hello hello! I really like your writing! can I request a Mal x autistic reader but all good if not. Have a nice day/night!
☣︎ omg yes I wanted to write sth similar but I felt like it'd be too self-serving lmao
I hope you don't mind I added Mike in there as well
[𝙰𝚄𝚃𝙸𝚂𝚃𝙸𝙲 𝚂/𝙾]
Summary: Mal pretends to be Mike but Reader picks up on it. After the reveal, Reader has to spent a cold night out with Mal as a challenge + dating headcanons.
☢︎ | Total Drama | 6k words | gender-neutral reader
♡ | Mal | Mike
⚠ | Mal being an ass, reader having a meltdown
[𝙼𝚒𝚔𝚎]
Ever since you joined the Total Drama show, you knew you had to get an ally if you were to win.
Your social skills weren't the best, but you had your good problem solving skills to make up for that. At least you hoped so.
You were a little anxious while interacting with other contestants, hoping they wouldn't notice your a bit different approach to conversations.
But there was one boy who didn't seem to mind your awkwardness. On the contrary, he was a bit awkward as well, which filled you with adoration.
Mike was always so kind and respectful you never felt anxious around him, even with your quirky way of speaking.
Or the fact that you avoided eye contact while you spoke.
And when you cringed at yourself whenever you tripped on the flat ground, he didn't think of you any less, he was just worried whether you hurt yourself or not.
You could say you caught a small crush on Mike because of how comfortable you felt with him, but you knew he was interested in Zoey.
Although you were unsure about some small gestures received from him. "Was he just nice or is it his interest?" played in your head, although your mind told you to assume the worst and not hype yourself up.
That didn't stop you from simping from afar though.
What you loved the most about Mike was his willingness to listen to you ramble about your special interest.
You were really worried about being annoying around other people, knowing you might get a bit too excited the stuff you like and it'd be "inappropriate".
But Mike seemed to be into it, asking follow up questions and overall being engaged with you talking.
Your trust towards Mike was put to a test once you got a bit too overwhelmed in the middle of a challenge.
This particular day you seemed to have extra clumsy coordination which pissed you off a little, as it was important for you to win this time, given how strict the criteria for losing were this time.
"God, I have enough-" You desperately and a bit irritated announced while trying to tie a knot.
The challenge Chris McLean decided to do today was a scout obstacle course. Each person had to partner up with someone and do some scout activities, which included tying knots into various shapes shown on the picture.
The rope fell out of your hands for the 5th time while you were almost done with it and it made you forcibly exhale in irritation.
Mike had just finished his part of the activity and he noticed you had some troubles.
"Um, what is it?" He asked carefully, looking at your closed off body language.
"My hands don't listen to me and I can't tie these damn knots-" You tried not to make a scene, hating how much a simple, stupid task made you upset.
Your breathing got slightly heavier as you tried to suppress your rising emotions. You knew you had the right to express it, but not now. Not in front of Mike.
You took a step back from the ropes laying on the ground helplessly and given up, wanting to get some space from the irritating item.
Mike had noticed your change of attitude and immediately sensed you were losing it a bit.
"Hey, it's fine- I'll do your part." He suggested quickly, hoping to give some reassurance. "I-it's just ropes, right? We can still win!"
You felt a bit silly but you had no power to complete the task. You meekly nodded.
You stood there, just looking at his hard work until he finished.
"Okay, let's go!" Mike announced as he was done with your both parts.
At the end of the day, you and Mike managed to avoid elimination and after the challenge ended, you had some alone time to yourself.
Once you had a chance to be alone for a second, you quickly escaped the large crowd of people, wanting to get some space after such tiring situation.
You were chilling on a bench until you noticed a familiar face appearing on your radar.
Mike had managed to find you.
You quickly changed your way of cross legged sitting on a bench due to fear of being perceived as weird, even though you knew Mike probably wouldn't bat an eye on that.
You politely smiled as he approached you.
"Hey, there you are-" Mike reciprocated your smile a bit nervously.
"I hope I'm not disturbing you, but I noticed you kind of- disappeared from the rest earlier, did something happen? Are you alright?" He asked with worry on his face which made you soften your expression. Did he really care about your wellbeing so much he came after you?
"No, no, you're not disturbing-" You said, halfly honest. You wanted some time alone for yourself, but you couldn't say you didn't appreciate him coming here.
He came up to the bench you were sitting on and sat beside you, keeping a respectful distance.
You didn't even notice when you started slightly bouncing your leg as you spoke.
To a keen eye (or even not so) it was clear that even though your face was calm, you had some bottled stress inside.
Mike was mindful enough to notice it, so he proceeded carefully.
"So- you're fine, just wanted to- chill out alone for a second?" Mike gently asked, looking at your face, even though your eyes avoided his.
"Yeah. You know, people overwhelm me a bit sometimes-" You admitted a bit bluntly.
"Oh, yeah, it's fine, I get what you mean-" He assured you with a smile. But then his smile faltered a little in worry.
"Wait, since you wanted to be alone, aren't I a bother?" He asked again, ready to stop bugging you in case it wasn't welcomed.
You softly smiled at his politeness.
"No, I said you're not a bother. I don't mind you being here, and- I like that you came here, actually." You admitted with a bit awkward and coy smile. You weren't used to speaking your mind freely like that, in case something came out wrong, but you concluded your response was acceptable.
Mike grinned bashfully as he remembered your previous words.
"Right, right, sorry heh." He scratched his neck as he showed a toothy grin.
"So..." He started after a few seconds.
"Tell me if I'm crossing any boundaries here, but I felt like there was some shift from you since that, um, knot situation." He carefully said. "...Are you- mad at me? Did I do something?"
You cringed internally at yourself.
"Oh, eh- no-" You quickly chimed in. "No, I'm sorry if I came off that way-"
"I just got a bit overwhelmed because I'm so clumsy- But I'm alright now." You assured him with a half smile while your leg continued to bounce. Until you noticed the movement and promptly stopped.
Mike had noticed all of your quirks but never commented on them.
"Hey, it's alright- I didn't mind helping you." He gave you a warm and a calm smile.
You waited a bit before thinking about saying something.
"I- I dunno if you know what a 'meltdown' is...?" You carefully started. You never explicitly stated you're autistic, nor you wanted people to treat you like a child whenever they found out, but you trusted Mike wouldn't do that.
Mike blinked once before tilting his head slightly.
"A meltdown... Uh..." He looked at the ground, trying to think about it.
You explained before he could say anything else, saving him from an awkward silence.
"It's an autism thing, I just kinda shut off for a moment there. I know it's not really useful in a competition." You bluntly admitted, waiting for his reaction.
Mike then seemed to get the idea "Oh, right! Yeah, yeah I know what is it." He nodded to emphasize.
"You- You don't have to worry about that! I know how it is to get overwhelmed sometimes-" He chuckled nervously.
"Just so you know, it doesn't change anything." He showed yet another reassuring smile which made the corners of your lips move up as well. "I'll help you whenever you need it!"
"...Thanks." You hoped the shine in your bashful eyes didn't expose your feelings too much.
["𝙼𝚒𝚔𝚎"]
After several days on the island, you noticed something changed. Mike seemed off to you.
Others didn't seem to notice, but your eyes caught some discrepancies in the way Mike acted.
His whole demeanor changed in an uncanny way.
You were used to being very chatty around him due to his always reciprocative stance, but recently Mike started to seem annoyed.
Worries flared up immediately once you noticed he might get bored of your ramblings, so you decided to ask him about it.
"Hey, uh, Mike? Can I ask you a question?" You tried to casually introduce the topic.
"Hm? Yeah, sure. Go on." He answered with fake investment in his voice, smiling.
"Am I talking too much? You can tell me to stop if you got bored or something-" You awkwardly informed him, hoping you weren't a bother after all, waiting for the confirmation.
He stopped for a moment, showing an unsure but cheery smile.
"Oh, no, no- Of course I love listening to you- But I'm just a bit tired today, so maybe you could tone it down a little today?" He tried to be as gentle as ever while shutting you up.
He wasn't very disrespectful but it kind of hurt you. Even though you knew he had the full right to politely ask you to stop, you thought he enjoyed the discussions with you.
You tried once again a few times, but all you were met with was subtly seeping annoyance from his responses.
"Oh my, that's interesting- But tell me, do you have anything else to talk about?" He asked while smiling and pretending to be invested.
"Uh- yeah. If you want I can-"
"Cool. Then talk about something else." He abruptly cut you off.
So with time you slowly shut up with the ramblings, which Mike seemed to be happy about.
You couldn't believe he just changed like that, as if it wasn't him. But you also felt like you had any right to force him into listening to you.
The changes in his behavior didn't stop at that, as you also noticed some remarks coming his way, which you had trouble deciding whether it was sarcasm or not.
He also seemed to get a bit more demanding, not being as keen to help you with things now.
You didn't take Mike's kindness for granted of course, but you knew something changed.
You had a bad feeling.
Your logical thinking made you come up with theories on what happened.
You knew about Mike's D.I.D. and wondered if it was maybe someone else. But you also knew Mike's alters well enough to know it wasn't any of the ones you were acquainted with.
Only thing that stopped you from outright asking him about it was your common decency. It would be rude to just assume.
So you decided to test something.
You once again started your favorite topic, one that Mike had a lot of questions and discussion about while he still acted like himself.
"Hey, Mike, I recently thought about that one tv show we talked about recently and I forgot to tell you some trivia. Wanna listen to the facts about [character] or [character2]?" You asked with halfly casual tone, wanting to check his reaction. You mentioned Mike's favorite action movie, so you believed he would reply with some enthusiast about it.
"Wow- um- Yeah, [character2] sounds good." He responded with pretended interest but you caught some annoyance from him, "per usual".
"...I thought you didn't like [character2]?" You asked a tricky question. The character in question was his favorite one. At least Mike's favorite. You purposefully asked an untrue question.
"Eh- I mean- Hate-listening is a thing, right?" He tried to get out of the hole he fell in due to not listening previously to you. His attempts at trying to be casual were obvious to you now.
You stopped for a moment to look him briefly in the eyes.
"Actually, you mentioned [character2] being your favorite." You tilted your head and raised your brow a bit accusatory.
He looked to the side, as if caught in a lie, but still tried to save face.
"Well tastes change, don't they?" He crossed his arms in a bit of annoyance because of you poking holes in his story.
"That's really rude of you." He furrowed his brows in slight irritation as his patience was running out.
That was it, you knew Mike wouldnt' just tell you that! Or, at least you hoped you were right about it.
You took a leap of faith as you also crossed your arms in a defensive state, staring at him.
"You're not Mike are you?" You asked bluntly.
He got a bit surprised at your boldness.
"What?" He chuckled a bit patronizingly, as if you said something stupid. "Of course I'm Mike. Why do you say that?"
"Well- I didn't wanna assume, but looking at your behavior recently I noticed you got a lot less enthusiastic about spending time with me. So obviously something's up." You concluded, still sticking to your belief. You hoped you weren't wrong.
"God you have to overthink everything, do you?" His tone changed to a slightly deeper one.
You noticed him gracefully swish his hair in a way which made his bangs cover his eye.
"Are you usually this annoying? How did Mike even managed to deal with you?" He expressed his thoughts freely now while you were under his judging eye.
Your eyes widened a little - you were right, it wasn't Mike.
"Wow, okay- Who are you then?" You asked now without any restriction.
"I'm Mal." He responded with arrogance.
"And if you tell anyone I'm not that nerdy freak, you're done." He added with an undertone of threat.
"Hey, what's with that hostility?" You tilted your head and asked a bit bluntly but still remaining polite.
"I am simply direct. I don't have the time or patience to deal with any of your foolish questions." Mal's cold and serious persona was quite intimidating, but you managed to stay calm.
"Okay- I'm direct too, but I don't have to threat you while at it." You pointed out calmly.
"I'm not threatening you. I'm simply telling you what will happen if you reveal my true self to anyone else." Mal's words echoed a threat without any hesitation.
You sighed, sensing some mixed messages from him. "Alright- Uh, so- Why don't you want me to tell others you're not Mike?"
"It's not your business." Mal's face displayed no change in expression, still remaining as firm and strict as ever.
You waited a bit before shrugging. "...Fair enough."
Mal stared at you, showing no reaction whatsoever. "Anything else?"
"Uh- Since you're obviously not Mike, why don't we start again?" You tried to make something out of this unusual situation.
Mal raised his brow skeptically, trying to sense your intentions with that question.
"And what do you mean by that?" Mal's demeanor stayed unchanged, keeping a sharp and indifferent look on his face.
"Like- I know nothing about you, but- I'm opened to still hold an alliance, you know?" You shrugged, hoping he'll agree.
"I'm not looking for any kind of alliance with you." Mal's words sounded harsh and blunt. He never cared for any relationships, especially with people he doesn't even know.
"Okay, harsh." You bluntly put it, a bit awkward he wasn't keen on it. "But- uh, why not?"
"Because there will never be any mutual benefits here." Mal's statement was short and concise, showing no further interest in their current conversation.
"Uh- How so?" You continued.
"You have nothing worthwhile to offer me. No one else has anything worthwhile to offer me either. It's why I'm alone." Mal's words sounded as cold and harsh as ever, as if you weren't even there.
"…Isn't it a bit lonely?" You didn't wanna push the matter further, but without Mike or anyone else in an alliance, you felt lonely yourself. That's why you tried to save the situation you had before.
Mal stayed silent for a bit. "Lonely? Yes. Do I care? No." Mal's face showed no visible change of expression, staying as cold as ever.
"It doesn't matter to me if I'm alone. I can survive on my own, I don't need any friends. I never have and never will."
Your face showed a bit of concern as well as mixed emotions.
It was hard to get to him, but you still had some hopes.
"Well- I'm not saying you need them, but- since I already know you're not Mike, why can't we be at least on a positive terms?" You tried your best to seem an appealing friend.
Mal stayed silent for a bit, considering your words. He remained indifferent and unamused, but your words at least reached his ears.
"You don't even know me, yet you want to be on positive terms with me… Are you that desperate?" He looked at you patronizingly amused.
"I'm trying to be nice here." You bluntly said, a bit discouraged by his unwillingness to cooperate.
"Nice, you say? Do you even know what 'nice' means? To my knowledge, 'nice' is something you do to manipulate people and get their trust. I'm not interested in those kinds of games." Mal's words were cold and sharp, as if challenging you to answer him.
You stood there a bit dumbfounded at his definition of "nice". "No- And I'm sorry you had this experience if that's what you think it means. But I hold no malice towards you, really."
"Well you're either lying, or you're just a fool. I haven't decided yet." Mal didn't make an effort to hold back his words, just letting them slip with his usual bluntness.
You rolled your eyes slightly, but you were determined to change his mind. "Look, I know you have no reason to trust me, like me, or even believe me, but- let's say it makes us even then? We get to be in an alliance, and I don't tell your secret?" You didn't like blackmail, but you had to save yourself somehow.
"…Let's say your offer interests me… What would be your goal of this alliance?" Mal's demeanor changed slightly, becoming noticeably more analytical and entertaining the possibility at least slightly.
"Well- First off, a buddy is always nice to have on the competition, second reason- I like Mike. And you're a part of Mike So- I also wanna be friends with you. And- I hope that's reasonable?" You put it in a honest way.
Mal chuckled out loud before looking at you entertained and looking as if he was about to burst your bubble. "But I'm no Mike. If you think I'm gonna act like him then you're mistaken."
"No, I don't." You quickly disregarded his words. "That's why I suggested a fresh start."
You waited a bit before elaborating more. "Yes, I know that probably sounds stupid, but I'll be blunt. I just wanna make a friend and stay in the game. And I suck at social interactions." You knew how desperate you probably were to him, given his indifferent approach to you, but you had no other idea what to do.
Mal was clearly entertained by your responses. He couldn't help but chuckle at their naivety and the sheer persistence of being his 'friend' or something similar. "…You're one odd individual. I must say."
Mal stood silently for a moment, pondering the possibilities for an alliance between you two. He sighed before responding. "…Very well" Mal's face looked serious now, having a proposition in store.
"Should you fail to respect my boundaries, or try to manipulate me in any way… you're dead meat." Mal's tone of voice changed a bit too, now sounding as if he weren't joking anymore.
"And I also want you to not interfere with any of my plans. Understood? I can tolerate working with you for the time being, but only for the sake of mutual benefits." Mal's words were harsh and intimidating, but there seemed to be a slight tinge of… skepticism.
That was a good thing, you thought, because at least he was considering your request.
You nodded.
[Mal at the confessional]
"I can't decide whether they're planning something I didn't give them credit for, or are they that stupid to think I'm really gonna be in a real alliance with them." Mal chuckled to the camera.
"Probably the latter." He added with a smug smirk.
"That naive pawn… it's too easy to manipulate them. All that talk about "friendship…" nonsense." He obnoxiously mocked your words with a hand gesture as his look held entertainment.
"As if that mattered to me… or anyone." Mal thought to himself out loud. "No one ever mattered to me, and they never will. People are merely tools in my eyes, and I will use them to get what I want..."
His expression seemed to stay serious and pondering for a moment before the video cut off.
[𝙼𝚊𝚕]
You had very mixed feelings about the situation.
You were very well aware Mal probably didn't respect you and only agreed to it for his benefit, you weren't stupid.
But you also had some hopes he would come around with time.
Your relationship proceeding further was very rocky, as Mal didn't really treat you with kindness, which you kind of expected, but weren't happy about.
Still, he didn't try to vote you off, and for the time being it worked.
You were a bit lost about what to do, but the days on the island didn't let you have a break to think about things, and the challenges proceeded as usual.
Today's challenge was a camp-out one. People in the team had to partner up with someone and then spend a night outside, in the forest.
"Easy enough", you thought, but you noticed some eye-roll from Mal.
Obviously you and Mal ended up being partners, due to the "mutual" alliance you had.
Once the teams had chose their respective campsites and you were alone, Mal swooshed his hair so it fell on his eye once again without a comment, seemingly more comfortable with this hairstyle instead of Mike's usual standing hair.
"So- How about this place?" You pointed out to a simple area that didn't have a lot of pinecones on the ground, offering a softer ground to set a tent on.
"Whatever, can be." He briefly acknowledged your words without any further interest.
You were a bit tired of his apathetic demeanor but you let it slide.
You placed your backpack on the ground, preparing to take out the necessary equipment.
Mal sat on some available tree root, expecting you to do all the work.
It took you some time but you were determined to set out the tent properly, even under Mal's judging eye.
To no avail. Without an instruction, it wasn't your strong suit to just "wing it".
Mal raised his brow unamusedly while crossing his arms.
"God that's pathetic." He commented without any hesitance.
"Okay then, you do it." You crossed your arms as well, now looking at him.
You heard a "tch-" from him. "Really? You're that helpless?" He smirked.
"It would appear so." You just bluntly admitted, gaining some surprise from Mal, which quickly disappeared after a moment.
"Weak." He murmured to himself, making sure you also heard him. He walked up to the tent, setting it up without much resistance.
You plopped down on the tree trunk Mal was previously sitting on, watching him work.
After he was done you didn't want to be useless, so you got up with an idea of gathering some wood. What's a camp without a camp-fire, eh?
Mal saw you leave but didn't comment anything, choosing to go sit in the tent he just set up.
You were really trying to be nice and respectful to Mal, but he was slowly draining your willingness to do it.
As you were collecting random twigs from the ground you were thinking about him though.
No one was mean without a reason, and given Mike's situation, he probably went through lots of stuff to get to his current behavior, which made you feel sympathetic towards him.
You came back to your little campout, noticing Mal lazily sitting inside the tent, holding a knife in his one hand that was carving the wood he held in the other. You wondered where did he get it from?
"I brought wood." You announced, letting the twigs fall onto the floor.
"Congrats, you made yourself useful." He commented briefly, but mostly ignoring you.
It was a start at least.
Soon enough the air became colder, forcing you to make a fire.
You gathered some rocks and formed them along with several pieces of wood, trying to set the fire with 2 rocks, as you had to do with Mike on scout-type challenge, until Mal took out a match with unamused expression and started the fire.
You blinked as you saw the fire appear, then looked at Mal. "How did you get a match?"
"I stole it." He replied carelessly without a hint of shame.
"...Okay, that works." You only managed to say.
You both got near the source of warmth in a careful distance away from each other, you sitting on the tree trunk nearby, him sitting in the tent.
The challenge was going pretty smoothly, until it began to pour.
The rain quickly took out your fire, making Mal groan in irritation.
As you felt the droplets of water on your clothes, you quickly went into the tent where Mal was taking most of the space, but he reluctantly moved to the corner once he saw you coming.
You stayed silent as you observed the aggressive change of the weather, with Mal not making a peep either, only keeping his outward display of annoyance towards the rain visible.
It was getting dark and cold, with the weather having no plans of going back to the sunny afternoon it previously was.
Mal backed out into the tent, sitting quietly and looking outside with an upset expression on his face.
There was a long, awkward silence that got to you internally, but you didn't want to risk annoying Mal with bringing up "annoying" topics to talk about, as you had no other ideas.
You came to the show with quite a thick jacket with a hood on, so the cold didn't bother you that much, but you observed Mal pressing his bent knees to his stomach in attempt to keep warm.
There was no sign of struggle from his side though, as he made a good job of sitting still, acting like it wasn't bothering him, with the exception of subtle trembles of his body once in a while.
It was obvious he felt cold with only a short-sleeved shirt to keep him warm.
"Are you cold?" You asked hesitantly, even though you knew the answer.
He shot you a death glare. "I'm fine."
You waited a second, looking at him briefly and thinking about your options. You decided to press further.
"You have short sleeves though." You pointed out, looking at his face getting agitated.
"So fucking what? My fault this moron can't dress properly?" He barked at you with hostility, as if you were pointing out his misfortune.
"No." You responded a bit taken aback by his tone, but you remained calm.
"But- We can share." You made your intentions clear as you took off the jacket, handing it to him.
He looked at you with skeptic and confused eyes as if you had some hidden intentions behind that move, but he accepted the gift without any comment.
You noticed his grumpy expression soften slightly but still keeping that distrustful glare, avoiding your eye as he put the jacket around his back.
You judged his reaction as a positive one though.
After a moment you scooted closer to him, touching his side with yours, to which he raised his eyebrow at your "audacity".
"What are you doing?" He muttered, looking at your movements with mixed feelings.
"You're not the only one cold here. I'm also freezing." You explained a bit lightheartedly, hoping to ease the thick tension between you two.
Mal only briefly looked at you and let out a "hmph" noise as an acknowledgement as he looked away from you, yet he didn't move away, letting you stay in this position.
You sighed contently for the first time in a few days now.
You watched the rain fall in silence, but at least it wasn't as overwhelming now.
Finally the exhaustion caught up to you both as a product of several hours of walking and doing stuff.
Mal let out the first yawn and so you asked him whether he wants to go to sleep.
He shrugged, still keeping his indifferent behavior but accepted. "Sure, whatever."
You both moved to the far away corners of the tent and layed down, feeling the fabric of the tent soften the hard ground halfly. Chris didn't pack you any sleeping bags, that would be too easy.
All you had was your jacket as a make-shift blanket.
You noticed Mal laying on his side, in a way that wouldn't make him face you.
You offered him a part of the jacket but his ego didn't let him accept this time.
"I'm fine. I don't need it." He harshly turned down your offer.
You sighed. "Fine."
Mal remained stubborn, even though the cold was biting his ass, he managed to fall asleep.
You however couldn't, due to the uncomfortable place of sleeping.
You laid on your back for a few seconds, staring at the ceiling of the tent, before deciding to take a look at Mal.
His breathing let you notice he was asleep, although his shaky body was visibly cold.
You didn't have the heart to let him freeze, so you very carefully moved near him, putting a part of the jacket on him to cover him up.
You pressed your back very slightly against him, craving some additional warmth from his body that would benefit you boths
Fortunately he didn't wake up.
You managed to fall asleep after some time as well.
Mal woke up after several hours, thoroughly confused about the state of his being, as he expected to wake up cold, but he was quite- cozy.
His expression changed as soon as he noticed you very close to him.
He cringed at your proximity, with your front facing him in a blissful state of sleep, hair over your eyes as if in rom-com movie.
He was about to forcefully shake you off him, but he decided against it for some reason.
Perhaps it was his self-preservation finally speaking, instead of ego getting in his way of survival. Your position was both comfy and warm, after all.
He only turned to lay on his back, letting out a heavy sigh, furrowing his eyebrows slightly as it was now his turn to look above without any particular reason, just to think over the situation.
As soon as you started to wake up, he immediately backed off, putting the whole jacket on you.
"Finally you're awake." He said as if it was a big bother.
You softly rubbed your eyes, yawn escaping your lips as you done so.
"When did you wake up?" You asked with a bit of haze still.
"Doesn't matter." He sharply shut down your question, although his tone was just slightly different than his usual bitterness.
After you both past the challenge timer of staying and ready to leave the place, you noticed Mal taking down the tent, without you having to ask him for it. Huh.
[Mal at the confessional]
Mal stared at the camera with crossed arms for a longer moment, having an ambiguous expression on his face.
After some time he finally decided to open his mouth.
"God, they're so helpless. They can't even set up a damn tent." His scornful tone made it obvious he was making fun of you.
"How would they even make it so far without me?" He once again made it clear to the recording device that he was needed for your victory.
Yet another few seconds passed by before his thought was said out loud, this time his face turning less arrogant and more figuring out what he's gonna say.
"...They're so naive." He reiterated once more, as if to reassure himself what to think.
"But- Maybe with my help I'll be able to use them to my advantage." He finally found the correct direction of his further words. "I'll make sure no one gets between me and Y/N getting a chance at winning the money."
"Of course, just for me to forcefully take the victory away from them, later." He said confidently, but he felt the need for a clarification on that last part.
He lingered in the confessional for a moment more, before getting to his final words, looking straight at the camera.
"And if anyone plans to interfere with that, they're gonna go down."
[BONUS - DATING HEADCANONS]
Of course if you and Mal become a thing, he'll be more keen about tolerating your quirks and listening to you ramble about your hyperfixations.
He won't be as invested in them, but he'll treat you in a way he'd treat a cat enjoying it's favorite toy - "You do your thing sweetie. It's stupid but adorable to look at."
Once he gets used to your true thoughts and trust you, he'd also think your honesty is refreshing.
He thinks neurotypicals play too many complicated emotional games.
He can also play them as a form of manipulation, but if it comes to trusting each other he appreciates you always being blunt when it comes to what you think.
It's obvious Mal most probably has ASPD and Narcissistic Personality Disorder, so he's not a stranger to people not liking his attitude and way of thinking.
He might be a bit too harsh on you at first, not used to having someone caring about him (or vice versa) but with time he'll learn to not go as hard on you.
Like with your 'special needs', not tolerating some textures and foods, your obsession about only on topic at a time, or stimming, which might be distracting to him.
He might panic a bit inside once you have a meltdown first time around him though, not knowing how to act around you in that state, as only thing he knows it's hostility, so don't expect him to be much help.
He might listen to your requests how should he act later on, though.
He will also be more straightforward around you when he notices your "denseness".
"Do you- want my jacket again?" You asked, looking at Mal.
"No, let me freeze to death." He remarked sarcastically, expecting you to pass him the jacket again, but you just blinked, unsure if he wanted it or not after your previous similar encounter with him being reluctant to accept it.
He looked at you a second more, now elaborating a bit annoyed. "Yes, I want it."
Even more so after Mal became less insecure about showing his interest in you.
"Aren't you cold?" He asked, looking at you expectantly with a hint of tease in his voice, obviously wanting you to come closer to him so you'd need him as a source of warmth.
"Kinda-" You responded casually, yet still did nothing.
Mal waited a moment before finally sighing and pulling you closer to him in a smooth manner, making you a bit surprised.
"That means come here." He reiterated slightly more greedy about your presence.
That amount of possessiveness made you a bit stunned, but in a kind of positive way. He wasn't negative towards you anymore, after all.
"Do I really have to spell out everything for you?" He asked halfly serious.
"Well- apparently." You admitted a bit embarrassed at your lack of clue.
He rolled his eyes, pulling you closer.
"Okay then. You're mine now."
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FEBRUARY 2024
THE RIB PAGE
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Among the inductees for the 2023 Library of Congress selections include: Fame, Desperately Seeking Susan, Lady and the Tramp, Home Alone, Terminator 2, 20 feet from Stardom, The Wedding Banquet, Apollo 13, 12 Years a Slave and Love and Basketball.
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The Supreme Court will hear the Colorado case of Trump on the ballot on Feb. 8. They will also be looking into the responsibility of hospitals in no abortion states. ** And what were those red marks on Trumps hand? Dry skin? Syphillis?** Roger Stone has called for killing the opposition.
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Mark Knopfler is selling most of his guitars at a London auction house with some of the proceeds going to charity.
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Joey Fatone and AJ Mclean are going on tour.
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Willem Dafoe, Charlie Wilson and George Clinton got their stars on the Hollywood Walk of Fame. Garrett Morris will be getting his on Feb. 1.
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Our Flag means death was cancelled.
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John Kerry is stepping down as the U.S. Climate envoy.
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The FDA ruled the Florida government can procure prescription drugs from Canada. This could save taxpayers as much as $183 mil a year. Big Pharma is none too happy. This was rejected in New Hampshire. Many other states are in the application process.
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A resolution to prevent a partial shutdown of the government was passed for funding until March. The zealots are furious. ** According to a new book, Find me the votes, Lindsey Graham testified that if you told Trump, “that martians came and stole the election, he would probably believe it.” He also gave the Fulton County D.A., Fani Willis a big hug and thanked her for letting him get it out.
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Hiking with Kevin is back!!!!! Hooray!!!!!
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The innocence project is looking into the Scott Peterson case claiming new evidence.
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Paul Thomas Anderson will bring Sean Penn, Regina Hall and Leo DiCaprio together for his next film.
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Rachel Dratch has a podcast, WooWoo, with ghost stories.
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There is prejudice everywhere, it does no good to give it back. - Ship of Fools
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Marilyn Monroe’s home at 12305 W. Helena Dr. Has been declared a historical landmark by the LA cultural Heritage Commision. The actress purchased the home shortly before she died there.
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Fox News has cancelled My Pillow due to past due bills.
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Why does Bonnie Hunt not have a talk show anymore?? C’mon!! I miss it!!
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Jason Momoa and Lisa Bonet are divorced.
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Taiwan elected William Lai Ching-te for a third term of the Democratic progressive Party.
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Food Network Star Darnell Ferguson was arrested on strangulation, terrorist threatening, assault, menacing criminal mischief and burglary charges in Kentucky.
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A U.S. labor agency has accused SpaceX of illegally firing 8 employees.** Sports Illustrated seems to be in a real mess like most of print media. Does corporate everywhere want to fire the writers and use AI??
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A 7.5 magnitude earthquake hit Japan.
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Days alert: Steve Burton is out at Days and back at GH. ** Bring back Jen Lilley. They seem to be pushing Brady and Teresa to be closer again and these actors have no chemistry. ** The cast of Days have been putting out many messages at the loss of Bill Hayes. I miss him already!!** Glad that they R bringing back an old story like the pawn. The characters act like nobody knows but I thought the town knew that John was the pawn? ** But hooray for Johnny and Chanel, let one couple be happy!!
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Rage against the Machine has broken up again, according to drummer Brad Wilk.
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Iran attacked Pakistan and brought death. Pakistan retaliated and brought some more death. Is there a place in the world that is not filled with hate right now?
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The Girl Scout cookies are here!!** Why is Kris Jenner selling Oreos?
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Fruit Stripe gum is no more. RIP
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How refreshing to see the economy doing so well. ** Some are upset that Biden launched strikes against Yeman without congressional approval. The Houthi’s have interrupted the supply chain route. ** And why do Trump and friends bitch about Biden at all? According to them, a President has total immunity so what is the problem?? Can’t he do anything he wants? Why did we never have this problem before? Trump claims a President needs immunity but I don’t think it was a problem until now. ** Chris Christie is out .. Asa Hutchinson is out... Vivek Ramaswami is out... DeSantis is out (much has been made of the leader of Ron’s Superpak with nothing to do but put a puzzle together). DeSantis used a Churchill quote to end his campaign that Churchill never said. ** Scary Clown 45 told the Iowa caucus goers, “You can’t sit home. If you’re sick as a dog, even if you vote and then pass away, it’s worth it. “ People stood in line up to 4 hours in sub zero temps to see him. In attendance were Coach Dan Gable and WWE’s Kane. He later cancelled 3 rallies. ** The comics made much of the pics from the caucus like the Iowa caucus looked like the opposite of Martin Luther King Day. We also must remember that Ted Cruz once won the Iowa Caucus. **32% of Iowa Republicans say that Trump is not fit for office. 14% of Republicans actually voted and 51% picked Trump. DeSantis was a distant second and Haley third. ** Tacopina and his partners in the law firm have parted ways with Trump.
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Trump took New Hampshire but Haley was not that far off. The whole thing about the DNC fucking up the order of the states and Biden not getting on the ballot was just stupid. It made the Dems look unorganized and petty. No more of that! ** Should we be worried about a second Trump term yet or are we all William Holden in a disaster movie? Why are we so, “nothing to see hear, everything is fine?”** A recent story broke about the pharmacy in the White House. Apparently, when Trump was in office, the rules for said pharmacy were pretty loose. The word is they didn’t believe in generic drugs and they were handed out like candy. ** Trump was ordered to pay E. Jean Carroll $83 mil.** A judge dismissed the Disney case against Ron DeSantis.
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Shucked will be a film.
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Say Something is the tip line provided by Sandy Hook Promise. A recent study in the Journal of Pediatrics looked to study one of the 23 states that provides the service. Of the 18,000 tips submitted from 2019- 2023, 10% referred to a firearm. The tips prevented 38 instances of school violence, and more than 100 planned suicides. There were a thousand mental health interventions. More than 42,000 people have died from gun related injuries in 2023. Firearms are the leading cause of death for children and teens.
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Jason Reitman is bringing us SNL1975 with Gabriel LaBelle playing Lorne Michaels. The film will also star Cooper Hoffman and Rachel Sennott.
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Alec Baldwin was indicted again for involuntary manslaughter.
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Fire ants have gone a bit nuts in Australia.
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A woman can’t be Vice President. - Meghan McCain
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An ancient city was discovered in the Amazon in the 70’s. After 25 years of research there are some findings. Scientists feel this is the oldest settled site in the Amazon. It was built about 2,500 years ago with thousands of platforms and a system of roads and canals. The civilization may have been bigger than the ancient societies in Mexico and Central America.
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Riley Keough is finishing up Lisa Marie’s memoir and we should see it by October 15.
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Ban dictionaries? OMG!!! Florida laws have led some schools to take out the dictionaries.
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Super/Man is a new documentary about Christopher Reeve.
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Look for a new comic book about The Creature from the Black Lagoon.
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It’s awards season!!!!!!!
The Golden Globes sure got some smack. Jo Koy was raked over the coals for his idea of hosting. He kept angrily making excuses and telling the crowd he didn’t write some of the jokes. What?? It is a tough gig and I can sympathize BUT I don’t think he said any terrible things but it was the way he said it. Everybody was talking about Taylor Swift but I didn’t see that she seemed angry, she often looks like that. I was taken aback by the Barbie thing. He was right, as Greta Gerwig pointed out that it was true that they made a movie about a doll with big boobs. I think it was the way he said it. He was so dismissive on a night that was sort of celebratory for women. To have a box office smash all around a woman theme was a breakthrough. He treated it like it could not compare to the ‘important’ movies. He made fun of their work instead of some of the actual celebrity eccentricities like a Gervais might do. I don’t know that it was the big deal the press made of it, just don’t ask him back. My best dressed were Issa Rae, Nicolas Cage, Rosamund Pike, Rachel Brosnahan, Brie Larson, Selena Gomez, Julia Garner, Andra Day, Taylor Swift, Sheryl Lee Ralph, Jim Gaffigan, Matt Rhys, Natasha Lyonne, Natalie Portman, Margot Robbie, Lenny Kravitz, Deacon Phillippe, Kristen Wiig, Meryl Streep, Jodie Foster and Emma Stone. The theme of the night seemed to be slicked back hair. Winners included Ricky Gervais, Davine Joy Randolph, Robert Downey Jr., Ali Wong, Lily Gladstone, Sarah Snook, Matt McFadden, Paul Giamatti and KIERAN CULKIN!! The whole audience stood when they called Culkin’s name which seemed to embarrass him but he so deserved it. There is always one older celeb who acts a bit strange, this year it was Kevin Costner who mumbled his banter and seemed to hate America Ferrera. They were an odd couple. A great couple was Martin Short and Meryl Streep who insist they are just good friends. They were so cute and I want them together in the worst way!! I was thrilled that the powers that be made this award show easy to watch. Award shows are very strict about keeping things on the network that broadcast the event. This show was on multiple sites. I always wonder about that because they don’t have enough ratings to be so selfish.
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The Critics Choice awards were hosted by Chelsea Handler who did a good job. To me, the best dressed were Jen Aniston, Carey Mulligan, Jodie Foster, Margot Robbie, Colman Domingo, Harvey Guillen, Chelsea Handler, Christina Ricci, Tracee Ellis Ross, Kieran Culkin, Alison Williams, Lenny Kravitz, Ali Wong, Mandy Moore, Rosamund Pike, Quinta Brunson, Bella Ramsey, Kaley Cuoco and Karen Pittman. I was so glad to see Ramon Rodriguez nominated!!!** Kieran Culkin won again!! Other winners include Da’Vine Joy Randolph, Ali Wong, Barbie, Oppenheimer, Succession and American Fiction. When Meryl Streep is nominated for tv, it reminds me of the Nascar Cup drivers that compete in the other races. She didn’t win anyway but it just doesn’t seem quite right.
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The 75th Emmys was hosted by Anthony Anderson and he did a good job too. His Mother was even better. TV theme songs were front and center. I think Mr. Anderson just really wanted to sing them! My best dressed were Sheryl Lee Ralph, Rhea Seehorn (who I was really routing for but no win), Ken and Tran Jeong, Alan Ruck, Dominique Fishback, Taylor Tomlinson, Brian Cox, Ali Wong (she nailed it at every show), Niecy Nash, Joy Sunday, Sarah Snook, Briga Heelan, Katherine Hiegel, Jenna Ortega, Donald Glover, Giancarlo Esposito, Jessica Chastain, Mario Bello, Keiran and Jazz, Claire Danes and Riley Keough. Princess Poppy stood out for the Green Goblin look. I was most excited to see Holland Taylor, Marla Gibbs, the Marvelous Mrs. Maisel cast and Carol Burnett. Winners include Kieran again, Quinta Brunson, Niecy Nash-Betts, Sarah Snook, The Daily Show with Trever Noah and Succession. I laughed the most when the It’s Always Sunny cast came on. Give those funny humans some love academy!!!!** Seriously, I liked the winners in any Saul category that won but Better Call Saul was so overdue with 0 for 53. They did set a record though for the most nominated show that never won.** Kieran Culkin may be doing a comedy next. ** Listen to a drag queen.- RuPaul
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The BAFTA noms were announced and include Barbie, The Color Purple, Poor Things, All of us strangers, Napolean, The Holdovers, Killers of the Flower Moon, Maestro, Oppenheimer and American Fiction.
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The Oscar noms were also announced with love for Cillian Murphy, Jeffrey Wright, Colman Domingo, Paul Gimatti ,Lily Gladstone, Emma Stone, Robbie Robertson, Jodie Foster, Sterling K. Brown, Robert DeNiro, Robert Downey Jr and Ryan Gosling. Scorsese now has had more nominations (10) than any other living director. People made much about Greta Gerwig and Margot Robbie not getting noms for directing and acting respectively. I get that but for once I agree with Whoopi Goldberg who said, “Not everybody gets a prize!” I mean there are only so many slots.* * The Oscars will broadcast on March 10.
*****
Great Kurt Russel stories have come to light, thanks to his children. Kurt beat up Tex Watson, he was there after the Bronco chase and had a plate of food stolen by Ted Bundy! This guy is full of surprises!
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Turkey has approved Sweden’s NATO membership.
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Sexual assault news: Vince McMahon and his former head of talent at WWE, John Laurinaitis have been sued for sexual abuse and sex trafficking. ** Caroline Manzo sued Bravo over sexual harassment and assault by Brandi Glanville.
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Sean Kehoe and Kirra Potts have sued Pauly Shore for assault and battery from a 2022 incident.
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Javier Bardem and Chloe Sevigny will star in the Lyle and Eric Menendez story.
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A U.S. Judge has blocked Jetblue from acquiring Spirit Airlines.
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Marlon Wayans will star in GOAT from Jordan Peele.
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Why does Bill Maher have such a crush on Elon Musk? He was teasing celebs in a little bit on his show but after Elon, he giggled that he was kidding like he can’t offend the dude. And, he is still bitching about that Barbie movie. ** And, did a poll really say Maher was the most trusted man in America?
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People sure seem to be upset about the way the NFL is broadcasting this season. Games that they really want to see are on channels that a lot of people do not have. $$$ just to watch football. ** I will never understand why teams are allowed to run out the clock. They should be actually playing football and still trying to win. It is wrong!!
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It sounds like we have a new cult to worry about. The University of Cosmic Intelligence of Missouri seems to be run by a convicted child molester from prison. Rashad Jamal has about 200,000 subscribers on YouTube. Six people have turned up missing.
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Can’t wait for the film, A Real Pain with Keiran Culkin, Jennifer Grey and Jesse Eisenberg.
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The Superbowl is here with Kansas City and San Fransisco. They are already bombarding us with commercials for their commercials. How did this country come to love this day so much??
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Looks like it is time for a movie of the week about Elle King. Word is that she has had several drunken performances lately. It was the recent Dolly Parton tribute at the Opry that went awry. Her performance was filled with cussing for the family audience and struggling to get thru the song. I always respected her music so I hope she works it out. I am sure that Dolly will be on the case. The age old question of how the public will react in the long run will have to play out. Will she stay a rebel and get thru? Will she have a reality show or do rehab? Will she want to do anything?
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So, they give a woman a late night show and Taylor Tomlinson seems funny enough but they saddle her with a sort of game show where points don’t count and it’s about stupid internet stuff I am always trying to get away from. Just give a woman a show like the big boys. And while you’re at it.. A show for Bonnie Hunt.
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Will and Harper looks like a great film that shows Will Ferrell and friends journey thru another friends transition.
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It looks like Alabama loves the death penalty so much they are killing people twice. Nitrogen? Look, if it doesn’t work the first time, perhaps there is a reason to keep them alive. Yikes!! ** The UN has condemned Alabama for the execution.
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Kate of Wales had abdominal surgery which will sideline her for months. King Charles will also have a minor procedure and be gone for a bit.
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Pierce Brosnan pled not guilty to trespassing at Yellowstone.
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In the past 25 years, tobacco use among teens has dropped by 93%.
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LaPierre is out at the NRA for ‘health reasons.’ Andrew Arulanadam will be interim CEO. Membership has dropped from about 6 mil to 4 mil in the last few years. The corruption trial has started. The NY AG has already reached a settlement with former executive Josh Powell. The Director of Operations has reached a $100,000 agreement with her office and admitted to wrong doing by failing in his fiduciary responsibilities and a misuse of charitable funds. ** There is so much corruption all over the country in little stories throughout the right wing. Florida and Arizona and elsewhere in local papers have stories of illegal financial dealings, sex scandals and broke coffers. There are too many to mention here. Look it up!
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Westgate Resorts in Kissimmee Fla. canceled a Marjorie Taylor Greene event. The room was supposedly rented for a book signing but the venue found out this was really to be a commemoration of Jan.6.
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Nobody is sure why the sec. Of defense, Lloyd Austin kept his cancer diagnosis and procedure so hush hush. The President should probably know these things.
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Hungary’s far right, Our Homeland Party, says it will try to claim a western region of Ukraine that is Transcarpathia, if they lose the war.
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Trump thinks we need a dome over the country like a Simpsons movie, I guess. ** Trump complains about being in court when he is not required to attend. ** James Carville thinks we should use mockery and ridicule ala Mel Brooks and Mark Twain to get rid of Trump. Carville also asked the question, ”When was the last time Trump saw his dick?” ** Nikki Haley was victim of a swatting incident at her home in South Carolina last month.
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Aaron Rodgers has proved again what a schmuck he is as he accuses Jimmy Kimmel of being a pedophile. This particular mudslinging seems to be the go- to for dick heads everywhere now. It was reported that he was banned from ESPN but that turned out not to be true. Aaron was back in no time.** Charles Barcley said he would have hit him in the face. **ESPN had to return more than 30 Emmy’s to the television academy after it was discovered the network submitted fake names to get around eligibility rules.* * But.. Why was Kimmel interviewing Depend models and telling them, they would be humiliated the rest of their lives?” This product is crucial for a certain population of this world. I see these elderly and handicapped people everyday. Should they be humiliated too? And why should those models be humiliated? Seems like a real, honest job to me.
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Robert Kennedy Jr. Threw a party and nobody wanted to come. Martin Sheen, Dionne Warwick, Mike Tyson and Andre Bocelli were among the scheduled guests but none of them had agreed to come or even support his candidacy. The party was said to be a 70th Birthday/ fundraiser and even RFK did not show up. A pac calling themselves Fighting for one America has been blamed.
*****
New technology may have told us the identity of DB Cooper. The latest guess seems to be a Crucible steel worker employee named Vince Peterson.
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Peecycling (urine recycling) is becoming a thing.
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How to dance in Ohio is coming to Broadway.
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A nude man was nabbed from a Bass Pro in Alabama after he took a dive into the giant aquarium.
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Jon Stewart will be back hosting The Daily Show on Mondays. He is also Exec. Producer!
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The Walton kid actors have mentioned an Earl Hamner stamp. I think we need to look into that!
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Habitat for Humanity is looking to tear down an old nursing home in East Peoria, Il to build a little village of 5-8 homes for vets.
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R.I.P. Mickey Cottrell, Glynis Johns, war victims, Tom Johnson, Amanda Davies, Joyce Randolph, Chrissie Slusher- Philips, Norman Jewison, Mary Weiss, Marlena Shaw, Norm Snead, Bud Harrelson, Tanya Berezin, Phill Niblock, Alec Musser, school shooting victims, Bernice Johnson, Harry Johnson, Cindy Morgan, Tisa Farrow, Peter Crombie, April Ferry, John Bush, David Beckwith, Charles Osgood, Adam Harrison, Melanie, Gary Graham, Ruth Ashton Taylor, Harry Connick Sr., Chita Rivera, Dexter Scott King, Bill Hayes, Lynne Marta and David Soul.
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