#hope you like it friend

[aces-and-kings]

How about Stefan and Alexander with coffee and books? :D

Every Friday, like clockwork, Stefan found himself standing outside The Hourglass, Alexander's quaint bookshop nestled in the bustling brume sector of Ishgard. The familiar scent of old parchment and freshly brewed coffee wafted through the air as he pushed open the creaky wooden door and stepped inside.

The tinkling of a bell announced his arrival, and Alexander looked up from behind the counter. "Ah, Stefan! Good to see you again," he greeted, his voice carrying a hint of excitement. "The usual, I presume?"

Stefan nodded with a grin. "And surprise me with a new book this time too, hm?"

As Alexander prepared Stefan's black coffee just the way he liked it, he glanced at the stacks of books lining the shelves. His keen detective instincts always led him to choose something he thought his regulars would appreciate. Today, he settled on a forgotten tome about ancient ruins and lost civilizations—a subject that never failed to ignite Stefan's curiosity.

"I have something I think you'll find fascinating," Alexander said, placing the steaming cup of coffee on the counter. "It's a book about ancient ruins and the untold stories they hold. I thought it might capture your adventurous spirit."

Stefan's eyes sparkled with anticipation as he reached for the book. "Thank you, my friend. You always manage to find the most intriguing reads."

Alexander chuckled. "It's all part of the job. I love helping people find just what suits their particular tastes." He paused for a moment before adding, "Speaking of taste, I've prepared some fresh baked goods for you to take to P’sahji’to. I hope he enjoys them."

Stefan's expression softened. "He adores your baked goods, especially the pastries. You have a way with desserts just as much as you have a way with books."

The two men chatted about the latest literary discoveries, sharing stories and recommendations, while savoring the aroma of coffee that filled the air. It was a ritual they both cherished, a sanctuary of words and friendship amidst the bustling city.

After a while, Stefan reluctantly stood up, feeling the weight of time urging him to leave. "I must get going, my friend. P’sahji’to is eagerly awaiting my return. Same time next week though?"

Alexander smiled, his eyes twinkling. "I'll be here, ready with a new adventure and a fresh pot of coffee. Safe travels."

With a nod of gratitude, Stefan bid farewell to his friend and left The Hourglass, clutching the precious book in one hand and the basket of desserts in the other. As he strolled through the brume, the echoes of his footsteps mingled with the whispers of stories yet to be told.

@cadrenebula, thank you. I enjoy the idea of Alex having regulars at the shop.

[pangur-and-grim]

one thing that took me embarrassingly long to learn is "sometimes when people say things, they will not be true."

I used to tell people about this revelation and they'd be like yeah.....duh.....but like, why wouldn't my base assumption be that you're communicating to me in a straightforward manner. anyway, I get scammed a lot.

[derangedorange]

I hope he views fanart like this

[theoldaeroplane]

worried that thing you put in your art or writing or game or music is too self-indulgent, too self-referential, too niche for anyone but yourself? fear not! you can do whatever you want forever. and you should.

[squidthusiast]

“I could listen to your laugh all day”

[floccinaucinihilipilificationa]

[naiad-r]

Childhood friends AU: Reunion.

For anon, who donated to @bingyuanserver's Commissions for Gaza.

[mafuyuh]

geto suguru ☆ 夏油傑

happy birthday Elena! @ashiromina

[crimsonbluesoul]

Union ❤️‍🔥

[giantkillerjack]

Today my therapist introduced me to a concept surrounding disability that she called "hLep".

[plain-text version of this post can be found under the cut]

Which is when you - in this case, you are a disabled person - ask someone for help ("I can't drink almond milk so can you get me some whole milk?", or "Please call Donna and ask her to pick up the car for me."), and they say yes, and then they do something that is not what you asked for but is what they think you should have asked for ("I know you said you wanted whole, but I got you skim milk because it's better for you!", "I didn't want to ruin Donna's day by asking her that, so I spent your money on an expensive towing service!") And then if you get annoyed at them for ignoring what you actually asked for - and often it has already happened repeatedly - they get angry because they "were just helping you! You should be grateful!!"

And my therapist pointed out that this is not "help", it's "hLep".

Sure, it looks like help; it kind of sounds like help too; and if it was adjusted just a little bit, it could be help. But it's not help. It's hLep.

At its best, it is patronizing and makes a person feel unvalued and un-listened-to. Always, it reinforces the false idea that disabled people can't be trusted with our own care. And at its worst, it results in disabled people losing our freedom and control over our lives, and also being unable to actually access what we need to survive.

So please, when a disabled person asks you for help on something, don't be a hLeper, be a helper! In other words: they know better than you what they need, and the best way you can honor the trust they've put in you is to believe that!

Also, I want to be very clear that the "getting angry at a disabled person's attempts to point out harmful behavior" part of this makes the whole thing WAY worse. Like it'd be one thing if my roommate bought me some passive-aggressive skim milk, but then they heard what I had to say, and they apologized and did better in the future - our relationship could bounce back from that. But it is very much another thing to have a crying shouting match with someone who is furious at you for saying something they did was ableist. Like, Christ, Jessica, remind me to never ask for your support ever again! You make me feel like if I asked you to call 911, you'd order a pizza because you know I'll feel better once I eat something!!

Edit: crediting my therapist by name with her permission - this term was coined by Nahime Aguirre Mtanous!

Edit again: I made an optional follow-up to this post after seeing the responses. Might help somebody. CW for me frankly talking about how dangerous hLep really is.

Plain-text version:

Today my therapist introduced me to a concept surrounding disability that she called "hLep".

Which is when you - in this case, you are a disabled person - ask someone for help ("I can't drink almond milk so can you get me some whole milk?", or "Please call Donna and ask her to pick up the car for me."), and they say yes, and then they do something that is not what you asked for but is what they think you should have asked for ("I know you said you wanted whole, but I got you skim milk because it's better for you!", "I didn't want to ruin Donna's day by asking her that, so I spent your money on an expensive towing service!") And then if you get annoyed at them for ignoring what you actually asked for - and often it has already happened repeatedly - they get angry because they "were just helping you! You should be grateful!!"

And my therapist pointed out that this is not "help", it's "hLep".

Sure, it looks like help; it kind of sounds like help too; and if it was adjusted just a little bit, it could be help. But it's not help. It's hLep.

At its best, it is patronizing and makes a person feel unvalued and un-listened-to. Always, it reinforces the false idea that disabled people can't be trusted with our own care. And at its worst, it results in disabled people losing our freedom and control over our lives, and also being unable to actually access what we need to survive.

So please, when a disabled person asks you for help on something, don't be a hLeper, be a helper! In other words: they know better than you what they need, and the best way you can honor the trust they've put in you is to believe that!

P.S. Also, I want to be very clear that the "getting angry at a disabled person's attempts to point out harmful behavior" part of this makes the whole thing WAY worse. Like it'd be one thing if my roommate bought me some passive-aggressive skim milk, but then they heard what I had to say, and they apologized and did better in the future - our relationship could bounce back from that. But it is very much another thing to have a crying shouting match with someone who is furious at you for saying something they did was ableist. Like, Christ, Jessica, remind me to never ask for your support ever again! You make me feel like if I asked you to call 911, you'd order a pizza because you know I'll feel better once I eat something!!

Edit: crediting my therapist by name with her permission - this term was coined by Nahime Aguirre Mtanous!

Edit again: I made an optional follow-up to this post after seeing the responses. Might help somebody. CW for me frankly talking about how dangerous hLep really is.

[florbe-triz]

Finally!! let me share with you the Trigun playlist I made! It's called NoMan's Land and you can listen to it HERE It's an evergrowing playlist, hope you enjoy!

[swampybogg]

[srapsodia]

Ok giving u a different ask hehe can i have kagehina 31 (not)studying together? 🥺👉👈

31: (not) studying together

Hinata stayed over so they could study for their upcoming test! That plan lasted about 20 minutes 😅

[hopeinthebox]

bts + reductress headlines pt.14

[rendevok]

step into the light

what do you see?

my sun,

my stars

shining on me

[lotus-pear]

insufferable ex partners (don't be like dazai kids moisturize ur skin this cold season)