#we made the weekly newsletter!

[sizzlingsandwichperfection-blog]

Hi. I've started writing a semi-weekly TB Newsletter, if you're interested in that kind of thing. Here's the second letter--about public-private partnerships, leprosy, and my forthcoming big announcement about expanding access to tuberculosis care. You'll hear more about that on Thursday. Anyway, here's the newsletter. You can sign up here.

---

In advance of the Big Announcement this Thursday, I made a vlogbrothers video today on how we end TB–with the comprehensive care plan often known as S-T-P, which is short for “Search, Treat, and Prevent.” But one thing I didn’t discuss in that video is the downstream benefits of comprehensive TB care.

Once you’ve hired community health workers to screen for TB, it becomes much easier to screen for other illnesses like diabetes, high blood pressure, and non-TB lung issues (especially lung cancer). TB is notoriously a disease of vicious cycles–a disease of malnutrition that makes malnutrition worse, a disease of poverty that makes poverty worse, and so on–but addressing TB can be a story of virtuous cycles: TB survivors become TB advocates, as I’ve seen with my friend Henry in Sierra Leone. More effective TB treatment leads to less stigmatization of the disease, as communities come to see the disease as curable and survivable rather than terrifying and deadly. And better access to TB care leads to a stronger overall healthcare system, because more community health workers are better connected to more primary healthcare clinics, which allows communities to better address all kinds of health problems.

—

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is not the only bacteria of its family that causes a lot of human suffering; there is a closely related species called mycobacterium leprae that causes the disease known as Hansen's Disease, or more commonly leprosy. There are still around 200,000 cases of leprosy diagnosed each year around the world, and while the disease is curable, it also remains–especially if not caught and treated early–a significant driver of suffering and disability in our world. 

There are many connections between TB and leprosy: Not only are the bacteria that cause these illnesses very similar, but patients have often expressed similarities in experience. TB patients who were encouraged or forced to live in sanitariums often compared themselves to lepers. One disheartening parallel between the diseases is that in both cases, those living with these illnesses are often abandoned by their families and must make new social connections within the new community of “leper” or “consumptive.” Also, both Hansen’s Disease and TB continue to exist largely because of systemic failures rather than due to a lack of knowledge or technology.

—

I really recommend Dr. Salmaan Keshavjee’s TED talk about how we ended TB in the U.S., and how we can end it using the same strategy around the world.

—

Last link from me today: I’ve been thinking a lot about the complex intersection between public and private investment (for reasons that will be clear on Thursday!) and I keep coming back to one infographic in an excellent paper (https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0256883) about the public money that was poured into the creation of the GeneXpert Machine, which can quickly and accurately test for TB. The GeneXpert machine has created a lot of profit for Danaher’s shareholders, and it has also created some societal benefit, but it could create a lot more societal benefit if it created less profit for Danaher’s shareholders. This tension seems to me one of the defining features of 21st century life. Anyway, here is the infographic:

That’s the money–over $250,000,000 of it–that came from taxpayers (mostly in the U.S. and Europe) to fund the creation of the GeneXpert Machine. And yet, this tech largely funded by the public is controlled entirely by private enterprise. I’m troubled by that model of value allocation, even if I still believe that private money and private enterprise have important roles to play in fueling innovation. But taking a quarter billion dollars of public money and then claiming total ownership over a technology, and using that ownership to deny the technology to the world’s poorest people, seems like a deeply flawed system of resource distribution to me.

I’ll see you on Thursday. I’m nervous and excited.

DFTBA,

John

[mistyresolve]

| His Foresight - Simon “Ghost” Riley X Medic!Reader (Part 6)

Word Count - 3k

Summary - TF 141 has regrouped at their safe house, and in the past two weeks they have been of trying to figure out their next move. Doc and Ghost finally have a little talk about their night together.

Tags/Warnings - Blood and Injury, Depictions of war and violence, Explicit Language, Character Death, Slow Burn

A/N - hi

Part 1 ❤︎ Part 2 ❤︎ Part 3  ❤︎ Part 3.5  ❤︎ Part 4 ❤︎ Part 5 ❤︎ Part 7

Masterlist   

The two of you were back in the garage the next morning. Ghost getting up significantly earlier than you did; leaving you to wake up alone and slightly chilled from the morning air. 

There was also a delicious ache between your legs that wasn’t normally there. 

Ghost was servicing one of the armoured vehicles to make sure it was ready to go when the squad needed to move. It’s matte tan painting normally nothing significant but you couldn’t help but feel some sort of familiarity with the vehicle. While taking stock of your medical supplies you stared at the lettering on the side of the vehicle trying to pinpoint where you had seen it before. 

“Riley,” you called out, eyes still locked on the bolded lettering on the side of the hood. He paused what he was doing to look up at you. With narrowed eyes, you said, “Why do I feel like I’ve read about this ATV before?” You recalled reading about a vehicle being swiped from a convoy a few months ago in one of the weekly newsletters the military put out. 

“Uhh,” you could’ve sworn there was a slight blush underneath that mask, “Yeah, we stole it. Wasn’t our intent at first, but figured it would be a waste of an opportunity if we returned it.”  

You made your way to the stool beside him, “‘We’ as in?”

“Soap and I…” he thought for a second, searching for the right word, “commandeered it on our way into an active combat zone. In the report, we said it was a hostile.” he shrugged. Everything here was stolen, sure, but it was mostly little things like rations and ammo; which he had mentioned took forever to compile. The other vehicle was just a modified truck. This was an Oshkosh MPAP; equipped with a turret, and bulletproof windows, and was worth a million dollars.

And these goons just took it.   

Despite his seemingly nonchalance demeanour, there was clear pride in the set of his shoulders. You also knew he and Soap chuckled about it on their way here to stash it.   

“What did Price have to say about it?” you inspected the manual for the ATV to see all it came with. There was a hesitance from him and you lifted a brow at him, “What will Price have to say about it?” you reworded the question, getting the sense that Price doesn’t know. 

“I doubt he’ll even notice,” Simon set back to work, reaching for something and tightening it with a wrench. 

The rest of the squad arrived later in the morning and Price undoubtedly noticed. In fact, he pointed right at it, eyebrows raised but didn’t say a word. 

Soap pretended to be just as shocked, “How did this get in here?” 

Ghost did a good job of redirecting everyone’s attention, “We’ve got almost a week's worth of food reserves.”

Gaz swung his gear over his shoulder heading towards the makeshift barracks, “You leave any hot water for us?” he asked Ghost. 

“Nope,” he shot back dryly, failing to mention there was never any hot water to begin with. He shoved a finger in Soap’s direction, “You better get in there next. I can smell you.” 

“It’s a musk,” Soap retorted, feigning offence.  

“Go stand downwind of me,” Ghost strained as he looked an ammo crate into one of the trucks.  

You couldn’t smell Soap from where you sat but you were sure every one of them smelt like a little ripe from all the traveling. They looked weary from it. 

A strange feeling of unspoken uneasiness hung overhead all of you. Everyone was purposefully avoiding the obvious fact that we didn’t have a solid plan.    

When Gaz returned from his shower, he had a strange look on his face. A mix of annoyance and embarrassment. He had pulled a a pack of cigarettes from his pocket throwing them to Soap, “You win,” he said bitterly. 

“Really?” Soap caught the pack, immediately putting one in his mouth. He turned to Ghost, “You’ve just made me a very happy man.” 

“What the hell are you talking about?” Ghost looked genuinely confused. He glanced at you with questioning eyes, wondering if you had any insight into their exchange.

You offered him a subtle shrug.  

Price was talking quietly with Laswell outside the garage. With dark bags weighing down his eyes, accompanied by a frown, Price looked uncharacteristically tired. Knowing him, he probably didn’t get the best sleep last night. It was us against the world right now, and since he was our captain every single one of us was looking to him for direction. It was a lot of pressure for one man. But there was a good reason he was Captain. He was level-headed and experienced. This probably wasn’t the first time he found himself in this situation either. This was just another Wednesday for him. For all of them. 

Except you. 

You don’t belong on a task force like this. You weren’t even sure you were meant for the medic life anymore. Lord knew you couldn’t save anyone when it mattered. 

Your teeth sank into your lip as you pondered your life choices so far. The hair on the back of your neck began to tingle and when you looked up to see Ghost watching you from across the room. His eyes revealed nothing before he dragged his attention back to Soap.               

Price called for a meeting after everyone was a little more settled in, “We’ll need to lie low for the next few weeks. Keep our footprint to a minimum,” Price took a seat on the bench next to you, swiping a hand down his face, “Laswell said that the brasses have been keeping it tight-lipped about our situation. So either they don’t know and someone is working on this alone or they do know and don’t want it getting out,” he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, “Which one is worse? I don’t know.” 

If they do know we risk giving ourselves away by trying to make contact. This was going to be a waiting game. 

We were in this alone and the thought of the world being completely oblivious to our disappearance was frightening. The idea of your family never knowing what happened to you left just as fast as it came. 

“Until we come up with a plan?” Gaz sneered, his eyes hardening making it evident it was hardly a question. 

“How long will that take?” You asked, your knee bouncing in a clear show of anxiety. 

Laswell cleared her throat, eyes peeking over the laptop she was sitting in front of, “I’ve got a few contacts on US soil who are doing some internal investigations. I won’t be able to exchange information with them as often as I’d like but they’re good at what they do,” She assured, this usually perfect braid falling loose down her shoulder. “I trust that they’ll be able to find some leads.”

“How long with that take?” Ghost repeated your question.

Laswell huffed, “I have no idea.” 

“Let’s aim for a few weeks at the very least,” Price said, lifting a fresh unlit cigar to his mouth. 

“We’ve only got a week’s worth of food,” you exchanged a look with Ghost, who was already looking at you, his dark eyes unreadable. Before the rest of the team got here he had donned his mask, making it all the harder to gauge what exactly he was thinking. 

“Ahh,” Laswell flipped her laptop to face the rest of us. You leaned forward and squinted at the bright screen with multiple windows pulled up, “There’s a little townlet three hours from here with no military presence. We can go into town to stock up when the time arrives.”

Two weeks. Two whole weeks passed and Laswells weren’t any closer to finding out who Specter was, and everyone was getting antsy. She did, however, discover that we have all been flagged as deserters. 

Price and Gaz were out doing recon every morning, and every time they came back with the same news. Which was no news.  

You and Ghost had gone into the little town Laswell aforementioned nearly every day since that first week. You spent most of your time at one of the schools there. It was a symbiotic relationship where you were providing medical services wherever you were needed in exchange for more medical supplies. All the while Ghost went off on his own sometimes coming back with food other times with information on the movements of the military. “For your safety” he wasn’t able to tell you who exactly he was meeting with for this information. 

You were cleaning the wound of a smaller child, her dark hair and wide glassy eyes flitting to everything that moved. Considering how her wound looked a week ago she was healing well. In a few more days there will be nothing left but a pink scar. You couldn’t understand each other because of a language barrier but there was mutual respect between you two. She couldn’t have been older than 10 but her eyes showed she had seen more than her years. Her eyes would sometimes glaze over and would stare far beyond what you could see. Her mouth would loosen and she would murmur to herself. A prayer, you were later told by a woman who spoke English. It was unsettling to see someone so young so grown. 

That’s what growing up in a warzone will do to you. You chastised yourself, your teeth sinking into your bottom lip.

“Here,” you secured her bandage showing off your work to her. Her delicate hand grazed it, her face void of emotion. With a slight bow of her head, she left. You watched as she disappeared back out the school door. 

You felt someone take a seat beside you, her identity easily discerned by her scent of pepper and rosemary. “Her mother would have been so devastated to see her like this,” she spoke softly, her accent almost undetectable. She was one of the teachers at the school, and also the one who let you use her classroom as a makeshift station when she didn’t have any classes. 

She seemed like a great teacher, artwork and previous school projects lined her classroom walls. 

It didn’t go unnoticed that she was using the past tense. Your mouth opened and closed as you fought to find the right words, “She’s too young,” too young for this kind of life. Too young to be seeing death. Too young to be this broken. 

“Is anyone ever old enough?” She began helping you pack your supplies, offering you a new medical kit for today’s services, “We are having trouble getting shipments in so this is going to be the last time we’ll be able to pay you back.” 

You tilted your head at her, “What do you mean by troubles?”    

She smoothed out the wrinkles from her shirt, “They’ve put up checkpoints at every roading leading in and out of eastern borders. It is almost impossible to get transport trucks through,” Her blue eyes had grown tired in the last few days.

You placed a gentle hand on her shoulder, “Thank you. For everything you’ve done for me. If there is anything I can do to repay you, anything at all, let me know.”

She smiled and shook her head, “You’ve done more than enough,” she leaves you to turn her attention to a group of students coming in for her next class. 

Ghost returned to the school a few hours earlier than he usually did, his pace hurried, “Grab your stuff. We’re getting out of here,” he panted like he’d run the entire way back to the school but he was already moving to pack your supplies back into your pack. 

You looked up at him, eyebrows knitting together, “What’s wrong?” 

“A convoy was sighted three hundred kilometres to the east,” he didn’t wait for your reply before he slung ur pack over his shoulder and strode for the door, “And they aren’t insurgents.” 

Which means they’re American. And they couldn’t know we were here. They would take us all back in, and the last thing we wanted was to be getting into gunfights with our own. 

Ghost opened your door for you, “Get in.” 

You gave him a side glance before stepping up into the truck and letting him slam it shut behind you. Apart from the sound of the rocky road underneath the wheels and the whir of the engine the ride back was silent. You watched out your window, turning thoughts over in your head, debating whether the conversation you’ve been wanting to have with him but never the time, was worth it. 

Since that first night, nothing more has happened between you too. There hasn’t been the time for a conversation about it. Let alone actual sex. Still, a conversation needed to be had at some point. You wanted to know what he was thinking. He was always difficult to read and never shared his thoughts and feelings with anyone.  

“What’s on your mind?” Ghost spoke first, sensing your hesitation, his eyes flickering between you and the road. 

“A lot,” you tried laughing but it came out more like a sigh, then shrugged, “I guess mostly…about that night,” you started off.

His eyes widened before he quickly turned to face the road again, “Go on.” 

“We haven’t discussed it, or… haven’t really had the time to explore what it means. If it does mean anything. Don’t get me wrong,” you caught yourself, “There really isn’t a worse time for something like this,” it wasn’t like things had grown awkward between the two of you in the last few weeks, but you weren’t sure how you were supposed to be feeling. Or how he was feeling. Doubt had crept into the corners of your mind in the last few weeks. 

Maybe it was just a distraction for him. 

Your breakfast soured in your stomach at the idea.      

The clouds overhead began to turn a sombre grey, bringing with it the threats of a storm. 

Beside you, he’d grown impossibly still. His shoulders were taut with discomfort, “If you’re going to say it was a mistake just do us both a favour and say it.” 

Your heart dropped into the pit of your stomach, “Was it–” you swallowed, “Was it a mistake for you?” 

“No,” he spoke with conviction, “No, it wasn’t.” 

Just as fast as the air left your lungs, they were filled, “Ohh,” you released a sigh, your head falling back onto the seat. 

“Once we get ourselves out of this we can talk about it all you want, but–”

“But, now isn’t a good time,” you finished for him, agreeing with the statement.  

“I don’t want you to think I used you like some sex-crazed caveman,” he shifted, the light of the day dwindling as we rolled down the road, the shadows from the trees creeping closer and closer to the truck. 

“I dont…” you started but he was already pulling the truck over to the side of the road. 

“I need you to know that the moment we get back to society that this,” he unbuckled his seatbelt and gestured between the two of you, “Isn’t going to end. I care for you but I need you to stay alive. So, I’m deciding for us to put things on hold because neither of us needs the distraction. It wasn’t a mistake. Do I wish I had waited until I was able to fuck you in a real bed? Kinda.” 

The first few drops of rain splattered onto the windshield, fat and heavy. 

He released the strap on his bulletproof vest to his chest and reached for my hand, “Feel this,” he brought my hand, dwarfed in his, to his racing heart. The heat radiated off his body, “That is what you do to me. Every time you look at me, or speak, or enter a room. I feel like I  can’t breathe around you. I’m terrified of you, and the possibilities that come with you,” he squeezed your hand, and he took in a shuttering breath, “And when you look at me like that,” his voice dropped and his eyes searched yours before bringing your hand lower, where you felt his member hardening. 

Your cheeks heated and you felt your own heart quicken its pace. 

The sounds of the rain became a rhythmic beat as it began to downpour, and without the windshield wipers to wipe away the downfall it was nearly impossible to see to the outside. 

He let out a low, agonizing sound when you gave him an experimental squeeze 

His attention flicked to the clock on the dash, his eyes darkening, “If I had been a smart man I wouldn’t have told Price we were leaving early. So if we take much longer it’ll raise questions,” he pulled away from you, slowly, like it was taking every sane part of him to do so, “And I’m sure you don’t want that.” 

You shook your head. You did not want to talk with Price about your extracurriculars. 

He took one last look at you, “Fuck sake,” he lifted the bottom half of his mask and pulled your lips to his. It was a chaste, desperate, open-mouth kiss. One where his hands dipped your head back to gain better access. His thumbs cradled your jaw, his fingers curling in your hair. 

It was just like the last time you kissed him. He was all fire and heat. He was explosive. 

When he finally pulled back, his lips were wet and rosy, his eyes half-lidded, “Promise me you won’t go anywhere?” he said lowly. 

You couldn’t help the sheepish smile, “I’m here.”  

His Foresight - @thychuvaluswife ❤︎ @shuttlelauncher81 ❤︎ @lostinsideourminds ❤︎ @v1naco ❤︎  @konig-breedme ❤︎ @wolfyland07 ❤︎ @cumbersome-robes ❤︎ @adelaidai ❤︎ @ddioriez ❤︎ @johfaam0 ❤︎ @marytvirgin ❤︎ @stickygumchewer ❤︎ @lauraliisa ❤︎ @jungcoccc ❤︎ @lovelyladymayyyy ❤︎ @lululandd ❤︎ @chrissyfishywissy ❤︎ @naxxsstuff ❤︎ @sididakra-jo ❤︎ @yukisawer ❤︎ @q8852p ❤︎ @kat-nee ❤︎ @meganoreid ❤︎ @thewoodenarcade ❤︎ @kaghost ❤︎ @shadowcldx ❤︎@mymommmy ❤︎ @crunchlite ❤︎ @mychrysanthemums ❤︎  @xheera​  ❤︎ @lockleywife​ ❤︎ @ryethebrokengae  

[mrs-stans]

Sebastian Stan describes the 'big reactions' from New Yorkers over his A Different Man transformation: 'I was terrified'

The actor and makeup artist extraordinaire Mike Marino unpack Stan's dramatic prosthetics turn.

By Nick Romano

Sebastian Stan was so determined to work with Oscar-nominated makeup artist Mike Marino on his film A Different Man that the actor was willing to undergo a social and professional experiment.

As Edward, the 42-year-old Marvel star would play an aspiring actor with neurofibromatosis, or NF1 for short, who undergoes an experimental procedure that radically changes his face, only to then emotionally spiral out of control when he loses the part he was born to play to Oswald (Adam Pearson), someone with NF1 who lives a much fuller life than Edward ever led, pre- or post-procedure. Stan needed the man who made Colin Farrell unrecognizable as Oz Cobb for The Batman and HBO’s The Penguin to pull off such a feat.

Since Marino was already busy on Amazon’s The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel, Stan walked the few blocks from his apartment in New York City’s SoHo district to Marino’s home every morning around 4 or 5 a.m. “Then you just wait till they're ready for you on set,” Marino remembers saying to him. On some of those days, Stan would kill time by wandering Manhattan in full makeup until his call time. “I walked up and down Broadway, basically,” Stan, sitting in the New York offices of studio A24, tells Entertainment Weekly. “It was a busy street. I was terrified, but I would just go get a coffee or sit.”

Sebastian Stan is unrecognizable as an actor with facial deformity in trailer for A Different Man

Stan doesn’t consider himself to be a physical actor, and yet his body of work might suggest differently. Even when the costume shoulders the bulk of the transformation, such as playing Tommy Lee in Hulu’s Pam & Tommy, his body language molds to match the look. That skill is especially prominent in A Different Man (playing now in limited release). “Even alone, being able to only look out of one eye and then having one ear more covered immediately changes a lot,” he says of Marino's makeup effects. “It changes how you stand. It changes how far away you are from people, how you look at people. I felt oddly on my back foot more. It's a defensive reaction because you want to be prepared in case something's coming, that you have enough time to react.”

“What we get is such an incredibly passionate, skilled actor that can hide within a true character,” Marino tells EW in a separate conversation on Zoom from his SoHo apartment, part of which serves as the mini studio where Stan’s makeup application occurred. “He would actually now have a chance to live with people's reactions and how they were treating him.”

Want more movie news? Sign up for Entertainment Weekly's free newsletter to get the latest trailers, celebrity interviews, film reviews, and more.

That experience informed Stan’s entire performance, and it became important for him to do so, even outside of the mornings' wait time. He would often stroll away from set on the Upper West Side in between breaks or setups. “New York is pretty evolved in a lot of ways, but I still got some big reactions from people,” he recalls. “Like, ‘Oh s---!’ ‘Oh f---!’ ‘Look at that!’ It was scary to experience. It was hard to experience. I felt powerless in those situations in some way. And, I guess, a lot of that is how Edward feels in the film.”

Sebastian Stan transforms in the discomforting drama A Different Man

Other reactions were less intense, but equally informative. While standing at a stoplight, for instance, Stan noticed the difference between those pedestrians avoiding eye contact completely, compared to those trying to discreetly steal a look or offer him a forced smile — all bystander reactions that director Aaron Schimberg incorporates into the movie. "I don't think it always comes from a bad place," he says. "Sometimes people just want to connect or feel okay. It's actually about their own experience. It's not even about you. It's like they're in that moment feeling something that's funny to them and they're trying to deal with it. They don't know how."

Marino wanted to be involved with A Different Man thanks to his love of the 1980 film The Elephant Man, loosely based on the life of Joseph Merrick, who lived with a facial disfigurement. As a 5-year-old, the movie scared Marino. But as he fell in love with the art of makeup transformations on screen, he came to see it for what it was: "a beautiful" and "touching story," he describes. "That really made an indelible mark on my life."

He would need that motivation for the obstacles that Stan's look on A Different Man prompted. "There were many technical challenges," he recalls. "It is very difficult to do makeup that thick where they have very thick areas. So I had to really balance what was too big, what was too small. I still need the movement of Sebastian to come through. I still need his own face to drive the makeup and not have it look purely like a mask. I studied Adam's photos. I really analyzed him and tried to balance how I can make it work for Sebastian."

Sebastian Stan calls out journalist who refers to his new character with disfigurement as a 'beast'

Stan has another transformative part coming out soon, the buzzed-about and already-controversial performance of young Donald Trump in The Apprentice. Because he's now promoting both that film and A Different Man simultaneously, it's been interesting for him to think about the ways in which he approached both jobs.

"I've been finding strange parallels that I never really thought about," he remarks. "There's some similar themes being explored in terms of truth, self abandonment, denial of reality to some extent. I think these last couple of roles have required a different degree of physicality. One, obviously, is specific, a real person. But I think about that, of course. You have to, because everyone walks differently and everyone carries things in their body differently. Sometimes you gain access in a different way to things by simply changing a physical aspect of yourself."

The greatest compliment he received for that kind of work on A Different Man, even more than the glowing praise he's seen from the critics, came from Pearson's mother. "After she saw the film, she was like, 'All I ever wanted was for someone to walk in his shoes for one day, to know what it's like, and you were able to do that,'" Stan remembers of their exchange. "I came close to that, I guess, in a way, to feel that kind of invasiveness that he probably felt at some point in his life, walking around."

[pharmacity-weekly]

THE PHARMACITY WEEKLY- FIRST EDITION- 9/23/2024

The first edition of the Pharmacity Weekly is here! For those of you who may not know, Pharmacity weekly is a weekly newsletter summing up the events of the project SEKAI pharmacy community. Inspired by @daily-vitamin-ena and the many other blogs that have popped up surrounding her, this paper's goal is to bring the entire pharmacity together! Thank you all for the MAJOR support this past week, I genuinely wasn't expecting so many people to enjoy this so early on, otherwise I would’ve polished things up here before going around, haha.. You can read more about the blog here! So, without further ado, here’s your FIRST PAPER!

PHARMACITY IS BOOMING-

The pharmacity is in full swing, and whilst many are on hiatus, lore is still coming left and right! Currently, we have Vitahona and their group reuniting for better or worse!! Vitasaki and the mysterious person + SakiAI, Vitaairi giving us the truth, and Vitan seems to have us going through quite the rollercoaster, with what's presumably anon passing out or dreaming constantly. I will be covering different lore every week, so please don’t be afraid to check out the lore threads to catch up! @daily-vitamin-tenma-siblings has made a community discord server! Linked here !! There's lots of silly things going on, it’s also open to both audience and pharmacity mods~

NEW PHARMACITIES-

new to the pharmacity? Pop into our asks and we’ll try to boost ya!

There’s only 2 new pharmacies as I’m aware of this week, which are- @vitalapis-daily and @daily-sekai-rin-vitamins ! Everyone welcome both Fumi and Pharmacist Adi <3 ____________________________________

LORE IN DEPTH-

Keep in mind that this bit of the newspaper will almost always have SOME guessing. The lore wouldn’t be Pharmacity lore without its ominous secrecy, after all..

Anywho. VitaAiri ( @daily-vitamin-airi ) seems to have us in quite the pickle! What were those memories, no one is quite sure yet. But, it seems anon has returned to taking their daily Vitairis consistently, for better or worse. Memories of hers seem to linger.. or are they ours?

VitAn ( @daily-vitamin-an ) seems to have anon passing out often, dreams floating them to places they really shouldn’t be.. they’d like to tell Anthea, but what exactly, the audience hasn’t decided. Their last lore post was an open ended question, maybe if anon answers a certain way in the reblogs or asks, we’ll get more info.

VitaHona ( @daily-vitamin-honami ) has dumped so much fucking lore on 22/9/24 10:48 MST that the summary would not do it justice. Mod bee will post that summary when she can because. how the fuck am i supposed to summarize lore that started FEBUARY 2023. YOU INSANE BITCH/LH

And of course, let’s not forget!

VitaSaki ( @semidaily-vitaminsaki ) whose lore arc seems to have recently began this month~! A missing Saki Tenma found in a computer, her AI an almost perfect version of her, and of course the mysterious person getting… no asks? Cmon guys, I thought we were after the mystery here! Even if the audience isn’t sure about trusting them, it’s still worth trying to ask both rather than one or the other~! Let’s go looking for some answers in those asks yall, chop chop!

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

PAPER UPDATES-

Temporary section of the newspaper~! This’ll be a quick section that lets yall know how far I am on threads like lore or theories, as well as any huge changes to the blog!

MODERATOR SITUATION-

I (mod bee) have successfully dragged an irl into the pharmacity~! She'll be helping me run the blog overall, and our oc lores may intertwine a bit~ She also runs @vitalapis-daily , so be sure to follow that if you'd like to peek into her lore!

LORE THREADS-

Mod bee got VitAiri confirmed updated, and I just need to go through and make the buttons. Thank god VitaAiri’s Pharmacist wasn’t too vague this time, otherwise my work would be cut out for me!

Next in my lore queue is:

VitaHona (drafted, unfinished though)

VitaNene (not started)

Tenmamins (not started)

VitaSaki (not started)

VitaRui (not started)

These are blogs/accounts mod bee will be at least LOOKING into lore for. Each blog will have their own doc that’ll be sent to their respective mod(s) and checked for accuracy, as well as asked if they’d like to keep reentry or sideblog posts!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

END OF PAPER! Thank you all for the support once again!!! We'll see you all on the next edition~ - Akko and Fumi!

Have questions or suggestions? Send em over in our asks!

[afeelgoodblog]

1. Girl with incurable cancer recovers after pioneering treatment

A girl’s incurable cancer has been cleared from her body after what scientists have described as the most sophisticated cell engineering to date. Alyssa, whose family do not wish to give their surname, was diagnosed with T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukaemia in May 2021.

Scientists at Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children in London gave her pre-manufactured cells edited using new technology to allow them to hunt down and destroy cancerous T-cells without attacking each other. Less than a month after being given the treatment, she was in remission, and was able to have a second bone marrow transplant.

Can I get a fuck cancer?

2. The UK has made gigabit internet a legal requirement for new homes

Updated regulations require new properties to be built with gigabit broadband connections and make it easier to install into existing blocks of flats across the UK. Connection costs will be capped at £2,000 per home, and developers must still install gigabit-ready infrastructure (including ducts, chambers, and termination points) and the fastest-available connection if they’re unable to secure a gigabit connection within the cost cap

3. US cancer death rate falls 33% since 1991

The rate of people dying from cancer in the United States has continuously declined over the past three decades, according to a new report from the American Cancer Society.

The US cancer death rate has fallen 33% since 1991, which corresponds to an estimated 3.8 million deaths averted, according to the report, published Thursday in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians. Partly due to advances in treatment, early detection and less smoking, report says

. . .

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Let’s continue with the good news…

. . .

4. Lab-grown retinal eye cells make successful connections, open door for clinical trials to treat blindness

Retinal cells grown from stem cells can reach out and connect with neighbors, according to a new study, completing a “handshake” that may show the cells are ready for trials in humans with degenerative eye disorders.

Over a decade ago, researchers from the University of Wisconsin–Madison developed a way to grow organized clusters of cells, called organoids, that resemble the retina, the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye. They coaxed human skin cells reprogrammed to act as stem cells to develop into layers of several types of retinal cells that sense light and ultimately transmit what we see to the brain.

5. The ozone layer is on track to recover in the next 40 years, the United Nations says

The Earth's ozone layer is on its way to recovering, thanks to decades of work to get rid of ozone-damaging chemicals, a panel of international experts backed by the United Nations has found.

The ozone layer serves an important function for living things on Earth. This shield in the stratosphere protects humans and the environment from harmful levels of the sun's ultraviolet radiation. In the latest report on the progress of the Montreal Protocol, the U.N.-backed panel confirmed that nearly 99% of banned ozone-depleting substances have been phased out.

6. Uganda declares an end to Ebola outbreak

The Ugandan government has declared an end to its Ebola outbreak, less than four months after cases were first reported. Since 20 September, 56 people have died from the virus, which is spread through body fluids, and there have been 142 confirmed infections.

The country has reported no new infections in more than 42 days – twice the maximum incubation period of the virus, a World Health Organization benchmark for a country to be declared Ebola-free.

7. Doggy ‘daycare’ bus in Alaska goes viral on TikTok

Check them out here:

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[spnfanficpond]

Weekly Pond Newsletter

This week is #SPNWEEK over on that bird app formerly known as Twitter! Tag us over there (same name as here) and we'll RT your tweets!

Old Business:

New Member Spotlight - The post for August is up and you can click here to meet a new friend!

Angel Fish Awards - The post (finally) went up for the August Angel Fish Awards! Click here for some awesome fic recs!

New Signup Form - We have put into place a new way to join the Pond! Instead of contacting an admin, potential new members can now simply fill out a form. The form includes our Conduct Rules, explanations of our different membership types, and some questions so we can get to know these new people better! At the end of the form are important links like an invite to our Discord server, our FAQ, and links to our sister blogs. If you or someone you know is interested in joining the Pond, click here to see the form!

Fishing For Treasures - This week the @fanficocean is celebrating SPN fics! Head on over there to a LOT of awesome SPN fics! In two weeks, we will be celebrating non-SPN fics for our FFT weekend. If you write for other fandoms and would like to participate, click here for all the details!

Last week's #TweetFicTues prompts -

New Business:

NaNoWriMo - November is National Novel Writing Month, aka NaNoWriMo. In the past year, the official NaNoWriMo organization has had some scandals, and most recently has made a startling decision regarding the use of AI. (Spoiler alert - They're all for it, possibly because one of their sponsors this year is an AI company.) Admin Michelle feels really strongly about encouraging every writer to do NaNoWriMo, even without using the official site for tracking or community purposes. We feel that the Pond has the community, so all we need is tracking capabilities and we can do this thing on our own. We are testing out some possible ways to do this, but we would LOVE your feedback! Do you want tools you can use privately for tracking, or would you like to publicly update your word count for the world to see? Would you like to see a roster of Pond writers and their word counts so you can race each other, or would seeing someone writing faster than you discourage you? Do you prefer Google Sheets for tracking, or would a message thread in a Discord channel be better? All opinions and suggestions are welcome! To keep things all in one place, please reply to this post here with your feelings!

Competitive Writing Sprints - On Thursday, Manta Ray Arthur will be hosting a session of writing sprints for prizes in our Discord server! Add words to your WIP and win fabulous prizes!

SPN Rewatch: FanFic Edition - Next weekend, we will be discussing the next two episodes in our rewatch: 3.01 The Magnificent Seven and 3.02 The Kids Are Alright. For more information on how the rewatch works, click here to view The Archive!

Manta Ray chat in the Discord server - After the Rewatch chat next weekend, and a break for lunch and a nap, Admin Michelle will be hanging around to chat with everyone! Have questions about the Pond? Want to chat about this NaNoWriMo thing? Want to do low-pressure writing sprints to force her to get stuff done? Hop into the server on Saturday and we'll do it!

Writer Hangout with Manta Ray Laili - Laili wants to try something new that we think is awesome! We have never used our voice channels in the Discord server for anything, and she'd like to change that. So, on Sunday next weekend, head into the General voice channel and have a hangout with your fellow writers! Encourage your fellow writers, talk about hangups, or chat about anything else that comes to mind. Since this is new, anything can happen, so be there to experience the first one!

(Divider by @glygriffe!)

That’s all for this week! To see all Pond events, and also other SPN-related things like conventions and online concerts, check out our Google calendar! Click here for a static view in Eastern US/Canada time (desktop only, no mobile app access, sadly), and click here to add our calendar to your own Google calendar! We try to keep it as up-to-date as possible. If there’s something you want to see on the calendar that’s not there (maybe a convention we missed, cast birthdays, or something similar), send us an ASK and let us know!

Hope you have a great week! - From your Admins and Manta Rays, @manawhaat, @mrswhozeewhatsis, @mariekoukie6661, @thoughtslikeaminefield, @heavenssexiestangel, and @spn-fanfic-reblog-writes!

[ralfmaximus]

As it turns out, the ballpoint of the ballpoint pen—a tiny metal ball bearing that “mimics the action of roll-on deodorant,” rotating freely in a small socket to dispense a smooth stream of ink—is fiendishly difficult to make, requiring super precise machinery and high-quality steel made to very specific standards.

Weirdly, there are only a few countries on earth who can produce ball point pens, and China is not one of them. At least, making the actual ball/socket part of the device.

[04mxfutbol]

Falling in or out of love? (Ashley Sanchez x Reader)

A/N: This is the fic I had in mind for a while now! I was listening to Labyrinth and the song inspired me lol. (So kind of based on my current favorite song Labyrinth.)

You walked into the hotel, holding your suitcase tightly. Walking towards the receptionist.

“I should have a reservation for Y/N Y/L/N.” You say to the receptionist. Handing her your ID.

“Y/L/N. Ah yes, room 313, your roommate has also gotten here. Rebecca Sauerbrunn.”

Score. You got a chill roommate.

“Great thank you.” You say with a smile, grabbing the key card and walking towards the elevator.

You arrive to your room, opening the door, you hear nothing but silence. You walk inside the room and you’re met with Becky laying on the bed, a book in her hands. Glasses on as she reads. A cup of coffee on the table beside her.

“Y/N so nice to see you once again. Sure feels great to be playing alongside you rather than against you.” Becky says making you laugh.

“I feel the same way about you cap.” You say nodding your head. “So roomies huh?”

“I’m just glad I got you as my roommate, I think I’d quit the team if I were to get Emily one more time.”

“You could never leave us, you love us too much to leave us alone and unprotected.”

“Correct.” Becky says nodding her head. “I know you’re a big fan of being close to the window so I took this bed here. Unpack and get ready for two weeks of pure calmness with me.”

“Oh I’m definitely looking forward to it.” You say with a smile, setting your suitcase up on your bed.

After unpacking your stuff you decided to take a short nap because who doesn’t love naps. You’re woken up by Becky who tells you it’s time for dinner. You both start to head downstairs to meet the rest of the team.

“A secret of mine is I kind of hate elevators.” You whisper to Becky.

“Why?”

“It’s a metaphor.” You say waving her off.

You grab a plate, serving yourself some food. You look around and see Christen sitting next to Alex and Rose.

“Can I join?”

“Of course, take a seat.” Christen says scooting over to make room. “How are you?”

“Fine thanks.” You say.

“Are you sure?” Alex asks you, putting her hand on your shoulder.

“Why do you ask?”

“We just want to know how you’re doing, can we not ask that?” Alex asks.

“I mean yeah I suppose.” You say furrowing your eyebrows. You look down to your food poking it around and then taking a bite. “I want my own home cooked food. This is a little too healthy for my liking.”

“We heard about the breakup.” Alex says and you look up.

“So is their a weekly newsletter about stuff like this going around or?” You say curiously. How they knew who knew. You sure didn’t know how.

“Hey guys.” Kelley says.

There’s how.

“We broke up like almost a year ago, mutually.” You say calmly.

You and Ashley broke up mutually about almost a year ago, agreeing that you both needed some space. From what? Who even knows. But something wasn’t right between the two of you which made you both realize you both needed to step back.

“But you’re doing fine?” Christen asks softly.

“Yes. I’m doing fine, sad most of the time, crying on the floor sobbing, screaming, crying. But fine.” You say with a chuckle.

“Y/N.” Christen says softly.

“I’m kidding, sorry I am kidding. I just like messing with you guys. I’m fine. I’m okay.”

A liar.

Oh how miserable you were for the first couple of weeks, the realization hitting you so deep, especially when you were alone in your apartment.

“I’m trying to get over her. Although I think I’ll be getting over her my whole life.” You whisper. “But I remember we both agreed we needed to break up so there’s that.”

“Oh Y/N.” Christen says pulling you in for a hug.

“I’m better though, every day that passes by I think I am closer and closer to getting over her.” You say with a shrug. “But I don’t know how you guys expect me to bounce back from the break up so fast.”

“We’re not Y/N. We just want to make sure you’re okay and dealing with the break up in a healthy way.”

While Christen comforted you, Ashley was just outside the room with Trinity.

“You look like an absolute mess.” Trinity tells Ashley as they walk out the elevator.

“Gee, thanks for that.” Ashley says.

“You still haven’t been getting enough sleep have you?” Trinity asks.

“No and it’s dragging me down like you have no idea. I get so tired quickly, I barely even have energy to put on nice clothes to look decent.”

“And this whole losing sleep isn’t because of the breakup?”

“Nope it’s definitely not that. We broke up like almost a year ago. Trust me it’s not that.” Ashley says opening the door.

As soon as she opens the door to the breakfast area, she spots you laughing with Rose.

“So definitely not because of Y/N. Right.” Trinity says passing Ashley and going for a plate.

“It’s not! I’m like not even bothered by it.” Ashley says following Trinity.

“Sure. You definitely have me fooled.”

“It was mutual.”

“Doesn’t mean you’re over her.”

“I am.” Ashley says making Trinity stop in her tracks, turning around to face Ashley. “Kind of?”

“Thought so.”

“I’m getting there though.” Ashley says. “Soon.”

- - - -

The following day you had practice until sunset. Your legs completely giving out at the end of it. Grabbing your bottle of water and chugging it as if your life really does depend on it, which it does.

“Hey, tomorrow we’re grabbing some food downtown. Do you want to come with us?” Abby asks you.

“Who’s we?” You ask looking at Abby.

“Sam, Rose, Lynn, Alex, Naomi and I.” She says and you think about it for two seconds. “Oh and Taylor.”

“Yeah I’ll come with.”

“Good it’ll be nice for you to get out.” Abby says patting her shoulder.

The following day you dressed yourself in some of your comfy clothes to go out with the rest of the girls. A smile on your face as a nice little lunch with your teammates would be fun.

“Are you going out?” Becky asks as she lays in her bed.

“Yeah with some girls to grab some food.” You say as you put on your hoodie, more specifically a hoodie Alyssa had given you.

“That’s good to hear, have fun Y/N.”

You walked out of your shared room, bumping into Alex.

“You ready?” Alex asks and you nod your head.

Across the hall, in the room next to Rose and Megan was Ashley with Trinity.

“Come on Ash get up, let’s go shopping.” Trinity says shaking Ashley.

“Does it look like I’m in the mood to go shopping?” Ashley says, Trinity backs away, arms up in defeat.

“Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed.” Trinity says.

“I’m tired.”

“You’ve been tired for almost the exact amount of time you and Y/N split up and you’re still denying that she isn’t the reason why you’re like this.”

“I’m getting over her trust me.”

“No I don’t think you are, you’re only telling yourself that to convince yourself but you are not. You’re not over her.”

“Slowly I am.” Ashley says.

Ashley pulls out her phone going straight to Instagram. Watching Naomi’s story. A picture of you looking at the camera, holding your cup of tea, a smile on your face.

“I’m not over her. I don’t think I ever will be. I thought I was. It feels like there’s a labyrinth in my fucking mind and I can’t seem to get out.” Ashley whispers. “I definitely thought I was slowly getting over her but-.”

“You’re falling in love with her again?” Trinity asks and Ashley looks up from her phone.

“Oh yeah.” Ashley says with a sigh. “I’m falling in love with her again.”

Ashley pulls the blanket over her head as she lets out a groan.

“I’m falling in love again.”

You returned to the hotel after an eventful and fun day with the girls. Going out for some lunch and finding an arcade where you totally beat Alex at mini golf.

You go to push the door when someone opens the door making you fall forward.

“Oh crap.” You shout as you almost fall.

Your eyes meet green eyes. Green eyes you knew so well.

Oh no. It’s happening.

“Sorry I didn’t expect someone on the other side of the door.” Ashley says and you stay quiet.

Oh no. You know this feeling all too well.

“You okay?”

“Y/N you okay?” Sam asks and you nod your head.

“Christen is up in her room right?” You ask Sam.

“Yeah why?”

“Great thanks.”

You run up to the room, obnoxiously knocking on Christen’s door.

“Christen open the door please!” You shout.

“Y/N lovely seeing you here.”

“I need to talk to you about something.”

“Sure thing what’s going on?”

“Have you ever been in love with someone and they didn’t love you back?” You ask Christen.

“Of course.” Christen says and your eyes widen.

“You have? Who wouldn’t be in love with you, with all due respect.” You say quickly.

“You.”

“Sorry excuse me?” You ask as you stumble backwards.

“I’m messing with you, sorry continue.” Christen says and you sigh in relief.

“Respectfully I love you but anyway, I think I may have fallen in love again.”

“Okay? What’s so bad about that Y/N?”

“With Ashley.”

“Oh well how does that make you feel?” Christen asks as she sits up from her bed. You walk over and sit on the edge of her bed.

“Like I’m falling in love again?” You say.

“Right but what’s going through your mind as you say it out loud.”

“I thought this plane was going down.” You say. “I don’t know how it turned around and I’m once again falling in love with her again.”

“Pardon? Plane?” Christen asks confusedly.

“Metaphors.” You say. “What do I do? You’re like an expert.”

“I wouldn’t say expert but I will say that you should take a deep breath. Breathe in, breathe through, breathe deep, breathe out. Now relax and tell me what your heart says.”

“I want to tell her I love her and I can’t see my life without her.” You say looking at Christen.

“That’s a choice yes.” Christen says nodding her head.

“It’s a bad choice isn’t it?”

“No, no. Don’t rush it. Talk to her and see where that leads you. If you ask me, I think she still loves you.” Christen says softly.

“Thanks for listening.”

“Anytime.”

You get up from her bed, giving her a hug then head back to your room.

Talk to her, easy.

You walk into your room going into the bathroom to wash your face. The light in the room was on.

“Hey Becky I have a question.” You say but get no response. “Becky?”

You pat your face dry with a towel and walk fully into the shared room. Becky isn’t there, instead it’s someone else.

“Hi.” Ashley says getting up from Becky’s bed.

“Oh hey.” You say looking at Ashley. “Becky isn’t here apparently. Weird. I’d look for her in Alyssa’s room.”

“I’m not- I’m not here to talk to Becky. I’m here because I want to talk to you.”

“Me? Oh okay. What’s going on? Is it your roommate? I won’t trade, I’ve been getting the best sleep. Ten out of ten would highly recommend having Becky as your roommate.” You say, face facing down to the floor, your thumb rubbing your pinky because of how nervous you are.

“I’m falling in love again.” Ashley blurts out breaking the silence which filled the room. You lift your head up, looking at Ashley.

“Oh.” You say, you feel your heart break, knowing she was falling in love again. With someone who wasn’t you. You looked back down, biting your lip in an attempt to not cry. “You fell out of love from me, understandable.”

“I feel so stupid but I’m falling in love again.” Ashley says looking at you, taking a few steps towards. “I’m falling in love again.. I’m falling in love with you.”

“Oh.” You say lifting your head back up.

“I haven’t been sleeping well for almost a year. I can’t think, I can’t sleep, I can’t function. Every time I come across any picture of you, I feel like I just fall in love with you over and over again and I can’t stop.”

You stand there in silence, not being able to speak but just stare.

“And I know you’re probably already moving on or already moved on and I wouldn’t blame you. but I-I I’m falling in love with you and it scares me because I don’t know how you feel. I just couldn’t stand and say nothing. I had to say some-.”

You cut Ashley off as you cup her face with you hands, kissing her deeply and softly. You pull away, your foreheads resting against the other.

“I’m falling in love with you again too.” You whisper. “I just also didn’t want to say anything. But being without you has been by far the most painful thing ever. I thought you were over me.”

“I could never be over you. You’re the best of me.” Ashley whispers against your lips. “I want you. Realizing that I was falling in love with you again scared me, I didn’t know if you still loved me.”

“I thought I was but every time I saw you those feelings came back around. I could never stop loving you Ash.”

“I can’t stop loving you and I don’t want to stop.” Ashley says cupping your face, shaking her head as she looks into your eyes.

She knew she was finally getting out of the labyrinth in her head. And you finally knew where the plane was heading, it had landed.

“I don’t want to stop loving you either. Never.”

[sunnydaleherald]

The Sunnydale Herald Newsletter, Wednesday, September 11th - Part One

Xander is walking in a deserted street and sees Angel and Faith approach. XANDER: Hey guys! Man, where you been? You gotta find Buffy. She's going to her place and stocking up on ... Angel casually smacks Xander in the jaw without breaking stride. Xander falls limply to the ground. Faith doesn't even look at him. ANGEL: That guy just bugs me. Angel and Faith continue marching down the street.

~~Enemies~~

[Drabbles & Short Fiction]

BtVS Triple Drabble: Always In Trouble by badly_knitted (Buffy, PG)

Weekly Drabbles #170 — Soothing by veronyxk84 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

Hello, Old Friend by RavenLove12 (Giles/Ethan, E)

Negotiating by TheClowniestLivInExistence (Darla/Drusilla, M)

GRAVE DISTRACTION by KNZ1 (Buffy, Xander, M)

There's a Different Feel About You Tonight by Skyson (Buffy/Giles, M)

Glimpses of the Wasteland by Harlow_Turner (MadeInGold) (Buffy/Angel/Spike, Giles/Maggie, Riley/Graham, T)

Not Without Permission by Regent_Rando_nsfw (Regent_of_RarePairs) (Giles/Spike, E)

Secrets & Apologies by Regent_of_RarePairs (Giles/Spike, T)

The Other Kind of Lust by LiraelClayr007 (Giles/Spike, M)

Retaliation by sassaffrassa (Buffy/Spike, E)

Can't hear you... by LiraelClayr007 (Giles/Spike, E)

"Yeah...." Joan sighed, blowing out smoke from a second procured cigarette and stifling a cough... by hiddenbysuccubi (Buffy/Spike, unrated)

Outline: ... btvs / ats selfinsert au by asleepmottley (Angel/Spike, unrated)

Glimpses of the Wasteland by Harlow Turner (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

What the Drabble? Vol. 2 - ch. 70 by VeroNyxK84 (Buffy/Spike, PG-13)

[Chaptered Fiction]

Foregivenss - ch. 38 by slaymesoftly (Buffy/Spike, R)

Spies, High Stakes, and Secrets - ch. 1 by Rippertish (Buffy/Giles, E)

Finding Peace pt.13: Wanting (Spike x y/n) by itsalwaysteatimeinwonderland (Spike/reader, unrated)

Soul Mate Magic - Chapter One by emma-m-black (Giles/OC, rated M)

Soul Mate Magic - Chapter Two by emma-m-black (Giles/OC, rated M)

Next To Me - ch. 2 by Lilacsandorangeblossoms (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Because the Night - ch. 8 by CheekyKitten (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Truth and Consequences - ch. 24 by JamesMFan (Buffy/Spike, R)

Forgiveness Doesn't Come Easy - ch. 38 by slaymesoftly (Buffy/Spike, R)

Mysterious Destinies - ch. 9 by EnchantedWillow (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Into his mind - ch. 3-4 by rossshin (Buffy/Spike, G)

Next to me - ch. 2 by Lilacsandorangeblossoms (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Sweet Dreams (Or A Beautiful Nightmare) - ch. 3 by goodbyetoyou (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

To All We Guard - ch. 24 by simmony (Buffy/Spike, NC-17)

Forgiveness Doesn't Come Easy - ch. 38 by Slaymesoftly (Buffy/Spike, R)

[Images, Audio & Video]

Banner: 🎨 Banner Art #21 — For ThreeWordApocalypseFest by veronyxk84 (Buffy/Spike, worksafe)

Artwork: ☀️ATS 221. Through The Looking Glass ☀️ by tmcarlee (ensemble, worksafe)

Artwork: Little piece of buffy inspired art I made (A5, acrylic and ink on card) by jaw-jar (worksafe)

Artwork: i love you liar girl by bugaboooooooooo (Faith, worksafe)

Artwork: Discord shenanigans resulted in this by isevery0nehereverystoned (Spike, worksafe)

Artwork: Red ink test. by o-cm-draw-o (Buffy/Spike, worksafe)

Artwork: Ep. 2×03 "School hard" by o-cm-draw-o (Buffy/Spike, NSFW-ish)

Artwork: Ep. 5x07 "Fool for Love" by o-cm-draw-o (Buffy/Spike, worksafe)

Fanvid: Buffy the Vampire Slayer // I Wanna Be Your Joey Ramone by Sleater-Kinney by whale-music (Buffy/Faith, worksafe)

Fanvid: [Is Anybody Here?] by buffyannegiles (Buffy, Giles, worksafe)

Moodboard: Sanctuary Mood Board Watch Here (x) by theoverlookedoneedits1997 (ensemble, worksafe)

Manip / Wallpaper: A Big Rock by revello-drive-1630 (Drusilla, Angel, Spike, worksafe)

Gifset: Buffy Meme: [5/6] Faith/Buffy "You know what the messed up thing is?... by lovebvffys (Buffy/Faith, worksafe)

Gifset: [when the words of a sister come back in whispers] by detectivedawnsummers (Buffy/Faith, worksafe)

Gifset: Tara Maclay + Outfits (Season 5) by clarkgriffon (Tara, worksafe)

Gifset: Otpsource's 4 Year Anniversary Event DAY 1 - 'SCREW DESTINY': Bangel by buffyscmmers (Buffy/Angel, worksafe)

Gifset: Behind the scenes of Once More With Feeling, the Buffy the Vampire Slayer musical episode (x) by stronglikeayellowcrayon (ensemble, worksafe)

Gifset: BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER (2x05) ʀᴇᴘᴛɪʟᴇ ʙᴏʏ by likeafantasy (ensemble, worksafe)

Gifset: 2.01 Judgment | 2.18 Dead End Angel [1999 - 2004] by dailyats (ensemble, worksafe)

Fanvid: Monster | Buffy/Faith by thequeentaylor (Buffy/Faith, worksafe)

Fanvid: Mum - Buffy, Joyce & Dawn (Buffy the Vampire Slayer) by TheOverLookedOne (Buffy, Joyce, Dawn, worksafe)

[Reviews & Recaps]

Made a list of my favorite episodes of Buffy the Vampire Slayer by the order in which they aired in their respective seasons... by coraniaid

Out of Mind, Out of Sight Fashion Part Three by theoverlookedoneeddits1997

[Recs & In Search Of]

Book rec: btw this is great and I love it... by lilithhedwig

ISO: Limitlesstoys7 seeks reading order and recs for Buffy novels

[Community Announcements]

Buffyverse Slay-o-Ween Exchange 2024 [nominations now open] by fandomcalendar

INPRNT shop link and commission info by tubesock86

[Revamped IWRY Marathon: signup now for both fanfic and art] by iwillrememberyoumarathon

Fic prompt: Buffy and Dawn, childhood memories [seeking fic fill] by buffyversekinkmeme

Submit a link to be included in the newsletter!

Join the editor team :)

[eywaseclipse]

Hey guys! When I initially found out about community’s I rolled my eyes. And figured it would be another discord-esque way of excluding others in a fandom. But since it’s new and we’re testing it all out. Would people be interested if I made one? It would be a weekly newsletter I post on. From avatar theories, updates, coffee recipes, my current hyperfixations, we can share our ocs, world building ideas and more. I would see as miscellaneous and a way to share more than just avatar. (I’m aware I could make a new side blog. But I’m asking if community’s is more desirable) please let me know.🪼💙🩵🐋🌱

[silmarillionwritersguild]

The SWG Hosts Tolkien Fanworks

Fandom creators may be looking for alternative and additional archives, in light of the multiple critiques currently being made of the OTW and AO3.

This is not intended as commentary on the many issues raised about the OTW and AO3 in recent weeks, although an unofficial position of our organization (as a small archive) has always been that it is ideal to archive your fanworks across multiple sites, and multiple options for archiving should exist. Rather, this post will provide information about who we are and the fanworks we accept so that Tolkien fanworks creators can decide if our archive is a viable option for them.

What is the SWG?

The Silmarillion Writers' Guild was founded in 2005 by @dawnfelagund, and our archive opened in 2007. Our mission is to provide an online archive and community for anyone interested in The Silmarillion that values civility and openness in discussing and making fanworks about Tolkien's legendarium. You can read the SWG's complete mission here.

We currently archive just over 5,000 fanworks by 414 creators. In addition, we offer monthly creative challenges, publish a weekly newsletter that features research by our members, maintain a reference library and beta-reader directory, compile a listing of Tolkien fandom events, and host events such as live readings, fanfiction book clubs, and collaborative creative sessions on our Discord.

What fanworks does the SWG accept?

The SWG is an archive for Silmarillion-based fanworks. We try to define the term "Silmarillion-based" as broadly and inclusively as possible so that we can welcome as many fanworks on our site as possible while maintaining our purpose as a Silmarillion group. Significant use of a source, character or character group, location, or time period featured in The Silmarillion, as long as it is not also covered in detail in The Hobbit or The Lord of the Rings, qualifies a work for our site. Our detailed FAQ on how we define "Silmworks" can be found here.

We accept crossover, alternate universe (AU), and multi-age fanworks, as long as a significant component meets the "Silm fanwork" definition above.

Non-Silmarillion Tolkien Fanworks. We recently added a section to our site called Beyond the Silmarillion, which accepts all fanworks based on Tolkien's writings or Tolkien-based adaptations (films, shows, games, etc.) SWG members become eligible to post in this section once they have archived five fanworks or 10,000 words with us, whichever comes first.

Types of Fanwork We Archive. The SWG currently accepts the following types of fanwork: writing (fiction, nonfiction, plays/screenplays, and poetry), artwork, audio, video, link collections, playlists, series, and multimedia fanworks that include two or more of the formats above. If you need to archive a fanwork that doesn't match any of the above, the site moderators will help you archive your work with us, if it's possible to do so. With the exception of video, we host all fanworks on our server. (Videos must be posted to a video hosting site.)

Ratings and Adult Content. We accept all ratings of fanwork. The only adult-rated fanworks we cannot accept are images or videos that include "graphic depictions of sexual activity, sexualized nudity, and any representation of an underage character in a sexual situation" because these fanworks violate the Terms of Service of our webhost.

AI-Generated Fanworks. We do not accept fanworks entirely or partially produced through prompting an AI generator. Our AI policy can be found here.

What are the conduct expectations for SWG members?

Simply put, the SWG "is a positive-focused, open-minded space." We require civility in all interactions conducted on our archive and affiliated social sites. The SWG is a moderated site and community, so we do hold our members to our expectations. You can read our complete Site Etiquette and Terms of Service here.

How is the SWG governed?

The SWG was founded and is currently run by Dawn Felagund, assisted by a team of moderators. Active moderators are Russandol, Grundy, Lyra, Saelind, and Janeways; they make the ultimate decisions concerning the archive. Other volunteers aid other tasks needed to run the site and community and may contribute to decision-making as well.

The SWG is not a democracy in that we do not hold formal elections and there are certain aspects of our mission that we are unwilling to change, even under majority preference. However, we consider member feedback as part of our decision-making process whenever possible—especially with regard to decisions on controversial or impactful issues—and some of the policies and features we've implemented over the years have come about by member request.

Members who need assistance, have a concern, or wish to make a suggestion can contact the moderators directly or use the #town-hall channel in the SWG's Discord.

We aim (and are generally able) to reply to all communications from members within twenty-four hours.

Because we are a small organization with relatively few decision makers, we can generally implement change relatively quickly. Our recent AI policy offers a good example of how governance in our group works. The issue of AI-generated fanworks was raised in a discussion among the site and Discord moderators on May 5. In this discussion, the moderators shared information and came to a consensus on how they wanted AI-generated fanworks handled on the SWG. Dawn drafted an AI policy, which was put before the other moderators for feedback on May 9. By May 13, the site admins had researched and implemented a block on AI scraper bots using all known strategies. Also on May 13, the AI policy was opened for public comment through May 26, during which time members and other interested parties shared suggestions via email with the moderators and in discussion in the #town-hall channel on Discord. During this time, the draft policy was revised twice using those suggestions. On May 28, the finalized policy was announced on the SWG's site and social networks, and relevant documents on the site were updated to reflect and link to the new policy.

How does the SWG handle racism and other attacks on groups that have been historically marginalized in fandom and beyond?

As stated in our Site Etiquette, as an organization, we recognize that fandom and the Tolkien fandom specifically has historically been and continues to be hostile to and dismissive of fans from marginalized groups, including fans who are Black, indigenous, and people of color (BIPOC); women; LGBTQIA+; and fans with disabilities. We believe strongly that, as a fandom organization that has benefited from the status quo, we must also be part of the solution to ensure that these inequities do not persist.

Specific solutions we have implemented on our group include:

Our Site Etiquette and Terms of Service strictly forbids "[a]ttacks on other members based on personal characteristics (such as race, color, religion, ethnicity, nationality, age, sexuality, gender identity or expression, disability, or medical condition)" and states that "[a]busive or derogatory behavior will not be tolerated at any time or in any part of the SWG. We do not welcome or allow any content in our group that is designed to be hurtful or insulting." While we generally observe a three-strike policy for rule violations, "[i]f moderators feel that someone is acting deliberately to harm SWG and/or its members … we reserve the right to suspend that person's account without prior warning." Our hope with this policy is to allow members who mess up the opportunity to improve while also having the ability to remove bad actors immediately.

We currently require fanworks on our site to be correctly labeled with warnings, including fanworks that include "in-universe intolerance," such as racism, homophobia, and misogyny. Creators have the option of labeling a fanwork as "Choose Not to Warn" if they do not want to label their fanwork. Our ratings and warnings policy is here.

We maintain an inclusivity focus group that we consult on policies and issues related to inclusivity or that may have a disproportionate impact on some groups of fans. Any SWG member who is part of a group historically marginalized in fandom is welcome to join this focus group and participate when and how they feel comfortable. Any member can request the input of the inclusivity focus group on a moderator decision.

If I want to archive my work with you, what is the best way to do this?

First, review the Site Etiquette and Terms of Service, and if you believe our group is a good fit for you and your work, register for an SWG account.

A moderator will approve your account before you can begin posting or commenting on the site. We aim to approve new accounts within twenty-four hours of registration; typically, it takes much less time than that to be approved.

Once you are approved, you can begin posting your fanworks! We do ask that new members who are archiving many older works with us to backdate these fanworks and exclude them from the Most Recent list to allow creators posting new work to have that spotlight.

Questions on how to use the site, SWG policies, or how best to archive past works with us are welcome via the site's contact form, by emailing the moderators at moderator@silmarillionwritersguild.org, or reaching out to the mods via any of the SWG's social media.

[savethegrishaverse]

We are always looking for more people to help us out with our efforts! Do you use Reddit regularly? Consider helping out our Reddut team! If you want to help write short weekly updates, pick fan-made content to feature, and start book and show discussions, consider joining our Newsletter team! We always need help making alt text or copywright work for our graphics and posts, and if you'd like to help in that area we'd be more than grateful! Join our team today! Fill out the form here:

[theotherstephencobert]

Personal Inventory - What the hell happened over the last 7 years?

I have been contemplating it ever since I first became aware it was going on, and I am going to share a few insights into what I think happened. I am not sure even now that I completely understand why it happened, but maybe my putting it down into my Tumblr blog will allow me to see it in perspective.

What I'm talking about is this: I started a health, fitness and weight loss journey back in the summer of 2013. No formal diet, just get in some good exercise and eat healthy foods, lay off the fast food and carbonated drinks, make it a lifestyle change instead of a diet or a quick fix. For four years it worked: I went from a weight of 290 (almost certainly more than that before I started weighing myself weekly) to weight in the neighborhood of 215-225 lbs. I got fit enough to take bicycle trips to small towns 20-25 miles distant. In the scheme of things I added running to my journey and completed a number of sanctioned 10K's. 2017 started out as a banner year for my continued progress. And the, midway through the year, it turned downhill. My weight went up into the 220's then the 230's and then the 240's in the space of just four months. I still rode my bike and ran regularly, but all the progress I'd made with my weight loss just kept reversing itself. I found myself giving the whine of so many people in weight loss programs, "But I'm doing the same thing I've been doing for months [in my case,years], how come all of a sudden it's not working anymore???"

I had been through so much in those four years. I was enrolled in my local YMCA in 2014, and when I reported that I'd lost 45 lbs in the course of the year they did a blurb about me for their online newsletter, "Another Y Success Story". In the summer of 2015 I rode my bike to the small town of Clearwater, KS, some 17 miles from Wichita (a feat that my granddaughter Savannah was quite proud to tell her friends about). Just before Christmas of 2015 a car ran into my left leg in the Walmart parking lot; I had to take time off to heal but then got right back into the journey. Three months later a lowlife jerk ran over my left leg while getting away after robbing me of my change purse (with all of $6 in it). Again, some time to heal and then I was back in the swing of things. I rode my bikes hard and long, and rode them until they fell apart or were trashed. My response was to go buy another bike and get right back onto the road.

So what could have happened in mid 2017 that would make me lose all that progress and then eventaully put the whole journey on hiatus?

I am pretty sure this is at least part of it.

On June 2, 2017, near the end of a bike ride, my mother called me to tell me my father had died. This was the day before I had planned to run the 10K River Run, an official part of the Wichita River Festival, and (ironically) the day before what would have been Mom and Dad's 65th wedding anniversary. Dad had been in failing health, so the fact that he would die soon should not have been a surprise, but the news was still a shock to me. I told the desk clerk on duty at the hotel I manage; she was pretty good friends with my son Travis and called to tell him, and he suggested to his son Jordon that maybe Grandpa needed someone to be with tonight. So that evening Jordon joined me at the hotel and we were together that night and in the morning.

I have detailed the 2017 River Run on this blog and also on my Facebook page, and I will come clean about something here that I did not say on either site: I was wracked with guilt over the whole thing. I wrote about how Dad was very much a family man (which he was) and how I was honoring his memory by taking part in the River Run and River Festival with my grandson. The truth was, I was trying to cover up my feelings of, "My Dad is dead and my Mom just lost her husband of 65 years and I'm galavanting through downtown Wichita with my grandson playing Soccer Ball Billiards and chowing down on overpriced pizza and lemonade." I had been a notorious no-show at family get-togethers and holidays; part of that was I was so busy at the hotel that I didn't take time off for anything, but another part was Wichita is pretty near 1000 miles away from Knoxville by the preferred roads of travel and I was too broke (or too cheap) to afford the air fare or even the bus fare.

The next weekend I went to Knoxville to join my brother David and his two adult sons to visit Mom; it was the first time any of them had seen me in person since my sister Carol's wedding in 1993, and in fact David's sons were 2 and 4 years old then. A running gag was that every hour or so my phone would ring, I would look at the caller ID and roll my eyes and everyone else would laugh. The people at the hotel were blowing up my phne because it was the first time in over a decade I wasn't there to put out the fires and answer questions: "Steve, where do we keep the light bulbs for those new lamps James bought?" "Steve, this guy has a reservation for two nights but he only wants to stay one night. What do I do?" (The laughs were a lot quieter when I got a call from an irate guest at 1:30 in the morning.)

I discussed my feelings of guilt with my sister Carol later on. She confessed that, the weekend I got together with Mom she was scheduled to take her recent high school graduate daughter Rachel to Colorado to apply at the Air Force Academy (not the sort of thing you can bail on or reschedule) and she was wracked with guilt that she didn't join us to visit Mom in her time of mourning.

Anyway… In 2006 I responded to my 27-year-old daughter's death by throwing myself into my work. I was salaried then and so I worked ridiculous long hours, at least once working over 1/2 the total hours in the two-week work cycle. I was running on fumes and fighting off exhaustion. So in 2017, in response to my father's death, I made the (I see now) stupid decision to just go on with my life like nothing had happened… "life goes on" and all that.

I made the mistake of not dealing with my father's death. The problem was, I had no idea how the hell to deal with his death. What was I to do? Sit down and talk with a friend or counselor about my feelings, maybe regularly over time? Go to a rock quarry with a sledgehammer and smash a lot of rocks? I suspect (it didin't seem this way at the time but I am very good at deceiving myself) that I self-medicated with food a lot more than I realized. Remember that "whine" I mentioned at the end of the second paragraph of this post? Truth was I was slipping back into my old habits of eating at fast food places and hydrating with fizz.

My father's death was just the start: Two years later my mother died, almost two years to the day of Dad's passing. I got the call from Carol the morning of July 1 as I was preparing to run the 2019 River Run 10K.) Of course 2020 was the year that damn COVID-19 shut down the world. Then in October of 2021 my ex-wife Teresa (with whom I'd been on good terms since our divorce) died of COVID. And then in February of 2022 my son Travis joined his sister and mother in death. I'd like to say he died of liver failure, but the plain truth is he died of too much whiskey. (As his mom's next of kin he had to tell the hospital not to resuscitate Teresa, and even though that was what his mother had told him her wishes were, he was despondent with guilt over it and medicated with alcohol.)

I was still exercising with the bicycle, but in the time after Mom's passing my weight climbed into the 250's and then into the 260's to 270's where they stayed for a couple of years. Then in mid 2022 my weight went over 280, was consistently there until the start of September when I for some reasom lost interest in recording my weight anymore.

It's been a year and a half since then. My bicycle had two flat tires and a rusted out drive train. My finances (or maybe I should say my priorities) wouldm't allow me to get another bike until just recently. My weight is now in the mid 260's… maybe I did something right between the Fall of 2022 and now.

But I still have to ask: Was the death of my father, and the deaths of other family members, the real reason my health and fitness journey was sidetracked? And if it was, have I REALLY dealt with it? Or like a chiming electric clock that no one replaces the batteries to, has the issue just grown fainter and fainter with time 'til it's at the point I just don't notice it now?

To anyone who took the time to read all of this: I welcome any insights or advice into what might really be going on here and how I might effectively deal with it.

[bzedan]

September stuff

No I have not made any progress on Short Story September, which makes like the third year in a row for me. But I have done other stuff!

Finished the doll mod of Ianthe (tumblr post)

Made my own take on a retro celestial pattern (Spoonflower)

Working on the next newsletter (Buttondown archive)

The Audacity Gambit continues updating weekly (info & archive)

Printed out a bunch of my snaps and put them in my albums (Flickr)

Oh and the first week of the month was in the triple-digits heat-wise and we don't live in a way that can do more than slightly mitigate that, so I think the first week of this September also just doesn't quite count. I am slowly swapping to a new laptop, where I'll be able to access video editing again (yay!) so some of my to-dos for this year can finally get done. Thank you as always for your support!

[usernoneexistent]

8th March 1897. The bi-weekly newsletter bringing you the latest news and gossip at Hogwarts for witchcraft and wizardry written by Winona Rosewood - this is the entry for this month's @hp-12monthsofmagic challenge

CELEBRATING WITCH MONTH

This month of March we want to unofficially celebrate the wonderful and wickedly talented witches found within our own school of witchcraft and wizardry, so wizards take a step back while today I will dedicate this week's newsletter to several ladies that I believe deserve the utmost attention. Unfortunately, the small amount I can write is only a small part as they are complex and people should take the time to get to know them.

AN ENTREPRENEUR IN HER OWN RIGHT

This may be my bias as Victoria Summer @whatwouldvalerydo, my dearest and darling friend to place her first but it would be outrageous if I didn't. This sweet and fair Gryffindor has a business mind screw on top. Her perfumes are to die for and I have never smelled so heavenly. I could dedicate a while page to her but I must share it with others.

BRINGING THE FIRE TO HOWARTS

Ema McGiliguddy @kc-and-co entered Hogwarts with fire and style. Literally. This adventerous Slytherin has all eyes on her and certainly the Newspapers have been lying as she is far from the frail girl they make her out to be. I do watch her in anticipation for what may be next on her path of adventure.

A WITCH OF HER OWN MAKING

What goes on behind this inquisitive Ravenclaw's mind is anyone's best guess but Persephone Gould @cursebreakerfarrier is certainly multi talented. A prefect I would love to have and daring in her choice of past time endevours like fencing to name but one.

MORE THAN JUST A STYLE ICON

Despite my past article about her, Carolyn Nyberg @lifeofkaze I do find she certain qualities to be admired. While her beauty is so great that she makes the beautification potion envy there, she is so much more with mind enviable too.

THE ALCHEMIST'S GOLD

Though brief our interaction may be through Delilah Sweets, Violette Durand @cursed-herbalist it was made clear to me that she is going to go far. In spite of her agreeable nature, there is an ambition to create more paths for women in alchemy.

A NEW AND GORGEOUS LIONESS

Io Gordon @drinkyoursoupbitch, Head Girl and the latest addition to our wild Gryffindor brood. She is certainly welcomed with open arms, at the very least from me.

AN ASTRONOMICAL MIND

Now while I don’t have much to do with Héloïse Perrault @the-al-chemist, I heard much about her. This French witch is proving herself of wit and intellect certianly befitting of a Ravenclaw. Her starry mind will certainly bedazzle everyone at Hogwarts.

A SOPHISTICATED POTIONEER

Lastly, I present Adelia Selwyn @thatravenpuffwitch whom I have to admit that I deeply admire her skillful hands as all I can watch with awe and wonder how she can brew potions so perfectly.

[spnfanficpond]

Weekly Pond Newsletter

We are staving off the post-holiday blues with lots of activity here at the Pond! The biggest thing coming up this week, though, is Dean Winchester's birthday! The second biggest is National Pie Day the day before. We think Dean would approve of us celebrating both this week.

Old Business:

Fishing For Treasures - This weekend is FFT weekend here at the Pond, and we're boosting our most underappreciated fics. Keep an eye on the blog this weekend to find rarepairs, gen fics, and other gems that previously were overlooked!

SPNFanFicPond Fic Highlight - This week, we highlighted a Dean x reader and Sam x Reader fluffy fic by our own Admin Marie! Click here to check it out!

2023 Secret Santa - The masterpost of fics is up! Click here to check it out. (If you have not received a fic from your Secret Santa, please contact Admin Michelle for a gift from the Pond!)

#TweetFicTues prompts -

New Business:

Giveaways in the Discord server - This weekend, we have TWO giveaways happening in the Discord server! In the #fic-recs channel, we're looking for Viking AU's or crossovers with the TV show Vikings to win a Viking Tarot set and "Odin's Compass" pendant from Stands. In the #self-promo channel, we're looking for comments you've received on your fics that made you smile to win a Scribbler desktop calendar. (If the comment was on Tumblr, drop us a link to the reblog with the comment. If the comment was on AO3, give us a link to the fic and a screenshot of the comment.) Photos of the prizes are in the relevant channels. If you are not on Discord, please contact @mrswhozeewhatsis! The deadline for submissions is 5pm EST today!

Prize list updated - The Pond Prize Pool list has been updated with a TON of new prizes! Click here to check it out. You can win prizes a lot of different ways! Every Angel Fish Award nomination you submit is an entry into the monthly raffle. Participants in competitive writing sprints win lots of prizes, too. We're always coming up with more ways to give you stuff, so keep an eye out for more chances to win!

Competitive Writing Sprints - It's been a while since we've had these! On Friday, Manta Ray Arthur (@heavenssexiestangel) will be hosting a session in the Discord server. Add words to your WIP and win prizes!! Watch for announcement posts with the exact time!

SPN Rewatch: Fanfic Edition - Next weekend will be another chat about the next two episodes, 1.15 The Benders, and 1.16 Shadow. Admin Michelle has the episode docs up to date, but the theme docs are still a bit behind. Hopefully, that will be done this week before the chat!

New Member Spotlight - The post should go up in the next day or so. Stay tuned to meet our newest members and hopefully make a new friend!

(Divider by @glygriffe!)

That's all for this week! To see all Pond events, and also other SPN-related things like conventions and online concerts, check out our Google calendar! Click here for a static view in Eastern US/Canada time (desktop only, no mobile app access, sadly), and click here to add our calendar to your own Google calendar! We try to keep it as up-to-date as possible. If there's something you want to see on the calendar that's not there (maybe a convention we missed, cast birthdays, or something similar), send us an ASK and let us know!

Hope you have a great week! - From your Admins and Manta Rays, @manawhaat, @mrswhozeewhatsis, @mariekoukie6661, @thoughtslikeaminefield, @spencereliotwinchester and @heavenssexiestangel!