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lenfaz · 6 years

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Sea Squad, ch. 6 (6/14)

Summary: Killian Jones has always managed tough spots in his con life… but never like this one. His brother is out of jail and convinced the only way to win his name back is to heist the casino of a major Vegas mogul, leaving Killian to do the planning. He now has to deal with a half-brother desperate to gain a name of his own, an ex-fling that carries her own torch against the casino mogul, his brother losing his mind over his ex-wife, his former mentor’s depression and the one woman he can’t get out of his mind giving him chase. Ocean’s Eleven AU

Rating: M

Content warnings: semi-explicit sexual content, law-breaking (they are thieves, liars and con men), mild violence (someone will get punched), mention of former relationships (for the main pair) and cheating (but not for the main pair)

Banner (link to banner post) and art by the amazing @clockadile Go check her art tag for the fic here!

This fic would never exist without the wonderful @sambethe who convinced me to do over hot chocolate on one cold Chicago afternoon and virtually held my hand and betaed this fic for months. thank you SO much for everything you do.

A/N: A long time ago there was talk about Hook & his sea friends and a few collective posts shaped the idea of a Sea Squad. This fic is the attempt to bring that creativity to life. Tagging @queen-mabs-revenge @thesschesthair and @jvosketches as they were part of that initial thinking back in the day. If a few things sound familiar, it’s because they are based on the movie.

Link to FFnet & AO3

on tumblr: 1 2 3 4 5

Chapter 6

The hours turned long and they’d hit the somewhat duller stages of planning. The initial excitement for the heist had given way to long hours of detailing, building the vault replica, and going over the execution. It required a level of focus and concentration that brought out frayed nerves in everyone.

Well, almost everyone.

Nemo had always been good at keeping his composure, and Poseidon had a knack for coming in and out of the character he was playing without wearing himself out. But the rest of them were starting to show signs of distress.

Ariel and Eric bantered constantly, but their rapport had taken on a sniping quality, even about the most petty items, right down to their Netflix queue. The uptick in Smee’s fidgeting with his cap, as well as his obsessive need to re-review the footage of the casinos and note every single detail, was leaving an ache in Killian’s jaw from all the clenching.

LJ, meanwhile, was giving Killian and Liam the silent treatment, as he kept his headphones glued to his ears and his nose buried in a seemingly endless stream of books.

Milah had taken to disappearing for hours at a time, keeping whatever - or whomever - she was doing under wraps. All of which suited Killian just fine, as the last thing they needed was to alert Gold that she was in town. Besides he knew Milah and trusted her. He knew she could be stealthy when she wanted, so he kept his mouth shut.

Ursula spent most of her time shadowing her co-workers at the casino, and only dropping by to feed them new information and get orders from Liam. The two of them would retreat into a corner, all bent heads and whispered words. They didn’t fool Killian at all. He knew Ursula was updating Liam on all of Belle’s movement and a part of him wanted to call his brother on wasting effort by splitting their focus. But Liam had promised, as did he, so he knew he owed his brother this chance.

As for Henry, Killian knew he still felt like an outsider. Luckily, the kid had thick skin and when he was done bonding with LJ over music and comics, he’d retreat to his own corner, plugging in his headphones and writing in his journal. His quiet edge was one Killian easily recognized as the product of spending too much time on his own in foster and group homes, and he couldn’t help but feel drawn to the kid because of it. When he was not shadowing LJ, Killian had been working with Henry, going over what he needed to do and rehearsing and timing his performance. The lad was good - more than good - and Killian couldn’t help the pride he felt as time and again Henry delivered on what he was asked to do.

Which was why when he found out that Henry wasn’t an expert on poker - or any card game - Killian took the kid under his wing and vowed to teach him everything he knew. Unlike his celebrity students, Henry was sharp as a knife, picking up on what the game was about and executing bluffs with such mastery that it brought tears to Killian’s eyes. He was getting fairly good at blackjack too. He couldn’t count cards with Liam’s speed, but he was good at making quick decisions in the heat of the game and landing on his feet.

After the first couple of nights, LJ asked to join the game, and Killian got a glimpse at another side of his little brother. When he was at ease - and he seemed most at ease with Smee and Henry - he could be quite charming. His permanent scowl gave way to an easy smile and a dry wit, his hands moving fast as he dealt cards, his eyes not giving away a single thing as he called bets. He proved to be as good as Killian at bluffing, and even better than Liam at reading a table. It was enough to make Killian weep, again, which resulted in LJ throwing his cards at him, calling him a softie.

Clearing his throat, Killian looked at the three of them. “We need a night out.”

“To do what?” Henry asked

“Get some drinks, play some cards, bet some money,” he replied with a wave of his hand.

“So basically the same thing we’re doing right here,” LJ retorted, clearly not impressed with him. Killian, though, knew by now it was a tactic his brother played. If you don’t get your hopes too high, the fall doesn’t hurt that much.

“Not exactly the same… we’re lacking a certain ambiance here.”

Henry gave them a wry grin. “I’m underage… I won’t be allowed anywhere.”

“There is so much you need to learn about this town, lads.” Killian turned around to his most loyal companion. “What do you say, Smee? Should we show these two what the City of Sin has to offer?”

/-/

He had to give it to both of them, Henry and LJ cleaned up well for their night out. Black slacks, button down shirts, nice shoes, the whole nine yards. Which was slightly funny considering that they ended up in one of the seediest joints Vegas had to offer. But the drinks were good, the tables were humming with activity, and no one even thought to card them with Killian by their side. They joined a poker game in one of the private rooms for a few hours before they took onto the blackjack tables. Henry held his own in both while also holding down his liquor. LJ, true to form, simply took everything by storm, including charming the brunette dealer who kept leaning closer to him with each new hand she dealt. When she announced the end of her shift and threw a coy glance at LJ, Killian knew the night was coming to an end. At least for some of them.

Smee and Henry moved to cash in their winnings, while he and LJ finished their drinks.

“You know you’ve had a tail for the past few hours, don’t you?” LJ said as he placed his glass on the table.

“Aye, I’m aware.” Killian’s fingers moved along the rim of the glass, resisting the urge to look behind him. “She’s been shadowing us all night.”

“You shadow her, she shadows you… is this some kind of kinky foreplay I want to know nothing about?”

Killian laughed. “I wish.” He ran a hand through his hair, forcing himself to focus on the matter at hand. “Will this be a problem for you?”

LJ shrugged. “Nah, I don’t think so. She might be good with faces, but I’m good at being a no one. It’s going to come in handy this time. But I should take off before she makes it any closer. Perhaps seek refuge in a different bed for the time being.” His eyes glinted with mischief.

He rolled his eyes. “I’m sure that’s a sacrifice you’re willing to bear, and I’m sure that lovely croupier would be more than happy to assist you.”

“I’ll get Henry and Smee to leave without coming back here, just in case. I figure you can run interference for us?”

Killian raised his glass at him. “I can do that. It’s me she’s after anyway.”

LJ squeezed his arm. “Killian, be careful, aye?” The concern and fondness in his words made Killian swallow.

“Aye, I will.”

He watched as LJ retreated, playing with the chips on the table and downing his drink. He ordered another as the new dealer showed up. As she set up the table, Killian counted out his heartbeats - one, two, three, four…

On five, Emma sat down beside him, cashing in a hundred dollar bill.

“I’d have thought you’d have privileges for playing in Gold’s casinos, Swan.”

“Fancy places are not my thing. And I could say the same to you. Nemo’s protegee should be able to access better places than this.”

He tilted his head, studying her profile. He wasn’t surprised by the words. It was only natural that she’d set to go after him, looking under every rock for every single piece of information she could gather on him.

There just the two of them on the table and the dealer opened up the bets. He placed a chip on the felt and waited for his cards. “What can I say, this place has its benefits…”

She didn’t pay that much attention to her cards. “What were you doing here tonight?”

Shifting a little, he doubled his bet. “Just passing the time.”

She passed on her bet and Killian winced. She should have doubled with the cards she’d been dealt. “Really? And who were your friends?”

A small smirk came to his lips. “Just some acquaintances I hadn’t had the chance to catch up with in a long time.”

The house went over. He won a good sum. Emma won the bare minimum.

“Funny you should say that, because when I looked into you, I couldn’t find a single associate. Or friend. Or acquaintance.”

Aye. He’d anticipated that, which is why he’d made sure Smee erased all traces of his known associates, along with his family and friends. Only Nemo remained, as it gave him a valid connection to be in the city. If push came to shove, he could claim that he was here to be with his friend.

He examined his cards and shrugged a shoulder. “What can I say, I’m a lone wolf.”

“Bullshit, Killian.” She raised her hand to double her bet and his hand moved of its own accord to stop her.

“The house has too many chances to take this one, let it pass.”

The way she cocked an eyebrow at him stirred something in him, but he reigned it in and slowly removed his hand. Emma stared down at her cards for a long moment before passing on raising her bet. He wouldn’t count that as a sign of anything, that way would only lead to heartache in the end. They continued to play in silence for a few hands, Killian earning a nice pile of chips while Emma fell behind. Resisting the urge to give her more pointers, Killian leaned back and drummed his fingers on the table.

“How's working for Gold?”

The corner of her lips lifted in the hint of a smile. “Please, as if you were interested in my work.”

“You wound me, Swan.”

“Drop the act. I know you’re up to something and I know you’re trying to weasel information out of me. But I’m not the girl that I was. I’m not falling for your charming lies this time.” She gathered her chips, leaving one behind for a tip, and walked away.

He shouldn’t go after her, he knew he shouldn’t. And yet the temptation was stronger than his will. Picking up his own chips and sliding them in his pocket, he flipped one to the dealer and followed Emma out.

He caught up with her almost at the exit and pulled her into a corner of the room. Resisting the urge to give in and press his body to hers, he focused instead on his words.

“You don't want to do this. You don’t want to be spying for Gold, Emma.”

“You don’t get to tell me what to do, especially since you’re the reason I need to find this type of employment.” While there was bitterness in her words, her eyes also seemed focused to his lips. Killian felt the same pull and he moved closer to her, his fingers itching to trace along the soft skin of her arms. Before he could, Emma shook her head and pressed her hand on his chest, stopping him.

“Your charm no longer works on me, Jones. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice…”

“I’m not trying to fool you.” He sighed, resisting the urge to drag her out of here and bring her to the warehouse, to tell her everything. If this was his con alone, he’d do it in a heartbeat. But too much was a stake here, too many of his friends were depending on him. They were already on shaky ground considering Liam’s focus on Belle, Killian couldn't add more complications to the mix.

Still, he couldn’t leave without letting her know the type of man she was dealing with. “I know Gold. He’s dangerous. He doesn’t play fair.”

She snorted, tilting her head to the side as she glared at him. “And you do?”

The barb hurt and he swallowed around the lump in his throat. “I have a code, believe it or not.”

“I don’t need a code. I need answers,” she whispered and her confession shook them both. Emma’s eyes widened and she tried to move away from him, but Killian grabbed her elbow and pulled her to him.

“What is it that you're after?” His eyes bored into her, studying her face for any hint of what was really going on. “It can be just the job, not really. Gold pays well, but nothing that you cannot make elsewhere.”

“I don't have that many options left with my reputation ruined, remember?”

“Bullshit. You’ve been highly rewarded for your work.” He regretted the words as soon as he said them. He should learn to keep his own damn mouth shut.

“Keeping tabs on me, huh?”

He ignored her question, his mind focused on one thing and one thing only. It was clear that when he walked out of that room on her, there had been more than her job at stake.

“What was it? What did I cost you, Emma?”

Her face was a blank mask, her eyes avoiding his. “Wouldn't you like to know”

He reached out, caressing his thumb along her cheek. He kept his next words quiet, the desperate plea in them clear. “Please, love, tell me… I need to know.”

She gave him one last assessing look before she pulled away. “Goodbye, Killian.”

He took a breath and let her walk away. When she was finally out of his line of sight, he closed his eyes and rested his forehead against the wall, his heart beating frantically in his chest.

Whatever it was that Emma Swan was looking, whatever it was that made striking a deal with Gold worth it, he was going to find out.

And he was going to do everything he could to deliver it to her.

/-/

After another night spent with rum and restless dreams, Killian stood at the entrance of the warehouse, willing the pounding in his head to pass. He closed his eyes and sank against the exterior wall as he pressed a bottle of cold water against his temple.

The sound of car tires on gravel had him open one eye and face the glaring morning sunlight again. He turned just as a taxi pulled around the curve and LJ got out. His leather jacket was draped over one arm and he carried a cardboard tray with a few paper cups on his free hand. His hair damp and disheveled, shirt wrinkled, and that spring in his step could only mean one thing.

“You look like you had a good time,” Killian said as LJ handed him one of the cups. The welcome scent of steaming coffee filled his senses and Killian discarded the water bottle, taking a long, slow sip of the warm beverage. It tasted burnt and bitter, making him regret all his life choices - especially this one - while he pondered how his brother could even drink this.

LJ left the rest of the tray on a nearby bench and took a sip of his coffee, his wicked smile and glinting eyes a silent answer to Killian’s comment. “You still look to be in one piece…” He twitched one side of his mouth, making a show of checking for wounds. “I thought I was going to get a call in the middle of the night and have to go pick you up at the police station.”

“I would have never dared to interrupt your much needed getting laid-time, little brother. I would have called Smee.” Killian lifted one shoulder as he ventured one more sip of the coffee. Yup, still terrible. “Besides, she doesn’t have anything on me.”

“She has you by the balls, but please, by all means, keep deluding yourself.”

Killian chuckled, tossing the poor excuse for a coffee in the trash bin. “Next time, unless it’s done by a proper barista with freshly ground coffee beans and a espresso machine, bring me tea, LJ.”

“Like you wouldn’t find a fault in any poorly steeped tea too, brother.”

Touché. Killian placed two fingers over his heart, a part of him grateful that LJ had gotten to know that side of him.

“Come on,” LJ called as he picked up the tray and tilted his head towards the front door. “Henry's cocoa is getting cold and the poor lad needs his sugar to function properly.”

He smirked as he passed LJ and opened the door and held it for him. “You two seem to be getting along well.”

LJ shrugged. “He's cool and honestly, I feel a lot more comfortable around him than some of the others. He hasn't been in the business much…”

The meaning behind the words was clear. “So anything related to the Jones name doesn't mean much to him.”

LJ gave him a shy smile. “Yeah, that's a perk.”

Killian placed a hand on his brother’s shoulder. “It's good to make friends, good friends, early in your career. People you can trust.” He looked at him and a wave of sympathy flooded him. He wanted to be that for his brother so desperately, as Liam had been for him. And yet, he understood more than anyone the need to shine for yourself, outside your family name. “You don't have to do everything alone.”

“I know… is that Smee for you?”

“Aye.”

Henry made his way towards them, his eyes almost rolling at the back of his head. “Finally, man.” He reached for the cup that LJ handed to him and took a long sip. His eyes closed, he sighed in contentment. “You even remember the cinnamon”.

Killian cocked an eyebrow, some memory poking at the back of his mind that he couldn’t place. “Cinnamon?”

LJ lifted a shoulder carelessly as he finished his coffee and tossed the cup in a nearby trash bin. “Yeah, the kid has weird taste.”

Henry gave him a challenging look. “Who are you calling weird, you nimble fingered freak?”

LJ gave him a cheesy smile, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at Henry. “Careful with the whipped cream there, Henry. We don't want you to put on weight and miss your acrobatic stunt mark over there. A lot is a stake here, maybe I should switch you to skim milk.”

Henry tossed his finished drink, puffing out his chest in his best in his best impression of a face-off. “Please, that'll never happen.” He opened his arms with an arrogant smile. “I'm too good for this.”

LJ grabbed his wallet from his back pocket and took out a bill. “Prove it, fly boy. I have a twenty that says you can’t make that jump.”

“You’re on.”

/-/

It took less than thirty minutes to set up the recreation of what would happen in the vault in a few days. Henry gave LJ a self-satisfied smile as he climbed into the cash cart.

Everyone gathered around and Killian figured it was as good a time as any to do a run-down of the operation. The rest of them might as well benefit from the bet Henry and LJ had going on.

“Alright, here’s the rundown. On the night of the fight, Poseidon’s package will arrive at the casino at 7:15. From there, LJ needs to work his magic, get the codes we need to access the elevator. At 7:30, Ariel and Eric will work their own magic and get the cart delivered, with Henry inside, into the vault. At that point we’re all in.” He paused and glanced around the room. “All-in. We can’t back up, we can’t screw up, we can’t delay. Once the vault is closed, we have thirty minutes before he suffocates.”

“Gee, you better not fuck it up, guys, or I swear I’ll haunt you from the underworld.” Henry waved as they closed the lid and Ariel and Eric rolled the cart into the vault replica.

From the corner of his eye, Killian watched as Liam entered the warehouse, his hair in the same state of dishevel as LJ’s had been, the same spring in his step. Bloody arse. Liam stood next to him and watched intently as the action unfolded.

“When the power goes down, it means that all entries to the vault and the elevator are on lock down for two minutes. And that is when we strike.”

The lights in the vault dimmed and Henry pushed the false top of the cart open, slowly removing himself from his confines. “It is going to feel like I spent days in there,” he said as he positioned himself on top of the cart.

“Alright, flyboy,” LJ teased, “we’ve left you in the middle of the room, far away from everything. There are sensors on the floor, and you need to get from where you are to the door without activating any of them. What are you going to do, hotshot? I have twenty saying you can’t make it.”

“I have ten saying you can!” Smee called.

“You can do it, Henry! I have faith in you!” Ariel cheered, clapping her hands in excitement.

Liam’s mouth twisted into a grimace, making him look nauseated. “We should all maintain some professionalism in here, this is a serious operation.”

“They are young, Liam.” Killian shrugged, pointing at Henry with a twenty to show his support. “Especially Henry and LJ. Let them live a little.” He turned to face his brother and gave him a once over from head to toe. “Speaking of living a little, did you have a nice night?”

The tips of Liam’s ears turned pink and he shuffled his feet. “It’s not what you think.”

Killian gritted his teeth. “Please Liam, don’t insult my intelligence.” He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “As long as you promise me that you can handle it.”

“I can handle it,” Liam said quickly and Killian really wanted to believe his brother, but he wasn’t sure anymore.

Their conversation in a stale point, they both turned their attention at the scene in front of them. Henry closed his eyes, took a deep breath and positioned himself in a dead squat. From there he leapt, gracefully and hands first, from the cart to a ledge in one of the walls of the vault. Sitting there, he turned around and flipped off LJ. “Drinks on you tonight, loverboy.”

The rest of the crew clapped and boomed, with Nemo congratulating them all on a job well done.

“This is all well and good, but I’m sorry to say that we are fucked.”

Everyone turned to find Milah standing there, hair a mess, her blouse misbuttoned, and mascara running down her cheeks. There was decidedly no spring in her step and her face made it clear that whomever she picked up for the night hadn’t gotten the job done.

As if to confirm Killian’s assumption, she cocked an eyebrow. “And not in a good way.” She walked towards the nearest table, her high-heeled boots clicking against the tile floor and poured herself a drink. Tossing her head back, she finished off the drink in one go and poured herself another.

“Wow, Milah, slow down, it’s not even 10 am,” Killian cautioned, moving slowly towards her. He had a few choice barbs on the tip of his tongue, but though they had parted amicably and they were friendly with one another, there were certain lines a gentleman didn’t cross with someone he’d known in the biblical sense. This was one of those lines. He’d never made a comment on Milah’s hookups and he wasn’t going to start now, unless it meant problems for their operation. Taking one last step in her direction, he took the glass from her hand. “What are you talking about?”

She started to pace, speaking a mile a minute. “These idiots. It’s a universal truth that you can count on electricity companies to be the most inefficient people ever, but no… we had to hit the jackpot of the only capable ones! Who would have thought that they would do a fucking routine inspection and took notice of the fact that you can blow up their grid lines one by one like dominoes?”

There was silence as she continued to move back and forth across the room, until Nemo shot Smee a questioning look. “Do you understand what she’s talking about?”

“Some, it seems that we will be having troubles with the planned power blow up.”

“Exactly right, my friend,” Milah agreed, jabbing her finger at Smee, the open, loose sleeve of her chiffon blouse billowing around her elbow in added emphasis. “They figured out their weakness and now they are fixing it. Like I said, we’re fucked.”

Liam scrunched his face in confusion. “Wait, how do you know all of this?”

She spun and raised an eyebrow at Liam, leaving Killian feeling oddly grateful to not have that level of fury directed at him. “Where exactly do you think I was last night? Or any of the other nights?”

Liam’s cheeks flushed. “I just thought...”

She groaned in frustration. “Oh, for crying out loud! Just because you’re all terrible horn dogs doesn’t mean I am. I’ve been trailing some of the electricity engineers and technical operators. And yes, last night I actually had to sleep with one of them so I could hack into their work orders. Which is how I know about this entire thing.”

Every last person in the room had the grace to look sheepish, but none of them dared to speak up. It was Nemo who finally ventured to break the silence. “Milah, we-”

Milah waved him off. “Yeah, you can all apologize to me later, after we figure out what the hell we’re going to do if we still want to pull this job.”

Eric turned to look at Liam. “What about-”

But Ariel interrupted him, patting his hand and shaking her head. “Not enough time.”

And that was the crux of it. There was not enough time to do a bloody thing. Coming this close to the job, being able to taste it and feel it brush against their fingertips, only to have it ripped away at the very last minute. Killian wanted to smash the entire fake vault, anything to break the sense that it was standing there mocking him.

“Unless it’s a pinch.”

All eyes turned back to Milah, who was now perched over the edge of the table, nursing a third drink.

“A what now?” Henry asked.

Milah took a sip of her drink. “It’s like a heart attack for any broadband electrical circuitry.”

Killian glanced around the room, wondering if that made any bloody sense to anyone else. Given their blank expressions, he was going with nope. Sighing deeply, Milah looked at Smee. “Can you take this one? I’m knackered and I don’t have it in me.”

Smee smiled and cleared his throat. “A pinch is an electromagnetic pulse that can shut down any power source in its vicinity. Bombs do it, but it usually goes unnoticed because of the amount of destruction that usually follows.”

“So this pinch,” Nemo asked, taking charge of the scene in a way he only knew, “could take out the power of Vegas?” Milah nodded. “For how long?”

“About thirty seconds.”

Nemo’s face twisted. “That’ll do.”

“There. Is. Only. One. Little. Tiny. Problem,” Milah punctuated each word by swaying her glass back and forth before swallowing the remainder in one gulp. “There is only one pinch in the world big enough to do this, and it sure as shit ain’t here in Vegas.”

Cold sweat ran down Killian’s neck. “Please tell me it’s in a place that is currently going through a cold wave with snow storms and high winds.”

Milah gave him an apologetic smile. “California.”

Oh for fuck’s sake. “I’m not going.”

“Killian-” Liam started but Killian was not having it.

Pulling Liam to the side, he met his brother’s eyes. “Nope. Take LJ and Henry with you. Those two are going to be better at this than me. I’m going to stay here. Smee and I have to work on the final details of the plan anyway.” He left it unsaid that he was going to have Smee look into Emma’s past and figure out what it was she was looking for. But his brother didn’t need to know that. Not now. They were already working on two fronts, he didn’t need for anyone to know he was adding a third. He could handle this. Besides, it would be good for LJ and Liam to bond a little.

“You sure about LJ? He seems green,” Liam asked, his eyes shifting to where their brother was talking with Nemo and Henry.

If you spent more time talking with him than seducing your ex-wife, maybe you wouldn’t think that. Killian shook his head as he let the thought pass. “Liam, I trust him, and you should too. We brought him here to be part of the family, didn’t we? Then let him take part in it.”

“You’re right.” Liam stepped away and moved to gather Milah, LJ, Henry, Ariel and Eric, readying them to plan their next moves and set them into motion.

With their attention focused elsewhere, Killian knew it was the perfect time to put his own plan into motion. “Smee,” he called over his friend, “I need you to look into something for me.” He pulled his phone and showed Smee a picture of Emma and Gold.

Smee’s face turned pale and before he could say anything, Killian cut him off. “Aye, it’s her and she’s here working for Gold. She’s looking for something and I need to know what that is.” He tried to hide the desperation in his voice but failed in the end, his voice cracking.

“I’ll look into it,” Smee vowed solemnly and Killian felt a lump form in his throat at his friend’s loyalty.

“Thank you, mate.”

Smee moved towards his data room, ready to work his magic and Killian turned around to assess the room. Liam and LJ were having a conversation and Killian left them, for once, to work their own relationship out. If nothing else came out of this, at least they could all be a family in the end. He spotted Henry at the side of the room, still assessing the vault and doing a slow-motion rehearsal of his moves.

“Henry! Listen, take care of yourself out there.” Killian placed his hand on Henry’s shoulder. “And take care of the others. You’ll be trapped between an obnoxious couple and a family feud, sorry about that. Just keep your head in the game. Someone other than Milah has to.”

Henry chuckled. “I will, Killian, you don’t need to worry about me. I’m not a kid.”

Killian’s heart grew two sizes in his chest. “Yes, you are. You can lie to those goody two shoes that had you at the circus, and you can even lie to yourself if you want, but you can’t lie to me, boy.” He gave the lad a reassuring smile. “The reasons for your secrets are your own and I’ll respect that, but you’re a part of us now, just as much as LJ is. We take care of our own.”

From the way Henry swallowed and how his eyes locked with Killian’s for a brief minute, his want to believe read clearly on his face. But as quickly as it came, his face shifted back to neutral, his hard armor sliding back into place. “I’m tougher than I look. I won’t break.” Yet again Killian cursed every single foster parent that had beaten the sense of love and family out of this kid. But, he reminded himself, one thing at the time.

“I know.” He patted Henry’s cheek. “Still, be careful, lad.”

He watched Henry leave and decided he’d had enough emotions for the day. It wasn’t even noon. He needed a drink. He was pouring himself a healthy dose of rum when he heard Milah’s voice call from behind him.

“Killian Jones, the overprotective brother. I thought that was Liam’s role.”

He took a sip of his drink, enjoying the slide of the liquid fire down his throat. “It seems I’ve taken a page from his book.”

He passed the drink to her and she took a sip. “Do I get the “you’re family to me” speech too?”

Killian’s eyes softened, his muscles sore from too many nights with little sleep. “You know you are. You wouldn’t be here with us if we didn’t feel like family to you too.” He reached for her hand. “Take care of them, Milah. Don’t let them do anything foolish.”

She gave him a small smile. “I’ll try. But with two Joneses in the mix, I can’t make any promises.”

#csbb #sea squad #lenfaz fics #cs ff #captain swan

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fwipination · 2 years

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For every post I created, I reblogged 0.1 posts.

I added 192 tags in 2021

#dnd - 30 posts

#digital art - 26 posts

#dungeons & dragons - 23 posts

#ocs - 19 posts

#comic - 18 posts

#oc - 16 posts

#update - 15 posts

#paladin - 15 posts

#thp - 15 posts

#the hunted plane - 15 posts

Longest Tag: 61 characters

#i don't know if that last one is a thing but mate i'll try it

My Top Posts in 2021

A fancy magic gauntlet? You don’t say!

I love Link’s new shaggy lil haircut and had to give it a quick doodle! Is it just me, or did that gauntlet look like it had some champion-specific powers? Makes me wonder if the new champions will be coming into their own abilities! (A Sidon warp would be awesome!)

69 notes • Posted 2021-06-18 01:46:34 GMT

A little extra time this week led me to finally playing Stardew Valley and I LOVE it altogether TOO MUCH. It also gave me an excuse to practice a bit more on Clip Studio!

“Me sell hats! Bring me coines, ok poke?”

108 notes • Posted 2021-02-20 18:32:11 GMT

Now they may say there’s nothing new under the Poké (Ultra) Sun, but who can deny it when it’s chest floof and curly tails?

123 notes • Posted 2021-08-28 00:20:11 GMT

Two fan arts? In THIS economy??

Laser gauntlet trade! Samus is pretty interested in these curious warping abilities and the ancient tech used to make them, meanwhile Link is off to probably just bonk bokoblins over the head and cut grass.

I grew up pretending to be Link always and my husband grew up pretending to be Samus always so these two have a special place in my heart. (it’s about time you Metroid fans got a new game!)

125 notes • Posted 2021-06-18 16:03:26 GMT

They are here, and everything is going to be alright. <3

1409 notes • Posted 2021-10-16 11:54:49 GMT

Get your Tumblr 2021 Year in Review →

#my 2021 tumblr year in review #your tumblr year in review

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lupienne · 7 years

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Comic Negan Fic Recs!

Here’s a little list of Comic Negan (or at least comic-leaning) fanfiction! These are all great authors and entertaining fics. If you’re looking for that good ole original Negan fiction(with each author’s personal twist, of course)... check these out. And if you like them, of course, shoot a nice comment their way. :)

In no particular order:

Stigmatic by Redisunamused (217). Follow Negan's POV as he leads the Saviors in what starts off as comic canon, before venturing into wonderfully AU territory. Also featuring Red's most excellent OCs; she is truly a master at crafting real, well-rounded and interesting characters. She also has such a talent for writing Negan true to the comics and yet making her own unique version of his character as well. The plotline of this story is always moving forward as the Saviors travel through the highs and lows of life in the apocalypse. On ff.net On A03

Red has also done some AU series within the Stigmatic verse:

Phlegmatic: which is an AU take on Alice and Negan if they had met before the ZA. On ff.net On A03

Haematic which is another pre-ZA AU take where Negan struggles to raise his and the late Lucille's daughter, Lulu (and her pet lobster, Crusty!), all by his lonesome. On ff.net On A03

Fics by Harleyquinzel. She has quite a few Negan fics, most of which are nice bite-sized reads and quite enjoyable. Here's three of my favorites.

His Favorite Girl Smut involving Negan and his favorite girl... why, who else but Lucille the Vampire bat?

Making Like A funny and sexy Negan/Rick fic.

One Night Stand Negan and Olivia smut. Hell yeah.

And here is her complete TWD list

We’ll Call it Even by DarylDixonGrimes: A delicious and fantastically written snarky smut fic with Daryl and Negan, where upon delivering goods to Negan, Daryl can’t resist our favorite bad boy’s ‘charm’ much longer. The snark is great, and the smut is yumm!

A Wolf at the Door by Misterkingdom: A very well-written fic where Negan makes sure Rick knows who the King Dick Motherfucker is around here.

Beautiful Tragedy by Redisunamused (217): Yet another gem by this master writer of ole Negan. However, RM (aka ‘Rude Motherfucker’) the OC of this story, doesn’t see Negan in the most flattering light. One of Negan’s (aka ‘Dumpy’s) wives, she uses his perks to support her ongoing drug addiction, that is, until Negan takes note…and he doesn’t approve. The dialogue in this story is absolutely a riot, as RM’s mouth and thoughts are every bit as vulgar and outrageous as Negan’s! On ff.net On A03

Redisunamused also has quite a few shorter fare for those that balk at lengthier stories (but trust me, they are worth every word!) My personal favorites are The Cleansing which is a pitch-back affair, Negan's Number What? (a birthday present to me a few years ago, and the hottest Negan/Sherry smut EVER!), and Non-NEGotiable which is a Stigmatic smut where Negan loses a bet and his ass to Alice. On ff.net On A03

The Life of Negan & Lucille by TeamCarlisle: Based off the ‘Here’s Negan’ backstory, it’s Negan and Lucille’s pre-apocalypse days before it all fell apart. Sweet and yet heartbreaking, it’s a treat to see Negan in his pre-Savior days. But get your tissues out for this one!

Recollection by Redisunamused (217): Another goodie by 217, this is based off the ‘Here’s Negan’ backstory and contains part of his life with Lucille. On ff.net On A03

Embracing the Apocalypse by Embracetheapocalypsewithme (SomewhatSlightyDazed) Sanctuary and the Saviors has gained a new member, Rebecca, who struggles to find a foothold in this new society, but soon has captured the attention of Negan. He himself has been newly reinstated as the Savior's leader and is also on unsure ground, unlike his previous bout of leadership. The two share a similar sense of humor and a need for a new start, but nothing is ever easy in the post-apocalyptic world.

This is yet another story that captures the charm, awkwardness and humor of Comic Negan, and features a very funny OC as well. Very much worth a read!

SomewhatSlightyDazed also has several shorts (mostly smutty, but a few aren't.) They're great for a quickie. A quick read, that is. ;) My personal favorites are: Post-Apocalyptic Driving School, Guys Like Him (Olivia and Negan, always a treat!), and Double-Dare (Smutty threesome with Negan and his wives. Yum!)

Through the Valley by Dusty Cookie Another merry jaunt into Sanctuary and the lives of the Saviors. Several Saviors, while out on a run, spot a female apparently living all on her lonesome and think she might be a good asset for Sanctuary. Now Negan just has to convince her she has a place there, and our story begins. :)

Dusty writes an absolutely fantastic Negan and her OCs are also well-written and interesting. Her dialogue and overall writing style is also so entertaining, witty, and just a pleasure to read. On ff.net on A03

Dusty also has several short fics that are all equally great... but watch out for that catty Miss Fiona in The Hand that Feeds!

Tender Prey by bigcatsandkatanas I'm very bad and haven't reviewed this one yet. I haven't read a lot of them, so maybe it's a bit pre-mature to say, but I think this is my favorite Regan fic. We have a bit more of a humble and lonely Negan due to his incarceration by good ole Prick Grimes, and it makes for one smutty tale I adore. Negan is written really great in this and despite being mostly smut, it's also got some nice character moments for Negan. I really like it.

Imagines by Rickdixonandthefandomlifeposts. She writes many imagines for Negan/TWD/and other fandoms. She's got a lot of them but here are my personal favorites thus far:

A secret affair with Negan in prison

Negan/Rick

Imagine Negan and Lucille...

Imagine Negan wants to have sex with you

Imagine overhearing Negan talk about his feelings for you

Imagine Negan wants you to call him daddy

Here's her masterlist as well:

Wham-Bam by grab-my-boner A nice smutty treat with Negan and Olivia. Honestly, there needs to be more of these two!

Breaking the News by grab-my-boner A short that really crushes your heart as Negan finds out about Lucille's cancer.

Gifts by redheadedwhat A nice little Negan/OC smut for your reading pleasure. Some humorous bits and of course, some very lovely smut.

Hurt by opheliadawnwalker3 Perhaps leaning more towards TV Negan, this is still a really good (and heart-wrenching) short about Negan and Lucille and her very bad news.

Satellite Days by Kinkozan After the Whisperer War, Negan has been living in an old outpost from the Savior days, and he finds himself in the company of Toni, another survivor who isn't quite welcome around her old communities anymore either. They must try to survive in their new environment, as well as survive each other.

Backspin by Kinkozan Negan's wife Charli's plans of giving him a much-deserved spanking and trying to assert herself in the relationship might come back to bite her in the ass. Smut and angst.

Last (and most certainly least) are my (Lupienne's) Negan fanfictions as well. On A03 On ff.net (I don't have them all on there, but if you prefer reading on this site...)

I've got a bunch of Negan fics bookmarked to read, so in the future I might either reblog or just repost this list yet again. And as always, feel free to comment with any fics you might know of that feature good ole Comic Negan! In the meantime, hopefully some of these will entertain and meet your fancy!

And if you’d like, please reblog to give these authors some more exposure. :)

#comic negan #negan #comicnegan>#fanfic #i tried to get this to show up under the tags but it just won't. XD #so please reblog if you can. :)

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kyaranflowers · 5 years

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Superhero

Need to purchase X-Men t-shirts online? Whether or not you will have a love for The Avengers, Unbelievable 4, Thor, or X-Males there are loads or t-shirts and different merchandise to own. My childhood included a love for 60s and 70s Marvel and DC comics, and my skill to attract originates partially from finding out the tales I read in those days. We labored for a year collectively on the piece to plan and draw it. Toy companies like Hasbro and Kenner used to produce thousands of Batman action determine than is launched yearly with some variation in it. Transformers 2, the science-fiction film is the most recent sensation, and is probably the most awaited movie of the year. Let's take the movie Avatar as an illustration. Every now and then I went again to the game to take a few extra screenshots to extend a plot. Inside a couple of minutes, I started making comic strips. Not like his other comedian strips, in Battling Boy, the hero is a kid, who is on a mission to avoid wasting the city.

In fact, the opposite collection of battling boy became popular. To conclude on this topic, I feel it's an excellent thought to offer our youngsters the humorous comics created way-back-when, comics out of your and my childhood. To read a story in adventurous manner is kind of exciting for all the youngsters. You might have to beat the restrictions of speech bubbles and the problem Avengers 4 of telling a narrative body by frame. Admit it you have got! I’m sure you might have heard this widespread on-line retailer. Since Youngsters's Graphic Novels are actually simply an old idea with a fancy new identify, why should not you explore taking outdated profitable comicbook ideas and reinventing them for a new generation? The concept was to convey the same which means with words that I suggested by means of colors, textures and pictures. Fashionable On-line Comics solidify a which means of a phrase as a result of photos support which means to words. The nomination was a significant achievement for an artist who had - fairly literally -began out small, drawing Post-it be aware sized comics and hiding them in other people’s work in bookshops. The primary comic strips appeared in Germany in 1865. It was about two boys who are getting punished for at all times entering into mischief.

Moreover, if we are trustworthy with ourselves, we all know that quite a lot of mischief is downright funny. Why are old coins price more than right this moment's coins? Full collections will fetch a lot greater than random individual comics. Our purpose is to offer our readers a very good piece of entertaining and instructional comics on which is able to develop up not one among the longer term generations. These blockbuster movies performs a very important role within the comeback of comics. People who wish to cherish their childhood memories with the comics; they'll easily find low-cost comics to start their comic collection. In at the present time of "I would like the latest and latest," we really discover that a few of the true treasures are things of old. Comedian books are detailed stories. Other than conventions, yard sales and used ebook stores can be extremely cost efficient sources for collectible comedian books. A comedian e-book adaption as well as a novel publication is being completed for the movie's promotion. That assumption is improper and is an insult to the complete comic ebook group.

These comic guides give you the type of data you want like where to get the rare and useful comics and the place you will get first difficulty comics as well because the again subject ones as properly. By selling and trading comics you can be there have been the art work is most loved and valued. Besides, that is where you get the meet fellow enthusiasts and catch up on the newest within the comic books world; data that can prove invaluable. Some comic books editions are collector's items and if preserved in mint quality situation. Books are restricted as a result of the reader can't bodily see what the writer envisions. Are those behaviors to be condoned? Eyes turn into circles or dots, mouths are reduced to curved traces, and noses or ft are triangles. Get the latest information. Those that already evaluate large abilities of our webpage, confess that it is really essentially the most convenient and easy option to be in contact with the latest innovations of the world of comics.

Well conscious of the benefits that come from reading comics. Which Marvel comics must you read earlier than (or after) Captain Marvel? Repetition. Go back to your each day newspaper and glance on the comics’ web page. The cartoonist is utilizing repetition to determine the character. Subsequently, we may say that it has nothing to do with a altering tendencies, no matter is new and trendy, picture to pop art print stays within the midst of its identified usability in area of artwork. I regarded, and there earlier than me was a pale horse! There actually is one thing for everybody. Cosplay additionally means costume play and the fans usually come to the comedian conventions dressed in costumes. Eight delectable Expansions that adopted added to the joy of the game play. Then by all means, use it. By the use of these exaggerations, it doesn’t matter what different particulars I embrace. The possessed doll first hit the screens within the 1988 horror basic 'Child's Play'. Corey Haim, the lead of the original horror movie, and Corey Feldman, the two Coreys, reprise their original roles. Nonetheless, in 2003 Hasbro would relinquish management to Batman's rights to Mattel. You also get preferential remedy in some circumstances and entry to particular events and performances. A Brief History Of The Evolution Of Vintage Comics Like jazz, comic books and much more specifically the superhero is often a wholly American art form. Also, like jazz, it becomes an art which has been underappreciated. As a result of very good of superhero films just like the Dark Knight, Iron Man along with the X-Men, superheroes have begun to enter the understanding the general public. The following can be a list of the most effective superheroes that comic books have to offer. The list is designed to give you a place to start to the new reader. I have devoted to the essential components of the characters that I believe get them to significant or interesting. I tried to differentiate between good characters as well as a good story or even a good run of issues when I could however in some instances characters happen to be so significantly defined by a set or an issue that they can made the list. Enough using the preamble, here we go:

I also like the idea of Smarter Comics, because I think it can be a method of getting ideas to many people who probably won't otherwise browse the longer books. It is also a great way to look at the key points in the original books as a refresher. It has been a while since I read Winget's book, and I admit that I liked this quick review. Obviously, it doesn't contain nearly as almost as much ast the full length book, however some from the key ideas as well as the brunt of the message Winget preaches is located in this short adaptation.

Loki, he in the golden horns who had earlier made life a hardship on Thor in the movie Thor, runs a pact with an unknown race, an alien race, might help him extract his revenge, if he opens a portal so they can attack Earth. Loki does what he could be told, and steals the Tessaracat (a McGruber if there ever was one), and opens a portal for the other world to address Earth. Loki steals the Tessaract, requires a gang of scientists and Hawkeye under his command, and uncovers a portal which brings the aliens onto Earth.

Without apology, I admit that I am the consummate collector of Batman paraphernalia. Recently, the astounding work, The Batman Files, found its way into my life. Anyone who appreciates the mystique of The Dark Knight will love this book. And while I admit that readers often say of good books, "I cannot input it down," which was truly my experience. I poured over the design and relished the high quality illustrations for a few hours after opening it. As far as the acting that's involved, I'll say another thing. I always appreciate when actors supply a good effort during any film that I watch. What they do is essential to every of the films, so I don't expect anything less. We've all seen enough movies where the acting was either bad or flat and yes it seemed like among those guys were mailing it in. Assuming the script is terrible and they were only in it for the notoriety or check, you sort of come to expect this every so often of these situations.

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canaryatlaw · 7 years

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So today was pretty good! It seems as long as I can succeed in dragging my ass out of bed I'll actually feel good and have a positive day, as opposed to staying in bed all day and then ultimately feeling like crap. Who knew? Meh, probably most people. But today was good. I woke up to my alarm at 7 and debated for approximately 1 minute staying in bed with the excuse that I was still sick and it was very tempting, but I pushed through because NO I had to go to work, and so I did. I just don't want to get a reputation for being unreliable when I work so hard to get a reputation as being a hard worker. So to work I went. I had a few new assignments on my desk, including setting up a phone interview with a kid who's in a juvenile correctional facility somewhere downstate, so I called them and then was told I had to fax over an interview request with what time I wanted and what number to call. Okay, so I informed the attorney who gave me the assignment this, and she said to go ahead and type up an interview request and fax it over, and I was just like, so, I don't know how to work a fax machine....😂😂 it's not like I've never been in a situation before that required me to fax something, but I've never been in one that actually gave me access to a fax machine- because you can fax things over the Internet and I've always done that, lol. So the lawyer laughed and said I could ask the paralegal and he would show me. Okay, so I type it up all fancy and ask the paralegal, who takes me to the dinosaur of a fax machine they have and shows me how to work it, and I have to admit I was kind of fascinated by it. Like, you call a number basically and it transmits a paper message? That's kind of nuts, lol. So it took us 3 tries I think, but we got it to go through, so I was pleased with that. Then I left a message for a worker to call me back on another form I had to fill out. These events may be somewhat out of sequence, but sometime around then my supervisor asked if I wanted to go down for a benchmark hearing with her, which is basically just the client, who's over 18, sitting down with a judge and trying to basically get everything in place for them before they age out of the system at 21. It was pretty interesting, kid seems to be doing pretty well for himself, the judge seemed to think so. My supervisor was just like "yeah the only issue is he just smoked a ton of weed" but of course didn't say that to the judge haha but at that point I kind of laughed and was like, who doesn't at this point?? Lol. She had anther one a bit later so I went back to my office in the mean time. Then, for the first time since getting this office, my phone rings, and I go aha! My phone must be working right! So I answer it and no, it's the lady that's in charge of phones and voicemails and originally told me that the number listed on my phone might be the wrong number. So I go to her office and she hands me my voicemail info, including my extension, which is very clearly NOT the number written on the damn phone- the number that I had been giving out on every message I left people to call me back at and in the damn fax for them to call for the interview. Face palm. How the fuck was I supposed to know?? So I go inform the lawyers of this, and they thought it was hilarious haha and they figured they must've just taken the phone from another office and stuck it in there with the wrong extension. So this meant I had to type up another letter to send to juvie saying actually don't call that number call this number, then attempted to fax it over myself and I was successful in doing so, so I felt proud of myself for learning a new skill, lol. Around then I went down with my supervisor for the second benchmark, which we weren't terribly confident was actually going to happen. It was for the girl in the TLP placement we visited last week who had just gotten a new worker who started on Monday, and I called and left a message for about taking her to court on Wednesday, and she had several other ways to know she had to take her, but nope, didn't show. So we go down and talk to the court coordinator, apparently the worker that just quit had the benchmark the hour before who also didn't show so they kind of figured this would happen, but my attorney called and confirmed she was in her placement, and was told they "thought it got moved to another day." So she wasn't terribly satisfied with that answer and filed a motion to compel, which is basically just a way of being like "you're not doing your job so here's a court order ordering you to do your job or be held in contempt" so we got another date and hopefully this time they'll bring her. Went back upstairs, and I took a lunch break around then, then after lunch called back the other person I left a message for and they picked up this time and were like "oh I'm so sorry I didn't get to call you back yet" and I was like "oh no that's okay I'm just calling because I left you the wrong number to call back" 😂😂 so at least it was comical. I knew during the afternoon the office had an ICWA training all the attys had to go to (legal vocabulary review: if you were around for last year you may remember ICWA- the Indian child welfare act- being the subject of my second semester legal writing trial brief, so I actually know quite a bit about the subject. And yes, Indian is the legal term used.) but I didn't have to go since I'm not an atty of course, and apparently it was about a bunch of new rules for it and it didn't sound particularly interesting, so while everyone was at that (everyone except for our courtroom, but more on that later) I finished up the TPR prep I've been working on for the last few weeks, and ended up making everything in chronological order so there was a nice neat timeline even though the documents definitely weren't in chronological order at all, but it's just so much nicer than that, and I try to be impressive. But yeah, then suddenly I was out of work, and there wasn't a damn attorney in the entire office to go to for work. Lol, whoops. I had read fic through lunch so I went to play candy crush for a while just for a bit of a brain relaxer, and at some point spoke with the paralegal about possibly waiting with a kid who was supposed to come to our office while he was in a phone staffing, but the kid never showed- this is the case from Monday and the reason the lawyer across from me was down in court instead of in the training. So, quick refresher, kid got placed with mom on an emergency basis after originally being removed (but not made a ward of the court and actually taken into care) because she could never get him to school on time. Well, guess where else she can't get him on time???? COURT. They didn't end up showing, at all, lol, and everyone else did- dad, grandma, who was now taking out her anger on dad's attorney and apparently they had to call in an extra sheriff to make sure nothing went awry in their little conference room 😂😂😂 bitches be crazy man. And I'm just like, has mom even got the kid to school on time in the last two days? And the lawyers like nah probably not. Like damn lady, I don't understand what's going on here lol. So kid is still placed with mom and they vacated the order without prejudice, waiting to have a full hearing on it on another day when mom can actually be there. It's just an interesting legal conundrum because at trial the judge specifically listed the failure to get the kids to school on time as the neglect factors, but now we're consenting to place the kid back with mom while the problem hasn't been rectified- because it's probably in the best interest of the child, rather than pulling him into foster care. It sounds like a hypothetical one of my profs would come up with, and I'm not sure if there's a right answer really, but that's what it was for today anyway. My supervisor returned to the office and gave me some work for tomorrow because she's gonna be out on visits for a while. Headed out right at 5, and actually got to talk to one of the new law clerks. They all started Monday, there's like 6 of them haha but I didn't have to go through orientation or anything obviously so I don't know any of them yet. Got on the bus and made it home by 6:30, made oatmeal for dinner and tried to make hard boiled eggs in my rapid egg cooker but the little pin you're supposed to use to poke a whole in the egg actually cracked the entire egg open on me, then in the process the other one fell on the floor and cracked open, and I only had one egg left in the fridge, so I just kind of abandoned that idea and got ready to watch the Arrow finale. I didn't really have too many expectations going in being that I don't feel terribly invested in this season at all, or most of the characters at this point, but Nyssa was gonna be in the episode and so was black siren so that was enough to peak my interest. I was back on the showgo app and live tweeting from there because Katrina Law was watching with us on there, and she replied to several of my posts which was amusing. The episode itself was pretty good I guess, good fight scenes and god I hope Malcolm is really dead because I'm so fucking read for that SOB to die already. The Nyssa vs. Talia showdown was way too short IMO, but of course there was no doubt that Nyssa was gonna come out on top, though I wasn't sure if she was actually going to kill her sister, but apparently she was going there (I'm also amused at how the neck twist has become the easy kill on this show in just about all situations). I didn't doubt Slade's allegiance to Oliver for a second, I knew he was going along with him and they had a plan. I'm sad we didn't get to see more of black siren, though her small showdown with "Dinah" was cool to see at least. I mean, I was generally rooting for team arrow, but in that specific fight between the two of them, I was definitely rooting for black siren. It's always been very obvious to me that one way or another Chase wasn't coming out of this alive, I mean the guy is clearly suicidal AF and really just wanted Oliver to kill him. I have to say, plugging the entire damn island with C-4 set to go off when he died was a pretty brilliant plan though. It wasn't really feeling all the dramatic moments of Oliver's selective moral superiority and being like "no I'm different now" because I refuse to kill this one person when you've killed how many people this season Oliver??? Pffffft. I knew he was gonna have to get create if he actually wanted Chase to tell him where William was, because clearly fighting him wasn't working, so I was glad when he finally showed up. I wasn't terribly concerned about that little move he had where it was gonna be "William or everyone else" because I was like meh Oliver is obviously gonna get out of it and he did, then there's just poor fucking William and he's probably so damn confused like what the hell is going on the green arrow is my dad and what??????? Lol, poor kid. But then of course Chase goes and shoots himself, because like I said he was one suicidal SOB, and it ends with Lian-Yu blowing up (which to that particular action I was like, about time man) but like, that's not even a good cliffhanger because we know they're not gonna kill off their entire damn cast????? Like obviously they're going to have a way to survive it, so I'm not concerned about that like, at all. I wasn't feeling the Oliver/Moira call all that much, like I was feeling it for Moira because I can imagine what she was feeling but for Oliver I was like, dude, you really could've done this at any point in the past 3 seasons and you didn't, so I don't have much sympathy for you. But yeah, then it was over and it's only 8 pm, lol, so I hop over to Hulu to watch the new episode of The Handmaid's Tale, which I actually liked a lot, mostly because it was focused pretty much entirely on Luke and I found that a lot more compelling really, so I'm very interested to see what the resistance is doing and how that's gonna effect the story. Then I finished the last episode of season 3 of Kimmy Schmidt, which was pretty good. Her arc kind of felt like a repeat of the first two seasons except this time it was college, but it was still mostly enjoyable. I feel like Titus only ever gets half an arc, like I always feel like he ends up unfinished. So when I finished that I was trying to figure out what to watch, and I decided to go for the new show that just popped up on Netflix and caught my eye called The Keepers, which is a true crime documentary series about the murder of a nun, and the tag line said something about it happening after she confronted a priest about a sex abuse scandal, so that peaked my interest. So I watched the first episode, and I was probably distracted but I wasn't really that into it, but I get that the first episode necessarily has to be mostly exposition to set up the rest of the season, so they mostly just had to get the facts out. So I'll keep watching for now at least. And yeah, that was pretty much my day. Not bad, I'd say. Hopefully tomorrow will be the same. The calendar is ordering lunch for everybody because it's one of the attorney's birthday, so that should be fun. And I have PT at night but it's not till 7, which means I don't have to take an expensive and rushed uber ride home to make it, so that makes me feel better. Okay, enough blabbing, it's already late and I should get to bed now. Goodnight my lovelies. Happy being 3/5ths through with the week.

#daily journal #May 2017 #I feel like this month has lasted forever

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lookgoodformula · 7 years

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Saturday Surfing: March 18, 2017

Good morning, glory! I saw two signs of spring yesterday. First, my neighbor’s freesia started blooming.

Every year I tell myself, “Self, remember to plant freesia in time to have them for spring,” and every year I forget.

Gosh, they smell so good. I wish there was a way to send scratch and sniff to you through the computer, because there’s nothing in the world like fresh freesia.

The second sign was the state of my favorite tree in the neighborhood (everyone should have a favorite tree). It’s a cherry blossom tree, and it’s just on the cusp of full-on blooming. It’ll be covered in white flowers within a week.

Unfortunately, my allergies will probably also be a hot mess starting very soon, but I don’t care. Spring is here!

Right now I’m off to the salon to get my root situation worked out, but before I go, here are some things that caught my eye this week…

I’m currently obsessing over these new lipstick shades from Nudus Australia. I’ve been dying to try this brand for a while.

This is what happens when you’re so hardcore about your beauty routine that you do it on a moving tricycle: and you film it, of course.

New pretties from Chanel for spring, including a baby blue polish that NEEDS TO GET INTO MY LIFE LIKE NOW.

Stef’s review of the Charlotte Tilbury Quick ‘N’ Easy Smokey Eye Evening Look Makeup Kit is pushing me over the edge. I can no longer resist this kit’s siren call…

Just in case you were searching for some cruelty-free holographic polishes to knock your socks off…

Waah! Am I the only comic book-loving person who hasn’t seen Logan yet? I can’t wait! This behind-the-scenes interview with the movie makeup designer Joel Harlow makes me want to see it even more. I never thought about how hard it must be to keep prosthetic makeup in place while an actor is constantly jumping, clawing and sweating.

CVS is getting some fancy-schmancy new beauty brands very soon.

Re: the Sisley-Paris Spring 2017 Collection — I WANT TO GO TO THERE.

“The True Story of Good Coffee”, also known as “something to ponder while you’re drinking that cup of coffee in the morning.” (I’ve been all about that Peet’s life these days.)

I wanna squeeeeeze these Bobbi Brown Art Stick Liquid Lipsticks.

Brooke has the 411 on the beautiful PIXI + Pretties Blogger Collaboration.

Things to consider if you’re thinking about buying used makeup.

And a few videos

youtube

The science behind face oils

youtube

Brows 101 with Rae (I’ve met her in real life, and she’s a doll!)

youtube

A flawless-at-40 makeup tutorial by Jordan Liberty, one of my favorite artists on YouTube

Enjoy the rest of your day, my sweet. Have a wonderful weekend!

Your friendly neighborhood beauty addict,

Karen

The post, "Saturday Surfing: March 18, 2017," first appeared on Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup. from Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews, Swatches and How-To Makeup http://ift.tt/2mH4ED4 via IFTTT

#IFTTT #Makeup and Beauty Blog | Makeup Reviews #Swatches and How-To Makeup

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recentanimenews · 7 years

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My Week in Manga: June 26-July 2, 2017

My News and Reviews

Last week at Experiments in Manga I posted the most recent monthly giveaway. This time around participants have the opportunity to win both the first volume of Seiju Natsumegu’s Ghost Diary and the first volume of Chasiba Katase’s In/Spectre, two of the more recent manga series debuting in English translation that deal with Japanese folklore and legends. The winner of the giveaway will be announced on Wednesday, so there’s still time to enter the contest. And as usual, the giveaway is open worldwide. Last month I switched around my posting schedule a little bit, but July will go back to the usual order. Unless something unexpected comes up, next week’s feature will be a Bookshelf Overload and the following week’s will be an in-depth review of Tomoyuki Hoshino’s award-winning novel ME. I’m currently reading and greatly enjoying an advance copy of Kazuki Sakuraba’s A Small Charred Face, scheduled to be released by Haikasoru later this year, so expect an in-depth review of that in the near future as well.

As for other interesting things that I’ve recently come across online to read and listen to: Ollie Barder interviewed the creative team Akira Himekawa for Forbes and Casey Lee Mitchem had the the chance to ask Hirohiko Araki a few questions for Anime News Network. As announced by Publishers Weekly, Chris Butcher, one of the main driving forces behind the Toronto Comic Arts Festival, is now also an editor-at-large for Viz Media. (This should turn out to be a very good thing.) I’d actually forgotten that Publishers Weekly has a podcast called More to Come, but one of the most recent episodes focused on Legend of the Galactic Heroes. Some other recent podcasts of note include one of Wave Motion Cannon’s weekly podcasts which featured Gengoroh Tagame’s My Brother’s Husband and Kabi Nagata’s My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness as well as an episode of Manga Machination’s which also featured My Lesbian Experience with Loneliness along with the manga’s translator Jocelyne Allen as a special guest. And of course, The OASG’s Translator Tea Time podcast is still going strong, too.

Anime Expo started last week and as usual there have been plenty of new licenses and announcements to come out of the event. First of all, Netcomics debuted its most recent print release, Dreams of the Days by Kyungha Yi the creator of Intense. Viz Media announced a handful of things, inculding the manga series Fire Punch by Tatsuki Fujimoto, a fancy new hardcover edition of Hiromu Arakawa’s manga Fullmetal Alchemist, the Kenka Bancho Otome: Girl Beats Boys manga series by Chie Shimada, two Neko Atsume: Kitty Collector books–Haiku and Where Am I Meow?–and Dempow Torishima’s award-winning collection of short stories Sisyphean (which is closely related to Torishima’s award-winning and incredibly strange illustrated novella Sisyphean which was previously translated in the speculative fiction anthology Phantasm Japan).

Yen Press also made a number of announcements including but not limited to the following manga titles in print: Baccano! by Shinta Fujimoto, The Demon Who Became My Sister by Pochi Iida, Hatsu*Haru by Shizuki Fujisawa, Kemono Friends: Welcome to Japari Park by Furai, Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?: Days of Goddess by Masaya Takamura, Mermaid Boys by Yomi Sarachi, Oh, My Sweet Alien by Kōji Miyata, Pandora Box–a deluxe, limited edition box set of Pandora Hearts by Jun Mochizuki–Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts by Yu Tomofuji, Silver Spoon by Hiromu Arakawa (I am extremely excited about this announcement!!!), Stupid Love Comedy by Shushushu Sakurai, Tales of Wedding Rings by Maybe, and Zo-Zo-Zombie-kun by Yasunari Nagatoshi.

Quick Takes

Boundless by Jillian Tamaki. I’ve read several of Tamaki’s comics over the years, including her collaborations with her cousin Mariko Tamaki. SuperMutant Magic Academy, one of Tamaki’s solo works, is a personal favorite of mine and so I was especially looking forward to the release of Boundless, a collection of nine of Tamaki’s short comics (eleven if you count one of the end pages and the back cover). Most of the comics collected had previously been released elsewhere, either online or in print, however there is newly-published content included in the volume as well. I had already read some of the selections before (and actually even own one of them), but reading them together provides a more immediate and interesting contrast between the works. None of the comics are directly related to each other and even Tamaki’s color palettes, illustration styles, and methods of storytelling change throughout the volume, but they all have a well-defined, emotional core. While some of the comics in Boundless are fairly straightforward, at times Tamaki’s approach is rather experimental. Overall, Boundless is a beautiful collection of comics exploring contemporary life, showing how talented and versatile a creator Tamaki can be.

Golden Kamuy, Volume 1 by Satoru Noda. The manga wasn’t on my radar until Viz Media announced that it had licensed the series, but as soon as I learned about Golden Kamuy I knew that I needed to check it out. The majority of series takes place in the early twentieth century soon after the end of the Russo-Japanese War. Saichi Sugimoto is a veteran of the war carrying the nickname of “Immortal” since he somehow managed to famously survive numerous battles and injuries that otherwise really should have left him dead. Instead of returning home a hero, Sugimoto is now living in the wilds of Hokkaido searching rather unsuccessfully for gold. But then he happens across a bizarre story that seems to be more than just a rumor–a massive amount of wealth was stolen from the indigenous Ainu people and hidden, its location secretly recorded in a code tattooed onto the bodies of convicted criminals. In addition to Sugimoto, the other lead character of Golden Kamuy is Asirpa, an Ainu girl who surprisingly agrees to aid him in his search. Despite being Sugimoto being “immortal” she proves to be critical to his survival, teaching him how to face off against bears and hunt for food among other things. It can be gruesome and violent, but I enjoyed the beginning of Golden Kamuy a great deal.

The High School Life of a Fudanshi, Volume 1 by Atami Michinoku. I actually didn’t realize that most of The High School Life of a Fudanshi was a four-panel manga before reading it; I think that I would have enjoyed it more if that was not the case. The majority of Michinoku’s work generally falls into the category of boys’ love. While The High School Life of a Fudanshi itself isn’t boys’ love, in a roundabout sort of way Michinoku’s first series is still about boys’ love. The titular fudanshi–basically a male fujoshi–is Sakaguchi. He’s a guy, and most likely straight, but he has a keen fixation on boys’ love media. (Despite that, he can still occasionally come across as a bit homophobic; it’s an unfortunate but realistic portrayal of a particular segment of the boys’ love fandom which is comfortable with gay men as long as they are fictional.) The High School Life of a Fudanshi largely follows Sakaguchi and his small group of friends. None of them seem to really mind that he has an interest in boys’ love, and some of them even encourage it. Eventually he even becomes close with some fellow fujoshi and fudanshi, but they all have the bad habit of shipping any men they see together, including their classmates. The High School Life of a Fudanshi ends up with a lot of innuendo and tease as a result. In general it’s pretty harmless, but it can be frustrating, too.

The Royal Tutor, Volume 1 by Higasa Akai. When Yen Press first released The Royal Tutor, the manga was a digital-only title. The series interested me, but I don’t usually read or buy ebooks, so I was very happy when it did well enough to warrant a physical release. (The recent anime adaptation probably helped matters some, too.) The kingdom of Granzreich has five princes, the first of whom is destined to inherit the throne. However, the other four must be ready to take his place should they need to, which is where the new royal tutor Heine comes in. The first volume of The Royal Tutor is often very silly, especially when it comes to the running gags about Heine’s small, childlike stature, but at its core is an story about an ideal teacher–someone who is willing to engage, work with, and inspire students wherever they’re at and on their own terms. By the end of the first volume Heine has already made a tremendous amount of progress in winning the princes over which leads me to wonder how much room is left for the manga has to continue to develop. Currently though, the series is eight volumes long and still ongoing, so Akai must have found a way to keep the story and characters fresh and interesting. If nothing else, the hints that Heine and his background aren’t everything that they appear to be is something left to be explored.

By: Ash Brown

#Anime #News #Manga Bookshelf

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entirely-erika · 7 years

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Y’all…Charleston did not disappoint. It tried to, by raining almost EVERY DAY we were there, but little did she know we can make and rainy day a sunny one! The drive from Georgia {Athens area} was a breeze. We left around 6:00 am and arrived around 10:30, pretty good time!

One tip, if you are coming from our area, bring toll money! Luckily, Steven is always prepared so we were good. The tolls are between $1.50-$1.75 EACH! We were stopped by two toll roads. Make sure to check your route or have change on hand when you make the drive! There is nothing worse than having to turn around to find cash!

Once we arrived, we could not check into our condo until 3:30 so we had to dillie-dallie around Charleston. Torture, right? Ha! We decided to scope out the French Quarter by car and scratch off one of our restaurants off our list.

In this first installment, I will give you the ins and outs of where to we chose to eat and the outcomes. Remember these are all my husband and my opinions, given to you without any compensation or reimbursements from the restaurants.

In my previous post, where we planned what we would be doing, I told you, my husband, was at an obsessive point of using Yelp. You can check that post out {HERE}. Along with Yelp, we also checked to see if there were any restaurants in Charleston that were visited by Guy Fieri…boy were there, check those out {HERE}!

We always find it fun to see if this guy knows what he is talking about when we travel. Our fist stop and only restaurant on his list was delicious! Guy got it right this time!

Early Bird Diner

This was one of Guy’s picks and I am glad we decided to stop here on the way in! As you can see from the picture, there isn’t much to this place. Real talk, one thing I was not fond of when pulling up was finding a parking spot.

There are minimal “normal” spots and you MAY have to dig deep and remember how to use those parallel parking skills. They also have a very narrow area to pass through in the back to get to the other side of the parking area, I drive a 4-Runner and there were some close calls coming around the building due to others parking all willie-nillie.

But, don’t get me wrong, we didn’t have to look for over 5 minutes, I was just impatient and wanted to eat after our 4-hour car ride.

Upon pulling up, the sign made me laugh and sing {this song} in my head. I jumped out and took this picture…please pause to look at the gorgeous sky in the background. That sight didn’t last long. :[

It took a good 30 minutes to be seated. There were a few larger parties who were already seated {and wouldn’t leave even though they were done eating…instead decided to yell and laugh in this semi-tiny restaurant} and we were hangrily patiently waiting while giving the place a look over.

When waiting, patiently, I loved how many different characters were also waiting. There were businessmen; moms with their babies; teens with blue hair and tattoos; older couples drinking gallons of coffee; and many more varieties all there for delicious foods.

Entertainment area: kids books, coloring books, crayons, and toys. They also have adult literature for that possibly long wait…but only about 3 chairs to sit while you wait. This and the bathroom {YES, I SAID ONE BATHROOM} are points needing to be addressed…but that has nothing to do with the deliciousness that was on our plates.

They proudly hung their Guy Fieri sign {above the kitchen door}, as they should, signifying that they were indeed visited by this frosty haired food connoisseur. As you can see, this place loves to stick a sticker on something and promote local artists. Loving the arts myself, I found this to be an awesome and eclectic, way to decorate this space.

The art on the walls were from many mediums. The most predominant were graphic/comic style prints, followed secondly by good ol’ acrylic on canvas.

This place has some interesting hours. Make note!

Since we got there at 10:45, we were kind of at the turnover time from breakfast to lunch. Steven decided to get the meatloaf sandwich with a side of sausage. We started this trip pretty strong with our Ketogenic ways, skipping the bread on this one. As you will see when this post gets going, we slowly lost our Keto way and planned to start fresh when we returned home.

I got the blackened chicken sandwich with collard greens. This came with bacon, avocado, and chipotle mayo.

Check out Early Bird Diner’s social medias and other’s reviews:

Early Bird Diner Website

Facebook

Trip Advisor

Yelp!

Blossom

This was Steven’s favorite restaurant, hands down. I enjoyed this restaurant as well, but I was still in the Keto mindset. I feel that when we travel back to Charleston, there are a few other things on the menu I will try.

The overall feel is very laid back but with a sophisticated feel. When you first walk in, you are greeted by a host who can find your reservations {which are highly recommended during peak hours} or seat you at their beautifully designed restaurant.

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Once we sat down, these pretty little flowers greeted us. I love that they matched my newly-dyed hair, ha! Another added touch was with the menus and the black acrylic backer they were attached to, keeping it classy! The architecture was also superb!

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We started off with the “Holy City Sampler” appetizer. This AWESOME dish consisted of pimiento cheese, boiled peanut hummus, flatbread to scoop them up with. It also came with deviled eggs and pickled okra {yum!}. I believe the stars on this plate were the okra and the pimento cheese. I would totally get this dish again.

I decided to stay on the Keto wagon and got the grilled chicken caesar salad with possibly the best dressing I have ever had! I did not eat the croutons, but they were interesting…they were baby cornbread cubes!

Steven is more of a seafood lover than I and got the grilled sea scallops, accompanied by wild caught shrimp in creamy white grits with mushrooms, spinach, lobster butter. This was his favorite meal of the entire trip, it was a little pricey but we will return!

Check Blossom’s social media and other’s reviews:

Blossom Website

Facebook

Trip Advisor

Yelp!

Page’s Okra Grill

This was my favorite restaurant but, like most of the places, we ate it was not in walking distance from our condo. We had to take a quick drive across the Ravenel Bridge…please note the overcast sky.

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Once we arrived at Page’s Okra Grill, it began to sprinkle and thankfully they have a great covered porch to wait and eat, when the weather is better. They also had a fun adirondack chair for a photo opportunity, there were a ton of people jumping off and on so I could only snap this quick photo.

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Once we sat down, we were greeted by an awesome waiter, Alban! He was very attentive and knew his stuff about the menu. After he took our order, he spun around, made a joke {one of many} and sped off to put our order in. While we were waiting, we noticed the music and how awesome it was as well. They played Jimmy Eat World, Semisonic, Nine Days, and some other 90’s and 00’s alternative rock bands. We were constantly singing and tapping our feet. While the atmosphere was great, the food was even better.

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The menus here in Charleston always need extra flair. That was no different, even though this restaurant was not as “fancy” as Blossom, they added a nice touch to the ambiance. Okay, on to the part you really care about…the food described clockwise.

Steven couldn’t resist the shrimp, crab and bacon chowder with the toasted cracker. After this appetizer, he decided to trick his body and up his carb intake and indulge in the chicken and waffles with delicious honey butter. I have to admit that had a nibble. I am not sure if it is because I have not had sweets in a month or so, but this was one of the best waffles I have ever eaten.

Next, I built my own burger. Now, with the Keto lifestyle, I have eaten a ton of burgers and I can say this was the best burger I have ever eaten. Their menu states their burgers are “a blend of ground chuck, brisket & rib-eye steak, ground fresh daily in-house & cooked to order”. I added all the Keto-friendly toppings they had to offer: pepper jack cheese, bacon, grilled mushrooms, jalapenos, and avocado. I was in Keto paradise!

Check Page’s Okra Grill social media and other’s reviews:

Page’s Okra Grill Website

Facebook

Trip Advisor

Yelp!

Fleet Landing

Y’all…we literally walked through the storm to eat at this place. In that walk, we came to the conclusion that when you visit on a rainy day/week, you need to pack a small umbrella. The sidewalks of Charleston are extremely narrow and when you have tons of people trying to pass each other, it is like a game of chicken. We were bobbing and weaving to get around people and jumping in and out of puddles.

Once we arrived, pretty soaked, we had about a 20-minute wait and took in the views.

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As you could tell from the picture, Fleet Landing is right on the water so we were able to see all of the wildlife and the ships passing by. I also love that the inside is nautical and their use of space, because it is on the smaller side, is great.

The photo below shows exactly what our view was like…cloudy but gorgeous! We were on the outside of the restaurant and they were prepared to pull down a shade to keep the rain out.

Keeping all things real, I didn’t really see much on the menu I wanted…other than appetizers. That is not saying you won’t like the menu, that is your call. Steven had his fill of seafood by this time and nothing really jumped out at me…other than these apps.

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Once again, the best way to describe the delicious foods is clockwise. The first, and most delicious in my opinion, were the seared blackened shrimp with pimento cheese grits and sweet creamed corn. The shrimp were HUGE and delicious. These grits too y’all were the bomb.com and I will have them again, ha!

Next, I had a simple Fleet Landing’s house salad, but whoa, that creamy pepper parmesan though! One of the best dressings {along with the Blossom’s caesar} I have ever had. Those cheese stick looking things in the top right aren’t what you would expect them to be.

These are actually crispy “steak” calamari sticks with an apricot glaze and spicy red pepper remoulade. Oh, my squid…it didn’t even taste like squid. I highly recommend these if you love calamari or even if you are toying with the idea of trying it. You can tell from the photo that they give you a hefty portion too, we couldn’t even finish them!

Lastly, Steven ordered the pan-fried Carolina lump crab cake with pickled corn relish, red pepper sauce, and crispy fried onions. I have never seen a crabcake with so much crab. I am not a huge eater of crab, but I did take a bite to say I tried it. Steven ate it quickly, so I am assuming it was delicious, ha!

Overall, I am not sure if I would return when we travel back to Charleston. It may have also been that this was not one of the first places we visited so I was not wanting what I could have eaten at the other places.

Check Fleet Landing’s social media and other’s reviews:

Fleet Landing Website

Facebook

Trip Advisor

Yelp!

Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit

This is possibly the smallest restaurant I have ever been inside but whoa, big taste. You might me saying to yourself, “Aren’t all biscuits the same?”. Um, no.

When we were walking down King Street {tons of pictures below} we walked right past this little shop. I wish they had an actual sign that sticks out from the building to alert people looking for this gem.

When you first walk in, you might be sticking out the door or becoming best friends with the person in front and behind you. It was packed like sardines y’all! They are smart and made all things white to help make the room feel larger.

Once we looked over the menu, we decided to eat brunch here to fuel our walk all over the city. Buh bye staying under 20g of carbs…we needed fuel.

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While waiting, I took a ton of photos and Steven sipped on his many liquids. I have to warn you the wait was pretty long, but it was well worth it!

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Okay, so the left picture shows what we really went to get…sausage, egg, and pimento cheese biscuit. They were absolutely delicious. If you know me, you know I love a good Golden Pantry biscuit and that is what this made me think of. All of their ingredients are fresh and made to order, that is why it takes a good minute to get these “hot little biscuits”.

The little biscuits to the right were a little sampler to taste some of the other flavors. We decided upon the black pepper bacon filled biscuit, plain and cinnamon filled {this was my personal fave}.

One of the best things is that these little biscuits are also available in Atlanta…closer to me than Charleston. One hour and 15 minutes from my house to be exact! That is a lot better than 4 hours!

Check Callie’s Hot Little Biscuits social media and other’s reviews:

Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit Website

Facebook

Trip Advisor

Yelp!

Hominy Grill

This was not a restaurant that was on our original list, but we threw Keto to the wind by this time and were resetting our bodies. We decided to splurge a little and hit this place on the way out of Charleston.

The parking situation was limited, on a Friday at 11am…that shows you how popular it is. Thankfully, we are not a large party so we were sat fairly quickly…this place was packed!

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I absolutely love the decor, simple and clean. They had flowers on the table were great, a running theme here in Charleston. The building {shown in the top left } is only on the lower floor, the second and third floor are apartments.One flaw was that there was no guest wifi, most places had this. While it wouldn’t make me not ever go back, it would have made it easier for me to take more IG storied and pretty much give them free advertisements!

One flaw was no guest wifi, most restaurants in the area had this. While it wouldn’t prevent me from going back, it would have made it easier for me to take more IG storied and pretty much give them free advertisements!

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Look at all of these people! This was about 1/3 of the people in the entire restaurant, we were packed like sardines!

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I’ve said it before and I will say it again…I keep it real, with my views here at entirelyerika. While I love the aesthetics; the waitstaff was wonderful; the food tasted great… the portions were smaller for the huge price. Can we also talk about how this place was NOT in the immediate downtown Charleston area? You couldn’t walk there like some of the other places with comparable pricing. That should account for slightly lesser pricing…just my opinion.

To give you an example, I ordered the shrimp and grits with sautéed shrimp, scallions, mushrooms & bacon over cheese grits on a plate larger than a tea saucer, but smaller than a regulation dinner plate for $17. Steven ordered the “Charleston Nasty Biscuit” with fried chicken breast, cheddar cheese & sausage gravy for $13.

Now, $30 for two people in Charleston is not terrible, but this biscuit size was comparable to the ones we ate at Callie’s Hot Little Biscuit {CHLB}. Keeping all things real, the biscuit we ate at CHLB were better.

Both tasted great, but I think I can honestly say when we travel back to Charleston, this will not be on our list. Check out what others have said below.

Check Hominy Grill social media and other’s reviews:

Hominy Grill Website

Facebook

Trip Advisor

Yelp!

I hope these recommendations help you plan as you travel to Charleston and eat your way around the city!

Do you have a favorite place to eat? Have you eaten at these places?

[bctt tweet=”Check out @entirely.erika and her favorite restaurants to visit in #Charleston !” username=”entirely_erika”]

CHECK OUT PART TWO: WHAT TO SEE COMING SOON!

Charleston, South Carolina Travel Guide Part One: Where to eat Y'all...Charleston did not disappoint. It tried to, by raining almost EVERY DAY we were there, but little did she know we can make and rainy day a sunny one!

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toddmichaelrogers · 7 years

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Letter to You

Time continues to march toward nothing. I pass along with it, happy to see currents ripple and shift until I find my reflection marked by tell-tale signs of fear and what some expressionists (scientist who study faces) might call “pretty gay”--but I myself learned to accept as “mostly straight, don’t mind seeing a dick though” a long while ago.

(READ MORE)

The world is falling into the sort of post apocalyptic chaos our stories have been worried & also warning us about for several ages. I’m pretty excited for the 80s again (who knew far right fear tactics, dance music, cocaine and a cold war would ever come back in style?) If you’re reading this as a printout in some sort of home-fashioned bunker, the year is 2017, the American President is a reality star billionaire who was elected by people (both good and bad) in an effort to clear out the politicians in the country’s capital.

One dear friend of mine referred to it as “burning down the house” which is all well and good, unless of course there are people living in that house you have attempted to burn down.

We are three weeks into an uncertain world, run by a puppet of far worse men, a puppet who is obviously, quite clinically insane. I actually worried about typing that for an instant, here, in the “land of free speech”. That’s how bad it is. The people surrounding him are open racists / enemies of the LGBTQ community, and misinformed religious fear mongers. This week airports across the country were shut down by protesters after refugees and travelers from several foreign countries were banned from entering. I saw a picture of Muslim people praying in an airport while an American crowd cheered them on and it nearly moved me to tears. (And I eat a lot of salt, so if I cry it burns and I fuckin’ feel it). I will not leave this country. So what am I to do? Should I write politicians? Call them? Does this matter at all, or has it ever? I have lists of resources on Tumblr, saved between gifs of cartoons and porn searches. What am I to do? Also what gets the best results? “NSFW” or “Boobs very humungo gifs”?

I don’t know what to do. But I am grateful for the art and politicians this horrible world is about to create.

EFFORTS the band I am in was asked to play a show. This is nice as no one has heard our music. We have declined any other opportunities to perform, but a few weeks into this political fuckquake was the right time to ask, I guess. So tomorrow we have band practice, and then we’ll be playing our first show ever, later this month. I definitely want to puke but in like, a good way. Like prom nerves. Prom puking.Like a Prom-Puke-Posal

We’ve been recording our first album since November 2015. Back then it was just me and Zach. Then a guy named Geoffrey heard our demos and asked to play bass for us. No one else was asking, so we eventually said yes. Nearly a year later Zach and I tracked most of the album (there are maybe 5 songs still missing) and Geoffrey had sent us his bass demos for each. It was October 2016 and the album has been taking so long that I started pulling demos together for some other sort of release. I was going to call it DAMNSEL & THE EUTH GROUP and Geoffrey said he would produce it, but a few songs in it became obvious we were just making another EFFORTS album and now Zach is involved as well.

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New future efforts stuff @thisisgeoffrey and I fucked with last night.

A video posted by Todd Michael Rogers (@d_a_m_n_s_e_l) on Jan 3, 2017 at 12:40pm PST

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The plan is to finish our first LP (I Bought You A Coffin) and then either license it to a record label, preferably in the UK (Plan A) or just do it the fuck ourselves (Plan B). Then when that’s all said and done we’ll have the next bit of music ready, which will be released as two EPs (2.1 Sorry Everyone Disappoints You) and EP2 which I have a name for but it’s not official or anything (2.2 Mean Songs to Hurt People). After we release the 2 EPs-- each holding 6 songs--we’ll smash them together for our second album (2.final form May The Eyes That Rise Upon You Never Know (Your True Heart). I even have album covers for all three but I ain’t showin’ em here yet. So far the first EP is missing 1 and a half songs, and the second is all in demo pieces.

A lot of these plans seem fanciful at best but it’s sort of how I always work on things, ‘shoot for the stars and hope you don’t put a bullet in your own boot’. A lot of it came about one night when Zach and I stayed up drinking as we concocted a five year plan, should anyone ever ask us if we had one.

But it all start now, with finishing this album, making our facebook page (LINK), playing our first few shows, and releasing our first single (May You Absorb all Evil) But look, we even have a cover for it, granted to us by the artist Liam Barrett. We’ll release this baby sometime this Summer, along with a music video I have been meticulously planning for over a year.

I miss writing the novel. It’s been over a month since I touched it, but printing out my progress from the start of 2016 to the end was amazing.

I think the time away from it will be good, the fear, the worry, the feworry is leaving it for too long, allowing it to get lost in the current of the sea (see opening paragraph, this blog).

My plan is to look at what I’ve done (dangerous) do a quick edit job upon it (also dangerous, but hopeful/most/ly this is just a grammar bombing), and then see where the first 200 pages are at. I hope I’m doing the right thing, the bow of the ship needs to be set through some very particular territory, and even I know I’m telling a strange story in a weird way. I could smashed to bits upon the rocks of those who would never publish it.

But I miss it.

WHYLC is a comic book I started writing 10 years ago next month (Jesus Fucking Christ) and which I eventually self published online after taking it upon these keep-it-100 hands to illustrate. Issue 2 will take even more time, but for those of you who read it, the work shall continue. I reallllly like making comics and it was sort of the first thing I ever wanted to do writing wise.

PS Issue 1 can always be found right here (LINK)

Spell Saga could destroy anyone, at any given time, if they saw the scope and horror of the project, stretching like ley lines backwards & forwards, away from my heart. I’ve spent the better half of a year working days and nights to pay for both a) my cool ideas and b) my dumb mistakes. This has resulted in many more cards being printed than initially anticipated, and most of my ‘money bucks’ being sent out as packages of said cards to patient wonderful truly unbelievable fans across the globe.

(Meagen Crawford took dis pic)

Do you know how long it takes to package something? Or even double check and print the correct address? Let alone figure out a packaging solution after the US Postal Service gave you the WRONG information? It’s been a fucking nightmare--but a super neat problem to have. I can panic and smile, I do both all the time.

The next step of the process is sort of manifold:

First I have to finish sending packages to places like the UK, Singapore & Brazil. Then I have to wire the final amount to the manufacturer which was delayed by all the changes we made during initial production. THEN I have to finish re-designing DECK 2 (it’s just a new Photoshop HD makeover, no rules changes). THEN I have to get the packaging for deck 2 finalized (make sure everything is the right size, get UPC code etc.) THEN I have to wire the manufacturer to print this deck and ship everything out together from Hong Kong to any US coast and down to me in lil ole Tennessee.

Then I get my shit together. Spell Saga has been bruised and hidden away while the manufacturing continued. Having Decks 0, 1, and 2 printed and at my fucking door (taking up most of my living room) will give me the privilege and honor of sending everyone another deck for free (thanks for waiting) along with sending out marketing packages to game reviewers across the Earth. It will coincide with the continued but stalled development of the Spell Saga library (a web page of game resources formerly known as the wikiFAQ).

Getting the game back up to good standing is a very real priority for this lonely designer. When I have all that cooking at the right degree I can finally finish the main game by Designing DECK 3 and the Ending with Cousin Lauren. (Then I’ll have to pay for that one to get printed too. That’s 10 grand. Right there.)

PS Cousin Lauren has a page for her art now. Check it out (LINK)

In the INTERIM. The Meantime. IN the age of Meanness: I’ve been designing a new SPell Saga deck, called 1.5 The Under Sky. It’s a sort of bridge between decks 1 and 2, that also acts like a warp into deck 3 if it’s played right. The Look, Feel, Story, and emotional journey of this Deck matches the others--it’s still the story of The Last Minstrel--but while decks 1,2, and 3 were created with the emotions of a bad marriage and a young man afraid of what his life might have become, this DECK is sort of based on how it’s felt to publish the game and everything that’s happened to me in my own journey. Making things is hard. It’s so hard. It’s super terrible and impossible. But getting to the end is the whole point of a journey, and this deck celebrate that.

In The Under Sky, you play as The Last Minstrel, but you’ve sort of lost your way to The Forest, as well as your friends. It’s the idea of knowing exactly what you want, until a sort of early 20s suburban existentialism hits like a storm to blow you so off course you aren’t even sure who you are anymore, much less where you’re going. During the game you’ll explore the insides of living keeps called Castle Crashers, making friends with mirages and using a creature called the dark pixie to pull magical items out of ordinary places. There’s also a river of blood that’s spilling out from a talking disembodied head of a fallen god. It’s pretty cool.

If I’m nervous about anything it’s that the mechanics are advanced to say the least. It’s still the same old Spell Saga but there’s new ideas there too. Like, imagine five cards that are in a circle. The hero token (representing your character) can move left or right on the circle visiting each card (each representing a different place to visit) if you’ve played Spell Saga before, the idea should seem familiar, it’s the main and most basic mechanic of the game. But now, imagine each card in the circle is a stack 5 cards deep, and when you move from one stack to the next the cards in each stack are shuffled, the order they rest in dependant upon how you enter or leave the stack with your token. That’s some scary shit to try and “make a rulebook out of” but I think it’s going to work. I want every Spell Saga deck to kind of have it’s own vibe going on, each playing off the mechanics you may have learned in the previous deck.

There’s other Spell Saga news too:

If anyone is reading this Realmwalker ~ Science//Armor//Romance will be republished with typographical errors removed and a new box sometime near March. This was a game I released a year ago (Judas Iscariot Priest!) on The Gamecrafter, and then removed until i had time to fix it.

The next Realmwalker ~ The Discordant Shore is half designed and really a very exciting game. I think it should be done by June, and that one will also be on The Gamecrafter. The Reason this one took so long is half the cards are also copies of special handmade cards I’ll be sending out to people who spent dat ca$h on the Kickstarter, y’know, back in 2014 (Satan’s Red Mouth!).

Are you still here? Are you still reading this?

French Toast Gaming Co.’s next game, something I first worked on twenty years ago, and then spent the better part of a decade worrying about is about to be released this year. EPIOCH was supposed to come out last August, but many delays pushed it away. Now my good friend Weshoyot has nearly finished the art, and all the game needs is more playtesting and a rulebook before it pops up on The Gamecrafter. Here’s an art peek, and you should check out her instagram. (LINK).

That’s everything I needed to type out to stay sane. Thanks for following along all three of you. I appreciate it. There’s been other things too of course, lost jobs, another concussion, dreams where I tell my secrets to people who look disappointed. But you don’t need to know any of that. Not really. It will all come out in the artwork anyway.

OR THE patron page PODCAST, I GUESS.

-mE.

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