#+ my mom knows some italian which will maybe be useful in the parts that border italy maybe??

[candlewitches]

its not for 3 months but im so pumped for slovenia (ง’̀-‘́)ง

our shortlist of locations was norway/iceland/ireland but then somehow 4 hours later we decided on slovenia and now we keep finding more cool things to see/do and i wish we could go longer than a week

[wordsinhaled]

transmasc haircut woes ahead...

so i was growing out my hair again but it is starting to become annoying/a sensory nightmare this summer/doesn't feel like me/kinda gives me some dysphoria.

so i wanna give it the chop (again).

but the thing is i am. like. very intimidated by barber shops??? i live in a significantly queerer and more progressive city now than i used to which helps. but i'm still a tiny 4'10 pre-T transmasc person and i do not feel like i look like someone who "belongs" in a barber shop, if there is such a thing (i'm sure there isn't but the anxiety tells me there is).

i am sure i am overthinking it but being in like... a Designated Male Space feels quite scary. i struggle to even walk past florsheim's in the mall or have other men see me in the men's section of stores, if that gives you context on how scary all of this is for me. i have no idea what i think is gonna happen if i walk in there - like, anxiety brain says i'm gonna be gatekept out, people are gonna be like, "what are you doing here?" or "you're not masc enough to be in here," or whatever, i have LITERALLY no idea - and i'm sure i'm making a mountain out of a molehill and no one will actually be mean to me or bully me in a barber shop!

but the thing is i have like, no idea what goes on in there? and that's part of the anxiety, i guess. mind you, i know queer cis women go and get their hair cut in barber shops as well, so i guess... i also don't want to be read as that either?

i have gotten my hair cut before by a male hairdresser at a hair salon and it was a person my parents picked, a hair style my mom picked, and then he would dye my hair a Different Shade of Brown and my mom would give me frosted highlights or whatever at home, because she told me my natural hair color was boring and lacked depth. i had more or less zero control over the experience in terms of what i came out looking like. i was like... 23, 24 when this was still happening.

at one point, she took me to a consultation to get my hair chemically straightened (keratin, i think it was going to be) which would have gotten rid of my natural wavy texture, because i was "too lazy to put in the work" to do anything with my hair (because i wanted it to be short, most of the time, if anyone asked me). that was like, the one thing i brought myself to be able to say no to because. i didn't want to do that.

it took a while for my hair not to be processed to shit and to grow back in nice. but i fucking LOVE my natural hair color and texture and volume actually, it's beautiful, in my opinion, if i do say so myself. it's a lovely shade of brown and it's got amber/chestnut highlights in it in the sunshine and it has nice texture and it's soft. come pet my hair, basically.

anyway, sorry for the detour about Hair Styling Trauma but maybe this will help explain why the fuck i feel like i can't go and just Get My Hair Cut. lol, gotta love finally getting out from under the thumb of a narcissist and still having Shit Going On years later.

even up until the most recent time my hair was short, i have been going to hair salons (not barber shops) and i have been in that weird limbo of "girl asking for pixie cut," which is NOT the experience i want this time. every hairdresser i've ever had is always like, are you sure you want it this short? the last person who cut my hair was a pretty chill italian guy (like, came recently from italy, spoke italian in his shop, not like long-time italian-american type italian) who felt... probably the safest i've found because he was sort of relaxed about the whole thing and didn't get weird about it. but even with him, as close as i managed to verbalize what i want was to ask for something "gender neutral" because it felt like. incredibly scary to be like, "i do not want to look like girl. please do not make me look like girl."

he understood the assignment and is probably the one who would give me the best haircuts i've had. but even then it still sort of felt like i was... asking for it in a sort of weird adjacent-to-what-i-really-meant way and getting there by sheer coincidence of a person understanding the assignment vs like. please make me look more like boy. am not girl trying to look like boy. am not edgy girl with pixie cut. you feel me???

edit: also. i don't think that hair is inherently gendered one way or another, it's just like... the way that people tend to gender the process/different types and styles of hair that makes me uncomfortable and makes me feel misgendered. and like the perceptions of you that people have. and that a lot of the vibe is going to depend on how whatever individual haircut works with my face. and that when i go on T these things may also change. so i'm not trying to like... binary the hair but also... it's the dysphoria of how people talk to you/look at you/etc. at personal care places, you know?

i don't even necessarily want something with zero length, because my hair tends to look good when there's something there to style, but i just ... i don't want a Women's Short Haircut, you know??? at the same time i know that i have a Lot of Hair and people have fucked up my short haircuts before so i don't want a Bad Haircut either. i don't feel like i can do the same shit i always do again where i come in and sit there silently and slightly embarrassedly while i secretly hack my way into gender euphoria while the person thinks they're cutting a girl's hair.

anyway, what the fuck do i do and how do i not feel like dysphoria central during this whole process? what is a barber shop like? what do people talk about in there? can i just be quiet? is everything going to clock that i have not socialized with men like ever but want to? idk, do i lead with being transmasc? do i just bring sample photos of men's haircuts only and have a conversation about how they will work with my face shape? do i just say i am trying to look Not Like a Girl? that seems. incredibly terrifying. i would bring a queer friend to chill me out, but i haven't made any here yet to be able to bring.

asdjdjfj if u have read this far thank you and sorry for being a hot mess !!!

[im-obsess-with-pixel-characters]

Posting headcanons on here cuz that's what the cool people do on this app (or so I've heard)

Mystreet addition!

• Travis and Sasha are cousins, that didn't know they were cousins until post season 3 (I basically looked at them both and basically said; "this would be some good family drama")

• Dante got a tongue piercing because Gene dared him to get one

• Travis and Sasha used to sneak off Friday nights to hang out without anyone knowing

• Aphmau and Zane had SOME feelings for each other post season 1 (I adore Zanemau)

• Katelyn and Travis were pretend dating for like the majority of mystreet

• Travis was given SO mucuch money by Michael even tho Micheal was only giving Travis a SMALL portion of his money per month, Travis still has too much money till this day

• Garroth can't and I mean CAN'T be trusted near a stove

• Laurance semi knows how to cook, he knows the basic at least because of Cadenza

• Zane is a baker and cook

• Vylad took a part-time job that ended up becoming his job for like 2 years (he was working at a flower shop) until he moved to a fashion industry with Zane

• Zane was a designer when he signed up for a fashion industry and then got into modeling due to one of his work colleagues convincing him to try it

• Zianna taught his 'sons' how to sew stuff

• Lucinda is just the same Lucinda from mcd, she's immortal okay?

• Michael is very ancient and used metal rulers to punish Travis, most times about lower than average grades that he gets (aka anything under an A)

• in middle School Travis was the definition of "President perfect" he was likeable by everyone he was naturally pretty and was always one to show up early also a straight A student

• Dante till this day still doesn't understand how he and Travis became friends in middle School, Travis is like this goddess while Dante was some late average grade normie

• Laurence took ballet

• Gene almost got sent to a violin academia by his mom cuz he was so good at violin

• Dante had a 'little' crush on Travis but decided to just back away from that she tried to ignore it since Travis and Katelyn are "Dating"

• In high school Zane and Vylad betted on how gay Garroth was, whoever won that bet even if it's years later had to do whatever the person who won said, and if it's something expensive then it'd be a one-time

• Garte is actually better in my universe (I can't fully defend him yet, all I can say is that he did help Zianna through tough times)

• Vylad and Zane has the same father but Zane is still older then Vylad by a few Days

• Vylad and Zane are twins even if they don't look like it

• Vylad and Zane would hang out in secret always anytime they can hang out

• all the Ro'maeve brothers are multilangual

• Travis speaks so many languages, (list; English,French, Spanish, Korean, Japanese, mandarin, Malaysian, Italian,German,Tagalog,Arabic,Russian,Thai, Vietnamese,Icelandic,Polandic, that doesn't include the fact he knows sign language and Morse code)

• Travis and Gene both knows sign language and would talk shii about people and also gossip in private while not being in private

• Sasha knows sign language but doesn't bother to tell anyone she's here for the gossip

• Dante and Zenix is fed up with Gene and Travis and started communicating through

• Travis understands Morse code only because Dante taught him, but Dante thought Travis forgot how to do Morse code which was his own problem

• Travis barely remembered anyone from the street when he first moved in with the guys, it was so strange that even other people that barely knew Travis was interested

• Lucinda try to figure out what was happening with Travis but had no idea, her magic doesn't extend to ancient magic anymore since she has modernized her magic. Even with the blockages she has she tries to figure out what's wrong Maybe by a potion but she found no specific potion that could do it most of those potions were illegal and she sense no specific potions she sense Magic

• but Lucinda never stopped searching for why Travis didn't remember anyone besides Dante, since there was no record of any major accidents involving Travis or the valkrums

• Micheal gave Travis a box of crystals cuz he had a obsession with crystals (still do) and Travis was shocked by the amount of emeralds there was in that box there was around 50 something emeralds if counting the broken shards, if counting the whole emeralds there would be like 35 which is still a lot

• Terry once threatened Micheal to turn his physical form into a relic due to a factor that Michael was trying to erase an important memory and Terry wasn't having it that day

• Travis would endlessly rant about crystals to Vylad which had started to make Vylad actually interested in crystals and start looking into them and then got obsessed over it with Travis

• Dante as a teen was a hoarder, he grew out of it eventually

• Gene, despite being a horrible person in general in high school, he tried his best to be a better person around Dante trying not to influence him cuz he is far much more aware the fact that Dante can be influenced by him and he does not need Dante to be on his level of trouble

• Gene is far nicer to Travis than other one of Dante's friend, most likely due to the fact there was already this out of nowhere trust bond that existed when Dante first introduced Travis to Gene

•Zane had braces throughout freshman year and no one noticed cuz he had a mask on, then he got retainers mid season 3

• Zane is diagnose autistic

• Garroth and Aphmau is undiagnosed ADHD even though Travis has multiple time told them to get diagnosed due to the fact of the symptoms they had visibly and every time they always have this conversation;

"well are you a psychologist?"

"No"

"then how can you see the ADHD symptoms?"

"Cuz I have ADHD!"

"oh..uhm well you pay for a psychologist then!"

And then Travis actually gets them appointed to a psychologist for a ADHD diagnose and they got an actually official diagnose because of Travis and his ridiculous amount of money

• Vylad is dyslexic and Travis would spend hours after school in the library with him teaching him stuff, even if that means getting home late which Michael usually don't mind cuz he's never home until midnight Vylad got his permission card to stay late from his mom

• Vylad is the reason Zane is into my little horsey, Vylad actually introduced Zane to so many cartoons that now they can binge watch any kind of cartoons that Vylad puts on the platter

This whole post is just me ranting about stuff I wish were canon but isn't Canon, but hey no one can really stop me from posting this :]

[sweet-demiboi]

Billy Hargrove x Russian!Male!Reader

Part 3 (pt. 1 and 2 on my masterlist -> making Billy question his sexuality)

Warnings: the word slut is used, but not in a degrading way, also Billy is maybe a little OOC because he's really happy (lol, poor guy), there is no reference to smut, Billy only puts his hands on your ass while making out (because it's hot okay), so it could be read as asexual (depends on what you're comfortable with) and poc, Ig, also you have two moms because I said so, you and Billy are smoking together (again), there's one mention of your hair being long enough to tie it

Summary: You and Billy have your first date at an Italian place. You connect over various topics.

Needless to say, you were all fidgety in your last class (physics, another one of your absolute favorites). You weren't used to your own behavior at all - never had you ever felt such excitement before. Sure, you had been excidetly waiting for school to end so you could make out with a cute boy behind a police station (for the extra-excitement). But you had never had an actual date before. So, there was your perfect reason for playing around with your pencils, wobbling your knee and looking at the clock every five minutes.

The bubbly feeling inside your stomach only grew stronger with the more time that passed, and you happened to be the first to make your way out of that goddamn classroom. You didn't exactly run down the hallways but you were walking noticeably faster than everyone else you crossed ways with, which made you remind yourself to stay cool.

You rounded a corner and found yourself to be standing in front of one of the mirrors in the boys' bathroom. You tied your hair to a small ponytail, you had always liked that. Next, you washed your face with some cold water and also refilled your waterbottle. You took a few gulps to calm yourself and also: hygenie. Then you made your way down to the car park, where you assumed Billy to be waiting for you.

You had been right. There he was, leaning against his camaro, cigarette between his lips - you thought of him to be incredibly sexy in that particular moment.

"Thought you had forgotten it already", Billy greeted you. You could see how some of the tension left his posture when he had seen you walking closer.

"Would never forget a boy with such a nice ass", you smiled at him, he grunted but couldn't hide the small smirk settling onto his lips.

"Sorry, I'm late", you apologised, just to make sure he wouldn't feel bad or forgotten or something like that.

"No problem", he mumbled and gestured for you to get inside his car, which was an offer you gladly took. It smelled like smoke and leather inside there - you weren't opposed to that circumstance.

"You will have to pick where we eat. I don't know the city that well, yet", Billy started the engine. Immediately there was some metal music playing, you weren't bothered by it, just didn't expect to know any songs.

Your backpack sat on your lap. Some of the students outside looked weirdly at the two of you, but you decided to not be bothered by it.

"If you can even call it that. 's basically nothing more than one big street", Billy huffed "There's only one place worth going to"

You looked at him expectantly "For pizza", he said "It's nothing big" - "I love pizza", you answered "Really? What's your order?", you shrugged "Nothing in particular. Mostly I let the staff surprise me. How about you?"

"Funghi", he answered "Mushrooms on pizza is a must." - "We could argue about that", you answered "Or you could walk", Billy smirked, his look to the side meant he wasn't serious, he wouldn't actually throw you out.

"I know that song!", you cheered when Cherry pie by Warrant came on. Billy chuckled and you both sang along to the lyrics. It didn't sound good at all, but neither of you cared, which made the situation a whole lot more comfortable.

"Didn't think you'd like any of my music", Billy admitted when the song was over "Just don't know most of the songs", you replied "But I like your tapes" He smiled at that "Are you not used to people liking it?", you asked, confused. "Nah, not really", Billy shrugged "'s fine though - people I don't care about aren't sitting in my car" You chuckled at that. "So, you like me" - "Maybe" In this particular moment Billy could've almost been described as playful.

You continued your banter and eventually trailed off to other topics, like your homecountries California and Russia. You didn't even notice at first when Billy stopped the engine in front of a restaurant.

"We're here" - "Oh, that was quick", Billy locked the car and then showed you the way inside. It smelled like tomato sauce, wine and bread - a very comforting smell for you, you were used to it as your moms had taken you out to an Italian place every second sunday. It was one of the few places for queer people, the government didn't know about it, so its prices had been horrendous but you had still loved it there every single time.

When you were seated, Billy looked at you smugly "So", he let his eyes wander over the upper part of your body slowly and delicately, taking his time in admiring you "Tell me something about you, pretty boy, that's what dates are for."

"As you know I'm from Russia. It's cold there and the people aren't particularily nice. Uhm, it's very different than from here, but I never had a date there.", you showed a small smile "So, that's a point for America."

You ordered you drinks and food at the same time, so you couldn't make sure if Billy actually blushed again or if it was just the lighting. "How about you?"

"I'm from Cali. Obviously, you already know that. It was much nicer there than here - warm climate, more real friends, the beach... I could go on definetly, but the only point for Hawkins would still only be you."

You definetly blushed when he said that, which made Billy smirk "Wow, that's really cute. Tell me more about California." The following stories made Billy's eyes shine brightly, he started subconciously gesturing with his hands and there was a smile following every sentence of his. You swore, you could've listened to him and stared at him until the restaurant closed.

"So, you want to go back when you're done with school?", you asked, he nodded, the pizza was put before you (Funghi for him and veggies for you) "It's the only place where I want to go. This here is no home for me" - "For me neither", you smiled bitterly at him "Then what made you leave?"

"Several things. Shitty government, climate, homophobia, my mom got a job offer... so, we're here now." - "Do you want to go back to Russia when you're done with school?"

You shrugged. That was a good question "Don't know yet, I guess." Billy only nodded "I would like to get to know California though. Sounds really nice from your stories"

He smiled at you "We could go there in the holidays if we can afford it."

"I could pay gas money. Would get enough if I got a job." - "I have friends over there we could sleep at theirs." - "And a wonderful roadtrip through America", both your eyes were glowing with joy now, and you continued planning the trip for the whole dinner.

You were done with your pizzas when it got dark outside and asked the waitress for dessert. she served you some cherry pie, which you shared, grinning. "Deal?", you asked "Going on that trip in the holidays?" Billy smirked "Deal" You high-fived across the table and went on to pay.

When you stepped out of the restaurant, it was chilly and wind blew around the corners of the small city. "Do you have any cigarettes?", you asked "Mhm", Billy gave you one, your fingertips brushed briefly over the other's, making you grin.

He didn't look away from your eyes when lighting the cigarette between your lips, making his eyes glimmer with the reflection of the flame. "Thanks", you whispered and were mad at society for not being able to kiss him right here. There were still some people who could see you.

Billy took a drag from his own cigarette now "I had a really nice evening" - "Me too" - "To be honest, I can't remember when I laughed so much in one day", you smiled at him sympathetically "I'd kiss you right now if I could" - "I'd kiss back" You smiled at each other in comfortable silence and got back into the car when you were done with smoking.

You directed him to where your house was, metal in the background of your conversations. "Can you stop here?", you asked "'course", Billy parked the camaro at the side of the street and turned your way.

He couldn't even catch the look in your eyes, because you had already leaned over and kissed him. Your hand was in his locks, the other supported your body weight, so you wouldn't fall onto him. Billy though pulled you closer intentionally, which made you squeak and fall onto his chest "Jerk", was the only thing you could say, as in the next moment he pulled you in again. For the first time in your life, the slight taste of mushrooms wasn't bad.

You let his tongue lick over yours, his hands on your back and ass, sliding in your back pocket. Your own fingers messed up his hair, not caring. Billy did either not mind or not notice, because he couldn't think about anything else except kissing you. Your breath hit each other's wet lips when you parted, only millimeters apart.

"There's something I wanted to ask you", you confirmed "What's it?", Billy had a smirk taking over his features slowly. "Do you want to be my... ugh, I don't know what it's called.. slut?"

You knew it was called boyfriend. You definetly knew. And Billy knew that too.

"Yeah, I wanna be your slut."

You both chuckled when you went in for another deep kiss, again, filled with tongue and wet sounds, touches all over your bodies and skin contact making you lose your mind.

"So", Billy's hair was ruffled up and he looked absolutely gorgeous "Do you want to be my slut?" - "I definetly do", you answered, sealing it with a last kiss before you got out of the car. You smirked at him and waved him goodbye when Billy drove past you, he had the biggest grin on the lips and threw you another kiss.

The butterflies in your stomach went completely feral by now, making you smile and giggle like an idiot. Billy Hargrove was your boyfriend and you were his. You hadn't known that you could want that. But now, you were really happy and Hawkin's one point leveled up to more than Russia ever had.

[unhingedoveractivemuse]

Title: Love and Comfort

Pairing: Evan “Buck” Buckley/Eddie Diaz

Tags: Established Evan “Buck” Buckley/Eddie Diaz, Marriage Proposal, Food as a Metaphor of Love

Notes: Flufftober Day 24 Comfort Food

==================================================

If there is one thing that Eddie misses about Abuela being in L.A., other than her presence, it's the food.

It’s not just about the phenomenal flavor she unfailingly manages each time either. It’s the association he has with each and every dish.

It’s sitting under Abuela’s roof eating quesadillas and knowing all his problems can be tucked away. It’s her calm reassurances over caldo de pollo. It’s watching a telenovela rerun with homemade guacamole and corn chips.

He eats well now between his captain and partner, but there’s just something about Abuela’s cooking that screams comfort, and he misses it. Not to the point that he would fly or drive down to El Paso for it frequently. He is not dealing with his parents if he could help it, especially since they're on his case (again) about his chosen partner after Christmas.

Goodness, he can't believe he subjected his other half to that wreck.

But the point is, he craves it. Or, at the very least, he craves Mexican. Homemade, authentic Mexican food.

“Eds! Stop hogging the bathroom!” he hears from the other side of the door.

“Almost done, love!”

Part of him wonders if he can throw a wrench into their plans tonight and have Mexican instead. Christopher is off at a friend’s, so they had planned on a date night at this Italian restaurant and then some alone time that they desperately want.

He's just really missing Abuela's cooking after the call he had with her last night.

Well, it was a call with his parents that Abuela overheard and hijacked, which Eddie is so grateful for because Abuela understands how important his partner is to him inside and outside of work.

She even gave him Abuelo's old ring over Christmas as a blessing for whenever he's ready to propose.

Which is what tonight was supposed to be.

But he really is craving Mexican.

Could he propose at that little mom-and-pops?

But it wouldn't be very romantic, would it?

Before his thoughts could spiral, the bathroom door opens, and in steps his partner in his full glory, wearing a button-up and slacks that accentuate his beautiful body.

Maybe they should just skip dinner and head straight into the bedroom.

“Eddie Diaz, I heard the shower turn off fifteen minutes ago,” Buck tells him. “We’ll be late at this rate.”

He rolls his eyes with unrestrained fondness. While this isn't his boyfriend with a clipboard, this huffy boyfriend trying to get their date just right is just as endearing.

Honestly, everything about his boyfriend - about Buck - is endearing and perfect, and he realizes that he has to postpone satisfying his cravings. He wants to propose with an urge unlike anything he's ever felt. He wants this man to be his in every way possible and be able to proudly announce that to anyone who'd listen.

He can't do that at the Mexican restaurant he wants to go to though. Buck deserves the best, including the most romantic proposal Eddie can give him, which means being in the best setting and atmosphere possible.

Besides, his boyfriend has been looking forward to trying this place out, talking about how good the reviews are, the atmosphere, etc. That's why he had suggested it and booked their reservation in the first place.

He wouldn’t - couldn’t - ruin that for Buck.

“I'm coming, I'm coming,” he says, taking one last look in the mirror before stepping up to his boyfriend and pressing a quick kiss to his lips.

He'd never get tired of doing that.

Buck returns the kiss easily. “I'm going to use the bathroom real quick. Grab my phone for me?”

Eddie nods, stepping out of the bathroom as his boyfriend goes in. He pats his pocket, making sure the ring is still in it and makes his way to track down Buck’s phone.

Actually, why does Buck need Eddie to grab his phone? They weren't on that big of a time crunch. And why does it smell like-

Oh, he thinks when he steps into the kitchen.

Buck made them dinner.

More specifically, he made them Mexican.

“Like it?”

He whips around, wide-eyed, staring at his boyfriend. “How'd you know?”

Strong arms wrap around him, and he finds himself leaning into the hug and pressing their foreheads together in a move they've long gotten used to. “You usually find a way to sneak in some Mexican after talking with Abuela. But you didn't say anything, so I figured I would surprise you instead.”

“How'd you even do all this?” he asks incredulously. “I would have noticed the smell.”

“That's why I didn't make it here. I commandeered Bobby’s kitchen for the day and left the food in the food in the car until you got home from work and went to take your post-work shower.”

“But you were looking forward to that Italian place.”

Their schedules just never aligned with any of the available reservation times for them to go, and Buck had been so excited when they finally got it.

And now he's giving it up for Eddie?

(He’s also giving up a proposal, not that Eddie will tell him that.)

“It'll still be there next time, and I know you'd prefer Mexican right now over Italian even if you're hiding what you want again.”

Oh, Eddie feels the love for this man bursting from every pore of his body.

“I love you,” he says in lieu of anything else. What else could he say to express his feelings?

“Well, save that for after you've tried it. Because I'm not so sure if the results are good.”

“You've cooked Mexican before.”

“This is a new recipe for me. Now come on,” his partner urges, pulling Eddie towards the spread. “Try it.”

He naturally goes for the tamales first, the many years of it being his favorite of Abuela's recipes making itself known, and the moment he bites into it-

It's comfort. It's Abuela's soothing voice, consoling him after he once again failed to do something his parents expected him to. It's Abuela's handmade comforter around his shoulders. It's Abuela reassuring him that loving his best friend isn't wrong.

“Babe?”

Eddie blinks back into reality, almost jumping in surprise when his best friend's hands come up to his cheeks to wipe away tears he unknowingly shed.

“This is Abuela's recipe,” he says in a trance after emotionally finishing the tamale in his hand. It's not 100% Abuela's flavor, but it’s 90-95% there. “How- When?”

“When we went to your parents’ for Christmas.”

Oh. When Abuela and Buck had been holed up in the kitchen all day.

“I thought you were just being her sous chef.”

Buck grins, shaking his head. “Nope. She was teaching me all day. I know it's not exact, but it was as close as I could get it. I might have had her on Facetime when I was cooking today too.”

“She gave you her recipes.”

“Yeah.”

“She never even gave them to my mom.”

“I've been told.”

And looking at his love now, proud smile on his face, in his house, in the home they've built for themselves, Eddie realizes he can't wait.

Screw waiting for a romantic atmosphere.

Eddie surges up, pressing a firm, hard kiss onto the lips that he loves, conveying all the love he can without words. Buck returns it easily, and they stand there holding each other and trading kisses, a table full of Eddie's favorite flavors next to them.

“Marry me,” he says - pleads - when he finally brings himself to pull away. “Please.”

Dazzling blue eyes blink at him in surprise before a delighted, giddy grin spreads on his partner's face. “Yes. Always, Eds.”

Once the blinding happiness subsides enough, he'll realize that it was fitting. It was never quite about romance for them. They can do romance, but their relationship is more heavily characterized by comfort, by family and home, and the ability to be themselves. It’s characterized by lazy walks on the beach, picnics at the park, and fun days at the zoo. So it’s fitting that they'll start the next chapter of their lives in their home with comfort food on the table.

For now, he slides the ring Abuela gave him onto his fiancé's finger and relishes in the taste of comfort with the one who makes him the happiest and most comfortable by his side.

[bzedan]

Last Year's Flash Fiction: The Daughter of Death

Storytelling Collective does a yearly challenge for flash fic, with prompts and a nice community format. Every year I complete a run I pick my ten favourites and collect them into what is basically a zine. I've got 2024's up, so now it's time to share some faves from 2023

[ID: An image rendered in faux-photocopy style of a raven's skull centred over a crystalline burst. End ID.]

The Italians call Fear La Figlia della Morte—the daughter of death

Death cupped her hands around the steaming mug of tea and looked at her daughter.

“I know you hate conversations like this.”

“They’re lectures, mom.” Fear was leaned back in the kitchen chair, feet tucked up onto the rungs in the same way she’d sat when she was small and her legs were too short to reach the floor. Now, fully grown, it sent her knees akimbo.

Death wanted to look away from the annoyed eyes of her child, squatting there on the kitchen chair like an angry gnome, but pressed on.

“You know what, yes, I suppose these are lectures, but in the most technical sense. I am trying to impart some knowledge that I have earned through experience and time to you, my beloved daughter.” Death tapped the mug, cycling her finger through Aspects, so now the sound was soft, now it was the click of a long nail, now the chime of bone on ceramic. “It would be nice if you could skip past some of the mess of growing up by using what I’ve learned.”

“But you also are lecturing me in the sense you think I’ve done wrong and don’t want me to eff up again.” Fear was also cycling through Aspects, mirroring her mother’s anxious habit. The feet on the chair rungs, which were sending the knees bouncing in irritated discomfort, were now bird-like claws, now clad in pink socks with little doughnuts on them, now the stretched shape of a wolf’s paws.

Death tilted her head in a mixture of question and confirmation. “I wouldn’t say wrong.”

“You did, actually, at the time.”

“Well, that was wrong of me, actually.” Death stilled her hands on the mug again, trying to will her body to focus. “I think ‘ill-advised’ would be the best word. Or ‘rash’ maybe. But not wrong.”

Fear suddenly thrust her feet off the chair rungs, planting them with a stomp on the worn-out kitchen linoleum. “It’s what they wanted, it’s what they expected.”

“But what did you want?” Death sighed, feeling like she was emptying out her lungs. Forever, maybe. She made herself let go of the mug, lean back in her chair. She gave up looking at her daughter and said the rest of what she needed to say to the ceiling, part of her brain noticing that she needed to dust.

“It doesn’t matter what someone wants. I mean, it does, but if it goes against what you want—then fuck them. They want fear to be cold fingers on the back of their neck, but you think the situation calls for hot breath and the touch of fangs, then consider why you use their choice.”

Somewhere below where she was looking, Death heard her daughter.

“But how will they know who I am if I don’t look like what they expect?!”

Death smiled. “They’ll know. They’ll recognize Fear if it comes to them as an excitement that boils in their stomach rather than a hole in their heart. Just like they know Death if she folds them into nothingness instead of putting them in a chariot.”

Death could hear Fear shifting in the kitchen chair, tucking her feet back up. She added, “it’s fun, sometimes, if they don’t realise who you are right away.”

[away-ward]

Who is your dream cast?

Personally Shaelah Mcgilton is my perfect Emory Scott.

Will Grayson always looked like Chase Mattson in my head.

Matthew Daddario is what I imagine Damon too like.

Ricka meanwhile really gives me Gigi Hadid vibes.

Jacob Elorid would make a great Michael Christ he certainly has the height.

Candice Swanepoel is what I see Winter as.

Hideo Muraoka would make a perfect Kai Mori.

Adriana Lima is my Banks.

Megan Fox is so Alex.

And Dylan Sprouse in After is so Trevor.

But what Dou think? 😊

I like all your picks! That's a great cast. I really love your Emory. She's sooo cute.

(poor dylan sprouse but it works)

Let's talk about faces!

My brain does one of two things when reading. It either completely ignores what is written on the page and picks a face and says "That's them" and I have no choice but to think of them that way the entire time.

Or it merges multiple faces together until I end up with split features/faces that it morphs between scenes, which means I'm never able to settle on a face.

Both have happened with Devil's Night characters. Sometimes I have a face in mind, and sometimes it's just

~Vibes~

PD didn't give face claims because they wanted the readers to picture the characters themselves. But also, as a writer, sometimes it's just hard to give your characters faces. No one fits perfectly what you have in your head, but they're your babies so it has to be perfect.

Anyway, here's what I have. For the most part, I don't have specific names/faces.

Michael and Rika:

I also pictured Jacob Elorid as Michael. It probably is the height and the hair. Plus, doesn't he usually play territorial jerks?

I don't know how to explain that in my head, Rika is pretty but...like an average pretty. Not like drop dead, sultry, gorgeous. But like. Wealthy pretty. But a wealthy pretty that tries to pretend she's neither pretty nor privileged, so she plays it down. At least until she gets with Michael and then she starts leaning into it more.

I usually picture a smaller, more delicate face, soft blond hair. Later, I feel like she'd wear red lipstick because it's Michael's favorite color and a color of power. Plus, she's a blue-eyed blond. What else is she gonna wear?

Kai and Banks:

I don't have a face for Kai. I know he has strong Japanese features, but his mom is Italian and I just feel that there would be some of that in his face as well. I can't find it, so maybe I made it up, but I could have sworn he had his mom's smile....

Hideo Muraoka works really well though and I've seen him used a lot. He works a lot better than some of the others I've seen, which give Kai a narrower face. Kai does not have a narrow face in my head.

For me, Banks does though. She also has fuller lips and Sharp eyes (green because at least one love interest has to have green eyes. it's law). I liked the hat picture cause it gave me tomboyish vibes compared to the other two which are...woah.

But once Banks dresses up, she is Woah. so.

Damon and Winter:

And for Damon...I hate to say it, but a tik-tokker (?? how are we spelling that?) that gives me vibes is Eduard Martirosyan. It's probably just they're both Russian, but I can't help but think if his hair and eyes were darker, I'd get stronger Damon vibes.

As for Winter, I'm not sure how similar to Rika she needs to look, or if it was just the blond hair and blue eyes that everyone was talking about. How close do they have to be to look like sisters?

Anyway, Scarlett Leithold is as close as I've gotten to how I picture Winter, but only specifically this look:

Everything should be paler, and more washed out than Rika. Those two girls don't look anything alike to me but then who cares. They're fictional.

Will and Emory:

Do I think Trevor Wagner looks like how I pictured Will?

NOoooo.

Do I get the strongest Will vibes whenever I see his tik-toks.

Ab-so-lutely.

It could just be his personality also feels like Will to me??? So whenever I find someone else that gives me Will-vibes, all it takes is a scrolling pass a Trevor and it's erased.

(There was one tik-tok where I thought he was driving a raptor and I was like "nooooo it couldn't be that similar." but it's not. It's a dodge. Yeah, I did the research. I had to know.)

I, for one, do imagine Emory having long wavy/slightly curly hair similar to the texture on the left. And I imagine her having fuller cheeks, rather than sharp angles...or the most part, any of the pinterest girls seem okay. As for this girl, she's close but for me her nose is smaller than how I imagined emory. but the basic structure is there.

Can I say, I really appreciate Will going out of his way to describe this girl any chance he can? I have such a clear vision of her in my head, but I can't find a face to match because, like Will, I now see her as perfect. And she doesn't even exits!

Alex

I thought I had a good handle on Alex until Emory tossed out that she looked like a character from whoville in NF and I was like the Dr. Suess characters???????

It just...really threw me off. But I think what she meant was the Alex's nose is small and kind of turned up at the end?

Whatever. I picture her mostly just chilling in Will's passenger seat before NF. The right and middle is Victoria Bronova and from what I've seen, she works for the most part. I mean, no one's perfect.

See what I mean about random features just filtering through while I'm reading? Nothing is consistent. It's rarely a constant "this is who I picture when I read" but more of a "when I see their face at this angle, I think of this other character."

It's just vibes.

Feel free to wildly disagree and offer up your own. I'm not tied to any of these and will happily drop one in favor of something that matches better to what I see in my head.

Thank you!

*if you know any of the names of the faces here that I didn't, please feel free to let me know.*

[ridibulous]

I feel like I'm going to be extremely alone in this but saying it anyway bcuz this is one big fat vent rlly. im gonna put everything under a cut bcuz im insecure abt this (talking about race/ethnicity and like a big touch of our ramcoa at the end)

I hate the fact our ethnic identity is such a huge mystery because of my non-extended family just. being dismissive about it (EVEN W/ OUR WHITE SIDE!!!) and probably straight up hiding it from me and I hate the fact some people will scream at you for honestly questioning about reconnecting with a culture you may or may not have been disconnected from.

I label myself as a mixed native + white person because that's what I know and am comfortable with after finally fucking comprehending "hey the fact my mom said we're algonkin (yes. no tribe. she just said a region and idk if I should bother talking to her crazy ass to figure out more) and my dad said we're arapaho means we're native". if I am a native person (one thats reconnecting, mind you, I have the experience of growing up white) to ignore that part of myself would be disingenuous and perpetuate the whole "breeding the indian out" of mixed kids.

but in all honesty my ethnic insecurity and or anxiety has gotten so bad because of a traumatizing experience w/ old "friends" screaming at us bcuz we dared call ourselves biracial because I GENUINELY DON'T KNOW my full story and I just want to be able to label myself as like. aracial at this point. but I can't because family and heritage and identity are topics close to me and something I consider so so important. which is why I want to know the full story. which is why I cling onto the smallest most meaningless things just for any sense of validation in my identity because if I'm wrong, who am I? will more people be mad at me because I was wrong? i'm only rlly that scared of being wrong abt my ethnic identity because while yeah claiming an identity and then learning it wasn't true has to be crushing for anyone on some degree, I don't want people mad at me and calling me racist and a racefaker when I find out hey this wasn't me actually

it isn't unlikely that this whole race/ethnicity stuff is related to our ramcoa too both w/ how it looks like fucking everything is hidden and (maybe a stretch to me. programs are a fuck) how I'm reacting to it. which is partially why I brought this up bcuz idk if anyone else has gone thru this sort of thing. i don't know I hate this I just want to be secure in our collective bodily identity. i hate the fact I see other ppl growing up with culture and security in their ethnic identity and families and I grew up with. fucking nothing. I got isolation from our extended family and the (viciously southern Italian) culture they had and a home that felt devoid of life and color and love bcuz my dad was too busy renting me out to disgusting men when I was still a toddler for some extra cash during the recession and my mom was being fucking complacent in my trafficking bcuz she was getting drug money im mad im so mad I just want the truth im so fucking sick of the uncertainty

[4arconinoma]

And on the topic I just have to rant about Bruno's characterization in this fandom. Listen uusually i dont give a fuck about mischaracterization for the simple fact that I am so used to it and it will happen inevitably. So i dont let it bother me But there are some examples in which its so egregious, that it feels like people watched a different show or something...

After rewatching Vento Aureo it just blows my mind how the fandom got to this, weird, "mommy bruno" thing this state for his character that is hardly even present in canon. Its strange because when I was younger and i first watched it I kind of subscribed to it too, i think just by seeing people act that way it cemented itself in my mind as fact But rewatching it now, its so obvious that its just MISSING his entire character, and so many little details and aspects of it that the show makes quite Clear!

Its not just the fact that he is so young. But that bothers me too I wish people acknowledged that hes barely an adult. People act like hes 30 or something HE'S TWENTY he's BARELY AN ADULT okay and I Know he acts older than he really is and maybe that's why people mix it up, maybe people haven't seen his age on the wiki, but don't they state it in the show ?!?! Either way, the thing is that's Literally a canon element of his character, he DOES act older than he is because he HAS to he HAD to grow up so much earlier than everyone else he has to act more responsible than even the 22 year old on the team because that guy just cant step up like he does And hes had no other reliable figure to guide him ever since he was young it was only Him and he had to become entirely independent at what fucking 12 years old.

Right and wouldn't it just be really cool if people actually took that into consideration? That he's so young he's tired that maybe he's JUST as scared as everyone else on the team and he feels lost and confused too but he just CAN'T let that show because he's the ONE person who is keeping the team glued together? And Giorno yes he stepped into his place — Which is its own sort of tragedy to me, that the 15 year old had to follow in Bruno's same steps of growing up too soon because no one else could manage things like he does and he has only himself to depend on now while running the Entire Italian Mafia — but either way it's just the way this attitude of his is brushed off as Mommy bruno mama bear hes such a mom 🥺🥺🥺 Is almost insulting? And i wont even get into the gender role aspect of that, some people have discussed that before too, that in contrast with Abbacchio who is the "father" (nevermind that he can barely even take care of Himself, and is cold to his entire team, not a great example of a father is it) is mischaracterized too for the sake of woobifying Bruno! Also hate this as a Bruabba enjoyer but thats another discussion entirely

And the last thing that puzzles me is just, that he doesn't even act close to being motherly in canon. Maybe save for the Trish thing, and the thing with Narancia's backstory, which is indeed him caring for younger people But due to what i stated previously, he HAS to and Id bet he feels compelled to. I wont deny that he is kind and he doesnt want kids to lead a life like his, because that's literally a part of his character that they show. But I think people are forgetting that he fucking beat up a 15 year old immediately after meeting him, then didn't even invite him to his gang: GIORNO did that HIMSELF, Literally went "you Will let me join your gang. I will join it' now." and bruno was like Okay. And the thing from my previous post, is that they literally canonically show that Bruno does act detached to his gang, not... not the other way around. See why this characterization misses so much. He doesn't have TIME to build any particular bonds with his gang Yes he is kind to them of course he is But like the scene of Abbacchio's death where he orders everyone to just go on because they don't have time for this even though he's just as distraught, or Trish feeling frustrated that he acts so cold, he puts some sort of wall between him and the gang even if it's subtle. Narancia even says he knows this about Bruno, that he knows him because of his past with him he noticed that Bruno PUSHES people away because he doesn't want them to go down the same path he did, not because he is their "mommy" it's because his life is fucking MISERABLE and he is a kind person so he doesn't want that for others, especially not younger people because HE was in that same spot too so YEAH okay he cares about kids WHO WOULDN'T What kind person would want to let a child down his lifestyle... This displays his kindness and virtue as a leader, not his. """"Motherly instincts"""".

Okay. I don't know, I just wish the fandom left room for this sort of nuance to his character. I have never seen anyone bring this up. It's always people just making up this completely different Bruno than the canon one, I understand why people confuse this. I used to as well, when I was young and many people in this fandom are, but fuck, it would just be nice if people took this aspect of him into account, because I think it's interesting! Its so much more interesting than going Aww Mommy Bruno he loves his kids (ugh) and completely ignoring the rest of his character! Just... a thought !!!!! Or several !

[thmgau]

CHAPTER 7 - SORREL'S BACK IN TOWN [wattpad link]

---

A day had passed since the incident at Banana Man’s Banana Land. What Pim had said was still echoing in the back of Nora’s mind.

“I’ll have my revenge on you, just you wait & see!!”

Nora highly doubted it, & yet the thought kept lingering in her mind.

She shook the thought out of her head as she pulled up to the airport parking lot. Her sibling, Sorrel, was coming back from college in California. Nora had offered them to stay in her apartment for the time being, since she knew Mom & Dad probably wouldn’t let them stay at home.

The only issue she would have is figuring out how to tell Sorrel she was a magical hero now. Maybe she just wouldn’t tell them at all, & have them find out on their own. She certainly wasn’t going to tell them in the middle of the airport.

Nora decided it’d be best to tell Sorrel when she’s ready.

Entering the airport, Nora started looking around for Sorrel. Airports are pretty busy most of the time, so Nora suspected she would have a hard time locating her sibling.

Her suspicion was wrong, though, because she had spotted Sorrel almost instantly. It was kind of hard not to spot Sorrel, honestly. Who else would be wearing an orange tank top in the middle of January?

“Sorrel!” Nora waved. “Over here!!”

Sorrel looked over at Nora. “Nora!” they smiled, running up to Nora & embracing her. “Oh, it’s been so long! How’s my favorite little sister doing?” “I’m your only little sister,” Nora chuckled. “That’s why you’re my favorite! How’ve you been?” “Oh, y’know.. fine. Cincinnati’s been as normal as ever.” “& that’s to say.. not normal?” Sorrel raised an eyebrow. “Yeah. Some guy was trying to take over capitalism yesterday.” Nora said, purposefully omitting the part about how the guy trying to take over capitalism is a banana, & that Nora & her friends had to become magical heroes to defeat him. “You can’t take over capitalism!” Sorrel laughed. “That’s what Cherry was saying!”

As the two of them talked, they walked back to Nora’s car & hopped inside.

“I’m sure that flight wore you out, huh?” “It was only 4 hours, Nora. I’ll live.”

Sorrel’s stomach growled.

“..I could use some food, though.” “How about I call up the others & we all meet up at that Subway you like?” “Ooh! Hell yeah!”

-

“Welcome to Subway! How may I help you today?”

Nora, Sorrel, & everyone else was at Subway, ordering their sandwiches. Cherry ordered the Meatball Marinara, Nora ordered the Steak & Cheese, Leslie ordered the Italian B.M.T, both Juniper & Kalani ordered the Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki, & Sorrel got a Roast Beef. Kalani paid for everyone’s sandwiches as they all went to sit down at a booth.

“Feels great to be back in ol’ Cincinnati,” Sorrel said, taking a bite out of their Roast Beef. “Well, you haven’t missed much.” Cherry said. “Just been the same as always.” “Nora did tell me there was some guy who tried to ‘take over capitalism’ yesterday-”

Everyone looked at Nora.

“-which I presume is the outlier here in how uninteresting Cincinnati has been lately.” “Yup! That’s the only weird thing that has happened here. Nothing out of the ordinary.. besides that.” “Well, that’s good to know. Enough about the city, though. How have you five been since I left?” “Uh..”

It appears there’s a mutual agreement to not tell Sorrel about the, uh.. magic stuff.

“We’ve been.. normal.” “That’s good to hear,” Sorrel nodded, taking the last bite out of their sandwich. “I’ve.. actually gotta go use the bathroom real quick. Be right back!”

Sorrel got up from their seat & went over to the bathroom, leaving the group alone. Everyone turned to look at Nora.

“You told them about the banana guy?!” “I didn’t TELL them about the banana guy! I off-handedly mentioned that there was a guy who tried to take over capitalism! Bananas & magic were not topics that were brought up at all.” “Listen, Nora. Do you know what’ll happen if people find out about the.. magic thing?” “Uh.. best case scenario, they don’t believe us?” “Yea, it’s not like we’re famous or anything. If we were, say, a semi-famous rock band, then it’d be more of a big deal.” “Ok, whatever, but still. We should still try to keep our lips zipped about the magic stuff.” “Wuzzat about magic?”

The group jumped (not literally), turning to see who was there, because it didn’t sound like Sorrel. There was a person, around 6 feet tall, & they wore a purple tophat along with a purple suit. Their skin was a light blue, & their eyes were pure white, which the group just assumed was face-paint & contacts respectively.

“AH! Who are you?” “I am known as The A-” “Why do you look like The Onceler?” “Wha-” “Yea, you’re just the Onceler, but purple.” “I don’t-” “Yeah, I can kind of see it-” “WILL YOU LET ME FINISH?!”

The person cleared their throat. “Apologies! As I was saying.. I am The Auctioneer!” “Uh-huh. Why are you talking to us?” “Well, I just so happened to be passing by, & saw you five! & I thought, ‘Oh, well these 5 people are absolutely exquisite! They simply must visit the Auction House!’” The Auctioneer grinned, pulling out some business cards & placing them on the table. “Howsabout you all come in someday? We have free refreshments!”

The group got a better look at the business cards. They were a lavender color, & it had purple text on it that read “The Auction House!: The Best Auction House In Cincinnati!” Below this text was smaller text that included an address to The Auction House & a phone number.

After looking at the card for a moment, the group looked back up at The Auctioneer.

“We’d love to visit, but.. we’re just college kids. We can’t use all our money to bid on things.” Nora said.

In response to this, The Auctioneer simply laughed. “Ohoho, that’s HILARIOUS! You’re funny, you know!”

It was silent for a few seconds.

“Oh, you’re.. serious?” The Auctioneer asked.

Nora nodded.

The Auctioneer paused & thought for a moment or two. “Well, alrighty then! That’s a-ok!”

He took a bow. “I do hope you all reconsider, but for now.. farewell!”

With that, The Auctioneer left the Subway as the group glanced at each other.

“What was that about?” “Hell if I know.”

The bathroom door swung open as Sorrel exited it, approaching the Subway booth again.

“Alright, I’m back! What’d I miss?” “Oh, some weird dude tried to get us to come to their auction house or whatever.” “Huh. Creepy.”

Sorrel stretched their arms. “Oh well. I’ve got some stuff to unpack at Nora’s place.” “You’re moving in with her?” “It’s temporary,” Nora said, taking a bite out of her sub. “Just until Sorrel finds a place.” “Do you know how long it takes to find somewhere to live?” “It’ll be fine. What’s the worst that could happen?”

Nobody responded to this, because there were too many “worst things” that could happen in this scenario.

“Well, we best be heading off now,” Sorrel nodded. “Take care, you four.”

[wandringaesthetic]

Final Fantasy Distant Worlds “Coral” Nashville, 1/25/23

Isare went to the symphony. No, it’s not a misspelling of “choral.” I don’t get it either.

Before the show:

I dressed up (basically) as my FFXIV character, so a version of the level 50 Healer’s Robe and elf ears. I feel the effect was pretty good and so did a bunch of random strangers, but I didn’t get a good picture of all of it and don’t feel like sharing my visage right now. We stopped at a bougie bistro/grocery place in Franklin that had among other things a bunch of artisanal olive oils. And here I am some kind of elf priestess and I feel like the people who worked there wanted to ask “what the heck are you wearing?” but were too busy or afraid of losing their job to actually comment. Very nice salmon tacos, though.

Vibes in Nashville on the other hand were extraordinarily good. Like, we went to Opry Mills (big mall) and had casually friendly interactions with multiple people who worked there that did not give off the vibe that they hated their job? Everyone we encountered seemed extremely chipper in a not-feigned way. Even the conversation with a lady trying to solicit us for donations was mostly pleasant. Maybe I should wear elf ears all the time?  

We went to a very cool, extremely fancy cafe/restaurant and I had turkish coffee and some sort of italian fruit and cream pastry. Next time we go to Nashville we’re going to try to eat a meal there.

The show itself:

This was my third Distant Worlds concert. Fourth if you count the Final Fantasy VII Remake concert. (which I suppose you should as it was Arnie Roth conducting and I think was generally part of the same mission and idiom.) I got a music box that plays “Theme of Love” from the merch table.

I think I remember everything that was played, but possibly not in correct order.

“Final Fantasy I-III Medley” (Prelude, Final Fantasy I Main Theme, Matoya’s Cave (I), Elia Maiden of Water (III), Chocobo Theme (II), The Rebel Army (II))

“Eternal Wind” (III)

“The Red Wings”/”Castle Baron” (IV)

“Home Sweet Home”/”Music Box” (V)

“Phantom Forest”/”Phantom Train”/”The Veldt” (VI)

Battle Theme Medley (IIRC, the regular battle themes from I-VI, followed by the victory fanfare)

INTERMISSION (a very nice person gave me a piece of Final Fantasy IX fanart in the hallway)

“Liberi Fatali” (VIII. it is at this point revealed that we have a choir, and because we have gone in order up ‘til now I say “FUCK VII” hopefully not too loudly)

“Not Alone!” (previously “You Are Not Alone!”, IX)

(I know I am probably screwing up the order at this point)

“Ragnarok” (from XI)

“Aerith’s Theme” (VII)

“Apocalypsis Noctis” (with the choir, XV)

“Flash of Steel” (XII)

“Blinded By Light” (XIII)

At some point Arnie Roth introduces SUSAN CALLOWAY. I know that I am IN FOR IT. She, and the choir, and the orchestra perform:

“ANSWERS” (XIV)

Every XIV player is now deceased. We are revived by

“MAIN THEME OF FINAL FANTASY” (also with the choir, singing “aaaaaa”)

Of course we all realize that they have skipped one so there is an

ENCORE:

“To Zanarkand” (X)

And because what would a Distant Worlds concert be without the worstie, a second encore:

“One-Winged Angel” (VII)

OBSERVATIONS/THOUGHTS/FEELINGS:

I seem to have been on whatever point in my hormone cycle that makes it easy to cry, so while there were not, like, tears running down my face, my eyes were wet through more of it than not.

“Matoya’s Cave” and “Eternal Wind” borrow a lot more emotions from XIV than they do from their original games at this point. I find that really interesting, especially with the repeated themes, your “Prelude” and “Main Theme” and “Victory Fanfare” &etc, how things from the future recontextualize and give more weight to the past.

Video montages from the games play during the performance, and for I-VI they used the pixel remasters. I couldn’t swear to the content of each because I spent some of my time paying attention to that and some looking at the orchestra and some with my eyes closed. But I wonder what the impression the moms and girlfriends and boyfriends who have little to no exposure was of this series? Elia DIES, Alus’ dad tries to kill him and then turns the knife on himself (I had straight up forgotten about that), Josef? DIES. Minwu? DIES. Look, a chocobo!

(that post that’s something like: the best pieces of fiction are the most heartrending scenes followed by the most unbelievable bullshit)

The medleys chosen for IV thru VI were interesting because they’re very curated slices of the games in question. For IV, extremely grandiose and martial. For V, the very specific feeling of going back to your hometown and realizing its not home anymore. For VI, a very SPECIFIC part if the experience of playing that game (highlighted by the video): find your way through the SPOOKY WOODS. Hop a ride (with the souls of the dead) on the PHANTOM TRAIN (and suplex it), befriend a FERAL CHILD (thou? thou! thouthouthouthouthouthouthou!)

I love the way that battle medley reflected the experience of playing the games. The video ended on a pile of screens of our 16bit heroes pumping their fists, and, if you’re like me, you’re forced to reflect up the thousands of these screens after the thousands of battles of you’ve been through playing and replaying these games.

In the same way I loved ANSWERS followed by the MAIN THEME. We have been on a LONG JOURNEY. We have reached a CLIMAX. The ending cutscenes have GUTTED YOU. Recover while you listen to some nice orchestral music that dates from the series debut while we roll credits. 

Being in the process of finally playing XI, “Ragnarok” is an interesting choice as representative of that game, no? The video was specifically a quick trip through the plot of Treasures of Aht Urhgan. Luzaf is probably the #1 FFXI character I’ve caught feelings about and my general feeling about that whole expansion was “Man I would be ALL ABOUT THIS were it just SLIGHTLY better written.” But when I think about, say, VIII, or XII, part of what makes the stories great is context embellished or even fully made up by the player. I don’t know. Aht Urhgan hasn’t simmered long enough in my brain to make a good stew.

ANSWERS with the full choir live and in person was basically at the top of my wish list for this concert, but it was hard to slip out of a double consciousness (pay attention! pay attention! savor this! this is your chance!) to be fully in the moment. Susan Calloway is obviously a hell of a performer (IIRC what led to her winding up on the vocal tracks for XIV was being a soloist on this concert series for things like “Eyes On Me” and “Kiss Me Goodbye”). You have to be a hell of a performer to do “Answers” full-throated and with a straight face through those spoken lines (”Roam. Roam! ROAM!”). “Play the actual goddess of this fantasy universe while doing your best Celine Dion” is a tall order. Savored all the “slightly-different from the recorded version I’m most familiar with” vocal embellishments. She did a thing that I’m going to find difficult to describe and I’m not 100% sure I perceived correctly where she started going for like, realized her voice was going to crack on it if she did and did like a less intense aaAAAaaAAA type thing instead. Only really noticeable, I think, if you’re extremely overly familiar with the ARR cutscene recording. What a pro. 

But there was also a TRIPLE consciousness there. Because. I get the idea the person next to me was in the “girlfriend along for the ride” camp from overhearing her talk to her date and she was getting kind of shifty and maybe bored by this point and ANSWERS, if you’re not completely in the headspace of accepting it as a thing, is A Lot. It is probably Too Much. It is. Several layers of cheese. Set over a CG cutscene of a multination battle while the world literally ends and some elf man dies for our sins and the moon is a dragon now, deal with it (which they played as the video accompaniment for this, btw).

*shakes fist at the heavens* HIGH FANTASY!!

I had a lot of feelings about ANSWERS even back in 2013/2014 or whenever it was I played ARR, and now thru Shadowbringers and Endwalker I have much more feelings because its another of those things that has gained meaning over time.

IN CONCLUSION:

I had a very great time. I’ve had a hard time, lately, with doing some things that are supposed to be fun but are going to take a lot of time and preparation. Like trying to party when what you really need to do is sleep. In a way, I was dreading this as much as I was looking forward. Ugh, I’m using one of my off days on this. Ugh, I gotta clean the house because my parents are going to be staying here while we’re gone in order to watch my kid. Ugh, I gotta drive to Nashville. Ugh, I’ve taken it upon myself to wear this whole elf getup. Ugh, I gotta park in downtown Nashville. Ugh, I’m gonna get home after midnight. But it all felt extremely nice and not that effortful. I am grateful. 

[miamoo27]

I am burnt out. I get excited to go to work now because I have a crush on my co worker who has a gf. He asks me to smoke with him and when we do, its fun, friendly but theres this tension. Im not sure its because we are the opposite sex or because there is something there. The left part of my brain is telling me to not event think of that since he has a girlfriend. Someone else has a 100 percent crush on me at work and they are a "christian" a deep devoted one. I do not like them like that. They are nice but there issues with religion is insane. Speaking of religion my mother bases her life off patriarchial POV in some sick tradition italian way (sorry to my ancestors). Her whole world view is her families. I suggested maybe it is time to move past that if its not working. I told her to switch her perpective look at all the things you did as a woman that you were told you couldnt. I wish she could see that. She also has an eating disorder which she isnt aware of. My father is now concerned which makes me equally concerned because if he is then there is definetly a problem. He finally saw its a psychological issue with her not eating. We went out and she ate none of her fish. She inspires to be skinny. Gets mad for eating pasta. Wears my pants because hers are too big. Sometimes being around her makes me feel fat because she never eats and all i do is eat. But during the day I barely want food I wish there was a pill to stop me from exhaustion and burn out. I said many times the past two days "I am having a mental break down." I wanted to throw up after the meeting at work. I smoked with Adam I felt better but stilll felt panic from the unease I felt since sunday nigt. I have my period it sucks. I havent had sex in two months, it sucks. I cried on my floor because my mom or me potentially lost my adderal. My dad displined me about getting my own pills, I hate him but hes right so I apologized and let him raise his voice which I rarely do but I know I have too much on my plate. My cousin is a drug addict. Hylan. I had to add that in because wow. My aunt amy is a narcist too smart for her own fucking good can read people like a book. Everyone is lucky that I always have good intentions and like to see the best in people or I would be like her. Ivana at work is on aderall constantly more than me and speaks a mile a minute and has the energy of a coke addict. Holly is a strong queen I dont know how she does it and a amazing teacher. I try and see the best in people I do but when this girl Sarah who I was friends with from work but then she became weird with me and started becoming slow at her job. I stopped liking her. She made me do everything today and is slower than slow. I am having a panic attack and can keep up with the kids. I enjoy them I do. Not the babies dont get me fucking started. The care giving, the baba, the poop, the dipers. What the fuck. You not my baby. But Still i dont think I enjoyed being a baby. I cried so much I hated it. Knowing my true nature I know I probably coudnt stand someone else taking care of me. Who knows how emotionally avabile my mom was. She was giving me to my aunt or nanny constantly. I feel bad for my mom she never got the time to truly "find herself" or question her views. Like no one pushed hen person. I think shes special. Shes smart but she has a victim mentality. the drinking did not help that and encouraged it. She always had a woe is me. Sorry I love my mom and I know this may sound bitchy but like she always looks like a lost deer. Shes been through hell and back but never used it to help other. I am sorry I can not forgive her because taking care of kids takes me out of my shit. We all have shit we get consumed with. I was able to go to work after feeling disgusted a day after Nick broke up with me. I cried because I watched Jude run away from her mother in fear because of how she acted in class. She kicked me hit me that day it made me cry for her to be angry with me. Not that she was kicking me. She just came into this world it sucks enough why make her go through more.

[monkberryfields]

hi mads, srs again!! sorry for dropping off the face of the earth! finals..... happened and then i lost all sense of time for a week 🙃 how did your finals go?? i hope your potato famine paper wasn't too unmanageable and that it was interesting to write. i ended up writing 7000 words for an original nature writing project bc i had wayyyy more to say than i anticipated lol. the music history thing is super cool too!! that's definitely been the most interesting part as i've gotten into classic rock: how music evolved over time, what influences changed the styles of music, and how artists influenced one another. in mike nesmith's autobiography, there's a bit about how jimi hendrix singlehandedly changed the entire rock scene and basically shook everything up the way the beatles had back in '63, and mike recalls a dinner at a restaurant where john lennon came rushing in out of breath and super late for the meal because he had been in a club watching hendrix perform and had recorded the performance and proceeded to play it in the restaurant bc it was so life-changing. it's so wild that there's these singular moments where things can change so suddenly, and people can remember decades later the moment they first heard the new style and how it made them feel.

do you have any fun plans now that you're on break? any fun traditions? i'm excited for a lot of the christmas baking! i've already made some gingerbread cuneiform tablets for my mom (she's a history teacher lol) so now i'm getting ready to do some real christmas cookies, maybe bake some small loaves of bread, and recreate some pastries that i used to love getting when i studied abroad! we're trying to go low-effort for christmas meals this year, so the desserts are really the only things that are going to be fancy lol.

travelling back to 60s london would be so much fun!! and your concert choices are a+, i saw stop making sense at the movie theater recently and it totally blew my mind, it would be amazing to be part of that crowd just having fun!!

i hope you're having a relaxing break so far and take some time for self-care!! christmas is just a few days away, so i hope you're having fun and feeling festive! 🎄🎆🎁☃

much love!!! -🦋

Hello Secret Santa! No worries!! I was hoping your finals went well and that you're alright!!

My finals went great! My professor was very impressed with the potato famine paper so it made me feel accomplished. Also, 7000 words is no joke!! That's awesome! We did our fair share of writing this semester, and we need to give ourselves a pat on the back for our hard work. What were some cool things about your nature writing project that you're proud of?

Yes!! That's the reason why I love classic rock so much is that it really did create the ways we listen to music today! Also, I love Jimi Hendrix so much. I think he was a true innovator. And I've never heard that story before between Mike and John about Jimi. I wonder if it correlates with the anecdote from Paul who went to see Jimi Hendrix days after Sgt. Pepper's was released and Jimi had learned to play it. I like how all these bands' and artists' histories sort of intertwine with each other. Super fascinating!!

Right now I have mainly been trying to watch the videos in my YouTube watch later playlist because I had over 300 videos (I know, I know...). I also am trying to read some books during the break because I know I will not be able to read them once the semester starts back up again. I'll also be trying to write a bit of my Master's thesis during the break which I'm nervous about.

My family isn't the type for traditions, but we do cook a huge Italian dinner for Christmas Eve. I've also baked up a storm with a lot of premade cookie dough. One Christmas, I would like to try and bake everything from scratch because I know I can bake, I just don't have much time to. Also, the cuneiform gingerbread tablets sound so cool!! I bet that was fun to do. I haven't baked bread in a while, but I feel like I should get back into it. I know how to make the big Italian bread loaves, but I really want to try to make sourdough. I just need a starter. Desserts are always fun to get fancy with. I baked some nice pies for Thanksgiving this year that were pretty fancy! What are some of your favorite desserts to bake? Also, where did you study abroad?? I've always wanted to do that, but the pandemic happened unfortunately.

My wishes are the same to you! Everyone deserves a relaxing break and time to themselves to practice self-care. I definitely have, and it's been great! I'm trying to get in the festive mood and I hope you're having a great time with your family this holiday!! :)) Is there anything you're anticipating gift-wise?

[infinitelyinfj]

Hope

“hope” has been prominent throughout the course of my life. Been somewhat of a life line that I’ve held onto, leaned on and always came back to. I wanted to at one point during my pregnancy use it as Karminas middle name. Karmina Hope. I almost wish I had.

As we all know I’ve gone by robin for awhile now. I had everything ready & laminated to get it official. However, to my suprise and disappointment I was missing one page. Kinda have to believe that maybe it was for a reason.

I wanted to change my last name—again. (Changed it from Weinburgh 💩 to Frost to match mina.) but I didn’t know to what.

I read a book, “wild” by Cheryl Strayed, and upon further research on her I learned she chose that last name. “Strayed away from the path”- and I really appreciated that. I want to pick a good one, something that means something to me. Then it dawned on me. What is hope in Italian? Bam. Speranza. I liked it.

Writing “Robin Speranza” down gave me chills. It felt right. I’ve never felt like Katherine Weinburgh. I played a part and never complained. It’s not that deep tbh. If you don’t like your name, or like something else. Change it. Who. Gives. A. Shit.

With that being said, while I do have plans to eventually legally change it, I’m in no rush. I wanna make sure it’s good with Mina first. I felt the abandonment of not having the same last name as my mom as a kid, and I don’t want that for her. We’ve discussed it some. Fortunately she loves her name—which she chose 🤷‍♀️ (story for another time.)

[thedisneychef]

Why Do Recipe Blogs Have Stories

Hi there! If you’re a fan of cooking, chances are you’ve come across some recipe blogs. You may have noticed that many of them include stories with the recipe. But why is this? Why do recipe bloggers feel the need to share their personal experience along with the ingredients and instructions? In this article, I'll be exploring why recipe blogs have stories and how they can help readers get more out of recipes. We all know that food has always been closely linked to emotions and memories, so it makes sense that we'd want to connect our experiences with what we're eating. Recipe blogging takes this idea one step further by giving us an opportunity to take part in someone else's story when trying out new dishes or revisiting old favorites. Let's dive into this topic together and find out just what makes these stories so powerful! Food And Emotions I've always seen food as so much more than just something we eat to fuel our bodies. It's a way for us to express ourselves, and connect with the people around us. Cooking is creative and it often brings back fond memories from childhood or special occasions. Food can even transport you to another time and place - maybe somewhere you visited on vacation and had an incredible meal that you still remember today. Food has such a powerful impact on our emotions, whether they be joyous or nostalgic. Every bite of pasta reminds me of my Italian grandmother in her kitchen, teaching me how to make ravioli by hand like she used to do when she was young. Or the smell of freshly baked chocolate chip cookies takes me right back to those afternoons I spent baking them with my mom when I was little. These food memories have become part of who I am, which is why sharing recipes through blogging feels so meaningful. Even if someone else only makes one of my dishes once, I feel like I'm able to give them a piece of myself – all while also providing some inspiration for their own creative cooking endeavors! Connecting Through Shared Experiences I've found that food and emotions are intertwined. We connect to our memories through the meals we share, the smells wafting from ovens or grills, and the tastes of home-cooked dishes. It only makes sense then that recipe blogs tell stories – they’re a way for us to not just learn about how to cook different dishes, but also a way for us to better understand each other's dining culture and shared experiences. Food memories wrap us in nostalgia and can transport us back in time with every bite. Whether it’s your mom’s famous lasagna or grandma’s secret cookie recipe, these recipes contain generations of love, warmth and connection. I think that this is one of the reasons why people write stories along with their recipes – so that there is more than just instructions on how to make something; instead readers get an opportunity to see into another person's life and feel like part of their story too. Recipe bloggers offer up the chance to explore different cultures without ever leaving your kitchen. Through thoughtful storytelling around cuisine, you can discover new flavors as well as what binds us together: food memories - both old and new ones being created all the time! Adding Depth To Recipes I believe recipe blogs have stories because they provide a personal touch and give readers insight into the family traditions, culture, and history behind each dish. Stories make recipes come alive and add depth to them that would otherwise be missing from a simple list of ingredients or instructions. Stories on recipe blogs can often take us back in time or transport us to different parts of the world just by reading about how certain dishes are prepared and served in various cultures. For example, I recently read an article about how a Mexican grandmother taught her grandson how to prepare traditional tamales for his first Christmas without his abuela; it was such an emotional story that made me appreciate the importance of family traditions even more. With these stories accompanying recipes, we can learn more than just what’s written on paper – we get to experience something much bigger and deeper than mere words can convey. It allows us to connect with others through food and understand our shared experiences while appreciating the cultural influences behind each dish. Inspiring Others To Try New Dishes I'm a strong believer that stories can bring recipes to life. It's all about cultivating creativity and celebrating diversity - the two elements that make cooking fun! When I started my blog, I wanted to do more than just share simple instructions on how to prepare certain dishes. Instead, I wanted people to be inspired by stories behind the ingredients, as well as the cultural significance of each dish. This is why it was so important for me to include personal anecdotes in some of my posts. Whether it's an old family recipe or something new and exciting, sharing these experiences helps readers gain insight into different cultures and cuisines. Not only does this promote understanding between diverse communities, but it also encourages others to explore new flavors and techniques when preparing meals at home. By including stories within your recipes, you create content that is both informative and enjoyable for readers. This not only keeps them engaged with your blog, but it also allows them to discover unique dishes from around the globe without ever having to leave their kitchen! Stirring Up Nostalgia I remember the first time I tried a recipe from a blog. It was years ago, but it felt like only yesterday. The smell of the mixture of spices wafting through my kitchen stirred up all sorts of memories - savorful memories that took me back to childhood visits with my grandmother. As I cooked and tasted each bite, these nostalgic feelings grew stronger, forming an emotional connection between the present moment and past moments in my life. Cooking can be so much more than just putting together ingredients – it can become an experience that evokes powerful emotions and brings you closer to those who have loved and nourished you throughout your life. Recipe blogs often tell stories about where a dish originated or how it has been modified over generations, helping cooks create dishes not only with their hands, but also with their hearts as they travel down memory lane. Recipes hold secrets within them – secrets of family heirlooms passed on from generation to generation and secrets of little-known cultures brought forth by immigrants now living in our communities. Baking for pleasure is one thing; baking for remembrance is another entirely. Through recipe blogs we’re reminded that food carries more meaning than simply sustenance; it carries history too. Frequently Asked Questions How Do I Find Recipe Blogs That Have Stories? Searching for recipe blogs with stories is a great way to get more out of your cooking experience. With the help of a good recipe search, you can easily find blogs that feature both recipes and engaging stories about food. Plus, they often offer helpful cooking tips that make it easier to recreate favorite dishes at home! So why not take advantage of this fun combination? Searching for these kinds of sites can be an interesting and enjoyable journey. What Type Of Stories Should I Expect To Read In A Recipe Blog? When looking for a recipe blog, you may be surprised to find stories accompanying the recipes. These stories offer cultural insights and provide an interesting backdrop to your meal planning! You can expect to read about unique family traditions, regional food specialties, or even the story of how a particular dish was created. All these elements work together to make the experience of cooking something new feel more meaningful and enjoyable. How Do Stories Help To Make Recipes More Interesting? Stories help to make recipes more interesting by providing a cultural context and visual appeal. By including stories alongside recipes, readers can better understand the origin of ingredients or methods used in cooking. This helps to create an emotional connection between the reader and what they are preparing as well as provides them with greater insight into different cultures, cuisines and traditions around the world. It also gives chefs and home cooks alike the opportunity to share their unique experiences that have shaped their time in the kitchen. What Are The Benefits Of Reading Stories In Recipe Blogs? Reading stories in recipe blogs can be a great way to learn more about the dish and its origin, as well as gain insight into why certain recipes are trending on social media. Stories provide an engaging way for readers to interact with the food beyond just looking at ingredients or instructions – it's almost like having a conversation with the chef who created the recipe! Plus, reading stories helps give context to what you're cooking so that you understand where your meal came from and have a deeper appreciation for it. How Can I Use Stories To Inspire My Own Cooking? You can use stories in recipe blogs to help you get creative inspiration and make emotional connections. Whether you're writing your own blog post or making dinner for the family, allowing yourself to be inspired by a story can change everything. Immerse yourself in the details of what's being described and think about how it could translate into something entirely new! Stories are powerful tools that can take us on unexpected culinary journeys -- so don't forget to read some before cooking up your next dish. Conclusion Reading stories in recipe blogs can be a great way to get inspired and motivated when it comes to cooking. Not only do the stories provide background information on how certain recipes were created, but they also give insight into why ingredients are combined in specific ways. This knowledge helps us create our own unique dishes that reflect our individual tastes. In addition to inspiring creativity, reading these stories can also help build relationships with food bloggers. We feel connected to them through their personal narratives, which motivates us to keep coming back for more delicious recipes! So if you’re looking for an extra dose of motivation while trying out new dishes, take some time to explore the stories behind your favorite recipes. Read the full article

[keepin-it-surreal]

NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW NEW

Hey Tess army if you’re out there

Long time no post? 

This is true. I posted a single time. But alas I have **** in case you didn’t know and am a bit behind schedule!!!!!! [i am going insane and am not real]

Also funny thing I had this posted on my official global scholars blog for 24 hours

I am writing this. It is in the works. I am posting it because it will Make me come back and edit it faster, and I gotta post it on my global scholars blog ASAP….

To try to get back into it I am going to start with this small post. Probably a few more like this and we’ll see where it goes. I’m trying my best. So here it is….

THE BIGGEST CULTURAL DIFFERENCES IN ITALY FROM THE US

SPEECH

The stereotypes here are, to a certain extent, true. Italians are expressive. I wouldn’t call it yelling, but I will say I have quite a few times mistook some other emotion for anger. 

TOUCHINESS

We know the Italians for the likes of chaste kisses to the cheek and perhaps a slightly strange old man sense of touchiness, but in general comfort with physical touch is much deeper here. Maybe its the fact that without good friends I’m starved for physical affection, but honestly quite prefer it. Especially with young people, across genders they are much more comfortable hugging, one-arm hugging, patting, cheek-kissing, whispering, and so on and so forth with everyone, especially those of the opposite gender. At first it was a bit of a shock to see a boy with his arm around a girl and whisper in her ear while they both have respective significant others, but I’ve come to learn that it’s just how friends are with each other. Call me old fashioned, but I honestly think non-sexual physical affection is really important, and something the world could use a bit more of. I think its a way to make us feel a bit less distant and more comfortable with each other. I honestly think that rapists and pedophiles are the reason for a social overreaction and move towards politically correct distance in the past few decades at least in America, and I don’t love it! I think comfort in your body and comfort in the bumping-into of other bodies is something very valuable. 

EATING

As all of anyone would expect, food has a different cultural standing here. It’s simply more important, for one. For lack of a better term, it’s more of a ‘thing.’ Most people leave work and school and head home for lunch everyday. Most businesses here close around the hours of 2:00 to 4:30 PM give or take. 

SCHOOL

I hate Italian school. Sorry Luca Guadagino! It is true. I hate it because it sucks. 

SMOKING

SMOKING THAT ITALIAN PACK…. Because half of them are gonna be dead 20 years early of lung cancer if I had to guess. Now I actually wouldn’t say that the smoking difference is completely because people smoke more here, part of it is the culture surrounding smoking is a lot different. I would say it feels less culturally taboo. I would say the distribution is similar to something of 

WORK

There is a very popular stereotype that Europeans– but especially Italians don’t work. This is a joke more than anything– there are plenty of folks here who work quite minimally, at least compared to what I’m used to with my own family. As mentioned, they usually come home for a chunk of about two or so hours in the middle of the day, and school finishes by 1PM in time for lunch. My host mom works for about three to four hours on either end. 

GOING OUT

For American teenagers, the idea of “going out” doesn’t quite exist. We hang out with friends, and have parties and dances and whatnot, but it is distinct to how Saturday nights function here in Italy. Despite my city having a population of about 100,000 in total, about 1/40th of Los Angeles (not including suburbs!) When I leave my apartment in the center of Lecce, the streets are completely filled for almost all of downtown, which stretches over a couple kilometers. Ive never seen the amount of people that go out like this in all my time in one of the largest cities in the world.

DRINKING

Now this stuff really depends on where and how you come from in the U.S. and same here in Italy, but in general day drinking is way more common. While there are weekend exceptions, in general and especially on a work day it’s not normal for people to drink with lunch in america. Perhaps it’s the fact that lunch is a the biggest meal of the day for Italians, but day drinking is much more common. 

Many think of Europeans as more tolerant with drinking in general, but I would say in the 21st century it really depends on the family. In mine, for example, my host sister is generally not allowed to drink in family situations. Other exchange students Ive talked to have reported the opposite.   with a lowered drinking age, it’s much more socially acceptable to see youngsters out drinking in public.

HOUSE STUFF

The Italian mothers deserve so much more than they get. All of them are essentially house wives but also work? The majority of them cook one or two full meals everyday, keep clean and orderly homes, and manage the majority of childcare, all while having a rather argumentative relationship with their kids, from what I’ve seen (and other exchange students).