Chapter 219 - (DO NOT UNLOCK YET) Luck

Please read Author's Note in the Auxiliary Chapters first. Thank you.

|~isaacyawat √~

@ACM @CMA First of all, I apologize that my reckless posts have brought about huge misunderstandings. I should have made myself more aware of the goings of the Academy and the Association. Due to that ignorance, it was only a week before the deadline that I submitted my applications.

I also just heard that your offices were swamped due to the unusually high numbers of submissions this year, so the latter submissions have a risk for mismanagement.

Please allow me in your screening committee next time when I don't have anything going on. I'm a beast in clerical work and can handle the job of five interns.

Finally, I thank you for giving such special treatment to me. It is a dream come true for me to be nominated. Best day ever!|

|~tldgrimmauld √~

@ACM @CMA You folks finally did the right thing. You have restored my hope for Country Music.|

|~philjanemusicology √~ @ACM @CMA As a long-standing member of both the Academy and the Association, I am proud to say that this is a milestone and a step up of the genre to the international stage|

|~joelwinger √[email protected] @CMA Isaac's bluegrass and blues influences are the roots of country music. I hope that both the association and academy should not forget that.|

|[email protected] @CMA On behalf of Teungeb's Country Music fans, THANK YOU!|

|~changsean~ @isaacyawat Congratulations my Teungeb brother!|

|~urMomOnline~ @ACM @CMA Hey folks. Working at a diner don't pay well. You need extra staff, I need extra money. DM me.|

|~waterstrider~ @ACM @CMA I'm not a country fan, but I'm gonna see the show anyway. Keep an eye on other nominees if they're good.|

|@waterstrider me too|

|@waterstrider me three| 

|~nastynash~ @ACM @CMA Country is for Americans and your awards should only be given to Americans.|

|@nastynash what the f.u.c.k is wrong with you?|

|@nastynash Canadians and Australians won Country awards in the past too. Get over it.|

|@nastynash who cares if Isaac isn't American? I'm an American and his music speaks to me better than other country singers who always sing about America|

|@nastynash people like you is why other countries look down on us.|

/Isaac! Holy sh*t! Holy sh*t! It's a miracle!/ Cody calls Tayaw back after a few hours.

"Hey! You didn't tell me you have applied for that many awards!" Tayaw says, still giddy from the nominations he received.

/What? Well who the hell applies for just one award? Everyone applies for all the awards they can!/ Keith says.

"F.u.c.k… If that's what all artists do, then I'm starting to think that what happened to me was really a clerical error." Tayaw is speechless.

/Are you serious? You? Someone did that to you on purpose./

"Heh. Thank you. But you're right. It's a miracle I got these many nominations!" Tayaw says.

/That's not the miracle I was talking about! It's a f*cking miracle that we got out of this unharmed!/ Keith says.

"Heh… I know, right? I thought I'd be banned by the mainstream organizations after this. But hey. They're actually that scared for their reputations more than I thought."

~

October 28, 2013 – Monday, 7:00 AM – Okuba

"Good morning Mrs. Dagem!"

"Good morning ma'am." Kilat is greeted by two of her home room students by the school's gate. 

"Good morning! You kids are very early today." Kilat is pleased to see the jokers in her class come in early.

"Ah… I mean… the homework you've given keep us early." One of the students says.

"… I'm not extending the deadline, Shyuu. You have the internet to use unlike my days. How do you still need more time?" Kilat in over her 18 years as a teacher, has seen almost any type of ways that students ask for deadline extensions.

"…" Shyuu and the other student freeze at Kilat's question.

"Hmmm… Should I shorten the deadline next time?..." Kilat asks again with a smile that give Shyuu and the other student goosebumps.

"Mrs. Dagem. You don't have to. The deadline is just perfect!" Shyuu says

"Really?" Kilat's smile transforms into that of a satisfied one.

"Yes!"

"Okay… I'll see you in class." The two students watch Kilat enter the school gate in relief. 

-

"Good morning, Kilat!" "How was your weekend?" Fenaz and Eletta greet Kilat as she arrives at the faculty office.

"What's with up with you two?" Kilat cannot help but point out the two having their arms across their c.h.e.s.ts.

Eletta leans forward. "Nah. We just want to congratulate you. Tayaw's the talk of the town…" She says softly to avoid others overhearing.

"International awards at that…" Fenaz leans forward too.

"Thank you. I'll extend that to Tayaw." Kilat says.

"Oh! That's right… He just sent these." Kilat takes two envelopes from her bag and hands one each to the two.

"What are these?" Fenaz says as he opens his envelope.

"…Wow…" Eletta, who is faster than him, is impressed by the gift.

"…Heh… signed CDs. Tayaw doesn't sell physical copies of his music, so these are rare. Signed too? Even rarer." Fenaz says.

"Really? Wow.." Eletta is even more impressed.

"Yeah. And we got THREE! I wonder how much these would sell online." Fenaz says.

"…" Eletta and Kilat give him a dirty look.

"Hey… It's a joke! I'd rather keep these…" Fenaz says. The two ladies roll their eyes.

"These probably are gonna be worth a hundred thousand each in the future." Fenaz mutters.

"Alright. Give that back." Kilat says, overhearing Fenaz.

"Hey! I'll keep it! I'll frame it, hang it on my living room wall. Brag it to my friends." Fenaz hugs the CDs in defense.

"…" The two ladies are speechless at his shamelessness. 

~

9:00 AM – Jebung

|counting my steps, walking through these cramped and crammed walls 

holding my candle, where are we walking now, where are we going? 

Wherever you lead me, I'll always be behind ya.|

(based on 'Home Sweet Home' by Car, The Garden)

"ooh.. nice song. Who sang this?" A customer asks, distracted from looking around for a car by the song starting to play on the store's speakers.

"It's Isaac." Liboo says.

"Really? THAT director ... or singer who's been on the news lately?" The customer says.

"Yeah." Liboo says, feeling proud.

"I didn't know he makes songs in Teungebian…" The customer says.

"He does…" Liboo says.

"ehhhh. He should make more Teungebian songs. Going to America making songs for foreigners…" The customer shakes his head.

"Hey… He released his first album with 10 Teungebian songs in it. They just didn't get popular like his English songs. His newest album came out a few months ago. This song is from that." Liboo says.

"Really… Huh. It's been a while since I've listened to new songs. Might as well start with Isaac." The customer says.

"Yeah. You do that…" a wide grin starting to spread on Liboo's face.

"What's with that face? Are you a fan or something?" The customer is weirded out by a goofy smile coming out of a burly man.

"Yeah. I'm one of his first fans. Anyways… Have you seen any car you like, sir?" Liboo changes the subject.

"In fact, I do. That 1974 El Camino… How did you even find that?" The customer asks.

"It was basically trash when I found it. Took us months to look for good parts and an expert's help to restore it…" Liboo continues his business. 

~

Taragea, West Ouigab – Topaz Publishing

"Hello Tayaw. It's quite rare for you to call. Oh.. .I've heard the typhoon you created in social media there in America." Erik Goomal (Topaz CEO), answers his phone in a pleasant surprise.

/Heh… It made it there in Teungeb?/ Tayaw asks.

"Made it to the news, buddy. If I didn't know that you're Grimmauld and your shitposting on social media, I would have believed that you really were sincere on that 'I'm Isaac and I thank the academy and association for teaching me a lesson' bullshit. The balls, kid. The balls."  Erik chuckles.

/Well. Thank you./ Tayaw chuckles.

"Why'd you call by the way?" Erik asks.

/ Did the sales for The Ruler's Ring 1 slow down?/ Tayaw asks.

"You didn't check the reports we've been e-mailing you?... Nevermind. It was a blast! In just three months, it sold three quarters of what The Halfling sold in a year.

/But… We've noticed this month it's slowing down quickly. I guess there are limits to how many people are interested in reading it." Erik says.

/That's expected then./ Tayaw says.

"Hey… you know that 'enlarging the pie' bullshit you told me last year?" Erik says.

/I remember./ Tayaw says.

"F.u.c.kin even better. The copycats of 'The Halfling' were thrashed once 'Ruler's Ring' came out. You enlarged the pie AND ate all of it." Erik reports.

/Huh… I mean… not even one novel is nearly as good?/ Tayaw asks.

"Nada… tell me, how long did it take you to release the sequel for 'The Halfling'? Almost three years. If anyone wants to release a book that can rival yours, it's gonna take just as long if not longer. Especially the details you put in it?" Erik says.

/Well. That's disappointing. The pie could have been bigger if there are novels that are just as good./ Tayaw says.

"Greed. Arrogance... Those are thy name." Erik rolls his eyes.

/Wrong. I just want competition./ Tayaw says. 

"Whatever you say." 

/Do you think I should release the next part of the sequel soon?/ Tayaw asks.

"That means you're already done with it?" Erik is pleasantly surprised.

/Yeah./ Tayaw says.

"…While I'd like to read the next book, business wise, I think we should wait. Once the sales really drop, that's when you release the next part. Unless you want to meet the demands of your fans right now… your decision." Erik says.

/My fans…/

~~~

|@tldgrimmauld instead of involving yourself with Isaac, write the sequel!|

|@tldgrimmauld dude. You must be bored. Release the next book now!|

|@tldgrimmauld Hey! It took you THREE YEARS! Are we gonna wait that long again?|

|@tldgrimmauld what do you know about country? You know about writing stuff! WRITE SO I CAN READ SOMETHING GOOD AGAIN!|

~~~

"Yeah… rather rabid fans for an author." Erik says.

/Heh… Thankfully, the iron's still hot. Let's gather attention and satisfy their curiosity?/ Tayaw says.

"Oh?" Erik gets interested.

/Give me a minute..... done.  Check the social media/

~

|~isaacyawat√~ @tldgrimmauld! Dude! This is too much for a congratulatory gift! [attachment (photo – manuscript – 'The Ruler's Ring: Two Evils – TLD Grimmauld')] I'll enjoy reading it! THANK YOU!|

|~tldgrimmauld√~ @isaacyawat It's not the final draft, but it tells enough in the next book to answer your questions| |@tldgrimmauld hey! What the f*ck?|

|@tldgrimmauld That's not fair!|

|@isaacyawat Where are you right now? We deserve to find out what happens next!|

|@isaacyawat Watch that manuscript buddy. I'll be in your show in Bismarck tonight.|

|@isaacyawat @tldgrimmauld how much did Isaac pay to get your manuscript? I can offer a higher price!|

~

"So that shit really was a marketing stunt huh?" Erik shakes his head.

/Yeah. It's not like it's the first time I'm doing this./

"Heh. I have to say, this was better done than what you did for 'September Ninth' last year." Erik approves.

/Okay. I'll send you the manuscript through Chala if you're ready to print it. Don't you leak the thing, alright? / Tayaw says.

"We'd breach your very very special and customized contract if I do that… But nothing in the contract says I can't read it."