#Joe’s Grotto

[larushaudio]

Waste preforming at “Smile Again: Epilepsy Benefit Show” back in 2019 on the infamous stage at Joe’s Grotto. Miss that place and miss being on stage!

[t-tex-edwards]

1981 The Nervebreakers in Tulsa flyer Joe "Danger" Linhart of Los Reactors

(via Curtis Cottrell

[dustysalmon]

Immortan Joe Imagine - Finding you relaxing in his grotto springs

It's been a long and trying day in the Wasteland. Joe personally sent you and a couple of War Boys to neutralise a rival warlord on the rise.

After spending days on the road, chasing and fighting, you come back to the Citadel completely drained and sore.

Your muscles hurt, your back too, and sleep alone won't solve everything.

You are not technically allowed in Immortan's personal quarters but what the hell, you completed the mission in record time and you decide that you deserve a little reward.

You sneak into the grotto as Immortan is holding a war council with his associates.

After carefully folding your clothes on the edge, you sink slowly into the warm water, letting it envelope you like a cloak. Steam and solitude, just what you needed. But it doesn't last.

It's only been a few minutes, but you hear heavy footsteps slowly making their way towards the grotto. You could recognise those anywhere.

Immortan says your name, his tone a careful and authoritative.

"I wasn't aware this place had been... offered to you."

You turn around, the water resting just below your clavicle, and lift your gaze to meet his, a slight smile playing on your lips as you notice his eyes briefly roaming over you.

"You take liberties. Not many would dare." He remarks.

"I needed a moment. This seemed... accommodating." You say shrugging.

He weights his options. He could punish you for trespassing, like he would do with anyone else, make an example out of you for defying the Immortan.

"I have something for you." You continue, and Joe does his best to maintain his composure as you emerge from the water, completely bare. His eyes don't know where to look as you are revealed to him inch by inch, the water trickling down your chest, your hips, and between your legs.

Try as he might, Immortan can't hide the small intakes of breath, his apparatus making it all the more obvious. Small victories....

You hand him a small object and drop it in the hollow of his palm. A golden tooth, ripped from his enemy's body earlier this morning. A small token of loyalty, in case there was any doubt.

Immortan finds it hard to focus, and momentarily feels a slight stirring below the belt. Surprisingly, he enjoys the power play, the teasing, but most of all, your boldness. Because how come is it him who feels disarmed, when you are the one fully unclothed?

Not quite trusting his voice, he nods at you. He will let you off easy this time. However, he decides as you disappear into the water, he will have to make you pay for that little display, he already has some ideas...

Disclaimer: reminder that Joe is a very bad and nasty man and that nothing he does or represents in the movies should be celebrated. That being said, this is fiction, and so I can confirm that I would let him ******* my ***** with his big **** all day long. Thank you for your attention.

[zestyderg]

(The narrator sits within the abandoned bare bones hideout, enjoying a caprisun with the only Smilo plushie spared from the milk onslaught. He hopes that after the recent failure of the Broccoli Man's plans and the massive pile of milk drenched plushies almost blocking the bridge over that he will finally find some peace.)

Hello... again. I'm not sure how you keep finding me whenever I go to hide, but I'll blame it on sheer coincidence. I just hope you weren't followed, because if I see any hint of tree related sentient vegetables, I think I might actually go insane this time.

(He places the half empty pouch on the smilo's head, sighing a little.)

Shame that I'm stuck here until the next round of helicopters fly in, and with how Mr. Wildwest is right now, I don't think they're coming soon. At the very least, free vivosaur plushie.

(Something emerges from the depths of the grotto, coming into the light slowly. The narrator only has to take one glance before he lets out the deepest sigh he can and flops onto his back.)

I don't even know why I even try anymore.

GRRRRREETINGS!!!!

it is I

The Broccoli Man!!

(He poses dramatically, only to immediately drop the pose, pull out some papers from his florets and sit on the ground. He seems to be thinking deeply for once.)

Now, I know my last plan backfired miserably, and now Rainbow Canyon is sort of a no go zone due to the smell, BUUUUUT I think I might be onto something with this next plan.

(He files through the pages until he pulls out a chickenscratch plan of action, slapping it on the floor.)

It took a while to get the materials together, because there's not much in the way of craft stores on the Castillo Isles, but with a little bit of ingenuity I managed to pull this together. Step one, make a decoy.

(He stands up, disappearing into the shadows, before dragging back a life size, hand painted that looks eerily similar to Dino.)

Step two, put my acting degree to work and make a show. In other words, draw Joe's attention with a little bit of puppetry, and lure him into a good position. Step three is where it gets hard.

(He reaches into his florets again, pulling out a shiny green dino medal. He flips it like a coin, letting out a fluffy little Squiro.)

This time, I'm actually using one of my own vivosaurs instead of borrowing them, so the stakes are slightly higher. But anyways, step three is to let my little pea build up some karma before we both jump into the fray once Joe realizes the deception. This is the make or break step of the plan, because if he realizes what's up too soon, then my poor little pea will get launched into the stratosphere. Step four is easy in comparison, if all goes well.

(He smiles cartoonishly wide.)

Joe attempts to attack, but instead gets knocked square in the jaw by his own assault. Gets knocked out, and finally step five takes place. Raid Wildwest tower, get the stinking fossils, and steal KL-33N with no one to stop me >:)

(He laughs deviously, finally playing up the drama again.)

Finally, a worthy plan to take down the Cowboy!... dino... thing? I'm not too sure what he is right now cause every time I see him he has more teeth. BUT ANYWAYS!! FEAR THE BROCCOLI!!! MUHAHAHAHHAHAHWHHW

-the broccoli man (chaotic evil)🥦

Wow! The vegetable has come up with a plan that might actually do something! I'm proud!

Although, it won't take very long for Joe to recognize that "Dino" is a fake, so better be sure that Squiro is ready to counter as soon as possible.

[moviesandmania]

WEREWOLF SANTA (2023) Reviews of British comedy horror and release date

‘Season’s eatings’ Werewolf Santa is a 2023 British comedy horror film in which the titular monster wreaks havoc in a small seaside town on Christmas Eve. Written, directed and co-produced by Airell Anthony Hayle (Satan’s Grotto; Midnight Peepshow; They’re Outside). Also produced by Dovile Kirvelaityte. The Haunted Cinema production stars Mark Arnold, John Bloom aka Joe Bob Briggs, Emily Booth,…

[ifwewerevillainsmademe]

“It took us a while to notice the lights in Cecilia's old room. Distracted by flashes at either end of the house, we failed to see the red and white pinpricks glowing at the window from which she'd jumped ten months before.

Once we did, we couldn't agree what they were. Some believed they were incense sticks glowing in a secret ceremony, while others claimed they were only cigarettes. The cigarette theory caved in as soon as we detected more red lights than possible smokers, and by the time we counted sixteen, we understood at least a portion of the mystery: the girls had created a shrine to their dead sister. Those who attended church said the window resembled the Grotto at St. Paul's Catholic Church on the Lake, but instead of neat ascending rows of votive candles, each alike in size and importance like the souls they pilot-lighted, the girls had engineered a phantasmagoria of beacons.

They had fused drippings from dinner candles into a single paraffin bundle wrapped with its own wick. They had fashioned ten torches from a psychedelic "craft candle" Cecilia had bought at a street art fair. They had lit the box of six squat emergency candles Mr. Lisbon kept in the upstairs closet in case of power failures. They had ignited three tubes of Mary's lipstick, which burned surprisingly well.

From the windowsill, from cups suspended on clothes hangers, from old flowerpots, from cut-out milk cartons, the candles burned. At night we saw Bonnie tending the flames. Occasionally, finding candles drowning in their own wax, she dug runoff trenches with a pair of scissors; but most often she watched the candles as if their outcome held her own, the flames almost extinguishing themselves, but, by some greed of oxygen, persisting.

In addition to God, the candles beseeched us. The Chinese lantern sent out its untranslatable S.O.S. The overhead light showed us the shabby state of the Lisbon house, and showed us Billy Jack, who had avenged his girlfriend's rape using forsworn karate. The girls' signals reached us and no one else, like a radio station picked up by our braces. At night, afterimages flashed on our inner eyelids, or hovered over our beds like a swarm of fireflies. Our inability to respond only made the signals more important.

We watched the show nightly, always on the verge of discovering the key, and Joe Larson even tried flashing his own bedroom light in answer, but this made the Lisbon house go dark, and we felt reprimanded.”

[The Virgin Suicides; Jeffery Eugenides]

[kurumeki]

HIRO and CRAZY COOL JOE 

at HIRO’s solo show 「幻奏 The 20th 〜2022 LCH〜」 @Yotsuya Live Bar GROTTO 2022.12.16

[chroniclesofchronair]

Campaign Recap: Session 0

Joe and Sxaxha made their way from their respective homes to Central City, where they’d heard the Witchlight Carnival was going to set up sometime soon.

Joe hitched a ride with Ellywick Tumblestrum, who was there specifically for her, traveling from the Solan City of Eclipses to Central. Along the way, Ellywick saw her without her disguise, but treated her with the same kind, fun-loving demeanor. They shared stories and played music along the way. When they got to the city, Ellywick told Joe she’d find a way to get her a ticket to the Carnival, though its wouldn’t open until tomorrow. She then took her to the Golden Grotto Farm, where she promised a friend would be able to keep her until then.

Sxaxha discovered his knack for burrowing underground, and used that to sneak through the shortcut tunnels used to deliver ore and metals to the rest of the world. Pierwhit, a faerie-dragon familiar, ended up having to follow him the whole way after just barely missing him in Terramine. When they made it to the city, Sxaxha finally noticed that he was being followed and, intrigued by the faerie-dragon, agreed to be led to the Golden Grotto farm with the promise that it would help him regain his smile.

This is where Joe and Sxaxha met, after Joe spent some time being unable to see him thanks to his stealth. It was revealed that they were both brought here for a specific reason, to help one Madryk Roslof with a task. Joe vaguely recognized the name, Sxaxha did not. While Joe is more than ready to go inside and hear Madryk’s request, Sxaxha doesn’t trust this situation, prompting Pierwhit to fetch Madryk and bring him to the front gate to talk.

Joe managed to quickly win Sxaxha over with her penchant for rambling and her fun personality. He thinks she is incredibly funny and likes her already.

Sxaxha intimidates Joe. She is unable to tell when he is in a good mood versus when he’s genuinely unhappy with something. But she views them as friends.

Madryk shows up and watches the conversation until there’s a natural lull. Here, he relays his request: help him find his Warlock patron, the archfey Zybilna. As his magic is tied directly to her, and he’s getting along in age, it is rather unlikely that he would succeed should he try to undertake the task himself. He says that if they follow the path to finding her, they will find the people responsible for their respective curses. He also reveals that he knows exactly who the two of them are. He’s friends with Joe’s parents and has spoken with Fevni.

Upon Madryk’s request, Joe and Sxaxa follow him inside the house, where they both can tell that he is very well-off. Joe is taken in by the largest painting in the room: one of  a gorgeous Wood Elf named Valissa Goldenbow. He tells her that Valissa was his wife, and that even though she is gone, she left him with a wonderful gift. Sxaxha understands this to mean a child.

Madryk talks more about Zybilna and points out her painting. Upon seeing it, both Joe and Sxaxha recall a memory of her where she provided some comfort during hard times. For Joe, she brought a plethora of books and smiled at her through the window. For Sxaxha, she gave him a cupcake and promised that he’d find his joy again, even if he couldn’t show it. Both of these memories are fleeting, but provide a sense of comfort.

Sxaxha demands proof that this set-up isn’t a trap. Madryk can’t offer any, but offers Iora as collateral instead, since he intends to send them along anyway and he knows his own intentions are pure, guaranteeing their safety. He says they can heal, which will keep them alive. Sxaxha agrees to this deal, but says that he would like to meet Iora first before fully accepting. The last thing he wants to do is travel with another stranger. He does offer a kindness to Madryk by offering to get him something before he goes, though.

Joe, overwhelmed by all the information she’s been given, goes out for a walk-and-talk with Bricker-Brak. She leaves a feather on her chair, which Sxaxha notices. While on this while, she comes across Iora, who’d just smashed a pumpkin to paste with their hammer. Bricker-Brak wheezes, making Iora laugh despite themself. This is the scene Sxaxha comes upon.

With the three finally converged, Joe suggest doing ice-breakers. Sxaxha asks Iora’s intentions. They answer honestly and say that they want to find Zybilna and get home as quickly as possible. Iora asks Joe’s and Sxaxha’s intentions. Joe wants something to eat. Sxaxha wants to get into the Carnival and take care of his business. Iora accepts these answers and prompts Joe to ask her ice-breaker question.

After a tangent, Joe asks what Iora’s and Sxaxha’s biggest regrets would be if they died right then. Upon seeing the looks on their faces, she wonders if she should’ve asked for favorite colors instead. Iora answers yellow. Sxaxha answers purple. Joe says she loves all colors.

After some more conversation, the three of them decide to get snake-on-a-stick together. Joe runs off to recast Disguise Self. She also goes through everything with Bricker-Brak and asks if she’s over her head. He reassures her that she can do this. Meanwhile, Iora ran off to check with Madryk and, seeing how Sxaxha and Joe kept making them laugh, grab their cloak so they can hide their face.

The three find a popular cart run by Goldenscale and Goregut: a talkative, exuberant dragonborn with a love for loud cheer and his quiet but just as excitable wife who cooks all the food. Joe, after screaming at the top of her lungs, earns a discount and orders the best thing on the house along with a bag of bugs. That earns her three huge hunks of anaconda.

The three new ‘friends’ sit down and dig in. Joe pulls out utensils and starts eating like the delicate elf she is, while Sxaxha pulls from his dragon instincts and horks his portion down. Iora borrows a fork and pulls apart theirs with their fingers. Once Joe loses all delicate sensibilities, though, they swiftly join and eat like a messy dragon too. The three of them talk, have a good time, and share the bag of bugs, finding amusement in Joe eating a giant millipede and becoming slightly paralyzed in the mouth. Afterwards, they head out for candied apples.

[hmgn3]

23-August 散財記録

03(thu) ・Neneh Cherry & The Thing / The Cherry Thing Remixes (2012, used LP) ・Small Circle of Friends Presents STUDIO75 / HAND (2005, used LP) ・エマーソン北村 / Green Dolphin Street/Polka Dots & Moonbeams (2003, used 7inch) ・Hu Vibrational / Boonghee Music 1 (2002, used 12inch) ・Bert Jansch / Avocet (1978, used LP) ・Robert Wyatt / Ruth Is Stranger Than Richard (1975, used LP) ・Lol Coxhill, Pierre Courbois & Jasper Van't Hof / Toverbal Sweet (1972, LP) 04(fri) ・cacoy / mural of music ep (2003, used 12inch) ・OORUTAICHI / OY (2003, used 12inch) ・Likwid Continual Space Motion Ope-Ra / Space Is the Place (2003, used 12inch) 05(sat) ・Diggs Duke / The Upper Hand & Other Grand Illusions (2014, used 12inch) ・Emery, Schmidt & McCann / Backwoods Jazz (1980, used LP) 06(sun) ・Gil Melle Quartet / Melle Plays Primitive Modern (1956, used LP) 09(wed) ・荒井優作 / ? (2023, CD-R) 10(thu) ・Wilma Vritra / Grotto (2022, LP) ・DJ ACID A MANNER / XPERIENCE TRAXXX (2022, used 12inch) ・Shofar / Right Before It Started (2021, used LP+8inch) ・Hannah Peel / Awake But Always Dreaming (2016, used LP) ・Morgan Fisher / Water Music (1985, LP) ・Heiner Goebbels & Alfred Harth mit Dagmar Krause & Ernst Stötzner / Bertolt Brecht: Zeit Wird Knapp (1981, used LP) 11(fri) ・Model Home / Saturn in the Basement (2022, used LP) ・King Klavé / King Klavé (2022, used LP) ・LABCRY / I Bring You Down to Underground (2001, used LP) ・dj klock / human ep (2004, used 10inch) ・Ora / Morgendämmerung (2004, used 10inch) ・Doctor Nerve / Armed Observation (1987, used LP) 17(thu) ・Odeko / Rose Tinted Vision Implant (2018, used 2LP) ・Javiera González / Meet Me Twice (2015, used 12inch) ・Nisennenmondai / Shackleton Remixes (2015, used 12inch) ・Pedro Soler & Gaspar Claus / Barlande (2011, used LP) ・The Dylan Group / Ur-klang Search (2000, used 2LP) 18(fri) ・Tetuzi Akiyama / Don't Forget to Boogie! (2003, LP) 20(sun) ・手ノ内嫁蔵 / 君と踊りたい (2015, used 7inch) ・Zé Eduardo Unit / Unities (1988, used LP) ・The Global Infantilists / The Global Infantilists (1982, used LP) ・The Vonnair Sisters / Goodbye to Toyland/I Don't Wanna Play in Your Yard (1961, used 7inch) 21(mon) ・荒川淳 / Breath of the Rappa (2023, cassette) 22(tue) ・見汐麻衣 with Goodfellas / August mood/さようなら、さよなら　If you say so, good bye (2019, used 7inch) ・想い出波止場 / 水中JOE (1992, used LP) ・Some Kind of Wonderful (Music From the Motion Picture Soundtrack) (1987, used LP) ・Art Lande, Paul McCandless, David Samuels / Skylight (1981, used LP) 23(wed) ・Snow Palms / Intervals (2012, used LP) ・Jukes / A Thousand Dreamers (2004, used LP) ・The Pastels / The Hits Hurt (1997, used 7inch) 24(thu) ・山二つ / テレビ (2023, CD) 25(fri) ・Bastien Keb / The Killing of Eugene Peeps (2020, used LP) ・Wisut Ponnimit / everybody everything soundtrack (2011, used LP) ・Superchunk / Hello Hawk (1999, used 7inch) 27(sun) ・Pan / Color Smells Sweet (2023, CD) ・Minta & The Brook Trout / Demolition Derby (2021, used LP) ・Hauschka / What If (2017, used LP) ・B.Fleischmann /I'm Not Ready for the Grave Yet (2012, used LP) ・Why Wait / The Amalgam EP (2006, used 10inch) ・The New Blockaders / Live at Anti-Fest (1999, used LP) ・Orchestr Gustava Broma / Orchestr Gustava Broma (Jazzový Koncert) (1968, used LP) ・The Godz / Contact High with the Godz (1966, used LP) 31(thu) ・386 DX / Biggest Smash Hits (2021, used LP) ・Charles Hayward / Smell of Metal (2014, used 2x12inch) ・Matt MV Valentine / Glorious Group Therapy (2003, used LP) ・Jean-Jacques Perrey & David Chazam / Eclektronics (1998, used LP) ・The Residents / Stranger Than Supper (1990, used LP) ・The Residents / The Third Reich 'N' Roll (1976, used LP)

[travelingtheusa]

IDAHO

2023 May 19 (Fri) – I spent most of the morning calling campgrounds and restaurants to confirm reservations for the caravan.  When finished, we took our laundry into town to do the wash.  While the clothes washed, we visited Idaho Joe’s again.  We really like that place.  While the clothes were in the dryer, we went to Fred Meyer for groceries and fuel.  Everything is set for our move to Utah tomorrow.

       I’ve never seen a place do so much watering.  One area in the back of the fairground had sprinklers going for 5 days!  After spending time in the desert and watching how desperate the situation is, I feel angered that they would waste water here.  I guess when you have the resource, you don’t think about it.  That’s probably what happened to Arizona, Nevada, and California over the years.  Now they are in trouble.  Idaho should take note.

2023 May 18 (Thu) – We drove into town for lunch today.  We wanted an Irish pub and I was looking forward to shepherd’s pie.  We found O’Dunken on Trip Advisor.  When we arrived, we discovered it was more of a pub with a limited menu.  There was no shepherd pie or fish & chips or any other Irish dish.  I had a corned beef sandwich and Paul had an Italian hoagie.  We got half a sandwich with salad (me) or soup (Paul).  It was a disappointment.

      We stopped at the liquor store on the way back to replenish our libations supply.

2023 May 17 (Wed) – We drove almost an hour to Shoshone this morning to tour the Ice Cave.  As we pulled up, a woman came out and asked if we wanted to go on the tour.  We said yes and she told us that a tour had just started and we could jump onto it.  We agreed and joined the group.  The guide was a young man, probably high school or college student.  There were nine of us on the tour and we walked in a single file over lava rocks and down into the cave.  I could not hear him in the back of the group.  That was quite annoying.  The ice cave was very interesting.  We have been in many caves but this was different.  The center of the cave had a perfectly formed dome ceiling.  This was because there was a gas bubble in the lava.  When it popped (or deflated), the round shape remained.  Further into the tunnel, there was ice gathered on a pile of rocks in the center of the room.  We walked across slushy ice water on boardwalks that were slippery with ice.  The cave used to be solid ice but over the years, owners blew out the walls to put in additional entrances.  The warm air coming into the cave caused the ice to melt.  The openings were closed but the cave is not as sealed as it was when discovered in 1880.  The walls glittered with ice crystals.  It was cold down there.

      After the tour, we drove back to Twin Falls and enjoyed a late lunch at Johnny Carino’s Italian Restaurant.  We really enjoy that place!  I had a chicken parmesan rigatoni dish and Paul enjoyed a lemon chicken dish.  We also enjoyed coffee and tiramisu for dessert.  Everything was delicious. We also ordered a lasagna meal to take home. 

      We had the most delightful time in Centennial Park back in Twin Falls this afternoon.  We drove down to the bottom of the gorge where the Perrine Memorial Bridge spans the Snake River.  There are two golf courses on either side of the river among the lava rocks and other awesome topography.  The road doubled back on itself 3 times on the way down, the angle of descent sometimes reaching 21%.  We stopped at one turn to explore a waterfall.  It turned out that there was a trail that ran back behind a waterfall.  We walked around behind the waterfall and marveled at the beauty of the grotto.  Further down, there were two ramps to put boats in the water – one for motorized boats and one for non-motorized boats (paddle boards, kayaks, canoes, etc.).  Back up top, we drove down the road to a restaurant sitting at the top of the gorge.  We walked around the back and found a platform built on the edge that overlooked the gorge and river below.  Wow!  It was dizzying to stand at the top and look straight down to the bottom.  Kind of weird to see birds flying below you.

2023 May 16 (Tue) – We went into town today so I could get a haircut.  After that, we walked up and down main street in Twin Falls, admiring the stores and wandering in and out of a few.  Then we had lunch at 2nd South Market.  They claim that it is the oldest food hall in America.  It was updated and looked very modern.  It was a large open hall with food vendors around the perimeter of the room and tables in the middle as well as outdoors on a patio. 

      After lunch, we drove a half-hour to Jerome to tour the Minidoka National Historic Site.  It was one of ten relocation camps for Japanese-American citizens in 1942.  Over 33,000 people passed through the camp over a 4-year period.  They had 36 barracks with additional buildings: community halls, dining halls, outhouses, administrative offices, medical facilities, etc.  The camp ran for 3 years until the end of the war. 

      We drove back to Twin Falls and stopped in WalMart to pick up milk and wound up spending over $200.  Ugh.  We did need the stuff but it certainly was unplanned purchases.

2023 May 15 (Mon) – We drove into Twin Falls to do the laundry.  The 2 washers and 2 dryers cost $1.50 each.  They all worked fine and the clothes were all fully dry at the end of the dryer cycle.

       While the clothes were washing, we went to Idaho Joes for lunch.  I had a large baked potato and salad while Paul enjoyed a taco salad.  The food was good and, again, they gave us a military discount of 10%.  We returned to the laundromat to move the clothes from the washers to the dryers then drove to Fred Meyer Supermarket.  I really like that grocery store!  It is a WalMart on steroids.  We picked up a rug for bedroom and a bathroom set of rugs.  We then picked up groceries and checked out.  We returned to the laundromat to get our clothes and stopped at U-Haul on the way back to get propane.

      It sprinkled a little this morning then the day cleared up and got quite warm by late afternoon.  All the other RVs that were here (and that wasn’t many) have gone.  We are all alone.  There were a group that came in with their horses this evening.  I don’t know if it was a club or a class but they rode their horses around the small arena next the camping area.

2023 May 14 (Sun – Mother’s Day) – We spoke with Travis and his boys this morning.  I sent both Miranda and Samantha some chocolates.  Paul wished me a happy mother’s day (😊). 

      We went to the Magic Valley Mall where I bought two pairs of blue jeans and Paul got himself a pair of slippers.  It was overcast and rainy all day.

      We noticed an odd thing today.  The vast majority of license plates around here start with 2T.  We were musing about that, thinking that it might mean Twin Falls.  It could mean the town but with the ponderance of license plates with those digits, it probably means Twin Falls County.

2023 May 13 (Sat) – We happened upon a horse event here at the fairgrounds.  We saw youngsters taking a class on Thursday.  Last night, there was the start of a high school rodeo.  Today was a full day of rodeo activities.  Junior and Senior high school students rode horses and roped calves.  It was so interesting to see 13 and 14 year old children doing these grown-up things.  We sat in the bleachers for about an hour, then left to have lunch.

      After lunch, we went to the Twin Falls County Historical Society Museum.  There was a small building that used to be a school that was now a museum.  We wandered through the various rooms looking at collections of old stuff.  Then we walked outside around the yard looking at old farming equipment; much of it old, rusted, and falling apart.

2023 May 12 (Fri) – We drove to Perrine Memorial Bridge in Twin Falls this morning.  The bridge is 486’ above the Snake River and people base jump from it.  There were several athletes doing just that.  They jumped off the bridge with their parachutes and landed below 24 seconds later.  Then they had to climb back up the steep bank.  It looked really tough to do.

     We stopped at Idaho Joe’s for lunch.  I had a great sandwich and Paul had a baked potato with clam chowder and the biggest piece of cornbread I’ve ever seen.  We both brought leftovers home.

      Then we drove to Shoshone Falls.  They are rated at medium flow.  That was disappointing.  I thought we would see more waterflow but apparently the spring thaw is over and the water is slowly dissipating.  After admiring the area (which reminded me somehow of the Wisconsin Dells), we drove to Diekers Lake.  It was nice with a designated swimming area.  We walked around the floating boardwalk.  It was wiggly and a little unsettling.  Next stop was at Twin Falls.  It turned out they built a hydroelectric plant at that point and there is now just one falls.  During high water, they open a second vent and there might be two water spouts.  Disappointing.  There were several marmots running the area and we delighted in trying to catch sight of them.

2023 May 11 (Thu) – We drove into town to get groceries at Albertson’s.  Breakfast was at the Buffalo Café.  It was an interesting stop.  They had a hunter breakfast which consisted of fried potatoes with onion and peppers and covered with gravy.  It sounded intriguing so we both ordered the dish.  It was quite good and very filling.  We brought leftovers home.

      We took a walk around the campground and came across a group that seemed to be getting ready for a function.  There were bean bag games going on and some tables set up around the place.  About six food trucks were parked around the outskirts, some open and some still setting up.  We went back at 5 p.m. and discovered it was a fund raiser for breast cancer.  The band was excellent.  We got food and drinks, then sat at a picnic table and listened to the band for an hour.  It started to get overcast and cool so we left. 

      When we got back to the rig, we saw horses gathering in a nearby arena.  We made coffee then walked over so see what was going on.  It turned out to be a class for children on how to handle their horses.  We sat in the bleachers for a while but then left when it got cooler.  They said there will be a show on Saturday.  We’ll go to that.

2023 May 10 (Wed) – Packed up and left West Wendover, NV, at 10:25 a.m.  It would have been about 3 hours to our next campground but we stopped to help a couple who broke down on the road.  They had a blow out and the fender above the wheel was torn out.  When we pulled up and stopped (for me to use the facility), we found a man trying to change the tire on his fifth wheel RV.  The lug nut wrench didn’t fit some of the lug nuts.  Two of the lug nuts were stripped.  The nut holding the spare tire in place was rusted in place.  Because the tire was shredded, the wheel just spun when he tried to get a lug nut off.  Paul worked with the husband for an hour to get the tire changed.  It was a bear but they finally got it.  The couple – Claudia and Al Brimm from Washington (state) – were very thankful.

      We arrived at Twin Falls County Fairgrounds in Filer, Idaho, around 2:30 p.m.  We parked in a site then went to the office to pay.  There are 4 rows of hookups with FHU usually.  However, they are in the process of replacing the sewer pipes so we have no sewer hookup.  We will have to go to paper plates and plastic silverware to minimize water usage so our tanks don’t fill up too much.  Hopefully, they’ll be done in a week otherwise, we will have to make it work for 10 days.

      We selected a site then parked longways across 3 sites.  We are on grass.  There are two other RVs parked in the campground.  The fairground is very large with numerous buildings around the site.  They are marked for different categories of livestock like horse barn, poultry, rabbits, 4H club, etc.  There are two dirt arenas for horses.  A few horse trailers are in one area.  Don’t know if a show is coming or just finished.

[writer59january13]

Self help addict needles unsuspecting reader

Expounded late today April 27th, 2023 since being written countless years ago maybe a baker's dozen

as thee doodling cock doth crow scouting about for carrion

scavenging for dead animals

and rooting about garbage to sell

at annual corvus entrepôt,

where at birds eye view

buzzfeeding crowdsource talon (telling) the famed truth regarding chicken scratch scrawled illegibly by eccentric hand

now sought after collector's item signature birdbrained, bird dogged,

bird dinned long haired,

pencil necked geek recluse can be found in his grotto along with original manuscripts

characterizing Mark Twain

in general and Injun Joe

in particular linkedin

with Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn,

who suffered fools gladly,

but nevertheless being a security detail he dealt with hoodlums -

frequently tossing them out on their golden earring and experienced severe lumbago.

When dire circumstances extant do I ask

for anonymous benefactor to write me a blank check so edenic, idyllic, and pacific sunny

spring day yours truly can bask tapping a keg of spring water

stored in an airtight cask when thirsty, I pour into an ice cold

(not a tad above absolute zero)

temperature controlled flask while donned (underclothes

resembling Ally's gaiters),

and outer garments

emblematic of space suits my favorite martian outfit

and astronaut helmet and mask

to minimize contamination

paraphernalia acquired courtesy gofundme for assistance sans when cash strapped

since temptation to rob a bank dismissed

guru wannabe of gumption

buckles when he tackles

formidable onerous task. Otherwise an inner compulsion advocates dishing out non repeating

infinite decimal calculating pi on nearing infinite jesting kron limit

can unlock esprit de corp

spirit to tackle and barrel headlong novel circumstance silently cheering myself to get unstuck

if in quandary like eeyore and experience shuttered

gloating euphoria galore for

reasons spelled out because das saucy papa

coon sitters himself an insecure

noodle head as told me courtesy Kishore and Kouila Raval –

unsure if surname correct, (who approximately

forty five years ago lived at Colony Arms Apartments

within Audubon Pennsylvania, where yours truly felt infatuation toward their daughter named Menal)

woven into this reasonable rhyme as thoughts analogous

getting squeezed thru many a kernel pour

out corny and flaky as Tony the tiger in tandem with Katy Perry

emanating a figurative roar

to even out the score,

when as a boy alias scapegoat of bullies subsequently

pleaded for peace versus declaring war,

prepubescent and young adult of yore.

He admits being affected with Peter Pan's

jiffy (labyrinthe) syndrome

the prospect of becoming older, I decried physical maturation (wanted to remain being a little boy)

upon skinny legs objected to stand

when juiced a striping slip of a lad,

whether at home or in class room playing solitary candy land submissive toward parental

intervention against teachers’ pet(s) mandated got foisted upon my person equated to more than helping hand my lonely hearts club one young man band, whereby me late mother

(preceded date of this poem) before lovely bones of then octogenarian father

punctuated mortality with exclamation mark when tightly coiled resembles ampersand!

Said enabling parents offtimes

completed my entire major assignments,

homework, and major class project, say researching history of York reinforced dependence on others

with angst riddled psychic torque underscoring in boldface defects

mine genetically typed quirk

this then young man lacked confidence

as requisite perk

with inxs o faith no more seeds

of worthlessness did lurk

inferiority hardly groomed me

a foo fighting beastie boy resembling creature from Black Lagoon covered head to toe with mire and murk antagonistic role and potential enemy

characterized by Captain Kirk;

Hence without a spock of confidence, neither sensibility nor cents cause gifted with noggin quite dense consigned to bruit off fence against meself, an outlier never found among company of gents

which at presence doth incense

that middle aged male,

whence any aid pains like a lance

essentially donning out role of offence

particularly with lack of finances

where mine family rents.

[amarketedcandybar]

PART 1

Sitting here dying alone. Wanting warmth and love. Fuel rods comes along as big daddy joe showing off his voluptuous muscles and big cock.

"F-f-fuel r-od  ヾ(｡>﹏<｡)ﾉﾞ✧*。" Ham says blushing

"There there sexy lady, you make me queasy" Fuel rod says in a big and sexy voice.

Fuel Rod and Ham slowly start to kiss more and more passionately. Getting more and more aggressive.

Now ripping of clothes, fuel rod throws ham onto the bed hastily and awaits to be greeted by her soaking wet hole. He plugs it into her.

"mmAHh~~" Ham moans while saying Fuel Rods name.

Fuel Rods moans "baby girl this feels so good~"

Ham voices in her head: "now, I've seen more pricks than a second hand dartboard, but the sight of his meaty member made my fallopian fish stock foam like a jizz waterfall. By now, my ground zero grotto was haemorrhaging like a George Foreman grill. Leaving my panties sunny side up on the floor was the least of my worries as his jebend shoved deeper into my cocoa channel. Inserting an antique doorknob into my mound of love pudding got me squirting clunge gunge faster than greased shit off a shiny shovel. It was the best feeling I could ever feel."

Fuel Rod finally finishes charging ham, but ham still longs for more.

As ham contemplates asking for it, she slowly starts to fall asleep on the white and comfortable bed next to her meaty stick of meat.

The next morning....

Ham wakes up in the warm and comfortable bed next to Fuel Rod.

"My municipal cockwash is still slobbering." Ham thinks.

Fuel Rod gets right up ready to go again, ham blushes and is ready for another round...

"I thought it was over... but i guess his brie baton had other ideas." Ham thinks again.

to be continued....

[moviesandmania]

WEREWOLF SANTA (2023)

‘Season’s eatings’ Werewolf Santa is a 2023 British comedy horror film in which the titular monster wreaks havoc in a small seaside town on Christmas Eve. Written, directed and co-produced by Airell Anthony Hayle (Satan’s Grotto; Midnight Peepshow; They’re Outside). Also produced by Dovile Kirvelaityte. The Haunted Cinema production stars Mark Arnold, John Bloom aka Joe Bob Briggs, Emily Booth,…

[treeremovalpensacola]

Companies in the News: Updates and more from Sod Solutions Stihl Belgard and more

If you're in the Pensacola area, then you have probably already experienced the need for having to remove a tree or stump or getting your tree's trimmed. The cost of tree removal varies depending on a few factors, such as: - The type of tree that needs to be removed - The size of the tree - The location of the tree - The condition of the tree Pensacola Tree Removal offers competitive pricing for our tree removal services. For a full list of services Tree removal services visit Tree removal service in Pensacola for a fast, friendly and reliable quote that you can count on. This will help not only beautify your property but also is the safest way to do it. Sod Solutions will host a Turf and Ornamental Communicators Association (TOCA) internship in the summer of 2023. During the 8-10 week long internship, the company says the student will work with its sales, marketing and customer service teams to understand the company’s four business units, shadow multiple roles and learn about the turfgrass industry. The intern will have the opportunity to shadow and learn about multiple roles at Sod Solutions in Awendaw, S.C., including educational content writing and editing, marketing content, creative and strategy development and customer service communication and problem-solving. The internship will be worth $5,000 — $4,000 as a stipend and $1,000 to attend and assist in the execution of the TOCA Annual Meeting in Portland, Maine, April 25 – 27. The deadline to apply is Feb. 24. Stihl acquires muffler manufacturer The Stihl Group will acquire Cosmos Manufacturing, a U.S.-based manufacturer of mufflers. Cosmos, a current Stihl development partner and a major supplier of mufflers, is headquartered in South Chicago Heights, Ill., and employs 200 people in the development, production and sale of muffler systems and stamped components for small and medium-sized engines. “This acquisition will deepen our expertise in the development and manufacture of mufflers and other exhaust components,” said Martin Schwarz, Stihl executive board member for manufacturing and materials. “This represents a major step forward in achieving increasingly strict emission standards and also reinforces our supply chain resilience.” The transaction will take place as an asset deal, with Stihl founding a new company in the U.S. called CS Comsmos Stihl Manufacturing. The new enterprise will take over employees, existing customers, and suppliers and continue COSMOS’ business. Lawn in Order recognized Find Local Landscapers, an online directory that identifies local contractors and companies that have received top reviews based on service and performance, recently recognized Atlanta-based Lawn in Order as a 2022 Top Client Rated Atlanta Lawn Care Service. “We are honored to be recognized with this distinguished award, as our number one priority is always making our clients happy,” said Jon Farazmand, co-founder of Lawn in Order. Belgard to sponsor HGTV Dream Home Belgard will sponsor the HGTV Dream Home 2023 in Morrison, Colo. This is the company’s eighth consecutive year as the hardscape sponsor. The home will feature Belgard’s product lines throughout the home’s outdoor living areas. “Colorado is known for its great outdoors, so it was important the home’s hardscapes complemented the terrain of the surrounding views,” said Joe Raboine, director of residential hardscapes at Belgard. “Our hardscape products are featured in the outdoor kitchen, firepit living room, lounge grotto and paver driveway to help create the ultimate mountain living experience. We hope the winner spends as much time outside as they do indoors to relax and disconnect in the Colorado mountains.” Got news? Let us know! Have news about your company? Send it to DiFranco at rdifranco@northcoastmedia.net, and we’ll feature it in an upcoming Companies in the News. The post Companies in the News: Updates and more from Sod Solutions, Stihl, Belgard and more appeared first on Landscape Management.

[callmeblake]

Many a snippet during Frank Iero and the Cellabration at Joe’s Grotto, Phoenix, Arizona - November 16th, 2015

Filmed by:  Jasper

[chroniclesofchronair]

Campaign Recap: Session 1

Joe, Sxaxha, and Iora made their way back to the Golden Grotto farm to turn in for the night. Joe left early to make sure her Disguise Self wouldn't fall and reveal her true form. Both Joe and Sxaxha were given guest rooms with proper accommodations.

Joe, being an Elf, awakes from her trance first.

Iora and Madryk wake up first, and make breakfast. Sxaxha then gets up from the smell of food, and Joe can hear him move through the house. She thinks that he hates her, so she stresses about going out there and thinks that she should just leave. But she also can’t because she needs a ticket to the carnival. Bricker-Brack, not thinking, bumbles over, climbs up, and opens the door, while Joe tries desperately to stop him. Sxaxha looks at Joe, who panics and slams the door shut. He says, “I’m going to eat your portion”, which she takes to mean that he is going to eat her.

Sxaxha makes his way down to the kitchen and sits, eager to dig in. Joe, meanwhile, scrambles out the window and manages to land outside thanks to a good Dex save, her wings giving her a little lift to cushion her fall. She bemoans her fate and goes on a dramatic monologue about how she’ll have to resort to a life of crime and end up being arrested by a detective that she’ll have a tumultuous relationship with. Bricker-Brack joins in on the melodramatics. Everyone in the kitchen can hear her voice, but not what she’s saying.

Iora sighs and asks Sxaxha to check on her so she doesn’t hold up breakfast. He does, and comes upon the dramatic scene. Joe sees him and freaks out, trying to hide her bird-like appearance even though it is futile. Bricker-Brack stands in front of her legs, drawing Sxaxha’s attention. He picks him up and asks how he can move, noting that he is cute. Joe immediately forgets her fear and explains that she made him with one of her parents. Sxaxha notes that he likes him, then says that Joe is holding up breakfast. Joe asks if she’s for breakfast, which Sxaxha denies.

Joe and Sxaxha both go to eat breakfast, where spiced pumpkin bread with icing is served. Madryk informs the group that Ellywick has bought the tickets, but they’re being held at the ticket-booth. If they give their names, they’ll get them. Joe asks if things will be okay if she goes, referring to her harpy nature. Madryk says it should be, but he goes to get a trinket for her anyway, just in case. Everyone else finished their meal, although Joe only gets to eat half of hers before Sxaxha asks if she’s going to finish, and snags it anyway.

Sxaxha then plays with Bricker-Brack on his lap, bouncing him and squeezing him. Bricker-Brack enjoys this, until Sxaxha starts to laugh. Because of his curse, he can’t laugh properly and instead snarls, which makes Bricker-Brack tense. Sxaxha feels back and tries to dampen his laughter.

Meanwhile, Joe helps Iora clean up and do dishes. It’s a quiet venture, until Sxaxha joins them and offers to help. Iora says that they don’t need any.

Once that is done, Iora gathers their herbal supplies, and Joe goes up to straighten out her room. This is where Madryk gives her a magic bracelet that will allow her disguise self to last 8 hours, but it only has one charge left. In return, she gives him a felt animal: a brightly designed capybara. He loves it and says he’ll keep it with his treasures. Joe promises to try and get its charge back, which he insists isn’t necessary.

Everyone does one final check to make sure they have everything. Iora grabs their cloak, shield, and hammer. Joe nervously asks if they’ll need that. They respond that the Feywilds are dangerous. Joe then shows off her magic wand, and claims that Bricker-Brack can use a sickle. Sxaxha asks if he is trained to use it. Bricker-Brack makes a coy noise. A successful insight on Sxaxha’s part reveals that he has no training. He then says that he has a knife, rounding out the weapons check.

The party takes off, with Joe using her lengthened Disguise Self, walking to the other side of the city to get to the plains-like outskirts where the carnival is being help. As they get closer, the sky turns to a magically done twilight, and they see a giant blue ribbon encircle the entire thing and carve a river into the land. Sxaxha, who is tall, and Joe, who is jumping, both see Witchlight hands trying to keep the crowd at bay while the finishing touches are done.

As soon as the carnival opens, the crowd goes. Joe managed to use Sxaxha to push the group through the crowd, while Iora kept people from stepping on her. They managed to be about fourth in line.

A goblin, Nikolas Midnight, greets the party and asks how many tickets they’d like, scrutinizing them with his spyglass and earhorn. Joe brings up that their tickets have already been bought, and gives everyone’s names. Nikolas insights her, finds her trustworthy, and gives the tickets. She asks if Bricker-Brack needs one. He says no, but gives him, and the party, a pair of butterfly wings anyway. Joe asks if she can have something else besides the wing. Nikolas obliges, giving her butterly antenna to wear. He says that the wings and antenna either have to be worn or carried. Joe and Bricker-Brack eagerly wear theirs. Sxaxha ties his to his pants. Iora gets bullied into wearing theirs.

Nikolas explains that having a ticket allows entry into the carnival. Using an attraction costs a punch, and a ticket has eight punches. Having a fully punched ticket only means you can’t go on more attractions, but you can still roam the park and use its free services. He also explains how much the tickets cost, and how a child who didn’t have money previously bartered for one. Then he gives the party a map of the carnival.

As the party enters the carnival, they see the opening ceremony festivities. An adult Treant and a red squirrel and doling out dandelions and sycamore seeds float down on the wind. Joe uses her wings to float the seeds over to a group of kids who can’t quite catch them, and their teenage babysitter picks up kids to help them along, giving Joe a salute due to a failed deception check. Iora and Sxaxha try to catch seeds, but can’t on their own. Sxaxha picks Iora up, and Joe tosses Bricker-Brack on top, who is acle to get three seeds and divies them out, shoving one in Iora’s mouth and handing the other two theirs.

Joe gives hers to a kindly older couple watching the children, who react with joy. Sxaxha gains a 1D4 for an ability check from his. Iora offers their to Joe, who denies it. Then it turns into a gold piece, which prompts the group to talk about buying more tickets. They decide to wait until they need to before doing so.

Red the Squirrel insists the party take dandelions and make wishes on them. Joe is delighted by him and his energy, and he takes to her in kind. Sxaxha he is luke-warm on. Everyone decides to think on their wishes and save them for later.

Joe lets Iora and Sxaxha pick where to go first. Sxaxha wants to go to the dragonfly rides. They go and see a younger treant, Northwind, manning the station. Joe talks to the Treant about the rides, and he mentions that he’s a little to big to get on the dragonflies. Sxaxha nervously asks if there’s a size-limit. Northwind looks him over, and says that he’s well withing the limit. Sxaxha is relieved.

Everyone gets their tickets punched and gets on a dragonfly. A team of goblins straps them all in. Joe and her goblin do an airplane take-off bit together. Iora and Joe get Nat 20’s on handling their dragonflies. Sxaxha fails his, so isn’t able to control it, but manages to please it with good scritches nonetheless.

An incident happens where a dragonfly panics and takes off with an unrestrained Dwarf. Joe unhooks from her restraints and glides over to help calm it, succeeding with a little help from her own dragonfly. The dwarf, while fumbling off the dragonfly, is alright and thanks her. She suggest he go rest up at the Snail races, which he agrees is a good idea. (Mood+1)

Meanwhile, Sxaxha notices a suspicious Kenku in blue robes watching the scene, and showing obvious bitterness when the Dwarf is rescued safely. She then takes off in the general direction of the carousel. Not wanting his day at the carnival to be ruined, he wants to catch her.

When his and Iora’s dragonflies land, he shares that he saw someone suspicious go towards the carousel. Joe agrees that something should be done, but is very flighty. Iora goes along with it. On the way, the two of them get distracted by an inchworm. Joe makes a hat for it, which takes five minutes. It feels like forever for Sxaxha, but the inchworm seems to appreciate it.

Sxaxha managed to wrangle everyone into going to the carousel. Along the way, he sees flickers of the thieves of the coven moving through the crowds and shadows, but never a full look.

Joe gets a weird, uncomfortable feeling of kinship when she sees the person running the carousel, Diana. The carousel goes, revealing that the unicorns seem to come to life and have personalities, including one that gives off a very prideful flair, one that looks ready to retire but is still enjoying itself, and a pair that seem mischievous that Joe speculates are childhood friends who want to take the next step, but are nervous so they get into the same shenanigans they did when they were fillies.

When it’s the party’s turn to go, Diana gets wide-eyed, then nervously asks if Joe’s met with Granny Nightshade too. Joe blanches and eventually says yes. Diana then clears the crowd and puts up a maintenance sign so they can talk. Joe helps by suggesting the group go to the Snail races, which are hopping. Everyone seems to not mind.

With the cat out of the bag, Joe explains to everyone what happened to her, after a lot of mumbling and stuttering. Sxahxa and Iora take it well, not judging her, while Diana offers her condolences and shares her own story. She was a mercenary who strived to help people, but was separated from her warhorse. When she went looking, she came across Granny Nightshade, who offered to reunite the two of them. She finishes with, “And well… Here we are.”

This is when the party realizes she’s a human, not a centaur.

She then goes to explain that she can’t say much about what’s been going on, but that the unicorns of the carousel know. The only problem is, they can’t speak to anyone because some of them gave forgotten their names, and Diana doesn’t remember and isn’t able to figure it out. This is simply because she’s not very smart. But she says that the party can give it a shot, fetching them paint and a brush to do so. The only thing she knows is that the names are themed together. But she says that if they solve the puzzle, the ride will be free, as she doesn’t want to take a hole-punch for something so serious. When Joe asks if that will be okay, Diana reassures that Mr. Witch and Mr. Light aren’t too precious with things like that.

Before going to solve the puzzle, Sxahxa asks about a kenku. Diana thinks on it, and says that the man running the Hall of Mirrors, Candlefoot, has mentioned a kenku and would know more. Joe also asks if there’s any way she can return the favor. Diana says no, if she simply manages to undo her own curse, she will be happy because she’s found a good life with the carnival. Joe seems dubious, but gives her a felt shetland pony, which is appreciated.

The party then goes to solve the puzzle. Pair 1: Fortune, B___ (Bold), Pair 2: Pr___ (Pride), Fall, Pair 3: Stone, M__s (Moss), Pair 4: _i (Toil), Trouble

Sxaxha makes an above twenty intelligence check and finds the following information: The colors don’t mean a lot, but each pair has a theme. Pair 1 is golden and silver, pair 2 is red and purple, pair three is slate gray and green, pair four is ashen black. He also deciphers how many letters are in each missing name. From here, he realizes that Stone’s partner is Moss. Joe figures out that Fortune’s partner is Bold. Iora figures out that Trouble’s partner is Toil. Joe and Sxaxha work together to figure out that Fall’s partner is Pride.

Joe writes all the names. It’s really bad for Elf handwriting, but good for everyone else. Once they tell Diana that they’re done, they get on. Joe gets on Stone, Sxaxha gets on Trouble, and Iora gets on Pride. Diana then turns on the ride.

The wooden unicorns rear to life with triumphant whinnies and the road starts, faster than normal. Stone thanks Joe telepathically for her help in finding her partner’s name. Then she shares some information: Granny Nightshade and her two sisters are currently in Prismeer, the land ruled by Zybilna. They staged a coup and froze her in time. They then carved up the land and each rule a different piece of it, because they’re so distrusting of each other that they can’t work together.

Meanwhile, Sxaxha asks Trouble if he can talk. He can, does, and claims to know that Sxaxha lost something and wants it back. He also says he knows who has it. He tells Sxaxha that a hag named Bavlorna Blightstraw took his smile, for no apparent reason other than she’s a hag and hags are the worst. She lives in a ramshackle house on stilts in the middle of a boggy swamp. And she’s allergic to seeing someone run widdershins.

Iora gets told about Endelyn Moongrave.

After the ride, Joe excitedly relays the information she learned, and asks Sxaxha what he learned. He says he learned about a woman he has to meet. Iora shares that they learned about Endelyn Moongrave, but doesn’t share what they learned. Joe says that the plan right now seems to be to go to Prismeer, save Zybilna, deal with the hags, and shares that there might not be a chance to take care of Sxaxha’s task because all she knows is that Sxaxha is after some woman. Sxaxha reassures her that it’s fine, then reminds the group that they need to track down the kenku. His mood is a little soured because of what he learned.

The party head off to the Hall of Mirrors, where they see a monochromatic human, Candlefoot, awkwardly attending to it. Nobody seems to want to go in. There’s a glass cabinet near the entrance that Joe almost gets distracted by.

Sxaxha addresses Candlefoot, which prompts him to stare and gesture to his throat. Sxaxha huffs and asks if he can talk. Candlefoot gestures for writing tools. Joe hands a pen and her notebook, where Candlefoot sees her drawing of sad Diana and shows amused sympathy. Using this journal, he writes, “I used to talk. What’s up?”

From here, Sxaxha asks about the Kenku. Candlefoot reveals that her name is Kettlesteam and that she stole his voice. She’s not happy with the carnival for some reason, and has been causing trouble. He doesn’t know why she’s not happy, and isn’t quite sure where she’ll pop up next. But he asks the party to check on the star singer of the carnival, Palasha, because she’s a prime target. They agree, and also offer to get his voice back for him.

Joe asks where the previous singer, a siren named Corrin Poranite, is. Candlefoot grimaces and says that some unfortunate business made her disappear. Sxaxha gruffly asks for specifics. Candlefoot reluctantly admits that the story is that she was kidnapped by a fan. Joe asks if she was rescued and simply left afterwards. Candlefoot grimaces even more, and Joe understands that no, she is still missing, and is saddened. She asks how long ago it was. He says it was a little under ten years.

Joe then has the horrible thought that she was fused with Corrin. She can’t decipher if she fully was or not.

As some modicum of reassurance, Candlefoot says that her son is still with the carnival. Joe asks where he can be found. Candlefoot says that he’s probably prepping for his first big performance in the dressing room tent near the big top. He blatantly says that the two laziest Witchlight hands are guarding the tent for some reason, so it shouldn’t be too hard to get in.

Joe asks if the party going into the Hall of Mirrors will repay the favor for the information. Candlefoot says it’s fine, he completely understands why people don’t like it. The place gives him really bad vibes and he’s only there because he’s stuck watching it until the Big Top Extravaganza. When asked why it’s so off, he says he doesn’t know for sure. But the party is free to investigate if they want. Sxaxha asks if they can go in for free. Candlefoot gestures for a persuasion check, and thanks to inspiration and his D4, Sxaxha passes. Candlefoot agrees, not really caring.

The party asks him what the cabinet does. He says he’s not sure, it’s magic bullshit that he doesn’t want to touch. But they’re free to go mess with it.

Joe does not recognize that Tasha, the figure in the cabinet, also went by the name Iggwilv.

Joe is nervous to handle it, and after some struggle, Sxaxha reluctantly approaches. He fails the wisdom save and starts snarling, unable to physically laugh. Joe panics and hides behind a sign, picking wildflowers in hopes that they will make a good apology and thinking the very sight of her is pissing him off. Iora manages to go in, succeed the save, and pull Sxaxha out. The two of them then reassure Joe that it was magic and that Sxaxha is fine. Joe is curious about what kind of magic, so she steps close, and fails her save, falling into a fit of laughter.

Sxaxha doesn’t want to go in to save her, so Iora does. They get a Nat 1 on their second save, falling over into a fit of high-pitched, snorty, cackly giggling. Everyone is pleased by the sound of their laughter, but Joe has to drag them out of the radius.

When the magic wears off, Joe notes that Iora’s laughter is one of the most delightful things she’s heard. Embarrassed, they hide their face in their cowl. Joe then puts the pieces together and asks if Sxaxha had been laughing. He says yes. Then she succeeds an insight and realized that the only time he’d ever been mad was right after the carousel, every other time, he’d either been fine or pleased. Joe asks if he’s cursed, which prompts Sxaxha to reluctantly admit that he had his smile and his laugh stolen. Joe expresses sympathy, which he doesn’t like. When she offers compassion and the flowers, he accepts.

Before the group can go, they hear laughter. They see two halflings, Ween Sundapple and Rubin Sugarwood. Rubin is on one knee with a ring, while Ween is laughing, standing right in front of the cabinet. Rubin looks like he’s about to cry.

Joe springs into action, pushing the two out of the way and explaining that it’s magic. Ween manages to sober up and agrees that the magic got to him. Joe plays music while looking away respectfully, Sxaxha throws flower petals to get rid of them, Iora casts guidance on Rubin to not be left out, and the proposal gets a do-over. Ween accepts, and after lots of love and affection, the two of them thank the party for clearing up the air and helping them when they really didn’t have to. Joe claims that it’s no skin off her back, and that it’s not the best times that prove if a marriage will pull throw. Rubin agrees and says that the lowest moments really show it. With more thanks, the two of them skip off. (Mood+1)

Joe traces a circle around the cabinet, while Candlefoot, who’d seen that entire debacle, gets a paper sign and writes ‘MAGIC- WILL MAKE YOU LAUGH’. His seems more sour, which Sxaxha notices, so Sxaxha asks him what’s wrong. Candlefoot writes that proposals are just a bit of a rough spot for him. When Sxaxha asks why, Candlefoot writes, “Okay, personal question. But it’s because my voice got stolen during mine.”

Joe wonders if maybe Kettlesteam stole his voice because she likes him. Candlefoot says that it’s unlikely because he’s never seen her before. But that doesn’t exclude a stalker situation! Joe then says that the party can go explain things to his girlfriend and ask who it was. He finally reveals that it’s Palasha, and that’s part of why he’s so worried. Joe speculates that Kettlesteam could use his voice to lure Palasha somewhere, which Candlefoot never realized before and he becomes very visibly worried.

The party decide to check on Palasha first before going into the Hall of Mirrors, since she might be in danger, the Joe asks if they can visit Kyn afterwards. The party agrees, after Sxaxha confirms that their free visit into the Hall of Mirrors won’t expire. Candlefoot agrees with a little prestidigitated shower of sparks.

Joe, nervous about her circumstances, asks Iora how much they know about fey magic. Iora says they know a good bit because their patron is Fey and asks what she wants to know. She asks if there’s any chance that she was fused with Corrin when she made her wish to Granny Nightshade. Iora frowns and asks if she remembers the exact wording.

“I want to be a beautiful singer just like the one I saw!”

Iora thinks on it, then tells Joe that while the possibility isn’t ruled out, it sounds most likely that the hag simply took inspiration from the bird-like singer to turn Joe into a harpy. ‘Like’ isn’t the same as ‘the same as’. Their belief is that it might be connected, but they don’t think she was fused with her. Joe is somewhat reassured by this, and the party goes on their way to check on Palasha.