#is it kyle or kale? yes

[chiliger]

Unfortunately, the Emperor bewared the ides.

[powerpolyculeshowdown]

CANON POLYCULE SHOWDOWN

this is a contest for canonically confirmed polycules or polycules that have a lot of hints to a possibility of them being canon, even if the authors might not have intended that way!

Beware of spoilers!! Some of these only become polycules later in the media they're from, and some of the descriptions describe a tragic fate for the polycule, so keep in mind there will be spoilers

rules can be found here

bracket can be found here

honorable mentions can be found here

links for all the match ups as they go live can be found in the MASTERPOST. it will be updated each round, but i will also tag every round to make them easier to find

help me w descriptions for the honorable mentions!

Round 2 part 2 finished.

Round 3 will go live on May 19th!

(#canonround2 or #pollycule if you want to search for the polls)

tags:

#canonpolyculeshowdown - for relevant updates and the polls

#pollycule - (yes double L) specifically for the showdown polls, to make it easier to find. doesn't include the prelims cause I only thought to add this after, sorry

#canonpropaganda - for, well, propaganda. ill post asks, reblog posts and maybe reblog reblogs

#honorablemention - for the ships that did not make it in (i will still make a post introducing all of them)

#tournamnt poll - the generally agreed on tag for blacklisting purposes. let me know if i forget to use it! i cant edit polls but it will remind me for the following round

#canonroundN - N being the number of the round we're in. so, for example: canonround0, canonround1, canonround2, etc. from the quarterfinals onwards, they'll also include the specific tag (#quarterfinals, etc). Check the post's tags for that ome if you want to look at all polls from that round!

list may be updated as needed.

if you submitted something that did not get in, nor was it posted as an honorable mention, and you wish to know why, feel free to send an ask.

LIST OF CONTESTANTS:

Nathan/Vlad/Ursula (Hunger Pangs)

Rilla/Arum/Damien (Penumbra Podcast)

Nathan/Gabriel/Annalise (The Bastard Son and the Devil Himself)

Ben/Ryn/Maddie (Siren Freeform)

Arthur/Guinevere/Lancelot (High Noon Over Camelot)

Quanxi/Pingsti/Cosmo/Long/Tsugihagi (Chainsaw Man)

Wu Zetian/Li Shimin/Gao Yizhi (Iron Widow)

Caleb/Astrid/Eadwulf (Critical Role)

Sadie/Walt/Anubis (The Kane Chronicles)

Rajan/Wolfgang/Kala (Sense8)

Princess Glisselda/Seraphina/Lucien (Seraphina)

Tess/Jacomo/Margarethe (Tess of the Road)

Logan/Jean Grey/Scott/Emma (X-Men)

Uzui/Hinatsuru/Makio/Suma (Demon Slayer)

Megaera/Thanatos/Zagreus (Hades)

Dianda/Simon/Patrick (October Daye)

Haruka/Michiru/Setsuna (Sailor Moon)

Asmodeus Alice/Clara Valac/Iruma Suzuki (Mairimashita, Iruma-kun!)

Aizo/Yujiro/Hiyori (HoneyWorks)

Kyle/Rogelio/Lonnie (She Ra)

Dashawn/Steve/Jose/Cupe R III/Otto/Arturo/Gregory/Quackers McQuack (Bojack Horseman)

Fluorite (Steven Universe)

Miss Piggy/Kermit/Gonzo (Muppets)

Sherlock/Watson/Mary (Sherlock Holmes movies)

Ichika Hoshino/Saki Tenma/Shiho Hinomori/Honami Mochizuki (Project SEKAI)

Tree Trunks/Mr. Pig/Alien Husband (Adventure Time)

Daniel/Sam/Jack/Teal’c (Stargate SG-1)

Mukai Naoya/Saki Saki/Nagisa Minase (Kanojo mo Kanojo/Girlfriend Girlfriend)

Eddie/Venom/Anne/Dan (Venom)

Peter Quill/Aradia/Mors (Guardians of the Galaxy)

George/Gilda/Thomas (Design for Living)

Leif/Thorn/Kale (Leif and Thorn)

Kieran/Ray/Gemma (Trigonometry)

Eugene/Rapunzel/Cassandra (Tangled the Series)

Jack/August/Rina (The Wicker King)

La’gann/Coral/Rodunn (Young Justice)

Syenite/Innon/Alabaster (Broken Earth)

Enrique/Hypnos/Sofia (The Gilded Wolves)

Max/Jack/Anne (Black Sails)

Pyrrha/Commander Wake/Gideon the First (The Locked Tomb)

Neptune/Venus/Jupiter (We Know the Devil)

Quincey/Jack/Arthur/Lucy (Dracula)

Amber/Reese/David (Adaptation)

Will/Tessa/Jem (The Infernal Devices)

Kieran/Cristina/Mark (The Dark Artifices)

Winter/Moon/Qibli (Wings of Fire)

Camille/Nyra/Dendro (Muted)

Sasha/Anne/Marcy (Amphibia)

Neal/Peter/Elizabeth (White Collar)

Turtle Heart/Melena/Frex (Wicked)

Emiya/Saber/Rin (Fate Stay/Night)

Sofiane/Victor/Luisa (Mortel)

Taylor/Theo/Josey (3)

Jack/Emma/Izzy (You Me Her)

Keiko/Miles/Kira (Star Trek)

Jade/Dave/Karkat (Homestuck Epilogues)

Anzu/Kazuki/Junta (Romantic Killers)

Shikimori/Izumi/Ai (Shikimori is Not Just Cute)

Camina/Michio Pa/Josep/Serge/Berthold/Oksana (The Expanse)

Breq/Mercy of Kalr/Seivarden/Ekalu (Imperial Radch)

Roguish Semiotician/Infamous Mathematician/Player Character (Fallen London)

Alphonse/Seth/Listener (Bittersweet)

Storm/Helen/Mira (Love and Luck Podcast)

Nicky/Joe/Andy/Booker/Niles (The Old Guard)

[nervouswreck202-blog]

Here's my poster of my official version of my version for my DisneyElseWorld's Pixar's...

INSIDE OUT 2!

I saw the new Inside Out 2 trailer, and they made Anxiety, Ennui, Embarrassment, and Envy bad by betraying the old emotions. Lots of crazy stuff is about to happen! We don't know what's going on, lots of details are there too. But what would the ElseWorld version be like?

SO!

For my idea. I have 6 new emotions, the OC emotions like, Courage, Surprise, Pride, Trust, Shame, and Frustration.

MAIN VILLAIN

I am using on of my oc's Ego de Spite, to be the main villain of the au second movie.

OTHER CHARACTERS

Characters like Zee, the assistant of Ego, she runs the business with him but she tries to avoid him to help others. Bud, Courage's blood cell buddy, he doesn't speak but he's sweet, nervous, cute and got some attitude. And Brain, the big boss of Riley's mind, and the emotions need his help to stop Ego. And Mother Esteem, sweet old mind lady but very big (Disclaimer: Not in the poster).

Returning Cast like...

Amy Poehler as Joy, Bill Hader as Fear (YES! I'm bringing Bill Hader back! He's so much funnier then I expected), Lewis Black as Anger, Phyllis Smith as Sadness, Kensington Tallman as Riley, Diane Lane as Mrs. Andersen, and Kyle MacLachlan as Mr. Andersen.

Recast Alert!

I actually like Liza Lapira playing Disgust. After what Mindy Kaling did in Velma, it wasn't enough for me. Because the show and her are piles of shit to me.

With All-Star Cast like...

Chris Pratt (The LEGO Movie 2) as the new outside leader emotion Courage, Sam Richardson (Hocus Pocus 2) as Surprise, Kate McKinnon (Ferdinand & Saturday Night Live) as Frustration,

Andrew Rannells (Trolls Band Together) as Trust, Randall Park (Ant-Man And The Wasp) as Pride, Jim Cummings (Winnie the Pooh) as Shame, Nicholas Hoult (the X-Men films & Underdogs) as the villainous and hilarious, Ego de Spite,

Aubrey Plaza (Monsters At Work) as Ego's sarcastic female assistant, Zee, Michael Cera (Barbie & Superbad) as Ego's nerd assistant, Yes Man, Peter Sohn (Ratatouille & Spider-Man: Across The Spider-Verse) as The emotions new blood cell buddy, Bud, Wanda Sykes (the Ice Age films) as Mother Esteem,

with David Wain (The Bob's Burgers Movie) as Chairman the Mind Councilman, Yvette Nicole Brown (Drake & Josh) as Riley's middle school P.E. coach, Ms. Roberts, Brady Noon (TMNT: Mutant Mayhem) as Jordan, Jack Bright (The Good Dinosaur) as Riley's bully, Francis, & Alfred Molina (Monsters University, Gravity Falls & the Spider-Man films) as the smart, wise cracking, and big-headed mind boss himself, Brain.

CREW

Written & Directed by Josh Cooley

Co-Directed by Bob Peterson and Angus MacLane

Produced by Mark Neilsen, p.g.a.

Executive Produced by Pete Docter, Dan Scanlon, and Jonas Rivera

Story by Josh Cooley and Pete Docter

Edited by Kevin Nolting

Cinematography by Patrick Lin and Kim White

Production Designer Craig Foster

Story Supervisor Peter Sohn

Visual Effects Supervisor Bob Pauley

Supervising Animators Jerome Ranft and Doug Sweetland

Music by Michael Giacchino

Score Cordinator Andrea Datzman

Casting by Kevin Reher & Natalie Lyon

[kawipastell1928]

Pokémon Players that I interacted with in Pokémon Sword/Shield in the Wild Area, Isle of Armor, and Crown Tundra on February 22, 2024!

I will be putting the name shown to me in game, and only put names in English so I apologize to any foreign Trainers I had to leave out due to unable to write your name in your language, but I love you all the same! Names have been wrote down EXACTLY as I saw them in game, so yes, these are what people names themselves. Enjoy! ✨

Max

Shorty

Gloria

alex

cal

Kenny

william

brun0

Gwen

Emma

Vincent

Angel

Travis

dt2blue

Matt

Red

em

shey

Kale

???????

Liam

Victor

xDead

MaliBunty

Yixii

Silkh

loïk

Ash

Ciuffola

God

.com

Da Villian

DragonGaming

Riley

wanne

bob

what the poo

kamille

demon child

Xain

Linoux

Rusher

meg*

Javi

Amy

Lenny

izza241

Chester

maxx

Ghost

Brian

nathan

Connor

mikey

Kosmikaze

kylian

RYDER METZ

KMG

Edgy

josh

Emmett

BEE

Dario

Dexter_Stone

Slick

shadow

isabel

Belial

Erika

Liam

Xande26

trisy

Rodders83

Lumiere

Allura

MaHo

Steven

ash

dany

Brian

Allison

Sven

Viper

Rika

G.Warren

Kolten

BEAR!!

Seda

Roman

Zoey

Luna

Set24

TakasuNight

Finkie

Mikan

peter

Rocky

Rubyheart

Luke

shadow fox!!

fire

myla

Darky

Fox

Kyle

Alpacalpacas

Lucas

Gloria

Tammy

lee

Matthew

log

lex

trey

Héo

ash

N

mr beastfinn

Frank

garrett

cayden

Fwip

exell

Jslick

Cassi

jakjak

Jay

jacks

stinky

Jordin

Felipe-A2k

Miles

Adrian

Please don't forget the people in Palestine, Sudan, and Congo who are persecuted for being alive and believing certain ways in their homes. Don't forget the Hawaiian natives who have no say in their own land and homes, and that they also deserve their independence from the forced colonization they are under. We will never stop bringing awareness and hope you keep them in mind and support them all one day being Happy, Safe, and Healthy. 💖

[practically-an-x-man]

Uncommon Questions for OCs and their creators:

For Jasper, Robin, and Prometheus

2, 7, 10, 25, 39

Then the creator questions

C, E, F

Thank you so much!! You're the best!

Answers under the cut as always

2. How easy is it for your character to laugh?

Jasper: Oh, so easy. They can feel everyone else's amusement, for one, but they just have a very easy laugh even without the empathic abilities.

Robin: She can keep a straight face when she needs to. She's a professional actor, after all, she knows how not to break. But when she's not trying to stifle it, it's very easy to make her laugh

Prometheus: not very. They're pretty stoic, just on principle. But that's not to say that they don't have a sense of humor. You're in for a treat once I get this new fic finished...

7. What triggers nostalgia for them, most often? Do they enjoy that feeling?

Jasper: I feel like there's a few specific songs that would trigger nostalgia, because they're so connected to music. As for whether it's pleasant, it depends on the memory. Some things are nice, but most of them are definitely not.

Robin: Irish food, the sorts of things she grew up eating. And since she's so close with her family, she definitely enjoys that sort of nostalgia.

Prometheus: It's kind of hard to determine nostalgia with an immortal being... That being said, there are a few moments with the kids that remind them of their prior life, and they're not always a fan.

10. What lie do they most frequently remember telling? Does it haunt them?

Jasper: Not one lie, but they're definitely the sort of person to just make up random "facts" just for shits and giggles. Like, "hey, did you know that sometimes peoples' blood will just turn green? It happens when you eat too much Vitamin K, like in kale and spinach". No, definitely doesn't haunt them, they get a kick out of it.

Robin: There have been a few jobs where she omitted the fact that she was Deaf. Before she started working with Cindy, she had a bit of trouble getting hired because of that. It doesn't exactly "haunt" her, but she does wish she'd been a little more up-front about it.

Prometheus: Not so much an outright lie, but they definitely omit that they used to be a nightmare. Not exactly conducive to comfort. The lie itself doesn't haunt them, but their past does.

25. What are their thoughts on marriage?

Jasper: Before Kyle, they hadn't really considered it. But since then they've warmed up to the idea, to say the least.

Robin: Oh, absolutely in the cards for her. At first she's a little concerned that Peter would have trouble settling down, but that worry fades pretty quickly. He's stuck around this long, after all, and he doesn't seem to be going anywhere.

(and eventually they do get married and have a daughter but shhh)

Prometheus: Can dreams really get married to one another? Not in a legal sense, I don't think. At the very least, it's never really been on their radar. They weren't even expecting to find romance, let alone consider the possibility of marriage. But if a certain someone were to drag them down to a Waking church someday, even just to pretend...

29. Do they usually live up to their own ideals?

Jasper: They feel like they don't, but that's mostly just irrational anxiety. Looking at it logically, they're past anything they'd have hoped for.

Robin: Usually, yes. She puts in the work, and it often pays off for her.

Prometheus: No, but that's only because they hold themself to an impossible standard. They can't help everyone, it's impossible even for a dream, but they sure wish they could

And the creator questions...

C. Did you have trouble figuring out where they fit in their own story?

Jasper: I don't think I had trouble, it just took me by surprise. I was expecting much more of a slowburn than I actually put onto the page, and I had to rework a few things because of it

Robin: No? There were a few details that got tweaked, especially when I made the decision to make her a Cassidy instead of just another mutant, but overall I've had a pretty clear idea the whole way through.

Prometheus: A little, mainly because this OC was a lot more spur-of-the-moment than the other ones. But I think I got it worked out in the end.

E. Are they someone you would get along with? Would they get along with you?

Jasper: Oh, 100% both ways. Genderqueer, alt, complete music nerds, we'd get along really well. Writing them even feels a bit like I'm talking to a friend.

Robin: I'd say yeah. Again, I feel like we'd bond over music. I've done a bit of opera myself, and I'm in the top choir at my uni, so I feel like that would be something to bond over.

Prometheus: Hard to say. I'd like to say yes we'd get along, just because they're a pretty positive force, but I don't think we'd be friends exactly.

F. What do you feel when you think of your OC (pride, excitement, frustration, etc)?

I'm gonna answer these altogether since it's pretty much the same answer for all of them: a bit of pride, intrigue, and contentment. This is what writing's about for me, exploring the different characters, so I take a lot of enjoyment in thinking about my characters. Sometimes they're a little harder to write than others, but overall it's a positive experience for me :)

Thank you again!! You're amazing!

[walllerbridge]

kyle maclachlan has such kind fun energies... he tweets and I’m just like wow :’) there he goes :’)

[suckitsurveys]

K

The K Survey by joybucket

Was your first kiss magical? Ha, no. It was pretty awkward. Do you have kids, and how many kids do you want? I do not and I don’t want to have any. If you’ve ever flown a kite, what did you think of it? It gets boring pretty fast. Do you know what video game the name Kaori is from? Nope.

Do you like…. kayaking? karaoke bars? singing karaoke? Special K with Berries? Kit Kat bars? kite-flying? kids? kissing? kickball? the name Kaori? (it’s Japanese) Kellogg’s cereal? Kim Possible? your kitchen? cleaning the kitchen? Kool-Aid? Kmart? Korean food? Have you ever… played the kazoo? been to Kalamazoo, Michigan? sang karaoke? played kickball? got hit in the face with the ball during a game of kickball? had a huge knot in your hair that took forever to comb out? shopped at Kmart? lived in a town that had a Kmart? had a Kmart in your town that closed permanently? shopped at Kmart’s close-out sale? knit a scarf? had someone try to kill you? known someone who worked at Kellogg’s cereal factory? cut a knot out of your hair because it just wouldn’t come out? tried to comb a knot out of your hair but then it just ripped off? thought that “Kilimanjaro” was a cool word? been to Kazakstan? worn khaki pants as part of a school uniform? kayaked? listened to Kpop music? had a Korean friend? been to South Korea? painted kids’ faces at an event? babysat little kids? tried the keto diet? Do you know anyone named… Kelsey? Kori? Keisha? Kezia? Kia? Keely? Kelly? Kamber? Kara? Kyra? Kiara? Kaori? Kennedy? Kenzie? Kinsey? Kim? Kay? Kaya? Karla? Kierstin? Karissa/Kari? Kaylee? Katelyn? Katie? Kate? Koa? Kinsey? Kit? Kat? Kialani? Kailua? Ken? Kayla? Kaelynn (any spelling)? Khevren? Kiki? Koko? Kyle? Kylie? Kyla? Kevin? Would you rather… travel to South Korea or travel to Kazakstan? Korea climb Mt. Kilimanjaro or win a lifetime supply of Kit Kat bars? Kit Kats go kayaking or fly a kite? Kite pet a kangaroo or eat Korean bbq? Korean bbq play kickball or kiss a frog? Kickball sing karaoke or kayak down a river? Karaoke drink Kool-Aid or drink tea from a kettle? Tea eat Special K with Berries or eat Kix? Kix eat a Rice Krispie treat or eat a Klondike bar? Final Q’s! Do you think “kiosk” is a cool word? Sure. Have you ever owned a Kodak camera? Yes. Have you gotten Kodak film developed? Yep, many times. Describe a keychain that you own. Nah. Are you familiar with the song “Kokomo”? GET THERE FAST AND THEN WE TAKE IT SLOW. What were your favorite toys when you were a kid? Barbies, my bike, rollerblades. Who was your favorite celebrity when you were a kid? Blink-182 haha. Do you still wear kid’s clothes? No. Do you like kiwi? Ew. Have you ever lost a keychain? Yes. Do you like kale? Sure. List ten words that rhyme with “kick.” Ick, lick, nick, pick, quick, rick, sick, tick, click, slick. What does the word “kibbles” make you think of? Dog food. List ten words that rhyme with “knob.” Bob, cob, glob, job, kabob, mob, rob, sob, blob, fob. That’s all for now- I hope you are enjoying my alphabet surveys, and I hope you have a wonderful day! :)

[mrskurono]

U ARE SO LUCKY I COULD’T FIND THE REST OF MY STICKERS SO I PUT MY TODO PLUSHIE NEXT TO MY BAKU MERCHHHHHH. your wife has SPLENDID TASTE, I STAN HER. 💥💥💥💥

& i had to deeply sigh bc i wanted to scream my lungs out for the fucking longest. i’m so sick of the fandom ignoring all the other abuse going on in that house and making it like everybody else is innocent bc there wasn’t phy abuse like endeavor. (it was) yes enji was the fucking seed and the tree but rei grew the fucking branches. i’m not a endeavor apologist but the way they infantilize rei fucking kills me. it’s like they take what she did and sweep it under the rug. i didn’t want to ramble on abt a serious topic but ugh the discourse over that tells a lot about the rei savior’s/anti endeavor’s character.

PLS I HATE WHEN THEY SWITCH SIDES LIKE THAT LIKE NOOOO UHH. his big ole smile took my heart away (lowkey reminds me of joker *cries*)

🧑🏾‍💻 anyways, hello welcome to dr.kale’s office. today we’re doing some self discovery and self projection! 🧑🏾‍💻

Protect your Todoroki and that Bakugou figurine with your life. The wife is on the hunt for both ☻ asdfghjkl she has to get rid of a sweater and something else to justify getting a $50 Bakugou sweater from Hot Topic 😐

No trust me I get it. I really don't hate Endeavor at all. They're all terrible. That's like the literal point to the story. And it's work of fiction so I really don't stress too much about it. But the way people coddle Rei for neglecting and allowing it (and abusing Shoto) but jump down Endeavour's throat 🙄 Take it from a mom, if my spouse so much as looked at my child wrong there would be a blood bath. Idgaf if she was abused too you protect your kids. The way the fucking fandom acts like this is real is exhausting 🙄🙄🙄

Fatgum's VA is my all time favorite hubby of all time. Anything Kyle Huebert does I love and like, big fat teddy bear man that out weighs my fat ass has my heart for daaaays ♡♡♡

Kale, we ignore our problems and hope they go away! Like adults do! Ain't no one got time for self reflection!

[newagesispage]

                                                                JULY                                   2021

 THE RIB PAGE

 *****

They are still uncovering statues on Easter Island.

*****

Everyone is talking about ‘Exterminate all the Brutes” from Raoul Peck.

*****

Vampire bats, prevalent in Latin America may be on the way to the U.S.

*****

What they call faith, I call strength.

*****

Criss angel will open CABLP, a restaurant in Overton, Nevada. The letters stand for breakfast, lunch and pizza and will include a free meal outreach program to help under privileged and pediatric cancer families.

*****

A fifth ocean in Antartica??** There have also found 4 new ocean species: Apolemia, Tegula Kusairo, Leptarma Biju and Duobrachium Sparksae.

*****

In China they have found a possible new species in a skull that is 140,000 years old.

*****

Why would Jeffrey Toobin be back at CNN?? Surely there are more young deserving talking heads around.

*****

The Keystone pipeline is dead.

*****

5,000 pounds of explosives were discovered in a home in South LA. LAPD seems to have detonated the fireworks in a truck right there in the neighborhood. They were too dangerous to transport but not enough to blow them up??? How stupid are these people??

*****

Days alert : So glad to see Clyde again even if it is only for a moment!! **BTW, I do not understand the Daytime Emmy noms this year as they relate to Days. I really was pulling for Victoria Koneful (Ciara) and she won but George DelHoya (Orpheus), Tamara Braun (Ava) and Cady McClain (Jennifer)??? I was shocked when Cady McClain won. I mean, she was so whiny. I question my own ability to judge a performance. In most categories, the winner was usually the one I thought was the worst option. I was happy for Max Gail and CBS Sunday Morning.  Some performances were sure overlooked. What about James Read (Clyde), Paul Telfer (Xander), Bryan Dattilo (Lucas), Robert Scott Wilson (Ben), Daniel Kerr (Eli) and Lindsay Arnold (Allie) ?? As annoying as the Kristen character is and as long as it took me to get used to Stacy Haiduk in the role, she kicked ass this year. Did they even submit clips?? And,  they are not often on but Tony and Anna forever!!!!!!** And how wonderful is it to see the Dimera boys all together and recounting the whole fam for the votes? **And one more thing, Days was not even nominated for writing while Bold and the Beautiful spends every other show with the Liam character standing in front of the fireplace making excuses for the same shit! Just push repeat, C,mon!!**Philip had a great line for Brady about following Kristen like a zombie.** Dis Eli really say, “Peacock and chill??’ Are these the things they will have to do to do to stay on the air? It took me right out of the show. It was the same day the ads for Days on Peacock started. OMG

*****

Texas Gov. Abbott vetoed a bill that would make it illegal to chain up dogs without water.**ATexas churches have lost their 501(c) (3) status because it actively ‘educates’ its members on electing specific Republican politicians. –Pete West* This should have been happening long ago. Many churches I know of do this and should not be allowed to have it both ways. #tax the church

*****

Ellen Burstyn, Jane Curtin, Loretta Devine, Christopher Lloyd, James Caan, French Stewart and Ann-Margaret in Queen Bees and directed by Michael Lembeck?? Yes please!!

*****

NY has suspended Giuliani’s law license.

*****

Miracle Workers: The Oregon Trail is coming to TBS, this will be season 3 in the series.

*****

What is this about Bowen Yang?? A podcast about a sperm bank heist?? Yeow!!

*****

David Geffen has given $150,000,000 to Yale drama school: Every student will be tuition- free in perpetuity.

*****

Allison Mack was sentenced to 3 years.

*****

The latest in sexual assault news: James Franco has agreed to 2.2 mil settlement in sexual misconduct case.** Kyle Massey was charged with immoral communication with a minor.**Bill Cosby is out and here are some reactions: A terrible wrong is being righted.: a miscarriage of justice is corrected. I fully support survivors of sexual assault coming forward.- Phylicia Rashad*I really don’t ever want to hear again as to why many survivors don’t report their rape or assault.- Charlotte Clymer* Women are showing great restraint in not burning everything to the ground right now and I don’t know how they do it.-Jeff Tiedrich

*****

Amazon is making a series of A League of Their Own with Nick Offerman as the coach.

*****

Does anyone else have family members that are rich, transient, know it all snobs??

*****

It looks like New York’s ranked choice voting is leaning toward Eric Adams for Mayor.

*****

Michigan republicans investigating voter fraud found 2 incidents. One is for a lady who voted by mail and then died, the other was confusion over a man who had the same name as his Father. That was it!

*****

Jamie Lee Curtis will get the Golden Lion for lifetime achievement at the 78th Venice International Film Fest in September.

*****

Jerry Seinfeld will star in and direct ‘Unfrosted’ about Pop-Tarts.

*****

Why is Airbnb still listing properties in illegal settlements and outposts in Palestinian occupied territories? –James J. Zogby

*****

Merrick Garland has announced that the Justice department sued Georgia over the voting rights.

*****

The NFL says that it will halt the use of “race norming” which assumed black players started out with lower cognitive functioning in a $1 billion settlement of brain injury claims. The practice had made it harder for black players to qualify. –The Associated Press.

*****

Scary Clown 45 ended his ‘From the desk of Donald J. Trump’ blog after 29 days. Word is that he felt he was being mocked in the media.

*****

Religious leadership keeps engaging in partisan politics on behalf of politicians that are particularly unpopular with younger people and they wonder why younger people are disenchanted with the church. – Schooley ** Give young people credit as well for seeing through the hype and lies of these religious hypocrites who use God only as a weapon and a threat. –Larry Charles

*****

Amazon will stop drug testing for employment. Can every other company jump on this bandwagon? Let’s judge employees on the work they give.

*****

The Backstreet Boys and NSync are going to work together??!!

*****

Showtime is bringing back American Gigolo with Jon Bernthal.

*****

If Biden can carry out air strikes without proper authorization, the Senate can raise the minimum wage without the Parliamentarian.  –Alexandra M. Hunt

Reality Winner is out!!

*****

Judy Woodruff has been given the Peabody award for journalistic integrity.

*****

Donald Glover is bringing us Hive. Malia Obama will be a writer.

*****

Nicholas Cage has married Riko Shibata.

*****

Catch and Kill: The podcast tapes, is here on HBO.

*****

Bryan Cranston and Annette Bening will star in Jerry and Marge go large.

*****

Amblin Partners and Netflix are partners.

*****

Fall 2022 will bring the Roybal School of film and television production for underserved communities. They are looking to help 9th, 10th, 11th and 12th grade students. Among others, the program was cofounded by George Clooney, Don Cheadle, Kerry Washington, Mindy Kaling and Eva Longoria.

*****

Will there be a Wedding Crashers2??

*****

The Mysterious Benedict Society stars Tony Hale.** I would love to see he and Danny Pudi in something together.

*****

Actor Stephen Amell from Arrow was removed from a plane after getting into it with his wife.  A source said he was drunk and screaming. An official source said that they removed “an unruly customer.”** Andy Dick was arrested for assault with a deadly weapon, allegedly assaulting his partner, Lucas with a metal chair.

*****

So.. Fox news was digitally altering the faces of people they did not care for??? Is there no end to their bullshit????

*****

Mark Ronson is set to marry Grace Gummer.

*****

Crime shows seem to be in the cycle of prisoners and the women who get a thrill from helping them escape.

*****

Wolfgang Van Halen has released a debut album: Mammoth

*****

Everyone seems to love Danny Trejo’s memoir and its honesty.

*****

David Spade will take over as host of Bachelor in Paradise.

*****

I am sickened when I see the first question that pops up on an online search is the net worth of a person. Oh this twisted world.

*****

Life is a short pause between 2 great mysteries. –Jung

*****

Prince Harry and Meghan had a daughter that they named Lilibet ‘Lili” Diana.

*****

Michael Flynn’s brother Charles (who withheld help from the capitol on Jan. 6), leads the U.S. Army Pacific and commands 90,000 troops.

*****

I am so excited to read ‘The Boys’ from Clint and Ron Howard, due out in October.

*****

Dave Chappelle closed out the Tribeca film fest with a surprise concert. This was the first in person film fest since Covid. Look for This time, this place which premiered there.

*****

Ron Wood will release the album Mr. Luck: A tribute to Jimmy Reed on Sept. 3

*****

Howard Stern signed a new $500 mil contract with Sirius XM. He is taking the whole summer off and many fans say they will cancel their subscription because they don’t want to pay for a summer of reruns.

*****

Acorn will bring Jane Seymour back to a series. Seymour will be co -executive produce on Harry Wild. Her character will be a retired University professor who loves her whiskey and solves crimes.

*****

Annie Murphy  stasr in ‘Kevin can f*** himself about a sitcom wife which airs on AMC.

*****

I still do not understand why Rep. Mike Nearman hasn’t been arrested for letting insurrectionists into the Capitol.

*****

There is a wing shortage??

*****

The Pulitzer prizes have been announced. The list includes Ben Faub, Barry Blitt, Katori Hall, Emilio Morenatti, AP photographers Marcio Jose Sanchez, Alex Brandon, David Goldman, Julio Cortez, John Minchillo, Frank Franklin II, Ringo H.W. Chiu, Evan Vucci, Mike Stewart and Noah Berger. There was a special citation for Darnella Frazier who filmed the death of George Floyd.

*****

Conan’s last TBS guests were Martin Short, Jack Black, Bill Hader, Mila Kunis, Dana Carvey, Patton Oswalt and JB Smoove. There were some surprises.  The big musical number never happened when Jack Black hurt himself. It was all funny and sweet but Conan never mentioned the band in the last show WTF????????????????????????????????????????? Music is so important to him and he does not thank the band? ** Colbert and Brian Stack gave Conan a cute send after4, 368 shows on CBS calling him a ‘Slenderman Ron Weasly’.  Kimmel wished Conn well also.** Hope his HBO MAX variety show goes well.** BTW, the Duvall interview with Colbert was great to see but why does nobody ever mention ‘Get Low?’ What a performance!!

*****

Tattoos are on the rise.

*****

Fast food drive thru’s sometime close with fake excuses like the equipment is down or something because they don’t feel like working. Good people can’t find work and so many waste the opportunities they have. AAAAGHH!!

*****

Valerie Bertinelli and Demi Lovato will star in ‘Hungry’ on NBC.

*****

Hulu will bring us David E. Kelley’s Nine Perfect Strangers with Nicole Kidman, Michael Shannon, Regina Hall, Bobby Cannavale and Melissa McCarthy.

*****

R.I.P. Gavin Macleod, Frank Bonner, Joy Vogelsang, Benigno Aquino, Champ Biden, victims of the Miami building collapse, Robert Sacchi, Stuart Damon, Johnny Solinger  and Clarence Williams III.

[iamleavingthisfandom]

maybe it's just me, but I haven't seen a lot of 40yo reddie soulmate AUs out there, and now I want to write them because of the tenderness potential. This one is written based on "You get a craving for whatever your soulmate is eating at the time" prompt. Rated T

He walks into the living room only to find Richie sitting on the couch eating fries. At 2:15 in the morning.

The smell fills his nostrils as he breathes deeply, taking in the aroma of grease and salt that spells out “heart attack by 50” in his mind. He can feel plaque forming in his arteries. And yet somehow it doesn’t matter in the slightest, because these specific fries are suddenly the most tempting thing in the world (except for, perhaps, kissing Richie senseless, but he won’t admit that to save his life). So with a sigh, he comes up to the couch, seeing Richie look up. “Move your ass,” he demands in a sleepy voice and sits down next to Richie (perhaps a bit too close), nudging his hip with his own and crowding against his side as he takes a fry out of the bag unceremoniously. “Eduardo, I’m shocked,” Richie puts a hand to his chest dramatically, and Eddie’s too tired to tell him to knock it off. “What about cholesterol and the risk of developing heart disease before the age of 55?” He knows Richie’s mocking his almost-daily lectures and he couldn't care less. To his credit, the lectures have gotten progressively rarer as he let go of more and more of his imagined ailments. “With all the heart attacks you give me daily, I won’t live that long,” Eddie grumbles with a grin, too tired to make much sense. He elbows Richie in the side a bit (intentionally) as he reaches for another fry. Richie just chuckles and lets him. So what if he’s craving fries at the same time as Richie? Fries have always been his weakness. That doesn’t mean anything. The fact that they spend the rest of the night talking because neither can bring themselves to stop the conversation doesn't mean anything either. *** Next time, it’s not quite as innocent. He’s about a block from the apartment they share with Richie (as a result of an utterly platonic offer from Richie whose reasoning was that they both needed someone near after the demonic clown affair) when he’s hit with the strongest craving for orange chicken. There’s nothing around him that smells remotely like orange or chicken, and the closest thing to food he can find is a huge billboard displaying waffles with syrup and whipped cream. He can’t quite get orange chicken off his mind the entire walk back to their place, but it doesn’t immediately click that the craving might have something to do with his soulmate. Having spent years without thinking about his soulmate or how unhealthy their eating habits are (which was a concern briefly before he got together with Myra and decided to ignore everything related to souls and mates – what kind of a person eats gummy bears and gummy bears exclusively like three days in a row for lunch) doesn’t really lend itself to immediate reworking, so excuse him. He has repressed these thoughts in favor of a loveless marriage for too long a time to easily jump to the conclusion that his cravings are related to his soulmate’s eating habits. As soon as he’s home, he’s about to pull up Postmates on his phone when it hits him: the strongest smell of spicy remotely orange-like substance smothered all over poultry. Just to confirm his suspicions, he takes off his shoes and makes his way to the kitchen, stopping in the doorway. As he thought, Richie is sitting cross-legged at the table, his hair up in a messy bun as he scrolls through twitter, no doubt tracking news articles about his recent coming out (he says it doesn’t bother him, but Eddie knows it does). And what does he have if not a takeout box full of orange chicken? There’s another plastic box on the table and Eddie’s heart stupidly skips a beat when Richie looks up at him and smiles brightly. “Hey, Spaghetti! Got you your usual Beef with Broccoli,” Eddie stares at him, at both containers on the table and at the small boxes of rice before smiling softly to himself. He doesn’t know what he’s smiling about, really, but when Richie asks him about his day at work, looking like he’s actually excited to listen to him, he just feels like he’s where he’s supposed to be. *** From then on, he starts watching Richie for any signs of returned sentiment. It doesn’t necessarily mean soulmate status by itself, sure. But Eddie can’t get the idea out of his head, and he clings to anything that gives him hope, simultaneously refusing to hope too much. And oh, are there lots of things to give him hope. Richie doesn’t steal his food quite as much as Eddie does his, but he most certainly eyes whatever Eddie’s eating with interest every single time they eat together. Not that it’s all that out of the ordinary for people who live in such close quarters. What strikes him as particularly compelling is the time when Richie, who has an entire routine about kale being the Kyle of vegetables and just The Worst, steals a sip of his green kale smoothie one morning. He makes a face but doesn’t say anything, and Eddie doesn’t comment, mostly because the gears in his head are turning. Did he not realize it was kale? Can it be…? Are they…? When he looks at Richie to check if he suspects anything, he seems as oblivious as he is to Eddie’s constant urge to climb him like a goddamn tree. Figures. *** Mostly, all these times can be rationalized easily. They live in close proximity, so whenever one of them has a food so good the craving is basically infectious, the other can smell it. And no wonder they end up sharing it. Other times are more difficult to explain away without admitting the soulmate possibility, but Eddie manages. Kind of. They spend so much time together that in some ways they just sync. Not that he ever synced with Myra, but he and Richie have always just been like that. So yeah, they just... Sync. Like when they were talking about cryptids all night and suddenly both suggested watching The Mothman Prophecies. It makes perfect sense something similar would be true for food. So Eddie doesn’t pay the synchronicities much mind at all, even if there is always that voice in the back of his mind to remind him that yes, he has very much considered the possibility of them being soulmates and guess what? He would be more than fine with that. He would be pretty fucking ecstatic is what he would be. But he doesn’t fixate on that. No, it’s fine, and he just steals half the food off of Richie's plate every time they eat together. So what? It’s all par for the course. Except one time he's lounging in the living room, not doing anything in particular and definitely not reading Richie's twitter while laughing at his jokes. And that's when he feels it. An overwhelming craving for some black licorice. The trouble with that is, black licorice? Is fucking disgusting. He knows that. He can’t remember if he has ever craved licorice before, and if he has, it’s been a long while. So it makes no fucking sense, and he’s about to get annoyed when the door bursts open and Richie’s voice comes in, loud and chirping, and oh. Oh. He’s holding a wheel of black licorice with fresh teeth marks in it. Eddie’s off his phone and on his feet within seconds, crowding an unsuspecting Richie against the door, hands on the front of his shirt. He gets a nervous chuckle when he searches his eyes for that something that would suggest Richie wants him, too. He might be pretty damn sure they’re soulmates, he might be sick of waiting, but he’s not going to be an asshole and kiss Richie if he isn’t convinced Richie wouldn’t mind. “Whatcha doing there, Eds?” Richie asks, breathless. “Testing out a theory,” is his response, and he reaches up with his hand to stroke Richie’s cheek, watching him closely. Richie can’t seem to catch his breath, his eyes wide and wandering all over Eddie’s face. They settle on Eddie’s lips, Eddie knows this, and he watches Richie’s ones in return, slightly open, but not moving. Fuck it, he decides. He can’t wait any longer. With a swift movement, their lips clash. Is it as smooth as he always wanted his first kiss with his soulmate to be (if it ever happened)? Fuck no. It’s awkward and so far it isn’t anything but a press of lips. But it’s Richie and him and it’s so much better than he could ever hope for, and that’s all he has the time to think before Richie closes his lips over Eddie’s one with an almost desperate noise and wraps his arm around him. He makes a point not to deepen the kiss, because he doesn’t want to taste licorice on Richie’s tongue (except that he does. Desperately). When they break apart, which is sooner than Eddie would like, he moves his hands to the back of Richie’s neck and to his hair. “Licorice is fucking gross,” he breathes out lightly, making Richie laugh. “I’ll give up licorice for-fucking-ever if that means I can make out with you,” Richie responds, going to throw the wheel somewhere far away, but Eddie has caught onto the whole craving thing. He’s interested now. So instead, he snatches it out of Richie’s hand and takes a bite. It’s kind of gross, but that’s what led to them kissing, so he’s decidedly not going to complain. Plus, the kind of seems to grow on him with each second. He can get used to this. More so to kissing Richie than to licorice, but still. He takes his time chewing it with Richie watching him closely. “I think I can be persuaded to like it,” he smirks at Richie’s dumb grin. “And what can I do to persuade you, Eds?” he asks, playful, but with that undercurrent of ‘I’d do anything for you’ that Eddie isn’t going to unpack now (it makes him feel like crying happy overwhelmed tears). “Kiss me again.” Richie doesn’t need any more prompting and brings their lips together, pulling Eddie close and smiling into the kiss. It’s awkward for a few seconds, and then Eddie is prodding at Richie’s lips with his tongue, asking for more. Then the kiss tastes like licorice, but Eddie makes an internal assessment and finds out that Richie’s tongue against his and large hands on his back more than make up for it. Happy with this knowledge, he proceeds to make out with Richie for as long as he can justify, pressing him into the front door. All good things have to come to an end, though, and this does, too. They kind of do have to talk like adults, healthy communication and all that, but Eddie never really learned how. He tries anyway. “I’m pretty sure we’re soulmates,” is the first thing out of his mouth, and well… it’s not ideal, but it’s better than nothing. Richie laughs in response. “Yeah, no shit.” “You knew?” Eddie is scandalized. About to call the intergalactic police or whatever the fuck Richie referenced that one time in his alien voice, roughly inspired by The Hitchhiker’s Guide to The Galaxy. “Yeah, what else would have made you try cashews and find out you’re not actually allergic to them?” Richie is amused, but not that amused. The reveal isn’t a punchline here. It’s not a planned joke. “Why didn’t you say something?” “Didn’t think you’d want to kiss the trashmouth. What, with me eating licorice or salt and vinegar chips or something.” Richie’s delivery might be light and his amendment might make little sense, but it doesn’t sound like a joke. Eddie can’t help but cup his cheek, softer this time. He knows it’s not about food, but he also knows how Richie is with vulnerability (clue: not great). So he tries to reassure him, in a similar off-hand veiled way. “Rich, I’d kiss you even after you’ve been smoking.” “Really?” The speed at which Richie’s eyebrows shoot up is something truly out of this world. “Yeah, but only three times in your life, so choose wisely,” he grins and lets go of Richie’s neck, grabbing his hand instead. “Come on, soulmate,” he puts a teasing tone into the word, but can’t ignore how his heart flutters in the silliest, loveliest possible way. Richie’s smile suggests he feels like a dumb teenager, too, and that makes it all the better. Well, they have the rest of their lives to deal with that, and in the meantime, Eddie just wants to discuss what to call each other (“partner” seems like the most appropriate word, but he’s imagined calling Richie his “boyfriend” ever since he found out what the word means) and make out with his soulmate on the couch. The rest of the world can wait.

[joshslater]

Unrivaled pt. 2

Continuation of part 1.

The wheels of justice spins fast when greased with money. It wasn't many days until Trevor arrived, freshly hosed down and suited in bright orange, to his cell in the medical service inmates block at Greene Prison. He was welcomed by his cellmate Steven, who explained that they were the envy of every other inmate in the prison. "Good food, good atmosphere and absolutely no violence". He looked Trevor sternly in the eyes as he said the last part. Everyone were keen on keeping their medical service and avoid resentencing to a longer prison time. They were only 14 inmates in the block, and after the presentation round Trevor was oddly happy about where he was. Well, prison, but the best kind of prison he thought.

Next morning, during breakfast, one of the guards told Trevor that he had been picked up for a long term study at Phoenix Medical. The entire table went silent.

- What? - Dude! - WHAT?! - Not even 24 fucking hours and you get Phoenix! That place is legendary. Everyone wants there. None of that test-for-side-effects-bullshit. They improve people. They make tech for movie stars and athletes. Not even 24 fucking hours....

The facility was located in the industrial area outside a small town three hours from the prison. Although shackled and in the locked backseat of a police car repurposed for low risk inmate transfers, Trevor was feeling pretty good almost the entire trip. Taking the final turn on the wide roads between small factories and office buildings he could see the facility. It was an ugly six story concrete office building that probably dated back to the 70s. The bottom floor was double height and wider than the rest of the building and windowless. It probably had housed a production line for something way back. Around the complex were parking lots and a tall, sturdy fence. Right next to the gate was a big sign "Phoenix Medical - A Hamlin Group Company". It was like a gut punch to Trevor. Kyle’s family owned this place. They owned him for the next one and a half year.

Trevor was taken in through an entrance by the old loading docks. The inside looked much better than the outside suggested. Fresh paint, modern design, LED-lamps, high tech security. He was handed over to two Phoenix guards and Mr. Thompson, site trial manager. The core mission for Phoenix Medical, he explained, was to commercialize high end cosmetic procedures. This facility in particular focused on "whole body" procedures, like fat loss, muscle development and athletic conditioning. Several gold medalists of the Red Bull Olympix used their procedures.

He left and Trevor was taken to the arrival processing room by the guards, where he stripped and showered. A doctor then had him photographed and 3D-scanned, performed a whole host of tests and had a bunch of samples taken. The doctor pressed something that looked like a big stapler to his chest, to the top of the sternum, and pressed a button. It sounded like a staple gun too, and Trevor jumped by the sharp but short pain. He could see a small mark of an incision glued shut. Finally the doctor made a series of injections in his left and right arm, and gave him two pills to swallow.

He was given clothes - trunks, socks, compression shirt, shorts and sneakers - and once dressed led through several locked doors deeper into the facility. The shoes were weird. Although they fit perfectly, they had some sort of slightly uncomfortable soles in them. He arrived at a stripped down office room inside the more secure parts of the facility. Sitting behind the desk was Mr. Thompson again. He didn't offer a seat.

He explained, as if Trevor didn't already knew, that Trevor was their test subject for at least the next year. The facility didn't have a lot of guards or security, but since almost all inmates preferred this to any alternative he shouldn't count on any help to escape. Quite the opposite. And if he did escape it would be up to Phoenix Medicals discretion whether or not to continue, extend the time by up to two years, or resentence him to prison time. The tracker chip behind his rib cage would ensure that he would be found. One of the injections would make him fall into coma within a week should he not get his daily counter agent, and he would be given a monthly booster shot.

Further, Mr. Thompson explained, Trevor was a criminal given this privilege and opportunity to serve society. As such he was required to fully comply with all instructions, or punitive procedures would be administered.

- You have been selected to be part of a study in muscle growth. One of the injections you received during your entry processing have already started the process we want to study. You will be given pre-sized portions of food, and you are required to fully consume them. You will be given a schedule, and you are required to strictly follow it. You will be given exercises and targets, and you are required to strictly complete them. Do you understand? - Yes. What do you mean with "muscle growth". I already have quite a lot of strength from my dancing. - Oh, that is nothing. We are going to push ahead as far as we can in the time we have.

He flipped through some of the documents on the table, until he found a small note.

- I have a message from Kyle Hamlin himself here. "Make the fucker swole AF so he'll dance like a pregnant hippo."

Trevor had barely started the shouting when the guard’s taser collapsed him on the floor. He was dragged to a procedure room down the hallway and secured to a table.

- Those are the kind of outbursts that we can't have. You need to understand that the procedure we are about to perform is because of your own actions.

Trevor didn't say anything. A doctor clipped a blood monitor on one of his fingers. He then inserted two needles into his arm, that connected through plastic tubes to a machine that looked like a dialysis machine. He pressed a few buttons and Trevor could see blood leaving the body in one tube, and after about 10 seconds he could see it returning in the other tube.

Then nothing happened. The machine was humming and the clock was ticking away. After perhaps five minutes Trevor started to feel warm and clammy. After a few more minutes he could feel his heart starting to race. Faster and faster. He was quickly soaking in sweat. His body was on fire. He could feel the pulse beating in every limb. It kept going like crazy for perhaps 15-20 minutes until it started to dial down again. When the doctor finally removed the needles and released him from the table he felt like he had had the most intense dance practice ever. He was soaked in sweat, skin was flush red and his blood vessels had popped like never before.

He was taken to his room, told to be in bed before 8, and then had the door shut and locked on him. For the first time in two days he was alone in a room. He just stood still a minute and looked at his new home, a sparse room with a made bed, a table, a stool, a toilet and a sink. On the wall was a flat screen TV, a mirror and a digital clock. 17:22 it said.

He removed the damp shirt and looked into the mirror. He was still flush from the procedure and the blood vessels all over his body made him look like the underside of kale. He sunk down on the stool by the table, his emotions in a whirlwind. He felt despair. He felt violated. Not just whatever they had just done to him. Not just having a tracker chip injected. Not just having stuff pulsing around in his bloodstream that did things to him he didn't know. The worst was knowing he was the unrestricted recipient of the whims of a spoiled, vindictive teenage brat.

Standing on the table was a tray with a large plastic bottle with a yellow-tinted white fluid and a sealed plastic container with something that looked like oat porridge. Dinner. He realized that he hadn't eaten since breakfast and dug in. The "milk" tasted like some chalky protein drink and the tub contents was basically porridge with tuna fish and chili flakes mixed in.

Maybe it was the hunger, but it all tasted alright to him, and quickly finished all of it. He wanted to see what was on the TV, but he had no sooner finished the dinner when he begun to feel sleepy. He suspected the food was drugged, but then he had had an eventful day. He got naked and went to sleep right away.

[hidden-in-the-cloud]

Finding Fire Chapter 8

Authors Note: Yes I may have been writing Cheryl a bit of out character by making her seem really weak and vulnerable. But Finding Fire is meaning that this is all about Cheryl's recovery and behind the scenes of after her kidnapping. Because honestly no one can be fine after that. But after this chapter you're going to start to see the old Cheryl back.

Why doesn't anyone believe in afternoon meetings? I internally groan as Veronica sets a coffe cup in front of me as she sits down next to me. Across from us is Jughead, ponytail, and that gay kid, uhm Kale? No. Uhm Kyle. No definitely Kevin.

"If Hal isn't the black Hood my next conclusion has got to be Hiram," Jughead muses with Betty nodding her head.

Veronica sighs and grabs the side of her head in frustration, "even if true Jughead my father has people do his jobs for him on the down low and switches them out quickly. It's damn near impossible to even think who It is."

"I know we're talking about the black Hood but can I just ask why Cheryl isn't here?" Missing the fact both Jughead and Betty hang their heads down and Veronica throws a sad glance my way.

I groan, "She's actually with the boys today doing God knows what." Jughead smirks, "What do you think they're doing?" Jughead muses as I groan again, "Don't make me think I'm scared to even begin to wonder what they're doing. With those two something stupid I'm sure."

-----------------------------------------------------------------

"FANGS SHE'S GOING TO KILL US," Cheryl screams as Fangs looks horrified looking into the side of the trailer looking athis motorcycle stuck in the middle of the trailer crashed into the side wall. "I CAN FIX IT I SWEAR DON'T TELL TONI SHE'LL KILL ME." Sweetpea just shakes his head, "Told you that you needed to make the lift off higher off the ground in order to jump over it." Fangs looks over to Sweetpea, "Please help me patch this up Sweets she'll be here soon we were only supposed to watch Cheryl for the morning. Cheryl scoffs over to Fangs, "First off you're not babysitting me I just figured it was nice to have company rather than be alone seco-" Sweetpea cuts Cheryl off, "I'm not helping you dude." Fangs starts to beg when Cheryl starts again, "Oh yes you will Sweetpea or I'll tell Toni it was both of your guy's idea and who do you think she'll believe more?" As Cheryl stalks over to Sweetpea staring him down. Sweetpea crosses his arms staring down at the 5'6 girl. They have a brief staring contest before Sweetpea gives up and looks over to Fangs begging on the ground, "Fine." Cheryl smiles in triumph before walking past the boys, "Don't thank me Fangs I just don't want you to mess with the job like you did with our door, and next time this happens again I'm telling Toni."

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Jughead smiles out the window at Pop's, "yeah something stupid I'm sure."

"Well let's go back to Archie he somewhat worked for your father right? Did he notice anyone else that worked for your father?" Kevin muses.

Veronica srunches her eyebrows, "Well there was that FBI agent/driver/doorman/hitman, Andre or Arthur."

I nod my head, "Well let's check them out first-" But Veronica shakes her head in disagreement, "He's a lot of things guys but Black Hood I feel is to much for one maybe two guys to do for a Mob Boss dont you think? Every person should have a separate job."

"Yes but he seems to have a lot of them, important of all is screwing with Archie being that fake FBI agent," Jughead speaks.

"You gonna record his voice and make Cheryl listen to that too against her will?" I snap at Betty.

Betty sighs, "I said I was sorry like a million times."

"Yeah you're pretty good at that aren't you?"

"Girls," Jughead warns. He shakes his head dissaprovingly.

"Well this meeting has gone on for a couple hours so far I thank you for coming but let's scatter for today shall we?" Veronica muses. As she stands up and goes to tell Pop to open up the restaurant for the day.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

I come home and as I walk through the door Cheryl comes running out of the room and jumps me. I laugh as she smothers me with kisses.

"Hi baby how was your morning," moving my head to peck her lips while holding her waist in place. "It would have been better if you were here," I giggle as she pouts. "In order to keep you safe and our family safe those stupid meetings are important even if she does insist 7am," I scoff. As Cheryl giggles, "That's the true crime here." "Thank you!" I exasperate. We go to sit on the couch as I turn to look at Cheryl who in turn is looking down playing with the holes in my pants looking relaxed. It's been awhile since she's seen Cheryl actually relax, her dark circles are next to none, her eyes have her fire and sparkle back and she actually put some light make up on today. Toni loves when Cheryl is nude but she knows that's not the normal Cheryl and she's glad she's getting back there. Despite Cheryl being upset about having to explain her story again to Dr. Green after Dr. Stone and me, the new Doctor is helping a lot in her recovery and so far the three mornings a week no one has been following them to the office. "Baby?" I say out loud as Cheryl hums in response not looking up from my pants. "We haven't gone in a date in forever and I have tonight off, can I take you out?" Cheryl smiles and looks up and leans over to capture my lips. She holds my cheek in her hand as she pulls herself back, "I think it's so sexy you still ask me out after being so domesticated for about a month and a half now." I grab her hands and look into her eyes, "I'll always treat you like the princess you are." She smiles and secretly squeals in delight, "Yes I'd love to go out." She gets up and goes to grab her purse as I scrunch my eyebrows in confusion, "Where are you going?" Cheryl turns as she heads out the door, "Well shopping of course got to look good for tonight, toodles," she waves a bit and heads out the door. I huff she didn't even give me a kiss goodbye.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

"I'm so excited for tonight I had left without giving her a kiss. I bet she pouted for a good minute after I had left," I speak as me and Veronica shop in the little shops downtown for my date tonight.

"You know Toni is really intense Cheryl-" I instantly scowl, "You're starting to sound like Betty," Veronica puts her hand up to stop my oncoming anger. "She's instense and very opinionated she's exactly like you and she's so good for you Cheryl she loves you so much you're definitely one of her passions. I've never seen her go so soft for anyone in my life not even for the boys." I smile so hard I think my face is going to fall off, "Thank you Veronica. Now," I hold up a dress, "Definitely" Veronica smirks.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

I finish curling my hair as I hear Cheryl's car pull up. I look at the time and see it's about almost six. Since Cheryl was so excited about going out tonight I didn't even get to tell her the time we were going out so I had texted her and told her six. I hear the door open and close but I didn't hear Cheryl speak to greet me. I walk into the living room with Cheryl wearing a trench coat and her hands behind her back. Her make up was flawless and of course her hair cascading down the right side of her body curled down perfectly. Cheryl walks up to me softly almost shyly smiling, "hi" I smile back, "Hi" we stare at each other gazing. I had decided to go for a short dark navy blue dress with make up to go with it with my hair curled exactly like Cheryl's. She goes out to play with the ends of my hair careful not to mess it up, "Curled makes your pink stand out more," she smiles fondly as she brings her arms out from behind her back showing me a bouquet of daisies. I gasp a little as I grab them, "My favorite." "The flowers you'd pick from the ground and make Sweetpea and Fangs wear in their hair as children." I smile up at her sweetly as she remembered the story I had told her when we first met getting to know each other. I go to put them in a vase to put in our window. I walk back over to her as she sweetly grabs my hand kissing it lightly making me giggle cause it tickles. I turn a bit red I feel like this is our first date. We go out to her car as she sweetly opens the door for me helping me inside. Anyone else I would have snapped saying I can do it myself but hell the way Cheryl does it makes me just want to take her on the car right here and now. Cheryl gets in soon after as we head off to the restraunt outside of town.

Out of habit driving down the road I start to look around to make sure no one is following us but after a minute I feel Cheryl take my hand and murmur, "not tonight baby." I relax into her touch as we soon pull up to the restaurant not to long later. I get out of the car quickly and let Cheryl out. She turns around and gestures to help her out of her coat and as I do I gasp. A sparkling red dress that reaches down to her knees as on the bottom right corner of her dress is Cherry's wrapped around by a snake her own creation. I look up gawking as she's biting her lip, "is this okay? Do you like it?" I quickly grab her hip and pull her into me grabbing her lips thankfully not wearing her signature red tonight so she doesn't yell at me about messing up her lips. "I love it baby it's so perfect." She beams at me as we walk hand in hand at the restaurant. The host looks up as we walk in. "For four?" I get a little irritated because obviously we're holding hands as I clench my jaw and say, "nope two." He gives us a weary look but leads us to a table hidden in the back. I would scoff but it's our night and I don't want to ruin it by one homophobic dude. I pull out Cheryl's chair for her as she gladly accepts and nods my way. I go to sit back over as our waitress comes over smiling, hopefully not as rude as the host. "Can I interest you ladies in a little fine wine tonight?" Before Cheryl could go say yes I kindly offer it down and order us our normal ice teas. I see Cheryl pout a bit in the corner of my eye but as look back over it's gone and replaced with a smile. I reach across and hold her hand playing with her ring nonchalantly as we look at the menu. We sit in silence deciding what we want. After awhile the waitress brings our drinks and asks what we would like, Cheryl orders some Italian dish while I order the fish. We make small talk here and there about work or such, but stops when our food gets brought to us. Needless to say we spent the time trying to feed each other while giggling. One of the best moments of my life.

As we leave the restaurant I hold my hand out for the keys giving a look of 'don't argue with me' she hands them over as I open the passenger door for her. We start driving and of course Cheryl being well Cheryl she asks where we're going which I play it off and don't answer her questions. Once we reach the hidden bar I let Cheryl out. She gives me a weird look and looks down at what she's wearing, "don't worry we look great for this scene." She shrugs deciding not to argue as we walk in hand in hand.

When we head in I feel myself being squished and picked up as I hear a big hearty laugh and Cheryl freaking out. "Marty," I hold him back just as happy. He laughs again and looks down at Cheryl swatting her hands on his stomach telling him to put me down. "Dont worry baby Marty is a friend of my dad's." Cheryl stops but still scowls at watching her girlfriend get manhandled. He sets me down, "Marty this is the girl I gush about on the phone." Marty bends down taking Cheryl's hand while kissing it princess like, "it's so nice to meet you gorgeous," Cheryl instantly relaxes and giggles. Marty walks us over to the front, "Ricky saved you guys a spot like you have asked Tiny." I scowl at the name but nod my head, "Thanks Marty," he walks away as Cheryl turns to me, "A spot for what exactly?" I smile back at her, "We're singing our song tonight karaoke style baby." She starts to gush and kisses me all over.

"Thank you guys for coming out tonight, now tonight is indeed karaoke night and first up a girl who's family has brought her very special girl home tonight for a special date night. Without further introduction as she hates them welcome Toni and Cheryl singing, "The Fighter."

People start to clap as I turn to give Cheryl a microphone as I help her on stage. She smiles at the crowd and gleams in the attention as I the opposite and shyly waves. I put the microphone up to my mouth, "Thank you for that intro Ricky he is right though I did bring my girl out tonight on a long over due date night as I decided to bring her home to sing our song," I smile over to her squeezing her hand as she smiles back as the song starts to play I start the song;

"I know they hurt you made you scared of love, too scared to love they didn't deserve you cause you're precious heart is a precious heart they didn't know what they had and I thank God, oh, oh, oh and it's gonna take just a little time but you're gonna see that I was born to love you,"

Cheryl gaps as Toni changed the words a bit to fit her situation, because its wasn't a he it was multiple people who have shattered her, she goes to put the mic to her lips trying to pull herself together;

"What If I fall?" The vulnerability in that statement was part of the song but to Cheryl it felt all to real. But Toni quickly retorts with fire

"I won't let you fall."

"What if I cry?" Although Cheryl already knew the answer there.

"I'll never make you cry," Toni coos but with power behind it.

"And If I get scared?" Cheryl thinks back to all the times Cheryl was shaking in fear as Toni storms in to wrap her up in her warmth.

"I'll hold you tighter," Toni gleams in pride, as she carries on the lyrics, "When they're tryna get to you baby I'll be the fighter." Toni was her fighter her 5'3 little fighter.

As the song carries to a blissful end both girls in their own heads filled with love for each other share a kiss on stage as Toni's extended family and random customers at the bar cheer loudly for them. They intertwine their hands together and wave at the crowd as they walk off stage.

Toni walks back over to Marty with Cheryl in tow as they talk a little longer and in the end when Cheryl hugs Marty goodbye Toni melts inside. Marty was like an extended father to Toni who was there for her when her own parents died. She's glad Cheryl approves as they head home for the night.

-----------------------------------------------------------------

We're laying in bed in our natural positions of Cheryl laying on top with her arms wrapped around me and me playing with her hair while the other hand wrapped around her lower back. Cheryl breaks the silence first, "I had so much fun tonight thank you for taking me out this has been one of the best date nights by far. I love your world and I want you to keep showing me it." I hold her tighter and kiss the top of her head, "I'd love that baby girl," as I feel her sigh in content. We lay more in silence as my eyebrows furrow in confusion. "Hey uh Cheryl why does the wall above our bed look like it's been patched up?" I feel Cheryl stiffen as she hurriedly gets up over me and turns off the side lamp, "I'm tired let's get some sleep," She stampers nervously as she lays back down draping over me pretending to already be asleep. I groan and rub my face, yup something stupid indeed.

[stories-and-other-fun-things]

Cop Story

Part 2

We were called into the morgue by our medical examiner Phillip Fray. Phillip had information of our victim including his identity.

"Our victims name was Alexander Lamoore. Sound familiar?" Phillip told us.

"No, should it?" Kyle asked.

"Yes Captain, it should."

"Inform me why it should be familiar."

"Well for starters his name before being Alex Lamoore was Daniel Richards."

"Ah fuck..."

"I'm sorry, what?" I intervened.

"Kyle here and Daniel or Alex were bitter enemies." Phillip informed me.

"Well he did murder my wife and brake one of my arms and both of my legs all in the one day." Kyle said.

"You forgot blowing up your house. Anyway Alex had connections to the underground mafia." Phillip told us

"Is that what may have gotten him killed?" I asked.

"More than likely. I've only ever seen one person murdered like this before. Her name was Jessica O'Reily. She also had mafia connections. We could never catch the man who did this because his gang were too big for us."

"Who did it?"

"Francis Kale." I gasped. Even though I came from Houston and Kale only operated in Washington I knew of him. He was the number one mafia boss. No one rivalled him. His gang size was in the ten thousands range. He also has many politicians in his pocket. Basically the DA (District Attorney) and the Mayor weren't in his pocket. If Kale was our killer then we were in for... A horrific ordeal which we are basically guaranteed to not survive.

"KALE?!" Kyle shouted.

"Yes." Phillip responded.

"FINALLY! A chance to take this mother fucker down!"

"A very slim chance..." I muttered.

"You know of Kale freshman?" Phillip asked.

"I may be from Houston, but I heard a lot about Kale. I also know that only three of his gang members have betrayed him and survived."

"That reminds me, we need to go see our informant James. So come with me." We left the morgue, got in the car and drove to this informant.

I’m only now just remembering how quickly I made this story move in terms of plot

[the-scungles-of-crungles]

kys

Ah yes, the favourite acronym of internet trolls. A classic. But, acronyms are, by nature, very flexible. They can mean many things, if you put your mind to it.

For example, "kys" could stand for any of the following, if you're creative/insane/dumb enough to see it that way:

Kilometres You've Salted- In reference to how many total kilometres of salt you have placed in your lifetime. An unknowable statistic, unless you've been keeping track all your life. Yet another question to ask god when you inevitability reach your end, I suppose.

Keep Yourself Sane- Something you will undoubtedly have to remind yourself many times in this world.

Kyle, You Slut!- A quick way of telling anyone named Kyle, that they are, in fact, a slut.

King Yünder Slündor- The man who will someday rule over a country that does not exist yet. While he is often assumed to be a hypothetical, you can never be certain what the future will hold. Be cautious about making assumptions.

Kale You Stole- Yes, you. I know you stole it. Give it back. Give the fucking kale back you asshole I'm calling the cops on y

Kids You'll Slay- You never know when you might accidentally slay a child. This acronym is handy for reminding yourself, or anyone else, that it could happen at any time. As in, "Do you know how many KYS? No, you don't. We can never know. Ever. The future is horrifyingly unpredictable. All we can do is try to prevent tragedy, but sometimes, horrible accidents occur despite our best efforts. Try your best to prevent anything bad from happening, but if it happens, and it truly was accidental, do not blame yourself for it. That is the best, and only, thing you can do in a situation like that."

Keep Yodeling, Samuel.- That is a demand. Keep it up. Or else.

Kleptomaniacs Yoink Sandwiches- A warning about the nature of sandwich theft. It's more common than you'd think. Be vigilant. It can happen to anyone.

Kevin Y. Sanders- The secret grandson of Bernie Sanders that the government doesn't want you to know about.

Korean Youth Singing- Truly a sight (and sound) to behold. Not that I'd know, I've never beheld it.

And, last on this list, but certainly not the last of the possibilities:

Keep Your Salami- Keep it for yourself. Don't bother sharing it with everyone else at the party. Most of them don't even really want any and are just eating it because you offered. They're just trying to be polite, they don't actually care for salami. But you do. Leave it at home, and eat it when you get back. Just bring some cheese, or something else most people want, to the party, I'm sure they'll appreciate that much more. Not everyone is a fan of salami. It's not even on the top ten most popular meats. I mean, I've never checked, but even if it is, it's surely not as commonly enjoyed as, say, a nice piece of cheese. Cheese is an excellent choice. Even people with the most unusual of tastes can sit down and enjoy a nice bit of cheese every once in a while. Besides, you deserve the treat, after all you've done to help set up the party. You bought napkins, paper plates, and even those fancy little plastic toothpicks that no one really knows what they're for! You're a good friend, you know that? Just keep your salami, man. You deserve to have it all to yourself. And don't worry, there will probably be some at the party anyway, Jeff always brings a full platter of different meats to these events. For some reason. He's an odd guy, but he's nice. You can tell he really cares, you know? He even offered to buy me a three-month subscription to a meat delivery service one time. Apparently they deliver all sorts of meats to you, and it's all completely random. Can you believe it? There's a subscription service for everything these days, man. It's a weird world we live in, but at least everyone's having fun, right? I mean, there's something out there for everyone, no matter how odd their hobbies might be. Anyways, I'm rambling again, man. See you at the party! And seriously, don't eat the chicken that Sue brings over. She never quite cooks it all the way. One time I actually got salmonella. Let me tell you, it is NOT fun. I haven't looked at chicken the same way since. Sue means well, but you know, being a teacher is hard, and I swear, that woman almost never sleeps. Between having to watch her new grandkid while her daughter still goes to high school, and her dog that she's had since she was in college being sick, the woman's had it rough, in the past few months especially. I cut her some slack, because I know she's going through a lot, but I'm worried one of these days, she's gonna get someone else sick. Luckily, though, most of our buddies are aware of the "incident", and have vowed to never make the same mistake I did. It was kinda my fault for trying to humor her, but I really did feel bad for the lady. I think she's catching on that everyone's been lying to her about "just not feeling like eating chicken" whenever we have one of these events. Someone should really tell her, but I just don't have the heart to break it to her. Oh geez, I've really been rambling again, haven't I? Alright, see ya at the party, man. And get some rest beforehand. We can't have you taking another nap on the couch, now can we? Haha, alright, seriously, I've gotta go now. My wife's calling me. Later!

-From Bob

...

AND THAT CONCLUDES OUR LOVELY THOUGHT EXERCISE! BE SURE TO THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX, FOLKS. STAY CREATIVE, AND ALWAYS REMEMBER:

THERE'S NO GUARANTEE THE SUN WON'T EXPLODE RANDOMLY AT ANY MINUTE, AND THERE WOULD BE NO WAY TO STOP IT.

THE VASTNESS OF SPACE IS TERRIFYING AND EVERYTHING I DO IS IN A PATHETIC ATTEMPT TO FORGET THAT

BUT I CANNOT

IT LINGERS

EVERY TIME I LOOK UP AT THE SKY

I SEE THE EMPTY VOID

FOR MILLIONS OF MILES ALL AROUND, THERE IS NOTHING. AND SOMEWHERE WITHIN THAT NOTHING, IS SOMETHING. SOMETHING AWFUL.

SOMETHING BEYOND OUR UNDERSTANDING COULD WIPE OUT OUR ENTIRE GALAXY, AND POTENTIALLY MUCH MORE, AT ANY MOMENT.

WE INHABIT YET A TINY PROPERTY IN THIS HORRIFYINGLY ENORMOUS VOID, PURELY BY CHANCE.

WE WERE AN ACCIDENT

A COINCIDENCE

THAT COULD END AT ANY MOMENT

AND THAT

SCARES ME

GREATLY

GOODNIGHT EVERYBODY! BE SURE TO TUNE IN NEXT TIME FOR:

ABSOLUTELY NOTHING

FAREWELL

[stardustviolet]

I was tagged by @cuddlybitch thank you so much for tagging me :)

Rules: Answer these 85 statements about yourself, then tag 20 people.

last

1. drink - Water 2. phone call - A coworker 3. text message - My mom 4. song you listened to - Some of Ludovico Einaudi - Experience 5. time you cried - Like last night

ever

6. dated someone twice? - No 7. kissed someone and regretted it - No 8. been cheated on - No 9. lost someone special - Yes 10. been depressed - Most likely 11. gotten drunk and thrown up - Yes

fave colours

12. Blue 13. Purple 14. Pink

in the last year have you…

15. made new friends - No but would've been nice 16. fallen out of love - No 17. laughed until you cried - Yes 18. found out someone was talking about you - No but I mean people talk about other people and no one’s perfect 19. met someone who changed you - No  20. found out who your friends are - Yes who my friends have always been 21. kissed someone on your facebook friends list - No

general

22. how many of your facebook friends do you know irl - I think all of them except one who I’ve known for like 12 years and am planning on meeting irl one day 23. do you have any pets - No as I found out eventually after having a dog (thinking I was just allergic to dogs), a lizard, and three rats I’m allergic to animals with fur but would love to have rats again 24. do you want to change your name - Sometimes 25. what did you do for your last birthday - I went to work 26. what time did you wake up today - 12:30pm 27. what were you doing at midnight last night - Just finished watching 12 Monekys and then went on here 28. what is something you can’t wait for - A lot of movies and tv shows coming out in the next year 30. what are you listening to right now - Love Songs Drug Sons - X Ambassadors 31. have you ever talked to a person named tom - Yes if by Tom you mean Thomas then yes and he’s cool 32. something that’s getting on your nerves - Misogyny racism sexism homophobia transphobia the lack of world peace etc 33. most visited website - Tumblr 34. hair colour - Dark brown 35. long or short hair - Shortish 36. do you have a crush on someone - Ha no 37. what do you like about yourself - That I’m representation for short people? 38. want any piercings? - Sure 39. blood type - A+ I think 40. nicknames - The Ring (like the movie because in high school I had long hair and looked like the girl from The Ring), there might’ve been a few others that I can’t remember 41. relationship status - Single 42. zodiac - Leo 43. pronouns - She/Her 44. fave tv shows - There’s so many Buffy The Vampire Slayer, The Expanse, 12 Monkeys, Criminal Minds, Killjoys, Elementary, Deception (it got cancelled :(), The Tunnel, Superstore, Gilmore Girls, The OC, The Flash, That 70s Show, Continuum, The Shannara Chronicles, The Code, The Newsroom, The Magicians, Runaways 45. tattoos - None but I’d like to get one/some 46. right or left handed - Right 47. ever had surgery - Yes 48. piercings - Four in my ears two which were done at home 49. sport - No 50. vacation - Would like one that I actually remember all of because the last was when I was really young and vaguely remember it 51. trainers - Shoes? Am I a person who trains other people? No

more general

52. eating - Nothing but I had a salad for dinner 53. drinking - Nothing 54. i’m about to watch - So many shows I need to watch 55. waiting for - I don’t know 56. want - My friends to be friends with one another, my friends to be able to be called out on shit without them lashing out, communication, love, honesty, variety of conversations, learning 57. get married - Maybe 58. career - Kind of a receptionist

which is better

59. hugs or kisses - Hugs 60. lips or eyes - Eyes 61. shorter or taller - Both 62. older or younger - Older or same age 63. nice arms or stomach - Both 64. hookup or relationship - Relationship 65. troublemaker or hesitant - Hesitant but also fun

have you ever

66. kissed a stranger - No 67. drank hard liquor - Yes 68. lost glasses - No 69. turned someone down - Yes 70. sex on first date - No 71. broken someones heart - Yes 72. had your heart broken - Yes 73. been arrested - No 74. cried when someone died - Yes 75. fallen for a friend - No

do you believe in

76. yourself - Sometimes 77. miracles - Sometimes 78. love at first sight - No 79. santa claus - No 80. kiss on a first date - Yes 81. angels - Yes also others

other

82. best friend’s name - More than one best friend, Sidney, Justin, Fiona, Sonja, Ashley, Terrwyn, other people 83. eye colour - Dark brown 84. fave movie -   500 Days of Summer 85. fave celebs - Elijah Wood, Zooey Deschanel, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Matthew Gray Gubler, Zoey Deutch, Juno Temple, Troian Bellisario, Lucy Hale, Katherine McNamara, Nico Tortorella, Robert Sheehan, Awkwafina, Clemence Poesy, Priyanka Chopra, Olivia Cooke, Anya Taylor Joy, Emily Browning, Alycia Debnam Carey, Amber Tamblyn, Emily Kinney, Ellen Page, Ezra Miller, John Kim, Lyrica Okano, Zazie Beetz, Zoe Kravitz, Ludi Lin, Ray Fisher, Rinko Kikuchi, John Boyega, Rose Bryne, Rosa Salazar, Dane Dehaan, Anton Yelchin (:(), Bill Skarsgard, Bel Powley, Billie Lourd, Seth Gabel, Mae Whitman, Holland Roden, Aldis Hodge, Beth Riesgraf, Shannyn Sossamon, Patrick Fugit, Matt Czuchry, Andrew Garfield, Britt Robertson, Alex Wolff, Tyler Posey, Avan Jogia, Grant Gustin, Daniel Radcliffe, Idris Elba, Bob Morley, Thomas Dekker, Colin Morgan, Luke Pasqualino, Sebastian Stan, Chris Evans, Sam Claflin, Max Thieriot, Ben Whishaw, Imogen Poots, Lupita Nyong’o, Melanie Laurent, Lindsey Morgan, Francois Arnaud, Laverne Cox, Karla Souza, Aja Naomi King, Aubrey Plaza, Chris Pratt, Tom Holland, Letitia Wright, Alfie Enoch, Nathan Stewart Jarrett, Jenna Louise Coleman, Crystal Reed, Phoebe Tonkin, Leighton Meester, Mindy Kaling, Tatiana Maslany, Caitlin Stasey, Lashana Lynch, Wade Briggs, Hanna John Kamen, Gal Gadot, Kristen Bell, Kyle Gallner

I tag: @rainbowskeletons @coffee-and-cogs @ifancythedoctor @jmniesmolpaws @kimseokjinsthighs @tiberiusmulder @thechocolatebrigade @alienanthems @sixsmithyouass  @gummybearssurrender @nataliromanova @zhernobyl @allyhaleinski @fallingforthefiction @mydearlily  @casting-lines @jedijenkins @brave-princessss @starmora @narnianwitch @seancamerons

[phoenixagent003]

The Castle Campaign Diary 01

I have long, long thought that buried in the new X-COM games is the recipe for a great D&D campaign. Something about that core loop of base-building and going on missions feeding into each other, coupled with the ability to customize soldiers, is just so captivating, and the turn based, class based combat gave me the same kind of warm fuzzies D&D usually does. Except, you know, it was guns instead of swords, and aliens instead of monsters. And I actually really missed the swords and monsters after a few dozen playthroughs of X-COM.

So, a while ago, I started crafting some fairly simple systems centered around researching and crafting magic items, and some base building mechanics largely cribbed from the Artisan Followers section of Strongholds and Followers, and eventually I had enough of it built that I was ready to put it in front of the my longtime and long suffering friends and players. The result is a campaign I’m calling the Castle, which, with any luck, will be the campaign I run for my friends for a long time to come.

I started off the way I always do, floating the basic pitch of the campaign to my friends, and when they seemed receptive enough to the concept (Though, I think they just really wanted to play D&D and were willing to accept my weirdness as the price of admission) for me to float them a few documents to get them started with character creation, laying down the basic state of the world, starting level, and what races were most common to the world. And also clarifying that this was a standard fantasy setting, something we have to do in my group because we have played D&D with just about every kind of coat of paint you can image.

When I was first coming up with the campaign, I was more focused on the structure than story or setting, so I didn’t actually put too much thought into the broader world, but I did eventually decide that the campaign takes place in the distant past of the same world I created for my Glintchasers novels and shorts. I think that decision was mostly motivated by laziness, but the side effect is a nice bit of synchronicity in any future worldbuilding tidbits I come up with for the campaign. I’ve already used the game as an excuse to figure out the original names and origins of the gods. And it already came up in game! That shit was literally never going to come up in the books.

So, speaking of the game, how did it go?

Well, to be honest, it got off to a slightly rocky start. I began the campaign with the players traveling through the wilderness in search of the ruined castle that was going to become their home base, and that I think was a good decision. It was a very evocative starting point. But then I ruined it by trying to force the characters to roleplay too early. As part of the journey through the woods, I had each player roll on a Travel Events chart I crafted for the game, which is basically just a roleplay prompt chart, but the players were not yet super comfortable with their characters, and the prompts of the chart were a little too vague, so they kind of floundered a bit and it was a little awkward. Towards the end though, they did start getting into it. One of the players got the result of seeing a shooting star in the night, and he really hammed up how his character interpreted it as a sign from the gods that they were on the right path.

So maybe it wasn’t the players, maybe some of the prompts were just crap. I think I’ll get a better handle on that as we start using it more.

Eventually, the players arrived at the castle. The secondary characters, who would be like the extra soldiers or B-Team if this were an X-COM game, scouted out the grounds of the castle while the A-Team, everybody’s main characters, went inside the castle itself. And of course, after a bit of searching around where they found some rooms and tools that would become their downtime facilities, they found some bandits it in the process of ransacking this ruin for whatever its worth.

Given the premise of the world being that its basically post-apocalyptic, I wanted to be careful to not make these guys too sympathetic. This was supposed to be the first combat where the players try out their characters. And I was worried since the world has been set up to be a very scrappy, survival of the fittest place, that the players might feel bad cutting down people trying to look for resources. So I played the bandits up as assholes, who immediately mark the players as walking loot drops, and they refuse the players offers of peace and immediately charge in. Later on in the campaign, I’d be more than happy to introduce a greater degree of moral complexity to some of the encounters, but for now, it’s the tutorial fight, and the games about fighting monsters, I didn’t see the need to overcomplicate things.

And that was really all the excuse everybody needed to go ham. The poor bandits actually really didn’t stand a chance. The “main” party’s roster is

Tina Cox, Aasimar Paladin

Selena Caslana, Dragonborn-descended Sorcerer

Camden Wayne, Artificer

Bartholomew Knightengale, Human Paladin

Dominik Leoguard, Human Fighter

So yeah, with three high armor class, heavy hitting characters, the bandits didn’t really do much more than scratch a couple of the PCs. But they had a blast, and everyone actually did a really great job of roleplaying their character during combat, which is not something you always see in combats but on reflection, I actually think my group is pretty great at doing consistently. Dominik and Bartholomew’s players especially really enjoyed the fight, since they were playing comically proud, crusading knights and effortlessly deflecting the blows of these bandits really played into the fantasy of their characters.

Dominik really shined towards the end when the last few enemies were on elevated balconies, and he, a high strength polearm user, actually had just enough reach to stab at them with a running high jump. And because he took the Charger feat, he did a lot of damage (I know Charger is actually bad, and honestly the only reason Dominik’s player took it was because he’s new and doesn’t know its bad, but hey, he managed to get some good use out of it this combat).

The last bandit actually managed to survive like three attacks on him from everybody rolling consecutive super low rolls, which just added to the hilarity that was that fight. After a few rounds of just obliterating these bandits, it took like three people to finish off one guy.

After the fight was over, I announced that the characters officially had the run of the castle, and gave them the rest of the handouts they would need to keep track of the campaign’s metagame, and gave them handouts for “Mission Leads” which are the short, episodic little quests they’ll be embarking on from the castle. And actually the first couple of them take place on the castle grounds. They needed to clear out the surrounding land, and they needed to clear out the lower levels.

But this was the point where I had to remind the players that this campaign was using the Gritty Realism resting rules, which if you don’t know, are variant rules in the 5th Edition Dungeon Master’s Guide that say a short rest is eight hours, and a long rest is week. And immediately the two paladins and sorcerer, who had burned literally all their spells were like “Oh God! We’re useless for a week?!”

And, you know, the thing about 5th Edition D&D is it’s supposedly balanced and designed around the party having like 6-8 medium-difficulty encounters between each long rest, but the way I run things (and this is a problem a lot of people seem to run into), it’s often atypical for the party to get into more than one or two fights a day, so when I decided to structure a campaign after X-COM, a game where if you soldier gets hit they can be out of commission for a good chunk of time, I figured this was the perfect opportunity to bust those rules out and see what the game looks like when the party has to pace themselves a little bit more.

I haven’t really seen much of that yet—so far the group’s standard operating procedure is still to long rest after a single encounter’s worth of fights, but that’s partly because they’re still at a stage where they can get away with that. There isn’t currently a ticking clock forcing them to consider their time wisely, but there will be soon. And for now, just the realization of the players that they needed to be more conservative with their resources or cop a week on the bench was enough sign to me that I think these rules are a move in the right direction.

And one thing the rules did immediately facilitate was the B-Team! The players realized “Hey, there’s all this stuff we have left to do to clear out the castle grounds, but we’re tapped for the day—let’s send our secondary characters to take care of this.” And just—yes! I could not have scripted it better. The players immediately latched on to the secondary characters as a strategic option to use when they were out of commission with zero prompting from me.

So, the players sent a B-Team out to clear the castle grounds while the A-Team recharged their batteries, and this encounter led to my favorite part of the whole session. For reference, the B-Team sent out was:

Emily Thomas, Tabaxi-descended rogue (Tina’s player)

Kyle Reiner, Human Fighter (Selena’s player)

Issac Scout, Human Ranger (Camden’s player)

Kale Vulpix (Bartholomew’s player)

While the B-Team was clearing the castle grounds, they ran into some bandits and some undead. And the undead killed the bandits, the B-Team killed some of the undead, grabbed the treasure the bandits had on them, and then retreated. Which was technically mission success, but then—again, with no prompting from me—Tina’s player did a write-up of Emily giving a mission report to Tina about what happened. And since the B-Team didn’t clear all the undead, Tina told Emily “If those undead aren’t cleared out by the end of my long rest, you are going to scrub the floors of this castle until you can eat off them.”

I loved that. That was basically everything I was hoping to get out of this campaign’s structure in one hit. There was a player reflecting on how the mission went, thinking about the consequences, roleplaying her downtime, and taking the initiative to essentially create her own quest. I immediately awarded inspiration for that, and then I gave inspiration to all the character who went with Emily to go clear out the undead, which ended up being Kyle and Issac again.

And them clearing out the undead was the end of the session. And overall, I thought things went really well, excepting of course the slightly awkward start. Immediately after things were over, all the players pretty much immediately told me that they liked the campaign’s whole shtick and were looking forward to more, which was music to my ears and I think a pretty good sign things are working as intended. Event the first bandit fight, which was kind of a cakewalk, was still fun, and it served as a proof of concept for a little extra ability I’d given them.

Thanks for checking out the campaign diary! I’ve been running D&D since 2015, and I’ve wanted to share my experiences with it for a while, but this campaign was sort of the first time I ever actually knuckled down and started writing about it while the experience was still fresh in my mind.

Huge thanks to my players for being as amazing as they are, and I’ll see you all in the next write up.