#michael tuesdays and thursdays

[tellytuber]

12 Shows of 2022

The new (and sometimes old) series and seasons that made my year.

Law & Order (S1-12) + Law & Order: Criminal Intent + Law & Order: Los Angeles I started off the year catching the early (and Best) seasons of the mothership via cable reruns; got Peacock for CI; and then returned midyear when I was half-gone from covid and blearily endured the commercials of what was then IMDBtv for the very LA edition. While I am not technically a "geriatric millennial," I am a millennial and with geriatric interests. For me, peak television has become something that I can either focus on fully or play in the background while I do other things and be equally thoroughly entertained. That is why this franchise has become my number one comfort show.

Shrink + Michael: Tuesdays Thursdays Grouping these into one because I just so happened to watch one immediately after the other, and because they're both about moderately adept therapists who are codependent with their patients. They are also both incredibly funny! These got the biggest laughs out of me than anything else all year. (A shame I didn't get to them till December.) While they are both hilarious, each manage to sweep into very heavy topics and deep emotion without toppling over. #ReviveShrink

Big Love While I’m pretty sure I’ve watched more L&O than anything else this year, I’m deeming 2022 the year of sister wives. In my post marathon blues, I went surfing on HBO and turned on Big Love (after once trying the pilot a while ago and being turned off by its HBO-ness.) But this time it hit me right in the late-00's cable nostalgia. The melodrama, the humor, the cast - Mary Kay Place! It's a (new) classic for me.

Grand Crew (S1) With its simple if derivative set-up, this delightful sitcom got better and better every episode! The ensemble is funny and charming, and the stories silly and fun. Thank god it snagged a renewal and will return because I will need my weekly fix of Carl Tart in between his Comedy Bang! Bang! appearances.

American Auto (S1) At base level, it's just another workplace comedy with a pseudo diverse cast. And the setting of the executive floor of a car company is quite baffling. (It's not even a riff on Telsa. Neither is it too concerned with Detroit.) But it all came together during the commercial episode: During which the team spiral in heated disagreements over how to shoot a commercial that is appropriately inclusive but not too inclusive. Funny! From then on, I started to watch it from a new angle. The ensemble itself is a focus group - and every week is a new satirical debate on the weird standards of contemporary ethics. The show is at its best when it’s everyone in the conference room talking over each other in the voices of their respective demo. I still don't necessarily like it - But it does get me thinking. (About all that I wish it was!) But honestly, I'm only really including this on the list because of the perfect Cyrus played by Michael Benjamin Washington who is never not incredibly funny. He was my favorite character/performance of the year.

Severance (S1) Part Office Space, part Fringe, with the style of Legion. This trippy, beautiful, and exciting drama was a dream to watch! Especially since I watched most of it in the very very early morning with a cup of coffee - the very best way to watch something creepy.

Claws (S4/final) While, the finale was one of the worst I've ever seen (Niecy Nash's scenes were almost exclusively Facetimed!) - This show will go down as being one of the most iconic. The outfits, the colors, the insane swings. It was never not outrageous and gonzo. Did it always work? I don't know. But they had a Vision and Went For It! It was always a wild ride, and I had fun.

Better Things (S5/final) Every year Better Things airs, it automatically gets a spot on my list. And this is the last time. A beautiful show so full of humor and love and art and great music and lots of food.

Search Party (S5/final) Every season comes with a genre turn. And when this one turned, I didn't want to believe it. It wasn't until it turned to black without the Actually It Was All A Dream rewind I was expecting did it set in. I have yet to rewatch it, but when I do I'm sure I'll love it (as my experience with S3). But I do understand it. For Dory, who began the show adrift and yearning for a meaning to her life - to enact some sort of change, to literally change the world is a fitting end. (For me, S4 is the real ending and this is a bonus season.) Either way, it still earns a spot in the TV Hall of Fame. A crazy comedy with twisty mysteries. Extremely sharp and biting, confident in its hipsterness, unafraid of being unlikable - An ideal close to my heart.

Sister Wives (S17) As Elizabeth Laime so astutely put it in the Sister Wives spin-off of Bitch Sesh: There is no other show in which less time was spent making it than time spent watching it. Save for the very beginning (of the end) when Robin joined the family, nothing has happened. (Save for The Catfish, and even then nothing actually happened.) But all that nothing was for the cameras. Big Happy Family propoganda. And this was the season it all fell apart. Now, too much is happening! Cody-19! Christine leaving! Robin wants to talk! Janelle needs a truck for her trailer! (To Cody's dismay) Meri is also there! The knife to the kidneys! As I said before: This was the year of the sister wives. Incredible television.

Evil (S3) The beginning of this season had a lot of splitting up of the trio, which bummed me out. But it made the eventual reunion of the team that much more satisfying, and each of their individual crises of belief more affecting in their isolation. Every season is more weird, more tense, more absurd. I love it so very much! 

My Liberation Notes Every year I have one thing that completely consumes me. This year it was My Liberation Notes. It captured me from the very first episode: A story about a introversion and anti-socialism, when to hold on to it and when to let it go. A story about adult siblings, reared together yet all very different people seemingly in different worlds. So many existential ruminations. Plus an exceedingly slow teasing romance, barely one in the conventional sense, but deeply so as a connection of souls. All about life and its disappointments and mundanity, what beats you down and how you change, how people change you and how you change others.

[bravevolunteer]

i need to pick up. a fucking textbook. and technically i have time but like i don't you know

[dropoutdottv]

This week on Dropout: on Tuesday, a new Dirty Laundry featuring @smosh cast members Shayne Topp, Spencer Agnew, Tommy Bowe, and Amanda Lehan-Canto; on Wednesday, a recap of Dimension 20: Misfits & Magic season 1 (ahead of the season 2 premiere, September 25th); on Thursday, the Glasgow recording of the live show of Dimension 20: Time Quangle; on Friday, the season finale of Monét's Slumber Party, with Adam Rippon, Dexter Mayfield, Grant O'Brien, Laci Mosley, Michael Henry, and Joel Kim Booster! (there will be a bonus 6th 'test' episode of Monét's Slumber Party in two weeks)

[bylerween]

Announcing the daily themes for BYLERWEEN 2024! 🎃🦇👻

Each day has three themes: a Halloween theme, a show theme, and a one-word theme. Feel free to use inspiration from just one, two, or all three themes for each day!

Day 1: Sunday, October 27:

Horror AU

Demo Creatures

Summon

Day 2: Monday, October 28:

Masquerade

Turn it Upside Down

Spell

Day 3: Tuesday, October 29:

Graveyard & Zombies

Young Byler & Old Byler

Haunt

Day 4: Wednesday, October 30:

Pumpkins & Skeletons

The Party

Transform

Day 5: Thursday, October 31:

Costume Contest

Trick or Treat, Freak (2x02)

Sweet

Day 6: Friday, November 1:

Movie Night

Hawkins Lab

Fire

Day 7: Saturday, November 2:

Fortune Telling

Season 5 Era

Shiver

🎃🦇👻

Extra prompts and ideas for these themes are under the Read More cut!

amazing art by @magentamee!!!

Here are some additional ideas that you can use as inspiration for each day's themes! You don't need to follow these prompts at all, but feel free to jump off of these ideas.

Day 1: Sunday, October 27:

Horror AU: Make an AU of your favorite horror movie, show, video game, or book. Feature Mike and Will as the villains, or as the final ones standing.

Demo Creatures: Demogorgans, Demodogs, and Demobats, oh my! Revisit our favorite creatures from the Upside Down. Will Dustin’s beloved D’Artagnan make a reappearance? Or create a brand new kind of Demo Creature!

Summon: Will the Wise and the brave paladin Michael are summoned to complete a quest! Or maybe at a spooky sleepover, Mike and Will accidentally summon a demon.

Day 2: Monday, October 28:

Masquerade: Will kisses someone handsome at the masquerade ball, but they had a mask on - was it Mike or someone else? The party shows up to the ball to have a good time, but are surrounded by enemies in masks. Hidden identities, lots of dancing, and a raucous good time!

Turn it Upside Down: Explore the Upside Down, whatever that means to you! Will and Mike go through a gate into the Upside Down, or flip the whole ship on its head: Willow and Michelle around Halloween, underexplored AU’s, flipped ship dynamics. Go crazy with it.

Spell: Enchantments, curses, and magic. Has Hawkins been placed under a spell this Halloween? Will the Wise casts a spell, or has to undo one.

Day 3: Tuesday, October 29:

Graveyard & Zombies: Buried bodies, graveyard shifts, and ghosts. Will and Mike work at the graveyard and have to stop an undead army from rising, or maybe that’s just where they share their first kiss. The “Zombie Boy” nickname still stings Will when it’s thrown around at school, or maybe not so much after Mike fights their bullies.

Young Byler & Old Byler: What did Mike and Will get up to on their first, second, third Halloween together? How do Mike and Will celebrate Halloween once in college, or in their 20s, 30s, 40s, or 50s? How are they spending Halloween in 2024?

Haunt: What still haunts Mike and Will all these years later? Mike searches for Will who is haunting him while still stuck in the Upside Down. Mike and Will bravely face the Hawkins Haunted House, or move into an actual haunted house as adults.

Day 4: Wednesday, October 30:

Pumpkins & Skeletons: Will and Mike carve pumpkins together, make a pumpkin pie, or investigate the mystery of the rotten pumpkin fields in Hawkins. The party fights against skeletons come to life, or a mystery in Hawkins begins when an unlikely skeleton is found.

The Party: Any and all Party Halloween shenanigans! Explore party dynamics during the spooky season, from pranks to trick or treating. What was the party’s first Halloween together like? The party attends or hosts a Halloween party.

Transform: Transformations of any kind! Werewolves, vampires, Frankenstein, or just the kind of transformation that happens when you are stuck in the Upside Down for a week.

Day 5: Thursday, October 31:

Costume Contest: The party is going all out for costumes this year! Or is it just an AU? Dress Mike and Will up in historical clothes, clothes from your other favorite fandom, or anything else! No matter what, Mike and Will are dressed to impress this year.

Trick or Treat, Freak: A perfect day to appreciate our beloved season 2 Halloween episode. Ghostbusters, Max Mayfield has joined the party, Will sees a shadow in the sky. Crazy together.

Sweet: What’s Halloween without candy? Mike and Will share their favorite candies, or maybe they’re just being extra sweet to each other this Halloween.

Day 6: Friday, November 1:

Movie Night: Whether it’s the whole party or just Will and Mike, at the movie theater or just hanging out in the basement: Byler is cozied up and watching their favorite Halloween movie. Or, what if the party is making an amateur horror flick?

Hawkins Lab: What goes on there, and how are Will and Mike involved? Mad scientists, dangerous experiments, and kids with powers.

Fire: Bonfires to keep our boys warm on a chilly October night, the fire under a wizard’s cauldron, Will the Wise casts Fireball, or a dark night lit only by candlelight.

Day 7: Saturday, November 2:

Fortune Telling: Look into the crystal ball and tell me what you see! Will or Mike get their fortune read and things go awry! Horoscopes, tarot reading, palm reading, tea leaves: does knowing the future make things easier, or so much worse?

Season 5 Era: Time to daydream about our season 5 era! Speculate about what spooky things will happen based on the behind the scenes pictures. What does the next Halloween after season 4 look like for Mike and Will? Is there still time to trick or treat when the world is ending?

Shiver: “He’s right behind me, isn’t he?” What has Mike and Will shivering with fright: a supernatural creature, something ancient and mysterious, or a strange deadly virus that has the whole town shivering? Mike and Will get trapped somewhere cold. Will insists that “he likes it cold.” Or maybe there’s just a chill in the air - it is autumn after all.

[madnessr]

Last Night

Poly Lost Boys + Michael x Reader

Synopsis: You remembered the day you died vividly, and what had started as one of the best nights of your life quickly turned sour.

Summary: Micheals Ex-Girlfriend received a concerning phone call from Lucy begging her to come and check up on a now distant and unrecognizable Micheal. But what was meant to be a simple reunion and check-in, instead leads to four very rambunctious bikers and an old lover, to be extremely opposed to letting you leave again.

Warning: Suggestive moments, cursing, nonconsensual turning.

Word Count: 6.9k

Part two

The bustling chatter filled the packed room like music, unrelenting as some patrons laughed louder while others cheered softer. Every customer that walked in was rambunctious and different in their own unique way. Although becoming a bartender differed from how you had always pictured your future, ditching your home life was worth every tip and penny you earned throughout the night.

You were a good actor; that's one noteworthy little fact you learned about yourself after a few weeks. Wiping dry a martini glass, your chuckles, greetings, and mischievous remarks almost felt unfamiliar to you as you entertained the customers.

But when the lights dimmed, casting a gentle orange hue against every surface of the bar. The acting, the gestures, and the remarks all began feeling natural.

It left you with a sweet sense of satisfaction, like pushing in the last puzzle piece. But, although the usuals felt more comfortable, you still weren’t to open to the idea of becoming closer to anyone. For all you knew, these people were just here for a drink.

One visit turned into two, then three, until you could recite everyone's orders and names. Your life gradually followed the same schedule as clockwork, checking in either during the morning shifts like Monday, Tuesday, and Saturday instead of staying for the wild nightlife like Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday. A small bell was hanging above the door, giving you and your occasional coworker a heads-up whenever a new patron entered the bar. It was easy to get overwhelmed, the loud bumbling chatter nearly drowning out the music playing. Drunks laughed and cheered with rosy-cheeked grins; others decided to rough-house until Pablo kicked them out.

Filling a pint of beer for your usual customer, you nearly missed the soft chin of bells as someone new entered. The door swung open, and in came a blonde biker who took your breath away. Pulling at your strings as if he was some violinist, plucking at the cords until your chatter turned utterly harmonious. It was like a strange pull, a tugging, nudging aching within your racing heart that simply needed him there. It both excited you and disturbed you. Your banter with the biker didn't last long; he ordered four bottled beers, his gaze never wavering as you shuffled past your coworker making some margaritas for a group of girls as you grabbed the beers out of the freezer and handing them over before grabbing his cash. "You new here?" You finally asked, and you weren't exactly sure what to expect, but his voice matched his looks perfectly.

You snickered, leaning over the bar. Phoenix had some exciting faces to offer, all styles and types. But it was rare you found one that was this attractive.

The biker shrugged; a type of smugness hung across his features. A simple look in his eyes gave you another clue, the man was higher than a kite. "Just haven't seen such a pretty face around in a while." He tapped his hand on the counter with a slight chuckle, stepping back as he waved before walking out the door. You chuckled, shaking your head in amusement as you focused on the other customers. Though, you couldn't quite keep the blonde out of your head.

Not even when your shift ended, wiping a gray-soaked washcloth across the counters and tables. Your coworker cleaned and mopped the floors before you both clocked out. You entered the employee's room, grabbing your belongings before exiting through the back door. You hopped in your car, the streets still thriving, but you only lived several blocks away from the teenage hotspot when things began to gradually cool down. Luckily that's where your shabby little hut came into view.

It wasn't perfect, but decent, and the rent was cheap, so you weren't gonna complain. Parking your bike, you walked up your porch. The old wood creaking underneath your steps, shuffling to grab your keys, you couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching you. Turning to glance around, you rushed to open the door before entering your safe and humble abode. You locked the door, kicking off your shoes with a sigh as you walked towards your bedroom. You felt a little sluggish now that you were free to be, removing your clothes and hopping in the shower. The piping hot water felt heavenly across your skin, and if you weren't so damn hungry, you would've stayed longer. Loose pajamas, some fluffy socks, and you walked back into the kitchen, heating up some leftovers from the previous night and popping open a can of beer.

You were a rather heavy drinker, one bottle often turned to three, and three would often multiply sooner rather than later. Some people might have called you an alcoholic, but you didn't really mind. Alcohol was your ambrosia, and god fucking dammit, were you willing to die for that nectar. You were on your way to grab the third beer of the night when you heard a small thump against the window.

You found it odd that a bird would hit your window, especially since they weren't nocturnal. But as you wandered over and slid open the window, you watched as a bat squeaked at you. Blonde fluffy fur as it flew away in a rush. You didn't necessarily like bats, but you didn't hate the critters, either. This was your first time seeing one in real life, your eyes flicking to the tree a few feet away from your window. There on the bottom branch, hung the monster, making you laugh. "Sorry, Dracula, the bar closed two hours ago." You were about to close the window wanting to grab your last beer and finish up your movie before heading to bed.

But you halted as you watched the bat struggle on its branch, sloppily falling off and hitting the floor with a small thud. You frowned; you might not know much about bats, but they sure as hell avoided being on the ground. You hesitated before grabbing a towel and an empty shoe box; perhaps, if you were lucky enough, the bat would have flown away by the time you got to it. But unfortunately, the small little bundle of blonde fur still lay frozen on the ground. Sighing, you carefully scoop it up with the towel and lay it in the box before heading back inside.

You sat the box on the kitchen table, sitting down and taking a proper look at the thing. "You must've hit your little head when banging into the window.." You muttered, watching it stare back at you lazily. Whenever it tried to waddle its way out of the box, its little body swayed before eventually tumbling back into the fluffy fabric.

"Looks like you're stuck with me for the night, little guy." You cooed, a small smile tugging at your lips. It let out a small squeak. If you didn't know any better, you would say the bat understood you, turning around and grabbing an apple and a simple cutting knife. You sliced off a small piece, laying it in the box. You didn't know what the hell bats ate, and you weren't going to go out of your way to try and find some insect in your yard, so an apple slice will have to do for now.

Grabbing the box once more, you moved to your bedroom, entering the bathroom through a joined door. You set the box down, waving at the small bat before turning off the lights and closing the door. You got yourself settled and lay down, turning off your bedside lamp and letting out a content sigh. But then you heard it, the muffle whining and whimpers of the small creature in your bathroom. Letting out a groan, you tried covering your face with a pillow to try and drown out the noise, but it was a fruitless endeavor. Getting up with a huff, you turned on the light once more before moving over. You opened the door, flicking on the light as you watched it try and waddle towards you. "Can't you be quiet?" You groan, rubbing your temples.

However, you couldn't help but notice the silence once you had actually acknowledged the bat again, rolling your eyes at its strange antics. "Look, I can't give you attention all night. I need to sleep." You argue, watching the little creature climb up your foot and use its little claws and wings to crawl up your body.

Perhaps it was the previous drink, or your clear disregard for your own sense of self preservation, but you walked back to your bedroom with a shrug. If the little guy just had to sleep with you, then so be it. Sure, the thing could have rabies for all you new but the moment your aching feet lifted themselves onto your soft mattress; you no longer cared.

"Night night, Dracula." You snickered, closing your eyes and falling into a hollow state of peace.

Walking up, once again alone, fills you with a familiar sense of loneliness. You look around for your little companion, but you simply couldn't find him. You opened all of your windows in case you missed the little guy hiding somewhere before walking down into your kitchen for breakfast. You'd never admit it out loud, but having broken up with your long-term boyfriend, Michael, was rough on you. Half the time, you wallow in alcohol and self-loathing, spending any free time working and trying your damn hardest to move on. The relationship's end wasn't anyone's fault, really; when his father's divorce was finally settled, Michael needed to be with his mom, she needed him during this time, and you couldn't blame him for leaving with you. Looking back on it, you both could've made it work somehow, the long distance, but neither of you two found yourself to really fight for that option.

Sipping on your morning coffee was your ritual, reminiscing about your short past, a daily activity. But today, you were interrupted by the obnoxious sound of your phone ringing. Getting up and plucking the phone from the wall, your body tensed at the sweet sound of Lucy, Michaels's mother. She was the kindest person you knew, a relaxed parent that focused on a kid's trust rather than forcing the truth out from your experience.

"Hey honey, how have you been?" Her familiar, parental tone hummed over the phone. The sound tugged a smile across your lips. "Dandy, what about you, Lucy?" You knew better than to know Lucy wasn't just calling to check in with you, and although every fiber of your being wanted to cut to the chase, you managed to stay polite. Lucy let out a hum, happy with your answer. "I'm good—we're all good. But, listen, I'm sorry to call you for this, but it's about Michael." You nodded, although you knew she couldn't see you; you stayed silent, asking her to continue. "He's changed, distant. He hasn't been the same, and Sam says he's been involved with some worrisome people. I know it's a lot, but I can't help but worry. He won't talk to me, but he'll talk to you. I'll provide you with a room and everything; just please check in for me."

You could tell she was pleading; her tone was very clear with that. But could you really do this? You and Michael broke up, but you've been together since freshman year. You knew his family, and he knew yours; even if you weren't together anymore, you were still friends. With a long sigh, you rubbed your temples.

"Alright, I'll be there."

You don't plan on staying long, glancing at the backseat of your car where a small suitcase sits. You brought the essentials, but since it was summer regardless, you wanted to consider this a short beach-side vacation for yourself as well. It made coming to Santa Carla more reasonable.

Following the address Lucy promptly gave you afterward, you drove up the narrow driveway to an old-looking house. It must've been a generational home bought in the 40s if you had to guess. The sun was already setting by the time you arrived; stepping out of the car, you were greeted by an excited Lucy. However, you knew her better than that. The small stress wrinkles give away how worried she must've actually been.

She embraced you in a big bear-like hug, making you chuckle as she brought you in for some coffee. You sat inside, shielded by the hot California sun, as you stirred some creamer into your coffee. You two sat in the kitchen, a small desk separate from the main dining table.

"So, care to tell me a little more about what's been happening?" You ask, knowing that if you avoided the subject, so would Lucy. She let out a sigh, rubbing her temples as she nearly deflated before you.

"You know it's been hard for them—the divorce. Sam wasn't that close with his father; I'm afraid he experienced a more absent father figure than Micheal did. No, Micheal grew up with everything being perfect; I had a good marriage, and he had a good father and a stable home life." Lucy hummed, taking a long sip of her coffee.

"I know it wasn't easy for them. For any of us, really, but as a parent, I can't help but wonder. Did I do the right thing? Was Santa Carla really what the boys needed?"

You weren't exactly sure what to say; both you and Michael were adults at this point and were mature enough to have a conversation like this. But before Lucy was your friend, she had been more of a mother figure for you. Seeing her struggle so much makes you frown, a heaviness tugging at your lips. People really could be awful sometimes. You grabbed her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze as you smiled at her.

"Listen, I know being a parent is hard. But you're a good mom, okay? You have been since the start. But you need to listen; this move wasn't just for them. It was for you as well. You suffered a shitty divorce and dealt with an even worse ex-husband. You deserve this new start; let me handle Michael; I'm sure he'll come around." You watched as small tears seemed to prickle at her eyes, "Oh you!" She sang before pulling you into a hug. "I've missed you." She added, rubbing small circles on your back. You couldn't help but smile, not saying it but letting the small squeeze you returned to the hug speak for you.

The sun had already set as you managed to unpack your things in the guest room, tackling Sam in a big-old sibling-like hug before heading to the boardwalk with him. Lucy had left a few hours earlier for work, which is where you were headed now. Sam led the way as he filled you in on Micheals's behavior. To say you were concerned now was an understatement; nothing Micheal did now made sense. This wasn't like him.

You walked over to the Videotape store and found Lucy glancing at the videotapes decorating the walls. You walked around, glancing at the movies that might interest you. You eventually ended up in the same aisle as a brown biker, someone who vaguely reminded you of the blonde one you met days ago. You were about to pick up The Shining when the man interrupted.

"You new here?" He eventually asked, his gaze lingering for an unusually long time. You struggled, letting out a dry chuckle. "That obvious, huh?" You hummed, feeling more at ease. The man was more stoic than you were used to, but the moment you heard his own amused chuckling, your tense shoulders gradually dropped. The man was mesmerizing, a special charm in every little trinket and clothes covering him. You felt an annoying sense of deja vu, feeling your heart push and pull your subconscious self towards this man. To gush about his leather jacket or talk about anything else for hours. He seemed to smile, catching your lingering gaze before clearing his throat and pointing towards one of the videotapes. "The Shining's good, but if you're into that, I'd recommend The Thing and Nightmare on Elms Street too." All you could do was nod, spinning around when you saw Lucy. She smiled at the brunette, handing you something as you rushed out of the shop. Any tapes and movies are utterly forgotten, and you search for space. You made brief eye contact with the man Lucy had been talking, feeling unsettled by him.

You walked along the patios of the shops lining the boardwalk; they were lightly covered in sand. A grainy texture underneath your shoes. You sat there for a moment before your eyes caught the sight of a familiar head of messy brown hair.

Jumping to your feet, you were off. Not sparing anyone a second glance, not until you were about to reach Micheal. You could feel it, that nostalgic giddiness you usually felt whenever you and Micheal met, but during that time, you were still together. You could jump into his arms and kiss his dimpled cheek; the sudden realization that you hadn't actually seen the brunette since you broke up made your heart squeeze. Seeing him felt more real, and the growing realization that nothing would ever be the same again made the air feel heavy.

You paused as you saw a girl with bouncy curls rush over to him, a small boy close behind as she linked their arms. You hadn't realized until then that a part of you was still clinging onto a foolish, utterly bitter sense of hope that things could return to the way they were. You couldn't have been more foolish, the excitement within you replaced with a heavy knot in the pit of your stomach. You wanted to turn around, run away, and drink until you cough your lungs out on some empty street bench. But you couldn't; you weren't here for Michael or yourself; you were here for Lucy's sake.

Taking in a deep breath, you walked over and cleared your throat. Michael had walked up to a group of guys, two of whom you recognized. They turned to you, four eyes curiously staring at one, another pair looking upset, and lastly, Michaels were surprised.

“Y/N?”

"The one and only." You rolled your eyes, trying to retain a sense of normality despite your emotional turmoil. The hippy-look-alike glanced between you two, taking an almost protective step in front of Micheal. "Who are you?"

Before Micheal could answer, you beat him to it. "A friend." You mused, shaking her hand. "I'm Y/N, an old childhood friend from Phoenix." She seemed to relax at the information, nodding with a gentle smile. "I'm Star, Micheal's girlfriend."

Hiding your soft grimace, you nodded with a strained smile.

"What are you doing here, Y/N?"

"Not going to introduce us first, Mikey?" The smooth voice hummed out, but the tone was laced with something else. You couldn't place it, but it almost sounded dissatisfied. You couldn't really answer before Micheal grabbed your arm, a bit too tight for your liking. "Stay out of it, David."

Micheal dragged you away, taking advantage of your stunned state. You suddenly understood what Sam and Lucy had been worrying about. Micheal didn't act like that, at least not for the past few years you've known him. He shoved and pushed his way through the crowd, though that wasn't very hard considering how the people practically split just to avoid you two. He didn't look back at you, nor did his grip loosen until you two were somewhere at the end of the boardwalk; the crowd lessened with every meter.

When you finally came to a stop, you were suddenly pulled into a tight hug. One of his arms snaked around your waist, a grip firm but gentle. His other hand had tangled itself in your hair, practically cradling your head as he nuzzled his face in the crook of your neck.

If you didn't have whiplash from the sudden rushing, you definitely had some now from the abrupt affection. He seemed to be, inhaling you? "Micheal." You nudged his chest, finally able to separate yourself from a very unwilling brunette.

"What are you doing here, Y/N?" His voice was gentle, careful even. As if you'd run away again, which was odd since you weren't the one who left.

"I came to visit you; I see you've made some new friends.." You wandered over to the railing, hopping on carefully.

"Yeah, a lot's happened." He murmured, rubbing his neck to relieve his phantom discomfort. You nodded, silently asking him to go on. "Your family's worried about you; what's been going on, Mikey?" You nudged further, wanting to get to the core of the problem. You couldn't try and help if you didn't know what the hell was going on, but your prodding seemingly did the opposite as Michael became visibly more uncomfortable. Shifting his weight from one leg to the other, rubbed his neck and brushed his fingers through his hair.

"I know, I know—a lot has been going on. I just can't tell you about it." He settled on that answer, getting closer before resting beside you. He leaned his forearms against the railing, glancing at the ocean.

"Will you be staying here for long?" You could tell he was trying to change the subject but ultimately decided that patience was the key in this situation. But apart, small and subtle, I enjoyed the way his question almost sounded pleading.

"Mhm, took a few weeks off for vacation. Lucy's giving me her spare room; I hope you don't mind." He shook his head, his signature crooked smile tugging at his lips. "Nah, I'm glad. Haven't spent any time with my girl in a while."

"Your girl?"

He stuttered at that, "I mean—you know, guess that kinda just slipped." He seemed embarrassed, but you weren't gonna have it. What about Star?

"Don't you have a girlfriend?"

"Star? No, she isn't my girlfriend. It's complicated, but we haven't ever really gotten official." He explained, rubbing his temples at the thought.

You nodded, "Then don't call me your girl Micheal. We broke up; I'm your friend. Please remember that." You reminded him as gently as you could, noticing the subtle flash of pain across his features before he nodded.

Feeling the sudden heaviness in the air, you frowned, looking around as you thought of a way to change the subject. "So, who exactly are your friends?"

"Allow me to take charge of this one, Micheal." A deep, familiar voice mused. The blonde mullet-wearing dude always seemed like a cat, sneaky and quiet but always in the mood to toy with something, in this case, someone.

"Since our Mikey seemed to hide you from us, which is awfully rude of you. I'll take charge from here." He stepped closer, glancing you over. He had an odd look in his eyes and almost seemed angry with Michael for taking you away. However, before the blonde could talk, a rocker look-like, the man you had sworn you saw in your bar prior bounced up beside you and slung his arm around your shoulder.

You ignored the tingles you felt when your bare skin met his but instead chucked it up to your lack of action recently. "I'm Paul, sweetheart!" He stared at you for a bit too long for comfort before moving on. "That's Marko, David, and the brooding guy over there is little ol' Dwayne."

"Why did Dwayne get an extra introduction, and I'm just Marko?" You couldn't help but chuckle at the banter, feeling like the group was awfully playful. So what was the problem? You could see Micheal having a good time with them, so why the sudden change.

"Well, I'm Y/N. Michael's, old friend." You formally introduced, not expecting much, but Dwayne nodded. All of them seemed to be in their own world, Dwayne appearing the most interested. Had you known how focused they actually were on you, analyzing your heart beat, body language, anything they could grasp onto you would've run.

"What brings you to Santa Carla Y/N." David leaned against the railing, his cold gaze curious. "Seems like a pretty far distance to go for just a friend." He added, and at that moment, you got the sense that you just couldn't lie to David. That cold, icy gaze practically looked through you. As if he's had years of experience understanding human behavior, it unnerved you.

"Well, I'm also here for a vacation." You laughed nervously, rubbing the back of your neck.

He gave you a look that simply screamed that he didn't believe you before moving on. "Are you gonna be staying here for long, sugar?" Marko took you out of that uncomfortable situation, making you nod with a hum. "Depends on what you consider long, but I'll be here for a few weeks."

"Well, we ought' to show you around here then. Show you all Santa Carla's got to offer!" Marko hollered, which received agreeing gazes from everyone except Micheal, who appeared rather upset. But you were here, and what better way to understand Micheal than by meeting his friends. "The hell with it." You mused, a grin tugging at your lips at the cheers and eager looks around you.

So, you explored Santa Carla just like Marko had said. Practically losing your soul during the fast carnival rides, winning petty prizes, eating greasy food, fucking with surfer nazis, and stealing some things here and there. So now you were here, surrounded by the starry sky and the roaring ocean. A campfire crackling on the sand as you were sitting in between Michael and Dwayne. With a beer bottle in hand, everyone seemed relaxed despite the playful fighting happening between Paul and Marko.

"So, tell me a little about yourself. How'd you come to know our boy Mikey here?" David had been on your ass since you met; he didn't let your lie slide earlier, even if he hadn't acknowledged it. He was so eager to know about the true nature between you and Micheal, and at the question, you couldn't help but notice Star perk up beside Micheal.

"Nothin' much to tell, I'm afraid. I met Michael when he was interning at his father's mechanics shop when I finally got a car from my old man, only to have it break down on me several weeks later. That is where we met." You glanced at Michael, seeing a faint smile tug on his lips as he seemingly played with the sand.

"I was new, and he offered me a tour around town. One thing led to another, and we became friends. Didn't get together until what, junior year? Yeah, around that time." You add, watching as Paul and Marko suddenly stop rough-housing. "Wait, you two were together?" Paul asked, staring between your two. "You said you were just friends," Marko added, an odd glint in his eyes. You shrugged, taking a quick swig of your beer.

"We are just friends, Mikey and I broke up when he left for Santa Carla." You glanced at the brunette, seeing the way his smile had dissolved. There was a glaze to his eyes as if he was somewhere else completely. You understood; perhaps that's why you guys got together in the first place. You simply understood Michael, the way he was currently dancing with you again in his memories. It was apparent to you.

"Ah." The sound of David's stern hum of acknowledgment made you turn your attention back to the group of boys. They all seemed to be in thought, but none looked too pleased with your previous relationship. "Been happily single ever since—well, I haven't really been looking, to be honest." You added, trying to lighten the mood.

"Oh, you hear that, boys?" Paul grinned, getting up and moving behind you. He rested his hands on your shoulder, leaning down to rest his chin on the top of your head. "She's open for the taking!"

"That is not what I meant—"Before you could finish your sentence, Paul and Marko picked you up. They cheered as they ran towards the inky black ocean water, grinning to themselves as Paul held your hands and Marko your feet. They swung you threateningly over the water's edge. Your screams were filled with laughter as they grinned.

"What do you say, Paul? Should our little sunflower get a drop in the ocean for lying to us?" Paul grinned a mischievous cat-like grin. Glancing at Marko, the expression was practically mirrored. "I don't know, Paulie; maybe she should. Wash off all of that Michael stench off of her."

"Don't drop me! Fuck you, seriously. Don't you dare!" You warned, trying to wiggle yourself out of their death grip.

"Nah, threats won't work on us, honey. Maybe a reward will work, hmm. What do you think, Paul?"

"I think a kiss ought' to do it," Paul answered, glancing between you and his devil-like companion. "Couldn't agree more."

"Fine, fine, have your stupid kiss but let me down!"

As if on cue, they synced up. "If you say so!" Marko cheered as, with a powerful swing, they threw you over and into the water. You let out a shrill screech, landing in the water ungraciously. Once you popped back up, you glared at the two.

Wincing as you tried to get up, you promptly plopped back into the water with a splash. They heard you loud and clear, and Michael was already by Marko and Paul's side. David and Dwayne followed, but not as quickly.

"You okay, sugar?" Paul asked, frowning as you shook your head. You held out a hand to him, silently asking for help to get up. When he walked over to you, not minding his now wet boots. He grabbed your hand, not expecting you to harshly tug him down and into the water with you.

You cackled, wanting to commit the blonde's dumbfounded expression to memory. "Damn girl, you made me worried!" He explained, and Marko nearly doubled over laughing. He splashed you, wrapping his arm around your waist under the water. You froze, not expecting the contact. "That was rather evil of you, sunflower," he mused, in a tone far too low and husky than you had expected coming from the rocker-wannabe.

"And throwing me into the water, wasn't?" You mimicked, turning to glance at him. He laughed, pulling you closer. You could feel his breath taunting your skin; his gaze was all too narrow and lustful for your liking. He looked hungry, practically starved, as he grinned at you. "But I am evil, sunflower, and the one thing you can trust in a bad guy is that he'll always do something awful. It's the good ones you gotta be careful about," He hummed, his gaze shifting to your lips. He lifted his hand, cupping your jaw as he traced his thumb against your lip. "The good ones are a wild card, baby; you never know when they're finally gonna give in." He whispered, and at that moment, you knew he wasn't just talking about petty, mean deeds.

He was referring to you if the position you weren't in wasn't clear enough. However, before you could respond, Michael broke you two up. Unable to form a proper response, you followed your old friend, watching as he returned you to the rest of the group.

"What were they thinking? You'll catch your death being wet this late at night!" Micheal murmured as he complained, making you roll your eyes. "I'm fine; we were just having some fun." You defended, watching as Marko slung his arm around your shoulder. "Yeah, chill out, Mikey."

Dwanye seemed to agree with Micheal instead as he grabbed your hand and gently led you back to the campfire to warm up again. He didn't mind the sudden chill now; your body was still fired up from your earlier encounter with Paul. You felt a heavy cloth drape over your shoulders, glancing to see David's coat loosely set over you. He sat down beside you, handing you your previously abandoned beer bottle.

"Thanks," you smiled.

"It's already so late, yet you don't seem even the slightest bit tired. Do you usually stay up this late?" He asked though he didn't look at you at first. One of his hands loosely held a cigarette, letting a puff of smoke escape through his lips. His eyes focused on the blazing fire in front of you before gradually looking into your eyes. Once again, you could feel your ability to lie fade, not with such a dominating gaze practically reading you.

"I work at a bar most days of the week; you get used to late nights." You explained, being honest for once. He nodded, seemingly appreciating your bluntness.

"Doesn't sound like that's the safest job." Dwayne chimed in, an odd look of concern across his features. You weren't sure what to make of that look; you weren't close enough to garner that concern. But couldn't deny the fluttering in your stomach, fuck, how starved were you for affection?

"Neither is staying in Santa Carla, but here we are." You murmured, a little embarrassed at yourself for being so desperate. You couldn't really describe it, but being around them felt right. Having their attention felt right, and a part of you wanted to keep it. David chuckled at your answer, subtly resting his hand on your thigh.

"Yet here we are." He repeated, his deep voice sending shivers down your back.

"Fuck." You heard someone hiss loudly, everyone's gaze turning to Micheal, who was staring at his watch. "David, it's nearly sunrise." He cursed sternly, sending panicked looks across everyone except the leader. You were surprised yourself, having completely lost track of time. But you were a little confused as all the guys got up and guided you back to the pier.

"You guys got a curfew or something?" You asked, biting the inside of your cheek. Dwanye chuckled as he and the others walked over to their bikes. "Miss us already, sugar?" Paul hummed, getting on his bike. Micheal shook his head, taking your hand gently in his. He caressed the chilled hand with his thumb, and you couldn't help but notice that Micheals's hand was just as cold as yours. "We just have something we need to do; see you tomorrow?"

"You're not going home?" You asked, slightly surprised at the sudden change in atmosphere. "No, like I said, we have something planned." He seemed more nervous, rubbing his neck. A nervous tick he developed when Michael was lying. But you didn't feel like pushing, so you let go of his hand with a sigh.

He walked to his bike, the five starting their engines with a powerful roar. Paul and Marko wave as they drive off, Dwayne following. Michael stared longingly at you, starting his back before driving off too. David moved but promptly stopped before you. One of his feet resting on the floor. He caressed your cheek with his gloved hand, watching you carefully. You felt pulled as if the boy's leaving was pulling your heart along with them. "You think to much." David hummed teasingly, staring into your eyes. "Come back to the boardwalk tomorrow; I'll come and find you," he instructed, not leaving any room for debate.

"How'll you manage that?" You taunted, your breath hitching as he promptly leaned closer.

But instead of a snarky remark, his hand that rested on your cheek slid back. Tangling his fingers in your hair, keeping a firm grip on the back of your neck as he pulled you in for a searing kiss. Sparks flew, and you were sure you could have burnt yourself at the searing heat of the kiss. David wasn't gentle, and there was a dominating eagerness to his lips that commanded your utter acceptance. His teeth playfully nipped your bottom lip, pulling it slowly as he parted. You pulled away with lidded eyes, observing the same intoxicated look flash across David's features.

"See you tomorrow, baby." He chuckled, roaring his engine before leaving you. It took you several minutes to recuperate, walking back into the main center of the boardwalk.

Walking past a closing video store, you weren't really paying attention to your surroundings. The sound of a man's voice pulling you out of your daze, looking around your eyes connected with those of a middle-aged man. You recognized him as the video store owner, who must've said something to you.

"I'm sorry, what was that?" You asked, now focused on the man.

"I said you should stay away from those bikers; they're nothing but trouble." His words seemed stern, yet they had the unnerving power to upset you.

"Yeah, you know them or something?" You asked in an accusatory tone, hearing the man shake his head with a small sigh.

"You've got the same attitude as them; if it were up to me, I wouldn't let you in. But Lucy always wanted a daughter." The man's tone turned sadistic as he got closer, pushing you into a nearby alleyway. Panic shot through you, every fiber of your being screaming at you to run. Something was wrong, terribly wrong. But before your fight or flight response could kick in, you were knocked against the wall with such force the wind was knocked out of you. Leaving you disoriented and wheezing for air.

You felt his fangs graze your skin, a small sob escaping you. A fear of dying, hate for pain, and lingering betrayal being too much for your eyes to hold. What did Lucy have to do with this? You didn't deserve to die, not like this!

You were scared. One of your hands placed itself on his chest, clenching the fabric of his jacket between your fingers as you desperately tried pushing him away. Thrashing as much as you could. When the pain finally arrived, you winced harshly and gasped. The hold on the man's jacket grew tighter as his jaw clenched. It fucking hurt. Hurt like hell. But he refused to move, not wanting to make the feeling worse. The longer you stood there, the more accustomed you felt to the dull aching. It was an awful feeling, leaving you feeling dirty all over, but whatever was happening, it sparked hopes that you might get out of this alive.

You could feel particular sharp sparks of pain whenever you moved, shifting the puncture wounds. Your mind grew cloudy the longer he drank.

"Stop.." You whispered, the words sounding frail and weak. The man needed to stop. Your body was slowly growing light, the feeling of dizziness and sleepiness festering inside you. The hand holding onto him loosened its grip before slowly falling against your side. Your tears had stopped a few minutes ago, your cheeks glistening from the wetness. Your eyes grew dull in color, silently fighting yourself to stay awake. You could practically hear your heart hammering against your chest, each beat loud and overwhelming as it rang through your ears.

It felt like you were dying, and a part of you was convinced you actually were.

Your body was in a state of searing, burning pain. Your heartbeat rang like cathedral drums, harsh and loud before the sound turned quiet. One beat, a pause, then silence. Your body limp and cold, your lifeless body let the blood of its murderer wash down your tongue. Suddenly everything began to burn inside you; your mouth ached horribly, and your fingertips too. Your body felt freezing cold until some drop of relief washed over you, and through your mouth came a small stream of euphoria. Practically lighting your every fiber on fire. Your eyes opened, no longer their usual color but a vivid yellow. Your hand instinctively grabbed the man's wrist, your mind going blank as you sink your teeth into the crimson liquid.

A sigh of relief escaped you as you closed your eyes, swallowing greedily as you calmed the burning inside yourself. You didn't let the man budge, your new, sharpened nails practically digging into his forearm. You felt insatiable; no matter how hurriedly you lapped and sucked on the wound, you wanted more, more blood.

You didn't relent; you practically couldn't. But the urge to look up at your murderer was undeniable. You pulled away, a small trail of the man's blood trailing down the corner of your lips as you looked up at him. Large, doe-eyed hungry eyes stared up at him, the look of a pure predator.

You had died in that alleyway, after all; a part of you just knew that. With speed unrecognizable, you ran away, not sure where, but far, far, away from the boardwalk.

The next night, David and the others did not find you at the boardwalk. But none of them were just going to let you go like that, no, not when mates were so hard to find. It was hard enough for them to have let you go last night, and if it wasn't for the threat of the approaching sun, they wouldn't have. Their boardwalk princess was missing, and there would be hell to pay if they didn't find you soon.

[jgracie]

WHEN YOU’RE CLOSE TO ME

masterlist | rules

‘cause you are my medicine, when you're close to me

pairing travis stoll x demeter!reader

warnings none!

on the radio . . . on melancholy hill (gorillaz)

an i had to put u guys on my vision !!!!!!!!! reader is a daughter of demeter… i wonder why ?! this is short but i just had to write something other than percy for a second LOL also when they're sitting at the cafe tgt i imagine the ‘on melancholy hill’ trend on tt hence the song choice

you’re so pretty. too pretty. ever since your little quest - which consisted of retrieving his father’s caduceus for him - ended, your face was all travis could think about.

whenever he closed his eyes, he saw your sparkling eyes and bright smile, as well as the flowers that couldn’t help but bloom all over you, your excitement causing your powers to go haywire.

being one of the few demigods who’d been living at camp since birth, you were dying to see the outside world for as long as you could remember. so, when you heard travis needed a second for his quest, you begged him to choose you, and despite many of his siblings wanting to go too, he did choose you, unable to say no to your cute face

with you, new york, a city travis knew like the back of his hand, went from being mundane to a city from one of those fantasy books the athena kids were obsessed with. you marveled at everything around you, taking a million different stops and trying a million different food and drink items.

soon enough, you passed by a cafe that you just had to have a drink at, and who was travis to deny you? his father could wait, he was immortal after all. so, the two of you made your way to a table in the corner and ordered drinks. travis got a coffee you insisted was too bitter, while you got matcha, which he thought tasted awfully similar to grass.

during your time at the cafe, you made small talk every once-in-a-while, but mostly just basked in the comforting silence that blanketed the two of you. you rarely ever interacted at camp, but for some reason, it felt right for travis to be alone with you.

eventually, you did find the caduceus and returned it to hermes, who was eternally grateful and offered to fly you to barcelona for a one day getaway, but that didn't matter. all travis can remember about that quest is your presence. the longer travis knew you for, the more y/n-shaped blossoms bloomed in his heart.

which is why he did what he did. he knew very well that the demeter cabin sold bouquets to both demigods at camp and flower shops outside of camp, and after some sneaking around, he was able to find out that you worked with your siblings on tuesdays, thursdays and saturdays.

today happened to be a saturday. travis sent a request for a bouquet today, knowing you'd be the one to put it together. after borrowing a book from michael in the athena cabin, he was able to choose the flowers he wanted for this very special bouquet: pink bluebells, carnations, alyssums and camellias.

"travis! i have your bouquet!" you said, breaking his train of thought, "i knocked three times but no one answered so i let myself in, i hope you don't mind," in your hands was the bouquet, tied at the stems with a pink ribbon.

taking it from you, travis took a good look at it. naturally, it was perfect. he didn't expect any less from you, "thank you, y/n, but i need this delivered. it isn't for me," he said, praying his plan worked.

"oh, okay, who's it for? i'll get katie to deliver it now," you said, a warm smile tugging at your lips.

"it's alright, i'll do it myself. she isn't too far from here," he said, before handing you the bouquet, a blush coating his freckles. maybe he should've confessed in a more traditional way.

you looked down at the bouquet, confused, then up at him, and understood. violets bloomed in your hair as you said, "travis, this is really sweet of you. no one's ever done something this nice for me!" your smile got wider then, and travis was close to swearing on the styx to get you a bouquet of flowers every day if it meant you'd smile at him like that

a sudden wave of boldness washed over travis, and he knew what he had to do. just as you were about to leave, he said, "since i'm so sweet, would you wanna go explore new york with me again? no quests this time."

you looked over your shoulder and back at him, and at that moment, travis knew he wouldn't need the infirmary as long as you were his. you were better than any medicine the apollo cabin could prescribe him

"sure, travis, but only if we can take your dad up on his offer afterwards!"

[kp777]

By Jessica Corbett

Common Dreams

Sept. 26, 2023

Open internet advocates across the United States celebrated on Tuesday as Federal Communications Commission Chair Jessica Rosenworcel announced her highly anticipated proposal to reestablish FCC oversight of broadband and restore net neutrality rules.

"We thank the FCC for moving swiftly to begin the process of reinstating net neutrality regulations," said ACLU senior policy counsel Jenna Leventoff. "The internet is our nation's primary marketplace of ideas—and it's critical that access to that marketplace is not controlled by the profit-seeking whims of powerful telecommunications giants."

Rosenworcel—appointed to lead the commission by President Joe Biden—discussed the history of net neutrality and her new plan to treat broadband as a public utility in a speech at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., which came on the heels of the U.S. Senate's recent confirmation of Anna Gomez to a long-vacant FCC seat.

Back in 2005, "the agency made clear that when it came to net neutrality, consumers should expect that their broadband providers would not block, throttle, or engage in paid prioritization of lawful internet traffic," she recalled. "In other words, your broadband provider had no business cutting off access to websites, slowing down internet services, and censoring online speech."

"Giant corporations and their lobbyists... will try every trick to block or delay the agency from restoring net neutrality."

After a decade of policymaking and litigation, net neutrality rules were finalized in 2015. However, a few years later—under former FCC Chair Ajit Pai, an appointee of ex-President Donald Trump—the commission caved to industry pressure and repealed them.

"The public backlash was overwhelming. People lit up our phone lines, clogged our email inboxes, and jammed our online comment system to express their disapproval," noted Rosenworcel, who was a commissioner at the time and opposed the repeal. "So today we begin a process to make this right."

The chair is proposing to reclassify broadband under Title II of the Communications Act, which "is the part of the law that gives the FCC clear authority to serve as a watchdog over the communications marketplace and look out for the public interest," she explained. "Title II took on special importance in the net neutrality debate because the courts have ruled that the FCC has clear authority to enforce open internet policies if broadband internet is classified as a Title II service."

"On issue after issue, reclassifying broadband as a Title II service would help the FCC serve the public interest more efficiently and effectively," she pointed out, detailing how it relates to public safety, national security, cybersecurity, network resilience and reliability, privacy, broadband deployment, and robotexts.

Rosenworcel intends to release the full text of the proposal on Thursday and hold a vote regarding whether to kick off rulemaking on October 19. While Brendan Carr, one of the two Republican commissioners, signaled his opposition to the Title II approach on Tuesday, Gomez's confirmation earlier this month gives Democrats a 3-2 majority at the FCC.

"Giant corporations and their lobbyists blocked President Biden from filling the final FCC seat for more than two years, and they will try every trick to block or delay the agency from restoring net neutrality now," Demand Progress communications director Maria Langholz warned Tuesday. "The commission must remain resolute and fully restore free and open internet protections to ensure broadband service providers like Comcast and Verizon treat all content equally."

"Americans' internet experience should not be at the whims of corporate executives whose primary concerns are the pockets of their stakeholders and the corporations' bottom line," she added, also applauding the chair.

Free Press co-CEO Jessica J. González similarly praised Rosenworcel and stressed that "without Title II, broadband users are left vulnerable to discrimination, content throttling, dwindling competition, extortionate and monopolistic prices, billing fraud, and other shady behavior."

"As this proceeding gets under way, we will hear all manner of lies from the lobbyists and lawyers representing big phone and cable companies," she predicted. "They'll say anything and everything to avoid being held accountable. But broadband providers and their spin doctors are deeply out of touch with people across the political spectrum, who are fed up with high prices and unreliable services. These people demand a referee on the field to call fouls and issue penalties when broadband companies are being unfair."

Like Rosenworcel, in her Tuesday speech, González also highlighted that "one thing we learned from the Covid-19 pandemic is that broadband is essential infrastructure—it enables us to access education, employment, healthcare, and more."

That "more" includes civic engagement, as leaders at Common Cause noted Tuesday. Ishan Mehta, who directs the group's Media and Democracy Program, said that "the internet has fundamentally changed how people are civically engaged and is critical to participating in society today. It is the primary communications platform, a virtual public square, and has been a powerful organizing tool, allowing social justice movements to gain momentum and widespread support."

After the Trump-era repeal, Mehta explained, "we saw broadband providers throttle popular video streaming services, degrade video quality, forcing customers to pay higher prices for improved quality, offer service plans that favor their own services over competitors, and make hollow, voluntary, and unenforceable promises not to disconnect their customers during the pandemic."

Given how broadband providers have behaved, Michael Copps, a Common Cause special adviser and former FCC commissioner, said that "to allow a handful of monopoly-aspiring gatekeepers to control access to the internet is a direct threat to our democracy."

Rosenworcel's speech came a day after U.S. Sens. Ed Markey (D-Mass.) and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) led over two dozen of their colleagues in sending a letter calling for the restoration of net neutrality protections. The pair said in a statement Tuesday that "broadband is not a luxury. It is an essential utility and it is imperative that the FCC's authority reflects the necessary nature of the internet in Americans' lives today."

"We need net neutrality so that small businesses are not shoved into online slow lanes, so that powerful social media companies cannot stifle competition, and so that users can always freely speak their minds on social media and advocate for the issues that are most important to them," they said. "We applaud Chairwoman Rosenworcel for her leadership and look forward to working with the FCC to ensure a just broadband future for everyone."

[bellaxgiornata]

Falling For the Devil [Part twelve: "The Week You Tried to Avoid Matt"]

Pairing: Matt Murdock x Fem!Reader

Summary: You're on your period for the first time in your relationship with Matt and you're uncomfortable being around him and don't want him to know.

Or

You drastically overthink Matt's heightened senses and try to repeatedly avoid seeing him for the entirety of your period week.

[Series of one-shots about Reader meeting, falling for, and dating Matt Murdock.]

Warnings: 18+ for this series; contains humor, fluff, romance, angst, smut (like...a lot of it later in the series), language, some violence

Word Count: 3.8k

a/n: Another fluffy and comedic installment here, might be the last one I manage to get transferred over from AO3 tonight. You can find all of the installments for this series that are currently on tumblr here!

Monday

You held the paper up in your hands, your eyes glued to the headline reading "Entrepreneur Figueroa Arrested for Trafficking Women Through Hell's Kitchen." Your name was in the byline next to an image of a disgruntled Figureroa being seated into the back of a police car, his hands in cuffs behind his back. A small smile slid across your mouth.

A hand on your shoulder caused you to jump in surprise, your head turning to spot Katy beside you. She was grinning and eyeing today's issue of The Bulletin in your hands.

"Good job," she said. "You outed that asshole."

You were really wishing you could have thanked Matt as Daredevil for uncovering the incriminating evidence in the article. He was the one who had truly made this possible. But he refused to let you even so much as hint at his assistance in the article.

"You should go celebrate with your man tonight, if you know what I mean," Katy suggested, waggling her eyebrows at you. 

You rolled your eyes, setting the newspaper onto your desk. "You are way too invested in me sleeping with my boyfriend than is healthy," you pointed out. 

"Well I can't sleep with him," she said, scooping a spoonful of yogurt into her mouth. "Someone needs to make sure he's being properly maintained."

" Katy ," you hissed, eyes darting around the office. 

"What?" she asked innocently.

"We're at work," you whispered harshly. "You can't be saying stuff like that."

"No one cares," she said with a shrug, pointing her spoon at Sabrina a few cubicles over. "She slept with some guy at a bar the other night. Told me the details about it over coffee this morning. And Michael," she continued, pointing her spoon at him as he worked on his computer, oblivious to Katy calling him out, "had a pretty eventful last Thursday night. Did you know that he–"

"Oh my God, please stop," you cut her off, holding up a hand and blushing. "We are not having sex tonight, I got my damn period yesterday morning."

And like hell if you were going to be anywhere near Matt this week while you were bleeding. With his heightened senses? No . He didn't need to be aware of…all of that. 

Though the thought of having to avoid him for a week every single month sounded awful and exhausting.

"You know," Katy said, pointing her yogurt spoon at you, "if you fuck in the shower there's not much mess."

" Katy !" you hissed again. 

"What?" she asked with a shrug. "Just giving you some friendly, womanly advice. Period sex is pretty great."

You threw a hand over your face, shaking your head as your cheeks burned. At least you had seen Matt Saturday night, just before you'd gotten cursed this week. And Matt had told you he was working late on a case tonight because he had court this week, so you didn't need to try too hard to avoid him today like you had yesterday. 

Small mercies.

Tuesday 

Setting your hair brush back onto your dresser, you frowned at yourself in the mirror. One hand reached down and tugged at the too-tight waistband of your dress pants. Period bloat fucking sucked. 

With a sigh you turned towards your bed, slipping on the blazer over your blouse, hoping it helped cover some of the water retention of your stomach. You frowned, glancing down at your abdomen that was twisting with uncomfortable cramps. If only you could stay home from work and curl up on your couch with a heating pad. Why weren't you allotted period days along with sick days?

The sound of your phone ringing on the dresser caught your attention. Heading towards it, you saw Matt's name across the screen. You groaned softly. Normally you loved seeing his name displayed across the screen of your phone whenever he called or texted, but right now you were overly aware of the tampon and thin pad you were wearing. 

"Hey, Matt," you answered the call hesitantly.

"Hey, sweetheart," Matt's cheerful voice came through the line. "I was actually up early this morning and was about to head out and pick up coffee before stopping past the office and heading to the courthouse. I was wondering if you'd like to meet up for a few minutes to grab coffee with me?" he asked, sounding hopeful. "I've missed you since Saturday."

His sweet admission had your heart sinking to your bedroom floor. Why were you cursed with a menstrual cycle and a handsome boyfriend who's sense of smell exceeded that of a German shepherd's?

"I uh, I actually woke up late," you lied, cringing but grateful he couldn't hear your heartbeat over the phone to tell you'd lied. It's not like he'd believe you had a dentist appointment after your first date. "I'm probably going to be sprinting to the office at this rate."

"Oh," he answered softly. "Okay, well, I'll probably be having another late night at the office for this case, but I still want to celebrate with you. For your article on Figueroa. Foggy and I pulled some strings with the DA to fast track his case."

"That's great!" you said. "I can't wait for that asshole to go to prison."

"Me too, sweetheart," he said with a chuckle. "But I'll let you finish getting ready, I don't want to hold you up further. But I do want to celebrate with you this week," he reminded you. 

"Yeah, okay," you answered nervously. "Good luck in court today. Send my luck to Foggy and Karen, too."

"Thanks," he said. "I'll call you later tonight, okay? We can at least chat a bit."

"Sounds good, Matty," you replied.

You both hung up and you groaned loudly. Eyes dropping down to your abdomen, you frowned again. 

"So I'm real grateful you didn’t try to make a baby after the mind-blowing sex the other week," you muttered to your uterus, "but like, fuck you for real."

Wednesday 

Staring at your computer monitor, your eyes zeroed in on the half-finished sentence, drumming your fingers on your desk. You'd been struggling through figuring out how to word the article you were working on for the next issue of The Bulletin for the past hour. You needed a break. 

Eyes darting down to the corner of your monitor, you noticed it was about time for your lunch break. Maybe that would help. 

You sat back in your chair, sliding it back a bit from your desk and running your hands through your hair in frustration. Katy leaned back in the cubicle beside you. One of her hands rose to her head, making it into a gun and pretending to shoot herself in the head with it. You giggled, nodding in solidarity. She was apparently struggling on her piece, too.

Your phone began ringing on your desk, the noise catching your attention. Sliding your chair back into your little cubicle you were surprised to see Matt's name on the screen. He had court today, why was he calling?

"What's up, Matt?" you asked curiously when you answered. 

"Hey, so apparently we are breaking a bit early for a two hour lunch today," Matt said. "You want to join Foggy, Karen, and I for lunch at that diner near your office?"

You absolutely fucking did. That greasy grilled cheese and fries sounded really damn good right about now. 

But you were still on your period. Which in turn meant you were still trying to avoid Matt–and it was feeling shittier and shittier each time you did.

Closing your eyes and rubbing a hand over your forehead, you internally screamed. 

"Actually I'm pushing to get this article done before the deadline this evening. Struggling with writer's block," you told him, not entirely lying. Though lunch with all of them would have been a helpful and welcome distraction. 

"Okay, well would you like me to grab you something and bring it by?" he asked slowly. "I know how much you love their grilled cheese."

Damn this perfect, thoughtful man for being so perfect and thoughtful. 

“I already ordered something,” you blurted quickly, wincing as the lie left you. “A few minutes ago,” you added with a cringe. “Otherwise I’d have loved to take you up on the offer, Matty.”

He cleared his throat on the line and you frowned. Maybe you should just tell him why you were avoiding him this week? Though the thought of actually saying the words, “Hey, Matt, I’m on my period and bleeding from my lady parts this week, don’t want your bloodhound nose getting a whiff of my bloody tampon so I’ll see you next week” had you wanting to crawl under your desk and die.

“Alright…” he said, voice trailing off. “I guess I’ll…maybe see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah, definitely,” you said in a rush. “I’m sure we’ll figure it out tomorrow.”

“Okay, I guess I’ll…talk to you tomorrow then, sweetheart,” he replied, his tone sounding a little unsure. “Good luck finishing your article.”

“Thanks, Matt,” you said. “Good luck finishing up that court case.”

After you both hung up, you screamed into your hands and then opened up your Door Dash app, ordering the grilled cheese you’d rather have sat down and eaten with your friends.

Thursday 

Sitting on your couch, legs crossed on the cushions, you shoveled the fettuccine noodles into your mouth. As a contestant on the episode of Nailed It that you were currently binging on Netflix revealed their cupcake, you lost it on the couch, snorting into your hand and trying not to choke on your mouthful of pasta. The warm bowl resting against your abdomen currently felt like heaven for the cramps that had continued throughout this torturous and terrible week.

You were hoping that by Saturday night your period would have tapered out enough that you could maybe risk seeing Matt. In a public setting. Maybe in an Indian restaurant where the strong and wonderful scent of curry might help mask the scent of period blood. 

So far today you’d yet to hear from Matt other than a few texts telling you their court case was finishing up soon, which had been about a little over an hour ago. You’d carried on making dinner despite the awkward feeling in your gut telling you that you were drastically messing things up.

As you scooped more noodles into your mouth, your phone began ringing on the coffee table. Your eyes immediately darted down to it and then they widened when you saw it was Karen calling you. Curiously, you reached over and grabbed your phone, quickly chewing the mouthful of noodles and pausing the show before answering.

“Hey Karen,” you greeted her cautiously, eyes narrowed and suspicious. 

She said your name excitedly in greeting, your suspicion only increasing.

“So we just got out of the courtroom and we won!” Karen exclaimed.

“That’s great!” you replied. “I know you’ve all been stressing over this case for the past couple of weeks.”

“Yeah,” she agreed. “And we were all going to hit up Josie’s tonight to celebrate. And celebrate you and Daredevil getting Figueroa locked up.”

“Oh,” you answered softly.

“So you are avoiding Matt,” Karen stated flatly at your response. “What the hell is up with that?”

“What?” you countered quickly. “I’m–I’m not avoiding him.”

“Relax,” Karen said. “I’m at the office, Matt was finishing up something at the courthouse. I’m far enough away from his bat ears that he can’t eavesdrop on this call. I told him I’d invite you while he finished up with Foggy, but he seemed to think it was futile to try. You want to tell me why he’d say that?”

“I’m on my period,” you blurted.

There was a long silence over the line after your admission.

“Okay?” Karen asked. “And?”

“And that’s it,” you said. “I’m on my period. And Matt has his super senses so, you know, I’m avoiding him.”

“No,” Karen countered, “you have your anxious brain overthinking a situation that doesn’t need to be overthought. Do you plan to avoid him every month for an entire week?”

“I haven’t thought that far ahead,” you admitted sheepishly.

Karen sighed, the sound long and drawn out. “Do you have any idea how many times I’ve had my period around Matt at the office? Or Marci when she’s been around him? Or, hell, I’m sure in the over a year you’ve been friends with him, you’ve had your period before.”

“Sure, true,” you agreed. “But now I’m dating him. Spending time alone with him.”

“You’re being ridiculous,” Karen pointed out.

“Maybe,” you answered.

“So I take it you’re not going to come out tonight?” she asked. “Marci is even coming out.”

“Just…tell Matt I said congrats on the win,” you told her. “Tell him I wasn’t feeling great and went to bed early.”

Karen sighed again, the sound making your heart sink. “You know he’s been bummed all week not seeing you, right? He thinks he did something wrong.”

That hurt to hear.

“Tell him I’ll talk to him tomorrow,” you said softly.

After you’d hung up with Karen and resumed the show, you no longer found it as amusing as you had a few minutes ago. A sinking feeling felt like it was settling in your gut now, right next to the obnoxious cramps and uncomfortable bloat, as you lamely pushed the noodles around in your bowl.

Friday

Sprawled out on your couch, your legs thrown over the backrest as your hands held the heating pad to your abdomen, you zoned out to an episode of Gilmore Girls. You’d gotten back from a busy day at The Bulletin tonight and quickly changed out of your dress pants, feeling like your bloated stomach was going to explode if you remained in them any longer. You’d instead replaced them with a pair of unflattering but insanely comfortable sweatpants and an oversized tee-shirt before collapsing onto your couch. You figured you’d worry about dinner in a little bit.

This afternoon you had actually been busy with work, but you’d managed to talk to Matt for a bit during your lunch break. He didn’t push when you’d told him you were too busy to meet up and eat together, but he did seem oddly more cheerful than he had the past couple of days when you’d been blowing him off. And while you’d been happy about that, you were suspicious. But as the day had picked up, you’d been too busy to give it much thought, and by the time you’d gotten back home, you were just glad this week was finally over.

You were so comfortable and focused on the television that you at first didn’t realize someone was knocking on your apartment door. But a moment later someone knocked again and you nearly jumped out of your skin on the couch. Who would be at your door right now?

Hesitantly you paused the show, setting the remote onto the coffee table and reluctantly removing the heating pad from your aching, cramp-ridden body. Rising to your feet, you made your way to the door of your apartment, pausing long enough to glance through the peephole. The moment you saw Matt’s face covered by his dark glasses you jumped back, eyes going wide. There was absolutely no way to avoid him now. A moment later he called your name through the door and you internally cursed. He obviously would know you were standing right there.

Slowly you unlocked the door, sliding it open a bit and hiding halfway behind it, as if somehow that piece of wood would block his senses from your body.

“Hey, Matt,” you said nervously.

Immediately he raised a hand up towards you and you noticed the bag he was holding.

“I brought dinner,” Matt said with a smile. “Tacos from that Taco truck we both like.”

“Matt, I–”

“You’re on your period,” Matt cut you off, your eyes widening in absolute mortification. “Karen told me last night. Said that’s why you’ve been avoiding me and my super senses this week.”

“Oh my fucking God ,” you groaned, forehead slamming to the front door you were still clinging to. “What the hell happened to girl code?” you complained against the wood.

“Well considering I thought I’d done something wrong and ruined things with you,” Matt said, his tone softer than usual which caught your attention, “I’m glad she said something. I honestly thought that you were…thinking this whole thing was a mistake between us.”

“ What ?” you asked, jaw dropping.

He shrugged from his place still just outside of your apartment. “I have a tendency to destroy the good things in my life,” he answered quietly.

Your heart felt like it had fallen onto the floor. 

“Shit, no, Matt,” you said, pulling the door open all the way. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to make you feel like that. I was just…” your voice trailed off, trying to search for a reasonable explanation for the way your brain stupidly worked sometimes.

“Overthinking?” Matt supplied.

“Yeah,” you admitted sheepishly. “I’m sorry. I was really shitty to you this week.”

“I mean it wasn’t great,” he said. “But I get it, knowing how you are and all. Though, sweetheart, you can always talk to me. About anything.”

You shot Matt a pointed look as you asked flatly, “I just spent most of the week avoiding you, do you honestly think I’d straight up tell you I was on my period?”

He cracked a little smile in response. “I suppose not, but for the future–and future periods–you can always talk to me. I don’t want you to be uncomfortable and I certainly don’t want you avoiding me for a week again.”

Your gaze awkwardly dropped down to your feet, chewing the inside of your cheek nervously.

“You’re still uncomfortable aren’t you?” he asked. When you nodded he said your name softly before continuing. “I honestly don’t care. I’ve learned to ignore most bodily functions, they barely register with me unless something actually sounds off. You’ve had your period around me many times before–”

“Not helping,” you cut in.

“–and so have many other women,” he continued, grinning at your interruption. “It doesn’t bother me. At all. What does bother me is my girlfriend feeling like shit and not letting me help make her feel better. So…can I come in now?” He raised his other hand, your eyes darting down to the movement. “I brought you chocolate, too. Mint, because you’re insane and I know you like it so much.”

Throwing the door open wide, you stepped forward and wrapped your arms around his waist, burying your face into his dress shirt. Matt chuckled, awkwardly trying to hug you back with his hands full.

“I’m sorry,” you whispered, pulling back and grabbing the items from his hands. “Come in, I’ll try to stop being an idiot.”

“You’re not an idiot,” he said softly, closing and locking your apartment door behind himself and resting his cane against the wall. “But I hope you stop worrying about that now. Because I don’t want you to hibernate on me next month. Not unless I get to join in on the hibernation.”

You couldn’t fight the smile on your face as you set the bag of food onto your coffee table. “You’re too good to me, Matty,” you mumbled.

“Naw,” he said, shooting you a wink as he took his dark glasses off. “There’s no such thing when it comes to you.”

“You…want a beer?” you asked, blushing lightly as he made his way towards your couch.

“Sure, sweetheart,” he answered.

You headed into the kitchen, grabbing two beers from your fridge and opening them. When you turned and headed back to the living room, you paused, taking in the sight of Matt on your couch, pulling to-go containers out of the bag and setting them along the coffee table. His tie was a little undone and the sleeves on his white dress shirt were rolled up to his forearms as they usually were by the time he’d reached the end of the day. Eventually he stopped what he was doing, his gaze landing near you across the room as his head tilted to the side. A little smile spread on his mouth.

“What’re you doing?” he asked curiously.

Blushing further at being caught staring, you couldn’t fight back the smile curling your own lips upwards. “I like seeing you on my couch,” you admitted softly. “Like you belong here.”

His smile grew a bit more and you watched as he placed the container in his hand onto the coffee table before he moved it beside himself, patting the couch cushion lightly.

“And I think you belong next to me,” he said. “So come over here, sweetheart.”

You bit your lip, still smiling as you crossed the distance and sat down beside Matt. He accepted the beer you handed to him and swiftly held it up.

“To getting Figueroa arrested,” Matt said.

“Cheers to that,” you said, lightly tapping your bottle to Matt’s.

You took a drink before getting comfortable on the couch, reaching out and setting your beer on the coffee table. “Thank you for bringing me dinner, by the way,” you told him.

His shoulder bumped yours lightly. “I told you I was going to celebrate with you this week,” he said. “And after dinner, we can cuddle up on your couch with that heating pad. I can give you a backrub and you can continue watching your girly show where they talk way too fast, but I request that you narrate a bit. Because I enjoy listening to you narrate shows.”

You turned, eyeing Matt beside you as he opened one of the to-go containers. As he picked up a taco, your hand reached out and gently pinched his leg through his dress pants. Matt abruptly paused, the taco hovering in his hands above the coffee table as his gaze briefly dropped down to where you’d pinched him and then slowly shifted towards you. One of his brows raised as he fought back a smile.

“What was that for?” he asked.

“Just making sure you actually exist,” you told him. “Because I feel like my mind did an exceptional job making you up.”

Matt instantly cracked up, losing his composure. “Now that was a terrible line, sweetheart,” he teased. 

“Not a line,” you corrected him quickly, raising a finger. “A genuine fear. Pretty sure you’re just going to disappear one of these days into thin air. And I’ll just be like ‘yeah, I knew he was too good to be real’.” 

He leant over towards you, planting a kiss to your cheek. His mouth was beside your ear a moment later, his voice drawing goosebumps over your arms.

“I’m not planning to disappear on you, sweetheart,” he whispered. “I like you too much.”

Your heart may have slammed a little too hard into your chest at his words.

[simply-ivanka]

At Wendy's recently I heard a guy ask for his senior discount. The girl at the register apologized and charged him less. When I asked the man what the discount was, he told me that seniors over age 55 ...get 10% off everything on the menu, every day. (But you need to ASK for your discount.)

This incident prompted me to do some research, and I came across a list of restaurants, supermarkets, department stores, travel deals and other types of offers giving various discounts with different age requirements. I was actually surprised to see how many there are and how some of them start as young as 50. The list is evolving and many chains are independently operated so discounts may vary at participating locations only.

This list may not only be useful for you, but also friends and family, too.

Dunkin Donuts gives FREE coffee to people over 55. If you're paying for a cup every day, you might want to start getting it FREE. (At participating stores only)

YOU must ASK for your discount!

RESTAURANTS:

Applebee's: 15% off w/Golden Apple Card (60+)

Arby's: 10% off (55 +)

Ben & Jerry's: 10% off (60+)

Bob's Big Boy: discount varies by location (60+)

Boston Market: 10% off (65+)

Burger King: 10% off (60+)

Chick-Fil-A: 10% off or free small drink or coffee ( 55+) At participating locations

Chili's: 10% off ( 55+)

CiCi's Pizza: 10% off (60+)

Denny's: 10% off, 20% off for AARP members ( 55 +)

Dunkin' Donuts: 10% off or free coffee ( 55+)

Einstein's Bagels: 10% off baker's dozen of bagels (60+)

Fuddrucker's: 10% off any senior platter (55+)

Gatti's Pizza: 10% off (60+)

Golden Corral: 10% off (60+)

Hardee's: $0.33 beverages everyday (65+)

IHOP: 10% off (55+)

Jack in the Box: up to 20% off (55+)

KFC: free small drink with any meal (55+)

Krispy Kreme: 10% off (50+)

Long John Silver's: various discounts at locations (55+)

McDonald's: discounts on coffee everyday (55+)

Mrs. Fields: 10% off at participating locations (60+)

Shoney's: 10% off

Sonic: 10% off or free beverage (60+)

Steak 'n Shake: 10% off every Monday & Tuesday ( 50+)

Subway: 10% off (60+)

Sweet Tomatoes: 10% off (62+)

Taco Bell : 5% off; free beverages for seniors (65+)

TCBY: 10% off (55+)

Tea Room Cafe: 10% off (50+)

Village Inn: 10% off (60+)

Waffle House: 10% off every Monday (60+)

Wendy's: 10% off ( 55 +)

Whataburger: 10% off (62+)

White Castle: 10% off (62+)

RETAIL & APPAREL :

Banana Republic: 30% off ( 50 +)

Bealls: 20% off first Tuesday of each month ( 50 +)

Belk's: 15% off first Tuesday of every month ( 55 +)

Big Lots: 30% off

Bon-Ton Department Stores: 15% off on senior discount days ( 55 +)

C.J. Banks: 10% off every Wednesday (50+)

Clarks : 10% off (62+)

Dress Barn: 20% off ( 55+)

Goodwill: 10% off one day a week (date varies by location)

Hallmark: 10% off one day a week (date varies by location)

Kmart: 40% off (Wednesdays only) (50+)

Kohl's: 15% off (60+)

Michael's: 10% off everyday (55+)

Modell's Sporting Goods: 30% off

Rite Aid: 10% off on Tuesdays & 10% off prescriptions

Ross Stores: 10% off every Tuesday ( 55+)

Salvation Army Thrift Stores: up to 50% off ( 55+)

Stein Mart: 20% off red dot/clearance items first Monday of every month ( 55 +)

GROCERY :

Albertson's: 10% off first Wednesday of each month ( 55 +)

American Discount Stores: 10% off every Monday ( 50 +)

Compare Foods Supermarket: 10% off every Wednesday (60+)

DeCicco Family Markets: 5% off every Wednesday (60+)

Fry's Supermarket: free Fry's VIP Club Membership & 10% off every Monday (55 +)

Great Valu Food Store: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)

Gristedes Supermarket: 10% off every Tuesday (60+)

Harris Teeter: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)

Hy-Vee: 5% off one day a week (date varies by location)

Kroger: 5% off (date varies by location)

Morton Williams Supermarket: 5% off every Tuesday (60+)

The Plant Shed: 10% off every Tuesday (50 +)

Publix: 5% off every Wednesday (55 +)

Rogers Marketplace: 5% off every Thursday (60+)

Uncle Guiseppe's Marketplace: 15% off (62+)

TRAVEL :

Airlines:

Alaska Airlines: up to 50% off (65+)

American Airlines: various discounts up to 50% off non-peak periods (Tuesdays - Thursdays) (62+)and up (call before booking for discount)

Continental Airlines: no initiation fee for Continental Presidents Club & special fares for select destinations

Southwest Airlines: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)

United Airlines: various discounts for ages 65 and up (call before booking for discount)

Rail:

Amtrak: 10% off (62+)

Bus:

Greyhound: 5% off (62+)

Trailways Transportation System: various discounts for ages 50+

Car Rental:

Alamo Car Rental: up to 25% off for AARP members

Avis: up to 25% off for AARP members

Budget Rental Cars: 40% off; up to 50% off for AARP members (50+)

Dollar Rent-A-Car: 10% off ( 50+) Enterprise Rent-A-Car: 5% off for AARP members Hertz: up to 25% off for AARP members

National Rent-A-Car: up to 30% off for AARP members

Overnight Accommodations:

Holiday Inn: 20-40% off depending on location (62+)

Best Western: 15% off (55+)

Cambria Suites: 20%-30% off (60+)

Waldorf Astoria - NYC $5,000 off nightly rate for Presidential Suite (55 +)

Clarion Motels: 20%-30% off (60+)

Comfort Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)

Comfort Suites: 20%-30% off (60+)

Econo Lodge: up to 40% off (60+)

Hampton Inns & Suites: 40% off when booked 72 hours in advance

Hyatt Hotels: 25%-50% off (62+)

InterContinental Hotels Group: various discounts at all hotels (65+)

Mainstay Suites: 10% off with Mature Traveler's Discount (50+); 20%-30% off (60+)

Marriott Hotels: 25% off (62+)

Motel 6: 5% off (60+)

Myrtle Beach Resort: 30% off (55 +)

Quality Inn: 40%-50% off (60+)

Rodeway Inn: 20%-30% off (60+)

Sleep Inn: 40% off (60+)

ACTIVITIES & ENTERTAINMENT ;:

AMC Theaters: up to 30% off ( 55 +)

Bally Total Fitness: $100 off memberships (62+)

Busch Gardens Tampa, FL: $13 off one-day tickets ( 50 +)

Carmike Cinemas: 35% off (65+)

Cinemark/Century Theaters: up to 35% off

Massage Envy - NYC 20% off all "Happy Endings" (62 +)

U.S. National Parks: $80 lifetime pass; 50% off additional services including camping (62+)

Regal Cinemas: 50% off Ripley's Believe it or Not: @ off one-day ticket ( 55 +)

SeaWorld, Orlando , FL : $3 off one-day tickets ( 50 +)

CELL PHONE DISCOUNTS :

AT&T: Special Senior Nation 200 Plan $19.99/month (65+)

Jitterbug: $19/month cell phone service ( 50 +)

Verizon Wireless: Verizon Nationwide 65 Plus Plan $29.99/month (65+).

MISCELLANEOUS:

Great Clips: $8 off hair cuts (60+)

Supercuts: $8 off haircuts (60+)

ARMSTRONG NUSERY 10% off daily 🌺

NOW, go out there and claim your discounts!! Remember YOU must ASK for discount - no ask, no discount.

I Know everyone knows someone over 50 please pass this on!!!

[7-wonders]

Apocalypse Now

Michael Langdon x Reader (Mad Love Act II, Chapter XII)

Summary: The end is here, despite your best efforts.

Word Count: 3.5k

A/N: I'm sorry, this is straight angst. Oops?

Mad Love Masterlist

Tuesdays are objectively the worst day of the week. Though Monday is rough, being the first day after the weekend, it can still be spun as a positive—a brand new week, just full of possibilities. Wednesdays, at least, have the “hump day” moniker to give one some hope that the week is half over. Thursdays are alright because that means it’s almost Friday, and Fridays are what it must be like to take every party drug at once.

Tuesdays, though? Tuesdays suck. It’s far enough into the week to feel none of the residual weekend happiness, but the upcoming weekend is still very much out of grasp. Tuesday is hopelessness personified, if one is feeling particularly dramatic.

That’s why it’s fitting that the world ends on a Tuesday.

You’re in class, because where else would you be? Luckily, this is your capstone class, which is just a class for seniors who are, predictably, working on their capstones to be able to bounce ideas off of and support each other. Since you and Kate are both seniors (and because you literally signed up for this class at the same time) you have the class together, thankfully—you keep each other sane by being insane together, and nowhere is that more apparent than when the two of you work on your respective theses.

“You think I can get away with calling Kant a cunt if I do it, like, academically?” Kate whispers into your ear from where she’s sitting next to you. She keeps her eyes on her laptop screen the entire time, making you choke back a laugh at her easy nonchalance.

“Not by using those exact words, but yeah, as long as you cite your sources.” You run the same drill as Kate, refusing to look away and draw suspicion as you both snicker quietly to yourselves. “Do you wanna grab coffee and pretend to keep working after class?”

“God, yes. Then I can tell you about what went down at last night’s Greek Life exec meeting.” She glances at you from the corner of her eye. “It came out that three of the Chi O sisters are dating each other.”

(With hindsight on your side, you’ll look back on this day and think with bitter regret about how utterly, perfectly normal the day the world ended was. The gossiping conversations, the plans being made, the going about your day with all the confidence that you’ll see tomorrow.

You miss that innocence.)

You gasp under your breath at this exciting tidbit. “No way! How did they–”

You’re cut off by the alarm on someone’s phone blaring. No, multiple phones are blaring out an emergency alarm, and those that aren’t are vibrating, yours included. People dig their phones out of pockets and backpacks, and you pick yours up from where it sits on the table next to your computer and flip it around so that you can see the screen.

You wish you didn’t.

“BALLISTIC MISSILE THREAT INBOUND. SEEK SHELTER. THIS IS NOT A DRILL,” the alert on your phone reads.

You look up at Kate as your classmates begin to mutter around you in a mix of nervous laughter and disbelief, only to see the same shock and confusion on her face that must surely be reflected in yours.

“Do you think this is real?” you ask, your heart beginning to hammer in your throat at the implications of such a message.

“It can’t be. It’s–it’s like that time in Hawaii, remember? We’ll get an alert in a few minutes saying that it was all a mistake,” she assures you, always so calm and rational about everything.

You nod and take a couple of deep breaths to calm down. Kate is right, you tell yourself. Somebody accidentally hit a button at a command center when they were trying to conduct a test, and now everybody’s freaking out as a result. They’ve probably already caught the mistake and are preparing to do damage control. The employee will lose their job, unfortunately, but that’s to be expected when accidentally causing mass panic. All in all, this will make a fun story in a couple of years: the time you thought you were about to be caught up in nuclear warfare.

Screaming draws your attention to the large windows to the right of you, and you and others cross the room to see what the commotion is. Outside, people of all ages are running in various directions across campus for—well, for their lives. The way everyone hurries reminds you of watching an ant farm. Someone trips and goes sprawling to their hands and knees, only to have to roll to the grass to prevent almost being trampled. Their belongings, having fallen from their grasp, are kicked and scattered without any care.

The panic from outside leaches through the wall and begins to spread through the classroom like a fast-moving disease. Warning sirens, which you didn’t know were still in operation after the Cold War, begin to wail. Some classmates start trying to reach friends or loved ones on their phones, while others just make a break for the door. At the front of the room, your professor sits, paralyzed, with tears running down his face while he scrolls his social media and tries to find anything to confirm that this is all just a terrible misstep. 

Your stomach drops like you’re lurching down from the top of a very tall roller coaster, and you look back at Kate. “We gotta go.”

“Where?” she asks. You just shake your head, throwing everything into your backpack and zipping it up before grabbing Kate’s hand. You don’t know where it is you need to go, only that you can’t stay here. Taking one last look back at the classroom to make sure you have everything, you and Kate join the flow of people heading down the stairs to try and escape.

Hand in hand so as not to get separated in the crowd, you both run through the campus green. It’s a perfect late-autumn day, really. The sun is high in the blue, cloudless sky and the temperature is warm, but with a bit of a chill from the wind. It’s the type of weather that makes you want to spend all day outside so as not to waste it. The juxtaposition, between the pleasant weather and the chaotic, frightened atmosphere, is not lost on you.

“Wait,” Kate raises her voice to be heard over the panicked din, “we need a plan.”

You wrack your brain, trying to think of anything beyond how scared you are. “Uh…we’ll get in my car, okay? I filled up on gas this morning. And–and we’ll drive as fast as we can, to get as far away as we can before the blast happens. I think we can get out of the major blast zone.”

“Okay, yeah. That sounds good.” 

She nods at you, and you nod back, both trying to reassure the other. The parking lot appears as you round a corner, and you tear your backpack around to your front so that you can find your keys.

“Wait!” Kate says again. “What about Brennan? And Michael?”

Hearing Michael’s name sends alarm bells flaring in the back of your mind. There’s something about him and this nightmare that are connected, but the primal parts of your brain, the one telling you that flight is the best option for survival right now, is too active for you to have any sort of introspection in this moment.

“Call them,” you answer without hesitation, “we can pick them up on the way out of town.”

Kate grabs her phone, finding Brennan’s number and hitting ‘call’ before holding the device up to her ear. “C’mon, c’mon, c’mon,” she mutters, listening closely. “Fuck! I can’t get through.”

“Keep trying. One has to go through eventually. And if they don’t, we at least know where they both are.”

“Do you really think this is going to work? That we’re going to survive?” Kate asks, dialing Brennan once more.

The truth is that you don’t know. You hope it does, that you can at least give yourself a fighting chance to not immediately die when the missiles hit. But there’s just as big a chance that you can’t make it out, that you will die. That’s terrifying, and it makes your throat tighten from terror. The only thing that keeps you from outright freaking out is that, if you do die, at least you’ll have Kate right there next to you.

“I don’t know. But I can promise you that we’re going to try our hardest to survive,” you say.

You can see your car now, only a couple of rows away. Maybe you will actually make it. Maybe this plan will work, and the four of you will end up riding out the end of the world together. Maybe survival can happen; you’re all pretty resourceful, and if you can at least get past the blasts, you can—

An armored vehicle screeches to a halt in front of you, sending you and Kate rearing back as your path is cut off. Two figures dressed in black suits hop out and begin to walk towards you with a purpose. Behind them, military personnel also exit the vehicle. Immediately, your worst fears are confirmed, and you know what this must be. Trying to avoid the inevitable, you begin taking hurried steps back.

One of the men in black says your name. “You need to come with us,” he commands.

“Fuck you, I’m not going anywhere with you!” You try to run to your left, hoping to catch them off-guard and make a break for it, but the other man in black stands in front of you.

“I’m afraid we can’t accept that,” he says, motioning for the military personnel. 

Two of them approach you, their rifles belted to their fronts and serving as a menacing reminder that you have no power here. They each grab one arm and begin to drag you towards the vehicle, paying no mind to you as you start screaming and trying to fight your way out of their grasps. You hold desperately onto Kate’s hand for as long as you can, but it’s only a matter of time before you lose your hold.

“Wait! Where are you taking her?” you hear Kate yell behind you.

“Kate! Kate!” you shriek, high and piercing and terrified. 

You look over your shoulder to see two other soldiers blocking her from reaching you. You’re both sobbing, but there’s nothing either of you can do about it. You’re unceremoniously thrown into the backseat of the armored vehicle, the door slamming shut before you can even think to move. Up front, the driver throws it into gear and peals away from the parking lot. When you scramble to your knees, you’re forced to watch as Kate’s figure rapidly grows smaller and smaller.

“Please go back! You have to take Kate, too! Please!” you beg.

“Shut up!” One of the men shoves you down into your seat, and when you try to get up, he backhands you across the face.

“Hey, be careful with her!” another warns. “You remember what they said. No harm is to come to the boss’s wife.”

The pain of the slap has you reeling, but it also serves to clear your mind enough that the reality of what was just said begins to sink in. You’re apparently the boss’s wife, which means one thing and one thing only.

He’s done it, then? This is all the doing of one Michael Langdon, who for so long swore to you that the world would not end for years, that you would be well aware of when and if his plans were going to be realized? You don’t want to believe it, but, unfortunately, it’s the reality that you seem to be faced with. In response, your tears dry up, and you sit silently and stoically for the rest of the ride.

It’s not a very long journey to wherever you’re being taken to, maybe fifteen minutes or so before the truck is driven into a garage. You look out the back window again to see the garage door closing behind you, the rectangle of light growing smaller and smaller until it finally disappears. Deep down, you know that this was probably your last time seeing the sunlight. You don’t know whether watching it will make you feel better or worse.

The soldiers drag you out of the car just as they dragged you in, marching you through what looks like an underground parking garage towards an elevator and forcing you to stand between them as the men in black join your little group. One of them reaches out a hand, gloved in black leather, so they can stab at the control panel. Even though they press the topmost button, the elevator begins to move down.

The silence begins to stretch on, and you shift uncomfortably. “Is my—” your voice breaks, and you clear your throat. “Is Michael here?”

Predictably, they ignore you, staring straight ahead at their distorted reflections in the chrome doors.

When the doors do finally ding open, they reveal what looks like the living room of an apartment. The walls are bare, but there are all the normal furnishings that one would expect to find: a couch, a TV, a coffee table. There are no windows, you note, the only light available emitting harshly from the fixtures up above. You’re sat down on the couch, and you glare petulantly at your kidnappers.

“Where are we?” you demand. “I deserve answers.”

“You’ll be safe here,” one of them says instead of answering your question. 

Single-file, they move back into the elevator, presumably to return to the surface. As the doors shut once more, you hold eye contact with the soldier that hit you.

He looks at you in fear, his lower lip trembling almost imperceptibly.

The elevator whirs back to life as it begins its travels up, and the sound serves to jolt you out of your stunned state and remind you that you have free will. You jump up from the couch and run to the elevator, hoping for a way out. There’s no call panel on the wall next to it, meaning that the only way it can be accessed is from the inside. Effectively, you’re trapped.

Panic returns in full-force at this revelation, and you frantically start trying to get your fingers into the seam of the door. Maybe if you pull hard enough, you’ll be able to pry them open? You’re not sure what you’ll do after that, but at least then you’ll have options.

Just as you’re starting to delude yourself that you think you can feel a gap widening under your grip, an explosion rocks the world above you. It’s loud, louder than you thought possible for how far below ground you must be, and you scream as you fall to the floor. The shock of the blast reverberates all the way down to what must be the Earth’s core, causing the room to shake around you. The lights flicker and go out before being replaced by an eerie red glow, and an alarm starts to methodically sound.

A sob rips from you, your heart knowing what’s just happened before your brain can come to the same conclusion. A nuclear weapon, dropped right over your head. Death and destruction wreaking havoc on the world in a matter of seconds. Mere circumstance saving you, while those you love are left to perish.

Against your will, you’re forced to imagine the scenarios. Kate was probably still outside, nowhere near any sort of safety. Brennan must have been so worried, trying just as desperately until his last moments to try and reach Kate. Mallory, you know, would have been more worried for her students, for her girls, than herself. Your parents…fuck. You didn’t even get to tell your parents you love them. The grief is overwhelming, and threatens to swallow you whole.

A hand comes to rest under your chin, lifting your face up from where it’s been hanging in despair. Through tears, you see a figure with blue eyes and golden hair crouched in front of you. Their thumb gently presses on your lip, and you inhale sharply at the pain, the source of which must have been the slap.

“Who did this to you? Was it one of the personnel who brought you here?” he asks, fury in his tone.

“Michael,” you cry out, letting him collect you in his embrace. He’s so comforting, so familiar, that you can forget for a moment that he’s the source of your current agony.

“Oh my love, it’s alright. We’re both safe,” he soothes, rubbing a hand on your back as you sob into his shoulder. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t warn you beforehand, but these plans were extremely confidential.”

That reminds you who it is you’re crying on, and you pull yourself up off of his shoulder. Michael’s looking down at you with all the love in the world in his eyes and frowning just slightly in sympathy for your plight.

Rage, hot and incandescent, floods through your veins.

“You did this, then?” you ask.

He smiles proudly. “As I was born to do.”

“And…everybody’s dead?” Your voice comes out strangled, though you try your hardest to school your emotions.

“Not everybody. Those that managed to earn a spot in an Outpost are all alive and well. There will be a good number of people who were far enough away from blast zones to have survived the initial blast. The fallout will take care of them within a couple years, though.” He shakes his head in pity. “Nasty thing, nuclear fallout. If exposed for even a few minutes, cancer and sores can easily develop. Mutations as well.”

That sounds horrifying. However morbid it may be, for the sake of those you love, you hope that the blasts killed them.

The look on your face must match how you’re feeling, because Michael quickly takes your hands in his. “I know, it sounds terrible. But their deaths were necessary! They fulfill a purpose.”

“And what purpose is that?”

“To cleanse the world and remake it in my father’s image, for you and I to rule as we see fit.”

A wave of nausea takes over you, and you have to close your eyes and breathe deeply to keep from becoming sick. You stand, backing away from Michael as quickly as you can. He tries to follow, but you hold your hands out in front of you to stop him from coming any closer.

“You bastard,” you whisper.

His eyebrows furrow in confusion. “What?”

You look up at him, fire in your eyes. “You. Bastard.”

“You don’t really mean that.” You can’t tell if he’s in disbelief or if he’s challenging you to repeat that.

“Yes, I do. You killed them! You killed all of them, for no good reason—”

“You know the reason!” he yells, grabbing onto your upper arms and pulling you to him. Though you try to fight your way out of his grasp, your resistance is futile. “I am doing this for us,” he hisses. “So that we can have the future we’ve dreamed about, the future that we’ve earned with our hard work.”

“This is not the future I dreamed about.” You shove him away, making him glare at you as though you’re his enemy.

Your Michael, the one that you know and love, is nowhere to be seen. Gone is the Michael that would tell you everything. The Michael that researched grad schools as though he was the one that would be attending, the Michael that took a body shot off of you, the Michael that lit up the first time that he saw fireflies, the Michael that loved Valentine’s Day because it meant that he got to shower you in love and there was nothing you could do about it.

Now, there’s a man wearing your husband’s face, who stands before you unrepentant and assured in his actions. This stranger has been completely and utterly corrupted by his father, and in such a short amount of time. As it turns out, all of your hard work only served to send him quicker into the throes of darkness.

  “I don’t know who you are anymore,” you say, tears welling in your eyes for the umpteenth time today.

“This is who I have always been,” he proclaims proudly. “You just haven’t wanted to see it.”

“You’re a fucking monster.” Amidst all of the uncertainty that you’re currently faced with, through all of the horror you’ve been forced to endure in one day, this is what you can be certain of.

Michael smiles patronizingly, as though you’re a mere child who insists that the bogeyman is real and he’s the adult that knows better. “You’ll come to your senses. Just give it some time.”

He grabs your hand against your will, bringing it to his lips and kissing the back of it. 

“Soon, our reign begins.”

//

Tag List: @thatonehumanbeing05 @xavierplympton @hecohansen31 @blakescoven @wroteclassicaly @we-did-it-joe @codycrazy @love-on-the-murder-scene @michaellangdonswhore @nsainmoonchild @langdonsjoyy @aftertheglitterfades @ferndolan @iamlivingforturner @moonlike333 @narwhal-swimmingintheocean @angiestopit @littleangel4996 @xo-angel-ox @ajokeformur-ray

(I really don't know why I still do a tag list. Habit, I suppose.)

[restlesschilled]

Tmag 6 thoughts

Note: Im a backer so this was done on Tuesday the 13th and set to post on Thursday the 15

Credits

omg thats the sweetest thing im gonna cry

Pre "statemen

[insert caffine patch gag from meet the robbinsons]

as some one who worked overnights YES SAM GET THE BLACK OUT CURTAINS

"the sun is the enemy" Alice dark avatar confirmed? /hj

new guy??

turn over rate is also high in general for overnight jobs because its hell

also i know this is overnight in the script because spooky and also jonny and alex worked a job like this and thats hoe they met but WHY IN GODS NAME WOULD A JOB LIKE THIS BE OVERNIGHT?(fear and paranoia obviously)

WHY WAS ALEX AND JONNY'S REAL LIFE JOB OVERNIGHT?

can someone get Sam some vitamin D as well hes got melanin hes gonna absorb it slower

sleepy man

"Statement"

MICHAEL CODED

VERY MICHAEL CODED

NEW SPIRAL AVATAR?

SCREAMING CRYING THROWING UP

(fun fact that's Giaus Octavius from Cry Havic!)

also looked at the cast (dont do it till you finish and HOLY FUCKING SHIT)

his name iss needles guys

Freaking out

porcupine man

pinhead

post statement

lol he was enjoying it

headcanon sam loves r/nosleep

also we've been called out

THIS IS WHY I WAS FREAKING OUT AT THE CAST LIST

HI CELIA

HI LOWRI

HERE SHE IS EVERYONE MY BIGGEST FUCKING QUESTION

also her last name is after Alex and Hannahs Dog which i love

"JUST ENSURE YOU EAT THEM ONSITE" LOL

CELIA WHAT A MOOD

LOWRI MY BELOVED

super weird interview

"and im both, the system work!"

love celia cant trust her but love her

"four weirdos in a basement reading scary stories" AFHGHLGSDALGELKRG

"AND I THOUGHT I HID IT BEHIND THE BUBBLY DEMEANOR" OMFG

HI IF YOU DONT REMBER CELIA FROM TMA GO BACK AND LISTEN TO MAG100 AND THEN MAG190 AND MAG194

freaking out

freaking the fuck out

GWEN REALLY JUST SAID DONT GET ATTACHED

shes already been to the break room?

hes got a crush on her

ALICE WHAT

“Would you like tea Celia? Coffee perchance? My heart carved from my chest and arranged on a little doily? Please, Celia, cut out my tongue so I can always be there to lick your stamps for you!”

"IF YOU KNEW ANYTHING ABOUT STAMPS" SAM YOU ABSOLUTE DWEEB.

the date on the statement is 3 days before the date it was accessed by Sam

CAT1RB4824-09022024-12022024

omfg

[leeenuu]

A gate with graffiti reading “Welcome to hell” in a destroyed village that was previously the frontline between Russian and Ukrainian forces in the Kherson region, on Monday, January 23, 2023. (Nicole Tung/The New York Times)

A woman crying over the bodies of her son and grandson moments after they were recovered from the rubble of the Russian attack on the Dnipro apartment building, Tuesday, January 17, 2023. (Lynsey Addario/The New York Times)

Ukrainian servicemen fire a BM-21 Grad multiple launch rocket system towards Russian positions on a frontline near the town of Bakhmut, amid Russia's attack on Ukraine, in Donetsk region, Ukraine, Sunday, January 15, 2023. (REUTERS/Oleksandr Ratushniak)

Olena Bubenko, 57, with her granddaughter, Nicole, 7, feeding dogs in the mostly abandoned village of Ruski Tyshky, north of Kharkiv, on Sunday, January 22, 2023. She now feeds about 90 dogs, more than half of them inherited when people fled the village during heavy fighting. (Lynsey Addario/The New York Times)

Oleh Valovyi, 50, recovering in the hospital, on Wednesday, January 18, 2023, after sustaining serious injuries in a Russian missile attack on his apartment building in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro on January 14. (Lynsey Addario/The New York Times)

People gather in the subway station being used as a bomb shelter during a rocket attack in Kyiv, Ukraine, Thursday, January 26, 2023. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

Nadiia Yaroshenko, 38, desperately trying to locate her cat with a torch, that remains trapped in the damaged building on the edge to collapse in Dnipro, Ukraine, Tuesday, January 17, 2023. The white cat with blue and yellow eyes refused to go with the emergency service workers who tried to rescue him. The final death toll from a weekend Russian missile strike on an apartment building in southeastern Ukraine reached 45, officials said Tuesday, as the body of another child was pulled from the wreckage. The strike in the city of Dnipro was the war's deadliest attack since the spring on civilians at one location. (AP/Roman Hrytsyna)

Parents mourn at the a coffin of Oleksandr Grianyk of Azov regiment, who was killed on May 8 defending Mariupol from the Russian invaders, during the funeral ceremony in St. Michael Cathedral in Kyiv, Ukraine, Saturday, January 14, 2023. Grianyk's remains were identified recently. Azov emblem is on the coffin lid. (AP Photo/Efrem Lukatsky)

[dropoutdottv]

This week on Dropout: on Monday, a new Game Changer (”Sam Says 3″) with guests Vic Michaelis, Jacob Wysocki, and Lou Wilson; on Tuesday, a new Um, Actually, with guests Michael Saltzman, Lily Du, and Mike Trapp; on Wednesday, episode 10 of Dimension 20: Fantasy High Junior Year; on Thursday, the Adventuring Party talkback; and on Friday, a behind-the-scenes Last Looks for Very Important People episode 7 (”Professor Avery Goodman”)

[gregxb]

Part of what is problematic to so many writers about the term "filler episodes" is that for some viewers, stories only count when they're sprinting breathless through the events of the story arc, if things aren't directly moving ahead or blowing up, which ignores the reality that those events have to have meaning to the characters, have to change them and react to them, and we can't see those changes, or understand those reactions, unless we understand the characters.  This is the crucial difference between incident and story.   Incident is "the king died, then the queen died." Story is, "the king died, then the queen died of grief."  There's emotional connectivity that has to be built into the story.  Yeah, you can jump into sex and just do all the things without emotion or foreplay or having any idea of who the other person actually is, and for some people that's just fine, but not, I suspect for everyone.   Pausing all the Big Events to do a character story isn't "filler"…it's a part of setting the stage for the impact of those events.  If someone doesn't care about the the people who these things are happening to, then there's no point to the story. Story events are things that happen to people; if you only focus on the former it's basically porn structure and empty; if only the latter, it's uninteresting naval-gazing.   You have to service both sides equally. That's why character episodes aren't filler; they're where we see consequence and understand what all this means.  Some folks say that because they're "filler" they must have been easier to write. Nothing would be farther from the truth. Take a movie structure: you know how you want to start the story, and how it ends…big, easy stuff…the hard part is keeping the audience's attention through the second act when there's not as much inherently exciting stuff to work with; usually just a lot of shoe-leather. There's a term writers of movies and novels use for the second act: "The desert of the middle." It's always the hardest part to write. Ditto TV episodes where you have to write the strong character episodes between the big explosive episodes.  But if you don't have those things then you're not going to care about the big things when they happen, and for some folks, that's fine, they just want to see shit blow up.  But I don't think that applies to most folks who want to relate to the characters in the story and to feel for them, the bad to fail and the good to succeed.   One last point about "filler episodes" is that the term has, or had, a very specific industry meaning only when it came to daily soap operas.  Soap opera weekly structure is: Monday resolves the Friday cliffhanger and introduces a new story element or controversy. Tuesday nothing new is introduced, it's everyone talking about, repeating, or worrying about what it all means. This is a filler episode.  Wednesday there's usually some small spike, a new bit of information.  Thursday back to talking about, repeating or worrying about what came up Thursday. Filler.  Then Friday comes the cliffhanger/story event, which is resolved Monday, rinse and repeat. (This is more relevant to old-school soaps than some of the newer ones, but even there you can see echoes of that structure.) That's how "filler episodes" were/are generally seen in the industry. Within some of the public, it's anything that doesn't rocket forward. I remember when "Comes the Inquisitor" was described as just "filler" when it first aired because it didn't move the story along. But would the story have been as meaningful without it?  To dismiss something as "filler" is to hand-wave away the effort that went into it, and ignore the point of character-based episodes: to make the story matter to the characters and the audience. Otherwise, why the hell even tell it?

-J. Michael Straczynski

[misc-obeyme]

HELLO I'M HERE TO RAMBLE ABOUT MC'S MORTALITY. I have literally been grinding event battles and coins and such all day because the power up campaign ends today (I'm under 200 in rank NB wise but geez it's getting harder to keep up)

anyway I always think about what happens to mc after/if they did die. like I love sam's/still-a-moronsexual's interpretation of mc not being entirely human for one

but there's different levels/circles of hell in the Devildom, and that the devildom and the celestial realm are separate from the traditional heaven/hell if I remember correctly? like what happens to mc in the event they do pass on. Everyone says they have a shiny soul. And would mc keep their memories after passing?

Like everyone has different beliefs and I'm just rambling, but there's reincarnation for one. Sometimes I think about Michael and if we'll ever meet him, and if he'd go so far as to pull strings to get mc into the celestial realm (everyone wants the once powerful mortal on their side). And imagine him making sure to keep mc's info access limited, but then let's say luke catches a glimpse and tells the brothers. Imagine mc doesn't remember the brothers either, but there's this dull tug in their gut when they see these demons. Painful angst. (And if mc DID keep their memories, would they immediately choose to fall? Imagine your fave catches you. like I think my mc would stick around to get info and out of curiosity, but would secretly be planning to fall. Even if it was painful, it'd be worth it to them.)

or mc ends up in the devildom because of how big of a tie they have. I wonder if they would/could become an Avatar, and what if they did. Despair possibly? Would they be a regular demon, or have a special power perhaps? Diavolo would probably give them a noble title. but also, ANGST IF THEY HAVE NO RECOLLECTION OF ANYTHING. Diavolo early in NB said something about knowing almost every demon, so I wonder if he meets new people to help them get set up?? aha imagine he lets them stay at the castle, and mc wanders off, and bumps into someone they used to know. chaos

There's also the possibility they could become immortal I'm sure with a spell or Solomon's cooking. Or maybe their lifespan is just longer than a humans by a hundred years or so. They simply cherish the time they have, but suddenly they're aging past 120 and they're sweating internally. Solomon I think has talked about feeling like he loses/lost touch with his humanity, until he met mc. I wonder if mc would go through the same if they ended up truly immortal

THIS IS GETTING SO LONG SORRY, BUT THIS IS MY LAST AND FAVORITE IDEA. The three worlds couldn't decide what happens to mc, like this is the first time this has happened. Huge arguments. Sometimes i think about the good place show when I'm brainstorming. ANYWAY, mc becomes a reaper. No one gets their soul. They are now in charge of collecting them, and reapers are sorta neutral right? It's a compromise for everyone. Thirteen is overjoyed. Mc with a scythe, what will they do? Or the night dagger lol

the obey me manga comes out on tuesday i think, I'm probably hitting the bookstore on Thursday. and while I could order it online, something about finding it on the shelf is so fun. I literally finished king of wrath on friday, and read almost the entirety of king of pride on Saturday, and now I'm on king of greed. My friend is concerned with how fast I read because we have a book tracking app that allows buddy reads lol

HAVE A GOOD DAY CC, MANIFESTING YOUR NEXT TEN PULL HAS TWO UR+ CARDS

- ✨ anon

AH thank you, ��� anon, I need all the luck I can get lol!!

Now see the interesting thing about all of this is that the game doesn't really specify. I do think they have implied that hell is a separate place from the Devildom (aka the Underworld where Solomon walked through the rings and Luci got trapped in the ice). So presumably if MC died and went to hell, they wouldn't actually end up in the Devildom itself. I don't remember if they've implied the same for heaven and the Celestial Realm, but it seems likely that it would be the case.

Personally I like the idea of reincarnation but MC just... keeps being reincarnated as a human on earth lol. Like every time MC dies, the others have to find them again. And they don't remember each life. Though if this happens enough perhaps Solomon or somebody comes up with a spell that can restore all their memories.

I do think it'd be interesting if Michael intervened and somehow got MC to be in the Celestial Realm, especially if they had no memories of the Devildom and everything. Imagine being an angel and then suddenly you get those memories back and you're like, that's it, I'm falling.

Which leads me to the question of how does one fall?

They don't really get into the specifics of that, either. Can you choose to fall? Or do you just do terrible things with the hope that the consequence will be banishment to the Devildom?? I have thoughts about this, but it's all just personal headcanon stuff.

I do think it makes sense for MC to just sorta end up in the Devildom because yo that's basically their home now, you know?

I tend to headcanon that due to the pacts and the "ring" and everything else MC has been through, they have enough magic interfering with their usual biology that they're probably already immortal. Just because that makes sense to me. I also think Solomon probably knows a way to make them immortal if they really wanted to be. vampire!MC lol

AHHH reaper!MC!! Thirteen would be thrilled!! They don't really give us a whole lot of info about the reapers either, but I headcanon that they're neutral and somewhat outside of the whole Devildom vs Celestial Realm situation. I have a lot of ideas about this, but again it's all personal headcanon.

So I think any of these options are possible! And it's certainly fun to think about all the ways in which MC's death might be dealt with. Somehow I don't think we're gonna get anything like that in canon, but I guess you never know!

Ah I love reading, I used to read so much... now I don't read as much as I used to because I'm spending all my time writing al;kdfkjfd. But yes the manga I read the first free chapter they had, but maybe I will buy the book itself...

Anyway, I love all these ideas and I think it's fascinating to think about all of these possibilities!

[beardedmrbean]

Hanukkah candles in Poland’s parliament were lit again on Thursday after a far-right lawmaker used a fire extinguisher to put them out earlier in the week in an incident that caused outrage.

On Tuesday, Grzegorz Braun of the Confederation party took a fire extinguisher from a wall in the lobby of the parliament and walked over to the Hanukkah candles, creating a cloud of white powder that forced security guards to rush those present, including children, out of the area.

The candles had been lit as part of an annual celebration of the Jewish holiday.

Afterwards, Braun took to the podium in the chamber, where lawmakers had been debating a policy speech by newly appointed Prime Minister Donald Tusk, describing Hanukkah as “satanic” and saying he was restoring “normality.”

On Thursday, as the candles were relit, onlookers, including President Andrzej Duda and a crowd of lawmakers, including the speakers of the two houses of parliament, Szymon Hołownia and Małgorzata Kidawa-Błońska, heard that tolerance had won.

“In Polish and Jewish history, we will always light the candles again,” said Poland’s Chief Rabbi Michael Schudrich. “You cannot extinguish us because we stand together.”

Rabbi Sholem Ber Stambler of Chabad House Warsaw said he had seen an “enormous wave of tolerance” over the past two days.

As he sang a Hanukkah song, Ber Stambler then began to light the candles before others joined in.

Parliament speaker Hołownia excluded Braun, who is known for his pro-Russian and anti-European Union views, from the sitting on Tuesday and informed prosecutors about his actions.

Braun will also lose half of his salary for three months and all parliamentary expenses for six months as a punishment.

The Confederation party, which tried to focus mainly on economic issues and criticism of the extent of Poland’s support for Ukraine during its campaign for the October elections, has suspended Braun.

However, the party’s co-leader, Krzysztof Bosak, is facing calls that he be dismissed from his position as deputy speaker after he failed to stop Braun from addressing the chamber following the incident.

The New Left party has submitted a motion that he should be fired from the role.