#he/him for gene (( aubrey ))

[casually-salad]

"Mari, none of us are kids anymore, you dont see us as that, at least, right? "

[do-you-ship-this-taz-ship]

this only kinda fits the blog theme i apologize, but i have thoughts on which set of the players PCs would function the best as a polycule and you asked for asks. (I am including all the main campaigns and very inconsistently some liveshow/smaller arc PCs if I feel like it.)

I think Justin's characters wouldn't have a lot in common, so that's a major hurdle. Duck and Taako might hook up, or Taako and Sebastian, and maybe Amber and Godwin, but besides them, it's hard to really pair anyone up. Maybe Pepsi Liberty and Opera Man, but it would have to be exclusively while Opera Man is in Opera Man form. And no one would want to fuck Augustus. (He would be into Godwin but it's unreciprocated). Bad polycule. There's no poly here.

Travis's characters would be better! I think Aubrey and Devo would clash a lot initially, but eventually they'd get along pretty well, I could see them dating. Aubrey is into Magnus this is fact, he is canonically her favorite podcast character and I know firsthand that means she would fuck him if given the opportunity. It's debatable if he would reciprocate, I can't decide -- the age gap might make him uncomfortable, but he definitely likes her, at least platonically, they're friends. Magnus Beef and Mutt would def get along. Maybe Shoots also. So at the very least we have one triad+ and one couple, maybe with a connection between them. Decent polycule!

Clint's characters would get along super well I think. Zoox and Argo would be significantly younger than the others, and I don't think either of them would really be into the old guys, but they'd be friends, and maybe they could get together. And by maybe I mean definitely for the purposes of this thought experiment. And then all the old dudes (Merle, Ned, debatably Thacker, Emerich, Phileaux, possibly Benny Gene) are together in whatever combination (Merle/Ned and Thacker/Emerich for sure, and I think Merle might find Phileaux annoying but he'd still hatefuck him) Old man yaoi polycule with two younger guys sitting it out. Pretty good!

Griffin has less characters, which is both an advantage and not. Fitzroy isn't fucking anyone (might be romancing someone, not that theres anyone for him to romance), but Errol Indrid and Montrose could for sure have something. Dell Kraven might be able to get in on that triad, it's debatable. And 48… dunno their pronouns theyre just a cube. Yeah I don't think they're into romance or sex or any sort of human relationship including friendship. 48 and Fitzroy hang out and Fitzroy tries to start up a conversation but 48 always brings it back to Tim McGraw who does not exist in Fitzroy's universe and it's a bad scene. Okay overall, but not great.

So in conclusion Clint's PCs win, Travis's get second place, then Griffin's, with Justin's coming dead last.

This was such a fun read even if I don't know a lot of the characters!! Thank you for sending it :) i'm glad to hear it confirmed, as i suspected, that clint makes the most fuckable PCs 🤍

What do you guys think?

[prodigal-explorer]

rating the omori characters by how stinky i think they are

(don't get mad at this, it's just a joke! also 10 is super stinky, and 0 is not stinky at all. also this isn't meant to shame anybody's habits, although i do think the whole "white people don't wash their ass" thing is really funny and unfortunately true)

sunny -> 10/10. this guy has not showered in weeks. it isn't just a depression thing, he just doesn't like it. the water is always either too hot or too cold, and the shower floor always feels too grimy beneath his feet, and the smells of all the different soaps make his head hurt. he just struggles with the sensory side of it too. and he thinks about how mari used to help bathe him when he was little, and it's just too bitter.

basil -> 9/10. i think he showers more often than sunny does, but definitely not enough. he's also one of those "all natural" bitches who uses crystal deodorant (nasty) and washes his hair like once a year. also he's probably never washed his ass or used a washcloth in his life...sorry gang i'm just dropping truth here you've seen how white both he and his guardian is.

aubrey -> 7.5/10. see here's the thing: aubrey is a teenage girl. she's going to be extremely insecure about stanking, but considering her home situation, it's very hard for her to be smelling fresh. she has to steal money in order to buy basic things like deodorant and soap, and the water is never on at her house consistently, and the bathroom is just disgusting. so she's stinkier than she wants to be, but it can't really be helped. usually, she just sneaks a shower after school in the locker rooms, though that isn't possible during summer vacation and such.

kel -> 5/10. i was going to make him stinkier because he's just always on the move, always playing sports, so he's always sweaty, but i think kel would have a pretty decent shower schedule to wash all that off, especially because he looks up to hero. and he shares a room with hero, and hero definitely WOULD NOT let kel stank up the whole bedroom with his stench. so i think kel would be mildly stinky, but he showers enough that it's decently mitigated. also he likes to steal hero's products sometimes.

hero -> 0/10. this man does not stink whatsoever. he cares so much about hygiene, he's that guy who brushes his teeth after every single meal/snack, he has like seven different products that he uses in the shower, and he'll stand in the steamy hot water for an hour. it's a form of self-care! he was also the one (alongside mari) who taught the others in the group how to shower properly, though they don't always listen to him (especially the white ones LMAO). he's constantly telling them that they actually do need to wash their asses and that a washcloth is actually an essential and they have to scrub their legs and feet because the soapy water running down them is not enough.

mari -> -100/10. it's physically impossible for mari to stink. not only does she have a lot of similar habits to hero, but she got the asian gene that makes her not have body odor, and she has a tiny little perfume collection that she uses regularly whenever she goes out, which means that she's always radiating a gentle scent of flowers or vanilla. her favorite scent is jasmine, and sometimes, she sprays it in sunny's stinky room when he isn't there.

[pinkarsonist0]

A few months ago, I thought of an Aubrey(Omori) version of Jason. Basically, delinquent Jason I thought would be fun.

Basically, Aubrey is short for Aubergine for the character. I thought of merging Aubergine and Jason together, and I got....Uh

Jasaginae (Jace-Ah-Gene-Ae) as well as Jasagine.

Could that be an actual name or surname? It sounds French or maybe Russian. German???

Should I go with Jasagine or Jasaginae.

Jasaginae sounds really feminine as a first name, especially compared to Jason, so if someone calls Jason 'Jasaginae', it gives off the vibe Jason is transmasc, and that person is dead naming him.

But Jasagine sounds pretty masculine, and no dead naming will be thought of unless Jason was a girl.

The more I imagine it, the more I like it. Jasagine/Jasaginae sounds like someone who is really hot-headed and tall would be called, and in S1, Jason is mad a lot and I see him growing to be a tall guy.

Context for the drawing, the scouts were hanging out together in Jason's backyard on the day report cards came back home. Jason's father sees his report card (It's mainly B's). Jason's father has no idea he hates being called by his actual name, especially in front of other kids. No one who isn't Jason's family knows his real name, not even Tony and Boris.

So Jason's father just bursts into the backyard, yelling "JASAGINAE/JASAGINE DURCHDENWALD, WHY DO YOU HAVE SO MANY B'S ON YOUR REPORT CARD".

And at that moment, Jason just dies on the inside. He hates his name SM.

After that is settled, Tony and Boris are fucking shocked. They had been best friends with him for years, yet they're JUST finding out Jason is short for 'Jasaginae'.

I imagine Jasaginae/Jasagine to be a family name. Don't know why. That family tree is so screwed lol

[littlewalken]

Feb 8

Got to real life today, send out the box of ponies, find out what's going on with a $2 cable bill, try and get some walking in or something.

Made one of Blythe's maxi dresses yesterday, just need to take pictures when there's decent light.

Had some more thought put in to the alt ending I had for Grease 2 and mixing it with a previous idea I had but scrapped for reworking. I know what I mean by the Aubrey story.

Maxwell Caulfiled said his parents almost named him Aubrey. Caulfield is not his birth name, and he's from Scotland which might explain why a lot of the British commentators asked if he was American or something because his accent was bad.

His 'Murican accent was better in Electric Dreams but he's hardly in that so it doesn't count much for seeing how potato he was at that time. Do not make me watch The Colbys, I have The Colbys because Maxwell is in it, do not make me actually have to watch it.

I know how fleeting access to television is.

Can't believe there are people who think the earthquake damage and videos asking for help from Turkey are fake. It's sad that there have been people previously who fake helping refugees to scam money.

Vent the charities you give to, money is easier because they can buy from the local/regional economy which helps that way, and they don't have to ship stuff. Unless you have like specialized training and rescue equipment then by all means do that. Don't ship a fucking bulldozer, they have those in that part of the world.

I live in earthquake country, we have strict building codes and inspections the only thing to worry about are unreinforced masonry, which we might be in but there's enough paint to hold this fucker together, and a building style called a dingbat which we wouldn't live in anyway because our mobility issues say 'fuck stairs'.

And I mean you can stand in the San Andreas fault behind the Walmart earthquake country.

Change of direction puppy to get something out of my system before I wrote this part up here...

That's Guinness as in 'hit by the Guinness truck' because the Great Dane genes were strongest in him and I have no doubt he hit 100 pounds. He was like a 'size' bigger than all his siblings. Softest thing ever and loved to cuddle on his back.

Looking at a place tomorrow we might consider moving to so I'm going to be counting on y'all to keep me somewhat okay and remind me there is no way in any kind of hell it can go like the last move, mkay.

The only thing I should remotely have to worry about this time is scanning enough books so I don't have to move them.

The place is said to be an individual unit, I'm thinking a manufactured home which is fine, my own bathroom again, in a 55+ community so my disable ass will have friends and such, and the only downer is it might share a fence with a dog park.

But fuck yeah we'll get to have our own dog. Not sounding like a great place for a cat but at least we can have a dog.

We can have a dog here too but there's very little room and tl;dr it's easier to not have a mammal at the moment.

But with mom still recovering from her broken arm and like no support system what so ever out here a lot more of the physical work is going to fall on me.

At least I won't have to move the mooch's piles of clothes she'll never fit again and boxes of literal garbage etc...

There is no way in any form of hell this move will be like the last.

[cristianhernandez]

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you just cloned yourself, I mean she looks exactly like you" he said with a smile. It was a compliment, obviously Aubrey was very attractive, but he wasn't just going to say that. "I say that I want my sons to look like me but really I think it would be a shame for them to miss out on her genes. I want to be able to look at them and see things they got from me and things they got from her, that would be perfect" he beamed, always happy to talk about his family. "I hope so. I think the boys will be easier to raise, but I'm up for the challenge" he joked, with a short laugh. Cristian waited for her to hand him his phone back before shoving it back into his pocket, "I won't let you down. And there's no harm in looking, everyone likes to be admired" he shrugged, not minding the attention in the slightest.

Aubrey was intrigued by Cristian. Yes, he wasn't available and the moral thing would be to just leave it alone but looking at his beautiful face made everything ten times harder for the redhead, "She is a beautiful girl," She said smiling at the picture, trying not to get emotional, "Yeah, she's a little mini-me," Aubrey said giggling as she put her phone away. "Well, I mean maybe your next kid could be a daughter, you can't know that. But somehow I feel like teenage boys would be better," She joked, and then when the male handed her his phone she put her number in and gave it back to him, "I am counting on you, Cristian," She said raising an eyebrow, "Well, I guess I can just look at you if I can't touch," She said looking up and down at him.

[docgold13]

365 Marvel Comics Paper Cut-Out SuperHeroes - One Hero, Every Day, All Year…

February 10th - Cloak and Dagger

The two young heroes known as Cloak and Dagger are Tyrone Johnson and Tandy Bowen.  

Tyrone grew up in a tough neighborhood in Boston where he was an excellent student despite his suffering from an untreated expressive language disorder that caused him to stutter his words.  Tyrone ran away from Boston after his best friend was shot by the police.  He made his way to New York City where he encountered fellow runaway, Tandy Bowen.  

Tandy was from a significantly more privileged background and was a ballet protege.  She ran away from home to escape her overbearing parents, making her way to New York where sh befriended Tyron.  Tandy was quite naive in terms of life on the streets and Tyrone found himself in a position of looking after her.  

The pair were soon thereafter abducted by agents working for a villainous scientist named Simon Marshall, who was using teenage runaways as test subjects for his experiments.  Marshall was seeking to develop a synthetic analgesic as effective as heroin but at half the cost.    

The majority of Marshall’s test subjects died, yet Tyrone and Tandy managed to survive.  The chemical compound did something to them, altering their genetic make-up and transforming them in a fashion similar to the X-gene in Mutants.  The two pretended to be dead and took the opportunity to escape from Marshall’s facility.  Yet it was not long before each began to transform.  

Tyrone became engulfed in a shadowy darkness that seemed to emanate from his person.  Whereas Tandy began to shine with a brilliant almost blinding light.  Gradually the two came to realize they had become conduits to the Darkforce and Lightforce dimensions.  As such, Tyrone was able to teleport over any distance by creating a portal through the Darkforce dimension; whereas Tandy was able to generate dagger-like projectiles made of Lightforce energies.  These daggers can heal or weaken any living thing they come into contact with.

Tyrone used a cloak he had come upon to wrap himself and better keep the Darkforce energies within him.  While Tandy manifested for herself a costume reminiscent of the singlet she wore as a dancer.  The two became Cloak and Dagger and pledged to use their newfound powers to protect other young people from the dangers of an all too often cruel and uncaring world.  The two would have countless adventures together and frequently teamed up with other heroes, including Spider-Man, The New Mutants, Daredevil, The Runaways and The X-Men.  

Cloak’s connection to the Darkforce dimension took its toll on him.  The malevolent forces within the dimension created a hunger in him where he felt compelled to feed off of the life energies of humans.  Dagger has been able to sate this hunger by allowing him to feed on the excess lightforce energies she can create.  

Actors Aubrey Joseph and Olivia Holt portrayed Cloak and Dagger respectively in the Hulu television series, Cloak and Dagger.  The two heroes first appeared in the pages of Peter Parker, The Spectacular Spider-Man #64 (1982).

[attourney-at-lycan]

been listening to a lot of carrot113 lately and i’ve been meaning to make an omori au but w/ aaron as sunny and melissa as mari.

i do have the rest of the cast down but im not too hppy w/ that? katelyn as aubrey, dante as kel, gene as hero, and aphmau as basil-

i wna change it up but idk how i’d fit the other characters- i know gene as hero is weird, esp bc melissa is canonically older- but i might change it so that gene and melissa don’t have a romantic relationship at all?

IDK IM SO HHHHGRHGRHGH on this bc i feel like there’s other options i could do but i just rlly wna do something w/ aaron since i haven’t done shit w/ him despite claiming he’s one of my faves

[suituuup]

pieces - chapter ten

Five years ago, Chloe dropped off the face of the Earth. Beca didn’t expect to see her again dancing in a strip club, out of all places.

rated: E (drug use and emotional abuse in early chapters)

ao3 link

*

The knock at the door made Chloe jolt. 

Aubrey was here, and Chloe was a nervous wreck. Even if Aubrey had shown nothing but support in the texts they had exchanged over the last couple of months, Chloe was bracing herself for judgment. It had become her default setting over the last couple of years, to always expect people to think the worst of her. 

It turned out Aubrey couldn’t make it for dinner that weekend and instead offered lunch on the following Monday, so Beca was currently at work. Meeting her alone made Chloe even more nervous; Beca had become her rock, her lifeline over the past couple of months, and someone Chloe actually trusted, and she would have been more comfortable with her being present. 

She wiped her hands on her apron and padded to the door, sucking in one last deep breath before pulling it open.  Her friend looked the same as Chloe remembered her, except for her hairstyle, which evolved into a neat bob and matched the lawyer persona well.

“Hey Chlo,” Aubrey greeted softly, eyes soft and smile shy. 

“Hi,” Chloe breathed out when she remembered she should say something, blinking. 

Before Chloe could step aside, Aubrey stepped forward and pulled Chloe into a loose hug. Chloe’s first reaction was to tense for a brief moment, eventually wrapping her arms around Aubrey’s back, in turn, her shoulders relaxing as she exhaled. 

“Thanks for having me over,” Aubrey said as she backed away.

Chloe nodded with a small smile and took a step back to let Aubrey through. “Come on in. I uh-- I made chicken pasta. Do you still like that?” 

Cooking had been one of the activities Chloe had rekindled with since finishing rehab. Following a recipe was a good distraction from her cravings. 

“I do. Sounds yummy.” 

“You-- you’ve been here before, I imagine?” Chloe asked as she shut and locked the door behind them, leading Aubrey to the main room.

Aubrey shrugged off her jacket. “A few times, yes. I think the last time was for Beca’s birthday last September.” 

Chloe nodded once more, then remembered her manners. “Can I offer you anything to drink?” She asked as she padded to the fridge. “We have water, flat or sparkling, coke and fanta.” 

“Sparkling water is good,” Aubrey said as she perched herself on a stool, resting her chin over her propped-up hand. “How’s it been living with Beca?” 

“Good,” Chloe replied as she reached for two water glasses in the cupboards, the water bottle in her other hand. “She’s been really amazing with trying to make me feel at home. It’s weird though because I can’t pay rent or groceries. I still feel like I’m taking advantage of her generosity.”

Aubrey hummed. “I get that. But you’re not. Beca wouldn’t offer all those things if she felt like you were taking advantage. And we all know you’re not. You’re getting back on your feet and could use all the help you can get, which I’m sure Beca is happy to give.” 

Chloe took a deep breath and nodded. She uncapped the bottle and poured some water into both drinks. 

“How have you been feeling otherwise?” Aubrey questioned then. 

Chloe shrugged, breaking eye-contact. “It’s been a real rollercoaster, to be honest. Somedays I feel fine, other days it feels like I’m drowning. If it weren’t for Beca’s support or--” The baby, which she had yet to tell Aubrey about. She swallowed, forcing herself to meet her friend’s gaze. “A few days before the end of rehab, I found out that I was pregnant.” 

Aubrey blinked twice in slow succession, much like Beca had done. “You are? I mean--” 

“I’m keeping it,” Chloe cleared up before Aubrey could attempt to reword her question. “I know it probably sounds crazy and irresponsible given my situation and who the father is, I--” 

“I think you’re going to make an amazing mom, Chlo,” Aubrey murmured before Chloe could finish. “And yes, your situation is tricky right now, but it won’t forever be that way. And the father might be a dick whose balls should be fed to wolves, but you and I both know that a  baby sharing your genes can’t be evil.” She tilted her head to the side. “Are you going to tell him?” 

Chloe froze. She hadn’t dared broach the subject with her therapist for fear of her telling a judge, and she didn’t know what she was allowed or not allowed to do. “Do I… have to? I mean, legally?”

Aubrey shook her head. “No, you don’t have any obligations to. The father’s name on the birth certificate can be left blank, and that means Marco will have no rights over the child.” 

Chloe nibbled on her bottom lip as she processed that information. “What if he finds out? Can he get custody?” 

“He’ll have to submit a petition to the court through a lawyer in order to have a DNA test done,” Aubrey explained. “After that, a judge decides if he has the right to have custody, but I really don’t see how he could, given his track record. I had a friend at the precinct look him up, and he’s been convicted several times for drug dealing and violence.” 

Relief swept over Chloe upon hearing that. The thought of Marco having any influence on that child gave her nightmares. “Okay. Good.” She cleared her throat when her brain caught up with the rest of Aubrey’s sentence. “I didn’t know he was a criminal.” But she wasn’t surprised, now. “I wouldn’t have-- he was really good to me at the beginning, and by the time his true personality surfaced, I had nowhere to go.” 

“He was toxic,” Aubrey said as she nodded. “A manipulator. He probably loved the hell out of you at first, bombarded you with sweet messages and calls and flattery? And little by little, the connection faded and you started to feel meaningless? Unworthy?” 

Chloe could only nod faintly, because Aubrey had just put into words what her relationship with Marco felt like, without Chloe telling her any of that stuff. 

“I come across so many people with the same profile in my job, and the victims, men or women, always blame themselves. But they shouldn’t. You shouldn’t.” 

Her therapist had already told Chloe that many times, but Chloe’s default thinking made it hard to grasp that. Being with Marco felt like chaos reigned in her head, her emotions, her body, her life, and he found a way to make her believe it was her own fault. 

Chloe mustered a soft smile, feeling more than ready to stop talking about that for now. “Should we eat?” 

The conversation thankfully transitioned to easier subjects. Chloe caught up on the last six years of Aubrey’s life, feeling a little lighter and more at ease around her friend now that it was clear Aubrey held no grudge or judgment towards Chloe for cutting her out of her life. They found themselves reminiscing about their college days, two hours zipping by without Chloe once thinking about her cravings. 

“I’m just a call away, alright?” Aubrey said as she slid her jacket back on. “And if you ever want to come to Boston for a weekend, I have two guest bedrooms.” 

A genuine smile spread across Chloe’s lips as she nodded. “I’d love that.” Chloe was the one to initiate the hug this time, letting it linger. “Thank you for coming down, Bree.”

Aubrey smiled back. “It was my pleasure. See you soon, Chloe.” 

Bean’s thirteen-week-check-up took place the following day. Chloe was set on having as many tests done as possible at this stage, with an NT scan to help assess the baby’s risk of having complications such as Down syndrome, other chromosomal abnormalities, and major congenital heart problems, as well as full blood work to rule out cystic fibrosis and Tay-Sachs.

Bean passed their scan with flying colors, much to her relief. The heartbeat was strong, and 

Bean’s features were unmistakably human this time around; Chloe could make out Bean’s head and their nose and the round belly and tiny feet.

She went home with three pictures, and Beca insisted one should go up on the fridge. 

The following month was punctuated with more therapy, NA meetings, and the visit to Oregon. Chloe felt more at home in Beca’s apartment with each passing day, though she tried her best to stay out of the way whenever Sarah was over. 

On the day of their departure, Chloe was beyond grateful Beca agreed to come with her, as telling her parents the truth felt incredibly daunting. 

They landed in Portland a little after four that Thursday, renting a car to drive the two hours to Newport, where Chloe’s childhood home was located. As Beca parked the car in her parents’ driveway, Chloe was rooted to her seat with nerves. 

Beca’s hand on her leg snapped her out of it. “Hey.” Chloe turned her head to the left, meeting Beca’s soft eyes. “Breathe. In and out.” 

Nodding, Chloe inhaled deeply through her nose and released the air through her mouth, closing her eyes. She reached for the door handle next and stepped out, swallowing thickly as she let her leaned legs carry her to the front door. She pressed the doorbell and stepped back, instinctively reaching for Beca’s hand. 

Her mom appeared on the other side a handful of seconds later, and she engulfed Chloe into a hug before Chloe could even utter anything. 

“Hi mom,” she croaked out, her eyes fluttering shut as she released Beca’s hand to hug her back tightly, basking into the instant comfort being in her mom’s arms brought her. 

Alice pulled away but kept Chloe at arms’ length, her gaze sweeping over her features. “It’s so good to see you, baby.” Her focus shifted to Beca, and she embraced her next, keeping it a bit shorter. They had met each other before when her parents flew to Atlanta for Chloe’s graduation. “Welcome to our home, Beca.”

“Thanks, Mrs. Beale.” 

Chloe’s mom glared playfully, tutting. “It’s Alice to you. Come on inside.” 

They stepped into the house, a smell Chloe knew well drifting from the kitchen: her dad’s famous lasagna, Chloe’s favorite. 

“Hey Chlobear,” her dad greeted as soon as they rounded the corner, smile bright and eyes sparkling as he sat in his electric wheelchair by the couch. 

Tears pricked behind Chloe’s eyes, and she crossed the distance between them, bending down to hug him. His working arm drifted up to snake around her back. “Hi, Dad,” she whispered, emotions trapping her voice in her throat. “I’m so happy to see you.” 

“Me too, sweetheart,” he murmured, his own voice wavering. “I made your favorite. Well, your mom made your favorite under my supervision, ‘cause she would have messed it up otherwise.” 

“Hey,” Chloe’s mom objected, drawing a chuckle from both Chloe and her dad. 

Chloe straightened, hitching her thumb over her shoulder. “You remember Beca, right?” 

“Of course I do,” Mike confirmed as he made his chair go forward, then extended his hand. “How are you, Beca?” 

“Hello Mr. Beale,” Beca greeted, shaking his head. “It’s nice to see you again.” 

“You, too. And it’s Mike. No Mr. Beale around this house.” 

Beca laughed, nodding. “Got it, Mike.” 

“I hope you guys are hungry, we’ve made enough food to last us until next month,” Mike commented as he moved towards the table. 

After freshening up, she and Beca sat at the table just as Alice pulled the lasagna out from the oven, then grabbed the salad and the wine bottle from the counter. 

“Wine, Beca?” She asked, holding up the bottle. 

“I’m good, thanks, though.” 

Chloe glanced at her. “You can have some if you want.” 

Beca shook her head, smiling softly as she unfolded her napkin and draped it across her lap. “I’m okay, I promise. Water’s fine.” 

Chloe caught her parents sharing a confused look over the exchange, and she cleared her throat, knowing it was probably best to get this over with. “Mom, you should probably sit down.” 

Concern creased a frown on Alice’s forehead as she set the bottle down and lowered herself next to Chloe’s dad. “What’s going on, Chloe?” 

Chloe took a deep breath, and she felt Beca’s hand cover her own under the table. She flipped hers over and wrapped her fingers around Beca’s, grateful for the grounding contact. “I um--” she swallowed, unable to figure out where to start even though she had practiced her speech countless times leading up to their visit. 

Shame and guilt rushed through her, digging their claws into her heart and lungs, making it harder to breathe. 

“Chloe,” her mother’s voice pierced through the buzzing in Chloe’s ears. Chloe looked up from her plate, finding soft eyes. “Whatever it is, you can tell us.”

Chloe closed her eyes and sucked in a sharp breath, forcing herself to own up to her situation by looking at her parents while she spoke. “I have a drug problem. Had. I’m--I’m in recovery. I got out of rehab a couple of months ago.” 

A heavy silence settled over the room as Mike and Alice processed the news. Chloe felt like bolting out of the house as she watched her dad swallow thickly, and her mom’s jaw-dropping. She felt a squeeze to her hand and remembered to breathe. 

“Oh Chloe,” her mom whispered and got up to sit in the vacant chair on the other side of Chloe, taking her other hand as she tilted her head to the side. “How long have you been struggling?” 

Chloe cleared her throat. “About five years. I never-- I never graduated from vet school. I dropped out.” 

Her father frowned, his mouth moving wordlessly for a few beats. “But-- the money you gave us for my treatment every month?” 

“I was a stripper,” Chloe admitted quietly. “That’s how I got introduced to cocaine. How I met Marco. How I... made so much money.” She was hit by an array of emotions -- shame, fear, and somehow, relief -- right then, and a sob burst out from her throat before she could reign it in. “I’m s-sorry I lied to you for so long.” She released Beca’s hand to cover her mouth, her body shaking as she crumbled under the weight of her feelings. 

She didn’t fight it when her mom pulled her into her arms, rubbing her back in slow circles and whispering reassuring words into her ear. “It’s okay, sweetie. Breathe. We love you. No matter what.” 

It took a few minutes for Chloe to be able to get her breathing under control, straightening when she did and taking the tissue Beca offered her. 

“You must have a lot of questions,” she murmured, licking her dry lips. She still had the baby bomb to drop, but one thing at a time. Thankfully she wasn’t showing that much yet, and her large hoodie kept her small bump concealed. 

“Thank you for telling us,” her father murmured, and Chloe saw him wipe a tear away when she looked up. “I can’t imagine how hard that must be, as for deciding to seek help.” 

“I’m sorry I didn’t do it before. I was ashamed and lost and--” she shrugged. “I wasn’t myself.” 

“How are you feeling now?” Her mom asked softly, pushing Chloe’s hair behind her ear. “You said it’s been two months since rehab?” 

Chloe nodded, sniffling. “Ups and downs. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for Beca. She’s the one who encouraged me to get help, who paid for rehab, continued paying for your treatment, and I’ve been staying at her place while I get back on my feet.” 

Both her parents’ focus shifted to Beca, gratitude swirling in their eyes. 

“She’s been incredibly strong and responsible,” Beca said, smiling softly. “Hasn’t missed a therapy session or NA meeting since getting out of rehab.” 

“And this Marco…” her dad trailed off in a questioning tone. 

“He’s out of my life. He wasn’t a good person, but I failed to realize that.” 

“More like he hid it well,” Beca corrected gently. Chloe met her eyes. “Remember what Aubrey and your therapist said about how you didn’t have to blame yourself for that?” 

Chloe nodded. “Right.” 

“Did he… hurt you?” Mike asked next, a tremor in his voice as he seemed to brace himself for the answer. 

“Not physically.” It wasn’t exactly the truth, but Chloe didn’t think that slap was worth mentioning. “Just… emotionally. He knew how to get into my head, and the drugs didn’t help. They have this funny way of having you believe whatever it wants you to. Logic and reason no longer existed for me when I was at my lowest. I was ashamed of lying to you every time we spoke on the phone, but the paranoia over you not wanting to talk to me again if I told you was stronger.” 

She was sure her dad had a lot more questions and probably wondered if his treatment and their financial problems pushed Chloe into taking that job, but he remained silent, clearly mulling everything over. 

“We could tell you looked tired every time we called, but we never…” Alice trailed off, shaking her head as a few tears rolled down her cheeks when she blinked. “I’m so sorry.” 

“No,” Chloe croaked out, having feared this: her parents blaming themselves. Her heart felt incredibly heavy as she sandwiched her mom’s hand between her own, glancing at her dad briefly. “I don’t want you guys to feel guilty and think that you should have noticed. I hid it well, especially the first few years. Then it sort of derailed, that’s why I stopped visiting. Please don’t apologize.” 

“Did you take that job because you felt like you had to help us?” Her dad asked, just as Chloe had predicted. “With my treatment?” 

Chloe took a deep breath. “I took it because NYC was expensive and I was struggling a bit with rent. And when your health worsened, I asked for more shifts to help out.” She didn’t want to get into what she was asked to do for more money. She couldn’t. Her dad would be eaten away by guilt if he knew how much of a toll working in the VIP room took on her. The whole truth would hurt him more than a small lie. “It’s when I started doing drugs that everything fell apart. It’s not on you, dad. I promise.” 

Mike swallowed and ran his hand over his face as he visibly tried to keep a hold on his emotions. “You’re my daughter, you shouldn’t have had to provide for me, or to put yourself first.” 

“Dad, please,” Chloe whispered, feeling her throat shrinking. “I wanted to help. I just… made bad choices and met the wrong people. It’s not your fault.” Her eyes found her dad’s. “Please tell me you believe that?” 

Her father remained silent for a stretch as he stared at her. He eventually offered a faint nod, but Chloe wasn’t sure if he was being honest. 

Her mom reached up to wipe her tears away, sniffling. “What… what can we do to help you through your recovery?” 

“Being part of my support system, like you unknowingly have since I got out of rehab,” Chloe murmured with a small smile. “And dealing with more of my visits,” she added, knowing they would both be all for that.

“You are always welcome to move back here, Chlo. For as long as you want,” she offered. 

“I…” she cleared the rising lump in her throat as she briefly glanced down to her lap. “There’s something else that I need to tell you.” Another deep breath. “I’m four months pregnant. With Marco’s baby. But he’s not going to be involved. I’m going to raise them on my own.” 

There. Everything she was ready to share was out there in the open, and Chloe felt incredibly lighter, despite her heartbeat picking up as her parents once again fell silent. She really couldn’t blame them, after everything she had just dumped on them. 

“I know it’s a lot,” she added, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. “And I know my decision to keep it might come across as strange, but I couldn’t get rid of it, and this baby is giving my life purpose again because I want to be a better person for them.” 

“I think you are incredibly brave,” Alice said after a little while, reaching out to catch a tear falling on Chloe’s cheek with the side of her pointer finger. “And I’m failing to find words to express how proud of you I am.” 

Chloe sniffled, wiping her nose with the back of her hand as her gaze met her dad’s once more. She could tell he needed more time to work through everything, and maybe they could talk about it some more the next day, once he had slept over it. 

“That kid is going to be the most spoiled grandchild of all Newport,” he joked with a soft smile, his words loosening the nerves in Chloe’s stomach.

Chloe released a watery giggle. “I love you guys.” 

“We love you, too, Chlobear,” her dad murmured, and after embracing her mom tightly, Chloe stood up and rounded the table to hug her dad. 

They eventually dug into dinner, the conversation shifting to the baby, whether it was okay, what the risks there were, when was her due date... Her parents offered to turn the office into a nursery if Chloe wanted to move back in with them, to which Chloe answered that she would think about it. She had been concerned about how much the pregnancy and having a newborn baby around would affect Beca’s life and her relationship with Sarah, and this would be another alternative to which Chloe needed to give some serious thought. 

Chloe and Beca headed upstairs shortly after dinner, both feeling exhausted as their mind and body were three hours ahead. After showing Beca to the guest room, Chloe changed into her pajamas and washed up for bed, knocking on Beca’s door on her way back to her own bedroom. 

She pushed it open upon hearing a soft come in, finding Beca lying on top of the comforter, already changed in her sleeping wear. 

“You okay?” She asked, smiling as Chloe sat down on the edge of the mattress. “That went pretty well.” 

“Yeah, I…” she swallowed, shaking her head in leftover awe. “I have amazing parents. I didn’t think they would be so understanding.” 

“Of course they’re amazing. They raised you.” 

Chloe bowed her head as blush bloomed in her cheeks. She cleared her throat. “I think my dad is a bit shaken up and part of him feels to blame, but I’m hoping he and I can talk some more tomorrow.” 

Beca nodded. “Yeah. I think that’s a good idea.” 

Chloe let out a small sigh, and she reached out to squeeze Beca’s hand. “Thanks again for coming here with me.” 

“Not a problem. I’m hoping you’ll show me around the town at some point, take me to your favorite spots.” 

“We can definitely do that tomorrow,” Chloe agreed, her smile genuine. “Goodnight, Bec.” 

“Night Chloe. Night Bean.”

[casually-salad]

at basils house.

[tcm]

The Horror of Christmas By Jessica Pickens

“There'll be scary ghost stories and tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago,” goes the song “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” released in 1963. That Christmas song’s lyric may have left you scratching your head each time you hear it. Written by Edward Pola and George Wyle, the song looks back at old holiday traditions. Ghosts, goblins and creepy murderous tales are strictly relegated to Halloween, right? That’s how it stands today, at least. But in the Victorian era, telling ghost stories was part of the Christmas tradition.

The death and rebirth of a new year during the Winter Solstice seemed like an appropriate time for telling ghost stories. “Whenever five or six English-speaking people meet round a fire on Christmas Eve, they start telling each other ghost stories,” wrote author and humorist Jerome K. Jerome in Told After Supper (1891). “Nothing satisfies us on Christmas Eve but to hear each other tell authentic anecdotes about specters. It is a genial, festive season, and we love to muse upon graves, and dead bodies, and murders, and blood.”

Even while we don’t tell ghost stories today at Christmas, one ghost story is still one of the most beloved Christmas tales, A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. But even when it was published in 1843, it was not the first, or last, paranormal story told about Christmas. While the tradition of sharing Christmas ghost stories died long before the dawn of film, it still found its way onto the screen:

A CHRISTMAS CAROL (’38 and ‘51) 

Ebenezer Scrooge is a bitter and mean old man who has no patience for humanity or happiness. On Christmas Eve, a series of ghosts visit Scrooge and take him on a journey of self-exploration. Scrooge revisits his past, present and future and is warned to change his ways before it’s too late.

Since first appearing in a short film in 1901, A CHRISTMAS CAROL has been retold on film and television numerous times for over 100 years. The story has even been retold by The Muppets and Mickey Mouse for family-friendly audiences. It has also been modernized into various time periods, with Scrooge-like characters portrayed by Bill Murray, Henry Winkler, Cicely Tyson, Matthew McConaughey, Vanessa Williams and Susan Lucci.

But there are still several, more faithful retellings of the Dickens novel, including the 1938 version, starring Reginald Owen, and the 1951 version, starring Alastair Sim as the main character.

Released by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the 1938 version has a lighter and more joyful vibe. Owen’s Scrooge is more of a grump rather than entirely mean-spirited. He is almost immediately remorseful and says he loves Christmas while he’s with the Ghost of Christmas Present. Gene Lockhart plays Bob Cratchit as a cheerful man, despite having to work for a tyrannical boss. The 1951 version, made in England and released by Renown Pictures Corporation, is a darker telling of the Dickens story. Alastair Sim’s Scrooge is more brutish, cruel and dismissive to Bob Cratchit, played by Mervyn Johns. Johns plays Cratchit as a meeker and more browbeaten character.

Regardless of the films’ differences, the message of both versions is the same. The ghosts in A CHRISTMAS CAROL aren’t meant to frighten the audience but to encourage self-reflection. Scrooge isn’t just haunted by Jacob Marley and the three ghosts; memories of his past haunt him — that’s why he’s so bitter.

BEYOND TOMORROW (’40) 

On Christmas Eve, we meet three elderly businessmen: George Melton (Harry Carey), Allan Chadwick (C. Aubrey Smith) and Michael O’Brien (Charles Winninger). The three men live together and are old friends, but they all have very different pasts. George is a man of little faith and is business-focused with a dark past. Distinguished Allan has a military background and lost his only son in World War I. Michael is the most whimsical of the three.

On Christmas Eve, Michael has the idea that they throw three wallets out into the street to see if an honest person returns them. A young man and woman, Jean Lawrence (Jean Parker) and James Houston (Richard Carlson), return the wallets. Neither having a family to go to that night, they join the gentlemen — all becoming fast friends by the end of the night. As Jean and James fall in love, they become close friends with the three men. Tragedy strikes when all three men are killed in a plane crash, leaving money to the couple so they can marry. However, with the new wealth and publicity, James becomes a singing radio star, forgetting about Jean in favor of another woman. The three men's ghosts try to guide James away from the other woman and encourage Jean to fight for her love.

In this story, the past lives of the three men don’t affect them in life, but in death. Carey’s character, George, is sort of like Scrooge. It’s hinted that he has a dark past, which may involve another woman and murder. Also, in his old age, anything but money is foolish to him. In death, George’s friends warn him that all he has to do is feel sorry for his past, but George has no regrets, even if it means going “to the dark place.”

In contrast, the other two characters are rewarded in death. Smith’s character gets to see his son again, who comes to fetch him. His son tells him that heaven is anything he wants it to be. Charles Winninger’s character is reluctant to leave his friends on Earth because he wants to continue to help them. But before leaving for heaven, he is able to. Even in death, the ghosts have to do good deeds not only to help their friends who are still living but to allow them to rest in the great beyond.

While we may not still tell ghost stories around the fire, the holiday season closes another year, allowing us to reflect on past memories. Some memories may be good, and others may haunt us in a way. However, 2020 may haunt us forever.

[the-writers-bookshelf]

Hi Aubrey and readers! Happy Fab Friday! This week I'm writing in with an excerpt from a response to a writing prompt that I've been working on!

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

It took maybe an hour before I saw anyone. Unfortunately, they were a corpse. The man was dressed as a woodsman, with almost laughably primitive work clothes. His face still had a pained expression showing through the dark tangled facial hair. If I had to guess I would say the fabric was hand spun, given the lack of any signs of advanced industry here. A lumberjack’s axe lay propped up against a tree nearby. Looking over the body, it was clear that he had died messily, with wounds that bled enough to leave the ground tinted red and slightly mushy underneath. I checked him anyway. The body was still warm, but no pulse.

I put my helmet back on and had one hand on my rifle while I flipped through the various sensor modes. Nothing was around. Or if it was it had stealth tech better than my armor could track. So, I detached my entrenching tool – basically a bladed shovel that folds up, but everything needs an official name I guess – and I got to work. The armor servos made it light work, and I quickly had a shallow grave dug before me. I did my best to gently lift the man into it. I’m no priest, and I didn’t know him, so I simply said a short prayer under my breath and hoped it would suffice.

Another hour or so of walking, and I finally got to the village. From here, seeing it sitting in the clearing between river and tree line, it looked like something out of a storybook. And like many villages in storybooks where a stranger comes to town (don’t ask me it just seems to be a law of the universe when it comes to storybook towns) it was under attack.

Well, maybe attack was a bit too harsh of a descriptor. There was a group of armed rabble standing in front of a group of what appeared to be townsfolk. They were all humanoid, but with startling variation that I had only really seen spring from the more heavily gene-modded folks, and this world didn’t look like it would have had anything close to even a primitive genetics lab. The armed folks were a mix of stock humans, burly green and grey humanoids, and a few scattered scaled humanoids. The townsfolk were a more diverse mix, but still predominately human. Or stock human. Normal looking is what I’m getting at. I used the built-in scope of my rifle to observe more closely, and without the choking noise of a warzone, my armor’s autosenses were able to pick up the conversation as though it were happening a room over.

“Now now, you guys know the drill. Hand over the money, and we’ll leave in peace.” said the lead bandit, a sneer in his voice.

And older man looked distressed and pleaded. “We already paid this month’s fee and we can’t afford more!”

“Nonsense, you get all those rich caravanners coming through here. You think I’ll swallow this swill about being dirt poor?” the bandit said, contempt dripping from his voice.

“The Baron of Skystead rode here not a week ago to demand we pay taxes to him! We gave what we could, and we have nothing to spare now!” the old man sounded nearly hysterical.

Alright, that was enough of that.

I sighted the lead bandit in my scope, adjusted a couple settings, and squeezed the trigger. The pulse rifle’s emitter glowed with heat for a second, and a whip-crack sounded as the coherent beam of light heated the air around it. The multi-phase lance struck true, faster than any of the bandits could react, and the leader’s chest suddenly looked like a combination of a grilled hunk of steak and what happens when you microwave a ripe fruit for too long. The crude hide armor had burned off, ablated by the millisecond-staggered pulses of violent light before flesh charred and burned. He died instantly, only a faint gurgle escaping his throat.

The rest of the bandits reacted, drawing blades, cudgels and bringing spearheads down. I sprinted downhill. I sighted in again, armor servos stabilizing my arms, and fired, causing the bandit who first moved to accost the townsfolk, one of the greenskinned bandits, to die in a similar fashion to the leader. This put some hesitancy in them, and from the glimpses I took it seemed like some of the civilians fled.

Even with the assistance of my armor, it took more time than I would have preferred to actually get close to the town and the bandits. A few more potshots scored a couple more kills, until they began to flee. At this point I was close enough that they could hear me, and so with amplification of my voice through my helmet I shouted at them “Don’t come back unless you want more you bastards!”

submitted by @aurelianpen

I'm ready to read 500 pages of this in one setting!!! The writing!!! The tension!!! The dialogue!!!! The action!!! *chef's kiss*!!!! FANTASTIC job!!!!!

[kaileeandag]

American Girl: Where Are They Now?

I wonder “What did the historical characters do when they grew up?” So,here’s what I think.

Kaya: becomes a famous warrior after inheriting the name Swan Circling. Contracts Yellow Fever in 1804 and passes away soon after, at the age of 50.

Felicity Merriman: becomes owner of her father’s shop when she was 20. Marries Benjamin Davidson at the age of 18, once the war is over. Passes away peacefully in her sleep in 1854, at the age of 89. Via adoption, her descendant is comedian Tommy Davidson.

Elizabeth Cole: becomes a schoolteacher. Is arrested in 1795 and executed for treason in 1796 at the age of 31.

Caroline Abbott: at the age of 25, becomes a ship captain. Passes away in childbirth five years later, leaving her daughter to be raised by her father.

Josefina Montoya: opens her own imports store in 1855 with the help of her nephews. Never has children and never marries, passing away in her sleep in 1900 at the age of 85.

Kirsten Larson: thanks to her teacher Miss Winston, chooses to become a teacher. Later becomes an advocate for better travel conditions for immigrants in honor of her friend Marta. Passes away at the age of 99 in 1943 surrounded by her family.

Cecile Rey: becomes a nurse along with Marie Grace. Passes away in 1930 at the age of 75 due to complications from Pneumonia.

Marie Grace Gardener: works as a nurse along with Cecile. Contracts Yellow Fever in 1872, but survives. Passes away in 1935 at the age of 90 due to Alzheimer’s Disease.

Addy Walker: becomes a schoolteacher. She never has children, but sees her nieces and nephews, as well as her students, as her children. Writes a book called Running In The Night, publishing it in 1917. Passes away in her sleep at the age of 93 in 1948.

Samantha Parkington: thanks to her aunt Cornelia’s influence, she becomes a suffragist. Votes for the first time in the 1924 Presidential election. Also becomes an advocate for open adoption sometime in the 1960s. Marries her rival Eddie Ryland in 1918, with whom she has two daughters, Deborah in 1931 and Sarah in 1941. Passes away at the age of 88 in 1983. 

Nellie O’Malley: speaks out against child labor and advocates for safer work conditions after her adoptive parents Cornelia and Gardner approve of the idea. Is the only one of her siblings to make it to old age, after Jenny passes away in 1930 due to Breast Cancer and Bridget is killed in a car accident in 1920, although her niece survives the accident, and William passes away in 1945 after a sudden heart attack. Appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart in 2000 to discuss her cousin/adoptive sister Samantha’s legacy. Passes away at the age of 105 on September 11, 2001, hours prior to the attacks on the World Trade Center. Nellie’s son Joshua passed away in 1977 at the age of 50 due to Lung Cancer, while her daughter Jennifer (born in 1930) is still living at the age of 90.

Rebecca Rubin: becomes a famous actress, making her speaking debut in the 1933 adaptation of King Kong. Her final on-screen appearance is in the 1997 Kirsten Dunst and Britney Murphy film The Devil’s Arithmetic, playing a Holocaust survivor. Marries classmate Otto Geller and has one child with him, son David in 1931. David becomes an actor himself in the early 1960s, his career spanning 55 years prior to his passing in 2015. Passes away in October 2002 at the age of 97. Considered one of the most prominent Jewish-American actresses of all time.

Kit Kittredge: becomes a reporter in the late 1940s, with her first major article being about Joseph McCarthy’s attempt to purge Communism from the country. She criticizes McCarthy in the article, feeling he is fear mongering. Marries Will Shepherd in 1945 when he returns from combat after the end of World War II. After struggling to have children for close to fourteen years, they adopt twin children Justin and Augusta in 1961. Will and Kit become grandparents when their daughter gives birth to a daughter named Amelia in 1990 and when Justin’s son Skylar and daughter Olivia are born in 1992. Retires from journalism in 2010, but comes out of retirement temporarily following the Ferguson Missouri protests in 2014. Passes away at the age of 94 in 2017.

Will Shepherd: manages to make enough money so that he can bring his family to Cincinnati. Is drafted into the Army following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. He promises to marry a now adult Kit if he returns home safely, a promise he ends up keeping. Upon his return, he attends college, graduating with his degree in History in 1950. Works as a high school History teacher until his retirement in the early 1990s. When he becomes a grandfather, he dotes on his grandchildren, always taking them to the movies when he is able to do so. Passes away on January 4th, 2019, at the age of 103.

Ruthie Smithens: becomes a nurse, being sent overseas to help injured Allied soldiers during the last year of World War II. Marries Stirling Howard prior to him being shipped off to war, having his daughter Heather in 1943 when he is away. Is diagnosed with Breast Cancer in 1978, but survives. Eventually, she passes away in 1995 at the age of 72 due to a lung fungus called Aspergillosis.

Nanea Mitchell: becomes an advocate for the rights of Japanese-Americans following the end of World War II. Marries her friend Lily Suda’s older brother Gene in 1952 and has twin children Thomas and Sarah with him in 1965. Later becomes a Hawaii state senator in 1980, despite her opponent’s efforts to discredit her because of a meeting she had with former Emperor Showa (Hirohito) to discuss peace between America and Japan. Becomes very popular in Japan due to her advocacy for the rights of Japanese-Americans, becoming an honorary citizen of Tokyo in the late 1980s. Meets with double atomic bomb survivor Tsutomu Yamaguchi in 2006. Passes away three days after her 88th birthday, on April 14th, 2020, due to natural causes.

Molly McIntire: becomes a lawyer in 1950. Becomes known in the Chicago area after being asked to defend John Wayne Gacy during his trial. Is shot into the national spotlight after Ron Goldman’s family hires her to work for them during the OJ Simpson trial. Marries Howie Munson in 1950, their marriage lasting for 16 years prior to their divorce in 1966. Molly and Howie move to England in 1963 and after the divorce, Howie moves back to the States, leaving Molly to raise their 2 year old son Austin. Becomes a grandmother when Austin’s wife gives birth to a daughter named Taylor in 1992 and son Richard in 1993. Molly moves back to Illinois in 1976 with a now 11 year old Austin, settling in Chicago. Becomes a United States Senator in 1996 and votes for senator Barack Obama in the 2008 and the 2012 presidential elections.

Emily Bennett: upon her finishing secondary school, attended college in order to become a teacher. Gives birth to a son named Albion on July 4th, 1964, the same day that Molly gives birth to her son Austin. Emily raises Albion as a single mother due to the father abandoning her shortly after her son’s birth. Moves to Chicago in 1983, reuniting with Molly after she moved back to the States. Publishes a series of children’s books about her friendship with Molly starting in 1988. Her grandson Alastair is born on September 14th, 1992. She publishes an autobiography in 2017, appearing on The Daily Show with Trevor Noah to promote it. Alastair drew the cover of the book, which depicts Molly and Emily as children sitting under an oak tree.

Maryellen Larkin: marries classmate Davy Fenstermacher in 1963 following her high school graduation. Her motive is believed to be that she doesn’t want Davy to fight in Vietnam, so she chose to marry him so he wouldn’t be drafted. Their son Thomas is born in 1965 and when Thomas is in 5th grade, Maryellen goes to college in order to get her degree. She becomes a special education teacher, working for 31 years prior to her retirement in 2011. Her choice to allow her students to take part in mainstream classes such as choir confuses her co-workers. However, this becomes the norm following the passing of the Americans With Disabilities Act in 1990. Her granddaughter Vanessa is born in July 1992 and due to her being her only grandchild, she spoils her rotten.

Melody Ellison: attends medical school, earning her medical license in 1983 at the age of 29. Gives birth to her only child Donna Summer Ellison on January 15th, 1992, on what would have been Martin Luther King Jr.’s 63rd birthday. Her daughter was conceived via In-Vitro Fertilization. Adores her only child and her various nieces and nephews. Is going to retire as a doctor in 2022, at the age of 68.

Julie Albright: wants to become a basketball player, but she is unable to due to the WNBA not existing until 1996. Becomes a professional wrestler in 1987 at the age of 21. She marries classmate T.J. Jefferson in 1989, during the few months she had off. Retires temporarily in April 1992 following the birth of her twin children Rachel Tracy Joyce and Damien Thomas Daniel. Her daughter’s middle names come from her aunt Tracy and maternal grandmother Joyce Albright, while Damian’s middle names come from his father and maternal grandfather Daniel Albright. Returns to pro wrestling in 1995, working with World Championship Wrestling (WCW) until its closure in 2001, retiring permanently soon after. When she was away wrestling, her children would stay with her sister Tracy, Tracy’s husband Mike Stenger, and Julie’s nephew Jonah (born 1988) and niece Aubrey (born 1992.) Becomes an advocate for the rights of LGBT individuals after her son Damian comes out as gay in his Junior year of high school and her nephew Jonah comes out in 2006, during his Senior year of high school.

Ivy Ling: works as a special education teacher until 2003, when she becomes a stand up comedian. She says that her primary influence for pursuing a career in stand up was Margaret Cho. Her daughter Julie was born in November 1991 and was named after her best friend Julie. Her daughter even inherited the nickname ‘Alley Oop’ from her honorary aunt.

Let me know what you guys think! This is just what I think happened.

[museswithinx]

"/At least/ half," Connor agreed. He loved Haley. With his whole heart, he loved her, but he wasn't about to make a spectacle of them. Laughing as she jokes about that very thought, he replies, "if I ever do, you will know something is wrong with me, so seek immediate help." He got the whole being upset about things not working out, but Tristan was family and Connor didn't like how careful he had to be about his own happiness just because Ulrik wasn't it for Marlene. "In a rare moment, everybody wins. I'll toast to that."

“A solid 75% at least,” she adjust with a smirk. Aubrey must have soaked up the romance gene because Haley really did not get it. Connor had always been her person, the person she loved most, but that didn’t mean she was going to make an idiot of herself or turn all mushy over it. The transition from best friends to lovers had been so easy because not much had changed from their norm. They were just more closely bonded (a thing she did not even think was possible) and intimate now. 

Laughing at his retort, she says, “That is a disturbing thought and I can’t even visualize you like that. But Ulrik did just serenade the local therapist into sticking around this circus, so you’d be all covered. Worst case scenario, I could just have your little cousin come tinker with some wiring in your head and that’ll be that.” She smirks before growing more serious. In truth it was a relief everything was getting resolved. That whole thing had been messy as hell and she made a mental note to check in with Locklyn about it soon. “I will also toast to that.” Reaching for the cheap beer she’d bought, she lifts it toward him. “To this messy ass love quadrangle hopefully dying.”

[pauvre-lola]

get to know me meme

tagged by @hawkepockets thank chu <3

1. NAME: lola

2. BIRTHDAY: march 15

3. SUN SIGN: pisces

4. HEIGHT: ???? around 1m60 ???? I think ???

5. HOBBIES/INTERESTS: vidya gnomes, drawing, music, litterature, cinema ( esp. peplum from the 50/60/70s and musical sigh gene kelly’s tights.... im thinking about them..........)  arts and cooking lmao god im so boring !!!!!!!!!

6. FAVORITE COLOR: pink and yellow

7. FAVORITE BOOKS: on empêche pas un petit coeur d’aimer by claire castillon, antigone by anouilh, and le mal court by audiberti !oh i had to read the last one some years ago when I was studying litchacha and i was shooketh i spend all of my year thinking about it and simping for princess Alarica every single minutes of my miserable student life. Also Audiberti is a really interesting french author and if you’re a nerd like me I recommand him 10/10 oh anything by petrarch too but that’s because he was a fucking loser and i like to make fun of him ( man really went like I Am A Role Model In Love................. never got laid and the woman he loved left him on read................. bisous champion mdr )

8. LAST SONG: instant cytron - la marcia dei bambini

9. LAST FILM/SHOW: oh i finally watched La La Land and !!!! I mean I liked it and I cried a little bit at the end lol but that was so ??? basic ??? Maybe my expectations were Too High ??? wait no i realize i just have problem with movies that play the “tribute to another movies ahah i love cinema :) ”  card or whatever bc honey thats not a tribute its being a little snob and I AM CACKLING bc most of the time whos behind that type of movies ??? a sad little old man im getting angry !!!

10. INSPIRATION: Marjorie Miller, Aubrey Beardsley, Arthur Rackham, Mary Blair, Eyvind Earle

11. STORY BEHIND THE URL: it’s a song by serge gainsbourg because i was Obsessed by his music when I was younger and I didnt know better sad i know !!! But I grew attached to it and I cannot dissociate myself from this stupid song + it has lola in it

TAGGING: @wonderlandcrows @tk-duveraun @kissingagrumpygiant @shrimpnest @eledhrim if ya want smek smek

[flystrue]

⌠ aubrey joseph. cismale. he/him. ⌡❝ — well, look who’s just arrived ! if it isn’t the one and only eugene lane. though, around here they’re known as the obsequious. don’t tell ‘em i said this but the twenty two year old mechanic kinda has a reputation of being self - critical and acquiescent. but y’know, they can be magnanimous and conscientious too. typical aries. anyways, welcome home and stay safe gene ! ❞ 

let’s  rock  &  roll  buckerOOS  here  is  a  v  long  intro  bc  i  got  rlly  !  excited  !  abt  this  rp !  i’m  nae  (  twenty  ,  she /her  ,  acst  /  from  good  ol’  australia !  )  and  i’ll  be  playing  eugene  lane  ,  whom  you  can  learn  more  abt  below  !

𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐬.

full  name  :  eugene  anthony  lane .  

nickname  /  alias  :  gene . 

age  :  twenty  two .  

gender  /  pronouns  :  cismale  ,  he /  him .  

sexual  /  romantic  orientation  :  bisexual  /  biromantic .

hometown  :  born   &   raised  in  misty  hollow  ,  connecticut  ,  babey  !

occupation  :  mechanic .

could  be  compared  to  :  grizz  visser  from  the  society  ,  monty  green  from  the  100  ,  rio  from  money  heist .

𝐛𝐢𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐲.

eugene  lane  :  you’re  born  in  a  run - down  trailer  ,  broken  blinds   &   shattered  kitchenware .  born  to  two  parents  ,  one  of  which  is  nothing  but  an  absent shadow  in  your  life  ,  and  another  who  carries  an  edge  like  knives   ━   you’re  born  on  the  wrong  side  of  the  tracks  ,  but  you’re  not  born  there  alone .  you’re  sister  is  born  several  minutes  before  you  ,  and  she  will  stand  steadfast  by  your  side  throughout  every  up  and  down  ,  she  will  always  be  there  to  be  your  pillar  of  strength  ,  and  that  is  more  than  enough  love  to  survive  on   ━   you  are  brought  up  rough  ,  and  not  just  in  that  busted  up  trailer  park   :   you  blend  into  the  back  of  classrooms  to  avoid  all  the  sneers   &  pestering  ,  but  teachers  see  you  ,  they  remember  who  you  are  .  they  say  you’ve  got  a  decent  brain  in  that  head  of  yours  ,  something  valuable  ,  something  to  be  harnessed  into  greatness .  they  say  all  your  opportunities  are  waiting  for  you  just  around  the  bend   ━   it’s  a  nice  dream  ,  although  you  fail  to  see  your  own  potential .  for  now  ,  you  have  your  gadgets   &   odd  science  experiments  ,  selling  exam  answers  &  reports  to  students  under  the  bleachers  promising  A’s  ,  and  that’s  enough .  

the  household  is  a  tense  one  ,  and  your  mom   &   sister  fight  A  LOT   :   your  mom  is  intolerable  and  cruel  ,  and  your  sister  is  a  spitfire  that  is  easily  ignited   &  not  easily  extinguished   ━   you  do  your  best  to  keep  out  of  your  mother’s  vengeful  path  ,  even  if  it  means  looking  away  when  your  sister  needs  you  most  ,  even  if  it  means  cowering .   you  are  not  a  fighter  ,  you  do  not  raise  your  fists  or  your  tone  :  you  prefer  the  road  less  bound  for  conflict  ,  to  speak  softer  &  use  gentler  palms .  your  father  ,  when  he’s  around  ,  has  said  this  is  weakness  :  too  passive  ,  too  eager  ,  but  gene  can’t  see  a  fault  in  being  kinder  than  most .  

highschool  graduation  is  a  sigh  of  relief  ,  no  longer  hassled  &  tormented  by  peers  that  you  tried  and  tried  to  gain  respect  from .  BUT  NOW  WHAT ?  you  are  at  the  very  bottom  of  the  food - chain  ,  and  you  have  been  brought  up  with  nothing  but  the  tendency  to  only  see  your  faults   ━   somehow  ,  you’re  offered  apprenticeship  at  a  local  automobile  mechanic  in  exchange  for  free  labor   ━   not  ideal  when  you’re  seeking  to  pull  your  own  weight  in  that  new  apartment  with  your  sister  that  neither  can  really  afford .  but  you  make  it  work  ,  you  take  up  odd  jobs  wherever  you  can  find  them   :   drip  ‘n  dry  laundromat  ,  the  hollow  diner  ,  even  your  very  own  from  home  computer  repair  business  that  never  really  takes  off  ,  but  it  pulls  enough  to  get  by  until  you  can  navigate  your  way  under  a  hood  ,  enough  to  say   :   THIS  IS  ALL  ME  ,  eugene  lane  did  this  !    and  that  is  enough .  

𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐲  &  𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬 .  

first  and  foremost  ....  he  Baby   .....  GOD  he  really  does  have  a  big  heart  !!!!  cares  abt  people  a  HECK  ton  !!!  everything  he  does  is  for  his  sister  +  those  he  loves  /  befriends  !!!

v  self  critical  of  himself  tho  like  ...  he’s  constantly  doubting  himself  and  his  ability's  even  though  !!!!  he’s  v  smart  !!!  if  u  ever  need  help  with  anything  techy  ,  he’s  ur  man  !

loves  his  job  ...  sm  ...   he  fuckin  LOVES  tinkering  with  stuff .  although  he’s  really  only  been  an  official  automobile  mechanic  for  abt  a  year  or  so  ??  will  flip  out  over  cars  tho  ..  he’ll  ramble  ALL  DAY  abt  his  opinions  on  different  manufacturers .   

he  gives  off  grandpa  vibes  ...  he  hardly  curses   &   he’s  in  bed  by  9 ...  yes  he  watches  soap  operas  in  his  spare  time  ,  and  what  abt  it .

will  Never  snap  back  at  anyone  EVER .  he  will  100 %  always  back  down  from  confrontation .  the  only  time  he  has  ever  stepped  !  tf  !  up  !  was  when  he  was  in  his  late  teens   &   he  ...  lost  oop .  he  got  rlly  badly  injured  (  permanent  hearing  loss  in  his  right  ear .  ) 

strangely  tho  ??  he  is  weirdly  CALM  abt  all  this  murder  stuff .  he’ll  be  like  ‘  yeah  that’s  kinda  Freaky  ,  huh  ’  but  then  5  mins  later  he’ll  be  out  Walkin’  down  dark  alley’s  or  taking  in  hitch -  hikers  : /

but  he’s  also  this  vine  when  it  comes  to  anything  Creepy

𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐬 .

gonna  get  my  homies  mood  rings  so  i  know  when  they  need  a  hug  :  bad  boys  bad  boys  .. .  whatcha  gonna’  do  .. .  whatcha  gonna  do  when  they  come  4  u .... i  want  a  BROTP  for  him  !!  YESTERDAY  !!  bonus  points  if  it’s  like  a  dumb  boy  band  squa d  

u  was  my  fuckin’  cinnamon  apple  :  ok  i’m  kinda’  picturing  that  ....  on  /  off  type  relationship  ??  they  are  constantly  a  are  they  /  aren’t  they  situation  bc  one  second  they’re  all  over  each  other  and  the  next  they  refuse  2  speak  to  each  other .

a  strictly  platonic  gal  pal  :  just  a  gal  that  he  is  genuinely  friends  with  ?? not  to  get  my  nerdy  pants  on  but  .....  hermione  granger  /  harry  potter  type  deal  ?? pls  he  needs  it  ...  I NEED IT

break  his  heart  i  dare  u   :   he’s  such  a  sentimentalist  that  he  grows  attached  to  ppl  v  quickly  so  mayb  it  was  first  just  a  fling ??  or  mayb  a  highschool  crush  gone  wrong ?? maybe  he’s  CURRENTLY  crushing  on  them  and  they’re  gonna’  try  and  let  him  down  easy  BUT

a  GIRLFRIEND  /  BOYFRIEND ??  :  just  gonna  throw  it  out  there  ...  bc  who  knows  !  he’d  be  a  good  boyfriend  ...  he  would  open  doors  4  u   &   giv  u  .....  all  his  undevoted  love  and  undivided  attention  ALWAYS .  

a  bad  influence  :  gene  is  a  goody  goody  ,  so  this  person  would  probably  be  pushin  him  outside  his  comfort  zone ??  ━  maybe  they’ve  manipulated  him  in  a  way ??  got  him  to  do  their  bidding  ??  or  mayb  he’s  just  followin  them  around  &  tryin’  to  keep  up  w /  their  shenanigans ?? 

let’s  tell  each  other  secrets  ,  ill  go  first ...  i  Hat e  u  :  kinda  picturing  someone  he  clashed  with  in  highschool  ??  but  mayb  even  someone  who  just  gives  him  a  hard  time OR  MAYB  the  person  he  fought  with  that  last  tim e ??

and  literally  anything  else  !!  pls  plot  with  me ... i  lo v  e u