"Come on down!"

On this day in 1923, the now-retired game show host Bob Barker was born. That makes him...83? 91? 87? Ah, 87 was the closest without going over. Thanks for playing!
For those unfamiliar with the show The Price is Right, Jesse is demonstrating "The Big Wheel" game on the right. Get over there and spin that wheel!

Today is also the anniversary of the birth of Edvard Munch, the artist who painted The Scream. Born in 1863, Munch's work was most likely a significant influence on Jane, especially her "art colonies suck" period.

And now, finally, is the fanfic update!

• 86 Bottles of Beer 3: All Creatures Great and Maul, by Kristen Bealer (part 1): "CONTROL Agent 86, known to the public as Kevin Thompson, was whistling on his way to headquarters. The sun was shining, a gentle breeze was blowing, and a small brown squirrel was sinking its teeth into his ankle."


• Betrayal (Scenes no Daria fanfic should have: Damn The Torpedoes!), by OverlordMikey (COMPLETE!): "'Daria, Jake how could you do this. Plotting against your own mother. Have mercy!' 'Like how Quinn and you plotted against us before? No Helen, the time for mercy has long since passed' Daria stated flatly."


• The Cards You Are Dealt, by Doggieboy (parts 6 and 7): "'What do you want with me?' John said and fought to keep from shaking - or just even running in panic. 'I don’t have time to discuss your problems, so make it quick.' Kevin’s glared at John, ran up to him and punched him in the face. As the teacher backed up in shock and felt his lip, the other two students moved to flank him. He looked at them uncertainly, then back at the first student." (Part 7)


• The Confrontation (Whatever happened to Tommy Sherman), by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (part ): "A few minutes later he was surprised by a rapping on the window and 'Um, like, Hello! People would like to be served here!' said in a slightly snarky tone. Tommy turned to see a young, obese, woman with very short brown hair at the window. 'It is a pity she is so fat. She would otherwise be hot!' he thought."


• Daria/Dorian 11: So This Is Bonding, by LadieT (part 4): "Jane had spent the rest of that night thinking about what Dorian had said. Staring at the empty canvas in front of her, she began to paint, uncertain on where her inspiration would take her. Several hours later, she looked at the portrait in front of her and smiled. It was she and Dorian watching from a distance as Lawndale High was being imploded."


• Eye on the Ball, by HolyGrail2007 (COMPLETE!): "Helen may not have understood the fascination of baseball, but getting thrown off a team wasn’t a good thing, and it would mean Finn wouldn’t have an activity for this season. Being able to spend time there meant Helen could get more work done in peace, since Jake was all too eager to spend time doing that with Finn. But now, Helen supposed she would have to take off." (Part 11)



• The fiercest battles lie within, by VPrad (part 29 and 30.1): "And then, the moment he had feared so much arrived, a silhouette stood in front of him. It was the man he had arrived to hate the most, a person who had proved capable of doing the most despicable acts. It was a man who was planning to kill a building full of innocent people, poisoning a whole town and executing his own son in the process, just to gain some money." (Part 30.1)


• The First Week: Day One, by Chris Tucker: "It was a cold December Saturday in Boston. The three friends had diverse errands to see to in the city and agreeed to meet up at the Prudential Center food court for lunch and then off to the GooglePlex by the Boston Common for a movie."


• God Save The Esteem Ep14: Splatoon, by Charles RB (parts 1 and 2): "'Hey, Mum – there’s this form school wants you to sign-' Helen looked at the document like it was a dead rat, then grabbed it, pulled out a lighter, and set it on fire. 'Fuck their rules and regs! Fuck 'em!'" (Part 2)

>
• How a Star Was Born (Scenes That Should Be: Breakfast of Zombie Champions), by Aloysius (COMPLETE!): "'I said "NO!"' Quinn Morgendorffer yelled at the director, her hands on her hips. 'What part of "NO!" don’t you understand?'"


• Innocent Dreams at The Shore of Inversion and the Cliff of Affinity (Iron Chef: A Sparkle), by OverlordMikey (COMPLETE!): "It had been ten years since she first left Lawndale High school and headed to college. All those years away from her father, her step-mother, and her brother. She’d visit now and again, but sometimes she wondered what kept her away for months at a time, but she knew that answer in her heart. I had never belonged here, this place kept me from truly being my own person."


• It's Eureka, Daria: Spiral Dynamics, by RLobinske (COMPLETE!): "'Uh-oh,' Patrick said, seeing a heavy valve crossing the tunnel that was dripping thick, tan foam. The valve was part of a pipe running from somewhere deeper in the structure to the bunker area where the band was playing. There was a bent linkage connecting the jammed valve to an actuator set in the wall. Squeaks and groans from inside the valve told him it was under pressure." (Part 8)


• The James Lane Chronicles Chapter 4, by InvisibleDan (part 5): "'Look, my mom and dad wanted me to invite you over for dinner. They want to get to know you better.' 'Hmm. I guess that's because you never talk to them if you can help it, especially not about me.' 'You know me too well.' There was a long pause. 'And I have a surprise for you too.'"


• Jane Morgendorffer, by LadieT (part 28): "Knowing that she wasn't going to get the explanation she had longed and hoped for, Helen drew a long breath and sighed as she exited the car. Popping open the trunk, Helen stepped back while Maureen grabbed her luggage. Helen stood for a moment, trying to decide whether or not to follow her mother into the airport's lobby. Helen opened up her car door, sunk into the driver's seat and cried. She drove home with tear stains on her cheeks."


• The Last Word (Write-off Challenge 7, Round 1), by Kristen Bealer (COMPLETE!): "The room started shaking violently, but a quick glance out a nearby window told him that it wasn't an earthquake or any other natural phenomenon, as only his own room was affected. The lights began to flicker on and off as a low howling sound began. Accompanied by irregular thumps and odd whistling noises, it grew in volume until Jake fell back onto his bed and cowered under a pillow. It's Him, he realized in a panic. I know that temper. He's back! He's back from the grave...and he's furious with me."


• Lawndale and Sandi Griffin’s Genie (Chapter 2), by cfardell_Brenorenz29 (part 3): "'Relax, Stacy, we may come up with something else,' Quinn said. 'Multiple plans, and contingency plans for all of them. Definitely Daria’s territory or maybe of that tycoon guy on that cartoon about those living statues,' she thought."


• Legends Of The Metal, by TheExcellentS (part 11): "'For too long we have lived in pits, waiting for good fortune to trickle down to us. But our days of waiting are over! We will not sit here and let General Lionwhyte decide what happens next. We will gather up this mighty army and take it on the road. We will march on Lionwhyte and free every man, woman and child in that city! And then we will bring it crashing to the ground!'"


• A New Set of Rules, by Dennis (part 18): "Colleen was the prime suspect. She'd called at least three times yesterday, and probably more, but Daria had stopped looking at the caller ID after that. She had no desire to talk to Colleen anytime in the near future. Jerry or Gina were also possibilities, and she would have to be less unpleasant to them. She did not, however, expect to find Kevin waiting for at the sign-in desk."


• A Path Forged From a Lie An Interactive Daria Fic, by OverlordMikey (part 2.1): "'Never Sandi! Of course you could take care of this problem, but I feel this is a hurdle that I must jump because she's my si- Sicilian cousin's cabana girl's ex-husband's roommate's cousin twice removed who only just now learned of any relation to my family no matter how small.' Sandi said nothing in response to that. Even Quinn couldn't swallow that one."


• Raft College: The First Year, by rglovejoy (part 37): "Friday, of course, was also Halloween. Patricia had sent her an email the day before about a party being held at her dorm. It sounded like fun: they were going to have ultraviolet lamps set up in the one of the big lounges and Vaseline and Twinkies to play with. Sam had to explain the significance to her. 'The cream inside of Twinkies and Vaseline both glow under a black light. It is a very cool phenomenon.'"


• Screams of Silence, by Jim North (part 8): "This is real. I can't escape it. I know it's real. I can see the edges of twisted, torn metal clearly. I can smell the tinge of oil, gas, and other motor fluids in the air. My ears are still ringing a little from the noise. There is absolutely no reason for the car to have exploded like a balloon filled with too much air, but regardless this seems like a pretty damn realistic aftermath of just that to me."


• The Two Americas (IC: What would Lawndale be like if...), by Charles RB (parts 1 and 2): "The battered Ford began to near Lawndale High School, but the way in was blocked by a vast web of people. At least two hundred of all ages and walks of life, some banners, yelling with fury; TV crews and journalists all over; hunted looking Maryland National Guard soldiers in an argument with local police and some of the crowd, and behind them, almost unnoticed until you looked closer, three smartly dressed negro teenagers attempting stoic expressions." (Part 2)


• Unnamed story ('Flashpoints': A Worldburner Mini-Fics Thread), by Erin M. (COMPLETE!): "Suddenly,a ear piercing shriek echoed across the town. It was an inhuman, almost metallic roar vaguely reminiscent of an elephant. NegaJane's eyes widened, remembering a time long ago, when she heard heard that exact same roar on Saturday afternoons, on the TV when she was younger. She looked at Judith. 'You didn't!'"


• Unnamed story (IC: What would Lawndale be like if...), by Roentgen (COMPLETE!): "'Very well, class...I shall OPEN the BOOK!' DeMartino placed the large book - a good two feet in length - on the podium, and turned the leather covers. The hand-lettered pages were reverently turned, and DeMartino was momentarily distracted by the illustrations before finding the relevant topic."


• Unnamed story (Response to my own Iron Chief; Daria Prom), by Vukodlak (COMPLETE!): "'Lets get some fresh air' Tom suggested. Daria smiled and took his arm, together they walked out of the gym and into the cool night air. Daria didn't pay much attention to where they were going partly because she didn't care as long as it was away from people, but mainly because her glasses were still in Tom's pocket."



• Unnamed story (Scenes no Daria fanfic should have: Damn The Torpedoes!), by Ranger Thorne (COMPLETE!): "Daria (singing): Baby look at me / And tell me what you see / You ain't seen the best of me yet / Give me time I'll make you forget the rest"


• The Weight of Conscience (Write-off Challenge 7, Round 1), by LadieT (COMPLETE!): "His death wasn't your fault sis ... it was an accident. Sandi's blood though ... it's on my hands literally and figuratively. While her brain was going into overdrive, Quinn could swear that she felt another person in the room. As she watched the door slowly open, Quinn brushed a tear off her cheek."


• Welcome to The LD (Iron Chef Challenge: Straight Inta Lawndale), by angryellow (part 4): "'Don't look now Jo, but your boyfriend's here, and he's not alone.' Daria suddenly announced, pointing toward the entrance. Jodie instinctively whipped her cornrow-adorned head around and saw none other than Mack. He was accompanied by a girl named of Jennifer, who was commonly known as commonly known as 'Burnout Girl' for a certain rumor that has neither been confirmed or denied by the young lady herself."


• What If the Asteroid Never Hit? (IC: What would Lawndale be like if...), by rglovejoy (COMPLETE!): "Daria tried not to bump into too many people as she took her lunch tray to her usual table. Jane was already there, eating her bowl of fried mice. 'Hey Daria, are you sure those contacts are working? You almost knocked Andrea over.'"


• A work in progress. Subject to revision, by Chris Tucker: "Jane and I are really looking forward to graduation. No more Lawndale High for either of us. Three months of anticipation of college. Doing all that stuff you do to get ready for the big move away from family and friends. Except my best friend is coming to Boston, too! That's gonna be so good!"


• Worldburner: Dead Ringers, by Erin M. (COMPLETE!): "The first Ring arrived twelve hours ago, as they do when they are unable to find a replacement Bearer when the previous one passes on. Soon, five more rings arrived, one every hour. Another word in the message burned in the same place. When the last arrived, we knew the magnitude of our error. As we replayed the final moments of the Ringbearer who perished, we saw her. And we saw the necklace she wore. A necklace that, by all accounts, should no longer exist."