Please, For His Own Good, Take Away His Pepper!

Someone needs to do a review of what Jake's putting in the pot for Herb and Spices Day, and quick. Left unsupervised, he's likely to turn his own tongue black and the Morgendorffers will end up with frozen lasagna again.

After dinner they could put on a classic movie in honor of Judy Garland's birth on this day in 1922. Not only did one of Garland's most famous movies, The Wizard of Oz, get several references during the show, but it also made a significant appearance in the "Daria's Inferno" video game.

Finally, someone tell Quinn's poor date that he can finally talk now because it's National Shawn Day and she can't shush him. Well...she can, but he's completely free to ignore her and say "What?" as much as he wants.

Fanfic Update!

• And I was this colour of mind, by Lea (arowofpearls) (COMPLETE!): "Sometimes, I think she does it to be mean. Other times, I’m not not really sure."


• Face the Rainbow, by wilddogjj (part 1): "The date on the classroom calendar was Friday, June 7, also known as the last day of school. Mr. Keller was handing out report cards to his fifth-grade class."


• I Go Through All This Before You Wake Up, by Blake C Stacey (COMPLETE!): "Dear Daria's Diary, Forty centuries of love poems, and not a line of them can make a heart ache less. Why couldn't I have picked an all-consuming obsession that actually does any good for me?"


• Spider Quinn 09 A Part of the Journey, by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (part 3): "Robert arrived at the Morgendorffers. 'Is Quinn here?' he asked Daria when she came to the door."

I Just Hope He Used More Than Just Pepper!

I see Jake is enjoying Herbs and Spices Day, but I really hope he used some restraint this time. We don't want a repeat of the black tongue incident...at least, not until Daria has the camera ready.

Today is also the anniversary of the birth of the late Judy Garland in 1922. There were a number of Wizard of Oz references in Daria, so I'll just highlight "Wizard of UG," a Wizard of Oz/Daria crossover by Ken T. Enjoy!

Fanfic Update!

• Living in America, by Lady Evil (part 7): "'So, you’re the Matthew Williams Alfred told us about.' Jane said, checking out the maple leaf patch on his backpack as they walked to the donut shop."


• Summer's End (Linn's short stories (or ficlets, drabbles...)), by Linnofthewoods (parts 3 and 4): "Over the past few weeks the Y2K party Jeffrey and Rose had been planning had garnered quite a bit of buzz in local circles. It was based on something from just long enough ago to almost be nostalgic, yet still a pretty fresh memory to many." (Part 4)

Li, the Great and Terrible

Pay no attention to the principal behind the curtain as we all wish Wizard of Oz author L. Frank Baum a happy birthday. Someone involved with the show must have been a fan, because in addition to the Daria's Inferno scene there, we also get Mr. O'Neill quoting the Cowardly Lion in "Fire!," Daria referencing Judy Garland's role in the movie at the start of "Legends of the Mall," and Mr. DeMartino's "and you were there" bit near the end of "Lucky Strike." I'm a little surprised that Daria and Jane didn't get blown away to Oz by the hurricane in "Daria!"

I suppose they couldn't bear to be separated from their loved ones, since today is also International Day of Families. While there are many families in Daria, I'm not sure any of them are ones that the U.N. would care to hold up as good examples.

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Pay No Attention to the Educator Behind the Curtain!

Ms. Li, as the Wizard of Oz, commands you all to wish a happy birthday to L. Frank Baum, who was born on this day in 1856. Baum, of course, created the Oz book series that was referenced in several Daria episodes. Ms. Li as the Wizard actually works quite well--lots of bluster and bluffing but little real competence when it comes down to it.

This is also International Day of Families, so celebrate by following the example of the well-adjusted Morgendorffers--er, I mean the Landons--okay, bad idea...the Lanes--oops, no, but how about the Taylors....

You know what? Forget it. I give up.

Fanfic Update!

• Consequences, by Zetor (part 1): "Daria sat leaning against the side of the storage shed on the school’s roof, staring up at the clouds with a relaxed smile that she would be mortified for anyone but the person beside her to see."


• Cynic and a Six-String, by fringeperson (part 13): "As soon as Daria opened the front door, she heard the strained tones of Helen talking to Rita on the phone, and winced. 'Damn,' Daria said, and promptly closed the door again."


• See Jane Date, by EntrancedCat (COMPLETE!): "Jane smoothed down the front of her blue mini skirt and gave her sleeveless red top a couple tugs not really trying to cover her bare tummy. She gathered her thick, raven hair up tight on her head and secured the mass with a wide golden scrunchie, all before smirking at herself in the mirror."


• Survival of the DoctorDonna, by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (COMPLETE!): "They had left the alternate Darlig Ulv Stranden, and had returned to their home universe. 'I thought we could try the planet Felspoon,' Donna said. 'Just because. What a good name, Felspoon. Apparently, it's got mountains that sway in the breeze. Mountains that move. Can you imagine?'"

Somewhere Over the Overly Extreme Security Measures

Ms. Li wants everyone to know that today is the anniversary of Judy Garland's birth in 1922. Also, pay no attention to the principal behind the curtain.

Well, my vacation's over and now it's time for the long-delayed...

Fanfic Update!

• Daughters of Avengers, by martp2 (part 1): "'We need to talk.' Jake stated when he saw his girls come down. He truly loved both girls as if they were his own, however he knew that it was time to tell them the truth."


• Down Under Daria, by Madmaper13 (prologue): "Helen walk out the front doors of her office building and approached a blue Lexus ideating in a no stoping zone, getting in she quickly spoke 'Jake, what is so important to discuss that you say we should have a lunch meeting.'"


• A Few Years Difference, by vlora (part 19): "Ever since Daria rolled into town he found himself standing straighter, focusing harder, trying to pretend he wasn't a total slouch. He hadn't succeeded thus far."


• Fifteen Years Later, by Meagana (parts 3 and 4): "Daria wasn't sure why she kept the PR firm job after her third book she didn't need it." (Part 4)


• Fire Fighter!, by Vlora (COMPLETE!): "'Hey.' 'Hey.' Trent stepped aside so Tom could get in. 'Janey's in her room.' 'Right.' 'Right.' Trent echoed for a second time. The boy never said more than two words to Trent, not unless he needed something."


• Hit the Blum-Deckler, by Kondu Min (part 1): "Being woken up to 'Say Good morning to Aunty Daria' made her wished that she was just undergoing a nightmare."


• A Hobbit's Quest for Knowledge, by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (prologue): "Rosa Proudfoot entered the Frogmorton Branch of the Shire Library. She was curious about something."


• Is it Curtain Yet?, by Zetor (part 5b): "Gwen's eyes opened wide and she leaned forward. 'Jodie Landon's Party? Like, with the seniors who just graduated? The popular ones?' Quinn was surprised. She was so used to going to all the popular parties that she never even thought about it anymore."


• Lawndale and Sandi Griffin's Genie (Chapter 8), by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (part 11): "Sandi fell off the mountain onto the ground. She took the book out and noted that there were no further wishes. 'It has to be, like, around this pile somewhere,' she decided."


• Lawndale's Finest 3: The Brave and the Bold, by NightGoblyn (part 3): "The goth looked up in time to see a silver sedan, horn blaring and tires shrieking against the asphalt, bearing down on her. She threw her arms up and screamed in terror."


• Lies of Life, by Princess_Pasta (part 7): "A light knock on his door caught his attention and he went to open it. 'Hey.' Jane stood out in the hall, dressed and ready for school, 'You alright?' He sighed, wondering exactly when she started worrying about him rather than the other way around."


• Midnight Stories - Psy Room, by JPAGC (COMPLETE!): "lying down on the couch, Stacy Rowe stared at the ceiling, her hands folded over her belly. '...Did I tell you that I used to hang around the boys a lot before eighth grade?' she said, not moving from her position."


• Play, rewind, repeat, by elainefr (part 1): "She flipped on the light as she entered her home. Everything was just as she'd left it.....for better or worse."


• Unnamed story (World's Shortest Crossover, Part XIV: The Crossover Awakens!), by Kuriamo22 (COMPLETE!): "Daria and Jane stood in line at a multidimensional transit center on some bug alien planet that Daria honestly couldn't be bothered to remember the name of. Possibly because she was buzzed."


• Video Assignment Chaos, by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (part 2): "At Lawndale High School, the first class of the day was in session. '...So, as an exercise in living literature you'll all be making your own movies,' Mr. O'Neill said. 'We have Brittany to thank for that exciting suggestion.'"


• A Time For Us, by aeverett (parts 1 and 2): "Daria sat on the steps just outside of Lawndale High and rested her head against the cold metal railing. She was emotionally beat and for someone who tried to avoid highly charged circumstances, she had very little tolerance for emotional overload to begin with."

Pay No Attention to the Principal Behind the Curtain!

Happy birthday to the late Judy Garland, born on this day in 1922! Judy Garland, of course, starred in the movie The Wizard of Oz, which featured Li--I mean, Oz--the Great and Powerful Wizard. There were several references to the movie in Daria, including O'Neill's comparison of The Red Badge of Courage and the Cowardly Lion in "Fire!" or DeMartino's emotional "And you were there!" upon waking from what he thought was a dream in "Lucky Strike."

Fanfic Update!

• The Aftermath of The One In Which Brittany Goes to Planned Parenthood For... Reasons (Scenes no Daria Fanfic should ever have-Now Springtime Fresh), by Shiva (COMPLETE!): "Brittany then strode the halls of the local Planned Parenthood with a bounce in her step, the terrible weight had been lifted right off her shoulders. After some tries, and some embarrassing incidents with other patients, the cheerful cheerleader found the right door that lead to the reception area where her ride was waiting. 'Hey Daria, Jane.' Brittany said with a smile, 'I'm ready to go now.'"


• At the Crossroads...(Chapter 11), by oni (part 1): "As she was watching it, a pickup truck drove by and brought her back to her surroundings. Linda didn't think much of the pickup truck at first glance, but as it was driving down the street, she saw something that caught her eye. In the truck bed were three girls with what appeared to Linda to be guns."


• Be Careful What You Wish For, by Doggieboy (part 9): "'I thought Mike loved me,' she said, her voice weak. 'He told me that he loved me so many times.' A lot of words came to Scarlett then. Words of how much better Tan was without the abusive bastard. Words about how Angel was right about him all along. Words about how his perverted tendencies had been there all along, and the three of them had just merely ignored the signs." (Also posted on the SFMB)


• Disconnect the Dots, by InvisibleDan (part 12): "I then had a thought. 'Maybe your problem is you have too many options. Sometimes limitations can paradoxically free you creatively.' I remembered hearing something similar once before, and I winced when I realized who had said it."


• Dylan, by J-D (part 5b): "Rod stepped forward and put a hand on one of the items in Kent's arms. 'Wait a moment! Isn't this supposed to be a doo-dad?' 'It's not yours, anyway', Karen said. 'But is there something wrong with it?' said Kent. 'Does that really look like a doo-dad to you? I'd say it's more of a doo-hickey.'"


• Dystoponia (My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic), by Erin M. (prologue): "The Curse is spreading. I may not be able to see it with my own eyes, but I know it's spreading. I hear it in the wind, smell it in the air, taste it in my food. It's been spreading ever since the war ended. The Forest isn't the only place where the rules are different anymore. Equestria is dying."


• Ethan Yeager in Lawndale: Ch 7 Chaos Theory, by Shiva (parts 7 and 8): "'Zon.' Ethan and Josh said at the same time, then they look at each other and laughed, it was the best place in town to party for those who were into good times and didn't give a crap about the whole popularity thing. The popular had places like Trendee's to go and look good and be boring and junk." (Part 8)


• Flynn at 1111 Glen Oak (Crossovers Still Crossing Over), by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (part 6): "Sandi saw the strange vehicle come skidding to a stop, although not before knocking the 'Inator' over. He also saw that the scientist guy had fled. 'I'm sure he has stuff here to defend against whatever is in that vehicle.' For all she knew, Doofenshmirtz could have nemeses other than Perry. 'Who's also gone.' She rolled her eyes. Of all the possibilities she could have imagined, she didn't expect what happened next..."


• God Save The Esteem ep41: Is It Fun Yet?, by Charles RB (COMPLETE!): "'You trust me to guard one of your gigs?' Quinn felt something deep inside, a sense of pride she hadn't felt since she'd won her first three-on-one fight. She wanted to speak, to thank her parents for this much trust, to thank them for seeing her do something and believing that she could do it. But that would make her look wussy in front of people, so she punched her dad instead."


• God Save the Esteem 42: Combat Rock, by Charles RB (part 1): "A punk woman, somewhere between late twenties and early thirties, picks the infant up. (The woman has a shaved head but seems to be trying to regrow her hair, and has tried dying it green; it looks like a lawn with weeds growing in it) 'Come on, Daria,' she coos. 'Speak for Mummy.'"


• The Hunter Home from the Hill, by DeacBlue (part 6): "'Excuse me,' he asked, 'but is this the Morgendorffer residence?' 'It is,' Daria replied. 'How can I help you?' 'A Mrs. Helen Morgendorffer hired me to do something that I think is likely impossible - to teach someone ten grade levels of history in a month.'"


• I Don't Redux (IC: Daria and Quinn really are cousins), by Reven384 (COMPLETE!): "Amy walked up to Daria and said, 'Things are getting ugly. I suggest we make a hasty but unobtrusive exit.' 'Do that mother it's what you're best at,' Quinn said. 'Quinn,' Amy said feeling uncomfortable as she could see no way to escape."


• Instead of Planned Parenthood, Brittany Goes... Economy Style (Scenes no Daria Fanfic should ever have-Now Springtime Fresh), by Shiva (COMPLETE!): "'But Kevy,' Brittany said with a groan while the foreign object inside of her dug into her flesh, 'Are you sure this is a good idea?'"


• Kiss-Cam (Scenes no Daria Fanfic should ever have-Now Springtime Fresh), by Brother Grimace (COMPLETE!): "'And now, ladies and gentlemen, Lawndale High School is proud to present - the "Kiss-Cam'!'"


• Kiss-Cam: A Royal Perspective (Scenes no Daria Fanfic should ever have-Now Springtime Fresh), by Brother Grimace (COMPLETE!): "'You have violated this great sanctuary with your presence.' Zeus, the King of the Gods, looked with complete disdain at the young man who stood before him (and the other assembled members of the Pantheon) with an air of complete victory."


• The Line, by DeacBlue (COMPLETE!): "He reached out and caressed her cheek with his thumb. 'Would you like to look at the stars after we finish?' 'Skylar, this is our first date in three years. I'm not comfortable with making out yet,' Quinn said, looking straight into his eyes while brushing his hand away. 'Did -' She stopped as his face twisted into a mask of rage."


• One Night With Kevin, by peetz5050 (COMPLETE!): "Ms. Li opened the door of the lounge but didn't go out, instead she stood inside the doorway as she watched Helen go to Chip's desk and pick up the phone. Kevin stood behind her where he could see and was surprised when Ms. Li took a packet of cigarettes out of her bag and lit one. He moved back a pace to avoid the smoke, waving it away from his face. She whispered 'Sorry Kevin, but I need to steady my nerves, this could be good news... or very bad.'"


• Operation Glitterberries, by BF110C4 (parts 10 - 12): "The soft sound of the alarm in her watch startled Melody and she had to suppress a cry of pain when her head hit the bottom of the bed. She stopped moving for a few seconds to try hearing if her sudden movement had waked her lover/prisoner from his chemical nap. Satisfied that the only sound was the one of the soft whining of Ken she crawled out of the bed." (Part 11) (Part 12)


• Psychosteemsters (Scenes no Daria Fanfic should ever have-Now Springtime Fresh), by thatLONERchick (COMPLETE!): "Mrs. Manson held the flash card up to Daria, a patronizing smile stretching her thin mouth. 'Dara, can you make up a story like your sister's?' Daria stared dispassionately at the woman, then grabbed the Rubik's cube off of the desk and solved it in just a few seconds. She slammed it down in front of the teacher and stormed out."


• A Resentful Cynic Ch. 3 The curse of Middleton, by ST91 (part 8): "A few minutes later the Hecubas and Jane were on the road. the trip to Lawndale State took half an hour but for Jane , as she chatted with Andrea and her parents , that time seemed to last only a few minutes. Jane loved that she could, even if briefly, be with them : so she could feel herself part of a family. A true family. Jane thought sadly."


• Ride, Ride, Ride, by neonhomer (COMPLETE!): "I sighed, and had resolved to just grabbing my order and walking back to the shop to eat, when the one in the red jacket offered me to sit with them. The one in green appeared displeased, but echoed her companion's offer. They sat across from each other, and the girl in red offered for me to sit next to her."


• Sexy Daria: Sex and the Mall, by Shiva (part 2): "'I have my father's gold card and I do just happen to know that there is a Bikini Island at the Mall of the Millennium, if you catch my drift...' 'What? Oh sorry I wasn't paying attention.' Jane muttered, trying to kill this idea before it got out of hand. Daria just laughed and replied, 'Oh Charlie, I already picked out my swimsuits for next year, and if you're lucky you just might see me in them... When the weather is nice of course.' Upchuck growled and said, 'Feisty!'"


• Undying Love, by BrownEyedBagel (part 8): "He slammed his fists on the keys and got to his feet. He didn't know where she was, but she knew where he was. He didn't know what her numbers were, but they had to be higher than his. The end game situation back in Lawndale was bad, this was worse. He grinded his teeth for a moment, she was just playing with him now."


• Unnamed story (Scenes no Daria Fanfic should ever have-Now Springtime Fresh), by Erin M. (COMPLETE!): "Jane stared in horror at the twisted body under the tires of the Morgendorffer SUV. Daria finished throwing up and walked over to her."


• Unnamed story (Scenes no Daria Fanfic should ever have-Now Springtime Fresh), by JohnHWatson (COMPLETE!): "'Well, this is interesting,' Daria observed. 'A surprise plot twist.'"


• Unnamed story (Scenes no Daria Fanfic should ever have-Now Springtime Fresh), by thatLONERchick (COMPLETE!): "Daria grimaced and stared down into her bowl. 'My ice cream is salty.'" (Continued by Ranger Thorne) (Continued by Shiva)


• We Only Hurt the Ones We Love, by deneich (part 12): "There was none of the prior tentativeness in Dad's reply: he, honestly, didn't know anything more. That was troubling, if Mom didn't feel comfortable telling Dad, while he was driving, then the news must be bad indeed. I, normally, would consider myself to be a reasonable and rational person; but – as the tears clouded my vision and then slowly laid tracks down my cheeks – it amazed me what desperate and terrible visions my fifteen year-old mind could create. I was scared, it was unreasonable and irrational but – nevertheless – I was cold-sweat scared."


• World's Medium-Sized Crossover, by Roentgen (part ): "Upchuck indicated the felt shapes on the table. He passed out the felt shapes to each person at the table. 'What is this?' Daria asked. 'Of all the timelines,' Upchuck explained, 'this is clearly the darkest...which is why I propose we commit to being evil.'"

If Ever, If Ever a Wiz There Was

The famed author of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, L. Frank Baum, was born this day 153 years ago. This story is referenced a number of times in official Daria materials. See if you can find the Oz references in "Legends of the Mall," "Fire!" "Lucky Strike," and the Daria's Inferno computer game (hint: see image at right). Fan artists (Adam Spradlin and Lisanne Bouchard) have created Oz-derived Daria art, and at least three crossovers with the Oz saga have been written, though curiously they are now hard to find (Ken T.'s "The Wizard of Ug," Aaron Adelman's "Daria in Oz," and Crazy Nutzo's “Through the Rainbow”). I haven't yet performed an extensive search for these, but perhaps someone out there knows where they appear.

Medea42 found something. (Shhh!)

FF.net

• Reality Is What We Make It, by Lord of Fluff (Part 1): The only sounds that invaded my sense of hearing as I worked furiously was the thunderclap of the soft storm that crashed down outside of the building I was in and the quick and precise clicking of computer keys as my hands swiftly raced across the keyboard. If this was going to work, I needed to get a move on.
• Wristcutters: A Daria Story, by Charliefox2012 (Parts 7 and 8): Daria entered her apartment, gave Erik his cottage cheese, grabbed the phone and headed into her room. The mess had been cleaned up. “Thank you, Erik!” Daria called. No answer, but she knew he heard. She dialed Eugene’s number hoping he was home.

PPMB

• Cold Comfort, by Doggieboy (the REAL part 1): Let's just say that it was a bad day for muggers. A very bad day.
  
• Spirit Stick, by Brother Grimace (Part 4): After walking into the commons area, Archangel frowned as he saw that Valkryie had not stepped in with him–more like we probably stepped into differing time zones, he thought, seeing the newspaper dated 17 October 1962. Or different time periods. Looks like a "Shattered" scenario. Shame Richard isn’t here. He could lecture me about how I have to make sure that I don’t do anything that’ll disrupt the natural flow of events.
• Unnamed story (Iron Chef: Lying About "The Kiss"), by Dennis (Part 1): The suspicious part of Jane’s mind whispered that Daria had frozen for a second, that something had been off about the conversation, but Jane again shoved it down, as they walked through the double doors into school. “See you after homeroom,” she said, and the two parted.