#i do not make enough money to support us and moms not able to work currently

[yeah-chilidogs]

good fucking lord i want to post my kofi here but im so afraid

[omagpies]

Recently saw your roleswap AU and I’m loving it! I have a few things I’m curious about:

1. So by my understanding Anya failed her flight certification 8 times and PE was cheap enough to be fine with that? Did she never pass? Makes sense, I’m just kinda clarifying lol

2. Does nurse!Curly also feel like he wants to try something different in his career like in canon? Did he also not have enough savings after PE went under? Did he go to nursing school or did he also fail his entrance exams?

3. What’s Daisuke’s story in this AU? Did his mom push him to go to trade school to become a mechanic? Did he do that on his own and his mom suggested working with PE?

4. It’s so interesting to me that Anya tried E-dating after getting back to earth and seemingly got rejected based on her appearance, poor girl :( but I’m kinda wondering about Curly’s perspective on this, did he have feelings for Anya while she was E-dating and just sucked it up for her?

5. I’m kinda curious about Curly and Anya’s relationship pre-crash, was it a little bit flirty like in canon? Did Anya try to approach Curly with what Jimmy was doing or was the blackmail powerful enough for her not to say a peep to anyone?

haha gonna answer all of these at once! but first here's something on 5 :)

she never passed the Official Legit certification but passed what counts for it in PE (so, certified only to fly PE vessels) and kind of sees it as her last chance to make it as a pilot. still hopes to get properly certified one day, working at PE to make the money for simulator hours and exam fees

curly actually went to a med school on a football scholarship but had to drop out about two or three years in because he started prioritising studies over practice and the money got pulled. used the money he had left to switch tracks and certify as a nurse. joined PE because space travel sounded fun but is pretty bored of it because he doesn't get to do much on a regular haul. he isn't quite as existential in this regard as canon curly because working in a people-oriented nurturing profession actually makes him feel useful, he just wishes he could be more useful ya kno? has enough savings to be able to rent a place and find a job at a hospital, so overall it all kinda works out for him if you don't count all the horrors

i think in this au daisuke's mother actually pushed him to intern as a mechanic a few years earlier than in canon, which is how he met swansea (pilot with engineering background) and got inspired enough to go into trade school. by the time the events of the au begin he is a certified mechanic though not with a lot of experience :"3

curly has had the biggest fattest crush on anya almost the entire time of knowing her (i feel like he kinda spawns in already in love with anya), so her E-dating phase is kinda rough on him (like, Very rough; mans full on wasting away from his heart getting broken in tiny ways a hundred times a day), but he is king of denying himself and putting others first so he does his best to be A Good And Supportive Roommate about it. he even tries to date other people too! but with not nearly as much gusto and it never goes far. he is too whipped

there was definitely Something. i'll expand on it a bit more in a later ask i got about captain anya, but the tldr is that she goes to great pains to Act Professional and curly is never in a million years going to confess anything. and then jimmy's arrival blows it all up and any kind of romance plummets down everyone's lists of priorities. and anya never tells curly anything -- this is her problem to deal with, and with him being jimmy's friend there is a tiny part of her that is afraid of not being believed even though she overall thinks he's a good guy :")

anya writes all kinds of things, but it's all fiction. she dabbles in poetry, but her two main points of focus in prose are a) long meandering stream of consciousness type of pieces that span generations and have very convoluted plots and interpersonal relations (think woolf's waves meets one hundred years of solitude), inspired largely by the time she had to lie there and do little more than drift in and out of delirium and think, and b) shameless smut that starts out as your run of the mill romance and suddenly changes genres halfway through (funny how life can just Change all at once huh). she never really gains a Massive audience but does have a considerable number of dedicated fans of both categories

(more roleswap au)

[alotofpockets]

Replaced | Part 1 | Natasha Romanoff

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x Stark!Reader, and Tony Stark x Daughter!Reader

Story warnings: heart disease/failure, loss of a parent, absent father.

Story summary: Your father, Tony Stark, has been rather absent in the recent years of your life. What will happen when you show up at the Avengers Compound after you lose your mom?

Masterlist | Marvel masterlist | Words: 2.5K Part 1 | Part 2

Your parents split up when you were just two years old, therefore you didn't even remember them together. You've lived with just your mom ever since. At first you spend every summer at your dad's, but ever since he became Iron Man, that stopped. Your dad had claimed to not have enough time on his hands to keep you safe. 

It's been about ten years since you've had sleepovers at your dad's in the summer. You had seen him every few months to catch up over dinner, but much more than that you hadn't seen of your dad. It sucks, because he was your dad and you want him in your life, but over the years it started to get more and more clear to you that being an entrepreneur and superhero was more important to him than being a father. 

Over those years your mom had been your biggest form of support, she was always there for you and your needs. She was your mom and best friend in one, you could share everything with her. Sure, your dad made sure you and your mom had the money to live a good life, and so that your mom was able to keep her local book store running instead of having to get a better paying job. You were very grateful for that, because your mom absolutely loved that store. On your eighteenth birthday your mom asked you if you wanted to be the co-owner of the store. You had been working there as a side job ever since you started college. You were grateful for her offer, and gladly accepted it. 

At college you studied business, something that clearly runs in the family. Everything you’ve learned in class, you got to put to use at the store. Once you were done with college, your mom had taught you about every aspect of the store, unbeknownst to you, making you ready to take over one day. It happened suddenly, one day everything was good, and the next day you were in an ambulance because your mother had collapsed. After hours of testing the doctor let you know that something was wrong with her heart. At first medication was enough to help your mom get through the day, but when those stopped working, she had to have surgery. She stayed at the hospital for a while to monitor everything. You spend as much time as you could by her side, while also keeping the store running. It was mentally and physically draining, but the store was your mom’s pride and joy, and you had every intention to keep it running for her. She got a bit better after the surgery, but gradually over the months she was declining in her health once again. 

She ended up in the hospital once again, this time she was on 24-hour watches. When the doctors informed you that there wasn’t anything they could do for her anymore, you started talking about a DNR. Your mom had a long talk with you, stating that she left everything to you in the will. “Sweetheart, I know you have big dreams and I want you to follow them all. Please don’t let keeping the store get in the way of that. I love you, and I want you to live your life for you, okay sweetheart?” That evening you had cried in her arms as she signed the DNR form. 

Your mom was in the hospital for another week when the day you had been dreading came. The day you got the call from the doctors saying that your mom wasn’t going to make it to the end of the day. You closed down the store and rushed to the hospital, wanting to spend her last moments together. The rest of the day you spent by her side, holding her hand, and telling her your favorite memories together. You had balled your eyes out as the heart monitor's beeping started slowing down, eventually dying down to a continuous beep. The doctor came in to turn off the machine, and sent his condolences your way, before leaving you to say your last goodbyes. 

You didn't know where to go when you left the hospital, walking around aimlessly, until you found yourself at the Avengers Compound. You decided to ring the doorbell, since your subconscious led you here and you really needed to rehydrate. A woman's voice sounded over the intercom, "Avengers Compound, who is it?" You quickly wiped your tears as you saw a camera was pointing at your face, "Ehm, I'm Y/n Stark, I'm here to see my dad." 

The voice stayed quiet for a moment, "Very funny, do you have ID to prove that?" You reached into your pocket and held your ID up to the camera. “One moment, I’ll be right with you.” A minute later the door was opened by the woman you knew from the news as Black Widow. “Hi, I’m Natasha. Sorry about that, you don’t want to know how many kids come up here claiming to be one of our kids, in hopes they can enter the building.” With a small voice you replied, “It’s okay. Is he here?” Natasha shook her head, “No, but I’ll let him know you’re here. Come on, I’ll walk you to the common room.” She led you to the couch and offered you a drink. 

While Natasha walked to the kitchen to get you a glass of water, all the emotions that came with losing your mom came to the service. You put your feet up on the couch, bringing your legs to your chest. Your head leaning on your knees as tears start streaming down your face once again. Natasha walks back into the common room with the glass of water and notices your state, she takes a seat next to you on the couch. “Hey, what’s wrong? I know we just met, but no one should go through these kinds of emotions alone. May I hug you?” Without saying anything, you lean into Natasha. She was right, you had just met her, but you really needed the comfort. You felt Natasha’s arms wrap around your shoulders and hold you tight. “My mom.” You say with a shaky voice, “I just lost my mom.” You cry out. Natasha moves one of her hands to rub small circles on your back. Natasha knew what loss was and felt for the stranger in her arms. She wanted to bring you comfort, the way she wished she had gotten.

It wasn’t until later in the day, when you had calmed down, met some of the other Avengers, and settled down on the couch watching a movie with them that your dad got home. He didn’t even notice you there, so Natasha spoke up. “Tony, did you get my messages?” She said while moving her eyes between him and you. That’s when his eyes fell on you, “Oh, y/n, hi. What are you doing here?” It felt kind of awkward to be in the same room as your dad and it not being a restaurant. “Mom, she. She passed away earlier today.” You wipe away the tear that fell down your face quickly. “Oh, I’m sorry, y/n.” His phone rang before the conversation could continue, “I have to take this.” He stood up and walked away. Natasha gave you a sympathetic look, “Come on, I’ll get a room ready for you, and you can stay the night.”

You didn't sleep much that night, but who could blame you. Your mom just died, and your dad seemed to not give a shit about it or you. Reluctantly you got out of bed and put on the clothes Natasha laid out for you. Making your way to the kitchen, you were hoping that your dad would be there for you. Once you got to the kitchen though, your dad was getting ready to leave. "Ah good morning, y/n. I've got to pick up the kid, I'll be back later." And once again he was out the door. 

Sitting down at the counter you stare blankly ahead of yourself. Wanda and Natasha find you in the kitchen after their morning work out. Wanda is the first to sense that something is wrong and approaches you. "Hey, y/n, how are you holding up?" Wanda had experienced her own loss with her parents and brother, all those feelings came back to the moment she heard that you had lost your mom. "Who's 'the kid' my dad is referring to?" Wanda takes no time in answering your question, only making you believe that your dad calls this person ‘kid’ all the time. "Peter Parker, or as you probably know him, Spider-Man." You divert your eyes once more. Moments later Natasha places a plate of food in front of you, "I'm no chef, but I hope it's good." 

You all ate in silence, you were grateful for their comfort. "Hey, is there any way either one of you can bring me to the hospital? I need to figure out some things and sign some papers. I was going to ask my dad, but he's too busy." They both agreed to come with you, and even went into the hospital with you. You reached for Natasha's hand as the doctor spoke to you about the next steps. 

After filling out all the necessary forms the doctor sent you on your way, since it had been a couple hours and it was around lunchtime now you asked the women, "Do you want to grab a quick bite? As a thank you for both of your support today." Wanda checks the time before saying, “I’m sorry, I’d love to, but I have to head back. I’ve got a few meetings this afternoon.” You look over to Natasha. "Yeah, let's do it. Only because I'm hungry though, not because you need to do this to thank us, I was happy to go with you." You both hugged Wanda goodby and headed to a nearby restaurant.

During lunch you spend the time getting to know each other better. She told you about her hobbies and what it was like to be an Avenger and you told her about your hobbies and the bookstore. "I have the rest of the day off, if you want to go by the store and make sure everything is settled there, since you left in a hurry yesterday." Natasha offered. "Are you sure? I'd really like that, but only if it's not too much trouble." Of course, it was no trouble at all, Natasha was enjoying getting to know you better. 

At the store you spend some time on putting the money in the safe, which in your haste you didn’t even do, and some paperwork. Natasha was walking around the shop while you were finishing up. “It’s a wonderful place, y/n. You and your mom did an incredible job, I’m sure she is so proud of you for wanting to keep the store running.” You thanked her for her kindness before printing out a sign saying you would be closed for the next week.

Walking out of the store you got the sinking feeling that you were going to go home to an empty house. “Do you think I can stay at the Compound for another night?” You ask Natasha shyly. “Yeah, of course, do you want to grab some clothes before heading back?” At your front door you freeze with the keys in your hand, unable to unlock the door. “May I?” Natasha asks softly. You hand her the key and she opens the door for you. She takes your hand and gives it a gentle squeeze, letting you know she’s there with you. After grabbing some clothes you make your way back to the Compound.

When you arrived back at the compound, you heard laughter coming from the common room. You recognized one of the voices to be the one of your dad, so you walked in. “Oh hey, kid, meet my daughter y/n.” Tony introduces you. “Y/n, this is Peter.” It was painful this morning hearing that your dad called another person ‘kid’, a nickname he used to call you, but the sight of this broke you even more. You turned on your heels and walked in the opposite direction. To your surprise your dad called after you, “Y/n, don’t leave.” That snaps something in you. “Don’t leave?” You ask, raising your voice slightly. “Isn’t that exactly like you did? You left me because you didn’t have time to keep me safe, and now I see you’ve just replaced me with another kid that you took under your wing. Why can you take care of him, but not of me?” Tony stood up. “Peter is different, he has powers, he can protect himself.” 

“That’s bullshit, Natasha doesn’t have powers and she’s an Avenger, she can protect herself. And what about Clint, Yelena and Kate? Not to mention you yourself. They can all protect themselves. All you had to do was teach me how to protect myself, but instead you left.” You didn’t wait for a response and continued walking toward the room Natasha had let you stay in. “What was that all about?” Tony asks Natasha. “Man, I knew you could be oblivious, but seriously? She just lost her mom, the only person she has had to depend on. Wanda and I went to the hospital with her today to make arrangements, because you were too busy talking with Peter.” She turned to Peter, “No offense, Spider-Boy.” And with that Natasha followed you to the room. 

“I’m so sorry about him.” She said as she walked into your room. You shrugged, “It’s fine, I don’t know why I expected more.” Natasha said down on the bed next to you. “Want to watch a movie, to get your mind off of everything?” You lifted the blanket for her to join you. About fifteen minutes into the movie, you lean into Natasha, Without a word, she wraps her arm around your shoulder. Not long after your eyes closed and you slept for the first time in weeks. 

Your dad might not be there for you the way you wanted him to be, but you were glad you came here and got to meet Natasha. From the first time on that couch in the common room, you had felt a connection with her, a connection that had only grown stronger over the hours that you had known her. A connection that you knew was only going to continue growing.

Part 2

[crazywolf828]

Hey there friends

I wanted to hold off making any donation posts until I knew how much it would cost but the situation got a lot more dire.

Mom's had a heart attack, my grandpa died, and my uncles are coming after our house.

My grandfather died just before Christmas, it was a shock to all of us as he seemed to be doing fine. His final wishes were to be cremated and spread over the beaches with my grandma, everyone has known this, but because he didn't write a will before getting sick with Alzheimer's and dementia all of his children have to agree on what to do with his body. If they don't he gets turned over to the state and disposed of, and we never get him back.

Yesterday my mom had a mild heart attack, she's still in the hospital now (though she seems to be doing better) because we found out my uncles are refusing to cooperate. I'll explain the full story under the cut but they haven't been around for over twelve years and are now coming after our house.

The funeral is at minimum going to be 4k not including any lawyers we need to get to get control of his body and fight my uncles. If you can spare anything at all, please I'm begging more now than ever before, donate if you can or just reblog.

Thank you all, so much, for everything you do and have done.

My uncles have never been around, the last time was after a settlement from my grandmothers wrongful death where they took almost all the money. We got enough to buy our current house and that was it. My mom and grandpa specifically put on the deed that they both owned it so my uncles couldn't steal it once my grandpa passed away.

Well, we found out it is considered an asset, until we are able to get a death certificate to get his name off the house and give my mom full ownership, my uncles can technically try and get a part of his assets (even though we have no other money).

We haven't seen them in 15 years. They weren't around when we had to take care of my grandpa after his surgery in 2016 and his decline in mental health after. We couldn't afford to put him in a home so we did what we could.

They weren't there during the outbursts and anger of my grandpa not knowing who we were, having to give him baths, change his diapers, taking him to the hospital, making sure his food was soft enough he could eat it. But now they think there's money on the line and they want to bleed us dry when all we have is our house.

We were told all of this yesterday at the funeral home, told that if we don't go to court or they don't all agree on what to do with his body then he gets turned over to the state and disposed of. We would never get him back.

The stress caused my mom to have a minor heart attack, she was transferred to a bigger hospital and is currently having a cath test done because she already has an autoimmune disease.

I can't do much else to help other than come on here and ask for help, I have so many of my own illnesses that prevent me from working and the government is giving me a tough time trying to get on disability.

It's a lot and I'm just so lost and I'm sorry to ask again, I'm sorry to make another donation post, but please, we need this so much, every bit helps.

[kawaiipony-productions]

IMPORTANT: My Situation and GoFundMe

Hola y hello, to those who don't know who I am. I'm Itzel aka Kawaiipony Productions. I'm a 17 y/o (mostly Mlp) YouTuber. I'm non-binary asexual biromantic (he/she/they) and I'm also an AuDHDer. And well, I need help. I live in an emotionally abusive household and my own “father” is my abuser. And while my mom isn’t as bad and my relationship with her has gotten better in recent years, she has still caused harm even by letting a lot of this slide.

Around February 18th, 2022, my parents snooped on my phone and found out I was trans. They had taken my phone, tablet, and Nintendo Switch. Which I wouldn’t mind too much if I didn’t purchase majority of these. I bought my tablet myself sometime around 2018 to 2019 with my own money. And I split half and half with one of my sisters to buy our Switch. That is hundreds not only stolen, but also destroyed as they’ve broken my tablet (which was around $300-350 when I bought it) previous instances it’s been taken from me. And I have not received any of these devices since.

Not only that, but my abuser in the past few years of me dealing with this abusive relationship has threatened multiple things on me such as kicking me out of the house, sending me to the military without my consent, and sending me to my family in México to “straighten me out.” Not to mention his constant ableism towards me. From being anti-vax (a very ableist rhetoric towards autistics), forcing me to mask (in the neurodivergent way, not literally, he’s ironically anti-max (which is also horrible btw)), etc.

This has led to me secretly doing my job as a part-time YouTuber for the past 2 years now, especially since I was forced to delete the previous Kawaiipony Productions channel cause of him. I have a GFM to help fund me for being able to get proper equipment again for doing my work. Not only that, but also possibly for things I plan to get once I turn 18 such as starting to get therapy, medication for my ADHD, etc. And now that I started dating my girlfriend, Vikki, I want to start saving some of this money to possibly meet her irl sometime next year.

I am taking a few small paid jobs for work right now, but it’s still not enough for my situation. So, you may ask, how can I help? Well, if you have the money, donate to my GFM. My GFM goal is $2,000 and I still need around $1,200 for reaching my goal. I also have adoptables for sale right now for $25 each. If you can’t financially help, then you can share not only my GFM, but my work. From my artwork, my videos on YouTube, and projects I’ve been a part of as a voice actor, animator, and/or artist. Any of this helps support me through everything going on in my life. I could really use it right now. So any and all support helps me out. Thank you all for reading this thread, I appreciate any and all support I need!!!

-Itzel C.D. aka Kawaiipony Productions

Ways to support me!!!

My YouTube channel:

My GoFundMe:

Current Adoptables for Sale:

[quinngefail]

A bit random but do you think that Adam can drive? I just can’t see him passing his drivers test lol

I'VE THOUGHT ABOUT THIS, and I feel like he probably doesn't have a driver's license,, I've spent a lot of time thinking about what life was like for him growing up, and I just don't see his parents being the types to help him with learning how to drive and/or paying for classes and all that. It would have very much been a "Pay for it yourself" kinda thing; like sure his parents would feed and house him, but I just see it being a deal of like "You're 16 now, you can work- and if you're going to live here, you need to help pay for things around here" y’know-

(His parents are also very much divorced and living apart at that point, have been for years. I see his dad just being a real fuckin asshole, so he would have been saying the kind of shit I wrote above. His mom isn't the greatest either, but she's definitely the kinder one between them- even still, she'd be all "I just can't afford to help you, things are hard enough as is- and you don't make it any easier, you know,")

And with what little money he did make at whatever shitty ass part-time job he had, I just can't imagine he was like "Oh yes this will go towards my driver's ed, I'm getting closer, working and saving one dollar at a time :~) !!". Like it just seems far more likely that he'd be going out and using that shit irresponsibly, coz who the fuck cares, man, I couldn't afford a car or gas or any of that shit anyway-

So in general, I very much see him being the type to bum rides off of people, or frequently use taxis/buses to get around. But most of the time, he's just walking or biking- since hey, it sucks, but it's free.

He does seem to have a means of getting around quickly, since while he's stalking Lawrence, he's able to arrive at locations at nearly the same time Lawrence does- so maybe it was a deal where when he was working his little 'freelance photography gigs', he was like "hell yeah I'm getting paid, I can afford to take a taxi to follow this prick :) besides, I can't take a chance on missing any of the hot and heavy action,"

...And of course, the fact that he can't drive is just one of the many things that he's mad insecure about. Just like his 'lack of intelligence', his shitty little life, the fact that he just barely graduated high school, the fact that he's nothing but a gross, pathetic, ambitionless loser who was stupid to think he could ever be anything more, etc etc etc... I think he really hates the fact that he has to rely on others as much as he does, because he simply just does not have the means of supporting himself.

And then to veer into domestic Chainshipping stuff specifically, being under Lawrence's care has been life-saving for him, and that's not even much of an exaggeration. But at the same time, he can't help but berate himself for being so helpless, y’know. Because he just can't live independently, apparently. Because he's less a grown ass adult, and more a pathetic, blubbering child that needs to be taken care of, apparently.

Then there's the times where this insecurity gets to the front of his head (with a specific thought of ‘is he your partner, or your fucking babysitter??’ running through his mind again and again), and he'll very rudely brush off Lawrence's caring actions towards him… Which he then feels bad about, of course, like wowww good job, way to go, asshole 👍 !! Fucking it all up again 👍👍 !!! He's gonna leave your stupid, ungrateful ass for this, as he should 👍 !!!! 👍👍👍

It'll all be okay though, since newsflash: this man genuinely cares about you, even in your lowest moments- and he wants to see you happy and okay, just like you want to see him happy and okay, even in his lowest moments 😌 because that's just part of love, babeyyy 💞

And maybe he will just learn how to drive someday :)

...But anyway uh that's what I got on that, I thought this was gonna be a short and sweet answer but evidently I just need to stop pretending these sorts of asks aren't gonna be complete yap sessions from me HRJSNGKSK

I hope you enjoy :)

[prettyrealm]

what do people like most about you?

pick a card #1: what most people in your life - friends, family, coworkers, etc. - like about you ♡

how to participate:

♡ think to yourself “what do people like about me?”

♡ pick the my melody plush that you feel most drawn to.

clear your mind & take as long as you need to choose. keep in mind that you may feel drawn to & choose more than one. you also may not feel drawn to any of them, so don’t force it! these readings will be honest. the piles are in order from left to right.

pile 1 ♡

they like that you’re strong and know how to handle things on your own. they like that you’re courageous, confident & don’t let people walk all over you. they like that you’re protective of yourself and the ones you care about. they like that you’re able to compromise & get along with or work with people you don’t like. they like that you don’t let circumstances get in the way of your end goal (like you may have had a harsh upbringing or even may be going through a rough patch right now, but you don’t use that as an excuse and you handle business regardless), they like that you’re a loyal friend or just a good ally to have in general. they like your ideas and the different view points that you bring to the table. they like that you’re generous and unselfish when it comes to knowledge, but also material objects.

pile 2 ♡

people like that when they’re around you, you feel like a bestfriend (you might be the type or person people want to hang out with all the time), they like that you seem to be the ride or die type that you’re flexible enough that you’re someone they can get crazy with, but also have a lazy day and just relax with. they like that you’re a comforting presence to be around and a good source of emotional support (you’re probably good at distracting people from their problems), they like you work on yourself a lot and put in the effort to be your best, they like that you’re fair and have good judgement, they like that you’re willing to sacrifice for others or will take the short end of the stick to make everyone else happy. they also may like that you aren’t hard to look at (attractive)

pile 3 ♡

they like that you’re loving (you may have a mom vibe or just make people feel like family), they love your kindness and your love for your loved ones in general - it’s clear that you value family a lot, they like your happy and carefree demeanor, they like that you plan things well and have good timing, they like that you cherish good times and creating good memories, they like that you seem to remember things well (this could be good memory in general, but i see this as you remembering small facts about people and impressing/shocking them when you casually bring it up later), they like that you genuinely care about societal issues and aren’t afraid to speak up about it, they like your creativity & that you’re good at saving/making money.

pile 4 ♡

they like that you’re always on the go and ready for an adventure, they like that you like to indulge in life (maybe you’re a foodie or you like to go out a lot, i see vacations, bars & good food), they like that you like to share & you’re unselfish when it comes to sharing your lifestyle with others (you could be the type to take people out to eat a lot or show them about a cool place they didn’t know about), they like that you don’t let things or people disrupt your plans, they like that you’re a good gift giver, they like that you’re responsible enough in a sense that you don’t play victim and take accountability for your actions, they like that you can take care of yourself & they like that you’re romantic and value that sort of connection.

pile 5 ♡

people like that you seem to have a lot of pride & self respect, they like that you’re discerning with a strong moral code, they like that you’re confident, they like that you have a sharp tongue and come up with slick remarks or are good at throwing shade, they may find you funny and think you tell good jokes or you’re good at making fun of people in a playful way, they like that you don’t let setbacks hinder you (even if you’re upset, you power through it), they like that you care about women (or maybe women just feel comfortable around you in general), they like that you’re romantic, they like that you’re unpredictable and do what you want/follow your heart.

pile 6 ♡

they like that you’re good hearted and laugh a lot, they like they you’re smart and good at working out details/solving problems, they think that you give good advice (people may want you to steer them in the right direction or give them instruction on how to do things), they like that you can be a source of hope and confidence, they like that you’re able to stay optimistic and that you’ve succeeded in overcoming something very bad (congratulations!), they like that you think differently than others and may see you as innovative, they like your connection with animals and love for nature or care for the environment, they like that you refuse to sacrifice your integrity & they like that you have a variety of different interests.

pile 7 ♡

people like that you’re smart & intuitive (it’s like you just seem to “know” things), they like that you aren’t afraid to be yourself and walk your own path, the people around you might think that you’re in a transitional phase right now, and they like that you’ve learned a lot about life (it’s as if you’ve become more wise and have learned to give up things that don’t matter to focus on what’s really important), they like that you don’t care about what other people think and are willing to take one for the team or get treated like a black sheep/out cast in favor of what you believe in, they like that you’re curious and do your research & they like how spiritual you are.

pile 8 ♡

people like that you can be a bit ruthless and controversial (maybe you cuss a lot) they see this as real and uncensored (like what you see is what you get), they like how much you care about connection and having a partner to build a future with (they probably see you as loyal and devoted in this sense, and not afraid to go after a lover), they like that you’re patient and know how to think before you act (you aren’t impulsive), they like that you’re a hard worker and are good at what you do (well versed in your craft whatever that may be), they like that you’re humble and genuinely care about others well being & that you can think outside of yourself.

pile 9 ♡

people like that you can be a source of motivation, they like that you’re self-made and may even see you as a good rolemodel! people find you charismatic (and maybe even a bit dreamy), people like that you care for others a lot and admire that you will always share the things you’ve earned with others (they feel as if you really give and love unconditionally), they like that you always have good news or some type of gift you’ve earned as a result of your hard work (whether it be a raise or you some how coming across money/success/greater opportunities), they like that you seem trusting and aren’t too skeptical of others (you let people in easily) and that you’re very forgiving, they like that you’ve completely devoted yourself to something, they like that you’re easy to get in contact with and are always ready to help & they like that you’re nurturing.

[11queensupreme11]

You don’t have to answer this question if you’re not comfortable, however I saw you discussing a bit about the election. Based on your response I figured you were anti-Trump. I will admit I am right leaning (not extremely but leaning) and I will agree that I am not pro-Trump. However I am also not pro-Kamala. I wanted to know your view on both candidates, pros and cons if you’re comfortable with that! For me I wasn’t able to vote this year but I will be able to vote next election (my birthday is after November 5th). But coming from a leaning republican here’s my pros and cons

Trump cons

-he’s very extreme in republican beliefs

-doesn’t support the LGBTQ (I am not apart of the community so I don’t know much on this controversy but I have heard from my friends in the community that he’s against it)

-very sensitive about his rally’s

-his multiple charges against him (though it can be noted that the time the charges came out was during a crucial time in his run for presidency so it could have been a plan to try and make him look bad, I’m not sure how many allegations actually were proven true or false)

-foreign involvement (he tends to get involved with other nations)

Trump pros

-very good at fixing the economy (when he was president it was one of the few time my family, a middle class family, actually was making excess money, we actually saved up enough to finally buy a home and my dad didn’t have to work 2 jobs and my mom worked night shifts to make ends meet. A lot more people got employed under his presidency)

-less foreign conflict (when Trump was president last time there was a lot less rumors of wars and wars going on since Trump was very firm with foreign involvement but we already are in some foreign conflict)

-immigration (I am Mexican, my mother was an illegal immigrant, but I do have to slightly agree that we need stricter boarder control. I’ve heard stories about the Cartels and them chasing people from Mexico and into the US and that’s terrifying)

Kamala cons

-controversy (Kamala has also had her share of controversy. She had ads about legalizing weed and showed mainly black people in the ad. Also she may be, I can’t confirm but I’ve heard it from others, that she is related to a past slave owners. Kamala was also voted in my the Democratic Party and not the people. Biden was the candidate that people wanted for the Democratic Party till he dropped out the. The Democratic Party put Kamala Harris as the new candidate. She had run against Biden to be the candidate before he dropped out and lost so she didn’t originally have the people’s support. Ect.)

-extremely left (I see being extremely left and extremely right as big problems)

-“middle class” (a lot of Kamala’s speeches were about helping the middle class yet in her actual speeches the middle class she described was the lower-upper class, not the true middle class)

-economic growth (currently under democratic leadership the economy hasn’t been good)

Kamala pros

-she’s very pro-environment and that’s a problem that has needed fixing for a while

-she isn’t against the LGBTQ

I’m curious to hear your response since it’s by hearing and talking to others without hate or prejudice that we can expand our own thinking and see things from new perspectives. I always wonder how media can manipulate perception so much, how two people can consume similar media from different sources but form 2 different opinions. I love your works and thanks for reading this!

Sincerely, me, a Mexican-Hawaiian girl

everything you put under trump's pros is completely false and further proof as to why misinformation is such a huge problem so lemme address your points one by one

"very good at fixing the economy"

firstly, when trump reigned it was under obama's economy. this is actually a pretty common thing for new presidents to inherit the economy of the previous administration (obama was president and had bush's economy, trump was president and had obama's economy, and etc.). their job is to either continue building that economy (if it was a good one) or rebuild it if it sucked.

when a president is elected, the economy doesn't just restart to zero and the new guy has to begin a new economy. no, they inherit it from the previous administration and they either inherit successes or deficits and they get to continue building it or destroying it

(the "president" being mentioned is trump btw)

source: here. other sources if you wanna check out: 1

and speaking of economy, here's what things are gonna look like once trump goes back into office with his stupid tariffs idea that people stupidly thought was a GOOD thing:

(also, i love how they CONVENIENTLY decided to publish this AFTER the elections...)

"less foreign conflict"

💀💀💀

idek HOW you got that info and i'm even more confused as to why you put "foreign involvement" in the cons above that, and yet switched up to say this.... but anyway there are SOOOO MANY sources from articles, interviews, videos, HIS OWN TWEETS, that clearly prove otherwise but here's a nice lil tiktok that managed to compile a good bunch of it:

"immigration"

this part killed me especially since you also mentioned that your mom wasn't here legally BUT i noticed that you said "was" as in past tense, so i'm hoping she somehow found a way to fix that

you want strict immigration control because you heard stories about the cartel chasing people here... but i don't see why you have an issue with that? the cartel is dangerous af, OF COURSE people would want to flee to protect themselves and their families? but you say you want stricter immigration and border control??? are you worried about the cartel coming here or are you saying you think the ones fleeing are dangerous?

kinda confused ^ but regardless, trump doesn't want "stricter" border control for the safety of the people, he just wants you all gone cuz he's racist af and so are his rabid worshippers 💀

also, did you forget he had kids in cages, forcefully separated from their families with no way to get back to them and had those kids FORCED TO GO TO COURT? (sources: 1, 2, 3, 4) or the time his insanely strict immigration restrictions caused the amount of drowning migrants to increase (source: 1)

he and his team are working their asses off to get started on their little denaturalization project (forcefully revoking US citizenship) 💀

from the loving words of michael davis, trump's chief legal defender:

"We're gonna deport a lot of people, 10 million people and growing - anchor babies [that's YOU anon, since you said your mom was an illegal immigrant], their parents, their grandparents. We're gonna put kids in cages. It's gonna be glorious."

ALSO!!!

for list of cons for trump you forgot to add:

has 34 felonies

is a rapist

incited an insurrection

shrugged off the possible lynching of his vice president (mike pence) during said insurrection

his abortion ban led to the preventable deaths of thousands of women and now that he's back, the numbers will increase

got impeached twice

got thousands killed because of how he didn't even bother to handle the COVID pandemic

also caused a lot of asian americans to be harmed because of his racist comments about them during said pandemic

caused haitian immigrants to be harmed because of his stupid "they're eating the cats! they're eating the dogs!" comments

he's a racist, a rapist, a misogynist, a sexist, a narcissist, a habitual liar, and has no idea on how to actually run a presidency

and many many more

since we're on the topic of misinformation, here's this:

this here shows how powerful misinformation is for the trump administration. a lot of the people who voted for him did it solely to be cruel yes, but there's also some people who just genuinely didn't do ANY research and foolishly voted against everyone's interests including their own

the people who believed the misinformation voted for trump, the people who knew the truth voted for kamala, and some of the misinformation is actually VERY similar to the things you just mentioned

"violent crime rates are at a near all-time highs in most major american cities" FALSE, but trump voters thought it was true

"inflation in the US has declined over the last year and is near historic averages" TRUE, but trump voters thought it was false (this says "last year", implying under biden's rule, so trump voters believe that inflation did not decline under biden's economy when it actually did)

"the US stock market is at or near all-time highs" TRUE, but trump voters thought it was false

"over the last few months, unauthorized border crossings at the US-Mexico border are at or near the lowest level in the last few years" TRUE, but trump voters believed it to be false.

[delicateartisantrash]

Author Update

yoooooo

Thank you all for being so patient with me

I'm chomping at the bit to write and there's just been so much going on, I've squeaked it between tasks and also taking time to rest myself so i don't burn out either on writing or in general

I wanted to take some time to thank you all for supporting and encouraging me; i really feel like i can Make This Work.

Some good news to share!

Fester (though he's understandably less pleased about it) got his snip snip appointment done at the Purple Cat Clinic, so we no longer have to worry about kittens between the siblings @.@ he's already a few days healing from the surgery and doing very well.

I talked with my parents today, about a decision I've come to realize I'd where i want to go with my life; i want to move out on my own with my Symbiotes. Get away from the crazy parts of our blood family and all the drama and issues, have my own sanctuary space, etc. i moved back in with my mom after only a few years living on my own due to health reasons and my first home water highschool being infected with black mold, and it's been... Gosh, YEARS since that and this is the first time in a long ass while i feel truly confident I'm healed enough i can stand on my own two feet again, with some very strategic help along the way.

I've started the application for disability again and this time, i think I've found a lawyer firm willing to truly help me with my case and all the complications of applying ;w; i have no idea what they think i will qualify for but I'm hoping it will help in the long run, but i know better than to rely on it or count on it-- i don't know what the future holds

So I'm really going to be focusing on my art, and the pewter. Something i was already focusing on, but i feel like i have such a more clear direction than the aimless and helpless feeling of "make enough money that relatives don't kick us out of the house we've already paid over 50,000 into in mortgage payments"

Making enough money to pay for the far more reasonable mortgage of a humble house and property just big enough to support my tiny little family and a garden, is much more concrete in my head.

I'm really hoping they'll be supportive of that-- they being my aunt and uncle. I think they'll be relieved, honestly, to be free if this place since it's been a headache to them. I don't agree at all with how they've taken that out on us or how they've changed the original arrangement and the like.. but i like to hope they at least be decent enough to realize this would be good for all of us if we are discerning and conscious in our choices and selling the property and house to New ownership

I'm hopeful that us taking the reins as it were and deciding to move from this property we all like living at but are being dragged down by, will mean we have a better chance of leaving on good terms and in safer financial status than if our "landlords" decide to make that choice for us.

I love it here. i love it so much.

I'm also working really hard to keep my heart open enough to love anywhere else just as deeply, too, no matter how painfully it fractures leaving this land and the trees to someone else's hands and designs. I'm kinda hopeful we may even be able to sell to a conservation group.... That'd be freaking amazing, honestly. This house would make an epic little staff building for housing field researchers and storing equipment to manage said land.

So we'll see what shakes out in the future, but.... Yeah. Lots going on in my life and it's eaten into my writing time quite a bit, but I'm still writing and trying really hard to get some chapters ready to publish for this month ;v; thank you for sticking with me even though my pace has slowed on some projects because I've had to increase energy put towards others.

I dunno if I'll stay in my state or move outside it yet.... Really, that'll all depend what my finances and prospects look like when The Time Comes. I like Minnesota for many reasons, but also it has the best health insurance and assistance for low income people in basically the entire United States, and I've really benefited from that even as shitty as many of my medical experiences have been. It ain't perfect here but it's still damn good for what i can get. Gosh i sound like Lightshow defending Kaon sometimes. "Yeah the winters try to kill you and so does summer okay and also Spring and-- okay yes my state is Very Deadly but it's also very pretty i swear"

In the meantime, the possibilities are wide open, and I'm focusing on shaving down my belongings to what i truly need and am willing and able to haul and take care of, and my Symbiotes come first on that list.

[docholligay]

So my shul is doing a hunger drive for the high holy days and I want you to know that because of you I’m couponing like hell this week to see what I can take in terms of canned meats, non-peanut butter, and kid breakfasts. (And money. There will be money in there. But I can’t just put an envelope in a grocery bag by itself or they’ll think it’s empty.) I’ll be on “now I understand why my mom cooked like this” meals until I get paid again, but like, it’s a good time of year to remember how blessed I am to not normally have to do that. (And maybe I can convince the rabbis that next year we should do a penny war instead.) So: thank you for teaching me, and I hope it brightens your day to know it’s made a difference.

I am so glad! As I said, any time someone actually takes my advice about anything I am thrilled beyond belief.

Our congregation actually did a diaper drive, which I thought was a neat idea, not being able to talk anyone into just donating money. We work with an organization that helps families get on their feet via housing and various kinds of support, I've seen really good things happen with it. They're nominally Christian, kinda, in a very handwavey "sure why not" way--and when I say that I mean they work actively with us and also families with LGBT+ members. I know this on an "on the ground" way, in a "I have, in cooking dinners for some of their family dinners, met visibly LGBT+ families." They also keep a lot of kids out of the system! Parents that are just struggling with homelessness and are GOOD PARENTS otherwise, don't risk losing their kids in working with the programs.

ANYWAY, ENOUGH ABOUT THEM EVEN THOUGH I THINK THEY ARE GREAT.

It is always, I think, a good time to remember that we have advantages other people don't have. We are humans, and because we are humans, we always see the difficulties of our own situations, instead of how lucky we are in the moment. Every once in a whilte, i'll be standing in line at the grocery store and go, "I have no idea what this cart is going to cost" and it feels so WILD in that moment, that I have achieved the kind of life where I don't count cans of tuna or whatever. Me of the past would have said it would never happen. I think that is it's own value, knowing that we have advantages.

And also gifts! How will you use your gifts? I am a good cook for a crowd--cooking for 30-50 doesn't phase me-- so I take my rotation being the lead cook for the family dinner. I'm a decent writer, so I write up stuff for local organizations and events people make me aware of. I put people in contact with OTHER people I know who can help them, because I have a high social rolodex. I am good at physical labor, so sometimes I just...sign up to do it.

ANYWAY THANK YOU

[kinzis-writing]

Jellyfish | Tee Higgins

Summary: a Jellyfish tank in your boyfriend's house, what could go wrong?

Pairing: Tee Higgins x Reader

Requested: Yes | No based on this request.

Warnings: mentions of jellyfish as pets? suggestive content, i think that's all.

Note: This has taken exactly two months and I apologize! I am finally rolling with requests so let me know if you want me to write anything. Also, if this isn't what you wanted, feel free to let me know. This was requested by an anon, so I cannot tag a certain account!

*Not edited or proofread*

Word count: 2.01k

When your boyfriend, Tee, had mentioned getting a Jellyfish tank. You thought he was joking, that was until you walked into his house and noticed big boxes sitting on his living room floor. It was then that you noticed he had bought a Jellyfish tank, and he was getting ready to buy some to put into the tank.

“Hey baby,” Tee greeted as he got up and placed a kiss on your cheek and gave you a quick hug. “How many Jellyfish do you think I should buy for the tank?”

Y/N eyed the boxes before turning her attention to her boyfriend. It was offseason and she knew that he would be back at practice before too long. “You’re actually making a tank?” she asked carefully. “I thought that was just a dream.”

Tee shrugged his shoulders before looking at the computer in front of him, “Why not make It a reality?” He spoke his eyes while staying trained on the computer. “You think three would be enough? What light should I get?”

“I think three is more than enough.” Y/N mumbled not sure on how this whole experience would go. She knew that it had been on her boyfriend’s mind for a minute, but she didn’t know that her boyfriend had been serious. She thought it was one of his intriguing thoughts.

Y/N was right that three was more than enough, seeing as the Jellyfish had not survived the trip the first time. Tee was disappointed that he would not be able to put Jellyfish in his tank right now and He was looking for a safer way to get them to his home. He had to start practicing within the next few days and he was finally getting his tank installed correctly by someone he had paid to come do it.

“Be honest with me, am I getting too crazy?” Tee asked Y/N as he watched the men put the tank together easily and do it in no time.

Y/N shrugged her hands wrapping around his muscular arms, “Maybe a little, but it is why I love you so much.” She muttered, leaning up and giving him a quick kiss on his lips. “Whether I act like it or not, I want whatever you want because I want you happy.” She added honestly giving his arm a squeeze before heading to the master bedroom and grabbing her extra work uniform. She always left clothes here in case she ended up staying all night with him. “I have to go to work but I will see you later.” She told him before kissing him quickly and bidding each other goodbye to head off so she could support herself. One thing she would never do is ask Tee for money or use any of his money, because she has a great Job and can support herself.

It had been two or three months since Tee had gotten his Jellyfish tank installed and he had still yet to put any Jellyfish in it, but the Bengals games had started so his time to focus on his tank was limited. Today they were facing off against the Buffalo Bills in Cincinnati. Y/N had gotten herself ready in her Higgins Jersey and headed to the stadium. She knew that she could meet up with Tee’s mom and sit next to her so they could support their boy together.

Y/N grabbed her clear bag out of the passenger seat of her car once she had found a parking spot and made her way into the stadium. She was a bit early, but lines to the games started to get long within two or more hours before the game. Everyone wanted to make sure they could see the boys practice and warm up.

Once getting past security and getting her pass, she made her way to the stadium seats, Tees mom usually showed up around 30 minutes after her, so she knew that her man’s momma would be there soon. Y/N had made sure that her tickets were next to the field so she could easily reach Tee in case of emergency, but mainly because she could see him for a moment before the game.

“You look fine, can I get those digits?” A voice called up to you as a grin spread on your face. Your heart filled with love as you turned around and walked to the edge of the seats.

You shook your head and thought for a moment, “I have a boyfriend, I don’t think he’d be so happy to share me.” You responded finally leaning over to where you could meet him face to face.

Tee grinned, his perfect smile causing your smile to grow back once more. “You right,” He nodded. “You look great in my jersey, baby.” He then leaned up to meet you in a kiss. It was quick but passionate so attention wouldn’t be drawn to you too consistently.

“You say that every time.” You muttered when the kiss ended.

“Only speak the truth,” He shrugged before Chase was calling him over. “I’ll see you after the game.”

You nodded before leaning down a placing a “good luck kiss” on his cheek and lips, “Go beat those Bills.”

“That’s the plan.” He winked before starting to walk away, He paused for a moment and turned around to face you again, “I love you.” He added before running over to the guys he considered his brothers.

“I love you.” You mumbled to yourself before turning back and walking the couple steps to your seat. Tee’s mother had joined by the time that you had gotten done talking to Tee. “Hey, how are you?” You asked as you gave Tee’s momma a hug before sitting down beside her.

You and Tee’s momma made small talk while you waited for the guys to come out after they finished warming up. “Is he still wanting Jellyfish?” His momma asked you to know that he had discussed this with both woman on many different occasions. “He told me about the mishap.”

You nodded at the mention of his last Jellyfish purchase, “Yeah, He still wants some.” You assured her as the team came running out and you two stood up so you could cheer your man on. “I actually got paid last week and there’s some supposed to be delivered today, I was counting on beating him to his house and getting it ready.” You explained as they did the coin toss and the kickoff started.

“That is very sweet of you, He is so lucky to have someone care for him like you do.” She gushed as the game in front of the two progressed. “He was worried about finding someone because of his job and he didn’t want someone who wanted him for the wrong reasons. I am beyond thankful that he found you.”

You teared up hearing how highly Tee’s mom talked about you. Never had you had any potential in-laws to talk so kindly to you. Most of the time, your ex’s parents didn’t like you or had other things to say about you. It felt nice to have someone on your side since you were deeply in love with her son. “Thank you, that means a lot.” You told her honestly as you blinked the tears away. “I truly love him, and you’re his favorite woman so I am happy that we have this bond.” You explained.

After the conversation settled, you guys’ paid attention to the game. With Tee’s momma yelling at him from the stands to catch the ball, not to drop the ball, and so on. In the end, the Bengal’s had beaten the Bills and it was a win under Cincinnati’s belt.

After the game, you had spoken to Tee’s mom for a bit longer before bidding her farewell and safe travel. You had also found Tee and told him that you were heading to his house, and he could meet you there. To which he agreed and understood because he would be a minute. So, you had made sure to rush to his house, but made sure to be careful enough to not wreck. You had to get his Jellyfish in the tank before he got home so you could surprise him. He hadn’t known that they were ordered and since they were on the cheaper side compared to the items he usually bought, you made sure to buy them for him.

Once arriving at his house, you located the Jellyfish and googled and watched videos on how to properly transfer them so they would not die or have any issues. Once watching the videos and you felt you could safely transfer them. You placed them in the tank and made sure the tank was officially ready.

Once the Jellyfish were in the tank floating around, you made sure to turn the lights off, so they would emit the light of the tank. After watching them intrigued, you quickly tracked Tee’s location before facetiming his mother so you could ask her what she thought.

“Is it set up?” she asked after the initial starter conversation.

“Yes,” You replied as you flipped the camera and showed her the three Jellyfish floating in the big tank that he had bought. “Do you think he’ll like it?” You asked nervously. What if he wanted to buy the Jellyfish himself? What if he had a change of heart? Tee was someone who hated it when you spent your money on him, because he felt as though he had enough money if he ever wanted or needed anything. Which is why you resulted in the Jellyfish since they were $30 apiece.

“Oh, I think he’ll love it.” She spoke with so much emotion in her voice. “I sure do hope that you’re going to be my daughter-in-law.”

You spoke to his mother for a few more minutes before getting off the phone once you tracked your shared location and he was in the driveway. You quickly rushed through the living room and to the front door when you heard the door open.

“Why are the lights off?” He asked once he noticed you walking up towards the door.

You gave him a smile, “I have a surprise for you!” You spoke with excitement. It was getting harder to keep this a surprise and you were beyond happy that he would be seeing what you had been keeping for the past week.

A smirk appeared on his face for a moment, “What kind of surprise?” he asked in a certain tone.

You scoffed a bit knowing where he was going with it but brushed it off as you grabbed his hand and led him to the living room. The LED light lit up most of the space and the three Jellyfish floated around in the cylinder fish tank that he had bought.

Tee’s eyes widen slightly at the sight of the Jellyfish in his tank that he had gotten installed. “Did you buy those for me?” he asked as he turned to you.

You shrugged a huge smile on your face, “Who else would I buy Jellyfish for and store them in your house?” You asked rhetorically.

“I love you so much!” Tee mumbled before turning and pulling you into a hug. You already knew how excited he was, seeing as he was usually cool, calm, and collected. Yet, he was becoming Giddy like a child on Christmas morning because he officially had Jellyfish in his house. “You are the best girlfriend ever.”

You shrugged a cocky smile making its way on your face, “I try.” You joked before meeting him in a kiss full of passion and love. “Seriously though, I love you and I hope you understand how much you mean to me. Think of this as payback for all the “because you’re having a bad day” gifts that I have received from you.” She explained, noticing the happiness all over his face.

“I’m going to marry you one day.”

“That’s the plan, Tamaurice.”

[elysianightsss]

Now hear me Out... The techno's reactions to us being like a single parent or something before Meeting them? And possibly Meeting the child?

Bad idea or Not?

Techno x singlemom!Reader

Drabble

Techno wouldn’t care. He’d love your kid just as much as he loved you, they are simply an extension of you. Techno would be there for anything you needed, babysitting, dentists appointments for the kid. You remember that one time where you were stuck at work and there’d been an incident at school, he was the first one you called, he rushed over and set things straight instantly defending your child.

You came home to him playing with, let’s say your son, Apollo. Techno making aeroplane noises as his large hand moved the toy plane around in the air while your six year old son giggled loudly and excitedly.

Your heart was warmed and you felt your eyes stinging with tears at the sight. When you first met Techno you had tried hard to avoid him, not wanting to date anyone since the let down of Apollo’s father. When he left due to you getting pregnant it was a giant kick to your self esteem. You hadn’t felt worth it anymore and honestly not the most attractive either.

So when Techno persued you, you almost couldn’t believe it. Even when you had rejected him out of fear, he continued to court you coming into the diner where you worked and watching you with a smile while you served others. All he thought about was persuading you to quit so you’d never have to serve other people again. He had more than enough money to support you if you’d simply let him.

Finally, after a few months of him flashing his gorgeous pearly whites at you and making you feel all giddy with the sweet nicknames and phrases he spouted with that monotonous voice of his, you relented and let him take you on a date. You were shy and a bit withdrawn still, fussing over yourself and worrying about how you looked.

He eased them, ‘you look ravishing darlin’, it made butterflies erupt in your stomach, and your fussing ceased. He took you to a nice restaurant, wining and dining you like he had been promising he would. The whole night was actually going well and he’d managed to get you to relax enough to enjoy yourself until the babysitter called saying she had an emergency and she had to leave as soon as possible.

You obviously started rushing away, apologising profusely as you did. Techno chucked some money on the table and ran after you. He caught up to you and offered you to drive you home, after not being able to hail a cab you relented, he was your ride after all. The drive home was tense, you were so scared to tell him about your son not that you were embarrassed by him, not at all. You knew you’d done a good job raising him, but you knew the stigma around single moms and from past experiences when guys had asked you out only to back out when they’d found out you had a kid.

You didn’t want it to happen again, not after the lovely evening you had had and particularly not after the feelings that were growing for the man driving you home tonight.

You’d arrived, thanking him sufficiently with a kiss on the cheek for good measure before exiting the car rather quickly. You were so busy running away that you completely missed Techno’s worried expression, his softened eyes, and him getting out of the car to follow you.

As you unlocked the door, Sophia was pulling on her coat with a sad look on her face. “Do you have to go? We haven’t done story time yet!” Apollo whined.

“How about doing it with me buddy?” You smiled as your son’s eyes lit up at the sight of you home early, a rare occasion when you were working indeed.

“Mommy!” He squealed happily running into your arms. He hugged you tightly as you kissed his cheek. “Who’s that?” Apollo’s question had you turning around to see Techno staring down at you from where you were crouched.

“Sorry I just wanted to make sure you were okay.” He apologised, smiling softly at the little boy who gave him a small wave.

That was around four month ago, since then your relationship with Techno had evolved and his bond with Apollo had grown so much. You never thought you’d have this, this safety net, this love. And yet as you watched Techno play aeroplanes with Apollo all you felt was love.

[autistic-answers]

why do so many people try to make autistic people independent and to be able to go to work and act "non autistic"?

trying to do thar hurts my physical and mental health alot, it makes me feel like the world doesn't want me as who i am. :( I need a lot of help with daily things like get dressed and bathing. people say is should try do that myself but is very hard for me, take me long long time to get dressed and do it wrong and don't have any motivation to do it, I just wouldn't and would not survive without help. :( is having help with things okay?

I'm so sorry you're dealing with stress like this. Yes, having help with things is okay! Some autistic people are never able to be fully independent and that's just how it works.

Useful labels

I would like to introduce some labels to you that may help. I will define them based on my research. They are HSN, MSN, and LSN.

LSN = Low(er) support needs. This label is for people who can live independently with some/no daily life support.

MSN = Medium support needs. This label is for those who need support workers or caregivers to help with many of the more complex tasks, like cooking or managing money. But they can do many or all of the "basic" tasks like dressing and bathing independently. I am in this group.

HSN = High support needs. These people need significant help with many or all "basic" tasks like dressing, bathing, and eating food.

(I have a research article on these labels.)

No group of autistic people is more special, important, or "good" than another. All of these groups are okay to be in.

Understanding yourself

It sounds like you might be HSN. There is a community of HSNs online. I think it would help to look into HSN-related and higher-support hashtags to help you find people like you. You might feel less alone. I am in a "higher needs autistics" group on Tumblr and perhaps you'd like that too.

People are pressuring you to gain skills in the hopes that you might become MSN/LSN someday. While some HSNs achieve this, many don't. It's not possible for everyone. It's okay not to strive towards a goal that feels unrealistic and stressful.

You are allowed to be HSN (or MSN if you decide that label fits better). Maybe you will stay that way for your entire life, and it's okay if that's what happens.

Understanding others

Sometimes, our caregivers and helpers imagine unrealistic goals for us. They want us to be free, happy, and safe. So they imagine us becoming LSNs because LSNs have the most freedom and are less dependent on others.

I say "we" because my mom still thinks she can transform me from MSN to LSN. She is pushing for my dad to support me less with tasks like meal prep. The result is that I am eating simpler and less healthy meals (like microwave macaroni). Taking away my support won't make me magically prepare my own salads, it'll just make me stop eating salads.

Sometimes, we're doing as much as we can. We can't always take on more just because someone else thinks we can.

I wish my mom would be less eager to take away my supports and more eager to help me plan for a future in which I can get support.

They believe they are helping you. They are full of hope that if they just coax you hard enough, you'll become a happy and independent LSN. They think they are helping but they don't understand how much pressure they're putting on you.

Talking to them

Can you talk to the people who are making you feel pressured? They may not understand how you feel. Perhaps you could say something like:

"I know you are pushing me to be more independent because you want me to be happy and safe. But I'm struggling to take on these new tasks. My mental health is worsening. I'm not ready to do this alone and it's hurting me to try. Can we talk about setting smaller or different goals?"

There may be different ways to support your independence. For example, maybe a video or a set of pictures explaining how to get dressed would help you do it with less stress and frustration.

But it's also okay to say, "I don't think this goal is realistic for me. Trying anyway is going to cause me stress, not support my independence. I want to set a different goal." Or, "I don't think I can handle more tasks right now. I need a break from self-improvement so I can manage my mental health."

If you think talking to them will be hard, you can show them what I wrote here. Maybe it will help them understand.

Concluding thoughts

It can be hard to be an autistic person who isn't independent. People will push you to keep improving and improving, even if it doesn't feel realistic or healthy. Non-disabled adults don't usually get pressured this way, and it can feel unfair.

You deserve a say in your own goals. You deserve the chance to say whether you're ready to set goals or whether you need to focus on what you already have "on your plate" right now.

And, ironically, advocating for your needs is an independence skill too! And it's one of the most important ones. Maybe it's time to take a break from the too-hard skills and work on this skill instead? :)

You deserve support. While I don't know your age or your circumstances, you may never be fully independent. You don't need to become the impossible. You need to plan for a future where you can get the help you need and deserve.

<3

[the-elusive-soleil]

Some random headcanons I have for a Silm modern AU:

Feanor is the son of Finwe's ex-wife Miriel (they split more or less amicably due to the more kids/no more kids thing). There are more resources to help deal with this than in canon Valinor, so while Feanor isn't happy about the Indis and half-siblings situation, he's able to get to a place of mostly getting along with them.

Finwe made his money in investments--Aule Industries, Elentari Electric Co., Sulimo Aerospace...you get the picture.

Feanor could have gone to work for Aule Industries, but instead he struck out on his own as an inventor, and holds patents for several now-common items.

He's married to the famous sculptor Nerdanel. They've had their disagreements, but they're in couples therapy and working on sticking together.

Fingolfin is a state-level politician. He and Feanor mostly sort of get along provided everyone avoids certain topics.

Maedhros works for Fingolfin as a political fixer, which he is very very good at. Feanor has mostly made his peace with this.

Maglor went through a classical musical education, but eventually his hobby band Noldolante took off to the point that he went full-time with it. He's the lead vocalist and songwriter. Currently thinking their sound would be something like heavy metal but with the instruments and volume of acoustic folk.

Their musical rivals are the folk duo Nightingale Shadow, the brother-sister pair Daeron and Luthien Gray.

Celegorm got a job through his grandfather's friend Orome Aldaron at Aldaron LLC, an outdoor gear company resembling Cabela's, as a spokesperson/sponsored rep type of thing. He has a huge dog and tells a different story every time someone asks where he got him, and keeps trying to ask out Luthien from Nightingale Shadow (which drives Maglor nuts).

Caranthir is a stocks trader and financial advisor, which has made him wealthy enough on his own to rival Finwe. At some point, he announces his engagement (despite no one in the family knowing he was dating) to a small business owner named Haleth who takes none of his guff.

Curufin works with his father as a fellow inventor. He married an epidemiologist several years back, and they have a small son, Tyelpe, who is already being brought to an unbelievable number of "take your child to work" days. Everyone's bracing for the mad science to reach critical mass once Tyelpe's old enough to wield a screwdriver.

Amrod and Amras are still in high school and haven't confirmed a path in life yet, although they do quite a bit of Celegorm's social media stuff with him.

Fingon used to work with his father and Maedhros, but eventually decided that politics wasn't for him, and now runs a nonprofit to aid disaster victims. He and Maedhros frequently tease each other about how exhausted their respective careers are making them.

Turgon works in some capacity for the city government, which he claims is the level of politics where things actually get done.

Aredhel also works for Aldaron LLC as a spokesperson; sometimes she and Celegorm will collaborate on posts.

At some point, she starts a relationship with a guy named Eol, but leaves him when he turns out to be a controlling jerk. Post-breakup, she finds out she's pregnant, and ends up keeping the baby because Eol doesn't want her to do so and make him pay child support. She turns out a better mom than anyone expects.

Finarfin is some kind of lawyer working in conflict resolution and mediation. He is very good at it; he ought to be, given all the practice he's had.

Finrod owns an ethically sourced jewelry company. His brother Orodreth works for him.

Aegnor and Angrod are college students; Angrod is undeclared, but Aegnor is studying anthropology.

Artanis is in high school and the most politically minded teenager ever. She's in student government and on the debate team and Model UN, you name it. The family used to joke that someday she was going to rule a small country. They still say it, but it's become less and less of a joke over the years.

[716chr]

Chihiro Natsuyaki Novel - “Choose Me!”

Track 4 - Intermission

To get straight to the point.

I made it to the finals.

I thought I would for sure get eliminated. But despite the backlash online, my loyal fans, who called themselves “Chiitizens”, worked hard to make sure I’d be able to debut.

——Chii was just treating the task at hand seriously! With dance skills like that, it’s only natural he got picked!

Amid these comments, the member I tried to support, the one who had run out of the rehearsal room crying, didn’t get enough votes and was eliminated.

This news tanked my mood.

Somehow, I felt like it was my fault…..

In the end, only 22 contestants remained.

Out of them, 13 would be picked, and 9 would be dropped.

My roommate, Komu-kun, is one of the remaining contestants.

Unlike me, Komu-kun has been portrayed on the show as “a novice in both dance and singing, but thanks to his sincerity, has shown remarkable growth and a straightforward appeal.”

It’s like he’s the protagonist of the show.

But in truth, Komu-kun really is putting in the effort and is growing at an incredible speed. Even when we were in different groups he didn’t hesitate to ask me for advice about dancing when he was unsure.

I didn’t want to be mean, so no matter how often he came to ask for help I never refused him.

…….Of course, they never showed this side of me on TV.

I was secretly anxious about Komu-kun’s rapid progress.

Jealous too.

But in the end all I can do is focus on doing my best.

“Man~ I can’t wait to meet all the locals again~” Komu-kun says while packing.

Today the contestants were allowed to return home to visit their families. It isn’t exactly a break, since the purpose is to film supportive messages from our family members.

Incidentally, the video would be presented a few days later to the finalists as a surprise. We’d have to act shocked and touched as if we were seeing it for the first time. These reactions would also be subject to evaluation.

A sigh almost slips out, but I stop myself, conscious of the cameras around me.

An idol who has a bad relationship with his family…… isn’t exactly someone you want as your bias, right?

“When this is over, it’ll really be our final stage, huh? …..Chii, I…I’m really glad you’re my roommate.”

“Yeah, me too, Komu-pi.”

After replying, I could hear a voice from inside me.

Really? Is that really true? If you weren’t roommates, would you have taught him how to dance? Do you really not regret it?

It was tough when Komu-kun asked you for help even while you were in different groups, yet you still ended up helping him out of the sheer kindness of your heart. 

So why is only Komu-kun the only one being praised as being a good, hard working person? Aren’t you tired of being sidelined like this?

“We’ll debut together for sure!” Komu-kun said as he hugged me.

I hugged him back, worried about how it looked on camera and hoping I didn’t come off too mean.

The voice deep inside my heart whispered, “I truly hate myself the most.”

“If it isn’t the long-awaited return of the future star! I’ve been waiting for you, Chihiro!”

My mom, all dressed up for her night job and with a face full of makeup on, welcomed me at the front door.

This smile….. How many years has it been since I’ve seen it?

Her lively voice being directed at me was certainly a first.

Honestly, I was scared and confused.

My stomach twisted in pain.

When I told my mom that I was going to audition, she didn’t seem the slightest bit interested. The only ones who cheered me on were my sisters.

But I heard from my sister that my mom apparently started watching the show when I reached the semi-finals.

…..Is it because of the money? Yeah, it must be.

As I step inside, my little sisters clad in their school uniforms welcome me cheerfully from the back as they call out, “Chii-nii!”.

Big Sis, who usually lives separately from us, had also come, but her expression upon seeing me was filled with worry.

Only my mom seems unusually cheerful, asking me things like, “Chihiro, want a drink?”. Questions she’s never asked me before in my life.

“……I’m still not sure if I can debut. My last ranking was pretty iffy….”

With voting happening daily, contestants got their real-time rankings immediately from the staff. I was 15th when I left the dorm. It fluctuates; on some days my ranking would go as high as 10th place, but right now it was still unclear.

“What are you talking about? There’ll be fewer people getting eliminated next round, right?”

“……..”

It’s not just about the numbers. Even if I was in first place right now I still wouldn’t feel safe.

Especially considering the fact that the director hates me.

Would Mom be disappointed if I failed?

The thought crosses my mind, but I can’t bring myself to ask.

I wondered how Komu-kun would deal with something like this.

Once he gets home would he be able to tell his parents about his worries?

Of course he would. And they’d forgive him if he cried.

Komu-kun’s loving Papa and Mama would definitely pull him into a hug and comfort him.

I hate myself for imagining these things.

“Once you become an idol, I’ll have to brag to everyone. Even to the people at the bar….. Ah, and I’ll definitely rub it in the faces of those classmates who used to make fun of me.”

Seeing Mom talk like this so happily made my guts twist in pain again.

Sitting down in the living room, my two younger sisters came over to me.

“Chii-chan, don’t worry too much.”

“That’s right. Chii-nii has fans at our school too!”

I felt a bit relieved as I ruffled their hair affectionately.

——Once I’m able to make the money, I want to spoil them both rotten. Big Sis too of course.

Big Sis always sends money to me and our little sisters, so even though she’s an adult she still doesn’t have any accessories of her own.

I want to buy her the slightly pricier necklaces and rings she wanted before, and help my sister in high school pay for vocational school so she can follow her dream.

I also want to pay for my middle school sister’s high school tuition, and all the school trips Big Sis and I had to miss because we couldn’t afford it.

“I guess even that face can be useful for something after all. Well, that’s all that scum had going for him anyway.”

Out of nowhere, I hear my Mom’s voice.

Her words hurt as if they were clutching onto my heart.

“I didn’t think you had a single redeeming trait, but if you manage to become an idol I might be a little thankful. Chihiro, I’m glad you’ll be able to make a living even though you have your father’s face——”

“Stop it.”

Big Sis interjected.

“You should stop doing that.”

“Hah?”

Mom glared at Big Sis. She returned the glare, unyielding.

“Don’t you think you’re being really shitty right now? Constantly nagging about a man who’s already abandoned you….. How is any of that Chihiro’s fault?”

“Hah? You’ve never been dumped yourself, what the hell do you know, calling me shitty like that.”

“That’s why I’m saying your mindset is shitty.”

The tense atmosphere made my heart race, but even worse, my little sisters looked like they were about to burst into tears.

“You two! The camera crew’s coming any minute now!”

I quickly stood up and spread my arms wide. A stiff smile appeared on my face. But it's okay. I turned once and took a step.

“Look! This is the choreography I danced in the semi-finals! I can still do it perfectly!”

After making this declaration and dancing for a while, my little sisters burst out in cheers and laughter.

Mom and Big Sis also stopped arguing.

My heart is still pounding, gripped by tension and fear, impatience and anxiety.

…….Please, God. If you’re out there, please help me. Let me debut.

So if I can give my Mom kindness, Big sis peace of mind, and my little sisters a future, I’ll do whatever it takes.

But all I can do is dance……

God, please don’t take away this one thing I have.

——In the surprise video I received later on, my family looked like a tight-knit "perfect and happy family”.

A mother sharing fabricated memories, an older sister suppressing her irritation and putting on a forced smile, and two little sisters cheering me on wholeheartedly.

“Chihiro truly loves dancing, and when I watch him dance it feels like all those years of hard work have really paid off..."

In the video, Mom pretended to wipe away her tears.

I wonder if they'll introduce her on air as a single mother who raised four kids on her own?

In the corner of my mind, I briefly thought——this world is nothing but a bunch of lies. I felt despair—but still, I looked ahead.

Because I’m going to become the ultimate gyaru-minded idol.

Track 1 | Track 2 | Track 3 | Track 4 | Track 5

[butts-bouncing-on-the-beltway]

I think people believe that those who likely won't vote for Biden despite opposing Trump in November are just doing so out of political purity demands are failing to internalize something really important.

People only have so many resources to spare beyond survival. And they will make reasonable assessments based on what an action demands of them versus what it will do to benefit them/improve overall quality of life whether or not to do a thing. Anything.

I've noticed this thing where people are like "voting is the LEAST you can do, it's just one thing, and it barely takes up any valued resources (e.g. time, money, energy, skill, learning/adjustment periods, etc), how can you NOT do it?"

And. Well. Maybe because that equation isn't the same for everyone?

Let me go ahead and lay out for you the process that would all have to take place BEFORE I was able to "just go vote" if that was an action I felt would be valuable.

1) identify/confirm my state's voter identification policies for the coming election to confirm that I fully understand them and that they haven't been altered since my last complete understanding of it

2) save the money (in cash) for the fees involved in attending an id appt at a state office to get the necessary documents which I may or may not have (I have moved about every other year for a long time now, and have not been able to consistently maintain useable paperwork across my residential transitions because many were across state lines)

3) schedule the state office appt for id paperwork. Keep cash fees and necessary evidentiary paperwork on hand (or add an additional set of steps to obtain/reobtain them such as when the move damaged my court paperwork for my name change). Then wait for the appt to arrive, and hope I have enough time in my day and gas in my car to keep it.

4) once I have my appropriate id, register as a regional voter and identify my nearest polling station (by the way, the ONLY available polling stations in my literal entire county are Baptist or Methodist churches. If those spaces are - for some reason, maybe I don't know being actively mid-medical transition of gender, visibly queer, and fucking Jewish - are not accessible to me well then I guess I'm shit out of luck)

5) obtain time off on election day to go vote. You might think this is easy. And maybe for you it is. But the vast majority of election voting lines I have waited in since going with my mom as a kid to waiting to place my own vote as an adult, have been at minimum of 4 hours waiting in line outside the building let alone getting thru identity confirmation with the polling station volunteers once inside. I work on Tuesdays. So taking unpaid time off for a 4+ hour errand is a big deal. And yeah, my supervisor does actively encourage us to and support us in doing it, but given how we are paid (by the completed appt hour) there is a huge financial barrier to taking a day off to vote. The owner of my practice does her best to help, including offering us our paid documentation hours if it helps, but like. That's not going to be enough for a lot of people's checkbooks, and there are not outside resources she can call on to support her in supporting us. We may make the choice to do it when we feel financially able to, but we may not always be in that position.

6) actually vote. Hey remember those 4hr lines? I'm physically disabled and mobility limited. So if I need to anticipate more than a maximum of 15min of standing or walking, I may need to consider going in my wheelchair. How many of those churches serving as polling stations in my poor, 60% black county are able to be wheelchair accessible? My state voter polling station map supposedly offers a listing of accessible polling stations! But when I click it, it actually just takes me to a webpage describing my legal right to accommodation. Did you know that the only caregiver I could have help accommodate me is my wife or a professional one? I can't (for example) have a friend take me while my wife is working or otherwise unavailable. Or, you know, if a polling station volunteer decides to get up in arms about my marriage for being queer/interracial (this has happened, yes I know it's illegal what the actual fuck do you think that means for the reality of enforcing that though???? Something being a crime doesn't stop it from happening, and being able to "hold someone accountable" won't necessarily mean getting my fucking vote back.)

7) monitor my vote for rejection and supply any necessary corrective measures to confirm my vote (I realize this may be something lots of people go a lifetime never running into, but it has and does and will happen)

8) monitor my voter registration to ensure I stay on the roles up through the next merry go round through these steps (i once had to re-register 3 times in one year without having changed addresses or documentation in any way. Just getting flat out bumped from the roles. When I did voter canvassing in 2020 I took a peek at my own name in the registry and I had a HALF DOZEN different registrations that had been done in the 4 years I'd been living in my house at the time.)

It is REALLY highly likely that none of these things, or AT MOST 1-2 of them are also your (general) concerns/priorities/needs around voting. Mine are like this through a combination of circumstances, location, chaotic lifestyle, and a general inability to stay organized. But that is nonetheless the reality of my effort ro vote every election.

Increasingly, this has simply not been worth my time and money. My vote's presence or absence simply is not impactful enough in the systems and levers of power to justify putting myself through that process and it's impact on my quality of life. My energy is more effectively used in ways that can A) not cost me financial resources I simply do not have, B) do not require me to prove who I am in order to interact with it, thus removing the burden and expense of maintaining paperwork for that purpose beyond what I already posess (passport card without any documentation of residence but with documentation of citizenship), and C) can be performed using only or mostly physical actions that are not inherently medically dangerous for me.

So that's what I've started redirecting my energy towards. There are truly so many options, and I keep myself busy with many different little pieces of that puzzle.

I could not do those things if I also tried to maintain consistent access to voting. I simply couldn't. But those things are so much more immediately impactful, not just on my quality of life, but on the QoL of the rest of my community. I value the ability to spend my resources there more than I value my ability to brute force my way through in interaction with a system that throws up increasingly harmful barriers at every step.

If that math ever changes for me, I probably will try to vote more. It's not like I think voting is bad. But I simply do not see it as more valuable for me and my community given my combination of needs, resources, and capacities.

I really need people to understand that yelling at someone and trivializing their reasons for making the choice that they are making will not increase your voter turnout. Because it means you are inherently rejecting their valid concerns as worth addressing. And yeah! A lot of people are right now specifically talking about this as if their decision is at least in part because of the concern that the Trump years and Biden years have not been different enough or have been different in ways that are harmful to them, because a lot of us made a point of saying in 2020 "damn the consequences, we'll just do it"

But then there wasn't enough change to justify how much we harmed ourselves or invited harm into our lives by doing so. Or at least there is little enough that we are asking ourselves the question of its worth. So now we must also ask "can we make that sacrific again, knowing what we know now?"

For some of us, unless interventions to lower the barrier to entry of voting or to raise the motivation to trust Biden will improve our qualities of life are employed, it is very likely that the answer may be (or may be becoming) no. We can't make the sacrifice again. It took too much and returned too little and we may LITERALLY not have enough to give this time around.

We'll see I guess.

It doesn't escape me that I'm not hearing anything about voter accessability this year. It can sometimes start to feel a little like hedging yalls bets to me, as someone on whom those barriers are deeply impactful and restrictive.

Because if you (general) can point to how we (the vote-alienated) were blocked from the polls after, you can combine that with complaints of "leftists" abstaining for "political purity/perfectionism" to justify to yourselves (general) why Biden lost without reconciling just how much of a void his campaign has in terms of what it's offering people. If they were at least returning to their roots and using the Democratic party base to establish voter support resources and access alternatives, that would probably increase turnout by an order of 10 or so entirely on its own.

But that's being left to communities themselves, despite the gamechanger that would be facilitating such programs with the resources of a multi-billion dollar national political party. Overnight, millions might suddenly see voting as a real possibility, and it's not like the party is spending that money elsewhere in the campaign either. I'm not seeing his ads very often on tv/radio, i haven't seen hardly any online, no one is calling or canvassing, and only Bernie Sanders' team still texts or emails me anything other than requests for money even tho I've been signed up to party and candidate mailing list sets for decades at this point.

I don't know how to help you understand that I was actively EMPLOYED as campaign staff for a democratic presidential primary candidate in 2020 running volunteer events, canvassing shifts, GOTV events, etc. I personally canvassed half of the district I lived in and spoke to so many voters.

Do you want to take a wild guess how many candidates reached out to my community (besides the one I was on staff with) during primary season? One. Out of that entire stage of candidates, only 2 even had campaign staff on the ground in my district. And we were a battleground district in our state. We had the power to swing the entire state. But only like 15% of the candidates gave a fuck.

That hasn't gotten better, it's gotten worse, because now the only one of those two left with any access to an on-site campaign crew is Bernie Sanders, and while he is valiently trying to wrangle it into a GOTV program, he simply cannot do that by himself, especially as alienated as he is from the rest of the dominant wing of the party.

I need people to understand that the work on the ground looks so much different than online political ontological discussion and debate. It MATTERS how you interact with these systems and community needs. We're all doing what we can. What makes sense for us to do. It is REALLY easy to sink into the feeling of "everyone is just too stupid/uninformed to see things my way, or they're voting against they're best interests for some malicious reason" but I promise you that is simply not the reality of how politics happens in communities. Yes, even when someone is 100% objectively being a bigot. People have reasons for what they do, and those reasons mattered to act on to them, even if you don't understand why. If you want to get someone's buy in to change their behavior/beliefs on something, you need to first treat their reasons as a consistent internal logic, even if that means looking past what specific words someone is using towards the underlying values or needs they reflect.