Lights... Camera... ACTION!!: A Hollywood Quest

Orion Ultor · Apr 21, 2023

Orion Ultor said:
A Promised Land of Cedar Pines: by Bruce O'Brien and Dave Alistair ( Medieval Science-Fantasy: Sword and Sorcery / Satire: Crime )

Orion Ultor said:
Children of the Night: by Dave Alistair ( Neo-Noir / Psychological Horror )

A World of Cinder: by Dave Alistair ( Political Thriller / Urban Fantasy )

Jack had seen the worst of the world. As a demon hunter, he had peered into the darkest recesses of the human heart and seen the evil lurking within. Yet even he was not prepared for what he discovered next.

A shadowy cabal of politicians and corporate titans had hatched a plan to wipe the slate clean and begin a state of total anarchy with the use of nuclear weapons. They believed that with the world in chaos, they could secure total power and create a new order: "To be Gods of Death in a World of Cinder."

When Jack first learned of this plan, he felt a sliver of excitement in his heart, like the one that had once consumed him. However, when he looked at his young son and daughter's smiling faces, he knew there was no way he could support such a plan.

Jack was now faced with a moral dilemma, one that could change the course of history. He was torn between his duty to protect humanity and his obligation to protect his family. It was a tough choice, and he had to weigh the costs and benefits of each decision carefully.

Ultimately, he decided that his obligation to protect humanity, to protect the greater good, was far greater than his duty to protect his family. He knew that if he stood aside and allowed the nuclear attack to happen, the consequences would be far worse than shielding his children for a moment.

Jack had to act fast, and he realized that the only way to prevent the looming catastrophe was through collaboration. He knew that even if he could stop the plan, he would not have done so alone. He dug deep into his network of demon hunters, friends, and contacts and pieced together a plan.

He rallied his allies and leaned into his power as a demon hunter to bring down the conspiracy. In the end, the cabal was discovered and brought to justice, and the world was saved.

As he lay down in exhaustion, Jack knew that this was only the beginning. There would always be threats to the safety and security of the world, and he would always be ready to step up and fight.

But for now, as he looked at his young children, safe and sound, he knew that he had made the right decision. He had saved the world while ensuring that there would be a bright future for his family.

A soft sequel to both of the previous entries, with Cedar Pines laying the foundation for the Conspiracy.

overmind · Apr 24, 2023

Blood on the Snow

For Quentin Tarantino, life didn't need any kind of philosophical explanation. It didn't need one in the present, and it didn't need one in the future. Because no matter what life threw at you, there was always one constant that would forever exist: Movies.

To say he liked movies would be disservice to the word; Quentin lived movies, he loved them. He would go and watch every single one of them if he only had the money for it. As it was, whenever he had enough, he'd go for a sitting by himself instead of having to go with his mother or step-father. He loved the worlds and the raw elements they showed, he loved the stories they brought to life, and he loved how they sometimes showed life in a more realistic way than life itself.

Someday he would be making them.

That was his dream, his goal for the future, he'd already decided. Sure there may not be enough money at the moment for him to go to "Movie School" and his mother kept on telling him how stupid his scripts were at the moment and how he should abandon such "infantile" ideas before he fucked up his life.

Well fuck that shit!

He was going to be a filmmaker. He was going to be one of the best this city's ever seen, he was going to make the movies that everyone raved about, with studios making him offers and deals just for the chance.

And the movies themselves would be his teacher.

That's another reason why he went out today hoping that something else besides Some Nights was on the billboard today. He'd seen that movie already like 3 times! It was fun at first, and he liked how they were able to blend both a criticism of Hollywood life right into a musical that was sweeping the nation, but Jesus Christ just put something else already!

He arrived at the Theater closer to his home, just hoping his prayers would be answered and... Fuck, this was annoying. Some Nights still dominating, and the same re-released films from some years back! A couple of Disney ones too, but that got old the first time he saw 101 Dalmatians. What a waste of his time.

Wait though, he thought, as he saw a new poster. It was an odd one too, clearly not made in the good ol U.S. of A. A foreign film then, from Japan if the language was anything to go by.

Lady Snowblood.

Huh, well the title was intriguing, and the promise of something new was more than enough to give it a chance.

Did those men just xxxxx that woman after butchering her husband and son!?! And she's still alive?! Did she stab one of them before...Oh fucking hell!

Did she just give birth only to give her child a vengeance mission?! Fucking hell this is awesome!!!

She just killed him with an umbrella! A fucking umbrella!!

YES! Cut him in half! Leave no one live!

Damn it! She was so close, she'd killed them all just for to die like-wait...Yes, she's alive!

That movie was amazing! The story, the fights, the violence! Yes, it was everything he'd ever wanted to see in his life. It was a shame he didn't bring more money otherwise he'd be seeing it again and again!

His excitement was nearly out of control. He wanted, no needed to see this movie again. bar that, he had to know more about it, which was why he now found himself looking at the poster, memorizing everything about it, reading the parts that he could understand about it, which amounted to the Actors and actresses' names, the Title, and the distributor...

Lucasfilm Unlimited, eh?

He would certainly look out for them in the future.

Kaiser Chris · Apr 24, 2023

One Mad Ladd

"I greatly regret that it has come to this Alan. While you are a very talented businessman and creative mind like your father, we here at 20th Century Fox believe upmost in the values of loyalty and solidarity, traits that your recent actions have come into conflict with. We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors."

The words of 20th Century Fox president Gordon Stulberg had stung deeply that one January afternoon when just as Alan had returned from his Christmas vacation, he was not greeted warmly with post-seasonal cheer, but with grim rejection with the company he had literally just started the year prior and had been set on becoming President, only to be kicked to the curb like trash.

And what pray tell was the high crime of treason that Alan Ladd had committed? Well there was two. The first and official one was his dialogue with Debbie Reynolds over the creation of the film Some Nights. He had been the first person Debbie had turned to with her daughter's script, and having instantly fallen in love with the plot, he pushed hard for securing the rights for Fox and deeply engaged in the bidding war, even lending some of his own money to the warchest. Unfortunately, Alan's campaign was stifled by internal interference, Fox leadership viewing the script as vanity project and a flop in the making by a star in decline and her complete novice of a teenage daughter. A somewhat valid fear in lack of hindsight to be sure, but Alan could smell the greater unease in the board, how Some Nights exposed the culture they thrived in.

Having lost the bidding war, Alan as a favor to a dear family friend who he saw as a big sister of sorts, happily offered his free services but connecting Debbie with the right crew and pointing her in the direction of the good executives within Universal to see her daughter's debut come to good light. This was viewed by 20th Century as treason, an excuse that was nothing but bullshit in Alan's eyes. While perhaps treachery to the general public, in truth Hollywood like many industries often saw its leading rivals conduct cooperation and do friendly business and coordination behind closed doors. Alan was not the first Fox employee to engage in benign aid to a competitor, such business created favors that benefited Fox in return, and Stulberg himself had attended a lavish Christmas party hosted by Universal and formed a gentleman's agreement with them and Warner Brothers over 1974's release schedule.

However, such an excuse was nothing more than a fabricated justification for the true reason Alan felt he was fired. Because he dared to request for friendly business and an open door to the Mavericks.

It was an industry term that described the new generation of up and coming filmmakers who did not start inside the system, displayed unorthodox film techniques and out of the box story ideas, and fought against conventional Hollywood for the creation of their vision. Coppola, Romero, Spielberg, Lucas; these and many more were a breed of men and a few women who lacked the patience to play within the established sandbox, didn't respect the town's tradition and culture, and wanted to make movies by their own rules. Before the 70's, they would have been run out of town and denied re-entry into the club. But in recent years, it was the Mavericks who found themselves as authors of a supermajority of the box office, and in some cases like Lucile Ball were cementing themselves as leaders.

George Lucas had most especially been the most recent case. He was a novice with a weird sex dystopia movie under his belt, and despite making the budget and gaining public acclaim, Universal had actively waged war against the creation of his second film American Graffiti. In spite of his film nearly being aborted countless times and being given a time crunch that would have killed most productions, Lucas crossed the finish line and came out with an instant classic and masterpiece that became the second highest grossing film in history.

Seeing as how Universal had done their best to commit suicide, lost the majority of their profits to Hollywood's most beloved and hated, and alienated George Lucas so much he made a whole new studio as retaliation; Alan took the messy drama as a cautionary parable about biting the hands that fed the studios and that if 20th Century Fox didn't change their tune and embrace change, then they would find themselves as relics. For months Alan had campaigned for a reconciliation strategy, even giving an olive branch to Lucasfilms and working out some sort of alliance. At first it was polite rejection, then irate swears, and finally stone cold silence and ignoring. Just when Alan had dropped the matter, they decided to fire him, all for asking for the company to simply come to the table and engage in talks.

As he collected his items, Alan swore on the way out that Fox would not come close to seeing the 21st Century under its current culture. While not the most graceful of exits, it was proving to be prophetic as Fox was greeted with duds and bombs across the year, while Alan in unemployment was scooped right by Universal at the insistence of Debbie, and under his oversight the greatest film in history was made, smashing box office records and reviving musicals like Jesus did to Lazarus. Alan was one of a quarter of producers, but at the end of the day he held the Executive title and with it leadership and the lion's share of praise and prestige that didn't go to Carrie, John and Gene.

A week after Some Night's release, Alan had been swamped with offers of work, even Gordon had come to his door bashfully and bowed down begging for a return to his old post with triple the salary and even some stock shares. However, to the shock of the industry, Alan rejected all. While he was open to working with any of the studios in the future, he could never tie down his destiny to any one in a permanent post. The cynicism and caution started by his termination with Fox was cemented by the mess at Universal, where he had to fight tooth and nail to keep the studio from sabotaging the film and turning Carrie into a puppet, not to mention dealing with the shitshow of the Editing that turned the best movie into one of the worst.

Alan Ladd Jr. had big plans, and the best way to achieve them was to become his own man and bring his chair to the table, or failing that to insert himself with the Mavericks and cement himself as a leader of New Hollywood, from one establishment to the next. Many days of networking and negotiations were spent, and with each passing day, Alan's master plan to survive and thrive in the new era was nearing closer to completion.

Later on one November evening, Alan was reading on Disney's financial state from the Wall Street Journal in his study when his telephone went off.

"Hello, Alan speaking."

"Hi Alan, it's Debbie." Greeted the Queen of Hollywood and mother of the best person to ever happen to his career.

"Hi Debbie, you have a good Thanksgiving?" Alan asked kindly. It wasn't lost on the producer how Debbie's greeting lacked the warmth of her usual calls and was rather nuetral.

"It was good, thank you for asking. Look Alan, I'm just going to get right to the point. Why have you been blocking my son for the past few months?" Debbie questioned in a rather cold and semi-hostile tone.

"Todd? I haven't seen him since the Some Nights premiere." Alan answered in confusion.

"Forgive me, I wasn't clear. Why have you been blocking Bruce O'Brian for the past few months?" Debbie pressed.

At the namedrop of the Goose, Alan's blood ran cold and his breathing quickened over the potential interpretation of him having crossed the young man whose name was synonymous with great fortune and disaster, a talented actor who tended to end the careers of anyone who seemed to wrong him.

"Debbie, I want to be clear that I have absolutely nothing against Bruce, his company, or any of his friends and loved ones." The latter of which was a category that Debbie most clearly belonged to after her daughter became Mrs. O'Brian.

"Then why have you been ignoring all of his attempts to reach out after you contacted him about an offer?!" Debbie demanded.

The hostile and agitated infliction of her voice was something that Alan could not have imagined the Debbie of a few years prior to speak in. Debbie's public persona as a sweetheart and kind soul was not merely an act, but a personality that she expressed in business and private, one that Alan was familiar with intimately thanks to her friendship with his father and namesake. However, for the past two years Debbie Reynolds while still an angel in most affairs, would adopt a rather viscous mean streak whenever it came to people or actions she felt were a threat to her family's welfare. It was a terror that Alan bore witness to in full detail after the Some Nights editing fiasco and one he was looking to be on the receiving end now.

Most in the business assumed this new Ice Queen persona was a natural product of her tumultuous divorce with Harry Karl, but others like Alan had a strong gut feeling that she picked up such traits from her vindictive Irish son-in-law. It was a conclusion Alan easily drew upon based on how she often spoke of him with just as much love and affection as Carrie and Todd. Hell, she did just call Bruce her son without the "in-law" suffix and didn't at all correct herself.

Scrambling to explain himself and save his career as an independent, Alan clarified nervously, "Okay, so I did reach out to Bruce and I admit I ignored his calls afterwords. I take full responsibility for that and do not claim it was right, but it was not done out of malice."

"Mhm." Debbie said, sarcasm dripping through the landline.

"Honest! Look, after Some Nights released, I was out of work and while Fox was begging for a return, I was in no mood to come crawling back after being treated like crap. I reached out to all the corners and major players of Hollywood, which just happened to include Bruce. Unfortunately for Bruce, I received enthusiastic calls faster from the establishment. In order to not end talks before they began, I placed Bruce on hold so I could explore my options. I'm sure he's a great kid Debbie, but you and I both know that he's not in the good graces of a lot of the town's leaders, and I didn't want to shut down doors just because I was talking with Bruce. I don't think it's right or fair, and I haven't written off Bruce entirely, I just wanted to be cautious and hold my cards close."

Silence reigned on the phone for ten seconds with Alan holding bated breath. Fortunately instead of the beginning of a rant, he was greeted with an accepting sigh, "Listen Alan, I don't mind if you don't want to do business with Bruce. However, I would at least hope for some common courtesy and a clear yes or no answer instead of leaving him hanging with speculation." Debbie stressed.

"Sure, I'll do that next time he reaches out." Alan promised. Fortunately, the past couple of months had proven a mixture of fruit and dead ends to the point he could be seen in the graces of the Goose without getting a rejection for those he was still talking to or already secured support and partnership. Alan still wasn't sure if Bruce was the best option, but his leadership at Lucasfilm was showing he could at least play the game instead of shredding the board and burning it.

"Good." Debbie simply replied, then hung up before Alan could change the subject. Sinking into his chair in exhaustion, he made a mental note to send Debbie and Carrie some nice Christmas gifts, maybe one for Bruce as well to bury any potential hatchets.

Before Bruce, Hollywood had been so simple and ran as a well oiled industry. Sure it was a cruel mistress to many, and some of his peers engaged in rather questionable actions that put them with the worst of the Gilded Age, but it was a game you could master once you learned the rules and could dominate with a little risk and creativity. Then the Mash controversy, or Mashgate as the kids had taken to calling in a post-Watergate world, had dropped a proverbial nuke on Hollywood and in the post-apocalyptic ruins, the young and old blood were fighting a viscous slaughter to become the kings of the new film order.

It was a war that Alan more than intended to win, to surpass his father and enter into history as a titan of cinema. Alan's first shots had already been fired thanks to producing the greatest film ever made, and with a fat checkbook and a growing network of talented allies from both old and new Hollywood, he was soon to reserve a seat at the table. Being fired from Fox may have been crushing, but perhaps in freedom he would find more success than anything he could have previously as a lapdog of those not ready to make the leap to the third millenium. All that was left was the million dollar question, if his future was tied to that of a green duck.

Orion Ultor · Apr 24, 2023

Duke William of said:
The Little Matchstick Girl

Once upon a time, in the dying days of the Wild West, there was a little girl named Molly. She was an orphan, for her parents had died of a fever a year back, and she had to fend for herself on the harsh streets of the town of Blackwater. It was a cold night, and the snow was falling heavily as Molly wandered the desolate streets, trying to sell her matches to anyone who would buy them. But, alas, nobody wanted to buy matches on such a cold night.

Molly sat down on a bench, shivering with cold and hunger, and struck a match to warm herself up. As the match burned, she saw a vision of a warm fireplace and a delicious feast, but the match soon burned out, and the vision vanished into the darkness. She struck another match, and this time she saw a beautiful Christmas tree, adorned with bright lights and decorations. But, again, the match burned out, leaving Molly once again in the cold and darkness.

Molly struck another match, and this time she saw the face of an old man who had given her a few coins earlier that day. He had been kind to her, and Molly wished he was here to help her now. But the old man was nowhere to be found, and as Molly sat there in the cold, she passed away from hypothermia, never to see another vision or feel warmth again.

The old man, who had been dealing with his own struggles, heard of Molly's passing and felt a deep sense of guilt for not being able to help her. He sought refuge in the church, hoping for some comfort, but the Catholic priest who tended to the church couldn't console him. The old man could not forgive himself for not being there for Molly, and the priest was left helpless in the face of his grief. As the old man's tuberculosis slowly took him away, he lamented the loss of a life that could have been saved, a life that was worth more than just a few coins.

...I blame my recent replay of Red Dead Redemption 2 for this, since I got the words of Low Honor Arthur Morgan echoing in my mind. In that sense, I felt the dying days of the Wild West are the best for a story such as this. As for the Priest, as much as they are meant to be Rev. Swanson, I felt that an older Bruce would be the one to sell this role the best.

Orion Ultor · Apr 25, 2023

Would You Be My Neighbor?

It'd been a calm and balmy Tuesday afternoon when he'd gotten the call from Sean Harris.

"Bruce, me boy," he'd started with the slow drawl of his faint Irish brogue, thickened again after years of being buried under the New York accent, "There's no beating around the bush, I've got some bad news for all."

"What's happened Sean?" Carrie looked at him odd, as his old brogue brought straight to the forefront once more.

"It's...remember Sally Flaherty? She who joined the convent?"

Bruce did indeed remember her, one of the youngest on the block who joined in on all the ruckus that all the boys had gotten up to. He still remembered her clinging to his back like a lemming in those days, her shrieking laughter as they ran from all the troublesome boys who just wanted to ruckus; she'd been adopted by the lot of them as their little sister, the mighty fine hellion that she was...such a fine hellion that it'd surprised them all some years back when she announced her decision to join the convent and become one of the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor.

"How could I ever not Sean?" he'd asked incredulously, somewhat shaken as a deep pit opened in his stomach, "What's happened to her?"

"She's not long for this world, Bruce." a deep shuddering sigh escaped from the other end of the line, "Sally's caught tuberculosis from one of the regulars-"

If Sean said anything else after this, it was lost to the sudden pulse of drums, of his heartbeat, as the phone slipped from Bruce's fingers.

It hadn't been twelve hours when Bruce and Sean found themselves back in New York, sitting in the waiting room of St. Vincent's, waiting for ~~any good news~~ a diagnosis. In his hands he grasped the journal she'd given him tight, having told him, in case of the worst case scenario, she entrusted the stories of the disenfranchised that'd been shared with her to him.

That honor felt as a stone around his neck.

Everything felt like a fog, the distance between them all stretching for miles even as Sean and the Boys were right there alongside him. There were others there alongside them, the other nuns Sister Brigid (the name Sally had chosen upon entering her new vocation) had worked alongside of, several monks who'd known her through her work, a number of the disenfranchised that she'd personally aided, and a strangely familiar face, but for the moment, they felt...alone in watching as their friend, their little sister was slowly lowered into the ground, interned in the church's cemetery.

It'd been almost two months since her diagnosis, since being told that the disease had damaged her already frail heart [it was assumed that the heart murmur had been preexisting], of watching their friend slipping from this life to the next in one of the most heart wrenching displays of-

Carrie gave his arm a light squeeze and pulled him from his funk, if only for the moment, for which he pulled her in a little closer in gratitude.

Later, when accounting the entirety of who she'd been and who'd she become at the small reception afterwards with all those whose lives she'd touched, Bruce couldn't help but laugh in a way that made Sally (Sister Brigid) seem to come alive and be there with them once more. And when going to bed that night, he reread the stories found within her journal once, twice and thrice more.

When he'd arrive back home later that week, Bruce set himself to work with a renewed passion, refocusing his efforts with the Foundation to find new and innovative ways to give help to those who needed them; the matter of tuberculosis and the way it had stolen someone far too soon, never strayed far from these discussions.

View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/6KchA8oj6Ro

View: https://www.youtube.com/shorts/aJmHo0pktKw

View: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2sEidFQMLw

Kaiser Chris · Apr 25, 2023

It's Lucasfilms Not Lucas'Films

"I thought I was clear from when we started pre-production Mike, Star Wars was going to be first! It's the company's flagship movie, it's MY movie, what was so hard to understand about that!" An irate George Lucas in a very rare moment of anger shouted at to Mike Eisner within his office.

The start of the day had been rather swell with George having just wrapped up the final issues of contracts and looking to do a roundup of both ILM and the film crew to formally begin production for Star Wars the next day. It would be a couple months until filming proper could begin in February or March, mainly dependent on Bruce finishing his obligations for M*A*S*H to join the crew in Tunisia, but it was a good time slot to start so they could get all the props ready and the sets of Tatooine and the internal shots for the Death Star, Falcon and Tantiv IV lockeddown.

After a lovely night with Marcia last night, George walked into the office with a pep in his step and a wide smile on his face as he was ready to begin filming his dream movie, the one that would cement his place in Hollywood as a great director and launch Lucasfilms to decades of greatness. Then as he reached his office, he found a rather anxious Mike waiting for him, a sight as rare as the Dodo as even nearly being kidnapped by Triad goons didn't seem to phase Mike.

George invited his President in for a talk, assuming it was going to be a discussion about that Snowblood movie or the finer details of Star Wars, only to be presented with a stab in the back from his right hand man who went and started production on a second movie when he had explicitly mandated Star Wars was first and would compete with no other's for the studio's attention.

Mike seemed rather stunned and taken aback by the furious Director, but as he always did he stood his ground and planted in his stubborness, traits that George previously admired but were proving to be troublesome. "George, I'm well aware of the promise, and while I know you're upset that we're starting with a second film, I'm still keeping to the spirit of it."

"HOW?!" George demanded.

"Because at the end of the day, Star Wars is still going to receive priority and the schedule is still going to go through. George, I literally just met the guy behind the script last week and we still haven't signed the contract yet, it's not like we're going to start filming tomorrow." Mike frustratingly tried to explain.

"Then don't sign it." George said in a rather childish tone, as if it the scenario was a simple black and white, which it was in his eyes.

"It's not that simple George." Mike said with a sigh, hand reaching to comfort his mounting headache. "Look, this Stallone guy isn't like Francis or Steve. He's not a close friend of yours who is content to wait a year or two to start production of their own film and will happily support the family. He's a writer whose been constantly rejected, and while I managed to strike a good deal with him if I don't hold my end of the bargain and produce an agreement soon, he's going to think I'm faking it and walk off. This script is a masterpiece in the making, definitely Oscar material and it can easily surpass 100 mil and cement Lucasfilms as part of the establishment."

At the mention of the awards that snubbed American Graffiti completely, George was further incensed. "So it's Oscar material eh? A better story than a children's fantasy book?" George bit back, recalling Mike's initial skepticism, a callback which made Mike cross.

"Now hold on, I did not say it was better than Star Wars. I just think it's a damn good movie that would be criminal to pass by. No one is suggesting we drop Star Wars and make this a priority, I simply want us to have another film ready to go after Star Wars is released so we won't have made a single film in three years of operation and rely solely on Star Wars' gross to fund us for the rest of the decade. Every other studio is pumping out dozens of films next year. We want to establish ourselves as contenders, we need to build a library."

At the mention of financials, dangerous whispers of embezzlement floated in George's mind, "And just where exactly is the budget for this film coming from?" He accused.

"Not a single cent is being taken from Star Wars or the company budget and I didn't come to ask for a million dollar loan." Mike answered.

"So it's an independent production you're taking lead on and attaching to Lucsfilms?" George asked with narrowed eyes.

Mike shook his head, "No, it's entirely in-house. Bruce paid for the budget and marketing and distribution in full."

At the mention of his close dear friend, the young man who saved his film career and at times was like a younger brother, second only to Steven Spielberg, George's breathing accelerated and his vision grew distant, heart pounding as the betrayal he never dreamed of happening outside of his nightmares was seemingly coming true, that even the most genuine and decent actor in town was turning to be a rat.

Time passed by as a flurry of disorientation that turned seconds into seemingly hours. "George?" Mike asked in concern, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Reacting to the touch as if it was a burning sensation, George brushed the arm off and stormed out of the office in a flash, speed walking straight to his car despite the calls of Mike and the panicked onlooking of many passing Lucasfilms employees. Without car, George burned rubber in the parking lot and escaped the studio he created before he drowned in a suffocating tide of panic, fearful of making a fool out of himself or doing something he might regret.

A twenty minute drive later, George arrived at the Malibu beach, and once he parked his car, he let his frustrations out with a roaring yell and a few curses along with the smack of his steering wheel, disturbing the few pedestrians walking by. With all of his anger sucked out, George collapsed in his seat and let his mind go numb with the roaring waves and rush of cars keeping him company. Not wanting to let the sluggishness consume him, George stepped out of his car and went for a walk alongside the beach.

After he had taken the vacation he took with his friends following the release of American Graffiti, George fell in love with the beach all over again as he discovered the sea made for an excellent therapy to relieve the high stress he had endured in the months of tumultuous production and post of the film where he did a highwire act over a pit of disaster.

The beach helped George to not only relax, but to reflect and think over what had happened and what to do moving forward, a place he desperately needed after undergoing a seeming stab in the back in the company he had built.

For many hours, George lazily walked alongside the beach, passing by many a vacationer and leisure folk, silent and absent of company save the occasional passing seagull.

During this trek, George looked back on the conversation he had with Mike, and realized he acted like the grandest fool in the court and lost himself when Mike was simply conducting business as he usually had. While Mike went about the film in perhaps a sloppy and secretive manner that didn't sit well with George, if he truly wanted to double cross the company he would have kept it a further secret from George instead of informing him. Mike had also been as patient as he could and explained that this was Lucasfilms' second movie, not its first, and all hands would be on hold with Star Wars. He also recalled that they had just done a meeting over the script, but a nagging feeling in George's mind kept on telling that a sports movie could be done in months and well before Star Wars was close to finished. He had shot Graffiti in a month, made a finished film in three, and Some Nights' entire production took half a year. Star Wars even if everything went smoothly, looked to be ready a year from now at the very earliest.

His musings and wandering mind would inevitably drift back to the instigator of his panicked retreat from the studio, Bruce O'Brian. George had made it explicitly clear to Bruce that Star Wars was going to come first, his first term of their partnership which founded Lucasfilms and the main one he had insisted on from the first day of the company, a promise which Bruce would always reply with a firm yes. Now, Bruce had just went behind his back and gave money to Mike to start a second film when they hadn't even produced a single millimeter of film for Star Wars and the ink for the Obi-wan contract was still dry. Was the promise so hollow that Bruce could easily break it on a whim, all for a boxing movie, his beloved sport which brought him to do battle with champions?

However, with each dark thought of Bruce as a traitor or backstabber, came two assurances that Bruce couldn't possibly be such and firm reminders that he was a loyal friend. Up til now, Bruce had always supported George at the lowest points of his career and gave firm support without asking for anything in return. He spent $100,000 on his dystopia debut all based on George's student film. He gave him more than his hopeful budget for Graffiti and worked himself to the bone to make sure production went smoothly, bearing much of the burden which George could not carry. He repeatedly tried to give a portion of his gross earnings to George, only to back down when George threatened that he burn any money sent. He easily agreed to the creation of ILM and sacrificed his dream of an animation studio he had been so eager to pursue with childish glee. He respected George's script for Star Wars and completely voided his actor's fee.

With all this and more, George came to understand that there must have been some genuine and good reason for Bruce to break the promise, that he wouldn't do so on a whim and likely had George's concerns in his mind. Still, George did not understand the why? What had pushed Bruce to back the creation of a boxing film by an unknown and not his own beloved script, Kung Fu Kid?

Resolving to seek answers, George exited the beach in the early evening and sought to have a talk with Bruce at his home, presuming by the time he arrived he would be well done with MASH's filming. When George used a payphone to tell Marcia he was likely to arrive home late, he received an earful and heavy words of concern from his wife who told him that she had received a hundred phone calls from the studio asking him where he went and if he was okay, and that if he hadn't called for another hour or two she would have reached out to the police.

Cringing in guilt at the dressing down, George apologized profusely and promised he would make amends the next day, leaving Marcia to hang up with a huff. He then gave a call to his secretary to let everyone know he was alright and nothing drastic was going to happen within the company, hearing a dozen sighs of relief in the background. George then gave Bruce a call, Carrie answering and promising that Bruce would be there by the time he arrived.

One annoying wait in rush hour later, and George arrived at the O'Brian residence. While George still believed that Bruce made a great blunder in settling in Beverly along with purchasing a massive plot of nothing instead of planting his roots up North for greater pastures at a cheaper price; after a couple of visits he had to admit that Bruce and Carrie did choose a nice and comfortable Spanish abode which gave the stars a slice of nature while still living among the Hills elite.

After a ringing of the doorbell, Carrie a few seconds later. "Hello George." She greeted kindly. Every day George couldn't help but be amazed that Bruce was happily married at 20 while George had at the same age been too stressed over class to think of girls.

"Hey Leia." George responded casually, then groaned as he realized his faux pase, though Carrie seemed to enjoy it with a giggle. "Sorry, my mind's been on Star Wars mode lately and when I see you and Bruce I keep on thinking of you as Han and Leia first."

"It's quite alright, Bruce calls me that on accident sometimes as well. He's been counting the days since our honeymoon for filming to begin."

"How'd that go by the way? I still can't believe you guys didn't go to France, it's the heart of romance." George asked. After Graffiti, George had treated Marcia to a well deserved second honeymoon in Paris, taking her to all the sights he had visited in his time at the Cannes film festival. He had lobbied strongly for the pair to go but Bruce had been insistent on visiting his ancestral homeland.

"Oh it was wonderful. A bit too cold and not the best season to visit, but beautiful landscapes and culture. It was also really nice to visit his, our I should say our extended relatives, really nice people." Carrie said with a dreamy look in her eyes.

"Meow."

George's eyes drifted downward to the youngest O'Brian, Ginger the cat, who looked to Carrie with wide pleading eyes and softly scratched on the lower legs of her jeans. Rolling her eyes with a slight shake of the head, Carrie picked up Ginger who purred and happily nuzzled into her gray sweater.

"Did the girls enjoy the trip?" George asked as Carrie stroked Ginger in her arms.

"No, we had to leave them with mom, customs was too much of a hassle. Natalie was fine but Ginger took it hard the first couple of days and ever since we came back, she's been a fussy baby who thinks it's the end of the world when we don't give her attention for a single second." Carrie said to Ginger in a lectured tone, with the Fold not caring at all and continuing to snuggle with her mother.

"That bad?"

"That's not even the beginning. The second we walked through mom's house, she came running out and peed directly on Bruce's shoe! You just had to be there, it couldn't have been anything but premeditated."

The two shared a laugh which was interrupted by a distant shout from Bruce, "Honey, is that George?!"

"Yes." Carrie yelled back.

"Keep him busy for a few minutes, I'm almost done."

George raised an eyebrow in intrigue, but Carrie simply motioned for him to follow to the living room. George took a seat on the couch, scratching an approaching Natalie while Carrie sat across with Ginger still hugging fiercely and licking Carrie's arms. "So Bruce told me there was some trouble at work?" Carrie inquired politely.

George then gave an exhaustive sigh as he remembered the purpose of his visit, "Yeah, although I certainly didn't react the best."

"Oh?"

"When I founded the company with Bruce, I had a clear mandate that Star Wars would come first and any and all other movies would be made. Yet today Mike comes to my office and says he's producing this boxing movie and Bruce gave him the money and go ahead." George explained.

"And you think Bruce broke his word?" Carrie asked carefully.

"Yes? No? I don't know! I just...I just don't like the idea of someone else's movie being made before mine as Lucasfilms' first and taking time and resources away from Star Wars. I made Lucasfilms so I could avoid the executive nonsense plaguing the rest of Hollywood, and even as the owner I still have to deal with it." George vented.

Carrie gave a sympathetic nod, "Well at least nothing's impacted production, you just have two films to cover instead of one, and no one is going to butcher your vision throughout production." Carrie assured.

"Like the Some Nights first edit?" George asked, taking Carrie aback.

"How did you find out?" Carrie asked with light suspicion.

George held out his hands in apology, "Bruce shared with Marcia about the horrible first draft and she told me about it and how Bruce was close to drafting her to save the day. I'm sorry if I shouldn't have known, I promise I didn't tell anyone." George explained.

Carrie gave the soft smile at the mention of Bruce's plan, "It's okay, it's kind of an open secret within the establishment that Some Nights was saved from a total bomb, and honestly I'd happily brag about Universal's trashy culture and leadership on TV if Mom wasn't locked down in contract with them." Carrie said as she continued to stroke Ginger's fur.

"My point is taking on a second film isn't the worst that could happen, and at the end of the day Star Wars isn't going to be hurt and you'll have the final say no matter what, especially with Marcia and Bruce as support." Carrie said.

"Yeah, that's what Mike said." George responded with resignation.

"George, I know it may seem like Bruce is acting in bad faith, but I promise you he has nothing but the best intentions for Star Wars and plans to do everything in his power to make it the best film he can for you. He's always talking about how great it is and he wants "George's Movie" to take its rightful place as one of the greatest in film. It's just that when Mike came to him with the offer, he was presented with a case he couldn't say no to."

Before George could ask what she meant, Bruce came storming into the room with a whiteboard stand with several sheets of paper on it, then ran back to collect a large stack of scratch paper, office pages and some calendars.

"Bruce?" George questioned, a little stunned with the display. Bruce on the other hand looked like more of a stressed wreck than he was, sweating profusely and his normally wavy hair a mess.

"George, I know it looks bad, and I'm sorry for breaking the promise, whether fully or in spirit. However, I've been working on it nonstop during breaks between filming and since I got home, and I'm pretty sure there's a way we can make both Star Wars and Rocky and have Star Wars come out first." Bruce said firmly, then went into a ramble of a lecture where he explained in heavy detail about the timetables on both films and that they could have Star Wars well into post by the time Rocky began filming.

It was a very in-depth and precise presentation worthy of George's best professors at Southern California. Bruce gave a strong argument how without any rush or altering of the script, they could finish Star Wars well within 1975 and that from there ILM would have a whole year to fine tune the VFX and SFX with them being able to release well by Christmas of 1976 or perhaps even more ambitiously a summer of '76 film. Bruce also went into a complete timetable for Rocky, how months would need to be spent casting and story writing set for Star Wars, and how even without the involvement of ILM, they would have to spend a great deal of time training for the boxing match to give it an air of authenticity and realism, and how even once all that was done they would have to spend months marketing and would most likely shoot for a late '76 date or even after Star Wars in '77 and all of the money was coming from his own pocket without any divergent resources or manpower from Star Wars.

Bruce also presented the business needs of taking on a second film without the usual clinical and wolfish behavior of Mike. He spun a strong case on how the Imports alone were simply enough to pay for Star Wars and everyone's salaries along with some comfort, but that there wasn't a suitable foundation for further films, and that they'd have to wait until Star Wars turned profits to expand more, and from there push Steve, Francis and Brian back years until the 80's and Steve's dream film would have to be put on hold indefinitely, something that George did not want to inflict on his best friend. By starting a second film, Lucasfilms could prove it was serious, provide great financial security for all its employees high and low, and make a solid foundation for the Mavericks and all of their friends to make real and true art soon before being swallowed by the Hollywood factory.

But what truly helped George to see the error of his ways and the benefits of Rocky was the story of its writer and hopeful lead, Sylvester Stallone.

"I was very hesitant when Mike gave me the offer George, and I came close to rejecting him outright because I didn't want to hurt your dream. However, Mike said that this was Stallone's last chance, that he was turning to us after desperation after being rejected by every other studio in town. Despite the fact that they're pumping out garbage like a landfill center and will happily accept any script from a schmuck, no one believed in him, thought he was a worthless bum with no talent and place in town. I met him over the weekend after Carrie and I went to one of his boxing matches, and you want to know what I saw? A talented artist and dreamer who wants his movie to be made on his terms, to make good art without sacrificing to the business. Sound familiar?" Bruce said.

At the explanation, everything clicked for George and he realized that the tale of Sylvester Stallone and George Lucas were the same, that of a starving artist desperate to share their stories with the world, but being continuously rejected and met with scorn and scepticism by all in the industry, simply because the script was too bold and risky, or there were some personal traits that drew distaste. Only this time the role was reversed and now George was on the other side of the table, sitting where so many executives before him lorded over on their thrones and rejected his pleas without a single care or thought, an action that George would have been sure to taken over a stubborn promise.

It was in that moment that George understood that Lucasfilms' wasn't just a personal playground for him to reign over and create whatever he wanted while granting favor to his friends, it was a promising company that could become a house of dreams to scorned artists begging for a single chance.

And thus, George Lucas greenlight Rocky.

The next day, George drove to the office, and was met with hushed whispers and nervous stares as he walked down the Lucasfilms halls. Realizing that word of his confrontation must have spread like wildfire, George felt shame at his behavior and resolved to be a better company leader from now on, to provide a strong example and work both as a filmmaker and business owner.

He walked to Mike's office and fortunately found the man working at his desk, looking up with great apprehension as George knocked on the door. Feeling that he might have given off the impression that Mike was due for the unemployment line, George sighed and decided to be quick and direct.

"Mike, I'm sorry for my conduct yesterday. It was not befitting of my titles and responsibility to the studio, and I realize you were only trying to help and were right about the need to diversify our production." George said, the words proving surprisingly less bitter than he imagined.

"It's okay, I should have been open and established an understanding before I went through with this." Mike responded earnestly.

Absently nodding his head, George resolved to finish the conversation before he lost his confidence, "Look, you have my full support going ahead with Rocky. Once you have the contract signed, bring Stallone in so we can set up a schedule for casting and location scouting and discuss the script."

Mike slowly nodded growing a smile as he understood that the conflict was over and he was given the green light. "Alright then, anything else?"

"Production for Star Wars starts today. Come by with the rest of the studio to the auditorium after lunch."

"I'll be there."

Nodding lightly, George abruptly exited and went back to his office, feeling a great deal of stress leave his body as if it was being sucked by a vacuum. George dearly hoped and prayed that Star Wars could be the grand debut of Lucasfilms, but if everything went wrong and the release proved to be a galaxy far, far, away; at least they had a boxing underdog to step into the ring with.

Kaiser Chris · Apr 27, 2023

The Newlywed Game

If Bruce could describe his life in a few words, it would be surreal normalcy. Here he was just 20 years old, driving home from work off the set of America's number one show, and driving home to his spacious mansion in Beverly Hills. He had a net worth greater than 99.9% of Americans, produced and starred in one of the highest grossing films in history, and was the co-owner of a firebrand film studio. You'd have to take a thousand ordinary men his age to come to a fraction of his accomplishments, and Bruce was only getting started in his long career in Hollywood. All of this and when he was asked what he wanted to do with his life in the 5th grade, he earnestly replied that he wanted to help run the family bar.

If Bruce had to pick one aspect of this surreal normalcy that he would never trade for anything...

"Welcome home my wonderful husband!" Happily exclaimed Carrie O'Brian as Bruce opened the door, with her running towards Bruce and greeting him with a leaping hug and peck on the check, a show of love that Bruce would then return twofold.

He would never trade his youthful marriage where everyday was a joyous adventure as him and Carrie discovered many experiences of the newlywed life that caused the two of them to fall in love again.

With Carrie lacking in long-term commitments for the moment, she stayed at home for most days and worked on writing and music, happily adopting the role of the housewife with one of her many self-imposed duties to greet Bruce every day he returned from work with a great hug and kiss, an experience that he deeply treasured every day.

Setting his wife down, Bruce adopted a wide and excited smile at the reminder of his talk with Lucille Ball before he left the set.

"Hey Carrie listen, so Lucy approached me after we were done filming, and she gave an offer for the both of us."

"I'm going to be guest starring on MASH?!" Carrie shouted in joy, jumping up and down in excitement.

"No, not that I'm aware of unfortunately." Bruce informed, bringing Carrie's mood down with a slight pout.

"Well that's a bummer, I was hoping Radar would finally get a love interest, maybe play the role of beautiful and shy nurse that transferred with the two of them falling in love at first sight." Carrie said sensually.

Blushing at the mental image of Carrie in a nurse's uniform and remembering her last time "Nursing" him to health, Bruce shook his head and pressed forward. "No it's not MASH unfortunately, it's actually a game show."

"A game show? We're going to have to compete against each other in some celebrity showdown?" Carrie questioned.

"No we're competing with each other, in The Newlywed Game." Bruce informed, Carrie adopting a giddy smile at the news.

One of the most popular shows in America, The Newlywed Game as described by the title was a show where four newlywed couples competed for a prize through six questions, divided into three where the husband would have to guess the wife's response and vice versa, along with a bonus question. It was famous and well loved for the high comedy through the couple's answers and their arguments, with many a question revolving around sexual innuendo.

In previous years, Bruce had watched the show in passing, mostly with his parents, but while he was recovering from his mugging shooting, he watched dozens of reruns in the hospital and at home and it became one of his favorite shows, with him later hooking Carrie and it becoming one of the couple's favorites thanks to their marriage mania.

"Really? I didn't think that they had celebrity contestants, I don't even know of anyone prominent from Hollywood who just got married like us." Carrie said as Bruce moved to the kitchen for a glass of water.

"I'm pretty sure we're going to be the only famous couple for the episode and the other three are going to be regular people. From what Lucy said, Chuck Barris reached out to her and sought to pass the message along to me. He wants us to come along one of the last episodes of the show as contestants, no auditions required. I'm pretty sure it's meant to be a ratings gimmick to draw in viewers, maybe help build the case for a new season or be used as leverage for another show." Bruce explained after he had a drink.

Unfortunately the show was announced to be entering its last season a few months prior and thus Bruce and Carrie if they accepted would be one of the last couples to play with the final episode to be released on Christmas week.

Carrie nodded her head in understanding, "Yeah we'll probably make it the highest viewed episode with how that gossip crap flies off the shelves with a single page on us." Although the young couple certainly made no efforts to shy away from the official spotlight with a number of interviews in print and on TV leading up to and after their marriage in an attempt to ward off the paparazzi by making everyone intimate with the O'Brian story along with plenty of photos and footage of them in circulation.

"True, but in the end it's just a simple and fun game show where we show up for half an hour, answer questions, kick ass and show the world that the O'Brians are the best married couple." Bruce reasoned, rising a laugh from Carrie.

"Yeah, I wouldn't mind showing everyone how much we love and know each other." Carrie said earnestly, making Bruce look at her in total adoration.

"Listen Carrie I'm all for it, but before going in, can we agree that no matter how weird the questions and answers are or if we answer very wrong, that we won't let it come between our marriage?" Bruce asked in concern, reaching his hand out with Carrie grabbing hold.

"Of course, it's just a game show and everything's set up to get as many wrong answers as possible and make the audience laugh. Even if we get zero points, that doesn't make you any less of a husband." Carrie rationalized, making Bruce lean over the kitchen island and give her a happy peck on the check.

"And you won't mind about Bob asking us questions about our 'whoopee-making?" Bruce checked, "Whoopee" being the show's euphemism for sex and one of its favorite subjects.

"Not at all. After all, what's so wrong about letting the world know I go to bed with the sexiest man alive?" Carrie purred, creating a blushing and bashful Bruce, the two practicing Whoopee later that very night.

With the couple in enthusiastically in agreement, Bruce gave a call to Chuck Barris the following morning, hearing a happy shout of glee on the other line.

The following Monday the two showed up on set, causing quite a stir for the live audience and the other attending couples, almost all of whom were fans of MASH or Some Nights. Thus their time before the episode was spent with an impromptu meet and greet with everyone present, giving the couple little chance to strategize.

Eventually, after studio security was called down to force everyone to their seats, the gameshow was able to begin.

"From Hollywood, the newlywed capitol of the world, here come the Newlyweds!" The opening narration announced, the live audience roaring in cheers and applause at a greater intensity than usual, all thanks to one couple.

"Couple number one, his ideal of a romantic honeymoon activity was a hike in 45 degree Irish weather. Married just four weeks ago, Bruce and Carrie O'Brian!" The two were introduced with the O'Brians laughing at the description, receiving a very loud and roaring ovation that still lingered into couple two's introduction.

Bruce leaned into Carrie after they were introduced, "You wrote that down as our introduction?" He loudly whispered into her ear, the noise covering the conversation.

Carrie shrugged her shoulders, "I'm not saying I didn't enjoy it. They just wanted something interesting or funny, and you have to admit that isn't your typical romantic adventure." Carrie responded, with Bruce nodding his head in concession.

After a commercial break, the wives filed to backstage, leaving the husbands with Bob on the set. Once they were back on the air, the host Bob Eubanks would explain the rules and then get into the first question.

"Gentlemen, would you describe your whoopee making as an occupation, hobby or chore? Bruce, would you like to start us off?" Bob asked.

Bruce shook his head in mild embarrassment as Bob came out pitching so strongly and with him as the first response, but the Irish Actor had been well aware going in that he and Carrie would be asked intimate questions, so he would answer truthfully and with a bit of flair.

"Well I'll certainly tell you one thing Bob, it is never a chore." Bruce said, producing a chorus of laughs and many female whistles and screams from the audience.

"Unfortunately Bruce, you must answer how it is." Bob pressed cheekily, knowing full well that the showrunners would milk this episode for all its worth, and they probably had one of, if not their biggest audience watching.

"Well that's a real tough one, kind of depends on whether or not you consider an occupation fun." Bruce joked, creating another round of wild reactions from the audience and getting a rise from Bob.

"Honestly I'd say it can go either way, with lots of enjoyment and frequency, so I'll take a guess and say hobby." Bruce answered, with the rest of the other men following suit.

For the second question, Bob asked, "How did you and your wife share your first kiss?" It was a somewhat innocent question, but it caused Bruce cover his face with his hands and shake his head in embarrassment, causing most of the audience to pick up and laugh, eagerly anticipating the answer.

After two contestants, it came right back to Bruce, "Bruce, why don't you share with the audience what's got you so flustered?" Bob teased, with the other men and the rest of the audience leaning forward in hungry attention.

"Well Bob, if I answer truthfully, Carrie might kill me, but we'd be losing on a easy five points so I got to answer honestly." Bruce mumblingly answered, receiving a lot of laughs.

"Were you that bad at kissing?" Bob asked, producing an uproar.

Bruce shook his head, "Oh no, it's nothing with the quality so much as the circumstances behind the kiss." Bruce clarified.

"Well why don't you share with us the answer?" Bob pushed.

Bruce gave a heavy sigh, "She kissed me after I finished eating in a hot wing competition and the sauce got all over her lips." Bruce answered, creating the largest laugh so far.

Bob himself was not immune as he was wheezing on the podium and close to splitting his sides. Eventually he regained control, "Hold on a second, we've got to pause the show here because I am not continuing forward until we get the full story." Bob said, a sentiment the audience agreed with.

Bruce rolled his eyes but complied anyways, "Well, a while after we started dating, Carrie was a bit down in the dumps. I wanted to cheer her up, make her smile a little bit, so I entered the hot wing competition."

"The most natural course of action." Bob quipped.

Bruce laughed and continued, "Well I just wanted to do something silly to make her smile, and I figured public humiliation through excruciating pain in spicy food would do the trick." Bruce said, producing a mixture of laughs and awws. "The reason I chose that specifically was because it was a celebrity event as a small charity fundraiser for hunger, and Clint Eastwood asked if I could sub in for him. Long story short, I did my best but lost the competition, and I came down and talked with Carrie, but I didn't wipe my lips or wash it down with some water. Carrie went in for the kiss, and unfortunately I shared the pain with her."

"All that suffering from Louisiana Hot Sauce?" Bob inquired.

"Oh you do not get me started Bob, it was not Louisiana!" Bruce strongly protested, PTSD from the wings kicking in much to the amusement of the audience. "Those wings were coated with a habanero buffalo sauce with a dozen spices mixed in. I had three milkshakes right after and my lips and mouth burned for several hours!"

"All that pain and you didn't even get to take home a t-shirt or trophy?" Bob asked.

"Nope, nada, although it makes for a fun story." Bruce said.

"And now all of America knows." Bob egged on, causing Bruce to sigh and fearing Carrie's reaction in the answer section.

Fortunately it seemed that the third question would be a soft and easy end, "Who visits you most often after your marriage?"

Bruce relaxed at finally being given a nice and decent question, "Well haven't gotten too much company after the honeymoon, so I'd say her mother. We live in the same neighborhood so usually it's either she comes for breakfast or dinner or we go to her house at least half of the week." Bruce answered, with most knowing he was speaking of Debbie Reynolds.

"And you don't mind the constant company?" Bob asked, to which Bruce shook his head with a smile.

"Not at all Bob. Debbie's a real sweet woman and she's always been so kind since we started dating. Honestly I consider myself to be extremely blessed to not only have married the most beautiful and wonderful woman in the world, but to have married into such an incredible and loving family." Bruce said, melting a lot of hearts in the audience.

The wives would then return and the competition would truly begin, "Alright ladies, we asked your husbands three questions and you shall attempt to answer in the same way he responded with each question worth five points. First question, would you describe your whooppee making to be a occupation, hobby or chore? Carrie?"

The audience laughed and looked expectantly to the celebrity couple. Carrie took a few moments to consider, "Well I'd say we have the spirit or frequency of an occupation, but I think Bruce would have gone with Hobby."

"That your final answer?" Bob asked, to which Carrie nodded, "Alright, Bruce said hobby!" Bob announced with Bruce showing the card, the husband and wife then kissing in celebration.

Only one other couple would get it right with Bruce and Carrie in the lead, "Now for our second question, we asked your husbands how did you and your wife share your first kiss." Carrie became flustered and jumped in her seat to the amusement of the audience, staring down Bruce who turned his eyes in nervousness, as still as a statue.

After couples two and four, it went back to Bruce and Carrie, bob looking on in fun. "He shared the story didn't he Bob?" Carrie asked.

"I can't say, I'm not really allowed to give hints." Bob answered.

Carrie sighed, "I kissed him after he finished a hot wing competition." Bruce would produce the card with the matching answer. The audience laughed and cheered, with Carrie shaking her head in annoyance, but cooling down and smiling when Bruce gave her a peck on the cheek for celebration.

"Carrie, if you don't mind my asking, why exactly did you decide to kiss Bruce after he finished a hot wing competition?" Bob asked.

Carrie gave a huff and explained, "Well he probably told you the story why he was there right?" Carrie asked to which Bob nodded. "Well it's a bit of a strange plan but he was being so considerate and silly and after he was finished I couldn't help but think he was such a nice boyfriend so I kind of got in the mood to kiss him as a reward."

"Only he forgot to clean himself beforehand." Bob joked.

"Yes he did! You said it yourself that your mouth was burning, why didn't you wash it off?!" Carrie started, to the laughter of the audience.

"Well I wanted to, but I wanted to talk to you first, that was more important!" Bruce retorted, producing a round of gushing awws in the audience and melting Carrie's heart once more.

"Well I don't really mind too much. It's just that I can never really share the story with anyone cause everytime I do, my mouth just starts burning from the memory and I can't really savor it!" Carrie complained to everyone's humor.

Bob then moved on to the final couple and then the third question of who visited the married couples most often, Carrie would be the second to answer, "Well that's easy, it's my mom and Todd."

"I'm afraid we can only accept one answer." Bob pointed out.

"Oh then it's my mom." Carrie answered confidently, with Bruce producing the exact response and catapulting the O'Brians to the lead.

The game would then switch to the wives remaining behind to answer, the main difference in format being the points being ten questions. "Alright ladies, starting off, what French food would you say is your husband's favorite meal, and please describe the answer in French. Starting us off is Carrie."

Carrie jerked her head back in bewilderment, "French food? Can I just say nothing."

"No you have to provide us with a definitive answer." Bob informed, "I take it Bruce isn't a fan of French cuisine?" Bob asked.

Carrie shook her head, "It's not that, it's just that he has never made a single French dish during our entire relationship."

"So Bruce does all the cooking at home?" Bob inquired.

"Yeah, both his parents are cooks so he makes some really great meals. I've tried to make stuff on my own in the past but after the third time I started a fire he banned me from the kitchen unless I'm supervised." Carrie said in a bit of joking exaggeration, generating a chorus of laughs at the image of Carrie starting a kitchen fire.

"So you just don't eat French food period?" Bob asked.

"No, he'll make all kinds of food but never French, we've never even been out to a French restaraunt." Carrie complained.

"Well unfortunately time is running out and we have to receive some sort of answer." Bob encouraged.

Carrie thought hard for a few seconds then jolted up as a metaphorical lightbulb went off in her head, "Okay, okay I got it! Croissant." She answered, with the audience laughing at her pronunciation.

"That's quite an interesting French dialect." Bob commented.

"Oh you'll understand if he gets it right." Carrie said.

Bob then asked the other couples and moved on to the second question, "Ladies, what would you describe as the most romantic gift your husband has given you?" A question that fortunately for Carrie was far easier to answer than the first one.

"It was a snoopy plushie that he got me for Valentine's Day last year." Carrie confidently answered.

"Really? I take it your a big peanuts fan?" Bob asked, producing a giggle from Carrie.

"Well I like them but the reason it was so special was because it was when I was working with my mom on Broadway and we had to leave my dog home with some friends because we didn't have time or space to care for her in New York. I was feeling pretty homesick and missed her a lot and when Bruce visited around that time he got me one as part of his present and it just really made me happy." Carrie gushed, with plenty of awws in the audience.

With Carrie being the last asked, Bob moved onto the final question. "Now for our last question this will be a little tricky so bear with me. Now when your husbands come back, we'll have the two of you lean in with your noses touching, and with your husbands looking into your eyes, they'll have to complete the sentence, 'My darling, this close up you look like a blank'. Your job is to fill in the blank and guess what your spouse would answer."

While the other wives were answering, Carrie stared forward and stretched her face a bit with her hands, thinking hard in contemplation as she tried to imagine what Bruce would see, "Carrie, you still with us?" Bob interrupted, breaking her concentration in minor embarrassment and humor.

"Yeah, I'm just trying to come up with something cause he gives me a lot of cute nicknames so it's a tough pool to draw upon." Carrie responded.

"Well, anyone of them will probably be fine."

"He'd probably say..."Carrie contemplated, then a mental reminder of what film they would soon be working on her gave her a happy answer, "He'd call me a princess." Carrie answered confidently.

"And I guess Bruce would be your Prince Charming?" Bob quipped, receiving a goofy "Yeah" from Carrie.

Then came the bonus question which could determine the game with 25 points. "Now for our final bonus question, who would you say is your husband's favorite sports team?" Carrie rolled her eyes and shook her head with a smile, knowing they'd win the game easily based off of this alone.

"Carrie?"

"The New York Yankees." Carrie said in a snarky manner.

"I take it you have some opinions on the Yankees?" Bob picked up.

"Oh I like them just fine Bob, but Bruce LOVES the Yankees. Just put a Yankee game on the TV and he loses all sense of reason and screams like a banshee for the next three hours." Carrie jokingly described with heavy laughs from the audience.

"Would Bruce divorce you if you got the answer wrong?" Bob joked.

"Maybe." Carrie jokingly responded to the uproar of the audience.

The husbands would then return to finish the game after the commercial break, "Gentleman, which French food would you describe as your favorite, and please respond in French."

To the audience's amusement, they observed Bruce looking just as flummoxed as Carrie, leaving her giggling next to him. "Bruce, is there an issue?" Bob asked with a sly smile.

"I don't cook French food Bob, how am I supposed to respond to that?!" Bruce said in a complete mirror of Carrie, making the whole room burst out laughing.

"Well how come you haven't tried til now?" Bob questioned.

"Cause the portions are too small and I don't ever want to taste a snail." Bruce answered seriously, generating another round of laughs, most especially Bob. "Did Carrie give you an answer?" Bruce asked.

"Yes she did, and you'll have to come up with one soon or else you'll void your points." Bob said.

Bruce bit his lip and thought hard on what to say. His first instinct was french toast but he didn't know if that was a proper answer and while his mind drifted to Feet, his definition of French cuisine was poutine and other Quebecois delicacies. A flash of the next French person he knew, Mrs. Périgord, provided him with a firm answer. He looked to Carrie, "Would you like a Croissant?" Bruce said in the same particular affliction as Carrie, who happily raised up the card and the two shared a smooch.

"So you do make French food?" Bob asked cheekily.

"Well I don't make croissants, I get them from one of my old neighbors who bakes them fresh. Plus I'm more of a pancakes kind of guy so it's not my first choice for breakfast." Bruce admitted.

Bruce was then presented with another tough question on romantic gifts, "Gee Bob, that's a bit of a hard one because I'm usually pretty great at giving gifts." Bruce unironically humble bragged, making Carrie smack his arm lightly in response.

"You've gotten me a couple of bad ones before!" She protested in a mock scandalous manner.

"When have I ever-oh right." Bruce said, vividly remembering his take at interior decorating which left Carrie to donate half of the items and take over for interior design.

"Just so we're clear, it's just romantic gifts right Bob? Not Christmas or Birthdays?"

"Are you implying that neither of those are romantic occasions." Bob taunted, with Bruce blushing lightly at the faux passe under the audience's laughter.

"No it's not that, I was just that I was thinking of more like dates or Valen-oh, Oh, OH! It's the Snoopy Plushie!" Bruce excitedly answered, to which Carrie happily nodded and presented the answer, then initiated a heartfelt kiss with Bruce.

"Now gentlemen, listen closely cause this question involves a lot of steps. When called upon I want you to lean in closely with your wife, have your noses touching, and looking directly into her eyes finish this sentence: My darling, this close up you look like a blank, and finish the sentence."

When it got to Bruce and Carrie's turn, he leaned in happily and the newlyweds giggled at close contact of their brushing noses. While Carrie's face was distorted from such a point of view, to Bruce she still looked as beautiful as ever. Too lost in her eyes, Bruce didn't spend any time thinking and just came with what was most natural. "My darling, this close up you look like a princess." Bruce answered correctly, with Carrie joyfully going in for a kiss and then jumping up and down as she showed the answer card, a cute moment that would become very iconic after a few years.

Finishing the round, Bruce and Carrie easily lead the pack with the closest couple having 30 points while they had a perfect 45. If they got the question, they would win the game, with Carrie silently smirking as Bob revealed the bonus question, "Now for all the marbles, our bonus question of the day, gentleman, who is your favorite sports team?" Bruce jumped up in excitement and shouted a loud "YES!", making the audience crack up.

"Hold your horses Bruce, we'll get to you in a minute." Bob commanded, the other couples groaned as they knew there was no chance of getting first.

Wanting to not end the game early, Bob chose to do Bruce and Carrie last, the New Yorker vibrating within his seat for a minute. "Bruce-" Bob began.

"YANKEES!" Bruce shouted, Carrie then produced the card only to be snatched up in a passionate kiss from Bruce, who stopped after a couple of seconds and sat back in a bit of fluster after remembering he was on live television.

"I take it you're a bit fond of them?" Bob quipped.

"Yeah, they're a pretty good team." Bruce said bashfully, though in his opinion any true New Yorker would act the same way.

"Well it's a pretty good thing you do, because with that correct answer, you and Carrie score 70 points, winning today's game and becoming our 14th couple to receive a perfect score in the show's history." Bob declared, with Bruce and Carrie hugging in celebration.

"While usually this would be our cue to show the winning couple a prize chosen just for them, Bruce and Carrie chose to concede their prize if they won today, so for our runner ups Morgan and Samantha, here is our grand prize chosen just for you!" The announcer declared, causing the runner ups to jump up and down in celebration and earning the O'Brians a great deal of respect and approval from everyone present in the studio.

"Well that's all the time we have for today. Congratulations to our winning couple Bruce and Carrie, and congrats to our rare runner up prize winners Morgan and Samantha. Thank you to every watching, I've been Bob Eubanks, and we wish you a very merry Christmas from The Newlywed Game!"

overmind · Apr 28, 2023

Anyone heard of The Peshawar Lancers? It's a novel written in 2002 by S.M. Stirling (He of Draka fame) which has the fun premise of "What if in 1878 a rain of meteorites struck Earth?" The answer: Half the human race dies, the gas and smoke produced by the explosion create what can be best described as years without summer. Nearly all nations collapse due to lack of food, technology and society stagnates due to lack of industry.

New nations appear to succeed the fallen ones; The Angrezi Raj (The successor to the British Empire: India, Australasia, South Africa, with claims on Great Britain and Ireland), The Russian Empire (Not nearly half as large as OTL, but still a threat), The Empire of Dai-Nippon (Japan and the half of China closest to the coast), the Caliphate of Damascus (Turkey, Arabia, The Middle East and the Middle Crescent), France Out-Remer (Centered in Algiers and in the process of reclaiming Spain) and the Emirate of Afghanistan, who serves as a buffer between the Raj and the Russian Empire.

It's a fun read, and the best part is that the enjoyment of the book is mainly on how crazy and divergent the world is due to said catastrophe in the year 2025. We don't see the years during it, or the reconstruction after, but the results of a new world that's finally reached Pre-Fall levels, while also diverging in technology and reaching some Steampunk technology as well, and is ready to take on the challenges that come.

What I didn't like though was what he did to the United States; completely collapsed into Cannibal Neo-Barbarians, while the Raj claims the entire continent, and starts just recently colonizing the coasts. I felt that it was just ridiculous, especially since Russia and Japan somehow survived, so why not the U.S.A. After a while I found a TL in AH. Com where they explored the idea of a surviving U.S.A., and though I enjoyed it, there were parts that I think could have been handled a bit better, or just didn't tickle my fancy. Still, the concept is sound, and I think it would make for a fun Sandbox to play with, explore the world, and show different facets of this odd post-Fall world. Perhaps even come and explore the moments during and after the Fall.

So, here's my pitch this time around. I give you:

TV Pitch:
Liberty's Crystal Skeleton

GENRE: Adventure/Mystery/Alternate History

SUBGENRE: Steampunk/Science Fiction

FORMAT: TV Show

Set Up: The World was destroyed when in 1878 a heavy meteor shower, known as "the Fall", impacted with catastrophic force across much of the Northern Hemisphere, creating a massive dust cloud that blotted out the sun. This in turn caused the collapse of Industrialized civilization all around the planet, which was unable to survive without the ability to raise crops in winter-like conditions. Now, over a century after the collapse, humanity is finally recovering, once more reaching the technological and industrial levels before "The Fall". But so many things have changed, and a Brave New World await those new and surviving nations.

Showrunner: Rick Berman
Composer: Fred Karlin

* The Red Area is part of the U.S.A. and is admitted as the States of Sonora and Fillmore in 1936.
* Mexico was annexed to the U.S.A. at the end of the 3rd Mexican-American War in 1914. They formed the states of Lincoln, Aztlan, Durango, Blaine and Roosevelt.
* The Bahamas were annexed in 1900. The coast of Florida, Georgia, North and South Carolina, and Virginia are beginning settlement.
* The former capital of Washington D.C. is being restored for the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence (July 4th 2026).
* Settlements managed to survive in Portland, Oregon. St. Louis, Missouri. Chicago, Illinois. Detroit, Michigan. They serve as frontier outposts for the Union, though semi-independent. There is a strong movement to make it fully independent.
* Hawaii made a deal with President James G. Blaine in 1881 granting them independence in exchange for Most Favored Nation status and Military Naval basing rights. They became a protectorate in 1920 after the Empire of Dai-Nippon came knocking on the door.
* The Nation of Deseret shares a border with the U.S.A. on the south, controlling OTL Utah. With no governmental control the nation's followed all the tenets set by Joseph Smith, including Polygamy.
* Alaska is disputed between the Empire of Dai-Nippon and the U.S.A., with both sides settling outposts and colonies who fight each other as much as they trade between them.
* The nation of Cascadia controls the area shown and the isle of Vancouver. They usually serve as mediator between the U.S.A. and the Empire of Dai-Nippon.
* Canada is a loose connection of City States which form a league to protect themselves against U.S.A. expansion. Their isolation thanks to the "Neo-Barbarian Wastes" allowed them to "safely" expand. The shrinking border with the U.S.A. makes them wary.

The United States of America: Currently the most powerful Nation in the Northern American Hemisphere, its reach goes from Sea to shining sea, and claims are made to the whole northern landmass (with the exception of the nation of Cascadia). The United States managed to survive by mass evacuation of its northern population and a quick alliance with the Black population in the South after the "Second American Civil War" (1879-1880) which allowed the confiscation and expulsion of traitors out of the country (save for those who hid and reintegrated quickly enough). Needing more land (and food) due to the high amount of people still coming in, the United States embarked in a war of conquest to the South where they took Baja California, Sonora and Chihuahua from Mexico (A war that helped integrate both white and black troops as everyone was just hungry by then).

Politically, the United States still operates as a Republic, with their new capital in Houston, Texas. Most of the political gains done in the 20th century have yet to occur however; Civil Rights for Blacks is something of a given due to having to live with them and due to the destruction of the "Lost Cause" myth after the Second American Civil War. Women's Suffrage, Prohibition, and Presidential terms are something that have never happened, though the first one is starting to get steam.

The United States has managed to make advances in Steam and Electric technology. Trains are the way to travel between the continent, while Electrical trolleys and Steam Cars are used in the cities. Due to the lack of population there's still more houses than apartments in cities, and efforts to reclaim lost territory are still underway. This has led to advanced and experience for the military that has to fight continuously (or be on guard) against predations from the "Neo-Barbarians". Tribes of humans that survived the bitter cold and the fall by adopting a more nomad lifestyle...and a Cannibal diet. The U.S. government tends to subsidize Native American Tribes who survived, or Neo-Barbarian Tribes that accept their authority, with land grants in the frontier to better serve as buffer states.

Domestically, the United States has to deal with Bandits, tribes that managed to sneak by the border, and the political secessionist that plague their most remote possessions and the inner heartland. Some cities in the North (St. Louis, Portland, Chicago, Detroit) managed to survive, and were willing to accept Semi-Independent status in exchange of protection; they agree to pay some money and are mostly left to rule themselves. They are good Trade Hubs for the surviving nations and the many tribes that have formed in the heartland (And are willing to trade). There's still some sectors that feel they should be free to form their own country or City-State, like New York supposedly has, though many who have claimed so can never say who is inhabiting the city.

The greatest danger to the United States, domestically, are "The Knights of the Golden Circle". An organization originally composed of Northerners who sympathized with the South, and now they are a "Fifth Column"-like organization that has integrated into American society whose only goal is the dissolution of the government and the establishment of the "Mythic South" their Great-Great-Great-Grandparents told them about. They have managed to slowly form a web of contacts and even a political party that so far has not gained a single representative in either house of Congress. The fact that it exists however is worrying.

The United States is preparing for the 250th anniversary of its founding, as such reclamation efforts for Washington D.C. have received priority by incumbent President Ted Cruz. Congress however remains deadlocked on whether to remain in its current capital, or return to the previous one once it has been reclaimed.

The current political parties are: The Republican Party, The Constitutional Party, The Green Party, The Syndicalist Party, The Freedom Party, and The Dixie Party (Barely any offices at all).

The Empire of Dai-Nippon: Dai-Nippon (the Empire of the Dragon Throne) is Military Theocracy, with the emperor regarded as "Holy" and descended from the Goddess Amaterasu, and while the military shows respect and submission towards him, it is them who mostly rule the government. Ever since The Fall both were the pillars which kept the country from completely descending into chaos, cutting down freedoms and establishing draconian measures to keep the order. In fact, the Empire could be considered the "Edo Shogunate" with a new coat of paint, but that would ignore many of the advances done; Samurai are no longer the leading class, the army is. Daimyo still exist, but their powers have been curtailed so as to not threaten the emperor's (or the Military's). Serfdom has been abolished, but it remains for the Chinese inhabitants.

The Empire managed to conquer half of China thanks in part to the weakness and opposition to Qing rule which made it ripe for the taking during The Fall. The need for land and food motivated many Chinese to join their ranks while the Empire divided itself into many small states. Many of those now exist in a state of constant warfare, and kept that way by Japan to prevent unification under a single banner. Even so this hasn't stopped the formation of many Nationalist Pro-Chinese organization such as the "Blue Scarves" and the "Dragon Regiment" to name among others. These, and many other domestic dangers are constantly being fought in the shadows by the "Neo-Shinsengumi", the Empire's secret police.

The Empire of Dai-Nippon's military stands as one amongst the most advanced in the world, if only hampered by their sectionalism, grudges, rivalry between the branches and lack of a clear overall strategy. Military prowess is what leads to a greater position, and many thus have an idea of where they can get achievements. Thus, the Empire is in a state of low-key war with the United States of America by the proponents of the "Pacific Front" which only led to the Kingdom of Hawaii to seek protection from the U.S.A. before it being declared a failure until results are shown, the only thing to show being some small colonies in Alaska to fight the American ones. Many consider such posting as a dead end for their career. Of greater prestige (and importance) are the Eastern and Southern front, facing the Andrezi Raj. They have gone to war numerous times in order to conquer and annex said territories and yet, despite some minor gains that can be reversed in the next war, the situation has remained static, with only the conquest of the Philippines serving as a change.

Domestically, the Empire has their hands full fighting against insurrectionists, ranging from the organizations that want to restore Chinese Imperial rule, to those who think the emperor was deceived and wish for him to once more reside in Japan. Nomad tribes and Neo Barbarians roam the border and the interior, with some becoming "Mercenaries" or "Protectors" of villages, paying the tithe to the local Daimyo and basically doing as they please in said village.

The Empire's new capital is in Beijing (still known as Peking in this time). Skirmishes between the Andrezi Raj over Siam are rising, with the conflict threatening to become hot. The current Emperor is Akihito.

The Nation of Deseret: During The Fall and the immigration of citizens to the South, the Mormons decided to stay in their lands and declare themselves independent as the new Nation of Deseret, which would be guided by the Church of Latter-Day Saints, composed of a Council of Prophets, with governmental institutions subordinated to it. While this puts them as a Theocracy in theory, in Practice the Church has little to do with the bureaucratic and political day to day work.

Or so it seems. While the Church does not make its power known overtly, they prefer more subtle ways of "Soft Power" to control the state without being overtly blamed if anything goes wrong.

The Nation of Deseret's military is dedicated more to protecting their territory, and it's limited by their population and their lack of industry. They make up for it by trading with the Nomad Tribes and Neo-Barbarians, as well as with Cascadia, the United States of America, and the independent and Semi-Independent outposts and cities. Domestically there is no dissent, as no one who hasn't embraced Mormonism is allowed to permanently reside within its borders, however their nation has no natural protection in its territory, with enemies coming from all directions they have been forced to employ Nomad tribes as mercenaries to supplement their forces or find those who would cross their borders without them knowing.

The Nation of Deseret claims Utah as their land, and themselves as the "Chosen People" to repopulate America. As such they are in conflict with the United States, though at first the ongoing crisis and the distance between borders made it impossible for said conflict to occur. Trade between both polities was possible at this point, but now with the stabilization of the country, and the shrinking border between them, many are already wondering when will the war begin, or if there's any chance of peace.

Cascadia: The Nation of Cascadia was born from the collapse of Canadian Authority and the rebirth of the Hudson Bay Company. Long having been the De Facto and De Jure rulers of Rupert's Land and Western Canada before the act of 1868, The Fall left it as the only organization with the experience and trust of the surviving people to organize them. Leading an Exodus to their last outpost near Vancouver's Island where they settled, they expanded in time to parts of what is now Oregon and British Columbia.

The ruling body is the Company, with a meritocracy in place so that in order to rise you have to be bureaucratically competent, though a culture of backdoor deals, backstabbing and company politics slowly started to emerge. While the Company makes sure the economy works as intended it does not stop other independent businesses to form, though it does demand they become part of the Company's "Family" paying a flat 10% tax on their profits, thus serving as a Guild of sorts. Though originally a way to make sure products were of sufficient quality, as well as to insure them in case of failure and collapse, it has evolved since.

Cascadia's military lies within the Company's remit. Their soldiers are trained and armed with the latest technology, but are mostly trained in small squad or company tactics, with anything beyond a regiment out of their expertise. Their territories can be easily defended by these tactics, but would be useless in case they find themselves fighting another nation. As such, the Cascadians have managed to form a cordial and profitable relationship with the biggest threats near their borders; the Empire of Dai-Nippon and the United States of America, serving as a mediator in political and trading matters and as the nexus from where both can trade in peace. Needless to say, this has made the Company many a profit.

Cascadians are unique in that they'd rather not employ any Nomads as mercenaries, instead using their own population and tactics. While this has slowed their expansion when it comes to moving inland, it has served them well for their coastal settlements.

The Canadian League/La Ligue du Canada: With The Fall dissolving much of the political authority of the nations closer to the Poles, it was the Independent and self-reliant French-Canadians, or Quebecois, who lead the way into what would become the League of Canada. Moving South to Lake Champlain and settling there among the fisheries. Soon, the small settlement grew with refugees, and other settlements started copying them when they recognized they could survive in areas where there was food and water, places like the many lakes and rivers of the Great Lakes Area.

Not all settlements thrived though, with many dying due to starvation, the extreme climate and raids by Neo-Barbarians. Even the lucky settlements who survived had to resort to more "Extreme" measures in order to do so, with the period being known as a "Shameful dark past", one that many would prefer if it was forgotten.

From the surviving settlements a trading organization soon formed in the first settlement, which soon established French as the Lingua Franca for trading, making it a necessity for all settlements and City-States to learn. Though English still remained, it was French what was slowly taking over and many City-States passed ordinances requiring the teaching of English or its use on Government. Though the settlement grew in power none could become predominant over the other, leading to many conflicts between them. That is until the discovery that the United States was still kicking around, and they had expanded over their territory. The City of Detroit, which had survived thanks to trade with them, gave its allegiance back to the U.S.A. and frightened over the possibility of American take over, they formed themselves into a political alliance while retaining their independence, but agreeing to join together to fight in case any one of them was threatened.

Each City-State has its own military, with their own standards which make it difficult to coordinate when working together. Their decentralized nature however does help them respond to threats quicker. It's helped them keep their territory safe from any predations by Neo-Barbarians, and any Nomad Tribe is welcome in to trade so long as they follow the rules. Their trade can reach up to Cascadia and the United States of America, though with their shrinking borders both know that it's only a matter of time before they clash against each other.

Each City-State has its own political system, though most are democratic, with their own qualifications for voting. Some are more Draconian, while others are more relaxed with their rules. One thing they are all wary of is the chance that another city joins the United States again like Detroit did. As such, any policy that might seem too Pro-American tends to be looked with suspicion.

The Free City of New York: During The Fall the city of New York was one of those who was abandoned, though not all could escape in time. Many died during the evacuation, the hunger, and the extreme weather conditions. As time passed however new inhabitants soon settled in the ruins of what was once one of the most prosperous cities in the Eastern Coast. Tribes of Neo-Barbarians soon took different districts, settling in and becoming merchants of anything and everything. Many disputes are still solved by combat, and the rule of strength is still in effect, with the number of fighting men determining how much territory one holds.

The CSA: After the fiasco that was the Second American Civil War, its leaders and followers managed to escape to Cuba, where they reformed the "Government-in-Exile" of the Confederate States of America...if any would care enough about them that is. They are at best a rump state in Cuba, with enough population to at best occupy half the island, and practice slavery as they wish. So far it was the greater issues that the U.S.A. had to deal with, as well as inertia, that kept them safe. With things changing though, their future is now uncertain.

They receive fiscal and political support from the Knights of the Golden Circle and the Dixie Party, all under the table.

Detective Joseph St. Croix is a simple man, making a living in New Orleans, the commercial and industrial heartbeat of the United States of America. During one of his regular jobs he finds some documents that hint at something sinister going on. He would normally ignore it had he not been targeted and attacked by those who would want there to be no witnesses nor leads to what they were planning. Joseph then digs more using his contacts, travelling through the city and meeting the collection of characters around, including his best friend, and occasional aide, Jose Sanchez, as well as tag along Elizabeth Colleton; a young rich lady who likes to ape the old southern mannerisms, finding them charming.

Their travels and research will take them through Louisiana, Texas, and all the way to Houston itself, the Nation's Capital, dealing with both bandits, the new organizations of the nation, and even small river pirates who are nearly extinct thanks to the newfound "Riverclads" patrolling the mighty Mississippi. However, as more clues pour in during their travels (and as more friends and enemies are made), the size of the plot begins to be revealed; a plot to kill not only the President, but both Houses of Congress as well during the State of the Union Address, all in order to have the "Dixie Party" launch a revolt and bring back the old "Confederate States of America" back in power. It's a mad plan, a mad dream, and an impossibility only dreamt by Mad Men, but that's what the "Knights of the Golden Circle", that old Secret Organization dedicated to destroying America as it stands, are.

Detective Joseph St. Croix: Native Creole of New Orleans, he's a Private Detective with his own web of contacts that grants him a good knowledge of the city, which has become the New York of the South. After being hired to investigate an affair and get evidence, he gets involved in a plot beyond his imagination when the man in question is found murdered, the documents scattered around his home showing him to be a Knight of the Golden Circle, a terrorist organization bent on destroying the United States, with Joseph is now being tailed by those who would rather silence him before revealing what he knows.

Played By: Michael Dorn
Alternate: Howard Rollins Jr.

Elizabeth Colleton: A "True" Southern lady as she proclaims herself to be, and an Heiress to the Colleton Family . She is a suffragette and a leader of the Louisiana Chapter who meets Detective St. Croix when he finds out the one who murdered Hiram Crux was a member. After a near chase, leading to her near death, she joins him in order to find more information, using her connections to the different chapters to find more clues as to the movement Juana did, eventually leading them to Houston, the Nation's Capital, where a terrible plot against the President is being

Played By: Kit Cattrall
Alternate: Melinda Culea

Jose Sanchez: A "Lamon" or bodyguard. A man who usually sells his services to protect others in travels between cities against bandits, or during the night against robbers, many underestimating him at their own risk. Sanchez often is silent, though it's inferred that he was once an army man before being discharged. Both he and Joseph have an understanding where they often drink together, and help each other out. He accompanies him in his investigation, serving as the muscle to his brains during the entire season.

Played By: Alan Autry
Alternate: Eddie Velez

Old Blackjack: An old Bandit who's managed to get in and out of many cities between Louisiana and Texas, with no one being the wiser as to how he is able to do it. He's a man loyal to no one but money, and keeps his men in line through a combination of fear and rewards for good behavior, always making sure to keep the fear up of course. He attacked New Orleans just a couple of years back, though he was able to be pushed back before too much damage was done.

Played By: Henry Darrow
Alternate: Barney Martin

Sam Whitby: A bookish clerk who was the second in command of Hiram's Fishery. Whitby looks more like he would fall over if someone just got too close to him, giving Joseph all the information he "claims" to have. Unknown to anyone, he is the most ardent believer in the Knights of the Golden Circle, using Hiram as a cover for his activities and the connections he built in order to make sure the plot to kill the President and both Houses of Congress goes without a hitch.

Played By: John Turturro
Alternate: David Hart

Hipolito Walters: An information broker from Sonora who came to make his life in New Orleans. He runs a Bar "El Sapo Sediento" as a cover while he sells what he knows to those who pay well enough. In a profession where those who step on the wrong feet last at least a couple of years, Hipolito has managed to become a fixture at 10 years without any hint at being in trouble. Cautious, confident, and with an easy smile, Hipolito is a man to respect if not fear.

Played By: Ricardo Montalban

Police Commander Samuel Jefferson: The Police Chief of New Orleans, and a man one can rely on when it comes to dealing with crime and upholding the law. He counts Clayton as a friend, and trusts him with nearly everything. During the investigation after Hiram's death he starts finding some irregularities that have him killed by Clayton's hands.

Played By: Reginald VelJohnson

Clayton: Police officer from New Orleans, and assistant to Samuel Jefferson, who plotted along with Whitby in order to make sure his dealings were never known by the police. During the investigation after the death of Hiram, he killed Jefferson so as to stop him from finding out more. He was eventually discovered and brought to justice however, but not before making life impossible to Joseph beforehand.

Played By: Craig Pomeroy

Colonel Raphael Redcorn: Leader of the "Rough Riders" 3rd Regiment, who are in charge of keeping the Peace in Houston. Due to their contacts in the city, he is able to help Joseph once he convinces him of an ongoing plot. Though Redcorn does not look to be that reliable at first, he's still a damn good commander who has the complete loyalty of his men.

Played By: Gordon Tootoosis

Samuel Knox: He is the head of a construction company that usually deals with many of the contracts around the Houston area. He even managed to get the contracts for the renovations of the "Red House" and Congress as well. Unknown to many, he is part of the conspiracy and plot, and has hidden bombs around both locations, where Joseph and Hose need to arrive in time to save the nation.

Played By: Alan Thicke

Congressman Joseph Hutton: A Texan native and Speaker of the House, member of the Constitutional Party. A member of the loyal opposition to President Ted Cruz, and an unwitting pawn to the Knights of the Golden Circle's plot.

Hiram Crux: An old Entrepreneur in new Orlean, though often rumored of treating his workers more like slaves than actual living beings. His death is what sets in motion the entire adventure.

Juana: The "Escort" of Hiram for the night. She killed him in self-defense, taking many of the documents with her in her fright, thinking she might use them to protect herself from repercussions from Hiram's friends.

James Williams: Chairman for the Dixie Party. He was questioned by Joseph, where James made sure to let Joseph know he looked down on him by actions rather than words.

President Ted Cruz: Native from Texas, and member of the Republican Party. A plain-speaking man who plans to bring back the Capital to Washington D.C. once the renovations are finished by the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence.

A.N.: I've added some additional information, which I hope makes this Pitch a bit better.

Duke William of · May 1, 2023

Dracula: Blood Origins

Written by Isaac Cullen

Genre: Fantasy/Horror

Sub-Genre: Action/Alternate History

Format: Movie (Prequel Spin-Off, No Sequel)

Vlad Dracul/Count Dracula:

The older brother of Radu and the Voivode of Transylvania. A grim man who is determined to help his people and keep them from foreign rule through any means necessary, even as he tries to stave off the influence of Carmilla.

Radu cel Frumos:

Vlad's younger brother who seeks to depose his brother. A charming and handsome young man, he wishes to protect his people from his cruel brother, who he believes is being manipulated by Carmilla.

Carmilla/Bloody Mary:

A beautiful, manipulative, and sadistic vampire. She gains a disturbing interest with Vlad after he refused her "help" and threatened to crucify her.

The story begins with Vlad and his younger brother Radu being held captive by the Ottomans after their father sold them out. There they encounter a young gir(later revealed to be Carmilla/Bloody Mary) who offers them the power to return home and fight off their captors and be the strong men their father "Dracul" wanted them to be.

Both of them refuse, due to her being "an unholy abomination", and Vlad Dracula earns her interest when he threatens to crucify her. She responds by telling Vlad not to threaten her with a good time and promises that one day he'll be just like her.

Time passes by, and the two grow up in the Ottoman empire. They learn, though, that their father and older brother have been killed/captured by John Hunyadi who has seized the throne. Vlad wants to escape to take back their family's throne, viewing it as his duty, whilst Radu wants to remain in the Ottoman Empire. For now, they cannot leave as the Ottomans will not let them.

However, things change when Carmilla returns, massacring the Ottoman guards one night and offering both Vlad and Radu the power to take back their throne. Both refuse and she leaves, annoyed at their stubbornness, but not before stating that they'll end up living to regret it sooner or later. Vlad does take the opportunity to flee on horseback, whilst Radu stays behind.

Vlad rides out on horseback to Wallachia, and along the way, Carmilla tags along and keeps talking to him. Vlad still hates her and views her as unholy, but can't kill her, and so he begrudgingly tolerates her for now. Carmilla questions why he cares so much about the throne, and Vlad says that a ruler owes a duty to their people. Due to coming across plenty of people suffering under the usurper, Vlad concludes that he must take power. Carmilla gives a misanthropic speech about how humans are nasty hateful wriggly little things, and that they'll never appreciate what Vlad is doing for them. Vlad rejects this.

The two break into the castle where one of Vlad's family members is held. They break in and free the person. Vlad has the family member die in his arms and he's told that he needs to be a strong ruler for his country. Carmilla offers him power once more and once more he rejects it, saying his people need a ruler not a monster. Carmilla then leaves saying she'll leave him to think over what his country really needs.

Vlad is then confronted by John Hunyadi and duels him in a sword fight, but he loses and is forced to flee. Vlad flees to Hungary. In Hungary, he entreats with the nobles and manages to get an army with their backing. The war to reclaim his home rages on, and over the course of the several year long conflict, Vlad learns to be cruel and cunning to eke out the win. Ultimately, he claims victory though.

Before long though, new troubles crop up with messengers from the Ottoman empire demanding that he surrender his country to them and submit to their rule as he is still their subject. Vlad kills them and states that no one will take his country from him. Goaded by his advisors, he chooses to impale the emissaries and leave them on display for all to see. As a follow up Vlad attacks and destroys a town to ensure that he will not be toppled like his father was and prepares for war.

Back in the Ottoman empire, news of Vlad's actions has spread back to them and they are horrified. The Ottomans are planning on installing Radu, who has since converted to Islam and assimilated into the culture, as the new ruler. Radu feels torn about this as he doesn't want to fight his brother. Carmilla then shows up and basically gushes about Dracula to Radu and how he's slowly becoming what she wants him to be which causes Radu to believe that she's gained influence over him and that he needs to depose Vlad to save the people. Radu now has his resolve solidified and he prepares to capture and defeat his brother.

Vlad battles the Ottomans for years and grows ever crueler in his attempts to end the war and break their spirit as the unending tide of Ottomans means he can't win the numbers game. Eventually this culminates in Vlad deciding to create "the forest of Targoviste" a brutal monument of over 20,000 Ottoman soldiers impaled on stakes, in the hopes that showing others the consequences of fighting against him will break the Ottoman's spirits. It nearly does so, with the monument utterly terrifying people, but Radu's will hardens even more and he rallies his forces.

The night before Radu and Vlad are due to clash once more, Carmilla warns him that he'll lose as he's not strong enough. Vlad preemptively rejects her aid and threatens to kill her, which Carmilla mockingly states that he's so cruel to the only person who has ever helped him. His family sold him to the Ottomans, his people rebelled against his family and his brother is out to kill him for trying to be a good king. Only she has aided him through thick and thin. Vlad snaps and tries to kill her, but Carmilla turns into mist and fades away, promising that she'll continue to help him.

The battle ensues and Radu and Vlad battle, with Vlad furious at Radu for abandoning the traditions of their people and Radu viewing Vlad as a tyrant and a monster. Radu successfully baits Vlad into growing enraged, causing Vlad to mess up and his army to be defeated. Vlad realizes that he's lost as his men flee the battlefield and are beginning to get routed. Radu claims that it's over and holds Vlad at sword point.

By this point the battle has reached nighttime and so Carmilla shows up and saves Vlad by causing chaos amongst the Ottomans, distracting Radu long enough for Vlad to get away. Vlad flees and once more goes to Hungary. Radu curses Vlad and sends out messengers instead of trying to directly chase him down.

Vlad has his faith in the people who abandoned him in this battle broken, despite his successes in inflicting very heavy losses on the Ottomans, and instead once more flees to Hungary to try and get backing to claim his throne. This time, however, Vlad is captured and imprisoned as the king of Hungary has received a message from Radu. It insinuates that Vlad is consorting with devils, and that his monstrous actions with "the forest of Targoviste" prove that he's beyond redemption. The King of Hungary takes this at face value and imprisons Vlad in the dungeons. Vlad is likely to be executed later.

In prison, betrayed or abandoned by everyone else, Carmilla once more offers Vlad power, not for others or for the greater good but for himself so he can make his own justice and get what he deserves. And finally as a broken and bitter man, Vlad agrees and is transformed into the vampire Dracula. The two of them team up and break out of the Hungarian prison and head out into the night.

Dracula massacres the Ottomans with his newfound supernatural powers and confronts Radu with Carmilla by his side. Radu tries to fight but is easily swatted aside. Dracula then confronts his brother about selling out their people and giving up on their birthright, calling him a traitor no better than the man who killed their father. Radu fires back by stating that Dracula has become an unholy abomination, one that his younger self would not have hesitated to try and destroy. Carmilla interjects by stating that this is true, and she's so happy that her attempts to turn Vlad into her own personal prince of darkness worked out so well. Radu's starting to annoy her though with his preaching.

Radu claims this is proof of how far he has fallen and Dracula gets angry, stating that everyone abandoned him and treated him like a monster and so now he's just giving them what they wanted. Radu states that he never wanted this.

Dracula prepares to kill his brother but hesitates and at the last second, even as a vampire, he can't go through with it. He attempts to justify it, stating that making Radu into a captive will let them turn back the Ottomans more effectively. Carmilla sees through it and says that he's still a little human in the end despite being a vampire. She promises to fix that real fast though. In the blink of an eye, before Dracula realizes what she's planning, Carmilla races to Radu and rips his heart out, crushing it in her palm and killing Dracula's brother instantly.

Dracula grows enraged and states that he will kill Carmilla while Carmilla claims she was only doing him a favor. They fight and Dracula ultimately proves to be immensely powerful and whilst he can't kill Carmilla he is able to hurt her despite them being evenly matched. Carmilla grows irritated at this and plans to leave but not before getting one last dig in. She claims to be Dracula's metaphorical mother, having given birth to him and unlike everyone else in the world, she loves him just the way he is, a monster like herself. She says she'll leave him to spread his wings and enjoy his rebellious phase but someday she'll come around to check on him. Carmilla then leaves.

Dracula then retreats into seclusion, living alone in an abandoned castle, accumulating power but still gathering strength, always fearful that Carmilla will return. He ends up creating/turning his brides as a way to thumb his nose at Carmilla and prove that she's wrong in her statements but he's unable to cover up the deep insecurities and fear he has about forever being alone. As time goes on Dracula loses sight of what kind of man he was before turning and eventually he becomes the monster Van Helsing and co encounter.

Carmilla meanwhile entertains herself elsewhere, content in knowing that Dracula is at large in the world and finding other ways to make herself happy through the suffering of others. And that is the origin of Dracula.

Somewhere in LucasFilm Studios...

"...Ike."

"Felix?"

"When I said I wanted Vlad Dracul to be more sympathetically portrayed, I'd said it as more of a fun, minor worldbuilding thing."

"So you don't like the pitch?"

"On the contrary, I absolutely love it. It's just... really surprising that you've done this."

"Alright."

P/N(Poster's Notes):

That feeling when your collaborater takes a small worldbuilding blurb you'd mentioned once and makes a whole pitch from it.

Jokes aside, all credit to @King crimson who wrote this whole pitch after I once mentioned Vlad Dracula being sympathetic in our franchise pitch. Though, I should mention that you shouldn't expect more pitches like this from Devil's Hour, seeing as how it's to be more of a fantasy mystery series than an action horror romp.

This pitch is the spin-off prequel origin story of Count Dracula, who will not show up in other movies/shows of the Devil's Hour Universe due to him already being dead. It also means that this will not be the first movie in the Devil's Hour franchise.

Enjoy!

Kaiser Chris · May 2, 2023

I Know

It was a jolly Christmastime at the O'Brian household, with Bruce and Carrie celebrating their first Christmas as spouses and the first at their home by hosting Debbie and Todd as guests for the week, something that Bruce had strongly insisted to repay the Reynolds family for hosting him the year prior even though no one in the family considered there was a debt to be repaid.

The day had been a joyful one, it starting off with Bruce attending Christmas mass with Carrie and his in-laws, a very welcome and cherished experience for Bruce thanks to it his first Christmas mass he attended in five years where he wasn't alone. With his immediate family spread across the world and unlikely to live near each other again, Bruce was forever grateful that he now had a second family he loved just as dearly as the first and could see on a daily basis, with hopefully decades of cherished memories to come.

They then returned home to gather around the Christmas tree and unwrap the mountain of Christmas presents that had flooded the living room from their many friends and family. In Bruce's opinion, he had done a rather good job at gift giving for his wife and her family. For Carrie he had gifted a brand new electric typewriter to help aid in her new quest to write a novel, for Todd an autographed Sandy Koufax jersey, and for Debbie Toad's Scooter from American Graffiti and one of the rare unedited 3 hour copies of the film that George had made to add to her collection. His own "daughters" were not left out of the fun with Natalie receiving a stocking full of bones and dog treats while Ginger's was filled to the brim with toys and stuffed animals to meet her hyper energy.

After the living room became a landfill of wrapping paper and presents, the O'Brians and Reynolds spent many hours watching their preferred Christmas classics, and then came time for the feast.

"Dear heavenly Father, we thank you for the birth of your son Jesus Christ nearly two thousand years ago so he may redeem us for our sins and guide us all on the path of salvation. We thank you for this wonderful year with its many blessings and joys, most especially the creation of Carrie's movie. We thank you for standing by us at our darkest hours and giving us strength to return to the light. We thank you for all of our wonderful friends and family. And thank you most especially God for bringing Carrie into my life and guiding us down the path of matrimony. Our love has been my most greatest blessing and strength and I am forever grateful to be at her side and become part of this family. Bless this food as we pray. Bless us, O Lord, for these, Thy gifts, which we are about to receive from Thy bounty. Through Christ, our Lord. Amen." Bruce prayed, with him and Carrie then finishing with the sign of the cross, the latter looking to her spouse in heavy love for the words he spoke.

"That was a wonderful Grace Bruce." Debbie complimented. Long ago she had been fearful that Bruce's devotion would sabotage his and Carrie's relationship or make things complicated, but it seemed to make him all the more better a man and while Carrie's conversion was a bit too fast in her opinion, she seemed to be slowly embracing her newfound faith and joined Bruce earnestly.

"Thanks Mom." Bruce replied, causing Debbie to smile widely at the man who she considered to be a second son in return. At the wedding, Bruce had cautiously asked for permission to use the title, explaining that his parents both referred to their in-laws as mom and dad. Debbie was more than happy to comply, cementing his inclusion into the Reynolds family as its fourth member with Bruce having called her as such for everyday since.

"Dinner looks awfully delicious Bruce, it looks like you've outdone yourself again." Debbie praised, then gave a side eye to Todd who was heaping multiple large spoonfuls on his plate without care of what was left for the others.

"What?" Todd innocently asked, causing Bruce and Carrie to laugh.

"It's okay, we got a couple more plates worth in the kitchen. I kind of forgot it was just going to be the four of us." Bruce said. "But I wasn't the only one responsible tonight. Carrie did the mashed potatoes, rolls and pecan pie." Bruce informed, with Carrie beaming at the credit.

"You trusted her to not burn the house down on Christmas?" Todd joked, causing Carrie to groan at the reference to their appearance on The Newlywed Game with the knowledge that Carrie was a bad cook being spread throughout the rest of Hollywood by the end of the week.

"I ask myself everyday why I had to go and blurt that." Carrie complained, Bruce smiled fondly, remembering the very exhausting and traumatizing journey of Carrie's cooking journey where she had gone from a demon of the kitchen to having beginner's competence.

"It's okay before Mom met Dad she knew absolutely nothing of cooking and could only do PB&Js. Several years later and she turned into the head chef for Jumping Whale and our first choice for breakfast and dinner. Carrie did a fantastic job tonight, and if we follow O'Brian family tradition I'm sure she'll turn out better than me." Bruce said sweetly, causing Carrie to gush at him.

"I love you." Carrie declared.

"I know." Bruce returned, with the two sharing a tender smooch.

While Debbie smiled fondly at the display of affection, Todd paused midbite in bafflement. He contemplated for several seconds as he chewed, and then made up his mind with a swallow. "You know, I didn't want to say anything, but it's been bothering me ever since the wedding. Why do you two always say that?" Todd questioned.

"What?" Carrie asked with a raised eyebrow.

"I know whenever the other one says I love you. It's weird."

"TODD!" Debbie scolded, Carrie giving her brother a sour look while Bruce looked on in bemusement as he served himself.

"Oh come on it's true! Donna and I tried that the other day and we both thought it wasn't romantic. Who says I know when someone tells you they love you? It just sounds wrong."

"Well maybe we're more romantic and loving than you two." Carrie fought back.

Before Todd could escalate and Debbie had to play peacemaker, Bruce intervene. "Come on Carrie, you hated it yourself after you said it the first time." Bruce reminded.

"I knew she said it first!" Todd announced.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Carrie asked.

"That just screams you, Bruce always tries to talk like Shakespeare and be all dramatic when he's romantic, you're the natural and instinct type."

Bruce raised his finger to retort, but thought it over and found Todd to be in the right. "Yeah, that's pretty accurate."

"Alright settle down, it's Christmas dinner. Todd, we don't question how other people love each other." Debbie lectured.

"I'm sorry." Todd earnestly apologized, "I guess it works for you, but it's just not something I would ever say and I don't understand why you both think it's special and sweet."

Carrie waited for Todd to bounce back with teasing but realizing he was being sincere, she accepted his apology. "I guess it is pretty weird to other people." She confessed, remembering all the weird looks from her friends when her and Bruce said the same thing during group dates.

"Wait a minute, did we never tell you guys about the time we first said I love you to each other?" Bruce asked in confusion.

"Not that I recall." Debbie answered.

"Haven't you guys always said it since you started dating?" Todd asked seriously.

"NO!" Carrie protested strongly, "We first said it to each other right before we left for New York." Carrie protested. She wasn't THAT much of a hopeless romantic.

"Hold on, when and where, cause I don't remember it happening?" Todd asked.

"It was when we were staying with Bruce during the divorce. You were at school at the time and I guess I just forgot to share. It's also why we always say 'I know'. " Carrie informed, smiling fondly at the memory.

"Oh, I smell a story!" Debbie gushed. Carrie gestured for Bruce to share, always preferring for him to be the storyteller thanks to his way with words.

Bruce gave her an air kiss and then told the story.

On a fateful Wednesday, Bruce and Carrie were going through a board game marathon together in his old apartment while Todd was away at high school. Since Carrie ran away, Bruce would spend all of his time playing host to the Fisher siblings save for going to Church and on a couple of occasions, hanging out with his new friends John and Robin.

It was an interesting experience to live together in the same home, both liberating for the constant closeness and a challenge for the somber circumstances that brought them together. In those first days Carrie had been heavily fraught with anxiety and guilt, believing that she had been a major cause of her family's struggles. As he had many times before, Bruce kept Carrie constant company and showered her with endless affection and support, showing her the strength and beauty of her character, and with the help of Todd and Natalie, helping her to move on and rise from her lowest point.

One method that greatly helped to distract from the turmoil at home was Bruce and Carrie's favorite shared pastime, board games. A few days after she came to his apartment, Bruce bought as many as he could stuff in his closet and along with his self-made tabletop, they played the time away with many hours passing by in a flash due to the great fun shared, even when the Fishers often double teamed to deny Bruce a win.

Currently Bruce and Carrie were playing Scrabble, and the current standings was Carrie winning 5 to 0, holding a dominant lead thanks to her bibliophilia which gave her a heavy advantage through a mental dictionary while Bruce was left with only basic nouns to counterattack, his only advantage in multilingualism denied strongly by Carrie the rule shark. However, thanks to Carrie having poor luck in the draw bag and Bruce blitzing through a Webster dictionary during their lunch break, he was heavily close to winning.

The board was nearly complete, only a few open spaces that were impossible to fill new words in. Through advantage of the double and triple words, Bruce caught up and with Carrie forced to spell "Cat" in the previous turn, it was now Bruce's opportunity to hopefully apply the finishing blow.

"Alright, better watch out for the Jacobins Carrie, cause the Revolution has come to topple the Queen." Bruce taunted, with Carrie sticking her tongue out. Bruce then applied a few pieces left, finishing what he hoped to be the final word.

"Alright Hydro. That's 20 points, with triple word and double letter, this gives me 28 and times 3 is 84, which means...I'm 44 points ahead and I win!" Bruce excitedly shouted, pumping his fists and victory screeching his lungs as loud as a Yankee homerun.

Eventually Bruce settled down, "Well fought Miss Fisher, but every story comes to an end, and with this final chapter, Bruce O'Brian is the Scrabble King." Bruce said in haughty fun. He extended his hand with a smirk for congratulations, only to receive nothing in return. Confused, Bruce whipped his head and found himself facing Carrie, whose neutral expression slowly shifted into a chesire grin that would rival Norman Bates in disturbingness, causing Bruce to develop Goosebumps.

"No...NO, that's impossible! I filled the board, there's nothing left! You sit on a throne of lies!" Bruce accused in a hammy manner. As a couple of actors, both Bruce and Carrie liked to spice their game with either roleplay or heavy overacting and dramatic reactions as if the stakes were life and death. They had to pause such emotions when playing with Todd after he was heavily creeped out the first game, but with him at school the two were free to play as they pleased.

"Oh Bruce, sweet, handsome, utterly naïve and illiterate Bruce. You falsely assumed that you were conducting a grand strategy leading to victory, but all along you have been dancing on my puppet strings to the tune of my song. You foolishly believed to have placed me in checkmate, when all you have done is tie the noose around your neck." Using five letters, Carrie would then transform Bruce's masterstroke into one half of her finishing move, turning Hydro into Hydrofluoric.

"And with that 40 times 3 and another 3 is 360. 316 more than yours, and continuing my undefeated reign." Carrie dramatically finished.

"NOOO!!!" Bruce cried cried to the heavens as Carrie then broke out into dance over the game board to assert her dominance.

Slumping back against the couch in defeat, any miniscule feelings of bitterness or anguish over the loss were completely evaporated at the comical sight of Carrie having a mini dance party over winning a simple game of Scrabble. Bruce looked to his girlfriend, smiling widely and eyes gazing in total adoration and affection. To see Carrie in such jubilation and high spirits days after her lowest point where she quit school and ran away over feelings of being a burden and all the while her mother fought a bitter divorce battle in court made him feel completely at peace and heavily thankful that he was blessed to have Carrie in his life.

Having grown closer than he ever could have imagined to Carrie over their time living together and being the happiest that he's ever been in his life thanks to her, Bruce without thought or planning expressed his feelings in the only way he could.

"I love you."

Carrie halted her personal disco and froze in utter shock and disbelief at the words he had uttered, the heavy shift in atmosphere and each passing second of silence causing Bruce to realize the magnitude of his statement, anxiety quickly rising over concerns that he had rushed or misspoken. For while Bruce and Carrie cared very deeply for one another, the great three letter declaration had never once been uttered, until now.

"What did you say?" Carrie whispered. The teen felt a paradox of emotions overwhelming her, happy that the words were spoken, and scared of what they would lead to.

"I love you." Bruce answered, both for Carrie and himself. "I love you." Bruce then repeated, testing the phrase, and finding it to be the most wonderful words he had ever spoken. "I love you Carrie Fisher, with all my heart and soul." Bruce proudly declared, wanting to make it clear with no possible misunderstandings how much he loved Carrie and what she meant to him.

A heartfelt impasse was raised between the two, Bruce patiently waiting for a response, gazing wistfully at the young woman he knew to be the love of his life. Carrie stared back, hands covering her most sweetest smile with happy tears streaming down her face. She had known for weeks that she loved Bruce O'Brian, ever since that fateful day where she came to his home and shared her greatest shames and secrets, and instead of being rejected and shunned, she was met with kindness and compassion with Bruce staying by her side on the road to recovery. For more than a month she loved Bruce with all her heart, but had refrained from confessing for fear that her dream would end right after and she would awaken to the miserable life of yesterday.

Now her dream was here and real, with Bruce stating the words she had been hoping to receive for a long time. In response to such a declaration, there was only one thing she could say.

"I know."

Bruce blinked a couple of times in mild surprise and bewilderment over her choice of response, although after a second of thought his gaze returned to lovestruck adoration, finding the simple sentence rather sweet and endearing. Carrie on the other hand, when realizing that she said two words instead of three, felt a tidal wave of shame, cringing in recoil over her actions and then plopping herself on the ground, curling into a ball and keeping her back towards Bruce in shame.

"Carrie?" Bruce asked in concern.

"No, no, No, NO, NO! I ruined it!" Carrie cried in despair.

Bruce immediately rushed over and wrapped Carrie in warm embrace, "Carrie, you didn't ruin a single thing." Bruce kindly assured.

"Yes I did! You told me you loved me, and I just stood there like an idiot and then said 'I know', what kind of a response is that?!" Carrie sobbed.

"It's the words of the woman I love, words that make it clear my love is not spontaneous, but that my confession is the culmination of our time together, the greatest days of my life. It shows that I treated you in every possible manner you deserved, and that I don't have to worry about the future for I shall love you as I have before." Bruce said, his words laced with earnest devotion

As Bruce spoke, he felt Carrie relax in his grip, her sniffling pausing as he spoke comforting poetry. Right as he finished, Bruce would be ambushed by a grateful kiss from Carrie. It was a deep exchange, the longest they had ever shared, and both savored every second for all the million little words and emotions exchanged through the contact.

After what felt like an eternity, the two released. Carrie then said the words Bruce did not know he had been secretly yearning for until this point.

"I love you." Carrie confessed, correcting her mistake and finally releasing the joyous secret she had been keeping for a long time.

"I know." Bruce returned, both to comfort Carrie for her earlier response by repeating it, and to give an honest answer, for the kiss and all the little details of their time together served as enough of an answer.

Carrie looked to the side, cheeks rosy and bashful with a goofy smile. "You make it sound so cool." She said wistfully, causing Bruce to roar his head back in laughter, leaning back and then falling on the ground with Carrie falling on top of him. The two shared a laugh at the slapstick and then cuddled together on the floor, wanting to extend the warm sensation of their open and newfound love for as long as possible.

After several minutes of simply lying and gazing wistfully at each other Bruce spoke as he brushed his hand through her hair tenderly, "You know, we could make that our thing?" Bruce suggested.

"What?" Carrie asked in puzzlement.

"Whenever one of us says 'I love you', the other says 'I Know."

Carrie playfully slapped his shoulder, "Come on Bruce, you don't have to make me feel better, I'm happy with where things are now."

"I'm serious." Bruce protested, surprising Carrie.

"Why?"

"Cause whenever one of us says 'I know', we'll always be brought back to this wonderful moment, and it'll let the other know that they are speaking earnestly and true. It's not like we have to say it everytime, but it's our own little way of making all of those future moments special."

Carrie ruminated over the offer several seconds. Bruce was expecting for Carrie to politely decline, and then she answered in her own way. "I love you." She spoke confidently with pride.

"I know." Bruce returned, causing her to smile greatly. "I love you."

"I know."

Lights... Camera... ACTION!!: A Hollywood Quest

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Lights... Camera... ACTION!!: A Hollywood Quest

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Ruler of the Swarm

Everything’s Got A Price.

Everything’s Got A Price.

Ruler of the Swarm

I really need to finish my quests. :V

Dracula: Blood Origins​

Dracula: Blood Origins