#now my biggest question is whether or not mary will stay plus-sized

[yakkolicious]

THEY ARE GOING IN ORDER WITH GOLDEN OLDIES, CHECK OUT MINDY!!!

[birdiethebibliophile]

{fic} All They Were And Something More

Fandom:  The Adventure Zone:  Commitment Rating:  G Warnings:  ABSOLUTELY NONE, this fic is nothing but fluff!!! Word Count:  1,368

Here on AO3.

For @halleluland​. The promised movie night fic. The pure fluff I said would come sooner or later.

Technically takes place in the universe of That Old Sweet Feeling, but can be read on its own - you just won’t understand some, um, inside jokes.

Title from The Beautiful Not Yet by Carrie Newcomber.

Summary:    Every Thursday night, the Wonder Triplets plus Mary get together for a movie night. It goes the same way every time.

__________________

The first one to movie night was always Irene, of course, whether she was hosting or not. She had keys to all their apartments, so she’d walk on in, immediately vacuum the living room, and start setting out any snacks she’d brought. Nadiya and Mary Sage would get there next, bearing hot chocolate fixings and the fluffiest blankets they owned. The last to arrive was always Remy, who would appear at the door clutching the chosen DVD and a sheepish grin.

They would spend half an hour squabbling over places on the couches and/or chairs, and inevitably end up all squashed together on one couch, Mary Sage half in Nadiya’s lap, Remy perched on an arm because he couldn’t sit still, and Irene with her legs cross-legged under her in a way that seemed to take up way too much space for someone as small as she was. Nadiya would criticize any scientific impossibility, Mary Sage would loudly complain about the lack of explosions, and Remy would cry at the sad bits. It would end with them saying they should head home until they all fell asleep one by one, using the others for armrests and pillows and blankets. The next morning, Irene would make blueberry pancakes and Nadiya would make the coffee and Mary Sage would scramble the eggs and Remy would wash the dishes afterwards.

It was a routine Nadiya loved beyond reason or logic, and she hoped it would continue every Thursday night from now until eternity.

“Nadiya, here’s yours,” Remy said, handing Nadiya her mug of hot chocolate with marshmallow fluff and caramel drizzled on top. “Irene.” Irene liked hers with chocolate syrup and peppermint. “Here, Mary –” Hers was topped with what looked like half a can of whipped cream. Remy finally settled down on the couch, squeezed in between Mary Sage and Nadiya. His cup was overflowing with mini marshmallows. “Okay, captions on? Sliders stacked? Sewer granola within easy reach?”

“That was one time, Remy, we were on the run, and they were Power Bars, not granola bars –”

“Yep, we’re all good!” Remy said cheerily, derailing Nadiya’s rant before it could go too far. Irene, always in charge of the controller, started the movie.

“Is there kissing in this one?” Mary Sage asked. “I don’t like kissing.”

“Liar,” Nadiya said.

Mary Sage scowled. She had whipped cream on her nose already. “In movies!”

“Yeah, there’s kissing, but it’s not a kissing movie,” Remy said, already bounced up to the back of the couch and perched there with his legs dangling towards the cushions. “I knew better than to bring one after Titanic.” Nadiya remembered that movie night clearly – it had resulted in all four of them agreeing on how good-looking Kate Winslet was and disagreeing, loudly, on whether there really had been room on the door for Jack. (Kardala made an appearance to decisively say that there was absolutely not. They tried to shout her down, but shouting down a thunder goddess was an exercise in futility.)

“Ugh, fine,” Mary Sage said. “I get to pick next week, though.”

“You always pick Die Hard ,” Remy protested. “Or a Veggie Tales movie.”

“Not always,” Mary Sage said. “One time I picked Die Hard 2.  At least I don’t pick Flubber every time.”

“Wasn’t every time. It was just the first five,” Remy said.

“We still haven’t gotten around to watching my favorite movie,” Nadiya put in.

“The Fly is horror, Nad!” Remy said, nudging her with one Spongebob-socked foot. “No horror except for on Halloween. That’s my rule.”

“It’s barely horror! It’s a classic!” Nadiya said. “Plus, Jeff Goldblum and Geena Davis, come on –”

“Three things,” Irene said in her small voice. “One, we also haven’t watched The Royal Tenebaums,  which is my favorite movie, if you’ll remember. I haven’t been able to find a copy on DVD. Second, we’re missing the intro.” (“As if we ever don’t,” Nadiya mumbled.) “And third,” Irene continued, standing up from the couch and nearly doubling in size, her voice dropping an octave and a half, “I want popcorn,” Kardala finished. “Did anyone bring any?”

“We have some in the cabinets,” Nadiya said. “The ones above the microwave.”

Kardala headed into the kitchen. They heard the cabinets open and close, the popping of popcorn, and twelve minutes later, Kardala returned with what appeared to be five bags of popcorn, all poured into the biggest mixing bowl Nadiya and Mary Sage owned.

“Thank you, Nadiya Jones!” Kardala said loudly. She sat down on the couch, effectively taking up ninety percent of the cushion space and nearly toppling Remy, who steadied his hot chocolate and himself with a yelp.

“What, you think we’re gonna host movie night and not have popcorn for you?” Mary Sage said with a grin, and Kardala smiled back and held up her bowl so Mary Sage could set her mug on the coffee table and fling herself across both Nadiya’s and Kardala’s laps. Kardala, unperturbed, set her bowl back down on Mary Sage’s stomach.

“They’re as sacred to movie night as sliders and hot chocolate,” Remy said. “Maybe more so.”

“But not as sacred as the sewer granola?” Mary Sage said slyly.

“For the LAST TIME, MARY –” Nadiya started, even as Mary Sage burst into laughter. Nadiya couldn’t help laughing along with her. Mary Sage just had that kind of laugh.

“It’s good granola,” Kardala said, though it was unclear whether she was defending Nadiya or Irene. “Irene’s mothers taught her the recipe.”

“No thanks, Irene’s kind has unshelled pistachios in it,” Nadiya said. “Ick.”

“No, that’s her pgorp,” Kardala said, eating a handful of popcorn that could easily have comprised an entire bag. “Her granola is much better. It has chocolate chips. The mini kind.” Suddenly, Kardala got a mischievous twinkle in her eye. “Sometimes Irene eats it for breakfast.”

“Hell yeah, chocolate for breakfast!” Remy said. He high fived Mary Sage in Kardala’s place, since Kardala’s hands were full of popcorn.

Nadiya finished her hot chocolate, set the mug down, and pulled one of the fluffy blankets up and wrapped it around her shoulders. Mary Sage promptly sat up, nearly knocking the popcorn bowl from Kardala’s hands in the process, positioned herself squarely in Nadiya’s lap, and wrapped herself in both the blanket and her girlfriend’s arms. “No blanket without me,” she mumbled, rubbing the soft edge across her mouth.

“You’re a holy terror,” Nadiya said, half-squished under a rather heavy double armful of Mary Sage. “I’m dating a holy terror. A wild child. An enfant terrible , if you will.”

“Mmhmm,” Mary Sage agreed, making herself comfortable on top of Nadiya. “Comfy girlfriend.”

Remy made a gagging noise from above them. “PDA alert, girlfriends too cute, call the cute lesbian cops!”

“There are no cute lesbian cops,” Mary Sage responded immediately. “Only cute lesbian communists.”

“Are you a communist?” Remy asked curiously.

“Probably,” Mary Sage said. “Statistically speaking.” Then, before he or Nadiya could incredulously question her about what statistics, exactly, she was referring to, she added, “Also, if cute lesbians aren’t allowed, Irene’s gotta leave, so tough beans.”

Kardala beamed. “Irene says to thank you for the compliment,” she says.

“She’s welcome,” Mary Sage said. “Kardala can stay, though.”

“Am I not cute?” Kardala asked.

Mary Sage turned and squinted at her, then leaned back and tilted her head. Kardala was wearing Irene’s favorite Hello Kitty pajamas, and, as always, looked vaguely like she’d just stuck her finger in an electrical socket. “Sure,” Mary Sage said finally. “But are you a lesbian?”

“Probably,” Kardala said agreeably, and went back to her popcorn.

Predictable , Nadiya thought, rubbing her hand through Mary Sage’s curly hair. Routine, she thought as the kissing scene came up on the screen and Mary Sage made retching noises and Remy kicked her and Kardala threatened to throw them both across the room. Ordinary, she thought as Remy dozed off like a cat spread over the top of the couch, and Kardala shrunk back into Irene as her eyes started to droop, and Mary Sage began snoring loudly from Nadiya’s lap, where her legs had fallen asleep.

Nadiya couldn’t remember ever being happier.

[dustinwootenne]

Does Dallas Have What it Takes to Be One the World’s Top Tech Hubs?

Ask most people what comes to mind when they think of Dallas, and they’ll probably say football, steaks, and JR Ewing. But lately the answer has been a little different: “Disruption.”

You wouldn’t think Dallas, a city deeply rooted in tradition, is becoming synonymous with creating new markets and upending old ways of doing things. But sure enough, that’s exactly what’s happening.

The city’s pro-business environment, talented workforce, affordable real estate, and lack of state income taxes have always made it a magnet for traditional businesses like energy and finance. Other industries often felt it wasn’t worth their time to try and infiltrate what was seen as an Old Boys’ Club — but that antiquated perception has changed.

Here’s a look at why that is, plus explanations from some of the top CEOs and entrepreneurs in the city about the ongoing transformation.

Disruption in Dallas: A look at the numbers

“The Big D” as many call it is usually absent from discussions on which city will be the next Silicon Valley, but perhaps it doesn’t need to talk that talk. It has quietly put itself on the forefront of technology, now ranking as one of America’s fastest growing tech centers.

Dallas is business wealthy, ranking second in metro job creation (behind only New York). Historically that was because of the aforementioned traditional industries like oil, cotton, and cattle. But now, Dallas now has the 7th highest concentration of tech jobs in the country; in fact, it’s one of just four cities that have regional U.S. patent and trademark offices, a nod to the number of patents produced there.

Today Dallas is home to several world-renowned universities, 22 companies on the Fortune 500, 4 major sports franchises, and one of the biggest and busiest airports in the world. Amazon is even famously considering it to be home of its new HQ2, or second headquarters.

Other tech companies, too, are digging in — companies like Facebook and Salesforce.

“We see Dallas as a strategic location,” says Marie Rosecrans, senior vice president of small and medium-sized business at Salesforce. “Its growing reputation as a tech hub, combined with pro-business platform and even its geographic location make it a great place for any small business looking to grow.”

To that end, Salesforce is bringing its popular Business Growth conference to Dallas on March 22; anyone curious about using technology to connect systems and serve customers can attend for free.

Dallas as Start-Up Central

But it’s not just about the well established enterprises. Dallas is also home to a burgeoning field of startups and fast-growing businesses.

One exciting development: Austin-based accelerator Capital Factory recently joined forces with the Dallas Entrepreneur Center (DEC) to grow Texas’s startup and investor profile.

The DEC’s Trey Bowles believes Dallas’s underrated tech community has a lot to offer.

“Dallas is extremely startup friendly,” he says. “If you think about larger markets like Silicon Valley or New York, there are often a lot of closed doors and hurdles you can’t overcome unless you have major connections — but in Dallas, truly anyone can start a business.”

One new founder is former NFL standout Darren Woodson. Woodson, who gave every snap in his career to the Cowboys, grew up in Arizona, but chose to stay in Dallas when he left the NFL.

“Dallas gave me an incredible football career, and now I try to give back to the city in my second career as an investor,” Woodson says.

Woodson concentrates on investing in new companies and startups that give a boost to the local economy. Today Woodson is the founder and CEO of CounterFind, a company that sells patented software that recognizes and eliminates counterfeit merchandise online.

“This software idea came up, and it seemed like a no-brainer. Several people asked whether or not Dallas was the right place to build this business, but to me there was no question. Dallas had the brains, the drive, the expertise.”

OK, but do you have to have to have name recognition to start a business here? “Not at all,” says Clarisa Lindenmeyer, Head of Strategy at Launch DFW.

“Dallas has really diversified over the past decade in terms of workforce and industry. Now that we’ve grown into something of a tech hub, people have seen the benefits of taking chances. Anyone can have access.”

Today technology companies abound in Dallas. Consider travel logistics maven MUV, which began in Dallas to disrupt ground transportation and logistics. CEO Mark Shrayber says Dallas was an easy choice.

“At a basic level, the mid-continent location puts us close to all of our customers, which is vital. Beyond that, all the Fortune 500 companies here in Dallas bring both an incredible workforce and a vibrant community.”

Traditional to transformative

Lance Auburg, a 4th generation Texan, has been witness to the transformation of Dallas and the entire state. Auburg’s family has been influential in the agricultural sector for generations, but recently Auburg has seen the opportunities presented by the influx of tech. It’s a new line of thinking that has transformed even the oldest of industries here.

“What we’re seeing today is a marriage of technology with the industries Dallas is known for, like energy and agriculture. While the innovations in those sectors are phenomenal, it’s especially exciting to see how entrepreneurs of all stripes are collaborating across Texas. There have been a lot of ups-and-downs in the Texas economy over the years, but I’ve never been more excited about the future of Dallas and Texas as a whole.”

The post Does Dallas Have What it Takes to Be One the World’s Top Tech Hubs? appeared first on ReadWrite.

http://ift.tt/2FsCski

[jeanshesallenberger]

Does Dallas Have What it Takes to Be One the World’s Top Tech Hubs?

Ask most people what comes to mind when they think of Dallas, and they’ll probably say football, steaks, and JR Ewing. But lately the answer has been a little different: “Disruption.”

You wouldn’t think Dallas, a city deeply rooted in tradition, is becoming synonymous with creating new markets and upending old ways of doing things. But sure enough, that’s exactly what’s happening.

The city’s pro-business environment, talented workforce, affordable real estate, and lack of state income taxes have always made it a magnet for traditional businesses like energy and finance. Other industries often felt it wasn’t worth their time to try and infiltrate what was seen as an Old Boys’ Club — but that antiquated perception has changed.

Here’s a look at why that is, plus explanations from some of the top CEOs and entrepreneurs in the city about the ongoing transformation.

Disruption in Dallas: A look at the numbers

“The Big D” as many call it is usually absent from discussions on which city will be the next Silicon Valley, but perhaps it doesn’t need to talk that talk. It has quietly put itself on the forefront of technology, now ranking as one of America’s fastest growing tech centers.

Dallas is business wealthy, ranking second in metro job creation (behind only New York). Historically that was because of the aforementioned traditional industries like oil, cotton, and cattle. But now, Dallas now has the 7th highest concentration of tech jobs in the country; in fact, it’s one of just four cities that have regional U.S. patent and trademark offices, a nod to the number of patents produced there.

Today Dallas is home to several world-renowned universities, 22 companies on the Fortune 500, 4 major sports franchises, and one of the biggest and busiest airports in the world. Amazon is even famously considering it to be home of its new HQ2, or second headquarters.

Other tech companies, too, are digging in — companies like Facebook and Salesforce.

“We see Dallas as a strategic location,” says Marie Rosecrans, senior vice president of small and medium-sized business at Salesforce. “Its growing reputation as a tech hub, combined with pro-business platform and even its geographic location make it a great place for any small business looking to grow.”

To that end, Salesforce is bringing its popular Business Growth conference to Dallas on March 22; anyone curious about using technology to connect systems and serve customers can attend for free.

Dallas as Start-Up Central

But it’s not just about the well established enterprises. Dallas is also home to a burgeoning field of startups and fast-growing businesses.

One exciting development: Austin-based accelerator Capital Factory recently joined forces with the Dallas Entrepreneur Center (DEC) to grow Texas’s startup and investor profile.

The DEC’s Trey Bowles believes Dallas’s underrated tech community has a lot to offer.

“Dallas is extremely startup friendly,” he says. “If you think about larger markets like Silicon Valley or New York, there are often a lot of closed doors and hurdles you can’t overcome unless you have major connections — but in Dallas, truly anyone can start a business.”

One new founder is former NFL standout Darren Woodson. Woodson, who gave every snap in his career to the Cowboys, grew up in Arizona, but chose to stay in Dallas when he left the NFL.

“Dallas gave me an incredible football career, and now I try to give back to the city in my second career as an investor,” Woodson says.

Woodson concentrates on investing in new companies and startups that give a boost to the local economy. Today Woodson is the founder and CEO of CounterFind, a company that sells patented software that recognizes and eliminates counterfeit merchandise online.

“This software idea came up, and it seemed like a no-brainer. Several people asked whether or not Dallas was the right place to build this business, but to me there was no question. Dallas had the brains, the drive, the expertise.”

OK, but do you have to have to have name recognition to start a business here? “Not at all,” says Clarisa Lindenmeyer, Head of Strategy at Launch DFW.

“Dallas has really diversified over the past decade in terms of workforce and industry. Now that we’ve grown into something of a tech hub, people have seen the benefits of taking chances. Anyone can have access.”

Today technology companies abound in Dallas. Consider travel logistics maven MUV, which began in Dallas to disrupt ground transportation and logistics. CEO Mark Shrayber says Dallas was an easy choice.

“At a basic level, the mid-continent location puts us close to all of our customers, which is vital. Beyond that, all the Fortune 500 companies here in Dallas bring both an incredible workforce and a vibrant community.”

Traditional to transformative

Lance Auburg, a 4th generation Texan, has been witness to the transformation of Dallas and the entire state. Auburg’s family has been influential in the agricultural sector for generations, but recently Auburg has seen the opportunities presented by the influx of tech. It’s a new line of thinking that has transformed even the oldest of industries here.

“What we’re seeing today is a marriage of technology with the industries Dallas is known for, like energy and agriculture. While the innovations in those sectors are phenomenal, it’s especially exciting to see how entrepreneurs of all stripes are collaborating across Texas. There have been a lot of ups-and-downs in the Texas economy over the years, but I’ve never been more excited about the future of Dallas and Texas as a whole.”

The post Does Dallas Have What it Takes to Be One the World’s Top Tech Hubs? appeared first on ReadWrite.

http://ift.tt/2FsCski