#michigan is hers and hers and hers and hers

[handypolymath]

She introduced herself to me as Rashida, my guy, how else am I supposed to think of her?

[viennajoell]

The Waiting Game

Summary: Luke Hughes wrestles with self-doubt and uncertainty about his future, but his girlfriend is there to comfort him.

Word Count: 880

Warnings: none :)

The apartment was quiet, except for the occasional hum of the city beyond the windows and the low murmur of whatever show she had left playing on Netflix. The clock read 12:41 a.m. She hadn’t gone to bed yet, just sat curled on the couch in one of his old Michigan hoodies, waiting.

The bedroom door cracked open softly, and Luke stepped out. His hair was messy, sticking up in uneven angles like he’d been running his hands through it all night. He hadn’t changed out of his Devils joggers. His eyes looked heavy.

“You’re still up?” he asked.

She turned the volume down. “Didn’t feel like sleeping.”

He crossed the room slowly and sat beside her, leaving just enough space that she knew he was in his own head again.

“They called?” she asked gently.

Luke shook his head. “Nothing. Again.”

She reached for his hand, letting their fingers thread together.

“It’s July,” he said after a long pause. “Camp’s creeping up, and they’re still just... dragging their feet. Everyone’s getting deals done. Nemec re-signed. Dawson’s locked in. I’m the one just... floating.”

His voice cracked at the end, more from frustration than sadness. But she could feel the weight behind it, the doubt he never let show, not even in interviews or in the locker room.

“You’re not floating,” she said. “You’re still here. Still working, still showing up. That says a hell of a lot more than whatever’s in a contract right now.”

He let out a bitter laugh, eyes fixed on a spot across the room.

“They said it’s a ‘negotiation window.’ But you know what it really feels like? Like they’re unsure. Like I didn’t prove enough. Like maybe I’m just the brother, the rookie with the last name. Jack gets the press, Quinn gets the Norris votes... and I’m just—”

“Stop.” Her voice was quiet, but firm.

Luke looked at her, surprised.

“You’re not just anything,” she said. “You’re Luke Hughes. You’re not here because of your brothers. You’re here because you’re one of the smartest defensemen they’ve ever drafted. Because you skate like no one else. Because you make plays that change games. Don’t you dare shrink yourself because of their silence.”

He blinked, and for a second, she saw it, the uncertainty softening, his shoulders dropping ever so slightly.

“I know it’s hard,” she continued. “And I know it’s scary, not having that security yet. But you’re not in this alone. You’ve got your family, your team... me.”

He swallowed hard and leaned back into the couch, resting his head on her shoulder. “It’s just messing with my head. Every time my phone buzzes, I think, ‘This is it.’ And then it’s some dumb group chat or Jack sending a TikTok.”

She smiled faintly. “You know he’s doing that on purpose to mess with you, right?”

“Probably,” Luke muttered. “Asshole.”

They sat like that for a while—his cheek pressed to her shoulder, her fingers playing absentmindedly with his. The kind of silence that felt like home.

“You think I’m doing enough?” he asked finally, almost a whisper.

She kissed his temple, slow and certain. “More than enough.”

And for the first time in days, he let himself believe it.

[leulahart]

melanoma

a stylization study of my sunshine

[only-book-lovers-left-alive]

Sorry to add on, but I have Words™️. I went to MCC and lived in the city proper after like 2021, and some city officials were still defensive about the whole thing. I was in the interpreting program at Mott, and as a part of practicum I’d sign on to watch the water meetings and the interpreting that happened there. I forget the name of the city employee, but she implied that the ongoing nature of the wayer crisis was on the residents when they couldn’t conjure time out of thin air to WATCH THEIR HOUSE WHILE ALL THE LEAD PIPES WERE REPLACED.

With, MAYBE, 24-72 hours of warning, as shared personally by another member of the meeting. (Side note: the water meetings are public, and per my professors it explicitly allowed within the RID CPC to share information about this meeting.) A woman named Athena just about tore her a new one (professionally), but it reminded me of the rhetoric spewed by hateful white supremacists that live in the whiter suburbs, like Davison and Grand Blanc. They made any online groups about Flint on platforms like Facebook borderline unusable. The number of people living outside the city that blame the people in Flint is insane. It’s insane! They’re insane.

Shame on the Michigan Supreme Court for refusing to hear the case, too. Dashed the hopes of the entire city in one day. Jfc. I moved because I was accepted to school outside the state, but the fact that there will likely never truly be justice for Flint makes me want to personally find Rick Snyder and strangle him ‘til he’s blue in the face.

Everybody I meet that’s not from Flint is always like “is it really that bad?”

It’s so much more than bad water. Its your children having seizures from lead poisoning. It’s the fear of contracting Legionnaires. It’s not being able to pay the hospital bills for your sick elderly and children. It’s not being able to bathe. It’s not being able to cook. It’s paying some of the highest water bills in the United States despite Flint being largely in poverty. It’s the fear of losing your house because you can’t afford to keep the water on. It’s the fear of losing your children because you lost the house.

“Is it really that bad?” No, its so much worse.

[hoopingwjuju]

god she’s so fine

[lobaznyuk]

KAYLI BOOZER, Michigan

[fionaapplerocks]

Fiona Apple at the beach in 2015

[spacebugarts]

MICHIGAN MIKU IS DONE LETS GOOOO

[cultivating-wildflowers]

Prayers for folks in southern Michigan tonight. We were expecting storms and had warning but it fired up much more powerfully than anyone predicted.

(note for those like me who get confused: “mass casualty” does not necessarily mean “mass fatality”, but does indicate significant damage)

[tinystrawberryshifter]

*world is mine plays as Miku kills thousands of Aperture science employees*

[divine-motion]

the lines about Gen Fours being emotionally withdrawn are so outrageous and yet people still take them as like cold hard truths about the setting even though G5 Iguazu, biggest hater alive who's notably not emotionally withdrawn, is right there. idk man maybe the reason why Gen Fours are "emotionally withdrawn" is bc every Gen Four seen/heard about in AC6 besides Iguazu are slave soldiers? me when i'm a handler using people as disposable dogs to throw in the meat grinder: damn why don't they like me... can't be because of trauma and resentment. must be a natural part of their programming ig :/

[wandering-cemeteries]

Pine Ridge Cemetery. The place that started my fascination with cemeteries. I had to find an older cemetery for a history project in college. This was the oldest in the area. After this one, me and a friend started exploring the cemeteries in the area. Now I have gone to cemeteries in multiple countries.

Bay City, Michigan

April 2013 (Pictured is the Civil War burial area, several years after that first visit.)

[allyourbased]

Attention Cat Tumblr!

My good friend's cat, Yorick, is disabled from birth. Despite her chronic health issues, she's enjoyed 7 years of spoiled life and counting—but this month she's been on the decline.

I know the owner Jacob well. He's not a man to ask for help, especially money. Right now, Yorick needs time-sensitive bloodwork and X-rays to assess and treat her condition(s).

If you can donate or share this post, it would make a real difference for Yorick. Thank you.

[michibites]

mission success?

they hold hands and stuff. i’ll introduce Delilah soon enough.

sketch/ concept below

[trans-musicians]

Emma grrrl (she/her), Leader of She/Her/Hers

Spotify | Apple | Twitter | Insta

She/Her/Hers is a folk punk band from Michigan, USA with pop and metal influences. Their latest album features some slower chamber pop ballads.

I first heard She/Her/Hers after stumbling across their song Kill the Boy Band in 2019. It perfectly encapsulated how I felt as a teen surrounded by festival line-ups and Kerrang! full of nothing but white dudes.

[hide-your-bugs-away]

The Animal-squad and I are seeing Peter Noone from Herman's Hermits tonight!! 😎🐾✨️