#this fact is actually true but I do appreciate how people just tell Tia things and she just believes them

[salty-dracon]

More YTTD Theories Because I Forgot A Bunch

A continuation of this from a couple of days ago.

More theories, spoilers go up to 3-1A, and also include YTTS spoilers. Also I appreciate all of your thoughts on the matter.

In the previous post I said there were a few reasons to be suspicious of Gin. I forgot to mention one important point:

Remember the locker room and the Discussion there, where Hayasaka and Gin got magnetized to the ceiling and almost hung? According to vgperson, you can win the discussion by letting time pass three times after Hayasaka is magnetized. But after the second turn, Gin gets magnetized as well. And one turn after that, the mechanism is shut down by Midori. He makes sure “those two” are still alive via the intercom, and once confirming that they are, says “oh goodie, we can still play some more!“ and fucks off. Basically, you’ll win no matter what, because Midori doesn’t want them to die.

Midori says he observes all of the floors in the painting room, but he doesn’t really give “instructions” once they arrive or anything similar. Depending on what he’s using to monitor the room, he more or less uses his abilities to mess with the participants and the dolls. Think about how he spooks Sara and crew by saying “I’m not a painting!” if you look at the painting of him, or how he lets the crew get their hopes up about the transceiver until he speaks through it. However, he says he observes all of the floors, meaning he knows what goes on in each one. And though he’s not about losing well (he wants to kill people with the gun if he’s in a bad position, after all), he seemed to be concerned enough about Hayasaka and Gin to try and save them.

Considering he didn’t try to save Hayasaka the moment he could, and seems to have some form of disdain for the dolls, I wonder if it’s Gin he was trying to save. That brings up the question of why someone like him would want to save Gin in the first place. Maybe he’s allied with Gin somehow, whether Gin knows it or not. 

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(Danganronpa 1 and AI: The Somnium Files spoilers in the next paragraph)

One interesting prediction rule when it comes to murder mystery games is that the culprit is “someone who’s been mentioned several times, but who we’ve never actually met”. They almost pulled that twist in Danganronpa 1 with a certain missing student. They mentioned her by name, making us think she was the mastermind for a while, before revealing the truth. The other big example I can think of is AI: The Somnium Files, wherein the serial killer in question is mentioned by name more than once, but we don’t actually meet him, knowing it’s him, until near the end of the game and after we’ve unlocked most of the other routes.

Extrapolating this to Your Turn to Die, there is one character we haven’t met yet who’s been mentioned more than once- that being Sara’s mother. We see her at the beginning of the game, passed out presumably due to an attack by Sara’s kidnappers. She’s brought up again by Sara’s dad in a flashback before Chapter 2, and then again when Kai leaves a message for Sara on the laptop. The password to that file is her mother’s name. Furthermore, we know her rough appearance, as based on seeing her passed out in Chapter 1. And taking the events of YTTS as canon, we know that Sara, or someone that looks exactly like Sara, is somehow involved in Asunaro’s AI experiments. There’s also one interesting oddity about her. As far as I remember, she’s one of two characters to get a background sprite, but not a foreground sprite. Here I’m referring to “background sprites” as the sprites that appear inside environments without black outlines, and foreground sprites as the sprites with different expressions that usually appear when you talk to a character. Every other character, notably all of the Death Game participants, the Floor Masters, and now the Dummies thanks to Chapter 3, have both foreground sprites and background sprites. Some characters, like Sara’s father and the man that Keiji killed, have only foreground sprites. The only two exceptions, that is, the only two characters whose faces we haven’t seen in perfect detail, are Meister and Sara’s mother.

Furthermore, we don’t know what Sara’s mother’s name is. Granted, we don’t know what her father’s name is either, but her name is apparently important. What if her name was also Sara Chidouin? What if she was somehow also Sara- as in, the Sara we know is a clone of her created using a doll? It’s a mystery why she’d be raising a clone of herself, but people are weird like that, sometimes.

Another related theory people have had is that Sara’s mother is in fact a part of the game- she’s just disguised as someone else. That someone else could be Miley. Though in my opinion Miley looks nothing like the background sprite I’m using for reference, a good wig can change everything. This theory might have become even stronger with the release of Chapter 3. There are a couple of situations in which Midori can say something along the lines of “Miley said you were cute when you got angry” to Sara. Though we could just take it as Miley being an asshole (she’s totally an asshole), I think there’s only one situation in which Sara got mad in front of Miley, that being when Mishima was killed. Maybe this was lost in translation, but it’s a rather sweeping generalization and a somewhat weird thing to say about someone if you aren’t familiar with them. Meaning Miley’s really familiar with Sara. Or Miley was just being an asshole.

After looking up Sara’s mother on the wiki the manga only has a picture of her wearing a mask over her mouth. The plot thickens. 

Regarding the other character, Meister... people have made a couple of interesting observations about him. First, he shows up in collaboration artwork. Second, there is a person who looks very similar (albeit with grey hair) in the room above where the monitors were in Chapter 2. His clothing color scheme is exactly the same. Also it’s a big ass painting. Third, with the release of Chapter 3, there’s the entertaining feature of naming Midori whatever you damn well please, unless he makes some joke about it and tells you to pick another name. Most of his responses to you picking something like “Alice Yabusame” and “Tia Safalin” are either “here’s a fun anecdote about that character and/or what I think of them, but I don’t want that name“ and “that’s mean :( pick another name please“. Elect to name him Meister, and he only says “... Pick another name, please”. Considering his personality can be accurately described as “Kokichi if he were Monokuma”, it’s out of character. He fears Meister, or doesn’t want to be associated with him. So yeah, Meister’s probably important. Maybe he’s even the Meister-mind. (Feel free to boo me for that bad pun.)

-------

Regarding the game’s endings, most people seem to believe there’s two- a logic ending an an emotion ending. I agree with this viewpoint, as “choosing logic“ has been explored a few times throughout the game. With the release of Part 3, the choice of which ending’s which has become a little more clear.

If Alice lives and Reko dies, Q-taro says something along the lines of “The Dummies may be dolls, but they’re human just like us”. Implying that we, the humans, are also supposed to think of dolls as human as there’s no difference appearance or personality wise. Q-taro talks about Doll Reko being almost perfectly human, as a supporting argument, in reference to Alice who was unable to tell the difference between the Doll Reko and the real Reko. Remember also that the only reason we pushed Reko down the Impression Room was our logical conclusion that she was a fake. On the other hand, if we choose not to, Sara comments that despite the logic, she can’t see the Reko standing before her as anything other than real, even though there’s lots of evidence to the contrary. In that ending, the real Reko dies. Furthermore, there’s a little bonus snippet in the “afterlife” scene after Nao’s death, where Reko shows up, but Alice doesn’t appear if she lives.

For this reason I strongly believe that the emotion ending is Alice/Kanna living. Therefore the logic ending is Reko/Sou living. I have yet to test out to see if there’s any changes in dialogue with those two combinations specifically, as most people online seem to be playing Alice/Sou and Reko/Kanna. I’m streaming this game for a couple of friends on Discord, and also all my midterms are over the next couple of weeks, so it’s hard to find the time to play this right now.

I also believe that we’ll soon be facing another path split- maybe at the very beginning of 3-1B- that has to do with logic and emotion. Whatever that consent form is, it scared the other participants- it’s definitely a bad thing. However, Sara now faces the choice between saving Keiji and consenting to Whatever Evil Thing’s Going On, and sacrificing Keiji to avoid it. Logic would be sacrificing Keiji, while emotion would be saving him, in this case. Perhaps that’s not true, as Midori is the kind of person who can and would pull a fast one on Sara for funsies. Perhaps there’s something in his language implying that Keiji’s going to end up dead no matter what. He does seem to want to antagonize Keiji, after all. That, or someone else is going to die instead- probably Q-taro, having just been stabbed by Mai and being in bad shape. Even so, I wonder which will be which- whose death would be considered “logical” and whose is based on “emotion”. 

TL:DR So many mysteries with so many possible answers. I just want to see someone vibe check Midori like he vibe checked us already.

#your turn to die #kimi ga shine

[queen-scribbles]

All the Comforts of Home

@pillarspromptsweekly 57: Speak (aka yay I get to write more Adi & Rekke buddyfic :DDDD)

Between her years in the Dyrwood and this current... adventure through Deadfire Archipelago, Adela had dealt with her share of homesickness. While she didn’t regret any of the things she’d learned (and very few of the things she’d seen), or friends she’d made, she couldn’t deny missing various things about home. Chief among them--more than anything aside from Mama’s cooking or spending time with Cousin Lottie--was hearing her home tongue. Given how little the various tribes and groups of Ixamitl had spread, and how content most of its denizens were to stay within its borders, she hadn’t heard Ixamitli since leaving with Odema’s caravan.

She enjoyed and appreciated other languages, of course. The musical lilt of Vailian, the complexity--and ubiquity--of Aedyran, even the beautifully practical flow of Engwithan. But nothing held a candle to the cozy familiarity of Ixamitli, with its conjured memories of smelling Ben’s latest dessert creation, or braiding Tia’s hair.

Seki came close, though. Adela had suspected as much from the day they fished Rekke out of the ocean and he’d joined her crew. His native tongue sounded almost, almost familiar to her (achingly so), and the opposite seemed to be true as well. That had probably been at least a contributing factor to her wanting to learn. She would have anyway, because languages were one of her very favorite things. But Seki’s similarity to her native Ixamitli was definitely a bonus. She still missed her home tongue, though. There was only so much talking to herself she could do to fill that void.

><><><><

“....so you two want to look for new armor, Maia, you’re visiting the cartographer, and Rekke and I are buying provisions?”  Adela glanced between her companions to confirm their plans and received nods all around. “Alright. Beodul said the repairs we need will take at least a day, so no rush.”

She waited until Aloth and Pallegina headed for the stairs to Periki’s Overlook, and Maia to Sanza’s emporium, then tugged Rekke’s sleeve to get him to follow her. “This way.”

He nodded and fell in step behind her. “Where... where are we going?”

“Oh, Serafen told me about this place, somewhere between here and the Brass Citadel, there’s an entire avenue of shops that have better prices than here in Queen’s Berth, but slightly less questionable suppliers than the Narrows.” Adela made a face. “Only, he wouldn’t tell  me exactly where it was. Said that would ruin the fun. So.” She looked up at Rekke and grinned. “Wanna go on an adventure?”

He raked wind-swept red hair back from his face and nodded, matching her grin. “Ta. Sounds fun. “

She giggled and fought the urge to skip. “I knew there was a reason I liked you. It does sound fun. Can we practice Seki while we look?”

Rekke nodded again, playing with one of the feathers Xoti had braided into his hair that morning. “If you want.”

Adela tugged the end of her braid and flashed him an even bigger grin--”Great!--before promptly switching.

><><><><

It took the better part of two hours to find what they sought--long enough Adela was beginning to wonder if Serafen had made it up--but they had fun doing it. Spent the whole time chattering in Seki, which she appreciated. Rekke had told her she was doing great, but her Seki still wasn’t as good as his Aedyran.

Besides, she thought wryly as she examined a shelf full of dried fruit, with Ondra’s Mortar between Yezuha and the rest of the world, how many kith have tried learning Seki? How’s he know I’m doing great if there’s no one to measure me against?

Even as she wondered that and deliberated what to buy, Rekke leaned around the display. “I found the fresh fruit,” he informed her, still in Seki. “What should I look for next?”

“Hardtack, I suppose,” Adela replied in slower Seki, reaching up to adjust her bandanna. “I know it’s awful, but for a last resort...”

Rekke chuckled, gently offered correction on a couple of words she mispronounced, and vanished back into the maze of the store. Adela turned her attention to the dried meats, but hadn’t been perusing them long when one of the storekeepers approached. 

“Did you need help finding anything?” he asked in faintly accented Aedyran, smile only slightly forced as he looked down at her.

She knew that tone. Folk in Ixamitl used it all the time as a barely-polite cloaked suspicion of their orlan neighbors. The fidgety clasped hands, the smile that didn’t reach his eyes, they were familiar, too. Her ears twitched back in response.

Who says the Deadfire doesn’t have all the comforts of home? she thought sarcastically, before forcing a cheery smile. “No, I’m doing fine, but thank you!” she assured him brightly, also in Aedyran.

A muscle in his cheek twitched. “Alright, then, let us know if you need any help.” He returned to his previous task, but she could feel his eyes on her as she shopped.

So is it the foreign language or being an orlan that made you suspicious? Adela thought wryly. She’d run into both back home. Practicing new languages under your breath in public tended to draw odd looks. Accustomed as she may have been to things of its kind, the moment was still enough to disincline her toward lingering. The shop owners kept watching her and Rekke--The unfamiliar language, then--despite the fact there were other customers in the store. So she sighed, finished collecting what they needed, and located Rekke so they could pay. The price was, of course, several pires higher than her mental calculations, but pointing that out earned a half-baked excuse of recently raised prices and the tag changes still being a work in progress. She was pretty sure that was bullshit--there was no evidence of it--but the price difference wasn’t enough to fight about, and she really didn’t feel like finding another store and hunting up all the provisions again. Besides, this store had stocked an apple-spice tea from home she hadn’t been able to find anywhere else in the whole archipelago. So she paid, waited for the purchases to be wrapped (Rekke scooped up most of them, a habit Adela had long adjusted to), and turned to leave.

They were halfway to the door when she heard it. In the smooth, rolling tones of a native speaker, Ixamitli floated up from the murmuring storekeeps.

“She’s got him well-trained, doesn’t she?” the one who had approached her said derisively. “Shouldn’t it be the other way ‘round?”

“Aye,” the other agreed. “Must be awful lily-livered t’ not stand up for himself. Lookit, she don’t even come to his waist ‘less you count the ears.”

Said ears--as well as her face--burning with indignation, Adela pivoted on one heel, looked them both dead in the eye, and in equally natural Ixamitli spat, “At least he has the guts to share his opinions of people to their faces.” She spun back and marched out the door. Never shopping here again, even if they do have my favorite tea.

“What did you say to make them look like ghosts?” Rekke asked as they headed back towards Queen’s Berth.

“They were saying bad things about us in my home tongue,” she replied carefully. “They’re prob’ly also from Ixamitl with some of the things they sold. It’s also not a common language to encounter outside our borders. I scolded them for it, also in Ixamitli, so they knew I understood what they said.”

“Oh. What did they say?” he asked, shifting the bundles he carried to brush hair out of his eyes.

“Just the sort of thing any orlan’s heard at least a dozen times unless they’re extremely lucky,” she shrugged. Not what I had in mind with ‘I miss home’.

“You said us,” Rekke reminded her. “What did they say about me?”

“It wasn’t nice, isn’t that enough?” Adela mumbled, but he raised an eyebrow and she sighed, nodding toward the packages he held. “They think you’re a wuss for not standing up to me and doing all the carrying.”

He frowned and cocked his head. “Wuss?”

“Coward,” she elaborated.

Rekke actually laughed. “I’ll keep that in mind next time I’m holding off a kraken so Tekéhu or Xoti can toss little bombs in its mouth,” he said, eyes dancing with amusement.

“They don’t know what they’re talking about,” she agreed, snickering, before her mood tilted back south. “I just... I’ve been missing Ixamitl; my family, the people, the language, at least a little for five years now. Wishing for it, sometimes. That was not what I had in mind.” She gave a soft, snorting laugh. “Though it does fit. All the comforts of home; tea, dried fruit, casual prejudice....”

“They don’t know you any more than they knew me,” Rekke pointed out.  “Tagukin.”

She laughed. “I know.”

“When we get back to the ship you can braid more beads in my hair,” Rekke offered. “If it will help you feel better.”

This laugh was more genuine, and Adela felt her spirits life at just his concern.  “Ta, it would. Trying to look like a pirate?”

He nodded, grinning. “Ta. If I do it well enough, do you think the crew will make me captain?”

She chuckled, shooting him a bemused look. “Do you really want to be?”

“No. You make a good casita,” he winked.

“Irrena teach you that?”

“Not on purpose,” Rekke said cheerfully. “But it was easy to figure out.”

Adela raised an eyebrow. “I think you might be even better at languages than I am.”

“Casita is easy, though,” he pointed out. “Especially here. Aloth told me you know Engwithan. That is the squiggly one we find on ruins sometimes, ta? It looks much harder.”

“Well, I had help,” she protested, thinking back to Icantha and the memories of her Inquisitor-self.

Rekke smiled at her, so wide the freckles crinkled into the corners of his eyes. “So do I.”

Adela smiled back and the two of them moved back to more frivolous topics for the rest of their walk.

><><><><

Once they were aboard the ship once again, and she’d had time to brew some of the divine-smelling tea, and taken Rekke up on his offer to play with his hair, the tension of the days’ events finally started bleeding out

“If you want,” Rekke piped up when Adela was halfway through her second bead-laced braid, “I could learn Ixamitl and talk it with you like you do for me with Seki.”

Adela smiled and bit her lip. “Oh, Rekke, that’s very sweet, but you don’t have to do that.”

He half-turned, almost pulling the braid from her hands, and winked at her. “I want to, Adi. If we are going to visit each other’s homes, it only makes sense, ta?”

She laughed and finished off the braid. “An excellent point.”

“Also, I think it will be fun.” Rekke settled back in so she could start another of the narrow braids.

“I will do my very best,” Adela promised with a smile, and started braiding. My favorite tea, good friends.... now this is all the comforts of home.

#queens fic #pillars prompts weekly #adela tecali #rekke #pillars of eternity #pillars 2 #goooooooood i love their friendship :DDD

[kbaldwin0609]

'The Bachelor' episode 2 recap: Crash course in love

Photo: ABC

Warning: This recap for episode 2 of The Bachelor contains spoilers. 

Get your motor running rose lovers, because it’s week 2 and our Bachelor is ready to hunt down a wife, like a hawk stalking its prey. (Sorry for mixing my metaphors and similes, folks.) And even though the “ladies” seem to be getting along famously right now at Casa Bachelor, Chris Harrison is quick to remind them that that camaraderie will not last.

Photo: ABC

That’s for damn sure: When Becca K. gets the first one-on-one date, our resident single mom/villain Chelsea is not happy.

Photo: ABC

Becca, meanwhile, hops on the back of Arie’s (rented) motorcycle for a ride through the picturesque Southern California mountains. It’s all very romantic… except for the whole “donorcycle” thing.

Photo: ABC

Krystal’s dad, it turns out, was in a “serious” motorcycle accident, and she also knows lots of people who have died or “lost body parts” in bike accidents as well. Given all that potential awkwardness, I’m surprised Team Bachelor didn’t make Arie take Krystal on the motorcycle date. They love a good “forcing someone to confront a source of personal terror on camera” opportunity.

That said, there is something Team Bachelor loves more than making women fear for their lives, and that’s… the Pretty Woman Date™!!!

Photo: ABC

Naturally Becca is THRILLED at this development — though as a grown-ass woman living in the year 2018 she should know that a man buying you expensive clothes and baubles on your first date is not romantic, it’s creepy and infantilizing. But who cares about that when everything is so SPARKLY???

Photo: ABC

Vom. “Arie makes me feel very special,” gushes Becca. “I appreciate that he picked me to do this.” She appreciates it even more when Arie tells his little lady that she gets to keep ALL the pretty dresses, and he even has some sparkly $700 Louboutins to go with!

Photo: ABC

After poking some diamond Neil Lane earrings through Becca’s lobes, Arie goes in for the smooch, all the while keeping one hand on Becca’s neck. When Becca gets home to primp for part two of her date with Arie, she strolls in so laden with packages and shopping bags that the “ladies” can’t believe what they’re seeing.

Photo: ABC

“Look at those shoes! Are those Louboutins?” shrieks Lauren G. “Eeeeeeeee!” The women vociferously demur when Becca admits she was nervous about bringing all her loot home — and even though the air is thick with jealousy and tension, most of it seems to be directed inward rather than at Becca herself. “Oh my God,” sighs Bibiana ruefully. “They’re gonna get married.” Oh gurl, look at the odds — that’s very unlikely.

Over dinner that night, Arie does a lot of the talking, telling Becca that he feels “wiser” since his last experience on TV and reiterating that his real estate career allowed him to “slow down” and get ready for romance. When Becca does get to speak, it’s to fill Arie in on her late father’s battle with brain cancer — which was, understandably, “the hardest time that I had ever lived through at that point.” The experience, says Becca, brought her even closer to her family — and she’s happy to hear that Arie has strong family ties, too. Of course, she gets the date rose… and some free Neil Lane earrings!

Photo: ABC

Also, I really wish he’d stop running his hands through Becca’s hair. It’s a little much.

The second date of the week is — hold up — another one-on-one date? With Krystal? Well I hope the fitness coach (or whatever) is ready to bring her A-game, because as Arie said, “Becca has definitely set the bar high.”

Krystal may not walk away from her date with a pile of bling, but she will have something to make the other “ladies” jealous: Arie’s taking her home to Scottsdale, Arizona! And she LOVES it.

Photo: ABC

Vom. Once in Arizona, Arie gives Krystal the nickel tour, showing her the Pizza Hut where he worked as a teen, the tree where he had his first kiss, his high school, and naturally his condo, where they pore through old photo albums and watch home movies.

Photo: ABC

But why look at old photos when you can have an awkward encounter with the real thing? That’s right: Arie surprises Krystal with the news that they’re going to meet his family! Though Mr. and Mrs. Arie weren’t super warm the last time they met one of Arie’s dates on TV (see: talking in front of Bachelorette Emily in Dutch), they do their best to endure Krystal’s breathy questioning about how they met.

Photo: ABC

“My mom loves you — I can tell,” Arie tells Krystal as they leave his parents’ home. As for his sister-in-law? I think this barely-repressed sigh speaks for itself.

Photo: ABC

At dinner, Arie invites Krystal to speak (“I want this also to be about you”) — specifically about her family and growing up. As we’ve learned from numerous confessionals, Krystal doesn’t have a close relationship with her family, and she’s nervous about revealing this to the Bachelor. Still, she soldiers on: “My dad wasn’t a part of my life, and my mom was there but was so emotionally unavailable — and I just really felt like my parents didn’t want me.”

Dayum, that’s rough. Krystal goes on tell Arie about the day her brother called her from the hospital after getting beaten up, and she learned he had been living on the streets. The Bachelor assures Krystal that her difficult upbringing doesn’t “reflect negatively” on her, and that he’s not put off by her struggles. In fact, says Arie, he specifically brought Krystal to meet his family in order to ease his mother’s mind about the types of women he would be dating on the show. “You are amazing,” he concludes, handing over the date rose.

Did you have “awkward private concert by (mostly) unknown artist” on your Bachelor bingo game? Time to stamp that card!

Photo: ABC

Maybe next time, Connor.

On to the group date — which is so large Team Bachelor had to hire a tractor-trailer limo to fit all the women inside. Maquel, Marikh, Tia, Valerie, Annaliese, Lauren G., Kendall, Bekah, Jenny, Sienne, Jenna, Caroline, Brittany, Bibiana, [giant gasp for air] and Chelsea bounce out of the truck in their cute athleisure gear and are greeted by Arie, who drives up in a spray-painted beater

He briefs the “ladies” on demolition derby ground rules, and then sends them off to spray paint their cars. To their credit, some of the women get pretty creative with their designs. Winner:

Photo: ABC

Runner-up:

Photo: ABC

Unfortunately Annaliese can’t stop crying; it seems she had a traumatic experience with bumper cars as a child — which Team Bachelor promptly illustrates, nightmare-dream-sequence style.

Photo: ABC

“A bumper car trauma?” scoffs Jenny, one of the 17 blondes on the date. “I didn’t know that bumper car trauma is a thing.” Damn right it is, toots! Especially if it gets Arie to come over and comfort the still-weeping Annaliese one-on-one. The girl’s no fool.

Naturally Chris Harrison is there — along with racecar driver Robby Gordon — to do the color commentary for the “Bashelor Demolition Derby.” And damn, the host isn’t holding back. “So could this be the first time that Arie actually wins something on a race track?”

Photo: ABC

When the air horn blows, the women hit the gas. Suddenly Annaliese transforms from a weepy wuss to a stunt driver in Death Race 2000: She rams into Chelsea, “t-bones” Kendall, and slams into Marikh, all while driving in reverse. “She’s crushing girls like it’s her job!” marvels Harrison. Several minutes of ear-splitting metal-on-metal action later, Seinne emerges victorious in the derby, beating out Raven 2. “Second place sucks d***,” she groans.

Though she didn’t last the longest, Brittany’s derby run was apparently so violent that she upset her own equilibrium, because by the time the after-party rolls around, she is not in attendance. “Brittany smashed everybody with her car,” explains Jenna, “and unfortunately can’t be here.” Hmmm… if Brittany’s going to let something like whiplash or a possible concussion stop her from competing for Arie, maybe she doesn’t really want to be married after all.

Immediately after the toast, Chelsea pulls Arie away for a private chat. It’s time for her to reveal her big secret: She has a 3-year-old son, Sammy! The Bachelor is unfazed, as he once fell for single mom Emily Maynard, and he even lived with a woman with two kids for over a year. “I know that it’s hard to be away [from your son],” says the Bachelor. “It makes me happy that you’re here and taking a chance on me.” Then he eats her face.

Photo: ABC

The women, on the other hand, aren’t so supportive. So what if Chelsea sacrificed time with her son to be here? All of them sacrificed something — like time away from posting on Instagram or posting homemade exercise videos on YouTube! “Everybody has a story,” notes Bibiana. Seinne’s, for instance, involves graduating from Yale, studying abroad in Brazil, and generally being far too good for this show/Arie. And he knows it: “I barely graduated high school and worked at Pizza Hut!” Of course, Arie isn’t going to let his insecurities stop him from macking on Seinne;  when she attempts to pull away from their “thanks for the chat” hug, he keeps his arm firmly around her neck until she realizes the only means of escape is to kiss him.

Photo: ABC

As the night wears on, Bibiana — who was already irritable when the party began — grows ever more frustrated as woman after woman grabs Arie before she can. That is, if she’s even trying — we only ever see her sulking on the couch.

Photo: ABC

“I’m done,” she says with a pout, before stomping out of the room and slamming the door. Meanwhile…

Photo: ABC

“It was, like, really hot,” reports Bekah of her first smooch with the Kissing Bandit. Not hot enough, toots: Seinne gets the date rose!

Photo: ABC

Seinne is in it to win it, dawg.

Cocktail party time! Arie — who either is a true gentleman or just knows how to approximate one, I can’t decide — kicks off the night by seeking out Brittany T., to make sure she feels better after her demolition derby-related injury. She does, especially after the Bachelor gives her this:

Photo: ABC

We interrupt this recap to remind you that fur is gross, folks. Here’s hoping Bekah the nanny’s coat is faux.

Photo: ABC

“I lead with chemistry, and with Bekah, there’s a lot of that,” says Captain Obvious. “She’s bold and charismatic, and when we kiss, it was just apparent that she could be the whole package.” The whole package minus about 10 years, but why quibble?

After an intern surgically removes Arie from Bekah’s face, he gets accosted by Krystal, who feels it’s necessary to “follow up” with the Bachelor even though she already has a rose. As you can imagine, this does not go over well.

Photos: ABC

“I’m not worried,” breathes Krystal in her hyperventilating baby voice. “Some girls are a little weird, and some are very young, and some girls aren’t even there yet.” Which may be why she thinks it’s ok to interrupt Arie again while he’s talking to Bibiana, and you just know Bibi Gun is not about to lose her time tonight.

Krystal: “Do you mind if I step in for a moment?” Bibiana: “I actually do.”

The tension carries over into the house when Krystal foolishly (or as a calculated manipulation) comes and sits next to Bibiana. “I really think that you have a lot of balls just coming to sit down with us,” growls Bibi. “When you learn to speak to me like a normal human being and not with a fake tone, then I can actually respect you.” Then she does a dramatic interpretation of Krystal’s annoying personality.

Photo: ABC

When Krystal tries to protest that she was just “checking on” Bibiana, Miss Miami puts a stop to that real quick. “Baby girl, it’s not about checking. If I’m trying to talk to my man, you need to back the f**k up.” Naturally, Team Bachelor makes them stand next to each other at the rose ceremony.

Photo: ABC

Fortunately for Krystal, Bibiana — who warned that Krystal would have to “sleep with one eye open” if she got sent home — gets a rose. She joins Maquel, Jacqueline, Bekah M., Jenna, Chelsea, Lauren S., Raven 2, Annaliese, Lauren B., Kendall, Brittany, Ashley, Marikh, Caroline, Becca, Seinne and Krystal in the winners’ circle. That means we must say goodbye to Lauren G. (2 down, 2 to go!), Valerie, and Jenny… who takes it the hardest.

Photo: ABC

Ever the gentleman (or a jerk capable of impersonating a gentleman, I’m not sure), Arie goes after Jenny to comfort her in her time of nationally televised rejection. “I have to make tough choices,” he says. “And I just didn’t see it.” And Jenny’s all, Whatever, Old Man River. “I’m not sad about you,” she sniffs. “I’m sad about leaving my new friends.” Indeed, Jenny has never experienced rejection before, and she definitely does not enjoy it. “He literally picked a taxidermist over me,” she moans. “I just feel like I embarrassed myself.” Finally, Jenny and I agree on something.

And with that, rose lovers, we’re done with week two. (The “next week on” preview can be summed up in one word: Tears.) So tell me, do you think Arie’s a true gentleman or just playing one on TV? Does anyone else feel guilty about hating Krystal, given her tough upbringing? And why in the world would anyone ever want a pickled bat? Post your thoughts now! And be sure to check out Chris Harrison’s exclusive blog right here. Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go get examined for whiplash… just in case.

The Bachelor airs Mondays at 8 p.m. on ABC.

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[walkingthroughthepages]

One of my absolute favourite part about the holidays has to be the fact that it means seeing my family. Even though Belgium’s not really that big? All my aunts and uncles, cousins and their children are basically spread out of the entirety of it. So getting to see all of them? And at the same time? It’s busy, it’s loud, it’s madness… And it’s absolutely amazing to be reunited for the holidays!

I was offered these ARCs by Netgalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are strictly my own.

A Christmas Gift, Sue Moorcroft

The story

Georgine loves Christmas. The festive season always brings the little village of Middledip to life. But since her ex-boyfriend walked out, leaving her with crippling debts, Georgine’s struggled to make ends meet. To keep her mind off her worries, she throws herself into organising the Christmas show at the local school. And when handsome Joe Blackthorn becomes her assistant, Georgine’s grateful for the help. But there’s something about Joe she can’t quite put her finger on. Could there be more to him than meets the eye? Georgine’s past is going to catch up with her in ways she never expected. But can the help of friends new and old make this a Christmas to remember after all?

The opinion

Last year, I got the chance to read The Little Christmas Village, which was also written by Sue Moorcroft. At that point, I wrote something to the extent of me really loving it when chicklit actually has a story to tell. Basically, The Little Christmas Village had character development, so many people to fall in love with, and of course: Christmas! Well, guess what? Sue Moorcroft’s done it again with A Christmas Gift. First of all, there’s Georgine who is, just weeks before Christmas (and, let’s be real, in the months before that as well), faced with money-problems and all the bad memories that go hand in hand with that. She starts out as someone who lets herself be manipulated quite easily, maybe even walked over (a realisation she reaches about halfway through the book!). In just a couple of weeks, though, she is faced with elements of various stages from her past – ranging from the “okay” to the “terrible” that face her to do a lot of growing. Two of the main reasons for that growth? Joe, who, as it turns out, is an old friend and has a bit of a hidden past ànd present himself. And Blair, Georgine’s sister who is trying so hard that even when things went terribly wrong? I couldn’t help but root for them. That is probably one of the main reasons I loved this book either way: whenever things go wrong (and, trust me, that happens quite regularly)? You can still see how those situations originated, you understand the why and the how. Sue Moorcroft has that most precious of gifts for an author of knowing just when to give up what piece of information to make for the most natural of progress – in relationships as well as in plot! What’s more, I’ve noticed recently that I’m finding it increasingly difficult to find books, especially cosy and fluffy books, that really hit the spot for me. I mean, if your characters fall in love, fine, but at least show your reader why, you know? Reading A Christmas Gift came as something of a relief, in that aspect. Sue Moorcroft manages to get the set-up of every piece of her story just right so that when fear, betrayal and joy hit? They hit not only the characters, but you as well. So if you’re in need of the kind of book that’ll have you smiling along, rooting for that happy ending and definitely some Christmas spirit? This is the book for you!

Rating: 3.5/5 (Goodreads)

Another Day in Winter, Shari Low

Story

On a chilly morning in December forever friends Shauna and Lulu touch down at Glasgow Airport on a quest to find answers from the past. George knows his time is nearing the end, but is it too late to come to terms with his two greatest regrets? His grandson Tom uncovers a betrayal that rocks his world as he finally tracks down the one that got away. And single mum Chrissie is ready to force her love-life out of hibernation, but can anyone compare to the man who broke her heart? After the success of the No1 best seller ONE DAY IN DECEMBER, comes the second unmissable read in Shari Low’s Winter Day trilogy.

Opinion

If there’s anything studying literature and linguistics will teach you, it’s to appreciate a well-executed multi-perspective story. This one is a couple of steps above well-executed. Within the span of 24 hours, these Shauna, George, Tom and Chrissie’s paths will cross, their stories will meet and – as it turns out: it really is a small world after all. There are few things as difficult as making sure that every loose thread of a multi-level story gets tied up at the end. Making sure that the tone for each of the characters is distinct enough that as a reader, you don’t even need the name on top to know who you’re reading? That’s a gift not too many people have. I honestly loved every single thing about this book. I loved the strong friendship between Shauna and Lulu. I love their willingness to do something that most people would – rightly so – call a bit crazy. I loved Chrissie and the way her friends of all ages pushed her to go beyond what she dared to do. And that she actually took on that chance, that she was willing to look back to the past to be able to face the future. Also – her son? The cutest smart-mouth I’ve read in a while. I love George and the backstory of him and his two sisters, in this totally different world and time. For someone so near to death, he really did have a lot to say. And considering some rather important conversations took part on his bedside? I’m quite happy he turned out to be such a good listener. And then there’s Tom who, in the span of 24 hours, has his world turned upside down more times than most people could handle in a year. He just takes it all in stride – somewhat, at least – and still manages to hand out maybe the most satisfying type of punch: the warranted one. A thing which definitely shows, as you’ll learn in this book as well, that he takes after his grandfather. With Christmas running in the background, as a decoration, as a motivation, but never as a plot point? This was maybe the best winter book I’ve read so far, this year.

Rating: 4.5/5 (Goodreads)

Snowflakes over Holly Cove, Lucy Coleman

Story

As the snowflakes start to fall, the village of Holly Cove welcomes a new tenant to the beautiful old cottage on the beach… For lifestyle magazine journalist Tia Armstrong, relationships, as well as Christmas, have lost all their magic. Yet Tia is up against a Christmas deadline for her latest article ‘Love is, actually, all around’… So Tia heads to Holly Cove where the restorative sea air, and rugged stranger Nic, slowly but surely start mending her broken heart. Tia didn’t expect a white Christmas, and she certainly never dared dream that all her Christmas wishes might just come true… Set in Caswell Bay on the stunningly rugged Gower Coast, the cottage nestles amid the limestone cliffs and the woodlands; the emotions run as turbulently as the wind-swept sea.

Opinion

I really seem to have a thing about reading books with journalists as the MC. Or, maybe journalists just make for easy people to push into new situations. Either way, this particular journalist starts Snowflakes over Holly Cove with some serious hard break. As Tia has suddenly had pointed out to her: she’s an orphan now. Doesn’t matter what age you are – that’s never an easy thing to handle. That actually brings me right to maybe my *favourite* point about this book. It deals with working through loss so carefully, so respectfully. Lucy Coleman doesn’t shy away from the ugly parts of grieve – from that feeling of not knowing how to handle anything to maybe getting a little *stupid* because of it. Snowflakes over Holly Cove tells the story from the last Christmas Tia Armstrong spends with her mum, giving some background to exactly how deep their relationship is, to the next Christmas – her first without her mum. Considering that she’s been working on a Christmas feature for months by the time Christmas rolls around? The reader could easily have grown tired of Christmas already. That, instead, I was sat here just checking my countdown app *yet again* (yes, I’m that person)? Just shows how nuanced Coleman’s writing is. Now, I know that this book is at least partially a romance novel, but, for once, that is not the main thing making we want to immediately reread this book. Rather, it’s the attention to detail, the beautiful descriptions of the Welsh scenery and of course… That one plot twist near the end. And then that dramatic twist at the end… I honestly was not okay. And need to get back to this book ASAP.

Rating: 4/5 (Goodreads)

Now, as I said – I now the entire “reunited for the holidays” can be a bit busy. And loud. And overwhelming. So if you’re in need of an escape from the reality of it? Why not hide out with some stories showing its possibilities? Don’t worry – it’s my backup option too! Or, you know… You could go ahead and read the rest of my Christmas tag or check out this year’s blogmas-posts!

-Saar

Mini Reviews #9: Reunited for the Holidays One of my absolute favourite part about the holidays has to be the fact that it means seeing my family.

#Blog-mas 2018 #book reviews #christmas #christmas books #Mini reviews