#Black Friday gear deals

[campersgotogear]

Black Friday Backpack Bonanza: Your Guide to the Best Deals

Hey adventurers! Black Friday is upon us, meaning epic savings on the gear that fuels our wanderlust. A new backpack is a solid investment for any outdoor enthusiast. Now’s your chance to score a top-notch pack without breaking the bank. But with a dizzying array of options, how do you choose the perfect one? Don’t worry. I’ve got your back (pun intended!). This guide highlights the best Black…

[fogaminghub]

🎉✨ Get ready for PlayStation’s Black Friday Deals 2024! 🌟 From November 22 to December 2, discover amazing discounts on hardware, games, and more! Upgrade your gaming experience this holiday season. 🎮❤️ 

[nostalgiclittlespace]

Wishlist Ideas for Closeted Regressors

So, it’s a little early to be posting holiday stuff, but I wanted to get this out there so since I know a lot of people start their holiday shopping around this time. So, If you’re looking for agere gear as a closeted regressor, or you just want something that’s subtle, here are 12 ideas-with pics. Note: pics are not mine, they are screenshotted from Amazon. prices are in USD, as Im American. Happy regressing and happy holidays!

1.Kawaii water bottles, specifically in the style below. The straw on most of these is a lot like a sippy or bottle, so if you can’t have/don’t want one of those, then these are a great alternative! Just look up ‘kawaii water bottle’ on Amazon and a whole bunch will show up. Most are between $15-25 USD

2. Funko Pops. I actually use mine as action figures and play with them (just be gentle with them if you do this!) so they can be great agere toys and decor! You can find just about any character and any fandom too. The prices very greatly, depending on what character and where you buy from. Black Friday deals on Amazon and Five Below are great ways to find them for only a few dollars.

3. Fidget toys; they can make great Agere activities! Because they are designed to stimulate your senses, many function similarly to baby toys. Note: when buying in bulk packages, the quality isn’t great. So consider whether you want to invest in better quality or quantity. Most bulk fidget packs are about $25 USD on Amazon. Dollar stores often have similar products as well, though once again the quality is unknown.

4. Fleece throw blankets. They are super cute, soft, and cuddly! Not only can they keep you warm, but I like to use mine as a playmat. Once again, price can very greatly; typically anywhere from $10-30 USD

5. Coloring books. I think this one is pretty self explanatory, as lots of regressors love coloring. If you’re worried about rousing suspicion, then just ask for an adult coloring book; these often have more intricate patterns, but if you ask for a fandom themed one, it’ll still have some awesome characters to color! Typically around $5-10

6. Silicone night light. These are available in so many colors, animals, and foods—and they are appropriate for any age, thanks to their kawaii esc appearance; they usually cost about $15.

7. Snack boxes. If your dietary needs allow for it, then these can provide some really cool little space snacks. They’re all pre packaged and come with a wide variety of things, ranging from crackers to cookies. And if you want something unique, you can try snack boxes that feature food from other countries. Prices will vary greatly, mostly dependent on the size

8. Lava lamps. These are just cute and make for a neat visual stim. Plenty of colors to choose from too! If you wanted, it could be used as a sort of substitute as a baby mobile since it’s very colorful and relaxing to watch. These can go for anywhere between $20-40

9. Microwaveable plushies. Super comforting, and for any Littles with cramps or chronic pain, they can be disguised as heating pads. Many of these also come with a scent, typically lavender, though you can find them without too. Cost around $20-40, depending on brand.

10. Scrapbooking materials. Kind of a random one, but they can be used to decorate a journal, you can make a physical photo album like many of us had in our childhoods, etc. Just a fun craft project you can consider! Typically, scrapbooking kits that include some paper, washi tape, and stickers can be around $10-15

11. Onesie pajamas. Lots of options, and are great if you live somewhere cold! Usually $25-40. These can be animal shaped, character themed, or more subtle like a plaid pattern. Very comfy and make for great little space clothes.

12. Glow in the dark stars. They are cute, fun, and aesthetically pleasing. You can get them in a who,e bunch of colors too! Typically $5

[love-lilly02]

The Challenge pt. 5

Authors Note: this one is gonna make yall mad, i already know it. Also i think i'm gonna have to create a schedule of posting on weekends as apperently all my ideas for this story hit on fridays.

Chapter warnings:

minor character death, mentions of suicide

“You can’t do that!!”

“I can and I will.” Laswell said, closing the file. “She’s on a solo Op and that’s final.”

The boys all rolled their eyes, sighing heavily. 

“Let one of us go, Las. We can’t just let her walk into the lions den-“

“Price, that’s enough. She has her assignment, you have yours.” 

“But we don’t have an assignment.” Price stressed. 

“Exactly.” 

Another round of complaints. 

You had left the room long ago, departing as soon as you had received your mission. A solo op, just an intel gathering. Get in, get the information, get out. 

Get out of one of the most heavily guarded buildings in all of Russia. 

What could go wrong?

“Okay, I’ll be the one to say it.” Kyle stepped up, leaning forward in his chair. “I don’t trust that she’ll be able to get out of this place. Even with her level of skill, that’s something no one’s been able to pull off without dying.”

“If you’re worried about her, you can say that you know.” Laswell said simply, raising an eyebrow. 

The whole room went quiet. 

��Alright, look. I don’t know what’s going on between you four and her, but get it under control. I had enough of it when you lot-“ she points to Ghost and Price-“ wanted those two-“ She points at soap and Gaz- “to join your… whatever this is. I’m not dealing with four children mooning over my best asset.”

“We are not moonin’-“ Ghost protested at the same time Price said “I thought I was your best asset?”

Laswell just rolled her eyes. 

“I’ll put you boys on cam duty. How’s that?”

“It’s enough.” All the boys agreed.

You could feel their eyes on you as you adjusted your weapons for the fiftieth time. The suit they had you in was very different from the gear you normally wore, instead of cargo pants and a vest you had on a completely black bodysuit with a matching hood and shoes. Various knives and fewer guns than you would like were hidden among your body, and you kept anxiously touching them to be sure they were actually there. 

You looked like the Black Widow from the Avengers. As far as you could tell, the boys thought so too, with the way they kept sizing you up. 

You weren’t entirely sure if you liked that fact or not. 

You knew exactly why they had chosen you instead of Ghost or Kyle for this mission- you were a lot quieter. They could think quickly and kill faster, but at the end of the day you moved around quieter, left much less noticeable tracks than they did. 

This stupid challenge supported that idea. 

“Keep touching ‘em and they’re gonna rust, lass.” Soap called over the comms, and you shot him a glare. For the sake of the mission- and your life- you had decided to temporarily cast aside your feelings for their last behavior, allowing them to talk to you again. Some people, like Gaz and Price, understood you would need space after what happened. Ghost and Soap, however, did not get the memo. 

“She’s allowed to touch ‘em, Johnny. They’re her knives. ‘Sides, I don’t suppose knives can rust by just touching ‘em anywho.” 

“Awh yea they can! I’ve seen it ‘appen me self.” 

“Drop it,” Price warned.

Both boys responded with a simple, “Sorry captain,” and the helicopter was silent again. 

“Okay. One more time, what are you doing?” Price couldn’t help but be nervous as your drop zone crept closer and closer. 

“I get dropped off and enter through a side window, go through some rooms and get to the main center to put the information on the computer with a red chip into a flash drive. 

Price nodded and ran his hand along his beard, a nervous habit you noticed he developed. 

“Okay, good. The boys and I will tell you where to go and when it’s safe over comms, and-“

“Price. I’ve heard the debrief over fifteen times now. I got it.” You said, doing one more quick pat down to make sure all your knives were in order. “I trust you. Now you need to trust me.”

“Drop zone approaching!” The pilot called, and they all watched as the plane opened to reveal the darkness of the night. 

“Wish me luck,” You said, pulling the hood over your head. 

“Luck,” they all chorused back weakly. 

And you jumped out of the plane. 

Anxiety coursed through Ghosts veins as he watched you jump. A while after, thirty seconds as planned, you deployed a parachute, barely visible in the night. It was dangerous to have a black parachute in the dark but it was a risk they needed to take. 

There was complete radio silence the entire time you landed. That was another rule, unless you were receiving directions or telling them something important you were to be radio silent at all times. To “make sure no one hears or picks up anything,” as Laswell said. 

Ghost thought it was a load of bullshit. 

Simon agreed. 

Truth be told, he worried for you. Both of him did. This was something he wouldn’t be able to pull off, not even with years of training for it. And they were sending you in with less than a few hours notice?

A suicide mission. 

He hadn’t asked, if this was what you wanted to do. He didn’t ask if you were okay with risking your life, possibly dying, for the “greater good.” He honestly wanted you to disagree, he wanted you to protest, say they were stupid for sending you on this mission.

But you had just listened quietly and took the file. 

“At the drop zone, headed to the entrance.” Your messages were short and to the point, and he could see the others relax at your words. 

“Right, stay on standby,” Ghost said, loading up the cameras. 

“Copy.” Then silence. 

Once he got the feed loaded he quickly scanned the cameras for you, his eyes flicking back and fourth. 

“There,” Kyle said, pointing to one screen. You were kneeling behind a bunch of crates, watching the entrance carefully. 

“Okay. Move left, there’s a side entrance, you might have to pick a lock or two.” 

“Copy,” and you moved towards the door. They watched as you crawled, seemingly gliding across the concrete floor. Once you reached the door, it took a total of three seconds for you to slip inside. 

“Door’s are locked. What’s the next move?”

“Shit, that was locked?” Soap asked, even though his comms were off. 

“Suppose so. Two desks down to your right.” 

And so it continued. They gave you directions and watched as you absolutely flew though the levels of the building. Till finally, you were where you needed to be. 

“Okay, transferring the information.” It shouldn’t take that long, Ghost told himself. He watched as you stayed crouched behind a wall, nervously tapping on your thigh as the transfer commenced. 

“Done!” They could all head the relief in your voice, even if you tried to hide it. You put the computer back where it belonged, tucking the flash drive in your pocket. 

“Good job, now head out the way you came, it’s-“  Ghost stopped short when he saw two men walk into the room. They were soldiers for the enemy team, the Russian flags in the middle of their vests displaying that. To your credit, you heard the voices and stayed pointedly in place.  

The two of them spoke in gruff Russian to each other, monitoring the room carefully. They were going a bit too slow, getting a bit too close for Ghost’s liking. And, based on the way Kyle was gripping his shoulder, for him too. 

They kept snooping, till finally one of them jumped out into your hiding spot. 

It was absolute chaos after that. 

You stabbed the one who found you, using his body as a shield when the other started shooting. You fired your own shots and landed one with rough time to drop the guy you were holding and run out of the room. 

By this point, multiple alarms had been tripped, and you abandoned all sense of decorum, flying down steps quickly. 

“Get the fuck out of there!” Ghost yelled over comms. 

Apparently that didn’t warrant a response. 

The cameras he was using to track you were being taken over, and he was quickly loosing visuals. 

“Mirage, do you copy?” 

“Mirage, what is your position.”

“Damnit Y/N, answer me!”

But he was met with silence. 

And for the first time since Las Almas, Ghost felt truly afraid.

For what it was worth, you had heard Ghost yelling over comms. And you had wanted to respond to him, but the current circumstances made that harder than you would have liked. 

There were soldiers shooting at you almost constantly, and maybe about two or three snipers on other buildings. And you had about five more stories to get down, not to mention an entire parking lot- which was swarming with soldiers, you checked- and somehow get back on the evac vehicle alive. 

One step at a time. 

Having cleared two floors already, you burst through a nearby office, breathing out a small sigh of relief when no one occupies it. Over the comms you hear a voice saying something, but it’s Price now instead of Ghost. 

“Mirage, there’s a supply drop headed your way, what’s your location?” He doesn’t sound as worried, and you can’t help but wonder where Ghost went. 

“I’m hidden in an office, sir. If there was a drop there would be no way for me to reach it without being ambushed.” 

You’re met with silence for a moment, before Price comes back into your ear. 

“Copy that, just get to the parking lot in one piece. We’ll take it from there.”

You just roll your eyes. As if that wasn’t your plan to begin with. 

The stairs seem endless as you run, down flight after flight after flight. You seriously considered taking the elevator but decided against it- they were Russian, not stupid. Once you make it to the room you entered the building through you’re throughly disappointed to find it’s occupied by a few armed guards. Nothing you couldn’t handle, so long as you went out quietly. 

Carefully, you made your way behind the first one, pulling one of the longer knives out of your thigh holster. In your other hand, you slip a throwing knife, crouching silently. 

It takes a good few minutes before you’re able to make a move, throwing the knife in the eye of the guard at the door before you stab the one in front of you in the neck. The other two load their guns, but you’re faster, flinging two more throwing knives across the room into their heads. You allow yourself the time to collect your knives and slip out of the door, just in time to hear more gaurds enter behind you. 

Close calls that just keep getting closer. 

You’re able to see the parking lot now. And as you expected, it’s absolutely swamped with enemies. There were small cracks in the defenses, however, just small enough for you to slip through if you were careful. 

You stuck to the shadow of the trees, figuring darkness was your best cover. Carefully, you picked your way through the ranks of men receiving instruction, having to duck to hide behind cars multiple times. Finally, you were close enough to make a break for it and just test your luck. 

And that dammed supply drop just had to show up. 

Immediately, it set off widespread panic, and in the chaos one of the soldiers stumbled over to your hiding spot. Before you understood what was going on you were being hoisted up by multiple soldiers and brought into the center of a light, surrounded by angry Russians who were yelling at you in one of the few languages you couldn’t understand. 

Finally, one man walked up to you and said simply, “Where is the band of coonies you work for?” He looked kind of familiar, with almost a dad bod and dark eyes to match.

“Don’t respond, that’s our target.” Price insisted, and as if he could hear him, the target looked up to your ear. 

“American.” He spat out the word like a curse, and looked at you with an even nastier scowl. “A shame, you are very pretty.” He said something in Russian, and the men all raised their guns and pointed them at you. 

“Wait!” You shouted, and to your surprise, the target stopped. He turned to you slowly, and raised an eyebrow, signaling for you to continue. Carefully, you moved your hand to where the flash drive hid, pulling it out. It glinted red in the bright spotlights, and the target stopped dead in his tracks. 

“What is that?” He asked, stalking closer to you. 

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” You teased further. God you had a bad habit of teasing men. Maybe it’s what got you into these situations. 

“Give it to me,” He said, practically running at you. 

“Mirage, whatever you’re about to do, don’t. Do it.” Price was yelling, and you could hear the chaos of the helicopter behind you. 

“Listen to me, American girl. I will give you one chance to give me that flash drive. And maybe we will let you out alive.” The target stopped a good distance away from you, holding out his hand. You just smiled. 

With a flick of your wrist, the flash drive was replaced with a pin. “Over my dead body.”

And a grenade went off- right where you were standing.

Authors Note: this is completely random but i've decided to open my inbox for requests, not just COD but across all fandoms, and i'm doing a bit of blog reorganizing so i'll get to them fairly quickly (tonight that is)

also don't hate me lol the next chapter will be out next week if all goes well

My Masterlist

[tumbacroft]

DESCONTOS DE BLACK FRIDAY NA FRANQUIA TOMB RAIDER!

PLAYSTATION: 70% off na trilogia Tomb Raider Survivor De 22 de Novembro a 2 de Dezembro

XBOX: Até 80% off em jogos Tomb Raider selecionados De 15 de Novembro a 2 de Dezembro

STEAM: Até 90% off em jogos Tomb Raider selecionados De 27 de Novembro a 4 de Dezembro

GEAR E MERCH: Até 70% de desconto na loja oficial do Tomb Raider De 27 de Novembro a 2 de Dezembro

[camilladerricoart]

Black Friday is just around the corner so I thought I’d get a head start 🤗🖤 I love me a good deal! 😚 So this year, I’m going all out to make it extra special for my newsletter subscribers!🥳 I wanted to do something for you because my newsletter isn’t just a list—it’s our little space to connect!🥰

•

So I made exclusive Black Friday bundles packed with awesome items at deep discounts, plus a few fun freebies thrown in for good measure for my newsletter subscribers 🎁🎊 If you aren’t signed up, you can head to my website, sign up for the newsletter, and get in on the BF action! 😆 You know me, I’m all about a sweeeeet deal…my Italian mamma instincts for the best deal are in high gear this year!

•

But hey, I get it, if signing up isn’t your jam, just mark your calendars for November 22nd because I’ll be having a site-wide sale that you won’t want to miss!😉🗓️

[allaboardsubmas]

Bound by Choice - Chapter 6

A/N: To those of you enjoying this story and even commenting, you have my eternal love.

Fandom: Pokemon (Black & White, All Media Types, Legends: Arceus)

Characters: Original Character, Kudari | Emmet, Nobori | Ingo

Rating: Teen Audiences

Summary: Andy has always been afraid of pokemon and what it is that they’re able to do, which makes their life rather hard considering they’re twenty-two, live in Unova, and work in Nimbasa City; which is known as the battle capital of their region. Their closest friend and semi-adopted mother being a former gym battle leader also didn’t tend to help matters.

A panic attack on a subway car they thought was empty, however, leads to them meeting the infamous Subway Bosses and learning that pokemon, while terrifying, weren’t the monsters they had grown up believing them to be. Getting sucked up into the lives of the two Subway Bosses and their best friend Gym Leader Elesa might be even more terrifying than the pokemon, however.

AO3 Link: Bound by Choice

Chapters 7 and 8 Immediately Available on Patreon

—

If you enjoy this story then check out my Writing Commissions.

…or, if you prefer, you can just buy me a ko-fi! ☕ …or, if you have a nice allowance, support me on Patreon! 🪶

—

Chapter 6 - Ingo

“Brother. That is your third cup.” Ignoring Emmet’s chastising tone, Ingo didn’t stop from where he was downing what was indeed his third cup of coffee for the day. Morning. It was still dreadfully, upsettingly morning- It was their day off morning. “Ingo.”

“Emmet,” Ingo parroted, tucking away the empty cup in his satchel neatly to dispose of later. Even if it was their day off and they were not in uniform, he was not about to litter on their beloved subway. “Two more cups and it’s possible I’ll feel normal again.”

“You are addicted,” Emmet said dryly, Ingo saved from his lecturing when Archie made an absolutely miserable noise from his perch in his brother's lap, both his sweater and Emmet’s jacket becoming coated in even more feathers. “Aw, it’s okay, Archie, it’s not your fault Ingo is being a big sourpuss!”

“It’s Sunday,” Ingo stressed to explain his mood because yes. He loved his job. He loved his job working at Gear Station and running trains and battling trainers all day, but they only had two days off a week and Wednesdays were always for their pokemon and Sundays were their day to stop existing. It was Sunday. 

Archie responded before Emmet could, a mournful chirp that Ingo felt himself caving at as he moved closer and rubbed the Archeops under the chin and then along his beak. “Track change, little one. It’s not your fault you’re feeling under the weather.” 

“Yup!” Emmet agreed, cuddling Archie close and kissing at the top of his head. “It is also not your fault that the Nimbasa Pokecenter has no one educated enough to deal with revived species!” Normally Ingo would tell Emmet to be nice, but he wasn’t feeling very nice himself at having to travel all the way to Nacrene City on their day off. 

“We should be arriving shortly,” Ingo finally settled on saying, looking at his watch and squinting at the time. “The museum should be open seeing as it is dreadfully early, still.”

“Ten is not early, Ingo,” Emmet tormented, Ingo debating on whether or not he should hiss in annoyance at him. The temptation was great, but luckily he was able to suppress the urge after reminding himself that it was Emmet’s turn to cook dinner that night and that he would happily poison Ingo if pushed enough. “Besides, this is exciting! We might end up seeing our lost passenger from Friday night!”

Their lost… ah. That was right. Their passenger from that night did happen to live in Nacrene City, and apparently had a close relationship with Lenora. It wouldn’t be impossible to run into them while in town seeing as it was a Sunday. Beside him, Emmet was still talking, sounding like a worried parent, “Aah, I hope my little Joltik is doing alright. I didn’t have any time to prepare him for leaving! Nugget wasn’t too worried, but he is still verrry young. I wonder how he’s doing?”

“I wonder how they’re both doing,” Ingo admitted quietly, knowing his dim mood was noticed when Emmet and Archie both curled up closer to him. “Were we right to give them a pokemon? Lenora seemed very unsettled by the idea.” 

“Lenora is also a biiig worrier,” Emmet said firmly, Ingo unable to help the small twitch of his lips. “I have a good feeling.”

“I just don’t want to make somebody’s problems worse,” Ingo sighed, relaxing at feeling Emmet’s head resting on his shoulder, Archie whining for more attention that he ended up giving. “Or send someone to the wrong destination.”

“I am Emmet. I am absolutely certain that we made the right choice.” Ah, the same as always… Emmet was firm in his ideals, but Ingo couldn’t help but continue to worry on whether those ideals would be true.

Thankfully he didn’t have long to ruminate on the problem, the train soon arriving precisely on time to the Nacrene City station. Ingo made sure to take care of his coffee cup before he forgot, following after Emmet towards the museum where Lenora was hopefully scheduled to be on shift. They couldn’t think of anyone else they could visit with questions about previously extinct pokemon.

“With her gym no longer in operation it’s quite likely she might not be in today, but we can at least inquire at the front desk,” Ingo informed Emmet, looking up to see empty space next to him. He had a moment to wonder whether or not he should panic before he saw Emmet staggering up to him from where he had lagged behind, huffing and panting for breath as his arms shook from holding Archie up. Ingo didn’t even try to stop himself from laughing in Emmet’s face.

“I’d-” Emmet paused to suck in a few breaths, looking annoyed as his smile turned threatening. “I’d like to see you do better.”

“I would just use his pokeball,” Ingo snorted, moving to open the door to the museum and at least hold it open for the two. Archie made more miserable noises that were edging towards dramatics, Emmet ‘gasping’ in offense.

“He’s sick! How would you like to be shoved away into your bed all alone with no one there-” Emmet cut himself off before Ingo could even register why, his twin immediately pressing into his side and softening his voice. “Sorry.” Ah. Right. Back when they had been thirteen and Ingo had gotten sick while they were in the middle of their Gym Challenge. 

Shoving away the memories before they could form, Ingo bumped his hip into Emmet’s and gave him a small smile to show he was fine. “If you don’t want to use his pokeball then try working out more than once a year.” Ah, gasps of offense. That was much nicer than strained smiles and sad eyes. “Now, we should perhaps try the front desk first-”

Something was clinging to his leg. That thought was quickly followed by the realization that something was crawling up his leg. Before he could panic in a way that was very unbecoming of a Subway Boss, Ingo heard Emmet’s excited and happy gasp, “Well hello little one! It is verrry good to see you!”

Ingo looked down in relief to see a shiny Joltik clinging to his sweater, chirping in delight as he scuttled up to jump over to Emmet’s shoulder before crawling into his hair, sparking in glee and ruining any attempts at making it lay flat. It was rather adorable, especially Archie’s grumbles at the attention being taken off of him- Ah. But if that Joltik was here, then that meant their lost passenger would be, as well.

Before they could look too far a worker was spotting them, looking frazzled as they came over to them, “Hi, how can I- Ah. Archeops. You want Lenora. One second.” Just like that they were off again, Ingo blinking as Emmet choked on a laugh.

“It seems the museum had a late departure this morning.” They did seem rather frazzled and behind, but Ingo made sure to pinch Emmet’s side for good measure. “Rude!”

“Yes,” Ingo agreed. “You are.” Emmet pouted, the worker showing back up with a younger girl in what seemed to be a volunteer uniform rather than anything official. 

“This is one of our delightful volunteers. She’ll be happy to help you today, sirs,” the worker explained before turning back to the volunteer. “Andy. Extinction program. Deal with it.” With that they were running off again- Andy? Ingo blinked, gaze shooting to the volunteer, who was suddenly pointing at Emmet and yelling- Ah, not at Emmet, but Emmet’s head.

“You! I told you not to run off like that! What if you were stepped on or-!” Andy, their seemingly lost passenger, seemed to realize who they were and fell silent. Before Ingo could attempt to soothe any worries or make any inquiries, Emmet was speaking.

“So! Is Andy short for Andrew or Andrea? Or is it just Andy?” Ah. Blunt, to the point, and without any shame. That was certainly his brother, Ingo mused. Ingo slapped Emmet’s arm. “I was just asking! Politely!”

Andy laughed before Ingo could lecture him, shaking their head quickly and then nodding, “It’s, uh, actually sort of all three. See, uh, I’m not exactly trans, but I sort of am! So it’s kind of both, actually- All!” Andy’s words were picking up in speed like a runaway train and Ingo could only wince in sympathy as they fumbled to explain something they shouldn’t need to. It certainly explained Lenora using neutral pronouns, however. “Some days are more masculine and other days are more feminine, so like today I’m Andrea while Friday I was Andrew, so you see, to make it simple I like to say some days I’m Andrew and some days I’m Andrea, but that can be complicated, too, so I’m always Andy, and so, uh- It’s-”

“Not many know the term genderfluid when you explain it to them, do they?” Emmet asked, the answer obvious when Andy’s shoulders dropped from their tense position and they blinked at both of them with wide eyes. 

Ingo jumped in with a smile and a polite nod of his head, “Both my brother and I are well versed in matters of the LGBTQ+ community, including terms that are lesser known to the public at large in some cases. Please feel at ease that your gender expression is your own and we bare no judgment towards however you wish to present yourself!” 

“Although,” Emmet cut back in, grin growing sly and oh, here they went. How he had so much energy when he was still holding a sick Archops Ingo had no idea. “If you switch between the names randomly, then there’s only one thing to do…” Ah. Ingo saw where he was going with this. “I will call you Andrew and Ingo will call you Andrea!” 

Andy — Andrea, he supposed — gave a bright and startled laugh that seemed to suit them much better than all that fear and panic from Friday night. Her Joltik certainly seemed to think so, jumping back over to Andrea and settling between the loops of a simple yellow hair ribbon that kept her hair out of her eyes. “Alright, I get it now. That way no matter what one of you is always right, huh?”

Emmet winked, Ingo unable to stop himself from rolling his eyes. “See? Now you’re getting it!” Archie gave a miserable whine, likely upset he was no longer the center of attention. “Ah! That is right. We are here for a reason today.”

“I’ve noticed,” Andrea snorted, looking at Archie and shifting a few steps away nervously. That fear was clear to see, but it was a delight to see her Joltik nuzzle at the top of her head before she visibly relaxed. “Come on. I’ll show you to one of the back rooms and then Lenora can help you out from there.”

Thankfully the room was only up a single set of stairs, Ingo trailing behind Emmet to make sure his idiot brother didn’t slip and fall where he stubbornly continued to cling to his Archeops. He was definitely getting tired under the weight, but his stubbornness was certainly outlasting his physical limitations. It was the same as always when it came to Emmet, truly.

“Alright,” Andrea said, waving them through a door. “You can wait right here and I’ll run and get Lenora, but, um…” The young girl cleared her throat, nervous as she shuffled in place. She didn’t speak again until the Joltik, still atop her head, gave a sharp chirp. “Thank you!”

“Hm?” Ingo blinked in mild surprise, Emmet tilting his head. “I’m rather sure this is the part where we’re supposed to thank you for helping to conduct us safely.”

“No, I mean- Friday. For all of that and- And for him,” she added, looking up towards the Joltik. “I just wanted to say thank you. And, uh, if you want, just so both of you are always right, you could just call me Andy. Then you’re both right. Although you can still use Andrea and Andrew, too, just- Yeah.” 

Emmet visibly softened and Ingo knew he wasn’t much better. “Thank you. We will endeavor to do our best to earn this gesture-”

“Did you name the Joltik yet?” Emmet was going to be the death of both of them. Still, it was a little amusing watching Andrea cough very loudly.

“Sorry, I think I’m being called, I’ll find you Lenora, bye!” The words were all rushed out as one, Andrea already halfway to running off as her Joltik clung to her head, apparently still unnamed for the time being. 

“Hmph.” Emmet pouted, Ingo unable to help his laugh. “It’s been days. She should have given him a name by now.”

“Mm, perhaps,” Ingo conceded, looking back off towards the direction their latest passenger had run. “However, I am pleased to see that she is alright and following whatever safety checks she has in place.” It hadn’t been hard to see the measured breaths she took when pokemon became too close, but it seemed as if she was quick to loosen up or recover. 

“Mhm,” Emmet hummed in agreement, opening his mouth to say more before being cut off by Archie’s sudden and violent sneeze, a cloud of feathers erupting from him and flying into the air before floating back down around them. The last feather hit the ground to reveal half a dozen angry researchers staring at them, Ingo inspecting the mess before clearing his throat and bending down to begin picking them up, Emmet quickly doing the same as he shuffled Archie around in order to stuff feathers away into the pockets of his jacket. 

“Our apologies,” Ingo offered up to the room at large, feeling the familiar stir of embarrassment as he gathered the stray mess of feathers and began shoving them away into any pocket or bag he and Emmet had available. “Perhaps we worry about this passenger before we worry about any others.”

“A good plan,” Emmet sighed, giggling when Archie aggressively nuzzled under his chin, Ingo picking up the last of the feathers. He was certain he and Emmet both would ponder over Andy and how they were doing over the next few days, but right now perhaps it was best to focus on not angering any more researchers as they waited for Lenora.

[tennessoui]

omg miss kit just thought of an idea (you totally don’t have to indulge this really there’s a lot of rescuing au’s, especially ur firefighter anakin au bless) but ski trip gone bad au? anakin and padme are (together or not i know u don’t care for cheating besides the cheating au) but they go to a ski resort. and maybe it’s diplomatic stuff pads has to take care of so she brings anakin w her to the ski resort it’s hosted at. he gets to go snowboarding or skiing gets to have fun etc. we’ll after going down a huge hill he stops cuz why is there a snowboard 3/4 buried in the snow? gets closer and omg! someone’s stuck under there (tree wells are scary i just saw so many videos of them 😅) how long has it been he needs to help them. he starts to dig and dig “Are you okay!? I got you just hang on “ and he digs and digs and there’s no response from the other skier/snowboarder but she doesn’t let up he is gonna get this guys out of here. and digs and digs. and finally finds the face, this guy was stuck so far into the snow he couldn’t breathe. almost blacking out. and anakin can’t see his face from the gear and googles but know he’s gotta be freezing. is able to haul him up. and the out of the hole and the guy asks if he can help him take off the head gear to help him breathe and yah.

anakin sees the most beautiful man he’s ever seen . idk how to write the whole “their eyes meet for the first time and are immediately star struck” moment but i hope this is ok 😅 happy friday btw

ahhhh i love it

it's a good samaritan au where obi-wan has to buy this guy a drink for saving his life, but anakin insists that he shouldn't and it's ok really honestly it was nice to meet you and save your life but i only have like 3 hours on the slopes and you're making me very flustered with your everything

but later that night he's at the bar with padme as a show of support in the face of drinks with coworkers or whatever and the bartender gives him a drink he definitely didn't order and there's a note on a napkin that's like "snow big deal" or "ski you around" or something and he looks around and obi-wan waves and like. one time meeting him is fine, he can leave and be ok, but twice?? anakin is just a man and obi-wan wears the fuck out of a cozy turtleneck

[werdlewrites]

masterlist - ao3 - kofi - twitter @ djomamma

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summary: “I’ll ask my dad,” she forces out. “Y’know, after the whole skipping school business." He smirked in response, head nodding down the hall in a gesture for us to continue on. “He’s more mad about that? Not the weed?” She shrugs, avoiding his gaze with cheeks puffed out. “Parents, right?” warning: Hopper and Steve being sweeties, cursing, mentions of drugs wc: 2,580

The holidays come and go, and the bottomless pit to rot within Autumn is slowly filled. “To hope,” they said, and he refused to allow her to slip into doubt and darkness. He’s called for time off. Time spent away from countless complaints and paperwork. He had called in the very next morning, handing over all responsibilities to Powell to bask in this new life for just a few more days. On any other day, maybe there would have been some guilt. But he makes promises with the intent of keeping them, no matter the risk involved. Hopper had endured the chaos of Black Friday only as a sheriff, taking calls for assault or stolen goods. The madness of saving money, flipping the switch of humanity, and turning most shoppers into monsters—though Hawkins had been a little different. Such a small and sleepy town became more lively, but rarely did he witness flying fists or true rage to tear people apart. It was a shocking comparison to the bigger cities; even some of the locals took their business elsewhere for more extravagant goods. That Friday, he chose to join the masses with a girl by his side.

“Don’t wander,” he warns with a firm tug of a baseball cap over her brow. “I never lose sight of you, capiche?” The girl holds up a sign for "ok," responding in amusement, “Capiche.” It’s not funny, knowing the threat is still out there. Whether it be her father or the man he works for, he is out on the hunt to get his hands on something once within his reach. Yet still, he smiles back at her, despite the bile brewing as his nerves kick into high gear. They spend hours out there, bumping shoulders with shoppers or staring through glass windows at the many deals waiting for them. She would ogle at the fineries but ultimately move on down the block, simply enjoying the chance to be out and free. Hopper is never far away, walking in her much shorter shadow with eyes cast in every direction, looking for eyes that lingered a little too long or anyone he could recognize. But there’s nothing. Hopper can feel his tension ease just enough to find some joy out beneath the sun, nearly colliding with the girl as she’s paused at another glass pane. Autumn stares in silence at the refurbished furniture, and there’s a visible interest as she leans in closer. “See anything you like?” She jumps back at his words, nearly forgetting he was there. Her response is hesitant, shrugging as she searches for the right words. “I-I like antiques. But who doesn’t?”

She’s about to continue onward, but Hopper is quick, as he’s already at the door, waving her inside. It’s a cruel joke, but she humors him, and they move between the various pieces of furniture. It’s not as busy as most stores, but busy enough for Hopper to cast questioning looks. His attention is locked on the girl as she stands near a cabinet, her fingers moving along the details. The wood is natural, though deep red wine in color. Two doors hide shelving within, and a mirror is featured in a showcase. She does nothing but admire and leave it behind, though Hopper is quick to snatch the tag. “What the hell are you doing?” Her tone is as if he’s offended her—a clear shock in her eyes while he gleams. “You need furniture for your room,” he states rather simply, while the gears seem to stick in her mind and slow function down. “Y-well, yeah, but-” “Keep lookin’ around,” he suggests as he pockets the tag—a sign that the piece is no longer available. "You might find somethin’ you like.”

They spent the weekend heaving and hauling pieces of furniture up into the attic, sweat on their brows and wild laughter as neither of them considered how the pieces would get up there. But they manage, and her room seems almost normal. Almost.

It’s Monday morning now, and Hopper is forced to head back to work while Autumn blends in amongst the students. She’s slow-moving, feeling almost jetlagged from the time spent away from class, and still struggling to work it all back into routine. She manages to drag her feet out into the dewy morning, heavy steps scuffing along the dirt as she moves towards her Jeep. Her guardian isn’t far behind her. He's nearly stumbling out in haste with a paper bag held high in the air. “You forget somethin’?” Realization hits him as he stands in the cold—there's no Steve. No boy is waiting with music playing and a silly grin on his face; she stands alone with her fingers already tucked beneath the door handle. Her other hoists the bag up for his view, stating, “I have my own. That’s yours.” Lunch is the least of his worries, as his fists fall to his hips. “Where the hell is your ride?” With a laugh, the teen shakes her head. “Waiting for me at school. Bye, Hopper.” She doesn’t tell him about the boy's confession of their deal; instead, she makes her own. He provides the space she needs, giving her time to herself as she rides to school but is glued to her side until the bell rings. He worries, and seeing her reassures him. Hopper stands at the final step and watches as she pulls away, the green Jeep slow to vanish from his sight with the lack of brush. A heavy sigh escapes, and he’s prying the fold apart to peer inside. Leftovers from the dinner prior: Beef Stroganoff scooped into Tupperware with snacks to tide him over in the long hours. It’s not what he’s used to. Not having put in a thought to his lunch and winging it when the time came. A child somehow manages to think for him when her only focus should be herself.

At Hawkin’s High, her actions are pushed back to the furthest corner of her mind. It’s nothing out of the ordinary, and even if it were, Steve was too busy occupying her time. There was no room for second-guessing. He’s at her car door within seconds of her arrival, waiting and watching out for the girl with the eyes of a hawk, swooping in the moment he spots her. He’s nothing but sunshine, and it’s hard to deflect the warmth as it sinks in through her skin. “How was your vacation?” They walk side by side, unable to feel the judgment once given, as students have now lost interest. “It was... good, actually.” “Yeah? Next year, let me come over. My dad was a prick the entire time. Almost makes me wish he’d go on another business trip,” he finishes with an awkward laugh, though it’s quick to die and fall flat in his chest as he reconsiders his wording. Kind eyes are now full of dread and regret, seeming ungrateful as his family was complete while hers was torn. “I’m sorry,” the boy suddenly states. His fingers are lightly gripping the sleeve of her sweater to guide her attention back to him—to see his sincerity as he speaks. “I-I didn’t mean-” What comes next isn’t what he expects, cut short in surprise as her lips pull into a smile. “You worry too much.” It’s almost baffling to watch her ease by the school doors, unbothered by his words, while he remains stuck in guilt. The boy has to push his way through the bodies to join her side again, sparing a confused look as he studies her. “Weekend was that good, huh?” She gives a small shrug. “I’ve had worse. Like, a strange man doing a B and E.” Steve scoffs in reply, shaking his head as he mimics her expression. But all seems to fizzle out as she pauses in the hallway, her lack of presence hard to ignore. When Steve looks back, the joy has been stripped from her eyes and replaced with something he can’t quite figure out. Her brows are pulled tight with a stare unwavering from something up ahead. “What? What is-?”

It’s Jonathan Byers. The boy always seemed to have a sleepy look about him, but he seemed more disheveled than the week before. His eyes are sunken; you can tell even from a distance that he’s been awake for too long. The boy seems almost in a daze, moving sluggishly and staring hard at the supplies in his locker as if he were trying to break through a heavy fog. “Must be his first day back. I haven’t seen him since... well, y’know.” Her eyes are lingering, and he can see the obvious interest, though nervous, as her fingers tighten around the strap. “C’mon, Aut,” he encourages with a gentle nudge of his elbow. Unknowing of the guilt she still holds close for letting Will slip from her grasp. “Go catch up.” A look of uncertainty is given, and he can only smile back, a hand now resting on her back for further reassurance. “I’ll see you at lunch, okay? Same table, same time.” He manages to pull a snort from the girl, and now satisfied, he drifts away, vanishing in the crowd. At some point in the exchange, Jonathan finds her among the wild animals. An empty hand raises to give a small wave, almost seeming like a stranger despite all they have gone through. Before the monsters and up to now. It doesn’t give her the confidence she needs, but she pushes forward to meet him at his now-cleared locker. No posters or ugly words scrawled on the surface. Exhausted eyes have lowered by the time she’s within reach, organizing all he needs for the morning in his bag. “Welcome back?” she begins, trying to pull herself out of the treacherous waters of discomfort. There’s a faint hint of a smile—weak—before lips fall to a flat line again. “What joy,” he states in a heavy sigh, flipping the door until it slams shut, his eyes landing back on her. The girl waits a moment, studying him in silence and coming up with a plan of action as he is clearly out of sorts. Will had come home, and the monsters were beaten back into the shadows. She’s certain he would be joyful on some level.

She elects for a distraction—something out of pocket to lure troubled thoughts away. “Steve’s been up my ass since you’ve been gone.” It was only half true. Knowing it had been... far longer than that, by now. He chuckles—it's lazy and halfhearted—and his eyes fall to flip through his notebook. “Y’know what they say. Kill together, stay together.” He’s not meeting her eyes; that alone is enough to set her off course. The tone in his voice only added fuel to the fire. “Yeah, a real bonding moment,” she spits back with a narrow gaze. Without further comment, he moves on, his back now facing the girl. It’s almost gut-wrenching, and she can’t bear this sudden cold shoulder—unable to place where it came from. They fought side-by-side, didn’t they? Negative thoughts are cast out as speedy steps race after him, pushing her way through bodies to walk at his side. “What gives?” He hums in response, confused and still not meeting her eyes. “Wha-?” she tries to repeat, half expecting the boy to put on the brakes for them to talk in private. He keeps moving, and she’s forced to take hold of his arm, forcing him her way. “What’s going on?” A heavy sigh deflates his body, his focus flickering elsewhere until it lands on her. “Nothing,” “‘A’ for effort,” Autumn retorts. “Try again. This time, really give it your all.” With the roll of his eyes, his body falls to lean against the wall at her side. “I don’t want t’be here.” It’s not a satisfying answer. Her neck craned forward in hopes of encouraging more from him, and he caved under her stare. “M’not sleeping. Neither is Will."Hearing his name has alarms sounding off in her mind. Having not seen him or Jonathan since the hospital, she was unable to seek either boy out to check in. “Because of-?” The teen nods at first before continuing. “He’s not sleeping because of what happened. And I’m not sleeping because of him.” There’s a feeling of guilt for asking, causing her stance to relax before it joins him on the wall. “I shouldn’t even be here,” he states in anger, frustration evident on his face as he thinks of his baby brother with one less person to care for him. “I need t’be at home. Mom can only handle so much. I-I just feel helpless here, y’know? He’s struggling, and I have t’do book reports.”

Autumn waits in silence, letting his anger simmer out until it’s only embers in a pile of dust. Dying out, yet ready to spark with light given the chance. “It’s bullshit,” the girl says with a hard sigh. The conversation felt a little too similar to the one she had with Nancy last week. “It is bullshit.” The girl’s head lolls to the side, studying the dark circles under his eyes and the far-off look he held. As if something in the distance held him frozen there. “How is he?” He meets her eyes briefly, his chest filling with a breath to prepare for honesty. “Not good. I-I mean, he has moments where things seem fine. Then, it’s like he’s somewhere else entirely. Like-” “Like he’s back there,” she finishes for him, almost lifting the weight from his chest. “Yeah. Then, the nightmares. But he’s trying.” Autumn lets out a long hum in thought, the idea of a boy still locked in distress, leaving her unsettled. She was squirming in her skin. “I promised him Mud Pie.” Another short chuckle is heard off to her right.

“You left him there.”

The words ring out and rebound off every nerve. She’s rattled and burdened by guilt, despite not knowing if she could have saved him. Maybe Will had come to his senses with time to recover. Now understanding, and the thought of her leaving him behind only brings discomfort. It’s a pain she can’t seem to stomach, so she bites her tongue. “You should come by,” he suggests. “I half expected you t’be camped out in our living room.” Like a deer in the headlights, Autumn is left bewildered and uncertain of what to do—or say, for that matter. “Y-yeah,” she begins with unease. “It’s just... all been so crazy.” A timid smile rises to the surface, and he doesn’t seem to catch on that she’s hiding something. Blame it on the lack of sleep or total ignorance, but he wears a look of true happiness. “I know he misses his favorite storyteller." It’s hard not to be warmed by him or the thought of the younger Byers boy nodding along to his words. “I’ll ask my d-” It’s almost too easy to say. She fell into the routine of asking her dad for permission to leave or simply telling him outright. That routine was stripped away and replaced with unfamiliarity. “I’ll ask my dad,” she forces out. “Y’know, after the whole skipping school business." He smirked in response, head nodding down the hall in a gesture for us to continue on. “He’s more mad about that? Not the weed?” She shrugs, avoiding his gaze with cheeks puffed out. “Parents, right?”

[poetryorchard]

The Mother Wound: a term to describe a lack or loss of a healthy relationship with your mother.

For anyone currently dealing with a dysfunctional, toxic, or unhealthy relationship with their parents, especially toxic mothers:

We are Poetry Orchard, an Asian/Black/disabled led collective hosting online creative writing workshops. They are geared towards poetry, but all creative and curious are invited!

On Friday, June 14 @ 2 PM EDT, we are holding a workshop on the topic of the mother wound. Through writing, we will examine the anger, loneliness, grief, confusion, and guilt that arises from this connection, giving a platform to process and communicate our emotions.

We will read a selection of works relating to the theme and hold an affirming and therapeutic discussion about the materials, followed by a brief group writing session driven by unique prompts. You are invited, but not required to share your work. If you do, though, positive feedback is guaranteed! ✨

Video and mic are not required - many attendees interact via chat. You can sign up here or reach out to us for a free ticket!

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

May 19, 2024

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

MAY 20, 2024

Delivering the commencement address to the graduating seniors at Morehouse College today, President Joe Biden addressed the nation. After thanking the mothers, fathers, grandmothers, grandfathers, and all the people who helped the graduates get to the chairs in front of the stage, Biden recalled Morehouse’s history. The school was founded in 1867 by civil rights leader Reverend William Jefferson White with the help of two other Baptist ministers, the Reverend Richard C. Coulter and the Reverend Edmund Turney, to educate formerly enslaved men. They believed “education would be the great equalizer from slavery to freedom,” Biden said, and they created an institution that would make the term “Morehouse man” continue to stand as a symbol of excellence 157 years later. 

Then Biden turned to a speech that centered on faith. Churches talk a lot about Jesus being buried on Friday and rising from the dead on Sunday, he said, “but we don’t talk enough about Saturday, when… his disciples felt all hope was lost. In our lives and the lives of the nation, we have those Saturdays—to bear witness the day before glory, seeing people’s pain and not looking away. But what work is done on Saturday to move pain to purpose? How can faith get a man, get a nation through what was to come?” 

It’s a truism that anything that happens before we are born is equidistant from our personal experience, mixing the recent past and the ancient past together in a similar vaguely imagined “before” time. Most of today’s college graduates were not born until about 2002 and likely did not pay a great deal of attention to politics until about five years ago. Biden took the opportunity to explain to them what it meant to live through the 1960s. 

He noted that he was the first in his family to graduate from college, paid for with loans. He fell in love, got a law degree, got married and took a job at a “fancy law firm.” 

But his world changed when an assassin murdered the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King—a Morehouse man—and the segregated city of Wilmington, Delaware, erupted with fires, looting, fights, and occasional gunfire. For nine months, the National Guard patrolled the city in combat gear,  “the longest stretch in any American city since the Civil War,” Biden recalled.

“Dr. King’s legacy had a profound impact on me and my generation, whether you’re Black or white,” Biden explained. He left the law firm to become first a public defender and then a county councilman, “working to change our state’s politics to embrace the cause of civil rights.” 

The Democratic Party had historically championed white supremacy, but that alignment was in the process of changing as Democrats had swung behind civil rights and the 1965 Voting Rights Act. Biden and his cohort hoped to turn the Delaware Democratic Party toward the new focus on civil rights, he said. In 1972, Biden ran for the Senate and won…barely, in a state Republican president Richard Nixon won with 60% of the vote. 

Biden recalled how, newly elected and hiring staff in Washington, D.C., he got the call telling him that his wife and daughter had been killed in a car accident and that his two sons were gravely injured. The pain of that day hit again 43 years later, he said, when his son Beau died of cancer after living for a year next to a burn pit in Iraq. And he talked of meeting First Lady Jill Biden, “who healed the family in all the broken places. Our family became my redemption,” he said. 

His focus on family and community offered a strong contrast to the Republican emphasis on individualism. “On this walk of life...you come to understand that we don’t know where or what fate will bring you or when,” Biden said. “But we also know we don’t walk alone. When you’ve been a beneficiary of the compassion of your family, your friends, even strangers, you know how much the compassion matters,” he said. “I’ve learned there is no easy optimism, but by faith—by faith, we can find redemption.”

For the graduates, Biden noted, four years ago “felt like one of those Saturdays. The pandemic robbed you of so much. Some of you lost loved ones—mothers, fathers, brothers, sisters, who…aren’t able to be here to celebrate with you today….  You missed your high school graduation. You started college just as George Floyd was murdered and there was a reckoning on race. 

“It’s natural to wonder if democracy you hear about actually works for you. 

“What is democracy if Black men are being killed in the street?

“What is democracy if a trail of broken promises still leave[s]…Black communities behind?

“What is democracy if you have to be 10 times better than anyone else to get a fair shot?

“And most of all, what does it mean, as we’ve heard before, to be a Black man who loves his country even if it doesn’t love him back in equal measure?” 

The crowd applauded.

Biden explained that across the Oval Office from his seat behind the Resolute Desk are busts of Dr. King and Senator Robert Kennedy, challenging Biden: “Are we living up to what we say we are as a nation, to end racism and poverty, to deliver jobs and justice, to restore our leadership in the world?” He wears a rosary on his wrist made of Beau’s rosary as a reminder that faith asks us “to hold on to hope, to move heaven and earth to make better days.” 

“[T]hat’s my commitment to you,” he said. “[T]o show you democracy, democracy, democracy is still the way.”

Biden pledged to “call out the poison of white supremacy” and noted that he “stood up…with George Floyd’s family to help create a country where you don’t need to have that talk with your son or grandson as they get pulled over.” The administration is investing in Black communities and reconnecting neighborhoods cut apart by highways decades ago. It has reduced Black child poverty to the lowest rate in history. It is removing lead pipes across the nation to provide clean drinking water to everyone, and investing in high-speed internet to bring all households into the modern era. 

The administration is creating opportunities, Biden said, bringing “good-paying jobs…; capital to start small businesses and loans to buy homes; health insurance, [prescription] drugs, housing that’s more affordable and accessible.” Biden reminded the audience that he had joined workers on a picket line. To applause, he noted that when the Supreme Court blocked his attempt to relieve student debt, he found two other ways to do it. He noted the administration’s historic investment in historically black colleges and universities. 

“We’re opening doors so you can walk into a life of generational wealth, to be providers and leaders for your families and communities.  Today, record numbers of Black Americans have jobs, health insurance, and more [wealth] than ever.”

Then Biden directly addressed the student protests over the Israeli government’s strikes on Gaza. At Morehouse today, one graduate stood with his back to Biden and his fist raised during the president’s speech, and the class valedictorian, DeAngelo Jeremiah Fletcher, who spoke before the president, wore a picture of a Palestinian flag on his mortarboard and called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, at which Biden applauded.

“In a democracy, we debate and dissent about America’s role in the world,” Biden said. “I want to say this very clearly. I support peaceful, nonviolent protest. Your voices should be heard, and I promise you I hear them.” 

“What’s happening in Gaza…is heartbreaking,” he said, with “[i]nnocent Palestinians caught in the middle” of a fight between Hamas and Israel. He reminded them that he has called “for an immediate ceasefire…to stop the fighting [and] bring the hostages home.” His administration has been working for a deal, as well as to get more aid into Gaza and to rebuild it. Crucially, he added, there is more at stake than “just one ceasefire.” He wants “to build a lasting, durable peace. Because the question is…: What after? What after Hamas? What happens then? What happens in Gaza? What rights do the Palestinian people have?” To applause, he said, “I’m working to make sure we finally get a two-state solution—the only solution—for two people to live in peace, security, and dignity.” 

“This is one of the hardest, most complicated problems in the world,” he said. “I know it angered and frustrates many of you, including my family. But most of all, I know it breaks your heart. It breaks mine as well. Leadership is about fighting through the most intractable problems. It’s about challenging anger, frustration, and heartbreak to find a solution. It’s about doing what you believe is right, even when it’s hard and lonely. You’re all future leaders, every one of you graduating today…. You’ll face complicated, tough moments. In these moments, you’ll listen to others, but you’ll have to decide, guided by knowledge, conviction, principle, and your own moral compass.”

Turning back to the United States, Biden urged the graduates to examine “what happens to you and your family when old ghosts in new garments seize power, extremists come for the freedoms you thought belonged to you and everyone.” He noted attacks on equality in America, and that extremist forces were peddling “a fiction, a caricature [of] what being a man is about—tough talk, abusing power, bigotry. Their idea of being a man is toxic.” 

“But that’s not you,” he continued. “It’s not us. You all know and demonstrate what it really means to be a man. Being a man is about the strength of respect and dignity. It’s about showing up because it’s too late if you have to ask. It’s about giving hate no safe harbor and leaving no one behind and defending freedoms. It’s about standing up to the abuse of power, whether physical, economic, or psychological.” To applause, he added: “It’s about knowing faith without works is dead.”

“The strength and wisdom of faith endures,” Biden said. “And I hope—my hope for you is—my challenge to you is that you still keep the faith so long as you can.” 

“Together, we’re capable of building a democracy worthy of our dreams…a bigger, brighter future that proves the American Dream is big enough for everyone to succeed.”

“Class of 2024, four years ago, it felt probably like Saturday,” Biden concluded. “Four years later, you made it to Sunday, to commencement, to the beginning. And with faith and determination, you can push the sun above the horizon once more….”

“God bless you all,” he said. “We’re expecting a lot from you.”

LETTERS FROM AN AMERICAN

HEATHER COX RICHARDSON

[jones-friend]

Kingdom Death

Today I had the chance to play Kingdom Death: Monster. KDM is a fantastic big box game with Berserk-like grimdark feels and a gnarly sense of humor. So CW, many parts of this game are soul grinding and depressing. If violence, gore, horrifying monsters with sexual overtones, hopelessness, these darker kinds of themes aren’t appealing to you then you should skip this one!

While I dont typically enjoy these things I liked what KDM was doing and I enjoyed the way it handled them.

In KDM you and three other survivors awaken in this dark land, its surfaces made of stone faces, with a great prowling beast that devours its prey bite by brutal bite. You take arms with your fragment of a face and a sash around your waist and challenge the great beast!

You’re going to die. And dying isn’t even the worst thing that can happen to you.

KDM fully embraces its grimdark nature. Injuries often come with intensely debilitating consequences like ruptured spleens and eye gouging. Everything comes with a risk, today trying to land an attack on my own turn caused me to get decapitated! Don’t get too attached to your characters, death is only two bad rolls away.

The gameplay loop is survivors go on a hunt for a monster, they have a showdown with a monster, and a settlement phase where players grow their home base.

During the hunt players advance across event cards, some unique to the monster some generic. Events can be positive but they can be negative, some can move the monster or survivors closer or further away. You have to catch the monster before you reach the starvation space or there’s dire consequences. You are never safe in this game. In one event one of our hunters died and we had to go into the fight already down one party member.

Then you have the showdown. KDM has a legion of beautifully designed mini’s that are part of the experience. Each turn begins with the monster using an attack off the Monster AI deck. Then players move in and attempt to land wounds. Each wound removes a card from the Monster AI deck and we continue until we land a hit and the monster can’t remove any other cards.

This removes attacks from the deck as we wound the monster. And sometime attacks pop back on the deck. The gorm’s hiccup puts the monster in this endless loop of hiccuping until you land damage and its hilarious.

When you DO land a hit you aren’t dealing damage yet. You flip over a Hit Location (HL) card. There is a threshold required to deal a wound. If you fail to wound often there’s a repercussion that can kill you. Like the monster getting an extra attack. Then there’s TRAPS in the HL deck that can have lethal consequences (and one did!).

You take about two damage to a body part before rolling on debilitating effects tables (like ruptured spleen!) and there’s a lot of tables with a lot of bad things that can happen to you!

You will use your items and gear in coordination with your allies to down monsters for parts!

You will return to your settlement with all gear and any survivors and enter this settlement phase. Events happen here (that can kill you!) and you start smiths, shops, form societal ideals for passives, you construct a settlement in this hostile world and gather new population to your settlement (which are essentially your pool of lives).

After managing your gear, making new stuff, and managing different events youre off on a new hunt!

KDM is an incredibly wide game. Its Berserk + Monster Hunter. Its got a hilariously grotesque sense of humor (if you crit the lion’s balls it only targets you) and despite all the bad shit the game throws at you its more about managing complications than just suffering.

KDM has an incredible price point of $400 because the developers are entirely behind its big box identity, having incredible mini’s and production value. The price point makes it a hard sell BUT there are black friday and gencon deals that can reduce the price. If these big box games are something you enjoy I would look into KDM! Its a great time!

[casefoxinc]

Exclusive Black Friday & Cyber Monday Deal: 25% Off CaseFox Legal Management Software!

Hey, legal pros! Gear up for unprecedented efficiency this holiday season with CaseFox's top-notch legal management software. Get a whopping 25% discount crafted just for you. Simplify case handling, supercharge productivity, and elevate your legal game—all at an incredible Black Friday and Cyber Monday steal. Grab this limited-time offer to revolutionize your practice and thrive in the legal sphere!

For more details visit: https://www.casefox.com/black-friday-cyber-monday-deals/

[ecommerce-yourguide]

How to prepare for Black Friday 2023?

Black Friday 2023 is just around the corner, and it's time to start gearing up for incredible deals, massive discounts, and an adrenaline-fueled shopping spree. As online retailers prepare to unveil their jaw-dropping offers, it's essential to equip yourself with a strategic plan that will ensure you make the most out of this opportunity. 

Here are a few considerations that you can’t ignore while prepping up for the Black Friday-

First and foremost, take stock of your inventory and make sure you have enough products in stock to meet the heightened demand. 

Additionally, consider running pre-Black Friday promotions to generate buzz and get customers excited about what you have to offer. This not only helps build anticipation but can also attract early bird shoppers who are eager to snag a good deal.

In addition, optimize your online presence by ensuring that your website is user-friendly, mobile responsive, and capable of handling increased traffic. 

Consider implementing live chat support or customer service bots to assist potential buyers in real-time. 

Moreover, strategize your advertising efforts across various channels such as social media, email newsletters, and Google Ads to reach a wider audience. 

Finally, don't forget the power of exclusive deals - offering limited-time specials or unique bundles can incentivize customers to choose your store over competitors.

Implementing these proactive tactics will not only leverage your store’s strong presence but also assist in dominating over multiple marketplace listings. 

Also, if you’re interested in selling on Fruugo via your Shopify store then feel free to connect.

Hope this helps. 

[thanat0sis]

[IDS: A set of screenshots of an Axios article titled "Oppenheimer" brings painful memories for New Mexico Hispanics.

The first screenshot features the beginning of the article. The header reads: 1 big thing: Missing "Oppenheimer" narrative. Below the header is a photo collage with Henry Herrera overlayed over two photos about the Trinity Test. One Trinity photo is coloured, while the other is black and white. The photo of Herrera is also black and white. The photo is captioned as: Henry Herrera witnessed the Trinity Test. Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photos: Russell Contreras/Axios, Bettmann/Contributor and Corbis via Getty Images. Below the photo is the first paragraph of the article reading: As cinephiles gear up for Friday's release of "Oppenheimer," the blockbuster biopic about the "father of the atomic bomb," some residents in southern New Mexico where the bomb was first tested say they've been largely erased from the narrative.

The second screenshot reads:

What they're saying: The new movie "is nothing but an over-glorification of the science and the scientists, again, with no reflection on the harm done to the people in New Mexico," Tina Cordova, co-founder of the Tularosa Basin Downwinders Consortium, which advocates for families affected by the Trinity Test, tells Axios.

Cordova says no one from the movie ever contacted survivors.

"We've done everything to reach out to the filmmakers from the time that they were filming until today."

"Just includea panel, a message at the end of the film that acknowledges the sacrifice and suffering of the people of New Mexico," says Cordova, who plans to watch the film and join panel discussions on it this weekend.

The third screenshot reads:

Flashback: Oppenheimer led a group of scientists during World War II to build the bomb first tested in New Mexico near the homes of Hispanic and Native American residents.

The U.S. government previously seized land from Hispanic and Indigenous homesteaders in northern New Mexico that Oppenheimer knew from horseback riding trips to build a then-secretive lab in Los Alamos, New Mexico.

Known as the Trinity Test, scientists first detonated the bomb near the historic Hispanic village of Tularosa and the Mescalero Apache Reservation on July 16, 1945.

Curious residents went to ground zero to picnic and take artifacts, including the radioactive green glass known as trinitite and contaminated pieces of cloth that were used to make christening dresses. They learned the bomb was atomic about a month later.

The fourth screenshot reads:

The big picture: Those residents say their families have battled rare cancers for generations and have been ignored while Manhattan Project scientists like J. Robert Oppenheimer are celebrated.

Details: "Oppenheimer," directed by Christopher Nolan and starring Cillian Murphy and Emily Blunt, follows the American scientist as his team races to create the bomb and deals with the aftermath of its creation.

The movie is based on the 2006 Pulitzer Prize-winning biography "American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer."

The last screenshot reads:

Henry Herrera was 11 years old when he witnessed the Trinity Test explosion. He spoke to Axios in 2021 shortly before his death at age 87.

"My mother had just hung her white clothes on the clothesline, and god dang! You should have seen the god dang dust that rolled all over town."

Herrera had his jaw reconstructed after suffering from mouth cancer like other residents.

/End ID.]

Full story here

[velvetsouls-blog]

Top Holiday Gift Ideas for Basketball Lovers

The holiday season is upon us, and with it comes the joyous yet sometimes daunting task of finding the perfect gifts for our loved ones. If you have a basketball enthusiast in your life, you’re in luck! There are plenty of fantastic gift ideas that will make their holiday season truly special. From stylish apparel to essential gear and unique memorabilia, we’ve curated a list of the top holiday gift ideas for basketball lovers.

The “Hoops with Santa Holiday Slam Dunk” T-Shirt

One standout gift idea this year is the “Hoops with Santa Holiday Slam Dunk” T-shirt. This T-shirt is not just any ordinary piece of clothing; it combines the love for basketball with the festive spirit of the holidays. The unique design features Santa Claus himself dunking a basketball, surrounded by holiday-themed graphics that are sure to bring a smile to any basketball fan’s face. The festive theme makes it a perfect addition to any holiday wardrobe, whether it’s for a casual outing or a festive gathering.

Basketball Gear

For those who love to hit the court, basketball gear is always a great choice. Consider gifting a high-quality basketball, such as the Wilson Evolution or the Spalding NBA Official Game Ball. These balls are known for their durability and performance, making them ideal for both indoor and outdoor play.

Another essential piece of gear is a pair of basketball shoes. Brands like Nike, Adidas, and Under Armour offer a variety of styles and technologies to enhance performance and comfort. Look for shoes with good traction, cushioning, and ankle support to ensure the best experience on the court.

Memorabilia and Collectibles

Basketball memorabilia and collectibles are perfect for fans who want to showcase their love for the game. Autographed jerseys, basketballs, or photographs from legendary players can be a treasured addition to any collection. Websites like eBay and specialized sports memorabilia stores often have a wide selection of authenticated items.

For a more personal touch, consider a custom framed jersey or a shadow box displaying a favorite player’s memorabilia. These items not only make great conversation starters but also add a touch of elegance to any room.

Accessories

Accessories can be both practical and stylish gifts for basketball lovers. A durable and spacious basketball bag is essential for carrying gear to and from the court. Look for bags with multiple compartments for shoes, clothes, and other essentials.

Other great accessory ideas include basketball-themed phone cases, keychains, and even jewelry. A stylish basketball pendant or a pair of cufflinks can be a subtle yet meaningful way to show off their love for the game.

Where to Find These Gifts

Finding the perfect gift doesn’t have to be a challenge. Many of these items can be found at major sporting goods stores like Dick’s Sporting Goods, Academy Sports + Outdoors, and Modell’s. Online retailers such as Amazon, Fanatics, and the NBA Store also offer a wide variety of basketball-related gifts.

Keep an eye out for special promotions and discounts, especially during the holiday season. Many retailers offer Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals, as well as end-of-year clearance sales. Signing up for newsletters or following your favorite brands on social media can also help you stay informed about any upcoming sales.

Conclusion

This holiday season, make your basketball-loving friend or family member feel extra special with a thoughtful and unique gift. Whether it’s the festive “Hoops with Santa Holiday Slam Dunk” T-shirt, essential basketball gear, memorable collectibles, or stylish accessories, there’s something for every fan. Happy holiday shopping, and here’s to a slam dunk of a season!