#that lived in the mall that USED to be there in the 80s before it was torn down

[petalstem]

I should post my mall FanClan lore here. The Mall Cats are a set of Clans living in a shitty shopping plaza that's partially abandoned. SmokeClan has modern medicine because they steal bandaids from the walmart. HollowClan sleep in those locking cabinets that stores use to keep spray paint behind. RubbleClan also don't hunt and instead run out into traffic to get roadkill. DustClan isn't even really a Clan moreso a bunch of random cats who wander the sewer system

[angelprompts]

send “🎲” (or "dice") for me to randomize the following settings and write you a starter set within whichever one we get ♡ happy developing ᵔᴗᵔ

*feel free to take or leave anything after the bolded words! i added them to help spark inspiration but you don't have to follow them as it's written

an art museum shortly before closing, there is no one else in the art exhibition except them

their teenage bedroom but the room is empty except for a few cardboard boxes full of their old things

an old church that has chipped wood and broken windows

an empty playground at night, one of street light's lightbulbs seems to be dying as it flickers across the street

stuck in an elevator, it's been almost an hour and there's still no sign that help is on the way

an 80s/90s themed mall where a few of the stores actually feature real clothes from that era

a cemetery at 3am sharp, the fog is making it hard to see even though they have flashlights

a picnic that's set up in the middle of a grassy field, the sun has just started to set

the beach on a sunny day, the sound of children laughing in the distance alongside the seagulls begging for food

a grocery store past midnight, the only other people in the store are the workers

an empty hallway of a hospital, it's dark outside and the overhead light in this hallway are dimmed

a grungy motel room in a motel that definitely has rats living in the walls

a college party in a fraternity / sorority house, the music is a tad too loud and they're running out of food

a dressing room full of performers after a big performance, there's a bouquet of flowers with a note attached laying on their vanity

an empty dressing room hours after a big performance, there's a bouquet of flowers with a note attached laying on their vanity

outside of a train station at midnight, the air is cold and there's a light drizzle

a crowded nightclub on new years eve, the countdown to midnight is just about to start

their dining room but there's a blizzard outside, nobody is getting in or out of the house for the next day or two

the waiting room of a detective's office in the early hours of the morning

beside a broken down vehicle on one of the back roads, you're an hour away from town and nobody ever uses the back roads anymore

the driver and passengers seats while driving for the past 2 hours, they're starting to think they may have taken a wrong turn

[kleptocouture]

borrowing tips 101 💋

6 life saving borrowing tips so that you are guaranteed to get what you want everytime without getting caught! 🫧

1. ALWAYS go with someone - if you go on your own you automatically draw more attention to yourself and having another person there can be more comforting+you can help eachother (remember only do this if you know for sure the person if comfortable with it NEVER borrow when your with someone without consent because they could get into trouble along with you)

2. Stay calm - speaking from experience, if you are constantly looking at security guards and acting suspicious you WILL get caught. It’s all about mindset walk out as you usually would but don’t be too obvious.

3. For beginners - if you are a beginner start off stealing small things for example, candy, cheap lipglosses, charms etc. Trust me it will build more skill and if you get caught the worst they would do is kick you out.

4. Go when it’s busy but not too busy! - when it’s busy there are barely any workers and so many people it’s hard for them to keep up. If somebody who isn’t a worker sees you it’s an 80% chance they won’t snitch, most likely if they are 10-20 ish years old they won’t but older people tend to snitch more often so be careful!

5. Check tags - if the store you are going into has no sensors most likely the security tags won’t matter at all with barcodes you can leave almost any store because they don’t go off but with some items they hide the tag inside of the box so be careful and check before lifting!

6. The most important step, don’t overthink it - when lifting just see what you like and take it, if you like you can check over everything after but do not linger or you will get caught! If you decide you don’t want something anymore still leave with it taking and putting it back is very risky and could get you into trouble just have an “I see it, I like it, I want it , I got it “ mindset.

rules for borrowers

• never borrow from small businesses large chains only!

•do not peer pressure anyone into borrowing

•keep it moderate don’t steal every time you shop

• and the most important of all have fun! xoxo 💋

extras

what to wear:

jeans with leggings underneath (so things won’t fall out or shove small things in your waistband

bring a bag (not a huge tote bag it’s obvious more like a tote bag or if your in a mall/ shopping area bring a bag from another store (buy something small) to make it look like your just going on a spree

(for female lifters) I recommend push up bras with a crop/low neck top so that it’s easier to shove things in (and the store can’t legally search you if you get caught)

hoodies but it can be kinda obvious

stores to go to:

I recommend going to mini stores from a large chain because half of the time they have a scrawny security guard with 1 to 2 workers there and they won’t be able to stop you

uk stores:

boots

superdrug

primark especially

sephora

urban outfitters

tkmaxx

brandy melville

(i live in london so if you’re in the uk and don’t have these stores sorry)

us stores:

sephora

ulta

walmart

target

brandy melville

tjmaxx

urban outfitters

hollister

[lizbetlovesbyler]

still thinking about this

tw ; talks about gun violence, racism and homophobia

I love everything our community has done and all the work that has gone into analysis, but you dont need a 300-something slide goodledoc to prove there's something going on here.

They talk about wills sexuality in the first episode, going so far as to use what is now a slur to describe him.

"oh but, lizbet, it was the 80s, it wasn't a slur then" I'm aware, but every film/show/book/play that is written in a different time period than the one it is set still has to be relevant to the audience it was made for. A lot of people think stranger things is set in the 80s to call back to classic thrillers like IT and ET, which it is...at its very basic, fundamental sketches. If that was all it is, the GA and younger watchers especially would not care for it as much as they do.

Anyone who ever read 'An Inspector Calls' in school should know what I mean. In 'An Inspector Calls', he author writes about the ignorance of an upper class 1912 family living in capitalist England through the context available to a 1947 audience. The audience knows the family faces two upcoming world wars, the titanic sinking and the great depression, this knowledge is used to highlight the ignorance of the family by believing England, and they too, are free from mistake or flaw. This dramatic irony screams out at you as you are watching/reading it. the typical audience doesn't scrutinise every detail, despite if those details are intentional.

"what makes stranger things relevant?" I hear you ask. "what context do we have that enhances the storytelling?"

Rising Russian-American tensions - Russians weren't actually shown as a threat in the show until season 3. Before then, it was pure paranoia from the US government in the show that fuelled their research and experiments, as the show is set during the cold war, it is relevant for the time period. The show reflects real life tensions as they've spiralled out of control due to the Russo-Ukrainian war through the actual introduction of Russian villains. (I think its common knowledge that the USSR were not actually opening interdimensional portals underneath 80s malls.)

The opening scene of season 4 showing the massacre of the lab children, children we'd seen innocently playing in the rainbow room. 010 we see taking a 'lesson' with Dr Brenner, the interaction is calm and the two joke. Moments later, every single one of those children is murdered. we hear sirens, screaming, and gunshots. The US in 2022 saw 51 school shootings. Gun laws in the US are a topic that a lot of people still do not want to address, but through stranger things, the writers force forward the reality of modern America in a way impossible to ignore. The reality that the leading cause of death in American children and teens is gun violence. The reality that an estimated 4.6 million american children live in a home where a gun is kept loaded and unlocked. The reality that, on average, 23 children are shot in the United States every single day. It's also the idea that it was the forced conformity of Henry Creel that pushed him towards this warped perception of humanity, allowing him to justify his actions. Reflecting the cases in which the shooter was a bullied student. Forced conformity being a core theme of the show, because it is relevant.

Constant reminders of a racial divide and aggression towards black characters, a theme that has persisted throughout the seasons much like it has persisted in real life.

Growing LGBT acceptance

That's all I can come up with at the moment, I'm really eager to hear other peoples ideas on this, but moving on.

Each of these themes can be traced back to the very first episode.

and then we have

If you think this is far fetched, consider how you'd write the first episode of a multi-seasonal period piece to introduce ideas and themes relevant to your audiences.

Consider how the recent legalisation of same-sex marriage in the US would impact your choices.

For the purpose of portraying Will as a reserved kid for which it is unusual for him to not have come home, it would have had the same effect for Joyce to stop at the fact he is made fun of at school for his clothes and such.

this line adds a layer to her concern, that Will was targeted and hate-crimed, she is trying to get the police involved. What does Jim do?

He expresses judgement.

There is no reason to include this other than to lay the groundwork for a theme that will come back later in the show.

A theme that did come back and slapped us all in the face.

A theme that didn't go away like a lot of people wanted it to/assumed it would.

Assumed it would go away because so many shows nowadays drop a label or a flag pin on a character and leave it at that. It's frankly humiliating how people stoop so low to kiss the feet of writers who reduce them down to a few stripes. (most prominent example to me is Sasha Waybright's pitiful bi sticker in the last 3 minutes of the final episode that got people screaming in excitement.)

If this were the Russian-American tensions theme, it would be unusual to drop it before the shows concluding season, its core to Elevens storyline and the interactions of the main cast with ignorant government officials.

People have grown accustomed to the representation of queer characters with labels, that representation is the co-existance of hetero and homo characters without ever needing to address the differences. But we are different, its the beauty of being different that is ignored. I feel quite a lot of representation nowadays fails to reflect the core of LGBT experiences - love.

It is the love that makes us who we are, not the labels.

This is what makes Stranger things worthy of recognition, the queer characters are introduced through their love for others, not a single label is needed, they actually make a point of not labelling a single sexuality, which a lot of people mistook for them "dancing around the topic".

You think, for even a moment - with a style of queer storytelling such as that, that Wills love is going to be used to fuel the heteronormative relationship?

Stranger things - the show about being different, about love conquering hate - wouldn't go so far as to let Mike return that love?

yeah, right.

(i would like to add that these themes are serious issues i'm grateful the writers address. this post isn't meant to prove byler endgame, but the impact a requited love between them would bring to audiences and why that is important, much like the other themes.

the only way to have the full impact is for this theme to persist another season and play a crucial role to the shows conclusion, hence why Mike and Will are likely centre stage, even if they dont "get together", their bond is crucial to the plot, whatever happens with them and rovickie will be unforgettable.)

[abibliophobiaa]

talking in your sleep

- eddie munson x afab!reader; 80s summer camp slasher au.

There are rumors that Hawkins is cursed. That there’s a gateway to hell in the town’s epicenter—paved by the blood of innocents. That there’s a whole world roaming beneath, teeming with monsters who have gaping maws full of endless rows of teeth that walk on twos and fours, screeching bats, and swirling shadow beasts.

But they’re rumors all the same. Hushes in hallways, within the four walls of homes, by conspiracy theorists trying to strike up their next controversial story. Stories told around campfires to wide eyed children, fear struck grave and true behind their gazes, or by those wishing to warn others to stay away, to reconsider coming—to turn back while they still have time.

Those same rumors fueled by the terrible murder of the Creel family, a haunting story of a girl who disappeared and was never found again, the impossibility of the zombie boy who was gone from this world one day and alive the next, the devastating fire that burned down the Starcourt Mall and took the lives of many.

Tragedies. All of them. Twisted to fit a narrative. Because Hawkins is safe. Inconspicuous. Boring. Nothing strange happens there.

Nothing, that is, until the summer of 1986.

…Welcome to Camp Firefly.

🏕️🛶

warnings: obviously dark in tone, so please understand that before entering (although chapter one is light and fluffy); thriller vibes; character death; violence; gore; blood; depictions of murder, though limited in description — i would say on par with what we see in the actual show; possession; alcohol and recreational marijuana use; horror tropes galore; pov changes; smut; additional tags to be added; 18+ minors dni.

additionally—while this is technically an au, the upside down does exist here. the original core st gang has experienced the events of season 1-3, but in a different capacity that will become clear through the narrative. also a loose loose loose adaptation of s4 with this slasher flair.

🏕️🛶

playlist || ao3 || a sketch by my dear friend

🏕️🛶

Chapter List:

one: burnin’ for you

two: obsession (tba)

three: running up that hill (tba)

[mr2swap]

A long Thanksgiving Day with grandpa

Fuuck! How long until the end of the damn day? I hate Thanksgiving, I always knew I was too good for this family, They all always laughed when I said I wanted a DNA test for Christmas because there was no way I could have the same type of blood running through my veins as those pigs that are eating as if the world was going to end tomorrow everyone laughed… except for grandfather it seemed that out of everyone in the family he was the only one who understood what I wanted to say.

When he came of age I ran out of the house I couldn't bear to be with them another day We lived in a small apartment in the poor part of the city I was an only child But even so I had to share a room with Grandpa John, a bald man of more than 100 kilos, his cheeks were swollen from all the extra fat, but he hid his double chin with that mustache and that almost white beard over the years, that old man lived like a parasite of our family since I was born, maybe if he moved his ass and got a job my parents would have bought me better clothes or the latest iPhone, the only time he would move his ass off the couch was at Christmas to be mall Santa.

My room The smell of my room was disgusting in a mixture of the old man's scent and my sweaty gym clothes, But what made him the worst roommate in the world was his pajamas his old yellow underpants that were once white On top of that he wouldn't let me sleep because of his grotesque snores that could only be heard in my room And my parents will be a happy couple, My mother was a housewife and used to cook the greasiest and most delicious meals in the whole neighborhood and my father was a boring accountant addict to the smell of the cigarette just like the grandfather.

I was the complete opposite of my family, I was much taller, much more handsome, and of course athletic. I would do anything to get out of my house and get away from my obese family, even joining a gym when I was 12 years old to spend 3 hours a day exercising Over time I began to notice results in my appearance Over the years I became a Fitness influencer, I got a couple of tattoos, bought a red sports car, and got the hell out of my house the first chance I got.

For some years I was living my life as far away from my family as possible, I stopped calling home even when my mother did not stop calling me for a single day, I only returned home for a month for these dates, the rest of the year I used to have hot tub parties with gorgeous supermodels, but now…I'm stuck here again, only this time my chains aren't my age…well sort of.

I was sick of this I was sick of pretending everything is normal But I had to get on with this if I wanted my body back, it hasn't even been 24 hours since I woke up this morning to my grandpa's obese old body next to my bed I thought I was dreaming when the first thing I saw when I looked down was a substantial misshapen hairy belly instead of a huge morning boner between my legs, everything in the distance was blurry, but I could clearly see my 2 huge tits full of fat.

Furthermore, I panicked and with my fat and old hands, I sat on the bed and looked around for an explanation of why I was now in my grandfather's body of 80 years and 160 kilos, with my calloused hands I caressed my hairy belly trying to calm down. Feeling like screaming, I looked around to see if this was my room. But before I had a heart attack trying to stand up, Grandpa John walked into the room in my body.

He put my glasses on and for the first time I saw that face from a more humble perspective, We were silent for a couple of minutes, and we both looked at each other from top to bottom, His look was intimidating, and his body was incredibly hot, years in the gym they were in that body, I built that body since I was a chubby teenager and now… I felt uncomfortable around it.

I used to have all of that, perfect curls, those huge, arrogantly flaunting biceps that I dyed in ink on a night out with my friends, he was just too perfect, handsome, and young... or maybe now my self-esteem was in the ground now that I was in the grandfather's body

He was the first to speak, and surprisingly he had completely dominated my way of speaking, moving, and even how to flirt, with his strong and melodious voice he explained to me what a horrible grandson and horrible son I am to the whole family so he decided to punish me, Now I'll have to live like a fucking old man until next year!

-Grand-... Jackson, Mama is calling you, it's time for dinner- I still had to get used to my new harsh voice and having to walk carrying Grandpa's huge belly.

-Tell him I'm coming... I hope there's something I can eat, don't worry Jackson I'm not going to ruin your body eating all that garbage that you should love now, you have something very good here, but surely you're hungry right? old man- He never stopped smiling while we talked, showing those white teeth that one of my sponsors had paid for.

He was right, I was hungry, the smell of Thanksgiving dinner had been driving me crazy since morning, and I'd had to content myself with a big packet of chips and a couple of cans of beer while watching football with my Father…maybe if I am part of this family, but I would have more than a month to find out.

Hey! Happy TG! if you liked this story and you want more, you can take a look at my Ko-Fi page to see my most recent stories, see my new stories and support me to continue creating this hot content.

[chaifootsteps]

One of the things that frustrates me about Viv's designs is that they don't really tell me anything about the character's motivations or personality.

If I came knowing nothing about Hazbin and you tell me that Cherry Bomb is a punk from the 80's, Sir Pentious an inventor from Victorian England and Alastor a radio host from the 1920's I would have a very hard time believing you.

(((Especially since for some reason, Viv dresses almost all her male characters in Hazbin with some variant of the same suit and bowtie)))

But I think that no - other design frustrates me more than Nifty's. She is supposed to be a Japanese housewife from the fifties. Yet her dress is looks more like a Halloween costume of a fifties girl than something women would actually use at the time.

Her hair is not even accurate, it should be more curly since perms were really big among Japanese women during that time.

However, the fact that she wears a costume of a fifties woman could come in handy if you write a decent backstory.

Let's start by saying that Nifty was not an adult during the fifties, she was actually born during the early sixties into a very conservative and traditional family who told her that the only thing she needed to worry was to marry a decent man, have kids and take care of the house.

Like a 50's woman!

This caused Nifty, a very extroverted and playful child who loved bugs and mud, to have a pretty stressed-out childhood. Every time her mother found her playing in the garden and getting dirty she was beaten. The germo-phobia she developed as a adult was partially because of this, since filled with germs = being harshly punished she always made sure everything was clean.

Eventually when she was 19, her parents arranged a marriage with a businessman and they tied the knot not even a year later.

Her husband was not bad,

He was rather handsome, had a stable job, a big house in Tokyo and could even afford going on vacation once a year.

If only he wasn't the most boring man alive then things probably would have been different.

Whatever he genuinely loved Nifty or not is completely irrelevant when he treated her more like a housemate than an actual wife. They even slept in separate beds and the only time they spend together was during dinnertime and then 30 minutes of TV before going to bed.

NIfty was suffocating in her marriage.

But is not like she could say something. The one time she tried talking to her mom about it, she just told her to "be thankful" to have so much free time since things will change when she has children.

Well, she and her husband hadn't been intimate since their weeding night, so that wasn't happening any time soon.

That stayed the same for a while, until one night, while watching TV with her husband a local boy/band appeared on screen

It was the early 90s and boy bands were allll the rage.

New bands formed every day and this particular one didn't seem too different from the rest. Except that maybe, the Bad Boy of the group captivated a 30 year old Nifty and rocked her world in a way she hadn't experimented before.

At the start everything seemed normal, she started by buying one CD or two, attending meet and greats in local malls and going to their concerts. Nifty didn't want her husband getting involved, so she got a part-time job to cover those extra expenses and not use her husbands money.

Of course almost all the merch she bought was of Bad Boy

Soon, she started having this fantasies, dreams were B.B confused his undying love for her and took her away form her boring husband and into a live of adventure and music. B.B was a real man, rebellious and strong that would be able to keep emotion and passion in her life unlike her husband.

Those dreams helped her to live another day, and maybe it was because of this dependency that Nifty started to believe that those fantasies were real. That she and B.B were a secret couple and the meet and greats they had were really "dates" that they had to do in secret from her husband.

Unfortunately, it was only a matter a time before dear Nifty became one of those fans who you end up seeing in a police lineup and reading in the newspaper the minute she started stalking B.B and talking about him as if he was her boyfriend with whoever may listen.

All went into a breaking point when one day, Nifty just got tired waiting for B.B to take her away from her boring life. Thinking about it she just came to the conclusion that it was her dear old hubby the one that was keeping B.B away from her.

That has to be it.

Her husband must be preventing B.B from fulfilling his promise!

What lies did he told him about her?

Does he want me as his prisioner forever?!

This is not staying like this!

That night, after her husband fell asleep, Nifty woke up, went to the kitchen, grabbed a knife and stabbed her spouse 30 times before ending his life with one clean slit in the throat.

Now that the bore is dead, she and her precious Bad Boy could be together forever! Now he has no excuse to not fulfill his promise! A new life filled with love, excitement and adventure awaits!

But first she needs to clean, everything ended up a disaster.

Maybe it was the excitement she was feeling, or it was too dark to properly read the labels, but mixing cleaning chemicals can actually be extremely dangerous. You may create a very dangerous gas that could potentially kill you.

That morning, the neighbors woke up due a very strong smell and they shouted the minute they found dead bodies of Nifty and her husband. She had her skin partially burned as she had felt face down the mix of cleaning solutions that took her life.

And you and me know, where she ended

Congratulations, Niffty's yours now! You're clearly more qualified to be writing her. Please cherish her.

[daryfromthefuture]

i'm on the train and bored and still have an hour to go, so TIME TO RANT ✨️

and i'm choosing to make a list of bttf scenes i would have done differently/things i would have added because i like disagreeing with bob gale as if i owned this franchise

this is maybe an unnecessary change, but personally, i would have preferred if there were more instances of marty trying to warn doc about his death in part 1. we see it when doc demonstrates the model and then later twice on november 12 (before he writes the letter and then before marty has to leave), but i feel like it would have been more emotionally impactful if he had tried it more than that and only at the very end given up and written that letter.

SHOW DOC PLAY SAX. LIKE BRO. they could have had a concert 😭 imagine doc crashing the dance and playing sax with marty on stage (take this bullet point with a grain of salt, i'm only half serious. but still seeing doc play sax would have been badass)

the most obvious point of all obvious points, add the goddamn lone pine mall hug. the entire fandom agrees it's canon, and i remember a post going around speculating that they did indeed record a hug and keep the secret footage somewhere at universal lmao. but all jokes aside, this hug was SO necessary. every sane person would be waiting for it when watching the movie. marty is literally on the ground, bawling his eyes out, thinking his friend is gone, and us heartbroken audience members don't even get a hug to soothe our souls. i haven't paid much mind to doc and marty's relationship when i first watched bttf, but even past me was expecting a hug. good thing bobby fixed it in the musical

MORE JENNIFER. don't knock that girl out for 75% of the movie, please. she deserved better, and i wish bttf 2 would have put more emphasis on her as a character and how she's like and stuff. i hate to see it, but she's such a surface character that we barely know anything about (in my opinion), and that's just sad. she could very well have gone to the cafe 80s with marty and kept him grounded and stuff.

honestly, i maybe even would have kept that deleted 1985a scene with dave. we don't get to see marty's siblings at all in that timeline aside from a mention from biff, and it would have been interesting to see.

this is quite a jump in time, but i wish bob gale would have expanded on the scene in bttf 3 in which doc tells marty that he wants to stay behind in 1885 because of clara. this might be my fanfic brain speaking, but i see so much conflict potential. it would have been wild to see doc and marty argue, maybe even fight for the first time in the trilogy, and picture the emotional turmoil both of them were going through. if i had been marty, i would have snapped, not gonna lie. like, yeah, i get that doc found the love of his life but after all the lectures he'd given marty and after all those times marty was willing to rip apart the fabric of time just to keep doc alive, that man just goes "sorry marty, i met a woman i fell in love with, thanks for saving my life so i can live it out HERE. you go back home and idk clean my lab" >:(. this will forever be a pet peeve hahahaha

WHY does doc just FLY OFF on that DAMN TRAIN? i have to admit, it is an epic ending and feels sort of celebratory, but how can he say that he had to get his dog BEFORE even MENTIONING marty, giving him a photo, shake his hand as if they were work colleagues and nothing more, and then LEAVE? WHAT??? at least talk to him for a bit longer, tell your best friend where you've been, whether he will see you again and that you cherish him for god's sake. if you already had to give him false hopes by getting on the train only to fly off on the hoverboard later 🙄

[mikeywayarchive]

Photo: Jawn Rocha

Mikey Way debuts his Dark Horse Comics series, Christmas 365

Anna Zanes | July 24, 2024

Full article under the cut:

It might still be sunny out, but Mikey Way is stuck on Christmas. Alongside co-writer Jonathan Rivera and illustrator Piotr Kowalski, with Brad Simpson on colors, the My Chem guitarist-cum-graphic novelist (Electric Century, Collapser) has announced Christmas 365, an upcoming series with Dark Horse Comics, also home to Gerard Way’s Paranoid Gardens and The Umbrella Academy. This oddly feel-good story, bizarre and magical as it is loaded with gallows humor, follows the arc of Peter Rockwell and his family as they navigate the treacherous holiday season, aided by some words of wisdom from a strip mall Santa. Way describes the surreal satire astutely: “Like most kids growing up, I would often fantasize, ‘What if [Christmas] never had to end?’ That very thought was what sparked this story.” Though it's got the spirit of The Nightmare Before Christmas and the kooky suburban charm of Better Off Dead — this team has created a series that’s fresh, surprising, a bit spooky, and entirely their own. 

In speaking to their process, AP connected with co-writers Way and Rivera. “Finally being able to tell this story is a real dream come true! The idea came about a decade ago, and there were plenty of starts and stops in the process,” Way shares. “Putting it in comic form felt like the perfect way to tell the story exactly how we envisioned it after so many years of wanting to share it with the world. Let's be honest, I don't think there's a kid alive who hasn't wished Christmas would never end. Haven't we all fantasized about it being something we got to live day after day?” He continues, “I saw this as an opportunity to tell a funny but heartfelt story, in the vein of all of the classic ’80s and ’90s Christmas movies that I loved so much. I remember watching Home Alone and National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation back to back one night and wondering, ‘What story is left to tell?’ An hour or two later, the framework for Christmas 365 was born.”

The connection between co-writers has been an ongoing one, though this project sees it come to fruition. “It's been really fulfilling getting to finally write a story with Jonathan Rivera, who is one of my best friends — I think we've known each other over 20 years now,” Way says. As for the rest of the highly experienced team, “Piotr Kowalski and Brad Simpson brought the story to life exactly as we imagined, giving it the feel and imagery of a ’90s Christmas movie through and through. Daniel Chabon has been a terrific editor to work with and really helped us keep the story focused. I am sure this goes without saying, but it has been a real honor to be able to put out a comic under the Dark Horse banner. The folks over there have always been super kind and supportive to me, and have a rich history with my brother. So to be joining the ‘family’ with my own story to tell is pretty surreal!” 

Rivera, also known for Cave Carson Has a Cybernetic Eye, adds, “Mikey and I had been talking about this story for a while, but it really started to come together as a comic during the pandemic. We’re living in stressful times, so it felt so cathartic to work on such a sweet and strange story about forgiveness and spending time with the people we love. It’s also the type of story we rarely see in comics, and that made me really excited as well.” 

For the writer, a goal has been achieved with this project. Dark Horse has long been a northern star in the industry for Rivera, who caps the chat off with, “I’ve been a fan of Dark Horse comics since I picked up their first Aliens vs. Predator miniseries as a kid. I later worked with them when I ran the official Myspace for The Umbrella Academy back when dinosaurs roamed the Earth. So it brings me great joy to come home again with a book that means so much to me!”

Dark Horse Comics

Dark Horse Comics

[lost-onpurpose]

The last month has felt like a badly scripted soap opera.

1/22: Sister passed out at the store. ER found no cause.

1/23: Sister called from school bathroom floor because too dizzy to stand. She went to different ER and they determined migraine/dehydration. IV fluids helped.

1/24-1/26: Residual migraine. Missed school.

2/4: Mom got diagnosed with pneumonia. Started meds.

2/7: J called and said Mammaw's oxygen had dropped into the 70s/80s and they were starting her on supplemental oxygen. She wasn't very coherent but she was alert. The only coherent thing she said was making me and sister promise to take care of Mom. My Aunt S came down to sit with her that night. Alerted her son and the close relatives who live out of state.

2/8: Mammaw fell asleep. Could not wake up. Still breathing. Still had pulse and blood pressure. Called local family and updated our of state family. Stayed with her until 6 pm. Aunt S called at 6:30 pm and told us that Mammaw's breathing had gotten raspy. We went back. She had the death rattle. Called family again. Held Mammaw's hands and talked to her. Told her we'd be okay and it was okay.

2/9: 12:22 am. Hospice nurse called time of death. Called Mammaw's son Uncle J, cousin J, brother, dad, and other Uncle J (didn't realize we had so many J names in the family). 4:00 pm met with the funeral director to start planning. Called Y at the florist and got the casket spray and standing sprays ordered.

2/10-2/13: Helped family find hotels and plane tickets to attend funeral on 2/16.

2/14: Sister did Mammaw's makeup for the services.

2/15: We had private family viewing before services on 2/16. Had dinner with family that we hadn't seen in a while.

2/16: Visitation. Funeral (I spoke some). Graveside service. After service meal.

2/17: Had therapy at 9 am. Cried on my therapist's couch. Went to Barnes and Noble, Five Below, Bath & Body Works, and the mall as an attempt at distraction. Didn't help. Saw family before they left.

2/18: Last of family left to go home. Cried again.

2/20: Mom goes to ER with chest pain (started during funeral planning week but thought it was anxiety). Admitted to hospital with fluid on right lung (lower lobe collapsed, middle lobe collapsing).

2/22: Going to drain lung but she had too much eliquis in her system

2/23: Drained lung. Lidocaine didn't help. She felt it all. 1.4 liters of fluid pulled off. Chest X-ray showed it was almost all of the fluid and lung was reinflating.

2/24: Mom discharged from hospital.

[an-sceal]

I think one of the things about media set in the 80s and 90s that doesn't convey to those who didn't experience them is the solitude. The true loneliness of being awake at the wrong hour, or living far from town.

I used to get off work at 9pm. I'd get in my shitty little car (I miss you, Blue Bomber) and drive straight down main street in my city. Everything was closed by then except the gas stations, even the grocery stores. Sometimes I'd stop at the AM/PM for a fountain drink, but mostly not, because I was going to need that $0.79 later in the week for gas. I'd only stop on the nights I felt the loneliest- me and the convenience store clerk were of the same cloth. We were the last people like us we were going to talk to that day. I don’t remember her name. I'd drive for miles, until the strip malls gave out and became fields, and eventually ran through the citrus orchards that used to dot the Mesa area. When the trees were in bloom you could smell them for a good mile before you got there, even over the constant scent of dust and too-hot blacktop.

Some nights I'd park on an access road in the trees and lay my seat back. Windows open, engine off, no music. There were no voices. No cars going by most of the time. Everyone was safe at home with the last hour of prime time tv for company, getting ready for bed. It wasn’t quiet, but it was solitary. It was alone. Nobody knew where I was-- my mom went to bed at 8pm and left for work at 4am. My sister was in high school, out with friends or at home in her room. We didn't have cell phones. My friends lived in California, Florida, Virginia, Vermont. I sent them letters every few weeks, or maybe caught them in an email over the weekend. Sometimes they even replied the same DAY.

I think that's a thing that's hard to explain to someone who has always had the option of connection at the tip of their fingers. Not in a "kids these days don't know the struggle" way. It's more that you can't explain how it felt to be truly alone with yourself. How solitude was an unspoken companion at all times, a cultural touchstone so ubiquitous it never needed to be named explicitly. When you watch older movies, you see it in the quiet character staring out the window. Sitting in their car. They aren't waiting for someone to come to them. They’re acknowledging that they've been shifted out of the normal way of things just enough that the shared experience of doing things at the same time, but always separately, doesn't apply. That was what we had then, because humans crave connection and shared culture. You might be watching tv alone, but everyone in your town was watching tv then. You might be going to bed by yourself, but the news was over, so it was time to do that. If you didn’t, you'd be out of sync.

I don't have nostalgia for it, not really. It was lonely. But I do think that, too, is a shared experience, and maybe one that we don't have anymore. If you knew what it was to be a person at the wrong time, to be alone, to be in a car in the middle of a town where everyone else was asleep and the last person you were going to talk to that night was the graveyard shift gas station attendant-- if you knew that, I think it never went away. I think you can watch things set in that era now and feel unsettled at the easy connection, the passing communication and how quickly people discard their interactions. Because you can't explain to a culture where anyone is always a message away what it feels like to be the only person in your whole world.

[ruvviks]

🫵 you. hello. tell me. WHAT is jericho like. whats the vibe there. are there a lot of stores. a lot of clubs,, Whats going on there. i need to know. would i want to live there

HIII THANK YOU SO MUCH!! so for people who don't know anything about this story yet, you can find a bunch of general information here and the current cast for the story here! the story is centered around jericho which i'll talk more about under the cut :^) it's pretty lengthy as always sorry i have a lot to say

so jericho is a big city on the west coast of the united states, located in the south of oregon. it's a hotspot for vampires specifically because of its rich vampire history and culture, and it has actual accommodations for vampires allowing them to work day shifts in special departments or in the underground part of town which is a rare sight in the united states

in appearance it's like any other big city as we know it in our universe but with a significant modern and Almost futuristic twist, meaning the business district would be a lot larger and it almost has night city vibes in terms of bright night life but with our modern day technology. on top of that, it's kind of mixed with the vibes of 80s cities, as if buildings and cars and whatnot have been kind of stuck in that time period but simultaneously upgraded over the years (sort of a retro-futuristic vibe to it like fallout but more comparable to 80s las vegas, new york, chicago, los angeles, etc)

the city has a heavy focus on being accessible for all, meaning there is reliable and relatively affordable public transport, big sidewalks with enough space for wheelchair users and baby strollers etc, as well as well-maintained roads for regular traffic (though in the suburbs it's more common to run into pot holes). it even includes cycle paths in the suburbs and the shopping areas of downtown; in those shopping areas general traffic is prohibited as well, turning it into a walking and cycling area where only public transport is allowed to pass through

the underground part of town is located in the busy center, allowing a few office buildings and skyscrapers to have up to three basement levels which can be reached through elevators inside the building or their entrance underground. it also includes the lower levels of a huge and modern shopping mall, one of the town's most visited locations. surface access goes through tunnels and large stairs similar to stairs leading to the metro; the metro itself also has a direct connection, allowing vampires to travel underground to their workplace during the day instead of having to take above ground transport

the underground area also features one apartment building with shops, allowing some vampires to live there as well! more apartment buildings are under construction, as the underground area is still slowly expanding. it's definitely strange to find yourself in that part of town but with its continuous air flow, temperature stabilizers, and well-lit streets (safe for vampires of course) it's relatively easy to get used to, as the space does not feel claustrophobic at all. but it's certainly not for everyone, but luckily no one's being forced to spend time there

much like with night city, there's so much going on in jericho that it's very easy to spend your whole life in that city with areas you've just never visited before. even without the underground area it's a multi-level city, its business district characterized by the big walkways above road level, connecting buildings and large balconies / terraces with shops, marketplaces, and food stalls together. its infrastructure is incredibly extensive to the point it can be overwhelming to an outsider, but it's also very straightforward and allows you to get from one place to another in a lot of different ways following different routes, rather than making it easier to get lost

because of its large vampire populace, the city is still very busy at night. a lot of typical night shifts (in security, 24/7 retail jobs, firefighters, medics, etc) are filled by vampires, but they also own most of jericho's night life with bars, nightclubs, and casinos. most of these spaces are mixed human/vampire spaces, letting them exist together in peace with special rules that prohibits feeding and violence; but there are definitely a good chunk of vampire-only clubs, limited to vampires and, surprisingly, vampire hunters specifically, who often show up in those circles for jobs

dynamics between humans, vampires, and vampire hunters are different all over the world, but in jericho specifically the lines blur a LOT. there's only very little vampire hunters who want to kill all vampires and they're rarely found in jericho; most hunters only deal with actual threats, such as withered vampires, vampires who cannot control their feral sense, nests, and vampire spawns. especially in jericho there's a lot of these problems because there's just a lot of vampires, and most vampire hunters focus on gigs like that. there's even plenty of vampires who lend their temporary services to hunters to help track down a nest, or deal with a particularly strong withered vampire. that's what these vampire nightclubs are for; business :^)

but the clubs are also for fun of course and there's enough dancing going on, there's the best blood available at bars (for a pretty high price unless you're a vip), and most vampire clubs have other means of entertainment as well, one of these being carousel which is a russian roulette type game played in groups of vampires, sometimes even with vampire hunters! yes there's the possibility of death in there but that's what makes it exciting to play. there's a lot of rules to carousel and i won't go into all that now but heavenly, the main character of the story, is very good at it

vampires in this universe originate from the fae, which is where some of their special abilities come from which differ from bloodline to bloodline. but as a general rule, all vampires live by some sort of unspoken moral code which upholds the balance in the world between vampires, humans, and vampire hunters. feeding is necessary; but feeding and killing are two different things, as well as feeding and turning another human. these processes are treated as different things and while feeding is not a crime, killing IS still considered a crime in most vampire circles, and turning someone can have dire consequences which can disrupt the balance. vampire hunters should be treated with caution, but unless they make themselves a threat, they should not be treated as one, and while you don't have to treat them as your friend you should not treat them as your enemy either unless you have a good reason to

this moral code is respected by the other parties involved as well, which is why in bigger cities vampire hunters can safely enter vampire clubs and walk out of it alive, and can start business or even friendships or more with the vampire lords and ladies in town; and in smaller towns a vampire hunter passing through is treated as pest control if anything, presumably there to take care of a nest or a withered vampire which if left undealt with could become a problem for vampires as well, as its presence could cause local human groups to take action against them

and jericho serves as the hotspot for this code. it wasn't necessarily created here, since it's been an unspoken rulebook for vampires for centuries at this point, but when you think about vampires and vampire hunters teaming up on gigs to get rid of a nest that's spreading disease in a neighborhood, you think of jericho. when you think of a hunter getting patched up by a vampire street doc at 3am at night in exchange for a little bit of their blood for the vampire to feed on, you think of jericho. when you think of a group of young vampires defending some human partygoers from a vampire with activated feral sense, you think of jericho

so yeah i think that sums up what the city is like pretty well! as always if anyone has any more questions feel free to shoot them my way :^)

[beeblelady]

Catrina Alice Covey (Kayson's Listener)

Full Name: Catrina Alice Covey

Nickname(s): Allie, Caty, Trina, Covey, Prefect, Babe (By Kayson)

Birthday: November 12 / Scorpio

Age: 20

Birthplace: Conifer, Colorado

Parents Names: Howard and Rita Covey

Parents Occupation: Howard (Photographer), Rita (Accountant)

Former Residence(s): Aurora, Colorado (13 years)

Current Residence: London, England.

Living With: Kayson

Right or Left-Handed?: Left-Handed

Words/Phrases: "Very Fantabulous.", "Oh my goodness."

Habits: Organizing her room and Going to the library frequently

Appearance

Height: 5'0

Weight: Secret

Skin Tone: Fair

Body Shape: Hourglass

Hair: Dark Brown (Straight or Wavy)

Eyes: Blue

Face Shape: Round

Everyday Dress Styles: 80s Outfits, Bomber Jackets, Peter Pan dresses, Floral Dresses, Wears Chuck Taylor and Pumps. Some of her outfits are from Anthropologie, Aritzia, Zara, Forever 21, American Eagle and definitely JCPenney. Cardigans, Striped Sweaters, Overalls, Jumpers, Spotted Headbands, Fluffy coat, Pink Duffle Coat (in case if she's cold).

Formal Dress Style: Tulle Dresses, Hair ribbons, Heels.

Any Jewellery: Heart Necklace Given by Kayson, Heart Earrings, Ribbon Bow Earrings.

Facts About Catrina

Catrina is passionate about everything from the 80s, but she makes sure those things would still be acceptable today.

Her favorite hobbies is to make some playlists via cassette tapes when she's not studying.

Catrina's parents met in a mall called Villa Italia Mall in Lakewood, Colorado when they're both in college.

Catrina has a few friends but she was bullied and being called a freak by her peers in the states. When she moved in London she earned new friends (incl. Spencer/Luca's Listener)

Her part time job is baking at a nearby bakery and bakes too especially in a relationship she is always up for new pastries.

Her dream college before was CU Boulder where her parents studied but her family wanted to move to England.

She doesn't usually use digital materials on researching. Instead, she uses the card catalogue for her references.

Her Favorite Flowers are Forget-Me-Nots.

She loves listening to The Cure, Wham!, Queen and Bananarama.

When she was single what Catrina wants in a relationship is someone putting their hand in her back pocket. Just like in Sixteen Candles. Writes her notes everyday.

Catrina does not like driving in a bad weather (Especially Snowing)

She's pretty close with her family.

Kayson is her first. 😊

Her favorite film genres are chick flicks, horror and sometimes romantic comedies.

She joins a few clubs in uni.

Catrina has a sticker book which is her collection of stickers.

Ever since she was a little girl, she has a Lisa Frank collection (Stickers, Coloring Books, Notebooks and Sticker Books)

At the arcade she is very skilled in playing Pac-Man and Dragon's Lair.

Her favorite Care Bear is Cheer Bear.

She loves experiencing renting movies at a video rental store.

Catrina has a collection of Seventeen magazines.

She likes watching music videos on MTV (which her mother recorded, since they do not do it anymore).

Catrina is not a smoker.

She also listens on vinyl.

During her 13th Birthday in London, Catrina got a Walkman from her family.

She sometimes get gifts such as Sandylion stickers for her collection.

Catrina loves collecting Calico Critters (Sylvanian Families).

[theha1rarch]

🔥 - i'm evil ... so ... steve

( send the fire emoji for an unpopular opinion )

oooh boy oh-ho-ho, okay buckle in everyone - this is gonna be a long ride -

1 - gonna go ahead & get this one out of the way ... steve would in no universe, under any circumstance, in any way - shape - or form ... date fucking b.illy h.argrove. i really feel like i don't need to explain this one but yeah thanks, he would never. he wouldn't even CRUSH on him (eddie is his one & only (canon) bi awakening thank you!!!)

2 - steve is not an asshole. he can be bitchy, he was a douche in school & definitely not the greatest person - but he is not an actual mean person. like - maybe if he was in a bad mood or in a fight with someone, he could say something really mean - but it's not something he'd do normally. like he's not just some giant asshole who treats people like shit

3 - steve wouldn't accept anyone being an ass to nancy. he wouldn't accept robin shunning her bc of their past. he forgave nancy a long time ago & expects other people to as well. just because she hurt him, if he forgave her - they need to as well. after all it's HIM she hurt & it's not like it was done intentionally

4 - steve isn't stupid. he struggles with learning & school, yes. he's not the most booksmart, yes. but he's not fucking stupid. he's not some braindead idiot who can't tell right from left. he might not always spell things right, he might not know big words but acting like he's a five year old child who's never been on the planet earth before is a bit much. not to mention he canonically showed off his smarts SEVERAL times. everyone forgets if it wasn't for him, they never would've figured out the russians were working at/under the mall

5 - steve being in love with nancy still, or again, in s4 was lazy & stupid writing & never should've happened & makes no sense. he was canonically over here & trying to move on a season before. literally admitted while on TRUTH SERUM that he wasn't in love with her anymore. it literally shows no growth for him to just reduce him back to a shipping box & have him revolve around nancy again. especially when nancy herself has moved on & is in a happy relationship

6 - everyone claims steve is the d.uffer bros favorite, but he is NOT. he might be a fan favorite but the duffers don't give af about him. they wouldn't have done above if they did. they wouldn't continuously put him through hell & back if they did. he's literally a marketing ploy to them/st in general/netflix. they know everyone eats him up & uses those stupid 'steve harrington has to live' or whatever type marketing things to bring in the money

7 - calling steve a 'fan favorite' is even a bit of a stretch because genuinely most people only like him because he's hot. or bc joe is. & they crush on him & think he's attractive & the whole babysitter thing does it for them. or they also just think of him as 'haha goofy stupid funny hot guy who gets beat up all the time'. that's how most people outside of the actual steve stans see him, people don't give him depth - including the writers themselves

8 - FOR ST/CANON/80S VERSE SPECIFIC - i genuinely don't think steve would know what being bi was or that 'liking both' is an option or whatever without meeting robin. or another 'already have figured out they're queer' person. like i just simply don't think he'd just have that already known without some help. like - maybe he could know he liked guys for certain ships getting together pre-robin & all but i don't think he'd know the details of stuff already without a queer person in his life

9 - slight usfw but probably one of my most controversial, in the steve/steddie/st fandom at least, STEVE IS A SUB, & HE'S ALSO A BOTTOM. THAT'S ALL. THANK YOU VERY MUCH.

10 - this is going to be the most controversial thing i've ever said on this blog bc it's going to surprise & shock the fuck out of so many of you & no one's going to believe i'm actually saying it but .....................

steve should've died in s4 instead of eddie. NOW HEAR ME OUT - obviously there's no universe where i want steve to die & this is ONLY IF someone 'had' to die. but i think it should've been steve. steve is a character that's been around since s1, who was - in fact - supposed to die in s1. we know him, we love him, but we've got to watch a life for him play out on screen before us. maybe not the best life. but still. he was canonically in a good place by the end of s4, for the most part. like generally seemed happy & all. he gave that whole speech to nancy that literally screamed a 'i'm about to die' speech. it would've been sad as fuck, but i think it would've been a better narrative. to watch a character we've gotten to know & have at least four or more so years with die. & it still would've given dustin the whole 'losing older brother type figure' situation. we'd get to watch the characters grieve someone we actually knew, not someone we only knew for nine (eight? idk i'm tired i forget how many s4 eps rn) episodes & most of the characters barely knew -. it would've been a lot more impactful & shown that the duffers weren't afraid to take risks & actually kill off their mains & show us no one was safe. & then eddie could've stepped into steve's role & wouldn't have lived such a short time & would've shown that the duffers could break out of their 'we're gonna kill off this character you just me this season' trope ...

[narabea06]

Do you... Have any Flynn Rider headcannons..? From NIWL?

HI THERE YOU LOVELY PERSON OF COURSE I HAVE HCS FOR FLYNN I FUCKING LOVE FLYNN-

Flynn Rider (NIWL) Headcanons -

Flynn is queer and transmasc (according to Plu in their discord, Flynn actually had a late husband who used to work for Fazbear, though I'm unsure if this is still canon, but I personally like to think it is)

After he quit working at Wonderheart, Flynn actively refused to enter the Wonderheart building anymore, and any time he ever has to go there, it's just to talk to Zero or pick up Sova.

Flynn is the kind of guy to put his boots on your dash in your car.

He is actually really gentle and patient with kids despite seeming super intimidating.

Flynn doesn't like physical touch.

His love language is gift giving.

He’s a dog person.

He dresses mainly in a 80s rock aesthetic in his free time, and actively listens to punk rock, mullet rock, and classic rock. (The way I draw Flynn is directly inspired by my dad, so I'll admit, it is a bit self indulgent, but idk I love it)

Flynn has tons of piercings, namely an eyebrow piercing, a nose bridge piercing, and four ear piercings. They used to have gages too, but they stopped wearing them and let them close up and heal.

Flynn is the only Wonderheart worker that's taller than King. (King is 6'2")

Because of Hatter stabbing him in the arm so badly, Flynn hasn't been able to use the injured arm very much and had to get a fuck ton of stitches. He can barely carry stuff with that arm and it constantly hurts like hell.

Before Pluto realized how bad their injury was and after noticing Flynn hadn’t been at work in a bit, Pluto tried to get Flynn back into work only to immediately get a prompt "fuck you" from Flynn.

He is left handed, so when his arm was stabbed, he had to learn how to write with the other hand.

King and Flynn actually get along super well, with them being the grumpy + sunshine duo. Even though Flynn doesn't work with King anymore, they still see each other from time and frequently text and send each other voice memos.

King and Flynn once ran into each other at the mall when they both happened to be getting groceries. Flynn offered to help King find stuff and read their grocery list. In return, King held his groceries to take the strain off Flynn's arm.

King and Flynn have matching blue heart clips that King bought them.

Flynn does not like Iris too much because of his connection to Fazbear but tolerated working with him.

Flynn loves horror movies, with his favorite being Nightmare on Elm Street.

They can play the bass guitar, and are a decent singer.

Flynn was a guitarist in a band in highschool in the 90s.

Flynn has a shepherd dog named Max. Zero often dog sits him.

His main interests are DC Comics, horror movies, and psychology.

Brian and Flynn are neighbors and live in the same apartment building.

Before Flynn quit, he actually considered White Rabbit his favorite among the animatronics, which was saying a lot because he practically hated everyone else.

Zero, Flynn, and Sova all hang out as a trio a lot, and have a found family dynamic, with Sova and Zero seeing Flynn as a dad.

Flynn, even though he's not actually working at Wonderheart anymore, is always invited by Zero, Sova, and King to out-of-work hangouts.

Flynn would punch a transphobe in the face, especially if they messed with Zero or Sova.

Flynn is very intimidating and oftentimes Zero and Sova will hide behind him for scary dog privileges.

Flynn sometimes picks Sova up from work on his motorcycle. He always gives Sova his helmet, and constantly double-checks that they're comfortable.

Flynn lends Zero clothing sometimes, such as jackets after Cheshire ate most of his.

Zero asks Flynn for advice a lot since Flynn has "old man wisdom". Zero also genuinely looks up to Flynn and cares a lot about what Flynn has to say.

Zero and Flynn are both transmasc, with Flynn being an older trans man and Zero being a much younger, newly out trans guy. Zero got his top surgery very recently and even got a couple months off work to recover while Flynn got his surgery YEARS ago. They bond over it a lot. (I DID WRITE A ONESHOT ABOUT THIS ON AO3 IF YOU'RE INTERESTED: "Same Scars")

Flynn has a motorcycle that he named Joan.

Flynn has been trying to get Zero to get drumming lessons because Zero has a drumroll stim and he genuinely thinks he'd enjoy it.

[nancypullen]

Heading to California

The mister and I are driving to California tomorrow. It's not nearly as exciting as you might think, it's just a town in southern Maryland.

We're going on a fact-finding mission. We might want to live there. It's early days yet, NOTHING is happening, but we'd like to have a look around. It would offer a lot more than what we have here in Denton (restaurants, shopping, medical care, etc) and we'd still be about an hour from the Edgewater gang. Bonus, we wouldn't have to worry about Chesapeake Bay Bridge traffic all summer. Not gonna' lie, when I google the town and see that they have everything from Belk to JoAnn's to Sally Beauty, it sounds like every convenience I left behind in Mt. Juliet. Man, do I miss that ease of living. There's a Lowe's, a Home Goods, a movie theater, a couple of malls, five grocery stores, a Target, and so on. The reason that this small town offers so much is that it's rubbing shoulders with Patuxent River Naval Air Station. Unfortunately, the closest airport is Reagan National in D.C., about 65 miles away. I think BWI (Baltimore) is 75. Not ideal, but not any worse than what we're dealing with now. I've been looking at real estate online, and at the moment it's in our price range. Before I build this up in my mind as the answer to everything that is wrong here in Caroline County, we're going to have a look around. I know the grass always seems greener elsewhere, but folks, we hardly have grass here. Literally and figuratively. If nothing else tomorrow I get to stop at a Home Goods (Halloween stuff!) and a Sally beauty (hair stuff!). I miss civilization so much. Our plan is to ditch Denton first thing in the morning and head over the bridge and turn south.

We'll explore, have a little lunch (so many restaurants to choose from!), and then head back home. Feels like the Amish on Rumspringa. I'll report our findings here on the ol' blog and let you know if it was much ado about nothing or has some potential. Our choices in Maryland seem to be dense urban or the sticks. This might be a happy medium. Scratch that, I do like Easton (here on the Eastern Shore) and really like their Talbot County property taxes. There's plenty to consider, and we're willing to explore the possibilities. We've been in Maryland just over two years, and I really think there's a better life for us outside of Denton. It's sure worth a look. On that note, I'll wrap this up. I hope that you keep your hearts and minds open to change. Don't be afraid to admit that you need to make changes. This may or may not be something we'll pursue, and if we do, it won't be right away. We're just in the talking stages. We do know that we need more than this. We also know that although we worked hard to make this house very pretty, it's not a house we can live in at 80 or 85. Ideally we'll need a one story house, or at least a home with the primary suite on the first floor. We're not at that point yet, but we also don't want to have to make that move when we're really old. Is it silly to think of that at 60? I don't think so. Better than 80. Those are the thoughts rattling around in my head, so I just dumped them all out for you. Pick through the mess and keep what you like. Sending out oodles of love tonight, I hope you feel it. If you need to make any changes, I'll be your cheerleader. Do it! Follow your dreams! Get what you need! Be brave!

There's always one.

I'll let you know how our adventure unfolds. Until then, stay safe, stay well. XOXO, Nancy