#also sneak peak of daniels new place
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port promise, evergreen harbor
#i LOVE this town#idk why i waited so long to get eco#also sneak peak of daniels new place#hes entering his hermit witch that lives in a junkyard era#evergreen harbor#sims 4#screenies#sims 4 edit#simblr
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I posted 3,044 times in 2022
287 posts created (9%)
2,757 posts reblogged (91%)
Blogs I reblogged the most:
@tonyandzivauk
@hetty-thequeenofncisla
@ncisladaily
@tumbleweed-palmer
@romancemedia
I tagged 3,043 of my posts in 2022
#ncis - 2,124 posts
#ncis la - 757 posts
#ncis hawaii - 329 posts
#tiva - 193 posts
#bts - 153 posts
#densi - 66 posts
#video - 61 posts
#sneak peak - 50 posts
#press release - 50 posts
#paleyfest 2022 - 48 posts
Longest Tag: 26 characters
#and include hetty as well!
My Top Posts in 2022:
#5
When it comes to JAG and the forever-expanding NCIS Universe that it begat, “It’s all connected” (if we may borrow a phrase from Marvel TV’s Jeph Loeb).
A spinoff of JAG, the NCIS mothership on March 28 will crossover with its own latest offshoot, NCIS: Hawai’i, in back-to-back episodes that send Special Agents Nick Torres and Jessica Knight to the Aloha State (with a couple other NCIS cast members appearing if not going along for the ride).
NCIS: Hawai’i had its first quasi-crossover of sorts when an early episode of the freshman CBS drama revealed the role that none other than Leroy Jethro Gibbs played in nudging alone Jane Tennant’s own career as an NCIS Special Agent. But the official two-part crossover event will solidify NCIS: Hawai’i‘s place in the Extended JAG/NCIS Universe (JNCISU?).
On this special occasion, TVLine revisits many of the ways that JAG and NCIS characters have visited other CBS series (including one instance you might have forgotten about!), either in one-off or recurring guest spots, or in one- or two-way crossover events.
Which of these crossed streams/character team-ups do you most fondly recall?
JAG
NCIS‘ backdoor spinoff pilot came in the form of a JAG Season 8 two-parter, in which Special Agent Gibbs’ team investigated the murder of a lieutenant — and Commander Harmon “Harm” rabb Jr.’s possible role in it. In addition to Mark Harmon, future NCIS cast members Michael Weatherly, Pauley Perrette and David McCallum appeared in the planted pilot, as Tony, Abby and Ducky.
In the years since, JAG characters such as Harm, Lieutenant Colonel Sarah “Mac” MacKenzie, Lt. Bud Roberts and Rear Admiral A.J. Chegwidden have popped up on NCIS: Los Angeles and or NCIS.
Fun fact: NBC pretty famously bailed on JAG after one season, at which point CBS “saved” the military/legal drama and eventually spun it off into a 40-season (and counting?) NCIS franchise.
NCIS
In addition to the backdoor pilot episodes that eventually sired NCIS: Los Angeles (at the end of Season 6) and NCIS: New Orleans (near the end of Season 11), NCIS has received visits from JAG characters such as Lt. Bud Roberts (played by Patrick Labyorteaux, pictured), Rear Admiral A.J. Chegwidden (John M. Jackson) and Faith Coleman (Alicia Coppola).
Next up: NCIS Hawai’i Special Agent Jane Tennant (played by Vanessa Lachey) helps kick off NCIS‘ two-part crossover with its latest spinoff.
NCIS: LOS ANGELES
In addition to receiving early-on visits from NCIS‘ Abby, Tony (pictured) and Director Leon Vance, NCIS: LA in Season 3 had a two-way crossover with Hawaii Five-0‘s Danny Williams and Chin Ho Kelly (played by Scott Caan and Daniel Dae Kim), while Kensi went stag to Five-0 during its second season.
More recently, JAG leads David James Elliott and Catherine Bell reprised their roles as Harm and Mac for an arc at the end of LA’s 10th season, while John M. Jackson has thus far made a half dozen appearances as JAG‘s Chegwidden.
HAWAII FIVE-0
In addition to the aforementioned Season 2 visit from NCIS: LA‘s Kensi (who was enlisted by Joe White to review a video of John McGarrett with Governor Jameson and Wo Fat), Five-0 had a full-on two-way crossover with NCIS: Los Angeles the following season.
Five-0 also had a two-way crossover with Magnum P.I. (though neither Alex O’Loughlin nor Scott Caan were involved), and Daniel Dae Kim, Grace Park and Taylor Wily once guest-starred on MacGyver as Chin Ho, Kono and Kamekona.
MACGYVER
The Season 1 episode “Flashlight” saw Mac & Co. get an assist from Hawaii Five-0‘s Chin Ho Kelly and Kono Kalakaua, with Kamekona also putting in an appearance.
Also, after Five-0 had signed off, Jorge Garcia popped by MacGyver as conspiracy theorist Jerry Ortega, reuniting the actor with fellow Lost alum Henry Ian Cusick.
NCIS: NEW ORLEANS
NCIS: New Orleans during its seven-season run enjoyed visits from NCIS characters such as Ducky, former FBI agent Tobias Fornell (played by Joe Spano), CGIS Special Agent Abigail Borin (Diane Neal, pictured) and SECNAV Sarah Porter (Leslie Hope).
SCORPION
Early into Scorpion‘s freshman run, NCIS: Los Angeles front woman Linda Hunt guest-starred as Hetty Lange, who was recruited to help Walter’s team look the part as they went undercover to protect a priceless art exhibit.
MAGNUM P.I.
In addition to its two-way crossover with fellow island drama Hawaii Five-0 — which involved Meaghan Rath, Katrina Law, and Beulah Koale as Tani Rey, Quinn Liu and Junior Reigns — Magnum is no stranger to guest appearances by the likes of Kimee Balmilero as Dr. Noelani Cunha, Dennis Chun as Sgt. Duke Lukela, Taylor Wily’s Kamekona and Shawn Mokuahi Garnett’s Flippa.
(As for the issue of the Magnum, P.I. TV show’s theme song having once been sung by Five-0 characters, that was “explained” here.)
NCIS: HAWAI'I
In Part 1 of the two-way crossover — airing Monday, March 28 at 9/8c and titled “Starting Over” – NCIS’ Special Agent Nick Torres (played by Wilmer Valderrama) gets invited by NCIS Special Agent Jane Tennant (Vanessa Lachey) to come to Hawai’i, when she gets a lead on a witness from a case they worked on together.
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36 notes - Posted March 27, 2022
#4
Sunday, April 10 at 2 pm PT
NCIS, NCIS: Los Angeles and NCIS: Hawai’i (CBS) | NCIS showrunner Steven D. Binder and stars Sean Murray, Wilmer Valderrama, Brian Dietzen, Diona Reasonover, Katrina Law, Rocky Carroll, Gary Cole; NCIS: Los Angeles showrunner Shane Brennan, executive producer R. Scott Gimmill and stars Chris O’Donnell, LL COOL J, Linda Hunt, Daniela Ruah, Eric Christian Olsen, Medalion Rahimi, Caleb Castille, Gerald McRaney; NCIS: Hawai’i executive producers Matt Bosack, Jan Nash and Christopher Silber, plus stars Vanessa Lachey, Alex Tarrant, Noah Mills, Yasmine Al-Bustami, Jason Antoon, Tori Anderson, Kian Talan
37 notes - Posted January 18, 2022
#3
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39 notes - Posted February 10, 2022
#2
51 notes - Posted October 6, 2022
My #1 post of 2022
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58 notes - Posted September 20, 2022
Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →
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📂 for Sandman
👀👀👀 Sandman my beloved.
Just as Dream 2 was born as a human named Daniel Hall, Despair 2 was born as a Kryptonian named Dara Erok-El.
Death's 2 little fishes in her place are Mazikeen's children. She's been in babysitting duty for the last millenia (Maze is an old friend)
Desire was Miranda Walker's 'teacher' in high school (they wanted to 'make sure' she didn't die before having children as Desire wanted, or that's what Desire tells themself).
Virginia Wolf is one of Despair's little mouses.
Hob and Dream have movies nights but Dream accidentally broke Hob's TV when he saw a Rings of Power's sneak peak.
Tolkien is Dream's new favorite writer (sorry Shakespeare he has a new fandom)
Delirium's flying fish is called Brother. She named him like that after one of her brothers but she can't remember who.
Desire is still fighting Dream over Alianora's custody.
Lucienne/Lucien was a fairy before being Dream's raven.
Death almost never has time to read/watch tv, so most of the knowledge she has about pop culture is because she takes a moment to ask writers about their work when they die.
Merv is Dream's favorite but he'd never say it out loud.
Eve misses Adam :'(
Eve is also Kirby Howell Baptiste. When Adam and Eve appeared on Earth, Death saw her, thought she was pretty, and imitated her form. It's been her favorite form since then.
Hob is friends with Swamp Thing. Once when they were all on the same room, Swamp Thing and Matthew started to fight about a woman named Abby. Matthew started to yell he had "stolen his wife as a Judas". Dream and Hob were very confused.
Death is also friends with Hob but Dream has never noticed because he's been seeing him just once every 100 years.
Hob loves Brazil.
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Fallin’ All In You (Pt. 62)
Title: Fallin’ All In You (Pt. 62)
Pairing: Agent Whiskey x Reader
Author: @sheerfreesia007
Words: 3,203
Warnings: Fluff, Best friends bonding, Cursing, Sisters bonding
Tags: @synystersilenceinblacknwhite, @two-unbeatable-beaters, @randomness501, @sevvysaurus, @paryl, @talesfromtheguild, @secretsihideinside, @agingerindenial, @mrschiltoncat
Permanent Tag List: @paintballkid711, @fioccodineveautunnale, @phoenixhalliwell
Author Notes: This was fun to right and more action packed than other chapters. Also I loved writing more for Charlotte and Rachel they’re the best girlfriends/sisters ever. Feedback is always welcome and appreciated! Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoy!
Gif Credit: Google
You sat in the back seat of the town car with Tequila as it drove through the city streets. You leaned back in your seat and huffed softly, you couldn’t see a thing thanks to the blindfold that Tequila had demanded you put on in your apartment much to Jack’s amusement. Tequila had said that since you knew New York better than him now that he couldn’t chance you possibly knowing where he was taking you for your bachelorette party. So you had to don the blindfold.
Jack had grinned brightly at you right before you put the blindfold over your eyes. He had even helped tie it around your head so that you couldn’t see anything. And just as he had finished tying it he had leant down to whisper in your ear.
“Save the blindfold, maybe we’ll use you once you get back.” came his sultry whisper in your ear making you shiver with anticipation.
“Alright! ‘Nough of that, save it for tonight.” Tequila called out and you grinned widely as your hand shot out to search for Jack’s. Which he gripped yours softly and pulled your hand up to his mouth to press a sweet kiss to your hand.
“I’ll see you tonight when you get home. I love you.” Jack husked against your skin and you smiled brightly.
“Love you too. See you later.” you responded before Tequila’s arm wrapped around your shoulders and guided you gently out of the apartment.
And now the two of you were sitting in the back of the town car silently as you tried not to fidget in your seat. You had tried to figure out which direction the car was traveling but that was foolish as since you didn’t have a starting point to use. Turning in your seat you face Tequila and smile softly trying to make yourself seem innocent.
“Don’t even try it Cur.” Tequila says in the quiet space between you and you huff softly that makes him chuckle softly at you. “C’mon Cur, I did all this planning for today. I don’t want to spoil it for you and I wanna see surprise when you realize where we’re going.” You instantly feel guilty for wanting to find out what he had planned. Nodding your head you turn and sit back in your seat.
“Alright.” you say softly and smile knowing that Tequila took pride in this and that whatever he had planned would be wonderful.
“Thank you. So as it gets closer and closer are you nervous for the wedding? It’s only two weeks away.” Tequila asks warmly and you can hear the smile in his voice.
“No, not nervous. More anxious to get it done already. I wanna be able to call him my husband already.” you respond softly and smile softly at the thought of being able to call Jack your husband finally.
“Yeah I bet Cur. It’s been forever since you two started on this journey huh?” Tequila asked teasingly and you scoffed, shaking your head at him.
“Just three years, Tequila. Forever is what we’re promising each other.” you said softly and grinned widely at your words.
“Yur such a sap.” Tequila said chuckling softly at you. Huffing softly you shook your head as a small smile grazed over your lips. You sat back in your seat some more letting the motion of the car start to lull you into a sense of calm.
It wasn’t long before you felt the car coming to stop and you sat up straighter against the seat. It truly hadn’t been that long of a car ride to get to your destination so you were quite curious to see where he had decided to take you. You heard the car door on Tequila’s side open and the sounds of busy New York filtered into the quiet car.
“How is she not screamin’ with excitement right now?!” called a familiar voice and you furrowed your eyebrows at that. That sounded like Charlotte.
“She’s blindfolded you ninny. I didn’t want her figuring it out before we got here.” Tequila snipped out and you couldn’t hide your ever growing grin. Just then there was hurried movement in front of you and you felt the seat cushion dip.
“Hey there darlin’. I’m gonna help ya out of the car now ok?” came another familiar soft voice and you smiled as you realized that it was Rachel. Soft hands held yours as you scooted across the seat towards the door. “Alright now swing your legs out.” Rachel instructed and you did as she said letting your feet come to rest on the pavement.
“There she is!” came Charlotte’s happy voice from in front of you and you smiled in the direction the voice came from before you stood tall on your feet. “Alright take a step up and let Tequila take that dang blindfold off.” Charlotte cheered excitedly.
You could feel Tequila’s hands untying the knot at the back of your head and your hands easily came up to catch the blindfold. Your eyes blinked rapidly as sunlight pierced them and you slowly let your vision clear before spotting Charlotte and Rachel standing in front of you with wide happy grins. Then you spotted the building behind them and felt your eyes widen. Spinning around you looked at Tequila with uncontained delight.
“Area 51?!” you cheered excited and saw his wide happy grin. “Oh Tequila! Man after my own heart!” you squealed and flung yourself at him. He laughed loudly as he held you close in a tight hug.
“Nuttin’ but the best for the best.” he retorted as he hugged you close to him.
“C’mon Future Mrs. Daniels. Let’s get our laser tag on!” Called Charlotte and you laughed brightly before turning back to the two women in front of you.
Your group of four had been joined up with a larger group of eight and then two teams of six had been split up for the laser tag games. Charlotte and Rachel had been placed on the opposing team while you and Tequila were on the same team. Tequila crouched down behind some wooden pallets next to you and grinned wickedly as you peered around the cover to spot where Charlotte and Rachel were hiding.
“Your knee doing alright?” Tequila asked lowly as he peaked over the top of the pallets.
“Yeah it’s starting to cramp up on me a little, getting achy. I think this is gonna’ be my last game.” you responded slightly breathless with excitement. Tequila nodded to you as you both surveyed the battlefield from your vantage points. Just then you spotted Rachel’s head of hair bobbing from behind a pillar to your left. You tapped Tequila’s arm and nodded your head at where you could still a little bit of Rachel’s blue jeans peeking out from behind the pillar. Tequila silently nodded to you and began to aim his laser tag gun in that direction before you started moving along the floor still keeping in a crouch so that you could sneak up on Rachel.
Once you got down behind a group of barrels you quickly set your sights on Rachel who was peering around the pillar on the other side not seeing you at all. Raising your gun you quickly shot off two shots and heard her vest making a buzzer sound and her loud groaning as she whipped her head around and spotted you hiding behind the barrels.
“Dang it! Stop shooting me!” she snipped out and you laughed brightly before moving back to where Tequila was hiding.
“Have you seen Charlotte?” you ask him and he nods grinning while he trains his gun over to his right. You peer over his shoulder and see Charlotte manically laughing as she shoots someone from your team in the back. You both watch as she hoots and hollers as she runs about the room shooting as many people as she possibly can and yet never being taken out by one of your teammates.
“Are you sure you wanna marry into this family?” Tequila asks teasingly and you laugh softly as you train your gun on Charlotte as well. The timer on the clock is running down and you shut one of your eyes as you watch Charlotte spin in a circle crowing at the player she just shot. Letting out a soft slow breath you pull the trigger on your gun and the buzzer on Charlotte’s vest goes off not even five seconds before the clock buzzer goes off signalling the end of the game. You and Tequila jump up with loud cheers and hollers as Charlotte whirls around to you guys with a scowl on her face.
“What the hell you guys?!” Charlotte calls outraged as she throws her arms up in the air and you laugh smiling widely at her. You raise your gun and blow across the barrel making her laugh brightly. “My brother’s marrying a modern day Annie Oakley ain’t he?” she quips and you grin even wider.
“Hell yeah he is!” Tequila shouts as all four of your group come together. You grimace softly when your knee twinges and Tequila catches it easily. “C’mon ladies let’s go get Cur’s cane and then we’ll head out.” he says warmly wrapping an arm around your shoulders. You grin as you settle into his side letting him lead you out of the arena.
“Man I can’t wait to tell Jack that you were the sharp shooter of both games.” Charlotte says proudly and you smile over at her. Walking over to the counter you quickly undo your vest and hand it along with your gun. Tequila sidles up next to you and hands you your cane which you take gratefully.
“Thanks Tequila.” you thank him with a smile.
“So Rachel and I are gonna have to head on back to the hotel. I've got some meetings I need to handle for the family business and she’s got some work she has to finish up. But I’m so glad that we got to spend the day with you and celebrate you before you walk down the aisle.” CHarlotte explains as she gives you a tight warm hug that you return eagerly.
“Yeah I’ve some business proposals I have to go over so we’re both gonna go try to be adults now. But thank you for having us this was so much fun!” Rachel says with a wry grin. You laugh and hug her tightly as well.
“Thanks for coming, guys. This was a blast and I’m glad we got to do it.” you say feeling the adrenaline still coursing through you.
“Thanks for coming ladies. Maybe next time we can get the whole Daniels clan in on this.” Tequila suggests with a wide smile.
“Oh no, you don’t wanna do that.” Charlotte begins to say as she shakes her head vehemently.
“Yeah we’re all competitive and will gladly take out family members to win.” Rachel deadpans and both you and Tequila stare at her with wide eyes before her and Charlotte crack up.
As you all walk out of the building you see the two seperate town cars waiting for you all. You smile and hug both Rachel and Charlotte again before they hug Tequila and climb into their car. You wave as the car drives away before climbing into the car that’s waiting for you and Tequila.
“So I’ve still more plans for us if you’re up for it.” Tequila says unsurely and you look over at him with an adoring smile on your face.
“More?” you ask softly as you gesture back to the laser tag building. “More than that?”
“Well the next appointment is much slower and way more relaxing.” Tequila teases softly as the car begins to drive away.
“Lead the way Tequila.” you say trustingly and he grins over at you.
“We’re going to the spa??” you ask as you bounce in your seat as the car pulls up to The Spa at Mandarin Oriental. “Oh Tequila you’ve out done yourself!” you squeal excitedly and Tequila barks out a laugh.
“Fair warning I booked a couples massage package but if you’re uncomfortable with that I can always rearrange it.” he warns you and you shake your head with a side frown.
“Nonsense. We’ll be able to talk and hang out more this way.” you say easily with a wave of your hand. Tequila scoffs and shakes his head at you before climbing out of the car.
You’re laying face down on the massage table and your body is just melting under the hands of the masseuse. It’s been awhile since you’ve gotten a full body massage and this is just relaxing every tight knot in your muscles until they are jelly. You huff out softly as firm fingers dig into a knot on your left shoulder and you shiver before melting as the knot releases it’s tension under the pressure.
“How ya doin’ over there Cur?” Tequila asks from your right and you hum softly before hearing his chuckle. “You kinda need to answer with words Cur.” Tequila teases.
“Brain broke, head empty.” you quip back at him and he laughs loudly at your words.
“That good huh?” he asks before he hisses. Your head turns to the side to see Tequila’s masseuse digging her knuckles deeply into his calf muscles as he squeezes his eyes shut tightly.
“Just like that huh?” you retort back at him with a soft lazy smirk. He grunts lowly and you laugh. “This is amazing Tequila.” you say truthfully and his eyes open to stare at you with an affectionate smile directed at you. “I mean really. Today has been wonderful and I’m so grateful for it.”
“Anything for you Cur. You deserve it.” he responds before reaching his arm out with his fist clenched. You laugh brightly as tears pool in your eyes at the bond you two have before you reach out a tap your own fist against his.
The two of you had moved to the sauna where you both sat splayed out on the wooden benches as steam rose around you. You leaned your head back and shut your eyes slowly relishing in the heated room. Tequila sighed softly next to you as he sat there with his own eyes shut.
“I’m gonna miss this.” Tequila says almost morosely and you turn your head to look at him with a raised eyebrow.
“The bomb massage or the sauna?” you ask teasingly and he chuckles softly as he shakes his head at you.
“Spending time with you, idiot.” he quips back and you still for a second before your eyebrows furrow.
“What are you talking about?” you ask with concern lacing your voice.
“It’s going to be different cuz you’re getting married. You’re also here in New York. It’s just going to be different.” he tried to explain. You sat up and turned your body on an angle to face him more.
“No it’s not.” you said firmly and determined. Tequila snaps his head over to you and you scowl at him slightly. “I’ve been living in New York for months now. And we’ve managed to work around that just fine. You visit her or I visit there. And we video call at least once a week sometimes more when you’re not on mission.” you say fiercely and watch as Tequila’s eyes soften at your words. “Just because I’m getting married doesn’t mean that I let you fall to the wayside. That’s not how this works and if you think that than you’re in for a rude awakening, you stupid man.”
“I love you Cur.” Tequila rushes out suddenly and your eyes snap up to his from the floor that you had been glaring at.
“I love you too Tequila and if you ever imply that I’d give you up I’m gonna deck you.” you threaten him and he grins widely at you.
“Deal. Now c’mon there’s these things called facials that are next on the list and I’m intrigued.” he says easily and you burst out in astonished laughter at his stupidity.
“Alright so Whiskey went ahead and sent over a change of clothes for us for dinner.” Tequila explained as he handed you a black dress bag as you both stood outside the changing rooms. You smiled and shook your head slightly. “He’ll be joining us for dinner too but he’s gonna meet us there.”
“Sounds good. Any hints on where we’re going?” you asked hopefully and dropped your shoulders when you saw the shrewd look Tequila shot at you. “Fine, I’ll stop asking for hints and clues.” you huff out before walking into the dressing room.
The dress was gorgeous, a deep maroon color that had a lace overlay over the complete dress. With ¾ sleeves that came to rest at the bend of your elbows and a v-neckline that highlighted the glow your skin had obtained from the spa treatments, you looked and felt stunning. Slipping your feet into the black strappy kitten heels you felt bad ass.
“There she is!” Tequila called out as you stepped out into the main area of the Spa. He was dressed up in a pair of dark denim jeans and a charcoal gray button up shirt and his familiar tan Stetson. “You look beautiful.” he says kindly and you smile warmly up at him.
“Not so bad yourself!” you say and watch as a blush dusts his cheeks. You let him lead you out of the building and straight into the car waiting for you. The ride to the restaurant isn’t long but traffic holds you up a little bit as the hour reaches evening. You silently sit back in your seat and watch the city lights flash across your window. The sounds of New York life are soothing to you as you travel in the car with Tequila.
When the car pulls to the curb you look over and see that you have arrived at Wolfgang’s Steakhouse, which was a favorite of yours, Tequila’s and Jack’s. Smiling with delight you watch as Tequila exits the car and then you scoot over it to slide out behind him. When a hand comes into view you look up surprised and the grin that splits your face is almost blinding. Jack is standing in front of you in black button up shirt and gray vest with blue jeans as he holds his hand out for you. Taking his hand he helps you out of the car and onto the sidewalk before he shuts the car door.
“I miss you darlin’.” he whispers against your temple before pressing a quick kiss there.
“I missed you too.” you respond warmly and wrap your arm around his before walking into the restaurant. Tequila’s at the door holding it open for the two of you with a soft smirk. “What?” you ask him curiously.
“Nothing you two just look good together.” Tequila responds.
“Good, at least the wedding photos will turn out decent.” Whiskey gripes next to you and both you and Tequila burst out into happy laughter as the three of you head into dinner.
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What we don't know about parasites in our changing world could be deadly
https://sciencespies.com/environment/what-we-dont-know-about-parasites-in-our-changing-world-could-be-deadly/
What we don't know about parasites in our changing world could be deadly
In the salt water marshes of southern California, a splashing killifish is easy prey for a hungry shorebird. Like a jerking marionette, the helpless creature shimmies and flashes on the surface of the water. And all the while, hiding deep in its brain, an invisible other quietly pulls the strings.
The puppeteer in question is the super-abundant parasitic flatworm known as Euhaplorchis californiensis. Throughout its life, this one parasite will infect no less than three animals, and a bird’s intestine is the final destination it wants to reach.
To get there, the parasite’s larva must penetrate a killifish, crawl to its brain and lay down a carpet of cysts, which it then uses to manipulate the host’s swimming, sending it thrashing to the surface.
As it happens, infected killifish are preyed on by birds some 10 to 30 times more, which means that parasites are essentially increasing the amount of resources available in the ecosystem: a relationship we often overlook in the natural world.
The story of the infected fish is a tantalising peak backstage, but it’s also a reminder of our sheer ignorance. As the world’s climate changes, we can’t ignore our parasites any longer.
A parasitic dark matter
Though often hidden to the human eye, parasites are, by some estimates, more than half of all known species on Earth. What’s more, they can influence virtually every other free-living animal.
Humans alone play host to nearly 300 types of parasitic worm, and around a third of us are currently infected, whether knowingly or not, with at least one.
They’re everywhere, on all sides, maybe even inside. And yet when we picture a classic food chain, how many of us remember the lions, zebras and grass, only to forget their hidden puppeteers?
Compared to free-living species, scientists have collected relatively scant information on parasites. Historically dominated by medical researchers and overlooked by ecologists and conservationists (Darwin himself viewed them as “degenerates“), these organisms are often entirely missing from modern depictions of food chains; even though, in the average ecosystem, parasite–host links actually outnumber predator–prey links.
Only in the last 30 years or so have we realised our mistake.
(Cizauskas et al., Royal Society Open Science, 2017)
Above: Global distribution of parasite climate change research. Research on parasitic species is disproportionately oriented towards human emerging infectious diseases (EIDs), especially in countries where the majority of parasite research occurs.
When parasites like E. californiensis are included in the ecology of California’s salt marshes, the classic food web – with a few predators at the top and lots of smaller species on the bottom – is almost literally “turned on its head“.
“Essentially,” the authors of a 2008 paper explain, “a second web appears around the free-living web, and this completely changes the level of connectivity.”
Parasites are thus described as a sort of hidden “dark matter“, not only in our ecosystems but also in our models of infection. When Chelsea Wood, a parasite ecologist at the University of Washington, first started researching mass fishing nearly 15 years ago, she told ScienceAlert that we had virtually no idea how this practice might impact resident parasites.
Even now, she adds, when ecosystems are facing unprecedented changes, we have only the foggiest idea how more than half the species on Earth are coping.
Whether acknowledged or not, parasites are key indicators and shapers of healthy communities, influencing the survival and reproduction of whole host populations, causing food web cascades or even epidemics.
Some call them the “omnipresent agents of natural selection“, others the “ultimate missing links“, still others the “invisible puppeteers“.
Whatever the label, it’s about time we consider the parasite.
Shooting in the dark
If the history of medical science has taught us anything, Wood argues, it’s that the emergence of a new infectious disease can go unnoticed for a long time: the tale of HIV, jumping from primates to humans decades before we recognised it as a global epidemic, is a prime example.
Today, a similar story might be unfolding in our oceans, like a shadow, creeping up the wall behind us.
“We really are just starting to scratch the surface on whether a changing world means rising rates of infectious disease,” Wood told ScienceAlert.
In the last few years, scientists have grown ever more concerned that our planet is not only getting warmer, it’s also altering the spread and distribution of parasitic diseases.
A recent finding, not yet published by Wood’s lab, indicates that from 1978 to 2015, there was a 280-fold increase in Anisakis simplex, a cold water nematode responsible for some 20,000 cases of herring worm disease, usually contracted from eating raw or undercooked seafood.
Whether the trend is due to fishing, climate change or something else, is hard to say for now. In Arctic waters, where this nematode flourishes and climate change is at its worst, we often lack baseline and long-term data, even for the best known parasites and their diseases.
Unfortunately, this means our future projections can often fall short of the rich reality.
The domino effects of climate change on parasites and their hosts. (Cizauskas et al., Royal Society Open Science, 2017)
The latest climate-parasite models are trying to fill-in this blindspot, incorporating not only climate data, but also information on parasitic life cycles, ranges, and opportunities for new hosts.
The initial results suggest that climate change will play a much larger role in disease transfer than we once thought. But what that specifically means for bird-flu, human malaria, A. simplex or other parasitic diseases remains unresolved.
After all, wherever there’s few data, there’s plenty of doubt. Even Wood, who directly measures parasite prevalence, admits that her research may well contain a sneaking bias. Researchers, you see, tend to pay more attention to those parasites that matter to humans.
“No one cares about parasites that are diminishing into extinction, because they don’t hurt people, they don’t hurt animals, they don’t cause outbreaks, they don’t ruin your fish fillet, they don’t crawl across your plate at the sushi restaurant,” Wood explains.
But that doesn’t mean they aren’t a vital part of our ecology. While an increase or change in parasite populations will no doubt have serious repercussions for health and agriculture, the flip side may well entail ecological upheaval. Some parasites are certain to flourish, while others will likely decline and go extinct.
A 2017 study on 457 parasite species predicts that five to 10 percent are committed to this fate by 2070, solely from climate-driven habitat loss. The researchers went on to create the first “red list” for parasites.
“Accounting for host-driven coextinctions,” the authors write, “models predict that up to 30 [percent] of parasitic worms are committed to extinction, driven by a combination of direct and indirect pressures.”
Will the aforementioned E. californiensis number among these wormy losers? Will another invasive parasite take its place? What then will happen to the size, distribution and abundance of killifish? The hungry shorebird? The precious salt marshes? The humans who rely on them?
Gathering answers on the complexities of parasite-host dynamics in all the thousands of mammal and bird species is a simply impossible task, says Konstans Wells, a parasite ecologist and modeller at Swansea University.
“We need more data for certain aspects,” he told ScienceAlert, “but we certainly can’t sample everything and we also can’t wait with the modelling because there is always a need to make better forecasting or maps where diseases are being distributed.”
As the clock ticks, researchers must act like ghostbusters, hunting down invisible foes, diseases that don’t yet exist or have yet to re-emerge in some new unexpected location.
Danielle Claar, a postdoc working in Wood’s lab, is studying the effect of El Niño events in the parasite-rich Tropics, because she says these can act as windows into future warming. Others in the team are sifting through countless museum samples and old journals for evidence of the past.
“When you arrive into science you think everyone’s got everything figured out,” Wood says.
“But as you get deeper in you realise there’s so much we don’t know. It’s staggering.”
As the climate crisis takes a firm grip, squeezing some parasites out and holding on to others, what we don’t know could very will kill many. And that goes for both parasites and humans alike.
A version of this article was first published in June 2019.
#Environment
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WOW! What a weekend!
And it started with our Legendlore Kickstarter funding on Friday! Now we’re moving into Stretch Goals – so please, if you haven’t already, check it out! The link is below in the Kickstarter section!
And and, to get you started, here’s a review of the free PDF of the complete text for the book linked on the KS site:
https://thetabletopalmanac.wordpress.com/2020/06/15/rpg-reviews-legendlore-manuscript-preview/
Of course, this leaves the rest of the weekend, which just happened to consist of the first-ever Onyx Path Virtual Gaming Convention!
What a fun time!
We really didn’t know how folks would respond, but now that the three days of panels and gaming are done, I can say that our community was in turns hilarious, supportive, giving, excited, and energized. And that energy really flowed right back into all the events and energized all of us!
I mean, we’re still tired as all get out – who’d have thought that a con I could attend from my own house would do that? – but pretty sure we’re all still feeling the love, too.
Just to pull the giving part out for a second, we are absolutely thrilled that our charity goals were blasted through sometime mid-con, and we’ll be donating over a thousand dollars to each of our excellent causes: The Bodhana Group, and the Thurgood Marshall College Fund!
Now, back to the whooped by the con part, we are and I am, so today I’m just going to pull out some impressions of the events from a bunch of us who normally would have had our Monday Meeting today – we rescheduled it for later this week.
SCENES FROM A VIRTUAL CON:
Matthew: The Onyx Path Virtual Gaming Convention was the first con I helped organise, and while it had its share of stresses in the setup, it came to excellent fruition due to the fantastic teamwork of everyone working hard behind the scenes and amazing engagement from viewers, panelists, players, and those who donated to our charities and took advantage of our sales on onyxpathcon.com
RichT: I started us off on Friday night with the Opening Keynote speech, and then just sort of chatted with Matt McElroy, Dixie Cochran, Eddy Webb, and Matthew Dawkins about what was coming with the con.
For me, I then rolled into my first game, I played one per day, which was the first Actual Play of Exalted Essence. It really did run both fast and smoothly, and all of the various Exalted types we were playing had their times to shine. I was able to put a different, more easy-going, pie-eating, spin on my bear-totemed Lunar who still wound up grappling with the big bad and bear-hugging them in place for Danielle’s Solar to practically one-shot the sucker!
Ian: Convention was great, despite a few hiccups. I was on two streams early on: one Friday evening and one Saturday morning, and then the rest of the con was “free.”
Travis and the GG crew were all-stars. Travis couldn’t get Nightbot working for a bit so I took over the random prize drawing for a few streams. I was often juggling two different streams in different monitors to help keep dialogue going in chat. Kudos to everyone, especially those of you who worked multiple panels and games in a single day.
RichT: In fact, the panel Ian refers to on Saturday morning was the “What’s Up With Onyx Path?” panel that started off the day at 9am. This is a panel where a bunch of developers and I talk about upcoming projects for their lines, and answer questions. Eddy and I started doing them about a decade ago when it was “What’s Up With White Wolf?”, but changed the name for obvious reasons after Onyx Path appeared.
During that panel, a couple of things came up: Matthew teased that we might very well do They Came From (the Old West!, or something more flavorful that fits the genre) as the third They Came From game, and Ian talked about Trinity Continuum: Aeon Mission Statements, a book all about the organizations in the setting that aren’t the Psi-Orders. We also noticed that some folks in the chat were new to Onyx Path and what we create, so that was unexpected but welcome news!
Then, I played my second game of the con, which was a sneak preview of Scion: Demigod! Neall took us through a voyage to the Grecian Afterlife, using the Ready Made Characters from Heroes of the World and I got to play a stern Horace Farrow ala Sam Elliott, while Steffie cut up many, many things with Yukiko’s Grass-Cutter Sword. Then, another panel on Community Content and why it rocks wrapped up my Saturday.
Matthew: I didn’t encounter one instance of bad behaviour in chat or anything dubious discussed on screen in games or on panels, and I attended most that I could as a viewer, if I wasn’t an active participant.
Viewership of panels and games peaked at around 250 to 300 people at one time for a couple of the shows, and bottomed out at around 50 people. Those are good figures. Our subscriptions and follows on Twitch rocketed, with many subscriptions being gifted by viewers and even more just being purchased or acquired via Amazon Prime.
My own highlight is impossible to choose between the games and panels I ran or appeared on, though the “Create Your Best Character” panel, which I suspected would be a sleeper, turned into an excellent talk on not playing harmful stereotypes and break out of dangerous tropes.
Eddy: The convention was great for me. My scheduling was a little odd, and I ran into one minor technical issue, but otherwise it went smoothly and it seemed like people in the chat were excited and appreciative. I felt like we got to dig into topics we aren’t able to do in normal convention settings, and attendance was definitely higher than usual for panels at other shows. I also heard that people had a good time watching the games or playing in ad-hoc games all weekend. I know there were some problems on the back-end of getting this all together, but I don’t think any of our attendees noticed anything but a nice, polished experience.
RichT: Sunday started out just like Saturday, with the second “What’s Up With Onyx Path?” panel, although with a different set of developers. The big news was when Eddy ratted out that he was working on Squeaks in the Dark, the mice/rats supplement for Realms of Pugmire!
I then had my second panel on Sunday, the “Art of Onyx Path” one, where Mirthful Mike Chaney joined three of our freelance artists and I in discussing just how illustrators work for us: how they submit their work, how they are contacted, how art notes work, how artists work, and what sort of music do we listen to while doing illustrations. Lots of great questions from the audience, and a wide range of experience within the panel, made it really interesting.
RichT: Then my Sunday game was the first public playtest of They Came From Beyond the Grave! run by Matthew, and featuring Dixie’s Rose Thorne, a driven vampire hunter with attitude, and 70s hair. She teamed up with B. Dave Walters’ smoooth street investigator to blast the ever-lovin’ hell out of evil cultists, while Ian Mueller’s exorcist (sorta) shot the big bad between the eyes with Rose’s derringer, and my slightly odd professor tried to save as much weird-science lab equipment as he could. Science! We left the haunted house as the superimposed fire effect began to devour it, fortunately for all involved (except the dead 70s prog-rock star sacrificed by the cultists).
I immediately had to log into my last event, but what a special event it was! Added late in the proceedings as we had to work within a lot of people’s schedules, I was thrilled to sit down with a bunch of my old co-workers at the original White Wolf in a “Memories of WW” panel with Bill Bridges, Rich Dansky, Ethan Skemp, Mike Tinney, and my old go-to designer for graphics, Matt Milberger.
Much reminiscing occurred, interposed with questions from the chat, that pretty much focused on our time from the early 90s to the early 2000s, although we did chat a bit about the late, lamented WoD MMO, as most of us worked on that in one capacity or another. Mike talked about how he cozened us an arcade version of Dark Stalkers for our little lunchroom, and we had fond memories of the WW Blood Bowl League.
(My Children of the Khorne chaos team won the cup two seasons in a row, just sayin’).
And although I didn’t want it to end, it did, and my time at the first-ever Onyx Path Virtual Gaming Convention was over. Which was actually pretty good because my brain was on autopilot at that point.
Ian: Everyone on both sides of the screen seemed to have a great time, and the only real complaints I heard were that there were too many good things happening at once and people had to make a choice on which stream to watch.
Matthew: While many games had a tendency to overrun, I’d say they each ran to optimal length and didn’t cause too much disruption farther up the schedule.
RichT: Which are all good things to happen, actually, with your first online convention, so we’re going to review all the metrics we can gather ourselves and from the super folks at Gehenna Gaming, and see what we can learn from all that.
Will we do another one? We just don’t know yet, but whether we do or not, this one sure did what we wanted to do – folks who attended had a whole lot of fun! If you missed out and want to watch the games and panels, they are currently on the Onyx Path and Gehenna Gaming Twitch channels for subscribers, but will soon migrate over to the Onyx Path YouTube page for all to watch!
So, from all of us to all of you, whether you attended or didn’t, thanks for making it a real joy to walk with you exploring:
Many Worlds, One Path!
Blurbs!
Kickstarter!
The Legendlore Kickstarter funded right before we started the Virtual Con last week! A really great way to start things off! Now we’re building towards Stretch Goals: the GM’s Screen, and starting the Legendlore Companion book PDF!
https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/339646881/legendlore-rpg-setting-for-5th-edition-fantasy-roleplaying-0
Grab your friends and escape to another world!
You’ve found an enchanted portal — a transition point — between worlds. The portal, called a Crossing, takes you to a world you thought only existed in novels and films: a magical land where dragons roam the skies, orcs and hobgoblins terrorize weary travelers, and unicorns prance through the forest. It is a world where humans join other peoples such as elves, trolls, dwarves, changelings, and the dreaded creatures who steal the night. It is a world of fantasy — of imagination.
It is the Realm.
It is Legendlore.
Onyx Path Media!
This week: the most exciting episode of the Onyx Pathcast ever, recorded live at the Onyx Path Virtual Gaming Convention!
As always, this Friday’s Onyx Pathcast will be on Podbean or your favorite podcast venue! https://onyxpathcast.podbean.com/
Hi all!
We’ll be back next week with our usual promotion of all the excellent games on our Twitch and YouTube channels, but for now, we encourage you to do what it seems a lot of people are doing right now, and hop over to our Twitch: twitch.tv/theonyxpath
While the convention has ended, but subscribing to our Twitch channel (which you can do for free if you have Amazon Prime), you get access to all the panels and games that ran on it over the convention weekend. So, if you missed a panel or game you really wanted to watch, head on to our Twitch, subscribe, and browse our back catalogue!
Other than our content, we would like to promote a couple more games for those without Twitch:
Occultists Anonymous continue their excellent Mage: The Awakening game here:
Episode 106: Friends & Minions
The cabal combats the uninvited guest summoned by an Exarchal Supernal Being. The danger of the Exarchal attention prompts further investigations away from the Supernal.
https://youtu.be/YSErlwnC7Nc
Episode 107: Making Promises
Songbird reaches out to the Queen of the Vampires of New York about a divine blessing. Wyrd and Atratus hatch a plan to make a car…
https://youtu.be/dueYYUl0FrY
And A Bunch of Gamers have just started up a two-part extravaganza of They Came from Beneath the Sea! right here:
The Crabby Lizard from the Murkey Depths
Episode 1: In the small east coast town of Chatham Massachusetts things are easy. The soda pop shop is ready for any of the locals. The city comes together for a bake sale to help their neighbors, and everyone knows each other. All that changes when a strange electrical storm and a booming voice can be heard over the jukebox. Tonight, the strange, the horrid, the damp creatures from beyond the stars and the depths of the sea rise up to meet the people of Chatham.https://youtu.be/UwxzdwVoYQE
The Tabletop Almanac has released a lovely review of Legendlore that you’ll want to see! https://thetabletopalmanac.wordpress.com/2020/06/15/rpg-reviews-legendlore-manuscript-preview/
Please check these out and let us know if you find or produce any actual plays of our games! We’d love to feature you!
Electronic Gaming!
As we find ways to enable our community to more easily play our games, the Onyx Dice Rolling App is live! Our dev team has been doing updates since we launched based on the excellent use-case comments by our community, and this thing is awesome! (Seriously, you need to roll 100 dice for Exalted? This app has you covered.)
On Amazon and Barnes & Noble!
You can now read our fiction from the comfort and convenience of your Kindle (from Amazon) and Nook (from Barnes & Noble).
If you enjoy these or any other of our books, please help us by writing reviews on the site of the sales venue from which you bought it. Reviews really, really help us get folks interested in our amazing fiction!
Our selection includes these latest fiction books:
Our Sales Partners!
We’re working with Studio2 to get Pugmire and Monarchies of Mau out into stores, as well as to individuals through their online store. You can pick up the traditionally printed main book, the screen, and the official Pugmire dice through our friends there! https://studio2publishing.com/search?q=pugmire
We’ve added Prince’s Gambit to our Studio2 catalog: https://studio2publishing.com/products/prince-s-gambit-card-game
Now, we’ve added Changeling: The Lost Second Edition products to Studio2‘s store! See them here: https://studio2publishing.com/collections/all-products/changeling-the-lost
Scion 2e books and other products are available now at Studio2: https://studio2publishing.com/blogs/new-releases/scion-second-edition-book-one-origin-now-available-at-your-local-retailer-or-online
Looking for our Deluxe or Prestige Edition books? Try this link! http://www.indiepressrevolution.com/xcart/Onyx-Path-Publishing/
And you can order Pugmire, Monarchies of Mau, Cavaliers of Mars, and Changeling: The Lost 2e at the same link! And now Scion Origin and Scion Hero and Trinity Continuum Core and Trinity Continuum: Aeon are available to order!
As always, you can find Onyx Path’s titles at DriveThruRPG.com!
On Sale This Week!
Available this Wednesday, we are just a bit embarrassed to say that we’ll be releasing on DTRPG the PDF and PoD versions of Swine and Cheese Party, Et Al., excerpts from The Complete Duke Rollo, for Trinity Continuum: Aberrant!
Also available this Wednesday on DTRPG: the Advance PDF for Quantum Entanglement the Trinity Continuum: Aeon Jumpstart!
Conventions!
Though dates for physical conventions are subject to change due to the current COVID-19 outbreak, here’s what’s left of our current list of upcoming conventions (and really, we’re just waiting for this last one to be cancelled even though it’s Nov/Dec). Instead, keep an eye out here for more virtual conventions we’re going to be involved with:
PAX Unplugged: https://unplugged.paxsite.com/
And now, the new project status updates!
Development Status from Eddy Webb! (Projects in bold have changed status since last week.):
First Draft (The first phase of a project that is about the work being done by writers, not dev prep.)
Exalted Essay Collection (Exalted)
Adversaries of the Righteous (Exalted 3rd Edition)
The Clades Companion (Deviant: The Renegades)
The Devoted Companion (Deviant: The Renegades)
Saints and Monsters (Scion 2nd Edition)
Trinity Continuum: Anima
CtL 2e Novella Collection: Hollow Courts (Changeling: The Lost 2e)
M20 Technocracy Operative’s Dossier (Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary)
Redlines
Dragon-Blooded Novella #2 (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Hundred Devil’s Night Parade (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Novas Worldwide (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
Exalted Essence Edition (Exalted 3rd Edition)
M20 Rich Bastard’s Guide To Magick (Mage: The Ascension 20th Anniversary)
V5 Children of the Blood (was The Faithful Undead) (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
V5 Forbidden Religions (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
Wild Hunt (Scion 2nd Edition)
Second Draft
Many-Faced Strangers – Lunars Companion (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Kith and Kin (Changeling: The Lost 2e)
Dearly Bleak – Novella (Deviant: The Renegades)
Mission Statements (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
Contagion Chronicle Ready-Made Characters (Chronicles of Darkness)
Under Alien Suns (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
V5 Trails of Ash and Bone (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
Trinity Continuum: Adventure! core (Trinity Continuum: Adventure!)
Dead Man’s Rust (Scarred Lands)
Development
TC: Aberrant Reference Screen (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
Across the Eight Directions (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Contagion Chronicle: Global Outbreaks (Chronicles of Darkness)
M20 Victorian Mage (Mage: the Ascension 20th Anniversary Edition)
Exigents (Exalted 3rd Edition)
N!ternational Wrestling Entertainment (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
Assassins (Trinity Continuum Core)
Manuscript Approval
Crucible of Legends (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Post-Approval Development
Editing
Lunars Novella (Rosenberg) (Exalted 3rd Edition)
Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition core rulebook (Mummy: The Curse 2nd Edition)
Player’s Guide to the Contagion Chronicle (Chronicles of Darkness)
Contagion Chronicle Jumpstart (Chronicles of Darkness)
TC: Aberrant Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
Trinity Continuum Jumpstart (Trinity Continuum)
Masks of the Mythos (Scion 2nd Edition)
LARP Rules (Scion 2nd Edition)
Heirs to the Shogunate (Exalted 3rd Edition)
The Book of Lasting Death (Mummy: The Curse 2e)
They Came From Beyond the Grave! (They Came From!)
Scion: Dragon (Scion 2nd Edition)
Scion: Demigod (Scion 2nd Edition)
Post-Editing Development
City of the Towered Tombs (Cavaliers of Mars)
W20 Shattered Dreams Gift Cards (Werewolf: The Apocalypse 20th)
Cults of the Blood Gods (Vampire: The Masquerade 5th Edition)
Hunter: The Vigil 2e core (Hunter: The Vigil 2nd Edition)
Trinity Continuum: Aberrant core (Trinity Continuum: Aberrant)
Deviant: The Renegades (Deviant: The Renegades)
Monsters of the Deep (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)
Legendlore core book (Legendlore)
Pirates of Pugmire KS-Added Adventure (Realms of Pugmire)
Tales of Aquatic Terror (They Came From Beneath the Sea!)
Terra Firma (Trinity Continuum: Aeon)
One Foot in the Grave Jumpstart (Geist: The Sin-Eaters 2e)
Indexing
Art Direction from Mike Chaney!
In Art Direction
Scion Titanomachy – Art coming in.
Tales of Aquatic Terror
WoD Ghost Hunters (KS) – Prepping KS assets.
Aberrant – AD’d. First new comic in.
Hunter: The Vigil 2e
Mummy 2
Deviant – Dividing up among current artists.
Legendlore – KS running.
Technocracy Reloaded (KS)
Cults of the Blood God – Rolling along.
Scion: Dragon (KS) – Waiting on art notes.
Masks of the Mythos (KS) – Some tweaking to art notes and hiring artists.
Scion: Demigod (KS) – Tweaking art notes, hiring artists. Splats in progress.
They Came From Beyond the Grave! (KS) – Finals coming in.
TC: Adventure! (KS) – Cover art finishing.
In Layout
Yugman’s Guide to Ghelspad
Vigil Watch
TC Aeon Terra Firma
V5 Let the Streets Run Red
Pugmire Adventure
Proofing
Trinity Aeon Jumpstart – New artist taking care of finishing missing art.
Lunars: Fangs at the Gate – Finishing Backer PDF errata.
Contagion Chronicle – Going to WW for approval this week.
Cavaliers of Mars: City of the Towered Tombs
Magic Item Decks (Scarred Lands)
Yugman’s Guide Support Decks (Scarred Lands)
Dark Eras 2 Screen and booklet
At Press
Scion Companion – Shutting down errata.
TCFBTS Heroic Land Dwellers – Prepping PoD files.
TCFBTS Screen and Booklet – Files at press.
They Came from Beneath the Sea! – Files at press.
Creature Collection 5e – PoD files uploaded. Traditional files sent to printer.
Pirates of Pugmire – Files at press. Prepping files for PoD.
Pirates of Pugmire Screen – Files at press.
Duke Rollo Aberrant Book: Swine & Cheese Party – PDf and PoD versions on sale Wednesday on DTRPG.
Pugmire Buried Bones – Gathering errata.
Changeling: The Lost 2nd Edition Dark Eras Compilation – Gathering errata.
Today’s Reason to Celebrate!
Today is feet up and dozing after the busy, busy, Virtual Con and celebrating its success!
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Chapter 6
Brooklyn, New York January 23 1992
It was a Friday night and the alcohol flowing freely with the weather as perfect as it could be despite it being the middle of winter. It was just after midnight, making it officially my birthday and I was celebrating my 27th year at one of the rock clubs called L'Amour. I had made a few friends since settling here for the time being, renting a tiny one bedroom apartment just a few blocks from here, which was really more like a bachelor apartment since it's all I can afford right now.
The guy that was sitting next to me, who I think he said his name was Ryan, seemed to have about ten hands because they were constantly trying to touch me, despite my meager attempts to stop him, though I really didn't want him to stop, I just didn't want him to think I was too easy. He was amazingly hot, tall, covered in tattoos with a big chest and biceps that you could pretty much bounce a rock off of them, his hair long and dark, his eyes blue, and he wore a Pantera band shirt that seemed two sizes too small just so that he could show off that chest and arms of his.
He was definitely intimidating, and well versed in flirting, knowing all the right things to say to get me going as I carried on drinking shots of Jack Daniels.
"So darlin', feel like maybe heading somewhere else?" He flirts, brushing my curls off my shoulder, leaning into my ear and sliding his big hand up my bare thigh. I swear he could probably swallow me whole with those hands.
"Um, I don't know yet... I'm kinda having a good time here," I say sweetly.
"If you leave with me, I could show you an even better time," He teases, sliding his hand further up my thigh as he moves to place his lips to that spot just under my ear, but instead I place my hands on his chest, pushing him away.
I was horny as all hell but I wanted to get as drunk as I could get first. I ordered another two shots and downed them as quickly as I could while Ryan sips his beer, his eyes never leaving me, looking like he was about to eat me up right on the spot.
"You sure know how to sip that whiskey... but I think you might like sipping on something else more," He teases again leaning into me. I swear to god I could feel that tingling sensation going straight to my core at the thought of a man having his way with me. It's been months since I've been touched, let alone kissed but the drunker I started to become, I wasn't so sure I wanted to leave with Ryan anymore.
"I uh, just need to use the ladies room," I say sweetly. I honestly just needed a minute away from him but I also really needed to empty my bladder. I swiftly hop off the bar stool, flipping my dark curls out of my face as Ryan eyes flick over my body, watching me walk to the ladies room.
Once I emptied my bladder, instantly I could feel myself become more drunk than I was just a few minutes ago. I staggered just a little to the mirror to check myself, making sure my curls looked alright, straightening out my Black Sabbath - Master Of Reality tank top that I made, showing my cleavage in the most perfect way and adjusting my ripped denim mini skirt. I stayed in the bathroom for a little while longer to give myself a little more time before trying to sneak away from Ryan and just heading home.
I didn't really want to go home but I wasn't sure how to lose Ryan and still carry on with my drinking.
As I walk out of the bathroom and head down the long dark corridor, I see Ryan approaching me and he stops me dead in my tracks.
"I was wonderin' when you were gonna come outta there," He smiles as he grabs my hips and presses me against him.
"Yea, sorry I just really had to go," I say placing my hands on his chest, feeling just how toned he was under my touch.
"So don't you think it's about time we get outta here and head to my place?" He says as he leans down to me.
"I actually wanted to stay and have a few more drinks," I give him a smile.
"I got all the drinks you'll ever need at my place," He says as he presses me even closer to him.
"But, I really like the drinks here," I say trying to flirt my way out of this.
"I think you'll like them even more at my place," He counters which made me feel a little intimidated.
"I don't think so," I try to say sweetly.
"I do... think so," Ryan says and pushes me up against the wall, his one hand still gripping my hip and his other leaning on the wall as he towers over me.
"Hey!"
I suddenly hear a familiar voice as Ryan turns to look at where it was coming from.
"Mind your business," Ryan says and turns back to me.
"I think it is my business when it's my girl you're trying to get with,"
Wait, what? Who? What the Fuck?
"She ain't your girl right now brother," Ryan says turning back to the voice while I peak around him to see just who it was. I couldn't believe my eyes.
Chris Cornell.
"Yea, well that usually happens when we fight... C'mon babe... Let's get you home," Chris gives me a wink.
"You got a boyfriend?" Ryan asks turning back to me.
"Uh, yea," I give a nervous smile and play along. Ryan slowly backs off and looks at Chris who was maybe only just half an inch shorter than Ryan.
"Fucking tease," Ryan mutters under his breath and turns towards the bar, grabbing his jacket then heading out the door. I stand there looking at Chris completely dumbfounded that he is standing right here in front of me.
God he's fucking gorgeous with his dark curls down just passed his shoulders, that perfectly trimmed beard and those blue eyes that seem to look straight into my soul. He wore a light brown jacket over a military green button up shirt that he left unbuttoned, his necklaces laying perfectly against his smooth bare chest with military green pants which actually made his blue eyes look more green in contrast.
A part of me wanted to run into his arms so he could hold me and make me feel safe from the world but another part of me wishes that I had a drink just so that I could throw it in his face.
"Hi," Chris says sweetly but I still just look at him with no reaction at all. I peel myself away from the wall as his smile slowly fades and walk passed him without a word.
"Andi - "
"Don't," I cut him off as I head back up to the bar, a little wobbly but I'm able to maintain myself. I order one more shot, down it, pay my tab and let my friends know I'm heading home.
"Andi...?" Chris asks again behind me but I grab my leather jacket and head towards the doors. Once I stumble a little out on to the side walk, the chilly January air hitting me, the drunkenness really was in full force at this point. I quickly throw my jacket on pulling out my curls from underneath and letting them fall around my shoulders, then pull out my pack of cigarettes and light one up.
"Andi, What the fuck? Hey... wait a minute," Chris calls but I continue up the sidewalk
"No," I slur taking a drag of my cigarette.
"No? What do you mean no?" He chuckles as he continues to follow me but I say nothing.
"Andrea," Chris says again, this time grabbing my arm to stop me and turns me to face him.
"I was perfectly fucking fine handling that guy on my own. I didn't need you to swoop in and rescue me!" I exclaim, trying hard to keep my composure but it was no use. I was pissed.
"Andi I - "
"I haven't heard from you in months... and you expect me to fucking fall at your feet, thanking you or something?" I slur as I try to keep my balance.
I was so fucking angry and so fucking horny all at the same time that I couldn't decide whether to yell at him or fuck him right in the snow on the sidewalk.
"Andi -" Chris furrows his brow as those eyes try to find mine but they were already clouded with the tears that were welling up.
"I'm going home," I say turning around trying to stop myself from crying and flicking my cigarette off somewhere, not even offering it to Chris like I used to do and attempt to walk, but stumble profusely when suddenly everything really started to spin...
"Andi... oh Shit!"
Happy fucking Birthday to me...
*****
I woke up sometime in the early morning hours with the bright winter sun pouring through my window shades. I groan turning away covering my head with the pillow, doing everything I can to will away the throbbing from my temples. Without much luck I slowly sit up in bed, squeezing my eyes shut with a mouth full of cotton, desperately needing a drink of water and maybe a good swish of mouthwash.
"Fuck me," I say to myself as my curls fall down around my shoulders, slowly climbing out of bed. I don't even remember how I managed to get myself into bed let alone finding myself only in my lacy red bra with matching red thong panties. I let out another groan holding my head as I try to open my eyes to make my way out of the bedroom to head to the bathroom. Since the bathroom was on the other side of my living room, it felt like it was more like 500 feet away rather than just a few feet since my apartment was so small.
Rubbing my eyes to try to rid the sleep, I slowly head across the living room, yawning as I do so when suddenly I spot a tall figure sleeping only in his black boxer shorts on my couch.
Did I? No... I'd remember if I had sex last night, and it didn't look like that Ron, or Ryan whatever his name was from the bar last night.
To the left there was an overnight duffle bag sitting on the chair which made me wonder just how long does this guy think he staying for and how he thought he could just crash here last night. I thought about maybe saying something but since my eyes were still trying to focus I couldn't make out who it was. He was facing the back of the couch and looked like he needed the sleep so I decided not to disturb him.
I look down at myself for a second, realizing I was still in my bra and panties and quickly head to the washroom so that he doesn't see me. After a little while, realizing that I may need just a bit more sleep, I open up the bathroom door to quietly make my way back to my bed and I see the figure who was previously sleeping on the couch now sitting up and yawning, flipping those beautiful curls out of his face.
Fucking Chris? What the Hell?
"Hi... I was uh, wondering when you were going to make an appearance or else I'd have to come in there and wake you up myself," He yawns as he tries to smile at me, his gorgeous blue eyes glancing over my body.
I stood there in the middle of the room as Chris leans back on the couch, stretching his arms out in front of him, then putting his arms up in the air so that I had the perfect view of him in only his green military pants with every inch of his beautifully toned body on display.
"Um... wait... what?" I say confused and he just smiles at me, with his eyes still glancing over my body. I had completely forgot that I was just standing in my bra and panties still and I look down at myself suddenly feeling a bit shy.
"Um... just give me a second," I say nervously practically darting to my bedroom for something to cover myself up with.
"Andi... you don't have to hide from me you know that right?" Chris calls from the living room as I scramble to find some shorts and a tank top.
"I'm not hiding, I'm just... trying to find something... decent - Hey!" I exclaim cutting myself off as he suddenly appeared at my bedroom door, leaning against the door frame, raising his eyebrow at me as I cover myself with my clothes that I've yet to put on.
"Jeeze Andi, you're acting like I've never seen you before and trust me... I do miss that," He smirks that sexy smirk of his and I couldn't decide whether to kiss him or slap him.
"Christopher Cornell I think it's time you kept your eyes to yourself," I say trying to be serious but that damn smile of his made me giggle anyways. He chuckles and I go back to quickly throwing on a pair of loose drawstring gym shorts that practically showed the bottom of my butt cheeks -god damn that dryer for shrinking them - and a Motley Crue tank, then flip my hair up in a hair clip with my curls bouncing everywhere. I look back at him as he watches me put up my hair, stroking his beard trying to put his eyes back in his head.
"Chris,"
"What?" He asks.
"Can you... maybe... I don't know..." I say not exactly wanting him to leave my room and put a shirt on but he was distracting me and definitely not helping my situation either.
"You don't want me in your room?" He asks.
"No it's not that... just... What are you doing here anyways?" I ask quickly turning to grab my pack of smokes off my dresser and light one up.
"Well after you passed out in the middle of the street last night, I wanted to make sure you were ok," He says.
"I passed out in the street?" I ask in disbelief, exhaling a cloud of smoke, trying to remember what happened.
"Yea, you uh... told me off pretty good and then when you went to walk home, you stumbled and passed out. I caught you going down so you didn't get hurt but you were right out of it... stone cold. I went back in the bar where your friends were to ask them where your house was and brought you home..." He says concerned.
"Wait... I told you off? Why?" I ask not remembering one single thing after using the ladies room at L'Amour.
"You really don't remember?" Chris raises his eyebrows at me as hand him my cigarette walking passed him to the little kitchenette to grab a sport drink and Chris follows me. I shake my head no as I take a long sip.
Oh Gatorade... you are my hangover friend...
"I uh... think I might've cock-blocked you or something... Just a big guy who looked like he was trying to make you do something that you didn't want to..." Chris chuckles taking a drag as he leans on my little counter island. Suddenly the memory of Ryan comes flooding back to me.
"Oh... yea... fuck, I'm sorry," I say looking down at my bottle of Gatorade and setting it down on the counter island.
"It's ok," He says and butts out the cigarette in the ashtray on the counter.
"Fuck, I'm such a fuck up..." I trail off feeling the tears welling up in my eyes as Chris moves towards me.
"Andi... hey.... c'mere," Chris says so comfortingly moving closer and taking me in his arms. I pressed my cheek to his bare chest, inhaling the leftover cologne that remained on his skin and instantly I'm brought back to that night in the desert. That first night we met when all I wanted to do was forget all the hurt and pain I've been through. Even though I'm not exactly running anymore, I still can't seem to break my old habits.
I let him hold me as I continued to cry like a baby. He held me for a while and I never wanted him to let me go. His skin felt so good, warm and smooth as it soothed me like I never thought it would. It had been a really long time since I actually cried and it felt good to let it out, though I felt like a fool for the way I acted last night. At last my tears finally stopped.
"C'mon, let's sit," He says sweetly walking with me over to the couch and we sit together facing each other.
"I'm sorry, I uh... don't mean to be all emotional and shit... I guess I just fucking missed you a lot more than I thought I did," I confess as I lean my head on my hand on the back of the couch, his arm resting on the back of the couch too, reaching up and wiping away a stray tear on my cheek with his thumb.
"Well... I fucking missed you too," He confesses with a chuckle and I giggle. He might as well said 'I love you' because it sounded just as good.
"How did you even find me?" I giggle trying to lighten the mood.
"Well the band's actually playing at L'Amour tomorrow night so I wanted to go and check out the club before heading to the hotel, see what it's like... I honestly had no idea you were even there last night. I just walked in the door when I saw that guy man handle you and shove you up against the wall... I uh, guess I got a little protective," He explains glancing down at himself and brushing something off his thigh. It actually felt really good that he felt the need to protect me.
"Did you drive all the way here?" I ask.
"Uh huh, the uh, van's parked out front... the guys have the other van with all the gear," He says gesturing out my living room window.
"I really didn't mean to overstep on anything if there was anything going on between you two," Chris says as his eyes flick back to mine, his brow furrowing a little while his curls spill across his bare chest.
"No, no there's nothing between me and... Ron er- Ryan. He was just... some guy..." I explain.
"You're not seeing anyone?" He asks.
"No, no... I'm pretty much a dateless wonder over here," I say looking away from him, not wanting to admit that but it just came out.
"Are you?" I ask glancing back at him after a few moments of silence between us.
"No," He exhales making a frown for a second and glances down at himself.
"Really?" I ask with a smirk.
"Yea really... why?" He raises his eyebrow at me.
"No reason... I just thought...you would be... I don't know," I say feeling awkward that I didn't believe him at first.
"There hasn't been anyone since you..." He says looking straight into my eyes and I couldn't help but feel my heart flutter for a few seconds.
"Well just because the band's been so busy... touring with GNR... Interviews... video shoots and stuff like that," He adds looking away and down at himself again. I can't even tell you how a part of me was incredibly happy that there wasn't anyone else, but the fact that there hasn't been anyone but me is a little surprising to me. I mean this is Chris Cornell here. He can have his pick at any girl that will throw themselves at him.
"So... what's it like on the road with Guns N' Roses?" I ask clearing my throat.
"It's pretty cool actually... it's a bit weird sometimes going from playing small clubs one night and then huge stadiums the next but... we seem to be winning over the GNR fans pretty well," Chris chuckles.
"So tomorrow night's not a stadium night then?" I ask.
"No..." Chris smiles at me.
"So uh, it looks like you're doing a lot better than the last time I saw you," Chris says as he looks around the living room.
"Yea a little... it's not much but it's all I can afford right now," I say as I look around with him.
"It came fully furnished so at least I didn't have to buy any furniture..." I add as Chris looks back at me.
"Fuck I never thought that I was ever going to see you again," I admit and he softly smiles at me.
"You uh, look really good... I mean really good," Chris says with his eyes quickly glancing over me.
"Thank you... I uh... decided to ditch the bruising problem... you know... I still may be a fuck up but at least I knew that wasn't a great look for me," I say trying to make a joke. I still wasn't ready to talk about it but at least I can try and make the best of it. He continues to look at me and I just look down at myself realizing that may not have been as funny as I thought it was.
"You look really good too..." I say, slowly looking back at him.
"Really? This old thing?"" Chris jokes gesturing to himself and I laugh.
"I even missed that laugh of yours," Chris chuckles as I giggle.
"And you're not a fuck up," Chris adds, his blue eyes finding mine once again and we glance at each other for a few moments. He reaches out to me and cups my face in his palm. Instantly I feel the heat from his hand sending trickles of goose bumps throughout my body. I can't even explain just how much I missed his touch and I wanted to show him just how much I missed him.
****************************************************************************************
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June 27th - 3 Years Later
Ever wondered how characters coped with the uncalled-for cancellation after the second season finale of Wander Over Yonder premiered? Well, I know a certain electric skeleton man who has lost his patience.
If there’s anyone who’s really had it with Disney and its inability to let @crackmccraigen close out WOY his way, it’s Lord Hater. In fact, he’s been under the impression that with shows like Phineas and Ferb, Gravity Falls, Star vs. the Forces of Evil, and the Mickey Mouse shorts around, the company is better off without him.
Check out what I have here.
Some of us can relate to Ol’ Hatey, right? He used to be interested in the Disney Channel, but not anymore. What he wouldn’t give to move to Netflix, where Craig is working on his next cartoon. In one alternate universe or more, Wander Over Yonder was never outperformed by other shows and was given one more season, so my comic wouldn’t exist in such a universe. You can guess what other cartoon shows I’m referencing here. All it needs now is a vocal recording by Keith Ferguson and Tom Kenny (plus some sfx).
It’s been three years since cancellation, which is longer than the run from The Greatest (The Picnic if you count the sneak peak) to The End of the Galaxy. SaveWOY has lasted even longer than that because it was launched in March of 2016. We keep it going because plans for that third and final season exist.
Riddle me this, cynics and pessimists, if Wander Over Yonder is truly done, finished, never to be revisited again, and will never get a third season, how come Craig McCracken (or anyone who worked with him on the S3 pitch) still hasn’t told us everything about those S3 plans? Because the crew members love them so much that they cannot bear to reveal it all in one post. Also, they must have some faith in the fans who are trying to save it. It’s almost as hard for the crew to keep S3 a secret as it is for us to save the show. We just need to keep letting those higher-ups know how serious we really are about the show’s need for the planned conclusion. Besides, Hey Arnold! and Samurai Jack got their long overdue closures and so will Yound Justice, Invader Zim, and Star Wars: The Clone Wars. Who’s to say the same will never happen to WOY?
Craig’s still working on Kid Cosmic for Netflix, I know, but we mustn’t stand idly by while these S3 details remain a mystery for an eternity:
Lord Hater’s origin story
The 3 new main characters
A Peepers-centric arc
A new direction for Dominator
A new threat worse than Dominator
How Wander would be tested
So far, we already know The Star Nomad, the ship that appeared in an image in The Waste of Time and in an up-close cameo in Future-Worm, would play a huge role in S3 - taking the majority of the refugees back to their recovering home planets. What happens to the ship in the end remains to be seen.
I guess the best way to find out exactly what S3 is about is to get every single cartoon enthusiast involved in the SaveWOY camapaign. I mean, if we get the creators of the more popular cartoons (Pendleton Ward, Ben Bocquelet, Alex Hirsch, Rebecca Sugar, Daron Nefcy, Daniel Chong, to name a few) to talk about why WOY deserves one more season or a streaming-exclusive movie, every viewer who’s ever ignored WOY might pay attention, and when that happens, Disney should give WOY another chance on Disney+ sometime in the mid-late 2020s.
Honestly, I feel anyone who shows interest in S3 deserves to know more about it. I mean, after all we’ve done to spread awareness, don’t we deserve to know just a little bit more? We must keep sending those politely-written letters to Disney and convince them how badly WOY needs that closure so that by the time Craig is done with KC, the bosses will want to bring him back.
Lastly, I bring greater news: I’ve been accepted into the sound mechanic training program at Disneyland. As a Disney employee, I can still help keep SaveWOY in check, stay connected with Disney, and do what I’ve been trained to do: repair, troubleshoot, and install. My heart is in the right place, is yours?
It’s true what Wander says. Never hurts to help.
Don’t forget, Trending 27th starts this evening!
#Wander Over Yonder#SaveWOY#Lord Hater#Commander Peepers#The Walt Disney Company#Disney Television Animation#Long Reads
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Simu Liu, known for his role as Jung Kim on the CBC sitcom Kim's Convenience, will star in the highly-anticipated superhero film Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
The upcoming film marks Marvel's first feature with an Asian lead.
Liu, 30, left China at the age of five and was raised in Mississauga, Ont. He graduated from the Richard Ivey School of Business at Western University and began working at an accounting firm. When he was laid off within a year, he opted for a new career path.
He began acting in 2012 with a role on the TV series Nikita. Since then, he has had credits on Fresh Off The Boat, Orphan Black, Slasher and Bad Blood among other series. In 2017, he was nominated for both a Canadian Screen Award and an ACTRA Award for his role on the TV series Blood and Water. He won an ACTRA ensemble award the following year as part of the Kim's Convenience cast.
The character of Shang-Chi, based on the Marvel Comics superhero, is often referred to as a master of Kung-Fu, having been trained in martial arts by his father from a young age. Awkwafina and Tony Leung will co-star in the film, which will be directed by Destin Daniel Cretton.
The announcement took place during Marvel's heavily-attended panel at Comic-Con, in which the studio offered sneak peaks at its upcoming productions. It was also shared on social media by Deadpool creator Robert Liefeld, who said Liu was hired within days of being tested.
Strides for Asian actors
Marvel's news comes on the heels of some major — and long-overdue — strides by Asian actors and creators in Hollywood, who have been historically underrepresented both on screen and behind the camera.
Last year's Crazy Rich Asians, based on the novel of the same name by Kevin Kwan, has become one of the top-grossing romantic comedies of the last several decades, according to Box Office Mojo. It featured a rarely-seen all-Asian cast and included film locations in Malaysia and Singapore (where most of the story is set). It was also nominated for a 2019 Golden Globe Award in the category of best comedy.
Canadian Domee Shi won an Oscar this year for Pixar's animated short film Bao, which tells the story of a dumpling that comes to life in the home of a Chinese empty-nester.
Other recent films such as Always Be My Maybe, starring Ali Wong and Randall Park, and To All The Boys I've Loved Before, starring Lana Condor and Noah Centineo, have featured Asian leads in universally-themed storylines without making ethnicity the central focus.
China, a coveted market for Hollywood, has also become a significant market for the Marvel Cinematic Universe.
Avengers: Endgame became the top-grossing North American film at the Chinese box office, and the third overall. It smashed records there when it was released in April, earning more than $600 million US — the first foreign film to do so in the country.
The release date for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings is slated for February 12, 2021. In addition to the film, Marvel also revealed The Eternals, starring Angelina Jolie, Richard Madden and Kumail Nanjiani, is set for release Nov. 6, 2020. It will also introduce the studio's first deaf hero, played by Lauren Ridloff.
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As I've been both anticipating and contemplating the forthcoming finale of the fifth season of Schitt's Creek — airing tonight on Pop TV — I've often found myself lavishing in the gift that is perhaps the best relationship on TV right now: David Rose and Patrick Brewer. While the Canadian series — which follows the shenanigans of a wealthy family running the town of Schitt's Creek after they lose all their wealth —garnered generally favorable reviews from its inception, it wasn't until late in season 3, with the prospect of the too-cool-for-school, obsessive compulsive David (series co-creator Daniel Levy) and hyper-practical, extremely thoughtful Patrick (Noah Reid) becoming an item, that the Pop TV comedy series started to gain a newfound traction.
The show was regularly live tweeted. Viewing parties started popping up at well-known LGBTQ bars in major cities like New York and Los Angeles. The early seasons dropped on Netflix. And, lest we forget, Kyle MacLachlan gave his best performance since Twin Peaks in the #FruitWineChallenge. Sure, good writing and a cast rounded out with comedy heavyweights like Eugene Levy (also a co-creator) and Catherine O'Hara were a big part of it, but good comedies come and go; what built Schitt's Creek into a great comedy was when, thanks to the development of David and Patrick's real, reflective relationship, the series grew a big heart.
After season 3, Schitt's Creek dove head first into the David/Patrick of it all, taking the best of romantic comedy tropes and wrapping them all up in a neat little package for our greedy little hands to unwrap. There was secret pining and unexpected confessions of attraction, but perhaps the most memorable moment was Patrick's acoustic rendition of Tina Turner's The Best, which got a sweet callback in a later episode when David returns the favor in form of a private lip sync performance of the original recording.
It seemed impossible that season 5 could top the warm and fuzzies the show had already given us, but in a satisfying turn of events, the saga of David and Patrick continued to exceed expectations, naturally progressing from those cute, early-relationship getting-to-know-you moments to, ya know, the stuff we actually butt up against when we settle into another human being. Across the span of 14 episodes, we witnessed the couple explore themes of jealousy, intimacy, open relationships, and even Patrick’s coming-out. Of course, that wasn't the first time a character publicly professed they were gay on TV, but Schitt's Creek did it without the often-painful tools other pop culture moments have employed to tell these stories in the past. (Think Ricky being disowned by his parents in My So Called Life, Jack on Dawson's Creek, Emily on Pretty Little Liars, Kurt on Glee.)
Further, we respond to David and Patrick's burgeoning love because we actually see it, physically, on screen. Outside of queer-centric series with more creative freedom and less censorship — HBO's Looking, Showtime's The L Word, even pioneer series like Will & Grace — gay affection can frequently be reduced to occasional hand holding, hugs, and tight-lipped pecks, while straight characters get to be more...demonstrative shall we say. David and Patrick's relationship's physicality, however, is just as present on screen, in moments that range from a kiss goodbye when someone leaves a room to flirting to sneaking off to find a place to be alone because you just can't keep your hands off the other person. In Patrick and David, Schitt's Creek grants us all of that — along with a proposal the likes of which you've only seen in an early 2000's Jennifer Lopez movie.
If this were all limited to the world of Schitt's Creek, it would be enough to celebrate. But, thankfully, David and Patrick exist in a pop culture world where, at last, it seems like queer stories — and queer romcoms in particular — have more staying power. As of 2019, Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Jane The Virgin, Grey's Anatomy, and Good Trouble are a few of the shows on major networks currently featuring queer storylines involving main characters, and characters of color at that.
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What I’ve Been Reading #2
Hey People of Earth!
I recently started a new series on this blog (titled above), where I reflect on the last few books I’ve read. I’m doing this mostly to keep myself accountable because I’m notoriously bad at committing myself to reading. So far, reading has been far greater than it’s been in the past--I’m definitely getting into the rhythm of things. I read some amaaaazing books this time around (since approx. November), and these are them:
1. The Darkest Legacy by Alexandra Bracken
This is book four in The Darkest Minds series, and was just recently released (last summer). Whilst I’ve drifted from YA in the last few years, this series was such a huge favourite of mine when I was younger, and I thought I’d give this book a go for nostalgia’s sake. Also, I truly admire Alex as an author, and wanted to support her! Here’s the summary:
Five years after the destruction of the so-called rehabilitation camps that imprisoned her and countless other Psi kids, seventeen-year-old Suzume "Zu" Kimura has assumed the role of spokesperson for the interim government, fighting for the rights of Psi kids against a growing tide of misinformation and prejudice. But when she is accused of committing a horrifying act, she is forced to go on the run once more in order to stay alive.
Determined to clear her name, Zu finds herself in an uncomfortable alliance with Roman and Priyanka, two mysterious Psi who could either help her prove her innocence or betray her before she gets the chance. But as they travel in search of safety and answers, and Zu grows closer to the people she knows she shouldn't trust, they uncover even darker things roiling beneath the veneer of the country's recovery. With her future-and the future of all Psi-on the line, Zu must use her powerful voice to fight back against forces that seek to drive the Psi into the shadows and save the friends who were once her protectors.
What drew me to it: Like I mentioned, its mother series was a mega favourite of mine in grade 8, and whilst I’ve grown out of YA, I was curious to see where the story went, five years in the future. I read about 60% of it on page, and listened to the rest on and of over the course of a few months. I started it in August, and finished it on New Year’s Eve. Not the fault of the book, that’s totally me being Very Bad at commitment. I’ve really enjoyed Alex’s novels in audiobook format, and this one was no exception (I think, if I were to read it again, I’d listen to the audiobook: it’s like listening to a television show!)
My rating: 3/5
Why: This is really due to the fact that I no longer am very interested in YA. In all truths, I got into YA early, and got out of it even earlier because apparently I am a sixty year old woman?? I started my journey with YA in grade seven, and it ended around the end of grade eight. After that, I had trouble finding YA books I could enjoy/relate to, not that the books were any less, or bad because of this, but because I was just an injustice to them (I’ve always been a strange reader). This is why I don’t really read YA anymore because I feel like I rate them unfairly because I’m not super big on the category anymore. It just (rightfully) didn’t give me what I’m most currently interested in in books (horrible people; horrible relationships; morally grey protagonists), because of course the category is different to what I read now! With that said, I think, if I’d read this book in my Peak YA Moment (grade 7-8), I’d definitely have given it a 5 star rating. It was super entertaining and funny and nostalgic, and made me miss a series so pivotal in my writing journey. If you love YA, and this series, I think this book is definitely worth the read! That was a thiccccc tangent.
2. Past Lives, Future Bodies by Kristin Chang
This is a really quick poetry collection (that I spoiler: looooved). This is the summary:
PAST LIVES, FUTURE BODIES is a knife-sharp and nimble examination of migration, motherhood, and the malignant legacies of racism. In this collection, family forms both a unit of survival and a framework for history, agency, and recovery. Chang undertakes a visceral exploration of the historical and unfolding paths of lineage and what it means to haunt body and country. These poems traverse not only the circularity of trauma but the promise of regeneration—what grows from violence and hatches from healing—as Chang embodies each of her ghosts and invites the specter to speak.
What drew me to it: @shaelinwrites rec’d it to me on my last update, and I fell in love with the premise. I’m *cheap* so was very excited to be gifted it by my Grandma for Christmas. (I actually read it on Christmas!)
My rating: 5/5
Why: Kristin Chang is literally so skilled with her use of the line break? I was shook? This is my second collection of poetry that I’ve read, following (no shade) Rupi Kaur’s The Sun and Her Flowers, which, I felt kinda made the line break feel gimmicky? So this collection definitely reinvented it for me. Her poems are so punchy, and thoughtful, and you can truly feel the experience built into the backbone of every one of them. When I panic wrote some poetry for my writing class, I used it as comfort reference and was amazed at how deliberate she is with her words. I also found so much of its commentary on race so relatable. It’s definitely a collection I’ll keep re-reading. I’d recommend this if, like me, you’re just starting out in poetry--a perfect way to acclimate yourself to a new form!
3. God of Shadows by Lorna Crozier
*Rachel vigorously trying to diversify her reading.* The summary:
The poet Lorna Crozier has always been brilliant at fusing the ordinary with the other-worldly in strange and surprising ways. Now the Governor General's Literary Award-winning author of Inventing the Hawk returns with God of Shadows, a wryly wise book that offers a polytheistic gallery of the gods we never knew existed and didn't know we needed. To read these poems is to be ready to offer your own prayers to the god of shadows, the god of quirks, and the god of vacant houses. Sing new votive hymns to the gods of horses, birds, cats, rats, and insects. And give thanks at the altars of the gods of doubt, guilt, and forgetting. What life-affirming questions have these deities come to ask? Perhaps it is simply this: How can poems be at once so profound, original and lively, and also so much fun?
What drew me to it: At this point I’m just stalking @shaelinwrites’ Goodreads because her reading taste is on pointttt. I’ve also been dying to read more poetry, and branch out into different forms of writing, so I can be a little *prepared* for school, so I thought I’d take a peek at this collection.
My rating: 5/5
Why: This collection is so beautiful! I read it super quickly, and fell in love with the concept immediately. I think Crozier explored such unique ideas with super unique language, and I live for it. This collection gave me perspective on ‘gods’ I’d never even thought about. I’d definitely recommend it if you’re looking into reading some prose poetry!
4. The Immortalists by Chloe Benjamin
I finished this book today, and now have trust issues and feel like I’m in a constant state of wanting to cry. Here’s the summary:
If you knew the date of your death, how would you live your life?
It's 1969 in New York City's Lower East Side, and word has spread of the arrival of a mystical woman, a traveling psychic who claims to be able to tell anyone the day they will die. The Gold children—four adolescents on the cusp of self-awareness—sneak out to hear their fortunes.
The prophecies inform their next five decades. Golden-boy Simon escapes to the West Coast, searching for love in '80s San Francisco; dreamy Klara becomes a Las Vegas magician, obsessed with blurring reality and fantasy; eldest son Daniel seeks security as an army doctor post-9/11; and bookish Varya throws herself into longevity research, where she tests the boundary between science and immortality.
A sweeping novel of remarkable ambition and depth, The Immortalists probes the line between destiny and choice, reality and illusion, this world and the next. It is a deeply moving testament to the power of story, the nature of belief, and the unrelenting pull of familial bonds.
What drew me to it: I actually don’t know?? I put it on hold at my library in October, and was loaned it in January (looooong waitlist). So I can’t remember why I wanted to read it, probably because 1969 was in the premise lmao. I actually completely forgot about placing a hold on it because it’d been two months, so by the time I got the email notification, I’d forgotten what it was about. Oftentimes, I’m Bad, and leave my loans for weeks, forgetting about them, but I was intrigued by seeing I’d received this loan because I couldn’t remember placing it/why I placed it. I quickly re-read the summary, and immediately started reading because it reminded me a lot of the Haunting of Hill House sibling dynamic, and I was on board!
My rating: 5/5 stars soaked in all my tears
Why: This book is SO good, I literally can’t think about it too much because I will cry, lol. I’m not one to get emotional over books, but this book touched me in a place I didn’t know existed?? Like I didn’t know I had emotions before reading this book?? Apparently I do?? It also left me feeling stunned with a whole bucket of life lessons, and similarly to getting emotional, I’m not a reader to really take away a whole new worldview after reading something, but this book was like NOPE, here’s some THOUGHTS. I think I might’ve loved it so much because the four siblings it follows remind me a lot of my siblings (tag yourself I’m Klara, @sarahkelsiwrites is Varya). I too am a sibling of four with a similar composition to the novel’s (two boys, two girls), so the actual heartbreak of realizing that one day, there ain’t always gonna be four of us struck me so hard I was not prepared?? The characters are BEAUTIFUL, and my heart aches so much after finishing this, I almost don’t know what to do with myself... If you liked the sibling dynamic in the Haunting of Hill House (me!!), you’ll probably dig this book. Benjamin’s writing is also gorgeous; straightforward, but so detailed and lush at the same time. I don’t often see books in third present, so this was a delight for me to read. Also: I’m no expert on any of the topics in this book, but to me, a Fool, this book felt so well researched? This isn’t something I ever notice in books, but it surprisingly really added to the reading experience.
TL;DR: I’m literally an emotional wreck because of this book and have a whole new perspective on life, if you too want to be an emotional wreck, defs join in on the fUN.
So that’s it for this reading update! All of these books in this update were wonderful! Making me antsy to read more for sure! I’m currently attempting to read more short story collections, so if anyone has recs, hit me up! ‘Scuse me while I go sob!
--Rachel
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secret santa ~ jonah marais
requested: yes
HI darling I know your busy and it's no rush but I really love your writing and I thought this would be cute for the holidays. You can do any of the boys but I was thinking Jonah. If you could write about the reader being friends with the boys and doing a secret Santa. The the boy she likes (he likes her back but she doesn't know) gets her and knows exactly what to get her, like something she really wanted and then they talk and get together after they exchange gifts, sorry that's confusing Ily❤
summary: when getting the guy she’s in love with for secret santa, y/n struggles to find an idea for a gift. skip to secret santa and this guy has gotten her the present that she wanted most.
warning(s): cursing (maybe)
word count: 2044
author’s note: thank you you’re so sweet! i love this idea and enjoyed working on it. hope you love it:)) also i was very far in before i realized that this was that he gets her and not they get each other, so i hope it’s not too cliche that they both got each other (does that count as a spoiler?)
My fingertips trailed over the small piece of paper that was folded oh so neatly as i watched the other boys run around the room, trying to hide who they’d gotten from each other. A smile appeared on my face as i looked towards my personal favorite (although i’d never admit that aloud) stood calmly in the corner of the room, opening his little slip with a smile. The other boys were loud and chased each other, trying to sneak a peak at each other’s paper in attempt to figure out what each person had them. Jonah however, just stood there quietly, content with who he’d gotten and i could practically see that he was thinking about the things he’d get for whoever his person was.
As I got into a safe place, I took a seat at the table, opening the little piece of paper. My heart skipped a beat when i read the sloppily, but neater than most, writing that said jonah. I tried my best to keep a poker face, sure that someone would catch on after i’d given him the present if i smiled widely. jack came up behind me and started to say something before i covered his mouth and quickly threatened into his ear, “say something and i swear to god you won’t live long enough to get a damn present”
jonah laughed at my words as i blushed, “this is why we keep you around, y/n”
i bit hard on the inside of my lip, smiling at the boy sheepishly as i removed my hand from jack’s mouth and the curly haired boy stared at me with a look of fear. throughout this past year, i’d grown very fond of these boys. after meeting jonah through a small accident where he’d accidentally spilled coffee on my shirt, he’d introduced me to these boys. we’d all grown close to each other due to my ability to bond to each of them in different ways.
with jack, i had a similar sense of humor. we could spend hours together and be laughing the entire time. zach and i bonded purely over the fact that we both god red very easily. he always had rosy cheeks and jonah took quick notice to my constant blushing. this led for many jokes to be targeted towards us and we took comfort in the fact that we were together in that. corbyn and i were very close in a sibling relationship. he’d look after me and i’d look after him. very protective, he was, but always in the best way. daniel liked to play guitar for me when i would sing with him. it was rare that i’d sing, since i never felt like i had the ability to go places with my voice, but danny brought me out of my shell and would play and sing with me ever since the beginning.
and then there was jonah. he and i bonded over our shared love for coffee and coffee shops. we’d very easily gotten along and he was the sweetest thing in the entire world. even if he’d always just been my best friend, he treated me like a queen and put me before him. we could always be together and never get sick of each other.
despite my very high quality relationships with these boys, it was honestly an amazing surprise to be included in a secret santa with them. i’d suggested it jokingly weeks before, but today i showed up and jonah was very prepared to do it with my suggestion.
now i’m stuck getting a kick ass gift for the boy i was in love with, without making it seem like i was in love with him.
I pounded my fists on the door of the house, getting over the nerves that had traveled through my body all week. It was too late to regret the present i’d finally decided on and at the end of the day, jonah either likes it or he doesn’t. And there was no way for me to truly know how he felt about it.
A smiley Corbyn opened the door and i walked in to find a bunch of bags lined up on the table. They were all pretty large so it was almost difficult to fit my equally large one up there. Jack was sitting on the couch, eating some cereal when i walked into the living room. Zach was scrolling through something on his phone and Jonah was sipping his damn coffee mug. I found some comfort in that, for an odd reason.
“y/n’s here!!!” Zach yelled loudly, making me wince with the extremities of the noises coming from most of the boys as i hugged them. I sat down in between Daniel and Jonah, resting my head on Daniel’s shoulder tiredly.
“y/n the day has just begun. you cannot possibly be tired yet” danny informed me and i let out a muffled chuckle.
i disagreed, “i’m exhausted”
Jonah motioned for me to take a sip of his coffee as i stared at him, “here have some. it’ll wake you up”
i playfully rolled my eyes, taking a sip of the beautifully blended coffee and handing the mug back to him, “thanks”
“want me to get you some?” he asks, “there’s a little left i think”
“no, it’s fine. thank you though” i smiled a little bit.
corbyn walked into the room a few moments later, all the bags basically covering him as he passed them out to each deserving person. we hadn’t any idea who’d gotten us yet.
before opening my own present, i watched jonah open his. it wasn’t one specific thing that i’d gotten him. it was an assortment of things that connected the two of us: coffee. i bought him several different kinds that i previously knew he loved, as well as two new mugs that were cute and funny, and then a fifty dollar starbucks giftcard. it was a little over the price limit, but that didn’t matter to me. it was the fact that he would like it, maybe, and that it had to do with the way we’d met originally.
i watched as jonah’s eyes lit up, his hands lifting each gift out of the bag and i giggled as he took the items, looking around the room for the giver, “holy shit. who had me?”
a smile appeared on my face as i raised my hand a little bit and he slid over, wrapping his arms around my body sloppily.
“god, you know me so well y/n” he told me which made my heart flutter. i looked at him with a smile and then he looked at me as if to tell me to look down at my bag and see what was inside.
i reached into the bag, pulling out two things. my eyes blinked several times, trying to determine if this moment was real or not. my fingers traced over the lettering on the back of the jersey and i couldn’t even think in that moment. had one of these boys spent their own money on a new york rangers jersey, specifically a jimmy vesey jersey? had they really known me well enough to see that even though i’d never ask for it, that i’d wanted a jersey for the boy i’d been fond of since his rookie season last year? and on top of that, there was an adorable pair of fuzzy slippers on the bottom of the bag.
“who the fuck got me a jersey?” i room was filled with voices as everyone tried to determine who’d gotten them what they wanted.
“do you like it?” i heard the nervousness in Jonah’s voice as i turned breathlessly to face him.
i couldn’t even do anything but tackle him, pulling his body close to mine, “how the hell did you know?”
jonah laughed a little bit after i’d whispered that into his ear and he spoke as we separated, “i know how much you love him. it just seemed like something you’d like”
“jonah, these jerseys are way over the budget” i told him, “these are fucking expensive”
“well i don’t mind spending a little extra on you, y/n” he smiled a little bit as i shook my head in disbelief. had this boy really spend nearly $200 on a jersey for me?
“you are the absolute best” i hugged him again and he chuckled.
“i mean, you got me like a million freaking things”Jonah smiled, looking at me.
“yeah but they were small things” i defended.
“still good things though” he reminded, “and it refers to our relationship”
“built primarily on coffee” we chime at the same time, letting laughs leave our mouths.
My entire body was filled with exhaustion as I grabbed my bag from the table in the dining room, ready to leave the house after a long day. It was a nice day, without a doubt, but tomorrow is Christmas Eve and I have many gifts to wrap still which means that I need some time.
“don’t go yet,” Jack’s voice rang through the house as I fed him a smile.
I couldn’t help but playfully roll my eyes, “i’ll see you guys tomorrow”
“why don’t you ever just stay here?” Daniel asks, “you literally go home to come back here in like eight hours”
I giggle, “well then i’d have to find somewhere to wrap your presents”
“have fun at home!” Zach’s voice was full of excitement as he realized what was in it for him with me going home, “see you tomorrow”
“see you guys tomorrow” I waved and as I turned around I felt a hand on the small of my back, guiding me.
“i’ll walk you out”
i smiled up at Jonah and opened the door, letting him follow me out until we’d reached my car that sat in the top of the driveway, shining under the outdoor lights that Jonah had installed primarily since it was always dark when I left.
“thank you again for the present,” i smiled at Jonah, turning so that i was facing him before i even opened the door to my car.
“it’s no problem, seriously,” He told me, “i’m glad it as something that you liked”
I nodded my head, “it feels good knowing that someone can know me well enough to get me something that i didn’t even ask for and nail it. i don’t know if that makes sense”
i blushed but jonah chuckled, understanding, “it does,” he looked at me and after a moment of silence, “hey, before you go i’ve got a question”
“shoot,” i fluttered my eyelashes up at him.
he took in a deep and unsteady breath, “i guess, it’s harder to plan than to actually say it,” i laughed with him a little bit as he tried again, “what i’m trying to say, i guess, is that i’ve liked you for a while now and i kept shying away from telling you”
i couldn’t stop my mind from racing with happiness as i gave him a sly smirk, “and the question is?”
“can we do something about it?” he came up with, understanding in that moment that he hadn’t need any fear about what this would end as. It may not have been clear before, but Jonah was someone that I really, really liked and i’d do everything to be with him.
I stood on my toes, grabbing his face with my two hands, placing a sweet kiss on his soft lips. His arms snaked around my waist, supporting my back as I reached towards his very tall body. Before we released, i couldn’t help but smile. I stared at him with love visible in my eyes, “let’s”
“i’d like to take you out on a date,” Jonah informs me.
I gave him another blush and a smile, “i’d like to take you up on that request”
he let out a quiet laugh at my mocking response, kissing my lips one final time before allowing me to get into my car and wave. I backed out of the driveway with a smile on my face, very excited about seeing him again tomorrow.
#jonah marais#jack avery#daniel seavey#corbyn besson#zach herron#jonah marais imagine#why don't we#wdw#imagines#imagine#fanfic#secret santa#new relationship
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A Sneak Peak
Gooooooood Morning, Seattle! Today is March 19th, and, if my weather app can be believed, we’ve got about twenty minutes of rain before it’s clear skies. But you aren’t here for the weather, are you? Heck no you aren’t. You are here for some of that sweet, sweet unfettered superhero journalism that I provide to you for the low, low cost of my dignity. Also, if you want to support me, there’s a link to my Patreon and my Ko-Fi account down below.
For the first time in almost 20 years, Seattle, Washington has hit a golden era of peace and quiet. Last month, our very own Seattle native hero, Legend took down the tragically named Mad Mongrel, the latest in a long string of B-list supervillains that are more costume than competition. Mongrel’s court case will be later this month and you can bet that I will cover absolutely everything about it. I just hope I don’t put you to sleep. Because, so far as I can tell, Mad Mongrel’s long list of crimes includes—lemme check my notes here—freeing animals from a science lab and terrifying a class of small children by opening the cage of their classroom lizard.
…yay?
It’s not that I’m advocating for someone like Madam Pain (that costume, am I right?) or that iconic brother-sister robbing duo the Double Dare to show up. Or even someone of Doctor Heath’s caliber, mind you. I am perfectly fine living in a city where we only have to worry about the normal kinds of crime. I’m just saying that it seems weird that despite this long list of underwhelming villains, our local OSI—Office of Superhuman Intelligence for those who have been living under a rock—is trying to take on a new superhero?
I mean, on the one hand I get it. Seattle is pretty much the super capital of the world. We have the super-powered dream team; The Paragons, which is already composed of the most powerful super hero ever born, his long term psionically girlfriend, a super scientist, and a techno-assassin. We don’t really need a new hero, do we?
The eggheads at OSI have released a public statement that they are moving forward with filling the vacated seat of Void, a long-time member of the team that, well, you all know the story. Dude went and threw a dude off the OSI building. And not just any dude, oh no. He went and obliterated Daniel Walker, beloved millionaire and philanthropist. While the internet is filled with conspiracy theories about Void being mind controlled, a clone, or it was an accident gone horribly, no one really knows what happened or how. Void, who can literally turn into shadow, has been impossible to find.
Dude, if you have a comment, send it my way.
Anyway, the short list of heroes who could fill Void’s spot is… well… short? Everyone knows that there aren’t all that many superheroes out there. Oh, there are heroes, of course. But most of them are highly trained combatants. More hero than super. For a while there, it seemed like Prism was going to take Void’s place, but, after a severe accident, she’s taken early retirement. Very early, considering she’s, at best, twenty-five.
My vote is for Gamma. Have you seen her? Someone please give her my number. She could step on me and I would cry tears of gratitude. See pictures for proof. That she’s hot, not that I want her to step on me. On a completely unrelated note, someone please delete my browsing history when I die. I’m already a disappointment to my family as it is.
Gamma’s powers are a near match to Legends. Her released backstory says that she was blasted with some kind of radiation while in utero, which makes her a rare “I was born this way” kind of super. She uses gamma energy to create nearly impenetrable force fields around her body, can keep up with Olympian track stars, and can punch her way through a brick wall. See the video link below for proof.
Seriously though, Gamma has been working with the South-Eastern branch of the Office of Superhuman Intelligence. She currently the big fish in Virginia and North Carolina, taking on some pretty impressive villains while wearing a very form-fitting sapphire blue ensemble. The Queen of Hearts was the most recent and most noteworthy. Though, if we are still talking about people, I would be a-okay with being stepped on…
One day I will go to a therapist and find out why I have a thing for long-legged ladies in skin tight outfits treating me like the welcome mat, but today is not that day.
What do you think? Which hero do you think we ought to offer the coveted spot on The Paragon team? Agent 7 of New York City? Miami’s El Toro? Comet? What about Madam Mercury or Quake? Leave a comment down below! I love hearing every idea and theory you guys throw at me, no matter how wild.
If you are as into skin tight beauties as I am and want more superhero content feel free to like and subscribe. I update Tuesdays and Thursdays regardless of what is going on in the world. And I live update on my Twitter when things are. If you would like to save me from crippling student loan debt, maybe click on that Ko-Fi link and send a few dollars my way. See ya Thursday, Crusaders!
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Sneak Peek #3: Open Arms Chapter 16
Second part can be found here.
It's been too long, I know. This chapter is kicking my ass. But here's a long section for you. Finally got some drama and Rachel's dealt her cards. Not sure how Shelby's going to react--any ideas you have are greatly appreciated! Enjoy!
It all started as an initiation rite for the Cheerios. The new recruits were expected to prove themselves worthy of the title and uniform. Cheerios were gods amongst men—superior, powerful, and above all else, ruthless to any not from their realm. So it came as no real surprise that the newbies were tasked with pranking (read: terrorizing) the general student body that very first week of school. There were no guidelines or limitations on what could or should be done, and only one rule—Don’t. Get. Caught.
The better the prank, the more public, the better the reputation for the newcomer. Truly epic escapades may even garner the attention—and favor—of the Cheerios coach, the one and only Sue Sylvester. Sue was vicious. She stalked the halls of the school, leaving a wake of terror and destruction everywhere she went. Her victims were students and faculty alike.
Quinn hated Sue…but she loved cheer. It was quite the conundrum. And what ultimately led her to the slushie machine in the cafeteria. She wanted something that would be quick and relatively harmless, but would offer a high return. As far as she knew, no one else had ever tossed a slushie in another student’s face, and certainly not in front of a packed cafeteria.
She hadn’t set out to slushie Rachel, the girl had just been in the wrong place at the right time. Quinn could still recall the absolute shock, confusion, anger, and finally, abject sorrow that played across Rachel’s face as the icy cherry drink hit her dead on. The girl ran from the cafeteria, laughter and taunts following her down the hall and out of sight. The cherry slushie marked her that day, its stain a permanent smear on her reputation. No amount of Clorox in the world could bleach out the red target Quinn had placed on her back.
Quinn gained her own target that day, drawing the eyes of everyone who was anyone, most notably Sue Sylvester. “I like your zeal, Fabray. You have guts and panache. You remind me of a young Sue Sylvester. You will go far with me, Q, just do exactly as I say and never piss me off. Got it?” Sue had said when she called Quinn to her office immediately following the slushie incident. Quinn had nodded, not knowing what else to say to her coach; she hadn’t appreciated being compared to that witch but knew any favoritism from Sue would serve her well. “Then welcome to the team, Captain,” Sue had said before dismissing her. Quinn had left that office feeling numb. Never had a freshman been made Head Cheerio, yet here Quinn was in that top spot.
The team’s reaction to the news was mixed. Fellow freshmen Santana Lopez and Brittany Pierce, as well as most of the sophomores and even a handful of juniors, were ecstatic at the announcement. For the underclassmen it meant upward mobility—one of their own was cheer captain and that could only improve their own statuses and popularity. For the outlier juniors, it was a buoy, a lifeline—maybe their last and onlychance at a better, more visible spot on the team that could gain them the attention of the scouting coaches and hopefully, a ticket out of Lima, Ohio. The rest of the team—the seniors, majority of the juniors, and a few power-hungry sophomores—were furious. They had all been jostling for prominence and power themselves and Quinn swooped in and stole it from them. Quinn hadn’t even wanted it, but there was nothing she, nor any of the others, could do about it. Sue’s word was law and they all had to accept it, however begrudgingly.
The only one who didn’t accept it was Harper Daniels, a complete bombshell of a sixteen-year-old. She was the worst of the power-starved sophomores, a pretentious, sadistic creature who reveled in her cruelty. She idolized Sue Sylvester and had been Sue’s favorite (until Quinn), and even that hadn’t saved her from incurring the wrath of the woman. Her fall from grace had been brutal, meant as an example for anyone else foolish enough to question the divine genius of their leader. Harper, of course, laid the blame solely on Quinn’s shoulders and dogged the younger girl the entire year, just waiting for her to fail.
Quinn, understanding how precarious her position was and how lethal even a small mistake could be, threw herself headfirst into the role of resident Head Bitch, playing her part exceptionally well. She wasn’t exactly proud of herself for the things she did and said, but she only had to keep the ruse going for the first few weeks until her reputation truly preceded her. After that she had been able to sit back and let the others do most of the dirty work for her, involving herself only every so often to keep her image fresh.
Though, come to think of it, every time Quinn involved herself had also involved…Rachel. Quinn grimaced and looked away from the piercing gaze all but boring into her from across the room. She needed to up her game—not only did she need patience and perseverance, but an apology probably wouldn’t go amiss either. Yeah, she had her work cut out for her if she wanted to make amends—and make friends—with Rachel.
“Yo, Quinn. Hello?” Lexi waved her hand in front of the other blonde’s face, startling her. Hazel eyes met her blue and she raised her brows in question. “Where’d ya go?” she teased.
“Sorry,” Quinn offered with a sheepish expression. “What were you saying?”
“I was saying, it’s awesome you and your sister were invited to the sacred Sunday dinners—means you’re elite. Only other outsider that’s ever been allowed is Sasha Montgomery and that’s because she and Shelby were roommates in college and Sasha’s home life wasn’t that great, you know? So Nana and Pop took her under their wing. She’s honorary now…guess you guys are too. So, dinner the other night went well?”
Quinn’s brow furrowed as she took in her friend’s words—that was a lot of information to take in. First, did that mean Quinn and Frannie were special in Shelby’s eyes…or did she feel pity for the orphaned sisters? Did Quinn even care? If it got her more time around Shelby, did it really matter why? Second, Lexi knew Sasha Montgomery? Had she met her before? Must have, the way she spoke so familiarly. Quinn didn’t know much about Sasha—she wasn’t as popular as Shelby, but famous enough in her own right, she supposed. Still, it would be pretty cool to meet her, if the chance ever arose—one more reason to befriend Rachel.
Shaking her head, Quinn refocused on her friend. “Uh, I don’t know that ‘well’ would describe it,” she said, and went on to explain the evening briefly.
“I think it probably takes Rach a while to warm up. She was a bit shy in front of all of us at first, and we’re family. I’m sure it’s harder for her with you…especially you going to her school. You really didn’t know her before any of this? You must have seen her around school, right?”
Quinn’s eyes flicked to Lexi’s in alarm. Had Rachel told the girl something? She couldn’t have—Lexi would have said something if she had, right? They were friends…but Lexi was Rachel’s cousin. She’d automatically be loyal to Rachel…wouldn’t she? Was she testing Quinn?
Not seeing any sign of distrust or judging on Lexi’s part, Quinn relaxed a bit. Still, she’d have to be cautious. Choosing her words carefully, she said, “No, not really. We aren’t exactly in the same circle, you know?” Not an outright lie, but certainly not the truth either.
“Yeah,” the other blonde agreed. Then she smiled at Quinn. “She’s really cool once you get to know her. She’s just hesitant around new kids…between us, she doesn’t have any friends. School sounds like a hard place for her—she gets picked on a lot. So, it’d be good for her to have someone like you on her side.”
“I’m…not sure she would agree with you,” Quinn revealed, her stomach churning with the unfamiliar sensation of guilt—at least when it came to Rachel.
“Just be patient with her. And I’m here as buffer—I’ll help!” came Lexi’s confident response. Then, spinning towards the kitchen, she called, “Hey Rach!”
Jack chose that exact moment to enter the house through the sliding door in the sunroom, the smell of charcoal wafting in after him. He ruffled Lexi’s hair as he passed, laughing at his daughter’s answering, “Jerk!”
“Brat!” he called over his shoulder, moving into the kitchen. He met his wife’s knowing smirk and winked at her. She rolled her eyes back, but Jack didn’t miss the quirk at the corners of her mouth. “Grill’s ready.”
Shelby gave Rachel’s shoulders a brief squeeze before releasing her hold. “The girls want you,” she said and wasn’t surprised when Rachel turned to stare up at her, eyes pleading. Shelby sighed internally, her frustration at her child’s increasingly anti-social behavior reaching its peak. Was this another case of jealousy on Rachel’s part? If so, the girl needed to learn to get over it. If not…well, Shelby couldn’t even begin to think what it could be. Hoping whatever it was would work itself out, she pushed Rachel forward. “Go on,” she prodded, her hand moving to add its own encouragement to a denim-clad bottom.
Rachel had barely left her mother’s hands than Lexi’s were reaching for her, linking arms with her left on the way to the basement entrance. There Lexi was stopped by Jack asking for help carrying the meat out to the grill. Lexi grinned and pushed Rachel ahead of her. “You and Quinn go, I’ll be there in a sec!” she said as she changed directions. Rachel groaned and came face to face with Quinn. Her eyes then met her mother’s and, cornered, she made the only choice she could: downfall.
Descending the stairs, Rachel wondered if she should have sent Quinn down them first—less chance of her being pushed down them, certainly. She quickened her pace, not liking having her enemy behind her back, and nearly tripped down the last few steps. She turned in time to see the blonde reaching for her out of her peripheral and sidestepped her with a fierce glare.
Quinn sighed and held her hands up in surrender. Here she was just trying to keep the smaller teen from falling on her face, and she gets a death stare for her trouble. Silently scolding herself, her inner voice reminded her to be patient. Getting annoyed with Rachel right off the bat wasn’t going to help anything. Instead, she took a calming breath and tried again; this was her chance to make it right with Rachel, while the two had a moment alone together.
“So, uh…Look, Rach—”
“Don’t call me that!” Rachel hissed.
“What?”
“Rach. Don’t call me that,” Rachel repeated.
“Oh, uh, okay—sorry. I heard everyone call you that and figured—”
“Well don’t. That’s a name reserved for friends and family, and since you are neither,” Rachel trailed off, eyeing the blonde with contempt.
“Jeez, okay. I get it. I was just trying to be nice,” Quinn groused. And she really was trying. Rachel was the one with the attitude, glaring at her with that ‘look at that bitch eating crackers’ expression on her face.
“I didn’t think that was in your repertoire, Quinn,” Rachel sneered.
“Doesn’t seem to be in yours right now either,” Quinn bit back, then let out a groan. Rachel opened her mouth to retort but Quinn spoke up before she could get a word in. “Wait. Look, this isn’t…I-I’m trying to apologize to you here, Rachel. I’m sorry, okay? For everything. I’m sorry. Can’t we…can’t we start over? Bury the hatchet?”
Rachel stared at her incredulously. Bury the hatchet, Rachel seethed. In her back, maybe! “Fuck you!”
Quinn recoiled as if she’d been slapped. Anger flared and her brain flitted through a plethora of nasty responses. Who the hell did Rachel think she was, talking to her that way? Then reality hit her, and with it, ice-cold guilt. “Okay…Okay, I deserve that,” she admitted out loud. “I really am sorry for how I’ve treated you, Rachel.”
“No you aren’t!” Rachel snarled. “I don’t think you’re sorry at all and the only reason you’re pretending to be is so you can get closer to my mom! And if that doesn’t work, you think buddying up to my cousin will. Well fu—uck you, Quinn Fabray! You can take your sorry and shove it up your ass!”
Lexi came down the stairs just in time to hear her cousin yell “fuck you” to Quinn and—what was that about shoving her sorry something up her ass? What the hell did she miss?!
“What the hell, Rachel?!” she exclaimed, shocked and confused by her cousin’s outburst. “Where are you going?” she asked, blocking the other teen’s way. “What’s wrong?”
“Move, Lexi,” Rachel said, trying to sidestep her cousin, only to be blocked again.
“No, what just happened? Why did you tell Quinn to—”
“It’s none of your business, Lexi! Move!” Rachel yelled.
“No! I want to know what made you tell Quinn to eff off just now!” Lexi stood her ground.
“It doesn’t concern you. Now let me go!”
“The hell it doesn’t concern me! Quinn is my friend and—”
“You know nothing—”
“I know that Quinn’s a nice person and she’s been trying her damnedest to get to know you and be friends with you and you’re acting like a bitch to her every time she’s over!” Lexi all but shouted in her cousin’s face. She saw the hurt and betrayed look that crossed Rachel’s face but she didn’t care. She had overheard her aunt telling her mom (while she was en route carrying hamburger patties out for her dad—not eavesdropping) all about Rachel’s behavior toward Quinn at Tuesday’s dinner and the other times this week the girl had been near. She heard Shelby mention her confusion and frustration regarding it and suspicion that it was probably Rachel’s ongoing jealousy behind it. As her aunt gave a quick rundown of family-related instances, Rachel’s moodiness during their own recent hangouts suddenly clicked and made a lot more sense. Now though, Lexi didn’t care why Rachel was jealous, she was just pissed.
“No wonder you don’t have any friends, Rachel, if this is how you treat anyone who tries!” Lexi finished in a rage.
It was Rachel’s turn to stagger; Lexi’s words hit her like a ton of bricks. Hurt quickly turned to red-hot anger. Without pausing to think, Rachel swung her left arm out, hand whizzing through the air to land with a satisfying CRACK! square across her cousin’s face. “Fuck you, Lexi!” she yelled, taking advantage of the other teen’s stunned paralysis and darting around her and up the stairs.
The door opened before she reached it, the heads of several of her family members appearing before her, all with shocked, confused, even angry faces. “WHAT is going on down there?!” Shelby demanded, eyes blazing.
“We heard yelling,” Diane’s voice spoke at the same time Sarah said, “Is Lexi crying?”
Rachel’s heart was pounding with the rush of adrenaline coursing through her body. Her body was a blur as she burst through the throng of adults, ignoring the squawks and shrieks of them calling her name, telling her to stop and come back this instant. She blew past their words and ran, ran as fast as her feet could carry her, through the living room and out the front door. She leapt from the porch stairs, staggering as she landed, still in motion, carrying her forward. Down the sidewalk to the driveway, then the street beyond.
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As our world changes, what we don't know about parasites could be deadly
https://sciencespies.com/nature/as-our-world-changes-what-we-dont-know-about-parasites-could-be-deadly/
As our world changes, what we don't know about parasites could be deadly
In the salt water marshes of southern California, a splashing killifish is easy prey for a hungry shorebird. Like a jerking marionette, the helpless creature shimmies and flashes on the surface of the water. And all the while, hiding deep in its brain, an invisible other quietly pulls the strings.
The puppeteer in question is the super-abundant parasitic flatworm known as Euhaplorchis californiensis. Throughout its life, this one parasite will infect no less than three animals, and a bird’s intestine is the final destination it wants to reach.
To get there, the parasite’s larva must penetrate a killifish, crawl to its brain and lay down a carpet of cysts, which it then uses to manipulate the host’s swimming, sending it thrashing to the surface.
As it happens, infected killifish are preyed on by birds some 10 to 30 times more, which means that parasites are essentially increasing the amount of resources available in the ecosystem: a relationship we often overlook in the natural world.
The story of the infected fish is a tantalizing peak backstage, but it’s also a reminder of our sheer ignorance. As the world’s climate changes, we can’t ignore our parasites any longer.
A parasitic dark matter
Though often hidden to the human eye, parasites are, by some estimates, more than half of all known species on Earth. What’s more, they can influence virtually every other free-living animal.
Humans alone play host to nearly 300 types of parasitic worm, and around a third of us are currently infected, whether knowingly or not, with at least one.
They’re everywhere, on all sides, maybe even inside. And yet when we picture a classic food chain, how many of us remember the lions, zebras and grass, only to forget their hidden puppeteers?
Compared to free-living species, scientists have collected relatively scant information on parasites. Historically dominated by medical researchers and overlooked by ecologists and conservationists (Darwin himself viewed them as “degenerates“), these organisms are often entirely missing from modern depictions of food chains; even though, in the average ecosystem, parasite–host links actually outnumber predator–prey links.
Only in the last 30 years or so have we realized our mistake.
(Cizauskas et al., Royal Society Open Science, 2017)
Above: Global distribution of parasite climate change research. Research on parasitic species is disproportionately oriented towards human emerging infectious diseases (EIDs), especially in countries where the majority of parasite research occurs.
When parasites like E. californiensis are included in the ecology of California’s salt marshes, the classic food web – with a few predators at the top and lots of smaller species on the bottom – is almost literally “turned on its head“.
“Essentially,” the authors of a 2008 paper explain, “a second web appears around the free-living web, and this completely changes the level of connectivity.”
Parasites are thus described as a sort of hidden “dark matter“, not only in our ecosystems but also in our models of infection. When Chelsea Wood, a parasite ecologist at the University of Washington, first started researching mass fishing nearly 15 years ago, she told ScienceAlert that we had virtually no idea how this practice might impact resident parasites.
Even now, she adds, when ecosystems are facing unprecedented changes, we have only the foggiest idea how more than half the species on Earth are coping.
Whether acknowledged or not, parasites are key indicators and shapers of healthy communities, influencing the survival and reproduction of whole host populations, causing food web cascades or even epidemics.
Some call them the “omnipresent agents of natural selection“, others the “ultimate missing links“, still others the “invisible puppeteers“.
Whatever the label, it’s about time we consider the parasite.
Shooting in the dark
If the history of medical science has taught us anything, Wood argues, it’s that the emergence of a new infectious disease can go unnoticed for a long time: the tale of HIV, jumping from primates to humans decades before we recognized it as a global epidemic, is a prime example.
Today, a similar story might be unfolding in our oceans, like a shadow, creeping up the wall behind us.
“We really are just starting to scratch the surface on whether a changing world means rising rates of infectious disease,” Wood told ScienceAlert.
In the last few years, scientists have grown ever more concerned that our planet is not only getting warmer, it’s also altering the spread and distribution of parasitic diseases.
A recent finding by Wood’s lab indicates that from 1978 to 2015, there was a more than 280-fold increase in Anisakis simplex, a cold water nematode responsible for some 20,000 cases of herring worm disease, usually contracted from eating raw or undercooked seafood.
Whether the trend is due to fishing, climate change or something else, is hard to say for now. In Arctic waters, where this nematode flourishes and climate change is at its worst, we often lack baseline and long-term data, even for the best known parasites and their diseases.
Unfortunately, this means our future projections can often fall short of the rich reality.
The domino effects of climate change on parasites and their hosts. (Cizauskas et al., Royal Society Open Science, 2017)
The latest climate-parasite models are trying to fill-in this blind spot, incorporating not only climate data, but also information on parasitic life cycles, ranges, and opportunities for new hosts.
The initial results suggest that climate change will play a much larger role in disease transfer than we once thought. But what that specifically means for bird-flu, human malaria, A. simplex or other parasitic diseases remains unresolved.
After all, wherever there’s few data, there’s plenty of doubt. Even Wood, who directly measures parasite prevalence, admits that her research may well contain a sneaking bias. Researchers, you see, tend to pay more attention to those parasites that matter to humans.
“No one cares about parasites that are diminishing into extinction, because they don’t hurt people, they don’t hurt animals, they don’t cause outbreaks, they don’t ruin your fish fillet, they don’t crawl across your plate at the sushi restaurant,” Wood explains.
But that doesn’t mean they aren’t a vital part of our ecology. While an increase or change in parasite populations will no doubt have serious repercussions for health and agriculture, the flip side may well entail ecological upheaval. Some parasites are certain to flourish, while others will likely decline and go extinct.
A 2017 study on 457 parasite species predicts that five to 10 percent are committed to this fate by 2070, solely from climate-driven habitat loss. The researchers went on to create the first “red list” for parasites.
“Accounting for host-driven coextinctions,” the authors write, “models predict that up to 30 [percent] of parasitic worms are committed to extinction, driven by a combination of direct and indirect pressures.”
Will the aforementioned E. californiensis number among these wormy losers? Will another invasive parasite take its place? What then will happen to the size, distribution and abundance of killifish? The hungry shorebird? The precious salt marshes? The humans who rely on them?
Gathering answers on the complexities of parasite-host dynamics in all the thousands of mammal and bird species is a simply impossible task, says Konstans Wells, a parasite ecologist and modeler at Swansea University.
“We need more data for certain aspects,” he told ScienceAlert, “but we certainly can’t sample everything and we also can’t wait with the modelling because there is always a need to make better forecasting or maps where diseases are being distributed.”
As the clock ticks, researchers must act like ghostbusters, hunting down invisible foes, diseases that don’t yet exist or have yet to re-emerge in some new unexpected location.
Danielle Claar, a postdoc working in Wood’s lab, is studying the effect of El Niño events in the parasite-rich Tropics, because she says these can act as windows into future warming. Others in the team are sifting through countless museum samples and old journals for evidence of the past.
“When you arrive into science you think everyone’s got everything figured out,” Wood says.
“But as you get deeper in you realize there’s so much we don’t know. It’s staggering.”
As the climate crisis takes a firm grip, squeezing some parasites out and holding on to others, what we don’t know could very will kill many. And that goes for both parasites and humans alike.
A version of this article was first published in June 2019.
#Nature
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Wanna One Kang Daniel - Latte Art
✽ suggested by: anon
✽ featuring: kang daniel
✽ genre: fluff
✽ word count: 1,589 words
✽ summary: latte art was your specialty. with your steady hands and being in core arts, you couldn’t help to send a tiny message over to the guy you liked with it. your eyes widened as you heard these words over the counter, “so, who drew a heart in my latte?”
as everyone knew, the third year of high school always included taking on lots of leadership roles
some may be captains of their various sports teams, or even club presidents and class representatives
but after months of strenuous application worksheets and nerve-wrecking interviews, you managed to clinch a spot in the student council, as the student council treasurer
though it wasn’t as high of a position you had hoped, you still appreciated the position
yeah it was better than nothing
you then later found out your student council executive committee consisted of you, the treasurer, ong seongwoo, the secretary, kim jiwon, vice president, and kang daniel, the student council president
yall were like a band of brothers and sisters bahah
seongwoo was the joker, daniel usually stayed quiet, while jiwon was like the mom
but seongwoo really can bring out the life in daniel
something about him intimidates you, maybe it was the fact that he was the student council president, a higher position and of higher authority
even though you two were from the same classes, both of you never talked much, only during meetings and discussions
your relationship with him was just a bit more distant than the others
back in your home life, your family was of a lower socio-economic status, so you basically had to work as well, but as a part-timer
out of all the jobs you had to pursue, it had to be a server/cook in a cat café in your neighbourhood
you worked on tuesday, thursday and friday after school
so your schedule was quite packed
either way, you still pressed on and did what you had to do
one week, you were clocking in at 3pm after school
“hey, y/n!” juyeon cooed
you waved back in response
she was your middle school friend that unfortunately went to a different high school
but despite that, you two managed to stay as close friends
tying on your cat-apron and fitting on your cat ears in the employees room, you looked in your locker mirror
looking back at the reflection of yourself, you cringed
even after a year of working in the same establishment, you still cannot stand the fact that you were supposed to serve your customers in that getup
taking a slow deep breath, you walked back out to the kitchen to get ready for any orders
just as an order for a warm lava cake came up, the bell to the door jingled, signalling the presence of a customer
minding your own business, you placed the pre-made lava cake into the oven before winding up the temperature
“good afternoon sir! how long would you like to stay here for?” juyeon asked, with the same cheerful tone she always had
you really admired how natural she is at greeting customers and making them feel welcomed
she was the type of girl that really belonged here, a cute girl with a bubbly personality
“um, i would like to stay for 2 hours please,”
wait what?
that voice..
seems all too familiar
you peeked around the corner, only to see kang daniel, along with ong seongwoo, standing at the counter
ong was already peeking into the main café were all the cats were, meowing at them and some of our cats meowing back
at that exact moment, daniel made eye contact with you, the random eyes with cat ears peering around the corner
you ducked back behind the wall
your face immediately flushed red
your reputation is literally at stake here
what will happen if the whole school knew, the student council treasurer, one of the four highest student powers in the school, is working at some cutesy café?
but it was daniel and seongwoo, it’s not like they would spread the word right?
you gripped your heart as you sank down onto the floor of the kitchen
“hey y/n, is the lava cake done-”
ding!
you gathered yourself back together, smoothening out your waist apron
“yep, yep just about done,” you said, scurrying to the oven
“girl, are you okay? you look a little pale,” juyeon said, mixing up our signature pink and purple concoction to serve to the 2 new customers
“mhm,”
just about when you were finishing garnishing the plate of lava cake with flowers and a blob of vanilla ice cream, juyeon pushed the 2 mason jars filled with drinks beside you
“bring this out to the 2 boys over there for me, will you? they are lowkey cute tho, especially the blonde one,” she said as she nudged you, referring to daniel
before you could even respond, juyeon already glided off, tending to the next customer at the cashier
your heart skipped a beat
now i have to serve them? great, my dignity would be down the drain by the end of todays shift
picking up the lava cake first, you swiftly tried to avoid seongwoo and daniel’s eye contact as you tried to serve the customer who requested for that plate of dessert
when you walked past their table on the way back, you heard seongwoo say,
“theres no way in hell,”
you prayed to everything holy that he wasn’t referring to you
you picked up the 2 drinks that were located at the serving counter
while approaching them, you just prayed
please do not notice me, please do not notice me, please do not notice me
you just chanted your way there
standing in front of them, you placed the two drinks and coasters onto their table
their heads turned to you
you stopped your internal chanting
“here are your drinks-”
“YO Y/N”
oh i didn’t think WALKING UP TO THEM would work either, y/n
seongwoo exclaimed, wrapping his right arm around your shoulder
you groaned
“please let me live,” you said to seongwoo, before hitting the pair of cat ears on his head
while seongwoo started complaining, you could see daniel, in the corner of your eye, staring at you in awe
he was literally spEECHless at how cute you were
his ears turned a little red too
“sigh okay seongwoo, what would you two like today?”
“can you meow for us?” seongwoo teased, plastering a cheeky smile on his face
you just stared at him in unamusement, before directing your attention on daniel
“what would you like?” you asked with a smile, shooting a stern look at seongwoo
daniel was caught off guard and just stuttered
“um- i would like a, uhh, strawberry shortcake please,” he said, closing the menu and looking away
you recorded down his order diligently and asked the other fool what he wanted
after recording down their orders, you returned back to the kitchen to prepare them
on the way back, juyeon stopped you
“aren’t they cute?? y/n you need to agree with me on this one, they look like idols!!” bahahah
you giggled and nodded, returning to the back to get out their orders, decorating them
using your amazing artistry, you lined the plates with chocolate syrup, adding a little flower to daniels plate before placing the cakes strategically in the middle
once juyeon served them their orders you could hear seongwoo whine about not getting a flower, and daniel smiling really widely, his eyes creasing upwards into crescents
from the little glass window of your kitchen, you could feel your heart flutter as daniel takes a bite of your cake, smiling in delight
you felt your own cheeks burning crimson at any minor yet adorable action he makes
after that, daniel would return more often, usually after school, sometimes without seongwoo
he also matches up his arrivals to your work days
juyeon always makes you serve him, just to watch your trip on your words or turn pink at his small remarks
you would take note of his orders, usually a mini strawberry shortcake with a latte
on his sixth trip to the café, you decided to draw a really detailed heart on the top of the latte with his initials near the bottom
once the drink was served, by juyeon as you were busy with other orders, you took a sneak peek at daniel’s usual seat, which was in a corner
but he wasn’t there
you were quite curious, taking a step closer to the kitchen window to have a better look, making sure your eyes weren’t playing tricks on you
from a distance behind you, you heard daniel’s voice near the counter,
“so, who drew a heart in my latte?”
your heart stopped
“oh, it’s not me~” juyeon said, pointing to you, a girl with cat ears leaning way too close to the kitchen window
you slowly turned your head, to see daniel and juyeon both staring at you
you just smiled and waved
oh god im such an idiot
daniel waves back and returned to his seat
you literally wanted to slap yourself
you shook your head in shame and returned to cooking up the orders
as you turned to the kitchen window, where you would usually place orders, you saw a small pink post-it
you picked up, opening it
“hey y/n, you end your shift at 8 right? i’ll wait,”
-daniel
your heart swelled up
you took a peak at the kitchen window once again, to see daniel cheerfully playing with one of our tabby cats
you couldn’t believe that daniel, who you once thought had such a hard exterior, to have a soft spot for felines
you also didn’t know, that love could bloom in a corner cat café in a neighbourhood; like yours
✽ alrighty i have finally done a daniel scenario!
✽ of course it had to do with cats
✽ literally on the verge of stretching it to a 2part, i stopped myself well because its literally 1am on a school night
✽ suggestions box is open :)
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