#Ryland buddy.

[wormdebut]

This is gold, honestly. Steve cannot make this shit up. Eddie was going to lose his mind on this prick bastard.

And it would be hot as fuck.

God he misses his boyfriend.

The guy scoffs. “Yeah, call your boyfriend Pretty Boy, I’d love to see what he has to say.”

“A hell of a lot, if you call Steve that.” Robin mutters under her breath, eyes wide, staring down at the table.

Steve just smiles. One of those big ones. Richard didn’t spend thousands in dental care for nothin’.

“You know what? I think I will—What did you say your name was?”

The boy scoffs again. “Ryland?” He answers, but it’s a question. He’s uncomfortable. Good.

Robins still glaring holes into the table and Steve is just loving this.

“Ryyyland.” Steve repeats, dragging it out, just to bother the guy. “So you like Corroded Coffin huh?”

The guy tuts. “Yeah, and I don’t think they’d want some preppy fuck like you wearing their shit.”

Robin squeaks and Steve’s actually thriving in this environment.

“Yeeeah, you’re probably right. I’m sure the front man would just tear this shit right off me.” He muses, Eddie has and he will do it again.

“Eddie Munson is the greatest lyricist and musician in today’s scene.” Oh would you look at that someone has a big gay crush.

Hard, turgid same, Ryland.

“Who?” Steve chirps, if only to see this pricks face go red with anger. Robin has moved to cover her mouth with her hand and Steve is still absolutely thriving.

“He’s the—I knew you were just a fucking poser.”

Ryland turns to leave and Steve simply can’t have that. He whips out his phone. “No wait, hold on. I told you this was my boyfriend’s shirt—I’m gonna call him.”

Steve leans against the wall, and FaceTimes Eddie with the biggest grin on his face. He’s probably sound checking, but it doesn’t fucking matter. Steve could call him during a set and he’d pick the fuck up.

‘Baby boy! God you’re so fucking pretty.’ Eddie growls over the phone when he picks up. He’s sweaty and definitely backstage. Jesus. Steve is blessed. ‘Is that my shirt? Christ, baby, how am I supposed to do this shit when you look like that?’

Steve smirks and Robin may as well have melted into the table at this point. Ryland is watching Steve with a scowl, arms crossed over his chest.

“Yeah, hi daddy. So, I’m actually calling because of the shirt, right? So this guy—“ Steve looks away from Eddie (devastating) to meet this guys glare before snapping his eyes back, “He asked me to name three Corroded songs and I told him that maybe my boyfriend could?”

Steve smiles sweetly, but he knows his boyfriend sees the glint of mischief in his eyes and Eddie scowls.

‘He fucking—what? Steve let me fucking see him. Give him the fucking phone. Who the fuck—I’ll kill him.’ Steve is looking between his very mad (sweaty) boyfriend and the man in front of him who looks to be getting increasingly more green.

“Sure.” Steve hands the phone over and watches all the color drain from this random pricks face.

Got him.

So stick with me here.

Steve and Robin minding their damn business at a diner. Steve’s got his hair all slicked back and pretty like it usually is, he’s got a preppy little jacket on and is literally just existing but an angry little alternative guy comes marching up to their booth.

Because see, Steve is wearing a very old shirt of his boyfriend’s very successful band, Corroded Coffin. Simply because he likes it, and Eddie is on tour so he left it at home with Steve, because he’s fucking sweet like that.

But anyway, angry alternative bro comes marching up saying, “I bet you don’t even know Corroded Coffin. Name three songs.”

Steve is shocked actually because CC’s fans are usually pretty fucking chill and also very aware of Steve, but he can’t help but laugh at Robins eyes going wide at the question. She goes to speak and Steve cuts her off, looking at the guy.

“This is my boyfriend’s shirt actually. I could FaceTime him and see if he could name three?”

[release-the-mccracken]

[acasternaut]

and id like to thank ryland blackinton for confirming that guy ripley is bisexual

[phishphin]

My dealer: got some straight gas 🔥 this strain is called the “Astrophage” 😳 You’ll be zonked out of your gourd 💯

Me: yeah whatever. I don’t feel shit.

5 minutes later: Dude I swear I saw the Petrova Line emitting some light

My buddy Ryland pacing: the sun is dying

[mythserene]

DRUGS COST MONEY (MARK LEWISOHN, DRUG BUDDY)

I'm late, but I'm here, and this is something I've thought about since I read Tune In the first time.

First of all, Lewisohn's definition and description of what Preludin was is wildly underplayed and misleading, so I have to just get out a few quick Preludin facts. They're helpful.

Lewisohn:

Preludin was an appetite suppressant, an anorectic drug introduced into West German society in 1954, when commercial pressures were making women become more image-conscious. Users maintained an appetite but quickly felt full when eating, and the reduced intake brought about weight loss. Preludin’s primary ingredient, phenmetrazine, was not an amphetamine but an upper, giving the user a euphoric buzz. It was soon sold internationally and used recreationally, and though available in Germany only with a doctor’s prescription...

- “Tune In” - Chapter 19; Piedels on Prellies

(Oh, those women and their obsession with weight.)

I know Lewisohn's not a chemist and I don't expect him to have done extensive study before writing “not an amphetamine but an upper”—which, first of all is just a weird, grade school sounding statement about any stimulant in general that no scientist would ever say or write—but also he makes it sound like it's a fizzy little pill that gives you the sillies.

But definitely not an amphetamine or anything bad like that.

Look, even Wikipedia says right at the top, “[i]ts structure incorporates the backbone of amphetamine,” and although I didn't spend more than a few seconds there, I saw it because it came up first in the search like Wikipedia always does. Just saying it's basically impossible to miss.

And whether he was trying to hide the ball or not, since he wrote so much about them I am going to quickly set the "not amphetamine" record straight before I go on.

“Methamphetamine hydrochloride (Desoxyn) and phenmetrazine hydrochloride (Preludin) are two variants of the amphetamine structure.”

- “Amphetamine Abuse”, Sidney Cohen, MD, JAMA

“The experience in Sweden seems to indicate that phenmetrazine (e.g. Preludin) has the highest potency, and the greatest risk of psycho-toxic, acute and chronic effects (Rylander 1966). Amphetamines and methylphenidate seem to show less dependence-producing and psycho-toxic effects than phenmetrazine.”

- (United Nations Bulletin; Vol XX, No. 2)

Basically, Preludin was synthesized by taking an amphetamine skeleton and boosting tf out of it by adding a very common sort of chemical scaffolding to it called a morpholine ring, allowing them to tweak it by sticking on a nitrogen group. But morpholine rings by themselves also increase potency and usually bioavailability.

So in the narrowest technical sense, Phenmetrazine (Preludin) is classified as a morpholine instead of an amphetamine, but in every way it is an amphetamine on speed. (And every description of it anywhere says so right up front.) It was Amphetamine Plus. The little added synthetic kicker the pharmaceutical company figured out how to attach to the amphetamine made it stronger—gave it the Preludin "kick"—made the high feel better in general (according to all this crap I spent way too much time reading) and also made it way more addictive. It increased dopamine and norepinephrine reuptake, and the compound itself displayed “some entactogen properties more similar to MDMA." It made Preludin far more psychoactive than straight amphetamines. Made smells stronger, sensations more intense, and made you horny and "increased performance." It was taken off the market in 1980 because it was so hyper-addictive and the “psycho-toxicity” was so extreme. People reported doing things they barely remembered, including to a kind of freakish degree, like a lot of users committing crimes for the very first time in their lives. And so the company tried to replace it with a similar drug called Prelu-2, which is apparently still available but also almost never prescribed because even that was excessively addictive compared to non-boosted amphetamines.

And also, it made you feel body odors?

"...perfumes and flowers get a stronger smell, and body odours are felt more strongly than under normal conditions."

- (United Nations Bulletin; Vol XX, No. 2)

What are normal conditions? Maybe my normal conditions are different from everyone else's because I don't normally feel body odors?? But tbh I would literally try this drug just to see if I could.

Okay.

So... John was feeling some serious body odors because my man took a lot of them. Usually with lots of booze.

And apparently they made him more awesome.

George spoke graphically of how they would be “frothing at the mouth … we used to be up there foaming, stomping away.” John, as always, dived straight in, wholeheartedly grabbing another new experience with an open mouth and no thought of tomorrow. The Beatles called them “pep pills”—the commonly used British term of the period—and also “Prellies.”

...Two pills a night were more than enough for most but John frequently took four or five, and in conjunction with hour after hour of booze he became wired, a high-speed gabbling blur of talent, torment and hilarity.

- “Tune In” - Chapter 19; Piedels on Prellies

Yeah, he sounds like a blast. Good thing you got a quote there, my guy. I'm sure the first description that would’ve come to his roommates’ minds would be “hilarity.” Or second, after “hero.” (Sorry, I don't want to be hard on John. I have a lot of bandwidth and patience for drug indulgences, especially in a situation like this, but Lewisohn is unbelievable.)

Ruth Lallemannd, a St. Pauli barmaid who knew the Beatles from 1960, recalls an occasion when “They crushed ten Prellies to powder, put them in a bottle of Cola and shared it between them. They were always wound up.”

Drugs cost money

Amazingly enough though, these prescription-only pills didn't just magically get from people with nice doctors to John’s hands. Someone sold them to someone else and they ended up with “the toilet lady,” Tante Rosa, who sold them.

They looked like little white sweets … but these were no mint drops.

- Chapter 19

So cute!

Preludin small-print advised against its being taken less than six hours before bedtime, in case of sleep disorders.

- Chapter 19

So if Lewisohn is reading the small print of a drug that was discontinued 44 years ago he did not miss the Wikipedia page and must know that “not an amphetamine but an upper” is wildly misleading. Technically true in the chemical classification sense, but not in the medical or pharmacological sense. And true in the same way that “fentanyl isn't morphine” is true.

But that's not my point.

My point is that these “little white sweets” were strong, had wild “psycho-toxic” effects, John took a lot of them, and they weren't free.

Because drugs cost money.

Paul slept fine on just the one pill, John and George didn’t. George would recall “lying in bed, sweating from Preludin, thinking, ‘Why aren’t I sleeping?’ ” John simply took more: “You could work almost endlessly until the pill wore off, then you’d have to have another … You’d have two hours’ sleep and wake up to take a pill and get on stage, and it would go on and on and on. When you didn’t even get a day off you’d begin to go out of your mind with tiredness.”

Or, put another way, John was “a high-speed gabbling blur of talent, torment and hilarity.” And Paul did uncool stuff like sleeping.

Also, what in the...

Tony, George, Paul, John and Pete, along with Rosi and perhaps some stray females, would stagger wearily and noisily up three long flights of wooden stairs...

“Stray females”??? Is he talking about cats? Don't call human beings “strays,” you self-important oddity.

THE GROWNUP

John was never much into paying for stuff. Like rent, for instance. But that's what friends are for.

John was blessed with a particular talent for frittering away his funds (the council grant designed to provide his working materials) and was rarely in a position to pay [rent]. As Rod remembers, “During the week I’d go and have a pint with him and he’d always have money for a beer, but when it came to the day to pay the rent he was always hard up. ‘Could I owe it to you?’ ‘Would you like this jacket?’ One time he paid me with a Mounties-type Canadian jacket he’d probably nicked from someone else.”

- “Tune In” - Chapter 13; “Hi-Yo, Hi-Yo, Silver–Away!”

He paid rent with a jacket? Landlords take those?

I'm not gonna lie, the only real issue I've ever had with Paul—the things I have the most confusion and hesitancy about—are when he seems inexplicably cheap. Like paying the Wings band so little for so long. There's only a few cases that come to mind, but they're my weak point with him.

Still, having done my share of experimenting—as well as dating a guy who became a high-functioning addict before becoming a non-functioning addict before becoming an ex who died of an overdose—I know very well how it feels to see money flow through your hands like water and into someone else's bloodstream. And what happens then is you either both starve or you are the only one eating. In the end, someone has to have money to live, and the more drugs my ex took the more I was forced into being a walking, talking, pissed off safety net.

Stu supposedly got in a fight with Paul because Stu owed Paul money. (Although that doesn't explain attacking Paul out of nowhere on stage half as well as a three-days-awake-Prellie-binge psycho-toxicity does.)

It does, however, mean that at least one guy in the band who was taking Preludin was running out of money between paychecks.

And there's no way that if Stu was running out of funds that John wasn't too. And faster. And according to Lewisohn, George was eating a lot of Preludin, too. Because he was also cool.

That leaves Paul.

John was notoriously bad with money even when he had a lot, and when everyone is living and working together it's almost impossible to be the only guy eating or the only guy smoking. But at the same time if you know you can't do anything to stop your friends from going hard and never thinking at all, it tends to make you more careful. Because you're all you've got and all they've got. You didn't ask for the job, but you drew the short straw. So you hide some cigarettes and share too many, and get increasingly sick of it and resentful, but there's no good answer.

John heaped a ton of spice into the mix by suddenly moving back into Mendips. He’s unlikely to have told Mimi of the Gambier Terrace eviction, but Rod Murray knew little of this hasty departure: John left most of his possessions in the flat and several weeks’ rent unpaid—to the tune of about £15. He just scarpered.

- “Tune In” - Chapter 15; Drive and Bash

“Spice.” Dude really said “spice.” That John, so spicy. And fwiw, that's £300 today.

Maybe John had another jacket to pitch in.

Paul says he's more cautious by nature and I'm sure that's true, but also you know they all relied on him because they knew he wouldn't be as stupid as they were. Who knows what he would've done—whether he would have lived a more libertine life in Hamburg—if he'd felt like that was an option and he didn't have to be the grownup. Who knows what he would have done if anyone else gave a shit whether they ate or smoked.

I'll end by repeating the freakishly weird way Lewisohn told a John psycho-toxicity story that the AKOM ladies pointed out in Ep 8: No Greater Buddy, since it's almost impossible not to talk about John and Prellies without it.

“PAUL AND GEORGE’S HERO-WORSHIP STAYED FULLY INTACT”

George was second only to John in the swallowing of Prellies and knew better than most the sum effect of taking too many for too long, how the combination of pills plus booze plus several sleepless days caused hallucinations and extreme conduct. He’d describe one occasion when he, Paul and Pete were lying in their bunk beds, trying to sleep, only for John to barge into the room in a wild state. “One night John came in and some chick was in bed with Paul and he cut all her clothes up with a pair of scissors, and was stabbing the wardrobe. Everybody was lying in bed thinking, ‘Oh fuck, I hope he doesn’t kill me.’ [He was] a frothing mad person—he knew how to have ‘fun.’ ”

Handling John was something his friends were well used to doing. If he didn’t murder them in their beds there was no greater buddy. They might fear for their lives but they loved him still. No way would they walk out and join another group. John was just John, and Paul and George’s hero-worship stayed fully intact.

- “Tune in” - Chapter 28; You Better Move On

Mark Lewisohn knows nothing about drugs or drug culture. Which is fine. Good. Great, even. But the thing is, it doesn't stop him from knowing everything about it. He has confidently and emphatically stated that John and Yoko weren't doing heroin in the daytime during the Get Back sessions. He even claims that they weren't on heroin during the Two Junkies interview. Even repeating this paraphrase makes me feel ridiculous, but he says that was a hangover from the night before, and that they were too lucid to be high. Which, first of all, is not how heroin fucking works. They were blasted. The aftereffects would be them being antsy and jumpy, not going in extra-slow motion and puking. Blows my mind, the hubris this guy has. To confidently state something he unquestionably pulled out of his ass without even a moment's hesitation. Not only is that not how heroin works, but it is the drug that people wake up to do. Not wake up and do. Wake up to do.

And you can tell from the way he talks about John on Prellies—“a high-speed gabbling blur of talent, torment and hilarity”—that he has never experienced anyone who's been up a few days. And I still have a more daring nature than most of my friends, and am in no way shocked by the drug use. Me and my friends in Houston used to take Fastin and go midnight bowling every Saturday. The memories are good and I regret nothing. But the naive way Lewisohn romanticizes John and low key mocks Paul—as if Lewisohn was the ultimate drug buddy and Paul a total prude—is so weird. It's freakishly, embarrassingly, weird. Like he wants to be the cool guy. Like he thinks he can be the cool guy, and is being the cool guy, but to me it's painfully embarrassing and nothing else makes him look more desperate and delusional.

[a-skirmish-of-wit-and-lit]

Book Review: Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir

Project Hail Mary was everything I loved about The Martian and more.

Again, it featured an endearing and indefatigable hero in Ryland Grace, who wakes up on a spaceship in another star system with no memory of who he is, how he got there, or what his mission entails. (Amnesia tropes are not my favorite but this one just ticked all the right boxes. No notes!) There was lots of science: from sunlight-eating microbes called Astrophage to neutrinos to EVA suits to xeonite engineering. It also had a high-stakes space race, with the clocks winding down and time running out. Only, instead of Grace being burdened with only saving himself like Mark Watney, he was responsible for the survival of the Earth--and humanity as we know it!

The thing I enjoyed most about this book, aside from the believable sci-fi of it all, which made for the best quantum spin-out I've had in a long time, was that it was a story about hope. About sacrifice. About finding friendship, forging connection, in the most unlikely of ways and in the most unlikely of places in the universe. Weir does a remarkable job of grounding readers in that concept, giving them something to root for. Something that tethers them to the soul of what intelligent life is or should be, even as the task at hand seems to grow more impossible by the second, and I thought that was inspiring. Moving. Brilliant, to speak plainly.

I won't lie, though...bittersweetness does pervade.

There were a couple significant moments when a situation felt reminiscent of Tom Hanks in Castaway when things are dire and he's separated from his volleyball bestie, Wilson, and I was gutted to the core. Absolutely shattered. (Rocky, I'm looking at you, buddy.) And let me tell you, it was Hard Times at Ridgemont High for me when that happened!

Still, it was those twists and turns, those moments that had me catching my breath, pushing back fears, wanting Grace and Rocky to succeed but also not quite expecting they would given the odds stacked against them, that had me buckled in, bouncing on the edge of my seat, burning to discover if, in fact, they would complete that Hail Mary pass. And do you know what? I wouldn't trade that kind of rocket-fueled suspense in a story for anything!

So bravo for that, sir. Bravo.

4/5 stars

**Follow me on Goodreads

[cappurrccino]

rereading project hail mary but skipping all the on-earth bits bc what I really care about is ryland and rocky being space buddies

[trentonsimblr]

Which nations have treaties with each other? What are the conditions? How did these arrangements come about?

Awesome question! I’m sure Trenton has some treaties with other simblrs floating around out there probably Whitmore @whitmoreroyals , Simdonia @bridgeportbritt , the one country from @atreanroyals and maybe with Audicia @ardeney-sims and Armorica @armoricaroyalty ? There’s probably others that I can’t remember off hand. I’m now thinking of making a page for all collab related treaties/alliances and such. With the details that you’re asking about. Ooo! And maybe a submission form for future treaties/alliances!

Within my little continent there’s a bunch.

Grateron and Druzar have a long standing treaty/alliance. Basically Grateron will provide navel support when needed and Druzar won’t invade Grateron 🤣

Trenton and Irenda have been allies forever. I can’t really trace it back to any specific events/need. I’ll say that at some point in time the king of Trenton and the king of Irenda became buddies and it all started there. There’s been the occasional marriage between the two countries (Elizabeth and Nathanael being the most recent) but I promise there’s no modern day wreaths happening (though there’s a few in all of my royal families ancestry). The biggest benefit that everyone east of Druzar gets from the alliance is that Druzar has never been able to take Trenton or Irenda during past wars.

Slavell has a bunch of trade treaties with Druzar, Trenton, Grateron, etc. it’s mainly to support the country but also to keep a positive relationship with their neighbors.

The biggest one I can think of is the one Elizabeth (Trenton) made with Kristopher (Druzar) related to trade. Kristopher’s stipulation was the marriage between Ryland and Eleanor. I never worked out the details but I do know Druzar got the better end of the deal even though Kristopher doesn’t think so.

[rosslync]

𝚛𝚘𝚜𝚜 𝚕𝚢𝚗𝚌𝚑 ✮ ⋆ ˚｡𖦹 ⋆｡°✩ 𝚌𝚘𝚗𝚗𝚎𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜.

ross is currently a musician residing in los angeles, he was born on december 29 1995 and is a capricorn. he is openly bisexual, and in a relationship.

~

PLATONIC CONNECTIONS  (  positive  ).

besties/inner circle | cari fletcher

friends

ride or die 

childhood friends | becky g

family friends

blind date turned good friend | olivia holt

pen pal

online friend

party buddies

partners in crime

co-workers

friends with benefits turned just friends

PLATONIC CONNECTIONS  (  negative  ).

ex-friends

enemies

frenemies

love / hate 

dislike for one another

ROMANTIC CONNECTIONS  (  positive  ).

fiancé | troye sivan

exes on good terms

(prior) friends with benefits 

(prior) crush

(prior) dating app match

(prior) one night stand

childhood sweethearts

ROMANTIC CONNECTIONS  (  negative  ).

exes on bad terms

cheated on ross

(former) negative slow burn

RANDOM CONNECTIONS  (  positive  or  negative  ).

pen pal 

matchmaker

party friends

gym buddy

siblings | rocky, rydel, riker, & ryland lynch

[ratasum]

Also I don't know what it is about Qirri that makes her Charr Buddy Fodder but like. She's friends with Rox. There's Garrus. Agaue's protective of her. Rytlock sees her as just as much a charr as the rest of them. After she got to know Efram, he was like "Daughter material right there."

I think the only ones she hasn't gotten on with are the ones that have made truly pants on head stupid decisions. Smodur, Bangar, Ryland... and Crecia she doesn't like because she outright tried to grab her to get her to stop yelling at Smodur, and she does not like being touched by people she doesn't know well.

Me just holding Qirri up against other charr like paint swatches like "Would you like a feral little gremlin child."

[commanderhorncleaver]

How does Gaius feel about Crecia and vice versa?

Buddy, the face I made when I read this.

I think, on the face of it, they get along entirely fine? They're both generally sensible charr, and both of them have extraordinarily similar goals.

BUT there is a Rytlock-shaped wedge of awkwardness that prevents them from being particularly close. See, for the most part, Gaius gets her grievances with him, and vice versa (and we know from the one little story that she even gave Rytlock advice about their relationship) but Gaius around this time period is remarkably avoidant of things that bother him, whenever he can accomplish it, and like. He doesn't agree with her opinion on Rytlock's failings in "raising" Ryland. He doesn't agree, and he doesn't particularly like that she's pushing that onto him. I'm working on a fic that addresses this, actually, but Gaius never actively intrudes and voices this with her, because it's not his business to do so.

I think, for the most part, they both respect one another, but there are certain things that neither of them is fond of about the other, and because of Gaius's avoidance of her and his not making Imperator, he has little necessity to ever interact outside of favors.

[piperslovebot]

Leia Forman and Gwen Runck?

Leia Forman

Sexuality Headcanon: bi bi bi

Gender Headcanon: cis

A ship I have with said character: Jay and Gwen

A BROTP I have with said character: The gang, Sarah, Mikayla, Betsy, and Eleanor

A NOTP I have with said character: Nate

A random headcanon: Her first kiss was with Gwen

General Opinion over said character: I love my bi daughter! She’s a cute lil bean.

Gwen Runck

Sexuality Headcanon: bi

Gender Headcanon: cis

A ship I have with said character: Leia and Nikki

A BROTP I have with said character: The gang, Betsy, and Sarah. Also her activist buddies. I can also see her and Sharon being friends.

A NOTP I have with said character: no one but keep everyone away from Ryland

A random headcanon: She’s pretty into activism and feminism just like Donna (I’d argue that’s canon tho)

General Opinion over said character: I love my wife <3

[mollysharpharrison]

2023 A Year in Review:

Skating on Ken's Lake // pickup hockey // brisk mornings

Work at Mill Creek Animal Hospital // puppy kisses and sad times

Trashion show // all the friend makeouts

Lake Powell trip- North Wash to Trachyte with Hannah, Jeff C and Mike C // mud tussocks and giggles

Bad box bleach set + teal manic panic beauty school drop out with Nara

Jerp art performance at Jeep Week with Sam N + Moab crew

Julie visits Moab in the spring - surprise Jocelyn addition // San Rafael packraft with pups on spring's first flows

Hallie visit to Comb Ridge with Ryland // quiet nights and pottery sherds

Dolores River flowing! First overnight trip with Hannah, Jeff C and extended Alpacka crew. Euro fondu pot // dogs are angels

Solo Escalante float with Sprocket dog // four days of peaceful low flow jubilation

Learning from strange crushes // rejection is sexy and toxic

Ongoing plant identification in the La Sals // superbloom!

A wonderful season of work: Hammond Canyon with Wilderness Volunteers// SUWA projects// two long bridges// Trail Mix buddies// not enough alone time// all the log outs - Luke, Jacob, Rachel and Isaac

Muddy Creek with Zoe, Maddie and Olivia // slot canyon babes

Long solo and friend gravel rides

Sold the house // feelings of loss and longing, but also relief

APA RoundUp paddle trip to California with Duncan// feeling obsolete in the packraft ww world//solo hike in Trinity Alps to granite heaven

Muumuus and Mimosas- my 6th annual?

SLC city weekend seeing Remember Sports, thrifting, and mountain biking with Maddie, Audrey and Rachel

Sold the Toyota Pickup // lost identity

Montana Red Meadow Pass bikepacking loop with Maddie and Olivia // perfect temps and champagne gravel// fill your belly of berries

Birthday backpack in the Weminuche// 15 miles in 5 days with the old furball// learn to enjoy the pace and place// anniversary photos

Julie returns to Moab for late summer! Hot hot biking//water daze

Mom and pop visit in the early fall//coworker end of season farewell bbq//beautiful mountain colors//comb ridge camping

Elk packet with Jamie and Sam H // 24 mile roundtrip with a rear quarter // humans are meant to do this

Solo trip of favorite landscape linkup // Dark Canyon -> Cataract Canyon -> Henry Mountains -> Lake Powell -> Bears Ears hike/packraft/bikepack/bikeraft linkup

San Juan packraft trip with Hannah and Jeff C + his college buddies// Han's bad back and chilly temps// good company

A quick shot to the very rainy PNW coast// surfin', soggy and splashin' with jellyfish//Julie, Will, Pete, Nara, Xander and pups

Early backcountry ice at Clark Lake! Jonny and Ian hike-in mission

RAR intro to bikepacking weekend was a smash hit// new SLC bike buddies//love the feeling of teaching and sharing knowledge

Home right before Thanksgiving, off to Costa Rica! Solo bikepack along the Nicoya Peninsula surfing all along the way.

Christmas in Detroit to the New Year

Books Read:

"Grievers" by adrienne maree brown

"Black Sun" by Rebecca Roanhorse

"The Solace of Open Spaces" by Gretel Ehrlich

"Teaching a Stone to Talk" by Annie Dillard

"Fire on the Mountain" by Terry Bisson

"Earth Apples" collection of poetry by Ed Abbey

"Children of Time" by Adrian Tchaikovsky

"Killers of the Flower Moon" by David Grann

"Let My People Go Surfing" by Yvon Chounard

"You Just Need to Lose Weight and 19 Other Myths About Fat People" by Aubrey Gordon

"Braiding Sweetgrass" by Robin Wall Kimmerer

[rozetheeuwu]

I can't believe I've drawn Florin and Zetta before my most beloved Ryland, I'll do you soon buddy.

[fireflylies]

Alright, debate! Mark Watney v Ryland Grace: alone-in-space buddies or bitter enemies? Something in between?

[empressofthesunwriter]

The Stick of Truth

Codename: Dovahkiin Part 1!

N.K. is angry at her parents. Not only did they move again, no, but they moved into a snowy hicktown named South Park! She was sure she would hate it there, yet surprisingly she gets to participate in the epic RPG the kids play and falls for the human princess and the elf king. Who is friend, who is foe and which side should she choose?

Main Pairing: New Kid/Kenny McCormick/Kyle Broflovski

Chapter 14: More trauma, yeah!

“You make a hot Sasuke.”, compliments me, Tammy.

I just give her a deadpan look.

I’m dressed now in my Sasuke Uchiha Cosplay when he was 13 and Genin, and I’m with Tammy on my way to the Park, where this Monica Ryland is waiting for me.

Or should I say, Mike?

I have to give it to the fourth-grade girls. They used one of my cosplay pic I send them to make a fake Facebook page about a boy named Mike from Lakewood with interests and all.

It really looks real.

Let's hope this Monica falls for this “trap” and we get this fast over.

All this is so stupid!

I’m glad that Tammy is my buddy, even if she is being a smart-ass.

“Ah, there look!”, Tammy points at a girl with brown hair in pigtails, who is sitting on a bench. “That must be Monica.”

“All right, let’s get this bread. The sooner we got this over the sooner I can watch some Yuri to get away from this straight stuff!”

“Huh? What is Yuri?”

“…I will tell you another time Tam.”

With that, I signal her to hide behind some trees as I walk up to Monica.

I channel my inner Sasuke. My hands are in the pockets of my white shorts and I have a resting bitch-face on.

“Monica?”, I say her name like a don’t give a fuck.

Well, I really don’t give one, but if this gets me the girls to join our RPG I will do it.

Monica looks at me with this glitter in her eyes I know from people who were interested in me.

Also in N.K., not the cosplay.

Nice to know that this look at least is an universal thing.

Or I wouldn’t get it if she wasn’t into Mike/me.

“Oh Hi… you must be Mike.”, she says in a kinda breathless tone.

I just nod.

She pets the bench to tell me to sit with her. Which I do.

“So. You wanna talk about Bebe, huh? Well, look… Bebe’s my friend. I think she’s really great. I- I don’t know if she’s the end all be all of girls – I mean… she’s a little two-faced if you ask me. But, hey, I read a lot of your Facebook profile, and I think you’re a really interesting boy.”

I can’t even say anything as Bebe, Wendy, and a red-haired girl appear.

Bebe points an accusing finger at Monica.

“A-HA! We knew it! You two-faced manipulative whore!”

“What the heck?!”, shouts Monica surprised.

I just lean back and let the fourth-gradee girls handle this. I don’t care, I just want this over.

“Thank GOD we sent the New Kid to spy on you, huh girls?”, says Wendy in triumph.

“Yeah! Now we KNOW you're a two-faced bitch!”, agrees the red-haired girl.

I normally would swoon since you all know my things for redheads, but these dramatic too straight girls don’t do it for me.

Besides I already have my eyes on the hottest redhead in this town.

It’s Kyle if you weren’t sure.

“What do you mean?”, wonders Monica confused. “You guys are my best friends!”

“Then why are you hitting on MY Facebook boyfriend?”, counters Bebe. “We brought someone else who might be interested!”

Oh okay. Didn’t expect this. A boy my age joins us.

“Monica? What the fuck are you doing?”, he asks her angrily.

Caunt Monica stands up from the bench and waves awkwardly at this boy.

“Uh oh. Hey, Jake.”

“Have fun you two-faced skank!”, calls Wendy over her back as she and her two friends leave.

“Guys, wait! Please! Come back!”

Monica runs after them.

I can’t even enjoy this is over since this Jake thinks I hit on Monica and wants to beat my ass.

Annoyed I just kick him in the balls.

I don’t have time or nerves for this bullshit.

He goes down like a sack of potatoes. Fainted from the pain.

“Jeez, you really are pissed off.”, comments Tammy as she joins my side.

She looks with pity at the downed boy.

I huff.

“Let’s change back into Dark Magician Girl and see if the girls will join us finally.”

“Whatever you say sis.”

We do just that.

The girls are already waiting for us in their base.

“And?”, I ask.

“Queen N.K. we want to thank you for helping us determine whether or not Monica was a two-faced bitch.”, begins Wendy. “She really made us mad, BUT it turns out she couldn't have been the one spreading rumors about Allie Nelson going to the abortion clinic.”

“Yeah. So we made up.”, adds the brunette with the hairband.

And surprise, surprise, there is now Monica sitting at one of the tables.

“You guys are the best.”

I can’t help but facepalm at this stupidity. Tammy pats my shoulder.

I really can’t with this girls.

“You see, the thing is, Heidi Turner was SUPPOSED to put on the Facebook page that you were Bebe’s boyfriend, but she didn’t.”, explains to me, Wendy.

Oh god, like I give a fuck!

“Because Heidi Turner is a two-faced bitch who says she likes me then tries to stab me in the back!”, shouts Monica.

“Right. So we need to know if Heidi Turner is the two-faced bitch who's spreading rumors about Allie being spotted at the abortion clinic.”

“So you still won’t join us if we didn’t find this out, right Wendy?”, it’s not even a question I feel it in my gut.

Wendy nods.

“Indeed. We need someone to go to the abortion clinic. But no one of us can’t do it. We can’t be labeled as sluts!”

Agreeing sounds from all the girls.

Okay, I have enough!

“Oh my god you little prissy nonfeminist straight girls who follow the patriarchy way of life and not fight to change this wrong way!”, I yell angrily and Tammy holds me by my shoulders so I don’t start swinging. “There are worse things in life than being called a whore. Does not never come to your brains that only girls get called whores if they kiss more than one boy, while boys could fuck an entire town and be praised as kings! This is the patriarchy way of controlling us! And you AND YOU JUST FOLLOW ALONG AND DON’T USE YOUR BRAINS?! IS THIS REALLY THE LIFE YOU WANT TO LIVE FOREVER?! YOU WANT YOUR DAUGHTERS TO STILL LIVE THIS WAY?!”

All the girls gasp at me. Even Tammy.

But I’m not done.

“I want you to listen and think about this song lyrics: All day, every day, Therapist, mother, maid. Nymph then a virgin, nurse than a servant. Just an appendage, live to attend him. So that he never lifts a finger. Twenty-four-seven, baby machine. So he can live out his picket fence dreams. It's not an act of love if you make her. You make me do too much labor!”

My singing voice echoes formally in the room. I sang the lyrics from Labor of the amazing Paris Paloma with all the rage we as women should have about our roles in society.

I fix the girls with a hard look. They are clearly lost for words.

“I will go to the abortion clinic as myself because I’m not ashamed to ask for a service which is my right!”, I tell them heatedly. “Believe me, if we didn’t need you to fight on our side I wouldn’t even look at you twice. You are one of the reasons we still have to fight for fucking basic human rights! Let’s go, Tammy.”

Dramatic I exit the girl base, after a second Tammy follows me.

“They made you really angry, huh?”

“Mmh.”

“That song you sang…it really makes you think.”

“Nice to know.”

“You have a nice voice.”

“Thanks. Since I can remember I always sang in the kid’s church choir in the city we lived in this moment.”

“Do you wanna go professional, N.K.? Because you have it to be.”

“…Are we really talking about our dream jobs, Tam?”

“I just…Look the song had an impact, but also it’s hard to think in a different way from now to then. Especially here where all are still so…old-fashion.”

I can’t help to sign, but I pet her shoulder.

“Now don’t stress yourself out. You get this stupid mission over with and then hopefully we have the girls on our side and can kick Clyde’s ass. We can think together later about all day.”, I offer her.

“You meant it?”

“Yes, don’t worry.”

Tammy smiles and gives me a little kiss on the cheek. I can’t help the blush.

Even if she is straight, meaning I will never have a chance with her, she is a beautiful girl.

And nothing is more amazing than getting a kiss from a beautiful girl.

We finally reach Unplanned Parenthood, why do I have the feeling this is a stupid joke on Planned Parenthood?

“You really sure about that?”, can’t Tammy help but ask.

“Yes, I don’t give a fuck.”, I reassure her. “I can go alone in there, I won’t force you to do anything.”

A bittersweet smile appears on her face.

“Oh, not being labeled as whore is already too late for him.”

I can’t even ask what she means by that, as she steps into the clinic. I go after her.

Note to me, ask Tammy later what she meant by that.

We walk up to the counter.

The nurse behind it gives us a friendly smile.

“Hi, here for an abortion? Who of you needs one?”

“That would be me.”, I answer.

“It's okay, don't be scared. The first one's always the scariest. Take room A, second door on your left.”

“Thank you.”

As we want to go through the door the nurse tells us that Tammy can’t come with me.

Patients only.

Tammy gives me a quick hug, whispering: “I see you at the other side.”

I return the hug, whispering back: “I see you at the other side.”

With my head held high, I enter.

On the floor I’m now in I can already see the record room, but there are camera facing it.

Like this I can’t for sure enter, it will probably activate an alarm.

So…I need at least a good enough disguise. The only one I could find here…is a doctor’s one!

Oh, that’s actually perfect.

That means I have to enter one of the patient rooms.

Okay, let’s hope I pick one who is free and no doctor comes in.

I randomly pick a room.

I’m lucky. The room is vacant.

Fast I look around and find…actually child-sized scrubs?

Why would they have this here?

And why do I still stand around and ask myself that when any moment could come to the doctor and then I have to explain myself?

Also on it with the scrubs.

My cosplay goes into my backbag I carry.

I look down at myself.

I look like a child playing doctor, hopefully, for the cameras, this will be enough.

Back on the floor a see a doctor who seems confused and mumbles something about where his patient is.

Who wants to bet with me that this doctor would have done the abortion on me?

I act like I belong here and walk straight to the records room.

Thank god my disguise works, I can enter without problems.

I don’t have to look around a lot to find the records the girls want.

I take my phone out and take photos of any important page.

That’s when I hear a ruckus coming from one of the air ventilation. Confused what this could be I look up…and Mr. Marsh drops into the room?!

Huh?

“Mr. Marsh?”

“Agh! Dammit! Oh, it's YOU! Thank God!”, he seems relieved to see me and walks over to me. “Something STRANGE is going on here! The PTA reviewed that tape you got us. Taco Bell has something called a Plan B. They've been here looking through these records. But... why would they be interested in the gynecological files of the women of South Park?”

I don’t know if he wants an answer from mine or not, since the door to the records room opens.

Two of the Men-in-black are here!

Oh shit!

“I'm afraid now you know too much.”, say’s the one without sunglasses, then he talks into a Walkie-Talkie. “We have two more asking a lot of questions.”

“Deal with them QUIETLY. We can't let anyone find out what we were doing there.”, this is the answer out of the Walkie-Talkie.

I cold shiver goes over my body. Not only because I’m close to seeing my creator but…I know this voice! I heard it before! And it doesn’t make me feel good.

“Before you kill us tell us why. Why is Taco Bell taking the records of women's vaginas in South Park?”, asks Mr. Marsh.

I don’t know if he really wants to know that or if he is trying to buy us some time.

Whatever, the little device the men-in-black with sunglass holds starts to beep frantically.

“I'm picking up some hot readings on the ESRB.”, sunglasses informs his colleagues.

“Tell us! What do women's vaginas and Doritos Locos Tacos have in common?!”, shouts Mr. Marsh in between.

Not that they two men-in-black care.

“The ESRB is going crazy!”

“Oh shit! There's an outbreak here! WE HAVE CONTAMINATION IN SECTOR SEVEN! ALL UNITS TO SECTOR SEVEN NOW!”

Suddenly a lot of men-in-black appear with soldiers on their sides and run around the floor like chickens whom you cut off their heads.

“Secure the entire building! Put that woman in restraints.”

The nurse gets grapped as the doctor I saw before joins in.

“What's going on?”

“Taco Bell security. Your clinic is infected with the Nazi Zombie Virus.”

“Nazi zombies?! That's ridiculous! AND bigoted! I happen to be German!”

“HE'S ONE OF THEM!”

The poor doctor gets shoot and looks now more like  Swiss cheese.

I feel like throwing up!

All is going to shit!

“Tell people... what you saw here today.”, cries the doctor to me.

The door to the records rooms closes and I blink in the darkness.

“Mr. Marsh?”, I call out.

Awesome.

He left me.

You can’t really count on adults in this town!

I need to get the fuck out of here!

I look around the room and find a mousehole.

Ah, yes, this will do. I have the magic glitter from the Underpants Gnomes!

I shrink myself and enter it.

I walk through the underground of the clinic. I can hear the soldier and men-in-black shouting.

Before me are…Nazi-Zombie rats?!

Of course!

I shot at the pipe above them, so the soldier takes care of them. I do the same with the Nazi-Zombie Underpants Gnomes I encounter.

After a while reach a fuse and jump out of it.

…Why is Mr. Marsh dressed up as a woman sitting in one patient chair?

What happens in the next minutes I never want to talk or think about it again.

It’s just too fucked up.

I only say this.

I didn’t know what do to and I’m thankful I did it somehow right since the men-in-black leave Mr. Marsh and me alone.

Aka. don’t kill us.

They tell us to leave the building.

Mr. Marsh waves me away. I should go alone, he needs…time.

I don’t blame him.

So you guys know where I can buy some brain bleach?

I step out of the room into the corridor.

But it seems we didn’t reach the fucked-up level today since Nazi-Zombie fetus attack the men-in-black and kill them!

I’m just…I’m standing here regretting all my life choices.

I wanna go back to Seattle where things were normal and sane!

I hear above me rumors.

It’s Leo!

He is picking his head in.

“I'm here for you, big sis!”, he calls.

Then he tries to jump to the ground without hurting himself.

It doesn’t work.

“God dammit.”

“Leo, are you all right?”, I ask him, helping him up.

He nods.

“Wait for me!”

Tammy jumps down too.

“Sis!”

I’m happy these two are here!

“Look at that little fella!”, points Leo at a Nazi Zombie Fetus who eats one of the men-in-black. “Are those little babies sucking blood?”

“These are fetuses actually, Butters.”, corrects him Tammy, looking at them in a kind of weird fascination.

“Nazi-Zombie fetuses.”, I add.

“Amazing! What’s next? One of our friends turns into a Nazi-Zombie?!”, wonders Tammy.

“Oh hamburgers, I sure hope don’t.”

“Tammy, Leo, we probably have to fight our way out of here. Just let’s go before it gets, even more, crazier here.”

The two agree and we make haste to leave the clinic.

Of course, we have to face off against the little Nazi Zombie fetus to reach the exit. Also, we need to walk through the air vent, thank god the Underpants Gnome glitters works for my buddies too, and we can see how the Nazi Zombie fetuses completely obliterated the men-in-black and soldiers.

When we finally reach the exit the fucked-up meter reaches its boiling point since we have to fight the aborted giant Nazi Zombie fetus of Khloe Kardashian.

Good that we are three people.

Also, Leo has a new sweet move that turns him into this buff and tall anime dude with cool powers.

I so need to learn it!

I wanna be an anime too!

In the end, we defeat the fetus and get out of the clinic.

Let’s get see if the girls are ready to join us!

The faster we know this, the sooner I can take a shower and cry.

I will need a LOT of therapy to process all this trauma today.

I’m back in my Dark Magician Girl cosplay and have my arms crossed. Tammy beside me smiles nervously at the fourth-grade girls.

We are back at their base.

Now let’s see what they have to tell us.

I noted that the girls are looking at me with a kind of…fear at me. I probably shook their whole worldview.

Good.

Maybe they will change for the better.

Wendy starts to talk after a few minutes of us standing around: “Queen N.K., the fourth-grade girls are very thankful for you texting us the abortion records.”

“We are one step away from finding out which girl among us is a two-faced bitch.”, adds Bebe.

“Unfortunately, the record keeper at the abortion clinic is from Paris and so everything is written in French.”

Of course.

“Whoever this two-faced skank is thinks she can outsmart us!”, curses Millie.

“We want to help you and the boys play your game, but we just can't have a two-faced bitch out there on the loose. Just get these documents translated for us, and we PROMISE we will join your army.”, promises Wendy. “Sparkle.”

“Sunshine!”

I roll my eyes.

Me losing my nerves at them didn’t make them overthink all this. They still are in their hurtful mindset, they are just now scarred by me.

Wordless I take Tammy by the hand and lead her out of the base.

I know when fighting is useless, even if I really want to punch out of them all this patriarchy bullshit.

Let’s see if the boys no someone who can talk French and translate the documents for us.

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