#and that she was right to quit bettys diagnose for this

[mrsreinhart]

Lili Reinhart - Grazia Italia Interview

In the cult TV series Riverdale we met her as an always fearless heroine, often forced to confront others and with herself. But even in real life American actress Lili Reinhart, 26, has often found herself having to look within to overcome difficulties.

At 14, when she was already determined to pursue a career in acting, she was diagnosed with a form of depression. Very young, she went through anxiety attacks and various kinds of difficulties, not least that body dysmorphic disorder that leads her to see herself differently from others and to suffer from some physical characteristics that she perceives in a distorted way.

Reinhart has therefore become the champion of the battles for mental health and for the acceptance of different types of beauty. She didn't hesitate to expose herself even to a global celebrity like the queen of social networks Kim Kardashian: the actress found that losing so much weight and in a short time to get into a dress that belonged to Marilyn Monroe was not a good example for her women who have difficulty accepting their body.

At the Women in Film Gala 2022, Lili then received the Max Mara Face of the Future award, dedicated to emerging actresses. «My family», declared Maria Giulia Prezioso Maramotti, «has built a company that honors and celebrates women, above all in the arts. We wanted to award the prize to a young artist who embodies our values, but who is still evolving. What Lili is going in is an excellent direction to follow.

I meet Reinhart in Los Angeles, while she's curled up in the make-up artist's chair for Grazia's fashion shoot that you see in these pages. She remains seated for a long time with her legs pulled up to her chest, a position that evokes the tenderness of a little girl. But she talks to me about serious topics and does it with honesty and depth, even when it comes to revealing the most intimate aspects of her life. She became a global celebrity thanks to the character of Betty Cooper in the TV series Riverdale, which reached its seventh season.

Do vou ever think that the success of this role has somehow slowed down your career as an actress?

I am grateful to Riverdale for everything it has brought me. If I'm sitting here with her now, it's because of the success of the show. But at some point in life, it's time to move on."

Do you feel that you have something to prove to others or to yourself?

I've been acting since I was 12, l've come a long way since then, but I think I haven't yet fulfilled my potential. And this is a challenge for myself. I want the actors who inspire me to talk about me, I want to go far and deserve it. For the past seven years, I've been doing a teen show, Riverdale, with a style that isn't necessarily. what i prefer. But Riverdale it has been incredibly successful and takes up practically all my time, so it has been difficult for me to seize other opportunities

Have you had to make many job cuts?

Last spring I was offered a role that I wanted to play with all my heart, but unfortunately the dates did not reconcile with the filming of the show. It was devastating to say no.

What was she like as a child? Did you imagine that when you grew up?

| was an introvert, I lived in my own little world and I always felt a bit isolated. I think I have an old soul, with my peers I felt like a fish out of water and I didn't quite understand which was the right place for me. Just yesterday I was talking to my mother about when I enjoyed dressing up as a child. We had a box full of costumes we'd collected over the years, I even changed three times a day. I put on plays and plays for my family, I always wanted to perform. So, in the end, I moved on to the theater up to television and cinema.

Was performing a way of expressing yourself?

Some people are naturally outgoing, funny. I felt I could only be by performing. I was very insecure and acting gave me the opportunity to explore sides of my personality that I would not have known otherwise.

And i also brought out a very intimate and vulnerable side by writing a book of poems, Swimming Lessons: Poems ("Swimming lessons: poems").

Yes, it was a time in my life when I felt like I wanted to. to do something that came exclusively from me and over which I had total creative control. I was very nervous at first, because it was a bit like sharing a diary with people who were ready to judge it and judge me. As an actress I feel safe, as a writer I don't: hence the negative comments on mine. book strengthened my fears. I know that no one would have paid attention to my poems if Lili the actress hadn't signed them, but I never had the claim. to establish myself as a writer. I'm a romantic and I just wanted to share a different side of me.

Don't you think maybe you're too hard on yourself?

I internalize a lot, especially the criticisms. After all, poetry is the way I express my emotions. What I wanted to convey was not, "Look at me, I'm a writer." | wanted to tell the people who follow me that I am an absolutely normal human being: I have feelings, insecurities, I struggle and face life's challenges just like anyone else.

She has often spoken about her insecurities, especially physical ones, and is a spokesperson for the "body positivity" for the acceptance of all physicalities. Do you remember the first time dysmorphia, a disorder you suffer from,presented itself?

I have an average build and, when I began to get to know the world of fashion and clothes better, I met models with very different physiques from mine. There have been times when the clothes they offered just didn't fit me. So I said to myself: "Why don't I have a smaller physique?". When a dress designed for someone two sizes smaller than you doesn't fit, you start to think you're wrong and you have to do something to fit the clothes. But in a young woman these thoughts can hurt a lot.

I recently Today, however, she sees her photos everywhere. What does it feel? She likes herself?

I talked about this with my therapist. In fact, I feel like i live in a sort of perpetual comparison with other, more glamorous versions of myself. I started acting as a child and learned that my body is always changing. Today I accept myself more and judge myself less, however Hollywood doesn't want you to get old and puts pressure on you for it. Don't you think it's crazy that at 26 | worry about not having the same face as when I was 19? Of course I don't have it! Even the one in these photos is certainly a more beautiful version of me: I'm not like this every day. Constantly having to show a better image of ourselves can play tricks on us, because it can make us believe that our everyday version is not enough.

And how does she find a way to get everyone along these versions of itself?

I can't, they don't get along. There is my everyday self that reminds Lili of the glamor that looks like this only if she is surrounded by professionals who they make up and comb her hair. But I'm making peace with the fact that first I have to learn to be okay with each version of me. For example, I now have an acne breakout. Who sees them? Acne has always triggered severe mental and emotional distress in me. It makes me feel bad and makes it difficult for me to appear in public or take pictures without makeup because I know my skin would otherwise look different than everyone expects. Instead I should think that a rash doesn't take anything away from me, it doesn't define me. It's always me. Unfortunately it's a constant struggle: I live in a world that demands perfection and, at times, I think I've begun to demand it too. But then I think that everything happens for a reason and maybe the reason why acne always shows up on my face is because I have to learn to love every season my skin and my body go through because that's right. I'm a human being, not a mannequin.

I couldn't help but notice the tattoo on her right forearm: an arrow.

I did it around 18, 19. It represents my battle against depression: an arrow can only go forward if it is first pulled back. It's like saying that, once you hit rock bottom, you can only go back up.

In which direction is it pointing then?

Forward, always. My mental health has its ups and downs and this arrow reminds me that I always manage to get out of it, because I'm a tireless fighter.

But, during this fight, I hope she takes moments to appreciate what she has achieved.

I appreciate my battles, it is thanks to them that I am such a strong person. I wouldn't change anything about me. Having had the experience of depression leads me to experience moments of joy more intensely and makes me establish healthier and deeper relationships. The moments of discouragement have taught me so much about myself and it is right that I experience them and face them when they arise, rather than trying to escape.

She was cast as the Max Mara Face of the Future. How does this recognition make you feel?

It's a complicated feeling to explain. It's hard for me to accept that people see me this way. I almost feel like I have imposter syndrome, because I don't think I've shown my worth as an actress yet. I have exposed myself as an activist for body positivity and mental health, but in my work I think I haven't given my best yet. I'm waiting for that opportunity, which is on the horizon, but l'm waiting. So to receive the award before I've even been able to demonstrate what I think I can do as an actress is very encouraging. And I'm grateful because this recognition makes me understand that l'm already doing something good.

-Credit to lililovebots on Twitter for posting the interview.

[killed-by-choice]

“Marina Roe” (France, ~1993)

Death in sickle cell patients after abortion has been documented for decades, but in one especially tragic case, a single abortion that was supposedly “therapeutic” instead ended four lives.

“Marina” was a sickle cell patient who was pregnant in the second trimester with triplets. The report of her death does not specify the exact age of her babies, but countless premature babies delivered in the second trimester have survived when given medical attention. Even if they had been too young to survive, guaranteeing their deaths in utero would have offered no medical benefit— especially since a second-trimester abortion would take much longer than delivery.

The abortion was carried out using prostaglandin E2 instillation. A few hours later, Marina was already showing signs that something was going very wrong. She was suffering from bone and joint pain, and her hemoglobin was only 8 gm/dL. (For reference, 12 gm/dL is considered severely low in most women.) She was given 4 units of blood, but developed trouble breathing and deteriorated so badly over the next four days that she was admitted to the ICU.

By the time she was admitted to the ICU, Marina had trouble breathing and was suffering from confusion. Her chest x-ray showed pulmonary edema. Despite intensive treatment, she became even worse. Doctors put her on a ventilator and performed a heart catheterization. Based on her test results, they suspected an embolism. An exchange blood transfusion of 30 mL was initiated. Despite all attempts, Marina suffered respiratory failure and died the next day of acute right heart failure.

Marina’s postmortem exam found “marked pulmonary vascular congestion with focal alveolar hemorrhage and edema.” In addition, the diagnosis of embolism was confirmed by “massive amounts of fat in lung capillaries typical of fat embolism.” The cause of death was diagnosed as “massive fat embolism resulting from bone marrow necrosis.”

After Marina’s death, her case was analyzed. Several points were noted when the actions taken contributed to her death, including notes on how some should have been handled differently.

First, Marina was more predisposed to bone marrow fat emboli to begin with because of her sickle cell disease. Abortion is very well-documented as a cause for pulmonary emboli even in healthy people, so this should have been carefully considered.

Second, it was noted that “Massive transfusion without blood exchange… could have favored bone marrow necrosis and fat emboli by increasing blood viscosity.” Doctors reviewing her case also referenced that PGE2 (the chemical used in Marina’s abortion) also acts as a vasodilator, increasing blood flow on top of the already increased viscosity.

Marina was also given an insufficient exchange transfusion in her last days of life. She was given 30 mL of blood when the medical journal reviewing her case stated that life-threatening situations require at least double that amount. It was also theorized that “the severity of pulmonary involvement in our patient when exchange blood transfusion was performed may also have contributed to the failure of the treatment.” Marina’s treatment was, quite literally, too little too late.

Sherika Mayo, Betty Gail Hines, Margaret Davis, Barbara Riley, “Vera Roe” and “Jenny Roe” are a few other sickle cell patients killed by deadly side effects of their legal abortions, which were all too frequently recommended to them under the suggestion that it would be healthier for them. Women with sickle cell disease (and their children) deserve better.

https://doi.org/10.1002/ajh.2830430431

[artsycloudysleepy]

Fabrication: OCs: The Hopps

(birthdays are day/month format)

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Nettle

(Nettie, Net)

She/they, demi-girl. Any presentation.

Human.

16yo. Birthday: 7/8.

Conditions: Dyspraxia, dyscalculia, depression, prosthetic right leg.

Sexuality: Omni.

Backstory:

Nettle's mother died in childbirth, and her dad never really recovered from the loss. Because he threw himself into working day and night to provide for them both and to distract himself from it, Nettle was neglected, and became incredibly lonely throughout her childhood. They were formally diagnosed with depression at twelve years old, and fell into a burnout from it, dyspraxia, and trying to get A+ grades for years to get a job and not be a burden (in their eyes) to their dad. Their therapist encouraged their interest in biology and photography, and suggested scrapbooking as an activity to focus on what's going on in their life and how to process it.

She started after a few months of dropping out of school, using everyday objects and photos to archive her life and to focus on less negative things. While it was an escape, it also became one she now depends on to escape processing her emotions, with everything being neutral or positive, never negative, despite her therapist asking her to include those times, too. On bad days, she nearly tears herself apart trying to find anything that she can add. They're under pressure, are neglected, and have a very negative outlook on the world, but they still try to see the beauty in small things. They're still unhappy.

More facts

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Cary

(Dad)

He/him, cis man. Masc presentation.

Human.

45yo. 12/8.

Conditions: Dyscalculia.

Sexuality: Straight.

Backstory:

Cary used to play the piano, and met his wife, Betty, through music. They played in a band, fell in love, and she fell pregnant. He quit on his dreams of being a pianist to provide more for them via an office job. After Betty's death, Cary tried his best to continue to provide for Nettle and to avoid his guilt by working 24/7. He never meant to neglect her and is incredibly aware he's a bad parent, though he tries his best not to be. When she was diagnosed with depression, he tried to spend more time with her, but she didn't want to speak to him and started eating at different times than him, just so she wouldn't have to see his face. He didn't know what to do, and figured the best thing would be to leave her on her own if she needed it.

Obviously, that fed into her mindset of no one wanting them, and now they don't really speak. When Cary tries, Nettle ignores him or answers with one word. He was over the moon when she started dating Elle and Asuna and saw that they make them feel worth something, and tries to avoid them both so he won't ruin their support network by having Nettle associate him with their partners. He keeps getting better-paying jobs, but they cost more and more time out of his day, he can't take time for himself and music like before, and he doesn't know how to help Nettle. His neglect isn't purposeful or something he likes, but that doesn't change its impact.

More facts

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Betty

(Mum)

She/her, cis woman. Neutral presentation.

Human.

30yo (at time of death). Birthday: 10/10.

Conditions: Dyslexia, dyscalculia.

Sexuality: Bi.

Backstory:

Betty was always massively into music. Any genre, she loved, and would play in a band with her friends and future husband. She had massive stage fright, but playing with the people she cared about always made her happy to be there. She never wanted to play on stage, but wanted to keep being with her friends and husband. Eventually, she became pregnant. It was complicated, but she didn't think abortion would be necessary. Cary gave up on his music career to provide for them both, to her dismay and protests.

Unfortunately, Betty died in labour, and never got to meet Nettle. She still watches over her and Cary from the Spirit Slate, and is proud. She knows it's been hard for both of them, in different and similar ways. She just wishes she was still there to help them both, and to hold her daughter (as selfish as that is, considering Nettle blames her for everything). Beyond that, she wants to be able to be able to play in her friends' band one last time - she misses them so much.

More facts

[isalabells]

[ofxdiamonds]

[ zendaya & she/her / cisfemale ] watch out, [ diamond bellevue ] has crash-landed into roswell !! they look [ 22 years old ] and celebrate their birthday on [ december 15th ]. they are from [ new york city ], reside in [ moonbeam gardens ] and are currently working as a [ model / entrepreneur ]. one thing you should know about them is that [ she travels a lot for her work ].

trigger warnings: mention of drugs, drinking, eating disorder & mental illness

- B A S I C -

FULL NAME: Diamond Nathalia Bellevue NICKNAME(S): Dime, Di or Dia AGE: 22 OCCUPATION: Model / Entrepreneur. She is a businesswoman, through and through - starting at eighteen, she’s been buying and reselling high fashion and beauty products online, and as of recently she’s now the proud owner of SWAG Dance Studio, and is a well-known fashion-content influencer and creator on social media. BIRTHDAY: December 15th ZODIAC: Sagittarius HOGWARTS HOUSE: Slytherin

SEXUAL ORIENTATION: Pansexual ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Good

- F A M I L Y -

FATHER:  (Adopted) Winston Bellevue MOTHER: (Adopted) Betty Bellevue SIBLINGS: (Adopted) Four older siblings (between the ages of 26 - 40) CHILDREN: 13-month old son, Andre

PETS:    - A Doberman puppy - Cicero

- A P P E A R A N C E -

HEIGHT: 5′10′’ WEIGHT: 120 lbs HAIR COLOR / TYPE:  Dark brown / Naturally curly. She sometimes straightens it EYE COLOR: Dark Hazel

- P E R S O N A L I T Y -

(+) Independent, Gregarious, Clever, Ambitious, Resourceful (-) Unrestrained, Wild, Impulsive, Reckless, Sarcastic

She is definitely ambitious and inarguably intelligent, and can find solutions to pretty much any problem she comes across. Yet at the same time, she can also be quite reckless and selfish, and is still very much a child in a lot of ways...which is kind of concerning for her family and loved ones, since she has a kid of her own to take care of.

She parties, drinks and does drugs often, yet still she somehow manages to be responsible enough in her day to day life, taking her work and the care of her son very seriously. Despite her reckless and unrestrained nature, Dime loves Dante dearly and wants only the best for him.

- L I K E S -

Spending time with her son, and their dog, Cicero

Dancing

Exploring different hobbies

Working Out / Going to the gym / Going on hikes and runs

Partying & Drinking

Doing Drugs

Engaging in Flings

Shopping

Photography

- B I O G R A P H Y -

Originally from New York City.

Was born to a teenaged drug addict, and was put up for adoption the second she was born, only to be adopted a few short months later by Winston and Betty Bellevue, an older English couple in their late forties from the Upper East Side of Manhattan who had lived in London with four older children, up until a few years ago when they decided to relocate to New York.

Her father was one of the top cosmetic surgeons in the state of New York, while her mother was a leading patent attorney.

She had a great relationship with her parents, and though her siblings were significantly older than she was, she was still quite close to each and every one of them as well...despite some strong and even sometimes clashing personalities and views. They tended to be overly judgmental at times, particularly with Diamond, given that she was the baby of the family and due to her impulsive life choices. It often annoyed the hell out of her.

She was born with NAS, thanks to her birth mother, and later on when she was just a few years old, she was diagnosed with Bipolar, ARFID and a mild case of OCD.

Dime has always had an aversion to food, starting from infancy and that worried her parents greatly, because she pretty much refused most forms of food. She was diagnosed with ARFID in her youth, but it’s since turned into a full on eating disorder. She hardly eats anything, even when she feels hungry, but when she does, it’s only ever the bare minimum. Her appetite is just non-existent, and she wholeheartedly blamed her medication for a lot of it (though that’s just the excuse she uses to dismiss any concerns).

Despite her weak mental and physical health, though, Diamond led a pretty normal and happy life in Manhattan, with her family.

She was a major hobbyist, even as a child, and so she was always bouncing from one activity to another, easily bored with thing once she’d mastered it and always wanting to try new and exciting things. Dancing, vocal lessons, piano and violin lessons, painting, scrapbooking, journaling, photography, needlework...you name it, she’s very likely dabbled in it.

Dancing, painting and an interest in photography were things she still maintained an interest in. At the age of five, her parents put her in her first dance class and she fell in love with it. She learned ballet first, but quickly grew to love contemporary hip-hop, and to this day, she still danced and could have potentially went professional if the love for modeling hadn’t taken over her life.

She was first introduced to modeling at the age of nine, when she was scouted while in the mall with her mother, and after getting her parents’ consent, Dime was allowed to be signed to the agency and soon she began work as a child model. She absolutely loved it.

Of course, being a child model couldn’t last forever and once she reached 18, she discovered that it was harder and harder to find modeling work, and that the industry was one tough son of a bitch.

More than a little discouraged but not ready to give up on her dream altogether, Diamond decided to attend NYU Stern’s Fashion & Luxury MBA program while also continuing to book whatever work she could get within the city. During this time, in between her classes and the drugs and parties she began to indulge in, she started her first ever business, which was buying and reselling fashion and beauty products online. She’s still doing that to this day.

While in her second year at school, she met an older gentleman by the name of Jared, who worked as a bartender at one of the local clubs that she often went to with her friends. Although never officially calling what they had a ‘relationship’, that didn’t stop them from sleeping with one another quite frequently. It was a casual thing, and it didn’t mean much to her - she just liked the sex and the free drugs and booze he’d often provided her with.

At the age of 19, Diamond discovered that she was pregnant. When she told Jared about the pregnancy, she completely rejected the idea that he was the father, which did not come as much of a shock to her. He’d always been a douchebag, and she kind of expected it. Even so, she was still hurt by it, but refused to show it.

Pretending that she hadn’t been hurt by the rejection and being called a liar, Dime simply shrugged and moved on - after all, it wasn’t like she loved Jared or wanted anything from him in the long run. In fact, she very likely wouldn’t have even bothered to tell him about the baby at all, if it weren’t for her family encouraging her that it was the right thing to do.

Throughout her pregnancy and even after the birth of her son, Andre, Diamond continued going to school, determined to get her degrees. Having a baby young - though not something she had expected - didn’t at all deter her ambitions; in fact, it only drove her to work harder and smarter, wanting to secure some sort of financial success and security in order to raise her son and give him a good life. Much like the one she’d had with her own parents.

She was proud of the fact that her online business was doing exceptionally well with how profitable it really was, and that she no longer had to rely on her parents to fund her; she was now financially independent and that felt beyond amazing.

She also became a successful online influencer, doing modeling, makeup and fashion-related content on Instagram, Youtube and TikTok. 

With no luck of getting the kind of modeling work she really wanted in the Big Apple, the dream to become a full time fashion model slowly died over time. Quite saddened upon coming to the realization that it just wasn’t in the cards for her, the young single mother turned her focus on her next big dream: becoming an entrepreneur. Already with one successful business under her belt, Diamond knew it was the right choice in the end.

Once she was finished with her schooling, where she earned degrees in Fashion Business and Marketing, Diamond decided to move from New York to Roswell, New Mexico, to stay with her oldest brother, who’d moved there a few years prior, until she and Andre were comfortably settled and she could find a place on her own.

With her own hard earned money, she was able to buy a building in downtown Roswell and spent a few months renovating it, before only just recently opening her own dance studio, called SWAG Dance Studio.

Despite only just getting her studio up and running, Diamond already had plans for several more future business endeavors that she would likely implement in the coming few years, ever the ambitious young woman that she was.

Still, Diamond never stopped modeling whenever the opportunity of a good job came her way. She traveled constantly - nationally and internationally - and so, had a nanny for Andre and when they weren’t available, her brother would watch him.

- W A N T E D   C O N N E C T I O N S -

Oldest Adopted Brother - Diamond and her son Andre are currently staying at his home in Moonbeam Gardens. Suggested FC: Tom Hiddleston | Age: 37-40

Other (Older) Siblings (who are also adopted) - There are three other siblings, all older than Diamond but younger than her eldest brother. All of them are adopted, so ethnicity isn’t an issue. Suggested FCs: Gugu Mbatha-Raw, Zoe Kravitz, Gemma Chan, Emilia Clarke, Luke Pasqualino - but I’m more than open to other suggestions! (They’d all be between the ages of 26 - 36).

Best Friend(s)

Casual Friend(s)

People she can get high with (i.e., party friends, bad influences, etc.)

Drinking Buddies - people she can rely on to always be up for going out bar hopping or clubbing with. Kind of ties in with the bad influences and party friends.

Dancing or Workout Buddies - She loves to go dancing (she’s a trained dancer) and working out, either at the gym or going on hikes and long walks, so it would be fun to have someone she can go with.

Rivals / Enemies / Frenemies

Neighbors of Moonbeam Gardens

Babysitter / Nanny / Daycare - for Andre

Love Interests and / or Flings & One-Nighters - She’s got a thing for older men, so it would be fun to explore that a bit, in either a serious or casual fashion.

[sw124]

[Lamia-Birdy-Bitty Daily life!12]

/Pro-Revenge/p1

Hello my Lamia lovers how are you all doing, good I hope...

Yes as you see by the title change, there are new additions to the family as stated in my last entry. Bird-Bitties an they are so much fun to have around and they came around at the right time. Now as you’ve seen yes this is not a entitled parent/person story this is a pro-revenge story. Fair warning there is a mention of bitty abuse and mentioning of death so those with sensitive bitties please don’t read this.

Alright first backstory! Near the apartments where I live is a small neighborhood similar to the one you’d find in Ed,Edd’n Eddy but unlike that show there’s a few lovely old Victorian style homes, you all know the kind I’m talking about. The kind you’d see like in the 18 or 1900’s, the wrap around porches, turret coned tower rooms, yeah the kind any little kid would dream their grandparents lived in. Well one of these homes that is painted a lovely velvet red lives my two elderly friends Rosie and Leo from New Orleans.

The two moved up here some time ago and have been such a wonderful set of friends, its because of them I found Chip! So anyway Rosie and Leo are the kind of old people you’d want living in your neighborhood, both cook food that tastes so good you’d beg on your hands and knee’s for more. They’re retirees of course but I don’t know from what they retired from and never really asked. Rosie was the picture of a southern grandmother, she was round with big arms that just squeezed any/all negativity out of you. Leo was a stout man with round cheeks, he looked like Doc from Snow White with a warm welcoming personality to boot. Both born and raised in New Orleans.

They moved up here cause its quiet and somewhat peaceful, now these two have...of all things a Mamba named Phthalo who is full sized...and has no fangs or venom. Phthalo was a rescue they got from an owner who was trying to [illegally] breed Mambas without fangs and this person believed removing the fangs and venom sacs would do it...that guy is now in jail for 5-10 years for bitty cruelty. Phthalo was the only one who suffered from this surgery; despite their reputation; Rosie took Phthalo in.

Leo is a hobbyist by trade, an when I say that I mean it. There is no hobby safe from this man, he will hunt down a hobby and master it in no time....well to a degree. Long story short, Leo forged some lovely snake-dentures for Phthalo so if he ever got out he has protection.

[He sorta made them more like python teeth, but those puppies are so sharp if he bit you he’d take a chunk of meat with him]

Now thats out of the way time for the story, I had been friends with these two for quite some time to the point that even Phthalo welcomes me. An anyone with Mambas know thats extremely hard to earn, especially around strangers. When I got my boys I’d bring them over to let Dante watch Rosie cook while Chip an I helped Leo out, Phthalo was ok with them as long as they didn’t go upstairs.

[He sleeps on Rosies side of the bed, he’s really protective of her]

Leo often asked me for help cause I was both willing to help and had some muscle to move things he couldn’t. Rosie just loved cooking and feeding me, however shortly after I adopted my Bird bitties I got some rather sad news. Rosie had contacted me and said Leo was in the hospital, diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

I almost dropped my phone when I heard, I gathered up my boys to go see him and....he was bad. He had been battling this for some time, Phthalo was there, standing guard over him...sort of, he mostly sat near Rosie. Leo tried to play it off an say he was ok but from the look on Rosie and the doctors face....it was pretty obvious he was not. Despite that he tried to stay optimistic....

He tried really, me an my boys came almost every afternoon to see him and watch whatever we brought with us. Mostly shows like MASH and The RedGreen show, shows he liked watching, Rosie spent her time knitting and needle pointing at his side. He was quite comfortable really, though things did turn downhill for him...he was at that point where he had come to accept his mortality.

However as you’ve may have guest after a while...he did pass on, it came one afternoon on a Saturday when Rosie called me and informed me of his passing. Though I knew his time was near it still hurt, anyone whose been through these things knows that all to well. It took my boys a good hour to calm me down. I stopped by their house to check on Rosie, she was just as distraught but kept a brave face. She called up some of the family to help her plan the funeral, Leo’s brother Jon and her own siblings Betty and Rodger. All of whom I’ve met and gotten to know, they all have their own kids and were coming up to pay their respects but there was one thing I noticed. When all the nieces, nephews, grand nieces and grand nephews arrived...I had not yet seen any of their own kids and grandkids.

I didn’t want to pry but I spoke to Jon [Leo’s brother] about the matter and though he was quiet for a moment he told me that Rosie and Leo had two boys whom they had a very rocky relationship with them. As for details he wasn’t sure if it was the right time, I told him ‘say no more, nods as good as a wink’.

So we start planning the funeral, I helped by corralling the little ones and keeping them from Phthalo, he was still somewhat mourning. I had just gotten the youngest ones to play some games when someone’s phone rang. I didn’t catch much of the conversation but...Rosie started crying again, I came back in but Betty asked me to stay with the children...whatever it was....it was strictly a family matter. But you couldn’t ignore that kind of crying...I wanted to go in there and console her but...thankfully Roger came out and asked me if I would do a errand for him.

[Pretty sure he knew this wasn’t comfortable for me]

I agreed an he asked me to stop by a local drive thru an pick up some stuff for the kids, it was getting close to lunchtime anyway. I agreed and slipped out of there quietly, Phthalo had just slithered down and raced over to Rosie when I stepped past the front door.

Whatever that phone call was......I don’t know but if it could bring Rosie to hysterics like that I really don’t wanna know.

I’ll fill you in on the finale later

P2 later coming]

[for information on Lamia’s please visit @vex-bittys and for bird bitties pleases contact @coalition-aviary-bitty-adoption ]

[ofthelibertine]

did [DIAMOND BELLEVUE] chase one of seven sins seven miles down the coast? originally from [NEW YORK CITY], the [22] [CISFEMALE] is a [SUPERMODEL] and has lived in the key for [THREE MONTHS]. [SHE] is suppose to call [THE MEADOWS] home, but there is always temptation lurking between the streets and the ocean that keeps [HER] from heading back. sinners and saints take many forms, but they look like [ZENDAYA] and on their way to make decisions, good and bad, they always seem to sway to the beat of [DRUNK WITH MY FRIENDS BY ASHNIKKO].

Trigger Warnings: eating disorder, bipolar disorder, NAS, drugs, alcohol, underage drugs, underage drinking

- B A S I C -

Full Name: Diamond Nathalia Bellevue Nickname(s): Dime, Dia, Di Age: 22 Occupation: Supermodel, but she also runs her own online beauty and fashion shop. Birthday: December 15th Aries: Sagittarius Sexual Orientation: Bisexual Neighborhood: The Meadows

- F A M I L Y -

Father: Winston Bellevue Mother: Betty Bellevue Siblings: Four older siblings (all adopted) Children: She has a 13-month-old son, named Dante.

- B I O -

She is originally from New York City. Diamond was born to a teenaged drug addict and was willingly put up for adoption the second she was born, only to be adopted a few short months later by Winston and Betty Bellevue - an older couple in their late forties who hailed from London, England. They had just moved to the Upper Eastside of Manhattan a few years prior, along with their four other adopted children. Her father was one of the top cosmetic surgeons in the state of New York, while her mother was a leading patent attorney, so they were often kept quite busy with work. Despite that, their work didn't stop them from being really attentive parents to their children. Dime had a great relationship with her parents, and though her siblings were significantly older than she was, she was still quite close to each and every one of them. That said, there were still some clashing personalities and views of opinion from time to time among the family - they weren't perfect, after all - but overall, everyone got along fine. There weren't any disputes that didn't go unforgiven for too long, which was nice. She had a very serious habit of shutting out her family, or even withdrawing completely for a while, as her work or mental state allowed it to happen...but her family eventually reeled her back in and she was grateful to them for that. They really were her rock, at the end of the day.

Despite being adopted by a wonderful and loving family, that did not erase the damage done to her by her addict birth mother. Dime was born with NAS (Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome) and this is believed to be the leading cause of her overall mental illness and eating disorder and later on, her own drug addiction later down the road.

When she was just toddler she was diagnosed with ARFID - she'd always had an aversion to food, starting from infancy and that never changed as she grew older. It worried her parents, because there were many times when she just wouldn't eat anything for days - refused all kinds of food - and it would end up with her in the hospital, being force-fed through a feeding tube, lest she starve. Her childhood diagnosis of ARFID has since turned into a full blown and rather serious eating disorder that she is still constantly battling to this day. When she turned seven, she was officially diagnosed with Bipolar, which she had apparently inherited from her birth mother also. The diagnose did not come as a huge shock to her family, since Diamond had always had very extreme mood swings - one minute she would be incredibly social and rambunctiously hyper, talking people's ears off and the next she would go very quiet and closed off and sink into a very noticeable depression. So by the time she was in middle school, she was taking meds and seeing therapists frequently, which was...tiresome to say the least. Despite her rather poor mental and physical health, Diamond still led a pretty normal life in Manhattan. She was a major hobbyist, even as a child, and so she was always bouncing from one activity to another, easily bored with things once she'd mastered it. She was always wanting to try and learn new things. Dime took up dancing, vocal lessons, piano and violin lessons, and dabbled in painting, scrapbooking, journaling, photography, needlework...you name it, she's very likely tried it at least once. Her interests in dancing, painting and photography were still strong, especially dancing. At the age of five her parents put her in her first dance class and she fell in love with it. She learned ballet first but quickly grew to love contemporary hip-hop the best and delved right into it. She still danced today, and could have gotten a full ride to Juilliard if it weren't for her modeling career taking off as quickly as it had. She was first introduced to modeling at the age of nine, when she was scouted while in the mall with her mother, and after getting both her parents' consent, Dime was allowed to be signed on to the agency and soon she began work as a child model. Child modeling soon turned into full-time as soon as she turned sixteen and by the age of nineteen she was at the top of her stardom. With her parents’ naively trusting that she would be well looked after, Diamond moved out of her parents’ home at sixteen, once she began making really good money off her modeling, and into an apartment with several other young models - five others, to be precise. So it was crowded, with it being only a three bedroom place, but they managed. The apartment building was full of other models who lived in various apartments, women and men alike, and soon these people because her ‘crowd’.

They partied together, slept together and fasted together. Fights were also not an uncommon occurrence among the models, since the industry was known to be quite competitive and brutally cutthroat. Within her first year of living with the other models, she became heavily addicted to narcotics and alcohol - it was ridiculously easy for her to get addicted, too, since she was predisposed to it from her birth. Sadly, in her new social circle, drugs and alcohol ran rampant at parties, even to the underaged.

It didn’t take long before she stopped taking her meds altogether and stopped going to therapy sessions, and instead Diamond submersed herself deep into her new life. Outside of modeling, when she wasn’t working, she often spent her nights out with her fellow models - partying, drinking, doing drugs and having a lot of fun and a lot of sex and she grew further and further away from her family. A family that she still loved with all of her being but whom she rarely saw anymore. She let the lifestyle pretty much consume her life, to the point where her world became a permanent sort of blur; she was rarely sober. Just shy of turning 20, Diamond met an older man named Ivan, who worked as an up and coming actor. He lived in Los Angeles but had been in New York shooting a film. The two had ended up bumping into each other at a party and had hit it off and began dating shortly thereafter. It would prove to be a very short-lived relationship - lasting only a few months, just long enough for Ivan's film to finish and for Diamond to fall pregnant. Unsurprisingly, Ivan flipped the hell out when she told him the news and he immediately fled back to California with his tail between his legs, wanting nothing to do with the baby. Deep down, Diamond couldn't really blame him - his career was just getting off the ground, same as hers and becoming a parent was a total derailment of his plans. As a young working woman herself, Diamond understood that...but she was no less pleased about it. After four years of living on her own, away from her parents, Diamond returns home - not really knowing what else to do, now that she was knocked up. Thankfully, her family welcomed her back with open arms. No one was anymore thrilled with the news of her pregnancy than she or Ivan were, especially given her obvious addiction to drugs, but they were far more supportive with her decision to keep the baby. However, her parents had insisted that she go to rehab and get clean and get back on her meds, first - for the sake of both her and their unborn grandchild - and though she initially fought them on it, Dime had agreed to go in the end. She ended up spending three months in rehab, getting clean and sober and getting back onto her meds and starting up therapy once again. It was an arduous process, but one she wouldn’t regret. When she welcomed her son, Dante - with a clear mind and a heart filled with nothing but love for the infant boy that she cradled in her arms - she’d felt immense relief that she had listened and had gone through the program. A year later and still clean and living with her parents in Upper Eastside Manhattan, while raising her son and still working full-time as a pretty well known supermodel, Dime made the rash decision to buy a beach house down in Key West, Florida. For her, her son and her family when they needed a place away from hustle and bustle of the city. She loved New York City, it was her home and where she worked, but she didn't want to raise her son there, at least not solely. Their Manhattan residence would always be there as their primary home, but a vacation house in the Keys sounded rather nice.

- W A N T E D   C O N N E C T I O N S -

OLDEST (ADOPTED) SIBLINGS - She is the youngest of five, and all of the Bellevue children are adopted so ANY ethnicity will work. (age ranges: 26-40)

BEST FRIEND(S)

Casual Friend(s)

Bad Influences

CLUB / BAR HOPPING BUDDIES - people she can rely on to always be up for going out drinking / dancing with

DANCING OR WORKOUT BUDDIES - She loves to go dancing (she’s a trained dancer) and working out, either at the gym or going on hikes and long walks, so it would be fun to have someone she can go with.

Fellow Models that she’s possibly worked with in the past.

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Rivals / Enemies / Frenemies

Neighbors of Silverwood Terrace

Babysitter / Nanny / Daycare - for Dante

LOVE INTERESTS AND / FLINGS & ONE-NIGHTERS - She’s got a thing for older men, so it would be fun to explore that a bit, in either a serious or casual fashion.

[s3r-en-d1p-ity]

Ego // Sweet Pea (part 1)

first imagine for sweets <33333 did this in honor of Riverdale s4 coming out ehehehehe also this is from the pov of sCaRLEtT bc I really like that name eheheh

As a serpent, she had an ego just like all of the other members. When Scarlett Calahan’s dad died the day she turned 13, FP was quick to follow James Callahan’s (known as JC) orders and she became a serpent.

Only, Joaquin, FP and Jughead were the only ones who knew that her dad died. FP told all the Serpents that he was diagnosed with alzheimer and that he should be left alone.

Scarlett had an amazing group of friends, until that fateful day. Her, Fangs, Sweet Pea, Joaquin, and Toni were that group of friends that everyone wished they had. When JC died, she moved to the Northside, enrolled in Riverdale High for freshman year, and abandoned her group of friends. She was taken under the wing by Fred Andrews, per se FP’s request. Because her and Archie were the same age, they got along quite nicely. Archie wasn’t bothered that she came off as rude sometimes, or that she had a massive ego and was quite the pessimist. He was, however, bothered by the fact that she was a Serpent.

“I just don't understand,” Archie had shrugged one day, sitting on his bed doing homework while Scarlett sat across from him, staring at that stupid football poster on his wall. “How could you be apart of a gang that’s so... violent?” He had said it like he was disgusted. And he was. Disgusted that a girl he was so in love with was in a gang, full of drugs, murders, and thieves.

“Dad’s request, Arch. I don’t mind, though. It makes me feel like I’m in control of something.”

She continued to show up to Serpent meetings and sometimes special occasions, if necessary. She fit in nicely in the corner, observing. On rare occasions, Tall Boy noticed her and gave her a smile.

Of course, even after she moved to the Northside, Joaquin was always in contact with her. On Fridays, when he wasn’t at the Wyrm, he’d climb up to her window and she’d tell him about her week. Sometimes during meetings he’d slip in the back with her.

At school, she didn’t have very many friends. Archie and Jughead, of course, but they all usually stayed clear of each other during school. Betty was very much creeped out by Scarlett, so that meant Kevin was too even though he was dating her best friend.

By the middle of sophomore year, everyone had found out that Scarlett was a serpent. She didn’t bother to hide her serpent jacket, and wore it to school. Josie started talking to her more, probably to use her as a charity case.

Cheryl, who was okay with her before, began the shaming as soon as she found out. All Scarlett could do was clench her fists and squeeze her eyes shut to avoid a fight, but one too many times that didn’t work.

One by one, everything crashed. She was accused of Jason Blossom’s death, found out her best friend and FP were partly responsible for Jason’s death, found out Mustang was found dead in a bathtub, and Joaquin had to wish her a tearful goodbye before he left town for good. Fred was shot, she spent days in the hospital, and the Black Hood was born.

“So, a little birdie told me today was your first day at Southside High? How’d that go?” Scarlett asked, finding Jughead typing on his computer at Pop’s.

Jughead looked up, smiling at Scarlett. “It was... interesting. Place is a shit show, I feel bad for all of them.” Jughead shrugged. Scarlett laughed softly, not expecting anything more from the Southside.

“Yeah? How was lunch? No Ghoulies messed with you, right?” Scarlett piled on the questions, narrowing her eyes. Jughead snorted, shaking his head.

“Sat alone. This girl named... Toni Topaz? You probably know her. Anyways, she showed me around and invited me to sit with her and the serpents since my dad’s one. I said no, and blah blah blah. Day went on and I met uh... some very interesting people.” Jughead explained.

“Yeah?” She raised her eyebrows. “Yeah. I know Toni. Who’d you meet?” Toni had since brushed her off after she left the Southside. She remembers one time, just a few months after she cut them off, she was walking back to the trailer park to talk to FP, and Toni slammed her against the wall and slapped her.

“You think you’re so cool, ditching us for Northsiders huh? Were we really that bad? Stupid bitch, you may be a serpent by tattoo now but you’ll never be a serpent by heart.”

“This one guy, he asked me about you. His name’s Fangs I think? He seemed like he genuinely cared. Then, Toni cut him off before I could say anything and told him to shut up. This other guy, Sweet Pea rolled his eyes. Sweet Pea’s a real jerk, got mad at me because I wouldn’t hang out with them after school.” Jughead said.

Her heart jumped at the mention of Sweet Pea. She’d always had a huge crush on him when they were younger, and even now sometimes she found it hard to get him off her mind. She hadn’t talked to him or seen him since before she left unexpectedly. On another note, The fact that Fangs asked about her too surprised her.

Her phone dinged, and she picked it up only to find Fred messaging her that Archie was going to be with friends tonight and that he was almost done making dinner if she wanted some.

“Hey, Jug, I gotta go. But... will you do me a favor?” She asked, sliding her phone in to her pocket. Jughead hummed in response, looking up at her. “Tomorrow, you know, if Sweet Pea gets his head out of his ass, would you ask him about me?”

Jughead furrowed his eyebrows, but nodded nonetheless. I waved goodbye to him and then left, hopping on my motorcycle and going home, thoughts of Sweet Pea in my head.

Not but a few days later, Archie’s video of the Red Circle spread around and the red dot painted on white t-shirts everywhere began to make her feel sick. She had voiced her opinion to Archie, who completely brushed it off. The first red Circle meeting was held at their house, where Scarlett stayed in the kitchen and did her homework, since she had nothing better to do. She also just wanted to eavesdrop on them.

Then, there were people at the door. Veronica walked in to the kitchen, breaking Scarlett from her trance. “Um, Scarlett? Your... buddies are here. And I think they want to cause trouble.”

Cause trouble my ass, Scarlett thought. If only Archie could use his brain, this wouldn’t be happening right now. She got up, walking down the hallway to where everyone was crowded around the front door.

She pushed past everyone, joining Archie. “No, Scarlett-” Archie started, but was cut off by a tall black haired hottie she didn’t recognize.

“Calahan? This is the fucking idiot you’re living with? I thought Jones was lying.” He scoffed. Then, she recognized him.

“Sweet Pea?” She mumbled. He stared at her for a second, then looked back at Archie.

Before she knew it, they were all outside. She watched, with slight pride. She’d never doubt the Serpents’ pride.

After a while, she began to feel like something was going to go wrong. She saw Dilton bend down, pulling something out of his pocket.

“Oh hell no.” She grumbled. She ran over to him, tackling him to the ground. Then, she groaned in pain and felt Dilton do the same. The knife had sliced them both. Then, a gunshot rang out. She sat up in pain, seeing Veronica with a gun in the air and the Serpents racing away in their bikes.

Dilton was helped up by Reggie, and Archie grabbed her and helped her inside. Scarlett could tell Archie was pissed, so she didn't say anything to him when he stormed out of her room.

“Did you guys really jump Dilton Doiley and Scarlett? She’s a fucking serpent.” Jughead stormed out to the courtyard at Southside High during lunch. He approached Toni, Fangs, and Sweet Pea who all looked at each other.

“Where’d you hear that from, Jones?” Toni scoffed, crossing her arms.

“Archie.” Jughead responded plainly, looking between all of them.

“No,” Fangs shook his head. “The idiot stabbed himself, and when Scarlett tried to stop him from stabbing Sweet Pea, he stabbed her too.” 

Sweet Pea’s eyebrows raised in surprise, unaware of this. Of course, somewhere down inside his black heart, he had a soft spot for Scarlett. That spot was covered by a hard shell though, especially after she left them for some stupid Northsiders and thought she could remain a serpent.

“Um.. speaking of Scarlett... How is she?” Toni asked carefully. Jughead sighed, shrugging. “No one really knows these days. Not even me or Archie. Used to talk to Joaquin, but ever since he left... not really.” He explained.

“She was still talking to Joaquin? He never said anything about her.” Fangs said, looking at his friends. Toni shrugged, confused too.

“Um.. she’s coming to my trial tonight. If you guys wanted to see her.” Jughead added. Toni nodded and looked at Fangs. Sweet Pea only scoffed, mumbling something under his breath.

Scarlett found herself standing in the corner at the Wyrm, like always. Just this time, she didn’t have Joaquin making unnecessary, hilarious side comments. As  if someone was reading her mind, a tall figure appeared next to her. “Didn’t know you actually came to events like these.” Sweet Pea scoffed. She rolled her eyes.

“I’m a serpent, whether you like it or not, Sweet Pea.” She snapped back, not bothering to look at him, and lose her whole I’m-a-bad-girl facade.

“That’s where you’re wrong, Calahan.” The tall boy replied. He stepped closer to her, and she only straightened her posture to show him she was just as tough as him. “You may think you’re a serpent because of your jacket, or your tattoo, but you’ll never be a serpent by heart. How could you be, if you ditch the people that need you the most? Your own family? If you never show up to the meetings, mingle with the enemies, you could never be a serpent.” Sweet Pea said, in his slow, deep, intimidating voice.

Scarlett snickered, stepping closer to him. They were chest to chest. “Honey, you’ve got me all wrong. I’ve been here the whole time. Maybe not the same school, but I’ve been at all the meetings, all of the important events, hell, I was there when you were initiated, I was there when Toni was, I was there when Fangs was. You just didn’t see me. And, don’t assume things if you don’t know the whole story. You think you know shit, but you don’t. Get your head out of your ass.”

“I should be the one saying that to you, Calahan. You think you’re hot shit, prancing around with the Bulldogs, pretending you don’t know us. You ditched us for crying out loud! And not once did you explain, or even say bye! This is the first time I’ve seen you in 3 years, for gods sake!” He yelled.

I rolled my eyes, pushing past him and walking out of the bar. I could hear his footsteps behind me, and before I knew it, I was being turned around and my lips were pressed against the one person I’ve been dreaming of kissing since second grade.

i think this is really bad ahahahah i didn’t edit it oops

[vrgamertc]

John Prine was an Army veteran walking a U.S. Postal Service beat in Chicago and writing songs on the side when Kris Kristofferson heard him and helped spread the word about Prine’s gifts. Pretty soon, he resigned as a letter carrier; his supervisor snickered, “You’ll be back.” Nearly 50 years later, this January, he was given a lifetime achievement Grammy for his contributions to songwriting. The singing mailman almost always had the last laugh.

Prine, who died on Tuesday from complications of the coronavirus, was legitimately unique. He took familiar blues themes — my baby left me — but filled them with whimsy and kindness. He liked a saucy lyric, and wrote movingly, in character, of the quiet lives and loneliness of humdrum people. He seemed like a Zen sage and offered an uncynical live-and-let-live morality in his songs, writing in a colloquial voice that revealed a love of the way Americans speak. He showed how much humor you could put in a song and still be taken seriously. He had less in common with any other songwriter than he did with Mark Twain.

He grew up in Maywood, a western suburb of Chicago, and was reared by working-class parents from Kentucky, where he often spent summers with relatives and fell in love with country music and bluegrass. By 13, he was performing in rural jamborees. When he debuted in 1971, in his mid-20s, he sounded like an old man already, so years later, when he got old and went through two cancer treatments, he still sounded like himself. From his first to his last, he wrote songs that were tender, hilarious, and wise, without grandstanding any of these traits. Here are 15 of the best.

‘Angel From Montgomery’ (1971)

“Angel From Montgomery,” his best-known song, begins with a little declarative startle: “I am an old woman, named after my mother.” It’s an incisive and terrifying look at the dissatisfactions of a bad marriage and a woman’s sense of being economically trapped in her misery. Bonnie Raitt recorded it three years later and uncovered some of the song’s dormant melodies.

‘Your Flag Decal Won’t Get You Into Heaven Anymore’ (1971)

Prine’s self-titled 1971 debut album is a playlist all its own; it has more great songs than a lot of respected songwriters have in their entire careers. The moral stance of this sprightly folk-rock ditty is a response to what he saw as sham patriotism during the Nixon years, and it remains relevant: “Jesus don’t like killing/No matter what the reason’s for.” Prine, a former altar boy, stopped playing it live for a number of years, but when George W. Bush became president, Prine said, “I thought I’d bring it back.”

‘Hello in There’ (1971)

Some fans and critics are put off by this song and its slightly lesser companion, “Sam Stone,” which they see as performative displays of sensitivity toward the vulnerable, or what we now call virtue signaling. Yet somehow, we don’t ever criticize singers for signaling vices and meanness. Prine sings in the voice of an old married man with a dead son, who spends his days in silence and loneliness, and who at the end of the song, asks people to be kind to the elderly.

‘The Frying Pan’ (1972)

For his second album, “Diamonds in the Rough,” Prine assembled a small, mostly acoustic band and pursued a front-porch, Appalachian simplicity. Like a lot of his songs, this one takes a lighthearted view of domestic complications: A man comes home and discovers his wife has run off with a traveling salesman. He cries miserably, recounts what he loved about her (“I miss the way she used to yell at me/The way she used to cuss and moan”), and full of pride, comes to the wrong conclusion: Never leave your wife at home.

‘Please Don’t Bury Me’ (1973)

For people who love Prine’s music, there’s some small solace in listening to his songs about death, which have the same sense of mischief and acceptance as the ones about broken marriages. (Try “Mexican Home” or “He Was in Heaven Before He Died.”) The narrator is dead, and as angels explain to him how it happened, they also recap his last wish: to not be dropped into a cold grave, but to be put to practical use, as an organ donor: “I’d druther have ’em cut me up/And pass me all around.” A kind of recycling anthem from his terrific third album, “Sweet Revenge.”

‘You Never Can Tell’ (1975)

Almost like an apology, Prine concludes “Sweet Revenge,” a grieving, downhearted album, with an exuberant Chuck Berry cover, one great writer nodding to another. The Memphis R&B guitarist Steve Cropper produced the record and put together a crack horn section, which pushes ahead of some barrelhouse piano. Prine wasn’t a rocker, but he could rock.

‘That’s the Way the World Goes Round’ (1978)

Prine seemed to have an unlimited ability to expand and vary songwriting structures and perspectives. This track, which has been covered by Miranda Lambert and Norah Jones, has two verses: In the first, the narrator describes a drunk who “beats his old lady with a rubber hose,” and in the second, the narrator gets stuck in a frozen bathtub (it’s hard to explain) and imagines the worst until a sudden sun thaws him out. Both verses illustrate the refrain: that’s the way the world goes round. Even when circumstances are bad in Prine songs, he favors optimism and acceptance.

‘Iron Ore Betty’ (1978)

A lot of Prine songs celebrate physical pleasure: food, dancing and sex, which he gallantly prefers to call “making love.” The working-class singer in this soulful, up-tempo shuffle feels unreserved delight at having a girlfriend (“We receive our mail in the same mailbox/And we watch the same TV”), and wants us to know he and Betty aren’t just friends (“I got rug burns on my elbows/She’s got ’em on her knees”). OK guy, we get it.

‘Just Wanna Be With You’ (1980)

A stomping number from “Storm Windows” in the style of Chuck Berry, with the Rolling Stones sideman Wayne Perkins on guitar. Prine’s lyrics don’t distinguish between reality and absurdity — they don’t clash, they mix — and here’s one more way to say you’re happy and in love: “I don’t even care what kind of gum I chew.” And another: “Lonely won’t be lonesome when we get through.”

‘Let’s Talk Dirty in Hawaiian’ (1986)

Prine had a sideline in novelty songs, which give full voice to his comic absurdity, throwaways that are worth saving, including the 1973 semi-hit “Dear Abby,” and this now-problematic number from “German Afternoons” inspired by a paperback book called “Instant Hawaiian.” Prine and his co-writer Fred Koller began making up Hawaiian-sounding nonsense words full of sexual innuendo, and Lloyd Green added airport-Tiki-bar bar steel guitar for maximum faux authenticity. You can say Prine’s loving disposition makes the song OK, and you can also say it doesn’t.

‘All the Best’ (1991)

After five years away, Prine returned with “The Missing Years,” a Grammy-winning album produced by Howie Epstein, Tom Petty’s bass player. The singer in this gentle, masterly miniature claims to want good things for an ex-lover, but feelings aren’t simple: “I wish you don’t do like I do/And never fall in love with someone like you” twists the knife. Now recording for his own label, Oh Boy Records, Prine was about to hit a hot streak.

‘Lake Marie’ (1995)

Bob Dylan, who was a huge fan, called the haunted, mysterious “Lake Marie” his favorite Prine song, and who are we to disagree with Dylan on the topic of songwriting? Even though Epstein’s booming production draws too much attention to itself, “Lost Dogs + Mixed Blessings” is full of winners: the simple, loving ballad “Day is Done,” the rapid-fire doggerel of “We Are the Lonely” and the calm, ornery “Quit Hollerin’ at Me,” where Prine tells his wife that the neighbors “already think my name is ‘Where in the hell you been?’”

‘In Spite of Ourselves’ (1999)

Prine was diagnosed with cancer, and doctors removed a tumor from the right side of his neck, which took away his already-modest ability to project his voice. But incredibly, his stolid singing was now perfect for harmonies, and he cut a duets album called “In Spite of Ourselves” with female country and Americana singers. On its one original song, Prine and Iris DeMent trade backhanded compliments (“She thinks all my jokes are corny/Convict movies make her horny”) that read like a divorce complaint, but turn out to be only pillow talk.

‘Some Humans Ain’t Human’ (2005)

At seven minutes and three seconds, this track from “Fair and Square” is the longest song on any of his studio albums. A cloud of slide guitar keeps this soft waltz afloat and allows Prine to express his disapproval of, if not contempt for, so-called humans who lack empathy for others. There’s a couplet that is clearly about George W. Bush, and Prine noticed that some audience members were surprised by it. “I never tried to rub it in anybody’s face, but I thought it was pretty clear that I wasn’t a closet Republican,” he told the Houston Press.

‘When I Get to Heaven’ (2018)

In 2013, doctors removed the cancerous part of Prine’s left lung, which sidelined and weakened him. It’s hard now to listen to his final album, “The Tree of Forgiveness,” which was nominated for three Grammys, and not think that Prine heard the clock ticking louder. There’s so much tenderness in “Knockin’ on Your Screen Door,” about a man whose family left him with only an 8-track tape of George Jones, and in the elegiac, reassuring parental entreaty “Summer’s End.” In the last song, “When I Get to Heaven,” Prine describes his ideal afterlife: a rock band, a cushy hotel, a girl, a cocktail (“vodka and ginger ale”) and “a cigarette that’s nine miles long.” He removes his watch, and asks, “What are you gonna do with time after you’ve bought the farm?”

[ecfandom]

Polis 433 Ch. 12 Preview

It’s not clexa, but it’s a preview. Clexa to come!

Elliot and Taryn rounded the corner at sprint, their legs and arms pumping in unison. Had it been anyone else, Elliot would have pulled ahead with her years of military-backed stamina and strength, but Taryn had been an NCAA Division 1 track athlete in undergrad, and she gave as good as she got. Where Elliot’s solid build and strong thighs made her powerful, Taryn’s long legs and lithe musculature made her fast, and they matched each other footfall for footfall.

Grinning like idiots, the blew through town, racing along the docks, dodging the morning fisherman as they hauled in their catches for the day. The sun was barely up, but this port town was already awake and raring to go. The early-risers grinned, waved, and shook their heads at them as they passed, fond of this familiar tradition that livened the mornings and ushered in the new day.

“Flag pole,” Elliot huffed, indicating their final destination about a hundred yards away, initiating the last leg of their sprint. It would be a  battle to the end to see who would come out on top and buy breakfast, per their tri-weekly tradition. They both kicked it up a notch, jostling for the lead. Neither were above a little light throwing of shoulders and elbows, and they both laughed as it happened, shoving the other off each time.

Elliot grinned when Taryn pulled ahead fifty yards out, predictable and eager as always. She waited until they were about twenty-yards out, and then she gunned it. She overtook Taryn in ten yards, just managing to keep her lead for the last ten as they flew past the flagpole.

“Mother fucker!” Taryn half-shouted, half-laughed as they slowed to a stop. Elliot dropped her hands to her knees and sucked in air greedily as Taryn flopped to the ground, a mess of red, gangly limbs. “How the hell do you do that?!”

Elliot brought her head up from between her shoulders and grimaced in Taryn’s direction. Their faces were a matching bright red, and sweat dripped from their hairlines generously. “Endurance,” she panted, dodging a rock that Taryn flung at her good-naturedly.

“I have endurance! I was a distance runner in college. I won every race!”

“And that was what? Twenty years ago?”

Taryn glared. “Sixteen, plus med school, a career and two children.”

Elliot shook her head, droplets of sweat dispersing around her. “God, we’re getting old.” She stood and held out her hand, helping Taryn up from the ground.

“So, where we going?”

“Like that’s even a question,” Elliot said with a laugh.

***

They sat at Sal’s, enjoying the peacefulness of being two of a handful at the restaurant that hadn’t yet ushered in the morning rush.

“You going to the game Wednesday?” Elliot asked around a mouthful of pancakes.

Taryn nodded, not taking a breath away from her coffee as she finished her cup in one go, set it on the table, and grinned at Betty who swung by and refilled it, used to Taryn’s habits by now.

“Bringing the girls?”

“Janie’s going with some friends from school,” Taryn said of her eldest daughter, the eight year-old spitting image of Taryn’s wife, Ella. “Ella’s bringing Lily by after her shift. I probably won’t get off until about the third inning. You going?”

Elliot nodded, shoveling more food into her mouth. The two of them were bottomless pits, as Ella often fondly referred to them. They were both tall and broadly built for women, but even so, they put away more food than even their large bodies should be able to old. It was endlessly amusing to the people around them.

“How’s Lexa?” Elliot asked.

“Discharging her tomorrow. Her last HBOT session is today.”

“Really? That’s great.”

“She’ll be off duty for another week and I’ve got her going to PT for respiratory. She’ll be light duty for another two after that, then we’ll check in.”

“She’s not going to like that.”

“Too bad,” Taryn said with a laugh, “orders came down from the chief.”  

Elliot lowered her fork of food in surprise. “Abby? What’s Abby care?”

Taryn shrugged and wiped at her mouth, wondering how much she should say. They didn’t keep anything from each other, never had, but some things weren’t hers to tell. “How well do you know her daughter?”

“Clarke? ‘Bout as well as you, I suppose. From what I’ve seen, she’s pretty damn good at her job. Not a lot to tell in six months, though. Thompson likes her.”

Taryn nodded, her eyebrows flicking up in surprise for a moment before she schooled her expression. Not fast enough, though. Elliot leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest, studying her friend.

“You know something.”

Taryn shook her head. “No. Maybe. I don’t know.”

“You don’t like her?”

“No, no I do. You’re right, she’s good. Better than half my residents, honestly. But there’s something about her, though. I don’t know. She’s...elusive. It’s like she doesn’t want anyone close.”

“She doesn’t,” Elliot said.

“Well, Lexa apparently is.”

“Oh yeah?

Taryn grinned. “Lexa caught feelings.”

Elliot laughed. “For Clarke?”

“That’s on the DL. She told me when she was oxygen drunk.”

Elliot laughed again and shook her head. “Good for her. Now things are making sense.”

“How do you mean?”

“Ran into Clarke the day after we admitted Lexa. Thought she was going to kill me when I told her about Lexa’s MI.”

“You too?”

Elliot grinned. “Good, I like a little spitfire, and it’s about time Lexa found someone.”  

“Yeah, but Clarke?”

“You don’t think it’s a good fit?”

“I think, for one thing, they don’t know each other. Hell, I don’t even know her and we’ve been working together for six months. I know her kid better than I know her. It’s like, what are you hiding? You know? It’s weird for someone so sweet and warm to be so distant.”

Elliot sighed and shook her head. “For someone else, maybe. Not for Clarke.”

“What does that mean?”

“She flinches all the time. You ever notice?” At Taryn’s frown, Elliot nodded and continued. “Loud noises, people coming up behind her, aggressive patients. She doesn’t let it affect her job, but it happens all the time.”

“I never noticed.”

“She’s not in the ER much, so you probably wouldn’t. She covers it really well, but it’s there. She’s got a strong startle reflex too, and she makes herself small when she’s panicked. Crosses her arms, hunches over,” Elliot said, demonstrating before relaxing back into her casual position, nodding like she’d just diagnosed appendicitis. Obvious, easy.  

“Okay…” Taryn said slowly, trying to piece it together. She shrugged. “I’m not following.”  

Elliot nodded, a slight grin on her face. Taryn was an incredible diagnostician, but there were some things she’d never seen, and Elliot was glad for it. “PTSD,” she said simply.

“You think she’s got PTSD?”

“I know she does. I’ve seen it enough.”

“She not a vet. Not that I know of,” Taryn said, musing.

“You don’t have to be a vet to have PTSD. Anyone can have it. I see it more and more at the clinic, especially in young women.”

“You think it was assault?” Taryn asked, taking the check from Betty with a smile.

Elliot shrugged. “I don’t know. I hope not. But something happened to her, that’s for sure. And you can tell whatever happened hurt her more than just her soul. She’s such a strong, independent woman, probably hurt her pride to boot. She’s got to trust you before she opens up to you, and that’s gonna take a lot. If she’s let Lexa close, then there must be something going on there, making it feel safe. And I’m glad. I like Clarke. She’s good, and she cares about her patients.  I’d like to see her hurting less. Frankly, I think if anyone were good for her, it’d be Lexa.”

“And for Lexa?”

Elliot thought about it as she threw a handful of bills on the counter for a tip. She winked at Betty as she swooped in to collect it, and she and Taryn both graciously accepted the to-go containers of pie on the house that Betty pushed into their hands. They thanked her and headed out, squinting against the late morning sun as they pushed out of the restaurant and headed towards the hospital.

“As for Lexa,” Elliot finally said, “I don’t think I’ve seen her smile this much in the last ten years that I’ve known her. And anyone or anything that can make that kid smile…” She shrugged. “They’re okay in my book.”

Their beepers went off simultaneously before Taryn could respond. Despite their full stomachs, they jogged the rest of the two blocks to the hospital, skipped the ER, and ran straight up to the helipad.

The incoming Coast Guard helicopter whipped the air around them into a frenzied storm, forcing Elliot and Taryn to bend nearly in half as they ran to meet the gurney.

“What’ve you got?” Elliot shouted above the roar of the whipping blades.

Coast Guard AST Paxton Matthews, an elite rescue swimmer with paramedic training, shouted off the working diagnosis as they ran the gurney into the hospital. With a mild bout of dehydration and hypothermia, Taryn sent the lost hiker off with her residents and stayed behind with Elliot, wanting to catch up with her sister-in-law who’d been gone for the last month, deployed to Florida to help with the latest hurricane to hit the coast.

“Long time no see,” Elliot said, clasping hands with her, then bumping their fists together.

Taryn walked back over to them, and brought Paxton in for a hug. “How’ve you been, man?”

“It’s good to see you guys,” Pax said, her calm, low voice the same as ever. Much like Elliot, Paxton Matthews was the tall, dark, and handsome dreamboat all the girls swooned over, but was somehow always alone. She sported a similar military cut to Elliot’s, though hers was quite a bit shaggier in the front, perpetually wavy from the salty sea-water she spent her days and nights in. Handsome and charming, she was beloved by the people around her, especially the women, but she was just as reserved as Elliot, if not more so. Unlike Elliot though, Paxton lacked the brooding chill Elliot often carried around with her. Pax was simply an introvert, quiet and even a little shy, unless she was in the water saving people’s lives.

She turned to Taryn. “How’re the girls?”  

“They’re good. Getting bigger, it breaks my heart.”

“I bet. I’ve got toys for them.”

“You spoil them,’’ Taryn said with a grin.

“Of course I do. I’m their aunt.”  

“Is that Paxton Matthews I hear?” They turned, all three of them grinning at the sight of Dr. Ella Matthews-Michaels, Dr. M for short, walking swiftly towards them, her arms open wide for a hug Paxton pulled her into as soon as she was in reach. “I saw the page and hoped you were the one bringing the patient in. Oh my god, I missed you,” she groaned as Paxton gave her a squeeze and let her go. “How are you? I can’t believe you’re already out, you just got back yesterday!”

“Duty calls,” Paxton shrugged.

“You’re still coming over for dinner tonight, right?”

“Wouldn’t miss it.”

“Good. I want to hear about Florida. I’ve got to get back, I’ve got an anaplastic astrocytoma to remove in ten, but I’ll see you tonight. Don’t be late,” she said, turning to go.

“I don’t know what that is,” Paxton muttered.

“Brain tumor,” Elliot supplied.

“Hey baby,” Ella greeted Taryn, placing her hands on Taryn’s chest and lifting to her tip-toes. She kissed her, then wrinkled her nose. “You need a shower. You run today?”

“Mhm,” Taryn muttered, distracted by the sparkling green of her wife’s eyes. Elliot rolled her eyes and grinned at Paxton, who just shook her head.

“Who won?”

“I don’t want to talk about it.”

Ella snorted and patted her wife’s chest, kissing her one last time before leaving. “Better rest up,” she murmured, “I’ve got plans for you later.” She patted Taryn’s ass as she left, ignoring Paxton’s faux-disgust and Elliot’s protests of PDA in her vicinity.

“Don’t hate the winner, friends, hate the game,” Taryn said, quite proud of herself.

“That’s not how that goes,” Elliot laughed, shaking her head.

“Have you seen her, though?” Taryn asked. “I’m definitely the winner.”

“And I’m definitely still right here,” Paxton said, grimacing.

[divainity-aa]

reggie  +  old  age  /  death trigger warnings:  death,  abuse mention,  alcoholism word  count: 2080

ACT  I.   THE  MANTLE  EMPIRE  CRUMBLES 

richard mantle gets diagnosed with lung cancer at age 65.   reggie  is  age  30.  the mantle men never had a long life expectancy.  riddled with a history of mental illness and addiction, they were doomed behind the delusion of material wealth and success that they were immortal. drowning in more money than they knew what to do with, though lacking in matters of the heart. it’s the start of the family’s estrangement, long overdue. victoria mantle wipes her tears on the drive home from the appointment. features remain motionless when she delivers the news. his heart seems to have no sympathy as she embraces him, searching for some sort of support. his hands remain at their sides. 

he watches as the disease kills his father, having made him into a senile old man with not even half the spunk and livelihood he used to have as a young, up-and-coming entrepreneur. it eats him alive, taking first his body and then his spirit. the chemo, the hair loss, the medication, the appointments. he finds a reason not to be there for any of it. he can’t help but feel a kind of satisfaction, that it’s the universe doing itself due diligence, paying him back for his suffering all these years that he was made afraid in his own home. it was what he had prayed for all these years, every time he bit his tongue saying his father’s name. 

so why wasn’t he happy?

richard mantle dies at age 73.  on his deathbed, he begs to see his only son, now age 38. you’d think the years of treatment would have given them time to reconcile, to move past their past, but the opposite is quite true. pride seems to be the vice on both ends, keeping them apart. his father finds shame in his illness and need for victoria’s constant assistance and reggie has no interest in making amends even in light of a tragedy. the roles have reversed, reggie now the one never home and his parents never leaving. part of it was spite, wanting to leave them alone the way they left him and part of it was in fear that he would be there when it came to an end. 

one night, he’s told that richard called only for him, the heir to his throne, his so-called pride and joy, mumbling something about seeing him before he met with god. he’s told that his father wanted to tell him everything he should have said, beg for forgiveness while he’s bedridden and his mother called for him profusely. he doesn’t pick up the phone.  he picks up the bottle and brings it to his lips instead, for it is  far  more  comforting, in a bar nearly 20 minutes away. waiting. 

there’s a call later in the night, this time from the hospital. 

hi, i’d like to speak to reginald mantle. it’s urgent. ...  yeah.  sir.. we regret to inform you that your father just passed away.  ... sir ? ...  ... sir are you still— is she still there ? your mother? yes she’s still here. do you want me to hand her the pho— no. don’t tell her i answered. .. oh. okay. is there a message you’d like me to pass on? ..... .... sir is there a message— .... tell her to let me know when i get my part of the inheritance.

he was right. his father’s pride would be what killed him.

reggie  doesn’t  attend  the  funeral.  his mother pleads with him on the phone, begging that he’ll do the right thing and put past wrongs aside.  he’s your father, goddamnit!  but he doesn’t show. he burned the invitation, with a match of his own light, watching his father’s glowing portrait disintegrate upon gloss paper. he stares, hoping that some kind memory, some fond recollection that can guilt him into feeling sorry. but like most times, he feels nothing. 

he spits on his grave and pours his father a drink through the soil. he thanks him for nothing and never goes back.

soon, all of riverdale knows and they begin pouring in meaningless condolences. old acquaintances emerge from the woodwork, knowing of the inheritance he has on its way, and honest friends reach out to apologize for something that isn’t their fault. it’s hard to tell which is which, but it doesn’t matter. he ignores them all, paying mind only to the numbness from hard liquor. he packs a bag with his things, enough clothes for a week, before leaving riverdale without intending to return.

ACT  II.   THE  LAST  MANTLE  STANDING

reggie moves back into the mantle mansion at age 40. it’s not until years later that he decides that he’s ready to even make a reappearance at what was never a loving home. his mother is there to greet him, she herself decreasing in health and taking after that of her husband.  they’ve not been in contact all this time, too painful for both of them, but still she embraces him with tears in her eyes. for the first time in forever, a hand raises to reciprocate,  tears streaming quietly down chiseled cheeks. maybe it’s the sight of his mother, aged but still the same,  maybe it’s her compassion.  he  was  never  the  perfect  son,  nor  she the perfect mother, but grief has a way of bringing families together after setting them apart.  he’s not quite ready to forgive her and she knows it.  

but he’s home. they both are. 

reggie’s mother dies at age 80.  reggie is age 47. no diagnosis, no illness: simply the wrath of father time. her bones finally became to brittle and her heartbeat too slow. she passes away in her sleep. reggie finds her in the morning when he’s bringing her breakfast. there’s still a grape juice stain on the carpet from where it is he dropped the tray.

he calls the family he never knew, her estranged sister and two brothers. they come to riverdale for a private service and he meets them for the first time, having never before because his mother didn’t keep in contact after marrying. they look so much like her it hurts. they share a few embraces and exchange information. it’s the last time he ever sees them until 20 years later.  they collect her things that she left them and leave before the weekend is over, leaving him with the lease. 

he remembers when he thought the house was emptier with his parents in it.

ACT  III.   A  LEGACY  REBORN.

the mantle foundation and recreational center is founded in 2050.  his hair begins to gray and he’s painfully aware that there’s little time left for him to salvage what’s left of his life. it could be over tomorrow  &  he has no heir:  no wife or children.  his fear of a legacy, of a child bearing his name and his burden too great for him, leaving him truly and utterly alone. and with nothing to lose, more importantly. 

he sells the riverdale gazette for a sizeable amount and uses the earnings to renovate an old building, a former warehouse, into a clubhouse, one for kids ages 12-19.  the doors are always open and there’s no entrance fee— only the request that you treat others the way you’d like to be treated. a rule he never followed. the inheritance he receives from both his mother and father are poured into its operation, furnishing it with love & comfort, and its foundation creates countless opportunities for riverdale’s youth. students are given access to endless resources, human and material alike. new school supplies, toys, books for the taking. tutors, therapists, coaches and advisors at the ready. free of charge, at the disposal of those who otherwise wouldn’t have access. 

college scholarship funds are opened in the names of influential people in his life, including the archie andrews scholarship,  the betty cooper award,  and  the veronica lodge fund  ( in partnership w/her namesake ), to help riverdale’s follow their dreams to higher education. every application is read by reggie himself and he interviews every candidate to hear their stories. he often ends up giving more awards than promised, quite literally having money to burn, just not at anyone’s expense but his own. 

he’s there for all of it.  from getting his hands dirty when the building was built to being there to greet kids every day and lock the building when it’s closing : he is invested. his face is no longer attached to misery, but delight. hope. the kids know him by name when they bustle in after school and he treats them like the children they never had. in a lot of ways, they are.

the people of riverdale almost can’t believe their eyes, its once infamous villain now having had a change of heart. some are still skeptical, others have accepted the change and donate regularly to the cause. he’ll never fully undo the wrongs he’s done, but this is where he begins. and better to have started now, than never being given a chance to.

all the while, he lives a quiet life, tending to his kids at the center when he’s not at home. visits are seldom, but each one is appreciated and cherished as time continues its march alongside him. 

ACT  IV.   A  SOLEMN  REPRISE.

reggie is diagnosed with liver cancer at age 70.  and it seems with every day that he may not outlive his father. damaged by the consumption of hard liquor from premature age has caught up and it’s eager to collect its dues. he lived comfortably in the delusion that illness had skipped his generation, that he was where it ended, but he is sorely mistaken. he refuses all treatment, remembering how it is his father died, under flourescent lights that burned his eyes, and he grimaces. he’d rather die able-bodied, than drag out his suffering. though fearful, he is accepting and continues business as usual. the world still turns and it will even after he goes. 

reggie dies at 75.  it’s in his sleep, the same as his mother. a night he never woke up from. suspicion grows when he’s not seen around town, nor at his own foundation’s headquarters. a coworker finds him after he doesn’t pick up any calls and alerts authorities.

the town comes together for the funeral, knowing there’s no family of his that would do it himself. archie, betty, jughead and veronica help plan it with the help of the lives he’s touched. the scholars he’s changed the futures of return home without a second though and pay their respects. there’s an exchange of stories, recounting every part of his life. the core four give eulogy together. riverdale high pays tribute to him not just as a public servant but for the stellar athlete and leader that he was. there’s a plaque dedicated to him at the mantle foundation center and a portrait painted of his likeness hung to remind all its guests why it is they have what they do. 

ACT  V.   A  NEVER - ENDING  STORY.

his will. he’s cremated, the way he wanted to be, and his ashes spread in the wind, on the shore of his favorite beach. a free spirit while alive, he wanted to same for his soul. he’s also given a gravestone next to his family, just for looks. 

in his will, he leaves the mansion to the next CEO of the mantle foundation, instructing that it’s used to expand their headquarters whether it be to create a second location or another office for its business staff. he leaves each of his three cars to archie, betty, and veronica, telling them they can give it to their kids for their 16th birthday, keep them for themselves, or sell them at market value. whatever works best. his motorcycle goes to jughead. 

he leaves a video for each person who’s stuck around this long behind, on a thumbdrive that’s mailed upon his death. each video is personal, with things he just wants to make sure are known, even after his passing, and heartfelt in its own way. each of the core four receives one and so does his foundation staff.

his personal funds to be completely depleted after this division of assets. the remaining funds are all left to the foundation to ensure it’s kept running until the next person takes charge. 

the empire ended with him, but its name will last forever now because of it.

[dailyaudiobible]

11/10/2019 DAB Transcript

Ezekiel 21:1-22:31, Hebrews 10:1-17, Psalms 108:1-13, Proverbs 27:12

Today is the 10th day of November. Welcome to the Daily Audio Bible. I am Brian. It's great to be here with you as we reach out collectively and twist the knob and swing wide the door into a brand-new shiny, sparkly, new week that is waiting for us to live into. And we make mention of this lots of weeks because it's all out in front of us friends. Nothing…nothing had gone wrong or right and how we live into this week, how we conduct ourselves in thought, word, and deed is indeed gonna write the story of the week. And, so, allowing the Scriptures to be part of the rhythm of our days and our weeks gives us the counsel we need for the next steps that we are to take. So, here we go taking the next step forward. This week we’ll read from the Christian Standard Bible, and we’re still working our way through the book of Ezekiel in the Old Testament and working our way through the letter to the Hebrews in the New. So, first Ezekiel chapter 21 and 22.

Prayer:

Father, we thank You for bringing us into this new week, this shiny, sparkly, new week as we often say because that's what it is. So, we invite Your Holy Spirit into all that we do, all that we think, all that we say, all that we are in this week. We ask that You would lead us into all truth as You've promised. We ask that You would illuminate our path as You promised. And we ask that as we come here each and every day to be fed and nourished by Your word that it would do just that - feed our souls and direct our paths. We pray all of these things in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Announcements:

dailyaudiobible.com is the website, it is certainly home base, a place that’s always open and always on and always a place to find out what's going on around here and a place to reach out.

So, it's home base and it is the home of the Prayer Wall, which you can find in the Community section of the website where brothers and sisters are reaching out for, or in prayer for one another on a continual basis. So, be sure to be aware of that. And that’s the thing about this community, we have prayed for each other all of these years and it has been a place of tremendous healing over the years. So, stay connected through prayer at the Daily Audio Bible Prayer Wall.

If you want to partner with the Daily Audio Bible, you can do that dailyaudiobible.com as well. There is a link and it lives on the homepage and we wouldn't be here, none of us would be here taking this journey through the Scriptures, at least like this, if we were not in this together. And, so, I thank you for your partnership. If you’re using the Daily Audio Bible app, you can press the Give button and that is in the upper right-hand corner of the app or the mailing address is PO Box 1996 Spring Hill Tennessee 37174.

And, as always, if you have a prayer request or comment 877-942-4253 is the number to dial or you can press the Hotline button, the little red button in the Daily Audio Bible app, and just go from there.

And that is it for today. I’m Brian I love you and I'll be waiting for you here tomorrow.

Community Prayer and Praise:

Hi DAB friends this is Stephanie from Bangalore currently in the US. I actually have news about my visa…well…I have news about my passport is on its way back and I should, Lord willing, receive it tomorrow, Lord willing, there will be a visa in it. If not, well, I guess we’ll breathe and see what God does next. But the real reason for my calling is once again my friend’s son Jack who is an eight-year-old who was diagnosed with leukemia just over a month ago now and he has been very, very sick in the ICU. Basically, they did a biopsy yesterday on his kidney and praise God he didn’t bleed out or anything during the biopsy but it came back for a very aggressive type of Fungus, Mucor fungus, I think that’s what she said it was, and it is attacking his body, it has attacked his spinal cord, he has no feeling or ability to move from his navel down. They keep testing him to make sure that it’s not affecting higher but currently he’s intubated and sedated because it was getting so hard for him to breathe and his heart is starting to get irritated with the infection. Please pray that they can find the right drug to treat this very very quickly. She said her interpretation was that today, and today is 5th November, I don’t know when this will play of course but…but today is crucial. The PICU doctors need to keep his body going long enough so that Lord willing the drugs will start to treat the infection, his body can ramp up and treat the infection or fight the infection. So, please pray for them, for the doctors, for Jack’s body and for the death of this fungus. Thank you.

Hello, Daily Audio Bible this is Duane from Wisconsin all praise and glory to our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Today is day 139 praying for our children. It is November 5th, yes, November already. Calling in for Ida who would like us to pray for her niece Julie who’s missing. I know that was a few days ago but I pray she has been found. I pray she is safe. Please call in to update us on that Ida. Rob called in. Rob Worship Dude would like us to pray for his son who is dealing with some blood clots. Betty would like us to pray for her son Nathan whose dealing with emotional issues. Angela Q would like us to pray for her son Grant and his relationship with the Lord. And then there was a lady who called in and wanted us to pray for her daughter who is moving. They have an eight-year-old son and are going to alternate years of when they get to see him. So, let’s pray. Dear Lord, we ask that You pray with these…excuse me…be with these children Lord. We ask that You wrap Your arms around them and that You keep them safe, give them direction in their life, be with their parents, that they will be a godly parents and speak encouraging words to them and keep them safe in a godly manner. Also, if you’d please continue to pray for my sons Nicholas and Nathan that they’re safe and everything is going well and also my stepdaughter Brooke, if you’d pray for her. She’s having shoulder pain, had that for quite some time, that that would heal and she’s also some other physical issues, so I’d appreciate that. Want to lift this all up to the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Brian and Jill, we thank you for this wonderful podcast and this opportunity to share in God’s love and pray for each other. Love you all. Bye.

Yo what’s up it’s Jack. I’ve always been kind of like scared to call in but now it’s so easy is just kinda like I’m just going to go with it because right now I really need some help. Kind of gotten to that point where I’ve just given up and kinda like, “God I need you to take it all because I can’t handle it anymore.” I don’t know what to do. So, I just want to let you all know. Like, I have a daughter. Her name is McKinley. She’s like the best thing in the world. Definitely having like bad thoughts that maybe what if it wasn’t my daughter. And I don’t have thoughts like that because I’m not sure if that’s what I should be thinking. I’m thinking that cause me and my long-term girlfriend, we’ve been on and off, are having a hard time right now. But I would just like to ask for prayers to help me do what God wants me to do and help me see the path that He’s created for me. Thank you, guys and have a great day.

Hey brothers and sisters in the Lord Yeshua, just greet you in the name of Jesus. I just want to say that I love you and I want to tell you how much I am just so thankful for you. I don’t know where you’re at in this world, you know, and God knows and I just say you’re part of my body the body of Christ, we’re all one, we’re part of the body and I just wanted to reach out and say I love you and just to hang in there, not just to hang in there, but to just cast your burdens upon the Lord Yeshua. And I just want to pray over you a blessing and I just want to say, Father thank You so much for Yeshua, Your son Jesus Christ who died in the cross, who took our sins and who restored us back to You so that we could be one with You as Yeshua Jesus is one with You. Thank You that You gave us Your Spirit, Your precious Holy Spirit to come and abide in us and to live with us. And Father, I ask You Holy Spirit that as I’m praying here that You would just touch my brother, my sister right now, that You would just break off any hardness of heart, that You would lift up their heart, that You would take the pain that’s in their heart Lord and just heal it to remove it. Lord that You would take the pain in the heart and You would shape them and mold them into a vessel that You are pleased with. Lord I ask that if there’s any unforgiveness that it would be removed and that they would be filled with the love of Elohim so that they can spread the message of the good news in Jesus’ name. I love You brothers and sisters have a great and amazing day.

Good morning Daily Audio Bible it’s Diana from Virginia. I wanted to say a big thank you to Brian today for your commentary on Ezekiel. Today is November 6th and I just wanted to let you know that this truly touched me. This spoke to me personally. I __, I __  and thank you for the wonderful music, because that helped me to stay in the moment and reflect. That was truly powerful. Thank you for reminding me that God is not just this, you know, this forever big unemotional being. God is somebody that has feelings. Thank you for bringing that to reality for me. Thank you. And I hope that this touched a lot…I am…I am…I hope this touched a lot of people too because so many times we kind of just go through the motions and think we can just go to God and ask for forgiveness and move on and I’ve been guilty of that. And, so, I hope that I can come back to this and remind myself when I fall out that…like that little girl in Ezekiel. So, thank you so much for that. I just wanted to let you know how powerful that was. Thank you.

[cherylblsom]

A Phoenix & Her Fire (Pt.3)

(A/N): hey guys! I meant to upload this earlier and then my night kinda exploded on me sorry, I hope this isn’t trash lol. Pt 4 is in the works!

Word Count: 1,921

Pairing: Cheryl Blossom x Toni Topaz

Warnings: none!

Summary: Fangs & SweetPea try to cheer their best friend up but she’s falling apart without Cheryl

Read it on AO3

1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5

Toni groans when she feels a hand shake her shoulder gently. She blinks rapidly trying to push the drowsiness away, she must have fallen asleep against Cheryl.

“Topaaaz wake up!” SweetPea says, she shakes her head and turns to look at him.

“What time is it?” She asks groggily

“Mm like 9:30? I’ve been sent by a higher power to make sure you come home to change and we get some breakfast in you”

“Let me guess, a fellow beanie wearing serpent?” Toni asks.

“His girlfriend surprisingly enough. Ponytail Betty said she’s worried about you”

Toni lets out a laugh which turns into a snort. “Oh my god - Pea you did not just call her that.”

“So what if I did? C’mon I’m starving” he says as he motions for her to follow him. Toni’s eyes shift to Cheryl who’s still sleeping but shifting slightly. Toni reaches out and tucks a stray strand of her fiery hair behind her ear. A quiet sigh falls from her lips. “I know you don’t want to leave her. But we’ll be back soon” SweetPea says gently from beside Toni.

“Toni...” she hears a voice from the door and lifts her head to see Betty. “I talked to the doctor and he said Cheryl is going to be in tests and scans for most of the day. They’re going to call with any updates.”

“How did you get that infor... oh right, cousin perks” she says fitting the pieces together. “Thanks Betty”. Toni leans over to press a kiss to Cheryl’s head and she lets her hand rest on her cheek for a moment. She can’t wait until she can hold Cheryl in her arms again and kiss her as hard as she can. “I’ll be back soon. Promise” she mumbles against her forehead. She reluctantly pulls away from Cheryl and trudges out of the room after SweetPea.

After going back to Toni’s trailer the pair find themselves tucked into a booth at Pop’s with Fangs stretched on the other side. When Pop comes to take their order he looks at Toni with a quizzical expression. “Not the usual duo, no Cheryl today?” he asks kindly. Toni swallows hard and shakes her head.

“No she uhm... isn’t too well at the moment” Toni says trying to keep her voice steady.

Pop nods, “well send her my best, what can I get you guys?” The boys both order big breakfast meals but Toni settles for just a cup of coffee.

“Can you bring her some fries or something too?” SweetPea juts in before Pop leaves, he jots it down on his pad of paper and makes his way to the back. “You’re not hungry, I know. But you need to eat.” SweetPea says before Toni can protest. He falls back to rest on the booth. Toni huffs in response and circles her spoon in her coffee trying to dissolve the sugar cubes.

“You ever feel like your world is collapsing in on you?” Toni asks to no one in particular as she stares into her coffee.

“Well... one time I built a blanket fort and it collapsed while I was in it so I guess?” Fangs says. Toni can’t help but let out a soft laugh at that, her shoulders shaking slightly.

“You really love her, don’t you?” Fangs asks, his tone changing to a more serious one.

“More than anything” Toni says with a sad smile as she lifts her head to look at Fangs. “She’s my world”

“Then your world isn’t gonna collapse in is it? From what I’ve heard your girl is quite a fighter.” Fangs tells her. He reaches across the table to grab her hand and give it a reassuring squeeze.

“Wait hold on I just got a brilliant idea.” SweetPea says as he sits up from his relaxed position. Both Fangs and Toni turn their attention to him and lift their eyebrows. Toni picks up her coffee to take a sip while she listens. “When Toni and Cheryl get married they can combine their last names instead of having to choose one. It can be ... Blopaz...” He has a huge grin on his face and Toni just about spits her coffee out at the name suggestion. When SweetPea starts giggling like a schoolgirl Toni can’t help but laugh along with him.

“Oh my goooood” Fangs groans as he shakes his head but a smile is pasted on his face.

“I feel like Bombshell would have slapped me for that one. And damn that girl can be rough” SweetPea says once his laughter has calmed down.

“Rough? You don’t even know the half of it” Toni responds playfully and then takes another sip of her coffee.

“Antoinette Topaz just what are you trying to say?” SweetPea asks as he side eyes his best friend.

“Oh look food’s here” she replies turning her attention to the plate of fries set in front of her. The trio fall into a comfortable silence as they dig into their food. A sense of peace falls over the group until it’s broken by the sound of Toni’s phone ringing.

“Hello, Miss Topaz? It’s Doctor Shapiro here” he says in a even toned voice

“What’s up? I thought Cheryl was going to be in tests for most of the day” she questions

“Well just the morning actually. We managed to get them done fairly quickly and I’m just looking over the results now.”

“Is everything okay?” Toni asks as she feels the panic in her rising again.

“I’d like you to come down here and we can discuss things.” He responds. Toni starts to get up from the booth assuring the doctor she’s on her way before hanging up.

“What’s up?” Fangs asks as Toni gathers her things.

“The doctor needs me. I gotta go, thank you guys” she rushes out of Pop’s and heads in the direction of the hospital cursing herself for not bringing her motorcycle.

When Toni arrives at the hospital she’s out of breath and takes a moment to compose herself before entering into the doctors office. He greets her with a wave as she flops down across from him desperately trying not to let her exhaustion show.

“So we ran a couple chest x-rays and some blood tests on Cheryl to see where she’s at. Since her condition seems to be worsening I managed to get results back quickly” he starts out, not wanting to waste time.

“Worsening? What do you mean? She was fine when I left this morning.” Toni asks frantically

“She woke up with another coughing fit shortly after you left and it took a while to get her back on track. Her fever and pain level has also increased. We will obviously continue to monitor her but may have to hook her back up to an oxygen machine.” He replies cooly.

It takes everything in Toni not to bolt out of her chair and back to Cheryl. To hold her and tell her she’s going to be okay and that Toni isn’t going anywhere. She takes a deep breath and nods her head. “So what’s happening? Have you diagnosed her?”

“From what the results show I believe she has an extremely severe case of pneumonia. I’d like to get on top of treatment right away so the condition doesn’t amplify.”

“How.. she was only under for a couple minutes... they said it was only a couple minutes...” Toni mumbles half to herself and not expecting the doctor to hear.

“That may be so” he responds and Toni looks up. “But her body didn’t have the time to prepare and a couple minutes can mean the difference between life and death.”

Life and death... the words echo in Toni’s mind. She sits in silence for a moment not knowing what to say. She can’t help the crushing feeling that’s bearing down upon her with each passing moment.

“Her sickness was most likely caused by a bacterial infection she gained from the water. We’re going to start by injecting antibiotics into her bloodstream and go from there. We may need to administrate drugs directly to her lungs depending on how she reacts” the doctor continues.

“Do you know what exactly caused the infection?” Toni asks, her gaze shifts to Cheryl’s open file on the desk.

“That’s something we are still looking into, I’ve taken a fluid sample from her and hopefully we can get to the bottom of this. My best guess is she’ll be here for maybe a week. You’re free to go see her but she’s likely very exhausted” the doctor leans back in his chair letting out a sigh. Toni thanks the doctor and finds her way back to Cheryl’s room, she’s surprised to see her awake when she walks in. Her arm is hooked up to and IV with some sort of liquid dropping in which Toni takes to be the antibiotics the doctor mentioned.

“Hey babygirl” She says gently as she walks over to her side. “How come you’re still up? Those tests must have exhausted you”

“I can’t sleep..” Cheryl mumbles, turning her head to make eye contact with Toni. “I’m in so much pain baby...” Cheryl shifts slightly in bed trying to get comfortable and a small whimper leaves her lips. Toni swears she feels her heart drop, knowing Cheryl is in so much pain and not being able to fix it is tearing her apart.

“How can I help?” Toni asks gently as she reaches to cup Cheryl’s cheek and run her thumb against her temple. Cheryl immediately leans into the touch and a slight smile pulls at her lips. She shrugs her shoulders in response to Toni’s question. Toni’s eyes roam the room and the section of hallway she can see from her position. She only hesitates for a moment before kicking off her boots and crawling in to the small space beside Cheryl. She wraps her arms around the taller girl and helps her shift over slightly to give Toni more room. When they’re settled Cheryl’s head comes to rest on Toni’s shoulder and she curls into her curve of her neck. A soft thank you falls from her lips as her body almost melts against Toni’s. As Toni presses a kiss to Cheryl’s head she can feel her own body relax slightly for the first time since she got the call from Jughead. Toni soothes away Cheryl’s soft whimpers and strokes her hair in attempt to help her fall asleep and get the much needed rest her body craves. “I love you so much” Toni whispers gently.

“I love you too” Cheryl replies softly, she coughs harshly and lets out a quiet whimper of pain. Toni holds her a little tighter and presses another kiss to her forehead noticing it’s still hot to the touch. Toni’s lays her chin against Cheryl’s head and starts humming the tune to a song. She feels Cheryl smile against her skin.

“I see you shine and the dark disappears...” she sings in a gentle voice trying to coax Cheryl into sleep. She continues the song in a soft voice and rubs Cheryl’s back. Eventually Cheryl’s body relaxes against Toni and her breathing deepens as she drifts off. Toni stays pressed to Cheryl knowing the ache in her will grow if she’s not in her arms. She holds her close and prays to whoever or whatever is out there that her girl recovers quickly and can be safe at home with her soon.

(next)

[popcorn-for-dinner]

The 2017 Binges you absolutely have to do before 2018

"The Golden Age of Television". That's a saying you've most likely heard as a description of the current state of TV. It has been used from everyone from TV and Studio executives to that your one friend who won't shut up about how great Master of None is. Whatever your feelings about the term, one thing is for certain, there are more quality shows being produced at an almost daily basis than ever before. So many that it seems impossible to follow the TV landscape while, you know, having a life.

That's why I'm here. I've given up my real life so that you can have one and still watch the best TV. You're welcome. Whether it's your FOMO on all the great TV topics or you're just looking for an easy binge for the Christmas break, I’m going to try and provide adequate suggestions to satiate everyone.

The Weekend binges 

Mindhunter (Netflix)

David Fincher's return to Netflix! This show is based on a book by John E. Douglas, a former FBI special agent and a pioneer in criminal profiling in the FBI’s Behavioural Science Unit.

While the protagonists are fictionalised versions of the actual people, the real attraction of the series lies with serial killers and their interviews with the FBI. The criminals do maintain their real names and are depicted to a chillingly high degree of accuracy, in some cases even lifting actual dialogue from the real life interviews.

A terrific examination of the criminal psyche (a feat David Fincher has shown to be a master at), Mindhunter will have you hooked from the first episode.

You’ll like this if you liked: Zodiac (2007 film), Hannibal, Dexter (probably).

Ozark (Netflix)

Although dealing with a fairly well trodden premise, Ozark manages to elevate itself from the constraints of its premise and deliver an entertaining, gripping season.

There is no mistake though, this is Jason Bateman’s show to shine and shine he does. Wearing multiple hats as star, producer and director of 4 episodes (probably the show’s best episodes), Jason Bateman delivers a complex and entertaining performance as Marty Byrde, a money launderer for a crime syndicate who is forced to uproot his family and move to the Ozarks in order to pay back a debt to the syndicate.

You might believe you know all the tropes of this sub-genre but Ozark has a few surprises waiting for you.

You'll like this if you liked: Bloodline, Breaking Bad.

The Niche binges

I believe everyone should love a great dick joke. A perfectly crafted and executed dick joke can be side splittingly funny as is evidenced by the fact that Silicon Valley’s season one's “optimal tip to tip efficiency" joke  has seemed to take on a life of its own even spawning research papers with actual Stanford approved maths. I however concede that not everyone is as sophisticated as me, which is why I have put these 2 shows in the “niche” category.

American Vandal (Netflix)

American Vandal is really just an almost 5 hour dick joke at its core. It takes a simple, quite ridiculous, premise- someone spray paints 27 dicks on teachers’ cars in the school parking lot and the accused student is expelled. It is a true crime mockumentary but it doesn’t seek to discredit the genre but rather as all great satire does, it pays it homage.

The characters and the show approach this premise with such straight faced seriousness and investigative attitude that it makes the jokes that much more hilarious. Special mention should be given to Jimmy Tatro whose performance drives the show and who turns the “YouTube douche” personality into an art form.

I did find that, beneath all the dick references, well over 1,000 (both visual and verbal), American Vandal tries to say something and if you pause long enough from laughing and figuring out “Who drew the dicks?” you might just hear it.

You'll like this if you liked: 7 Days in Hell, Documentary Now!, Making a Murderer (but yearned for something less deep).

Big Mouth (Netflix)

Following the success of the Simpsons, animation quickly became the go to medium for telling deeply perverse and hilarious stories that could never be written for and performed by real people. But the real successes came in the episodes of Simpsons, South Park, Family Guy etc that transcended their "cartoons tell dirty jokes" gimmick and showed some heart and deft in their storytelling. Big Mouth has lots of heart.

With a stellar voice cast which includes co-creator Nick Kroll. John Mulaney, Jordan Peele, Maya Rudolph and Jason Mantzoukas, Big Mouth manages to tell an insightful, universal coming of age, puberty story while also juggling the fact that two of its main cast are "Hormone Monsters" and it has the ghost of Duke Ellington living in a character's attic. (The show is weird, guys)

You'll like this if you liked: Family Guy (the earlier years) and basically any other R-Rated animated comedy.

Trailer

The Snowed-in and cuddle binges

Dear White People (Netflix)

I am a sucker for a good story by and about black people. If such a show manages to deftly attack systemic racism then I'm fully sold. Dear White People however, is more than a guns-blazing attack on racial injustice. Sure, that's the premise by which it starts but as it evolves it begins to say something more on identity, especially Black Identity and all that term entails.

Based on his critically acclaimed film of the same name, Justin Simien manages to improve on his original work in possible every imaginable way. It follows a group of black students at a predominantly white University, as they attempt to negotiate the racial politics and come to terms with their own identities.

You'll like this if you liked: Black-ish and Dear White People (2014 film).

Trailer

The Bold Type (Freeform)

It is no secret that there is a paucity of stories about and driven by female characters and what is even rarer are stories that explore female relationships, especially friendships amongst the younger demographic.  Insecure and Jane the Virgin have told some of these stories during their runs and The Bold Type did it incredibly well, under the radar, in 2017.

Through Scarlet, the Teen-vogue like magazine where the protagonists work, The Bold Type manages to address relevant societal issues such as politics, rape, religion and professional ambition while maintaining a "summer-y binge feel to it".    

You'll like this if you liked: Ugly Betty, The Devil Wears Prada (2006 film).

Trailer

The Good Fight (CBS All Access)

First of all, for any The Good Wife fan who hasn't seen this already, shame on you. For any non-Good Wife fans though, do not be deterred by the Good Wife link because this show more than ably stands on its own.

Set a year after the finale of TGW, The Good Fight follows the great Diane Lockhart after a financial scam causes her to lose all her savings and she is forced out of her firm. She then joins an all-black law firm that already includes The Good Wife fan favourite Luca Quinn. Rounding off the cast are Sarah Stele (returning as another fan-favourite Marissa Gold), Delroy Lindo, Justin Bartha and Game of Thrones' Rose Leslie.

For Good Wife fans, you don't know how satisfying it is to hear Diane yell "Fuck" until you actually do.

You'll like this if you liked: The Good Wife or any other great legal drama.

Trailer

Obligatory Superhero binge

Legion (FX)

In a year where Superhero TV was littered with messy newcomers such as Iron Fist and Inhumans, Legion was such a breath of fresh air. Rising above the genre of "Superhero TV", it was in my opinion, one of the best new shows of the year.

Noah Hawley (creator of Fargo) examines what would happen if instead of being enlightened as to his mutant powers, a very powerful mutant was diagnosed as having schizophrenia. Legion is the son of Professor Xavier in the comics and excluding a few easter eggs and nods, that is where this show's link to the wider X-men universe ends. It is a show that stands on its own and does not require knowledge of the wider X-men mythology to be enjoyed.

Legion and Noah Hawley are much more interested in diving into an examination of mental illness and the various stereotypes surrounding it than they are in fighting a "big bad". It is a very trippy, colourful and awe-inspiring piece of television that is evident right from its excellent pilot. The performances of Aubrey Plaza and Dan Stevens manage to shine through from a group of wonderful performances.

Top Picks

There are few things more satisfying to me than a perfectly told, timely story of import. Unfortunately, in the mad dash to tell an "important" story, especially on cable television, good storytelling has often been pushed aside for either pretension or just sloppy work. Their ability to buck this trend was one of the many refreshing things about Big Little Lies and The Handmaid's Tale.

Big Little Lies (HBO)

The immediate draw to this series (for the non-book readers) is undoubtedly the cast. This highly stacked cast includes the likes of Nicole Kidman, Reese Witherspoon, Shailene Woodley, Laura Dern, Zoë Kravitz, Alexander Skarsgård and Adam Scott, but once the novelty of the cast wears off, the strength of the story will keep you hooked.

Big Little Lies is a wonderfully well written, directed and acted piece of television that approaches some very heavy and important topics with a delightfully nuanced touch. It says a lot to the strength of the several stories told that the murder mystery at the center of the show, while intriguing in its own right, quickly fades into the background. To give any more details would be to spoil what is a very well done show.

Trailer

The Handmaid's Tale (Hulu)

In The Handmaid's Tale's world, fertility rates have plummeted to almost non-existent numbers. This has resulted in the fertile women being kept as personal breeding grounds for the more affluent member of the cult-like organisation that has taken over society.

The Handmaid's Tale holds many mirrors to our current society but perhaps none is more chilling than the straight path that can be drawn from 45's current America to the "dystopian" society predicted in this 1985(!) novel.

The Handmaid's Tale is built on the Emmy-winning performance of Elisabeth Moss and firmly stands as my best show of 2017 and a definite must watch.

Bankole Imoukhuede

@banky_I

[abrilstevens]

hi!! i loved reading ur headcanons for cheryl and veronica - do u have any for betty as well?

thank you!! and absolutely yes, of course i do :)

What they smell like: laundry detergent. she rarely wears perfume, mostly because she just forgets to put it on. she’s got about a million other things to worry about so it just slips her mind. her perfume smells like fresh flowers, though.

How they sleep (sleeping position, schedule, etc): betty cooper? sleep? never. seriously, she gets like 4 or 5 hours on a good night. she always has something more pressing to do, like writing an exposé for the blue and gold or following up leads in jason’s murder investigation. when she finally lays down, her mind is almost always still racing, so she has to spend another couple hours trying to shut her brain up so she can get some sleep.

What music they enjoy: she loves indie/alternative pop and pop rock. santigold, dua lipa, halsey, paramore, banks, that kind of stuff.

How much time they spend getting ready every morning:it takes her 20 minutes, usually. she doesn’t change up her routine and it’s pretty basic. roll out of bed, change into whatever clothes she’d picked out the night before, pull her hair into ponytail, put on basic makeup, drink a quick cup of coffee, then run out the door.

Their favorite thing to collect: she has a huge book collection, and she especially loves the ones she finds at used bookstores. if she finds a unique edition, she has to buy it. she also buys copies that have nice inscriptions written in them.

Left or right-handed: right

Religion (if any): she was raised christian. her family went to church every sunday up until the whole polly situation. betty’s not sure what she believes in, but she knows her parents’ version of christianity (twisting the words of the bible so you can pass judgement on other people) is not for her. but the whole love thy neighbor, help those in need, and just be a good person in general kind of christianity? she could get behind that.

Favorite sport: betty has a lot of energy and a lot of pent up aggression. soccer really lets her blow off some of that steam, so she loves it. she also really likes softball, as long as she doesn’t have to play in the outfield (standing around and hoping someone hits it out to her is kind of boring). her parents didn’t really approve of either of these extracurricular activities, though, and “encouraged” (read: forced) betty to quit and join others with a focus on academics. she guesses cheerleading will just have to do. it’s fun, she can focus on the choreography and get out of her own head for awhile, and best of all, her parents don’t approve.

Favorite touristy thing to do when traveling (museums, local food, sightseeing, etc): betty wants to see everything. if she’s going on a trip, she’s going to make a schedule for every day of the trip so she can make sure she won’t miss anything. that, of course, includes booking reservations at the restaurants she wants to try before she even gets there.

Favorite kind of weather: summer! she loves to be outside, she’s free from the pressure her parents put on her about school, and she just feels better. seasonal depression is a bitch.

A weird/obscure fear they have: she’s terrified of mental illness. she was diagnosed with adhd when she was pretty young, and she knows she has depression (mostly seasonal, which she’s thankful for). that’s fine, she can deal with it. but when her parents insisted that polly had a mental break, and she hears people saying that crazy runs in their family, and then she went “dark betty” on chuck - well, maybe there’s something else wrong with her. she’s terrified that there is but she’s also terrified of finding out for sure, so she just does her best to ignore it.

The carnival/arcade game they always win without fail: she’s not so great at carnival games, but old school mario kart or super mario bros at the arcade? those games are betty’s bitch.

[lexaconway]

If I Only Could | HBRP Story

DO YOU WANNA ҒΕΕℓ  HOW ΙТ ҒΕΕℓS? DO YOU WANNA KNOW KNOW THAT IT DOESN’T H U R T ME ?   AND IF I ONLY COULD,I’D MAKE A D E A L WITH GO∂ AND  I’D GET HIM TO SWAP OUR Ρ ℓ Α C Ε S. LET ME STEAL THIS MOMENT FROM YOU N O W.

Living life as a demigod is comparable to the rule of gravity, stating that what goes up must come down. Alexandria had grown up used to changing her plans and strategies quickly to stay accustomed to the unpredictability that comes with being half goddess, but this week is one for the books.

If there is one thing the daughter of Athena prided herself on most, it was her mind: her ability to retain vast amounts of information with ease, and to just as easily recall it when useful for whatever predicament she was in. This has not changed, at least, not entirely. Alexandria can still recall statistics on World War II’s destruction, how to successfully work a stockinette stitch, and the name of every U.S. President to date. However, she still cannot seem to remember a single detail about where she was or what she was doing the weekend before. It terrorizes her to think that someone has the ability to tamper with her only strength, that they can overpower her like this, that there is a gnawing pain in her stomach telling her that something is terribly terribly w r o n g and she is helpless to solve whatever is amiss.

It’s been an entire week and this gnawing feeling only accumulates, leaving her more on edge than she’s been in quite some time (at least that she can remember). The feeling of liquor burning down her throat does wonders to dull the edge, but she can’t exactly stay intoxicated for the unforeseeable future. She’s been debating asking a child of Hypnos or Morpheus to diagnose her, but she a.) has no idea if one of them is the culprit and b.) would never risk letting someone besides her siblings know about her night terrors.

There are too many complicated issues on her plate currently, which is why she finds herself heading to the Zeus Cabin, looking for Flynn Castor. His previous offer of being involved in whatever secret organization he’s developing is certainly appealing, but it’s also reckless and she’s decided she needs to prioritize this current complication before getting involved in something else unpredictable.

She’s only a few yards away, when another camper quite literally walks into her, appearing too shell-shocked to notice their surroundings. Alexandria is ready to scold them for their neglect, but she notices their red-rimmed eyes, the hollow look in them, and recognizes the long-since familiar feeling: l o s s. This child just departed from the Zeus cabin and Alexandria hears unidentifiable clamor, as though its inhabitants are reacting to this loss as well. The gnawing i n c r e a s e s as her eyebrows draw together in concern. “ Flynn ? ” she asks slowly, “ Is he alright ? ” The child seems caught off-guard, but nods in response. “ I-I think so ? I didn’t hear his name in the crash. ” “ The crash ? ” She visibly relaxes while knowing that it is selfish, but if she were concerned every time a single camper did something vacuous, nothing in this camp would ever be accomplished. Still, she’s not a monster, and she continues by asking, “ What happened ? ” The child’s eyes well up with tears as they explain what little they know. “ Some demigods crashed into each other driving, and one of the cars flew over the guardrail . They’re trying to get a team to get them out now, but I heard most of them are already …  already gone.  ” She’s only half-listening at this point, attempting to recall where her siblings are tonight. Nine just passed her on the path a few minutes ago… “ Betty and Jace from Hermes, that mom Leia, Dakota from Nike, Fletcher from – ” All other thoughts fall silent as she zeros in her attention back on the child. “ Fletcher Castro ? ” As soon as his name leaves her lips, she wishes she could rewind time a few seconds, to take back that one question, because she doesn’t want to know, doesn’t want the guilt from subconsciously praying to Athena that Fletcher is a more common name than she once thought.

The other nods, and although she vaguely is aware that she had audibly gasped, her chest feels as though it is constricting, caving in on itself and destroying any ability she has to b r e a t h e. The camper looks concerned for her now. “ Oh gods, were you his friend ? ”

How can she say yes when her last words were spewing hate at him in some selfish attempt to reassure her own sanity ? How right he is to hate her when she truly is the monster here. “ He isn’t… He can’t be… He didn’t deserve… ” Her hands ball into fists, fingernails digging so tightly into her palms that she draws blood. “ N o. ” “ I’m so sorry, ” the other whispers, reaching out to embrace her but Alexandria is already turning away. Without another word, she is running, because she doesn’t need a hug, doesn’t need to feel this emotion that is so much worse than the gnawing she’d felt. She needs to find Chiron and lead the gods damned team to rescue their wounded because Fletcher Castro is not dead, she simply won’t have it.