#yes i read this book in less than 24h

[winterhalters]

Proving the innocence of Marguerite, Jeanne and Blanche of Burgundy in the Tour de Nesle Affair, based on Gaëlle Audéon’s work, Philippe Le Bel et l’Affaire des Brus, 1314, Nouvelle enquête sur une affaire d’Etat, ou pourquoi les femmes n’ont jamais régné en France (2020)

By framing Marguerite of Burgundy and her sisters-in-law/cousins, Jeanne and Blanche of Burgundy, for an imaginary crime, Marigny was presenting their three husbands, Louis, King of Navarre, Philippe, Count of Poitiers and Charles, Count de La Marche, as incompetent, naive and in a much larger measure, unfit to rule. He successfully diverted the attention away from the Crusade, avoided bankruptcy, steadily isolated the King by driving a wedge with the House of Burgundy (the Count being Marguerite’s brother), nipped in the bud any hypothetical rivalry to come with the future Queen Consort, and refocused the debate onto the ‘Flanders issue’, thus reaffirming his position as the almighty advisor at the expense of the Princes and the Barons. 

As for Isabella of France’s possible involvement, Gaëlle Audéon suggests that, if she was involved at all (being then on a diplomatic trip to France, which brought her together with her family on a regular basis in the days leading up to the event), it is very possible that she was manipulated by Marigny as well. Her father’s advisor was already a valuable member of the government when she was born in 1295, owing his position to Isabella’s late mother, Jeanne of Navarre, with whom he was brought up. On various occasions Marigny was sent to England as an ambassador, thus a familiar face for Isabella to hold onto, and it’s very likely that it is through these trips across the Channel and thanks to detailed accounts on the English court by Marigny that Philippe IV was able to take measures in order to ensure Isabella’s comfort when her husband was favouring Gaveston openly at the expense of his daughter. If, and only if, Isabella was involved in her sisters-in-law’s misfortune, her role would have certainly not been to expose them out of personal revenge, as Audéon notes, but rather that she possibly offered to break the news, which she held from Marigny (whom she obviously thought was a reliable source), to her father the King. Another hypothesis is that she was simply told by her father only a few hours before the three princesses were arrested. 

Lastly, it was Marigny who, in November 1314 (barely six months after the ‘Affaire’ broke out), enforced a new law that rejected the daughters from the Poitiers succession, when Philippe IV was dying. This new rule would eventually, decades later, lead to the Salic Law preventing the Filles de France from inheriting the French throne. That the King’s principal advisor would take such a drastic measure while his King is laying unresponsive (Philippe IV was comatose, since a hunting accident the day before) is definitely a testament to his cynicism, notes Audéon, and that the man was very much capable of the worst if it came down to it. 

[r001100]

NTTD Spoilers

(this is the one where I squeee) - obviously spoilers under the cut - 

This is to make sure you read the “spoilers” part, please don’t read on if you don’t want spoilers. Ok enough, now it’s time to squeee;

- Q’s cats are cuter than I imagined and wife and I already made a hc where James survives, retires at Q’s and knits them sweaters (apparently it’s a hobby that’s recommended for people who previously served in armed forces?? cute???)

- Q cooking was adorable and will change some hc’s from “he can’t function outside of work” into “he’s really good at following instructions and has even more talents than we expected”

- The movie has the perfect amount of banter/improvised aka real conversations that are flowing and feel... less like movie script?! (There’s a conversation Bond has with Safin that has me dsjgsjdgjsdgfsd almost 24h later holy heck yes thank you)

- The relationship that develops between Bond and Nomi and the handing-off of the title is worthy and beautiful and the timing and execution of it is perfect. Thank! You!

- I did not think I would like Madeleine as a character, but wow they made me do a 180, I like her now (no regrets)

- I will write a longer post on this, bc it’s a piece of culture I’m part of and am passionate about, but: Safin origin and the intersection of eastern Russia + Japanese influence on wardrobe and set design was mmmmmm *chef’s kiss*, it was worked into small details so SO WELL I can’t wait to pause screen and info-dump on my wife once we get a DVD release. That whole island was amazing, botany on point thank thank thank you so much

- Of course Q owns a 3D-printer 

- I’ve already seen a side-by side with Goldfinger and No Time To Die, cute easter egg!

- Felix scene had me cry, he had grown on me and James calling him a brother made me tear up

- Ok, comedy; I’m running out of words to say how well-balanced this movie was, but putting little funny elements in it (i.e. tea pots in the drawer, “it’s never 9 to 5, is it”), both visually and in conversation was great!

- Wardrobe, again, I loved the core character wardrobe, especially Moneypenny and Q! Q wears a sushi-chef apron in a scene in his flat that hints at the final destination of Bond’s adventure and overall wardrobe elements - foreshadowing had me dghfjgsdhjfgdfs Q in pajama’s, we all called it, blue matching set

- Locations, ofc great, Cuba was recreated beautifully, if anyone wants a mapped out post for London locations, let me know!

- Canon gay Q, not overplayed, no weird reactions in the movie, only positive feedback during my viewing (bless this city)

- Paloma felt real and wonderful as a character, I did not expect this, but I want MORE, heck, at least a whole movie with her. I loved Ana in Knives Out and I love seeing her in an action movie.

- There’s a line when Bond is about to embark for the island that had me cry and realise “wow, he’s not coming back this time” and that was... oh wow

- Social commentary relevant to current situations was subtle but appreciated (thank you Nomi), but especially making the audience realise that Bond has more integrity in Geneva convention and rules of espionage globally than M when it came to Heracles shifted the perspective of him as a character for me and I hope it does for other viewers. For a character to go through that was a big set-up for the finale, I am glad we got to see it! (If anyone kept count and knows his age by the end of the movie, do let me know)

- Radio scene, RADIO SCENE towards the end and everyone drinking to Bond (especially Q chugging the whiskey in one go wow you miss him buddy) dfgahsjdgfhjsadgfasd no wore words

- Soundtrack was a 10000000/10 I have nothing to add, score was beautiful, perfect hints at past pieces from the previous movies, eventually a nod to Brideshead Revisited, but what do I know about music, really

Predictions aka what I wish for in the future; 

- Nomi as 007, f you, whiny franchise gatekeepers, don’t care, I want what I want; Nomi and Moneypenny friendship

- Nomi on a mission with Paloma, Q on comms, *chef’s kiss* the chaos and potential this trio has is beyond what I can imagine, please unhand it, MGM

- That’s it, I would be super happy for Ben Whishaw to stay, ofc! Though he got confirmed for a series adaptation of “This is Going to Hurt”, a book I really enjoyed this year, so woooo!

- Equally excited for the whole circus around Who Will Be The Next James Bond?! From over a decade ago, was fun speculating.

- Less of a prediction, but seeing Daniel Craig get hurt consistently and taking a step away makes me hope to see him in indie movies again. He has grown on me as an actor and I can’t wait for Knives Out 2. 

[clairecrive]

“Closeness”- Bane x reader

A/N: I’m back you guys! Writing this was like a breath of fresh air and it got me back to writing.This was supposed to be short and sweet but it turned out long and fluffy. I mean I’m not mad about it and I hope you won’t either. 

Summary: Bane comes home after a long work day, his mind still caught up on something that happened during the day, so his significant other takes it upon themselves to cheer him up.

Word count: 2.4K

Tw: cockworming, nudity but it’s mostly fluffy 

Tag list: @mollybegger-blog​, @evelynshelby​, @br0ck-eddie​, @of-love-and-of-the-sea​, @shadow-of-wonder​, @innerpaperexpertcloud​, @fandom--0verdose​, @sopxhiea​, @fuseburner​, @ashesbelle​, @kind-wolf​ (let me know if you wanna be added or removed)

The bed creaked when Bane sat on it to remove his shoes. It was late at night and he had just gotten home while you were engrossed in the book you decided to read while waiting for him.  The scene was familiar for both of you as this happened almost every night: if he'd come home at a reasonable hour, he'd find you in bed with a book or watching tv so that you wouldn't fall asleep and could see him whenever he'd get home. You had learned not to approach him right away, as when he had had a bad day he would usually come home still worked up about it and was liable to snap. So you waited for him to give you some kind of signal, wondering what was going to be tonight.

It came in the form of a long sigh. The boots were discarded on the floor and the bones in his neck popped as he stretched it to relieve some tension. It caught your attention as it was an unusual sound to come from him. Anger and stress translated into restlessness and groans and while he manifested rage by being extremely calm and cold on the outside making him look scary and unpredictable, observing him now you deduced that that wasn't it. It was something else.

Closing the book, you kept a close eye on him. His stance didn't appear tense, on the contrary, his shoulders slouched. And if the sigh hadn't alarmed you enough, noticing this certainly did. Bane never slouched. His posture was always correct and proper, his back straight and chin up.

Something was definitely bothering him.

"Babe?" you quietly called him trying to test the waters. A grunt was all you got.

"Everything alright?" your voice a little stronger, your worry evident. He just lowered his head and held it in his hands and although he didn't say anything out loud, his body let you know everything you needed to. You crawled on the bed stopping behind him. Placing your hands on his shoulders, you gently started massaging the zone trying to make him relax.

"What's wrong?" you softly in his ear after he had lifted it from his hands.

"I had a bad day but I do not wish to talk about it." He slightly turned his head to you and his tone matched yours albeit it came out a bit harsh because of his mask, but you had learned to understand him by now.

"Alright." Leaving a small peck on the side of his neck, you moved to climb off the bed. Bane's hand reached out to yours to stop you from getting away as if to check in with you and make sure he hadn't offended you somehow. Holding his hand, you gesture that you'd only be a moment, letting him know that he was fine.

Both of you had always been adamant on sharing whatever was troubling you right away instead of keeping it all bottled up as you both agreed on it being a bad habit. It didn't always work as it's easier said than done and while Bane, true to himself, came in strong and usually ended up demanding you to speak, you tried to be more mindful of his needs. You knew firsthand that sometimes you don't have the right words to express what you're feeling or you're not in the right state of mind to talk about it, so you tried to keep it in mind when dealing with him.

What you found always worked with him was creating a safe zone where he felt comfortable enough to share whatever was on his mind. Due to his lifestyle, Bane doesn't let go easily. This meant that he did not trust easily but even once he had allowed you in, he still tended to keep everything to himself. At the beginning it was a problem, you didn't know each other that well and you took his reluctance to open up as a lack of trust from his part. Filling the tub and lighting some candles, you smiled fondly at the memory of his awkward attempt to explain and to reassure you that that wasn't the case. His eloquence oddly failing him when he had to talk about his feelings.

When the water had reached the desired level, you turned the tap off and poured your rose-scented soap that you knew he secretly loved.

"Babe, come here." You knew he was probably already looking at you, he had a problem with staring that you had already addressed before, but either way, he kept doing it and with time his eyes on you didn't make you tense or anxious but felt natural.

"I would have thought you had already taken your bath seeing as it's past midnight." He said once he saw what you had been up to, totally misreading the situation.

"This isn't for me," you cooed at him implying that it was for him but all he did was arching one of his eyebrows and look at you sceptically. So you took matter into your own hands and started unbuttoning his vest. With every garment that came off, a kiss was placed in its place.

"A hot bath will do you good." His stance previously so tense, grew looser as the items of clothing came off and your kisses and caresses were the only things he could feel. Trailing softly on his skin from his collarbone, one of your hands came to his and gently coaxed him towards the bathtub. It seems that whatever put him in this mood was so bad that Bane let you lead him where you wanted without making a fuss.

He lowered himself in the bathtub and as soon as the warm water hit his aching muscles a groan left his mouth. Happy that it worked, you watched as he shuffled to find a comfortable position to lay in and when he settled, you reached for the soft sponge you had already set out and gently rubbed it on his chest.

He opened one of his eyes at the new feeling, "I am no longer a child, I am capable of washing myself", he stated in his usual as-a-matter-of-fact tone but he didn't make a move to stop what you were doing.

"Close your eyes and relax," you replied without missing a beat. "You've had a bad day so I'm taking care of you. I know you're capable of doing it but I am also capable of washing and pampering you and so I'll do it." Sarcasm filled your voice - you were amused at his antics more than anything. You didn't stop your movements, scraping away the dirt with the sponge and then making sure to give more attention to all the spots you knew were bothering him; you take your time and make sure that every part of his body is taken care of. Soon enough you reached his legs and took your time in rubbing his feet. You could only imagine how sore they were after more than 24h of standing. You've never met someone as hardworking as Bane in your life, it was one of the things you admired in him but at the same time, after living with the man for a while, you realized with what personal sacrifice it came with. He was one of those men who put work first- not only above his personal life but also his health. You had tried countless of times to get him to find a healthier balance and if the walls of your home could speak, they'd tell of his stubbornness.

"It's late y/n, you should be in bed."

"Don't worry babe, I don't mind. I like taking care of you." You smiled at him before moving your attention on his other foot.

You knew he was deep into the narrative of "I'm the man, therefore, I'm the one who has to take care of you", however, you thought it was utter bullshit. Yes, you liked how careful and mindful of you he was. What you didn't like was him refusing to accept the fact that you wanted to take care of him too and that allowing you to wouldn't make him less of a man. It was just a way to show him that you loved him. And maybe he had finally got it too because he doesn't fight you anymore as much as he did in the beginning.

"Why don't you join me?" he asked after a while and when you opened your mouth to answer him he spoke again as if he already knew what you were going to say, "I'd like to hold you."

Sometimes, Bane had the ability to disarm you. To leave you completely clueless as to how to react to what he did, or in this case, said. Usually, it was with his eloquent way of speaking and his complex thought process that he would always leave you to marvel at him and at how lucky you were to be with him. Very rarely though, he'd say something so sweet, in a way so simple that a warm and fuzzy feeling took over your body and you were suddenly rendered speechless.

So, you usually gave up trying to give him a worded answer and resorted to action, quickly undressing so you could join him.

He was so big that he took up all the available space in the tub but before you could wonder where to sit, his hands steadily guided you until you were laying on him. As your arms circled his chest, your face buried in his neck and he guided your legs around his waist. You couldn't be closer than this and as his arms tightened around you, you figured it was exactly what he wanted. And as for you, you'd never turn down cuddling time.

"Sometimes, I find it hard to believe that you're mine." His voice cut through the quiet atmosphere of the bathroom, his mask stroking your shoulder where it was resting. There was something in his voice that gave you chills. Sensing that this statement hide something more serious underneath, you pushed yourself up and gently perched on his chest so that you could look into his eyes while speaking.

"I don't know what happened today, but whatever it is, it has nothing to do with how I feel about you. Nor could it ever change it." You reminded him while his face leaned on your hand that was stroking his cheek.

"Unless what you did today was cheating on me. That would definitely change things," you added to lighten the mood sure in your heart that he'd never do it. "But I'm sure that's not the case, is it?" It was more of a rhetorical question really but it was to lure him out of that bad space his mind was in at the moment.

"I would never do that to you." He confirmed and you smiled brightly at him. Words failed to express how much you loved this man, you hoped that your eyes were doing a better job.

"You are loved and you are worthy of it." You continued with a more serious tone.

"You are lovable and I do love you, Bane." You pecked the grate of his mask letting your words sink in before speaking again. "Do not listen to that nasty voice in your head that tells you otherwise. You are everything I need and even more that I could want. I am lucky to have you because you're special. You're brilliant, the brightest man I know, fiercely loyal, you're good at everything you do and you're so hardworking. Last but not least, you make me feel like the most special girl in the world."

"I am the lucky one." His fingers trailed lightly your back while he mirrored your smile. At least you figured as much by the way his eyes narrowed.

"Let's agree the universe smiled at both of us that day, hm?" Another peck was left on where his mouth was supposed to be and you went to your comfortable position on his chest when something poked your attention.

"I thought you were tired," you gasped in mock surprise when there was no doubt on what it was. And, as a matter of fact, Bane didn't even attempt to hide it. His hands simply moved to your lower back and pushed you to him to create some friction.

"I crave the closeness, nothing has to happen." Almost as if to shush you, one of his hands cradled your head and pushed it further into his neck while the other moved you up on his body so that you were perfectly aligned with him.

"Baby, there's no way we can get closer than this." But of course, he was already working on proving you wrong. And you understood you were once he slowly pushed into you and despite being skin to skin, only now you felt like you were one.

"I never would have guessed you liked cock warming," you pointed out after a while. Both of your fingers were caressing the other's skin at leisure. The water was still warm and the soft light from the candles only added to the already relaxed atmosphere. There was nowhere else you'd rather be right now. Not even your bed.

"I'll admit that I've never cared for the intimacy it offered before." Ugh, this man was definitely after your heart.

"I can see what you mean. I agree It's not something you can do with everyone." You ought to be comfortable enough with your partner to do something like this. Now, being comfortable with yourself was a challenge of its own for you, so for you to be naked on him while he could see and feel everything was a love confession alone. And Bane knew that it was why he had never asked to this before.

In your own way, both of you was saying something to the other just by laying there together. And being so in tune with the other, both of you were aware of it. With every caress and every second that passed, the only thing you could feel was your heart swell with gratitude for the human you held in your arms.

[envember]

|25.06.2019|

Tuesday.

My longest day in the week. Of course.

8am class was with a professor that's really interesting. She looked like a down to earth person and kept throwing facts at us. Due to the extreme heat though she couldn't keep going so stopped midway and ended the lecture after 45 minutes... i told you, awesome.

The heat messed up with my brain so much. I had warm coffee to feel better (and ofc block my receptors..) my 2 morning classes went pretty well. On my break i had a lovely study sesh with friends until i got the feedback email from the sensory prof about our papers and prepping for the case study day. :) after a few moments of panick, frustration and texting our group figuring out what to do, we managed to find a way to fix things, make adjustments and send the final mail on time. Mind you, the case study is tomorrow.. the next day. In less than 24h.. yes. Life. We deal with it.. somehow

After my afternoon class, the adorable friend and i camped at the library whilst live texting the members who couldn't make it (le lovely friend saved our day♡) we did what we did and headed home. Later in the late evening we discussed together in a call on what to do tomorrow. This is becoming more or less like a diary of my academic life. It's a horror thriller book, in case you couldn't figure it out whilst reading since earlier.

Oh and there is a mini doodle of our epidemiology tutor.

Sleep lots and stay hydrated in this heat💪🏻

Motivation just walked itself out of my mind palace thanks to the heat...

[survey--s]

60.

What made you happy in the last 24 hours? Going out for a meal today. Otherwise the last 24h have been a bit rubbish as I’ve had really bad period pains so I’ve barely slept.

What was the last book you read? The Red Queen by Christina Henry.

What was the most fun thing you did in the last 24 hours? Go out for a meal, lol.

Have you done anything adventurous lately? No, not really. I mean, there’s nothing much adventurous to do on a bank holiday weekend in January.

What was the last thing you regretted doing (or not doing)? I don’t remember the last time I really regretted doing anything. Maybe staying up too late or something like that.

What was the most delicious food you ate in the last 24 hours? Scampi and chips.

Do you like the way your hair looks right now? Yeah, it actually looks pretty good for now. It’s tied up in a messy bun but it’s neat and not frizzy or untidy or anything like that.

Do you think it rains too much where you live? I mean, I live in the wettest county in the UK, so I’ll let you figure it out lol.

What color is your laptop? Silver.

Is your computer slow? Is it having problems? No, it’s absolutely fine. It’s nearly four years old now but runs like new.

Do you worry a lot, or do you live carefree? I think I worry more than what is normal, but I’m certainly not as bad as I used to be. I don’t think I’d want to be completely carefree either, though.

Do you have a Bible that’s falling apart? I don’t own any kind of bible.

What did the last pair of earrings you wore look like? They’re just cubic zirconia studs.

What is the next fun thing you are planning to do? Take the dog for a beagle meet on Tuesday morning.

Do you suffer from chronic pain? Yeah, I have chronic back and hip pain that’s only getting worse as I get older.

What was the last thing you did outside? Walked from the car back to the house, lol. Otherwise I did walk the dog this morning but we weren’t out long as my hips and back were so sore.

Do you need to clean your room? Nope.

Have you ever read the Bible all the way through? I have zero interest in reading the bible.

Do you collect mason jars? No. We have four that we use for storing tea, coffee, sugar and hot chocolate - just because we have a tiny kitchen and the jars take up less space than all the packaging.

What was the last thing you decorated? I have absolutely no idea.

What’s on your floor? Carpet, a rug, a cat and furniture. 

What was the last piece of candy you ate? I don’t remember, maybe some skittles.

Are you wearing shorts right now? No, I’m currently wearing leggings.

Who was your first best friend? Her name was Lucy.

Who was/is your last or current best friend? Mike.

Are you lonely? No.

Have you spent most of your life lonely? No. Parts of it have been lonely, for sure, but certainly not the majority of it.

Did you answer your phone in the last 24 hours? No, I don’t think so.

What’s your favorite magazine to read? I don’t read magazines.

What color is the sky right now? Black.

Do you like the name Skye? It’s fine. There used to be a girl who did surveys called Sky but I don’t know what happened to her. That was a long time ago now.

Do you want to have kids? I’m really undecided.

When was the last time you ate taffy? We don’t get taffy here.

Name three toppings you like on a salad. Croutons, bacon bits and sundried tomatoes.

Do you like pineapple? On it’s own, yes, but not on a pizza lol.

Would you rather visit Asia or Europe? Asia. I live in Europe and have seen quite a bit of it alrready.

Do you know anyone who travels all the time? No, not really since COVID hit.

Do you think it’s selfish to travel all the time, when most people can’t? No, of course not. Using that logic, it’s selfish to use running water and electricity when most of the world don’t have access to it.

Would you ever consider studying abroad? I’ve done it before. It was interesting but I don’t think I’d do it again.

What was the last thing you ate? A bowl of cereal.

Are you happy with your life right now? I am indeed.

What color was your first phone? Black and silver.

Do you remember your high school locker combination? We didn’t have lockers.

Do you miss someone? No, not really.

Do you wear flip-flops? Archie ate my last pair of flip-flops and I never got round to replacing them lol.

Which do you like better: cacti, palm trees, or maple trees? Maple trees.

What type of tree do you see most of where you live? Pine trees.

Have you ever seen fireflies? Yeah, when we went on holiday to Italy every summer, there were always fireflies around our villas in the evening.

Can you see the moon from your bedroom window? Yeah, we can when the skies are clear.

[nickireadstfc]

The Raven King, Chapter 16 - I Got Scars, They're Multiplying

In which Neil needs protection, hugs, soft kisses and everything good in the world, and Riko needs to die in a fire pit.

Sounds good? Then it's time for Nicki to read (and finish) The Raven King.

Here we are. Last chapter of The Raven King - and what a wild ride that one was. We saw more plot than ever before, more sass than we could handle, and more gut-wrenching shock than we liked.

Let's finish this off, shall we?

          [Neil] rubbed his eyes with gloved hands and regretted it immediately. The gloves hid his bandages but did nothing for the pain.

So apparently, Neil wakes up in the airport - with no memory of how he got there, but instead with a body that feels like it had a nice time fighting with a lawn mower.

Only that the lawn mower had twice the usual amount of blades, was extra mean, and could also, like, spit fire or something.

Also, Neil lost.

          For a moment, Neil was baffled that [the airport gate announcement] wasn't in French. He'd spent so much time with Jean he'd forgotten any other language existed.

Neil is also weirdly confused at the absence of Jean. Having spent two - three? - weeks metaphorically chained to each other does that to you, probably.

I still don't like Jean, just so clarify that from last chapter. Maybe he grows on you some more next book and then I'll see the light, but so far, I don't know. I see him as a clear victim of the Ravens total fuckery, I have pity for him, and I find him an interesting character because of his dynamic with Kevin, but he is still kind of a douchebag to me.

I'm sorry. I wanna like him. He just hasn't given me much reason to yet.

Neil, (occasionally) smart boy that he is, charges his phone and calls Wymack to get him - but not before having to wade through tons and tons of texts from the Foxes, which already made me a lil emotional.

Everyone, apart from Andrew of course, everyone texted him over the holidays. This is the kind of quality fox family shit I signed up for.

          "I didn't know who else to call," Neil said. He barely recognized his own voice. The last time he'd spoken he'd been screaming; apparently his vocal chords still hadn't recovered.

There's shit like that dropped through this entire scene, shit that hints at just how much actual fucking torture Neil is coming back from right now, and I am decidedly not fucking liking it.

          "Are you all right?"

          Neil smiled. It felt like it tore his face open. "No. No, I'm not. I know it's kind of sudden, but can you come get me?"

Is that........ the first time......... Neil has admitted to not being fine........ ONE FOR THE BOOKS, FOLKS.

I mean, with so much painful shit done to you, you'd have to be a serious shade of fucked up, angsty and alone not to ask for help.

Which is to say, Book 1 Neil would have totally not asked for help.

Another exhaustion blackout later, Neil finds himself on one of his most frequented post-awful time places: Wymack's couch.

And Wymack, although keeping caring watch like a tattooed momma hen, is not here for Neil's bullshit:

          "He sounds like Neil," Wymack said, "but he doesn't look like him. I'll take your explanation from the top and without a side order of bullshit, thanks."

What, did the injuries they gave him at the Batcave of Extra rip him an entirely new face?

          The face waiting for him in the mirror was horrible enough to take his legs out from under him. (...) This was his natural hair colour, and those were his real eyes, and this was his father's face.

APPARENTLY, YES.

An entirely new face that looks exactly like his father. Oh shit. OH SHIT BOI.

At this point it should be pointed out how amazingly well-written this chapter is. Neil's pain-induced confusion and blackout, his anxiety, and most importantly his screaming, hurting body is tangible through the pages and that just gripped me.

I mean, it also gripped me because Neil is my beautiful sassy angsty adoptive son I need to protect at absolutely all costs, now more than ever.

But also because the writing is just damn on point.

Hey - remember how last time there was this tiny annoying voice that kept reminding me of something I'd seen time and time again in fanart and cosplay?

          Wymack went so still Neil thought he'd turned to stone. "Neil, the fuck is on your face?"

Oh no.

          Neil wasn't ready to see his reflection again. He was less ready to see the "4" tattooed on his left cheekbone.

OH NO.

I SAW THAT COMING AND STILL OH SHIT NO.

HELL NO.

          By the time Wymack caught up with him he'd already pulled a knife from the wooden block on Wymack's counter. Wymack seized his wrist before Neil could take the knife to his own face.

Wow.

Wow, shit.

No kidding - to me, this little bit here is probably the most shocking and wtf-moment in this entire chapter.

Like. Not only does Neil want to get rid of that tattoo - which us understandable, we all would in his situation -, but he is instantly rady to take a giant ass kitchen knife and cut it out of his own skin without a second of hesitation?

What the fuck. What the FUCK.

This speaks volumes, volumes of what they did to him at Batcave of Extra, and I do not like one single thing about it.

          Every time Neil blinked he remembered a little more of his Christmas vacation. Every time he moved he felt Riko's hands and blades and fire on his skin. he'd let Riko take him apart time and time again because it was the only way to survive, because bending should have kept him from breaking, but Neil didn't know if he could pull himself together one more time.

MY SON, MY BEAUTIFUL SHORT-TEMPERED ANGSTY SASS MACHINE SON, FUCK NO.

I MUST PROTECT YOU.

And then, immediately after - are y'all ready for the most heartbreaking paragraph in this chapter, because I am ABSOLUTELY THE FUCK NOT:

          Neil, Wymack called him, even when he looked like this, even with his father's face and his father's eyes and the Moriyama's number on his face. Neil, Wymack called him, and more than anything Neil wanted it to be true. He stopped fighting to get free; the hands that had been trying to wrench Wymack's arms off him now held on for dear life.

HE'S HUGGING HIM.

NEIL IS HUGGING WYMACK, KNOWING WYMACK WILL LOVE AND ACEEPT HIM NO MATTER WHAT, NO MATTER WHAT UGLY PART OF NEIL HE GETS TO SEE, AND NEIL IS HUGGING HIM, CLINGING, PROBABLY CRYING.

GUESS WHO'S NOT JUST PROBABLY CRYING.

IT'S ME.

          "Help me," he said through gritted teeth.

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

Neil!! Is!! Not only accepting help!! But ASKING FOR IT!!!

[high-pitched incoherent emotional screaming in the distance]

Wymack, of course, is the Best Person Alive and patches Neil up without asking questions - which is an incredibly feat considering that Neil's body right now has reached new Deapool-looking heights.

On the contrary, it is now Neil who offers answers - after the finals, after the Ravens are beaten and have had their abusive sadistic asses handed to them, Neil will tell Wymack the truth. As in, the actual truth.

HELL FECKIN YES.

Wymack deserves to know All The Things.

          "I didn't sign it," Neil said, looking up from his hands. (...) "He gave me a contract but I wouldn't sign it. He couldn't make me. This doesn't mean anything. I'm still a Fox."

Oh my god. This small "He couldn't make me" in there, brb literally burying myself in a pile of my own emotions.

They tortured him. They legit medieval-style full-on tortured him, and he still refused to be one of them. Even in pain so cruel it caused blackout memory, Neil still refused to give up his Fox family.

"He couldn't make me."

Neil, I have seldom loved you more than in this very, very moment.

And oh - it's almost New Year's.

          He tapped out a simple "Happy New Year" to the Foxes. (...) The response was almost immediate. By the time the midnight countdown started on the screen (...), he'd already heard back from his entire team, most of them in capslock and with extraneous exclamation marks.

FOX BABIES

FOX FAMILY

          He was their family. They were his. They were worth every cut and bruise and scream.

WOULD SOMEONE THINK OF MY FOX TEARS

          Facing the Foxes on the court this spring would be the last mistake Riko ever made.

And if it isn't, I will personally worm myself into this fictional universe and smack him so hard his shitty sadistic motherfucker of a brain comes flying out his ass where it had been hidden, and he will die slowly and painfully of tragic brainlessness while I bound off to find Neil and give him the 24h cuddle session he needs and deserves.

Fucking hell.

Nicki out.

Hold on - before I leave, a quick note on how updates will continue:

Some time next week (don't know when exactly) I'll put up another review of the entire book, like I did for The Foxhole court. We're also looking at what predictions I made last time and whether they turned out to be golden bullshit or not, so stay tuned for that.

After that, in August this blog will take a hiatus as I'm travelling around a lot taking well-deserved holidays. (Canadian peeps: I'm invading your country! If anyone here lives in the Regina, Edmonton or Toronto area, hit me up.)

In September, we're back to our normal update schedule of twice a week (as long as life allows me to, as always), this time probably having All The Feels over The King's Men.

I can't wait.

And, on a last note: As always, if you like what I do here and you want to help me continue making this project, please consider buying me a coffee. Every little bit does help. Thank you so much! <33

[engnews24h]

Babiš wags Bata and thinks how to milk a Brussels cow

Eng News 24h Babiš wags Bata and thinks how to milk a Brussels cow

He borrowed a red baseball cap from Donald Trump for the European elections. Andrej Babiš will go to the next election with a building program referring to the visions of Jan Antonín Baťa.

Andrej Babiš won the election with a simple and understandable slogan “will be better”. It worked in times of growing economy. However, for an uncertain time of slowing economy, another slogan needs.

He doesn't have to invent it. He has already embodied it in the headline of the National Investment Plan: A country of the future for 11 million people. Babiš refers to the visionary plans that Jan Antonín Baťa formulated in the book Let's build a state for 40 million people.

It can be anticipated that with this Baťa slogan YES will lead to this year's regional elections and to the parliamentary elections next year.

How to milk a Brussels cow

Babiš has been sweeping with Baťa for several years. He already mentioned him in the file What I dream about when I happen to sleep. He refers to it nine times in total and reminds him of it in the preface of the investment plan.

True, the investment plan of Babiš's government can be compared to Jan Antonín Baťa's visionary book in many ways. For example, it emphasizes the construction of motorways and railways. He expects that three quarters of the eight trillion crowns to be invested by 2050 will go to transport networks.

Jan Antonín Baťa with his family in 1933, source: Profimedia.cz

One of Baťa's main projects was the “autostrada” from Cheb to the Carpathian Carpathians. The visionary assumed that it would be built by a joint-stock company with registered capital (state and private) of 100 million crowns, whose loans (up to a limited amount) will be guaranteed by the government. Similarly, the Baťa Canal was not created solely from state investments; the Baťa company contributed to the financing.

Babiš and his private capital cabinet calculate in the investment plan. However, PPP (Public Private Partnership) projects with private investment are not used. And in the plan for 11 million, it crouches fourth, behind state finances, European subsidies and the National Development Fund, made up of voluntary contributions from large banks and other corporations.

The government plan foresees that a substantial part of transport infrastructure costs will be covered by European subsidies. But this is a prerequisite that hardly comes true.

The cause is not Babiš's conflict of interests, but the Czech Republic is moving towards the average of the EU economies. We are approaching a time when we are going to milk less Euros (subsidies) from the Brussels cow and spend more on feed (for payments to the common budget). What's more, the Brussels Ring Fellowship is going to direct common money towards the green lot. And it is obvious that euros in asphalt and concrete will be substantially less.

And where will the state take its finances when, after 2030, the large generation of “Husak's children” will retire? A pile of state money-dependent pensioners and an unreformed pension flow system suck the budget into the last speck. Unfortunately, this did not fit into Babiš's visions.

Nanny of Agrofert

In his futuristic work, Jan Antonín Baťa writes about a country where there is space for business, where business is worthwhile, where there are low taxes, simple and understandable tax regulations, clear legislation … Does this remind of a country run by Babiš's government?

Entrepreneurs in the Czech Republic suffocate some of the highest labor costs in OECD countries. Over the six years that Babiš has been involved in the government, the number of civil servants has grown like never before. Erar swelled unprecedentedly. Increasing business regulation.

Bata also in the book urges the government not to “make a nanny” (page 7). And that's what Babis does. He assures that his government will take care of everything, arrange everything. He promises more than blue from heaven. For example, a pensioner has recently reassured that if he succeeds, the government will reduce the retirement age.

It will do well. How else, when the Prime Minister in a New Year's speech assured that the “relay of economic growth” in times of cooling will take over the government.

We don't want free subsidies!

Baťa mentions the benefits of free competition and advises the government not to interfere, just to ensure a level playing field and guarantee equal chances for all (page 120).

… and Andrej Babiš with his family in 2018, source: Profimedia.cz

Babis, however, based a substantial part of his business on subsidies, a system in which the winners are not those who offer quality goods at the lowest prices, but those who receive more subsidies and government contracts. Babis has always been a champion.

What is more, Babiš vigorously defends this system, as opposed to Bata's ideals. He goes to Brussels to intercede for a higher subsidy budget for the next planning seven-year plan and says we may pay extra for it. Only when subsidies are not reduced. In other words, We don't want free subsidies!

Babiš, new Baťa?

Andrej Babis recommends Jan Antonin Bata's book on the earth for 40 million to be read anywhere. He reiterates that if Václav Klaus read it in 1990, we could have been elsewhere today.

But when a peasant compares Baťa's book with what Babis did and does, he may ask himself: Would we not be elsewhere today, when he read this book carefully – and above all inspired – by the current Prime Minister?

Source: tiscali.cz

Eng News 24h Babiš wags Bata and thinks how to milk a Brussels cow

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[ladyaredhel]

Good afternoon, bookworms! ❤️ ° So, I tried to get out of my reading slump and I choose a book that has been published recently in Italy, "Ferryman" by Claire McFall. 😶 ° It wasn't a good idea, at all! I mean, yes I read it in less than 24h, but guys I don't understand why readers have praised this book so much! 😧 ° First have all, the main character was so annoying and childish, secondly the idea was good but has been developed badly, thirdly the author must have thought that it would be a good idea to switch PoVs in the middle of chapters, without warnings, and, trust me, it was confusing! 😱 ° Well, I think I'll go back to listen to the audiobook of "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone". 😅 ° #QOTD Which books everyone loved but you? 💕 ° ° #Ferryman #MillennioDiFuoco #bookstagramfeature #lovetoread #readingtime #whattoread #bookworld #bookstagram #bookstagrammer #bookishgirl #bookcommunity #booklife #booknerd #igreads #lovetoread #readingaddict #bibliophile #bookrecommendation #readsharewin https://www.instagram.com/p/B1OzawAIdTe/?igshid=fxjbul1yz8dg

[wonderbackpack-blog]

Airbnb is a service which picks up speed very fast in the modern traveler’s list of possible accommodations when away from home.

So how to book the best stay with Airbnb?

Through the website, you can pay to stay at someone’s home. What a great way to go on vacation or a business trip. To book the best stay with Airbnb home is as easy as 1,2,3. However,  sometimes It can be a bit of a challenging experience. Follow the steps I use, to utilize the platform to work for you.

I am going to Japan in less than a month and I decided that I want to stay in a traditional Japanese house or the so-called Ryokan.

    There were a lot of different booking sites I could use. I was thinking of using points through Marriot, SPG or Hilton. Paying cash to collect points was on the table too. Booking.com also had great pricing for the busy season. To book through the AMEX Travel portal was a good option too, considering I can collect points with my Amex Platinum that I can transfer to so many different programs, but that is a whole another conversation. I weigh all the options and finally decided to use Airbnb. I stay in a normal hotel for almost all my business travels, I thought.

So what happened is, I ended up looking for a Ryokan on Airbnb. With just a few clicks I was able to explore all the options and I found one that I really like. The place was very traditional, well-kept home with an amazing location. Then I was ready to book and my disappointment came to live on my face. I had forgotten to put the dates in. Then I did,  just to find out that the place was already sold out for those dates.

Tips for booking the best stay with Airbnb.

TIP No. 1- Duh! It’s easy to come to mind, that we need to input the desired location first. But we now have some more options too. At first, the only service Airbnb offered was a stay in someone’s home. But just recently they released their new product- “Experiences“.

Those are events or attractions usually offered by locals, like experiencing tea ceremony or calligraphy course. So, first chose which one you are interested in. Let’s say, first, we start with “Homes“.

  TIP No. 2- Always, always set the dates for your stay FIRST. For me, this is a dealbreaker because it can make or break your experience with Airbnb especially when using it for the first time. Another must for me is setting the number of guests. If you are flying solo, this is not a big deal, I think since I would hope that every home can accommodate at least one person. Some places might charge per person and/or for kids too. Extra tip: Remember to hit “apply”. Usually with other booking platforms, when you click outside the calendar, your selection is saved but not with Airbnb. You have to click “apply”.

TIP No. 3-The following options home type, price, instant book, trip type, and more filters are personal preference. Usually, I set the home type to “Entire place�� because I don’t like sharing with other people and gives you more privacy as well. Furthermore, sometimes it makes check in and out easy. A lot of places have a little lockbox, where they keep the key and provide you with the unlock code, so you can get it whenever you arrive and not have to wait for the landlord to come and hand you the keys. !Remember to click apply again!

TIP No. 4- Normally if on a budget, I would set the price slider to the maximum I am ready to pay for a night plus few extra bucks and once more click apply. But if I am looking for a specific type of accommodation and price is not an issue, I would just leave it to its default parameters and look for the place I like the most.

TIP No. 5-The instant book is the next search filter. What that option does is- It lets you select only the homes that can be booked instantly, without the host approval. By default, most homes require the host’s approval.

TIP No. 6-Under trip type, you will find 2 options to chose from “Family trip” or “Work trip”. If you click the “Family trip” you will get results with 5 stars reviews from families and essentials like a full-size kitchen. The “work trip” will only show properties that have wi-fi, workspace, and self-check-in.

TIP No. 7-The “More filter” tab opens a huge drop down menu, that will let you narrow down the search to the number of bathrooms if you wish. In my experience, the Super Host option is the most powerful. If you chose this, it will show you homes hosted by people who have at least 4.8* rating, they have 0 cancellations, usually, respond to question in 24h and/ or have had at least 10 stays per year. I’ve stayed with 3 Superhost so far and always had an amazing experience, it turns out that the “title” is just right.

If you completed the steps with me so far. You would be looking at something similar to this. Of course, not the same since choosing different dates and filters will show you different options.

What I really love about the interface is that you can very easily scroll and see the properties. Their brief description and price per night are also shown. Another cool feature is the map. For example, if you hover your mouse over the home post, you can see where it is located on the map, or you can click on the price tag directly on the map and it will show you a summary of the selected home. Keep in mind that the location is not fully disclosed before booking and it just shows a general area but I find it to be pretty accurate.

New types of homes added to the portal are “Airbnb PLUS“. Those are homes which have been verified by Airbnb to be of good quality and comfort. Just another step to bringing you a piece of mind in my opinion. I believe that this is only for US homes at the moment, but they will probably expand the program.

Make sure to also check the Airbnbmag. I think about it as a blog. It will show you different homes that are in some way extraordinary, or homes that offer experiences as well. It will feature the top experiences they have had posted recently like this Dragon Boat Carnival. Definitely worth checking out.

Things to keep in mind when booking with Airbnb:

Prepayment in advance is required. Your Total for the property consists of: the Price per night X number of nights + Cleaning fee (different and preset for every property) + Service fee.

Make sure you read the cancellation policy before you pay! All homes have very different policies. Some of them would accept your cancellation and issue a refund. Some of them would cancel but not issue a refund for cleaning and service fee or would keep 50% of the price per night for the total number of nights. Other properties would have very strict cancellation policies and would not even consider refunding you. So, READ before you BOOK.

Make the whole listing a must read for you, before clicking book. Simply because sometimes there are things that are not quite as clear on the pictures. It is always a good practice to read about the property in detail to make sure it will fit your needs before paying for it since the cancellation policies are sometimes harsh. I find it useful to read the reviews of people who have stayed there to get a general feel for the place and the host.

After the booking is completed and you have paid. Wait for the host to approve your stay and get in touch with them. Provide them with your check-in time and specifics if any. Sometimes hosts require extra information about you and your guests like names, nationality, and passport. I ran into that while booking my accommodation in Japan. People seem to be very cautious about who stays in their homes. I didn’t find the requirements so tight when using it in the US or Europe.

If you are traveling a lot, you might want to get in touch with Airbnb and considering becoming a host. When you register, you will see the tab as the first one in the navigation panel. It will also give you an estimate of how much you can make renting your home in a month. You can host yourself or you can have a professional company to do it for you. I find that especially useful if you have a property that you can make work for you.

Last but not least, Airbnb has a very good Reward program If you consider inviting your friends to sign up they will get $40 in travel credit.  The best part though is that you will get $20 dollars too. It is very good if you are traveling with your friends, they sign up and get the $40 travel credit. Then they pay for the stay with their account and you can save $40 on the first trip using the credit. Then you can use your $20 for future trips.

Airbnb is picking up speed very fast among other similar services like VRBO, which I will review separately. I, personally, am liking it a lot. I have used it 5-6 times already and have never been disappointed. The description was always accurate, the price was amazing and never had issues with hosts. It has been a great experience for me. I hope you have a great stay too!

Have you stayed in an Airbnb before? If yes, how did you like it? If no, how do you feel about this accommodation type? Leave a comment below, let’s chat about it.

How to book the best stay with Airbnb- Tips on how to use the platform Airbnb is a service which picks up speed very fast in the modern traveler's list of possible accommodations when away from home.