Welcome to the second to last episode of season 2!!! Be sure to join in for our Season 2 Finale Livestream on Friday, June 25th, streaming on Facebook and Twitch at 7:00pm EST!

219 opens with the boys discussing their respective roles in the zombie apocalypse before diving headlong into the Weekly Prompt. Reddit user NotThatJaredBlack writes: A woman has been dating guy after guy, but it never seems to work out. She’s unaware that she’s actually been dating the same guy over and over; a shapeshifter who’s fallen for her, and is certain he’s going to get it right this time. What follows suit is the crafting of “The J Word”, an incredibly ambitious, star-studded cast of A-list celebrities that unite in an epic rom-com/Lovecraftian adventure.

Hearkening back to our favorite childhood programming, we touch on a dangerous new interpretation of Barney, the Friendly Dinosaur. Perfectly Purple by author Flexor crafts a much more sinister truth about our old pal, Barney, as we read a story that takes us into what happens when a perfectly innocent childhood show is actually built around a bloodthirsty, prehistoric bioweapon…

218 opens with alien-relations, Rhys mimicking insects, and ladybug stories before launching into the Weekly Prompt. Reddit user colorfulmarzipan offers us: WANTED: MALE/FEMALE ROOMMATE TO ROOM WITH THREE OTHERS - $190 PER MONTH. We are three lovely HUMANS currently renting out Acre house, just off campus. We’re walking distance from college, have WIFI and air conditioning. 4 rooms. (Just to clarify, we are definitely human). The subsequent storycrafting, coupled with yet another AI Generated Fanfic™, takes us into the unexpected juggalo territory of The Insane Clown Posse, Facebook (aka, “The Book”), and the true meaning of the acronym “WiFi”.

Nostalgia brings us to the era of Sunday morning comics as inspiration for today’s fanfiction! We read The Lengthy Dimly Lit Coffee Break of the Psyche by author dotfic, which takes a very poignant look into the world of Calvin and Hobbes. Post-read, we move into a more serious discussion about the loss of childhood— specifically, the place of whimsical creativity in a world ruled by pragmatism and practicality, and what it truly means to “hold on to your Hobbes.”

The boys open 217 with anecdotes relating to the self-inflicted torture of foods, reflecting on Hot Ones™ hot sauce (The Last Dab), vegan mayonnaise, and gluten intolerant-intolerance.

Continuing the condiment conversation, we move into Weekly Prompt, coming to us from the official Reddit account of Kraft Mayonnaise: Please explain how you eat a sandwich with no mayo. DRY. How could you possibly take a bite of bread, meat and cheese with nothing in between? Does it just crumble in your mouth like wood shavings? When you speak, does dry sandwich dust fly from your mouth? Make your case. Best responses get gold. A subsequent AI Generated Fanfic™ kicks off an absolutely ridiculous storyline involving a father, a son, and the spirit of Buffalo, New York.

We have our first ever anonymous author for today’s fanfiction. The concept? Dark Winnie the Pooh. The result? The Terrible Thing About Tiggers, a story in which Christopher Robin wishes that Tigger was a real tiger. Needless to say, when Tigger morphs into a fully grown Bengal tiger, things go…well…poorly, to say the least.

Animal talks dominate episode 216, opening with the boys’ respective favorite animals, touching on bat varieties, giraffe facts, the life cycle of jellyfish, bee colonies, and porcupines— aka, nature’s Switzerland.

Weekly Prompt comes to us from Reddit user Jhustice: You're not really smart. You just have a power that pauses time each time someone asks you a question and time is unpaused only when you have the correct answer. One day your child asks you, "What is the meaning of life?". After kicking off the discussion with the return of our AI Generated Fanfic™, the boys spiral into a surprisingly somber and profound tale about an unsuspecting trio’s time-stopping journey.

Today’s fanfiction has us taking back to the simpler days of nursery rhymes…and then twisting that simplicity with dense scientific vernacular. Taking inspiration from the children’s poem Little Bunny Foo Foo, author Random_Nexus graces us with Diminutive Oryctolagus Cuniculus, which explores the same plot of the mischievous little bunny through the lens of someone likely working on their PHD in biological etymology.

We open episode 15 by sharing our post-COVID rehabilitation fantasies, ranging from Yoga classes, putting our mouths on strange objects, water fountains, and drunken escapades.

The Weekly Prompt comes to us from Reddit user KryptCeeper: You are a sleeper agent, your trigger word... "Bro". Whenever you hear the word, whatever command follows you must obey. This hasn't been an issue for most of your life, but yesterday... you met Todd. A surfer on vacation from California. We discuss the hilarious ramifications of this literal bro code, and the inevitable battle for the sleeper agent’s control between Todd and Ddot, his evil counterpart who wants to use the bro code for nefarious purposes.

We take to the world of high fashion with an Asgardian twist in today’s fanfiction. Loki Runway by author Xparrot takes a look at the Marvel Universe’s beloved intergalactic fugitive/ Trickster god, Loki, as he applies his flexible style and magical prowess as a contestant on Project Runway. Is it a fair competition? Probably not. But who in this competition has the gall to speak out against him? Listen in to find out!

Welcome back to STFF Next Chapter, formerly our Minisodes! We've now made our Patreon exclusive content FREE for all of our listeners!

Today, we return to a fanfiction featured in our very first episode from Season 1! D5-1 Meddling Kids in Nowhere is the Scooby Doo x Courage the Cowardly Dog story by author wsdsrdbw4096. Listen to another wonderfully crafted chapter as we finally reveal what Scooby Doo's voice sounds like to other dogs, and answer the long-awaited question: Who stands behind Celine Dion?

The boys open episode 214 with discussions & lamentations about things they were denied in their childhood, touching on marshmallows, international trips, Live Strong bracelets, and summer retreats for the end of the world.

Our Weekly Prompt comes to us from Reddit user dragonlover4612: A kaiju is shrunken down to the size of a kangaroo by the anti-kaiju defense force during its latest battle in Tokyo. As a result, the kaiju wanders through the city at night, and discovers an entire world of beauty it had never seen while it was 120 meters tall. The storycrafting that follows takes a sad look into how the influence of human life and uncontrolled capitalism inevitably corrupts all, even radioactive lizards. An alternate storyline has Kong meeting Koko the Gorilla, eventually leading to a Planet of the Apes takeover.

We continue to flush out the absolutely awesome world of home & auto insurance fanfiction with today’s fanfiction, merging the newly coined Insurance Cinematic Universe with the story structure of Harry Potter. Accio Insurance by author Merlin Missy (mtgat) follow’s young Flo’s journey to Aflac School of Insurance Sales, “the premiere school for teaching young minds about the high art of selling insurance.” Listen in to this heartwarming and charming tale as she meets new friends, embarks on new adventures, and most importantly, learns new ways to save you money on your home and auto insurance!

We have no words for the first minute of this episode except… YES SENSEI.

The boys open episode 13 with the origin of bread, alternate universes, and what their alternate selves would be before diving into the Weekly Prompt: You have a power to gift people special abilities, but you cannot gift them to yourself. You are a assaulted by gang of bullies who threaten you to give them powers, but little do they know you can add a side effect as well. The subsequent list of side effects prove to be both detrimental and embarrassing.

Today’s fanfiction takes us deep into the power of punctuation, specifically, the Oxford Comma, and its ability to completely change the context of a story. Continuing the conversation of parallel universes, the boys dive into Who Gives an F about the Oxford Comma? by author pandamug, which details the importance of that tiny little comma when presented with the items: “The Strippers, JFK, and Stalin” versus “The Strippers, JFK and Stalin”. Listen in as universes split and stories shift in this smart, hilarious tale.

Welcome to our very first recorded Off the Page, now FREE for all listeners! Off-the-Page is a segment where we celebrate our other passions, interests, and original creative works!

For our first episode, our very own co-host, Hunter, brings in a fanfiction lovingly titled Stranger Than (fan)Fiction: the Fanfiction, or STFFff for our listeners who are fond of unnecessary acronyms.

The synopsis: In a world in which Hunter has the ability to thrust his friends into alternate dimensions of their choice, where will they first visit? Listen in to hear this love letter to our STFF friendship, and what we've been able to create together.

The boys break down the latest Space Jam 2 trailer, diving into critical discussions about LeBron James’s alleged Stanislavsky acting method, Michael Jordan cameo possibilities, and multiverse theory.

After a brief chat on Ellen Degeneres, they dive into the Weekly Prompt coming to us from Reddit user Vengeful-Pickle: Your co-worker looks you up and down, “You look like shit Jerry, long night?”. You begin to sob, “I didn’t get any sleep last night, again. I got summoned 3 times. These goth kids haven’t left me alone since they found my blood totem last week. They just keep asking for the same thing...”. The ensuing discussion has us flushing out the true relationship between man and fiend, and perhaps discovering a bit of sympathy for our overworked demon friends.

It’s a truly special thing when our seemingly superficial childhood board games get a massive lore drop. That’s none more apparent within today’s fanfiction: Conservation of Momentum written by author roseclaw, a Candyland fanfiction with devastating implications. Tune in to listen to this bittersweet (but mostly sweet) apocalyptic tale!!

Welcome to STFF Next Chapter, formerly our Minisodes! Our Patreon content is now FREE for all of our listeners! Bear with us if we still refer to this as a Minisode. That'll phase out in time. ;)

For our first edition of these abridged STFF Episodes, we return to one of our many favorite stories, House Griffin by author Wweather, previously featured on Season 1, Episode 19 (119). Listen to this Family Guy x Game of Thrones tale unfold as Peter Griffin continues to struggle with the idea of leaving Winterfell, and Stewie discovers two royal siblings in a compromising position.

Big changes! First off— we have video! Be sure to subscribe to our YouTube channel to listen in to our episodes while looking at our beautiful faces! Also, to make things a little more digestible for your fanfiction GI tracts, we’ve streamlined our episodes to one fanfiction— let us know how you like the new format by messaging us on Facebook, Instagram, or leave us a review on Apple Podcast!

The boys discuss peoples’ first impressions of themselves before moving into the Weekly Prompt: People really can believe things into existence. You started the yeti myth to drum up some business for your failing resort. People believed all of it and now you’re not sure what to do with the 8 ft. creature in your living room. Discussions ensue over what wishing power really looks like, and what happens when someone believes a little too much.

The Mythbusters meet the Avengers in Myth Challenge Accepted, an epic fanfiction written by author s_alt. When Adam Savage & Jamie Hyneman’s latest tank-busting experiment goes awry due to an unexpectedly raging Hulk, things get a little shaky (literally) for the whole crew.

Rhys is bald now, so naturally we open Episode 10 by spending 10 minutes talking about it.

The Weekly Prompt comes to us from Reddit user Wajcha125: The finale of international chess tournament takes place. Two grandmasters sit in front of each other in ultimate showdown. The thing is nobody knows that both of them got here by cheating. First is a mind reader and second one has an ability to see the future. The resulting debate and story-crafting keeps the boys on their toes as they try to rationalize which superpower will prevail.

Taha kicks off the fanfiction train by finding a unique My Hero Academia x Key and Peele crossover. The Anger Translators by author Naggeluide takes the famous Key & Peele sketch and superimposes the relationship onto Bakugo and Todoroki, respectively. Class 1A will have their hands full as they confusingly admire the newfound sense of crass communication between these top two heroes.

Hunter follows up with Ace Ventura: Pan Detective, the Ace Ventura x Peter Pan crossover written by author ThreeHats. As Tinkerbell goes missing, Peter Pan seeks the assistance of the only man capable of solving the mystery of a missing creature— Ace Ventura. Fun fact— it only took the author less than 30 minutes to complete this awesome story!!

Episode 9 opens with yet another bit running out of control as the boys entertain a world completely dominated by peanut butter being the most important life commodity.

Reddit user KingManTheSaiyan brings us The Weekly Prompt: The seven aspects of the universe gathered in the room, Good, Evil, Life, Death, Order, Chaos, and Dave, from accounting. Discussions ensue over the origin of Dave’s power over all forms of currency, as well as the greatest galactic redemption arc for all accountants everywhere.

Taha brings in Harry Potter and the Start of Something New by author UnwrittenLegacy, a High School Musical / Harry Potter crossover. Harry, after taking a hiatus from Hogwarts after the death of Sirius Black and being displaced by the Dursley’s, is sent to the Muggle world in ABQ, New Mexico to reside with the Evans family (a distant relation of his mother). How will Harry adjust to Muggle high school, specifically, in the midst of a particularly robust theatre scene?

Hunter follows up with A Glitch of Thrones by author Right What is Wrong. This hilarious story accurately takes the all-too-familiar glitch-factory that is the beloved video game, Skyrim, and merges it into the narrative of Game of Thrones. Complete with awkwardly flying dragons, radish surfing, open-air pitfalls, and plenty of random thrashing, this tale packs plenty of nostalgia through the lens of another fantasy world.

The boys enter episode 8 and send a shout out the biggest STFF fan, bona fide Renaissance-man Idris Elba. They then proceed into hashing out their newest idea— pro-gamer babies playing video games in a segment called Let’s Play- Babies.

The Weekly Prompt comes to us from Reddit user De_faulty: There is a bar located between life and death. All those who died sit for their last drinks before marching onto the afterlife. Unbeknownst to them, the bartender is also the judge. Forgiveness is up to God. Retribution is the Devil's call. Judgement is given by the one who serves you drinks. What follows is the creation of our favorite, no-nonsense Purgatory bartender, Rob. As the overworked gatekeeper of customer service, be weary of your drink orders and always tip, or you may find yourself on a one-way trip to eternal damnation!

Rhys finds The Dragons of Moria by author PristineUngift, a fanfiction merging the fandoms of Harry Potter and Lord of the Rings. Interesting timelines and a series of events lead to Harry’s animagus transformation into a Young Adult Dragon, who loses his sense of self as he slumbers within his new abode, the mines of Moria. As the Fellowship make their way through the mines, their encounter with the slender, emerald-eyed dragon is far different than expected.

Wes follows up with a delectable crossover between The Great British Baking Show and Batman (seriously, we don’t know how he finds these gems). Star Baker by SapphoIsBurning takes a look at Alfred Pennyworth’s unwavering resolve (and culinary prowess) as he investigates a potentially dangerous anomaly concocting within the competitive tent-flaps of the Great British Bake Off.

Noah Berry is BACK, and he’s even more powerful than we expected. Please. Send help.

After a rousing session of who Noah would f*ck, marry, kill, and open a business with between the boys, the quintet dive into an improv game to uncover the true reason of why Hunter’s pinkie was in a splint this day. What transpires is an epic ballad of Hunter, the wiffleball bat-wielding warrior who fought bravely against Barney the dinosaur (though in actuality, he dislocated it playing basketball during a game of Horse. Gotta keep him humble.)

The Weekly Prompt comes to us from Reddit user MrJuic3:
One day you wake up with 30 dollars and a note that says “For Rent”. The thing is you aren’t renting out the place. The next day you see a spider and right before you kill it you hear it say, “Please I paid my rent don’t kill me.”
With Noah and Hunter as the resident arachnophobes, the discussion spirals into a tale of a landlord’s nonstop escapades with his 8-legged tenant.

A Noah visit entails a SpongeBob fanfiction as a guaranteed feature of the episode, to which Rhys delivers us We’re All Okay by author Scientia_Fantasia. Taking on a more emotional tone, this story explores a touching moment of understanding from Squidward as he attempts to comfort a traumatized SpongeBob after the harrowing events of SpongeBob Squarepants: the Musical. Awakening a genuine compassion and vulnerability from the cynical cephalopod, this story embraces redemption in a heartwarming way as the boys deep dive into plenty of sentimentality (as well as theory crafting the origin story of Mr.Krabs along the way).

Wes follows suit with a truly unique fanfiction. Insurance Insurgence by Pi_Cloud merges the commercial world of Home & Auto Insurance agencies— namely State Farm and Progressive— paralleled to the Montagues and Capulets in the bloody tale of Romeo and Juliet. Seriously. This one is special, and no blog description can do it proper justice. So listen to the damn episode already!!!

The boys open episode 6 discussing improv comedy— specifically reminiscing over the brilliance of the duo that is Colin Mochrie and Ryan Stiles from Whose Line is it Anyway. Embracing their example, the boys try and fail at ridiculous segues.

The implications of a hilarious meme (When you see Superman using the car you’re still making payments on as a weapon) leads into the conversation of superhero insurance policies. Discussing readily available references from Amazon’s The Boys and the corporate exploits of the billion dollar company, Vaught, the STFF boys touch on hero worship, propaganda, brainwashing, and the in’s and out’s of hush money in a world where collateral damage is just another Monday.

Our Weekly Writing Prompt comes to us from Reddit User orangek1tty:

Turns out God was a slacker and gave "Free Will" to not have to "plan" anything. He kicked out Lucifer cause he was a control freak. When you die turns out you have a choice, between a chaotic rule free Heaven or a smoothly machine operated Hell.

With undesirable circumstances in either choice, the boys debate the specific boundaries associated with “super heaven” and “super hell”. After literally playing Devil’s advocate, they land on a discovery that the afterlife might just be a direct parallel of everyday life…just suped up. Weekdays are spent working in Hell, while the weekends are saved for some R&R in my timeshare in Heaven.

Taha opens things up with a Breaking Bad fanfiction with an interesting concept. Author Villakulla’s White Light takes a look at the quiet death of Jessie Pinkman years after the events of Breaking Bad and El Camino as we follow his train of thought during a heart attack. Post-read, they discuss the very serious ramifications of addiction, as well as the profound impact of mentors and influential figures that shape us.

Hunter follows up with a BBC’s Sherlock and Doctor Who crossover that pits our 221B Baker Street boys against a terrifying enemy. O Fortuna by MegaFrost4, capturing the humor and pacing of the BBC show, introduces the Weeping Angels as an adversary to both the Doctor as well as Sherlock and Watson. After reading the introductory chapter, the boys theory-craft what is to come as they discuss the likely competitive relationship between Sherlock and the Doctor, and the adventures that lie in store for them all against this incredibly dangerous enemy.

Opening season 2 episode 5 comes yet another theory-crafting— today, it’s building the PERFECT outfit. Complete with Elmo-colored dress Heely’s, Black 3.0 socks, sexy dark-washed jeans, a chinese-collar dress shirt with a minimalist Elmo design, breakaway vest, neon windbreaker, and a wide-brimmed hat with a marijuana plant instead of a feather, the boys have created a magnificent being who can dominate business meetings AND the club.

The weekly Writing Prompt comes to us from Reddit user solidsecondplace: There is nothing unusual about a man in a business suit carrying a briefcase, rushing off to work. But since he just quickly passed you as you are climbing up Mount Everest in full winter gear, you have questions.

What transpires is a direct transplant of our perfectly dressed man as one of the greatest social media influencers in the galaxy. After spiraling into hypotheticals about how and why this man has the wealth and power he’s attained, the boys naturally stumble upon him being none other than Mark Zorkaplex, the alien progenitor of the intergalactic social media platform, Spacebook.

Taha leads with the first fanfiction of the show. Embracing this episode’s theme of alter-egos, the boys crack open Fake Empires by author CopperBadge, a Superman x Batman crossover that takes a deeper look into the humanity of journalist Clark Kent and the billionaire playboy, Bruce Wayne, respectively. In a tense one-on-one interview between the legendary duo, prior to either confirming their suspicions about each other’s superhero personas, we get to see a side of Clark Kent’s journalistic instincts as he pokes and prods for the truth.

Hunter follows suit with the opening chapter of a legendary story in its own right. At one point the LONGEST FANFICTION EVER WRITTEN, the Super Smash Bros. Brawl inspired Subspace Emissary’s World Conquest, by author AuraChannelerChris, has nearly 10 years of consistent development. As noted by the author, this story is about the struggle of a prolonged fight against the Subspace army— a “what if” version of what would have happened if the Smashers had never defeated Tabuu the second time they fought him.

Dictator. Dick-Tater. Richard Potato. That’s it…that’s the entire train of thought that led to this episode title. God help us.

Wes opens Episode 4 with a dive into grandparents’ appreciation— the boys regale each other with various tales of grandparent experiences from the past in the form of sandwiches, Karachi (Pakistan), golf cart hit-and-runs, and the History Channel.

The Weekly Writing Prompt was taken from Reddit user zxcxdr: Every Saturday of your life you've spent in the park, playing chess against the same nice old man. Today you beat him for the first time. You smile at him triumphantly, until he says "Finally. Good luck!" And dissolves. The boys take the prompt and run, story-crafting a scenario in which Ron Weasley from the Harry Potter universe enters the greatest international Wizard’s Chess tournament the world has ever seen. With every major city’s landmark buildings as the chess pieces, Ron embarks as London, England’s official champion as he takes on a titanic quest of cities battling cities.

Wes brings us the first story of the show. The Blade of a Princess by Word_Devourer is a wonderfully crafted fanfiction of the timeless classic, The Princess Bride. This meta interpretation very cleverly reimagines the beginning of the original story in modern COVID times. The story itself explores a despairing Buttercup swearing revenge upon the pirate killers of her true love.

Rhys follows suit with the first Jimmy Neutron story featured on the podcast (it’s about time, honestly). The Other Side of Tomorrow by author AntiqueDreams explores the failure of Jimmy's latest teleportation experiment. With him and the Retroville gang (comprised of Sheen, Carl, Cindy, and Libby, and Goddard) plunged into an alternate reality, they become entangled in a deadly conflict and slowly begin to piece together a vision of their own future far too terrible to imagine.

Wes opens episode 3 with a compelling question: If you were given an opportunity to allow yourself to live longer at the expense of sacrificing your organic bodily parts, would you do it? The boys then expand on their respective arguments.

Random Fandom is GONE…but not forgotten. The boys introduce a new segment, the Weekly Writing Prompt, where they find a writing prompt on Reddit and spiral into where they think it’ll go. This week's prompt comes from Reddit user BLT_With_Ranch:

It's 3 AM. An official phone alert wakes you up. It says "DO NOT LOOK AT THE WALRUS". You have hundreds of notifications. Hundreds of random numbers are sending "It's a beautiful walrus. Look.

What transpires is a truly marvelous…ly stupid devolution into the relevance of Rhys’ phallic size, and his subsequent rise to power as Kid (d)ic(k)arus. Sincerely, we know, it’s the dumbest idea we’ve ever had.

Taha finds a lovely Spider-Man story entitled Quite a Bargain by author WilliamRiverdale. Differing from most other Spider-Man stories in its tone, this fanfiction takes a deeper look into the sharp rapport between Peter Parker and J. Jonah Jameson, ending with a heartwarming glimpse into Jonah’s humanity. 

Hunter follows up with a story that properly merges the already adjacent worlds of Disney’s Frozen and Brave: Braving the Frozen Heart by Clytemnestra13, which details Merida and her family attending the coronation of Queen Elsa in the first Frozen movie.