#extravaganza error

[multikore]

[malicious laughing as I return to my posts]

I FINISHED EXTRAVAGANZA ERROR AND NIGHTMARE FINALLY >:D

well they’ve been done for a while but I’m finally remembering to post I uh- *cough cough* we don’t talk about that *cough*

(Note: uhhh they were supposed to be walking on those catwalks above stages but I left a layer out in the back that was supposed to be the supports for the lights behind them but then I forgot to turn the layer back on and I’m not bothered to go back and fix that TODAY at least- I might someday ;v;)

(….frick I forgot Error’s glitches too AAAAAAAA)

Sooooo here’s Error and Nightmare! haha- ignore the mistakes please I beg

Little tid bits under the cut!

I like to think that Nightmare’s ‘canon’ clothes are his just incredible lazy casual ones- because tbh no offense to the design it’s nice but- c’mon KING of negativity? Wearing s l i p p e r s ? TO A FIGHT???

Nightmare gotta be as regal as he acts, he deserves fancy clothes! Clothes of which I am still having to design soon -w-

Now- IF they were to hold like sort of shows, I wanna give them all identification cards on lanyards, hence the said lanyards in the photo :D

Oh and I’m gonna throw this out there as a CONCEPT, AN IDEA, A W.I.P.- butttt instead of the Star Sanses and Bad Sanses being like enemies and fighting, I feel like they’d be (hopefully) friendly competition in this one! :D

So like who gets the most viewers or fans for their festivals or shows and who gets more like- idk gifts? Roses thrown to the parade or show?

Basically who’s more popular I guess

Also I’m having Plum as one of the most famous among them and NO ONE CAN STOP ME >:D

[lluviadeabrill]

rhaenyra revealing helaena doesn’t ride dreamfyre/dislikes dragon riding… this is the worst day of my life

[unproduciblesmackdown]

found this article ft. coverage of a 7pm show of the 14th annual joe iconis christmas extravaganza, with pics & Gists Of It All

Posted on December 17, 2024 by Alix Cohen

(Rudolph, Mrs. Santa and The Jingle Sluts) 54 Below is festively decorated. Red and green lighting bathes the venue. Four carolers in bonnets move from table to table. Two elves, in fact, Mistletoe Munchkins (Sarah Al-Bazali and Bailey Forman) gambol through the club disseminating candy. Halo somewhat askew, Christmas Angel (Annie Golden), opens and closes the show.

(Joe Iconis; The Christmas Angel) To say the Extravaganza is an immersive production minimizes the effect of 60 talented, gleefully crazed performers comprising Joe Iconis’s theater “family” (those who’ve appeared in his concerts and musicals). The merry band commandeers every corner of the premises with camaraderie; song, dance, sketches and choreographed mayhem, sometimes interacting with enthusiastic audience. Our heads swivel like Linda Blair in The Exorcist.

(Fancy Tree, Katrina Rose Dideriksen , Mistletoe Munchkins, Mr. Macabee) Iconis explains he had a tough year – compelled to take a lot of less than viable gigs including one upstate just before this show. The company was returning by a bus that crashed in a snowstorm, survivors unknown. “I really needed to get together with my family,” he says sorrowfully. “Don’t let the smile fool you/I’m quite depressed…” Iconis sings, gesturing to unoccupied microphones. Three homeless urchins (Lauren Marcus, Morgan Siobhan Green and Jason SweetTooth Williams) straggle in and are allowed to stay because, hey! it’s Christmas.  

(The Urchins) As if things weren’t bad enough, landlord Cyril Von Miserthorpe (Will Roland) – think Snidely Whiplash – is calling in loans on 54 Below worth over a million dollars in order to build a block of apartments. Cyril is particularly bitter missing Rufus (Philip Romano) “who used to lick my face, but died at Christmas having run into the street after a rolling ornament.” His husband (not dog) later appears very much alive sinuously wearing a silk dressing gown. Flamboyant and pink “Fancy Tree” (Leonard Sullivan) mishears “fantasy” and, taking it as an invitation, also shows up. Tree has her own sad tale having been turned down by every window on Fifth Avenue.

(Flashback Joe and Flashback Mom) Still the show must go on! “Joe’s Flashback” is a trio of songs dramatizing his early life. Fleeing a histrionic, discouraging mother (Jackie Sanders) the hero (Flashback Joe – Owen Smith) travels to daddy’s family in Jackalope Holler, West Virginia “where they appreciate art.” A squirrel, a reindeer, and a raccoon (while dancers tap in the aisles) are interrupted by mom’s arrival and a horrible accident wiping them all out. Guilt-ridden, Iconis keeps his family’s ashes in a hollow plastic candy cane.

(Animals of Jackalope Holler) There’s considerable original material (Iconis can write to any theatrical moment) as well as Italian, Hawaiian, Jewish, and Spanish salutes to the season and a roster of standbys like “Here Comes Santa Claus,” “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree,” “Sleigh Bells,” and “Oh, Tannenbaum.” Katrina Rose Dideriksen sings the hell out of “Please Come Home for Christmas.” Bartender Mr. Macabee (Jeremy Morse) can’t resist the chance to sing.

(Cyril and Krampus) Krampus (Lilly Tobin) – great costume, a horned anthropomorphic figure who, in the Central and Eastern tradition, accompanies Saint Nicholas, oozes “Baby It’s Cold Outside” – to Cyril. A drunk, raunchy Mrs. Santa Claus (Lorinda Lisitza) fronts a chorus of Jingle Sluts, stumbles, and gyrating, climbs on a table.

(Santa and Sweet Baby Jesus) Santa (Jason SweetTooth Williams), depressed by competition from “Sweet Baby Jesus” takes a seat at a banquette while Iconis and company try to cheer him up. Jesus himself (Bill Coyne) arrives lasciviously and literally stretched across the bar area wearing a loin cloth and shades. (There’s a miracle in the offing.) Mary Magdalene (Liz Lark Brown) – with a Yiddish accent – strips down to mini dress sequins to perform “Santa Baby” with her scantily clad backup boys. There’s even dancing candy!

(Mary and the Boys) Needless to say, missing cast arrives, Cyril finds the spirit of Christmas, family is reunited, and everyone’s holiday dreams come true. The show is a love fest, also irreverent, salacious, silly, clever; a 2 1/2 hour musical, not a concert. Iconis sits behind the piano benevolently watching his creation like The Wizard of Oz. John Simpkins’ Hellzapoppin production is masterfully directed madness.

Ex·trav·a·gan·za: an elaborate and spectacular entertainment or production – which this was in spades. Put me down for next year!

(there's another version of this on cabaretscenes.org posted the next day & with fewer, lower res pics & not necessarily more accurate or illuminating yet fun occasional differences in word choice / phrasing, for interest)

[salemlunaa]

｡o○ it’s just meditation ○o｡

you’re not getting what you want because you don’t understand that

no, it’s not magic. no, it hasn’t been unheard of before the days of social media. no, it’s not role play. no, millions of people, some of which don’t even have social media, aren’t coming together to lie. no you’re not a loser because you haven’t shifted yet, you have time. no, you’re not going anywhere. no, your soul isn’t lifting to the higher place of power. no, it’s not a dark place where a genie is in the corner doing your bidding.

it’s just meditation

its a meditative state that you induce: a state of consciousness you reach through meditation. you are just setting intention’s without the barrier of the 3d, that’s it, you aren’t conjuring any thing up with magic, you are setting intention. And when you leave this state of pure consciousness those intentions will come into fruition, and stay that way.

Let’s say your life is a game, and in this game you have a certain body and you want a new one, you want your avatar to change. You’re not conjuring up a new body out of nowhere, you go to the game’s coding space and you moderate things, you set an intention for it to come out in the game. You aren’t leaving the game, you aren’t going to a whole new computer, you aren’t making a new body out of thin air, you’re just setting intention, in this state of total control.

And the only, quite literally the only reason that some of you can’t wrap your heads around how easy it is to induce this is because of society, that’s the only reason, for so long you get told that you must work for all you have and that life isn’t fair and that if something is illogical (by society’s measure) it isn’t real, and i say by society’s measures because inducing a state of consciousness with meditation can be backed up by logic so quickly but people hear the word “manifestation” and decide to write it all off as a joke or unreal.

But let me tell you that resistance, created by what you’ve been taught is the only reason you’re finding it hard, not because the void works for everyone else but you. Not because you keep falling asleep, not because you “just can’t”, it’s because of resistance.

you could have everything you’ve ever dreamt of right now because a meditative state of pure consciousness is all it is, and it’s so easy to induce.

If you go into it with this mindset that you need to put in effort, you will sit there for 20 minutes with your “instant method” wondering why you’re “trying so hard” (immediately no) and nothing is happening. If you go into it with a mindset that when you shift consciousness you get all these symptoms and it’s this whole extravaganza where your soul lifts out of your body, you’re going to be sitting after the 30th minute repeating the same tired affirmations wondering why you just can’t do it.

you don’t need effort, breathe, affirm “I AM” or daydream, or just focus on the darkness of your eyelids and you’re good to go. you’re doing everything right, don’t double check, why would you need to? you’re a god and you’re doing everything right in your reality.

your mind is genuinely an amazing place that makes all these things possible, it’s sounds too good to be true for you and that’s where you go wrong. you don’t have to spend weeks reprogramming your views on pure consciousness, just trust that you are that powerful and you can do those things. because you can, whether you like it or not your mind just is that powerful. No one’s mind is more powerful than someone else’s just because they managed to induce pure consciousness earlier. Your mind is just insanely powerful, that isn’t up for speculation or debunking, it’s just fact.

remember there’s no trial and error for a god, you just do and you just be. you succeed at everything,

go in there with that confidence.

🩰🍵 it’s nothing special, when you get that, you’re good to go.

[hyperfixiation-station]

Choice, Choices, Choices Pt. 2

TW: Swearing, canon typical violence

Pairing: Reader x Graves Summary: Well your week off wasn't very productive, hopefully a really stressful, fate-of-the-world-is-in-your-hands mission will help clear your brain. As usual, I didn't beta read, so lmk if there are an errors :) Also sorry for the reupload, I accidentally deleted it whilst trying to edit something lmaooo.

When Price said a lot, he meant a lot. 

In the time you had been gone, a new terrorist threat had popped up, a man named Hassan who somehow had gotten ahold of American missiles. You didn’t even have time to unpack before Price was shipping you off to Mexico to help Soap and Ghost infiltrate a cartel to find the location of said missing missiles. It seems the talk with Graves will have to wait.

You get no rest on the flight to Mexico. Instead you spend the entire time focusing on your and Grave’s relationship. Maybe it’s the threat of imminent annihilation, or maybe it’s the fact that you are going to be seeing him soon, but whatever it is, you were thinking more clearly than you have all week. 

Graves was a man of authority, and you had recognized it from the moment you had met him. He took what he wanted, when he wanted, and made sure everyone knew he was the top dog. In your relationship he always had the last say, always chose the restaurant, always chose the movie. And for the most part, you didn’t mind, enjoying the feeling of not having to be in control for once when all you did all day long was make choices that could mean life or death. 

He had this belief that he could do no wrong, and was smug and uptight and sometimes even cruel about it. 

And yet there was something…alluring about him. Some magnetic charm that drew you in every time you wanted to take a step back. He didn’t even have to try, hell, he had stopped putting effort into the relationship years ago, and yet you still found him almost irresistible. 

You weren’t stupid, you knew what there were issues in the way your relationship worked, but you loved him, and he…loved you too. It wasn’t until Ghost stepped fully into the picture that you realized that may-

“Y/N!” You flinch, your eyes coming up to meet your pilots as his voice snaps you out of your musings.  

“You okay in there? I’ve been yelling at you for at least a minute.” He says over the headset, “Anyways we’re about to land, so get ready.” You nod, shouldering your pack and making sure your vest is strapped correctly. 

5 minutes later, the helo begins its choppy descent. The second it touches down you are ushered off, ducking under the blades in an odd crab run as you make your way to where Soap, Ghost, and 2 strangers stand to the side. The pilot takes off before you've even cleared the LZ. 

“Good ta’ see yer no’ dead lassie.” Soap grin, clasping your shoulder, “Ah trust Price has briefed ye?” 

“Aye.” You nod, “Though he didn’t mention these two. Who are they?”

“These are th’ Los Vaqueros.” Soap says giddy, “Means th’ cowboys” 

“My name is Alejandro.” The taller one on the left tells you.

“Mine’s Rodolfo, tho y’ can call me Rudy.” The one on the right says moments later.

“Nice to meet you.” You incline your head, avoiding Ghost’s searching gaze, “I take it you’re the ones leading us through this, uh…whatever we’re about to do?” 

“Aye.” Alejandro turns and begins walking, everyone else falling in line behind him, “Soap here is infiltrating Las Almas, we are looking for El Sin Nombre. We believe he knows the location of the missiles Hassan has stolen.” 

You climb into the back of a truck, consciously avoiding sitting next to Ghost. The drive is tense, the silence only occasionally broken by questions from Alejandro and Soap. The truck comes to a stop, and you all pile out, getting Soap outfitted for his ‘Day in the life of a cartel member’ extravaganza. 

“Y/n!” You spin around, seeing Graves walking towards you, “How was your week off?” 

“It was good. Did a lot of…thinking.” 

“Wonderful.” He says, his eyes already looking past you. He presses a quick kiss to your cheek and moves past, going to speak with his Shadows. You sigh internally, moving over to Soap and Ghost. 

“How wis yer week off?” Soap asks as a Shadow helps fit his comms. He’s grinning, his blue eyes almost glowing in the dark, but you can see the faint lines of fear in his expression.

“It was since. Did a lot of thinking, I guess.” Ghost shifts, a subtle movement you notice out of the corner of your eye. Your face flushes, and you’re grateful it’s dark out so he can’t see. 

“Let's roll!” Alejandro calls. Soap nods, and you follow him and Ghost back to the truck. This drive is tense for a whole other reason, everyone thinking about all the ways this could go wrong. 

You get to the compound, and take your spot on a ridge with Ghost. No words are exchanged, but you know him well enough by now to tell he is worried about you. If Soap’s life, and the lives of millions of Americans, weren’t at risk, you would be grateful for this mission delaying the inevitable conversation you have to have. 

You both get into position, sniper rifles trained on the building. You wince as Soap is manhandled, a deep pit of fear in your stomach once he disappears from your view.

 Now all that's left is to sit and wait. 

He emerges victorious, much to yours and Ghost’s relief. He brings with him El Sin Nombre, who apparently is actually a woman, and an old friend of Alejandros. You could see yourself liking her, if she hadn’t sold missiles to terrorists.

She is feisty, smart, and cunning. She keeps her mouth shut, refusing to volunteer the location of the 2nd missile, instead goading Alejandro into a frenzy. You watch, eyes narrowed in distaste, as Graves tries to make a deal with her. Not for the first time, you judge his ability to make decisions. 

But she does give you all the missile location. In what feels like a matter of moments, you find yourself on a boat, heading through stormy waves towards an oil rig off the Gulf of Mexico. Grave’s Shadows launch an attack, only for Ghost to find that the missile not only has entered pre-launch phase, but wasn’t even on the oil rig to begin with. Instead, you find it on the deck of a ship, primed and ready to fire. You, Graves, Soap, and Ghost file onto the cargo ship, where you find that there is no way to disarm the missile. 

Your heart sinks, until Shepard has the great idea to turn the missile on the oil rig. Alejadro and the Shadow Company clear out, and Soap hacks in and resets the missile's trajectory. The burning ball of flame is a beautiful sight to see, in your opinion. 

“Gold Eagle Actual, Shadow-1. Good hit. Good hit. Missile and rig destroyed.” Graves crows,  a grin lighting up his face. He grasps Soaps shoulder, and you watch him mouth a quiet Good work, his voice too quiet to hear over the noise of the shadows and everyone celebrating.

Without thinking, you press a kiss to Ghost’s masked cheek, the euphoria of victory clouding your senses. Soap steps in to give Ghost a moment to recover, and gives you a side hug, slapping you on the back a little too hard for your liking. You don’t notice Graves eyes on you, narrowing with your every action. 

The ride back is still tense, the tension between you and Ghost so thick you can almost taste it. Luckily Soap either can’t sense it, or just is just ignoring it, the Scotsman happily chattering away as the sinking feeling in your heart grows and grows. 

The crisis is over, and once you get back you won’t be able to put off your conversation with Graves any longer. 

It’s still raining when you get back to the Los Vaquero’s base. The truck comes to a stop outside the gates, and you slide out of the truck after Ghost, confused and a bit wary. 

“What’s this?” You hear Alejadro’s voice from the other side of the truck. 

“This is the immediate future.” You stop short, Grave’s voice making your blood run cold, “Step away from the gate.” No. There is no way. 

“You’re outta line Graves.” You blink, hard, realizing you had zoned out for a moment. You force your feet to move again, rounding the truck, stiffening as a barrel is pressed into your spine.

“Hey!” Grave’s voice echoes in your ears, “Let her go. She’s with us.” You inhale sharply, looking up at him in shock. Soap looks at you in betrayal, taking half a step towards you before the Shadows are on him as well. 

“Don't do that. Don't... do that. No one needs to get hurt here.” Graves says, eyes narrowed. 

“Are you threatening us?” You can hear the betrayal in his voice as well, though he does his best to hide it. You want to look at him, try and communicate that you have no part in this, but your mind is still reeling, and you’re unable to draw your wide eyes away from Grave’s face. 

“Soldier, I don't make threats. I make guarantees. So, let's not do this.” The animosity in Graves' voice surprises you. 

“I’m calling Shepard.” Soap turns, hand reaching for his radio. 

“General Shepard sends his regards.” Graves' grin is predatory, and you have no doubt he’s enjoying this, “He told me you wouldn’t take this well.” 

“He knows about this?” Ghost’s eyes are dark, his body tense and ready to spring. 

“He's put me in command of this operation from here on out. So, y'all need to stand down. It's time to let the pros finish this.” You watch Graves still, eyes trained on his face, your brain numb with shock. Shock and…disgust. 

“And why the hell are we talking like this is some kind of a negotiation?” Graves continues, “It's not. I've got my orders and now you have yours.” 

“And who the fuck do you think you are, cabron? My men are inside!” 

“I'm afraid not.” Graves pauses, meeting your eyes with a disgusting grin, “Your men have been... detained.”

“Cabron!” For the first time, you manage to tear your eyes away from Graves, your gaze falling on Alejandro as he launches himself towards your boyfriend only to be beaten down and restrained by his Shadows. 

“Graves, what th’ fuck?” Your eyes dart to Soap as he lunges at the Shadow next to him, holding him hostage. You let out a small cry as Graves and his men open fire. You duck behind the truck, watching as Ghost elbows the Shadow behind him before stabbing another one in the neck, quickly ripping the blade back out and hurling it at another Shadow before disappearing into the dark. 

“Get your fucking hands off me!” Your hands fly up to cover your mouth as you watch Graves slam the butt of his gun into Alejandro’s head, dropping him. You stare at Graves in shock, unable to move as your mind tries to process what's happening. 

Soap yells in pain, snapping you from your reverie as you spin to look at him. He’s on the ground, the Shadow he had taken laying dead on top of him. 

“Go, Johnny! Get out of there!” Ghost yells from somewhere behind you “Soap, Go!” You watch as Soap heaves himself up and throws himself over the barrier, disappearing from your view. You slide down the truck, sinking to the ground as your legs give out, your entire body shaking. 

Graves' actions start to sink in, and gods does his betrayal hurt. It’s like nothing you’ve ever felt before, worse than the time you broke your arm, worse than the time you got shot in the thigh, worse than any wound you had ever received. It’s like a physical pain, your heart feeling as though it’s been ripped from your chest. Tears well in your eyes, your fingers digging into your palms in an effort to stop your tears. 

You don’t know how long you sit in the rain, but it’s enough time for you to be completely soaked head to toe. You are surrounded by blood and bodies, and your mind reels as you survey the scene. Alejandro is gone, you’re not sure when he was taken away. Soaps rifle is still laying in the street, a very damming pool of blood underneath and around it. With the amount of blood he lost, you're surprised he's not dead. Oh gods he better not be dead.

“Y/n?” Graves' voice breaks the fog in your brain, “Darling? Are you alright? I know this was...a bit of a surprise…but I’m sure you understand.” 

“Graves…”

To be continued.

Notes: Sorry for how long this took!!! But it's here now! Hopefully Pt. 3 won't take me another thousand years. Anyways I hope you enjoy, and sorry if this is not the direction you wanted it to go :/ Tags: @redhoodxsupergirl @infpt-zylith @scarletdfox

[au-rius]

Extravaganza au

> This au was made back on February 27 2024 all the way to last month through an idea of a circus theme au inspired by various au creators, and mostly Music!

I listened to Darkwood circus and The greatest show unearthed which gave me the idea to make these designs, This Au focuses on Cross the Mime, A young and cunning skeleton born without a voice done from highschool now looking for a job to partake in for those without a voice, He was lucky to find a job but questions himself why of the odd things happening each day he spends time working there, Will the dark truth linger his senses?

There are 10 cast ( including Porcelaintale Papyrus ) in this au

Cross the Mime,

Killer the Acrobat,

Ink the Trapeze artist,

Error the Contortionist,

Swap/Blue the Snake whisperer,

Horror the beast,

Dust the Magician,

Porcelain the Wandering Clown,

Dream the Apprentice and

Nightmare the Ringmaster

I unfortunately haven't drawn the rest because these were drawn months ago but if I have time I will continue the other 6 cast ( Check the ALTs for their short description )

[tessa-liam]

Marabelle

A Princess for a Prince – Chapter 8

Choices – The Royal Romance, AU

Series Premise – An American teenager from New York City is introduced to the world of a small European country and its society of royalty, nobility, and commoners. How will her life story be transformed? Will this new adventure bring her happiness...or regret?

Marabelle Series Masterlist

Main Pairing – Prince Liam Rys x F!OC Lady Sophia (Sophie) Taylor

Other Pairings – Maxwell Beaumont x M!OC Daniel (from NYC), Drake Walker x F!OC Melanie Smithson

Most characters belong to Pixelberry Studios

Series Rating – M*🔞Warnings: this series will have NSFW material, crude language & innuendo.

Not Beta’d - Please excuse all errors.

Category – Alternate universe/on-going series/angst/fluff

Words: 2436

Chapter Summary – Sophie receives a personal invitation to the New Year’s Eve Celebration Ball at the palace.

A Princess for a Prince, Chapter 8

Music Inspiration:

The Look of Love, Diana Krall

Kiss Me at Midnight, *NSYNC

A/N1: Bethany Beaumont, Maxwell’s mother, is originally from the U.S. and is Barthelemy Beaumont’s second wife. Annabelle Beaumont (deceased) is Bertrand’s mother.

A/N2: ‘Social Season’ in this AU series refers to a traditional period in the spring/summer for royalty and members of the court to take part in Balls, dinner parties and charity events.

A/N3: My submission for Choices Flashfics @choicesflashfics, Week #65, prompt 1 - “Sometimes, being with you feels so much like a dream ... and I don't ever want to wake up.”

A/N5: My submission for Choices December 2023 Holidays Prompts – New Year’s Eve

A/N4: My submission for Choices Holiday Prompts 2023, Quote Prompt – “You look even more beautiful in candlelight.”

A Princess for a Prince

As they finished breakfast, Aunt Bethany glanced at Sophie with a knowing smile. “Sophie, I believe that Prince Liam left a message for you earlier this morning, my dear.”

Beaumont Estate, Duchy of Ramsford

Sophie's heart skipped a beat. “Oh, oh ... thank you, Auntie.” She excused herself from the table, her steps quickening as she made her way to the study where the message awaited her. A sealed envelope with the royal Insignia sat elegantly on the desk. With trembling fingers, Sophie broke the seal and then unfolded the letter.

Liam’s elegant handwriting greeted her:

‘Dearest Sophie,

I hope this morning finds you well and that the memories of last night’s ball linger as fondly in your heart as they do in mine. Your grace and beauty illuminated the ballroom, and I found myself enchanted by every moment we shared.

I would be honored if you would join me at the New Year’s Eve ball at the palace. The evening promises dancing, champagne and a fireworks extravaganza. I can think of no better company than yours to enjoy the splendor and ring in the New Year.

Yours sincerely, Liam’

Sophie’s cheeks flushed with excitement and a hint of optimism. She folded the letter gently, holding it close to her heart. She quickly composed a response, expressing her eagerness to join him for the Ball.

With her heart aflutter, Sophie entrusted the letter to the awaiting palace messenger, requesting it to be delivered directly to Prince Liam’s chambers. Beaming, she made her way upstairs to her room to start planning for the event.

December 31st, Cordonian Royal Palace

The entire palace and grounds were adorned with sparkling, opulent decorations; the air felt energized with excitement. The chandeliers in the ballroom cast a warm glow across the room as the orchestra played holiday melodies. Waitstaff circulated with flutes of champagne, as nobles enjoyed sumptuous gourmet platters of hors d’oeuvres.

Entering the ballroom with her aunt, Maxwell, Bertrand and Savannah, Sophie glanced around the room. She spotted Liam very quickly, resplendent in his royal attire, engaging in conversation with Leo and Madeleine. When his eyes caught hers, he smiled delightedly, and excused himself from the conversation to make his way across the dance floor to Sophie.

Liam’s eyes sparkled as he approached her with an appreciative smile. Sophie, wearing a stunning deep purple gown that shimmered in the candlelight, returned his smile blithely and dipped into a low curtsy. Her gown, embellished with delicate lace with intricate beadwork, accentuated her curves perfectly. With a tender smile, he leaned in, closing the gap between them, softly kissing her cheek.

“Good evening, Sophie,” Liam greeted her with a charming smile, “You look even more beautiful in candlelight.” Lifting her hand for a kiss, he then pulled her close to whisper in her ear, “...and you shouldn’t curtsy, it’s just me.”

“Good evening, Liam. Thank you for inviting me.” Sophie replied, her voice tinged with excitement. The air crackled with anticipation. Sophie responded to his request with a breathy whisper, “I will remember that always.”

Offering his arm, Sophie slipped her hand around his arm and joined him to move onto the dance floor, finding a spot in the center.

Liam placed one hand on the small of Sophie’s back, the other holding her hand. She stepped into his arms, and they began to move to the music.

“You look beautiful tonight, Sophie,” Liam whispered in her ear.

“Thank you. You look quite dashing yourself.” Sophie responded shyly.

As the orchestra transitioned into a waltz, they began to move effortlessly across the dance floor, their chemistry evident in every step. Their conversation flowed seamlessly as they danced and the world around them seemed to fade as they lost themselves in each other’s company, their laughter blending with the music in perfect harmony.

Dancing the Cordonian waltz, Sophie’s gown flared and billowed as Liam twirled her under his arm. As he pulled her back to his chest, she rested her head back, enjoying the feel of his arms around her in an intimate embrace.

As the night progressed and the countdown to midnight drew near, the energy in the room heightened. The air buzzed with excitement, and the guests gathered awaiting the grand moment.

Maxwell and his mother stopped by the open terrace to wait for the fireworks show as Bertrand and Savannah joined in with the celebrations on the dance floor.

Sophie found herself standing beside Liam as the final seconds of the year ticked away. As Leo and Madeleine stood with the herald to announce the countdown. The ballroom erupted into cheers and applause as the clock struck midnight, marking the start of 2024.

Amidst the celebrations, Liam turned to Sophie, his eyes filled with warmth and determination. In that fleeting moment between the past and the future, amidst the cheers and revelry, he took her hand and whispered, “May I steal a moment with you, away from the crowd?”

Sophie’s heart fluttered as she nodded, following him as they made their way to a secluded third floor balcony overlooking the palace gardens. The night sky was filled with fireworks, with vibrant colors against the dark backdrop of the night sky.

As the echoes of fireworks lingered in the air, their eyes locked in a shared understanding; a silent acknowledgement of the unspoken emotions that had bloomed between them over the past year. Liam gently cupped Sophie’s face in his hands, his touch tender and filled with a depth of emotion as the world around them disappeared. It was just the two of them.

“Sophie,” he whispered, his voice a soft caress in the quiet night. “This past year has been a revelation, and I find myself drawn to you in ways I never thought possible. Your laughter, your kindness, and your grace have captured my heart.”

The air was charged with an unspoken electricity as Sophie gazed into Liam’s eyes, feeling her heart flittering with a mixture of excitement and a tender vulnerability. She could sense the depth of his sincerity, his words stirring something profound within her. “Liam, I feel the same about you.”

In that fleeting moment, as the world seemed to stand still, their lips met in a gentle and tender kiss. It was a kiss filled with the promise of a new beginning; an unspoken vow to explore the budding romance that had blossomed between them.

As they parted, their breaths mingling in the cool night air, Sophie’s cheeks flushed with a rosy hue, and Liam’s gaze held a warmth that mirrored the newfound connection between them. Taking her hands in his, Liam pulled her closer to him as he lowered his head to re-capture her lips. Moving one hand to her waist as the other cupped her cheek as he deepened the kiss.

The kiss spoke volumes, conveying feelings that words could not quite capture. Their shared hopes, fears, and the uncharted territories of their hearts that they were daring to explore together.

As Liam and Sophie looked up into the night sky, and more fireworks shot up to celebrate the new year, their eyes met once again.

Liam’s smile was tender. "We finally have a chance to spend some time alone," he said, squeezing her hand, pulling her even closer. As their lips met once again, Sophie felt more butterflies in her stomach. She was nervous but excited. She knew Liam was experienced, and she wanted to make sure she did everything right. She trusted him and was ready to take their relationship to the next level.

Liam kissed her passionately, his tongue exploring her mouth. She melted into his embrace, her body responding to his touch. He pulled back, his blue eyes meeting hers.

"You're so beautiful," he said, running his fingers through her long mahogany tresses.

She smiled shyly, his words making her blush.

He cupped her face with his hands, kissing her softly, his lips lingering on hers. He traced his tongue along her neck, nibbling her earlobe. She moaned softly, his touch sending shivers down her spine.

She could feel his growing desire pressing against her, his hardness against her softness.

“Liam!” Sophie’s voice was full of laughter and warning as she pushed away, her heart pounding. “We’re not alone, you know.”

“I can’t see anyone else around here.” Liam chuckled.

“That does not mean there isn’t anyone watching. We don’t want to give your guards any concerns, do we?”

“Liam sighed. “You are right, of course. But ... ”

Sophie looked up at him, raising an eyebrow, “But what?”

“Let me make this more private.” Taking her hand, he tugged her hand to walk down the long corridor, Liam turned to lead Sophie into an empty parlor. After locking the doors and closing the heavy drapes, Liam led Sophie to sit on a large sofa.

“Now,” Liam whispered, “where were we?”

“I think you were telling me about your gua...”, Liam moved in quickly to secure her lips in another passionate kiss. His passion was clear as he sat down beside Sophie. The two of them got lost in the moment as Liam pulled her onto his lap.

“Liam, I ...” Sophie began. She wanted to explain that she was unexperienced but wanted to learn more with him.

“Sshh ... No more talking,” he whispered as he closed the distance between them.

Sophie nodded, wrapping her arms around his neck, savoring the feel of his strong arms around her.

Liam gently removed the pins that secured her hair. Her curls cascaded over his hands like silk, and he buried his face in her perfumed tresses. He kissed her earlobe, then her throat. His lips moved lower, to her collarbone, while his hand gently caressed her neck and shoulder.

Sophie was breathing faster now. She tilted her head back, encouraging him to continue his exploration of her skin. Her eyelids fluttered closed, and a tiny moan escaped her.

"Sophie, there's something I've been meaning to tell you," Liam paused, his heart beating rapidly.

"What is it?" Sophie asked, her voice slightly questioning.

"I am falling in love with you," Liam whispered, his voice full of emotion.

Sophie gasped, her eyes filling with tears. "Oh Liam, I love you," she replied, her voice shaky.

"You do?" Liam asked, his face lighting up.

"Yes," Sophie replied, her smile mirroring his.

“Sometimes, being with you feels so much like a dream ... and I don’t ever want to wake up.”

Liam cupped her face with his hands and kissed her passionately. "You have made me the happiest man in the world tonight," he said, his eyes shining with love.

Sophie beamed up at him, her heart full of happiness. She had never expected to fall in love with a prince, and now, she could not imagine her life without him.

Liam pulled her into his arms, “I don’t want this night to end,” his lips brushing her ear.

“Me neither,” Sophie admitted, her heart pounding.

“Maybe it doesn't have to,” Liam said, his voice low and husky.

“What do you mean?” Sophie asked, her eyes widening.

“Well, there’s no reason we can’t stay here a little longer. The party will go on for hours, No one will miss us.”

“But, Liam, we can’t just disappear together,” Sophie protested, even though her body was already responding to the suggestion.

"Why not? No one would know where we are," Liam pointed out, his hand stroking her back.

"They might guess," Sophie said, her breath catching in her throat as Liam's hand slid lower.

"Let them," Liam murmured, kissing her neck.

"We shouldn't," Sophie whispered, even as she tilted her head to allow him better access.

"You're right, we shouldn't," Liam agreed, his lips moving down to her collarbone.

"We shouldn't," Sophie repeated weakly, her eyes closing as Liam's mouth found the spot on her neck that drove her wild.

"No, we really shouldn't," Liam said, his voice muffled against her skin.

Sophie's last resistance melted away as Liam's slipped his tongue into her mouth in search of hers in an all encompassing kiss.

Sophie's last resistance melted away as Liam's tongue plunged into her mouth, just as Liam's phone pinged with a message.

Sitting back, Liam pulled his phone out of his pocket and read the message from Maxwell.

‘Sorry to interrupt, but we're getting concerned about your whereabouts.'

Liam sighed. "Maxwell thinks we need to get back."

"We could say we got lost," Sophie suggested, her hand sliding down Liam's back.

"And what? Stay lost for the rest of the evening?" Liam chuckled.

"Well, maybe not for the rest of the evening."

"I wish," Liam said, regretfully.

Reluctantly, they made their way back to the ballroom, their bodies still humming with desire as they walked hand-in-hand.

As they approached the doorway, Liam turned to Sophie and grinned. "How about we plan another escape for next weekend?"

"I like the sound of that," Sophie replied, grinning.

💕Thanks for reading

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[justinspoliticalcorner]

Matt Dixon and Allan Smith at NBC News:

Get ready for Donald Trump’s blue state extravaganza.  With less than four weeks until Election Day, Trump is scheduled to hold rallies in staunchly Democratic states he has virtually no chance of winning. It’s an unorthodox strategy campaign advisers say is designed to focus on areas where Democratic policies have failed, but it will also keep him away from the small handful of swing states almost certain to determine the election.

Over the next month, the former president has events scheduled in Colorado, California, Illinois and New York. President Joe Biden won those states by an average of 20 points in 2020, with his 13-point Colorado win the closest margin. Colorado is the only one of those states to vote for a Republican nominee for president this millennium, backing George W. Bush in 2004. While each event will be held in slightly different venues, the most notable will be later this month in Madison Square Garden, a place where Trump has long said he wanted to hold political rally. “Choosing high-impact settings makes it so the media can’t look away and refuse to cover the issues and the solutions President Trump is offering,” said a senior Trump campaign adviser of the strategy behind late-election cycle events in Democratic states. “We live in a nationalized media environment and the national media’s attention on these large-scale, outside-the-norm settings increases the reach of his message across the country and penetrates in every battle ground state.”

“President Trump is closing the campaign highlighting the problems the country faces as a result of Harris and Biden’s failed leadership and articulating his solutions to solve the problems they created,” the adviser added. The decision to deviate from a traditional campaign playbook comes at a time when the race is almost certain to be decided in places like Georgia, Pennsylvania, Nevada, North Carolina, Wisconsin and Michigan, places that are within the margin of error in most public polling and considered winnable for both Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris. “This does not seem like a campaign putting their candidate in critical vote rich or swing vote locations — it seems more like a candidate who wants his campaign to put on rallies for optics and vibes,” longtime Republican operative Matthew Bartlett said. 

He called Trump the “most unorthodox candidate in modern history,” which means the off-script strategy could have some value. “In 2016, Trump realigned the party to be much more rural and working class, now in 2024 he is trying to expand his voting base along certain cultural lines that may eat away at traditional Democratic voting blocs,” Bartlett said. A second Trump adviser said that no matter where Trump holds rallies, he gets huge online viewership, including in swing states, and there is a confidence within the campaign about their chances, which in their estimation allows for some risk. “Certainly we are bullish on our prospects writ large,” the adviser said. Some Trump supporters argued that going into areas of the country traditionally not visited by Republican presidential candidates could have a sort-of coattail effect, helping boost down-ballot Republicans in tough races. None of the states where Trump is visiting has a competitive Senate race, but there are a handful of competitive House races in a year where the majority of that chamber will likely be decided on a razor-thin margin.

In California, House District 40 is represented by Republican Young Kim, and House District 41 is represented by Republican Ken Calvert, both of whom are in contested races in the Los Angeles media market along with Coachella, which is where Trump will be holding his rally. In New York, Rep. Mike D’Esposito won Nassau County’s 4th district in 2022, but it is a seat that leans Democratic and was won by Joe Biden by 15 points in 2020. Flipping the seat played a big role in helping Republicans take the House majority in 2022. “The fact that we can pickup down ballot seats with President Trump’s aggressive travel plan is a testament to the well orchestrated and  effective campaign plan that focuses on unifying all Americans,” said Ed McMullen, a Trump donor who served as ambassador to Switzerland during the Trump administration.  “It is a well-planned effort to reach out and win key seats,” he added.

Donald Trump will be holding indoctrination rallies in 4 solidly Blue states in the run-up to the general election. This is wasting money big time.

[wishing-stones]

Would the boys treat us on our birthday? Follow up question! Do they even do anything special for eachothers birthdays or do they just let them pass?

I can assume his birthday is not something Nightmare would want to talk about a lot-

They would!

Read more for length, like usual.

Assuming that you've worked past the defenses of everyone and are in a romantic relationship...

Killer wakes up at dawn to get everything ready, and he's so quiet about it that you wake up with balloons and banners and shit in your room when you wake up. It's super cute, and he's enthusiastic about it. He loves a good party and celebration, so it's an excuse to flex that joy of his. Dust Is much more low-key about it, and will quietly steal you for a moment to give you a gift and wish you a happy birthday. He's a lot sweeter than he normally is, too, and the gift is very thoughtful. Axe picks your favorite foods to cook for every meal, and makes an enormous three-tiered cake with lots of candles. Cooking for others is how he expresses his affection, and he's a little lame at actual gift giving. Cross Gets you a useful, thoughtful gift and spends some time one-on-one with you, away from any obligations or duties either of you might have. He's yours for most of the day, at least. Baggs makes time to spend with you and has made you something useful! Something useful and unique that helps with whatever you're having issues with lately. Nightmare is the one who goes all out in a grand, sweeping gesture of appreciation and celebration. Banners, balloons, a mountain of presents, a massive cake (all helpfully supplied by both he and the boys) and a very, very fancy candlelit dinner somewhere away from all of your troubles. You also get breakfast in bed, and he'll sit and detangle your hair while you have it. For a being of negativity, he's very affectionate when there's a good reason for it.

Dream is much the same, although his idea of a grand, sweeping gesture is to take you out to wherever your favorite place is-- or favorite verse, if you have one-- and spend the day there! He's blocked out his entire day for some one-on-one time, too, has thoughtful gifts, and made a lovely cake for you, too. Ink has it highlighted with tons of arrows on his scarf so he doesn't forget, and takes you travelling for the day! Anywhere you wanna go, he'll take you! He's also made you a truly stunning painting, whatever you'd most enjoy having. He's also a fan of the 'romantic, candlelit dinner' trope, and thinks the best way to end the day is with fireworks. Have you seen the fireworks in the cyber world? There's nothing like it! Blue goes hard in the paint with celebrating, too, and spoils you rotten. Or... he tries. He might try a little too hard to make the day perfect and get upset if something works. Just remind him that spending the day with him and the fact that he's putting so much effort into it is enough, and he'll be happy.

annndd Error will offer to take you somewhere nice, quiet, away from everything that stresses you out and bothers you. He's sewn or knitted something for you, and he's content to just... chill out with you for the day.

As for the second half-

Yes, they do. They know when each other's birthdays are and celebrate them as well. Not to the romantic extent that they'd do it for you, but they definitely wake one another up with party horns and poppers. (Except Nightmare, because no one wants to die.) But, speaking of, they do know when his birthday is, and they do celebrate it kind of low-key. It's nowhere near the bombastic extravaganza they make of one another's, but he gets a cake and presents when he comes back from whatever he does on the day. (He leaves a present where his brother will find it, addressed to him. Dream does the same thing. When Dream was still encased in stone, Nightmare would sit next to him and vent about his frustrations, about how he hated everything that happened and that he was still angry with him... but he still wished his brother happy birthday.)

And speaking of their birthdays...

Killer's birthday is May 10 Dust's birthday is February 10 Axe's birthday is January 16 Cross' birthday is October 10 Baggs and Error's birthday is April 4th Nightmare and Dream's birthday is December 21 Ink's birthday is April 15th and Blue's birthday is April 1

[thedaveandkimmershow]

We flew home today.

I'm still trying to wrap my brain around it because, since we essentially arrived in Seattle a coupla hours after we left Amsterdam on a ten hour flight...

Today is literally packed with more hours in it than the usual 24.

It's a weird experience thinking major parts of today actually happened yesterday...

When it was all.

The same.

Day.

We didn't get to bed the previous night in anything remotely resembling a timely manner, by the way. After Kimmer's packing extravaganza—a feat in which she seemingly fit more than should fit our luggage into our luggage—after that it was 1:30AM. Setting a wake-up alarm for 5AM, then, left us three-and-a-half hours for, you know, actual sleep. Only I didn't get (or I didn't take) the full three-and-a-half. I got maybe two hours and then lay awake in bed, eyes closed, relaxed under the covers. Not sure what that was all about but, as my friend Ann likes to say, there you go and there you are. 🙂

Regardless of the monumental lack of sleep, I got up a few minutes after five seemingly without penalty. I didn't feel groggy or sleep-deprived. I just got up, readied the hot water for tea and coffee, woke Kimmer up, jumped in the shower and, by the time I was done, she's up and we're doing our final step of packing the last of our belongings into our luggage before zipping them closed, moving them to the door while we stream "Cunk on Earth" on Netflix and take a few moments to eat some of our food for breakfast that's part of the food we can't take home with us 'cause there's no room.

Coupla minutes to 630, my cousin texts me a "Goodmorning!!!!!" and we're on our way down to the hotel lobby where, surprise surprise, not only is my cousin waiting for us but also her daughter, my niece, both lounging on the couch. It's a surprise because my niece was supposed to be overnight in another town to the east of her hometown, with friends celebrating their new home. Instead, she cut that night short and showed up to see us away.

Which was very very very very very very VERY sweet of her. ☺️

After we squared things with our hotel, we found my cousin's husband waiting outside, car backed up to the ramp in front of the entrance. So we throw our bags in the back, jump in the car, and off we go.

I should mention here that I'm pretty proud of us 'cause this one time at the start of our marriage when we did this 'lil exercise, departing Holland a touch over thirty years ago, it was a comedy of errors. We were staying with my aunt and uncle outside of Amsterdam and we were still packing the very morning our flight was to leave. So it was a messy morning, rushed. I think my uncle might've slightly dinged a car behind and opposite his as he backed out of his parking spot in a hurry to get us to the airport on time. He was pretty classy about the whole affair, only casually remarking how my parents were always packed 'n ready a coupla days before leaving.

This time around, Kimmer packed us at the tail end of the previous day—technically the first hours of our departure day—then we slept a little, got up when we were supposed to, and were out the hotel right on time.

630AM.

Our plan's to arrive at Schiphol Airport three hours prior to our flight. Which is what happened.

So HUZZAH!!!!

😁

The night before, my niece gifted Kimmer with a candy-filled Harry Potter mug. So in the car this morning they're comparing Harry Potter merch when Kimmer asks my niece if she has any of the stickers.

No, I wish! comes the reply.

Now it so happens I have Harry Potter stickers in my rucksack 'cause I was gonna take some time on the flight to Holland placing them on my new water bottle. Never got around to it, though. So I pull them from my bag and hand them over to the back seat.

My first moment of gift-giving as an uncle. 😊

Later on the road, I recognize a bookend experience:

It's daylight again, the late morning of our first day in Holland. Monday. January 1. Six days before. We're traveling across the countryside to our hotel. The sun's out. It's been raining so the trees and grass and highway are painted with a lovely sheen. There are moist reflections in every color, on every texture, in everything we see. Which makes for a beautiful, classic Dutch pastoral scene.

On the radio, it's Depeche Mode, The Cure, and later, "Babe" by Styx. The inside of the car's basically filled with an 80s vibe. I'm talking music with my cousin's husband who's driving the car. We talk 80s music. Popular music. And, of course, music as it relates to my daughter's career as a professional musician. ☺️

Now it's six days after. It's today, this very moment, on the way to Schiphol Airport in the morning while it remains dark outside. It's nighttime for all intents and purposes even though we're navigating the space between 630 and 730 in the morning. In the front seats of the car we're talking about vacations, about traveling by car from Seattle to southern California, about driving that same distance from Holland to southern Italy. My cousin's husband describes yearly vacations ("holiday" as he refers to them) that are the equivalent of piling everyone in the car and hitting the road. In this case, he talks about arriving in Tuscany. He talks about arriving in Genoa. He talks about avoiding hard-case luggage in favor of duffle bags. He talks about traveling through Switzerland, driving the never-ending Gotthard Tunnel, traveling over the mountains when the tunnel's backed up. He describes one vacation they showed up on an Italian beach and no one was there. He describes various strategies for doing this holiday including splitting the 16-hour drive in two with a stayover in Switzerland, allowing for a 10AM casual departure on the first day of their travels. Returning home, the driving strategy becomes a single, mostly overnight, drive to avoid traffic.

It's fun to compare the way we take family vacations, family holiday. It's fun to compare all the things about them that are the same and the very few things that are different.

We also talk about traffic leading into Amsterdam, traffic cams on the outskirts of Amsterdam that serve the same purpose as the traffic cams in school zones in our neck of the woods. We talk about apps he uses to spot and report speed traps and, because we hit a bird just then, we share our own personal stories of hitting birds and other animals on the road. I relate stories I heard about deer leaping right into the sides of trucks or RVs. He wins for a personal story because one time on the way home with friends, a pretty large bird impacted the front windshield, smashing it inward. He's in the back seat of the car at the time looking up something on his phone when the impact occurs. So it's a violently sudden, catastrophic experience for him.

At the same time we're talking about all these things, the back seat of the car is engaged in more relational fare. Boyfriends and girlfriends. Parenting. And school.

At one point we're talking about another one of my cousins. We're talking about their kids when my niece leans forward into the front seat space to fill us in on a few things including shared family vacations with that cousin's family and that time one of the sons was in a TikTok video with his teacher. He was pretty embarrassed by it... but the video did get a lotta views. 😁

And with these competing, complementary, and mostly overlapping conversations in play, we pull into a parking lot at the airport, pull our bags from the back of the car, and walk into the terminal, the five of us.

It's 742AM.

In case you've never been, Schiphol Airport is huge. Schilphol Airport is MASSIVE. And while SeaTac has every airline represented in the main terminal as you enter, at Schiphol there's nothing central like that. You basically figure out in which direction your terminal is then you walk a bunch until you're closer to that terminal from which your flight leaves. It's only there that you finally arrive at the self check-in kiosks and the self baggage drop.

A lotta selfs going on in this airport, I gotta say.

It's definitely a good thing our family's with us because paying for our one big piece of luggage turns into at least a ten minute ordeal. The scanner can't (or won't) read my card. Can't. Can't. Can't. Until finally, with family standing all around me, pitching me suggestions, the scanner humors me and decides to work.

So family, as it turns out, is the essential ingredient to successfully paying baggage fees at Schiphol Airport. 😉

Once that's done, I realize we're living our parent's experience because, once upon a time, my parents, too, left with a lot of family food gifts in their luggage. Once upon a time, too, they had to buy extra luggage, like my cousin did for us the previous day, to hold all those food gifts. Once upon a time, too, my aunts and uncles walked my parents through the airport, helped them with their bags. Once upon a time, too, my aunts and uncles bade my parents farewell in this very airport with embraces and kisses on the cheek.

What was true then, it turns out, remains true today. I think the only difference is that we're more huggers these days.

Another difference, I think, is that we're more likely to draw this moment out because we don't want it to end. We can always think of more conversations to have, more pictures to take.

In the end, we say the things we need to say to each other, the things we want to say. And I'm sure after one round of hugs and a subsequent impromptu conversation, we indulged another round of hugs as if the first one never happened.

For me, my regret is leaving this family. This one and the larger one with whom we navigated the week. I'm also caught by the realization that it would've been a pretty cool thing to have known my cousin's husband earlier in both our lives. And I'm profoundly struck by the fact that, while we live a pretty good and fulfilling life in the states, our lives would've been better, our lives would definitely have been better, with my cousin in it.

Because she really is all that.

☺️☺️☺️

With our extended goodbyes out the way, and after one last round of family photographs—all of us in one image—my cousin and her family start making their way back to their car as we turn to get in line for the self baggage drop.

As we take our place in line, I remember to look back for my family. I immediately spot them walking away. They've been keeping track of us in line as well. And in that moment in which we catch each other's attention for the last time, we reach our hands high into the air to wave goodbye.

And finally.

Finally...

Go our separate ways.

❤️❤️❤️

[ellipsis79]

The best thing about being old and out of the loop? You get to learn by trial and error way more than seems fair, lol.

Here's (hopefully) a post that actually has a link for Bound for Freedom.

[multikore]

I FOUND THE SCHOOL DOODLE OF THE EXTRAVAGANZA ERROR AND NIGHTMARE

IK IT’S BASICALLY THEIR ACTUAL OUTFITS BUT I WANTED TO TRY AND MAKE AND IDEA FOR IF AND THE LIMITED COLOURS OF THE WHITEBOARD FOX KINDA(???) HELPED-

I have to go rumbling through my sketchbook for Plum AuGgGhhhHhHh-

But there smol update on the Extravaganza AU for ze multiverse ;w;

[bllsbailey]

The Expressions on These Reporters' Faces After Their Interview With Kamala Says It All

Again, this is why Kamala Harris doesn’t do interviews: she’s braindead. The woman did a livestream event with Oprah Winfrey, which should have been a cakewalk. It ended up being a word salad extravaganza and a painful one. Winfrey exhibited body language that didn’t display confidence in the vice president. I don’t think the cultural icon knew what Harris was talking about half the time. Harris’ interview with the National Association of Black Journalists this week caught all three journalists giving expressions that weren't positive.

It wasn’t a combative interview, not nearly as intense as the one Donald Trump did. Still, Harris refused to go off-script, and it didn’t sit well with these reporters, especially when it came to Gaza and Israel’s justified invasion of the region after the October 7 attacks (via Politico): 

Kamala Harris largely stuck to her script during an interview Tuesday with a panel of National Association of Black Journalists members, carefully parrying questions about hot-button issues like the war in Gaza, reparations and other critical election topics.  It was the vice president’s second high-profile national media interview since announcing her presidential run, and though she spoke passionately at times about abortion rights and other policies, she did not break much ground or stray far from her talking points during the near hour-long conversation.  […]  The panel of NABJ members who moderated the interview were POLITICO Playbook co-author Eugene Daniels, Fresh Air co-host Tonya Mosley and theGrio White House Correspondent Gerren Keith Gaynor. 

NBC News wrote about the testier parts of this sit-down: 

Reporters Tonya Mosley of NPR, Gerren Keith Gaynor of TheGrio and Eugene Daniels of Politico repeatedly pressed Harris for direct answers on other topics, interrupting her multiple times when she veered away from the subject or rambled. She dodged a potentially contentious moment when Mosley stopped her during an answer about gun control by laughing through the moment. The audience of about 150, including 100 college students, began to signal discomfort when Harris avoided answering a question about whether she would issue an executive order to create a commission to study reparations. Ultimately, she said, it would come down to Congress, an answer that seemed to deflate some of the attendees.  Some members of the audience also signaled displeasure when she gave an indirect answer about whether she would continue the Biden administration’s approach to the Israel-Hamas war. 

Harris quickly exits but looks when the camera pans to Graynor, Mosley, and Daniels. They’re not impressed, and it’s almost a silent admission that this woman doesn’t have the goods. But I can’t speak for them. The body language doesn’t display confidence in her, either. The only thing Kamala has going for her is that the race is tight because her name isn’t Joe Biden—that’s about it, though. She can’t pull away and remains in polling territory where the underestimated Trump vote will overtake her. Biden was ahead of Trump by nearly double digits at this point in the 2020 race. Harris is within the margin of error. It’s not enough, and Democrats know it.

Trending on Townhall Videos

[quinttee]

Quinton's Animation Extravaganza 817

0817

Visiting the Parker-Nichols Family

I was enjoying my day with Miyako, Fluttershy and Quinton Jr. I wondered what the Parker-Nichols family were up to since I last saw them, so I decided to pay them another visit. I immediately got ready and headed over to their house. Walter and Audrey welcomed me in and were very excited to see me. Drake and Josh were also delighted to see me. Megan, however, was the same old bitter brat with the same old grudge. I hoped that she would get over it and see the error of her ways eventually, but I decided to just wait and see. Drake and Josh began to list all the ways Megan tortured them. Josh mentioned that she put cat litter in his sneakers. Drake mentioned that she signed him up for the Mexican Army. Josh added that she dyed all his underwear pink. Drake further added that she gave his cell phone number to three hobos. After hearing everything they told me about Megan, I had to admit that I was so glad that I chose to help the boys clear their names of any wrongdoings. Josh changed the subject by telling me that he had a part-time job at a cinema. I was amazed by this, as I never had a paying job until my college years. I had a great time visiting the Parker-Nichols family and I figured I should see them more often. For the rest of the day, my friends and I kept an eye out for the Jashinka Empire’s next monster.

[veale2006-blog]

The fatal flaw in the 9/11 cover-up!! WE WERE LIED TO DEMAND THE TRUTH!!! (Long but worth the read) September 11, 2001 9/11 was one of the most pivotal events in world history. Its impact will be felt for years to come. You owe it to yourself to go beyond the sound bites and the simplified official story. This is an extremely complicated story with numerous players and motives.

Why can no one name the hijackers or prove they flew the planes?

Know how to tell the difference between the truth and lies of 9/11? If they're talking about hijackers having done the dastardly deed, you know they're part of the sinister cover up extravaganza, wittingly or not.

In order for the people of the world to be convinced that Islamic hijackers were responsible for terrible tragedy of 9/11, we need to see some evidence. Not hearsay, innuendo, aspersion or promises of evidence, but real evidence.

Otherwise, the whole subject is rightly regarded as a ruse, a setup to conceal the identities of the real culprits, the ones who sit smugly in front of the TV cameras and plot their cynical war on terror — otherwise known as the war on the peoples of the world.

As President Bush continues to insist that his word be accepted as truth on numerous questions, time after time his statements have been revealed as blatant falsehoods. Yet he continues to repeat them, and the whorish corporate media continues to accept them.

Why hasn't either the Bush administration or some element of law enforcement in the United States issued a single solid piece of evidence connecting the hijackers to the hijacked airplanes? Why don’t the alleged hijackers appear on the airport security videos? Why aren’t there credit card records of their ticket purchases?

Why did FBI director Robert Mueller say very publicly to the Commonwealth Club of San Francisco that nothing on paper connected Arab terrorists to 9/11? I mean, 23 years have passed. And the feds produced 19 names within 72 hours of the disaster. Notice a mathematical inconsistency here? All that has happened since is mere vigilante hysteria, hypothetical scenarios trumpeted ad nauseum by America’s notoriously brainwashed Zionist press.

Seven or eight of the names on that original list have been found living comfortably in other countries. Why hasn’t the FBI made any attempt to correct the errors made on that original list?

And why, after much hullabaloo about Colin Powell using phony information in his remarks to the United Nations about the reasons for war, hasn’t the U.S. government produced a single conclusive piece of evidence to back up its claim that 9/11 was the work Osama bin Laden and other Islamic terrorists? Not a single piece!

If you disagree, tell me what it is!

There's a simple answer to this, you know. It's because there isn't any evidence. And why is that? Because those pseudo-Muslims revealed to be so publicly incompetent at piloting jerkwater training planes had absolutely zero chance of flying sophisticated jetliners into anything narrower than the Grand Canyon, never mind executing tricky maneuvers with extraordinarily complicated machinery.

The unknown men who played the roles of the so-called Arab terrorist hijackers were really recruited by either American and/or Israeli intelligence services in a scheme set up as a diversion to inflame dumb Westerners against the Islamic world. The purpose was to divert the world’s attention from the Israeli genocide and dispossession of the Palestinians by blaming the attacks on Muslims.

But that was only half the objective. The other half was to enable our despicable cabal of neocon gangbangers to fleece the American public with an endless array of no-bid contracts to enrich the conscienceless billionaires who are really driving the war machine.

You know how the Bushista American government uses anything for PR to supposedly authenticate its own evil agenda. If they had any concrete evidence against the hijackers — if they even possessed all their correct names — we would have heard about it by now. There would be an avalanche of TV shows about them, unlike that Jewish claptrap hate crime against Muslims that appeared on NBC one night.

After 23 years, with the whole world knowing that eight of the 19 names on the hijacker list are fraudulent, the FBI has made no attempt to substitute new names. And why is that? Because the identities of the hijackers were constructed with mostly stolen papers, for some of the patsies designed to take the heat. In any case, and whoever they were, there is no evidence they ever got on the planes.

But nothing. Instead, we have one minor player convicted in Germany, then the conviction was overturned, partly because Americans refused to help with the prosecution.

We have the so-called 20th hijacker and assorted other preposterous character actors languishing in jails on trumped up charges. We have security camera film at the Pentagon, which surely reveal that no jetliner hit that building, locked away in Ashcroft's vault under the phony aegis of national security. We have all the rubble of the World Trade Center, which surely would have revealed the use of nuclear explosives creating shattered beams in odd places, instantly carted away with no forensic investigation. We have transcripts — but no recordings — of these phony cellphone calls, some from people who may not have even existed.

And we have the famous stand down, in which America's air defenses suddenly evaporated — the only time in our history this has happened.

We have Marvin Bush sitting suspiciously on the board of directors of the security company that had the contract for the Twin Towers.

We have Larry Silverstein, who conveniently leased and insured the towers shortly before the big hits, telling officials to "pull" a relatively intact tower, which then fell identically to the two structures that were struck by airplanes, creating the impression that that's the way all three came down.

We have billions of dollars of windfall profits made by savvy investors in the days before 9/11, and an FBI investigation that insists nothing was amiss with these spectacular deals. Of course, we don't get the details. Only "assurances" that the trades were not suspicious, despite patterns and results that were unprecedented in the entire history of financial trading.

We have reports from firemen of explosions at the base of the Twin Towers BEFORE they fell, and the seismographic evidence to back up these assertions.

We have leader after leader saying they didn't know such a thing could happen when the government had been studying the problem for ten years. It had held at least two major drills simulating such a possibility.

And we have a president sitting in a ghetto classroom in Florida, at possibly the most pivotal moment in American history, pretending to read a book that he was holding upside down.

Perhaps most tellingly of all, we have the tragic tale of John O’Neill, rabidly honest FBI investigator, prevented from following his leads about Osama bin Laden because of the danger he would have discovered the links from Afghanistan back to CIA headquarters. Just review the way he was prevented from conducting his probe of the Cole bombing, and prevented by digging into other leads by the same guys — namely insiders Louis Freeh and Thomas Picard — who prevented significant reports from other FBI agents from seeing the light of day.

So, how does all that make you regard the supposedly impartial government panel investigating these matters? When they talk about Presidential Daily Briefings months before the event, or chitchat with presidential flunkies who leak out these pseudo revelations about this and that tidbit of essentially trivial information. And especially when they talk about the dastardly hijackers (without being able to name them) as if there is no question of their guilt. Talk about your misleading urban legends! This one is the champ.

Well, no sense feeling surprise. We knew this commission was a set-up from the get-go. Recycled Watergate investigators, even. Part of the same bunch that has run the country and covered up everything for the past 30 years or more.

Surely you didn't expect a real investigation. Thomas Kean declared at the outset of his hearings that Osama bin Laden was guilty. End of discussion. As soon as he made that statement, there was no way the hearings could be legitimate.

Asserting that genuine Arab hijackers did not carry out the attacks of 9/11 requires analysis of two concomitant categories: the history of American (and Israeli) involvement (and subterfuge) with Arab terrorists, and methods of remote control of aircraft, or other means of piloting the aircraft.

The remote-control aspect continues to be a bone of contention among legitimate pilots, with some asserting only real pilots could have made such extemporaneous maneuvers and others insisting only remote control could have accomplished such a feat. An interesting new perspective on this debate can be found here:

A third natural area of study in this regard would be the intimate histories of those whom officials claim to be the hijackers, including putting the microscope on their behavior in the days and weeks before the tragedy.

Many researchers claim the name al-Qaeda was made up in middle ‘90s by a variety of American functionaries (one of them being none other than Richard Clarke) as an all-purpose villain the U.S. could blame as a convenient reason for its military adventurism. And a group of Israeli provocateurs was recently discovered trying to create their own faux version of al-Qaeda.

How many more hints do you need? The absence of any relevant arrests or discovery of any clues to the hierarchy of this supposedly worldwide terror group should tell you a lot.

Al-Qaeda doesn’t exist except for when they want it to, to blame for any sort of strategic terror they have created themselves for some political reason, like influencing the elections in Spain. Hah, that one really backfired.

Why haven’t American intelligence operatives gone to these foreign countries to interview these named hijackers who turned out to be alive? Simple. Because they knew the list was fiction in the first place, and the Arab-types who have been named as terror gurus are mostly their own employees, or people who have been set up by them.

It is a celebrated fact that Mohammed Atta and some of his friends were seen in nightclubs in the hours before 9/11, certainly a fact that argues against them being able to carry out their supposed missions because they were motivated by Islamic religious zeal. So their appearance in strip clubs blows the whole story that they were devout Muslims giving their lives to Allah. Devout Muslims don't drink, never mind cavort with strippers.

If we knew who the hijackers were, we'd know their names, wouldn't we? Or is it now worth bombing other nations and murdering thousands of innocent people because we say we know who the hijackers were, even though we don't know their names? It is the great shame of the American people that they have approved of the murders of thousands of people because of that blatant lie.

Many of the men who were fingered as 9/11 hijackers received preferential treatment from American immigration officials when it came to entering and leaving the U.S. on numerous occasions. Many of these same names reportedly trained at various U.S. military installations.

What has resulted after 23 years of work by America’s crack intelligence agencies, besides the persecution of Muslims throughout the world?

Well, hundreds of innocent people have been unjustly imprisoned and tortured at Guantanamo. All of them innocent, hapless dupes rounded up in a Rumsfeld-ordered dragnet in Pakistan after U.S. planes had (inadvertently or otherwise) allowed the Taliban fighters to escape with the Pakistani army from Afghanistan.

Two pathetic flunkies have been arrested and held without due process. One of them, the notoriously pathetic shoe bomber who was obviously a deranged personality and not a member of any terror network, was ceremoniously sentenced to life in prison.

Other than that, no al-Qaeda kingpins have been even named, never mind apprehended. No clue about how the 9/11 attacks were engineered has ever emerged. This is simply not consistent with being able to name all 19 hijackers the day after the attacks. It is a case of pretending you have all of the information instantly, and then pretending you no information for the next two years. What a smell!

This means two things: that the list of 19 names was a total fabrication, and that the worldwide terror network called al-Qaeda is also a total fabrication, the wet dream brainchild of the CIA and the Mossad to be trotted out as an excuse for a whole string of terror attacks — Madrid, Bali, Riyadh, Istanbul, etc. — that were really carried out by the CIA and the Mossad themselves, cleverly involving designated patsies to give the operations a suitably foreign flavor.

Al-Qaeda does not exist except as a bogeyman invented by Western powers to justify their evil agenda. There were no hijackers flying those planes on 9/11. And honest FBI agents have been prevented from publicizing that fact.

If you disagree, prove it! The world knows you can’t, though the high-tech mass murder by the United States and Israel spreads around the world because of this falsified version of events.

History will show — and the public will soon realize — that those who are telling these lies not only allowed 9/11 to happen, but planned it for their own personal advantage.

The only question that remains is will the American public awaken to this murderous, treasonous scam before the perpetrators achieve their objective and bury the whole planet in the flames of their insane perfidy.

Just remember. If they’re talking about the hijackers, they’re part of the cover up, whether they know it or not.

Much more productive would be analyzing the tiny hole in the Pentagon, how the ejected material in the WTC photos prove there were unexplained explosions, or how those emotional cellphone calls could not possibly have been made as government flunkies have presented them.

But you won’t hear the official 9/11 commissioners talking about any of that, because they are definitely part of the cover up. You can obviously tell, because they keep talking about the hijackers.

Other than a general alert to citizens of the world about the basic lies that continue to underlie all political debate in the United States at this time, there is another, more pressing reason to discuss and contemplate all these matters at this time.

The Secret History of 9/11 - Full Documentary https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MVh9WgGxuIY

Mysterious Deaths of 9 11 Witnesses (MUST SEE) - THESE ARE NOT COINCIDENCES https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=suQitX2GmTU

This Computer Simulation Explains How the Twin Towers Fell https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vzInIjD6nKw

9/11 Firefighter Blows WTC 7 Cover Up Wide Open https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KQrmkOWhH48

Remembering 9/11 | National September 11 Memorial | United States https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bTpYlm79Fis

9/11 Memorial Video (2020) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bgzm4klQXOw

Alan Jackson - Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning) (Official Audio) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zj6rMcVNQbw

9-11 Sounds of Silence Tribute by Steve A. (Disturbed) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3iy2L9VeUfc

Never Forget - 9/11 Tribute Song (by John Gibson) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A9oPmD6XJD0

Pray for the families that lost their love ones from such a senseless evil act on life. We must hold those that let this happen accountable and that includes our GOVERNMENT!!!

SEEK THE TRUTH. RESEARCH THE TRUTH. FOR YOU SHALL KNOW THE TRUTH AND THE TRUTH SHALL MAKE YOU FREE!!

Do the research. Connect the dots. Draw your own conclusions. I have drawn mines. Use discernment. Use common sense.

Hosea 4:6 6 My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

Ephesians 6:12 12 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

May Yeshua the Messiah bless you, Love, Debbie

[rapidprime]

The Enigmatic Life of Maria Bellu-Colonna: A Comedy of Errors and Triumphs

Welcome to the world of Maria Bellu-Colonna—a name that might not ring bells (pun intended) for everyone but certainly holds a fascinating story behind it. Born in July 1969, Maria Bellu-Colonna, also known as Maria Colonna, is the daughter of the legendary comedian and actor Andy Kaufman. Her life is a unique blend of drama, comedy, and the occasional hoax, making her story as riveting as a late-night talk show. Buckle up as we dive into the comedy and complexity of Maria Bellu-Colonna’s life!

The Early Life: From Stage Left to Adoption

Maria Bellu-Colonna’s entry into the world was anything but conventional. Picture this: it's 1969, disco is in full swing, and Andy Kaufman, the king of quirky comedy, is busy not being a father. Born from a high-school romance that didn’t quite make it to the prom, Maria found herself placed for adoption. Her biological father, Andy Kaufman, was busy with his own brand of eccentricity, and the decision to place Maria for adoption was made by him and his high-school sweetheart.

Maria’s early childhood is shrouded in the kind of mystery that would make even a magician envious. While the specifics of her early years are as private as a magician's tricks, it’s clear that being the child of a famed comedian has its own set of challenges. Growing up in the shadow of Kaufman’s larger-than-life persona, Maria’s life was a real-life sitcom filled with more plot twists than any episode of “Taxi.”

Family Dynamics: A Comedy of Relations

The relationship between Maria and her famous father was as complex as one of Kaufman’s infamous routines. Andy Kaufman, renowned for his unconventional comedic style, was a far cry from the typical father figure. His fame and his own peculiar brand of showbiz antics cast a long shadow over Maria’s formative years. Though the specifics of their interaction remain somewhat enigmatic, it’s clear that Maria's childhood was anything but ordinary.

Imagine growing up knowing your father is a cultural icon who once faked his own death. For Maria, navigating the public’s curiosity about her famous father was like trying to walk a tightrope while juggling flaming torches. Despite the challenges, Maria has managed to maintain a level of privacy that would make a spy envious. The influence of Kaufman’s fame on her life remains an intriguing subplot, one that continues to fascinate fans and scholars alike.

Personal Life: The Quiet Comedy

When it comes to Maria Bellu-Colonna’s personal life, she keeps things as private as a magician’s secrets. While the public might be interested in her marital status or family life, Maria has chosen to keep these details under wraps. Her commitment to maintaining a private life is reminiscent of Kaufman’s own penchant for mystery and spectacle.

Maria’s decision to keep her personal life out of the spotlight reflects a desire to separate her private existence from her public persona. This balancing act can be likened to walking a tightrope without a safety net. It’s a testament to her ability to navigate life’s complexities while keeping her personal affairs discreet, a trait that would make even the most seasoned comedian tip their hat in admiration.

Controversies and Hoaxes: The Comedy of Errors

What would a life connected to Andy Kaufman be without a few controversies and hoaxes? Maria Bellu-Colonna’s life has been no stranger to these, particularly those related to her enigmatic father.

The Death Hoax Extravaganza

In November 2013, the rumor mill was buzzing with claims of Andy Kaufman’s death being a hoax. Cue the dramatic music! The public was abuzz with theories suggesting that Kaufman’s brother, Michael, might be behind these pranks. However, as the plot thickened, it became clear that the rumors were just that—baseless rumors. Andy Kaufman had indeed passed away in 1984, much to the relief of everyone craving a dose of reality.

The circus didn’t end there. There were also claims about hoaxes involving Andy Kaufman’s daughter, with suggestions that Michael Kaufman might have been behind some of these elaborate pranks. While the rumors swirled, one fact remained clear: Maria Bellu-Colonna is indeed Andy Kaufman’s only daughter, and any suggestions otherwise were simply part of the comedic chaos surrounding her family.

Legacy: The Unseen Encore

Despite her preference for privacy, Maria Bellu-Colonna plays a crucial role in preserving the legacy of Andy Kaufman. Her existence is a living, breathing reminder of the comedian’s personal history, offering a human dimension to his larger-than-life persona. Maria’s presence helps keep the spotlight on Kaufman’s legacy, ensuring that his contributions to comedy and entertainment continue to be remembered and celebrated.

A Personal Connection to Comedy History

Maria’s role in preserving her father’s legacy adds a poignant touch to the public’s perception of Andy Kaufman. Her quiet existence stands in stark contrast to Kaufman’s flamboyant career, highlighting the complexity and multifaceted nature of human relationships. In a way, Maria serves as a bridge between Kaufman’s public persona and his private life, adding depth to the narrative of one of comedy’s most enigmatic figures.

conclusion

In conclusion, maria bellu-colonna’s life is a captivating blend of personal resilience, public curiosity, and familial complexities. From her unconventional start to her role in preserving her father’s legacy, Maria’s story is as rich and multifaceted as a well-scripted comedy routine. Through all the controversies and private moments, Maria stands as a testament to the enduring impact of Andy Kaufman’s legacy and the intriguing layers of her own life narrative.