#task: 189

[astrxealis]

while bored at school yesterday i started reading hamlet and edgar allan poe poems alongside many other classic literature which i think is really funny

[dailymumbojumbo]

Where?!

The titles of each peice

[166] Where are my other mods?

[167] Have you seen Red or Blue?

[168] A clue about the mod's whereabouts...

[169] The letters lie.... right.... I'll find proof... the letters, they lie.

[170] The letters keep coming... I know where to go... but what will I find?

[171] Ive started my journey, I will find them[

172] It's been many days, I miss Red and I miss Blue

[173] No matter where I go, the letters find me, each pushing me to the same location

[174] The days are getting longer, as I continue onwards...

[177] The adventure continues, I'm getting closer, I just know it.

[178] I've made it to the portal, what will lie ahead?

[179] Maybe the Mods will be on the other side?

[180] The letters are still arriving... each pointing to a truth I do not want to face

[181] The letters are flooding in at this point, I've tried to get rid of them but they keep coming

[182] No food, no supplies but I do have one thing... My memories. I know the letters are not true, but what if they are? What will happen when I find them?

[183] Why am I doing this again? Was there ever more than one Mumbo?

[184] I continue, driven by a force to complete this task. Higher and higher into the Nether...

[185] What was the task again?

[186] I continue walking... heading who knows where hoping an answer will turn up at the end of this endless path.

[187] I find so many things built up here, I wonder who constructed them?

[188] Things are starting to seem familiar, I've been here before...

[189] Theres items I can use, food I can eat. Im starting to remember things

[190] I have made it...

[191] I begin digging...

[192]...

[193] It's just as I thought they are not here, there is no red or blue beneath the shrooms...

[194] WhEre aRE TheY?

[195] ... WHO were they?

[thirdtofifth]

Quarut Medium construct (inevitable), lawful neutral Armor Class 18 (plate) Hit Points 189 (18d8 + 108) Speed 50 ft. Str 20, Dex 13, Con 23, Int 14, Wis 17, Cha 20 Saving Throws Dex +7, Int +8, Wis +9 Skills Perception +9 Damage Immunities poison, psychic; bludgeoning, piercing, and slashing from nonmagical attacks that aren't adamantine Condition Immunities charmed, exhaustion, frightened, paralyzed, petrified, poisoned, stunned, unconscious Senses truesight 120 ft., passive Perception 19 Languages all Challenge 17 (18000 XP) Magic Resistance. The quarut has advantage on saving throws against spells and other magical effects. Rapid Reconstruction. At the beginning of each of the quarut's turns, if it has at least 1 hit point, it regains 15 hit points. Immutable Form. The quarut is immune to any spell or effect that would alter its form. Innate Spellcasting. The quarut's spellcasting ability is Charisma (spell save DC 19). The quarut can innately cast the following spells, requiring no material components: At will: dimension door, dispel magic, dominate person, haste, hold monster, locate creature 1/day each: forcecage, teleport, time stop Actions Multiattack. The quarut makes two slam attacks. Slam. Melee Weapon Attack: +11 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 15 (3d6+5) bludgeoning damage plus 31 (7d8) force damage.

Quaruts are inevitables tasked with preserving the integrity of time and space. They usually target wizards who make excessive use of time stop and wish spells; however, the quaruts have no qualms about using such spells themselves. Their bodies are covered in finely-etched plates, beneath which are various intricate mechanical time pieces. Their head contains an hourglass whose glowing sands constantly flow upward for some inexplicable reason. Quaruts mercilessly hunt down spellcasters who flagrantly violate the laws of time and space, always working alone to bring down their quarry.

Originally from the Fiend Folio.

[thequiver]

Who is.... Ralph Dibny | The Elongated Man? - A Reading Guide

Ralph Dibny is a powered superhero from DC Comics first introduced in 1960. Ralph gains his ability to stretch his body to comic proportions as a result of his chronic ingestion of what is basically an essential oil. Ralph's hero work is largely based out of Opal City (which is kind of a stand-in for Baltimore, MD). Ralph is best known for his membership with the Justice League of America, Justice League Europe, and the Croatoans. Ralph is a devoted husband to his wife Sue, has his own exhibit at the Flash Museum, and is one of, if not the best detective in detective comics!

A selection of my favorite Ralph Dibny comics can be found in chronological order under the cut If you're interested in a full list of Ralph's appearances, please dm me and I'm happy to send you scans of a of my handwritten list!

The Flash (1959) #112, 115, 119, 124, 130, 134, 138 Detective Comics (1937) #328-345 Justice League of America (1960) #51 The Flash (1959) #206, 208, 210, 212 Justice League of America (1960) #100, 102, 105-106, 109-114, 116-121, 128-129, 131-134 Detective Comics (1937) #465-466, 468 Justice League of America (1960) #142-143 The Flash (1959) #252-253 Justice League of America (1960) #159-160, 210-212 (flashbacks), 161-168, 179, 181-183, 186-188 Detective Comics (1937) #500D The Flash (1959) #296 Justice League of America (1960) #189-191 The Brave and the Bold (1955) #177 Justice League of America (1960) #197-200 The Flash (1959) #323-325, 327-329 Justice League of America (1960) #226-227, Annual 2 (1984), 233-239 The Flash (1959) #341, 349 DC Retroactive: JLA - The 80's (2011) #1 <- chronologically this is where the story goes even if the issue is from 2011 Secret Origins (1986) #30

From here we really enter into Ralph's Justice League Europe era, so I'm separating the out a little bit

Justice League International (1987) #24 Justice League Europe (1989) #1-9 The Flash (1987) #35 Justice League Europe (1989) #10, 13-19, Annual 1, 20-21 The Flash (1987) #48-49 Justice League Europe (1989) #25-29 Justice League America (1989) #54 Justice League Europe (1989) #30 Justice League America (1989) #55 Justice League Europe (1989) # Annual 2, 31-33 Justice League America (1989) #58 Justice League Europe (1989) #34-35 Justice League Quarterly (1990) #6 Justice League America (1989) #60 Justice League Europe (1989) #36 Elongated Man (1992) #1-4 Justice League Europe (1989) #37-40 Green Lantern (1990) #25 (set during JLE #40) Justice League Europe (1989) #41-42, Annual 3, 43-503 Justice League Quarterly (1990) #9

Justice League International Take 2 through to Zero Hour

Justice League Task Force (1993) #1 Justice League International (1993) #51, Annual 4, 53-57 Justice League Task Force (1993) #10-12 Justice League America (1989) #89 Justice League Task Force (1993) #13 Justice League International (1993) #65 Justice League Task Force (1993) #14 Justice League International (1993) #66-67 Justice League America (1989) #92 Justice League Task Force (1993) #16 Justice League International (1993) #68 Zero Hour: Crisis in Time (1994) #1, 3

Post Zero Hour through to 52. This period of comics contains the highly controversial Identity Crisis, which centers around the death of Ralph's wife, Sue.

Starman (1994) #56, 61-63, 65, 67-68, 70-73, 75, 80 Doom Patrol (2001) #4-6 Formerly Known as the Justice League (2003) #1-6 Identity Crisis (2004) #1-7 52 (2006) #1-2, 4-5, 7-8, 11-13, 18, 21, 24-25, 27, 31-33, 39, 41-42, 52

After 52, Ralph comes back as a ghost for a few issues and later as a black lantern during Blackest Night but tbh I didn't enjoy those much at all so they're not included

[study-with-aura]

Saturday, August 10, 2024

This morning was so much fun! Julien and I went biking with our grandparents on one of the bike trails in a nearby park. I haven't been biking in so long, and I really enjoyed it! I usually ride my bike to the park behind our house when I play to go on a nature walk or something, but it had been a while since I used the actual bike trail. I was surprised my grandparents were still up for biking and when my grandpa suggested it, I thought he was joking. He told me, "I'm not old yet." My grandparents are in their late 60s, but they are very active. I shouldn't have been surprised.

I still cannot believe that I will start school work again in two days! How does time go by so quickly? I will try to do a goal review tomorrow for my summer goals and then set new ones on Monday for the first half of my school year.

Tasks Completed:

KA GRF Algebra 2 - Completed 100% course mastery

Duolingo - Studied for approximately 30 minutes (Spanish + French + Chinese) + completed daily quests

Piano - 60-minute piano lesson + practiced for two hours in one hour split sessions

Reading - Read pages 189-226 of 6 Times We Almost Kissed (And One Time We Did) by Tess Sharpe

Chores -  Put away groceries

Activities of the Day:

Morning yoga

Bike trail with Julien and my grandparents

Personal Bible Study (Psalms 42)

3 hours gaming with Julien

Journal/Mindfulness

[stabbyfoxandrew]

Guardian Angel Neil AU- page 2

Neil Josten died at the hands of his father a few months before canon begins. After his death, he was made into a guardian angel. He’s tasked with keeping Andrew Minyard safe at all costs. When they meet on the roof for the first time, Andrew thinks he’s imagined Neil. And he worries both about his mental health and his love life because this boy is perfect. But he’s not real.

─────────── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───────────

Part 95, Part 96, Part 97, Part 98, Part 99, Part 100, Part 101, Part 102, Part 103, Part 104, Part 105, Part 106, Part 107, Part 108, Part 109, Part 110, Part 111, Part 112, Part 113, Part 114, Part 115, Part 116, Part 117, Part 118, Part 119, Part 120, Part 121, Part 122, Part 123, Part 124, Part 125, Part 126, Part 127, Part 128, Part 129, Part 130, Part 131, Part 132, Part 133, Part 134, Part 135, Part 136, Part 137, Part 138, Part 139, Part 140, Part 141, Part 142, Part 143, Part 144, Part 145,

Part 146, Part 147, Part 148, Part 149, Part 150, Part 151, Part 152, Part 153, Part 154, Part 155, Part 156, Part 157, Part 158, Part 159, Part 160, Part 161, Part 162, Part 163, Part 164, Part 165, Part 166, Part 167, Part 168, Part 169, Part 170, Part 171, Part 172, Part 173, Part 174, Part 175, Part 176, Part 177, Part 178, Part 179, Part 180, Part 181, Part 182, Part 183, Part 184, Part 185, Part 186, Part 187, Part 188, Part 189, Part 190, Part 191, Part 192, Part 193, Part 194

list updated on 6/14/24

Angel Neil Masterpost Page 3 ->

[bratshaws]

through the hourglass 219. brb x oc

a/n: no rooster in this one but for a good reason (comments and reblogs are super welcome and encouraged!)

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: none uwu

goodness gracious (pls read this one to know more what this fic is about!!)

chapter

1/

/180/181/182/183/184/185/186/187/188/189/190/191/192/193/194/195/196/197/198/199/200/201/202/203/204/205/206/207/208/209

/210/211/212/213/214/215/216/217/218

(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist! )

taglist: @mirandastuckinthe80s @roosterschanelslut @wiipes @lcahwriter @novastories @gretagerwigsmuse @frenchtoastix @lizzie-rdj @fanboyluvr @atarmychick007 @comebacktoearthpls

@peachiicherries @mak-32 @lizziespidiepridie @roosterswifey @ollyoxenfrees @piceous21 @sqrlgrl22 @hofficoffi @lexhalstead3 @lorilane33 @legendarydreamersharkparty @luckyladycreator2

@emilybradshaw @j-6o @louisahale @leobabbyyy @booklover2sblog @winter-run @ktjmac @graciereads @bigpoppajes @taytaylala12

@caitsymichelle13 @becks-things @caatheeriinee07 @fanboyswhore9 @jesfreedark @katiemcrae @lilmonstrjedi @hobiismyhopeu @teacupsandtopgun @insominac23 @gh0stsgoodgirl @mygyn @chavivaelisheva @kmc1989 @enchantingharmonyalpaca

-

She missed the Hard Deck, truly, she really missed this place. She runs her palms over the wood, nicked because of drunk patrons or just her and Shells carrying heavy stuff inside only for Penny to sigh when she notices it. In reality, she knew her maternity leave was still going, but she’d love to return.

Maybe that’s why Penny asked her to come right?

To return?

Not that she’d mind waiting a bit longer, but her mind needed a bit of a break from the constant fear and anxiety that climbed up her brain like a spider monkey ready for a bite…weirdly specific. She left Nikki with Michael - ‘I’m going to take her bank robbing’ ‘Michael,no’- while she came over, hopefully it wouldn’t be long, Mike had no work and Hannah was going to show up later to check on him so her daughter was safe.

Beatrice looked up at the door, blinking when she noticed a camera looking down at her, the whirring of the zoom hitting her ears before it turned away. Beatrice then walked inside, inhaling the smell of known lemon scented products hitting her nose, she remember how that smell used to burn her nose when she started, “Hello?” she calls, placing her bag on one of the seats as she walks further.

She could hear the ice machine on the back,followed by a quiet - yet known - curse, “Shells?’ she calls, looking in the direction the voice came from, “You here?”

“Yeah!” her friend replied, “Can you help me with this? This ice machine is making me regret ever ordering it.”

She couldn’t lift heavy stuff and she voiced it to Shells, only for her friend to reply, “It’s nothing like that! Come on! Rooster won’t kill me because of it.” and so she went. There were new glasses on the shelves, new mugs - undoubtedly some were broken in her absence - and a brand new keg in the back. One she couldn’t help but admire it.

But as Beatrice approached the location where the ice machine was, she just stared at the thing…it was open, very open and Shells was crouched next to it, “...hi…” she points to it, “Are you…fixing it?”

Shells, crouched beside the open ice machine, looked up from her task when she heard Beatrice's voice. Her eyes widened in mild surprise, and a bright smile crossed her face. She wiped her hands on a nearby rag before standing up.

"Hey, you made it!" Shells exclaimed, her tone a mixture of genuine pleasure and slight relief. "Yeah, I'm trying to fix this contraption," she gestured to the open ice machine with a chuckle. "I mean, I didn't want to bother you, but I've been wrestling with it for a while now, and I thought maybe your expert eye could spot what's wrong."

“My…expert eye?’

“I also wanted to gossip,come on.”

Beatrice couldn't help but laugh at Shells' admission. She approached the ice machine, her hands instinctively moving to her hips,  "I’m not the best at this,Shells,I’m not sure what I’m looking at.," Beatrice said, her tone lighthearted. She bent down to peer into the machine, her fingers tracing over the exposed components. “In fact,I don’t even know why you called me when Penny could do it.”

Shells made a noise through her nose, lying down on the floor to unscrew something out of Beatrice’s sight, "Well," Shells began, her voice slightly muffled as she worked, "Penny's great with tech stuff, but she's been busy with some security upgrades around here. Plus, I want your company."

As Shells continued to tinker with the ice machine, Beatrice couldn't help but feel a sense of nostalgia wash over her. The familiar scent of the bar, the sound of Shells cursing playfully, and the sight of the Hard Deck's interior all brought back memories of her time here.

"So, how's everything been going?" Beatrice asked, her tone casual. "While I've been... away."

Shells glanced over at Beatrice as she continued her work. "Oh, you know, the usual. We've had some rowdy patrons, a few broken glasses, and one memorable night when someone decided to try their hand at bartending, aunt Penny tossed him out. Let's just say it was an adventure."

Beatrice chuckled at the mental image of Rooster behind the bar. "I can only imagine. And what about you, Shells? How have you been holding up?"

Shells paused in her work, looking thoughtful for a moment. "Honestly, it's been a bit different without you around," she admitted. "But we've managed. Penny's been a huge help, and Jessie too but…It's not the same, though."

Beatrice smiled warmly, touched by Shells' words. "I've missed all of you too," she confessed. "But you know,” she shrugs, “I can’t come back so soon.”

“Yeah,I know.”

‘I thought Penny wanted to talk to me too?”

Shells made a face, then let out a ‘oh!’ “Yeah,something about,” and she tugs a wire from the outside, holds it in front of her eyes and mutters ‘eh,we won’t need it’ before tossing it away, “About something she saw? Not sure,she didn’t tell me.”

“Something she saw?’

“Yeah,’ she gestures around the bar, “I’m sure you noticed the amount of new cameras we got all over, aunt Penny is getting…a bit paran-well, not paranoid. I think she’s being careful, more than normal. Those corpo guys really fucked her mind up.”

"Yeah, I saw them," Beatrice said, her expression thoughtful. "I guess it makes sense, especially with everything that happened. But if Penny wants to talk to me about it, I'm all ears."

Shells nodded in agreement. "Yeah, I think she just wants to fill you in on what's been going on, get your perspective maybe." she shrugs, “Dunno.”

Beatrice considered this for a moment. She knew that her time away had created a gap in her knowledge about the bar's operations and the current state of affairs. It might be a good opportunity to catch up and see how she could help, even if she wasn't quite ready to return to work full-time.

Or how she could help in any way.

"Alright, I'll talk to Penny when I get the chance," Beatrice said with a determined nod. "In the meantime, let's see if we can figure out what's wrong with this ice machine. Two heads are better than one, right?"

Shells grinned. "Absolutely. And if all else fails, we can always call in the professionals."

Beatrice chuckled. "You mean Penny?”

“Yeah, of course.”

As Beatrice and Shells continued to work on the ice machine, the sounds of laughter and camaraderie filled the Hard Deck once more. It felt good to be back, even if it was just for a visit, and Beatrice couldn't help but feel a deep happiness in being around the same surroundings as before. 

She sits on one of the chairs and helps Shells by handing her over tools while watching - ‘you are not going to lie down or do anything, just stay put will you?-  hands on her knees and head tilted as she paid attention to what was going on, “So, besides that, how’s your life?’

“Wha?”

“You know, your life,” she smiles, “With Bob, how are you two?”

Shells whole demeanor appeared to change, which was odd because she never seemed nervous talking about Bob, “Well,” she laughs nervously, “He uh, mentioned kids a few weeks back?”

“Oh?”

“Yep.” Shells mutters, “I told him that,well,kids aren’t in my schedule right now and honestly I thought he felt the same way about it. Then we uh…had a bit of an argument? And now I’m just, staying with Penny for a little bit.” considering how much Shells loved Bob it was surprising how she wasn’t just breaking down and crying.

Even more surprising was that she didn’t call Bea! She parted her lips, “Shells! Why didn’t you tell me??”

Shells, still focused on the ice machine, sighed. "I didn't want to bother you with my problems, Bea. You've got enough on your plate with Nikki and the twins and  everything else."

Beatrice reached out and gently placed a hand on Shells' shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze. "Shells, you're not bothering me. We're friends, remember? I want to know what's going on in your life, especially when it comes to something as important as this."

Shells finally turned to look at Beatrice, her eyes filled with a mix of gratitude and sadness. "I know, but I didn't want to add to your worries. And honestly, I didn't know what to do. I care about Bob a lot, but I'm not ready for kids, not yet."

Beatrice nodded in understanding. "It's okay to have different priorities and timelines," she said gently. "You and Bob just need to have an honest conversation about what you both want and where you see your future together."

Shells nodded, her shoulders sagging with relief. "I know you're right.I know that…we just,didn’t come to a consensus, per se.” she flexes she fingers, “Also…it’s kinda weird being the one friend without kids, yknow? I mean,I love being the crazy aunt, don’t get me wrong, but…I mean,holy fuck, it’s weird.”

“Oh,ah,” well, she didn’t know how to reply to that, “Well I–”

"Nah,Bea,” Shells waves her hand, ‘Don’t worry about it, we’ll resolve this one way or another.”

Beatrice nodded, understanding the complexities of the situation. "I get what you mean, Shells. It's a big decision, and it can feel like you're swimming against the tide when everyone around you is on a different path.”

“That’s kinda deep,huh?”

“ But you're right; you and Bob will find your way through this together. And don't worry about being the 'crazy aunt.' You're an amazing friend, and you've got plenty of time to figure out what's right for you."

Shells offered a small but genuine smile. "Thanks, Bea. Your support means a lot to me. And I know you've got your own challenges to deal with right now, so I didn't want to burden you."

Beatrice squeezed Shells' shoulder again. "You're never a burden, Shells. And besides, catching up with you and helping with this ice machine is a welcome break from my own worries."

Shells chuckled. "Fair enough. It's good to have you back, even if it's just for a little while."

"It's good to be back," Beatrice replied with a smile. "And who knows, maybe I'll be able to come around more often soon.”

“Really?”

“Well,” she sighs, her shoulders dropping, “I’m not sure…I want the twins to come home, you know?”

“...right…how are you and Rooster dealing with it?”

Beatrice purses her lips, “Well…” she smiles, ‘He’s just…amazing, you know?”

Shells looked at Beatrice with an knowing smile. "I can imagine he is.” she leans down to pick something from the ground, “You two are gross.”

Beatrice nodded, her eyes distant for a moment as she thought about Rooster. "He's been there for me through everything, especially during the pregnancy. It hasn't been easy, but he's made it a lot more manageable."

"That's love, Bea," Shells said softly. "Real love." and she sounded serious.

Beatrice's smile grew warm and affectionate. "Yeah, it is. I'm really lucky to have him in my life. And he's been amazing with Nikki and the twins. They adore their dad."

Shells chuckled. "Well, of course they do. He's a great guy. And you're a fantastic mom, Bea. You're doing an incredible job."

Beatrice's expression turned slightly wistful. "Thanks, Shells. It means a lot to hear that.”

“And,don’t forget I helped,” she points it out, “If it wasn’t for me and aunt Penny, you two would stay ages pining for each other.” she pauses, “Wanna know when I noticed he liked you?”

“...well...yes.”

-

She was bored, she took her time to drink some water when she was outside the Hard Deck. Beatrice was doing good, she’s been with them with a few months and she managed to get the hang of it. 

“Shells.”

She sips her water, nodding at the tall pilot, “Rooster.”

“Are they inside?”

“Yep, they never miss it do they?” she teases, nodding towards the bar, ‘Go on, my aunt is going to see you in a bit.”

Rooster nods, about to go in - his hand is on the door- but he stops and he’s looking at something, better yet, someone inside. Shells noticed his pause, then slowly turned to see where his gaze landed and she slowly lowered her bottle.

Was he looking at Bea?

Oh, ohohohohoho!!!

Shells looked like the cat that just found out the cream was chilled and had pieces of fruit in it, because her gaze moved from Rooster to Bea and vice versa, only to stop at Rooster. He was a statue, a living statue, his jaw was clenched a bit and even if his eyes were hidden by the caravans, it was still obvious where he was staring.

She clears her throat once, nothing, then twice, still nothing, only when she coughs right by his side is that the pilot moves - jumps,more likely. He gives her a confused stare and she smirks ,”Well,aren’t you going inside?”

Rooster blinked rapidly, as if snapping out of a trance, and cleared his throat nervously. "Yeah, yeah, of course," he stammered, taking a step back from the door as if he had been caught in the act of something he shouldn't be doing.

Shells couldn't help but chuckle at his reaction. It was clear as day that Rooster had been caught staring at Beatrice, and she was going to make sure he knew it. "You know, Rooster, you can go inside. I won't tell Bea that you were checking her out."

Rooster's cheeks flushed a deep shade of red, and he scratched the back of his head awkwardly. "I wasn't... I mean, I was just... um..."

Shells grinned mischievously, her eyes dancing with amusement. "Uh-huh. Go on,Chanticleer, go on.”

Rooster's embarrassment seemed to increase, but he managed a nod and a faint smile. "Yeah, I will. Thanks, Shells."

With that, Rooster finally entered the Hard Deck, leaving Shells outside with her victorious grin. She couldn't resist a little teasing now and then, and now…now she had something to work with.

“Ohhh,” she rubs her hands like a villain, “This will be great.”

-

“Wait.”

“Hm?’

Beatrice holds her hand, “Wait, when was that??”

“Like,what, three,four months before you two actually talked?” she shrugged, licking her lips as she sits up,smirking at Beatrice’s face,”You knew he looked at you then,Bea, why are you so surprised?”

"Three or four months? Seriously,?"

Shells shrugged nonchalantly, her smirk still firmly in place. "Well, I did tell you about some stuff but you didn’t want to hear it back then.."

Beatrice shook her head in mock exasperation. "Well,fine, you are right…I didn’t see it. I didn’t want to see he was looking or noticing me.”

Shells grinned. "Oh, he noticed you, alright. Couldn't take his eyes off you, in fact."

Beatrice chuckled, feeling a warm, happy glow inside. "Well, I'm glad he did. Otherwise, we might have missed out on something really special."

Shells nodded in agreement. "You two are a perfect match, no doubt about it. And it's about time you got some happiness in your life, Bea."

Beatrice smiled at her friend, feeling grateful for the support and love she had received from Shells and everyone else at the Hard Deck. "I couldn't have done it without all of you. You've been like family to me."

Shells leaned in and gave Beatrice a one-armed hug. "That's because you are family, Bea. And we're here for you, no matter what."

While the conversation was really sweet and thoughtful, it was Penny’s heavy footsteps that broke it, when she stood by the bar and saw the two her smile - while still present - was strained, ‘Girls,” she begins, clapping her hands together, “...can we talk in the office? Really quickly?”

“Wait,”Shells begins, “Us? Both of us?”

Penny inhales shakily, “...yeah, both of you.”

[stephensmithuk]

Bunny's cage: HMP Wormwood Scrubs

Bunny Manders spends his 18 months of 'porridge' at what is today called HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs, located south of the park of that name in London W12. The HM of course stands for "His Majesty's". While the UK does have some privately run prisons, this is not one of them.

The nearest Tube is East Action and the A40 Westway is close by if you want to visit. Hammersmith Hospital is next door, in case prisoners need to go there.

It has an iconic entrance - see below - which is commonly used for prison release scenes in TV and movies, such as The Italian Job.

(The interiors for that were filmed at the long-closed Kilmainham Gaol in Dublin, also a common filming location, turning up in, of all things, Into the Badlands.)

Even one of the Gorillaz ended up there...

"The Scrubs" as it is known, was started in 1874 to a design by Sir Edmund Frederick Du Cane, who gives his name to the road the prison is on. The British needed to construct new prisons to hold convicts after transportation to Australia ended in 1867, basically because the non-convict Australians had had enough of being used as a dumping ground for criminals.

Convicts from Millbank Prison were used to construct a temporary facility initially and then worked over the next sixteen years until the facility was complete in 1891. It would hold male and female prisoners until 1902. At that point, the last of the latter were transferred to Holloway and the prison has been male-only since, although there may be some female officers there.

It had been intended for as a long-term penitentiary but ended up becoming a local prison for those serving shorter terms at "His/Her Majesty's Pleasure" as the popular, but inaccurate term would have it.

(That term is legally used for young offenders convicted of murder as an alternative to a life sentence)

Wormwood Scrubs was your typical prison of the period, as this 1903 image shows:

The nets, still there today, are an anti-suicide measure.

This article shows what a single person cell at Wormwood Scrubs looked like in 2015:

A lot of the cells today are two-person ones with a bunk bed.

Anyway, going back to 1896. After the 'Separate System' of the 1840s had driven prisoners mad, a new approach was tried from the 1860s. Basically, the idea was to "scare 'em straight" - make prison just undesirable enough so convicts did not reoffend. Reform was seen as impossible and attempting it pointless.

Du Cane was going to make hard time ...

(Du Cane putting on Victorian sunglasses)

Hard.

(GIF of Victorian man screaming "Capital, dear chap!")

Du Cane called this '‘Hard Labour, Hard Fare and Hard Board’.

Hard Labour

Prisoners would spend long periods of time, like eight hours a day, doing physical labour that was often completely pointless.

Stuff like:

Walking on a rotary treadwheel like you were a hamster. Not connected to anything in most cases. You got breaks, but you were basically climbing the equivalent of the Matterhorn on a daily basis.

Turning a crank thousands of times. Again for no actual useful reason than to break your spirit.

Picking up a cannonball, carrying it at chest height across the yard and putting it down again. Prisons would have cannons used to announce executions, but those generally didn't fire actual live rounds.

Untwisting tar-covered old ropes from ships so the fibres could be used as caulking for waterproofing said ships. This was arguably the most useful task for society, but it was a nasty one, causing cramp and bleeding fingers. This was commonly done in workhouses to by those deemed unsuitable for other tasks - so children, commonly. You would be expected to do at least 3lbs a day if sentenced to hard labour.

Breaking rocks in the hard rain. You'd fought the law and the law won.

This was also done under the 'Silent System' - prisoners were banned from talking to each other.

There were in fact two classes of hard labour and also work in a trade. If you were deemed to be unfit for the first class, you could be put in the second. If for neither, you would be put in a trade.

Oscar Wilde was assigned to the second class, so picked oakum while at Wandsworth. However, even that was too much for him and he collapsed at chapel, rupturing his right eardrum and spending two months in the infirmary. Transferred to Reading, he eventually ended up in charge of distributing books to prisoners from the small prison library.

Indeed, prisoners would try anything to avoid the treadwheel, like eating soap or large quantities of salt. Collapsing at the wheel could result in serious injury or even death as you could be crushed by the still turning device unless someone spotted you.

There was no labour on Sundays or public holidays. I imagine you would spend most of your time in the cells. Something not much changed today, considering the 2021 inspection report of Wormwood Scrubs I found.

Wormwood Scrubs has in fact got a very large chapel and today it has an organ originally from a cinema in Ealing.

Hard Fare

The food was deliberately kept monotonous, but enough of it was provided to keep the prisoners alive and able to work. The main staple was gruel (hence "doing porridge") as in the workhouses or the oatmeal-based substitute stirabout. However, you would get other stuff for doing hard labour. The Victorians ate a lot more bread and potatoes then we do today for example.

A 2019 study by the University of Liverpool found that many of the 400 prisoners they looked at remained with the same BMI as they went in with - many even gained weight.

However, that was by no means the sole indication of health - prisons could easily provide vectors for infection, even if they were less overcrowded then before.

Hard Board

Prisoners had formerly slept in hammcocks - they now had hard boards to sleep on instead. They would also wear blue uniforms with broad arrows on, still something seen in cartoons.

Literature was limited - Wilde was initally limited only to the Bible and The Pilgrim's Progress. He was initially not even allowed pen and paper either.

I believe you were allowed to spend an hour in the yard each day, but this was walking in single file with again no talking.

I can imagine that even with a stove, your cell might get quite chilly in winter. Chillbains would have been common.

Rule-breaking could lead to various punishments including flogging. You might also be put solely on bread and water, a punishment still employed by the US Navy until 2019.

Summary

Wilde, who would write two books on his experience, never recovered from his prison time. He is thought to have got meningitis as a result of his fall and died in France three years after his release.

The effect of all this on offending rates was limited too - many would end doing further sentences. At least you got fed, something not guaranteed outside unless you headed for the workhouse.

The latter history of Wormwood Scrubs

However, reform had started of the system and conditions would become a good deal less harsh. The more pointless hard labour was abolished in 1902.

The First World War saw the Scrubs hold a number of conscientious objectors, who had refused even non-combat roles as they saw those as keeping the war going - when refused an exemption, they had refused to obey orders to report to barracks. Hubert W. Peet spent 112 days there and his account is now public domain:

The 'sequel' as I often call it saw Wormwood Scrubs cleared of prisoners and taken over by the War Department. MI5 spent a short time based there at the start of the war. Secretaries would often be two to a cell.

The prison returned to normal operations afterwards.

In 1966, it would see its most famous escape.

George Blake

George Blake was an SIS officer who had started working for Soviet intelligence as while imprisoned in the Korean War. He tipped off the Soviets about the tunnel the Allies would dig under the West Berlin/East Berlin border to tap military telephone lines. Being the cagey bees they were and not wanting to compromise Blake, they waited a year before 'discovering' the tunnel in a blaze of publicity. In fact, they appear to have not even made measures to restrict what the lines were used for and the West probably got some pretty good intel off it.

More seriously, Blake betrayed a large number of SIS agents to the Soviet bloc, many of whom ended up dead as a result.

Blake was arrested in 1961, ultimately made a full confession and in a private trial at the Old Bailey was sentenced to 42 years in prison; the maximum sentence for his actual offence was 14 years, but he was deemed to have committed five separate offences and some would run consecutively. This was the longest non-life sentence ever handed down in a British court.

In 1966, Blake was helped to escape by three former prisoners, two anti-nuclear campaigners and an Irish career criminal called Sean Bourke, who thought his sentence was inhuman. They also liked him. A walkie-talkie was smuggled in. During the weekly film show, Blake broke a window in his cell block, got to the perimeter wall and then climbed a rope ladder thrown over it, breaking his wrist on the way down.

Blake would eventually be smuggled out of the UK and to East Germany, along with Bourke. Blake was picked up by the KGB, taken to the USSR and remained in what become Russia until his death in 2020 aged 98, being given a funeral with military honours.

The anti-nuclear campaigners were charged with aiding his escape in 1991, claiming a moral defence. The jury, as British juries sometimes do, ignored the judge's instructions to convict them and instead declared them both not guilty. Bourke had returned to Ireland, where the Supreme Court refused to extradite him in 1973 in the grounds his crime was a political one. He would die in 1982 after collapsing walking down the road; one ex-KGB defector has claimed he was poisoned.

Penal dustbin

In 1979, IRA prisoners staged a rooftop protest over visiting rights. Then a riot over conditions, including awful toothpaste, resulted in a lot of injuries. The governor had resigned just before the riots and when the 1982 inquiry blamed the prison, he called the place a "penal dustbin".

The 1990s saw six officers convicted over brutality and large compensation payouts - the chief inspector of prisons told the place to improve or close.

Various inspection reports over the years have seen some improvements in conditions... largely as many prisoners spent most of their day in their cells.

Famous and infamous residents

Various well-known people have spent time in the Scrubs, including:

Horatio Bottomley, a newspaper mogul of the era who got seven years in 1922 for stealing money from a bonds fund.

Charles Bronson. Not the actor, but he inspired the man's use of that name.

Pete Doherty, for breaching probation, one of his several run-ins with the law over drugs use.

Lord Alfred Douglas, Wilde's lover.

Leslie Grantham, the later actor who spent ten years in prison for murdering a taxi driver during a robbery in West Germany, where he was serving in the British Army.

Timmy Murphy, a jockey convicted of indecent assault on an air stewardess.

Keith Richards of the Rolling Stones.

John Stonehouse, a former government minister who faked his death to get away from false accouting charges. Which didn't work.

Wormwood Scrubs today

Wormwood Scrubs is a Category B prison, equivalent to the US federal 'Medium Security', with five wings (the last completed in 1996) and some smaller units. It holds around 1,200 prisoners. More than it really should, common to many prisons today.

It is also a listed building and so cannot be demolished - it may well close in the near future and become a museum.

Prisoners are given a uniform, but allowed to wear some of their own clothes after a while if they behave - white and black are banned to avoid confusion with prison officers.

It also holds those on remand awaiting trial or sentence. These do not wear prison uniform.

There are now options for video calls and prisoners can have landlines in their cells to call approved numbers, although officers can of course listen in. You can even send and receive emails to those inside, although not directly.

I will leave you with the 2021 inspection report on the prison:

Anyway, Bunny would not have had a nice time of it. Especially without Raffles...

[youphoriaot7]

QSMP RECAP : DAY 189 (9/29)

PAC sprinkled tazercraft chairs/items all around the server

BAGI warned us about upcoming lore

FIT found black concrete in pomme’s bedroom (no message)

cucurucho gave BAGI a wildlife research task. she refused it.

FIT had a serious increase in headaches

BAGI is not actually a vegetarian (wHAT???), she only did that to seem less threatening to the islanders

PAC showed bagi the prison (fit came too)

PAC, PIERRE, and BAGI found black concrete, a red sign (“je veux les protéger. vous me manquez :( <3” / “i want to protect them. i miss you <3), and a pair of butterfly wings

BAGI realized that the messages were placed at the same time they heard lightning

FIT showed phil his secret bedroom

FIT headed to bed (o7 q!fitmc you got this i bELIEVE IN YOU)

BBH gave pac cake (??? idk man this felt weirdly important-)

PAC fell asleep

FOOLISH told jaiden about his federation task

TUBBO received coordinates from fred to a new mailbox

FOREVER got his gun back!

cucurucho wished JAIDEN a happy birthday :’)

JAIDEN was led to a house (16k blocks out). inside the house were three rooms (01, 02, 03). inside she found a camera, a stack of paper, a bubble blower, an extendo grip, a slingshot, and a fire helmet (and a present that can’t be opened bc it was addressed wrong). cucurucho osito bimbo gave her a hug.

JAIDEN told cucurucho osito bimbo about bagi’s plans

BAGI began building a base of informations far away from spawn

BAGI refused cucurucho’s task

BAGHERA found pomme’s sign

cucurucho osito bimbo told JAIDEN he didn’t know where the eggs were

BAGHERA found books at the federation offices (one was a passcode reset for baghera’s childhood room, one was an old diary of hers talking about an escape plan) as well as some papers (each had snippets of coords, passcodes, words…)

BAGHERA found the finished report of the black box from the french plane (? or something? i’m not 100% sure but it related to the plane crash.)

BAGHERA found the coordinates to a “bio laboratory”

FOREVER shot cucurucho (i feel like that’s gonna be important.)

FOOLISH delivered the evidence to cucurucho (he said jaiden was his assistant and that tina and mouse helped inadvertently)

FOREVER and FOOLISH found the water tunnel where quackity drowned

BAGHERA argued a bit with bbh about ron

JAIDEN was given the task bagi refused (she accepted)

[ooc] HAPPY BIRTHDAY, JAIDEN!

[tilbageidanmark]

MOVIES I WATCHED THIS WEEK (#189):

Starting with some re-visits ♻️: That Obscure Object of Desire was Luis Buñuel last erotic film. Old businessman Fernando Rey falls in love and becomes mortally infatuated with a young flamenco dancer, who leads him astray. It's a story of uncontrollable obsession, and a dysfunctional power struggle between them. On the one hand, it's a straight-forward tale of murky motivations, told in a masterful, fluid style. On the other, there are little nuggets of dissonant surrealism: There's some old man carrying a burlap sack, going in and out of scenes without explanations. Or, Conchita, the elusive tease, is played interchangeably by two different actresses, Etc.

🍿

RIP, Gena Rowlands X 2 - (Incredible photo Above).

🍿 "You, banana, you..."

A Woman Under the Influence, hers and husband Guy Woodhouse's most acclaimed work together. A painful tour into the mind of a lonely housewife whose behavior is just a bit eccentric, and who maybe suffers from a bi-polar disorder. Peter Falk, her simple construction worker husband, loves her, but lacks the skills to deal with her, and her existential anguish eventually turns into a nervous breakdown. The general understanding of mental health in 1975 wasn't kind to 'differently-behaved' women, so no wonder she was misdiagnosed, committed and underwent electroshock therapy. A powerful performance that was hard to watch.

🍿 After this early clip of the taxi shoot-out, I also had to see Gloria. One of John Cassavetes' more commercial attempts, it was a strange neo-Noir bland of 'Running from the mob' action thriller, and Gena Rowlands as a bad-ass ex-girlfriend of Tanzinni the mafioso. The backstage of Late-70's NYC is fascinating to observe.

🍿

2 Bizarre Buck Henry-related shorts:

🍿 Buck Henry had an amazing career. In 'Gloria', he's playing the mob accountant whose killing jump starts the plot. I only discovered Kiss Kiss Fingerbang (2015) because it was the 85-year old Buck Henry's very last (cameo) role, and I only watched it because of the unusually-provocative name. But this erotic story about a girlfriend who likes it 'that way', was just plain stupid. [*Female Director*]

🍿 I miss Sonia Henie was a strange 'Yugoslav New Wave' diversion from 1971. Eight directors, including Dušan Makavejev, Frederick Wiseman (!), Paul Morrissey, Miloš Forman and Buck Henry were each tasked with coming up overnight with short avant-garde segments. Each was to be less than three minutes of film footage inside a bedroom with static shots that contains the phrase 'I Miss Sonja Henie'. The results were, as expected, experimentally-weird. The best part actually was the ending clip of the fabulous Norwegian ice skater dancing to the tune of 'The Blue Danube'. Still it was worth watching. (This is my second film by Slovenian Carpo Godina).

🍿

Close - The sad story of two 13 year old boys who love each other, but break up their friendship when their new classmates call them a "couple". Incredibly sensitive acting by the two boys. A subtle story, where nobody's able to express themselves in words, and in spite of the obvious affection that everybody has, nobody tells anybody 'I love you'. There are two themes that repeat: The flower fields, and the long bike rides home. And the breaking point, when one of the boys learns that tragedy struck, is at 44:00 min. in - exactly one hour before the end of the movie. 10/10. Re-watch ♻️.

Extra: Found a good video essay about the inability to communicate in the movie.

🍿

2 with Alice Lowe:

🍿 "Make Sanford Great Again!"...

I've watched Hot Fuzz a dozen times or more in the last few years, but it's never enough. Everything I felt and wrote about it before is still 100% accurate. So now I notice new, tiny details. F. ex. how cute is "Tina", the Supermarché announcer - "Mr. Skinner to the manager's office. Mr. Skinner to the manager's office." But really, every single actor here is absolutely perfect. The bloopers. I can't wait for Edgar Wright's 2 new films. 10/10. Another re-watch ♻️.

🍿 In Innocence (2019) Alice Lowe stars as a policewoman investigating a suspicious falling death, but except of the fact that it's a facility for patients with Downs Syndrome, and the main actor is one, it's doesn't stand out.

🍿

2 more with 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes:

🍿 Big boys is a surprising coming of age story with a different twist. A shy, overweight 14-year-old boy, who's both ordinary and self-conscious, falls for his cousin's older boyfriend, while on a camping trip in Lake Arrowhead. It's told in a careful, hesitant, nearly European tone. Awkward and heart-felt, sweet and wholesome. 💯 score on Rotten Tomatoes. 8/10.

🍿 I could only watch Àma Gloria in the original French-Portuguese without subtitles, so I missed some of its subtext. Still it was powerfully sad and deeply moving. A 6-year-old girl, who lost her mother to cancer, is being taken care of by her Creole nanny. The nanny must return to her native Cape Verde, and the girl is allowed to come and visit her. The little girl who plays the part is truly incredible in the role. The trailer. 9/10.

It's another of the sub-genre of 'Domestic Workers' ('Roma', 'The second mother', 'The maid', 'Oli Ilo', 'Lina from Lima', 'The chambermaid', so many others.) [*Female Director*]

🍿

Ali Abbasi was born in Iran, and moved to Denmark about 15 years ago.

Holy spider is his grim police procedural based on a true story of an Iranian serial killer. It's like Fincher's 'Zodiac', except that the location is the dirty, primitive and oppressive "Holy city" of Mashhad. The killer is a family man but also a fanatical religious nut, who takes on a mission to cleanse his city of poor, drug-addicted prostitutes. The murders are chillingly ugly, but the rest of the story is captivating. 8/10.

While waiting for his anticipated Trump biography 'The Apprentice', I am going to watch the 2 other features he directed, 'Shelley' and 'Border'.

🍿

Let's Go with Pancho Villa (1936) was long considered to be one of the 'greatest Mexican films of all times'. It's a different anti-authoritarian and epic view of the 1910 Revolution. But it didn't speak to me. ¡VIVA MÉXICO!

🍿  

"The flower had not had a fair chance to bloom in the garden of life. The worm of poverty had entered the folded bud and spoiled it..."

Shoes (1916), my 2nd by silent pioneer Lois Weber (after ‘Suspense’). A poor young working girl, struggling to support her family on her meager salary, desperately needs a new pair of shoes, as her only pair literally fall apart. In desperation she 'sells her body', just to survive. A strong feminist message in a sad, realist settings. It was added to the 'National Firm Registry'. [*Female Director*]

🍿  

4 more from the 'Miu Miu Women's Tales' Series:

🍿 "The men are coming! Cover up, everyone! Cover up!" My first film from Saudi Arabian, The Wedding Singer’s Daughter (2018) by Haifaa Al-Mansour, one of the first female filmmakers from over there. Set in 1980, separated from the men, a group of female guests prepare the music and dance for a fancy wedding. Lovely.

🍿 Brigitte (2019), the only Lynne Ramsay film I haven't seen before. It's not the best of the bunch, but still fabulously artistic. A documentary portrait of portrait photographer Brigitte Lacombe in her rustic, cavernous photo studio.

🍿 Le Donne della Vucciria (2013), by my favorite Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass ("Marcia Roy"), and featuring my favorite Lebanese actress Lubna Azabal. An impressionistic Mediterranean mood piece about a dressmaker and a puppet-master, a group of singers down at the Piazza, a Vespa ride by the promenade when the morning comes. 8/10.

🍿 Shangri-La, a poetic confession of forbidden love between a Filipina woman and her white farmhand lover, (who's disguised as a catholic priest). Set up during the Depression, when such relationships were illegal. So-so. [*4 Female Directors*]

🍿

Timor's show (2016) is an interesting Israeli documentary. Timor is a 37-year-old naive emigrant from Russia, who works as a lowly dishwasher. In Baku he studied music at the academy, and he has a lovely baritone voice. But then he decides to put up a recital in a real concert hall, where for the first time in his life, he will sing in front of an audience some of his favorite arias. [*Female Director*]

🍿

2 horrible stinkers:

🍿 "Good luck, shithead"... First watch: Stupid B-monster survivor film Tremors (1990). I did finish it, but with difficulties. Why was it so awful, when all it wanted was to copy Jaws-5 but with Sand Worms instead? 1/10.

🍿 "Who wants some head?"

I can't believe that by now I've seen two movies with John Cena (The first one was 'Barbie'). What is wrong with me?!

But really, the only reason I watched the new "near future dystopian" Jackpot is because it was made by Paul Feig, who directed 'A simple Favor', my all-time favorite Anna Kendrick guilty pleasure. However, this one-note "action-comedy" was spectacularly dreadful. I hated myself for watching it. 1/10.

And now I read that 'Favor 2' is already filmed, and everybody of the original cast, including 'Darren' to 'Detective Summerville' are repeating their roles, and that fills me with dread. I hate sequels!

🍿  

4 short westerns by Michael Brian Rawlins:

🍿 Michael Brian Rawlins specializes in writing, directing and starring in light Western shorts (?). His The Dentist (2020) is the better one. Here he plays a traveling broke dentist being held up by a highway robber with an infected tooth. A perfect meeting.

🍿 The Deputy (2017) is more of a one big action scene, told in modern style.

🍿 In Two outlaws, a marshal forces two outlaws to play Russian Roulette against each other. It ends when they are both hanged by their neck, while Lakmé 'Flower Duet' is playing in the background.

🍿 Rivals too is in a similar vain, a romanticized vision of kids playing 'cowboys'. The whole thing is like a clean Disneyfied tourist version of what a modern western should be.

None of these though is as good as The Gunslinger!

🍿  

The Fleischer Brothers X 3:

🍿 Dizzy Dishes (1930), the very first cartoon with an appearance by Betty Boop. Primitive line drawings, still trying to figure out that new media.

🍿 Any Rags (1932) about a garbage man, collecting anything he can, then selling it.

🍿 Hold it (1938) is one of the Fleischer Studio's 'Color Classics' early use of Technicolor in animation. A bunch of cats against one sleeping dog.

🍿

3 by Illustrator Nate Milton:

🍿 Viewfinder (2023), an excellent impression of precise memory packs of what it meant to be a teenager in the 90's.

🍿 In Eli (2020), a boy is being interrogated at the City of Providence Psychiatric Hospital as to why he's there. The answer has to do with magical raccoons, meteor craters, government secret facilities, music and the evolution of all matter. 8/10.

🍿 Tank (2012), a simply-drawn story of a boy who finds a giant salamander. One of his 9 Vimeo Staff Awards film winners.

His shorts are also pretty dope. F. Ex. this 1986 interview with Miles Davis...

🍿

3 More Shorts:

🍿 To scale: Time was made by a couple of friends to demonstrate how long is it since the Big Bang. They constructed a 4.3 miles stretch of lights in the Mojave Desert, and our civilization is the last few inches...

🍿 Casino Moon (2012), my first by the other-other-other Coppola, Gia Coppola. A cute Vegas roulette dealer falls for a young loser at her table. What does she finds in him, is hard to see, but then I can't stand members of the Schwartzman clan myself (Except of mamma, Taila Shire, of course). Gambling cliches + Wong Kar-wai vibes. Not bad. [*Female Director*]

🍿 Cockatoo v human: Who will win? The opening-rubbish-bins arms race between cockatoos and humans. From the Australian documentary series, The Secret Lives Of Our Urban Birds.

🍿

Throw-back to the Adora Art project:  

Buñuel Adora.

🍿  

(My complete movie list is here).

[mintoxhitsuji]

Frederic is the 28 years old leader of shelter 1647. He goes by he/ him, is 189 cm tall and is bisexual.

Frederic is seen as someone trustworthy, dependable. He is a born leader, yet always makes sure that everyone feels safe to talk to him about their problems and that no one will be left behind. The passion of taking up his father’s mantle is like an always cindering flame, yet he often has moments where he wished for a life with less responsibilities. Frederic, unlike his own father, takes the mental health of his members very serious and understands that some might not be able to do specific tasks, but he still tries to gently push them.

He and his father originally lived, together with 4 other families together at the lab, to aid the first generation of scientists with their studies. The scientists decided, that the empty underground car parks outside the glass dome could be used to house people. Every family that lived at the lab was assigned a shelter. After several years of living at shelter 1647, Frederic’s father passed away and the son took over the lead. His relationship with his dad was always rather rocky, because of the iron fist he had on the shelter, so the son decided to change everything.

Frederic adopted a dog from the city, her name is Savannah and she is trained to sniff out people that got buried underneath collapsed buildings.

[qsmp-a1-updates]

Day 189 Quests & Update

Still no canon quests also the eggs better get back soon or I'll run out of interesting old ones

Feed the baby 2 different vegetables.

Go on a boat ride with 2 other friends/eggs.

Collect 3 souvenirs from the trip.

Tell the baby a bedtime story about a dragon.

Since last update, A1 and Hope have both completed 2 tasks and also did some stargazing in the Discord! (All they have done today is stargaze-) Anyway, they now both have their first checkmark!

[satyrmagos]

Hekate's Ladder inspired by that described in the Hekataeon, with twenty-nine beads of bone, four brass rattlesnake vertebrae, eight volcanic stone beads, twelve garnet beads, and a brass central medallion, flower bell, and antique key.

Each piece is hand made with unique variations. No two keys, flowers, vertebrae, or beads are identical, and the hand casting techniques that produce the Hekatae talisman (the same two-sided Hekate talisman I sell individually) likewise produce unique results.

These talismans are not consecrated. That task is yours, in accordance with the Book of the White Flame or the instructions provided by your gods and familiar spirits.

Each piece comes with a box to store the talisman in while it is sleeping.

[sirthisisa-wendys]

Hey, I just read "Distractions" and it was really good! I only have one question: In the third chapter, when Draken was forging the sword, reader asks him why he chose her. He said he'd tell her after he completed all tasks. I might have overlooked when he told her his reasoning, but I think he didn't tell her. Anyways, I really liked your story, it was really different from all the tr ff I've read so far!

SO IN MY ORIGINAL DRAFT

this was answered

but since it got deleted, I left it out (unintentionally). Let me write that scene for you, then!

Distractions (Extra Scene): Ken Ryuguji x Fem!Reader

wc: 189

tw: fluff

masterlist

"Why do you love me?" Draken turns to you in the bed, blinking in the dim light of the candles.

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said." Draken huffs a laugh, placing his hand on your stomach before sighing.

"It's not quite a 'why.' It's more of a... 'what.'"

"Then tell me what you love about me." He chuckles again, then rolls over onto his arm to look at you.

"Your smile is what caught me first," he begins. "Then it was your kindness."

"Oh? Not my body?"

"That's just a plus," he whispers. "You're an extraordinary woman; anyone would be remiss if they didn't see that." His fingers smooth hair away from your face so he can kiss your cheeks. "And I am in love with you for you. You're not a slave. - or a former slave - in my eyes. You were always just... y/n."

"You're too sweet," you reply, touching his face.

"No such thing." Draken smiles and nuzzles your neck. "I love you and the life we've built together."

"It's just started," you giggle.

"And I already know it's going to be wonderful."

[partystoragechest]

A story of romance, drama, and politics which neither Trevelyan nor Cullen wish to be in.

Canon divergent fic in which Josephine solves the matter of post-Wicked Hearts attention by inviting four noblewomen to compete for Cullen's affections. A small teaser for what's to come in the next chapter.

(Masterpost. Words: 189. Rating: all audiences. Note: this snippet is a WIP and may change before chapter release.)

CHAPTER 39 TEASER

Peeking just her head through, Trevelyan took in the space. She’d not been here often. It acted as a second smithy, with forges and furnaces along the back wall, swathing the room in their warmth and light.

Yet, unlike the smithy of the Undercroft, soldiers would frequent this place. Armour and weaponry lined the racks, ready for use in training. A long bench, where they would prepare for exactly this, waited below.

Today, however, it boasted only one occupant.

The Commander had collapsed upon the bench, wrenching the plate from his body. Each piece clattered to the floor as soon as the straps came free. With all outside celebrating, there was no one to attend him.

And so he continued the task himself, stripping his mantle and laying it over his lap. Arms free, he tugged at his gorget until it came loose; removed it and the breastplate beneath. Just a gambeson, now, and his helm.

He discarded the latter first, his face at last revealed—exhausted, and panting.

Sweat-streaked skin glistened in the glow of the fires. But not mere sweat alone. Trevelyan gasped. Blood. There was blood.

[whump-a-la-mode]

Taming The Tiger

I know I’ve been silent on here for a while, and there’s a lot of reasons for that (mostly college. oops). But! I’m back! And with a new series!

Taming The Tiger tells the story of Doctor Elizabeth Ada, an expert in the field of contemporary sentient artificial intelligence. Frequently at odds with the Committee for Ethics in Sentient Artificial Intelligence, Doctor Ada believes in the humanity of AI and that they deserve kindness and respect. The Ethics Committee, however, considers sentient AI to not be only on par with animals, but with dangerous ones. They believe that the only way to train an AI for service is through beating it into submission.

Desperate to get Doctor Ada off of their back, The Ethics Committee prepares an ultimatum: If she can take a broken, violent, aggressive AI and prepare it for service within three month’s time, they will accept the humanity of AI, and treat them humanely.

Doctor Ada accepts, only to be given an impossible task. Or, more so, an impossible person: ALEXS class service AI unit #189.

Will Doctor Ada’s methods work, or will Unit #189 prove unfixable?

Containing: Artificial intelligence whumpee, inhuman whumpee, female whumpee, defiant whumpee, pet whumpee, doctor caretaker, scientist caretaker, dehumanization, whumpee distrusting caretaker

Part One Coming Soon!

(I don’t draw much, but I wanted to make some designs for both major characters in this story)

Doctor Ada:

Unit #189: