#Unique Christmas Gifts for Son | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

la-femme-au-collier-vert · 30 days ago

Text

From The Library of Anne Rice (Part 1)

A list of books owned by Anne Rice including annotation information taken from auction listings at Bonham's, October 2024. Will continue in Part 2.

Frazer, James G. The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion (abridged edition).New York: MacMillan Publishing Co., 1963. She writes on the flyleaf in June of 2012: "When I bought this book I don't know. I know I read it or a copy of it in the 1980s when writing The Vampire Lestat. It is essential to me." On the jacket spine she has added "Sacred!"

Frazer, James G. The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion. 1981. Marked on the cover, "Gift to Stan from Anne 1985 / Save Always, AR," and internally reads in Stan's handwriting: "A gift to me from Anne because I've never read it."

Gaskell, Elizabeth. Tales of Mystery & the Macabre. Wordsworth edition, 2007. bears Rice's ownership signature to title page ("Anne Rice / May 29, 2012 / The Desert") and is tabbed and annotated throughout.

Gaskell, Elizabeth. North and South. Penguin Books, 2000. bears her ownership signature on the title page.

Hemingway, Ernest. For Whom the Bell Tolls. New York: Charles Scribner's Son, 1940. Original beige cloth stamped cover and spine, in facsimile dust jacket. First edition with the Scribner's "A" on the copyright page. With Post-it note to front pastedown indicating that the book was a gift "From Becket and Christina / Christmas / 2012."

King, B. B. & David Ritz. Blues All Around Me: The Autobiography of B.B. King. New York: Avon Books, 1996. First edition, inscribed to "To Anne / All the best to you / B.B. King / 10-18-96."

Montgomery, L.M. Anne of Green Gables. Cutchogue, NY: Buccaneer Books, 1976. Anne Rice ownership signature dated February 7, 2015, Palm Desert. Annotated on front pastedown; "It's immediately a pleasure, and making me want to write."

Montgomery, L.M. Emily's Quest. Oxford City Press, 2009. Anne Rice ownership signature dated February 21, 2015; annotated and tabbed.

Montgomery, L.M. Emily Climbs. Sourcebooks, 2014. Anne Rice ownership signature dated February 12, 2015.

Montgomery, L.M. Emily of New Moon. Ameron House, c.2015. Anne Rice ownership signature dated February 6, 2015, inscribed: "Reading the paperback and loving it so much I had to have a hardcover."

Montgomery, L.M. The Blue Castle. Sourcebooks, 2011. Anne Rice ownership signature dated May 12, 2015 to title page.

Puzo, Mario. The Godfather. New York: Putnam, 1969. Book club edition. On May 26 and 27, 2013, she writes, "Badly need this, Studying in detail" and on page 74 she writes, "Note how easily it flows." She has great praise for the nimbleness of the novel's p.o.v. and is often asking herself "how can I learn from this?" On p 225 she writes, "This is a most impressive piece of work and is masterly. Again I marvel at vocabulary, tone, and placement—organization of the book. I fight OCD as I write, I've come to see that, and this helps me to see what this novel accomplishes. Presenting the Don as a 'great' man, a 'genius,' without apology is a conscious approach that is so powerful."

Puzo, Mario. The Godfather. Another copy, later edition, lacking jacket. With Anne Rice's ownership signature.

Puzo, Mario. The Godfather Papers and Other Confessions. London; William Heinneman, 1972.

Puzo, Mario. The Fortunate Pilgrim. New York: Random House, 1997. Anne Rice ownership signature.

Wallace, Lew. Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. New York and London: Harper & Brothers, 1908. Anne Rice re-read this copy of Ben-Hur in 2006, a used copy she picked up somewhere, leaving detailed marginalia throughout and summing up her thoughts on the first flyleaf: "12-12-06: This is an amazing achievement: a Judeo-Christian novel. Jewish history and honor are here! And a woman tells this history to her son! How did we get away from this to The Robe ... 12-15-06: I've spent over two days reading & studying this wonderful book. It does seem unique—and it covers an amazing amt of material including a physical description of Our Lord, the crucifixion, etc. It is not anti-semitic. It presents Jews as exotic, 'oriental.' It has a primitive quality ... why is the prose so difficult? so 'dated'? Compare to Dickens." Rice's notes in the margin often compare the novel to (presumably the 1959 version of) the film, finding the novel superior in every way, and commenting more than once on its structural similarities to Dickens: "the whole spectacle and the co-incidence" (p 166).

Cleland, John. 1709-1789. Fanny Hill or Memoirs of a Woman of Pleasure. New York: Penguin Books, 1985. Annotated and with ownership signature to the title page: "Anne Rice / January 2014 / Palm Desert." Rice underscores Cleland's descriptions of bodies and physical acts, and in particular, wonders about the novel's p.o.v.: on p 108 she writes in the margin, "Is this a man's view? A gay man? An author who is male and female?"

Clinton, Bill. Born 1946. My Life. New York: Alfred Knopf, 2004. Jacket spine with label "From the library of Anne Rice" laid down to tail. First edition, inscribed on the title page, "To Anne—After doing this book, I admire you even more—Bill Clinton." with: a note on the Office of William J. Clinton letterhead: "2/17 —Huma—For author ANNE RICE.—Thanks, Sally." When Clinton published his memoir in 2024, Rice was one of the VIPs to receive a presentation copy, in which he expresses his admiration for her work after having written a book of his own.

Bellman, Henry. 1882-1945. Kings Row. New York: Simon and Schuster, 1943. Annotated and with ownership signature to front free endpaper: "Anne Rice / June 27, 2013 / Palm Desert." Rice has carefully read and annotated this copy, complementing the writing (particularly when Bellamann writes about Father Donovan) and adds a long note on the rear pastedown: "Pages & pages of this book are about the mind—about how the mind learns, expands, grows, experiences." Sometimes her comments are in conversation with the text, as when, on p 153, she underlines the town of Auvergne and writes "Auvergne, what a coincidence! As I plan a trip there and write about Lestat!"

Dickens, Charles. David Copperfield. New York: Penguin Classics, 2014. With ownership signature of Anne Rice dated June 11, 2018, tabbed and annotated throughout. On the preliminary leaf of Copperfield, Rice writes, "Again with my beloved David, and my beloved Dickens. I have just read Claire Tomalink 'The Invisible Woman' and her later bio of Dickens. I'm writing my new novel in my head."

Dickens, Charles. Great Expectations. New York: Penguin Classics, 2008. Signed and dated June 15, 2018, tabbed and annotated throughout.

Rawlings, Marjorie Kinnen. South Moon Under. New York, London: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1933 (undated later facsimile edition).

Mitchell, Margaret, Gone With the Wind. New York: [Simon and Schuster], 2011. Rice reread this copy in March of 2015, tabbing dozens of pages and commenting in the margins.

Tolstoy, Leo. War and Peace. New York: Alfred Knopf, 2007. The first date on this copy of War and Peace is June 30, 2010, and Rice writes: "The Desert / Being reborn in Tolstoy, studying at his feet—Searching for the Christ who is bigger than religion." In a different ink, Rice adds at the top of the same page, "Revisiting 7-16-17—Having seen much of the new BBC series with Lily James as Natasha." Rice has tabbed the pages throughout this volume and made extensive notes on character development and theme. On the rear flyleaf, she adds, "'Life is everything...' p 10064— use for L" as well as "The guiltlessness of suffering (do we make ourselves suffer to be guiltless)?"

Tolstoy, Leo. Anna Karinina. Translated by Rosamund Bartlett. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2014. Signed and annotated February 19, 2015. Heavily tabbed, especially in the center part of the novel, and noted on the front flyleaf: "Reading chunks of the story of Levin & Kitty / So beautiful and smooth—"

#Anne Rice #The Vampire Chronicles #Interview With the Vampire #Inspirations

28 notes · View notes

periracha · 11 months ago

Text

Waiting

☾ pairing: Dad!Chan x Mom!Reader ☾ wc: 2k ☾ genre: fluff, boring domesticity (gasp) ☾ cw: Christmas themes, kids, suggestive jokes, me trying to be funny idk, language, chan being chan ☾ summary: the bangs get in the holiday spirit! ☾ a/n: wanted to get a whole aesthetic and masterlist up for this blog before i posted anything but this little idea had my brain in a chokehold all day so,,,,enjoy ! also, let me know if I should continue writing this family so i can give them names, etc. yes this piece is fluff but this blog is 18+, MDNI

Ripples start to splash against the inside of your mug as you set it down on the coffee table that has been pushed aside for the evening to allow enough room for you and your husband.

“Clearing the living room floor the second both kids are down and out?” Chan asks with a wiggle of his eyebrow.

“Bit risky but I can work with this” he says while straining his neck and pulling his left arm across his chest in a stretch in preparation.

You look up at him when a scoff falls from your lips, “ha yeah you wish. Now get the wrapping paper from the closet”

“Please” you add with a sarcastic smile and sweet like honey tone.

He blinked at you silently for a split second before he huffed out a big sigh, “Oh thank god. I don’t think my back could handle these hardwood floors like it used to” he finishes as he makes his way to the hallway closet.

“Mmm unfortunately the only action these floors have been getting lately is spilled juice and probably some dusty cheetos the kids kicked under the couch” you joke as Chan meets you on the floor with wrapping supplies and gifts.

A quiet laugh in agreement leaves his lips.

“She’s gonna love this” Chan says with a grin so wide it meets his eyes.

He’s holding up a Bluey plushie that plays a few catchphrases from the show when its paw is squeezed.

“She better…. I’m running out of reasons why she can’t buy it every time we go to the store” you say as you cut wrapping paper big enough to wrap the doll and hand it to him.

Your daughter had wanted this little plushie for months now, always asking to stop by the toy section whenever you visit your local department store. You quickly learned that simply telling her the store didn’t have anymore wasn’t gonna fly with her. She always found a way to swindle you into the toy aisles, finding the plushie every time. Distracting her with books or other small toys could only get you so far; luckily Christmas was only a few days away and you both would soon see the joy on her face when she opened her gift.

“How do you even wrap these things??” Chan huffed out with a bewildered look on his face; his brows drawn tight and his eyes wide open. The piece of wrapping paper you had given him was creased all over, and covered in way too many pieces of tape that didn’t actually do anything to keep the paper together.

A giggle started in your chest but you choked it down with a fake cough. Chan was used to being good at almost anything he put his mind to.

Dancing? Easy.

Singing? No Problem.

Writing thousands of unique songs that differed in their own ways? Piece of cake.

Sports? Absolutely.

Wrapping a small gift for his three year old daughter? Not so much.

Carefully, you took the small doll from his hand and replaced it with a box of bath toys for your son.

“Here, let me handle this…and you wrap these” you said nonchalantly as soon as you made the switch; immediately working on your new task at hand.

Chan gawked at you with a goofy smile on his face, “You don’t think I can do it?...you’re demoting me to only wrapping boxes?” he laughed while feigning offense.

“No no no!”, you waved off, “you’re just soooo good! Better than me! The best actually!” you rushed out while trying to contain your laughter but ultimately failing.

Chan looked at you with pointed eyes, but had a wide smile plastered on his face the entire time. He looked like he was going to say something in retaliation but decided against it, letting out a small chuckle and shaking his head instead while he got to work on the box.

Many presents later you were both feeling the ache deep in your lower back from hunching over on the floor.

“Okay that's enough for me, I’m tapping out,” Chan said stretching his back with a yawn.

You yawned and simply shook your head up and down in agreement, thinking about how you were too tired to even keep your eyes open.

You got up and gathered all your wrapping supplies to store away.

“Oh! Can you take all those and put them under the tree?” you asked him while pointing to the group of gifts.

He hummed a quick mhm and started gathering them in his arms.

“Make sure to put Bluey on top of the one of the taller presents so they can’t get to it” you called out as you made your way to your room.

“Yep, got it” Chan quickly responded before placing all the presents down and making his way to follow you to your bedroom.

The next day went blissfully as usual; waking up way too early to cries before the sun is even fully out, only to finally get your son back down and you barely back in bed before your daughter barges in demanding French toast stat.

Did you even have all the ingredients for french toast?

You already got one kid handled, Chan could handle this one.

You lightly kicked him in the leg as he laid beside you to wake him up before you made yourself comfortable to fall back asleep.

When you did wake up, you grabbed your son and met your husband and daughter in the living room, setting him down to crawl around the rug.

“Good morning love”, Chan greeted you with a kiss to your cheek and sliding his arms around your waist in a loose hug.

You hummed a good morning back before resting your head against his chest.

“My turn! My turn!” your daughter yelled entirely too close to your eardrum as she stood on the couch in an attempt to be as eye level as she could with you.

“Coffee?” Chan asked with a smirk as he let you go and made his way to the kitchen.

“Ohhh yeah” you answered before turning your attention fully on your daughter.

She puckered her lips and stood on her tiptoes in an attempt to copy her dad’s previous actions. You bent down and she kissed your cheek, “Good morning, mommy!”, she giggled before flopping down on the couch.

“Oh it is a good morning!” you smiled back to her before tickling her to get some hugs in.

Chan met you back in the living room with your fresh cup of coffee as you both sat on the couch, watching your children play together in the early morning hours.

Your son crawled towards the christmas tree and before you could get up to grab him he had already bumped into a few presents, causing one of them to go off.

“Hello! Hehehe”

The noise immediately caught your daughter's attention and her head snapped towards the tree before her eyes widened. You could see the wheels starting to turn in her head to try and make sense of what just happened when you looked over at Chan who was sporting a mortified look. Jaw hung open and downward, eyes widening and moving around the room at everyone’s faces.

The damn Bluey doll had gone off and one of her most wanted presents was most likely spoiled now.

“WHAT WAS THAT?” she rushed out, walking closer to the tree.

“Your brother!” Chan blurted out way too quickly before tightening his lip into a flat line, realizing what he just did.

Your daughter stopped dead in her tracks and looked at the both of you.

“What???” she asked again, her eyes darting between yours and Chan’s a few times.

“He can talk??, “ she screamed, bewildered at the new information being thrown at her all too quickly, pointing at him and eyes wide as saucers.

You let out a huff of air and forced yourself to take a sip of your coffee, hoping to buy you some time, waiting for your brain to kick on. It was too early for this.

Chan looked at you waiting for you to come in and save the conversation but you had nothing. How were you supposed to convince a 3 year old that her 8 month old brother could now speak when he’s never done that before.

You’re on your own here. You thought to yourself as your eyes met Chan’s again. His face still stuck in the same shocked expression.

“Uhh…yeah..yeah…?” Chan tried to get out nonchalantly but it ended up coming out more like a question and high pitched tone, before clearing his throat.

Your son had now crawled toward your daughter and started grabbing at her legs to get her attention.

You needed a moment to think but your daughter would absolutely follow you wherever you went to…. Unless…?

You coughed into your arm dramatically, “ooooh mommy needs medicine, I will be right back” you said before quickly standing up and making your way to the hallway cabinets before she could stop you.

Even the possibility of being around cough medicine, seeing it with her own eyes, was enough to keep your daughter from following you. She was not about to risk having to take that, yucky grape stuff, as she likes to call it.

Chan followed after you, staying in the open area to keep an eye on the two kids.

“So our 8 month old is saying full words now is he?” you asked, raising your eyebrows when he got closer to you.

“I panicked okay!”, he screamed in a hushed tone.

“So you blame it on the baby?!” you asked in disbelief, a laugh starting in the bottom of your throat. You tightened your lips in an effort to stop the smile you knew was coming.

“What else was I supposed to say it came from?” Chan asked with a strained laugh, “you were no help!” he accused, pointing his finger and narrowing his gaze.

“I don’t know Chan! The TV? Your phone?” you huffed out off the top of your head and throwing your hands in the air.

“Hm. yeah that would’ve been good”, he said staring at the floor, realizing just how easy those would’ve been to explain away to a child.

He stepped back from you to get a better look at your kids a few steps away. His brow furrowed so you stepped forward to see what he was looking at.

Your daughter was sitting directly across from your son with a serious expression on her face, no more playing going on in sight.

“What..what are you guys doing?” Chan asked loud enough for your kids to hear.

Your daughter looked back at him, “Waiting,” she said matter of factly before refocusing her attention back on her brother.

“Waiting foorrr?” Chan asked, raising his eyebrows as you both took a step toward them.

“Him to talk again” she answered without bothering to even look at Chan this time, her serious gaze never leaving her brother's face. He was babbling and drooling while playing with the legs of her pajama pants.

You both couldn’t contain the laughs that came from your mouths. Today was going to be a long day.

You couldn’t wipe the smile from your face as you thought about your family’s antics. Never a boring day in the Bang household, but you wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Hey Chan, what did you do with the matching talking Bingo we wrapped last night?”

“Shit”

©periracha, 2023.

106 notes · View notes

roseofdarknessblog · 11 months ago

Text

Christmas baby | Levi Ackerman

You’ve always loved Christmas and everything that came with the holiday season. But for the last couple of years, Christmas has been special thanks to your partner. Since Levi was a Christmas baby, as you loved to call him, the holidays became even more remarkable to you.

Making everything perfect for Levi and his special day was your priority every single year. He didn’t like big noisy celebrations or people making a fuss out of his birthday. So every year, you made sure to spend the 25th of December in a calm and loving atmosphere. Sometimes at home and sometimes away on a little vacation somewhere nice.

„Good morning, sleepy head,“ you said with a huge smile when Levi walked into the kitchen. It was bright and early, the sun was only coming up, making the thick layer of snow outside sparkle in the sunlight. Your whole house was full of warm yellow glow, making everything seem extra cozy. „Breakfast is almost ready.“

Levi shook his head with a sleepy smirk, coming up to you and hugging you around the waist from behind. His lips pressed a warm kiss behind your ear, while you were finishing up with the special breakfast for your most beloved.

„Happy Birthday and also Merry Christmas,“ you said joyfully, looking over your shoulder to meet his lips in another tender kiss. His grip around your waist tightened a little, keeping you close.

„Thank you, love. Merry Christmas to you too.“ He rested his head against yours, watching you finish his favorite French toast with pieces of fried bacon. It was a lovely combination, mainly with Levi’s special winter-flavored caramel tea. „Do we have any plans for today?“

„No, not really. Maybe we could go for a walk if the weather stays nice. I love how quiet and peaceful the world outside is during the holiday season.“

„Yeah, that sounds nice. Maybe we can visit my mom, too.“

„I talked to her yesterday, she’s coming over for lunch tomorrow. And she’s expecting us for dinner today.“ You and Kuchel had an amazing relationship. She truly was a saint, who always had so much love for both you and her son. Even her brother Kenny liked catching up with you when he came for a quick visit or if you met at Kuchel’s house.

As you kept talking, both of you sat down at the dining table and enjoyed breakfast together. While you served the food, Levi made tea. Since there was nowhere to hurry, you could truly enjoy each and every moment, cherishing the time spent together on this very special day.

The house was nice and quiet, and all you could hear were the sounds of nature from outside. When you looked out the window, you saw tiny snowflakes drifting around and making the outside scenery even more lovely. It was such a huge contrast to everything you saw around you in the house – the Christmas tree, all the decorations and the fire peacefully burning in the fireplace, making the house warm and cozy.

The day of Levi’s birthday nor Christmas were ever about giving one another a huge amount of gifts. The best thing about the entire holidays were actually the days leading up to them. When you found time to decorate and bake together. Dance around the house to gentle Christmas music and fool around the kitchen, making a huge mess in the process and then cleaning it all up while tasting your sweet creations.

Yes, the actual holidays were beautiful and filled with love and gratitude, but those very last days before them had some unique kind of magic you looked forward to every single year. And Levi too. He adored helping you get everything ready. Despite all the tasks, he found it relaxing and assuring in a way. All the hustle before the holidays made him feel grateful that he had a special someone to share all of this with.

„What?“ Levi asked, when he caught you looking at him with a smile on your lips, while he was still finishing his breakfast. You shook your head and looked into your already empty plate. „No, tell me. What’s the matter?“

„Nothing, I just... I love you.“ He smirked at your shy expression as you said that. Almost as if you were saying it for the very first time. „And I’m so grateful that we can celebrate another holiday together,“ you added, reaching out your hand and stroking his cheek lovingly.

Levi slightly turned his head and pressed a kiss into your palm, leaning into your touch a bit more. The calm and content expression on his beautiful face made you feel all the joy in the entire universe.

„How about showing me just how much you love me?“ he teased and before you knew it, he pulled you over to sit on his lap, his arms wrapping around your waist tightly.

„Don’t you want to unwrap your presents first?“ you asked, playfully running your thumb over his lower lip. With a smirk, Levi’s hands slipped under your shirt and onto your lower back, his touch warm and gentle.

„Hmm, there’s one very special gift I can’t wait to unwrap,“ he mumbled in a low voice, his lips gently brushing against your mouth. One of his hands traveled up your back underneath your shirt, holding you close. His eyes locked with yours, full of love and hunger for your body. „Maybe we could get to it now, so later we can go for that walk you mentioned earlier,“ he continued teasing you, while his other hand slipped out from underneath your shirt and into your hair.

„It’s your special day. So you’re the one to say that we’ll be doing.“

„Trust me, I’ll enjoy this fact very much,“ he whispered into your lips and stood up, lifting you off his lap. With your legs wrapped around his waist, he made his way back to the bedroom, your lips staying pressed together in a passionate kiss for the entire time.

It was his birthday, after all. So it was only fair to grant him every little pleasure his heart desired.

#levi ackerman #levi ackerman x reader #levi ackerman x you #aot x reader #aot x you

59 notes · View notes

theesirenteller · 11 months ago

Text

Domesticated | Unqiue

🅳🅴🆂🅲🆁🅸🅿🆃🅸🅾🅽

After the passing of his child's mother, Kadeem Mathis better known in the streets as 'Unique or Nique'; has taken on the role of being a full-time parent. Which causes more difficulties rather than smooth sailing, A full time caregiver for his son and new home in Astoria, Queens is needed. What starts off as simply business quickly turns personal when the tender love & care of a woman warms his once hollow heart.]

RATING: 𝙈𝘼𝙏𝙐𝙍𝙀

DEATH had become a normal reoccurrence in Kadeem's day to day life. Oftentimes it was business more than personal. But on December 30th,1992 Kadeem's babymama, Tori was murdered. Their son Jerome was found on the snowy cold floor beside her carved up body. She'd been stabbed over twenty times and left behind the Carvel ice cream store she had previously been in. Kadeem remembered when Tori's mother called him from the hospital. Getting that type of need caused him to abruptly leave his meeting with Raquel and show up with a rapidly beating heart. His henchmen followed behind him with ansty hands that were trigger-finger ready.

Despite not being in love with Tori, he still had a great amount of love and respect for her purely for gifting him Jerome. No child deserved to be motherless and Jerome wasn't even a year old. He never got to properly meet her, know her. He was freshly four months old. Four months old and in the hospital fighting an Pneumonia. Tears glazed his eyes as he watched his son from the incubator. As soon as his mother,Sheronda, arrived at the hospital, he felt secure enough to leave and handle Tori's murderers. And nothing surprised him more than to find out she'd been killed because of her own actions and not because of him. Kadeem learned that Tori had punched out a pregnant woman. A woman whose man she was messing with. Unfortunately for Tori, that girl had a sister from Brooklyn who ran her own gang. Nothing major, just ten girls. But those bitches were ruthless. Stone cold and colder than some men from what Worrell found out. The sadness Kadeem felt for Tori was replaced with anger.

Her hoe-antics got her killed, got her taken away from their innocent child and nearly got him killed in the process of it. Despite his anger, he still avenged her. For Jerome. It had taken less than an hour to locate them. And it took nearly two to off each and every one of them. Each woman and their innocent bystanders had gotten a face full of bullets. It was Christmas and Kadeem was feeling generous. So the man that Tori was fooling with had gotten gunned down too. He thought of taking the man's wife's life but didn't. He left her alone. She'd been in her daughter's room, hugging her child close and he just passed her by. Her child looked a few months older than Jerome. The child shared his same complexion and despite showing no expression on his face, he felt heartbroken. After that, Kareem disassociates from his emotions and thoughts as he leaves the home. All of the events that transpired, all the lives that were lost…felt unnecessary. Unnecessary tragedies.

It'd been a month since then and being thrown into the world of being a single father to a newborn had turned Kareem's life upside down. He could manage the streets of Jamaica, Queens no problem. He was a natural born leader who had an immense amount of respect in the streets. But little Jerome had him feeling like a puppy with its tail tucked between his legs. He needed around the clock care, comfort, and affection. All that Kareem provided without fuss. It was the anxiety that kept him up at night. Anxious at the mere thought of Jerome being in harm's way. Anxious that he could kiss his son good morning and the next he could be kissing his cold dead body before a funeral. Dark thoughts plagued Kareem's mind and all he kept repeating to himself was ‘’tighten up”.

When he left Jerome with his granny, Kareem went nose deep into reconstructing his life. More private, less reckless. He sold his apartment and replaced it with a two story single-family in a nicer part of Queens, Astoria.

He made sure to collect his neighbors personal information from a tech-geek at NYU. Nothing but elderly Indians, Koreans, and a few Africans lived within his block. Mainly all retired or doctors, and some even bodega owners. He had their ss information, background checks, and even family lists with photos attached. Just in case. This was a green zone, a safer spot for Jerome. And he needed to know who moved in or out of it. Make sure nobody like him or who he dealt with had any type of reason for being in this area. On this block. He had his mother decorate the whole place and she approved of the home. She even stayed in it to care for Jerome for a few weeks.

“Kadeem, you gonna need to get a housekeeper and a babysitter, boy. I ain't sign up to be either. I'm cool with watching my baby on the weekends but I ain't raising him Hell, maybe get a in house bitch, a homebody who's eager to play step-mama. I don't know but do something.” Sheronda, his mother announced over Sunday dinner.

Kadeem stopped chewing on his Mac and cheese noodles as he proceeded what she said,” Ma, you don't think it's a lil' too early for this?” His velvety voice silked through the warm dining room. “Jerome don't need no step-mama or no strangers. He got you and he got me, that's all he needs right now. His peoples.”

His mother shook her head in disapproval, “Better sooner rather than later. All that love and affection from use comes second. That baby needs around the clock care and so does this home you bought. Just how you know love don't pay the bills, it don't keep things in line either.” She rebuttals. And her words stuck with him for the next few days despite him not giving her an answer.

His days blended together over the course of the following weeks. And he was thankful that his mother continued to care for Jerome. He had sent a list of cleaning agencies and child caregiver agencies the week before he and Raq had their meeting with Sal Boseill & his gang. Sheronda had gotten started on skimming through agencies. The sixty-five year old was tired and irritated from talking to various managers and coordinators. A lot of them had nasty attitudes and Sheronda damn sure wasn't going to have some lazy, slick-mouth maid up in her son's and grandson's home.

She soon came across the thirty-ninth agency's pamphlet, Lá Casá De La Paz (The house of peace) and what sparked her interest was the dual-care services. They had full time aides who did house sitting and personal care elderly and disabled children. They also had home cleaning services solely. Sheronda hoped that she could finesse the personal care service provider into finding some to care for a newborn who wasn't disabled. Finding a nanny on top of a house cleaned just felt like so much work. And Sheronda's patience was wearing thin.

“Hola, Bienvenida a la casa de la paz, habla María, ¿en qué puedo ayudarle?” The woman on the other side of the phone line greeted Sheronda with a heavy spanish-accent.

“Um, I'm sorry I don't speak Spanish. Do you have anyone that speaks English, Maria?” Sheronda replied.

“Yes, Un minuto por favor.” The woman said before a beeping sound was heard and another voice answered, “Hello, this is Jasmine speaking, how may I help you.”

“Hey Jasmine, my name is Sheronda and I am interested in your dual-care services. I need both personal care and house cleaning services. But, not for me. For my son and grandson…” She then went on to explain her family's situation. And by the end of their two-hour long phone call, a payment plan and a list of caregivers for interviews were listed and scheduled to meet with Kareem. Things were more costly for the family than the average client due to their unique situation. No one needed to get approved by insurance. It was all independent contracting which meant cold cash and a notary contract had been set in place.

Michel'le sat in the bedroom-sized break room of Lá Casá De La Paz eating her lunch after coming to base after a long shift. She ate her plantains, rice and beans quietly in a corner seat, facing the wall. She drowned out the chair-chatter of the middle-aged caregivers who gossiped amongst themselves in Spanish with her headphones. Her cd sat in her waist belt around her waist as Brenda Lee's passion-filled song Emotions played. Her short-chubby legs spun back and forth underneath the chair as she quietly hummed along. A hand roughly rubbing against her shoulder caused her wide-eyed daydreaming gaze to break and her head to snap back. Galinda, one of her coworker’s lips moved and her head nodded to the door. Michel'le could feel the dampness of Gaildna's sweaty hand sink into the cotton fabric of her turtleneck. Michel'le quickly shoved the woman's hand off her and got up from her seat. The metal chair screeched loudly against the cool floor tiles as she rose and rushed out the room.

The music stopped and her earphones now sat loosely around her neck as she made her way to the coordinator's office. More work was exactly what she expected. Michel'le was the youngest in the staff so the patients that the other women refused or didn't show up for; Michel'le stepped in for. A bonus was that despite being an immigrant from Puerto Rico, she knew English fluently while the majority of the staff didn't care to learn. She was currently twenty-four years old despite looking fifteen in the face. Her body, her full figure of large teardrop-shaped breasts, chubby arms, plum oval-shaped thighs, and a large low-hung round fatty-rear that looked as if it should've belonged to a milf with some kids and more than a few sexual encounters under her belt should've had; was what made her look her age if not an age range close to it.

She strolled into Jasmine's office to see the umber-brown Dominican coordinator seated behind her chalky-white desk as usual, dressed in gray and black scrubs.

“Michel'le, Hey, have a seat.” Jasmine greeted as her dark brown eyes settled on the timid-standing young woman at the door.

Michel'le did quietly as told and folded her hands tightly together in her lap as she awaited to hear what she was here for.

“I've got a better position for you. Something long term. Uh-how do you say…longer contract. Off the books for the most part.” Jasmine started off before further explaining,”There's a family located in Queens, The Astoria area so it's a pretty good spot. The pay is very good, a thousand for you a week plus room & board. They want someone to be an in house nanny. Take care of an infant who's around five or six months old, clean the house, make three meals a day. I suggested you for the job along with Sonya, Eva, and Carmella. They have another agency with four other women coming.” Jasmine read over the details before looking directly at Michel'le and sighed.

“Honestly? Nena I want better for you. You're like a daughter to me and cleaning up shit, blood, and whatever else isn't what your life should be. You're a quiet girl, Un Nena Muy Buena (a very good girl) and esoy brujas (old hags) take advantage of that. This could be a start to better employment. Change isn't always bad.” Jasmine was the only one Michel'le shared more than two words with and held eye contact with. Jasmine knew the girl was very timid and a bit of a scardy cat, easily shaken up. And she wanted better for her.

Michel'le dug her tooth into the side of the gums of her lower lip as her nails dug into her palm. Small beads of sweat began to pebble underneath her arms and underneath her breasts. Change? She avoided that like the plague. But, this didn't sound bad. And it appeared that she'd be alone most of the time or in the company of the infant. ‘An infant. A small human.’ she thought to herself mentally. She'd never been around children before, let alone a baby. She didn't have much knowledge about them outside of a few antonym and childcare books she'd read at one of her client's homes.

“I don't know how to care for a child, Jasmine.” She finally spoke up. Spoken an octave above a whisper. Her voice sounded similar to her namesake, the r&b singer Michel'le. Not exactly but similar with its child-like quality, only Michel'le Ramirez was more airy. Her words left her mouth sounding like harmonious ad-libs.She spoke as though she never raised her voice in her life. And she hadn't. Ever.

“You’vee taken care of bed-ridden 80 and 90 year olds. Babies are much easier than that and they don't have slick mouths.” Jasmine dismissed, “You've got this.” She reassured her with a smile.

Saturday, January 28th came quicker than Michel'le expected. Jasmine has given her an address and interview time weeks prior. Morty's Dinner, located in the Hillside area of Jamaica, Queens was where the interviews were being conducted and 10 a.m. was her specific interview time. Michel’le arrived an hour earlier to the area due to wanting to avoid the unpredictable timing of the city's trains. Michel'le lingered around the park nearby for a bit. She was familiar with the area. She'd been to every borough because of her job. The weather was cold. A dry cold that would sting one's bones and redden their noses. She wore a white thermal turtleneck with an ankle-length indigo-blue denim dress, with her thermal long-sleeved long johns underneath. Wool socks covered her feet with four-trimmed rubber black anti-slip boots on her feet. An ankle-length Heather gray wool-trench coat covered her short frame like a blanket along with a crochet beanie that covered her head.

Her wide-eyed gaze swept across the cooped up street corners that were filled with various dope dealers and their clientele. She walked quickly to not bring an ounce of attention to herself. It was a five minute walk to the mom&pop diner she was sent to. Arriving inside the warm, breakfast food scented restaurant at exactly 9:58. She looked around for a man who fit the description of her portfolio. Mr.Mavis was described as a twenty-eight year old dark-skinned black male who would be seated at the last table on the third row. She didn't get a chance to get a full look around because she was harshly bumped into by none other than one of her co-workers, Sonya.

“Cabrón” (bastard) Sonya cussed under her breath as she bypassed Michel'le.

Michel'le squeezed at the leather strap of her purse and glared in Sonya's direction before shifting her eyes to the direction that the co-worker had come from. There he sat. And he wasn't anything that she expected. He was far more. The man across the way had the most vibrant shade of rich-sienna brown skin that looked like fine bourbon-colored mulberry silk. His luxurious attire of a gray colored animal-fur coat and black turtleneck hugged his neck perfectly made him look-like royalty. Sure, his clothes screamed money. But he sat in them with a certain type of class that made him look effortless. He wore the clothes, they didn't wear him. Even the gaunty large gold chain around his neck didn't appear tacky.

Kadeem felt someone staring at him. He felt the gaze from across the room and his eyes settled on, what to him looked like a little girl. She was very short. No more than than five feet tall and that long ass coat she had on was swallowing her up. She made her way towards his direction as his henchmen sat at the booth in front of him. Kadeem and Michel'le stared directly into each other's eyes. But both of them had different gazes. She looked startled and memeriezed while he looked curious.

“Oh hell naw, these niggas runnin' sweat shops too? Send'n youngin's n shit?” One of his men commented a little too loudly as Michel'le approached Kadeem.

She was confident he was the leader, the employer. His presence gave off this type ’je ne sais quoi’ that demanded respect and reciprocated it. His head was held high. Up close his chiseled, almost-angelic Nubian features made the back of neck grow sweaty and her palms grow clammy. His beauty was merely intimidating. “Excuse me, are you Mr Marvis?” Her squeaky tone convinced Kadeem that she indeed was a kid.

Kadeem looked her over before slowly nodding his head, “Sup, babygirl. What can I do for you?” Geez, His voice was as smooth as melted butter glazing toast. It had a subtle rasp to it but held a deep octave that sang off his lips like a Barry white song, “Call me Nique by the way,” he corrected.

“Mr.Nique…” his name sounded sweet like honey coming from her lips, “I'm Michel'le Ramirez, The agency; Lá Casá De La Paz sent me. 10:00 a.m. sharp.” Her words started off shaky but grew more firm towards the end of her informal sentence. Her accent was thicker with some words rather than others.

“Right…right. Have a seat, let Worrell get your coat,” Kadeem nudged his chin up and as if on cue, a light-skinned male in an oversized brown bomber with a low Afro had stood up and extended his arms out to take her coat.

“Oh…um…thank you.” She muttered out quickly as she briefly made eye-contact with the man as she removed her coat.

A dog was a dog and a man was a man. Nique's men and himself included had drank in her body with their eyes. Lustful looks passed across their eyes unt she sat down. Kadeem had taken notice of how Michel'le dug her fingernails into the palm of her hand. So tight that her knuckles turned white. He then sent a sharp look forward that caused his four henchmen to turn around in their seats and face forward, “Why don't y'all niggas go take a walk or sum; go get air sum air.” It didn't sound like a suggestion to Michel'le. And given the fact that they all got up and began making their way outside let her know that it wasn't.

Michel'le proceeded to remove her crochet beanie hat. Her naturally curly hair was wavy today, her short choppy bangs sat a few inches above her eyebrows. Her hair fell to the top of her shoulders Now. It was Kadeem's turn to view her through the lense she viewed him in. Kadeem was met with raw beauty. Now that he could fully see her without the coat and hat covering her up, he got a chance to see the full picture. She clearly was no kid. Maybe seventeen if he was guessing her being younger than what the profilio he has yet to read would say. And if she was that young, well he had no reason to employ her. He admired her heart-shaped outward pouty lips, taking notice of how much fuller her bottom lip was versus her top lip. He also likes her flawless ochre-brown skin, the center of the cheeks of her babyish face were a shade of coral that reminded of peaches. Most of all, he loved her big, brown eyes. He had watched Bambi a few times with Jerome and oddly enough, Michel'le reminded him of faline. Her eye shape and her gaze. She was beautiful besides her janky ass bangs and denim dress that was too long in his opinion.

“Would you like some breakfast? Get whateva you want, on me.” He offered with a heavy NYC accent and reassurance that didn't have to worry about the bill.

“Oh…um sure, thanks.” The coral tint on her cheeks deepened as she pushed her hair behind her ears, “Are you gonna get anything? It…um…might be awkward for me to just sit and eat in your face.”

She made him crack a chuckle. A chuckle that sounded like the melodical roar of the engine of a mustang. Deep and smooth. The vibrations of his chuckle bounced off her skin and left goosebumps behind, “I can eat.” He agreed.

Michel'le’s shoulders dropped in relief and she nodded her head, “Cool, thank you.” She then proceeded to open the plastic menu book and skim through it. Kadeem found her awkwardness cute. Different from the woman he dealt with daily or came across.

The waitress had come over to their table and both ordered the breakfast special which included, scrambled eggs, two sausage links, hash browns,a coffee and a slice of apple pie or a stack of pancakes. Kadeem chose pancakes while Michel'le chose apple pie.

“So, why you want the job?” Kadeem asked as soon as the waitress was out of ear shot.

“Well um-”

“Yo, excuse me but you mind looking me in my eyes when you speak to me, baby girl,” Kadeem cut in.

Her blush spread up to the corners of her ears now. Her face grew hot as she moved her gaze from the menu to his eyes. Her mouth suddenly started to feel dry, “I'm sorry, it's a force of habit.” Michel'le quickly apologized with a slight stutter.

“It's all good.” He assured her with a nod, folding his gold-ring covered fingers together as he leaned forward, Kadeem smiled at her with a smile that made her feel at ease. He had a smile that could open the gates of heaven, “So, tell me why you want the job.”

The softness within his eyes made her feel relaxed and more comfortable to open up, “Well, it sounds nice.” She started off with a smile slowly creasing the corners of her lips, “I mean it sounds like light work compared to what I'm used to. I'm good at tranquility, and I want the job because I like spaces that are peaceful and you want a peaceful home. I can provide that.“

The pair shared a lingering look and for Michel'le this was rare. She couldn't bring herself to look elsewhere. The subtle smile on his lips that was slowly turning to a smirk,

“You real sweet Michel'le.” he said casually just as the waitress brought over their food. His type of casualness made her speechless. Unable to respond because she hadn't come across someone like him before. His cool, calm, and calculated demeanor made her feel so frantic and feral on the inside.

The pair mutually and inaudibly graced each other with the respect of silence to enjoy their food while it was hot. The chimed medley of forks clicking against porcelain plates was what could be heard for a good ten to fifteen minutes. Every so often their eyes would meet and Michel'le would be the first to look elsewhere in a bashful manner. Tapping her mouth to clean off any crumbles of food, she proceeded to ask about his son, “What's your baby's name? The profilio didn't give his name, sorry. Just that he's an infant boy.” she nibbled at the side of her lip as asked further, “what's he like?”

The authentic smile of happiness that formed across Kadeem's face at the mention of his son, “My boy's name is Jerome.” The smile on Kadeem's face brightened up the whole room in Michel'le’’s eyes. It was sweet to see.”He's beautiful, real beautiful. The moment we met, I looked into his eyes and just saw an angel. My biggest blessing fo’real.” He could really rant about how great his baby boy was all day, but instead he took out his leather wallet and pulled out a credit card sized photo of the boy. Michel'le moved her plate aside and leaned over the table to get a closer look, Kadeem caught a whiff of her perfume. She smelt like peppermint and vanilla buttercream frosting. An unexpected mixture but he was digging it.

“He looks just like you,” she smiled as she further looked at the photo, “You're right. He's beautiful. I like his eyes, they're pretty.”

“Preciate’ that babygirl, he's my mini me fo'real.” Kadeem replied before he pushed his plate aside and opened the portfolio given to him by her agency. A few things on it made one of his eyebrows raise, “You twenty-four? I woulda guessed seventeen.” He commented aloud as he read, “From Culbra, Puerto Rico, hm? It says you only been in the states eight months, ya English is real crystal clear tho…” he nodded in approval before flipping to client forms.

“Thanks, uh I spoke English back home. It was taught in grade school as a secondary language. Tourism jobs helped me be more fluent too, I guess.” Michel'le shared quietly as she slid over her plate of apple pie. Kadeem nodded his head but didn't utter a word due to focusing on reading over her patient performance biweekly reports.

*You ever taken care of a child before? Cause all I'm seeing here is a whole lotta old niggas here on they last days.” Kadeem began to wonder why his mother went to an agency who specialized in the elderly and not children. His son nor him needed AARP or a bedpan. “No disrespect, sweetheart. I mean I'm sure that them niggas is more of a handful than Jerome.” He quickly added on.

He looked her directly in her eyes as he awaited an answer and despite Michel’le wanting the job, she wasn't going to lie. “No I haven't. Ever.” She admitted with a firm tone. The first one that bothered to appear in the midst of their conversation. She managed to push past her stutter and nervousness to give a solid answer without feeling defeated.

Kadeem sent a head nod her way as he ran his tongue across his bottom lip. “Ain't much of a problem.” His attention shifted behind her as his henchmen decided to make their way back inside the diner and walk past his & michel'le's table just as he asked, “You know how to cook? Not no hospital patient food, I mean do you know to rock them pots, babygirl.”

“She sholl ain't get that muthfuckin' thick eatin' no

rabbit food.” One of his henchmen muttered underneath his breath as he passed Kadeem. None other than Tez-G. Kadeem shot him a look that could only be read as ‘If I wasn't busy I'd punch you in the fucking mouth’

Luckily, He said it closer to Kadeem than Michel'le because by the looks of it, she didn't appear to hear. The girl was with her head down, silently eating her pie as she contemplated her answer.

“Well, that's uh…a matter of opinion… isn't it?” She replied awkwardly as she fiddled with her fork, “ I think I cook fairly well. I cook for myself only what I've been taught by my mother and her mother. But um, it's not about me. It's about you, serving you what you like.” She clarified before placing a forkful of apple pie in her mouth.

'Serve you' Kadeem liked the sound of that. It fed his king mentality and ego.

“Word.” He smirked.

The remainder of their time lasted ten minutes, when their breakfast desserts were finished, Kadeem stuck his hand out, “Preciate’ you choppin it up wit me, Michel'le.”

As she reached her hand out to shake his,the way he said her name made her feel scatterbrained. Sure, she thought she had a decent name. Michel'le didn't have a problem with it but the way kadeem said it made it sound pretty, Or maybe if only sounded pretty coming from his mouth. Michel'le wasn't able to get in a second thought because he had kissed her knuckles instead of shaking her hand and she wasn't expecting that at all.

“I'll be in touch.” The words that spilled from his heart-shaped lips went in one ear and out the other because she still was hung up on the fact that he kissed her hand. The softness of his lips reminded her of the softness of marshmallows.

“O-okay.” The care attendant managed to squeak out. A wobbly, goofball smile sat heavy on her pouty lips, “Thanks for breakfast.” She rushed out the words with a mousy tone as her anxiety flared up when she stood up. She needed to get up and go before embarrassing herself (further) by talking too fast or stuttering too badly. Her mind was in overstimulation mode. Which was a rare occurrence for a woman like her who walked with a high sense of numbness to any and everything around her.

She swiftly waved goodbye with her hand moving frantically. Kadeem had just sat there with a smirk of amusement laid across his lips as he sent her a head nod. He definitely has his fun subtly messing with her. Michel'le was easy to read in his opinion.Her genuineness was displayed within her eyes. He watched as she rushed out of the diner with her coat and beanie in hand.

Kadeem's attitude during the duration of her interview was the nicest he had been in the last few months. Even before his baby mother's passing, he'd been hard and cut throat. Raq was moving shady and he was smoking her out one flame at a time. Also, he cut corners in his crew, discarding rats and bringing those who showed ‘’loyalty’ at the levels of survival of the fittest. This was war and he needed the strongest soldiers lined up behind him.

“Nique what you did that got that girl running out like a church mouse?” Worrell joked as he slid into the seat that Michel'le once sat in.

“Just being friendly.” Kadeem chastised with a smirk.

“Yeah, be a lil mo friendly and she might go into cardiac arrest or some shit. She got a real bugged out look.” Worrell attempted to widen his eyes enough to get them to be as big as hers.

“You look stupid as fuck, yo. Matter fact, stop looking at me nigga, it's offensive.” Kareem mugged him with a look of annoyance. He let out a chuckle when Worrell huffed. “Come on man, back to work.” Kareem dropped a crisp hundred dollar bill on the table before he rose up from his seat.

Kareem's day blended into the night and that spilled into the early morning hour of six a.m. He'd taken the long way home to his new residence and ended up walking through his front door at 7 a.m. The aroma of Fodgers coffee beans brewing let him know his mother had gotten up and was occupying the kitchen. And after he left his shoes by the door and made his way into the kitchen, he was met with exactly what he expected. There in the center of the kitchen Sheronda was seated at the kitchen table. Her usual silk bluebonnet laid on her head, a mug of coffee in her left hand with a Newport cigarette between her fingers.

“Hey Mama.” Kadeem greeted warmly as he took a seat across from her.

A look of relief flashed across her eyes as her shoulders visibly settled down. With the life he lived, it was a blessing every time he came back in one piece, “Hey suga.” She greeted tiredly with a soft welcoming smile.

“I got some good news, well more for you than for me but still good.” Kareem grinned. And when she raised her brow and awaited his response, he continued “I may have found

a caregiver for the crib and Jerome.”

“How old is she?” Was his mother's first question. She hoped the woman in question was someone seasoned when it came to the task and at least in her late fifties. Her age range request for the agencies was fifty to sixty-five.

“Dang ma, you ain't gonna ask about her credentials first?” He teased with a chuckle.

All jokes aside, Michel'le had sixteen pages worth of up to date credentials that sparked his interest. She knew how to administer a series of medications, change wounds, use stitching to properly cover wounds, hell she cleaned immobile people from top to bottom and the patient's families said she made them feel safe and comfortable. Grown adults who were being cared for like infants,

“If she's something nice to look at I doubt you give a damn about her credentials.” his mother replied while giving him a side-eye.

Kadeem only laughed his mother off, “Man ma it ain't even like that. Plus, I think she's a nun or some shit like that. I mean…she showed up covered up from top to bottom.” Even with the information he had told her, his mother looked at him as if she didn't believe one bit of what he was saying. Kareem only chuckled as he stood up, “Look, do you wanna do the job? Because we can cancel all this.”

Sheronda kept quiet before shaking her head and taking a sip of her coffee.

“Aight then, I'm gonna go check on little man then shower.” He placed a kiss on his mother's cheek before heading upstairs.

All jokes aside, Kadeem had no interest in pursuing Michel'le in any aspect. Romantically, Sexually, etc. His main focus was getting Jerome comfortable so that he could get the kingdom he built in order and be better than ever. Outside her beauty, Michel’le wasn't his type. She was too green and damsels in distress wasn't his thing. But then again, Kadeem couldn't overlook that his taste in women was merely a product of his environment. They were predictable. He knew what they liked and how they moved. They all turned on him at some point. All snakes in the grass looking for the next with more street credibility, money, power, and anything else that was superficial. Like him.

#theesirenteller fanfic #unique raising kanan x oc #joey bada$$#raising kanan #Kadeem Mavis x ofc #theesirentellerstories #joey bada$$ fanfiction #blk!ofc #blk!plus sizeoc #black love #black girl!reader #woc poc #poc ofc #domesticated; Unqiue raising Kanan #black writers #blk writer #Kadeem 'Unqiue' Mathis x ofc

34 notes · View notes

peggy-sue-reads-a-book · 1 year ago

Text

Friends, Romans, mutuals!

My sister will be home for Christmas from her job at a children’s home in a third world country (I will not specify the organization in the interest of the children’s privacy). All the toys in the home are secondhand and hard plastic. That is to say, the toddlers are able to choose violence, which no one wants. There are no soft toys nor any personal belongings for the youngest children. Between now and my sister’s return, my goal is to handmake 25+ teddy bears to send back with her. I will not be able to send these fuzzy bois by mail because American goods are taxed too heavily. The clock do be ticking and also like this bear is such a little guy.

My heart is as full of love as my bank account is full of cobwebs. Consider help my dumb broke ass buy yarn by contributing any amount to this fund.

However, certain contributions will come with the following rewards:

$5 USD — 10 HCs for a mythical/folklore ship of your choice, including self ship.

$10 USD — Single page minimum one-shot, again, ship of your choice OR editing service for a 1k word fiction.

+ $10 at least two pages of your silly little scenario you twiddle your thumbs to at night. I see you over there. Yearning. Alternately, I can help you with a 2k word piece of your own.

Again, I do not chose to reveal look-upable info on the children’s home, but any and all contributors will receive a picture of their sponsored 🧸 in their ask box as online (read: eternal) evidence of their legitimacy and good-personhood. The Theodore Bears (named for my youngest son) are an original pattern I wrote myself and will be handmaking. Please consider what it means to a child to have a unique gift, purely to call your own.

Even if you are not able to contribute, (we get it) it would mean so much to us were you to share or blaze my post for a quick signal boost.

Much love to you all,

Peggy

#go fund me #the theodore bears #teddy bears #social justice #non profit #not for profit #children’s home #charity #knitting #crochet #crafting #attention #mutuals

46 notes · View notes

bucket-barnes · 1 year ago

Text

(Suggestion from @shouldwemaybe)

Isle Christmas traditions

The Isle of the lost isn’t a place many would consider “merry”…quite the opposite actually, joy is an unknown emotion to most residents of the Isle, schadenfreude sure, but not any forms of Joy or merriment. When winter rolls around, and when Auradonians start getting ready for the holidays, Isle residents find their own ways to celebrate…though that term is used loosely, more so “things done to make the winter more bearable”.

The pirates often found winter to be the ample time for “caroling”, or more accurately “getting drunk and singing sea shanties at the top of your lungs to distract yourself from the frostbite” (pirate ships aren’t exactly known for being warm places to sleep). This was a tradition that the lost revenge crew found themselves partaking in during Uma’s absence (Uma wasn’t very fond of the tradition as the pirates drunken singing often drove away customers). Harry, as de facto captain in Uma’s absence, was definitely a leader in this intoxicated choir, because if he drank enough rum and sang enough shanties…who’s to say his fingertips weren’t turning dark blue? Severe frostbite? No! You’re just drunk! (Safe to say Uma was less than pleased once Gil spilled the beans after she asked him where all the new scars on Harry’s hands came from)

The Tremaine’s were a more sophisticated lot, often decorating their apartment above the salon with whatever tossed out and broken ornaments from Auradon that came in on the barges, Anthony doing his best to make a nice dinner with whatever food was the least spoiled, and little Dizzy making gifts for her family, often taking inspiration from what she saw Evie wearing on TV and daydreaming about when she would get to Auradon and would be able to give her grandmother a broach made of real emerald or give Anthony a new coat not made from leather scraps

If you were of the more religious variety, Claud Frollo often held church services from inside the crepery (a church to some), though attendance tended to be low since most people abandoned their gods once they realized they were on the isle. The Tremaine’s were often in attendance, on occasion Captain Hook would be there if the sober guilt started getting to him, maybe a couple goblins wandered inside. Claudine didn’t mind her father’s sermons, it was nice change from him berating her and calling her a sin and disappointment. She always sat at the register listening to her father speak as she continued to serve customers that weren’t there for religion

The Legume family had their own traditions. Gaston would take his sons on a “hunting trip” on the far side of the isle, well…except Gil, he was too busy making sure no one had to cut off Harry’s hands because of the frostbite he refused to acknowledge. This hunting trip usually consisted of picking off whatever wildlife managed to survive on the isle and then taking it home for Gaston’s wife to cook into…they wouldn’t call it a feast, more so the only decent food the Legume boys are gonna see for a while. Gil’s stepmother, though married to Gaston, wasn’t terrible, she always saved a little bit of meat for Gil for when he came home, it wasn’t much but, better than nothing

Overall, the Isle of the lost is far from merry or very festive but…people adapt

Hope you liked this! It’s kinda short and admittedly not my best work (it’s kinda hard to come up with unique traditions while keeping the Isle’s normal levels of overall shittiness) I’d love to flesh out some of these ideas though so let me know if you have one in particular you’d like to see made into it’s own story! And feel free to keep giving me festive writing prompts!

#disney descendants #harry hook #descendants 3 #gil descendants #ben descendants #carlos descendants #jay descendants #evie descendants #mal descendants #disney #christmas #festive #i don’t care that it’s november i want to be christmas festive #descendants fandom #descendants fanfiction

37 notes · View notes

cowboyjen68 · 2 years ago

Note

hi jen! first off, i love your blog and it definitely helped me realize i’m a femme by helping me realize just how much i love butches. now i’ve been in a relationship with a butch for close to two months and it might be crazy but i can really see myself marrying my butch one day. i never knew i could feel so loved and cared for before i met them. what i wanted to ask you is, what can i do to be a good lover to my butch? is there anything you as a butch would recommend all lovers of butches to do for their honey? i hope you’re having a great day

I pushed away my natural attraction to femmes for fear of being "like a man" or "predatory". Basically I was letting rhetoric from straight and LGBT Communities form my ideas about what butch/femme meant. The myth that butches (or femmes) don't exist outside of their relationship to each other and that is was mimicing Man/Woman roles and societal rules was pushed at me from many angles.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with feeling at our most butch/femme when with each other and gaining stength from our chemistry with each other, both as friends and in romantic situations. There is also no reason to act in ways we are not comfortable JUST to push back against roles that are perceived as "heteronormative". Denying what makes us happy is akin to parents being upset when their son like trucks and rough housing because that makes him "stereotypical". No. It makes him human and people should be able to enjoy what they love without being judges for being stereotypical OR going against the grain.

My last girlfriend (and deepest love of my life) didn't use femme and I didn't care because her connection with me was undeniable and deep. She made me feel loved and wanted and unique.

My first girlfriend was a dyed in the wool strong femme. She tried her best to get me to embrace my butchness and the understand that I was allowed to be protective and do nice things for her while also letting my guard down and being vulnerable in intimate situations. I was not ready.

Here are some of the things that made me feel safe and seen as exactly who I was, a short butch with an outgoing personality and a zest for life and people who deperately wanted to let my passion for women free from supression.

Helping me pick outfits. I am pretty utilitarian in my clothing style. When we had a nice dinner out or a party my last girlfriend would help me pick clothes that looked good on me. Encouraging me to wear a tie or crisp button down. She let me wear my suspenders or a fitted vest and helped me button it up and straighten the seams. It is a miracle we ever made it to dinner when she did that.

Establishing I am hers in public settings, even if no one else noticed. When she would slide her hand on to the small of my back under my coat or flannel and rest it there I would go weak in the knees. Feeling her gentle touch, letting me know she is there with only me was like being drunk on feeling good.

Don't assume sexual roles or bedroom activities are a certain way for your butch. Touch is important to me but vulnerability was hard. Build trust and have some fun but in the privacy of our beds all butch/ femme stereo types should be left out in the cold and what ever brings out mutual passion should be the goal.

Pocket knives, belt buckles, and ugly Christmas sweaters are my favorite gifts. Things she made and frogs or toads she has thrifted are wonderful reminders that she knows me and loves me. She still sends tiny gifts to me because our friendship is strong and for that I am grateful. Figure out what tiny things make her smile or laugh and even bring her out of her comfort zone in a fun way. I wear too tight ugly sweatshirts that she gave me all the time and give no shits as to what other think because they remind me of her.

I am so glad you found love and passion with your butch and are doing your best to honor her as she is. Being a butch woman is never easy out in the world but being butch in a warm and caring home with a loving femme is peak lesbian life.

#butch #lesbian #love #femme

89 notes · View notes

weddingfavorsoutlet · 3 months ago

Text

Holy Family 925 Silver Argento Tear Drop

Price - $16.99

Celebrate the joy of the Christmas season with this plaque featuring the holy family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. This Italian plaque features a unique teardrop design that encapsulates a scene in the stable at Bethlehem.

The Holy Family Icon plaque is crafted from 925 silver on cherry wood back and elegantly displays Joseph’s pride in his new son as Mary dotes over a newly-born Jesus. Popular uses Religious favors, first communion party favors, first communion decorations, baptism party favors, or christening favors ceremonies or it can be given as a gift to commemorate the occasion. Visit Here.

2 notes · View notes

marine-indie-gal · 8 months ago

Text

Here's a brief Final Finished Design that I have done for my own Rudolph ever since Last Year. I didn't really like on how I did with the First Redesign of Rudolph since I believe I made look too similar to the Rankin Bass, so I've decided to add an adjustment to my Rudolph Redesign (in order to avoid confusion with the R/B one (most likely the first one other than the sequels)). I also added in his Adult form just in case.

Speaking of which, here is a brief Bio for My Rudolph for a preview of my Adaptation;

Rudolph was Born during a Snowy Cold Blizzard when his Mother (Elizabeth) was pregnant with Dasher's Son while his Father was out on Christmas with the Other Reindeer searching for every Home that they could find for Santa bringing each of the Good Children their own Gifts. As Elizabeth was hurried to the hospital, the Elf Nurses and Elf Doctors took her to a Barn where they helped out the Desperate Reindeer Mother to give birth to their own Son (Thus, Rudolph was born). As Elizabeth cleans her own Baby, the Elves call Santa to tell one of his Reindeer that his Wife have just given birth. When Dasher came in for a surprise at the Barn, He and his Wife were joyfully happy to have a child of their own. They named their Son "Rudolph" and for once, they believe that their Son will be beloved by all one day.

Little did they know, their own Son had a Deep Blessing Gift from his Ancestor named "Sol" (A Reindeer with Great Power that the ability to Glow to create the Northern Lights). Rudolph's Gift was given by a Yule Goddess by the name, "Frau Holle" for deep down, the Gift of Light knew that Rudolph would one day save Christmas forever and even his own Power against Evil just like his Ancestor.

On that faithful night when the Couple went to sleep, Baby Rudolph's Nose began to Glow so Bright, it cause the both of his Parents to wake up. To their surprise, they've never seen a Reindeer's Colorful Nose that can glow so Shiny before. They felt very concern on how the rest of the Townfolks in the North Pole around Christmas Town would feel about their Son walking around with a Unique Nose that is part of his Body. Deeply unaware of the fact that their Son's Nose was truly ever meant to be a blessing, the Entire Citizens of Christmas Town were very shocked to see a Reindeer with a Red Nose that can Glow. Some of them were surprise while others felt concerned. Knowing that it was the very first time to see a Reindeer with a Glowing Power ever since during the Modern Era, Santa was impressed by Dasher's Son's Nose and wonder if there ever is potential in him to become a Sleigh Team Member.

During Child Years when Rudolph grew, he was constantly bullied by Other Reindeer Yearlings because of his Nose as he was even made fun out of the way he was born with, even the Son of Blitzen (Storm) always made fun of him ever since. But there were Other Reindeer who didn't bully Rudolph and liked him as a Friend as a Group of Yearlings (who were other Children of Santa's Other Reindeer) always supported Rudolph since he was the Son of the Lead Reindeer. One Reindeer Friend (who was a Doe) named "Ava" (The Daughter of Cupid) was the one who brought Rudolph into their own Friend Group as he given in to be part of a Small Reindeer Club thanks to her kindness since Cupid's Daughter never made fun of Dasher's Son for Ava always saw what was special and unique about him.

However, one particular and the most infamous rival of them all (Storm) was super jealous towards Rudy and never wanted to occur to him as a friend, wanted Ava to be his own Friend but seeing on how that Ava was more sided with Dasher's Son than Blitzen's Son, this cause Storm to hate Rudolph even more but with all of the Bullying that Rudolph suffered, little did Dasher's son knew that Blitzen's Son would instantly trick him. One day, when Storm was pretended to be very friendly towards the Red-Nosed Reindeer as he lied to Rudolph of having a change of heart after when the accident that Rudolph had with his own Nose at the Reindeer Games that when Storm and his own Gang wanted to show Rudolph something surprising in the woods that would spark Rudolph's eyes in the Woods. When they got there, there was absolutely nothing but Trees as the Buck Yearlings were far away from Christmas Town but when Rudolph finally came to his surprise, Storm instantly pushed Rudolph right off the hedge as Rudolph rolled all the way down through a small cliff in the Woods as he fell down and landed in a different part of the Woods. Realizing that Storm had lied to him and emotionally manipulated him, Storm and his Gang leave Rudolph behind as Rudolph tried to climb up but sadly he couldn't manage to get back up there as he was left to be rotten to die.

Not much later in the woods that Rudolph was lost that he terrified around in the forest until he was ended up being taken care of an Old Wise Woman named "Grizelda" who tells Rudolph that his own Nose might have a secret power that he could only find within himself which cause the Young Yearling to feel curious on what his true Nose could be as a Blessing Gift. After being taken care of for only One Day, Rudolph decides to find his way home by himself as his Journey begins alone through the North Pole.

While wondering around in the Artic, Rudolph tries to find his own way back to Christmas Town to get back home, he was in an Dangerous Trip at first with a Cold Blizzard and even watching out for Danger as the Poor Reindeer Yearling was completely lost and nowhere near out of sight. However, during his Journey across the Artic (where he is actually very far away from his home), Rudolph stumbly upon a Group of Penguins in the Isle of the Penguins where he meets a couple of Misfit Trio of Artic Animals (A Penguin, A Harp Seal, and even a Snowy Owl) who were stuck in a middle of a troubled situation of Dopey being stuck through the Frozen solid water as Silvino and Wallace try to pull him back up but Rudolph tends to help them get their Dimwitted Friend up. After the help, Rudolph introduces himself to his New Friends as The Misfit Band welcome him and even promise to help him to get his own way home.

During their Journey to find Christmas Town, the Gang had go through some stormy blizzards and even rest for the nights where they had to find food and even some extra shelter for themselves despite some random hijinks that they went through their own Journey to help their New Reindeer Friend. Rudolph somehow grew much close to the Trio as if they were like his Family Members. The Artic Trio even told Rudolph their own lives and how they shared their own experiences on how being Different ain't so bad and that on how it can definitely make the World unique with everyone who has their own differences and special traits. Fortunately as the Journey went on, Rudolph and his Friends met some unexpected foes or friends. One time, they were captured by the Yule Giants (ruled by Queen Gryla and King Leppaludi) and at the Second Time, they were greeted by a Royal King and Queen in a Kingdom to stay over for the Night. The Third Time, when they were robbed by a Gang of Skeletons who worship over Mari Lwyd as they were about to use one of the Misfits for a Sacrifice but when Rudolph's nose beam, they decide to let him and his friends go.

But throughout the Long Journey, Rudolph kept having dreams about his own prophecy that he will be able to defeat Krampus to stop Santa's arch-nemesis from taking over the world. Regardless of what Grizelda said about his Nose, Rudolph was afraid if whether or not if his dreams might predict the future as his Nose kept glowing to keep out of danger throughout the Friends' Journey.

When they finally manage to get Rudolph back to Christmas Town, Rudolph thank his Friends for all of the help that they had for him as the Young Reindeer decides to head back home, leaving the Three Artic Friends behind when the Trio had a feeling that they were gonna miss Rudolph as they leave silently to go back to the Artic far from the North Pole. As Rudolph went down in Christmas Town, he saw that everything was completely silent as no one was out. Curious of the Little Reindeer, Rudolph then goes to see his own Home but sees that his Parents weren't back yet. Feeling strange and odd with sadness of what he'd might've missed, Rudolph then checks out his own School of Reindeers where he sees the Janitor (who was an Elf) named "Khimar" sweeping the floor but none of the Reindeer Yearlings were at School. He asks Khimar on where did everyone go and that he didn't saw his own Parents in his House. Khimar explains that his Parents were at Santa's workshop worried about that their own Son was gone and that everyone had still been inside every since a crazy blizzard that happened in Christmas Town last night for Santa and his Elves were actually looking for Rudolph. The Janitor Elf then reveals that Rudolph's friends were also missing too and that they were searching for him as his friends' parents were in such grief. Realizing that it all had been Rudolph's fault of his belief that he was tricked by Storm, he then decides to go back to the Artic to find his Friends before it's all too late, for the Red-Nosed Reindeer flew away from Christmas Town again to search to where Ava and their Friends went.

Throughout his New Journey to search for his Missing Friends back at his town, he searches from the deepest cold parts of the North Pole that being the Land of Krampus in which he meets up with his Artic Friends and gets lost through a cold blizzard. But when a Green light flash causing the entire Sky to turn Dark Bloody Rain...Krampus' revenge rose against the North Pole. It was then that it was now Krampus' turn to have his Revenge against Santa as it was revealed that he kidnapped Rudolph's friends (since they were already out looking for him) as a horrifying experience comes across through the North Pole and into Christmas Town where Rudolph felt completely terrified that all of the residents in Christmas Town were in deep trouble of some dark magic, for Krampus was starting to takeover. Realizing that half through the North Pole that the Dark Magic will start to lead to all of the Good and Bad Children in the World before the Day of Christmas Eve comes, Rudolph decides to fight back Krampus as his Artic Friends rescues Rudolph's friends to stop Krampus' minions when Rudolph decides to confront Krampus himself.

When Rudolph comes to confront Krampus, the Young Reindeer and the Christmas Demon start to battle against each other upstairs and even outside of Krampus' castle where Krampus reveals a Dark Future into Rudolph's vision where all of the Citizens in Christmas Town (along with the Children from Different Towns) will be dragged to hell, even his own friends, to suffer and die with Krampus now leading Krampus. Eyes filled with Grief and Sadness with Anger in his Eyes, Rudolph is sicken by the future of his own town but he then remembers of Grizelda's advice and how his nose can hold a special power. He then instantly uses his Power against Krampus to stop him from preventing to taking over the world as Northern Lights appear being held by Rudolph's powerful nose as the Northern Lights shine over Krampus' hell hole as it prevents from stopping all of the chaos in the world which eventually shines over Krampus to lose all of his Dark Power in the World, leaving him to be overthrown by Rudolph (thanks to his Nose) as it causes Krampus to froze in fear. With Krampus now gone, Rudolph then sees a Spiritual Reflection of his Great Ancestor (Sol), surprising his own Descendant from his Great Ancestor as Sol was very proud of him (only quickly to leave his Rudolph behind, in both confused on who that spiritual Reindeer was). With Krampus now defeated, Rudolph and his Artic Friends then run up to Rudolph's Friends as Ava was so happy to see her Best Friend again as the Young Yearlings reunite with each other (after being so far apart from one another).

After taking through the Long Journey ahead to Home, Rudolph and his Friends went back to Christmas Town where they reunite with their own Families (especially that Rudolph also reunited with his Parents after Days of being Missing), even the Artic Friends introduce themselves to Dasher and Elizabeth. Santa was very glad that the Yearlings were finally found and was afraid that some of his People would've had never seen their own children again. Rudolph and his Friends had told everyone the whole story of how it all happened, which comes to the conclusion that Blitzen blames it all on his own Son (Storm) for causing all of the mess as Storm was punished by his own Father for not getting any Christmas presents until he would have face his own consequences of being a Bully, even after when Christmas would be over.

When realizing that the Weather has now turn into Fog, Santa has No Other Choice but to decide about Cancelling Christmas because of the terrible fog that's still happening, even after Krampus' demise. However, when Rudolph's nose glows in front of Everyone (including Santa), this gives Santa a New Bright Idea as he instantly changes his mind to uncanceled Christmas and have Rudolph join his own Sleigh Team (to in which, Rudolph fully agrees). As everyone was now getting ready for Christmas, Rudolph's Artic Friends and the Other Reindeers (both Young and Adult) helped along with the Elves. Rudolph was officially now the Nineth Reindeer to lead Santa's sleigh, as his Father (Dasher) seemed very proud of his own Son now joining his own Reindeer Team. With Krampus now officially gone as when Santa was ready, everyone cheered as The Nine Reindeer began to pull Santa's sleigh and flew up, leading Rudolph to guide him to where the Other Children are in the World.

After long hours of the Flight when they went back to Christmas Land, Rudolph officially became Famous as Everyone in Christmas Town loved him (even for all who apologized and felt sorry for mocking his nose, even Storm thought that he was too much of a jerk to begin with), as Rudolph would then go one guiding Santa's sleigh every Christmas year to help clear the Fog or a Storm (even his own Friends, Family, and his Ancestor were indeed proud of him). For Rudolph finally knew on what was so truly special of his own Glowing Nose all along after his long lost Journey of getting back home.

But soon, after long years of being the Most Famous Reindeer of them all, Rudolph became an Adult and Marries Ava. To in which, they ended up having their own Child.

Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer (c) Robert L. May

#rudolph #rudolph the red nosed reindeer #reindeer #character design #2024 character design #character redesign

6 notes · View notes

noisycowboyglitter · 4 months ago

Text

Best Bartender Ever: How to Create an Unforgettable Bar Experience

"Best Bartender Ever" is a title that celebrates the exceptional skill, personality, and service of a highly regarded mixologist. This accolade is often bestowed upon bartenders who go above and beyond in their craft, creating an unforgettable experience for their patrons.

Buy now:19.95$

The best bartenders possess a unique blend of qualities. They have an encyclopedic knowledge of drinks, from classic cocktails to cutting-edge concoctions, and can expertly customize beverages to suit individual tastes. Their mixology skills are impeccable, with precise measurements and techniques that result in perfectly balanced drinks every time.

Beyond technical prowess, the best bartenders excel in customer service. They have a keen ability to read people, offering just the right amount of conversation or respectful silence. They're adept at managing the atmosphere of their bar, ensuring everyone feels welcome and comfortable.

Creativity is another hallmark of top bartenders. They often experiment with new flavor combinations, innovative presentation methods, and even their own infusions or bitters. This creativity keeps regulars intrigued and coming back for more.

Buy now

The best bartenders also demonstrate professionalism in high-pressure situations, maintaining composure during busy hours and dealing tactfully with challenging customers. They're often seen as confidants, offering a sympathetic ear when needed.

Ultimately, the "Best Bartender Ever" transforms the simple act of serving drinks into an art form, creating memorable experiences that extend far beyond the glass.

A Cool Funny Bartending Gift Christmas combines humor, practicality, and holiday cheer for the mixologist in your life. These gifts often feature witty slogans, bartending puns, or humorous illustrations related to cocktail-making or drinking culture, all with a festive twist.

Buy now

Examples might include a Christmas-themed cocktail shaker with funny instructions, novelty bottle openers shaped like Santa's sleigh, or a set of coasters with cheeky drink-related holiday jokes. Other ideas could be an ugly Christmas sweater with a bartending theme or a festive apron with built-in bottle holsters.

These gifts not only bring laughter but also serve a practical purpose in a bartender's toolkit. They're perfect for adding a touch of humor to holiday parties or bringing some festive flair to the bar during the Christmas season.

Ultimately, these gifts celebrate the fun side of bartending while embracing the joy of the holidays.

Christmas Gifts for Son encompasses a range of thoughtful presents tailored to bring joy to a beloved child or adult son during the holiday season. These gifts often reflect the son's interests, hobbies, or needs, showing a parent's understanding and care. Options might

Buy now

include tech gadgets, sports equipment, books, clothing, or personalized items. For younger sons, toys and games are popular choices. For adult sons, practical items like tools, accessories, or experience gifts might be appropriate. The best Christmas gifts for sons combine sentimentality with functionality, creating lasting memories and strengthening the parent-child bond during this special time of year.

#Best Bartender Ever #Best Bartender Gifts #Top Bartender Gifts #Bartender Appreciation Gifts #Best Bartender Awards #Bartender Recognition #Best Bartender Presents #Bartender Gift Ideas #Best Bartender Ever Gifts #Bartender Thank You Gifts #Cool Funny Bartending Gift Christmas #Funny Bartender Gifts #Christmas Bartending Gifts #Humorous Bartender Presents #Christmas Gifts for Bartenders #Unique Bartender Gifts #Funny Bar Gifts #Christmas Gift Ideas for Bartenders #Cool Bartending Christmas Gifts #Christmas Gifts For Son #Holiday Gifts for Son #Best Christmas Gifts for Son #Unique Christmas Gifts for Son #Christmas Presents for Son #Top Christmas Gifts for Son #Personalized Gifts for Son #Tech Gifts for Son #Christmas Gift Ideas for Son #View all AUTISM GIFTS products: https://zizzlez.com/trending-topics/hobbies/autism-spectrum-awareness-month/#All products of the store: https://zizzlez.com/

0 notes

p6-rem · 7 months ago

Text

🌿💤Mechanics I'd include in P6💤🌿 ; (Part 1)

Hello, my name is [REDACTED]!!!

I've had this idea for game mechanics and features for P6 for a long time now, and I thought, "y'know what? I might as well just write them down!". [DISCLAIMER] ; Some of these ideas are heavily inspired from this video, this video, and this video. I also wanna point out that this is simply just my interpretation, not what Persona 6 will actually look like and not what I expect it to look like, now anyways, without further ado ;

1 -. GENDER : Now first things first, I know that everyone who I've ever met wants an option for a female protagonist like in Persona 3 Portable. But may I propose the idea of a non-binary character? No matter what gender you choose, some scenes will play out differently, and you'll have unique social links depending on who you choose, perhaps even unique things that the different protags can say!

2 -. SOCIAL LINKS AFTER COMPLETION : I feel like after you max out a social link there isn't really anything left to do with them, so perhaps you can have the option of simply just spending time with them and hearing about themselves, maybe make the player more invested by having it voiced! After doing this, the player is rewarded with a unique item that can help them out in battle. Perhaps even give them unique dialogue if you decide to romance said character! Which brings us to our next couple of topics

3 -. PARTY INTERACTION : The party members in P5 and I guess P4??? Felt very disconnected with each other besides the protagonist, so why not do a Fire Emblem Three Houses and have the party members interact? For example, you get a notification on your phone and you get to see two characters bond, this will have an effect on the battlefield, kinda like how a Miitopia character will jump in the way of an attack to save an ally once they've become closer. Party members can also have discourses between each other which they ask the protagonist for advice to solve and this also has effects on the battlefield. And all of this leads up to the two characters gaining a special ability that they can do together to tag team the enemies!

4 -. ROMANCE : Repeat after me. WE. NEED.TO.HAVE.GAY.SHIT!!! Now I'm not saying make every party member/social link into the protag no matter the gender, but just some! There are even possibilities to end up in a throuple, but again, this isn't for every character, three certain conditions must be met in order to achieve this, 1, the protagonist must have two romances at most, anywhere over that and this is no longer possible. 2, both characters must be romantically interested in all parties involved, if not then the character has to choose which character they have to let go and remain friends with that social link for the remainder of the game. 3, no you can not include an adult social link. In fact, I think it's just weird that P5 made it so you could date older women, so yeah, no. All in all, if you are able to get the throuple route then not only will it introduce different versions of scenes, but also let you max out 2 social links for the price of 1.

5 -. HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! : I always found it odd that we never got to celebrate the characters birthdays considering we have a calendar. You can spend time with this character on their birthday, and you have to give them a gift they like, kinda like in Persona 3 when you gift your girlfriend a Christmas present!

6 -. SIDE QUESTS : What I think would be a good idea would be a mechanic that allows you to grind by simply having fun and experiencing different kinds of wild situations, side quests! For example, a guy wants to buy his son a comic book for his birthday, once you give it to him, by the end of the quest you'll be rewarded! You could be rewarded with stat points, items, maybe even a weapon!

7 -. MAKE THE MASCOT USEFUL : Now I hate an annoying mascot just as much as the next person, all up in your face and telling you how cool you are and what to do. Well, how about you let the protagonist think that for themselves like "Maybe I should go to bed", like in games before P5. As for our mascot, give them a reason to say things, perhaps make them a part of the main menu and they can give you tips. Like in the middle of class you need to answer a question and the mascot says "Hey, maybe if you answer this, people will think you're more knowledgeable!", or you wake up in the morning and they say "Hey, maybe today seems like a good day to spend with (insert character) and (insert another character)". Stuff so that the player can keep tabs on what they are doing at all times, not hand holding.

8 -. GAINING A PERSONA: Instead of having the shuffle time and negotiations with shadows, how about interrogations, y'know how there's the good cop and bad cop tactic? Each one of your party members has a different way to convince a shadow to join your party, think of it like Persona 2 where Tatsuya had his motorcycle impression. I liked when Joker was able to choose different party members to distract and steal the crown from Kamoshida in his boss fight, in this interrogation scenario, the leader can choose a party member who aligns well with a shadow. Say that the shadow wants to laugh, you choose a party member who does something funny, say that the shadow is a loner, you choose someone who sympathises with them, that type of stuff.

And those are all of my ideas so far, I'll see if I can come up with more and make a part 2, until then, have yourself a wonderful day

-. [REDACTED]

#persona 6 #persona series #persona 5 #persona 3 #persona 4 #persona 4 golden #persona 5 royal #persona 3 fes #persona 3 portable #persona 3 reload #persona 6 rem #fanmade

5 notes · View notes

riveroracle · 2 years ago

Text

Krampus: The Dark Shadow of Winter

By: Christina McCarthy

While many figures in pagan & witch folklore are shrouded in layers of mystery, some stand out as a little stranger than the others. The more I dig to uncover the true nature of Krampus, the more an ethereal snowy mist seems to gather, further obscuring him into the realm of whimsical Yuletide mythology. Perhaps this is how he’s come to inhabit such a unique place in the psyche of modern people around the world.

There is debate about how & when the Krampus legend came into being. Some say he’s a sort of pre-Christian deity, the son of Hel, Norse goddess of the Underworld, but evidence for this theory is nonexistent and appears to be a very modern addition to Krampus lore. Other sources say his festival in Germany and throughout Alpine Europe started only a few hundred years ago, a now faded older tradition from pre-Christian Germanic paganism adopted into its modern form by the Catholic church to subdue pagan influences around midwinter. Some classic depictions include chains, to show the power of the Christian god over the “devil”.

This famous depiction shows his one cloven hoof and one clawed bear foot.

Images like these, often featuring poems and season's greetings, come from Krampuskarten, or Krampus cards, often whimsical and humorous greeting & post cards which were exchanged around the holidays, starting in the 19th century. He is often depicted mischievously pursuing beautiful women in a Cupid-like fashion, punishing and chasing weeping children, and accompanying St. Nicholas.

His name appears to come from a combination of a Middle German word, “kralle”, meaning “claw”, and a Bavarian word “krampn” meaning dead, shriveled, or lifeless, connecting him with death mysteries. He is depicted as an often hairy, black or brown, therianthropic beast, part man, part goat, with cloven hooves, reminiscent of the satyrs of Greek mythology. He's also commonly shown with sharp fangs, a red lolling tongue, large bulging eyes, and a single clawed bear foot. There are other regional variations of this spirit, with similar features & mythic function - Knecht Rubrecht and Belsnickel in Germany, Schmutzli in Switzerland, Bartel in Austria, Zwarte Piet or "Black Pete" farther west, and many other midwinter demons. There's even a feminine version - the goddess Perchta lives on today through a similar tradition, Perchtenlauf, where the "ugly" and "beautiful" Perchte or Percht, her hoard of Krampus-like spirits, stage a mock battle in the streets as perhaps a symbolic battle between death and life occurring at midwinter. Some consider this to be a precursor to modern Krampuslauf celebrations, yet the Perchta tradition continues to exist alongside Krampus today.

The widespread prevalence of such similar traditions gives rise to the theory of a class of spirits like Krampus whose names and specific lore vary by local region.

This map shows Alpine Europe - the highlighted area shows the location of the Alps, but of course the Krampus tradition stretches beyond the exact borders shown.

Map source: https://alpshiking.swisshikingvacations.com/where-are-the-alps/

Regardless of his origin, today Krampus strikes a cheerful holiday fright into the hearts of children and adults alike. It’s said that he punishes the children on St. Nick’s naughty list, whipping them with a bundle of birch switches called a "ruten bundle" or sometimes a whip, or kidnapping them in a sack or basket on the eve of St. Nick’s feast day. The punishment is said to fit the crime - the lightest sentence being handed a single birch stick, as if a reminder of which path to choose, and the naughtiest children being dragged to hell or even drowned or eaten by Krampus! Instead of the Christmas Devil's lumps of coal and harsh sentences, good children would find little gifts filling their shoes from the jovial Saint Nicholas, who is often depicted dressed as a bishop with a golden ceremonial staff as pictured above. Sources below have more information about St. Nick if you want to learn more about the minor saint we now call Santa Claus!

In Germanic Europe, holiday festivities in December are first heralded by Krampusnacht, meaning “Krampus Night”, and Krampuslauf, the “Krampus Run”, where revelers dress up in extensive costumes with furs, masks, and horns to run the streets and terrify the townsfolk, inspiring Yuletide nightmares of the Christmas Devil.

This practice may have connection to the pervasive European myth of the Wild Hunt, where dark forces - often depicted as a hunter on horseback and his hounds, among other dark pagan imagery - parade through the skies around midwinter, carrying the souls of mortals over wintery skies to the afterlife. Both Krampuslauf and the Wild Hunt may partly be reminiscent of an ancient cleansing ritual where disguised townsfolk would run the streets, ringing bells and perhaps rattling Krampus's chains, acting as a hellish hoard to scare away unwelcome spirits. To extend the conjecture even farther, some draw a link from Krampus to the witches' horned god, due to his similarity to "wild man" therianthropic figures such as Pan, Cernunnos, and Herne.

Once the children have been sufficiently frightened into another year of their best behavior, the Krampuses traditionally drink alcohol in celebration. The drink of choice, for this after party and for offerings to Krampus, is schnapps. The Krampuslauf tradition is believed to be around 500 years old, and while many attempts to quell these celebrations have been enacted by oppressive forces, from the Catholic church throughout several centuries, to the Christian Social Party of Austria with their famous propaganda pamphlet titled "Krampus Is an Evil Man", to the Nazi Party, the Krampus run is alive and growing today.

From a Krampus celebration in Austria.

One of the most famous festivals takes place in Munich, Germany. Among their famous Christmas marketplace, filled with glittering lights and symbols of Catholic advent, caroling, traditional treats, and the glow of a modern city, Krampuses can be found running around giving folks a chilling holiday scare, reminding them of a time gone by when the fear of winter’s darkness kept everyone warm and safe inside their homes on the eve of December 5th.

Krampus in a getaway car! We often think of a tradition like this as distant history, so seeing a depiction made during a period of industrialization is a little mind bending!

I personally believe the modern resurgence of Krampus is related to a collective yearning, whether conscious or unconscious, to honor the darkness of the season. What’s become a heavily Christianized (and commercialized) “holiday season” of constant flashing lights and warm familial celebrations, was once more widely regarded as a time of death, darkness, and difficulty. In the depth of winter, when resources and warmth were scarce & daily life was focused on enduring the season, celebrations of the sun were an ode to survival and hope that life would return to the earth again. Krampus represents this inescapable reality of the darkness and hopelessness we experience when the sun is at its weakest, when all the earth holds its breath, silently praying for deliverance from night’s bitter shadows.

Sources:

Note: I'm loosely using Chicago style format, unless there isn't enough information to bother, in which case I will usually just post the link.

🕯️Bustamonte, S. (2018) Krampus Spaß, The Wild Hunt: Pagan News and Perspectives. Available at: https://wildhunt.org/2018/12/the-murky-origin-of-the-krampus.html.

This was an especially rich resource! It contained a lot of detailed information that I’ve never heard before, but most of the new content presented, I was able to verify by looking at other sources. It also lists a book source that seems interesting - books aren’t foolproof, their information should still be verified, but a website listing a printed source is a good sign the information is likely to be correct!

🕯️Krampus. https://brickthology.com/category/banishing/

This was an interesting resource with a wealth of information, which was not sourced and the author seemed to be a random unidentified person, so I still cross referenced the information. This person seemed to have a good working knowledge of the cultural traditions which may be from personal experience, and that kind of information is important in research about regional folklore.

🕯️ https://www.britannica.com/topic/Krampus

🕯️https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-Nicholas

For most projects, I use simple pages like these as a starting point for a quick summary of basic information. Brittanica has been around a long time, and I know the information on their site is usually accurate. I still cross-verify the information to make sure there aren’t any inconsistencies.

🕯️Christmas Market at Marienplatz: The Magic of the Christmas Season. Simply Munich. Available at: https://www.munich.travel/en/pois/markets-festivals/christmas-market-marienplatz.

I had some prior knowledge that one of the most popular Krampus Runs takes place in Munich, so I sought out an official Munich website to get their version of the information. What I found was context surrounding Krampus, seating him firmly in modern German customs, and that helps bring mythology to life.

🕯️Krampus, the Christmas Devil of Alpine Europe. The German Way & More. Available at: https://www.german-way.com/krampus-the-christmas-devil-of-alpine-europe/.

I didn’t strictly use this source in this blog post, but I found it to be a credible source that goes further into detail about regional Krampus traditions, containing photos, videos, and further links on related topics. I like to provide sources like this in my bibliographies for people to learn more than what I wanted to cover in the post.

🕯️Perchtenlaufen. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Perchtenlaufen

That's right, this is a wikipedia link! Sure, wikipedia can be unreliable. As long as you're checking the information with other sources, there's nothing wrong with using it as a starting point to break into information you're not familiar with.

All photos with sources not listed are under public domain.

49 notes · View notes