#apprentice cruz

[hannahhook7744]

Descendants Band Shirts;

The Sorcerer's Apprentices.

The Bad Apples.

The Dragon Slayers (Doug's favorite band if I remember correctly. Likely a rock band).

Aladdin and The Lamps.

Not none of these shirts are real or for profit.

[lady-raziel]

Somewhere, in another timeline...Bernie Sanders is finishing out his second term as president.

(a coping-method scenario)

Back in 2016, the Democratic Party saw that denying his appeal and pushing forward with Hillary Clinton would be catastrophic—she didn’t have the appeal, and pushing forward another historic first right after Obama might galvanize the right wing further into feeling that America was no longer “for them.” The potential risk was too great in radicalizing that bloc, and as strange as it seemed, Bernie was the safer choice. He faces Donald Trump in the general election—and many pundits decry the sad state of today’s politics, where the only choices are a “socialist kook” or a reality television star. Trump’s odd mannerisms and morally questionable behavior, however, manage to turn off enough people that they’d rather not vote at all. After careful consideration, the Democrats do decide to take a chance on a female VP running mate (after all, the Republicans had set precedent with Sarah Palin in 2008)-- Senator Amy Klobuchar gets tapped to balance the ticket. With the slightly lower voter turnout on the right, and the left energized with a surging youth vote, Bernie Sanders becomes the 45th president of the United States, and America gets its first female VP with Amy Klobuchar.

Trump, who had honestly never intended on winning anyway, uses the loss as planned to claim fraud and launch his own cable streaming channel- TNN, Trump News Nation- intended as a rival to Fox News. He repeatedly tries to sue over the “stolen” election—this had all been intended to make sorely needed funds for his hemorrhaging business ventures after all. TNN draws massive ratings on launch, but as the months go by, views trickle off as watchers grow exhausted of hearing about politics through the context of Trump’s own grievances. Most filter back to Fox News, where at least the diet of mostly fabricated nonsense and conspiracy theories are varied. TNN’s most viewed show is a variation on the Apprentice, where contestants compete to gain Donald’s political endorsement and “mentorship.” None of the winning show contestants ever end up winning their political races. By 2018, viewership is minimal and stagnant, any ad revenue has dried up, and TNN shutters its doors. Trump moves on to his next failed business grift, fading from public relevance only to be occasionally remembered as “that time a reality tv personality ran for president…can you believe that happened?” American politics forgets him as another failed presidential candidate, and the GOP moves on, reexamining their strategy after losing to a Democrat once again.

Bernie’s presidency isn’t all sunshine and roses. The young progressives who voted him in find themselves frustrated with the lack of sudden progressive changes he’s actually able to make due to the constraints of the presidency—one still needs to work with Congress, after all. And Washington doesn’t exactly warm up to the formerly Independent senator with a leftist bent quickly. But landmark bipartisan legislation on climate change that includes concessions to congressional Republicans on taxes proves to be very successful. Despite controversy on some of the legislation's corporate tax restructuring (part of Republican demands), the tax cuts and benefits for the vast majority of Americans have appeal to even those who questioned the value of climate change measures.

By the 2020 election, Bernie’s favorability is substantial, in addition to a boost from quick action in tackling a small, ultimately containable new virus. Regardless, Bernie is able to leverage providing funds for vaccine research to help contain and prevent future outbreaks to drug companies, in exchange for negotiating price caps on certain drugs. The combined result is more than enough to hand him a win in 2020 against Ted Cruz—who’s off-putting “serial killer vibes” and right-leaning deep Texas persona prove to be buzzkills for the GOP’s attempt at leaning right as a rebrand.

The fields for both parties are packed in the 2024 primaries—but ultimately Senator Cory Booker clenches the Democratic nomination, and the Republicans take a chance on Representative Liz Cheney, hoping that the combination of the Cheney name and a female candidate a la the Sarah Palin gambit will be what’s needed to turn their losing streak around. It’s a tight race, in the end—pundits pontificate on how “polarized” the nation has become, as rhetoric flies about the Cheney legacy and calling Liz everything from a warmonger to “the worst candidate America has ever seen who will do serious damage to the heart of the nation.” Voters on the left debate the potential of the first female president vs rehashed talking points from the Bush era and the legacy of wars in the Middle East.

The pick of Booker by the Democratic establishment, who are fairly eager to regain control over the nomination process and candidate selection after having to cede control and allow Bernie's candidacy last time, ultimately reflects that the party and elites have not learned the lesson 2016 should have impressed upon them. Instead of allowing the voters interests to shape the primaries, they continue to wield control and painstakingly fixate over the specific demographics of candidates, trying to find the right "mix" that they think moderate voters will "tolerate." Booker, despite his accomplishments, is ultimately the victim of this, as he doesn't have the revolutionary appeal of Obama, despite frequently being painted as "Obama 2.0." The Democrats fail once again to learn that what voters truly care about is not a candidate fitting certain demographic boxes, but the strength of their ideas and narrative.

Ultimately, the voters go with Liz Cheney, who historically becomes the first female president of the United States. Republicans are jubilant at taking back the White House (and that they were able to claim a historic first and deny Democrats the honor-- not that they'd say it outright, since they'd sought to strike a contrast between running Cheney just as a candidate and not as a woman). Despite the outcome of the election, it's unclear whether the Democratic establishment finally learns that lesson-- or retreats into itself pointing fingers and throwing blame at "not picking a female and losing credibility as the party of progress." Rumors had been flying that Hillary was going to try again—ultimately turning out to be false (but perhaps not entirely untrue-- she had been approached and was considering it). Some Democrats point out that "progress" should be expressed through innovative and progressive policies that will APPEAL to different demographics, instead of ignoring stagnant policies to focus on demographics alone...time will tell if their voices are heard.

As for Joe Biden, one of the longstanding members of the political sphere, after serving as Obama's VP, he retires to his home in Delaware, only occasionally being seen at major political events here and there. The largest amount of attention he gets is a moment in 2021 that spawns many, many memes-- a viral video is captured of Biden enjoying an ice cream when it falls to the floor, at which point the former VP stares at the melting cone and declares "I'm Dark Brandon." No one has any clue what he's talking about, and it's written off as just another "Uncle Joe" gaffe. Other than that, not much is heard from Biden. People do say, however, that occasionally the man stares off into the distance with a far-off look of horror, as if he is somewhere else entirely...and witnessing something awful.

As Cheney is sworn in as president, the progressive corners of the internet mourn, citing the actions of Dick Cheney and decrying that this new administration might be "the death of democracy." A viral Tweet (yes, TWEET) with millions of likes reads "bruh this has to be the darkest timeline, there's no way this could be any worse 😫"

(If only they really knew...)

[mrs-stans]

Miami Film Fest: Sebastian Stan Set for Precious Gem Award and Live ‘Awards Chatter’ Pod

The Emmy nominee and Marvel alum is being celebrated for his portrayal of a young Donald Trump in 'The Apprentice' and a man with neurofibromatosis who undergoes facial reconstructive surgery in 'A Different Man.'

BY SCOTT FEINBERG

Sebastian Stan, a best actor contender this awards season for two performances that have brought him widespread acclaim — he plays a young Donald Trump in The Apprentice and a man with neurofibromatosis who undergoes facial reconstructive surgery in A Different Man — will receive the Precious Gem Award at the Miami Dade College’s Miami Film Festival GEMS event, the fest announced on Monday.

Stan, 42, will be celebrated at an event that will kick off on Sunday, Nov. 3, at 5pm EST, at MDC Wolfson Auditorium in downtown Miami. To begin with, he will sit down with yours truly for a career-retrospective conversation that will be recorded for subsequent posting as an episode of The Hollywood Reporter’s Awards Chatter podcast. Then, the fest will present him with his award.

The Precious Gem Award is the festival’s signature award, reserved for “one-of-a-kind artists whose contributions to cinema are lasting and unforgettable.” Past recipients include Pedro Almodóvar, Penélope Cruz, Isabelle Huppert, Rita Moreno, Sheryl Lee Ralph and Patricia Clarkson.

“We are thrilled to honor Sebastian Stan with our prestigious Precious Gem Award to celebrate his impressive acting achievements, including his transformative performances in this year’s The Apprentice and A Different Man,” Lauren Cohen, the fest’s programming director, said in a statement. “We’re also excited to partner with The Hollywood Reporter to bring Scott Feinberg and the celebrated Awards Chatter podcast to Miami.”

Stan is perhaps best known for playing Bucky Barnes in seven beloved Marvel films: Captain America: The First Avenger (2011), Captain America: The Winter Soldier (2014), Ant-Man (2015), Captain America: Civil War (2016), Black Panther (2018), Avengers: Infinity War (2018), Avengers: Endgame (2019). He has also done additional standout work in films such as I, Tonya (2017), Destroyer (2018) and Dumb Money (2023), and received a Critics Choice Award nomination for the limited series Political Animals (2012) and an Emmy nomination for the limited series Pam & Tommy (2022).

For A Different Man, which he also exexcutive produced, he was awarded the Silver Bear for best leading performance at the Berlin Film Festival earlier this year.

This year’s Miami Film Festival GEMS event will run Oct. 30-Nov. 3.

[get-loved-123]

My favorite headcannons in my Stranger Things Fic:

Will hates that El's birthday is celebrated on November 6th (she picked it), but then he forgets that it's the day he goes missing so he moves on. She only picked that date because it's usually seen as bad so she wanted to make him happy

Back in California, Will and El used to split the time they spent with Sean. Will gets Monday and Tuesday, El gets Thursday and Friday, and he hangs out with both on Wednesdays. On the weekends, he spends time with Argyle.

Furthermore, Sean met them because he threw a book at Will's head. He was aiming for Angela, but she dodged it. He got two weeks' detention and met them after Argyle did. Will fell for him the same day he got hit.

Eleven likes to be called Jane more than "El" but she keeps it as a nickname.

Mike spent a whole day at Max's house complaining about how much he dislikes Sean.

Sean's real birth name is Ignacio De La Cruz. His birth mother is white Dominican and his biological dad is Afro-Dominican. His mother was shot four times because she broke into the lab repeatedly to get him back. She's alive, lives in Indianapolis, and is still looking for him.

Angela and Sean used to be friends but that was before he was outed. El and Will know nothing about this story.

Sean knows Spanish but no one knows how. In fact, no one in the adopted family taught him Spanish. He started speaking it one day and they just went along with it.

Dr. Roseanne, their therapist, believes that Sean and El are on the neurodivergent spectrum. They both have varying severities of ADHD, autism, BPD, PTSD, depression, and anxiety. She knows not to diagnose them just yet.

Sean would identify as genderfluid if he grew up in 2024.

Ana Maria was arrested because Sean and Mateo had found a dead body in their backyard and had moved it. She confessed to killing the man and got the charges dropped from her brothers.

The man died form heroin overdose

Eleven gets irregular periods. Jonathan was there when she got her first one. She was terrified.

Eleven and Will were taught how to surf by Argyle. Jonathan would take videos of them while Sean suntanned (he doesn't need to tan at all but he can't swim).

Elliot calls Max daily to complain about Lucas's gentle and unbearable physical affection. She laughs every time.

Erica loves Lucas. And she tells him every night before she goes off to bed. (She's terrified of losing him after Vecna)

Erica and Melanie are very close and do each other's hair.

Will, Eleven, and Mike go to NYU. Sean goes to Cal U School of Arts. Max enters the workforce and become a tattoo apprentice. Dustin and Lucas get into Perdue. Elliot and Melanie join them a year later.

Steve has been in love with Jonathan since he punched him back in S1.

The Guerreros are incredibly rich. Their dad owns the Sufer Boy Pizza Franchise, and Argyle just likes to smoke weed and make pizza.

Their majors are Double Major in Fine Arts & Art History (Will); Double Major in Business & English (Mike); Fashion Design (Eleven); Double Major in Theater Arts & Art History (Sean); Architectural Science (Lucas); Computer Science (Dustin); Sports and Physical Therapy (Elliot); Writing and Journalism (Melanie)

Suzie becomes ex-Mormon

[thedetectiveinthephonebooth]

A Message to Fellow Voters

I don’t often post original content but today on the eve of the next Presidential election I wanted to share my story. Picture this if you can the year is 2016 (the year of dabbing Squidward, here come dat boi, and Damn Daniel) I was a freshman in college well into the fall semester. It was exciting to finally be able to vote in a presidential election and it was a sign to myself that I was becoming an adult. Bernie Sanders was gaining attention among the Millennials/oldest Gen Z. Ted Cruz was being accused of being the Zodiac killer. I remember having a watch party for debates leading up to the election and there was a feeling of surprise when the candidate announced for the Republican Party would be Donald Trump the guy I had known from his early 2000’s show The Apprentice. We looked at each other and laughed at how ridiculous he was as the months counted down to Election Day. It was….. strange to seemingly watch the events that would follow. The red hats starting to appear on walks through campus. The flags starting to go up around local neighborhoods. On a day my friends and I had planned to go to the island and enjoy the last warm days of the season we ended up stopped in bumper to bumper traffic as the traffic sign announced not construction but delays from a rally being hosted at an amphitheater that was known for hosting music festivals and college graduations. We were again annoyed but there was no way he could win. It was crazy, he didn’t have the experience and he seemed to say more insane rhetoric every day. As Election Day approached I finally received my absentee ballot for my home state and began filling it out, my anxiety had begun to peak and the angry shouts of random people seemingly continued to multiply. The night of the election I gathered with friends with bated breath although she was not my first choice for candidate there was an opportunity for history to be made. A woman for president? That meant something to me and I hadn’t even realized how special that was until that moment. The votes came in, the states declared, as the previously confident poll forecast was proven wrong the feeling in the air changed into one of somber horror. The next morning solidified the results and created confusion from an outcome I had no clue could be achieved. A candidate had won the popular vote and yet had failed to secure the electoral. The following days created hushed conversation and feeling on unease. I found myself joining local efforts to speak up against the rhetoric that had seemingly approved the right to spew hate. The following years showcased that whatever norm we previously had was gone and the future was in fact uncertain. The 2020 election I found created a sense of distress that seemingly never ended. I saw people that once were civil with one another turn on a dime to resent and hate the opposing party. In a world being rocked by a pandemic that had effectively brought our lives to a halt it seemed as if we had reached a new level of insanity. I didn’t want to vote for the candidate selected for the Democratic Party but I knew the importance of this election and what this meant for my country. I remember becoming physically ill to the point I couldn’t stand moving. I went to bed hoping that my vote made a difference and that others would agree that this new “normal” was not the opinion of the majority. The next morning was a sense of relief but also one of hesitation as conspiracy theories began spreading like rapid fire. January 6th was the day I was convinced that my country may fall. Mobs storming the steps of the capitol and seemingly uncaring for what this building stood for. This country is by no means perfect, but it is my home. I have seen this country do amazing things and I have seen it fail. Despite all of this I have hope for our future. We have ideas and dreams that show that we do care for the world around us and in most cases would rather help the person next to us then shun them away. So I ask this Election Day please use your voice and vote to protect our democracy.

[rocksandrobots]

PotP Ch 52 - Christmas With The Krampus: Part 1

Madame Canardist blew out the last of the candles and placed the antique decorations into a cardboard box. The silvery glint of the  ornament caught the eye of the chimpanzee next to her and he 'oohed' with interest.

"Here Vigor, be a dear and put this in the back with the others." She sweetly called out to her pet.

The monkey grabbed the box and dutifully waddled his way to the storage room in the back of the shop as Cardanist finished cleaning up from the celebrations of a long forgotten holiday. Even in their own world, the festival of stars was a dying tradition, as there was no longer a people to carry on the old ways.

Canardist still did. She still remembered all that her parents had taught her, the same as their parents had taught them. How knowledge of the heavens and the secrets in its patterns could protect the world, or, in her case, worlds.

She frowned as she picked up a tattered scroll. However, unlike stars, knowledge was not forever. It had to be preserved and passed down in order to continue.

Canardist never did find an apprentice to teach.  She had vaguely hoped one of the younglings of this universe would take interest... but no one took magic seriously here.

And then there was the matter of Vigor.... there would be no guardian to care for him once she was gone. She was the last who knew his secret.

Not for the first time she contemplated packing up and starting anew somewhere else... or even returning to their home plane... but there was still the prophecy to fulfill. Things had been set into motion and they needed to stay to play their part.

As she paused in her clean up to read the scroll again, Vigor was unsteadily climbing a footstool, box still in hand. He stood on tip toe on one foot as he precariously balanced himself in order to push the box on to an empty space on a higher shelf.

His other foot swayed with the exertion and accidentally tipped over what looked like a snow globe.

Canardist heard the glass shatter. She flung the scroll down and ran to the back, even as Vigor's terrified screams grew louder.

"Vigor!" She yelled, but her voice was drowned out by an unnatural wind that swirled through the air of her little store; knocking over antiques, books, and ingredients for spells.

Then the wind died as suddenly as it had started.

Canardist screamed as something monstrous, tall, and hairy, wrapped a clawed hand around Vigor.

Fright was replaced by anger.

"Let go of him you big galoot!" and hurled a book at the creature. Only to be pushed away by a muscular arm. The breath was knocked out of her as she went flying into the bookshelves behind her.

She heard Vigor howling with fright as lumbering footsteps shook the floor.

She looked up just in time to see the door of her shop being ripped off his hinges.

"Vigor!" she cried out again as her beloved pet was stolen away by the mysterious monster.

----------------

"Who wants peppermint hot chocolate?"

The various party goers swarmed around Aunt Cass as she handed out the festive refreshments.

She was just handing the last mugs to Carl and Globby when a knock came at the back door.

She excused herself and ran back to the kitchen as she overheard Noodle Burger Boy telling the rest of the kids about  their recent holiday vacation.

"Feliz navidad!" Cruz yelled as soon as she opened the door.

He was wearing a ridiculous sweater with a reindeer knitted on it and holding a piece of mistletoe over his head.

Poor Megan gave an embarrassed grin beside him. "Hi Miss Cass." She greeted before running past her and ducking into the dinning room with her gift.

Cassidy purposefully ignored the mistletoe and moved to grab the tupperware container under Cruz's arm instead.

"Oh you brought the popcorn to string! Thank you!"

Cruz couldn't help but look a little put out as she started to hurry from the kitchen.

"Ah-ahem." He coughed, and held the mistletoe up higher. "That's not all I brought."

Cass feigned ignorance. "Oh the decoration... yes.... ummm... just put it up anywhere."

Cruz sighed with frustration as she left, and then hung the mistletoe over the door mantle.

He'll have to try again later... when she was less busy.

----------------

*clink*, *clink,* *clink.*

Honey Lemon rapped the side of the coffee cup with a spoon to gain everyone's attention. She stood behind the cash counter as Baymax turned down the holiday music that had been playing. The various conversations stalled around the room as all turned to look at her.

"It's so great to see that everyone could make it tonight, and now that we're all here, it's time for the gift exchange! The rules are simple. We're going to pull names out of a hat. When your name is called you'll come up and pick out your present, and once you open it you gotta guess who gave it to you."

"If you guess right, you'll get a sticker. If you guess wrong, then the rest of the party gets to guess and have a chance to win the sticker themselves. The person with the most stickers at the end of the night gets a prize!"

"Do we get to guess ourselves?" Megan cheekily called out from the back.

"No, but you can try to fool the other people guessing." Honey Lemon answered, then she turned to a man dressed in a tux standing over in the corner. "Heathcliff, will you do the honors?"

"Yes, Miss Lemon." He gave a little nod of his head and pulled a slip of paper out of a top hat. "Mr. Wasabi"

Wasabi got up and Honey Lemon handed him a broad rectangular package with his name on the tag.

He carefully began to untape the snowman themed wrapping paper.

"Oh come on, just rip it off!" Juniper yelled at him.

"And tear the paper!?" He asked, aghast. "Please, we aren't animals here people."

And with that he finished pulling off the last bit of tape. He gasped in delight at what he found.

"OOOHHH! Personalized Labels!!!" He hugged the folder full of stickers to him. "With my name on them and everything.... Ooo, ooo, and look! They're even categorized by function! Storage, food, folder tabs!"

"So who do you think is your secret santa?" Tadashi asked.

"Hmmmm..... Honey Lemon? You're the sticker fanatic around here. Was it you?"

She shook her head. "Sorry, I got someone else."

"Sam!?... You know me better than anyone."

"Hey, you can't guess twice!" Karmi complained.

"Sorry again, Wasabi, but Karmi's right. Who else thinks they know who Wasabi's secret santa is!?"

Trina timidly raised her hand. "It was NB. That's the same wrapping paper Globby bought for our gifts."

"That's right!" Noodle Burger Boy shouted as he jumped from his chair. "I'm the bestest gift giver ever!"

He opened his mouth and more printed stickers streamed out like ticker tape. He then handed this to Wasabi.

"Merry Christmas Wasabi, and a Happy New Year!"

Wasabi took the hamburger themed stickers in surprise. "I never would have guessed.... but, come to think of it, the french fries shaped ones probably have tipped me off. Thank you NB."

As Wasabi took his seat again, Heathcliff called out the next name. "A Mr. Stu..."

----------------

Cruz saw this as his chance. As the kids played their game, he brushed down his sweater, made sure there were no crumbs on his mustache, and walked over to Cass who was watching the game with interest.

"Oh, how cute. Juniper and Stu got each other in the Secret Santa exchange." She said as he neared.  

Cruz turned to see the former criminal, face practically hidden in the giant scarf and hat he'd just received, get down on one knee to present his present to his sweetheart. Juniper screamed with delight when she saw the ring.

As everyone clapped to congratulate the happy couple Cruz couldn't help raising an eyebrow. "A little young aren't they?" 

"Oh, plenty of people get married in college." Cass dismissed. "You and Maria did." 

"Yeah and look how well that turned out." Cruz couldn't help but mutter. Cass put a comforting hand on his shoulder, but still gave him a long, suffering look. 

"Now that was long after college… besides you gotta let them figure it out. Live their own lives. And who knows, it might actually work out for them?" 

She shrugged and then grabbed a tub full of dirty cups. As she made her way back to the kitchen as the next name was called out. 

"Mr. Fred." 

Cruz didn't pay any attention as the Fredericksons' boy walked up to get his present. He was too busy following Cass.

"So what about you?" He asked as he entered the back room. 

"What about me?" She asked, confused. 

"When are you going to settle down?" 

Cass could barely contain her laughter. "Me, marry?" She shook her head in answer. 

"What's so inconceivable about that?" Cruz chuckled. 

"For starters, I'm not interested in marrying anyone, and secondly, who needs it? Oh, no offense to anyone who would want to… It's just… You don't have to go through all the trouble just to be with someone." 

Cruz nodded his head in consideration. "I can see where you're coming from… but you've nothing against dating, then." 

She shrugged again as she finished placing the last coffee cup in the dishwasher. "Dating's fine." 

"Would you wanna go on a date with me?" 

Aunt Cass froze in mid-action as she rubbed her hands with a dish towel.  

The still running faucet was the only sound in the kitchen as the awkward silence filled the room.

Chief Cruz gave an awkward cough to gently nudge the conversation along.

"Ummm..." She finally hummed.

"'Ummm' isn't really in answer." Cruz nervously laughed.

"Weeeellll..." Cass squeaked instead, and Cruz frowned. That was an even less encouraging response.

"It's just..." She stumbled a third time. "I... I'm kind of seeing someone else right now."

"Oh." Cruz deflated, but quickly recovered. "Well serves me right for waiting too long. Who's the lucky guy?" 

He could see Cass squirm even more as she thought of an answer. 

"Well, umm, you two do know each other… and he's in his 40s… he's tall a-and he umm… oh.." 

"Just spit it out Cassidy." 

"It's Alister." She quickly mumbled and ran from the kitchen.

Cruz stood stunned for a moment as he tried to figure out who 'Alister' was… then it donned on him. 

"Keri!?"  

He stormed after Aunt Cass as she tried to distract by handing out more appetizers. 

"Anyone for some pigs in a blanket?" 

"Cass…" 

"Thumbprint cookies?" 

No one took up her offer, as everyone paused in their game. 

"Cassidy."

"I'll go make some more coco then." 

She dodged her best friend and ran back to the kitchen with the food. Cruz followed. 

"You're dating Keri!?' 

"Well, he's really been putting in an effort lately and…"

"And we've talked about this Cass. He's not any good for you." 

"Oh and who are you to tell me who's right for me or not!?" Anger replacing her guilt. 

"You dumped him for a reason, remember?" 

"Yes, I do remember, and so does he, and he's been putting in the effort to change." 

Cruz rolled his eyes. "Guys like that don't change Cass. You know that." 

"Why do you always expect the worst of people?" She sighed. 

"Because I don't want my best friend to be taken advantage of!" 

Aunt Cass could only laugh at that. 

"Diego, we're not in high school any more. I'm a big girl. I can take care of myself." 

"I know you can, but I don't trust him." 

"Then why not be an actual friend and trust me ." 

Cruz frowned. "What's that supposed to mean? Of course I trust you." 

Cass only folded her arms and gave him a purposeful look. 

"Okay… so I'm a little protective sometimes, b-but that's only because I care-" 

The expression didn't change on her face. 

Cruz sighed in defeat. "Fine. I'll respect your decision to date Keri." 

"Thank you." 

"And when it all falls apart again, you still got me as a shoulder to cry on and for a good 'I told you so'." 

Cass rolled her eyes at the joke, but could dismiss the smile off her face. 

"I wouldn't expect anything less." She chuckled as she gave him a hug.

----------------

The Gift Exchange had ended and the party guests were now milling around, eating the rest of the food, and conversing. A few were dancing in the corner as Minimax played DJ, blaring out those catchy Christmas tunes that Varian had heard on a loop for a month now wherever he went.

Christmastide was indeed an important festival season in Corona as well, but Americans really upped the ante when it came to the holiday. Instead of just being twelve days of feasting, the US started celebrations an entire month before the first actual holy day came to pass. 

It was exciting and exhausting all at once. So many new traditions, so many lights, so many new foods to try, and not a single boring church service in sight! But after you heard "Jingle Bells" for the thousandth time, well, the 'Christmas Spirit' started to lose its appeal somewhat. 

"So when's your flight?" He overheard Hiro ask Wasabi. 

"Five in the morning," Wasabi groaned. 

 "We should be at Mom's in time for Christmas Dinner." Sam added. 

"You know I could always just open a portal to Hawaii for you." Varian offered, adding himself to the conversation. 

Wasabi turned the offer down. "No thanks. I would prefer not to give my future in-laws a heart attack upon first meeting them." 

Tadashi raised an eyebrow, "In-laws?" 

Wasabi froze. 

"In-laws?" Sam echoed, a teasing smile on his lips. 

"Ummm… I just… I just meant… hypothetically… you know… in case… this works out… long term, I mean…. Hey, weren't we going to decorate the tree?" 

Wasabi ducked out the group and ran over to the other side of the room where Karmi, Fred, and Baymax were already hanging homemade paper decorations onto a plastic tree. 

Sam and Tadashi shared a laugh and went over to join them. 

Varian was about to follow when he heard some call his name. 

"Hey V, can ya help me with this?" 

It was Carol. She was covered in stickers and juggling several gift baskets that she had won in the games. 

Hiro beat him to it. 

"I got it." He took one of the baskets. "Boy you racked up?" 

"I know, right!? This is going to feed me all through the next week… I just need to make sure none of the other girls find my stash. Now where were those leftovers?" 

"You're not going home for the holiday?" Varian asked as he handed her the goody bag that Aunt Cass had made earlier. 

Carol shook her head. "No, it's too far and tickets are too expensive… and I also don't want you giving Grandma a heart attack with those mad scientist portals if yours." 

Varian rolled his eyes. "Why does everyone think people will get heart attacks from my portals?" 

"Well, we do need to work out the kinks some." Hiro admitted. "You want some help carrying all this out? 

"Oh would you? That's awfully sweet. Fred is giving me a lift back home, and I think Heathcliff parked the car on the corner." 

"No problem…." He said as he readjusted the baskets and followed her out the door. 

"So umm… What exactly did Karmi say to you when you helped her pick out my gift?" Varian overheard his brother whisper as he and Carol left. 

Carol had apparently helped a lot of people pick out their gifts for the Secret Santa. That was how she won the guessing game portion of the gift exchange. 

Karmi had gotten Hiro, and Varian could tell that his little brother was desperate to know if the handmade keychain from his crush meant anything deeper.

That reminded Varian… he hadn't seen his own crush in awhile… 

He walked over to where everyone was dancing. Stu and Juniper were lost in each other's eyes, Heathcliff was, surprisingly, twirling Barb around, Gogo had graciously agreed to a dance with Mole… provided that he stuck to the six foot rule, and Carl and Globby were slow-waltzing in the corner… Minimax wasn't even playing a slow song at the moment. 

Varian scanned the small scene before him but he didn't see the pretty redhead. In fact he didn't see her anywhere. 

That's when he spotted Megan and Trina off to the side. They were giggling over something. 

"Hey… have you seen Honey Lemon?" 

Both girls stalled, and Varian got the distinct feeling that he had just interrupted something. 

"Umm… I think she went into the kitchen?" Megan guessed. 

"She said something about how her brother was going to be here soon." Trina added. "I think she went out to wait for him."

"Thanks… oh and thanks for the gift by the way." 

"I'm glad you like it." Trina replied. "You are the hardest person to shop for, you know." 

"Well you did an excellent job. Who else would think of a recipe journal?" 

Megan disagreed. "I think Minimax has the hardest pick… what on earth do you get for Mole? He already has everything?" 

Trina shrugged. "A signed autograph from Boss Awesome apparently." 

"What was it that you got again?" Varian asked. 

Trina's face lit up and she excitedly showed him the guitar pick on a string around her neck. "It's a limited edition Mind Smith Turbo collector item!" She turned towards Megan. "I don't know how you ever found this."

"Ah, it was easy. I just had to go scrounging around AuctionBay. What I can't believe is that Carol found my gift at a thrift store for only five bucks. It's a genuine Noir jacket. Those are like five hundred dollars off the rack! We have got to go bargain hunting as a band more often." 

Varian backed away slowly. "Yeeeeaaaah when I hear the words, "bargain hunting", I know it's time for me to dip out." 

"Just because you don't have any taste!" Megan joked. 

"Let us save you from your poor sense of fashion!" Trina called after him. 

"I'm good!" He yelled over his shoulder as he ran away.

----------------

Varian found Honey Lemon in the kitchen leaning against the door frame. She was looking at the bracelet he had given to her, examining its details while a smile played on her lips.

"Do you like it?" He asked.

She looked up in surprise, having not noticed his presence before, but quickly recovered.

"Oh I adore it. Where did you get it?"

"I made it." He beamed.

"Really!? It's beautiful...and I love that it's rose gold! Oh and all the little flowers! You know, you have a real talent... this is art."  

"Ahh, I don't about that." Varian sheepishly shrugged off the complement, but then more seriously, he said. "But when I got your name for the gift exchange, I knew I had to give you something special."

 He reached out and grabbed her hand. Honey Lemon blushed, but didn't pull away. She did however try to change the subject.

"What does the inscription say?" She asked, pointing to the engraving written in the band of gold.

"Alles Liebe."

"Alles Liebe." She echoed, not quite getting the pronunciation as well as he did. "Is that German or Russian?"

"German. It's a common saying in Corona, something you might write on a gift tag or at the end of a letter... it's short for 'to you, with lots of love' or 'with all my love'.  

Honey Lemon felt herself blushing even more. As was pointed out, it wasn't uncommon to put well wishes on a present, but something about the way Varian said it, the way it was so delicately and thoughtfully etched into the glinting metal, and the fact that it was told in a language that no one else they knew spoke, made it seem more romantic... like a secret that was only shared between them.  

Varian took her other hand in his, and her pulse quickened. She racked her brain looking for another excuse to change the conversation, but found none. 

Why did she want to anyways? Not when he was staring at her intently with those piercing blue eyes of his, or when he was leaning closer to... to what exactly?

Honey Lemon never got her answer, for no sooner did she close her eyes and tilted her head towards him, lips parted, heart pounding her ears as she desperately hoped he understood the clear hint she was giving him, then did Karmi hurried into the room.

"I'll get it! it's near th-... oh!"

Both teens immediately jumped away from each other upon the intrusion.

Karmi seemed embarrassed, as Honey Lemon plastered on a fake smile and Varian avoided eye contact.

"Sorry... I just came in here to get the popcorn." She awkwardly said as she picked up a tupperware container on the counter. "Didn't mean to interrupt. Just go back to doing what you were doing, and I'm going to get out here."

"Oh we weren't up to anything... I'm just waiting for my brother to pick me up."

Karmi clearly didn't believe Honey Lemon's protest, as she gave them both a skeptic look. Then in reply, all she did was point upwards.

Honey Lemon and Varian looked up in response and saw the small bouquet of bright green leaves.

"Oh..." was all Honey Lemon said, and Karmi gave them both a smirk as she left the room.

Honey Lemon and Varian both made a point not to look at each other even after the other girl had gone.

"S-Sooo... you have mistletoe here too, huh?" Varian finally asked, trying to brush aside the awkwardness.

"Hmm, hmm." Honey Lemon hummed in response, still choosing to play with the tip of her hair then to look at him.

"Does it work the same way in Fansokyo as it does in Corona?"

"I... I think so... Do you... do you ... you know..."

"Kiss?  ... Yeah."

"Then yeah... it- it's the same here." She placed her hands behind her back and rocked back and forth on her heels, still trying to find some other place to look, any place other than his hypnotizing eyes.

He also looked around desperately trying to find anything else to talk about... seconds slipped past and he began to tap his foot impatiently.

They were doing it again... avoiding their feelings…

Screw it... Just ask her!

He shut his eyes tight. "Do... do you wan---"

*HONK*

A loud car horn interrupted him.

Both teens poked their head out of the door and saw an old, beat up pick-up truck parked in the street out front.

A young man, close to their own age, was sitting in the driver seat. He honked the horn again upon seeing them.

"Oh it's Carlos!" Honey Lemon explained, as she ran back inside to grab her purse. "Mama's expecting us for Mass tonight, so we need to get on the road."

Varian however could only look on helplessly as he saw his chance slipping away from him yet again.

"Oh... well.. I hope you have a  nice time then... Drive safe," was all he could muster.

Suddenly, Honey Lemon was by his side, a tender hand on his arm.

"I really do love my gift."

"I'm glad. Merry Christmas." He smiled back, and then, to his surprise, she kissed him! Right on the cheek!

It was just a quick peck. Nothing you could call romantic, but it left him in awe nonetheless, as he dumbly watched her run over to the parked car.

"Bye. Merry Christmas!" She yelled back. She turned to see him standing in the doorway with a stunned smile on his lips.

Her heart pounded in her ears even louder. She couldn't believe what she had just done.

It was the mistletoe. She told herself. It's tradition. It didn't mean anything.

She hopped into the seat on the passenger side and her brother gave her the most infuriatingly smug look. 

"¿Ese es el chico que te gustaba?" He asked.

"Cállate" was all she said to him, then she poked her head out the window again as her brother cranked the car, laughing to himself while doing so. She ignored him.

"I'll see you next week!" She waved at Varian as the truck pulled away.

Varian's dumbstruck smile only grew wider as he waved after the receding vehicle. Soon that smile turned into a giggle, which turned into a laugh, which finally ended in a whopping holler of exuberant elation as he punched the air and spun around yelling "yes" frantically in the empty alley.

----------------

Hiro stretched and yawned as he turned down the sheets on his bed.

"So what time are you waking us up tomorrow?" he heard his brother say. He looked over to find Tadashi already snuggling under the covers of his own bed.

"Six, four… two in the morning? Just remember you gotta give Santa time to actually deliver the presents first." he chuckled at his own joke.

Hrio rolled his eyes. "I'm not eight. I'll probably sleep in tomorrow. So don't you wake me up early for Krei's burnt waffles... or whatever he's making in the morning."

"Knowing him, he'll probably bring over a whole catering service rather than cook."

"On Christmas?"

Tadashi shrugged. "Not everyone closes on Christmas. Maybe we'll have Indian curry for breakfast, who knows?"

Hiro shook his head. "I can't believe Aunt Cass invited him to celebrate with us."

Tadashi yawned. "Face it Hiro... the heart wants what the heart wants."

"Yeah, and they also say that the heart is stupid and love is blind."  But he never got a reply back as Tadashi was already asleep.

He shook his head and went over to Baymax's battery case to see if it was hooked into the computer properly. The faithful robot was already powered down and his memory banks for the week were steadily up loading to the storage base. 

That was when Hiro heard the low growl behind him.

He froze and out of the corner of his eye he saw something dark and menacing looming in the window.

Were those red eyes he saw?

He quickly spun around to catch whatever it was that was trying to climb into his room, only to see a flurry of claws and a swishing tail hauling it itself up to the roof.

He ran to the window sill, hopped up on his bed, and pushed the window open.

Cold air hit him in the face but he ignored it as he leaned out as far as he dared in order to look up at where the creature had gone. All he saw however was the clear sky and the bright full moon.

He looked back to his brother but Tadashi was already soundly snoring. He clearly hadn't heard anything.

He heard another clatter, this time coming from below. He peered down into the alley, but it was only Mochi rummaging in the trash.

He saw a light stream out into the dark as someone opened the back kitchen door and he heard his aunt call the cat back inside.  

Hiro shook his head for being so silly and closed the window.

Of course there wasn't any monstrous beast lurking in alleyways. All his time superheroing had made him jumpy.

Then again....

Hiro spared one glance back at the window.

Still nothing.

Shoving the gnawing pit in his stomach down, Hiro finally crawled into bed.

He was asleep in minutes and therefore he never noticed the glowing red eyes that continued to watch him through the window.

[spyderschaos]

Omg I’ve been forgetting to post about my Richard the wizard!!!

Anyway here’s some more Richard at the beginning, a possible logo for MERLIN Corp, and Richard’s apprentice- Cody Cruz

Cody is a beginner wizard who’s been looking for a mentor, after being rejected by higher lever wizards (being told to find someone more average first) he runs into Richard and won’t stop following his around!

So then Richard has to figure about what’s he gonna do

[nanidoesthings]

Kim Possible Villains and their Kids Headcanons

Aka Anna wants to talk about her KP OCs

A lot of the kiddos essentially grow up together. Showing up at villainy events all the time.

I’ve talked a little about my Drakgo baby, Laserbeam, but she also has a brother named Dynamite and a sister named Gunpowder. (Gunpowder is not mine though, they belong to a friend of mine).

Junior and Bonnie? Not endgame. That is a gay man. But he does task her with being the surrogate for Junior and his boyfriend’s daughter Señorita.

Despite Monkey Fist hating children with every bone in his body, he ends up adopting a child named Xiaojian. She is raised as his apprentice.

How is Monkey Fist no longer statue? Personally I go with another timeline messing with Time Monkey.

Xiaojian was born from the monkey Chippy, turned semi human by DNAmy.

On a Henchco outing when they were kids, Dynamite convinced Xiaojian to sneak into a monkey enclosure then proceeded to leave her there.

Xiaojian and Laserbeam dated for a short while. They are now bitter exes.

Because of how bad the breakup was, Señorita adopted a "no dating anyone with Jack Hench in their contacts" policy.

Somehow all the kids end up with Duff as the "favorite not uncle" (for Xiaojian "Nae yer daddy")

When Dynamite was starting their gender journey, they often could be found at Duff's hitting shots.

Xiaojian learnt Scottish Gaelic and she and Duff tease Monkey Fist often.

She really thinks Monty and Duff need to just get together already.

Señorita wanting to prove some other rich people she was better than them had Duff teach her to golf.

Señorita follows her Papi’s dream of being a big pop star.

In a world where multiple Disney medias exist in the same universe, Señorita grew up watching Ernesto De La Cruz movies with her Abuelo.

Along the same lines, Dynamite once broke up with someone because they said 4*Town was better than Oh Boyz.

Dynamite loves webcomics. Would 100% be that Homestuck fan.

Sharpies are on high watch in the household. If not to turn grey a la Homestuck, Dynamite would recreate Sharpie Bath to turn Blue.

Dynamite was born in Colorado. Laserbeam in California.

Dr Drakken got a vasectomy after Dynamite was born.

Estelle Lipsky? The kiddos call her different things. Laserbeam calls her GamGam, Dynamite calls her GramGram, Gunpowder calls her Bob.

Somehow, the Drakkens end up always celebrating big holidays with the Possible-Stoppables. It is never planned but space is usually made for the other party.

I see Dr D having Jewish heritage but being non-religious. The kids however had Christmas and Hannukah growing up.

Shego watched Dr Drakken insist on designing and making an Offbrand Barbie Dreamhouse (Baddie’s Dream Lair maybe?)

Laserbeam swears she is not superstitious. She comes from a family of brainiacs so there’s reasoning for that which might be dubbed peculiar. And she knows Aliens and Ghosts and weird shit exists. Doesn’t consider that superstition.

However, she isn’t aware of habits which make her seem she is. Like putting on a specific hoodie whenever an assignment is just not seeming right.

Laserbeam often keeps a slurry of meds and sensory things in her purse because you can’t do evil in bad health.

Laserbeam once performed a VERY heated rendition of Holding Out For A Hero that ended up with her grounded (so worth it though).

While I stand by the idea that Laserbeam and Dynamite are not in frequent contact with their maternal uncles, I like to imagine Mego pops in from time to time.

Laserbeam, Dynamite, and Gunpowder were homeschooled.

The Drakgo babies were named after the song Killer Queen.

Dynamite and Drakken can often be found in the lab late at night. They’ll get inspiration for a project randomly and then suddenly the entire lair is being woken up to dad rock™️.

Laserbeam’s full name is Laserbeam Olivia Drakken. When she has to go undercover she will use Olivia Lipsky.

Dynamite’s full name is Dynamite Andrew Drakken.

[readerbookclub]

Hello everyone! A new month is approaching so I'm back with another list. This time, it's a collection of fairytale retellings! Hope you like it :)

As always, please remember to vote using the link at the end of the post. And now, onto the books...

Bryony and Roses, by T. Kingfisher

Bryony and her sisters have come down in the world. Their merchant father died trying to reclaim his fortune and left them to eke out a living in a village far from their home in the city.

But when Bryony is caught in a snowstorm and takes refuge in an abandoned manor, she stumbles into a house full of dark enchantments. Is the Beast that lives there her captor, or a fellow prisoner? Is the house her enemy or her ally? And why are roses blooming out of season in the courtyard?

Armed only with gardening shears and her wits, Bryony must untangle the secrets of the house before she—or the Beast—are swallowed by them.

Deerskin, by Robin McKinley

As Princess Lissla Lissar reaches womanhood, it is clear to all the kingdom that in her beauty she is the image of her dead mother, the queen. But this likeness forces her to flee from her father's lust and madness; and in the pain and horror of that flight she forgets who she is and what it is she flees from: forgets almost everything but the love and loyalty of her dog, Ash, who accompanies her. But a chance encounter on the road leads to a job in another king's kennels, where the prince finds himself falling in love with the new kennel maid . . . and one day he tells her of a princess named Lissla Lissar, who had a dog named Ash.

A Thousand Beginnings and Endings, Edited by Ellen Oh and Elsie Chapman

Sixteen extraordinary authors—including New York Times bestsellers Melissa de la Cruz, Renée Ahdieh, and Julie Kagawa—reimagine the folklore and mythology of East and South Asia in short stories that are by turns enchanting, heartbreaking, romantic, and passionate. This exquisite paperback anthology includes an original bonus story from Ellen Oh. In a starred review, Publishers Weekly called A Thousand Beginnings and Endings a “must-read.”

A mountain loses her heart. Two sisters transform into birds to escape captivity. A young man learns the true meaning of sacrifice. A young woman takes up her mother’s mantle and leads the dead to their final resting place.

Bestselling and award-winning authors explore the timeless themes of East and South Asian lore in sixteen original stories that will appeal to every reader. From fantasy to science fiction to contemporary, from romance to tales of revenge, these stories will beguile readers from start to finish.

All the Ever Afters: The Untold Story of Cinderella's Stepmother, by Danielle Teller

We all know the story of Cinderella. Or do we?

As rumors about the cruel upbringing of beautiful newlywed Princess Cinderella roil the kingdom, her stepmother, Agnes, a woman who knows all too well about hardship, privately records the true story. But what unfolds is not the princess's history. The tale Agnes recounts is her own.

A peasant born into serfdom, Agnes is separated from her family and forced into servitude as a laundress’s apprentice at Aviceford Manor when she is just ten years old. Alone, friendless, and burdened with a grueling workload, Agnes carves a place for herself in this cold place that is home to Sir Emont Vis-de-Loup, a melancholic and capricious drunkard.

Using her wits and ingenuity, Agnes eventually escapes and makes her way toward a hopeful future, serving as a housemaid for the powerful Abbess Elfilda. But life once again holds unexpected, sometimes heartbreaking twists that lead Agnes back to Aviceford Manor, where she becomes nursemaid to Ella, Emont's sensitive, otherworldly daughter. Though she cares for Ella, Agnes struggles to love this child, who in time becomes her stepdaughter and, ultimately, the celebrated princess who embodies all our unattainable fantasies.

Bitter Greens, by Kate Forsyth

The amazing power and truth of the Rapunzel fairy tale comes alive for the first time in this breathtaking tale of desire, black magic and the redemptive power of love

French novelist Charlotte-Rose de la Force has been banished from the court of Versailles by the Sun King, Louis XIV, after a series of scandalous love affairs. At the convent, she is comforted by an old nun, Sœur Seraphina, who tells her the tale of a young girl who, a hundred years earlier, is sold by her parents for a handful of bitter greens...

After Margherita's father steals parsley from the walled garden of the courtesan Selena Leonelli, he is threatened with having both hands cut off, unless he and his wife relinquish their precious little girl. Selena is the famous red-haired muse of the artist Tiziano, first painted by him in 1512 and still inspiring him at the time of his death. She is at the center of Renaissance life in Venice, a world of beauty and danger, seduction and betrayal, love and superstition.

Locked away in a tower, Margherita sings in the hope that someone will hear her. One day, a young man does.

Vote for our next book here.

[chaosandcrimson]

no way is that VALERIA 'VAL' DUTTON.. they’re a 24-year-old SYNTH notoriously known for being BRASH  &  TEMPERAMENTAL but there are some people who have seen them being FUNNY  &  INDEPENDENT.  if you ask me, they remind me a lot of bubblegum being popped, the high-pitched screech of a sick guitar riff , and how it feels to stare down the barrel of a loaded gun, but that could just be because they’re considered the YOUNG GUN around town. just keep an eye on them  &  see if their true colors shine through..

Devils that you know Raise worse hell than a stranger She's the death you chose You're in terrible danger

OVERVIEW

Name: Valeria Annabeth Dutton

FKA: Valeria Annabeth Moreno

Nickname(s): Val (by everyone)

DOB: October 13, 2100

Age: 24

FC: Maia Reficco

Height: 5'3"

Pronouns: They/She

Sexuality: Aromantic/Aroflux Pansexual

Occupation: Bouncer/Musician at The Obelisk

Relationship Status: In an undefined but very committed thing with Guillermo 'Gizmo' de la Luna and Phelan Frost

[+] funny, independent, street smart [–] brash, temperamental, insubordinate

BIOGRAPHY

tw: gang violence, injury, death

Val was created at a time when the mob was beginning to expand their influence in the city. She was made to be the child (apprentice) to a specialised contract killer on the mob's payroll. His real name was unknown to them, as it was to most people, but they grew up calling him Qrow. She never called him dad.

Qrow's speciality was carrying out hits that looked like accidents—even upon further investigation. He was mainly called in when the mob wanted to take someone out without raising any suspicion of foul play. From a young age, he trained Val in his methods and eventually started bringing them out on jobs with him, turning them into an accomplished criminal before they hit their teens.

When she was 15 years old, the two of them were ambushed while wrapping up a job in the city. A violent confrontation ensued that resulted in Qrow's death and Val barely escaping with their life. Heading to a nearby club, she knocked on the back door with the explanation that she did not want to alarm their patrons, and very calmly asked to be taken to a hospital before losing consciousness.

The man who opened the door, DJ Cruz-Dutton, stayed by their side as they recovered from their injuries. At the end of the day, she was told that she was lucky to be alive, but now has permanent damages to her synthetic body that occasionally makes her limbs—in particular her hands—glitch out.

Especially with Qrow gone, their former employers were relentless in trying to get Val back, but DJ and his wife Dahlia point blank refused to hand them over. This caused a permanent rift between the Duttons and the Dallas mob.

They were officially adopted by the Duttons, joining the ranks with their three older siblings—Ian, Ike, and Zel—as well as their honorary sister Eva.

She learned how to play the guitar as a way of practicing her fine motor skills. Along with her siblings and Eva, they formed a band called Three By Five (jokingly known as Eva and the Train Robbers) in which Val is the lead singer and rhythm guitarist. They frequently play at the club where they also all work.

MISC

Val's signature look is two high ponytails, a badass jacket, and a baseball bat with the word 'JUSTICE' on it. (Yes, they are very much inspired by Harley Quinn.)

[kharmii]

I just saw a post for the upcoming election you americans have and while they tried to promote to vote for Biden they (at least to me) promoted Trump even more by pointing out all the things wrong with this country right now caused by Biden.

I'm not american but Biden is a walkin senile laughing stock of the world. I doubt there is anyone taking him seriously.

I always was sceptical of Trump, thinking that it was odd for him to go for president. But after observing one presidency of Trump AND one of Biden... I know that the elections are going to be heated with lots of whining and bitching AND most likely some weird stuff going on in the background.

I feel things in the world need to change. 100 years ago the far right has been dangerous... nowadays it's the far left with an even more disgusting danger. You gotta be blind if you don't see it.

I just want this to be done and over with... and have fairly "normal" politics. Not stuff that belongs in an asylum being a daily occurence in modern day politics

Amazingly, Trump used to be a smug New York Democrat. Black people loved him. There are pictures all over of Trump shaking hands with civil rights leaders, and the name 'Trump' is thrown out in a lot of rap songs. He was the host of a popular game show called The Apprentice. That's why I thought he was a joke candidate when he ran in the Republican primaries during the 2012 election against Barrack Obama.

I was extra surprised when he ran again in 2016 and won the primaries. A lot of people were into him, but I voted for Ted Cruz still thinking Trump was a joke candidate. Ted Cruz wouldn't have won though. The guy has no charisma and even sounds annoying to some people. He has a used car salesman look. Anyway, when Trump won the primaries, the fix was in. The media kept putting out their usual fake polls saying that he had no chance against Hillary Clinton, an actual nasty character.

When Trump won, there was more hate in the media than I'd ever seen against a single person in my life. He wasn't supposed to win. We were given orders via constant media propaganda to vote Clinton and 'make history again' with a first woman president. Trump might have once been a Democrat, but he wasn't one of their guys. He wasn't a career politician who could be bought by the lobbyists. He wasn't perfect, but one of the first things I remember him doing was rewriting the income tax code so that working class people got a huge boost for married filing jointly or for the child tax credit.

He also pushed us toward greater energy independence by approving more drilling permits and pipelines. Gas was under or around $2/gallon. Food was cheap. Everybody's 401K was increasing. Interest rates were low for a loan. Everything was so good that all the people opposing him could do was call him racist and stir up the race and gender hustlers. There was a lot of rioting, and they are openly admitting that if Trump wins the 2024 election, a lot of people will die, and there will be lots more looting and rioting.

Trump should have won the 2020 election, but the media and government used the fake Covid scare to steal the election through the mail or through rigged voter machines that would show Trump in the lead until 3AM when suddenly Biden would instantaneously in a minute gain tens of thousands of votes. There was no accountability with the paper votes, and most people figure a lot of fake ones were thrown in. Biden somehow got more votes than Obama during his first term when people were excited about 'hope and change and the first black president'. (We got change alright, but it was all bad, like how his administration wrecked our health care). People were that excited about Biden. Nobody knows anybody who was excited about voting for Biden, but it must have been true.

About the time they should have been pushing for some meaningful audits in the mail in voting system and protesting Biden's suspicious 'win', the Powers that Be manufactured the January 6th 'insurrection' where Republican protestors who were heavily seeded with FBI agents posing as protestors were deliberately let into the capitol to mill about and basically do nothing. A woman named Ashli Babbitt was shot in the chest for no reason, but the cop was able to get away with it for being a black person shooting a white person. Since it was obviously shenanigans, it took years for the surveillance footage of the capital 'riot' to be released to the public so people could see it was nothing like they described.

That's where we are in the US. I'm not sure it will do any good to vote, but I'll get out and do my civic duty on the second Tuesday of November. Again, they'll say that 'voting for Trump is going to hurt gay people and Muslims and (insert victim class group)', but realistically, cheap cost of living is good for everybody.

[hannahhook7744]

New Characters from Nightmares and Sueños (Will Contain Spoilers);

Peña boy (One of Julieta's failed suitors).

Juana Mazorra (One of the oldest residents of the Encanto and a friend/acquaintance of Alma Madrigal).

Olga Deja (Alma helped her move once. Seem to be friendly with one another).

Karina Mendez (Alma helped her get a job by vouching for her to a shopkeeper).

Erik Alfaro (Javi's brother).

Javi Alfaro (Asked Bruno for a vision regarding his fish: Bruno lied and said his fish would be fine. It died the same day).

Antonia (Bruno's classmate. He lied and said she'd pass a test, and she flunked out of school).

Chef Solorzano (Asked Bruno if he'd have enough ingredients for the annual town feast).

Jaime the carpenter (Asked Bruno if he'd get a decent apprentice ship this season).

Maria Alcanara (Asked Bruno how many puppies her dog would have).

Benito (Bruno told someone he did love them).

José (Ends up married to Irina Cujo, likely via an arranged marriage that she doesn't want).

Irina Cujo (Asked Bruno whether she'd be forced to marry José).

Irina and José's three kids.

Mendoza Family (They have a farm and asked Bruno for a vision about the crops).

Doña Morales (Asked Bruno for a vision about a mysterious person she kept seeing around the edges of the Encanto).

Julio Anta (Bruno saw him die in a vision from an illness when his wife asked about him).

Señora Anta (The Seamstress).

Señor Cruz (The Butcher).

Carlos (The star of everything at school. Including the school play and sports).

Señora Morales (Bruno's teacher. Could be the same person as Doña Morales but I'm not sure).

Ramón (Bruno's bully of a classmate).

Maximo (The 'good kid' with a cruel sense of humor who spoke to Bruno in class).

Hernán Otero (Julieta's Suitor who got butthurt because Bruno had a vision and assumed it was because Julieta didn't like him. Blamed Bruno for cursing him).

Doctor Lobo (Doctor who told Señora Anta there was nothing more he could do to help).

The Anta Children (they were mentioned during Bruno's vision to Señora Anta).

Alfredo Mijares (the town carpenter who separated from his wife. Bruno told her this and she might have blamed him for it).

Claudia Mijares (The Madrigal Triplets' childhood doctor).

The 3 Mijares.

The Enriquez children.

Daniel Enriquez (Roberto's adoptive father).

Señora Enriquez (Roberto's adoptive mother).

Heidi (Bruno's kind, confident, and smart glasses wearing classmate).

Annalise (Bruno's friendly but awkward classmate).

Roberto (Bruno's fake friend who pretended to like Julieta and used him in an attempt to destroy the encanto. A raider's son. Got off pretty easy in the end despite killing Francisco, holding Julieta at knife point, manipulating Bruno, and knocking Agustín out after he tried to save Julieta).

Francisco Padilla (A man who people considered a conman. Alma didn't trust him. He became the town boogeyman but he was nice to Bruno and tried to help guide him. Might have some limited ability to see the future. Bruno still wears his green cloak. Roberto killed him when the man fought him trying to save Julieta who Roberto was holding at knife point. He was older than Alma by tenish years via Bruno's estimate).

Eduardo Escala (Possible friend of Julieta's. He told her of his woes and she invited him over to have some food).

Mari Aspuru (Possible friend of Julieta's. She invited her over to have some food).

Señor Pinnelas (Bruno tried to warn him his hand would be crushed by his tool box but did so awkwardly and the man accused him of cursing him despite being previously nice).

Ivette (Bruno was apparently right about her cooking).

[demisexualnathanvuornos]

Canon (Aro)Aces 163/?: Esperanza ‘Spooner’ Cruz (Lisseth Chavez) in DC’s Legends of Tomorrow 6x5 The Satanist's Apprentice (2021) 13/ 14

[forest-enchantress]

Page 18

✦Alex Fitzalan

Chevalier 2022 — part 1, part 2, part 3

✦Emma Connell

Henry and Anne: The Lovers Who Changed History — (690 x 388px), (300 x 160px)

✦Essie Davis

Girl With A Pearl Earring 2003 — (690 x 388px), (300 x 160px)

✦Fahriye Evcen

The Great Seljuks (episode 1-13) — part 1, part 2, part 3, part 4, part 5, part 6, part 7, part 8, part 9, part 10, part 11, part 12, part 13, part 14, part 15, part 16, part 17

✦Justine Waddell

Great Expectations 1999 — under development Tess of the D'Urbervilles 1998 — under development The Woman in White 1997 — under development Wives and Daughters 1999 — under development

✦Natalia Sánchez

Heirs to the Land 2022 — (690 x 388px), (300 x 160px) Sueños de libertad — under development

✦Monica Bellucci

Bram Stoker's Dracula 1992 — under development Le pacte des loups 2001 — under development The Sorcerer's Apprentice — part 1, part 2 The Brothers Grimm 2005 — under development

✦Penelope Cruz

Don Juan 1998 — under development Fanfan la Tulipe 2003 — under development Volavérunt 1999 — under development La Celestina 1996 — under development The Girl of Your Dreams 1998 — under development The Queen of Spain 2016 — under development Captain Corelli's Mandolin 2001 — under development

✦Piper Perabo

George and the Dragon 2004 The Prestige 2006

[thepublishingpress]

THE ORACULAR GODDESS

THE ORACULAR GODDESS

   A short story by Basil Dela Cruz

I swallowed as I stared out the window, the sweet smell of blossoming hyacinths overpowering everything else.

Breathe.

Breathe.

Breathe.

Today was the day I was to become the Oracle, Priestess of Apollo.

“Dearest?”

I turned. “Mother!” I said, forcing a smile.

She returned it. “Oh, my lovely Agathe! Aren’t you so excited? You’re about to become the Oracle! Just like your Ya-ya and me!”

“O-of course! Of course,” I said, my voice tight.

She frowned. “Agathe, why are you acting this way?“ She gasped. “Have the gods not spoken to you?”

“No, Mother! I mean, they have spoken to me!” I replied quickly, though, in reality, it wasn’t true. “I’m just feeling a bit nervous. I am to be shown to hundreds, if not thousands, of people.”

Mother patted my shoulder. “It’s okay, my dear. Now, we must go to the Temple of Apollo. We don’t have all day, you know.”

I nodded, even smiled. “Yes, Mother.”

  As we walked down the roads, so bright in comparison to my mood, the words ran in circles in my head.

Liar.

Liar.

Liar.

The gods have not spoken to you.

Liar.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➻❥➼˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➻❥➼˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➻❥➼

We reached the Temple of Apollo. As we went through, I rubbed the inscriptions that had always fascinated me:

ΓΝΩΘΙ ΣΑΥΤΟΝ, ΜΗΔΕΝ ΑΓΑΝ , ΕΓΓΥΑ, ΠΑΡΑ ΔΑΤΗ 

It used to comfort me, back then.

We met with stern-faced officials and the kind-eyed Pythia I was the apprentice of. We went to the Castalian Spring where people from all around Greece and even non-Greeks waited to prepare for a potential day of prophecy. The current Oracle held out the bowl to me and smiled. All eyes turned to me. I took the bowl with shaking hands and stepped forward. I carefully performed the ritual. I knew this was a tense business. If the goat shivered, then Apollo was willing to be consulted by the travelers that had come from so far away. If the goat did not, the people from afar would have to wait an entire month to consult the Oracle again. Concentrate, Agathe, I thought to myself. I poured the water on the goat.

Everyone waited.

I sent a prayer to the gods, hoping they would answer, though I expected they wouldn’t.

The goat shivered.

The crowd cheered.

Thank the gods.

After all that happened, I became the new Pythia, despite the fact I have not heard a word from the gods.

But that would be my secret, A small voice whispered within me, as the crowds cheered and my parents beamed at me, they faces filled with pride.

Then, on Δευτέρα I learned the true weight of my lies.

A hero came to the Temple of Apollo while I was seated in the adyton on a bronze tripod. He ran in and kneeled in front of me.

“Oh, Oracle of Delphi! Priestess of Apollo!” He cried. “I wish to avenge my father, who met his demise at the hands of my cruel uncle. That accursed man now sits on the throne that should be mine! He has sent me on a quest for the Golden Fleece. Will I succeed? If I do, what will happen after?”

The young man was obviously a hero in the making. If I lied and the outcome was wrong… No. Just give him a prophecy. 

“What is thine name, O young man?” I said in the most official and formal voice I could muster. 

He looked at me, awe-srtuck, so I assumed I had a good official voice. “Iason, my lady.”

“Well, then, Iason. You will indeed succeed on your quest. I have seen that you will go back to your uncle and he will acknowledge his end of the bargain, though he does so grudgingly. You will have a beautiful wife and children. You will prosper, and live a long life.”

The man smiled. Thank you. Thank you.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➻❥➼˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➻❥➼˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➻❥➼

The next month, I wandered through the market during a lazy afternoon, ready to make the proper sacrifices for the gods when I heard snatches and snippets of conversation from whispering women and gossiping girls. 

“Oh, do come closer! I have the most interesting of news..” One of the girls drawled.

The women around her leaned in breathlessly to hear.

His old wife brought their children’s demise on an altar.

His new bride and father-in-law burned.

Crushed by the boards of his own ship.

Oh, who was he?

Iason.

She said more, I’m sure, for the women were still leaning towards her like sunflowers do to the sun, but I had stopped listening by then. I ran towards the temple, trying my absolute best not to let the guilty tears flow.

The horror.

The man was dead.

More heroes came. I was unable to do anything else but lie about the outcomes. Tell them what they wanted to hear.

All of their lives ended in tragedy.

When will I be freed of this?

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➻❥➼˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➻❥➼˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➻❥➼

I was older, much older, than the 13-year-old girl who had become the Pythia. I was sitting there on my bronze stool when a young woman came. She was wearing a cloak of fine wool. I raised my eyebrows at this. Perhaps she didn’t want to be recognized or seen, but why? She stepped forward and kneeled, which I could tell slightly annoyed her. A princess, then. 

“Oh, Oracle of Delphi,” She said, her voice low and lovely, “My father’s kingdom is at risk, and I wish to seek guidance so I may assist him.”

I sucked in a breath. I opened my mouth to speak but no words spilled free. I was thinking of the kingdom, a kingdom full of people. I brought curses to any of those who came advice… A curse from the gods for lying, I realized. I could not bear it any longer. I wept and threw myself at her feet.

 "Oh dear princess!" I cried. "I am a fake Oracle, and not one to be trusted. Please, find another Oracle! They shall give you better advice than me."

 She smiled at me, and a gray aura surrounded her, revealing her true self.

 A young woman with chocolate brown curls, cool calculating eyes as big as an owl's, bedecked with armor with her famous bronze shield. 

I would have to be a fool to not know her.

Athena.

 Before I could collect my thoughts and speak, she said, "You have passed the test, Agathe. Though you have lived a life of deceit, we have given you one last chance to redeem yourself. And redeem yourself you have."

"But why have you given me this chance my lady?" I questioned her, having regained my wits.

 "Because you are to be my successor as the goddess of wisdom."

I gaped at her and she smiled.

 "Come," She commanded. "You have much to learn as a goddess."

[fcrtheglcry]

if you didn't notice, i have three new muses! you can find their blurbs under the cut. i'd love to start developing them, so please LIKE THIS POST for a short starter!

kirin damaris -- she/her, 22-27, bisexual, ellie bamber fc.

the prophecy has been fulfilled, and now she must live with it. when kirin was seventeen, she was declared the one chosen by prophecy to save the world. one death-defying quest and several near-death experiences later, the world has been saved and everything has gone back to normal. now back at home, kirin has to just do laundry and her taxes like she didn’t come out a completely different person.

aryn lionett -- she/they, 21-25, lesbian, ruby cruz fc.

headstrong and irresponsible can be a lethal combination. aryn spends her days on the streets of the city that failed her, picking more fights than she can win and doing odd jobs for a hot meal. she’s a terror with her lockpicks and even better at pick-pocketing the unsuspecting tourist. she’ll show you a good time, but you’d better hold tight to your coinpurse.

melora clarke -- she/her, 21-25, lesbian, erin kellyman fc.

one of the greatest minds of her age. melora studied her entire childhood to be accepted as apprentice to her kingdom’s high archmage with the goal of graduating as a full wizard, and now that she has started her training, nothing will get in her way. magic doesn’t come naturally to her, but she has kicked and fought her whole life to build it where none grew on its own.