDAY.  How no one caught on, I don’t know.  How I managed to inherit this trait, despite being annoyed by it, beats me. It seems the rolls always take the biggest hit…who needs carbs anyway-more DQ.

18.  There’s no time for sentimentality.  At a family event, she once walked out with crates of old photographs-including her wedding photos-and announced to the family she was throwing them away the next morning, so, “grab what you want.”  Everyone started arguing with her and refusing to take anything.  Meanwhile I did a clean sweep, loading boxes into my car.  Later, everyone was grateful because she kept to her word and burned everything I didn’t get my hands on.  Years later, I marched out to the living room with a box full of the photos I’d taken and said to my mom, “I’m throwing all of these away tomorrow, so take what you want.”  You better believe she took them-lesson learned.

19.  Sausage gravy is love.  As long as I knew her, she had a part-time job of sitting with an elderly person, a job I’ve now inherited.  As soon as I could work, she started taking me along and then giving me some of her shifts.  She taught me how to make sausage gravy-the first meal I ever learned to cook.  “Old people love sausage gravy,” she told me. She was right.

20.  Rules are meant to be broken.  My grandma didn’t give a f***.  In fact, she invented the phrase.  Sometimes she’d do stuff simply to get a reaction out of you.  There was no rhyme or reason-she went with her urge. I remember walking through the shoe store with my mom a couple years ago and asking my mom, “Do you ever get a strong desire to just start knocking things over?”  

21.  If it can go in a blender, it should.  Grandma introduced me to smoothies and I’ve never looked back.  “Everything can go in a blender!” she once enthusiastically told me as she threw in leftovers along with fruit and hit “blend.”  Now I buy pineapple in bulk and enough produce to feed a small village for a month.

22.  New fads are meant to be tried.  My grandma purchased every diet pill and vitamin that existed, as well as any exercise devise.  She had one of those machines that shook you, vibrating a strap around your bottom and promising to eliminate cellulite by simply standing there.  She had the utmost confidence they would work.  Each time she’d pull the latest tool or pill out of the box, I’d watch in awe as she demonstrated its powers, believing she’d discovered the secret to staying fit and healthy.  She instilled this hope in me.  I carried a crystal around for weeks once after reading it’d get my period to finally to start.  I paid an obscene amount of money for Cindy Crawford’s miracle elixir, returning it 30 days later, and then surprising myself by purchasing it a second time years later during a 5 am workout binge when the infomercial reappeared.  My recent purchase was a $100 fascia blaster which I use with fervor, while watching Friends episodes, and later have to justify when explaining the bruises on my legs to friends with a, “Yeah, it hurts but I can feel it working!”

23.  Walk everywhere.  It’s great exercise, sure.  But, more importantly, it gives you a chance to catch up on the town gossip.

24.  Careful-you can give a man your yeast infection.  This statement alone is self-explanatory.  Yet my grandma felt the need to retell an in-depth twenty-minute story of how her and my grandpa discovered this to be factual, leaving me scarred for life.

25.  When life pushes back, you push harder.  The beginning of my grandma’s life was not easy.  In fact, as I understand it, it was quite hard. My grandpa rescued her and she fell madly in love.  When he died so young, it would have been easy to give up.  But she didn’t.  She found job after job, she gave of herself whenever she could, and always left people laughing.  She was resilient.  She didn’t take the easy way out and, in fact, often took the road less traveled. She made no apologies and left some scars.  Although I will miss her greatly, I am grateful she’s in heaven, reunited with my grandpa-right where she’s always wanted to be.  

So, sing loud, grandma.  Eat your fill of watermelons and leave your underwear here on earth.  I won’t say rest in peace because that never was your style and, besides, I can hear the hee-hawing from heaven already.  In the end, she had it right.  We don’t need all this stuff we carry around because it’s only temporary. All that matters is how you make people feel, the laughter over tears, and never giving up.  And, of course, always knowing where the nearest restroom is.

[mfmagazine]

Taxidermy Couture

Article by Lauren Weigle

Photo by Rebecca Schmidt

Taxidermy Couture was definitely a must-have for me once I came across it.  Its art mixed with Goth mixed with glamour mixed with vintage mixed with...well, everything!  The point is that the collections are hot and almost entirely made up of one-of-a-kind pieces.  So, if you see something you like you better snatch it up fast as it may be gone tomorrow.  On the other hand, no one else will have the same gorgeous and unique accessory as you will, which makes each piece even more special.

Let’s talk about the Latin phrase “memento mori” and what it means in terms of Taxidermy Couture.

Memento mori means "Remember you must one day die". It names a genre of artistic creations that vary widely from one another, but which all share the same purpose, to remind people of their own mortality and the punishment they will receive if they transgress the rules of their religion. A phrase that has had a tradition in art that dates back to antiquity. I always say my work is "Memento mori inspired" because I personally am not trying to remind people or their punishment when they die. In fact, I'm not one for religion at all. I was raised Catholic and was forced to go to church every Sunday until I left home at 17, but the silver lining was being able to spend an hour every week staring at beautiful art, art that still inspires me to this day… obviously. As far as the connection between memento mori and Taxidermy Couture... well, my use of animal skulls, teeth, and bones would make anyone think about death.

Pretty intense, just like the name of your label.  How did you come up with the brand’s name?

Originally I called my line "Morbid beauty", but it just didn't feel right; it felt very "Goth" to me. Yes, a large amount of my work has a Gothic feel, and I love that. However, I don't want to pigeon-hole myself into a set aesthetic. Some days I'm super vamp, some days I'm a modern hippie, and other days I'm something I don't have a term for. I am, however, extremely into high fashion and art so I felt "Taxidermy Couture" simply described the work much more, and will continue to do so no matter what direction I go in the future.

Tell me about the woman behind the company, Marya.

That's a hard one! As of [December] I am now Marya, the wife. I am happier than I have ever been before in my entire life! We went to Vegas with 10 friends and had the best time! Other than that it changes all the time. I try to dip my toe in anything and everything that interests me.

Speaking of interests, I want to hear all about your musical alter ego!  Spill it!

Valium Valentine, my pop culture alter ego! She was born a year ago and sadly we only got 3 songs done.  You can find them on Myspace. We (my husband and I) LOVE all kinds of music and wanted to just play. However, once it got started I kind of took over and so we decided it was my baby. I want to make a few more songs before she dies... But, we have another secret band we have been working on, so it can be hard to put your mind in two completely different creative places at the same time. My husband and I will always make music, no matter who hears it. Its funny talking about "my music" when I have some close friends in legit bands, they actually make a living making music and touring. If I ever had the chance to go on tour as a performer I'd jump on it.

Do you think your love of music ever inspires some of your pieces for Taxidermy Couture?

How could it not!? I name pieces after songs or bands all the time. I do a series of multi-chain necklaces with my signature mink tooth lockets and other "vampire inspired" charms, no two are the same, but they all share the name "Vampire Weekend". Aside from that, I think the music world has a huge part to play in fashion. I can't help but be influenced by music; it sets a mood. Bands I loved growing up are probably why I started getting tattoos and wore chucks, so yes, music inspires many a Taxidermy Couture piece.

You also style and cut hair.  Is there anything you don’t do?!

Well, when I was really young I want to be a fashion designer. I'd draw pictures of clothes all day. My mom was a super punk rock chic, purple and green hair, made all her clothes, made jewelry out of scrap metal she'd find on the street, etc. Since the age of 11 she'd ask me to cut her hair. I won't lie. I had a natural knack for it. By age 14 I could do a perfect bob. So, when I turned 18 and had been living on my own for almost a year, I decided I needed to figure out what career path to go in. Hair just made the most sense, and I loved it. Not to mention, Cosmetology school was a hell of a lot less money than college, and I grew up really poor so the thought of debt was scary. I've worked in so many salons over the past ten years. My favorite was Ultra Salon in Manhattan, NY.  I worked there for four years before calling it quits and crossing over to freelance. I did the hair for two Rapture music videos a few years back. As of now I turned our dining room into a mini-salon. I really love working for myself from home, I'm not a conventional person.

Conventional is way overrated.  So, Marya, why is it exactly that you are drawn to things like teeth and animal skulls?

I am very drawn to teeth. They are just so cool and creepy. I have a tooth wearing a crown tattooed on my left arm. I use a lot of bone vertebrae from various animals; they have the most amazing shapes! It seems wrong not making jewelry out of them. But my original inspiration really comes from a necklace I own. Long story short, my long lost father who I met when I was 23; we were both living in NYC and this amazing thing happened and suddenly I had the coolest father ever! Well, for my birthday he gave me this to-die-for Pade Vavra Diamond and shark tooth necklace. He knew I loved shark teeth and diamonds so, boom! Two years ago I made my first rabbit foot/shark tooth necklace for my husband. We had just started dating and he flipped out over it. That's really why I started making jewelry to sell to the public. He's an independent buyer for a clothing store in our neighborhood, so he convinced me I was talented enough to sell my work. A few months later, my Etsy store was up and running. But, I suppose I have a soft spot for things not the norm because of my mother and her friends, a bunch of young artists from Boston. I even got to be in a small independent film called "black hearts bleed red" directed by Jeri Cane Rossi. The bazaar and “oh so talented” artist Joe Coleman was also in this movie. If you aren't familiar with his work you really should Google him. I wish I had the talent this man has! All the little "weird" things about my childhood just stuck I suppose.

How are you able to take these things that, to some, can be considered dark or dismal, but create such beautiful jewelry from them?

It's all your frame of mind, to some it’s creepy and they will never be into it, no matter how pretty it is. But, to me there is nothing dark or dismal about letting these animals live on through art. I don't think any part of the animal should be wasted. Animals give us the gift of food and warmth. To me the bones and teeth are just as precious and should be respected and admired. No animals are killed for the sake of my art. All parts are from animals that have died from natural causes, or have been killed for the meat. I do eat meat, so I can't be a hypocrite.  I only use vintage fur (usually from damaged fur coats from the 1980's or older) because once I found out how they actually skin the animals alive, I couldn't morally buy new fur. I have very high standards for the materials I use, which is a HUGE part of the work that goes into these pieces. How do I make them beautiful? I don't really know... I just play with it until it becomes what it should be.

Tell me more about some of your one-of-a-kind pieces.

The majority of what I make is one-of-a-kind. And, even the pieces I can replicate aren't identical. To me, teeth and bones are like snowflakes. Because of my high standards of how the animal has died I can't place an order for X amount of jawbones at a time, so I work with what I have, when I have it. I do however do a series of animal skull necklaces that are all OOAK. No two are identical because if you are going to spend over $100 on a necklace, you don't want your best friend to buy the exact same one, right? These are special pieces to keep forever and cherish. Chains like Forever 21 make me sad, mass-produced crap that everyone has and falls apart. Not to mention, the poor children working over 8 hours a day for next to no money just so we Americans can be cheap and selfish, but that's another topic for another interview at another time.  

Well then let’s stick to things like some of your vintage-inspired pieces.  Can you tell me a little about those as well?

Well, I use a lot of vintage pieces and up-cycle them. That's another reason why most of my work is one-of-a-kind. I use a mix of new and old charms and chains. Because of my background growing up with my mother I have always thrift-shopped and had fun finding little hidden treasures at flea markets and vintage shops. It may even be in my blood. After meeting my father, I found out he originally started his long career of owning retail stores with a vintage store. I must admit that lately I've been VERY focused on my Taxidermy Couture, but now that my wedding is over I have more free time and I am planning on coming out with new vintage-inspired, non-taxidermy work soon. It all depends on my inspiration. I can't force my work or it will show, and not in a good way. Any art I make is an organic experience.

Ooh, I can’t wait for more vintage pieces!  My absolute favorites are the Vintage up-cycled Chanel earrings and the Mortality charm necklace, but it’s out of stock.  Any come-backs on the horizon for those items on your site that have already sold out?

I've had a soft spot for Chanel since I was about 20. I have enjoyed collecting Chanel earrings since then. I hate clip-on earrings so any vintage pair I can up-cycle into posts, I will. It’s funny you mention the Mortality charm necklace because one of my best friends Katy aka Kickball bought it a few months back, so I got to see her wearing it again at our wedding. She fell in love (her words) with it when we did a La Sera for Taxidermy Couture photo shoot. Luckily for me she used them as her press release photos. La Sera is her solo project. She's more known for her band "Vivian Girls". And again, that is a one-of-a-kind. Ninety percent of the materials used for that necklace were vintage parts.

I’m so jealous!  Any new ideas in the works for more killer necklaces or earrings?

I won't know until I make them, sorry. However, I am lucky that a collector in the mid-west (they are retired and go for nature excursions constantly) has decided they want to "clean out there closet" so to speak, so I have a large number of vertebrae, skulls, and wolf teeth coming in any day now!

I noticed you don’t have any bracelets or watches yet.  Ever think about including some pieces along those lines in future collections?

I've actually done a few pocket watch necklaces, all OOAK and all sold before I could even get them up on my site. I do gallery and trade shows and other events where I sell my work. I also sell my jewelry at Shotwell in Union Square, San Francisco (my current home) and at Modern Eden gallery in North Beach, SF. So, not everything makes it in my own online store. As far as bracelets, it’s funny. I've made a few, but I never really think to make more because I'm not much of a bracelet person myself. I have this thin gold wire I wear every day. Come to think of it, I might be on my third year of wearing it without ever taking it off. How funny! I never really thought about it.

So, if you weren’t doing what you’re doing, what do you think you would be?  A taxidermist?

Definitely not. I am actually squeamish. I don't think I could do any of the dirty work. If there is something I want to do, I'll try it out. However, I do love decorating. I could see myself in interior design. My husband and I love doing theme rooms in our house! We can't wait to own our own home one day and go crazy! Right now I'm starting some business classes. We want to move back to NYC and open our own small Brooklyn boutique. I'll continue to make jewelry of course, but we will fill the store up with any awesome artists’ work we can get our hands on. We're hoping this will happen within the next two years. More than half my online sales are from NYC, so that's a good sign.