#digital golf news

[untilthenexttee]

(via Resurgent Ashworth Golf Debuts “Insanely Soft & Stylish”Golfman Hoodie As Headliner in 2024 Spring/Fall Line)

[bethanythebogwitch]

Australian Pokemon: non-natives

For this set of my fakemon set in the Goorda region, based on a combination of Australia and Aotearoa/New Zealand, I focused on non-native species. Both countries have a lot of introduced and invasive species to draw on for ideas. I previously made a regional Buneary and Lopunny based on invasive rabbits. Previous posts: regional standards, creepy lines, regional variants, birds, early-game standards, misc, misc, starter variants, starters.

First up is Sprigorse, the Long-Beard Pokemon, fairy/grass type. These Pokemon were introduced from a different region and have become an invasive species. Their bodies are made of wood and they wear crowns of flowers and long beards made of branches and leaves. Both the flowers and beards will spread seeds, growing foreign plants that outcompete natives. Sprigorse live in colonies in the forest and are led by the member with the longest beard. They are known to prank and attack travelers through the forest.

Sprigorse is based on two plants that are invasive in NZ: old man's beard and gorse. Both were brought in from Europe and are now outcompeting the native plants. Like the plants, Sprigorse is foreign import. I based it on a spriggan, a mythical creature from England, where both old man's beard and gorse are native. Spriggans were usually depicted as wisened old men and were said to inhabit wild places and were often malicious. Srigorse's name comes from "spriggan" and "gorse"

Next up is Tahrkid, the Ice Horn Pokemon, ice-type. Tahrkid's horns are made of ice and regrow stronger when broken, so they repeatedly smash their horns to strengthen them. They are highly dextrous and can leap between peaks and climb nearly vertical surfaces. Tahrkid was first introduced to Goorda from a region far away.

Tahrkid evolves to Yodhatahr, the Ice Horn Pokemon, ice/fighting type. Their horns are made from nearly indestructible ice, allowing them to pulverize boulders with a single headbutt. When two fight, the slam their horns together until one's horns break or it submits.

Tahrkid and Yodhatahr are based on a combination of mountain goats and the Himalayan tahr, a species of wild goat found in the Himalayas. Yodhatahr also has ram horns and Tahrkid appears to be wearing a coat and ski mask. Tahrs are an invasive species in NZ, where they can outcompete local herbivores in the mountains. The line's ability to climb nearly vertical surfaces is something real goats do and real goats also headbutt when fighting. Tahrkid's name comes from "tahr" and "kid" (juvenile goat) while Yodhatahr's name comes from "tahr" and "Yōd'dhā", the Nepalese word for "warrior". Presumably this line would originate from the Pokemon world's Himalayas and would therefore be known in the Pokemon version of Nepal.

The final line for this post starts with Dimpole, the Ball Pokemon, poison-type. Dimpole were introduced to Goorda from another region and have become an invasive species. They bounce and roll on their spherical bodies in such numbers that they coat the land during breeding season, causing a trip hazard for humans. They enjoy bouncing and being sent flying, so humans will hit them with sticks and golf clubs to get them out of the way.

Dimpole evolves to Foretitoad, the Toad Pokemon, poison-type. Foretitoad are an invasive species in Goorda. They leak toxins wherever they go, allowing them to reduce fertile fields to bare ground, while also making them too toxic for predators to eat. Females have spikes on their backs that they use to carry their eggs. When the young hatch, they use their paddle-shaped tails to send the young flying into new habitats.

(Male on left and female on right)

The Dimpole line are based on cane toads and toad golf. Cane toads may be the most notorious invasive species in Australia. Because of how many there are, people have invented various ways to kill them, the most infamous being toad golf: hitting them with gold clubsPart of the reason cane toads are so invasive is because they're too poisonous for most native species to eat. Dimpole is tadpole merged with a golf ball while Foretitoad is a toad with a golf ball belly and throat bouch, gold visor shaped head crest, golf club shaped tail. and the females have spines shaped like golf tees. Also their eyes look like the logo of Golf Australia. Golf is also not originally from Australia and, like cane toads, is terrible for the environment. Dimpole come from "dimple" and "tadpole" while Foretitoad comes from "fore", "fortitude", and "toad". @reikomania helped me come up with the design for this line.

[dreamyeyedrose]

you won't believe half the things I see inside my head wait 'til you see half the things that haven't happened...yet

[jonathanstims]

The 5D role-swap chess my family plays just to talk to one another

[stxrslut]

ur headcanons im obsessed omg !!! how do u think rafe will be when u suddenly go into subspace? when the two of u havent even been touchy in particular but u got close to him n start leaning onto his arm and pawing at him.. he knows where ur head is at by then.. 🐈‍⬛

I feel like this is honestly a regular experience and Rafe knows how to handle it.

I can imagine this happening at the country club or something, maybe while you’re out on the golf course with him and his friends. you’d just start to feel your head go fuzzy and pout, making your way over to your boyfriend from the golf cart.

you don’t say anything, just moving to hang off his arm like a little accessory while he waits his turn on the course. he doesn’t take much notice of it at first, but it’s when you start trying to bite and lick at the skin on his bicep that he catches on. “hey—” he pulls you away gently, slipping his thumb into your mouth for a second to calm you from the loss of contact “you with me? or you gone right now?”

“wanna be with daddy…” your brows furrow as your voice warbles around the digit in your mouth. he just sighs and pulls you back into his side, carefully extracting his thumb and making you whine. “gotta wait till I’ve finished here sweetie, then I promise daddy’ll take you home and take good care of you, ‘kay?”

you want to protest but you know he knows best and so you just nod, bottom lip jutting out. he gives you a quick kiss on the forehead, “good job baby. you wanna take my card and use your phone to buy yourself somethin’ nice? what about that new bag you’ve been wantin’? yeah, here you go.” he smiles before handing you his black card, the item itself sexy, even more so in the hands of your boyfriend.

“thankyou daddy.” you smile, making him tsk and push you back off to the gold cart where you were sitting. sex could come later, for now, shopping spree.

[eregyrn-falls-art]

HAPPY 10th ANNIVERSARY TO GRAVITY FALLS!

(click to see larger)

Back in Oct. 2018, my project for inktober was at least one pic from every episode.  Because of the pace, there were restrictions; I did each on a post-it note, limited coloring, and chose things that would fit the square format and that I could get done in time (between working full-time and owl-banding most nights).  I always sort of wanted to redo a bunch of those; but really, what occasion would merit putting in THAT much time and effort for a project of that size?

Well, how about for the 10th anniversary of the premiere of Gravity Falls?

I’m not saying this was a *smart* project to tackle, but I thought it might be “easier” because I had first drafts of most of the pieces; I just wanted to redo them so they’d look better, with 4 more years of practice under my belt and a new move to digital art.  (Narrator: it was not really easier.)  Some I redid completely, or did new to create the full sets above.  Basically, once I’d hit on this idea, and decided to link it to the refrain of “How Far We’ve Come”, I was committed; there was no way I was going to *not* try to do it.

I know that “How Far We’ve Come” gets fanvidded for eight billion different shows.  But, the first time I heard the song was in one of the first Gravity Falls fanvids I ever watched (link  below), so it will always be a GF song for me.

Gravity Falls has meant a lot to me for the past 6 years that I’ve been active in the fandom.  I have no doubt it will always have a big place in my heart. I’m definitely not done with things I’d like to do for it.  I’m so glad to see people coming together to celebrate this big anniversary! 

ALSO: needless to say, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Stan and Ford!

“How Far We’ve Come” by @findmeinthealps2 ​

IDs under the cut.

Image descriptions.  The post consists of six images, each with a one-word header.  Together they spell out, “LET’S SEE HOW FAR WE’VE COME”.  Each image has 8 square pictures under the header.  Each picture is a screenshot-redraw from an episode of the show, usually consisting of one or a couple of characters against a simple colored background.

The first image’s 8 redraws are: Dipper and Mabel from “Tourist Trapped”; Old Man McGucket from “The Legend of the Gobblewonker”; Mabel and Bats Biker from “Headhunters”; Lil Gideon from “The Hand that Rocks the Mabel”; Mabel from “The Inconveniencing”; Dipper from “Dipper vs. Manliness”; Dipper and Dipper clone 5 from “Double Dipper”; and Mabel and Quentin Trembley from “Irrational Treasure”.

The second image’s 8 redraws are: Mabel and Waddles from “The Time Traveler’s Pig”; Robbie and Dipper from “Fight Fighters”; Stan and Lil Gideon from “Little Dipper”; the Summerween Trickster from “Summerween”; Stan in his vampire costume from “Summerween”; Mabel and Dipper from “Boss Mabel”; Stan from “The Bottomless Pit”; and Mermando from “The Deep End”.

The third image’s 8 redraws are: Dipper and Mabel from “Carpet Diem”; Mabel surrounded by Sev’ral Timez from “Boyz Crazy”; Stan punching the pterodactyl from “The Land Before Swine”; Bill Cipher in giant red angry form from “Dreamscaperers”; Mabel and Dipper from “Gideon Rises”; Dipper, Mabel and Stan from “Scary-oke”; the Shapeshifter from “Into the Bunker”; and Mabel and Pacifica Northwest from “The Golf War”.

The fourth image’s 8 redraws are: Bipper from “Sock Opera”; Soos Ramirez and Melody from “Soos and the Real Girl”; Stan from “Little Gift Shop of Horrors”; Old Man McGucket from “The Society of the Blind Eye”; Mabel fighting Blendin Blandin from “Blendin’s Game”; Robbie Valentino and Tambry from “The Love God”; Pacifica Northwest and Dipper from “Northwest Mansion Mystery”; and Stan from “Not What He Seems”.

The fifth image’s 8 redraws are: Mabel from “Not What He Seems”; Ford’s arrival from “Not What He Seems”; Ford and Stan as teenagers from “A Tale of Two Stans”; Dipper and Ford as elf characters from “Dungeons, Dungeons & More Dungeons”; Stan from “The Stanchurian Candidate”; Mabel, Wendy, Candy, and Grenda after their fight with the unicorns from “The Last Mabelcorn”; Darlene the spider lady from “Roadside Attraction”; and Dipper and Ford with Bill Cipher’s shadow over them from “Dipper and Mabel vs. the Future”.

The sixth and final image’s 8 redraws are: Bill Cipher holding up the gold statue of Ford from “Weirdmageddon Pt. 1″; Wendy Corduroy from “Weirmageddon Pt. 1″; Dipper and Mabel from their class day photo in “Weirdmageddon Pt. 2″; Bill Cipher in giant red monster form trying to capture Dipper and Mabel from “Weirdmageddon Pt. 3″; Stan punching Bill Cipher in the mindscape from “Weirdmageddon Pt. 3″; the group gathered around Stan sitting in his chair while Mabel shows him her scrapbook, from “Weirdmageddon Pt. 3″; Dipper and Mabel waving goodbye from the bus window from “Weirdmageddon Pt. 3″; and Stan and Ford laughing together in the rain, after defeating the giant squid, on their boat the Stan o’ War II, from “Weirmageddon Pt. 3″.

[weemsfreak]

Full Circle -Par 3

Part 1

Larissa Weems x fReaderOC

Summary: After Prudence's fathers death, she struggles to get back to her sport, golf. Larissa finally has time to indulge in her long forgotten sport as well, meeting some friends and culprits along the way. Both women hope to find joy on the course, but will they find something unexpected as well? ~6.9k words.

✂ Song that goes well with the fic: Dear Prudence by Siouxsie & The Banshees (linked at bottom)

Note: Hi everyone! So, many people seemed to like the idea of Larissa being part of a country club. I chose golf because I'm more familiar with it than tennis or anything else. There were so many ways I wanted this to go, so I hope that I met your expectations! This is pt 1 of probably 2. (If anyone else wants to be tagged in pt 2, let me know)

Warnings: A bit of misogyny, harassment, alcohol

@dopenightmaretyphoon @danverssawyer @dingdongthetail

Also, you're welcome for blessing your eyes with this image. I wanted to create digital art of her, but I haven't had time, so this is partially AI generated.

☼☼☼

Larissa's life had always been busy, excessively busy. For years, she had been caught up in the rollercoaster of a journey to becoming a teacher at Nevermore Academy, and eventually the Headmistress. She has had little to no time for herself, even during the summer months. However, about five years ago, a weight had been lifted. Well, it felt lighter, as she now had time. Time to return to a passion that she had long neglected and missed dearly. 'You're not getting any younger', she reminded herself. 'Get back out there'.

With that, she found herself at a golf club just outside of Jericho, purchasing a new set of clubs.

After playing alone for most of the season and getting back into the grove of things, she crossed paths with a trio of seasoned golfers: Tom, Glen, and Richard. They had noticed her playing by herself a few times, and one day asked if she would like to join their group.

"What's a pretty little thing like you doing playing alone?" Richard asked, winking at Larissa. The headmistress scoffed at the label, 'pretty little thing'. "I'm just getting back into the swing of things" she replied, trying to brush off his comment. "Come play with us, we've never had the pleasure of playing with a young lady before" Richard replied, wiggling his eyebrows. Tom chimed in, "Yeah, we could teach you a thing or two."

Larissa reluctantly agreed to join the men, and found that their persistent staring during her address wasn't doing her any favors, as her shots were less than ideal. About halfway through the game, Larissa regained some confidence, and started putting more power into her shots. "Pretty good, for a woman" Richard commented with a sly smile. Larissa rolled her eyes at him.

Despite Richards teasing and rude comments, the older men had recognized the potential in the younger woman. They knew that she had strength hidden behind that 'slender frame of hers', as they called it. Hell, she already had the precision.

"I'll make you a deal" Richard smugly said, smirking up at the woman. She straightened her posture and nodded down at him, "Alright." Richard observed Larissa's clubs, noting that they were top of the line. Perhaps money wouldn't motivate this woman. "You got a very nice set of clubs there, it's clear that you have potential. If you beat me on this hole, I'll give you $100." Larissa raised her eyebrows, a bet? She wasn't motivated by the money much, but beating this elderly man and showing them up, well, that was intriguing. "Deal" she said confidently.

As it was, Larissa put her all into everything that she did. Her drive sent the ball soaring with remarkable distance and precision. When it came time to putt, she had hope that she could beat Richard, for she prided herself on her putting skills, which for a lot of people was not a forte. Larissa and Tom managed to finish with a birdie, and Richard and Glen on par. "Well I'll be" Tom marveled. Richard let his eyes rake over Larissa's tall form, a smile pulling at his lips. "She has talent and beauty gentlemen, she's a keeper." Larissa couldn’t' help but shake her head at him as she let out a giggle. "Here you are" Richard said, handing Larissa a crisp hundred dollar bill. "Don't spend it all in one place."

Larissa continued to play with the three men for years, earning their respect and forgoing genuine friendships. She learned a lot from them, not only about golf, but also about life. When a golf season ended, she looked forward to the next. But, as fate would have it, after three seasons Richard didn't show up for golf. Tom and Glen solemnly informed Larissa that he had passed away. She silently thanked him for what he did for her, for he had turned her into a better golfer.

☼☼☼

You have been playing golf since you were a child. Over the years you have learned all the ins and outs of the game from your father, who had been a professional golfer himself at one point. His passion, and yours, for the sport was unmatched. Together you dedicated countless hours to perfecting your swing, honing your putting, and mastering every aspect of the game.

After your fathers passing, you found it very hard to muster the energy or motivation to play, especially without him by your side. Yes, you were grieving, your father and the game. It felt like when you lost him, that part of your life was lost too. Golf, for you, was lost in translation, out of the question, and thrown into the abyss.

And that was how you felt, for the longest time. That was, until your most recent life changing decision. You quickly fell in love with the mountains, greenery, and breath of fresh air that was Jericho, Vermont. You had never ventured far from your hometown, but now, you figured it was time.

Your father had gifted you a set of clubs once you had stopped growing. They were the latest models at the time, and they suited you perfectly. The only club in your bag that was not so new, was your driver. When you were younger and your father had stopped playing professionally, he had gifted you his pride and joy, his driver. After years of wear and tear, though, it was becoming a bit shabby.

You pulled up to the golf course just outside of Jericho, 'West Bolton Golf Club'. You had been here a couple of times recently, your first time back out was harder for you than you had anticipated. Yet, after not playing for a long while, you were still as good as ever. A tad rusty, you will admit, but you thought your father would be proud. You stood your clubs next to a table outside the clubhouse and opted for a sandwich before teeing off. You hummed quietly as you ate, soaking in the sun and the warmth it brought you. It was a beautiful day for golfing, gorgeous in comparison to the other days that you were here.

As you sat and ate, excited to get out on the course, you heard some men laughing at a nearby table. Old men jokes, you thought, never really funny. You turned your attention to them as you watched an older man reach his hand out and playfully swat at a woman's arm. They were all laughing, seeming like they were genuinely enjoying each others company, it made you smile. When you were finished with your sandwich, you walked to the trash and discarded your wrapper, then made your way back to your table. You had caught the eye of one of the older men, as he watched you sit back down and rearrange your clubs. You were glancing at the woman at the table, trying your best to be somewhat stealthy. She was an image, she looked like she was straight out of an old movie. She was definitely a member here, there was no doubt about that. Her whole demeanour screamed wealthy, though it was odd. Usually it would be no surprise to see an older woman at a golf club dressed to the nines, but this woman looked considerably younger than these elderly men. The color of her hair was making you think otherwise, but you'd swear it to be blonde, not white. "Hi there" one of the old men smiled, waving at you and pulling you away from your staring. You smiled and looked around, was he talking to you? He was looking at you. "Hi" you waved back, blushing in embarrassment.

Your attempt to be stealthy was not successful, it seemed. He definitely saw you gazing at the woman, what if she was his wife? The man smiled and made a 'come here' gesture with his hand, to which you stood and made your way to their table. "I haven't seen you here before, you new?" You looked around the table and found six eyes focused on you, two of which were distractingly beautiful. You swallowed, "Yes, I just moved here." The man nodded and responded warmly, "Well, welcome to West Bolton, sit, sit." You returned a quiet thanks before settling in the only empty chair, next to the woman. "I'm Glen, this is Tom" Glen gestured to the man beside him, then turned to the woman, "and this is Larissa." Tom nodded your way, and Larissa extended her hand with an enchanting red-lipped smile. The woman's appearance was nothing short of stunning. She exuded an air of wealth and sophistication, from her golf attire to her jewelry, from her meticulously styled hair to her bold yet elegant makeup. The way she laughed, the way she drank her wine, not to mention her confident demeanor, screamed at you. It was clear now that she was considerably younger than the older men, her porcelain-like complexion fixing you in a trance.

"Nice to meet you, darling" she greeted. You stammered as you shook her hand. You knew that you should give them your name in return, but your breath caught in your throat when the woman's smooth British accent hit your ears. "Y-you too, I'm Prudence." The woman continued to hold your gaze, and you then realized how close you were sitting to her. From this proximity, you could see that her skin was smooth and pale. You couldn't help but feel that you'd hurt her if you touched it. You didn't mean it in the way that she looked old and fragile though, heavens no, but in the way that artists would portray angels- bright, creamy, delicate, exquisite.

"So Prudence, do you play often?" Tom asked, breaking the silence. You shook your head, "Not much anymore, but I used to." Tom gestured to your clubs, "Those are nice clubs you got there." You smiled and nodded in agreement, "Thank you. My father gave them to me, he taught me how to play." "Who's your father? Would we know him?" Glen asked in curiosity. "Paul Clair" you replied proudly. Tom's eyebrows raised, "Paul Clair? From Tennessee?" You confirmed with a nod, "That's him." The old men paused and exchanged glances. "He was excellent at his sport, our condolences" Glen replied. After another moment of silence, Larissa turned to you. "We're going to tee off in a minute, would you like to join us, Prudence?" You considered her invitation, you were intrigued by this woman. But, you were working on your technique, and you didn't want to hold them up.

After politely declining, you allowed the group to get ahead of you before making your way to the first hole. You placed your tee into the ground and set up as you let the fresh air of the fairway fill your lungs, relief flooding your veins. You had always found solace in the manicured fairways and lush greens, which you desperately needed recently, especially today. After teeing off and sending the ball soaring through the sky, you smiled to yourself, "Pru, you still got it".

You took your time to correct your silly mistakes and scold yourself for things about which you knew better, until half way through, when you caught up with the group in front of you. Glen, Tom, and Larissa were at the next hole, joined now by two younger men. You scrunched your face up in confusion, there were only four allowed in a group.

Tom spoke to the newcomers, who looked eager to impress. "Newbies, eh? You wanna learn a few things?" The younger guys exchanged glances before nodding at the old man, "Yeah, sure." Tom demonstrated, setting up the ball and taking his shot, sending it straight down the fairway, out of sight. "Alright, your turn" Tom motioned to one of the boys. You observed the younger men, noticing that they carried themselves rather tall, chests puffed out and chins high. One of them walked up to the tee box and set his ball up, gripping his club and getting into position. The other boy was seemingly fixated on Larissa, and you realized that she was who they were eager to impress. You watched as the ball was sent flying with great strength, but it was a slice, and it landed in the trees. The next newbie took a turn, but didn't make contact with the ball on his first swing. He cursed before trying again and making contact, but not sending the ball far, at all. "Alright, alright" Tom intervened, giving the boys a few tips. After a few minutes, Tom walked back over to Glen and elbowed him playfully. You watched as Larissa chuckled and shook her head, as if she knew what was coming. "Alright boys, I'll make you both a deal." The boys smiled and replied with okays. Tom pointed to Larissa. "If one of you drive the ball further and with more precision than Larissa here, I'll give you each $50." The boys both turned their attention to Larissa, before giving her a one over and a smile. "You boys better buy the woman a drink with your winnings" Glen joked, the boys agreed happily.

You moved closer, eager to see how this bet would play out. Larissa turned to you as you walked up behind her. She smiled, "Shall I give them a run for his money?" You chuckled and nodded your head, "Give it all you've got."

The boys tried again, determined to impress. You had to give it to them, they did better than the first time. "Not bad boys, not bad" Tom praised. "You're up, Rissa." Larissa approached the tee box with a graceful sway of her hips, and placed the tee in the ground. As she set up, you couldn't help but roll your eyes. The boys wandering gazes were venturing lower, they weren't even trying to hide it. Larissa took an elegant practice swing before aligning her club up with the ball. You watched her, captivated by her movements. She was so proper and graceful with everything that she did, every move that she made. She swung and drove the ball, sending it straight down the fairway with grace. "I think that went further than mine" Tom laughed. The boys let out frustrated groans and chuckled in embarrassment. "Well boys, the lady beat you. Don't dwell on it too much, I'll buy you both a drink when were finished." You watched as they all packed their clubs and hopped into their golf carts. Larissa headed to the cart and returned her driver, but before she left, she turned her attention to you and gave you a wink, leaving you in awe.

☼☼☼

1

After a particularly taxing day at work, you sought comfort from the golf course. You decided to sit at a table and order a drink before you started. It was relatively calm tonight, as the beautiful day had turned chilly far too soon. However, the day turned beautiful once more when you caught a glimpse of light blonde hair in a passing group of people. To your surprise, and utter delight, Larissa was sitting at a table, alone. You wasted no time in gathering your belongings and walking over to her. "Hi!" you greeted, gazing down at the older woman. Larissa's face lit up with a smile when she met your eyes, "Hi darling, have a seat."

You settled into the chair beside her and took note of her choice of drink, red wine. You watched as long elegant fingers wrapped around the stem of the glass and manicured hands brought it to her lips. "You blew the boys out of the water the other day, quite impressive" you giggled. Larissa swallowed and chuckled, "Oh, you flatter me so."

You looked around at her empty table, "Where's Glen and Tom?" Larissa waved her hand dismissively, "Sometimes they're too much. I'm flying solo today." You nodded in agreement, "So, how do you know them?"

The woman smiled, reminiscing about the day she met her older friends. "Well, when I first started here, they made a bet with me, much like yesterday. Richard, may he rest in peace, said that if I bet him, he'd give me a hundred dollars." Larissa chuckled, shaking her head, "I got the hundred, and they invited me to play with them. At first they flirted with me and made stupid jokes, but I fired back, and they soon learned that I wasn't going to take any shit." 

You laughed at Larissa's story, "Wow, that's amazing!" The woman nodded, "I still have the hundred, it's on my wall." Your eyes widened in shock, you would've spent that money so fast. "So neither of them are your boyfriend, or husband?" you blurted. Immediately regretting your question, you slapped a hand over your mouth. You don't know what prompted you to ask that, you just wanted to clarify, for some reason. Larissa burst into laughter, throwing her head back as her hand flew to her chest. "No! No love, I'm not with either of them" she replied reassuringly. You let out a breath of relief, "Oh! Okay." Larissa suddenly narrowed her eyes at you. "Did you really think I was that old?" Heat crept up your cheeks, and you felt the need to explain yourself. "Oh, no! I knew you were younger. Well you look younger, but that doesn't mean anything" you smiled, embarrassed. The woman nodded her head in understanding and looked down at her wine glass. "How old do you think I am?" she asked. You froze, you hated that question. Um, 30? 50? You were horrible at this guessing game. "Umm, 40?" you replied sheepishly, it really was your best guess. She smiled, "Close, I'm 49." Your jaw dropped, she didn't look anywhere near that age, not that 49 was old. "How old do you think I am?" you asked. Larissa furrowed her brow as she studied you carefully. You just sat there, feeling like you were being penetrated by her gaze. "Late twenties" she finally said. You shrugged and smiled, "Yeah, good guess."

After Larissa's red was gone, she asked you to accompany her on the course, to which you happily agreed. This woman was a beast at the game, being on par almost every hole (and sometimes under), and never slicing the ball into the trees, water, or bunker. She was a joy to golf with, sharing tips and tricks whenever you needed them. You thought that she would be an excellent teacher. It was apparent that she loved to help and pass on her knowledge.

You watched from behind as Larissa putted, noting the small details of her form. Her putting form, that was. Well, maybe her physical form too. She wore a baby blue colored golf skirt that showed off her long legs and accentuated her wide hips. Her white colored polo shirt fit her perfectly. Her clothes were always pristine with no wrinkles, you could learn a lot from her. Her shoes were white, of all colors, stained with nothing, no grass, no dirt. As your gaze raked over her form from head to toe, you berated yourself internally, for you were no better than any man.

As the sun set and darkness fell, making it impossible to see, you both decided to call it a night. "You did amazingly today, darling" Larissa complimented. Blushing, you packed up your clubs and took them out of the golf cart. "Thank you Larissa, as did you." Larissa's gaze shifted down to your clubs, and she noticed a charm hanging off of your bag. She took the photo delicately in her fingers, "What's this?" It held a photo of your father, which you had placed in a clear case and attached to your bag. It made you feel like he was with you whenever you golfed. "That's my father. I didn't golf for a long time after he passed, so this makes me feel like he's still golfing with me." Larissa looked at you sincerely before running her hand down your arm soothingly. "Well, I'm so glad that you decided to get back to your sport, Prudence. He would be so proud." Larissa smiled down at you before holding her hand out to you. "Can I have your phone for a moment?" You reached into your pocket and handed her your phone, unsure of her intentions. She quickly entered her number into your contacts and handed it back. She had called herself 'Larissa (from golf)' which made you chuckle. "There's my number, incase you ever want someone to golf with, or just to talk to." You smiled up at the lovely woman, reveling in the warmth that her bright blue eyes radiated. "Thank you, Larissa."

☼☼☼

You found yourself driving to a liquor store in Jericho one evening. You had been non stop thinking about wine recently, but you were unsure as to why, you weren't usually a wine drinker. You were searching the store for a brand or variety that may appeal to you, when you set your eyes on red. You had in mind white, or perhaps rose, but something about red was very, very tempting. You picked up the bottle and read the description, you knew it would be strong and dry. You scrunched your face up in question, why was this so appealing to you? Suddenly, you remembered where you got the craving for red, Larissa.

You heard the door bell ding, indicating that someone was entering the store. Speak of the angel and she shall appear, or rather think of her. Her eyes scanned the store as she subconsciously made her way to your isle. She stood next to you and grabbed a bottle of red, the same bottle that you were holding. She didn't notice you standing there at first, and you used that time to take her in. She was wearing a sage green sleeveless dress, and a scarf tied around her head. She adorned nude colored kitten heels, and when you realized how tall she really was, you gasped lightly. Larissa swiveled her head around quickly to find you peering up at her. "Oh, hello love" she spoke, surprised but delighted to see you. You quickly smiled and averted her gaze, hoping she didn't notice your staring, "Hi Larissa." The woman took the bottle in her hands and held it next to yours. "We have the same taste, do we?" she chuckled lightly. You blushed and spoke hesitantly, "I actually never tried red before." Larissa turned to you with a grin, looking you up and down. "Well, I recommend it. It is my favorite, after all." You nodded, if this was Larissa's favorite, you'd at least try it. "So, I take it you live in Jericho?" You replied with a yes. "As do I" she smiled. After you purchased your wine, you walked out of the shop together. "Would you like to golf together again, Prudence? Perhaps Saturday?" You smiled wide and nodded your head excitedly, "I'd love to, I'll see you then."

☼☼☼

2

Saturday rolled around and you were eager to get on the course. You had played a couple of times by yourself recently, and your body ached from the exercise. Being out of practice was defiantly taking it's toll on you.

You played with the older woman, and delightfully you two became closer. You  learned that Larissa was the headmistress of Nevermore Academy, which you were not surprised about at all. When she had told you what type of school Nevermore was, you were a bit nervous, due to being unfamiliar. As you and her talked though, you became increasingly intrigued by Larissa's stories. You learned that her name was Larissa Weems, and you decided that you loved how her name rolled off of your tongue.

"Do you mind?" Larissa asked with a grin, handing you a bottle of sunscreen. She turned around so that her back was facing you, and pointed to the parts of her shoulders and neck that weren't covered by her tan sleeveless polo. "I can't reach very well, but I'm afraid I burn fairly easily."

You poured some sunscreen out into your hand, gently smoothing it over her skin. The warmth of her pale skin, and the contact in general, quickly brought a blush to your face. You tried your best to not miss any spots as you focused on not feeling, or looking, too flustered. Once you applied the sunscreen, you ran your hands lightly down her forearms. On purpose? By accident? You didn't know. Larissa turned around and took the sunscreen from you with a side smile and a flutter of her lashes, "Your turn."

As you spent more time with the headmistress, you quickly found yourself becoming enamored with the tall woman. She was a remarkable golfer, and you both bonded over your similar taste in clubs and similar techniques. She was easy to talk to, she was very sweet, and she was incredibly kind hearted. She had a playful, youthful spirit that was apparent with her constant jokes and antics. She was always ready to bring a smile to your face. Yet, she possessed a mature and responsible side, and when the situation called for it, she could assert herself firmly. You admired this quality of hers, especially since you tended to avoid confrontations. Larissa was the guidance that you needed in life, yet the friend that would support you. You prayed that your connection with the woman would continue to deepen, as you cherished your moments with her.

☼☼☼

"It's a beautiful day for it" Glen remarked, pulling his driver from his bag.

"Sure is" Tom replied. The older men watched Larissa as she prepared to tee off, carefully placing her tee in the ground and taking a practice swing to gauge her aim, factoring in the breeze.

"So Larissa, we haven't-"

"Tom, can't you see that I'm golfing here?" Larissa interrupted, standing and turning to her friend while narrowing her eyes at him. Tom held up his hands in surrender, "Sorry."

After Larissa took her shot, she turned back to him. "I was going to say that we haven't seen you in a bit. Have you grown tired of us old bags?" he joked, elbowing Glen.

Larissa chuckled and shook her head. "No, of course not. I've just been busy."

Tom and Glen teed off, moving to find their place on the fairway. "Busy huh, with what? You're off for the summer, you can't be doing work" Glen exclaimed.

Larissa rolled her eyes, they loved to get her going sometimes. She glanced down at her ball on the fairway, balancing her hand on her club. "I've just been doing my own thing."

Glen and Tom glanced at each other, giving knowing looks. "You've been playing with that young girl, haven't you?" Glen huffed in false annoyance.

The elder men knew that Larissa was interested in women, and they were always supportive. That's why they found it amusing to watch the young men flirt with her, for they didn't stand a chance. Yet, Larissa has been single for a long while, the old men were aware of that too. She didn't want them making jokes about you and her when you were purely just friends. Hell, she didn't even know if you liked women, let alone her. She scrunched her face up at the older men, hoping to appear convincing in her lie. "No I have not, why would you say that?"

Tom chuckled, "I saw your name in the books."

 Larissa stared at them, expressionless, before sighing and nodding her head. "Okay, we have played together a few times."

The old men laughed before moving on to their putting. "Nothing wrong with that" Glen spoke.

"Is she good?" Tom chimed in.

Larissa smiled, thinking back to the times that you two had played together. "Very good, almost as good as I am" she replied, sinking the ball and beating both men by a stroke.

"Shit" Tom murmured.

"Well, bring her out next time, Rissa. We'd love to see her play," Glen suggested.

Larissa gave them a knowing look, "You'd love to annoy her, you mean."

Tom chuckled and placed his hand on Larissa's upper back. "Yes, that too."

☼☼☼

3

Although you were confident in your golfing abilities most of the time, you had always been nervous about golfing with others. You feared that you might hold them back, or appear too cocky, or god forbid have a particularly bad day. Alas, when Larissa texted you and asked if you wanted to play with her and the older men, you had decided that was 'the way of the game', as your father used to say.

You loaded your clubs into a golf cart and sat next to Larissa. Her outfit of the day caught your attention, as it always did. She looked stunning in her red sleeveless dress, which matched her red lips and contrasted nicely against her porcelain skin. She smiled down at you when she saw you eyeing her outfit. She reached out and stroked your arm, making a rush of warmth spread over you as your gaze shot up to meet hers. "How are you today, darling?"

You felt your heart flutter at her question, her eyes brightly boring into your own. She never failed to make you feel cared for and important. "I'm good Larissa, how are you?"

Larissa turned the cart on and shifted into drive, smiling wide.

"Much better now that I'm here with you."

As Larissa drove to the first hole, you dug out a cold alcoholic beverage. You knew it wasn't allowed on the course, as they wanted you to buy drinks from the shop. Sucks for them, you only had so much money, and the prices at the club were steep. "What have you got there?" Larissa asked, peering down at the can in your hands. "Vodka soda, want one?" You dug through your bag, pulling out another. Larissa shrugged and scrunched up her nose playfully, "Sure, why not."

As the day progressed, you found that you were playing rather well. Glen and Tom occasionally made remarks, one about you being so young, and something about Larissa and women. You didn't know what they were getting at exactly, so you ignored them. Larissa and the men shot comments back and forth as you sat in the background in hysterics. The old men really seemed innocent, and you now understood why Larissa liked them so much. By the 9th hole, you had become relaxed and comfortable with their bickering. It was all in good fun, after all.

"Aww, ducks!" you exclaimed, pointing to ducks in a pond while you were passing by in the golf cart. Larissa turned to catch what you were pointing at and stopped to let you enjoy the moment. However, she stopped so abruptly that Tom and Glen almost rear ended your cart. "Rissa, get going!" Tom yelled. Larissa ignored him and turned to you, "Do you want to go see the ducks darling?"

You excitedly nodded your head and exited the cart, walking over to the pond. You observed the ducks happily as they dived for food and quacked, swimming about the small pond. You remembered how your father would point all the animals out to you while golfing, the ducks in the pond, the rabbits in the woods, and the cows that lived next to the golf course, the one back home. You were always scared that if you didn't send the ball straight, it would curve and hit one of the cows.

"C'mon, they're just ducks" Glen chuckled.

"Leave her alone, what are you in a hurry for" Larissa replied, sitting in the cart patiently watching you. She smiled as she marveled over you. She thought that your interest and love for the simple things was adorable, and she would never want to take any joy away from you. She found that, even though you had only played together a few times, you reminded her to slow down and take her time with things, to appreciate them more. In Larissa's busy everyday life, she had forgotten how to do that. She admired the way you thought about things twice, so that you would do them right, but at the same time, you weren't too caught up in the competition, in the hustle and bustle. You went at your own pace and did your own thing, and that was how it should be.

You walked back to the cart and got in, smiling ear to ear. You were grateful for her support, and you appreciated her sticking up for you. "Thanks, Larissa" you said, blushing slightly at her. "Of course love" she replied, reaching for your hand and stroking her thumb over your skin.

You were teeing off at the next hole when Glen noted your worn out driver. "You got a lot of use out of that" he said, pointing to the scuffed up and dented head. You picked it up and brushed it off, "Yea, I guess I could use a new one." "You'd do better with a new one, that one is probably throwing you off" Tom noted. You nodded and chuckled, "I'll get a new one, eventually." Larissa took note of your attitude, it was like something was bothering you. "They have nice ones at the shop darling, we can go look at them" she chimed in. You shrugged, "Maybe another day, I'll have to save up" you embarrassingly admitted.

You sat in the golf cart enjoying a snack as Larissa conversed with the older men. Your jaw almost dropped when your gaze landed on her, the sun cascading around her form and accentuating her red accents. The sky was unusually colorful today, with pink, orange, and yellow hues blended together smoothly. Larissa's smile glowed even more than on a normal day, and her eyes crinkled with joy. She was truly a breathtaking image. An image. You gasped excitedly when you recalled packing your polaroid camera, and you quickly pulled it out of your bag. You looked through the camera lens and focused it on her, your hands shaking as you tried to keep it steady. As you were about to snap the photo, Larissa turned and started walking toward your cart. You pulled away from the camera nervously, hoping to snap a photo without her seeing. You said screw it as you lined the camera lens up with her, ceasing an opportunity that was too good to pass up. She smiled to herself and her gaze met the sky as she made her way to you. You snapped the shot. Candid photos were always beautiful, as they captured the essence of a person. You laid your camera carefully back in your bag, listening to the whirring of the printing photo. Larissa sat next to you, still smiling wide as she gestured to the sky. "Isn't it beautiful, darling?" You looked up at the array of colors, before lowering your gaze to your bag. You chuckled to yourself, debating on letting your thoughts run with the breeze and carry themselves to her ears, 'It's not as beautiful as you.' Alas, you refrained and your gaze met hers warmly. "It really is Larissa, it's so beautiful."

After the 16th hole, you loaded your clubs into the cart and settled in the passenger seat again. You had a few drinks while on the course, which may have affected your performance, but not too much. You were caught off guard as Larissa stepped on the gas, giggling, as she thought it would be hilarious to leave Tom and Glen in the dust. You squealed as you fell gently into the woman, and quickly grabbed the handle to pull yourself away. She raced down the dirt path to the next hole, and you watched as the sunscreen fall out of the cart and onto the ground. "Shit Rissa, the sunscreen!" you hollered. The older woman slammed on the breaks, the cart drifting in the dirt and gravel. You jumped out and retrieved the sunscreen, laughing hysterically. "Geeze, you gotta be somewhere?!" you said, eliciting a cackle from Larissa as she drove down the path. When you stopped, she leaned closer to you and took your hand in hers again. Her plump lips curled up into a cute smile as brown eyes met blue, and you blushed. "You're very fun to be around, Prudence. Thank you for coming out today" she whispered. Your blush deepened as you looked down at your intertwined hands and squeezed hers reassuringly, "It's my pleasure. You're a delight, Larissa."

Glen ended up winning this round, with Larissa in second and you in third. Tom, being the loser, offered to buy the drinks. As you all sat, worn out from the day, a man appeared at your table, "What can I get you all?" He looked younger than Larissa, yet older than you. You noticed that he was paying an unusual amount of interest towards the woman. He talked enthusiastically, and you watched him as he took the old men's orders of beer, your order of a rum and coke, and Larissa's order of red wine. He took Larissa's order last, looking her up and down with a smirk. He then opened his mouth, to your dismay. "I saw you playing today Larissa, not your best day huh? Maybe it's because you're not wearing your blue skirt. That one shows you off nicely" he winked. Before you, or anyone else could say anything, the man walked away. Larissa let out a groan in annoyance and placed her head in her hands. "What the hell is his problem!?" you asked, frustrated and confused. Larissa sighed and turned to you, about to respond, when Glen spoke up. "He's a cocky young thing. He works and plays here. When Larissa first started playing, he challenged her."

"He challenged her, and Rissa beat him! Now he's sour about it" Tom added, rolling his eyes. Larissa leaned in closer to the men and whispered in disgust, "He never leaves me alone. I always see him eyeing me, little pervert."

"He'll get what's coming to him" Tom replied confidently, taking a drink of his beer.

After a drink and some much appreciated golf advice from Glen and Tom, another man made his way to your table and stopped next to Larissa. "Red wine, a fine choice" he said, flashing her a toothy smile. Larissa smiled back and nodded, "Yes, it's my go to." The man looked around the table at the older men, then at you. "May I buy you another?" he asked, gesturing to her drink. Your eyes narrowed at him, how arrogant, it seemed that he had deemed her available to flirt with. Tom laughed and shook his head, "You're barking up the wrong tree pal." Larissa glared at Tom with an expression that said 'shut up.' She then looked up at the man and waved her hand dismissively, "Thank you, but I'm fine." The man replied while eyeing Larissa up and down. "Are you sure? I saw you golfing today, and I'm pretty impressed." Larissa chuckled but shook her head no, about to politely decline again, when you spoke up. You furrowed your eyebrows at the man and placed your hand on Larissa's, "She said she's fine." The man's eyes widened in surprise as they shot to you. He then nodded and headed back to his table. Larissa gazed down at you and chuckled in amusement and surprise, squeezing your hand lightly. She hoped you couldn't read it on her face, but she thought it was precious, how you defended her. "Someone has a crush" Glen spoke, picking up his beer and taking a sip. Larissa smiled, "I'm sure he just wanted to talk about golf." Glen raised his eyebrows as he looked at you, "I'm not talking about him."

Larissa gave him a questioning look before letting go of your hand, "I'll be right back." As soon as Larissa entered the building and was out of sight, the men turned to you. "So, what are your intentions with our friend here?" Tom asked. You tilted your head in confusion, "What do you mean?" "Do you like her?" Glen chimed in. You raised a brow, "Well yeah, I like her. Why wouldn't I?" Tom and Glen smirked at each other before chuckling at your obliviousness. "No, are you interested in her? Do you like women?" Your mouth dropped open as you blushed lightly. You knew the answer to that question, but why did they care? You shrugged, "No, no. I mean maybe, yeah."

Larissa was making her way back from the washroom when caught your conversation. She stopped at the door and discreetly listened in. "Well, she likes women, and she's single" Glen replied, hinting. Larissa's mouth opened in disbelief, they were just casually outing her to you? Okay then. "You know she's 49, right?" Tom laughed. Larissa's mouth dropped further, they weren't ones to talk about age. You chuckled and shook your head at the men, now eager to speak the truth. "I don't care if she's 49, she's fucking lovely." Glen and Tom erupted into laughter at your response, but inside, a toothy smile lit up the older woman's face. Larissa's heart swelled in her chest at your words, you innocent thing you. She returned to the table and settled down next to you, scooting her chair closer to yours. Her eyes crinkled as she smiled down at you, and when you returned a side smirk, she gave you a knowing wink.

☼☼☼

Part 2

[datcloudboi]

List of Video Games Turning 10 Years Old in 2024

Alien: Isolation

Assassin's Creed: Rogue (the one where you play as an Assassin turned Templar.)

Assassin's Creed: Unity (the one set during the French Revolution.)

Atelier Escha & Logy: Alchemists of the Dusk Sky

Azure Striker Gunvolt

The Banner Saga

Bayonetta 2

The Binding of Isaac: Rebirth

BioShock Infinite: Burial at Sea (the DLC where you go back to Rapture)

A Bird Story (a sort of spin-off of "To the Moon")

BlazBlue: Chrono Phantasma

Borderlands: The Pre-Sequel! (is this a sequel to 1 or a prequel to 1? I forgor)

Bravely Default (in North America)

Broken Sword 5: The Serpent's Curse

Call of Duty: Advanced Warfare (the one with K*vin Sp*cey)

Captain Toad: Treasure Tracker

Castlevania: Lords of Shadow 2 (to date, the last new Castlevania game to release)

Child of Light

The Crew (going offline at the end of March)

D4: Dark Dreams Don't Die (a wonderfully strange game from the guy that made Deadly Premonition)

Danganronpa: Trigger Happy Havoc (in North America)

Danganronpa 2: Goodbye Despair (in North America)

Dark Souls II

Deception IV: Blood Ties

Demon Gaze

Diablo III: Reaper of Souls

Disney Infinity 2.0

Divinity: Original Sin (from the team that would go on to make Baldur's Gate 3)

Donkey Kong Country: Tropical Freeze

Dragon Age: Inquisition (the winner of GOTY at the very first TGAs)

Drakengard 3

Earth Defense Force 2025 (EDF! EDF! EDF!)

The Evil Within (from the creative director of Resident Evil)

Fable Anniversary

Fairy Fencer F

Far Cry 4

Freedom Planet

Guilty Gear Xrd Sign

Hyrule Warriors

Inazuma Eleven (in North America. And digital only.)

Infamous: Second Son (as well as its expansion, First Light)

Kirby: Triple Deluxe

The Last of Us Remastered (just one year after the original version came out...)

The Legend of Korra (the game from PlatinumGames that you can't buy anymore)

Lego Batman 3: Beyond Gotham

Lego The Hobbit

The Lego Movie Videogame

Lethal League (from the team that would go on to make Bomb Rush Cyberfunk)

Lightning Returns: Final Fantasy XIII (the third and final chapter of the Final Fantasy XIII trilogy)

Lisa: The Painful (yes, really)

LittleBigPlanet 3

Lords of the Fallen (not to be confused with Lords of the Fallen, which came out in 2023)

Mario Golf: World Tour

Mario Kart 8 (the original version)

Metal Gear Solid: Ground Zeroes (the prologue to Metal Gear Solid V: The Phantom Pain, which came out 18 months later)

Middle-Earth: Shadow of Mordor

Might & Magic X: Legacy

Murdered: Soul Suspect (it's like Ghost Trick: Phantom Detective, but not as good)

Natural Doctrine

Oddworld: New 'n' Tasty! (a from the ground up remake of the first Oddworld game from 1997)

Pac-Man and the Ghostly Adventures 2 (yes, it got a sequel. I don't know how or why.)

Persona 4 Arena Ultimax

Persona Q: Shadow of the Labyrinth

Pokemon Omega Ruby & Pokemon Alpha Sapphire

Professor Layton and the Azran Legacy (the last time that Professor Layton himself was the protagonist. At least, until the New World of Steam comes out)

Professor Layton vs. Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney

Pushmo World

Risen 3: Titan Lords

Sacred 3

Samurai Warriors 4

Shadowrun: Dragonfall

Shantae and the Pirate's Curse (the 3rd one)

Sherlock Holmes: Crimes and Punishments

Shovel Knight (yes, really)

Skylanders: Trap Team (the 4th one)

Sniper Elite III

Sonic Boom: Rise of Lyric

Sonic Boom: Shattered Crystal

South Park: The Stick of Truth

Steins;Gate (in North America)

Strider (the one from Double Helix)

Sunset Overdrive

Super Smash Bros. for Wii U and Nintendo 3DS (or Smash 4 for short)

Tales of Xillia 2

Tales of Hearts R

The Talos Principle

Theatrhythm Final Fantasy: Curtain Call

Thief (the reboot)

This War of Mine

Toukiden: The Age of Demons

Transformers: Rise of the Dark Spark (this game merged the storyline of the War for/Fall of Cybertron games with the storyline of the Michael Bay movies. I’m not joking)

Transistor

Valiant Hearts: The Great War

The Vanishing of Ethan Carter

The Walking Dead: Season Two

Wasteland 2

Watch Dogs

The Witch and the Hundred Knight

The Wolf Among Us (sequel this year!)

Wolfenstein: The New Order

Yaiba: Ninja Gaiden Z

Yoshi's New Island

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Jesse Duquette

* * * * *

TRUMP SEEMED HAVE HAD SOME SORT OF...EPISODE AT A RALLY IN NEW JERSEY

TCINLA

MAY 13, 2024

From Charles P. Pierce at the Esquire Politics Blog:

Over the weekend, the de facto Republican presidential candidate gave a speech in New Jersey in which he sounded like a raving lunatic. To wit:

“Al Capone was so mean that if you went to dinner with him and he didn’t like you, you’d be dead the next morning. And I got indicted more than him. On bullshit, too. Just bullshit.” “The enemies from within are more dangerous to me than the enemies on the outside. Russia and China we can handle, but these lunatics within our government that are going to destroy our country, we have to get it stopped. They’re not on the right; they’re on the left.” “Fat Alvin, corrupt guy.” “You could take the ten worst presidents in the history of our country and add them up...and they haven’t done the damage to our country that this total moron has done. He’s a fool; he’s not a smart man. He never was. He was considered stupid. I talk about him differently now because now the gloves are off. He’s a bad guy…he’s the worst president ever, of any country. The whole world is laughing at him; he’s a fool.” “They’re emptying out their mental institutions into the United States, our beautiful country. And now the prison populations all over the world are down. They don’t want to report that the mental-institution population is down because they’re taking people from insane asylums and from mental institutions.” “Has anyone ever seen The Silence of the Lambs? The late, great Hannibal Lecter. He’s a wonderful man. He oftentimes would have a friend for dinner. Remember the last scene? ‘Excuse me, I’m about to have a friend for dinner,’ as this poor doctor walked by. ‘I’m about to have a friend for dinner.’ But Hannibal Lecter. Congratulations. The late, great Hannibal Lecter. We have people that have been released into our country that we don’t want in our country, and they’re coming in totally unchecked, totally unvetted. And we can’t let this happen. They’re destroying our country, and we’re sitting back and we better damn well win this election, because if we don’t, our country is going to be doomed. It’s going to be doomed.”

(Not to be pedantic, but the fictional Mr. Lecter is still fictionally alive, and not fictionally dead. He has accomplished this despite, you know, not being a real person.)

The only story to be written about this event is that a huge crowd gathered to see and hear the presumptive presidential candidate have some sort of episode in public. That is a major news story. Half the electorate has turned into a banana farm. The following, from The New York Times, is not the way to do this.

But if Mr. Trump’s speech largely consisted of what has become his standard fare, the setting stood out. Though New Jersey has voted for Democratic presidential candidates in every election since 1992, and Mr. Trump lost the state by double-digit margins in both 2016 and 2020, he insisted that he could win there in November. “We’re expanding the electoral map, because we are going to officially play in the state of New Jersey,” Mr. Trump said to a packed crowd on the beach. “We’re going to win the state of New Jersey.”

Neither is this.

Mr. Trump, who once owned casinos in Atlantic City, N.J., and who often spends summers at his golf club in Bedminster, N.J., has been publicly bullish on his chances in New Jersey for months. Political experts, and even some of his advisers, are skeptical. Still, parts of the state are deeply conservative, including the area around Wildwood, a boardwalk town on the southern end of the Jersey Shore and a beach destination popular with working-class families. Many visitors come from Pennsylvania, a battleground state that backed Mr. Trump in 2016 but swung to Mr. Biden in 2020.

And, finally, this isn’t, either.

Against the backdrop of classic Americana, Mr. Trump repeated his typical criticism that Mr. Biden’s economic policies were hurting the middle class. With an amusement park operating rides in the background, he insisted that only he could preserve the summer shore tradition. “The choice for New Jersey and Pennsylvania is simple,” Mr. Trump said, telling supporters to vote for him if they wanted “lower costs, higher income and more weekends down at the shore.” (The area’s locals usually say “down the shore,” but judging by the cheers of the crowd, the point was well received.) The rally was a stark contrast to the scene at the Manhattan courthouse, where proceedings are more sober and Mr. Trump’s comments are limited to remarks to reporters before he enters and leaves the courtroom.

This is normalization that ought to be taught in journalism schools as an example of what never to do. And the comparisons drawn between Trump in Court and Trump on the Stump are dangerously facile. His criminal trial isn’t just another bump on the campaign trail, like a freak snowstorm in Iowa or a washed-out bridge in New Hampshire. The odds are better than 50–50 that the presumptive Republican presidential candidate will be a convicted criminal going into his party’s convention. That’s a black-swan event in American history, and it ought to be covered like one every day.

My comment:

A.G. Sulzberger is proving every day that the private ownership of a public service like the New York Times makes as much sense as allowing one of the billionaire class to own the local water supply.

[toffeechad]

▂▃▄▅▆▇█▓▒░ My new pinned!░▒▓█▇▆▅▄▃▂

【Fictive indicators!!】

ꕥ = Major kin!

ᰔᩚ = Semi-major kin!

✬ = Partial kin!

My system's fictionkins/fictives:

Puffball (BFDI) ꕥ (my main fictive!)

Fries (BFDI) ꕥ

Eraser (BFDI) ✬

Pen (BFDI) ꕥ

Golf Ball (BFDI)

Tennis Ball (BFDI) ꕥ

TV (BFDI) ✬

Leafy (BFDI) ꕥ

Firey (BFDI) ꕥ

Winner (BFDI) ꕥ

Flower (BFDI) ꕥ

Dora (BFDI) ᰔᩚ

Four (XFOHV/BFDI) ꕥ

X (XFOHV/BFDI) ꕥ

Hatsune Miku (VOCALOID) ꕥ

Stella (Angry Birds) ᰔᩚ

Bloody Bunny (Bloody Bunny) ✬

Mumu (Bloody Bunny) ✬

Dark Rabbit (Bloody Bunny) ✬

Rainbow Dash (MLP) ꕥ

Pyro (TF2) ✬

Dave (DFAC/FNF) ꕥ

Bambi (FNF) ᰔᩚ

Tristan (DFAC2/FNF) ✬

DATA_EXPUNGED (FNF)

Bandu (FNF) ᰔᩚ

Bendu (FNF) ✬

Ringi (FNF) ᰔᩚ

Bambom (FNF) ✬

Marjia (Muse Dash) ✬

Buro (Muse Dash) ᰔᩚ

Sorbet Shark Cookie (Cookie Run) ꕥ

Timekeeper Cookie (Cookie Run) ᰔᩚ

Lychee Dragon Cookie (Cookie Run) ✬

Fettuccine Cookie (Cookie Run) ✬

Peni Parker (Spiderverse) ꕥ

Crimson (Total Drama: The Ridonculous Race) ✬

Gardevoir (Pokémon) ✬

Lightbulb (Inanimate Insanity) ꕥ

Test Tube (Inanimate Insanity) ᰔᩚ

Paintbrush (Inanimate Insanity) ᰔᩚ

Bot (Inanimate Insanity) ꕥ (3rd major fictive!)

Shadow the Hedgehog (Sonic) ᰔᩚ

Boboiboy (Boboiboy) ᰔᩚ

Yaya (Boboiboy) ᰔᩚ

Gebura (Lobotomy Corporation) ✬

Strawberry Cream Cookie (Cookie Run) ✬

Kotoko Utsugi (Danganronpa) ꕥ

Babs (Chicken Run) ✬

Shaun (Shaun The Sheep) ꕥ

Speakerwoman (Skibidi Toilet) ᰔᩚ

Mr Strong (The Mr Men Show) ᰔᩚ (2nd major fictive!)

Tweak (Octonauts) ᰔᩚ (4th major fictive!)

Ami (Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi) ᰔᩚ

Bubble (BFDI) ᰔᩚ

Mr Nervous (The Mr Men Show) ᰔᩚ (5th major fictive!)

Little Miss Daredevil (The Mr Men Show) ꕥ

Little Miss Sunshine (The Mr Men Show) ᰔᩚ

This is my ref sheet!

Main alias: Toffee

Other alias: Lana (my actual name)

She/Her (i'm not a demigirl anymore, i was criticized because of being one)

I'm Aromantic, so uh I'm not interested to be in a romantic relationship

Autistic

15 (turning 16 on April 16)

Aries

My f/o's Mr Tickle from the Mr Men and Little Miss franchise! (Specifically, he's my childhood crush.)

Despite the fact that I'm not wanting to be affiliated with the DNB community ever again, I still trust my friends in this fandom.

ꕤ MY FREE DRAWING REQUESTS ARE ONLY AVAILABLE AT THE WEEKENDS IN THE MALAYSIAN TIMEZONE! ꕤ

Erm yeah I have spidersonas as well

The Object Spiders of Earth-2763 OLD REF SHEET >>

>> NEW REFS FOR THE OBJECT-SPIDERS OF EARTH-2763

Spider-Fowl

Clymene Moth

Honeycomb Spider

Avicularia

Green Lynx Spider

MORE INFO ABOUT MY EARTH-2763 SPIDERSONAS!!

I also made a few BFB AUs too!

BFB MDM AU

BFB MDM AU CHARACTER SUMMARY PT 1

BONUS CHARACTERS FOR THE BFB MDM AU

ASK BLOG FOR THE BFB MDM AU!!

EARTH-2763

BFB HUNGER GAMES AU

PROTAGONIST MARKER AU

BATTLE IN LOBCORP: THE TRUMPET OF TWO

CONCEPT OF THE "CONTESTANTS" IN THIS AU

FULL BILC: TTOT INFO LIST

CURRENT UPCOMING AU I'M MAKING:

FLOWERET: A MR MEN AND LITTLE MISS INFECTION AU

If you're wondering what does my persona look like, feel free to click here!

‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾ List of my awesome besties!! ☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙

◍ Cooki_Alt

◍ Exsio Picore

◍ NovaAzurite

◍ Moonsprout-sys

◍ MochaBlogger

◍ Trashbins_Stuff

◍ artismeyou-12

◍ vaap0r_wave

◍ B0nb0n

◍ wowwzaaxei

◍ heartsfortwotpot

◍ Branimator

◍ slimebottlesilly

◍ the-random-creechur

DNI if you're hella problematic especially for: NSFW, Proship, Israel supporters, UNTITLED BLOGS, fetish, MAP, Sigmas, L*licons, Ableists, P*dos, etc!

Interests: BFDI, II, Bloody Bunny, MLP, Cookie Run, FNF, Octonauts, Muse Dash, TF2, Sonic The Hedgehog, Mobile Legends, Super Mario, Pokemon, Roblox, Angry Birds, Spiderverse, Vocaloid, Total Drama, The Amazing Digital Circus, South Park, Chicken Run, Mobile Legends, Mr Men & Little Miss, Lobotomy Corporation, Skibidi Toilet and Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi.

[foreverlogical]

This week, as the Stormy Daniels hush money trial kicked off, New York Times reporter Maggie Haberman noted the presence of a figure in court whose job responsibility sounded like a joke, writing that her job was to carry around a "wireless printer" to provide the former president with an "ongoing stream of good news from the internet."

But it turns out that the aide is very real. Her name is Natalie Harp, a former One America News anchor who joined Trump's communications team in March 2022. According to reporting that year by the Washington Post, Harp would even accompany the former reality TV host on golf trips in a cart "equipped with a laptop and sometimes a printer to show him uplifting news articles, online posts, or other materials."

This is nothing new, this is from 2017:

Twice a day since the beginning of the Trump administration, a special folder is prepared for the president. The first document is prepared around 9:30 a.m. and the follow-up, around 4:30 p.m. Former Chief of Staff Reince Priebus and former Press Secretary Sean Spicer both wanted the privilege of delivering the 20-to-25-page packet to President Trump personally, White House sources say.

These sensitive papers, described to VICE News by three current and former White House officials, don’t contain top-secret intelligence or updates on legislative initiatives. Instead, the folders are filled with screenshots of positive cable news chyrons (those lower-third headlines and crawls), admiring tweets, transcripts of fawning TV interviews, praise-filled news stories, and sometimes just pictures of Trump on TV looking powerful.

One White House official said the only feedback the White House communications shop, which prepares the folder, has ever gotten in all these months is: “It needs to be more fucking positive.” That’s why some in the White House ruefully refer to the packet as “the propaganda document.”

The process of assembling the folder begins at the Republican National Committee’s “war room,” which has expanded from 4 to 10 people since the GOP won the White House. A war room — both parties have one regardless of who’s in the White House — is often tasked with monitoring local and national news, cable television, social media, digital media, and print media to see how the party, its candidates or their opponents are being perceived.

Beginning at 6 a.m. every weekday — the early start is a longtime war room tradition — three staffers arrive at the RNC to begin monitoring the morning shows on CNN, MSNBC, and Fox News as they scour the internet and newspapers. Every 30 minutes or so, the staffers send the White House Communications Office an email with chyron screenshots, tweets, news stories, and interview transcripts.

White House staffers then cull the information, send out clips to other officials, and push favorable headlines to a list of journalists. But they also pick out the most positive bits to give to the president. On days when there aren’t enough positive chyrons, communications staffers will ask the RNC staffers for flattering photos of the president.

[todayisafridaynight]

What exactly ARE the Yakuza games?

Yakuza, also known as Like a Dragon, is a Japanese video game franchise created, owned and published by Sega. The franchise incorporates elements of the action-adventure, beat 'em up, and role-playing genres.

The storyline premise for each franchise installment is typically a crime drama, with plot lines inspired by yakuza films and pre-millennial Japanese crime dramas. The most frequently featured protagonist is Kazuma Kiryu, a reformed yakuza associated with the Kanto-based Tojo Clan. While Kiryu often finds himself working with the leaders of the Tojo Clan to thwart conspiracies aimed against them, the primary theme of the series is his desire to leave the yakuza for good and start over by raising orphans and trying to assimilate into civilian life. The gameplay of Yakuza / Like a Dragon has the player controlling Kiryu (or another character, depending on the title) in an open world where he can fight random groups of punks and gangsters, take on side missions and activities to earn experience and money, learn new moves from non-player characters (NPCs), eat and drink at various restaurants, visit hostess and cabaret clubs, craft items, and engage in a variety of mini games such as golfing, bowling, batting cages, video arcades, karaoke, and gambling games including poker, blackjack, Cee-lo, and Koi-Koi.

The franchise has become a commercial and critical success, and as of 2021, Sega has reported that the video game series has sold a combined total of 19.8 million units in physical and digital sales since its debut in 2005. Strong sales of the games in its original Japanese market has led to the franchise's expansion to other media, including film adaptations.

The Yakuza / Like a Dragon game series is set primarily in the fictional district of Kamurochō (神室町), which is based on Kabukichō, an actual red-light distri

[tadc-ragatha]

(Closed!) The Amazing Digital Circus Writing Game (50 Follower Event)

I just recently surpassed 50 followers (so fast!) on here and decided to celebrate by making a writing game/event! It's loosely based on The Amazing Digital Circus but also with some general prompts and whatnot. I'll put the rules and actual prompts below the cut. Spoiler mentions.

Event masterlist [x]

Rules:

No romantic pairings between official characters (platonic is fine; excludes reader)

No NSFW/creepiness/illegal things

No OCs

Pick two or more characters (reader must be selected for an x reader one), and a maximum of two prompts. You may pick one bonus optional prompt. Send the request in through my ask box. I have the choice to make headcanons or a one-shot.

This game will be open for at least a week since posting. When finished, I will put a notice on the title. Edit: the game is now closed. Requests that have been sent in already will be completed.

I do not provide permission for these prompts/this game to be used by other writers/creators/people.

Characters:

Reader

Caine

Bubble

Pomni

Ragatha

Jax

Kinger

Gangle

Zooble

Prompts:

🤡 (Clown Face) A new face 🗺️ (World Map) A new place 🍼 (Baby Bottle) Youngest member 👁️ (Eye) Eyes everywhere 🍝 (Spaghetti) Missing hunger 🧈 (Butter Stick) Slippery 🎁 (Wrapped Gift) Present 🎊 (Confetti Ball) Celebration 🪩 (Mirror/Disco Ball) Dance 💽 (Computer Disc) Origin 🎡 (Ferris Wheel) Heights 🎢 (Roller Coaster) Speed 🌠 (Shooting Star) Stargazing 🐛 (Bug) Prank 🐓 (Rooster) Sleepless nights 🚪 (Door) Exit ⚰️ (Coffin) Abstraction

Bonus Prompts (Optional):

🔴 (Red Circle) Ball pit activity ⛳ (Golf Flag and Hole) Mini-golf activity 🧂 (Salt) Cooking activity 🎈 (Balloon) Balloon animal activity ⛸️ (Ice Skate) Ice skating activity 🎀 (Ribbon Bow) Fashion activity 🔇 (Muted Speaker) Silence activity 🎼 (Musical Score) Music activity 🌊 (Water Wave) Lake activity 🎠 (Carousel Horse) Amusement park activity 🎪 (Circus Tent) Circus performance activity

[vinluco]

What headcanons do you have for the main 4 in max headroom 20 minutes into the future? :)

HELLO HI OHMYGOSH OKAY sorry if this list isnt that expansive!! i cant think of all of mine, might update later djsjsjsjs-

My headcannons for 20 Minutes into the Future (below cut!!)

Max!!

Asexual, but I think he'd also be on the aromantic spectrum too?

Only knows a lot of things because of Edison's memory, and acts like he's a hot-shot know-it-all because of it. Mans has never played golf a DAY in his life.

I completely agree with the headcanmon that he blows tv fuses when he gets mad, but I think if he were to sleep, his background would only show up as a kind of "screensaver." Y'know?

Has a toothgap due to Edison's accident. He doesn't mind it, personally! :3

Cannot physically age unless he chooses to. I stress this because of the Channel 4 Digital Switchover commercial, in which Max is shown to be aged. I, for one, A.) Do not count that as canon, and B.) Don't believe Max can age physically. Though, yes, he is old in our world.

Hates his stutter. Tries not to show that he's insecure (macho, masculine, 80s persona type shit,) but in reality he can't help it and genuinely despises how he talks.

If!! If ever given a body (Bryce prolly built it), he would be taller than Edison. Max would be ECSTATIC.

Doesn't listen to a lot of music, normally. He might put on like, pop or disco sometimes, but its not like he gets too much into it.

AuDHD

Edison !!

I think he'd have a secret soft spot for country. Like, country or jazz, y'know?

Closet Bi. C'monnnnnn, you can't tell me that man isn't the biggest repressed bicon ever.

Doesn't have a tooth gap, unlike Max, but does have a scar from the accident. Doesn't like to talk about it.

Isn't mad at Bryce for the accident, he knows Bryce didn't mean any real harm.

Iced coffee bitch. Embarrased about it.

I think he had a normal childhood,, he feels like he did. Maybe some elements of religious trauma, coming from the related episode,,, Something something,,, Vanna Smith's relationship with Edison is meant to represent his past beliefs and how they still have a grip on him,,,, something something their one night stand was a metaphor for reliving your trauma and coming out of it changed/with a new lens,,,, something something,,,,

,,,I have mixed feelings about him and Theora,,,,

One one hand, yeah! Cool! They have good chemistry, and they have their motives to be in a relationship!

On the other hand, it would do Theora's character a misjustice to simply make her get into a relationship with Edison just cus,,,, i dunno,,,

Edison would HATE that Max would be taller than him. Matt Frewer/Edison is already a tall dude, but,,,, make Max 7'6 you cowards. /hj

Always breaks his vidicams, hides them from Murray and Cheviot but knows they'll eventually find out. Time out for Mr. Digital Sherlock >:P

Hangs out with Blank Reg when he's not covering stories, I think Eddy and the Big Time Television crew would have a great friendship!!

Do not call him Eddy.

Theora!!

Also Bi, but leans towards women :) Maybe like, Biromantic Asexual?

Her and Edison do hang out, like, outside of work, but the thought of "romance in the workplace" icks her out (valid, honestly.)

Sometimes plays into Max's antics, I think they'd have a great dynamic (shame it wasn't explored more.)

Completely meant to slap Murray in "Security Systems." No, she didn't need to sell the bit. No, she didn't need to warn him. Fuck Murray. All my homies hate Murray 😤

I see her liking glam rock,,, or like, some kind of rock (70s and 80s, ofc). She's giving me like, Sweet or The Ramones kinda vibes,,,

I think her childhood was a bit rough, but thata just vibes. We never get specifics, I think, but maybe I'll write a fanfic someday and explore it. (do y'all want Max Headroom fics I'll fuckin DELIVER.)

(( she is so fuckin pretty oh my godddd :O ))

Bryce !!

Aromantic. Not to fall into the trope that like "haha, smart character aro/ace!!" but, seriously. Do you think he wants anything to do with that? Nah, science #1, and y'know? Thats valid, you funky little dude.

Funky Little Dude™️

More of a gremlin than the show lets on. I know if he were around modern-day, dude would be slamming back monsters and talking about The Fog and The Rot.

Troubled childhood. Sent off to a tech school at an early age, didn't grow up woth his family around, or many friends. It's canon, what the f u c k.

iPad baby. Enough said.

Feels guilty about Edison's accident.

Literally says that he "felt fear for the first time" when he was /freezing to death./

Bryce???? Do you need a therapist??? Buddy?????

The only adults in his life want to use his genius to get more ratings. Bryce is but a toy to them. I need to psychoanalyze him. Puts him in a salad spinner.

On a lighter note!! Listens to classical music unironically!! Weirdo!! /pos

You literally can't tell me he isn't autistic. As someone on the spectrum, I bestow him this headcanon. Can't read social queues, doesn't understand figures of speech, flat tone of voice, ect. He's on the spectrum 😤

[brokenntable]

Hey, I’m a big cravity fan and I agree on the lack of posts!! Could you do a cute one, like going on a day trip with the members or something? Just spending the day doing something fun with them and what you’d think they’d be like. Thank you!! Also love the profile pic!<3

thanks anon for the request! I'll answer best I can on what it would be like for cravity members taking you out on a trip!

Cravity members taking you on a trip!

Serim

Serim would attempt to keep the trip a secret but you accidentally open his computer (that he said you could go on) and the first thing to pop up was the hotel reservation. he would still try his best to make it as fun and romantic as possible.

like, he would notice you've been a bit tense recently, so he would book a hotel with a fancy spa so you can go and relax. he would book at a restaurant that has your favourite food and he'd tell you to know worry about spending (even though you still insist) cause he wants to treat you. he would end the night at an arcade where you battle it out over machines and he'd try his best to win you a plushy (he'd win ofc)

Allen

Allen would be the most prepared member for going on a trip fr. suitcases would be packed two weeks before, he would know where your passport was before you would get the chance to even look. it would be so cute, he would have cute stuff planned for each day.

if he took you to LA with him, he would show you all of his favourite places he used to go to and before going, he would search 'the best romantic spots in the area' it would be so corny.

Jungmo

you'd think going on a trip with Jungmo would be really rich and luxurious, so when you find a picnic blanket in the middle of a meadow filled with flowers you're very shocked. its the end of spring slowly turning into summer so the heat is just perfect and humidity is low. he asked some of his members to help make small cute snacks such as the sausage octopus you showed him from tiktok and jam sandwiches cut into hearts (kinda).

hes so flirty as well so it'd be no surprise when he pulls out a bottle of champagne that when you got home costs two digits more than you imagined. you'd spend the day talking about anything and everything and at times Jungmo would enjoy just sitting watching you, the sun lighting up your face (he thought you looked angelic)

Woobin

I think Woobin would like to surprise you with a trip. He would plan a small get away to the seaside in autumn, when the air is crisp and the air is fresh. I could see him planning an overnight stay at an air bnb where there is still a view of the ocean from the window. he would set up some candle light and cook one of your favourite meals before you both walk by the sea front in the evening.

Wonjin

If Wonjin took you on a trip it would be the funnest trip. I'm talking singing at max volume a playlist you both made in the car trip there, he's really thoughtful too so he would research the funnest things to do in the area which you would both find yourselves at laser quests, crazy golfs and a children's play area you're both way too old to be in.

Wonjin would probably lose his wallet meaning you'd have to pay for most of the trip. I can imagine his wallet would have the hotel keys in as well so you'd find yourselves at the reception at 2 am asking for a new key.

Minhee

I don't think Minhee would even think about going on a trip because he's just happy to be around you, but when you suggested to go on one with him he was very onboard.

I think on a trip he'd be very chill. you guys might go somewhere out of the city where it's more quiet and go site seeing, hiking and nature walks. probably places that have history or landmarks. places where you could set up a picnic and eat snacks. I think he'd bring a disposable camera with him so he could document it all since you guys are both busy so these occasions are rare!

Hyeongjun

Hyeongjun would definitely take you back to his home town! I can imagine he would try and cut down costs though so you would stay over at his families place.

throughout the day he would take you to all the best places, he'd even stop by his sisters flower shop and get you some of your favourite flowers. I can see the evening consisting of a games night with him and his family, Hyeongjun trying his best to win so he'd look good in front of you. he'd ask to team up with you in a game of monopoly because 'you handle money better' or smth but its so he can lay down on your lap and watch you do most of the playing.

Taeyoung

Taeyoung along with Minhee would probably be the most chill and impulsive out of all of them. But I think Taeyoung would like to take you to some really artsy places in the area. You would probably end up travelling about a lot going to see different tourist spots, museums and best local food places.

when its night and you're both ready to head to the air bnb do you realise the one Taeyoung booked was fake. you both end up in a cheap hotel room for the night sharing a cup ramen, laughing and joking about it all.

Seongmin

you and Seongmin on a trip would be exploring a new city together and having the most fun in all the stores. you would both be tired from work and one of you would suggest wanting to go somewhere new, you'd pick a city to explore and that's where you'd go.

it would be the type of day where you'd go into stores and and try on a bunch of new things like 'you think this would suit me?' whilst trying on the oddest pair of sunglasses but thinking it's hilarious. you'd find a near by cat cafe and have a photoshoot in various poses with the cats. I can imagine with Seongmin you'd take the best photos too.

this ended up being longer than expected :')

-brokenntable

[littledigits]

DIGITS THE UNDERWATER MINI GOLF COURSE IN ABBOTSFORD IS BACK

It's not blacklit anymore (sadly) but it's still so cool. There are so many rock mounds to climb on and pretend you're a silly merman (much to your caretaker's disapproval in my case)

Anyway I will leave you with this

NATURE IS HEALING !!!!! HUZZAH !!!!

ty so much for letting me know thats GREAT NEWS ! look at this lil friend, this toothy fishy bean. Precious, perfect, so glad they are safe !