#redwitchrising

[moonshine-nightlight]

125?

@redwitchrising

thanks!

Actual Word Count: 125

The clash of metal on metal followed by a wet cough and a triumphant growl from the other room cuts her off.

[pretentiouspastryprojects]

redwitchrising replied to your post: pretentiouspastryprojects: i’m not actually a fan...

But … . why the grapes? What kind of cake is this supposed to be?

EXACTLY! WHY THE GRAPES? EVERY TIME I HAVE TO MAKE THAT CAKE I ASK THAT QUESTION AND THERE IS NEVER AN ANSWER. HOW ARE YOU EVEN SUPPOSED TO CUT IT???

[ifeelbetterer]

redwitchrising replied to your post “also y'all should know that someone introduced me, the history junkie,...”

Thank you so much for making me aware of this show

pokedabadgerwithaspoon replied to your post “also y'all should know that someone introduced me, the history junkie,...”

WHAT. How have I not heard of this??

Seriously. SO FUN. Youtube has the whole album here. 

[themonkeycabal]

redwitchrising replied to your post: Help, I’m fashion inept!

Unique Vintage has a lot of retro, cute, fun clothes that Darcy would rock, and also feel comfortable in after her trip to the fast! You could go there for some inspiration!

Oh sweet! Thank you!

[terriblelifechoices]

It's the quality, not the quantity, of fic that makes someone a good author and you've got it in spades! And you seem to be an absolutely lovely person on top of that! :) If you want to write a ficlet, I will not say no! We haven't seen a lot of Scary Bastard! Credence, or Extremely Competent and Cutthroat and Brutal Politician!Credence, which are my favorite versions of him. If you'd like to write a fic about his day job of kicking ass and taking names (verbally of course) I'd love to read it!

Aw, thank you!  

I liked the options rather a lot.  Extremely Competent and Cutthroat and Brutal Politician!Credence was easier to write, though, so that’s what I went with.

Fear takes a long time to unlearn.  Ten years after the repeal of Rappaport’s Law, Credence is still having the same argument with politicians about why it was necessary in the first place.

The Woolworth Building, February 1943

It was, perhaps, a little mean to inflict Dag on unsuspecting politicians.  At eight months old, Dagonet’s cuteness was surpassed only by his ability to charm anyone he came into contact with.

Credence refused to feel bad about that.  He would take any advantage he could get.

Also, Dag had just hit the clingy phase, and would dramatically scream and cry if left in the care of anyone who wasn’t Credence, Percival or Jacob.  Credence really hoped Dag grew out of that soon.

Senator Bromwell actually did a double take when he saw Dagonet strapped to Credence’s chest.

Credence met his gaze calmly.  He wasn’t going to start a fight with the senator – that was more Tina’s thing than his – but he’d damn well finish one, if that was what the senator wanted.

The senator did.

“Mr. Graves, forgive me.  You seem to have forgotten that the daycare is downstairs,” Bromwell said, all solicitous concern.

“Have I,” Credence said, disinclined to continue the conversation.

Bromwell didn’t take the hint.  “You can’t possibly be serious,” he said.  “Bringing a baby to a committee meeting is ridiculous.”

“Senator Bromwell, if you find Dagonet’s presence objectionable, you are more than welcome to recuse yourself,” Credence told him.  “I, however, will be attending the meeting.”

“With a baby strapped to your chest.”

“Would you prefer it if he were strapped to yours?  I guarantee neither of you would much care for the experience; Dag’s feeling a bit wary of strangers at the moment.”

“You can’t honestly expect us to take you seriously while you’re parading a baby around!” Bromwell said.

“Seraphina Picquery signed laws into effect with my oldest two children sitting on her lap,” Credence said, using his most exquisitely reasonable tone of voice.  He’d found that it tended to have a maddening effect on some people, particularly if they were already being unreasonable.  “The very same laws we’re here to discuss, as it so happens.  There’s precedent for it, if that’s your concern.”

“Credence,” Congressman Rosewater said repressively.  “Stop baiting Bromwell.  And you,” he said to Bromwell.  “Stop taking the bait.”

Credence inclined his head.  “Apologies, Victor.”

Bromwell grunted something and sat down again.

Credence followed suit, settling carefully into his chair to avoid jostling Dag.

Congressional meetings, Seraphina had told him once, were really just so much street theater.  Except rather than amuse the audience, the performers primarily tried to impress themselves.

She was right about that.  They were like street theater.  Boring street theater, though.  No one in their right mind would ever pay to see this performance.

Credence watched the performers.  He was less interested in the performance – he already knew what most of them were going to say – but it was always good to get a read on whether or not they really believed all of the ridiculous garbage they were spouting, or if they were simply misinformed.

Bromwell believed.  He talked about No-Maj’s like Ma used to preach about witches – as if the threat of them were very real, and might erupt into all-out war at any moment.

Rosewater didn’t.  Victor Rosewater was a moderate, through and through.  He tended to vote on the conservative side of things, but when it came right down to it, all he really wanted was what was best for their people.

Congresswoman McGilliguddy believed, too, but she was on his side.  Rumor had it she had presidential aspirations, just like her many times great grandmother.  Credence believed them.  McGilliguddy had the drive for it.

“For magic’s sake, man,” she said, exasperated.  “The kneazle is well and truly out of the bag and there’s no getting it back in.  Trying to slap Rappaport’s Law back on like a bandage isn’t going to work.”

“I didn’t take you for a No-Maj lover,” Bromwell said.  The tone of his voice made it clear that being a No-Maj lover was on par with being a blood traitor.

Enough was enough.

“And just what,” Credence said, taking care to stay quiet so he wouldn’t yell, “is wrong with being a No-Maj lover?”

“Ah,” said Bromwell, some miniscule hint of self-preservation kicking in at last.  “Nothing, of course.”

“And No-Maj’s?” Credence persisted.  “You don’t seem to think very highly of them, either.”

“There’s nothing wrong with No-Maj’s,” Bromwell added hastily.  “Some of my best friends are No-Maj’s.”

“I doubt that,” said Credence.  “But one of mine is.”  He smiled.

Bromwell visibly recoiled at the mention of Jacob.  Or, more likely, at the reminder of what had happened to the last wizard who thought Jacob Kowalski had no place in the wizarding world.  Credence’s wrath had been nothing compared to Queenie’s.

“If you have nothing worthwhile to say, Senator, then please be quiet and cede the floor to those of us who do,” Credence said, still quiet.  “I, for one, am getting tired of your bigoted rhetoric.”

Bromwell’s jowly face went very red.  Credence cast a silent muffling charm on Dag.  The yelling portion of the street theater was about to start soon.

“I am trying to protect our people!” Bromwell snapped.

“From what?” Credence demanded.  “From the No-Maj’s?  They’re people.  People just like you and me, who live and love and just want to go about their daily lives.  Most of them have no idea we exist, and in accordance with the International Statute of Secrecy, most of them will continue to have no idea we exist.  No one is suggesting we start slinging spells around to amuse the No-Maj’s.”

He was so very tired of having this argument.  Rappaport’s Law had been repealed a decade ago, and people still kept trying to bring it back. And for what, he wondered.  So they could live in government-sanctioned fear and tell themselves their hate was justified?

“We can’t go back, Senator.  The only thing we can do is go forward.  If you truly want to protect our people then make a better world for them to live in.”

“WHAT DO YOU THINK I’M TRYING TO DO?” Bromwell bellowed back.  “Don’t you dare take that sanctimonious tone with me, you little No-Maj loving prick.  You’re the one our people need to be protected from!  You and your politics,” he sneered.  “You’re no better than Grindelwald.  Magic knows you sound like him, carrying on about fear and using it to justify your agenda.”

Credence froze.  If he moved wrong – if he breathed wrong – he was going to lose his temper, and he didn’t want to do that.  Not in front of Dag.  Dagonet was too young to remember anything, but Credence still wanted to set a good example for his son.

“I beg your pardon,” he said, even softer than before.  He wasn’t doing it on purpose this time.  Credence got quiet when he was angry – quiet and cold.

“I think,” Rosewater said carefully, well acquainted with Credence’s temper, “that we’re might need to take a brief recess.”

“I’m sorry, Victor,” Credence interrupted.  “But I believe the senator has something to say.  I’d like him to say it to my face.”

Bromwell said nothing.  Bullies were like that.  It was easy for them to be brave when they were standing in a crowd.

“No?  Very well.  Then I have some things I’d like to say in return.”  Credence smiled.  It was a smaller, more subtle version of Percival’s wampus cat hunting smile, but the predatory intent remained the same.  “What you are trying to do, Senator, is justify inflicting the same culture of fear you grew up in on the children who will be our future.  On my children.”  He cupped the back of Dag’s head, protective.

“Grindelwald wanted our people to rule over the No-Maj’s.  If you’re going to accuse me of using his rhetoric, you ought to read a few of the transcripts of his speeches, first.  Anything less just reveals your ignorance and undermines the point you’re trying to make.”

“You’re still no better,” growled Bromwell.  “You think your power and your name give you the right to dictate law to us.  Shall we bow to the Dark Lord Graves, instead?”

“Senator Bromwell, please stop presuming to know my mind better than I do,” Credence said.  “It’s tiresome and insulting.”  He went on before the Senator could find something to say to that.  “For the record, I don’t think my power or my name give me the right to dictate anything, but I am willing to use both to fight for what I believe in.  I have spent the past decade working on the No-Maj reforms not – as you so charmingly put it – because I am a No-Maj lover, but because our previous legislature hurt our people.  All of them, not just the No-Maj born ones.”

Credence met Senator Bromwell’s gaze and held it.  “Wizarding America normalized fear of the No-Maj.  And for what?  Because they don’t have magic?  Because they’re different?  You and I both know what the word for that is.  Any system that justifies bigotry or hate is corrupt and cannot stand.  As politicians, we cannot let them stand.  We have to do better.

“If you don’t agree with what my version of better is, that’s fine.  That’s why we have committee meetings.  But if you have nothing but fear and watered down hate to contribute to the conversation, then recuse yourself and let someone who is willing to do the work take your place.”

Rosewater eyed him warily.  When Credence remained silent for an uncomfortably long moment, he cleared his throat and said, “I suggest we take that recess now.”

Credence smiled.  “Yes,” he murmured.  “Let’s do that.”

[marchdaughter]

tagged by @whenplantingforests to share 9 books i want to read in 2022!! (in the spirit of full disclosure i’ve already finished Small Things Like These & Five Tuesdays in Winter)

tagging @madfemaleblood & @redwitchrising & anyone else who wants to share

[sweetfirebird]

redwitchrising replied to your post Finding unscented products that actually work are impossible, I feel your pain.

I know Gold Bond has an unscented one, but I haven’t tested it. It’s bananas to me though that none of the premium, prestige brands off this as an option. 

I will let people know if I find a good one. 

[new-shoes-potter]

ABCs of Me Whoo I’m never tagged in these! Thanks @kyblogslife ! Let’s get to it:

A - age: 24
B - biggest fear: that I’m never gonna be able to afford my own place and be stuck in the same underpayed, undervalued desk job for the rest of my life 
C - current time: 7:17 AM 
D - drink you last had: water 
E - every day starts with: walking the dogs 
F - favourite song: Like ever? I could never decide. 
G - ghosts, are they real?: Sure, why not 
H - home town: Mississauga, ON 
I - in love with: fictional mutual pining 
J - jealous of: people in relationships 
K - killed someone: only in my mind 
L - last time you cried: hell if I can remember 
M - middle name: Mary 
N - number of siblings: 2 sisters 
O - one wish: equal fundamental rights for everyone 
P - person you last called/texted: Toni 
Q - question you’re always asked: “busy?“ 
R - reason to smile: food my dude 
S - song last sang: Island in the sun 
T - time you woke up: Too Early 
U - underwear colour: blue 
V - vacation destination: Who knows? 
W - worst habit: nail biting 
X - x rays you’ve had: left knee 
Y - your favourite food: sushi or Frangos mint chocolates 
Z - zodiac sign: Leo

I tag @violettsbaudelaires @winged-empanadas @redwitchrising @themoonslut @is-there-life-on-gallifrey @pawspaintsnthings if they feel like it

[coffeebuddha]

redwitchrising replied to your post “there are noises in the woods across from my house my dog is terrified...”

You would survive a horror film.

one would hope with as many of them as i watch ;)

[shu-of-the-wind]

@redwitchrising

Youuuuuuuu are a darling, oh my goodness. /pets your face

[suzukiblu]

CAN YOU PLEASE TELL ME MORE ABOUT DEMON!STEVE AND ANGEL!BUCKY AND ANTICHRIST-MAMA!DARCY AND MAYBE EVEN PRIEST! or RABBI! or EXORCIST!SAM WHO HAS NO IDEA WHAT IS GOING ON BUT WANTS TO HELP ANYWAY??? *chinhands*

honestly I don’t have much more to add to that headcanon because it is just SO PERFECT as it stands for me, but 

did you mean rabbi Sam and priest/exorcist duo Clint/Natasha? 

yes you did, friend, even if you didn’t know you did you did. 

(also, Steve and Bucky shedding singed gold and shiny silver feathers everywhere even though Darcy has never actually figured out if either of them has wings or not. one day like six months along she just wakes up in a huge feathernest and just EYES them. they both blame the other.)

[themonkeycabal]

Currently living in part of the county that has been no warmer than 0°F for the past seven days; I have never been so jealous of your proximity to the desert and your pics are warming me up vicariously

Brrr. 

It was about 65-70 out in DV. Pretty cool at night, but once the sun was up, it warmed nicely. I can’t imagine going out there in the summer (NO!), but December’s the perfect time. 

I’m glad I could pass some of that nice lovely weather to you via pictures. 

[terriblelifechoices]

Greenhouses!

From the Hogwarts ask meme

Greenhouses: if you were a plant (magical or otherwise), which would you be?

I was expecting to pick some kind of spice, because my spice collection borders on alarming, but the first thing that popped into my head was aloe, and yeah, that kinda fits.  Spiky, great for burns and rashes and other home remedies, and hard to kill.  Which, given that I have the terrible black thumb of death with plants, I’m assuming plant!Ri is going to need.

[terriblelifechoices]

Blue and red! :)

From the send me a color thing.  Feel free to send me a color!

Blue:

what do you do when you’re sad?  

I tend to throw myself into projects.  If it’s not work-related, then I do something crafty.  Right now, my hobby of choice is knitting, which I can usually do while watching something or listening to an audiobook, so I have multiple layers of distraction going.

what are some things you do when you can’t sleep?

Employ better living through chemistry.  I use probably inadvisable amounts of benadryl to knock myself out, because while I can function on very little sleep, my filters really can’t, and people only tend to find ‘sarcastic asshole’ charming if they’re watching it on TV.  (There is a reason my username is ‘terriblelifechoices.’  Do not do this.  I am not recommending it.)

what was the best (non-romantic) night you’ve had? 

I don’t know about best, but the most memorable was probably Girls Night In with my roommates in undergrad.  I was mostly avoiding them at that point, because one of them was involved in a sitcom-esque love triangle.  You know the one: Girl makes out with Boy A, Boy B (aka, the ex-boyfriend) comes over to see Girl, Boy A gets shoved in a closet while Girl deals with Boy B.  I would have objected less, had the closet Boy A got shoved into not been mine, but as it was, the entire drama was interfering with my ability to do things like sleep and study, so I was mostly unofficially subletting from some other friends.  

They cornered me with homemade pizza and a bottle of rose and were apparently under the assumption that my trip back to the apartment for fresh clothing was the walk of shame.  My somewhat incoherent protests to the contrary did very little to convince them otherwise.

what kind of covers do you have on your bed?

Cheap cotton sheets and my Tree of Life quilt, which is one of two quilts I’ve made for myself.  The other usually lives on my bed, too, but it’s too hot for that. 

who is the last person you told a secret to?

A friend from work. 

Red:

how was your first kiss? 

Pretty standard for first kisses, I suspect.

what do you love about yourself? 

I am crafty as hell.  There is something deeply satisfying about making something with your own two hands, and I’m really glad that’s something I can do.

when’s the last time you warmed your hands in front of a fire? 

Winter, a couple of years back.  My folks used to have a woodstove that they used to heat the whole house in the winter time.

would you rather watch a sunrise or sunset? 

Sunset.  I typically only see sunrises from the ‘oh gods why’ direction.

what’s the best thing about summer?

Fresh corn!  Also, fresh strawberries and the return of the English pastry people to the local farmer’s market.  They do these savory pies that are basically edible amazing wrapped in puff pastry and baked till it’s golden brown.

[themonkeycabal]

redwitchrising replied to your post: redwitchrising replied to your post: ...

Sounds about right. I bet they’d be going after the same mark, or Darcy doing something undercover and the punisher showing up and wreaking havoc, and Bucky going “WTF IT’S MY JOB TO BE THE MURDER MACHINE CAN YOU NOT?” And then they’d compare their favorite guns.

LOL. Compare their favorite guns by SHOOTING THEM AT EACH OTHER!

[themonkeycabal]

redwitchrising replied to your post: Do you have an opinion on the Kastle ship (Karen...

Oooohhhh, now this makes me REALLY CURIOUS how Frank and Bucky would get along in the Run-verse

Oh, wow, I’m not sure. I’ll guess however it ends up, it’ll start bloody.