#anyways Everything's Political let's get you some fruit

[unproduciblesmackdown]

oh yeah addendum in also the other day seeing someone autistic talking in that context abt what they want from genuine relationships in that they said they don't want to be Admired Or Desired. that one time someone was like, you're one of the best people i know, like well neat compliment sure i'll take it lmao, but also, that's somewhat confusing and even disheartening when it's like, i have no way of knowing this; we don't really interact? or times i have to ""unilaterally"" assess that i don't feel Friends with someone b/c i don't feel like, for one thing, i can just up & message them even lol; the feeling that to whatever capacity there's a relationship, it's been continual "don't mess this up" masking / efforts to "do things Right" from me....whilest also times it's been like, oh someone's apparently choosing to be around me? enjoying interactions? while still kind of confused about it. and then it's like oh it was Romantic Interest apparently lol :( like even if i wasn't aromantic which i so am....where was the [there is anything to feel is genuine] like again we never even got to any part where i wasn't masking and [do things Right] and on edge and certainly not at whatever point i apparently had whatever appeal. much less "when cishet men are just sprinting straight at you" but that's all the more, like, [you as a Person are certainly irrelevant] but not like it doesn't still feel ultimately mostly irrelevant even if people have more discretion / a more considerate approach in general. also that again there would not be a Right way lmfao. it just sure could be a totally neutral expereince rather, please. how i've had too many situations having to try to fling myself out a window figuratively, even w/those theoretically more considerate approaches

or even when people will be talking about what makes someone Deserving outside of the most conservative(tm) approaches like. this person isn't someone who just waits for things to happen :) like well hell yeah for them lol, meanwhile, i sure kinda am. being aware that in any given way i may not impress anyone / may be negatively assessed; only turns into "there go my power levels increasing again. shrugmoji" when correspondingly it's like, and i don't have to care, or certainly then blame myself about it if like oh boy, society when you have to be "objectively" judged as Worthy by randos, whatever their perspectives lol....or when like, the concept of social support is like, get a romantic partner, primarily, an ounce of backup from friends, the Real backup being family, or friends "as good as" family....or the ongoing journey of realizing like; it was never Just gonna be managing to leave [abusive childhood/family house]. the ways that other experiences outside that were Consistent, really, when being around peers means an immediate sense of doing something wrong / not being as good as them; authority figure adults sometimes acting just like an abusive parent does; no ways to regularly exist flexibly and/or less supervised/monitored, e.g. couldn't walk from [home] to [anywhere]....catching on like, ah, outside of That Situation? i'm still not inherently more valued by randos, still not Not liable to be regarded/treated with disdain / expressions of authoritarianism....Aren't We All; for real. but truly like oh hey, i didn't even realize i was getting all this Political experience in that [when you have a one on one personal abuser and You're Responsible For How They Treat You and Their Own Power Is The Whole Thing and You'll Never "Earn" Better But It'll Always Be Your Fault You Haven't] and all those kinds of logics and realities it's like of course this resonates crystal clear with logics and realities re: [political enemies] lmao. ofc they can be as "hypocritical" as they want b/c [you can just say whatever while you do w/e you want and other people have to deal] is an expression of power. of course "for [xyz]'s own good; individually or as a group" is really about ensuring the power to control their existences as property by shrinking the space in which someone can enact autonomous choices: anything For Children is about (conservative) parents controlling children as things they own and can do whatever they want with; like making sure kids Can't be gay or sm shit, it Is about children, just keeping them from being able to exist outside the sphere of control of an isolated Family life. hell yeah when they do anyways / tragically it always turns out people are actually people despite your wanting to disbelieve this / always have the power to ignore it..........but then yknow, the truth is we out here, and ofc it's like [police protect Property; enforce these property/owner relations] but what's Normal yet obviously harmful is also so borne by regular ordinary """harmless""" interpersonal interactions / people who feel supposedly well-intended but that's more superficial than in essence....even merely the Exhaustion in knowing interactions as Just chitchat w/supposedly amicable parties is like, a scrutinizing test that can only go wrong and lead to antagonism / animosity that can easily accumulate &/or compound. much less existence In Public and shit going wrong out of nowhere, and potential stakes....being like Lol at, again, years back thinking like "a horror short should be like, the premise that you might just be at a grocery or some ordinary asf situation but at any given moment, doing Nothing extraordinary, some rando suddenly goes Deeply Hostile Mode for a second. where even then suddenly disengaging from that mode is not a relief in that the [this could happen at any time] is emphasized" like lmfao that's [being in an abusive situation], that's [being autistic], isn't it so Zany that there's so much overlap / resonance.

Not At All being Lol abt how much actual discrete examples of produced horror is just like "what if there was disabled people." this is its own line b/c of the characters per block limit. but also disdainful emphasis

anyways lol wuh oh in conclusion, antifascism....isn't it always

[intheholler]

re: hurricane helene hey, y'all. so... immense survivor's guilt, subsequent depression and an overall helpless malaise has made my presence on tumblr here weaker during this horrific time. but there's nothing like some good ol appalachian rage to light a fire under the proverbial ass so i'm back to push back on some of the bullshit i keep seeing get spread about what's happening in the aftermath of hurricane helene, and in western north carolina especially. 

appalachia has always been low hanging fruit for the rest of the nation, and now that disaster has struck and we are even more vulnerable than we have been in a long, long time, bad actors are using us as a way to further their political bullshit and conspiracies.

please use some of the cited-information below the cut to push back on and educate any family members, friends or otherwise when you see them spreading misinformation. now is your chance to help appalachia, no matter where you are in the united states. myths, rumors and other flavors of horseshit regarding hurricane helene debunked under the cut. please reblog.

Let me just get my heart out of the way before we get into the nitty gritty, cause I got things to say. #1: "Why should we help these people? They get these storms there all the time. They didn't move away or do anything to prepare for this, and now it's our responsibility?"

These storms are not at all commonplace. For much of this area, especially WNC, this level of flooding and damage--spanning an area the size of Belgium between NC and TN--is largely unprecedented. Growing up, we get told our mountains protect us, that they shield us from the really bad, and that's because historically, they have. Hurricanes blow through, and they bring with them hella wind and rain, but nothing like this.

We do not have the infrastructure for this, physical or otherwise. So many of our homes, businesses and everything in between have been standing for more than a century, unkept and brittle. Dams are breaking or near breaking because they are not meant to hold this kind of water. Our roads tend to follow creeks and rivers and thereby have been completely washed out. Keep in mind that in the individual hollers, and in most of these small mountain towns, we only got one road. You go up holler one way, and you don't come out the other side of it; you leave the way you came because it's the only path to take.

We are not built for this. We were not ready for this. We could not have prepared for this. And even if by some miracle we all received some premonition about this disaster, telling us to "just move" is NEVER the answer to vulnerable people living in volatile environments, especially ones as impoverished as Appalachia. Fuck you.

#2 "Appalachians are lazy and just want handouts, anyway."

First off--which one is it? Are we poor, pitiful fodder for concern trolls who deserve more than we're getting, or are we lazy, needy, greedy people who deserve to rot? Can't have both.

Second off--we been hearing that about us since the dawn of time. Wasn't true then, ain't true now.

Appalachia has been verifiably exploited as long as there have been people to exploit, but that is a topic long since discussed here.

We don't WANT anything. We NEED it. Alongside the aid coming in through donations, official search and rescue and organized volunteer services, much of the boots on the ground are Appalachians themselves!! We take care of our own, and it's always been that way.

They got people on foot hiking up into the hollers to bring supplies to cut-off communities. They got pack mules passing otherwise impassable roads where no car nor other vehicle can tread to get lifesaving necessities to the hollers. Look around, and you'll find countless stories. Just in my personal circle alone, I got a sister bringing supplies up by foot, and her hiking group is moving through so much toxic mud that the soles of their fucking boots are melting. I got a brother in law taking chainsaws to downed trees to clear the path for supply deliveries. I got another sister meeting friends of mine at the state line to collect donations and distribute them by hand to counties all over WNC. We can do this, but we can't do it alone.

#3 "It's a conspiracy/It's not that widespread outside of Asheville because we don't see pictures of anywhere else."

It's happening. It's fucking happening.

You don't see pictures because many of us don't have reliable cell service right now, let alone wifi. Hell, even in perfect weather there's a joke that you better have a friend with a cell phone from each provider when you go out because only one of you is getting service at any given time in any given place. There is no way to document this from the inside for many folks at this point in time, and there is NO WAY IN from the outside.

As I mentioned--you got one road leading up the holler. That road is now gone. No one is making it up the mountain to take pictures of these horrific scenes, y'all. If they're going up the mountain its to care for their neighbors, to bring supplies to individuals and entire communities so isolated by the devastation that the only way they can be reached is on foot (or hoof!).

Which also brings me to my next counterargument: "Nothing is being done to help."

#4 "Volunteers are being turned away/Donations are being confiscated."

Volunteers are being DISCOURAGED from coming in out of state, but they're not being told to leave with a malicious intent. And they are not even being forcibly denied. They can still come, but it's really not a good idea. As I mentioned, these roads wasn't meant to take this kind of damage. They are falling apart, and all this extra traffic coming in on these streets barely hanging on is making them worse and making it harder for organized relief and rescue operations to actually get in there. People are getting stuck and taking away time and resources that could be going to survivors. Outsiders with good intentions are eating up the scarce gas and using up even scarcer water. Some of these places, like Black Mountain, physically do not have enough hands to manage and distribute the amount of donations being brought in in, so they're getting rerouted. Donations are not fucking being confiscated.

#5 "They aren't letting people be rescued/They're closing the airspace off."

The airspace is OPEN, with some temporary restrictions in place by the FAA for civilians and volunteers. Civilians can still access airspace in coordination with officials and emergency responders. What they ain't allowing is people just flying in willy nilly. What they ain't letting in is unauthorized air traffic that is clogging up airspace which otherwise needs to be used by official aircraft to bring in donations/S&R groups. Airspace is still accessible in the area, but it's not safe to just have everyone with a big heart trying to search and rescue, especially with no training, organization or proper skills. What they ain't letting happen is people trying to take trucks up obliterated roads that can't be traveled, no matter how confident you are in your vehicle. Christ, y'all. The point isn't to add more bodies to the count!

#6 "National Guardsmen are being told not to go."

The National Guard HAS been deployed.

And in numbers, too. What you're hearing is rumor of people asking to be deployed and being told no, because that's not how it works. That's not how any of this works. People can't just rush in unorganized. There is a system. There has always been a system.

#7 "But I saw TikToks of people coming to help and locals shouting them out of town!"

Oh, honey. No, what you saw was people doing what they LOVE to do in Appalachia: take poverty tours. Record how we live. Post their poverty (and now disaster) porn with thoughts and prayers and oh those poor creatures to get likes. That's been happening to us since before TikTok. Before the internet.

During FDR's administration, photographers from the Farm Security Administration went down to collect poverty porn and turn it into Hollow Folk, a collection of photographs which was then used by eugenicists and corporations alike to dehumanize us further so we could be exploited and relocated with the favor of the nation behind them.

We're done with it. We been done with it. And now, in this time of crisis where people are DEAD, you're clogging up our roads, taking up our gas, AND shoving cameras in our face. Y'all ain't from here and now more than ever y'all kinds need to get the FUCK out.

✨ FEMA ✨

FEMA deserves its own section, because holy shit. I'm mad that I'm about to defend the man in any capacity but it needs to be done. So, I'm gonna preface this by saying, largely, fuck FEMA. There are many valid complaints against FEMA and their inefficiency, but right now is not the time to use them as a tool of misinformation against Appalachia. We got enough problems without pouring the salt of government conspiracies into these raw, gaping wounds that barely even have bandaids applied to them right now.

SO. Let's get into it.

#8 "This is all planned and by design/Don't evacuate, because FEMA is just gonna take your land and mineral rights!"

If they wanted the fucking lithium or anything else for that matter, they would just enact Eminent Domain. They don't need elaborate schemes and """weather control""" to take it. They can just literally... do it. Did we all fail civics in middle school?

(And this is purely anecdotal so I have no proof of this, but a friend of mine told me a few days ago people were actually being told NOT to evacuate in Lake Lure because they didn't anticipate the flooding to be this bad.)

What y'all SHOULD be worried about are these companies and their "disaster investors" who swoop in like fucking vultures and try to get people to sell their land before FEMA has a chance to assist them. These companies prey on the vulnerable, offering them quick cash for their land and for far less than they'd get if they held out for FEMA's relief instead.

#9. "But... but FEMA is only giving out a piddly $750 in relief!"

Yes, they are giving out $750. INITIALLY. This $750 is initial relief money for immediate needs. Medicine, food, supplies. It is NOT all that's being allocated to folks. From FEMA's website:

This is a type of assistance that you may be approved for soon after you apply, called Serious Needs Assistance. It is an upfront, flexible payment to help cover essential items like food, water, baby formula, breastfeeding supplies, medication and other emergency supplies. There are other forms of assistance that you may qualify for to receive and Serious Needs Assistance is an initial payment you may receive while FEMA assesses your eligibility for additional funds. As your application continues to be reviewed, you may still receive additional forms of assistance for other needs such as support for temporary housing, personal property and home repair costs.

A service being offered in the meantime, for example, is for temporary housing and you can still currently apply for it!

Long-term disaster relief funds are not being released immediately. That does not mean they do not exist.

Here is what FEMA has already allocated for North Carolina alone.

Please note I said "allocated" but not "paid out." Which brings me to my next point.

#10 "FEMA is giving their relief money to undocumented immigrants!"

This is false, and you can verify this for yourself. Cash payouts to undocumented immigrants isn't even a thing, dude. They haven't even paid out to citizens in their entirety yet. From the FEMA page "Questions and Answers for Undocumented Immigrants Regarding FEMA Assistance:"

This is in regards to STATE, LOCAL AND VOLUNTEER AGENCIES. Not through FEMA or any other federal programs. This is probably what people are hearing about, and not even bothering to look into it before running off to tell lies.

And in this, as you can see--undocumented immigrants who CAN receive assistance are not receiving cash. They are not just getting money handed over to them to spend on whatever your racist, xenophobic uncle thinks they are. FEMA is required by law to report on the use of their funds each month by the 5th day. Historically, it looks like it takes about a week for them to be posted. Keep an eye on this page to see for yourself in coming days that FEMA is not giving out money from their funds to immigrants.

#11 "But FEMA has appointees from Biden!!! How can we trust that this is the truth?!"

Please use critical thinking skills. Please, we beg. Yes, there are appointed FEMA officials from this administration, but there are also appointed officials from Trump's time in office. What sense does it make that during Trump's administration, FEMA employees were Good And Pure, and suddenly, just because they are active under Biden's administration, they are suddenly Evil And Corrupt? This is clear bias and has no solid footing.

Besides, the President doesn't even have any sway over FEMA funding like this. That is ALL congress.

H.R. 9747 "Continuing Appropriations and Extensions Act, 2025," which provides relief funding (among other things) for the 2025 fiscal year, was ACTIVELY VOTED AGAINST by Republicans, including Matt Gaetz and Marjorie Taylor Greene--two people spreading the bullshit the loudest. UGH. Okay. In exasperated conclusion: Please, please, PLEASE leave Appalachia alone and let us get back on our feet without having to constantly dodge dumbass conspiracy theories. We are heartbroken and grieving and would really appreciate a brief reprieve from being the nation's fucking punching bag. Help us, don't hurt us.

[clockwayswrites]

Part 2

Part 1

Danny & Cass, Cyan, Wind chime bells @wandixx

Cass placed the backpack down on the kitchen counter, unzipped it, and spread the opening purposefully.

Alfred looked from the bag to Cass, one pointed white brow raised. Keeping her eyes locked with Alfred, she took an apple from the fruit bowl and placed it inside the bag.

A moment later the brow lowered and a small smile pulled at the corner of his lips. “Ah, looking for a picnic, Miss Cassandra?”

Pleased he had gotten it, Cass nodded eagerly and held up two fingers.

“A picnic for two? Is one of your siblings joining you?” He asked.

Cass shook her head.

“Ah. Are you off to see a friend?”

Cass nodded and scooted the bag a little closer towards Alfred.

“Well then,” Alfred said after a beat, “any allergies your friend has?”

She took a moment to think about and then shook her head. She’d always seen Danny eat everything that either of them could get their hands on.

“And is your friend human?”

That was an odd question. Cass’s face scrunched up in confusion.

“You would not believe the things that both Master Richard and Master Jason got up to,” Alfred answered, looking like a man who had been long suffering.

Cass gave a little giggle, which softened Alfred’s expression.

“If you will give me a small time, I will put together a meal for you and your friend. Perhaps, while I do so, you would go and let Master Bruce know that you are going out.”

That seemed odd, but Cass figured it was part of being in a family now. They often liked to know where she was or tell each other when they were going somewhere not the manor or would be be back to the manor. It was still taking time for Cass to be used to all of these rules that weren’t rules.

Knocking she understood now, it was apparently polite and sneaking through the shadows was not. To that end, she knocked on the door to Bruce’s study and waited for the slightly distracted ‘come in’ to enter.

“Cass,” Bruce said with a smile when he looked up from his work. “How are you doing today, honey?”

Cass gave him a thumbs up as he turned on the tablet on his desk and spun it around for her. Her tongue stuck out just slightly as she looked for the right images.

🦢🫱🥪🎒 🏠🐦‍⬛➡️🌆

Bruce watched her put in the images. “Ah… Alfred is putting food in a bag for you and you’re going into the city?”

Cass nodded.

“Alright…,” Bruce said slowly. He tapped the edge of the tablet in a soft rhythm. “Thank you for letting me know. First off, do you have your phone with you?”

Cass pulled it out of her back pocket.

“Good. Do you remember what we talked about with the emergency button? How even if you don’t think you need the help, you should press it if there’s any trouble?”

Cass swiped over to the left screen and the large button on it before locking the phone again.

“Alright. Are you willing to wear an alert bracelet too?” Bruce asked and purposeful leaned back into his chair and forced himself to relax. “That way if your phone is taken or breaks you can still press the bracelet. It has a tracker in it, but we won’t use it unless we need to or you tell us too.”

It didn’t really mater to her, she wouldn’t be here if she didn’t trust them, so Cass gave a little shrug and help out her wrist.

Bruce gave an amused snort and opened up one of his drawers. “If you’re any example, daughters really are easier than sons.”

The bracelet, black of course, was a little snug, but it was low profile enough not to get in the way. Cass adjusted it just slightly before she was satisfied. She was confused though when Bruce stood.

He gave her a soft smile. “I’ll drive you into the city. I have some paperwork there I should get anyways.”

That was a little bit of a lie, but Cass decided not to call him on it and simple held out her hand for Bruce to take.

-

“You aren’t supposed to come out here anymore,” Danny said. He’s trying to look mad— arms crossed with a wide stance, but the way he looked at her from under his black bangs gave him away.

Cass patted the spot on the roof next to her. It’s one of their favorite spots to watch the sunset together. Not only was the view of the sunset over the waters amazing, but when there was a breeze they could hear all the bits of metal tied to the bridge next to them clink in the wind. It made Cass sad to think of Danny watching it up here alone now.

He gave an aggrieved sigh but took the indicated spot. Once he’s seated, Cass starts pulling out the food. There are bulging sandwiches, fresh fruit, salty chips, and best of all cookies.

“Wow,” Danny said. His hand twitched like he wanted to just reach out and start eating before the food disappeared.

Cass handed him a sandwich.

“You still shouldn’t be out here,” Danny protested, but the words were muffled by the large bite of food.

Cass just smiled and started on her own.

Part 3

[amomentsescape]

Hey, do you have any slasher X reader where the reader loves baking?

Slashers with Reader That Loves Baking

Slashers x Reader (Separate)

Includes: Freddy, Michael, Jason, Thomas, Bubba, Brahms, Norman, Billy, & Stu

A/N: Hmm... I don't think I do. Looks like I need to whip up another fic. Here you go!

Freddy Krueger

Although Freddy doesn't need to eat, he'll try anything you make him!

He's happy that you have a hobby that you enjoy during the day

He's even happier that he gets to taste the results

Whenever you visit him, he makes sure the dream world has a kitchen for you in case you want to make something while you're there

You're more inclined to bake there anyways because Freddy can get you just about any ingredient your heart desires

When you do make items, Freddy switches into his "Kiss the Cook" apron and matching hat

He may not help you with the baking, but he still expects kisses while you work

He'll stand beside you, just observing everything you do

He doesn't ask too many questions either, he just likes seeing you relaxed

Once the treats are ready, he literally stabs a few onto his knifed glove and eats them off of it

There hasn't been a single thing you've made that he hasn't enjoyed

Michael Myers

Michael is pretty neutral with your enjoyment of baking

He tends to his hobbies, you tend to yours

He doesn't feel like there needs to be any crossover of sorts

However, he won't deny you when you ask him to try things

And if you need help accessing the top shelf, he'll help you out

He secretly has a big sweet tooth, and your warm smile influences him to try everything (he'd be dead before he admitted it though)

He has a pretty basic taste in sweets too

He enjoys the majority of the cookies, cakes, and breads you've made

He isn't a big fan of pie or dried fruits though

If you make a batch of anything, he'll try a bite if you ask, but that'll be it

You're always certain he's just trying to be polite

But whenever you wake up in the morning, half the tray is gone

Michael will just shrug it off of course

But it's pretty obvious he enjoys your treats

Jason Voorhees

He absolutely loves that you bake!

To be fair, he'd love literally anything you do that makes you happy, but baking reminds him a lot of his missed childhood

You've made a couple things already that reminded him of stuff his mother used to make, and it almost brought him to tears

He doesn't really get sweet cravings like he did when he was younger, but he will never say no to trying something of yours

He also enjoys decorating some of the treats too

His large hands tend to fumble a bit, and nothing comes out as good as yours, but he's having fun, and that's what matters most to you both

His favorite thing is coming home after a long day to the smell of baked goods and to see you casually mixing ingredients together

You just seem so content, and it gives him a taste of what domestic life is like with you

He'll always come over to greet you with a hug, not caring if you're covered in flour

And once he's gotten cleaned up, he just sits at the table out of the way, watching you

He especially loves when you talk to him while baking

It just makes him all warm inside

Thomas Hewitt

He never really grew up with home baked goods like yours before, so it feels like literal heaven when he smells the sugar in the air

He likes walking up and peering over your shoulder, trying to see what you're doing

He also just likes hanging out with you in case you need help with anything

If your arms ever get tired from mixing or kneading, you know who to ask

If you let him, he'll take little tastes of the batters, predicting how much he's going to like them once they're done

(It's always a 10/10)

If it's sweet, he likes it

There's never been anything you've made that he didn't eat almost all of in one night

He loves if you make enough for the whole family too!

He's a bit hesitant to help decorate, and even more so to help add ingredients

But if you ask, there's no way he'd be willing to say no

Bubba Sawyer

He adores your baking!

He absolutely has no idea what you're doing half the time, but he's happy about it all the same

You've got to be careful with this one though

Because if you even turn around for a second, the batter is gone

Same goes for when the treats are cooling

If you leave the kitchen, they'll be gone within just a couple minutes

You have no idea how he manages to do it

At least he's showing you just how much he loves your bakery?

But besides that, he's a great hand to have in the kitchen

He can mix and mix for days

And he's always there to help hand you whatever you need

Just don't trust him with the powders unless you want a white, dusty kitchen

He's also not the best around the hot oven, having burnt himself a handful of times

It's kind of like having a helpful but clumsy child in the kitchen with you

But he's so sweet you can't bare to tell him to leave

Brahms Heelshire

Brahms never grew up with many sweets in the house

So having his own baker at home is like feeding a starving man

And with Brahms, you can imagine how that goes

Will come to you almost every day with a new treat he is craving

In fact, he even added to the rules list that you needed to make him a bedtime treat or else he refuses to go to sleep

You love baking of course, so it's not a problem, but some of his requests are absurd

A pie covered in chocolate ice cream smooshed with cookies and drizzled with brownie batter might be a bit much for a midnight snack

But you honestly did it to yourself

The moment he tasted your treats, there was no going back

And be careful when the sugar rush hits

He's ready to bounce off the walls with you in tow

Norman Bates

Norman has always been one for domestic hobbies

So the fact that you're a baker makes him feel so cozy and warm

Waking up to fresh muffins with his tea, coming home to a plate of brownies, and even being woken up in the middle of the night to some wild cookie recipe all makes Norman so happy

Jokingly complains that you're fattening him up

He's honestly a pretty good baker himself, although he argues that his skill is nowhere near as good as yours

But there have been a handful of times he prepare his own treat beside you in the kitchen, and it always came out amazing

And because of his experience, he's happy to give a lending hand when you need

If you're making something you know by heart instead, then he's still there beside you, keeping up with the dishes so you don't have to tend to a mess later

Norman enjoys whatever makes you happy, and is eager to learn even more about what you love too!

Billy Loomis

He's pretty chill about it at first

He thinks it's a cute hobby, but doesn't know much about it himself

However, the first time he was actually there with you watching you work and tasting what you made...

He really gained a better perspective on it

He can see the hard work and true enjoyment you put into the hobby, and this makes him appreciate it more

He's not huge on sweets, but seeing you put all of this together for him makes it impossible to deny them

Will be brutally honest if he likes something or not, but there's truly only been a couple times he actually didn't like what you made

Will occasionally sit on the counter beside you and just ask basic questions

"What does this thing do?" "How long does it need to sit there?" "Is there a difference between folding and mixing?"

You always smile at him since his genuine curiosity is cute

Plus, it shows he's trying to learn more about what you do

Will definitely stand behind you and rest his head on your shoulder while you work

Stu Macher

You love to bake? Well, Stu loves to eat

Match made in heaven in his eyes

He honestly is surprised by the amount of effort that it takes to whip up a simple cookie or cupcake

He's not usually on this end of the food process

But he honestly enjoys watching what you do

Will literally just stare and zone out, making you laugh

Loves loves loves when it's time to lick the spoon

He will dab batter onto your nose though

He's a huge fan of helping you decorate too!

Just be careful, because Stu is also a huge fan of squeezing the piping bag directly into his mouth

But surprisingly, Stu has become pretty decent at piping frosting and making your treats look pretty

He always insists on eating the ones you decorate though because they "taste better"

He honestly just loves being able to show praise for the stuff you make him and will always request a fun treat to accompany your weekly movie nights

[blackholesun321]

Shanks Doesn’t Have A Dream! And I Can Prove It!

Ok, y’all, can I talk my shit again? Because I have thoughts and feels about our good old one-armed favorite disaster of a party pirate, Akagami (Red-Haired) Shanks. I’m going to be completely honest: I may have had this rant before, but I can’t find it, and no one else has this take. I need to talk about my vision of him that I’m like 60/40 percent sure is correct canon-wise and would explain so many of his—let’s call them quirks.

I think one of Oda’s beliefs and the teachings that One Piece has so blatantly told us about, such as personal freedom, charting your own destiny, and making your own adventure along the way, are a reflection of Shanks’ character as someone who never got that chance and never would. That, to me, makes him one of the saddest characters in One Piece.

Let me cook here. I’m not going to cite anything because I don’t want to, and I do that enough already in college, so we’re running on trust me: I’ve read the manga and watched a lot of theory videos. So lock in because this is gonna be long.

Anyways, back to my thesis. Shanks is a character of contradictions. He was the youngest person to ever become a Yonko (but then Luffy came in), probably one of the strongest men of his generation. He regularly fought the world’s strongest swordsman for fun. He has a crew whose members each have over a million bounties on their own and are so physically or politically strong that they can stop a war in its tracks just by waltzing in and saying "stop." Not only that, he stopped Kaido in his tracks and made him turn around. His father was the Pirate King and claimed him as his successor; he could even be tied to the Celestial Dragons. He’s charismatic, and when things need to get done, he gets down to business.

On the other hand, he’s also a goofy guy who regularly gets blackout drunk, has a horrible sense of pant style, parties his life away, and thinks bullying kids is the height of comedy. He cares about his kid to the point that he forgets to be a responsible Yonko but also wants to fight him for the One Piece. He seems so blasé about everything but is obviously, in the background, making connections and being all sneaky about something; he has plans but also didn’t decide to go after the One Piece until after his prime. He’s been stagnant but moving and shaking around the world, all for some big ideal, some big plan, something huge.

It is my stance, idea, theory, if you will, that all this makes sense if you look at it from the viewpoint that nothing—not the planning, not stealing the fruit, not the power growth, or making his way to Yonko status, not building his crew, even the hurry-up-and-wait—he’s been doing all these years, his whole life? Is because he’s hasn’t made a single decision for himself since Gol D. Roger died.

Outrageous! You cry! Shanks, a man who supposedly spouts on about being free and charting your own course and being a pirate? Is none of those things? Impossible, you will say. I will ask you how you got into my house and to please leave. But aside from the pirate bit, yes, and I can prove this. Calm my chili-baby’s and listen.

Yes, Shanks had his life taken from his adventure, his destiny set and marked right before the Loguetown execution. It is my belief that all this can be laid at the feet of—drumroll, please—Gol D. Roger himself!

Gasp! Crying! Fainting in the audience! I know, what a twist. Let me explain. In a flashback, we see Roger talking about Ace. It was Roger’s belief that Ace (his child) would be the savior of the world, the new Joy Boy, destined to destroy the World Government with what they learned from the Poneglyphs and Laugh Tale. He believed their generation was too early and that the next would usher in the new world. Ace would be his true successor. A little narcissistic, but a man like Roger probably couldn’t help but be. Not just that but it probably felt prophetic he found Laugh Tale of course that had to mean something?He was also dying as it was and put things in place for Ace to survive. He told Garp where he was so Garp could take him away with Rouge—a safety net, that sure was useful. Once she ya know, died.

With the understanding that the next generation would usher in the new age, Roger took aside a thirteen-year-old Shanks and revealed everything. He told him about the birth of the new Joy Boy, everything about Laugh Tale, and how he believed his son would usher in this age. I believe he gave Shanks this purpose: to pass on the straw hat to his son and help him become a man strong enough to fight the World Government. I think little traumatized Shanks, who is about to lose his father and has had the weight of the world put on his shoulders, takes it to heart and buries everything he is to fulfill his captain's last wish. And that’s horrible. I’ll get into the psychological implications later, but holy shit, Roger, what the fuck? He’s thirteen! And about to watch you die!

But yeah, doesn’t this make sense? Why the hell when Buggy wanted to go after the One Piece, did Shanks hold back and say they should wait, losing his brother because he has a secret his captain entrusted him with. Why the hell did they know about the Gum Gum Fruit and were searching for it? Why did Shanks spend so long on a little island like Fousha in the East Blue? Not only was he looking for the fruit, but he was also looking for Ace! (And maybe Rouge.)

Why has he been making all these connections but doing jack shit with them? Why did he become a Yonko but claim no territory for fucking years on end and do nothing really with his status? Why does he rely on such a small crew of such powerful individuals? Why does he party his life away, seem almost aimless, and not start to go after the One Piece until Luffy reaches Gear 5?

Because he’s the one to pass on the legacy; he’s the placeholder, a cog in the proverbial machine that is fate. He made sure Joy Boy would exist. And now that the dominoes have been placed and are falling fast, he’s going to challenge Luffy and make sure he’s strong enough to fight for it—strong enough to take on the World Government, the Celestial Dragons, and Imu—and then hand him a big red button to help do it afterward. That button will be all the sneaky shit he’s been doing in the background.

He’s been the bridge between his captain and this new age. Sure, it was too early, but his influence rippled out through the people he trusted and touched in his life. The same way Rayleigh trained Luffy, knowing what he was preparing him for in the next part of his journey, waiting years for him to arrive at Sabaody.

And all that needed to happen was the dreams, adventures, and sacrifices of a young boy. It’s almost poetic—a son for a son (or sun, in this case). My therapist says I make light of dark shit so I don’t have to emotionally feel the pain.

And now we get into the sad portion of today’s episode. Prepare the tissues because this is why I think Shanks is one of the saddest characters in One Piece.

Because think about it: Shanks’s life was charted for him; his adventure and future were stolen, decided with the reveal of Laugh Tale and all the secrets around it—everything, all so the next generation could one day rise up and bring a new dawn. Shanks never got to have a dream because it was stolen from him. He’s a walking, talking empty automaton, fulfilling his captain's dying promise made by a grieving thirteen-year-old.

He is dreamless, and for a man who is, in some sense, the freest in the world—can go anywhere, can do anything, is powerful enough to stop wars—he’s still trapped, chained to a future he can only wait for.

I don’t think he knows who he is outside of this. I don’t think he thinks he’ll live beyond it. (Which like I will fucking cry because this is gonna be kinda true.) I don’t even want to call it an ambition. Duty, maybe. Damned promise, more likely. And it’s ruined every relationship outside of it he’s ever had. Aside from one—

(Don’t even get me started on him and Mihawk and miscommunication, failed expectations, and Mihawk being the epitome of everything Shanks isn’t. With his dream chasing to the ends of the world, ending up unfulfilled and alone. Finding companionship and what he thought were similar drives in each other, but once Shanks lost his arm and his hat, he realized Shanks was never fighting for something he wanted. And it broke him a little; it broke their relationship—one of the only relationships Shanks chose for himself, with nothing to do with his mission.

And Buggy—he gave up his brother, was forced to leave him alone, and couldn’t say anything, couldn’t tell him the truth, couldn’t destroy his dream. And he couldn’t even be selfish enough to make him stay. Like, oh my God, the drama.)

Doomed yaoi aside, the only thing and person I think that messed up his perfectly made plans is Luffy.

Sweet baby Luffy wasn’t so sweet before the Red Force arrived. In the manga, it is mentioned that he was an angry, bitter child, lashing out almost like Ace to a degree. But Shanks, by just being kind, by being good, and by reaching out and teasing this little ball of anger, transforms him, saves him in a way. He gives him a drive, a dream, and a morality to live by. He gives him everything he never got—everything stripped from him. Shanks turns him into the type of person a special kind of Devil Fruit might call out to and get eaten by.

Nika chose Luffy because Shanks saved him by just being good and kind, giving this kid something beyond his anger and bitterness. Shanks gave Luffy the idea of freedom, and in return, he allowed Shanks’s perfectly clear mission to shatter. I think this Shanks makes the first real decision in his life: he goes, "Fuck, well, we’re backing this horse now," and Luffy becomes his child—not his captain's, but his future to bet on and help grow.

And I fucking love that. Luffy saves him just as he saved Luffy, in a way. And that’s his kid, his successor, more than it ever was for Roger. I will die on this hill. (If you want, you can even look at it as Shanks finally choosing a dream all his own and it’s Luffy.)

Will Oda see it this way? Probably not. He has a habit of brushing off stuff like this; I think he’ll make Shanks’s character into a noble man dedicated to stopping the World Government and not even think about the implications of tying all that to him at such a young age. But I do think Shanks expects to die when Luffy comes to fight; I think he wants to, just how Mihawk wants to die from Zoro’s blades. Because what is there beyond this? (And again, parallels!)

And I believe he will live! (Not Mihawk—he's gonna die.) Shanks will live, and symbolically, Luffy will free him from this self-imposed duty, this promise made by a child. Shanks will have made, even unwittingly, the thing that would free him, allowing him to move forward in a world where all the purposes he needs to find are his own.

And holy shit, that’s a lot for him, but then Blackbeard will happen, and he’ll die only having known freedom for a short while. Luffy will cry and create a new dawn, and it won’t be for nothing—except it will be for everything to Shanks.

In conclusion, Shanks doesn’t have a dream of his own. He never had a dream; if he did, it was squashed out of him in order to fulfill a promise set by his father, Gol D. Roger.

He loses his brother, loses his control over his destiny, and as his father sets such things into motion, Ace, Roger’s child, will become the new Joy Boy.

He makes a connection with someone outside of that mission and purpose, and in doing so, creates the opportunity for his own freedom and his own choice in Luffy.

Later down the line, Nika/Luffy will eventually free him in the same way he created his own freedom back then, giving him a new choice going forward. They will free him from the mission that was placed on his shoulders as a thirteen-year-old child, and afterwards, he will consequently be killed by Blackbeard, and everything will be horrible, and we will all cry. The end.

I hope everyone enjoyed this thesis on Shanks. Feel free to use it and steal it to your hearts content. I would love to write more if anyone has any questions or things they want to ask; I will be opening up my ask box for questions. I would love to go into more detail on his relationship with Luffy, his rivalry with Blackbeard, and how that ties into all of this, as well as his relationship with Mihawk (fuck man the parallels!!) or maybe Buggy. (Which I have less on it’s just really tragic.)

[differenteagletragedy]

Cove isn't the stepdad, he's the dad who stepped up: Part 5

A fifth part to my series in which Baxter does his Baxter thing at the end of Step 3, but he got you pregnant before he left. Cove steps up to raise your baby, but then when you get married, a certain Mr. Ward ends up being your wedding planner.

Link to Part 4 here, with links to the previous parts.

The summer after you'd graduated high school, you and Cove worked together at the tropical place, waiting tables. It was a special place for the two of you, full of memories, and it was a natural choice for your rehearsal dinner.

But it was also a special place for you and Baxter. Once he'd learned you worked there, he stopped by regularly, sometimes to order takeout and other times just to see you. It was sweet, and his visits made you fall all that much harder for him.

So that night, when you were sitting in the restaurant, less than 24 hours before your wedding to Cove with your son in a booster seat between the two of you and Baxter, his biological father, sitting across the table from him, letting him snatch a fistful of pineapple from his plate ...

Well, it was odd.

Dylan had been the one to invite Baxter, and after making sure it was ok with you, he'd agreed to stop by. But when he did stop by -- just stepping in to wish you and Cove well, not intending to stay long -- your son had been insistent that he sit and join you for dinner. It seemed he'd taken a liking to this strange man who looked like him, and Cove, always willing to do anything to make his little boy happy, told Baxter to pull up a chair.

"You can sit right here," Dylan had told him, pointing directly across the table. "You can't sit beside me because I sit beside Mommy and Daddy, but if you sit here then you can still see me good."

Baxter smiled tenderly at him -- that's the only way you could describe it, "tenderly" -- and despite how different he and Cove were, it seemed like wanting to please your child was something they had in common.

Derek, always the gentleman, went to grab an extra chair and put it beside his, scooting over to make room for him. Baxter flashed another smile at him, and you realized tonight you'd seen that smile more than you had in five years. He threw an extra one to Kyra, who was on this other side, and sat. Then he met your eyes.

You knew Baxter. You just did. And now, with everything that had come up, you felt like you'd always know him. He was nervous, desperately seeking your approval. He wanted to know that it was ok to be this close, to accept all this kindness. That it wouldn't bother you.

You grabbed an extra menu and slid it in front of him.

"You'll have to get someone else to take your order this time," you smirked.

After everyone placed their orders and the wait for food began, Baxter began talking to Kyra -- Dylan really couldn't have picked a better seat for him. Derek spoke with him too, finally getting to know him a little after being so absent the first time he was in town. Cove even sent some friendly chatter his way. He never really liked Baxter, he never really understood him, but he was making an effort to make this whole strange process go more smoothly.

It wasn't long after dinner was served that Dylan made his grab for Baxter's food. He was a polite kid, as polite as a four-year-old could be, anyway, but he also liked to eat, and Baxter's dish was the only one near him with pineapples on it. The temptation was too much to bear.

Before you could catch him, he'd stuck his little fingers in Baxter's plate.

"Dylan!" you said quickly, grabbing his wrist and pulling it back. "You know we don't do that."

"It's quite all right, truly," Baxter said, smiling so wide that his teeth showed. "I don't mind."

Dylan grinned up at you, nibbling on the stolen fruit and you sighed. But it turned out that wasn't the boldest move he was prepared to pull that night.

"How do you know my mommy and daddy?" he asked easily.

Derek choked on the sip of water he'd been taking, and beside you, Liz turned a cackle into a not-so-convincing cough. Dylan kept his eyes straight ahead, but you could feel both Cove and Baxter's on you.

"We all knew each other a long time ago," you answered, tousling his hair. "Back before you were born."

"Did he know me when I was a baby?" he asked, turning to look up at you.

"No."

"Did he know me when I was in your belly?"

The question hit you harder than you would've thought. You sucked in a breath, bit your lip then said, "No, baby."

Cove and Baxter were still looking at you, but their expressions were very different. Where Cove looked concerned, Baxter had that old sorry look of remorse. It was too much.

"Be right back," you said quickly before standing up and making your exit.

You walked out of the restaurant, breathing in the fresh air, and tears started falling. You tried to catch them before they escaped your eyes, not wanting to leave any evidence when you went back inside, but pretty soon you realized it was a losing battle. You went to the corner of the restaurant and sat on a bench there and just gave in to it all.

"Hey, gal."

You looked up, and there was Derek, a sympathetic smile on his face.

"Can I sit down?"

You made more room on the bench and he sat down beside you. His presence, as always, was a comfort in itself, and you felt yourself relaxing, just a little.

"You ok?" he asked softly.

The tears came down harder as you told him that no, you were not ok. This was a shitty situation and it wasn't fair, not to you or to Cove or to Dylan. The timing of Baxter coming back into your life could not possibly have been worse, and you were so angry and so sad that you were spending the night before your wedding to Cove wasting tears over some dumb boy who broke your heart.

He listened as you let everything out, and when he was sure you were done, he held out the arm closest to you. You let yourself fall against him, and he wrapped his strong arms around you.

"I'm sure this is really hard, and I'm so sorry," he said, resting his chin on the top of your head. "I wish it wasn't like this. But I know you, and I know Cove, and this is going to be ok."

"It doesn't feel like it."

"I know, and I'm sorry about that too. But it's true. Cove loves you so much, and I know you love him the same. And I know how much you both love Dylan. You're a family. Nothing Baxter can do will change that. And nothing at all is going to mess up your wedding."

"That's a pretty bold claim," you told him.

"I'm a pretty bold guy."

You felt yourself smiling, but there was still some sadness there. Derek's warmth made you feel better, and you knew that he was right about Cove, but you felt like there would always be a sort of sadness associated with Baxter. It wasn't something you could escape.

A few minutes later, Derek asked if you wanted to go back inside. He helped you clean your face up a little from your impromptu crying session, then you made your way back to your table.

The first thing you saw was Dylan crying, his little fists wiping at his eyes. Cove had his hand on his back and was leaned in, talking to him.

"What happened?" you asked, rushing back to take your seat beside him.

"Baxter left," he explained.

The subtext was clear: Baxter left again.

[pagesfromthevoid]

Cowboy Like Me | d.d. | 2

Din Djarin x princess!reader

Word Count: 1.6k

Warnings: mild cursing, mentions of being killed

Author’s Note: Ah yes the second chapter literally no one asked for (that’s not true, technically two people did regardless). They’re gonna get longer soon…just you wait. And mildly smuttier 👀

Series Masterlist | Talk to Me!

The Hunter

The following morning, she bought a one way pass to Alderaan.

There wasn’t really a reason to stay on Nevarro anyway, since she was merely there in passing. But it frustrated her to no end that her mother was so willing to hire a bounty hunter within days. Leave it to Calista of Senex to just know her daughter wasn’t taken against her will —to simply know she left on her own accord.

Perhaps her mother should have taken that as a sign that her daughter wouldn’t have wanted to go through with the wedding. A sign that this whole thing was a bad idea. But then, Callista was not someone who thought of others' wants and needs. Not unless they better served her.

The carrier to Alderaan didn’t leave for several hours, however, and she was stuck in Nevarro —stuck with a Mandalorian —until then. As long as she laid low, and didn’t get herself In trouble, she would be fine. And she hadn’t found any trouble in the time that she had been away from Senex —how hard could it be?

*****

As it turns out, the answer was very hard.

It was very hard to stay out of trouble.

It was as if every time she turned a corner, there he was, searching the crowd for her. And every time, she turned on her heel to walk the other way. Maybe he knew she was there. Maybe this was part of his thing —playing cat and mouse with his quarry before he just snatched her up.

She wasn’t going to be caught by him. She wasn’t going back. He’d have to kill her before she let him truck her back to Senex, back down that aisle. Maker help her, her mother would have to hire him to stand guard at the wedding so she didn’t run again. Because she wasn’t going back.

Slipping down an alleyway, she ducked behind a vendor stall and pretended to peruse the fruits available. She didn’t have much longer before her carrier was set to leave, all she needed to do was get around him and to the station. Then she’d have a bit of a head start on him.

“Hey! You gotta pay for that!”

She dropped the fruit in her hand, confused because she wasn’t stealing. She was just looking! But when she looked up, he wasn’t even looking at her. He was looking at the floor of the stall. Unable to help herself, she stepped closer and followed the vendor’s gaze.

Babbling, holding the fruit to its little mouth, was the most unusual —but possibly the cutest —child she had ever seen. It didn’t seem overly concerned about being scolded by the vendor, though as he reached down to snatch the fruit, she quickly stepped between the two.

“Here,” she offered, holding out some credits with a polite smile. “Let me pay for his snack.”

The vendor gave her a wary look, but didn’t care enough to argue as he snatched the money from her and walked off. She turned to look down at the child now, then kneeled down in front of him.

“Stealing is wrong, you know,” she softly scolded, but she had a smile on her face. “You’re lucky I was here. Now where are your parents?”

The child finished his fruit, cooing excitedly as he reached his hands up. She looked around a moment, seeing if there was anyone else nearby. No frantic mothers or fathers seemingly were searching for the child, and she couldn’t very well leave him there. It just went against everything in her, to leave a child alone like this. So, probably against her better judgment, she took the little one in her arms and lifted him up and rested him on her hip.

“You seem like a trouble maker, little one,” she commented, earning a happy little babble in response.

As she stepped out of the stall and looked around the crowds, the vendor pushed her out of the doorway and slammed it behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and huffed in frustration, shaking her head. When she turned back around, she caught the eye —or well, visor —of the man hunting her down.

“Shit.”

*****

Mando had stopped looking for the girl about an hour after getting off the ship. He didn’t exactly intend to stop —however, the kid decided that he wanted to be a problem and when Mando turned around, Grogu was not in his crib. And now Mando was searching Nervarro for his kid, not his quarry.

Honestly, if he focused hard enough, he could probably find both her and the kid without any issues. But Grogu was still a target for Gideon, and he couldn’t focus on anything besides finding his son. He had to. The quarry could wait ��he had a month. His kid didn’t.

But after an hour and half, he was getting antsy. The kid wasn’t anywhere to be found, and he had been searching every inch of the market with no luck. That little monster had made him question everything he was good at in such a short amount of time, if only by being nothing but trouble. It would be the death of him.

Mando pushed out of another stall, stopping for a moment to scan the crowd once more. As the people slowly started to thin out, move out of the way, he caught a glimpse of green across the market —high off the ground. For a second, Mando almost panicked but the child was giggling happily, and the woman holding him was speaking to him as Grogu turned back to the crowd; to Mando. And she followed the gaze, only to tense up immediately.

She stared directly at him, eyes wide as Grogu reached up to touch her face. But her lips moved —and while Mando wasn’t great at reading lips, he knew when someone was cursing. And she was cursing, frozen in place as they locked eyes. The kid turned to follow her gaze, now reaching out to him with those grabby little hands he always did when Mando was too far away.

Her brow furrowed as she looked down at the child, who was pushing himself from her arms and finding himself on the ground again.

“Wait, no, no,” she called after him, reaching out. And whatever fear that had made her freeze in front of Mando was gone as she chased after his child. “You can’t run off by yourself! You almost got flogged for stealing!”

Mando stalked forward now, eyes on her and her only as she scooped up the kid in her arms again. Grogu whined, reaching out to him as she slowly came to a stop in front of the bounty hunter. His helmet tilted down, just slightly, looking down at the child as Grogu reached out to him.

“I…,” but she trailed off, slowly letting the child transfer from her arms to Mando’s. “I paid for his snack.”

Through his visor, he glanced up at her, finally noting the color of her eyes. They were warm, tear rimmed as she knew she had been caught. The sight tugged at his heartstrings, but he knew better. This was a job; she was a quarry. Didn’t matter how upset she was; how close to tears she may be. But he couldn’t look away from her.

“He was stealing from the vendor. I…I didn’t want him to get in trouble,” she explained further, keeping her eyes on the child in his arms. “I assume he’s trouble.”

“He is.”

Finally, her eyes snapped up to look into his helmet. Most people settled on his forehead, or even his chin. But she caught his eye without even trying, just staring up at him with tears in her eyes.

“How much are they paying you to bring me home?”

“More than you have.”

“You don’t know that.”

“Thirty-five.”

She let out a huff, shaking her head. “I have twenty.”

Mando almost took it. He almost took what she had, let her go. He didn’t know why they wanted her back. It wasn’t in his job to ask questions like that. But the way she stared up at him —eyes watery with unshed tears, trembling as she reached up to run her thumb over the baby’s cheek. It pulled at something even deeper in him that he didn’t like.

“Would twenty be enough to just…kill me, instead?”

He thanked the stars for his helmet, because her request threw him off entirely. He’d never had a quarry ask to be killed. The kid in his arms whined again but Mando squeezed him gently to quiet him down.

“No. You’re to be returned alive.”

She nodded solemnly, as if she had accepted her fate. “I can’t outrun you, can I?”

“You can try. But it won’t last very long.”

She considered his answer before nodding once.

“If I go willingly, are you going to put me in carbonite?”

He hesitated a moment, though to her it was just him staring at her in silence. For a second, he considered his options. Maybe he wouldn’t give up his bounty, but she seemed aware enough of the consequences if she fought back.

“No. I won’t.”

His tone was stern; threatening without actually saying it. He could give her a little more breathing room before being returned to Senex and whatever waited there. But for the trip there, he would be nice.

Just this once.

Because she was nice to the kid.

———

Taglist: OPEN

[thousand-winters]

What do you think of Hunters eating habits? Do you think he struggles to eat, struggles to keep on weight etc etc

I doubt he was eating all that well in the coven, but he also lives with Darius Deamonne who just wouldn’t let it slide

The way I struggled to find this, I need a better tag system for my blog, but anyway! I actually shared some thoughts here but let's go with some extra thoughts anyway.

It's definitely going to be a challenge for him to break his bad eating habits and actually have three meals a day and such. Because Darius wouldn't want to force him to eat either if he's not up to it, I can imagine at the beginning there was a lot of "well, at least have a snack" which he picked up for later and then that "later" coincidentially never came.

It would have been easier for him to eat normally and healthily at the Human Realm because it wouldn't feel like it's just him doing something he hasn't earned, his friends were unknowingly leading him with their example. It's easier to do something when everybody else is doing it and acting like it's totally normal to have multiple meals a day even when your make-shift portal exploded on your face for the third time this week. He might not fully understand but it's not him committing a wrongdoing all on his own and overtime he probably relaxed with how nonchalant they were about it too.

I think he was generally very polite with Camila, and very grateful, and he felt comfortable there to a certain level, while all of them knew it wasn temporary, plus Camila only had so much time in her day between work and six whole kids, so he didn't have to talk too much with her if he felt anxious. If he ever felt tense, he could just follow his friends' lead and keep going, even if he was doing something as innocent as grabbing fruit from the kitchen while Camila was around. Not so daunting when you have company and you don't have to spend a lot of time with this figure of authority anyway, even if they're nice.

Now, when he moves in with Darius, it's different. Darius doesn't have six kids he suddenly has to care for while simultaneously worrying about coupons and where to get the money for all of them to be able to live in decent conditions, and this isn't a temporary arrangement either, so Hunter would worry more about making a good impression because if this is to be permanent, he has to be a good kid, exactly how it worked at the castle. He spends more time with Darius than he ever did with Camila, and while they already have the precedent of their time at the castle, Darius is now his guardian, so it's different.

Darius would probably tell him straight away he doesn't have to earn anything at his house, and everything there is at his disposition because it's his house now too, but Hunter would probably feel too awkward at first to even open the fridge if he hasn't been specifically asked to retrieve something or told that he could. So between that and his tendency to tell Darius he's not hungry during this or that meal, very early on he would be kinda going back to his habits at the coven.

But yeah, Darius absolutely isn't going to let it slide, even one or two weeks is too much because Hunter needs to eat, he's a growing teenager. Part of it would be definitely Hunter feeling like he doesn't deserve the food, but even without that, once it gets actually into his head that he doesn't need to earn it, he might struggle to actually keep enough appetite for the three meals at first.

I think it's also possible at the Human Realm he could get away with it a lot because Luz and him were probably the club "I don't feel hungry" and then the others looked at them and they looked so worn down that it was evidently not a physical issue, so they just let them because no point in forcing them when they aren't feeling well. It's absolutely the same with Darius and Eber, except there's no urgency nor lack of ability to take Hunter to a healer and see if part of it is his body not being used to have frequent meals like that.

He probably has to start slowly, perhaps with light meals at first, and Darius would help him work through it both with making sure he has the meals he needs so he can eat properly and with encouraging him and supporting him so he stops feeling guilty about "wasting his time and resources".

He gets there eventually, and if he ever doesn't feel like taking a meal, Darius still takes the time to make him a snack. He doesn't pressure him to eat it, but he does encourage him to not feel like he doesn't deserve it. It takes time, but Darius has plenty of it and a lot of patient for this kid that has been hurt in far too many ways.

[mega-ringsandthings-world]

Just a quick ask-

If the Red Force in the JT AU ever decides to lay low on Dawn Island (while looking for the Gomu fruit) with Luffy tagging along because, of course, he is lol, how does the whole mountain bandit debacle go down? Number one, Shanks is well-known at this point; years go by, and all, but still, his face was plastered into every single person's face at least once for the last six years. He's probably almost Emperor level at this point, and the pirate/marine world still says his name with awe, sympathy, and fear.

So, are they undercover? Shanks and crew dress down, hide the red hair and straw hat, row to shore just far enough out so the inhabitants can't see his ship properly? Also, I don't know if this version of Shanks would just shrug his shoulders and take the bandits' taunts. I mean, he could; it could be a "I've eaten scarier things for lunch, and this is barely a fly of an inconvenience." Or maybe it's because they're undercover he can't do anything? That would absolutely grind his patients and when he can finally just stab the guy na break his face in it’s gonna be so cathartic. Is this why he won’t loose his arm this way here but later? Because he just beats the bandit into an inch of his life before he can capture Luffy?

Also is Mihawk here? Just hanging around or is he off doing secret war lord stuff.

Also, is this how Garp finds out about Luffy? Or I’m completely off base with all of this but hypothetically if this all happened what the out come?

Anyways, this AU has brought me so much joy through such a hard semester and general few months. It really made my year; thank you.

Ohhh we're diving into the good parts here. Yessssss. To start, yeah, Shanks' face has been cemented into the public collective, and he's peaking. Already wildly powerful, but still a ways off from emperor status. At this point in the timeline he's gone into a period of 'calm', he's overcome the initial hurdles he faced after Loguetown, and is now taking a more protracted approach to climbing the ladder, i.e, stuff like the Gomu fruit. There's only so much that brute force and violence can bring at any given time, and he's instilled enough awe, sympathy, and fear in people that he can afford to dip down a bit. All that is to say that, yes, AU Shanks does in fact lay low at Dawn island for a year like in canon. Which brings us to the actual laying low part. Luffy is at the ripe age of six now, is fully glued to Shanks, and Shanks has free time on his hands. So he decides he wants to begin training Luffy in the ways of pirating, but he also does not want anything to threaten his well-being in any way, shape, or form. The compromise is to take Luffy along with him on this clandestine mission for the Gomu Gomu. (that Dragon agreed to let Luffy go was due greatly to Luffy's incessant whining getting in the way of him writing his political treatises) They do have to go undercover, or at least proceed very cautiously and secretively. (this is the part were Shanks dyes his hair) What helps them is that the inhabitants of Dawn Island, minus the nobles, are sympathetic towards pirates and their cause against the WG, and actively work to conceal Shanks' presence on the island/his ship. And Shanks has visited the island briefly once before, when Luffy was born on it. He's known to the inhabitants. Shanks would disregard the bandits in much the same way he does in canon, and never engages with them for the sake of the mission, up until the point when they try to lay a hand on Luffy, and that in particular does grind on him, because of Luffy having to witness everything and not understanding why Shanks doesn't fight back, they way Shanks has been teaching him to. So there's some pent-up unconscious rage at play when he finally lets loose on the bandits. The bandits come after Luffy because Shanks has been found out and the bandits were sent to retrieve Luffy, and while Shanks kills the others, one still does take Luffy. But the chase after him goes on for days instead of Luffy being found at once, so technically Shanks loses his arm much later than he does in canon. Garp already knows about Luffy at this point, but he's never had any concrete leads/opportunities to make a grab at him. When he finds out Shanks is on the island with Luffy, he decides to make a move and kidnap Luffy and stow him away with Dadan, where unbeknownst to anyone else, Garp is also hiding Ace with. Which leads into a whole other mess for a later date. Mihawk is in the middle of the formation of the Warlords, but he visits Shanks regularly on the island, which makes this period one of their hardest so far, as they have to be separated. Their individual tasks distract them, though, Shanks has a handful dealing with Luffy and searching for the Gomu Gomu, and Mihawk likewise has a handful with the new Warlords, so they stay busy enough to withstand the other's absence. Right back at you! I'm so glad you like it so much! It's really making my year too, it's so much fun!

[diagonal-queen]

If the BSD girls were my coworkers

♡ characters: Kyouka Izumi, Yosano Akiko, Kouyou Ozaki, Gin Akutagawa, Higuchi Ichiyou, Naomi Tanizaki, Lucy Maud Montgomery

♡ synopsis: How would these girls be if they were my coworkers?

♡ cw: Swearing, knives, mentions of sexual harassment

note: Well this took forever to write, my bad lol. Uh I'm working full time rn so my posting schedule is a little silly and goofy ahaha anyways um. Apologies for errors and I hope you enjoy x

If the BSD boys were my coworkers

Kyouka:

She would try her DAMNED HARDEST OKAY

Scarily good at cutting (legally she's not allowed to be cutting stuff because she's too young, but she's good at it so I wouldn't snitch). Like she'll slice up a whole box of lettuce in like two seconds. We would NEVER run out of cuts with Kyouka on board

Also very good at cleaning, would clear out the entire store and kitchen in a manner of minutes

However she's bad with customers. Like REALLY bad. She would either just tell them the entirely wrong thing, falter and run away, stare silently in confusion, or just refer them to me lol

Always appreciative whenever people bring snacks to work and let her have some

Her favourite job is cutting and wrapping stuff because it's what she's best at and it makes her feel more confident in her ability

Constantly amazed by the pricing machine that just spits out price tags (me too queen) and is always so delighted no matter how long she'd been working there

I appreciate her doing her best and I don't care how many times she makes a mistake she will learn and continue as best as she can and that's REALLY what counts

Yosano:

Oh boy.

I'll start by saying that a very large percentage of my patrons are middle-aged to elderly men. Some of them are very polite and nice, sure, but there are...others.

These 'others' would not last half a second under the icy glare of Akiko Yosano. A single suspicious glance/comment at me or any other female staff would have her committing suable actions

She'd also be good at cutting stuff, but probably get a little too zealous when she gets to cut pumpkins (aka use a mallet and a giant knife at the same time)

Absolutely would answer the phone with no hesitations and be able to take orders and stuff properly without any training which is nice

BUT if someone called us asking for empty cardboard boxes or something stupid like that (which has actually happened) she would argue with them and then just hang up T-T

She should honestly be in a management position because she would be so good at that

Yosano has her ups and downs in vegetal retail. But regardless of all that, she would be like. The COOLEST coworker ever on god

Kouyou:

At first I'm not sure if she'd like a job like retail

She'd be like 'I'm really being paid minimum wage to cover my hands in rotten fruits and get verbally abused by pensioners?' (she's so right btw)

But she'd eventually get into the groove of things (probably just because she has nothing else do to) and would actually become quite good at it

She'd be good at organising, cleaning and sorting stuff out to make it look presentable

A respectful AND respectable queen who values neatness and maintains a good rapport with customers...except if they give the rest of her coworkers any shit. Then she's not maintaining as good of a rapport with customers

She's the kind of girl who would ABSOLUTELY talk shit about customers (and other coworkers ngl) in the back lmao

She would always wear gloves because she doesn't wanna get her hands dirty (I hc that Kouyou has perfectly manicured hands and does what she can to maintain them)

Would get frustrated easily though so we'd just have to try not to upset her as much as possible sksjkjfks

Gin:

I have this coworker who's not very talkative and can be a little awkward to talk to some times, but he's a literal godsend and does everything extremely quickly and to such a perfect degree that without him I am complete mess

THAT is Gin as my coworker

Also my coworker is like super nice as well and Gin would be really nice too lol

She would come off as frightening at first though. I get the feeling that a lot of customers wouldn't want to approach her lol

Might be lacking in confidence at first when she starts but she gets the hang of it quickly enough

Probably doesn't tie her hair up properly and is constantly asked about it by the manager

You would never have to ask her to do anything, she'd just be on top of it all and have everything ready

Would never answer the phone even if she were the only one there. She would probably freeze up and panic until someone else came and answered it for her (she really doesn't strike me as a phone person, because same)

Higuchi:

She is also doing her damned best and y'know what? Even if she continuously fucked up, I would forgive her

Even though I know Higuchi is actually very strong and accomplished she's still my favourite girlfailure and I love her

She's pretty good with customers but she would probably falter if one of them started getting mad at her or something (I would defend her guys)

A little bit clumsy, she might drop some things or her cuts might be a little janky, but like honestly the customers can DEAL with it. I feel like they wouldn't probably mind anyway because Higuchi is a pretty likeable person

Always sharing her snacks with her coworkers

Probably late to work a lot of the time but only by a couple minutes, and always makes up for it by staying behind after her shift ends (I wouldn't be surprised if the store actually ended up owing her some hours lol)

Really strong, so people are always getting her to help them lift/carry stuff

Leaves little encouraging/nice notes around for her coworkers because she's a sweetie <3

Naomi:

Naomi haters are gonna get so mad when I say that she'd be a brilliant coworker

We've seen how good at her agency job she is, why would retail be any different?

The best customer sweet-talker ever, would get herself and me out of any and all trouble and the manager would never ever know

Knows how to work all the machines and has memorised each of the numerical codes for each food like a walking dictionary (there's like five hundred of them fr)

Jun'ichiro sometimes visits the store to go shopping and that's the only real issue that Naomi has at work. She will drop everything to spend every second she can with her brother and it's honestly pretty annoying

If she gets overwhelmed she would forget how to do literally anything correctly and might have a bit of a panic moment

Dudes are probably trying to hit on her all the time and she might actually throw food at them I'm not kidding (and I would fully side with her)

She would also be so nice to her fellow coworkers and always encourage them :')

Lucy:

Lucy would consider this kind of work to be spectacularly easy compared to what she had going on in her orphanage and the Guild

Truly a testament to how absolutely shitty her life has been so far (sorry queen I could treat you better <3)

She's pretty good at everything, not perfect but generally quite good. An all-rounder, always getting called in on unscheduled days because she's just the go-to for everything lmao

Not that she would come in on those days, but yk

She would bring snacks for her coworkers but she would never admit it. She'd be like "You can have some if you want I don't care" while having entirely bought them for them lol

If a customer tries to strike up an argument with her or ask for something unreasonable, or try to guilt her into doing things for them (which is surprisingly common actually), they would FAIL

Would store extra stock in Anne's room (and would probably just keep rubbish from throughout the day in there to keep the kitchen clean, until the end of her shift when she can throw it out lol)

Alongside Gin she's EASILY the most valuable and helpful coworker (and also the cutest prettiest one <3)

taglist~ ♡ @gettinshiggywithit, @fyodorhatr, @flower-of-darkness, @bejeweledgirl

[troublemakingrebel]

Fanfic Tag Game

Ayyy, @krankittoeleven, thanks for tagging! Love these little lists!

1. How many fics do you have on AO3?

34! (I used to write in two languages, but for this game i count only the English ones)

2. What’s your total AO3 word count?

295,814... (~1.5 times more words than "Fellowship of the Ring" by JRR Tolkien *sweating*)

3. What fandoms do you write for?

Totally obsessed with Assassin's Creed (Valhalla in particular), but also have some WIPs for Cyberpunk 2077.

4. What are your top five fics by kudos?

Right Behind You (Witcher 3), a piece about epic friendship & love between Geralt of Rivia and the absolute husband material Emiel Regis

10 years apart, no more (AC Valhalla), a fix-it for the fLicKEriNg flame nonsense (if you know you know...)

Shall We? (AC Syndicate), another fix-it that makes Maxwell Roth survive the fire as there's no fire at all

The Truth (The Wolf Among Us), about shaky relationship between the Big Bad Wolf and the Woodsman (i'm so surprised it made it to the top-5!!)

In the Belly of the Beast (AC Valhalla), about Ivarr Ragnarsson eating the forbidden Saxon fruit while no one is watching hehe

5. Do you respond to comments?

Of course! Can't leave them hanging there in silence!

6. What is the fic you wrote with the angstiest ending?

Usually, I don't do sad endings, but the most bitter-sweet one is Pebble (Dragon Age: Inquisition) about a kossith who cuts his massive horns off to look more like a human so he could follow his lover to the city where kossith race isn't welcome :c Although I don't think his lover would let him go there anyway......

7. What is the fic you wrote with the happiest ending?

Haha every other one :D But Sun, Rum and Gunpowder (AC Black Flag) has the happiest and the most carefree vibes whatsoever!

8. Do you get hate on fics?

Not on the fics, but the ships! I just delete those because why is it an author's problem suddenly that some people don't know how filters work??

9. Do you write smut? If so, what kind?

Oh, I sure do ;> It's not extremely explicit (no holes in sight, but dicks and balls can be spotted) and is mostly focused on emotions and dialogues.

10. Do you write crossovers?

Nope, but I write AUs sometimes to spice things up! Modern days AUs are the bane of my existence, and still... somehow... I keep making them...

11. Have you ever had a fic stolen?

No, but I noticed my lines and phrases in the stories of fellow writers. I appreciate it!!

12. Have you ever had a fic translated?

Yeah!! Out of all possible fics, it was The Remnants of a Ruined Past, a Mad Max (the game!) story translated into Polish. Love it lots!

13. Have you ever co-written a fic?

Never as i am incapable to work in groups haha. I did some challenges though, such as picking a theme and writing something small with a fren to compare the results later. It's very fun and helps to keep your brain gears spinning!

14. What’s your all time favorite ship?

Like, the one and only ship that I could bring along if I was stuck on a desert island? Or the one I don't even write for anymore but carry in my heart daily? The former would be Hawke x Varric (Dragon Age 2) because they're a comfort ship with many possibilities for plots. The latter is Ezio x Leonardo (AC II + Brotherhood + Revelations) and Arthur x Eames (Inception) because they started it all hehe.

15. What’s a fic you’d like to finish but don’t think you ever will?

It's a compilation of drabbles written for a very niche CGI Resident Evil movie (Damnation) & very rare pair that i was planning to continue for as long as the planet keeps spinning, but got overwhelmed with the amount of ideas I had in mind :c

16. What are your writing strengths?

Humor and dialogues!

17. What are your writing weaknesses?

Everything el– 🥲 Deep character studies, believable politics and fights.

18. Thoughts on writing dialogue in another language in a fic?

A big yes from me, it ads depth and character when used correctly. Also, it's very interesting to keep an evening reading about the language you're planning to use, even it's for a few simple words.

19. First fandom you wrote for?

It was an attempt to mimic Marie Corelli and write a ficlet for her novel "The Sorrows of Satan". And then Assassin's Creed took my soul and I've never seen it since! Kinda ironic, huh...

20. Favorite fic you’ve written?

I'm gonna cheat bc I'm quite proud about Beautiful Decline, a series of four fics written for Assassin's Creed Valhalla. It's an enormous project that was never meant to break out from its confinements and produce three more stories lmao.

Tagging @firefly-partyn and @krankittoeleven if you wanna join!

[mooodyblue]

Just watched the egg roulette with Austin and it gave me the greatest idea of what if AUSTINS in headspace this time and when he’s playing and everything he’s just a growly nose scrunchy lil guy 🥺🥺🥺 I’m just thinking of all the ideas and I have more faith in you to pull them off than me ❤️

okay so!! i was trying to think of how to write a lil smth smth for little!austin (which if it's not your cup of tea, scroll past and dont read!) and could not for the life of me think of anything so i hope some little headcannons are okay! 🫶🏼 i've thought about little!austin but wasn't sure how people would take it since with elvis it's different, if it's something people are interested in, i'll be happy to write more :) i have lots of thoughts abt little!austin hehe

little!austin headcannons 💗

(once again, if you don't like, then scroll past! this is how i cope okay!!!!!!!)

warnings: sfw agere, little space, written at 3am

it's safe to say, you were definitely surprised when you came home one day to austin curled up on the couch, plushie in his arms, thumb in between his lips as a cartoon played in the background while he was asleep

you'd never seen austin so embarrassed when he saw you standing there, his face a deep shade of red.

of course, you assured him that it was okay and that you loved him no matter what. he was overjoyed when you asked about taking care of him, happily bouncing up and down and showing you the plushies he kept in the closet away from you, introducing them one by one. he was just so excited to finally have someone take care of him.

he's such a polite boy, always so full of joy and getting excited over the smallest things. says "thank you, momma!" every.single.time. he never forgets.

he does have a bad habit of sticking his fingers in his mouth though, sometimes he doesn't realize he's doing it, sometimes he does and just wants you to notice so you'll go upstairs and get him his paci.

although he always slips when he gets overwhelmed with his work or when he comes home after a stressful day of press, he sometimes slips when you just let him lay in your lap as you play with his hair. or when he sees a plushie he absolutely needs. or when you playfully call him a good boy over and over again. he's good at fighting it though, as he's been doing it for a long time in an attempt to hide it from you. although, now that he can freely do it in front of you, it's been getting harder for him to fight it sometimes.

he loves, loves, loves playing. whether it be a board game with you, him playfully smashing buttons on a baby guitar or keyboard, or even with his little play kitchen. he's always smiling and enjoying himself. when you two play games to together, he scrunches his nose when hes deep in thought or too focused in his decision. he sometimes scrunches his nose at you when he thinks he made a good move, which he doesn't most of the time but you always let him win anyway

whenever he's coloring something really tricky, he has his tongue poking out when he's focused. sometimes he scrunches his nose when he messes up, but that's okay! it just makes his picture more unique!

although he loves to cook for you and occasionally bake, he loves to help you in the kitchen when he's little. especially when you're baking. "momma, can i lick the spoon, please?" he asks you, giving you little puppy dog eyes with his those pretty, blue eyes you love so much. obviously you let him, who can resist that face?

he's a squishmallow enjoyer!!! idc!!

although he definitely has every single elvis build a bear just because...duh.

the deeper he is into his headspace, the more quiet and shy he gets. but when he's comfortable, he's very chatty.

definitely a little clumsy. after spilling 5 cups of apple juice over a short period of time, you finally broke down and bought him a few sippy cups. now, he refuses to walk around the house without it filled. he loves juice and refuses to drink anything else.

this boy loves his fruit snacks.

he loves those baby sensory videos where it has the little fun music with the fruits dancing in the background. you don't mind him watching cartoons, but sometimes you need something to keep him focused while you clean up around the house.

he loves laying outside with you just looking at the stars and the moon at night, you even put little glow in the dark star stickers up on the ceiling in your bedroom just for him.

because he's a good boy, he never argues when it's naptime or time for bed. at least most of the time.

he's a very sleepy boy :)

loves his little silky pajamas, he always wants to be warm and comfy before getting into bed

sometimes he'll ask for a bedtime story, sometimes he just wants to be snuggled up to you while you play with his hair

he loves looking up and counting the little stars you put on the ceiling to help him fall asleep faster

he doesn't always need his paci before bed, but after a long day he definitely needs it, he still can't kick that habit of his.

he truly is the best boy you could ever ask for and could not imagine being with anyone else 💓🧸

[blonde-and-cat-suc]

I really wanna start an anti catradora blog since there are so few but idk where to start, can you please give me some tips?

Well! First of, I'm very excited that this side of fandom will be getting another participant, and second of all, I'm very flattered that this question is going to me! I'm always happy to give some support xoxo!

All of my tips are going to be from personal experience both from my time generally engaging with fandom, and running this particular blog.

/ / / /

1 ) Try to be polite.

Yes, you will get people who disagree with you. The very existence of anti-fandom implies that we are not the norm. The majority of our main fandom already disagrees with us. And they might be assholes about it. Don't tolerate rudeness, but also, try not to feed into it, either. Not only is it terrible for mental health as the blogger, but it perpetuates this idea that the blogger in question reacts to negative attention. Which, if you've been on the Internet long enough, you know very well how quickly negativity breeds if it's allowed. Positivity breeds too, so I think it's in anyone's best interest to simply... Not be an asshole. Even if it means being the bigger person for a moment.

2 ) Pick and choose your battles.

"Battles" is a melodramatic way to put it, but I'm only using it because it's a well known saying. Anyway, this part is from the first part. So... the thing about being "the bigger person" is that... it doesn't always happen. I definitely don't let everything go by me without snapping at it sometimes. Well, I just think it's funny. I used to think it was way funnier in the past, too. Sometimes anon hate/fandom takes are really stupid and it's hilarious to share. But if it's not funny, insightful, or you simply don't want to engage... Don't engage.

3 ) Connect!

Anti-fandom is still fandom, and I personally treat it as such! There's still art to enjoy, stories to read, discussions to be shared. Community is not necessary, but when I was first putting out anti-c//a posts it really helped me to know that there were people that like, didn't think I was insane for pointing out things that bothered me! Especially since my choice in writing anti-c//a/crit fics is not an easy medium and well, to be honest, sort of requires that I know someone out there enjoys the fruit of my labor.

Yes, spop antis are limited, but go say 'hi' to the people that are open to engagement! We're mostly pretty friendly, and in my opinion, open-minded.

4 ) You are required to have an "on the nose" blog name.

NO, okay, I'm being totally facetious! Obviously, name the blog whatever you want, I just laugh when I see a new anti blog and it's something like "catra-needs-jail-time" or "catradora-is-dogshit". They're a handful of bloggers like that, if you want more to follow (the two I just named are jokes... As far as I know).

The real advice to be clear that your blog is anti-catradora/critical; or whatever other stances you'll talk about often. Nothing personal if that's not what you want, but make it easily found that you're not open to certain things, or you are open to certain things. I.e. I think that C//a are pretty obviously adopted sisters canon, and that point is very purposefully the first post on my blog (has been for two years), so no one is surprised when I start ranting about sister!c//a in particular.

5 ) It is never, EVER that deep.

Part of anti/crit blogging is that there's salt involved. Ranting, sharing things that frustrate us, being annoyed with canon... But also, it's really not that deep.

If I would have got this question two years before, I would have not added this part. But yeah, no. Part of why I run this blog still is because I know it's simply not that serious... People will steadily find my blog and the others in this community, and they will come around to their own conclusions on their own time. There is no trying to convince someone else on a POV that they simply don't want to see. There is no war against anti fandom and main fandom (though, some will have you believe otherwise).

The bloggers that are still active and open about unpopular opinions in 2023 are not people that stress themselves out or respond to every braindead take, they're not people who get attacked/overwhelmed by stans very often, they're not rude, they're not close-minded-- actually, I would go as far as to say that they're extremely fucking chill about this hobby. Passionate and dedicated, but self aware and self-respecting of mental capital/health.

And so, that'd have to be my last piece of advice.. Chill. It's just not that deep. And if it ever becomes "deep"... take a million steps back, and give yourself that space to recuperate. Your mental state is infinitely more important than an anti-blog, and no one will judge you for taking breaks or anything as you'll need them.

/ / / /

[a-dauntless-daffodil]

loving how Cera in the land before time show is many things but innately wanting to be "the hero" isn't one of them XD

not because she doesn't have the ego for it- defensively hyperconfident and loud about pointing out things she thinks are stupid- she just legit is so tired. she Just wants to sit in the mud pools and chill.

I'm glad they remembered that from the movies. because it's true there too- comes to Little Foot's rescue? eye roll and annoyed "Don't we always?"- saves Petri from a falling rock by tackling him out of the way at the last moment "Cera! You saved me!" "Yeah? So? No big deal-" *gets hugged* "-awww"

like she'll take the positive attention you give her and preen about it, but her first reflex is to NOT have to deal with stuff PLEASE can we not deal with stuff for FIVE MINUTES-

Littlefoot's always the one like "lets go on a dangerous adventure!"

and Cera goes along with it bc she's convinced her friends would all get eaten or squished immediately if she wasn't there to be brutally honest and snarky about everything

(petri fills in when she's not around sometimes)

(when he's not terrified anyway)

it's really gooooooood dynamic. she's not actually TRYING to compete with Littlefoot as leader on adventures or hero of the great valley- they got over that in the first movie- now she's just here to keep her long necked friend's idealist and chronically curious head from completely floating away in the clouds

anyway. laughed out loud when Petri was like "OH WOW CERA NOT ONLY ISN'T DEAD SHE CHASED AWAY THE DANGER! IMMA TELL EVERYONE SHE A HERO!"

Cera's just >:/ going "no wait guys it was an accident- aaand he's gone. UGH. oh whatever..."

and then the rest of the episode happens (HEH)

love love love how the grown ups the great valley- who did NOT have to figure out how to survive on their own as KIDS via problem solving and group dynamic politics without ANY strength or size help to fall back on-

they are so, soooooooo bad at thinking outside the box. ANY of the stuff the main kids do is just mind blowing to them. unblock the stuck water? fight sharp teeth by throwing fruits they can't stand at them? scare away the belly draggers by making some rocks fall down? genius brilliant amazing talented- "HAAAAIL!! THE AMAZING THREE HORN GIRL-!!"

guys what in the actual heck. a parade. with tree star confetti? my dudes, how bored ARE you all?

just let her rest XD let her go nap in the mud pools oh my gods

[clarepreed]

Micro-Story: Liquid Courage

Story Summary and Content: - 2,349 words. A younger Clare drinks her feelings. No resus. Alcohol poisoning, vomit.

--

Based on first and secondhand accounts. Names and some details changed to avoid identification.

“You can be DD this time,” Clare said, trying to sound assertive. She suspected it was problematic to need alcohol to get through a party, but he wanted to go and if she didn’t go with him that was the last that they’d see each other for a week. But getting through an entire evening of socializing with people she barely knew was a lot. “I was DD the past few times.”

Leo shrugged. “If you say so.” He was letting his beard grow out again, scraggly and unkempt, and she was having a hard time not focusing on a particularly dry piece jutting out to the side.

Clare hoisted her bag in front of them. “I went to the liquor store and got a big bottle of vodka.”

“Okay…”

“Well, when I get beer it’s just for me and one other person. This would be for a lot of people. I also got a big jug of fruit punch.”

Leo didn’t respond; he was looking at his phone.

“What time do we need to leave?” Clare sat down on the bed next to him. “I probably should have gotten Coke and vanilla vodka. Or vodka and Vanilla Coke. I used to like that. But this was cheap.”

“We can go now,” Leo said. “Marlowe and Amy said any time after seven.”

“I also brought the s’mores supplies they asked for.”

“I can give you some money for those.” Leo stood, shoving his phone in his back pocket. He turned and looked at Clare, seeming to see her for the first time. “You look good, babe.”

“Oh,” she said, suddenly shy. She stood, resisting the urge to tug on the slim fit dress she was wearing. She’d put on a few pounds recently and was uncertain about her curves. “Thanks!”

“Ready?” Leo leaned over and gave her a quick kiss, his facial hair prickling the inside of her nose.

“Let’s go!” She waited until he’d turned to rub her nose with the back of her hand. Then she picked up her bags and followed him outside. Leo didn’t talk much on the way to Marlowe and Amy’s house, and Clare went back and forth between silence and talking too much. Finally, she asked: “Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s fine.”

Clare swallowed hard and tried again. “It’s just that… Things haven’t seemed okay lately, and now you’re being very—”

“Everything is fine. Nothing is wrong.” And then they were at Marlowe and Amy’s house and the conversation was over.

They made s’mores first, and then Leo disappeared with the smokers. In the kitchen, Clare filled a Solo cup with a heavy-handed serving of vodka and punch and talked politics with Leo’s older friends. She refilled the cup once or twice before deciding to look for Leo.

Clare found him reclining on the porch in a patio chair, smoking a cigarette and talking with the other smokers. She smelled a combination of tobacco and weed, which made her eyes burn. He looked over, but didn’t greet her. 

“Hey,” she said. The air inside and outside the house was humid, but at least out here, once she stepped away from the smokers, anyway, it smelled fresh.

“Hey.” His voice was flat. She had a flashback to the previous year, when they’d been at the same house and she had actually had to tell him to go hang out with his friends. She could hold her own and he should go have fun. Leo had been very physically affectionate then, unconcerned with PDA.

“Are you having a good time?” Clare asked, bringing up her phone to take his picture. He grimaced at her, cigarette between his teeth.

She went to take another photo and he swatted at her, not coming close enough to touch her. “Stop!” 

Clare didn’t appreciate his tone, but she knew she should drop it. Before she could lower the phone, he snapped again.

“Stop it!” He looked angry, and the last vestiges of Clare’s smile slipped.

“Okay. I’m sorry.”

Leo turned in his chair, cutting her off with the line of his body. Clare looked for an empty chair and couldn’t find one.

“I’ll be inside,” she said, not waiting to see if he responded.

She topped off her drink, watching the vodka glug glug glug into her plastic cup, then found the unofficial “wives and girlfriends” room. They were also out of chairs, but she sat on the floor, taking the opportunity to stretch her legs. Before long, the women were peppering her with questions about her relationship.

“Oh, uh… no, we’re closed. But not because I have a problem with open relationships.” The alcohol finally hit her, spreading warmth from her bra line up to her crown. “And you’ve all slept with each other?”

“Not ALL of us,” Samantha said, laughing. “Jesus. That would be an orgy.”

“I mean…” Amy gave Samantha a significant look and they both laughed.

The conversation shifted, time passing. Later, she wouldn’t remember most of what they’d discussed.

Leo appeared in the doorway, evidently looking for her. He walked through the room, pausing by Clare where she sat on the hardwood floor. “Having fun?” He seemed to be happier now, leaning over to kiss her.

“Yeah, we’re having a nice time in here.”

“Good,” he said, headed for the kitchen. “I’ll let you know when I’m ready to leave.”

An indeterminate amount of time crawled by. Clare helped herself to more cups of vodka and punch. Eventually, she felt cheery and supercharged and clumsy, the room around her hot and blurry. She wiped the back of her hand across her eyes, but that didn’t help.

Should have worn my glasses.

“Hey, babe,” Leo said, seeming to appear out of nowhere. “Wanna go home?”

He reached down, offering her his hand. Clare accepted it, laughing as he pulled her to her feet and the room canted around her. Then, seemingly in a blink of an eye, they were on the porch.

“Where’s your Jeep?” she mumbled. She had a vague impression of walking through the yard and past a line of cars. Leo muttered something about being blocked in.

Her hands were numb as she fought with the door and climbed in. Leo wasn’t there; she wasn’t sure where he’d gone exactly, but she had the idea that he’d forgotten something. Clare couldn’t seem to get enough air, her breath coming short and fast. She leaned back against the seat, dragging in a deeper breath by force. 

Nausea hit her out of nowhere. Clare gagged, clapped a hand to her mouth. Then she leaned out of the Jeep.

Uh oh…

Her sight went dark, followed by a brief sensation of falling. She landed in a heap and vomited; her face pressed into the grass.

Nothing at first. Then someone lifted her partway off the ground. She vomited again.

“How much … she drink?” a man asked.

“Don’t … kept going back … Poured herself…” The words were fading in and out. She was aware of being carried inside.

They laid her out something soft, and she tried to open her eyes, but couldn’t.

“Guess … going anywhere?”

“… vomit … load up.”

“Got that trash can? She’s—”

Clare hurled again, helpless to stop it and unable to move. Her body jerked and shuddered. A pair of hands gripped her shoulders, twisting her to the side, and another held her head in place.

“…put her hair up.” A third pair of hands raked through her hair.

Her eyes peeled open as they laid her flat. Everything was blurry. Her heart raced, and breathing was still difficult.

“Can’t… breathe…” she gasped.

“Sure, you can.” That was Leo. “What do we do?”

“You can stay the night. We don’t mind.” A man’s voice, not Leo’s. “Or she can spend the night and I’ll drive her home tomorrow.”

Don’t leave me here!

The rate of her breathing picked up. Anxiety ran through her, narrowing her airway, filling her sinuses, paralyzing her lungs. She clutched at her chest and gave the room a wild rake of her eyes.

Then she blacked out again.

She wasn’t sure how long she was out this time, but she woke with an awareness of someone leaning close by her face.

“Is she breathing?”

“Yeah, I can see her chest moving.”

A man scoffed. “Barely. We should call an ambulance.”

“She won’t like it,” Leo said. “She’ll be mad.”

“I have some water for her,” Amy said. “Clare?”

“Hun, I’m not sure she can drink—”

She didn’t even feel nauseated anymore, she just vomited, her breath gurgling in and out, and the hands heaved her up and over again. They wiped her face with something cool and wet.

“Shit…”

Clare opened her eyes. She caught a glimpse of Amy’s face, wide-eyed and ashen.

“Oh! Clare?”

This is a couch. I’m on a couch.

Leo stood near her feet, his face impossible to read. She certainly didn’t see any warmth.

“Clare?” Amy again.

“I got everything hidden,” a man said. “You can call 9-1-1 now if you want.”

“Leo, does she take any medication?”

I am going to die. I’m going to pass out and suffocate and die.

Clare was hyperventilating now, breathing in short, rapid gasps. The room around her canted lazily. Faces blurred and distorted, until she latched onto the most familiar face, Leo’s. He looked annoyed. “You’re… going… to break up…………with me.”

“I don’t know… something for anxiety.” Leo shrugged. “Shh, babe.”

“Did she take it tonight? That freaks me out a little.,” Amy said, sounding concerned.

“Don’t… love me… anymore.” Tears ran down her cheeks. “Feel like I’m… dying…”

“Clare, hush.”

Darkness.

Darkness.

Darkness.

“…breathing?”

Fingers brushed her nose and her lips.

“Yes!”

“Make sure her head’s tipped back.”

“Clare? Wake up, the ambulance is on its way.”

“How often is she breathing?”

Clare faded out again.

When she next roused, she felt hands touching her wrist and her neck. A painful grinding down her sternum made her suck in a deep breath and let it out with a groan. Someone called her name, but she couldn’t answer, and then she lost another segment of time.

Darkness, movement.

Clare woke with a gasp, her body contorting to escape the pain tearing up the back of her left leg. 

“Woah! Is she strapped in? She’s gonna fall off the gurney!”

“I thought she was out!” Unfamiliar voices.

“She was!”

“You want her pressure again?”

“Nah, let’s load her.”

Her right leg seized up and she choked out a scream.

“Why is she in pain?!” Amy asked.

“Dehydration. Muscle cramps. I’ll give her fluids in the ambulance. We’re going to take her to Ashbury, someone gonna follow?”

Darkness.

She opened her eyes inside of an ambulance, laying on her side on the gurney, her arm extended. 

“Keep your eyes open for me, Clare. You’re going to be fine. You need fluids.”

A paramedic seated close by leaned forward and tied a tourniquet around her arm, just above her elbow. The ambulance was rattling and shaking.

“This road…” the paramedic muttered.

She must have blacked out again, because she blinked and there was an IV in her arm and a small amount of blood on the floor. She knew this because her face was pressed against the gurney’s side rails.

“I bled… on… the floor! Sorry…”

“Don’t worry about that. Take a couple of deep and slow breaths for me. Do you think you could lay back?”

“I’ll… throw… up! Augh!” Pain spasmed through her legs and back.

“That will stop soon, I promise. Getting you rehydrated right now. Let me know if you think you’ll vomit again.” She had no idea what he looked like; her vision was still dim and blurry. “I’m giving you medication for nausea.”

“How will I… get home?” she gasped.

“There’s a Jeep Grand Cherokee following us to the hospital.”

“Feels hard… to breathe…”

“Believe it or not, saline is going to help with that, too. Do you —”

Time jumped. Clare opened her eyes and found herself sprawled on her back on a hospital bed, staring up at the ceiling tiles. She felt like shit, registered the IV in her arm and the curtain around the bed. Someone had draped her with a sheet, but her bare feet were uncovered.

“Where are my shoes?” She could breathe properly now, her anxiety a distant memory.

“Hey, babe.” Leo was sitting in a chair against the wall. He crammed his phone in his pocket and squinted at her. “Your shoes are over here. I have your phone and your purse, too. That’s where I was when you fell out. You feel okay?”

“Not great…” There was a white block clipped to her finger. She recognized it, but couldn’t remember what it was called. They’d left her in her dress but someone had unhooked her bra, and she saw leads running out of the neckline and the tops of two electrode dots peeking out. She was surprised to see that she hadn’t thrown up on her dress. 

“The nurse said once you woke up, you have to finish your IV and then we can probably go home.” Leo got up and walked over to the side of the bed. “They didn’t have to pump your stomach or anything. You threw a lot of it up. You seemed a lot better when they let me back here than you were at the house. It’s a long drive.”

“Oh… that’s good.” Clare looked up at him, feeling a heavy weight of shame and guilt on her shoulders. She also had to pee, which seemed like a good sign. “I’m sorry. This hasn’t happened before.” 

She looked away from him, up at the ceiling again. “I know you hate hospitals. Is everyone mad at me?”

“Just worried, Clare.”

“This is going to be expensive.”

“Probably.”

“Think they’ll let me go to the bathroom?”

“I’ll find out.” He moved away from the bed, giving her a sidelong look. “Don’t go anywhere.”

Clare watched Leo push his way out of the curtain, leaving her alone. 

[measuringbliss]

Spider-Man Read-Through 032: Gifts (ASM 163-164)

MASTERPOST

In this batch, we celebrate a birthday and we actually analyze stuff!

Oh, there's the Kingpin too, I guess.

At the start of the issue, Spidey has an action scene with goons and the Kingpin, but he can't follow them very far. The scene was rather bland, so let's just skip to the Parker stuff.

The previous batch did allude to a surprise party!

First of all, is it me or do the characters change clothes more often? I feel like that's new. I love Peter's purple pants, they're great.

Yup, it reminds me of The New Animated Series! What a show that was. Not perfect, but audacious at least (and visually great).

Anyway, I love how everybody wishes him a happy birthday. That's neat! Peter has just had a really difficult year or two. Gwen's death, Harry's addiction, Gwen's clone... I'm happy that he gets to be happy for a bit.

OKAY. THIS IS MY CALLING. MY OPPORTUNITY. LET'S ANALYZE ALL OF THIS.

Let's check the number of people present that gave something:

the rose curtains

the green armchair

the native american statue

the doggie plushie

the patchwork couch

the pink lamp

the wooden table

the poster on the wall

the espada decoration

the pink rug Those items are the most remarkable. Now the people!

MJ

Flash

The wonderful landlady

Robertson

Liz

Harry

Randy

Gloria

So about 8 in each category. I think that's good enough.

I have some explaining to do.

First off, I think Robertson probably brought the majority of the more mundane furniture. He's older than the rest of them, would have asked Randy's help to transport everything, it makes complete sense to me. I also attributed him the green armchair, but I hesitated. However, I thought that, given how nice it looks, any of Peter's similar age friends would have a hard time giving it off. However, its green color is more of an MJ thing to me...

Talking about MJ... The statue. I think she'd find it pretty funny. Now, how would she have it? I have no idea, but I have a feeling she'd be very happy with herself hahaha. I also attributed the patchwork couch to her for the vibes, although I also thought it could be attributed to Gloria.

Gloria is an issue for me, because we didn't get so much time to get acquainted with her, so it was hard to think of something, but I think she could also have brought some furniture, or some of the most useful stuff like the fruit basket, the radio, the fish.

Flash! Let's talk about Flash. His things were easy: both the circular wooden table and the espada decoration ooze frat bro energy. The fish decoration might have been from Harry or Robbie too, but...

Harry provided the big dog, I think. He could technically have given anything to Peter. He's rich. But I think the dog is a sentimental thing. And it's huge. Do you picture the other characters having a huge dog like this? I personally don't. Or maybe Randy. But Harry? Giving his giant dog plushie to his best friend?

I'm gonna cry.

The rose curtains are tacky, but also charming. I thought it might have been from MJ or Gloria, but the landlady seemed the most indicated to me. In the same way, the old-looking (although I don't know much about lights from the 70s...) pink lamp is probably from the landlady.

Liz probably provided the pink rug, and maybe some furniture. I don't know. We didn't see much development since her return.

Finally, Randy. I feel like he and Robbie acted as one, but the poster feels the most Randy-ish. Randy's shown to be pretty politically active in his student circle, so I wouldn't be surprised if he had posters to put up everywhere. After a bit of research, the text probably says "Every day, in every way, I am getting better, better, and better", a sentence attributed to Emile Coué (French rep, yay!). Which kind of throws my theory in shambles...

Or does it? I can see Robbie giving it to his son, and his son getting tired of it/learning its lesson, and deciding it would look nice on Peter's wall.

Oh well, that does it for the analysis! Now, did I hit the nail on the head?

Toasters is definitely something Gloria would bring, like I said. The fish... make sense, alright.

Our lovebirds interrupt me checking my answers.

And Flash's eager to ruin everything, hahaha.

Does the panel imply Peter and Flash briefly held hands for a second? I'm here for it!

Peter is not, however. He questions his sexu--I mean, his relationships with the opposite sex. He's so close to getting it!

The two people interrupting him are Liz and Harry, having the time of their life. Good for them!

Later, Spidey encounters the Kingpin again, and...

SUDDENLY BONDAGE!

The next issue begins with a clarification.

Girl. What.

Turns out a lot of stuff happened in Captain America #148. I didn't expect that storyline to continue in another magazine. Marvel!!!!

Thankfully for me, Vanessa arrives to slay.

Unfortunately, the Kingpin doesn't care about Vanessa thinks and she says that she's basically done here. So long!

Yes, you suck, Kingpin!

However, he doesn't suck entirely. He says that Spidey can go, since he doesn't need him anymore. Spidey's not very nice and still tries to fight. He has only six hours to live, and decides to go back to his apartment.

For all of you, whump lovers!

Peter decides to go to Curt Connors. They do experiment, foreshadow that The Lizard's gonna come back soon, then Spidey goes to find Richard and revert their life energy.

They two villains fight, fall in the Hudson river, Spidey emerges, and Vanessa stops the men from shooting at him.

I guess Spidey's lucky, huh! Because it sure looked like he was going to kill Richard to save himself!

Nobody asked for this! Nobody!!!!!!!