#sami home decor

[mypagancottage]

[peachhcs]

high school signing day | the wonder years

hughes!sister x will smith au (samy + will)

samy's feeling lost with her college decision, so she looks to the three people she admires the most.

1.5k words

this is totally not samy and will, but this was requested!! there's like a little small bit of angst, but only if you squint. btw i'm not 100% sure how high school signing days work bc my school never had them really, so i just guesses lol

au masterlist

the hughes sibling group chat burned into samy's skull while her thumb hung over the facetime button wondering if she should call them or just figure it out on her own. she hated bothering them, especially if they were out doing something because who wanted their younger sister bugging them when they were hanging out with friends?

that felt like the worst part about all of this. samy was the last one left out of her brothers. all of them were on their own now and while luke was still in michigan, it felt like he wasn't a lot of the time because of him being busy with college. the connection the four of them once shared slowly dissipated despite the promise they all made before quinn went to college.

"i promise we'll still talk everyday. we can't get rid of each other that easily. we're family," quinn glanced between his siblings as they stood in his freshly decorated dorm room.

"yeah, promise. we're all still in michigan, so we're not even that far away," jack had said with a slight eye roll. he wasn't as emotional as luke and samy were about their oldest brother leaving home.

talking everyday slowly turned to texting everyday which turned into twice a week if samy was lucky. she knew their lives would start becoming more important than texting the groupchat everyday, but when one of the most important things was hanging in the balance of samy's life, she wasn't quite sure if she could bring herself to call the three people who had been there for her entire life.

"just call them," samy muttered to herself.

somewhere, she gained some courage and clicked the facetime button where her screen split into four boxes waiting for them to pick up. her lip slipped between her teeth as she anxiously hoped one of them would answer.

luke connected first.

his face appeared with a small smile while samy watched him stick his airpods into his ears and walk somewhere which definitely meant she interrupted him from something.

"what's up?" the older boy wondered.

"hi, sorry. am i interrupting something?" the girl immediately asked.

"oh, no. i was just playing video games with some of the guys," luke shook his head, relieving some of the worries in the girl's chest.

quinn's square connected a second later. he looked quite comfortable in what must've been his apartment couch. "hi, what's up guys?"

"hi quinny," samy hummed, smiling at her oldest brother.

"hey squirt," quinn's little nickname made samy chuckle.

finally, jack joined the call from his new jersey apartment. he waved to the group, "whole gang is here. what's up?" the middle hughes wondered while their gazes fell to samy since she started the call.

"hi, i just wanted to talk if you guys aren't busy?" samy wondered.

"sure, what's up? is something wrong?" quinn's protective older brother instinct kicked in almost instantly making the girl smile a bit.

"no, not..not really. i'm just..thinking a lot lately with..signing day coming up," the younger brunette explained making her brothers quickly understand.

"oh right, mom mentioned that. have you picked a school yet?" jack asked.

"uh, that's the problem. i-i don't really know," samy frowned.

she'd been back and forth between michigan and boston for weeks now. both of them were such great schools and amazing soccer programs, she didn't know how to pick one. if she went to michigan, she'd continue her brother's legacy, but if she went to boston, she'd get to stick close to will and the guys she's grown so close over the last two years.

"what's got you stumped?" luke raised his eyebrow.

"i-i don't really know. they're both such good schools. i feel like i'm gonna let people down no matter which one i choose," the girl sighed a bit.

"wait, who are letting down? mom and dad?" jack grew confused.

"well, yeah, if i don't go to michigan and you guys in a way and i let down will and the guys if i don't choose boston," samy sunk down into her bed.

"wait, no, no, you're not gonna let us down if you don't go to michigan. you know that, right?" luke quickly cut in.

"i-i mean.. yeah," samy's voice grew quiet.

"we don't care where you go, samy. as long as you're happy that's all that counts. would it be awesome if you came to umich? yeah. my heart wouldn't be broken if you chose boston though. plus, i know mom and dad will be happy for you no matter what?" luke quickly reassured his sister, but she only shrugged.

"i just feel so..lost, i guess. i mean how did you guys even choose?" she mostly asked quinn and luke since jack didn't go to college.

"quinn sort of influenced my decision, but i guess i just loved the atmosphere michigan brought. it's like home to me. you just gotta choose where you most feel at home," luke hummed.

"if that's boston, that's great. if it's still here, that's also great. no one's gonna hate you if you choose one or the other," quinn added in.

a little smile danced across the girl's lips. "yeah, i guess you're right. maybe i'm a homebody, but michigan will always feel like home to me."

large smiles grew across her brother's lips hearing her say that. they would've been happy wherever samy ended up, but all of them were secretly hoping she'd land on michigan.

"you guys sure you can't come out for my signing day?" samy asked half joking, half not. she was mostly asking quinn and jack since luke would most definitely be there living so close to home.

"sorry, squirt. i'm not sure if i can get the time off," quinn frowned.

"yeah, me neither, but we'll be there in spirit. maybe mom can facetime us in!" jack exclaimed, trying to lighten the mood.

facetime us in. that phrase was common in the household nowadays. there were a lot of things samy's brothers have missed because of their obligations which she completely understood, but sometimes it hurt. she never once missed any of brothers most important days, yet they seemed to have missed nearly all of hers.

not to mention, facetime calls got old really fast.

"that's okay. i'll think of you. i better let you guys go though. thanks for talking," samy put on her best smile despite the pit in her stomach.

"of course. anytime, squirt. love you," quinn said while jack and luke echoed his sentiments. samy hung up first leaving the other three still on the call.

"are you guys for real not coming down?" luke wondered, tone somewhat bitter but not quite.

"i mean..i would if i could, but with a game coming up i just don't know if i can swing it," jack began.

"come on, she's been there for us our entire lives. she's been dragged to more of our shit than us to hers. the least we could do is be there for her for once," luke didn't mean to sound so angry, but he couldn't help it because he too was one of the forgotten siblings jack and quinn slowly stopped showing up for when they left the house.

quinn and jack's expressions fell soft and it seemed to ebe decided then as texts and calls were quickly sent.

—

samy sat at the table with her parents making up the last of the display. they all sported the infamous blue and yellow colors along with a banner laid over the table saying university of michigan. the decision seemed so easy after that conversation with her brothers and samy was glad.

she spotted will, gabe, ryan, drew, aram, jacob, and will vote up in the gymnasium stands watching down with proud smiles on their faces. sure, it hurt that they'd be separated in the fall, but the brunette knew they were all extremely proud of her.

samy's eyes weren't on the doors that opened a few seconds later with three very special guests walking in. instead, she watched her mom fix more things on the table that she also didn't catch her dad recording her.

"i'm glad we have another baby wolf in the family," quinn spoke first, instantly catching samy's attention.

she probably gave herself whiplash with how fast her head swiveled around to meet all three of her brother's gazes.

"o-oh my god. what are you guys doing here?" the girl exclaimed, jumping up to collect them into hugs.

"you'd really think we'd miss something like this?" jack laughed, nuzzling his head into his sister's head.

"i'm really glad you guys are here," samy grinned.

"wouldn't miss this for the world," quinn beamed as well.

after the hugs and reuinions, the entire family crowded around samy's table as she got the paper ready alongside the woman's soccer coach. her high school coach also stood behind her while the photographer got ready for the big moment.

they staged a handshake pose before samy began signing her name across the paper, beginning her contact with the ncaa.

"samy hughes, university of michigan women's soccer!"

[twinsunstars]

Follow the Stars - a Bad Batch epilogue fic

Hiiii! So I wrote this fast even though I need to do a lot of coursework, so I hope you enjoy this fic I whipped up (as a May the 4th treat) about what I think happened when Omega told her brothers she wants to join the Rebellion, me adding some little tiny things to the scene with Hunter and Omega at the end (though that scene was already so perfect), and some other touches I think you guys will love. I also felt like the others would be more okay with letting her go than Hunter, so I just wrote this quickly based on how I see things lol. Also, forgive me, I have no fashion sense.

Feel free to share with others, and i hope you enjoy! Let me know your thoughts, I'll be happy to hear them!

@magicandmundane you're going to enjoy this :D

read under cut here if you just want to read on here than AO3 (I appreciate all comments left anywhere :)

The sun was warm on Pabu. Another wonderful day for a stroll or a boat ride out on the waters. The island barely changed over time, staying safely away from the Empire’s hands and its residents living in harmony as the days went on. 

Omega stretched her arms out. She looked in the mirror, expecting her morning hair out of the shower to be the usual frizzy blond locks needing a heavy brush, but it was actually somewhat neater for once. Omega gave herself a confident smile, tying up her layers into a ponytail and reaching for her red bandana. Hunter had given his old bandana to her as a gift after they had escaped Mount Tantiss all those years ago, and Omega felt like trying out some new hairstyles. 

The battle at Mount Tantiss was so many years ago, and Omega still remembered every bit of the struggles she went through. They had won the battle, and everyone was safe and free to put aside their lives as soldiers, filling those days with warm sunshine, ice cones, and family time. Eva, Jax, Sami, and Baryn had been safely returned to their families after Rex managed to locate them. Omega missed them every day, praying for their safety as young Force-sensitives. 

The Batch had settled themselves into a small home in the middle of the island Shep had offered them to take after it had been vacant for so long. Wrecker had taken the responsibility of decorating, and Echo had many debates with him about positioning certain objects so the home was kept neat and tidy. Omega’s room was the only place Wrecker wanted to do completely by himself, just as he had done when they had the Marauder. Wrecker had put up some orange string lights similar to the ones he had put up before, and he was lucky to find them in stock at a nearby shop run by a local. There were also some light curtains and soft bedding that Wrecker had put his heart into finding and setting up delicately so that his little sister would be comfortable. 

Omega had recently returned to Pabu a few days back after a small scavenging mission with Phee, retrieving a golden heirloom that was adorned with feathers and crystals from the depths of a cave Phee had described as “spiritual and archaic”. They had found the heirloom near a mystic waterfall that Phee said was rumored to grant wishes and protect those who come by if an individual sprinkled some of its water over themselves. Intrigued, Omega had done it herself, relishing the pure scent of the beautiful waterfall. The heirloom was safely delivered to a family whose ancestors had created the heirloom to bring peace and divinity to their village.

Omega adored all the adventures she would have with Phee whenever she came by and still listened closely to her stories like she was still fourteen and mesmerized by the way Phee would narrate all of those adventures she had before meeting Omega. Often, her brothers would tag along mostly because Omega wanted them to go with and she wanted Crosshair to have his first treasure-hunting adventure. Even Lyana got her chance to attend her aunt on one of those adventures once she got a bit older and Shep allowed Lyana to experience worlds outside of her home. Lately, the squad who always called themselves the Bad Batch preferred staying close to home and staying safe rather than risking themselves in places they barely knew things about. 

The Empire was heard to be growing stronger each day, though there were many rebels out there who did everything they could to slow down their work and fight to bring their tyrannical reign down. Echo was one of those rebels, continuing to fight with Rex and the other clones who had survived the rescue from Tantiss, all willing to keep up the rebellion they had started. Omega heard a lot of stories about the Rebellion from Echo, and she would sometimes hear things from Phee whenever she witnessed rebel activity anywhere she went. Omega had left fighting and being a soldier behind after Tantiss to allow her life to have a childhood and live peacefully with her family, but something about the Rebellion’s cause and determination pulled her heart closer to the fight that called her name in her dreams. 

“Omega, you ready yet? The ship’s landing soon!”

Omega heard Wrecker’s call, adjusting her jacket and taking a quick look at the red and black skull patch she had added onto her jacket; the symbol of her squad. Echo was coming to visit today, and he was bringing Emerie along. Phee had also said she was coming back to Pabu today after visiting an old friend, and it was perfect timing. Omega had planned a dinner with all of her family, and it was her chance to reveal what she had been wanting to tell her family for so long. 

“Coming!” Omega hurried out of her room, smiling wide at her younger brothers who were waiting in the family room. Her brothers gave her a bright smile, their wrinkles starting to become more and more visible. 

With their accelerated aging, Omega’s brothers were growing day by day, the gray streaks visible in Hunter’s hair and beard. His soft hair had grown a bit longer, which he had tied some into a small ponytail while leaving the rest down. Crosshair started to grow a beard that matched the gray hair he was already born with, allowing his hair to grow around his burn scar, and there were more wrinkles near his eyes. Echo had given Crosshair the robotic hand he had obtained during the battle at Tantiss, keeping his scomp link arm, which was still really beneficial. Wrecker had grown a full beard that was growing more gray to balance out the dark brown, and he had grown a liking to it. They all didn’t quite have much of a strong soldier’s figure anymore, but they were still able to show their strength.

The three of them were dressed in casual clothes native to Pabu, as Hunter wore a blue and red sweater with a brown bandana that Omega made for him with a blue cardigan and brown pants. Crosshair wore a dark gray knitted sweater with black pants, and Wrecker wore a red shirt with dark orange baggy pants. All comfortable out of the armor they had long placed in the treasure hall on Pabu to cherish the memories. 

“Come on, let’s go meet Echo,” Hunter said. Omega nodded, following her brothers outside to head to the landing zone. 

Pabu’s local market was cheery as always with everyone heading in to grab a savory snack or an ice cone as a treat at this time of day. Mox, Stak, and Deke were helping out the citizens who were out fishing, catching a few themselves and making deliveries to the shops. They had grown to the standard height and appearance of a regular clone, styling their hair the way they liked it and relaxing in their comfortable clothes. The young triplets never got to experience the life of a soldier like they had dreamed since their birth, but they enjoyed the childhood the boys were able to create for themselves on the island. 

Batcher pranced around the market on her morning stroll, saying hello to many locals and getting pets and scratches underneath her woven collar. The lady she had befriended during her first time on the island had grown older and sat in a chair near a stall selling handmade bracelets, as Batcher enjoyed spending time with her. Batcher was growing older in hound years, yet her playful nature kept her lively. 

She noticed Omega walking by with her brothers, barking and running up to her family. Omega smiled at Batcher, walking alongside Hunter to the landing zone. Batcher settled herself near Crosshair, displaying her soft smile at the man she helped heal and take care of ever since she had run off Wayland.

The family was just in time as a large cargo ship headed its way towards the landing zone, slowly setting the engines low and touching the ground. The ship opened up its entrance, revealing Echo and Emerie. Echo visibly looked like an elder, heavy wrinkles forming on his face and his stubble beard growing in, likely not having enough time to shave lately. He was dressed in some new armor the clones had helped him put together and painted in a design of red, white, black, and blue–representing both his family in the 501st and the Bad Batch. 

Omega hadn’t seen Emerie in a long while, and she was glad her sister could carve out some time to visit. Emerie hadn’t aged much in physical looks, but she had cut her brown locks into a shoulder length hairstyle, letting it fly freely. She had gotten rid of those rose-tinted glasses she was given when she worked at Tantiss, comfortable in a maroon shirt with a blue jean jacket and dark teal pants, dark brown heeled boots adding a small inch to her tall height. Emerie had a small thin necklace that was made out of silver and adorned with orange crystals; a gift from Senator Chuchi. 

She walked alongside Echo off the ship’s ramp, smiling wide at her sister. Omega ran over to the two, embracing them in a group hug. Batcher barked and ran over, excited to see Echo again. “I’m so happy you’re safe,” Omega said to them.

Echo chuckled. “I’m still in one piece. The Empire can’t dull my strength.”

Echo continued to fight against the Empire with Rex and the other clones as the Rebellion continued to grow in numbers, and had helped many clones settle down and find their place in the galaxy. The clones may have been growing older, but the fire they had as soldiers kept them willing to fight for the right cause. Some had remained on Pabu, their choice being to live a peaceful life away from the fight and the torture. They had settled themselves down in homes, and two had gotten themselves married to locals on Pabu they had connected with. 

“You’re still growing old,” Crosshair piped up with a grin. Echo got a look at his brothers, and they definitely did not look like the same young energetic clones he had gotten to meet after being rescued from Skako Minor. They all smiled at their older brother. Wrecker came in for a big hug, causing Echo to nearly suffocate. Emerie chuckled. 

“It’s good to see you again, sister,” Emerie said, giving Omega a personal hug. Omega gave her a soft smile.

“You changed your hair again. I like it,” Omega said. Emerie returned the smile and brushed a hand on Omega’s cheek. Her sister had grown so beautiful and so strong.

Luckily, Phee’s ship had just touched down as well. Phee stepped out of her ship, which remained painted in the colors Tech had painted his armor in when she had first met him years ago. Phee honored his sacrifice that way, remembering the man she grew so affectionate of. Tech loved sharing so much with her; Phee just wished there was more time for her to share more of herself with him. 

Phee headed over to the family, Omega giving her a hug. Gray streaks ran through Phee’s dark brown curls, adding more color to the gold she already had intertwined in her hair. Phee may have been growing older, but her beauty never faded away.

“You’re getting bigger every time I come back. You’re as tall as me now,” Phee said. 

“She’s still our little girl,” Hunter added. Omega gave him a smile. She wasn’t all that little now, but she knew Hunter would always see her that way. 

Phee let out a laugh. “Of course she is. Now, what’s this about a special dinner you’re going to set up?”

Omega gasped. “You are all going to love it. Lyana’s helping me set up right now and cook. It’s a gift from me to all of you.”

“We’ll help too!” Wrecker exclaimed, Batcher adding in a happy bark. Omega nodded, the family heading over to the upper levels of Pabu to help prepare the food and set the table together.

Omega walked with Emerie and Phee, happy that she would be getting a chance to spend quality time with the people she loved one more time before leaving. 

“Have you told them yet?” Phee whispered to Omega. 

Omega sighed. “No. But I plan to soon. At dinner.” Emerie, Phee, and Lyana were the only people she had told about what she planned to do. They were supportive of her choice, and now Omega just hoped her brothers would be as well. Especially Hunter.

“I have a feeling this will not go well.” Emerie continued to walk with her hands behind her back, a habit she had developed growing up. She had listened to Omega tell her about her wish a while back during a comm call together. Emerie was worried about her and didn’t know if she was ready to join a fight that big, but Omega was free to make her own choices. Emerie made her own choice to join Senator Chuchi and the others to fight against the Empire and share all she learned to know during her time there, and if Omega wanted to do the same, she would honor it. 

Omega had a feeling it wasn’t going to go well either. But she had to give it a try. She lived the rest of her childhood on Pabu. It was time for her to set off on her own adventure. 

***

As Pabu’s sun began to grow golden in color, the dinner table had been set. Lyana helped Omega set down a few salad and rice bowls, setting a plate of bread rolls in the center. The dinner table was surrounded by many delicacies popular on Pabu, commonly the fish and seaweed rolls most people loved.

Everyone settled themselves down at the dinner table, ready to eat. Echo had changed out of his armor, sticking to a gold sweater with some blue pants. Shep and Lyana joined in, and Batcher napped next to Crosshair, her belly full after asking for food samples while everyone was cooking.

“First, a moment to present a blessing,” Shep began. He reached his hand out to his daughter and Phee, who sat next to him. Everyone held their hands together. 

“We thank everyone for this wonderful food, and for Omega to help put together a beautiful dinner. May her life be filled with safety and happiness, and may we all prosper for the future to come.”

Everyone nodded, beginning to eat. Omega stuffed a fish and seaweed roll into her mouth, chewing to try and avoid talking. She wanted to express her feelings to her brothers, but now that the opportunity has arrived, she was too nervous to open her mouth. Emerie noticed her nervousness, shooting her sister a look of comfort. Phee and Lyana silently ate, waiting for Omega to make her move. 

Omega swallowed, looking at Emerie. Her eyes told Emerie that she was nervous and felt like she couldn’t do this. Emerie gave her a smile, believing in her. Everything would be okay. 

“Omega, you’ve been quiet.” Crosshair broke the silence, making Omega’s shoulder’s jump. Crosshair had noticed his sister was acting uneasy ever since they were helping to cook, and he had a strong feeling she was hiding something. “Is there something wrong?”

Omega swallowed, setting her fork down. She took a strong inhale in, slowly nodding a yes.

Hunter, sitting next to Omega, placed a hand on her shoulder softly. “What is it, Omega? We’ll listen. We can help you.”

I hope you can. Omega exhaled, deciding to stand up. “I have an announcement to make.”

She looked at her entire family, observing their soft faces, waiting for their sister to speak. Omega hoped everything would be okay and they would understand, just like Lyana told her.

“I have decided to leave Pabu and join the Rebellion. I want to help fight them and end the Empire’s tyranny. I’m leaving tomorrow.”

The table was silent. Omega waited for a response before saying anything else. Her heart was racing, and she felt like she would start to cry at any moment. Phee, Lyana, and Emerie looked around the table, observing the Batch’s faces. 

Echo was the first one to ignite a smile, and then Wrecker. “Kid, that’s great! You’ll bring the Empire down!” Wrecker exclaimed, proud of his sister. 

Omega smiled wide. “So you’re okay with it? I can go and fight? I’ve already got in with Senator Organa and the coordinates from him, he’ll be so happy to hear-”

“No.”

The sharp tone diverted everyone’s eyes to Hunter. Omega blinked. “What?”

Hunter looked up at his young sister with strict eyes. “You’re not going to go fight in the Rebellion. You need to stay here.”

Omega wanted to cry. She had a feeling Hunter wasn’t going to accept this easily. “Hunter, please. I’ve lived my life away from the fight ever since we won. The Empire is growing stronger, and the Rebellion needs more people for their cause. I need to help them-”

“And what if the Empire captures you again?” Hunter stood up this time, ready to debate. “The Empire could hurt you again and keep you hidden. Take your blood, torture you until you can’t breathe.” Hunter wanted to cry. He couldn’t imagine Omega getting hurt out there with him nowhere near her to help her heal. “There’s so many deaths out there in the Rebellion, what if you can’t escape?”

“I can handle that!” Omega felt like screaming. ““Hunter, I’ve fought the Empire so many times when I was young. You all know how I managed to survive Tantiss mostly on my own. I’ve been trained my whole life for something like this. You all taught me how to fight and how to be a soldier, and this is my chance to use those skills to help the galaxy be safe.”

Hunter was about to add another rebuttal, but Echo took his spotlight. “Hunter, she’s right. Omega can’t just keep sitting around on the beach and relax. She wants to do more, and her chances are out there.”

Hunter looked sternly at Echo. “Echo, don’t encourage this.” He blinked. “Did you get the Rebellion into her head? Is this why she’s bringing it up and wants to leave?”

“And what if I did?” Echo snapped, making Batcher wake up. “Omega has always had that rebellious heart inside of her, and you know how strong she is. Hell, she’s even taught me a few tricks. She can do this.”

“Echo-”

“Echo’s right, Hunter,” Crosshair piped in. “As much as I don’t want her to go either, she’s had a lot of training, and we’ve protected her since we won that battle. You all have more than me. This is her chance to make a change in the galaxy. You know you won’t be able to stop her.”

“Crosshair, you know what they did to you. What if they try anything on Omega? I won’t allow anything to happen to a girl so young.”

“Hunter, I’m not a baby!” Omega exclaimed. “I’m as tall as Emerie, I know how to take care of myself. I’m not afraid of the Empire.”

Wrecker frowned, afraid to say a word to try and avoid Hunter yelling at him. But he never  liked it when Omega and Hunter argued with each other. “Hunter,” he said softly. Hunter turned to him with an angry look, and Wrecker felt like shutting up. But he wanted to be supportive of Omega. 

“Omega is a strong girl. We should give her a chance to live a life outside of Pabu. We had our life, it’s her turn. She wants to follow the stars.”

“Wrecker-”

“Hunter, breathe,” Shep advised. He didn’t want to say more, afraid that Hunter could get more angry. Wrecker breathed, thankful Shep stopped Hunter before he could yell at him. 

“You’re not going anywhere. You’ll stay here, safe and sound.” 

After saying that, Hunter looked at Omega. Her lips trembled, tears welling up in her eyes. Hunter’s anger went cold as he looked at his little girl who was about to cry. 

“You had told me that I could be whatever I wanted. I’m choosing to become a Rebellion fighter, becoming a soldier just like you all were. Why won’t you support that?”

Before Hunter could say anything, Omega stormed off, tears streaming down her face. Hunter’s shoulder slumped. He knew he had just made a mistake. But how was he going to be able to fix it in a way that would make sure everything would be okay?

Lyana and Emerie went after Omega to make sure she was okay. The rest of the table remained silent, refusing to eat more. Batcher whined, worried about Omega. Crosshair gave her a pet and a glare at Hunter. The brothers stood up, leaving the table to head back into their home. 

Phee stood up to leave to check on Omega. “You’ve got some thinking and making up to do, Hunter.”

Hunter exhaled. He sat down in his chair, pinching the bridge of his nose and wanting to let some tears out. Shep stood up, walking over to Hunter and putting a hand on his shoulder.

“Kids grow up fast. It was hard for me to let Lyana out of Pabu with Phee, but she’s old enough to go out and explore on her own. You helped Omega grow up and taught her everything she needs to know. You know she can do this.”

Hunter knows. He didn’t know what to do about it though. He didn’t want his little girl to leave.

***

Morning dawned with the small moonyos awake and squealing as they ran around the land. Batcher ran after them, while Crosshair tried to get her to stay with him on her daily morning walk. 

Omega breathed in, looking out her window at the sky. She loved flying up there, and she would miss it. 

She got her bag ready, placing it over her shoulder. Omega had a lot to do. She stepped out of her room, meeting Hunter standing in front of her. He held a plate filled with sliced fruit. 

“How did you sleep?”

Omega tried to take the frown off her face, but she just couldn’t. She gave Hunter a small smile and a nod. “Good. I need to go meet Lyana in the treasure hall. I’ll be back.”

“How about some fruit? There’s some sliced meiloorun,” Hunter offered the plate, knowing it was one of her favorites. 

Omega looked at the plate of fruit. She stepped forward, taking the entire plate off his hands for her way. “Thanks.” She quickly hurried out. Hunter wanted her to sit down and eat, but she had already left.

Hunter knew she was really upset, and he felt sorry for being really strict with her. Ever since they had picked her up off Kamino, she was always willing to help save and protect those who needed it most. She never stopped fighting for the clones who became subject to the Empire’s experiments, playing a vital role in bringing that to an end. Omega was his little fighter, and she wanted to fight more. 

Hunter just didn’t know if he was ready to allow her to go and fight. He had to fix this. 

***

Omega walked to the treasure hall with the fruit plate in hand and nibbled on a slice of meiloorun, taking in the scenery around her in the market. She loved the aromas swirling in the air, remembering the times she would buy a lot of the sweet sticky treats that were covered in maple syrup and served on a stick. She loved them so much, Crosshair had to stop her once so her teeth wouldn’t rot and her stomach wouldn’t hurt. Omega was happy her childhood could become full of things natural-born kids were happy to have: ice cones, sweet treats, games, and a good family.

Omega walked nearby the central tree on Pabu, looking up at its blooming leaves. She circled around the tree, kneeling down in front of it.

After Tantiss, the Batch had set up a small memorial for Tech. The memorial was made out of flowers Omega had chosen with her brothers and Phee, and a few of Tech’s favorite items that were salvaged (though burnt) from the Marauder’s explosion, all arranged in a circle. Omega often came by the memorial to talk to her brother. 

“Hi, Tech. Today’s a big day. I’m going to go join the Rebellion and become one of their pilots. You taught me to fly, and now I can put what you taught me to use. I hope you’re doing okay. Phee always told me you’re flying up in the sky, watching over us every day. I hope you’ll be up in the sky with me.”

Omega placed a slice of fruit down and took out some flowers from her bag, setting them down on the memorial. She stood up, saluting her brother and giving him a smile. Omega knew Tech was always with her, and she was ready to take him with. 

Omega reached the treasure hall, entering to meet with Phee, Emerie, and Lyana. “I brought fruit.” 

They were ready to say goodbye before Omega headed on her way tonight. Last night, the three had consoled Omega, and Omega had decided that she was going to leave on her own terms. The three knew they couldn’t stop Omega if they tried; it was Omega’s new dream she wanted to chase.

Phee, Emerie, and Lyana gave Omega warm smiles. Lyana approached Omega and wrapped her in a hug. Letting go, she took out a small handmade bracelet from her pocket. “To remember me by. We’ll match too.” Lyana raised her hand, a bracelet on her wristing looking identical to the one she gave Omega. 

Omega smiled, putting the bracelet on her left wrist. “It’s perfect.” She looked over at Phee and Emerie, who were standing near the most valuable treasures to Omega which remained in this hall. She approached the two treasures, stroking one of Lula’s ears. She stroked the ears of the tooka doll that was gifted to her by Wrecker when she was young, missing the times she had slept with Lula snuggled next to her. Tech’s goggles were settled next to Lula, now held gently in Omega’s hand. Omega chose to have his goggles remain in the treasure hall to keep it safe. 

“You said you planned on taking them along. You sure you don’t want them to remain safe in here?” Emerie asked. 

Omega turned around to Emerie. “Tech taught me to fly, and I’m going to become a pilot because of him. I want him to be with me all the time. And Lula would love to accompany me on the missions.”

“Brown Eyes would be so proud of you,” Phee said. 

“He would let you go.” Omega heard Crosshair’s voice, just as he, Wrecker, and Echo walked into the room. Gonky was with them, honking noises happily. 

Wrecker rubbed his arm. “We… we’re not ready to let you go either. But it’s your choice. And we’ll talk to Hunter.”

“We’ll make him understand. You deserve a life on your own, and the Rebellion would love to have you as a fighter,” Echo said. 

Crosshair walked up to Omega. She had grown so much, and yet he tried to harm her when they first met, all because of that stupid Empire. He had left all that behind, staying loyal to his sister. “Give them hell, Omega. They’ll never see it coming.”

Omega smiled, unable to hold back tears. Except for Echo, her brothers were long retired from the fight, but they chose to be supportive of their sister’s choice to keep fighting, just like they had always done. She leaped into Crosshair’s open arms, hugging her little brother close. Wrecker joined in, letting Echo join the hug as well. 

“Thank you.” Omega broke away from the hug, wiping tears away. “Let Hunter know how much I love him, and I will miss him.” Omega wished she could tell him in person. She wanted to try and reason with him, but she didn’t want to argue with him again like yesterday.

Her brothers smiled at her, proud of the girl they raised. Gonky honked, talking to Omega. 

“You want to come with?” she asked Gonky. Gonky honked more. The droid had some fight left in them, and they wanted to be with Omega all the way, offering their help. 

Omega smiled. “Of course you can come.”

“Try to comm us when you’re there, so we know you’re safe,” Crosshair said. Omega remembered how much he loved to check on her, making sure she was safe and protected in every corner. Omega nodded. 

“Comm us anytime you can, we’ll be waiting to hear all about it,” Wrecker added.

“If you ever need me, I’ll be a call away,” said Echo.

“As will I. I always want to be connected with you,” Emerie smiled.

“You’ll be one of the strongest pilots of them all. Let me know if you find any ancient treasures, or if you want to hear any more stories,” Phee said. 

“Promise to stay in touch?” Lyana asked.

Omega smiled warmly at her family. “I will. I promise.”

***

Hunter sat on a rock, listening to the waves while the breeze ran through his hair. He heard Batcher’s barks coming closer, smiling softly. She was always around whenever someone needed help or comfort. 

Batcher sat down next to Hunter, rubbing her head next to his arm. Hunter petted her, looking out at the water. He remembered all the times he had spent with Omega here. Swimming in the water, playing catch with Batcher on the beach, going out for a morning walk together. All the beloved memories with his young sister. She was technically older than them, but to Hunter, she was always their kid. His kid. 

“I’ve got to let her go, don’t I?”

Batcher looked up at Hunter, letting out a small whine.

“I know, it hurts me as much as it makes you sad. She’s growing up, and Omega’s right. We taught her how to fight. Now it’s time for her to become whatever she wants to be.”

Hunter sighed, looking over at Batcher. “Come on girl, let’s go give our young one a farewell.”

***

Pabu’s silent nights were beautiful as always, the lights glowing around the water. Omega could hear the birds’ chirps grow more distant as she packed in her room. Everyone was getting ready for bed, while Omega got ready to leave. She fixed up her hair and made sure she had everything packed in her bag, the rest of her items ready on her ship. Omega was going to miss her family and friends so much, but it was just like Tech said; Change was something that everyone needed to learn to accept. 

Omega stopped by her brothers’ room, the door half-open. She slowly opened the door without trying to make a loud creak, wanting to say a silent goodbye as he slept. 

Omega had decided to write a note for Hunter, telling him her choice and that she loves him. She knew her brothers would let him understand. While Hunter slept, Omega carefully left the note next to the lamp. 

Omega breathed, ready to leave her home. She headed down to the caves and looked up once more at the glimmering island, the home she grew up in. Omega cherished all the memories made here, and she would carry them with her whenever she went. 

Heading into the cave to reach her ship, Omega listened to the water dropping nearby. She reached the part of the cave where her ship was landed, kneeling down and turning on the lantern. Omega heard a bark, looking up to see Batcher and Hunter. Omega smiled. 

Of course he would be here. He’s always near me whenever I need him. Omega stood up, heading over to her brother. 

“Thought you could just sneak off? Time hasn't dulled all my senses.” Hunter had sensed Omega near him while she had put down the note. He had waited until she had fully left to sit up, reading the note. He knew he was going to try and go against her word, and his brothers already let her go. Batcher wanted to say goodbye too in person, so he had taken her along. 

Omega laughed, sitting down next to Hunter. “This shouldn’t be a surprise. The Rebellion needs pilots now more than ever.”

Oh, Hunter knew. She had already left them once before for the sake of their protection. He knew Omega was willing to leave on her own terms to help protect others. 

Omega sighed. She had to stand up to Hunter. “I made my choice, Hunter. I want to do more.”

Hunter swallowed. “And we want to keep you safe.”

Protecting Omega had become their life ever since they had took her off Kamino and saved her from the Empire’s hands. Omega knew how much he wanted to protect her. “You have. But I'm not a kid anymore. You don't have to worry about me.”

She had grown up, but Omega was always a kid in Hunter’s eyes. He could never get over how tall she got all of a sudden one day and how she couldn’t fit the clothes he had gotten for her anymore. Omega had gotten so big for Hunter way too fast, it felt like it was just last year that he held a small girl in his arms every night. 

“You’re our kid, Omega. You always will be.”

Omega placed a hand on Hunter’s shoulder. “Hunter, you've all fought enough. This? It's my fight. I'm ready.”

Omega let go of his shoulder, standing up to head to her ship. Hunter wanted to reach his hand out. He didn’t want her to go at all. He wanted her to keep staying by his side. He wanted the little girl who would bury herself into his arms to remain with him every night, letting him sing her a lullaby to sleep. 

Hunter sighed. “Yeah, I know you are. But I'm not.”

Omega turned to Hunter with a comforting smile. She gave Hunter a tight hug, holding her younger brother close. She let go, already missing his warm touch. She told him to keep an eye on her other brothers and Batcher.

Hunter nodded. He placed a kiss on her forehead, giving her a smile. “Off you go.”

Omega smiled. She hurried off to her ship, Gonky waiting for her to come onboard. She knelt down to Batcher, giving her some pets.

 “Omega.” She stepped onto her ship, stopping when she heard Hunter. 

“If you ever need us, we'll be there.”

Omega nodded, heading into her ship. She set her bag next to Lula, who sat in a chair, ready for the adventure. Omega powered up her ship, adjusting Tech’s goggles in front of her. She had decided to place them in front of her so she knew Tech would always be alongside her whenever she flew. The ship was ready to go, and so was she. Her adventures in the stars were calling her name. She looked over at Hunter, who gave her a salute. Omega returned it, ready to go. 

The coordinates to the rebel base were in, and Omega lifted off, rising up to the night sky. Hunter watched her go with a proud smile on his face. 

Batcher whined next to him, already missing her best friend. Hunter gave her a pet. “It’s all right girl. She’ll be fine.” Hunter switched the lantern off, looking back as Omega’s ship rose up to space. Batcher watched before following Hunter to head back home.

Hunter felt like crying, watching his little kid go. He knew she was strong, and she would be okay. She’ll be a strong fighter and a strong Rebel. 

This was her calling. Omega was ready to follow the stars, as they would guide her to her destiny.

[drdepper]

Harveston Kelkkarotu/Sledathon and Finnish representation🇫🇮

Hello!

Now that i've finally played through the whole event, i want to talk about all the finnish inspirations and representation i've found in this event, and there is a lot of it!

I'm finnish (Finland swede to be exact) myself why would i else be making this hehe

This is the most proper finnish rep i've ever seen aside from Lotte and her home in little witch academia. And to also make something clear, Sami rep ≠ finnish rep and vice versa, to not intertwine these two.

And before we start, because swedish traditions have as well been mixed into this event, i will be color coding anytime i'm talking about something Finnish and something Swedish

Alright lets get to it!｡･:*:

First thing's first, the name for this event that they used in the JP server, Kelkkarotu, is made up of two actual finnish words, Kelkka (sleigh, sled) & Rotu (race)

All tho the word rotu is a word used more for breeding, like ex. A dog race, while kilpailu would've been more appropriate for a sled race. Either way i think this was a really neat addition and am sad that it wasn't carried over to the EN server :,)

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Mount Moln

The game is correct that the word translates to cloud, but moln is actually swedish, the word for cloud in Finnish would've been pilvi.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Marja

The name Marja means berry! But it is as well a pretty normal finnish name that you could find someone have.

I love meemaw Marja so much, she reminds me of my own grandma💙

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Kokko market

once again the translation is correct. Kokkon are usually seen around easter or midsummer, but can also been done off of those holidays.

It is also really common to find plenty of different home made sweets at the markets depending on what holiday or season is going on. As well as handmade wooden things, some more useful such as butter knives, spoons and cups, But also decorations or souvenirs.

I'm so happy they mentioned it as it was something i was NOT expecting.

within Finland (and a few other countries) we have a thing called jokamiehenoikeudet/allemansrätt/everyman's right. Which as Epel describes it you're free to roam public or private forests and nature, pick berries and mushrooms as well, but it all to be done respectfully of course. You are not to disturb the wildlife or nature by ex. being unnecessarily loud, breaking plants or trashing nature. i as well really love how Epel brought up when Grim wanted to go get some himself, that he was not gonna get squat from the villagers. Cus once berry and mushroom picking season is amongst us, it's on.

A user made a fantastic post Here listing each plant Jade mentioned, and safe to say every single one can be found in Finland (an other nordic countries). Seen them all myself too! (also who brought the nestle??)

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Fika/kahvi

Even tho the idea of sitting down to enjoy some sweet treats originates from Sweden's fika, it is still very common within Finland as well!

we call it kahvi/kaffe and it's the same idea of sitting down for a cup of coffee with family or friends and enjoying some cookies and other goods. We usually do it on the weekends or free days in our family, or anytime we visit someone or vise versa.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Foods

As again, the sandwhich cake (voileipäkakku/smörgåstårta) originates from Sweden, you will still find it at ex. Finnish family gatherings, birthday parties or other events.

FISH SOUP!

Due to the amount of lakes an water that makes up Finland, fishing is very common here and so is the food. The most common type of fish soup that you'll have here is lohikeitto (salmon soup).

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Respect for the elderly/seniors

this is definitely a stretch on my part but still think it's fun to mention^^

in finnish we have a thing called 'Teitittely', it's hard to explain as it it is not used in the english language, but rather than directly referring to you (sinä) we use a more indirect 'you' (te) to show respect for our elderly and other occasions. If or once they would prefer the person to stop, they just need to request that there is no need to be as formal.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Pancakes

Again was very surprised out of all things that they referenced a type of pancake we have here (pannukakku which literally translates to pancake)

The pancakes that Epel is talking about look like this, and are put into the oven. it's hard to describe the texture of the inside, like a really soft sponge?

On the topic of pancakes~ i want to also mention the ones that we saw at Kokko market (that the bois mistook for takoyaki), all tho i have never seen or heard of pancakes being done the way they were in the event, during autumn or colder seasons if there is a market you will usually find at least one stall making flat (lettu) pancakes on a big pan!

which you can then buy and fill however you like. The most common fillings are apple- and strawberry jam, and/or whipped cream. And some even add sugar to them. People like to roll them up and either eat them by hand or cut in slices, kind of resembling a cinnamon roll.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

Extra thoughts

I won't be commenting anything when it comes to the clothing, as it seems that they are loosely inspired by traditional Sami attire. And not being Sami myself or having any relations to it i am in no place to comment about the rep.

but the embroidery on the outfits are a really nice and familiar touch^^

The backgrounds were lovely and had a very cozy feel to them, but didn't find any particular reference or inspiration of note.

Even tho the mix up of swedish and finnish traditions most likely was an accident, aside from mount moln it still works in our favor! be that if Epel is finnish or hecc, even a finland swede!

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

But thank you for listening to me ramble on about the rep, i was genuinely surprised on how MUCH of it there was in this. If you have any questions please feel free to ask and i'll do my best to answer!

take care everyone💙

[outcastedang3l]

if you want a prompt, maybe something with johnny and ls and/or the shiraz guys? could be vampires or werewolves or no au at all? it’s up to you!

You get witches celebrating Mabon because that pagan holiday actually happens this week on saturday

Hannes loved this time of year, the weather starting to turn colder and the leaves on the trees turning bright golds, oranges, and reds. The whole coven could feel the magic in the air around their large cottage as they prepared for Mabon. Jani, Taz, and Middy were all out in the garden bringing in their harvest for the week and picking some apples from their apple tree for Samy, Johnny, Joel Alex, and Miki to use to make some cider and make their feast for the holiday. Already the house smelled of cinnamon and other baked goods that their kitchen witches had made earlier that morning. Hannes was helping to put up their decorations and light candles for dinner. They had sent Arttu and Mirko out to pick some fresh flowers for them to display on the table while they ate. Ana startled Hannes out of his thoughts by hugging him from behind.

“What’s got you so lost in thought?” Ana hummed as Hannes turned in his arms for a proper hug

“Nothing,” Hannes smiled “Just thinking about how happy I am to have our coven and that we’re all together this year for Mabon.”

Ana smiled softly and nodded. It got hard sometimes with them all touring to celebrate their witch holidays together. They all knew it could get especially hard on Johnny as the only one who didn’t tour and couldn’t always spend time with at least part of the coven. More recently Middy had been home at the cottage all the time but he had also gone on tour with Lost Society to be close with more of their coven at times. But this year they didn’t have to worry about any of that and they were more than happy to give thanks to their goddess for that.

[samiwife]

Birthday Surprise🎂 ੈ✩‧₊˚ (Sami Yaffa x Reader)

A/N: TODAY IS SAMI'S BIRTHDAY AHHHHHH! So I'm going to make a fluff story about Sami because it's his birthday. Happy birthday to the most amazing and talented man I have ever seen, SAMI FUCKING YAFFA!!! 🎂🎂🎂

𓆩♡𓆪= Smut

ੈ✩‧₊˚= Fluff

⋆ ★= Angst

Today was Sami's birthday and you were planning a birthday party for him. Sami didn't really ask for much, he just asked to be with you. But you wanted to do something bigger. You knew Sami was going to be busy practicing with the guys so you went to work. The guys were also in on your plan. They were going to keep Sami busy while you set up things. You quickly drove to a nearby party shop and bought balloons and decorations. Sami's favorite colors were black and silver so you bought all things black and silver for him. You were also going to make his favorite Finnish dessert "Mansikkakakku". It was a strawberry meringue cake. He loved it a lot when he was a kid.

So, you quickly drove to the grocery store to grab the ingredients. You drove home and began to work. You first set up the decorations and set the table. You gently placed Sami's birthday present on the counter. This present was super special since it took lots of time and effort to make it. Then you set up the speaker and played music as you baked and cooked. All the meals you're making were traditional Finnish dishes that Sami loved. Today was all about Sami and you wanted everything to be perfect for him when the guys brought him over. Sami didn't even know you were doing this.

After a few hours of making food, you got a text from Razzle telling you they were coming in 30 minutes. Which was perfect timing since you just got done decorating the cake. You quickly ran to your bedroom to get dressed. You wore a black dress with black heels. After getting ready, you quickly set the table and waited. After 30 minutes, you heard a knock at the door. You checked the peephole and saw all the guys standing there with Sami with his eyes covered. You chuckled and unlocked the door. "Hey guys! Come in!" you said excitedly while gesturing for them to come in. "Kultaseni? What's all this about?" Sami said out loud. "Okay Sami, you can look now." You said while removing his hands from his eyes. Sami opened his eyes and looked around at the work you've done.

"Suprise! I decided to throw you a surprise party since you didn't ask for much, I wanted you to at least have a party with me and the guys. I hope you love it!" You said happily. "Oh my god, this is amazing. You did a great job. I'm so happy. Thank you kultaseni!." Sami said running up to you and hugging you. You laughed and handed him his birthday present. "I got this for you, it took me some time to make it." You said while smiling. Sami smiled and opened the box. It was a pearl necklace with the date of when you and Sami first started dating. Sami gasped and started to smile. "My god, baby this looks so pretty. Thank you!" Sami said while putting it on.

"You're welcome sweetheart, let's get started with this party. The night is still young." You said while grabbing beers and handing them to everyone. The rest of the party was loud music and alcohol. But, there were some funny moments when you played truth or dare with the guys. Andy was dared to lick a toilet seat, Micheal had to run down the street naked, Nasty revealed he never had a blow job before, and Razzle had to kiss Micheal for a dare.

Sami and you were still sober since you two weren't heavy drinkers unlike everyone else who was tired out and drunk. You mostly ate cake and food. After a few hours, everyone except you and Sami were knocked out. You sat next to Sami on the couch and laid your head on his shoulder. "Y/N, this is the best birthday ever. You did a damn good job at everything. The food, decoration, present, and everything Is just perfect," Sami said while holding your hand tightly. You smiled and kissed him on the cheek. "Thank you, Sami, I'm so happy you loved it. I hope you had a great birthday." You said looking at his blue eyes. Sami kissed your head and the two of you slowly drifted off to sleep in each other's presence.

[thorgans-guide-to-thedas]

Do you think the Chasind were influenced by Mongolia as well?

So there's two different breakdowns I could do for this: what WE running the blog think the Chasind could be influenced from, and what the evidence in the Bioware lore (BL) presents to us. I want to stress again that we are NOT cultural experts , but we try and research and provide accurate information as much as we can.

This got REALLY long so I'm dropping it below the cut

The way our funny little group interprets and pulls inspiration from cultures in Thedas is basically just a blueprint or a road map. You'll see in some of the posts and definitely in things as we continue to post them that we use a lot of vague language when describing people. We want to avoid force-fitting players into certain roles or making people feel that "oh, well this region is inspired by this culture, so I guess I'll have to play that". Thorgan's Guide aims to spread out more opportunities for players to see themselves in this world and feel safe as they play.

So, right now, we are looking at the Chasind as a mixture of different cultures coming from early-colonial America and the Caribbean. That doesn't mean that Mongolian influence can't be added, and that is where we want there to be freedom for everyone playing the game.

Our drafts for Avvar/Frostback Basin cultures have definitely pin-pointed cultural inspiration from Inuit/Sami/Mongolian cultures, so even in our silly little home-brewed re-imagining, the geographical locations of the Frostback and the Kocari wilds are not far from each other, and it would totally work and would definitely be worth exploring for us. But I want to stress this again: our homebrew isn't meant to be law and we want everyone to have fun with it.

As for Bioware evidence, I have so many issues with it. My interpretation of the BL around Chasind features a lot of negative stereotypes associated with "uncivilized cultures," which basically translates to non-eurocentric. There is already a blatant lack of diverse ethnicities in the BL, but if I were to name a few cultures that were meant to be non-white representations, they all have antagonistic qualities to them - Chasind included. Tumblr user @dalishious talks a lot about how Bioware codes their people and cultures based on what suits them and how this can be damaging to real-world people [1]. (Dalishious' resources and research into this matter is a wealth of information, and I would highly recommend checking out their other work).

The Chasind are described as barbaric and "primitive at best". Based on pre-existing stereotypes of Mongolian culture (keyword stereotypes), it follows a similar pattern. With many minority cultures, they are placed into the ideas of "nomadic" and "simple", having technology seen as under-advanced in the face of Western civilization - so this, in its own twisted way, falls into the category. We are encouraged to see the Chasind as simple-minded and aggressive, told that they raid the swampland and cause harm and strike fear. Many brown-skinned cultures are subject to similar treatment depicting brutal warriors and merciless attacks, and of course, the antagonistic coding of Thedas cultures fits the Chasind into this role.

One thing that stuck out was the line "some Chasind are reputedly so barbaric that they even consume the flesh of the dead." The cannibalism stereotype was present in almost every dark-skinned representation at some point in time, using the "disgust" or "savagery" of the practice to separate civilized from uncivilized [2] [3]. Though appearing across the globe, these stereotypes intensified in mainstream media and specifically in films involving South American, Caribbean, and Pacific Islander cultures [4] [5].

In another line, we see "Chasind are known to decorate their hair with pierced copper coins; these are tied into the ends of their braids." This in itself is vague and, in reality, could reference dozens of different cultures around the globe. Many Slavic cultures had hair accessories and braids, but so did many African regions. It does not help that the Bioware games choose to darken the Chasind skin in their depictions. This usually leads our mind into thinking that they are meant to portray a certain culture or people based on our inherent beliefs and subconscious biases.

Bioware's writing is confusing at best and utterly racist at worst. Most of their regions are either blatantly European or a melting pot of so many minority cultures boiled down that you can hardly tell where the original inspiration came from. Is it Mongolian, Slavic, African, or something else altogether? I don't even think Bioware knows this. Just looking at the wiki page makes my head spin at how many contradicting and overlapping things there are in Chasind culture and how many elements they've taken from all over the place. All I can really say on the matter is that the wiki is doing a lot of harm with it.

From Thorgan's Guide, we totally encourage the addition of cultures to the game, and if the Chasind have Mongolian influence for the players, awesome! From the Bioware standpoint, Mongolian cultures were another target of stereotyping and "othering", not only from the Western world but from China as well, and it is completely possible that those cultural elements could be reflected back in Bioware's ignorant writing.

I may have gotten a bit carried away in writing and completely BLASTING negative stereotyping. Hopefully, this was still an interesting take on it all and at least kinda makes sense.

Here are the sources if anyone wants them:

[1] Dalishious. (2019). Coding Does Not Inherently Equate to Representation. (Source)

[2] Pyleyev, M. (2016). How the Feeling of Disgust Went From Life-Saving to Dangerous. (Video)

[3] Selvam, A. (2018). ‘Black Panther’ Challenges a Bogus Food Stereotype. (Source)

[4] Moore, R. B. (1973). Carib "Cannibalism": A Study in Anthropological Stereotyping. (Source)

[5] Conklin, B. A. (1997). Consuming Images: Representations of Cannibalism on the Amazonian Frontier. (Source)

[ruumiinlaulaja]

Happy first sunday of Advent. Yesterday I went to listen more Christmas songs at Helsinki cathedral. They were sung in three different Sami languages. It was lovely.

Obviously, the christmas markets have begun as well. I didn’t spend much time at the market though because it was saturday evening so it was super crowded.

Interesting how, despite all the decorations and christmas lights and snow, Helsinki doesn’t feel nearly as christmasy as my childhood home town. It’s the crowds and the tourists and the restlessness that takes away the christmas feeling. Smaller towns are peaceful and not as crowded; there’s no sense of rush.

That’s why I always want to go to mom’s on christmas. And during summer as well. Tbh, I always want to escape the tourist season. And whenever I travel myself, I prefer to do it in winter and spring and autumn. Tl;dr: I sure hate crowds lol.

But anyway yay look at my new christmas ornament:

It’s a pretty rainbow. I also wanted an eggplant ornament but FOR SOME REASON they were sold out.

[suckitsurveys]

Who in your family has been married the longest? (and how long?) That’s a good question. There are a lot of widows in my family, so I am not sure who still living has been married the longest. I also couldn’t tell you the years anyone in my family has been married, except for my cousin Ann and her husband, because they got married the year I was born, so 34 years lol.

Do you have any Eastern European ancestry? I am mostly Eastern European actually.

Where is your car parked right now? In the parking lot across the street from the building I work in.

When did you last travel alone? Where were you going? I traveled to Boston alone last weekend. I mean, I was going to see a friend, but I flew there alone and back.

Do you take your shoes off when you come inside? Yes.

What’s your favorite movie series? The Toy Story series.

How are you feeling today? I am stressed AF and sick and sleepy and irritated and hungry.

Look to the right - what’s the first thing you see? My coworker’s chair.

^^ What does that thing remind you of? My coworker???

What was the first color you ever dyed your hair? I put red streaks in it in 7th grade.

What is something that’s considered a luxury, but you wouldn’t want to live without? A phone, I guess. Or sushi.

Do you want to move anytime soon? Not super soon, but we have been considering it.

Did you have coffee this morning? Yup, currently still drinking it.

How good/bad was the quality of education you received in high school? Ahahahahahahahahahahhaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa. I went to a shitty fucking private Luthern school that was so focused on shoving religion down our throats that I feel like I learned jack shit.

What was the most interesting year of your life, and why? This one has been pretty eventful and interesting. This year has been my “yolo” year. I’ve been to so many comedy shows and Lollapalooza and flown a lot more.

What was the first social media site you ever used? I’m not sure if it qualifies as social media but Yahoo Chatrooms? Lol. Or Xanga maybe?

Do you have any exes you really regret dating? Nah. They’re all irrelevant. What brand of laundry detergent do you use? We use Tide.

Are you prone to mood swings? Not usually, but it can happen.

Have you ever lied on a resume? Or even in a job interview? I mean, not a huge lie? Maybe something about time management skills lol.

Of all your friends & family, who has the most nicely-decorated home? Not my sister that’s for sure.

What was the last thing you bought, other than food? Uhhhhhhh Dayquil.

Do you smoke? Or vape? Just weed occasionally.

What are you dreading right now? Everything.

What brought about the end of the worst relationship you’ve been in? He was a dick.

Where was the last place you spent the night other than your own home? Sarah’s apartment in Boston!

Do you have any step- or half-siblings? Nope.

Have you ever been catcalled? Duh.

How old were you when you started scheduling your own doctors appointments? 22 or 23, I think?

Have you ever driven across an international border? Nope.

When was the last time you spoke to a neighbor? Sami texted me yesterday about getting a new kitten.

When was the last time you washed your bed sheets? Around a month ago.

What do people always seem to think is weird about you? I don’t know, ask them.

Ever notice how high schools in movies/tv shows are portrayed way differently than in real life? Sure.

Do you ever braid your hair? Yes.

What food sounds the most appetizing right now? Crab legs.

[krotosis]

Hi, Alice.

How has the sun been treating you?

I have a story for you, but the memory is blurry. Coveted by river water.

Jak byłam młoda, z rodziną pojechałam to takiego lasu. Nie byliśmy sami, mojej siostry rodzina też tam była. To był mój pierwszy ras w prawdziwa, większą rodziną; Babcia, prababcia, pradziadek, nawet kuzyni i ciocie. Życie które było mi odebranie przez szarą Anglię.

Nocy były długie, dużo komarów i dużo światła. Drzewa nie są take same jak w Anglii, są starsze, wiedzą wientej, pomaga im lepszy rozum. Jak przez nie przehodziłam, się miej bałam ciemności. Pamiętam że na tym kemping był morderca z jego rodziną, on właśnie wyszedł w więzienia. On starszy, ale taki sam jak ja. Pierwszm razem poczuł rodzine w miejscu bardzej prawdziwm niż umysł, bardzej kolorowy niż beton.

Dużo po nocach chodziłam, ale jak większość dzieci, o tych krokach za dużo nie myślałam. W tym fakcie pohodzi różnica od 'zabaw' w Anglii.

It felt honest to be able to trample through broken-off sticks and off-path trails barefoot, jumping out the way of mosquitos and their friends. It felt real to be away from the life I’ve had made for me elsewhere, even as someone young and undeterred, I was hesitant to accept my reality. I wanted to stay between the woods, between the wood of the cabin and the wood of the pine trees, the wood of the rickety boats and piers, the wood of the hastily placed forest steps, the wood of benches and their wooden tables. It felt so good in comparison to the tough plastic of council kitchen counters, the unnatural smells of the substances and powders haunting my house, the thorned bushes in the fields I’d stay in and the slabs of rock and broken furniture that decorated my garden.

When I met that murderer in the woods, I couldn’t look him in the eye. It was common of me as a young girl. I did not appreciate the connection he has to me or my life in England, because I was thinking like a young girl. I wasn’t drawing up plans of how to get into the kitchen without running into my mom’s boyfriends, I wasn’t finding open cracks in the white plastic borders of windows so I could get into my locked home after dark, I wasn’t making a make-shift kitchen (consisting of hidden ingredients, an over-heating old lamp and paper) and a makeshift bathroom in my bedroom so I wouldn’t have to risk crawling through the corridors. Both upstairs and downstairs posed a risk, but in the woods there is no up or down, only between. Between the trees, between the wood of the paths, between the wood of the cabin. You are between the earth and the air, you can’t crawl into the earth or walk into the air if you want to stay alive. Younger me didn't have much literacy pertaining the afterlife, shouldn’t be surprising.

A ja musziałam chcieć żyć, nawet jak czasami to nie było widalne. Dziewięć to młody więc żeby dopasowac stasunek że nie chce się już więcej widzieć. Nie mogę powiedzieć że się z nią nie zgadzam, może nawet miała rację. Lepiej zginąc przy drzewach. Do ziemi, a następnie powyżej, tak jak wierzyłam.

There were other children there. For a majority of my childhood and teenage years in Britain, I was mute. I was surprised to find that words came easier in the language I’ve come to abandon. I was surprised to see words came at all.

It’s easier to breathe between the trees. The air is fresher. Even if I wasn’t there to breathe anymore, I’d want to feel the vibration of the breathing soil. A part of me wishes something bad happened to me there. I feel like something so positive has effected me in ways worse than another tragedy ever could. If Polish forests were where I could be a child, I’d rather have it wrenched from me rather than letting me live in it a while and then sending me back to my reality. It’s unfair to have escapes you don’t get to use, that just linger in the back of your mind. It’s angering to know there is a slight chance of happiness you could attempt but can’t afford, a last resort you can’t use. Like the judgemental sharp voices of doctors, who dissuade and dissect you into a vessel that can’t want.

[qveenknowles]

You’re more than welcome! If we want to be honest, I was definitely in the crowd of people who wanted y’all to Main event as well, but I ultimately understood that the Story with the Bloodline and Sami and KO was top tier. I just love letting my creative side out when decorating, especially when it comes time for the holidays. If you were to ever visit my house during Halloween or Christmas, you would think you stepped onto the set of a movie, that’s how dedicated I am. I’m getting into the habit of wearing things more than one time, especially with pieces that you can make a million different outfits with. I’m also spending a lot more time in just leisure outfits when I’m at home so that’s making the purging of my closet even easier.

qveenknowles​:

You know you’re absolutely right, I actively refused to go on them when we first started dating, I was heavily into my bougie and materialistic era, but now I realize the freedom that it brings as well. Speaking of Wrestling, congratulations on winning the Smackdown title! Definitely was my favorite match from wrestlemania overall. A little bit of both actually, my biggest thing is I like decorating and constantly updating my house so I’ll find pieces of furniture online and have them shipped and then I’ll go to auctions and buy whatever artwork catches my eye. I used to be obsessed with buying clothes and shoes but once my husband told me that having four huge closets is a bit excessive, I told myself I can’t get anything till I actively go through and purge them.

Oh hey, thank you so much! That means so much to me. It’s a pretty exciting moment for my career. I’m kind of thriving off all the people that have told us that we should have been main event. Means a lot. I really need to look more into actually shopping, maybe. I love decorating, but it’s always just a process of putting things on my shopping list on amazon or something for months and then being like “oh wait I actually know where I can put this” and impulse buying it one day. I never actually buy new clothes hardly, I wear the same things all the time so I don’t see much of a point personally. Maybe one day I’ll learn. 

[christmasgiftonline]

The Best Place To Find and Buy the Modern Clocks || Angie Homes

 Clocks go a long way in being a vital ingredient in the home design and decor recipe. Angie Homes have many types of  clocks like Cloney Round Silver Modern Clock, Samy Round Silver Modern Clock, Liz Brown Wooden Classic Clock and many more.They make perfect embellishments to the walls of our room or in any area of the house.

[fymarimekko]

Marimekko’s Kiiruna fabric is adorned with Aino-Maija Metsola’s beautiful pattern that features a flock of rock ptarmigans with detailed plumage among bright red berries. (x)

[exquisitexagony]

Sami smiled faintly, both relieved and surprised that Bella didn't argue with him. That had gone much smoother than he had expected. In fact, he probably had done more than necessary to push his way into going. That was OK, though, at least it had worked. The last thing they wanted to do was disappoint Bella, even if she said it hadn't been a very specific plan to begin with.

He was already starting to turn to head to the bathroom, resting his mug of tea on the little table in the hall decorated with a nativity and a couple of pictures of his siblings. Nodding, Sam gave a thumbs up.

"I'll be riiiiight back," he promised, slipping out of the room. If he was being honest with himself, though, showering was the last thing he wanted to do. The longer he had been standing, the dizzier he had gotten...Maybe a bath would be a better choice. The last thing he wanted was to accidentally cause himself to blackout again. He had already passed out once today and was too tired to deal with it again.

Grabbing a thick sweater, a pair of vintage jeans, and a beanie, he threw them into the bathroom alongside his towel and a pair of thick, wool socks. He was going to do his level-best to keep warm out in the snow. Once the water was going in the tub, he sat down on the floor next to it and let his head rest against the wall, closing his eyes for a moment. An attempt at a deep breath, though it quickly turned into coughing that hurt his chest and made his head pound. Then...Silence. Silence for a good long while...maybe a little too long. The longer he sat on the floor, the further away he got from consciousness, body urging him to go back to sleep.

After a brief nap on the floor, luckily getting awoken by Cosmo before flooding the house, Sami was in the bath, a bottle of freshly taken cold medicine left on the counter. They were in there for what seemed like an eternity and realized as they were drying their hair that they hadn't really offered anything to their guest before disappearing. Hopefully by now Bella knew to make herself at home. He had always been the hospitable type--everything he owned belonged also to whomever crossed that threshold, that was his policy.

When he finally emerged, bundled up in a couple of layers of shirts and a beanie tugged over his ears, he flashed Bella a smile. Hopefully the drugs would kick in sooner rather than later. He sniffled, grabbing his almost-forgotten mug of tea.

"Sorry, that, uh...that- that- that took longer than I thought it would..." A shake of xyr head. "But, um...should be good to go. If- if you are." While xe spoke, xe wandered into the kitchen to heat up the tea and grab a pocket-sized pouch of tissues to shove into xyr jacket pocket.

"It's fine, it's all good. We didn't have a super strict timeline for this so don't worry. Besides, I know that napping gets anyone all turned upside down."

Bella listens to him protest - her own protests are on the tip of her tongue, but she bites down on him. More than once has it been pointed out to her that she turns into more of a mother than a friend - too overbearing and no longer enjoyable to be around. Sami was older than she was after all - not by much, but by enough. He would know himself best to make his own choices, and if he insisted on going out, who was she to try and insist they stay in?

"Sure, if you think you're still up for it, then I'm happy to still go."

Besides - it was Christmas. She wasn't going to tell him what he could and couldn't do at this time of year. Everyone got a bit sniffly in the snow, after all.

"You go have your shower and do whatever you have to do - I'll hang here and we'll head out when you're ready?"

[whydoyouwantmyname]

Imagine being the daughter of Stephen Strange (Part 1)

-You were the product of a drunken one night stand that had gone wrong with a nursing student from another college, who attended a conference Stephen was sharing his thesis paper at.

- When you were born in 1990, your mother called Strange on the room phone in tears, unaware that he was currently working in the same hospital you were delivered in, and that she had called when he just happened to be on his lunch break.

-He rushed down to the maternity ward, thinking this was a harsh joke, but when he saw her face all the memories came rushing back of the deserveled hotel room, his heart slowly plummeting as the reality of her call truly sunk in as she whispered his name.

- Once he was broken from his trance he looked at her and snapped, “Why did you keep it?”

“Because I hoped her father would want to keep her, I can’t support her, and as much as I would love to keep her, I can’t.”

-Strange never wanted to keep you, he planned on demanding you be placed in the foster care system.... However before he could even turn to storm out, the nurse brought you in, “Oh look, here is Daddy.” She spoke to the pink bundle in her arms before thrusting you upon Strange.

-He fell deeply in love with you the moment he saw you, call it paternal instinct. As he stood there with you, he began to bounce slightly as he cradled you close to him.

-Your mother discharged herself from the hospital, and later requested her name be removed from all of your files. She wrote herself out of your life, leaving Doctor Stephen Strange as your sole provider. You had never heard from her again.

-You were discharged the following day, the entire time you had been in the hospital he slept in his office, and visited you daily throughout the night.

-He requested his assistant, Katherine, to pick out all of your nursery decorations, and necessities, and made it so that the furthest room from his was designated as yours. A spare room was between the both of you, which was soon to be a room for a live in Nanny.

-For the first day you were discharged he spent with you in the apartment, and he put in for a short leave of absence, which was to only last two weeks. They offered him longer, but he stated two weeks was long enough.

-He made daily stops into the hospital during those two weeks, picking up case files to work on while he stayed in with you. He would work on them while you napped.

-He hired the nanny after spending a week of one on one time with you, and slowly started letting her take care of the little things that he had found an unusual comfort in. Her name was Sami.

-The first day he was expected to go back to the hospital he entered the kitchen to see Sami had prepared his coffee, and that you were tucked into her arm. He smiled at the way your eyes lit up when you saw him. He quickly leaned over and peppered a kiss on your forehead, before grabbing his stuff and leaving without you. As though you foresaw the future, or sensed the absence of your father, you started to cry. Sami was quick to  comfort you, as you mourned the absence.

-After that first week back Strange fell back into his old ways, throwing himself completely back into the grind of the hospital and seemingly forgetting that he had a small human who needed him. He would leave shortly after you awoke, and when he would return, you would have just fallen asleep. His own body so exhausted that he would walk start to his own room, and shut the door. His body engulfed by his king sized bed as he flopped upon it, and slowly started to fall back to sleep. A slumber which he would be woken from at the sound of you crying.

-In those moments, he would call out to Sami to go collect you because, “That is what I am paying you for.” This was something the nanny was not expecting though, because before he returned to work, he would always rush to your room at the sound of you crying.

-Soon he stopped coming home, and slept in his nice, comfy, quiet office, leaving just you and Sami alone in the condo.

-Strange started sleeping at home again, but only after you were able to sleep through the night. He altered his schedule so that he would arrive back home after your bedtime and was gone before you woke up in the morning. However when he would arrive home he would always walk to your room and look at your sleeping form in the crib, a slight smile on his face as he watched you sleep in silence. From there he would lightly knock on Sami’s door, and then go to his own room, Sami not far behind.

-This is part of the reason that your first word wasn’t Daddy, but rather Sam, which you found easier to say then Sami.

-Sami was let go after your first birthday, and was replaced by your new nanny, Michelle. You seemed unphased by the change in nannies, and would never know that the reason behind her being fired was because she had begun a secret affair with Strange, and had let it slip that she was in love with him.

-Michelle was extremely hands on, and found it fascinating just how intelligent you were. When she would bring up your intellect he would just respond, “She is the daughter of Dr. Stephen Strange,what do you expect?”

-She lasted three months, she quit due to your father’s absence from your life, and she couldn’t stand his attitude. When she knocked on his office door at nine at night, prepared to quit, he didn’t even look up when she entered, “I already told your replacement she starts tomorrow. I expect you to be packed and out of the house within the hour.”

“You know something Stephen, one day you will look back on these years, and you will regret being so cold when it comes to your daughter’s life.” Michelle replied, before leaving to pack. His office once again quiet as he slowly exhaled and continued his work.

-That morning he was the one who woke you up, his body leaning on the frame of the door as he flipped the light on and took in the walls of the  room that he was so used to seeing in the dark. He smiled at the dresser, which had one photograph on it, which was when you were a newborn and he was in the hospital with you. Turning his head, he noticed you were not standing in your crib, a slight panic setting in as he feared Michelle had left with you. Ready to race to the phone and call the police, he felt a slight tug on his pajama pants, and looked down to find your eyes shining up at him, a proud smile on your face as you waited for praise for having gotten out of bed yourself.

“It looks like I will have to tell Katherine to get you a new bed my sweet.” He stated as he scooped you up, and felt a small spark of joy as you giggled to him. Michelle’s words rang in his head as he carried you to the kitchen, and picked up the house phone, and called the hospital, “Hey it is Dr. Strange, I can’t make it today, [Y/N]’s nanny quit last night, and I haven’t had a chance to reach out to a replacement, I need the day off.” He spoke as he held you against his hip. He then called the replacement, Kimberly, and gave her the security passcode to the condo, stating when she arrived he would not be home, because he was going to the zoo with you.

-You has a blast at the zoo, and he couldn’t help but smile at the sheer enjoyment you had looking at all the animals. After the zoo, he took you to the park and out to dinner, the sky was dark by the time he left the restaurant with you securely asleep in his arms. He almost wished it could never end, but sadly he was expected back home, to greet Kimberly.

-When he got home, the house was a wreck with teenagers, the new nanny and her friends passed out drunk on the sofa, to which he wasted no time calling the police and Katherine, who helped him quickly call a new nanny, as he cleaned the condo. He was interrupted by a knock on the door and opened it to reveal Jonathan, who was your new nanny. “Why would you knock, don’t you know that there is a sleeping child in the home, who needs her sleep to help support healthy brain development?”

-That day was the last day your father had ever taken off to spend with you, and since he worked every day you rarely saw him.

-Jonathan was your favorite nanny, he was a nanny from the ages of 1 and a half to 7. He took you wherever you wanted to go, and was always ready to play princess with you. He would spend hours reading your favorite chapter books to you, and loved to watch PBS with you as you both learned about the world around you.

-Toddler years were the ones where he would use you for photo opportunities, he would take you in his arms, wave to the camera, and hand you right back to Jonathan, once they got the perfect shot. From there he would have Jonathan take you straight home, to which Jonathan would take you to his favorite ice cream shop and order you whatever flavor you wanted to try. You had eaten the entire menu by the age of 4.

-You spent all your holidays in the condo with Strange’s parents, who were not real fans of you because you were born of wedlock, and had a similar attitude to Strange’s, which they did not appreciate.

-You were 4 when your father started dating Christine, and in that year you saw more of your father then you remembered. She was insistent on you and your father both joining her for dinner,or on outings. However most nights you and Jonathan would be in the condo alone, since he opted to spend the night at her apartment rather than with you. When she would bring it up to him, he would reply, “That is what I pay Jonathan for.”

-One day you asked Jonathan about your dad, and why he didn’t love you. Jonathan looked at you and whispered, “Sweetheart, your daddy loves you so much, however he has to help save all the people who are sick, or hurt. It is a demanding job, but please don’t think that he hates you because of it.” He then gave you a hug and took you to the local market, to pick ingredients to make dinner

-Jonathan never told you that When your dad would get home that he would stand in your doorway and watch you sleep before retreating to his office and locking the door.

-He didn’t take you to school on your first day of preschool, Jonathan did, along with packing everything you needed for school between the ages of 4-7.

-Jonathan and Christine would always go to your school programs, both clapping the loudest whenever you would do anything. Christine would then suggest that you all go out to get pizza, however you always politely declined, and would go home with Jonathan, and order pizza while watching Nova.

-When you were 5 you asked Christine if you could spend Christmas with her, she gladly accepted, already knowing that Strange had requested to work that day, and that you didn’t want to spend it with Strange’s parents.

-She always tried to make it special for you.

-Christine would have girl weekends with you once a month, where you would go to her apartment for the weekend. Stephen would normally be working all night, or be speaking at an event about his great works, so it was just you and her. She would always try to do a mass amount of girly things with you, like pedicures, trips to hair salons, or watching children movies that you could barely care about. While on these weekends you were always happy though that she would order you your favorite salad, which Jonathan would leave her specific instructions on what to order, and from where.

-When you would return, and Jonathan would ask how it was, “I need to watch 20 hours of National Geographic’s to recover from the mind numbing entertainment she calls children’s entertainment.” To which he would laugh. When you asked him about his weekend, he would just smile and say it was good.

-When you turned 7, Jonathan took you out to go to several museums in the city, and when you were done looking at all the exhibits he took you to Central Park. He was slightly more dressed up than normal, and seemed nervous the whole time. While you sat in the grass, he spoke, “So I have something important to tell you.”

“You’re leaving aren’t you?” You asked, turning your head to look at him, his eyes glassy as he sighed, “Nothing gets past you [Y/n] Strange.”

“It’s okay Jonathan, I just hope they make you happy.”

“How do you know I am leaving you for someone?”

“I have ears Jonathan, and I have heard you talk on the phone to them every night for the past three years, besides I know that when Christine has those ungodly girl nights with me, it is so you can go see them. Just, don’t forget about me okay?”

“Never.” He replied, before pulling you into a side hug.

-When he left that night you were heartbroken, tears brimming your eyes as he pulled you into a final hug, before nodding towards your father, “Take care of her Stephen, she is a special one.”

“Thank you for your service Jonathan, I hope you find success in your next endeavor.” Your father stated coldly, as Jonathan just forced a smile, already so used to your father’s attitude, and in these final moments with him, was so ready to call him an asshole,or an insensitive dickhead, but then he thought of you, and refused to let his final moments with you be him telling off your absent father.

-And just like that Jonathan was gone, and replaced by Suzie, who arrived 45 minutes after Jonathan left.

- Suzie lasted a week, stating that she is not surprised at the fact that you and your father have a very similar attitude. Stephen tried hard not to smile with pride as you replied, “Just because I corrected you on the proper use of an encyclopedia, that means I have an attitude?”

-When you returned from a girls weekend, you came back to a new nanny, Tiffany. As soon as you returned, she looked at you and offered you a fresh made cookie, and asked with a smile, “So would you like to watch Nova, or a new documentary that we can rent at Blockbuster?”

-It took you thirty minutes to figure it out, “Are you related to Jonathan Bardot?”

“Yeah, he is my little brother, he reached out to your father and stated that I was looking for a job, and that he thought you would enjoy my presence. Your father was quick to accept the offer, seeing how the previous replacement was a complete moron.”

“You are far more outspoken than Jonathan, I like it.” You smiled before she replied, “Those were your father’s words, not mine.”

-Tiffany lasted from the ages of 7-13, when you informed your father you were too old to have a live-in nanny, and would rather utilize the room as your own study, he agreed and within the week he had Katherine pick you out new study decor. You also went out and bought multiple psychology books to fill the shelves with, along with textbooks from your college courses. -When you were 8, the girls weekends suddenly stopped, along with the dinners and outings and such. After two months of no contact with Christine you dialed her phone number, which you had memorized when you were 5. “Hello?” “So just because you and my father aren’t together anymore I am now getting casted aside?” You asked, her line silent for a moment before she replied, “Did he tell you we…” “Christine, do you really think I am so daft that I can’t figure out by the absence of your presence that my father has driven you away? I might be 8, but I am not a moron.” “That you are not [Y/N]. However I doubt Stephen would…” “Do you really think I care what he thinks, he is never around enough to even know.” -Christine really was glad that you liked her enough to allow her to still be in your life. -When you were 9, Tiffany and you went to the upstate area, and attended Jonathan’s wedding. He was so happy to see you there, and was glad that you were enjoying Tiffany’s company. -When you graduated elementary school and middle school, Tiffany and Christine were sitting in the middle rows, along with Jonathan and his family, who would always drive down from the upstate area to see you at the big events. Your father was always too busy to attend. -In school you didn’t have any friends your own age, instead you chose to have detailed conversations with your teachers. -When you were 13, you started taking college courses at the local community college to occupy your time, since Strange was never around, and you didn’t really have any friends. The college was within walking distance of your school, and even when you couldn’t walk due to the weather, you easily just called the town car that your father used. -When you were 13, you received a package from Tiffany, inside was a formal, short , off the shoulder blush colored dress and a note that just read, “Will you be my bridesmaid?” And the date 03/03/03. You called her immediately after unboxing the dress and trying it on to accept the offer. She drove to your house, and took you out to a small diner, so that you could meet her fiancé, Christofer.

-At 14 Strange approved that you had access to his bank account, and that you were allowed to have your own. Every week he would deposit $500, which was considered your allowance, and you could use it for school, and food, since you were always home alone. -When you were in your study, you would always play a wide variety of music, which would make Strange laugh quietly to himself some nights, since you clearly had inherited his taste in music. -When you got your license, you bought a used 2001 Toyota Echo, using money you had received from your father as an allowance. You nicknamed the car Junker, and wasted no time climbing into it and driving four hours upstate. When you arrived at the address Jonathan gave you, you exited the car and smiled as his children Connie and Samuel came bounding out of the house, and tackled you to the ground. -You also drove up there and helped out when Johnathan went through his divorce, and helped him with the kids that he was now the sole provider for. The kids were overjoyed that you were there, and Jonathan appreciated the listening ear that you were always willing to lend him, -Strange never questioned any of your visits to your old nanny’s house, however he found that he very much disliked the quietness of the condo when you were away. -You drove up there several times a year, and even stayed there during school breaks. Jonathan always smiled as you interacted with the kids, and was happy that the Strange’s attitude that you had inherited never came through when you were around kids. -When you were a senior your school offered you the opportunity to take a few minor college classes, such as music theory, the philosophy of children’s literature and a in depth study of the hippie culture, which you gladly took along with your independent college classes, and normal general education courses. You handled all of them with ease. -You graduated at the top of your class, and with high honors, which caused most colleges to offer you scholarships as well. Dispute the vast amount of colleges that reached out to you that were miles away from the city, you told your high school that you were planning on attending a local college, in hopes they would print it in the bulletin. While you sat on the stage you noticed Johnathon, Connie, Samuel, Tiffany, Christofer, and Christine, but Dr. Stephen Strange was nowhere to be seen.

-After the ceremony you agreed to go out with all of the people who showed up to support you, and had a lot of fun at the ice cream parlor Jonathan always took you to after press events. As you all ate ice cream and laughed, you cherished every moment, and at the end of it, you hugged each of them and thanked them for all of their influences in your life. With a smile you walked out into the New York heat, and carefully took off your heels before opening your passenger door and throwing them in. As you rounded the car, you breathed in a deep breath and got into the driver seat, and sped off towards Pennsylvania, where you were scheduled to trade in your car, and meet with the local judge to legalize your name change.

Masterlist

[yasmijn]

Ibu-ibu on the internet

Pengen nulis tapi lagi gatau mau nulis apa, jadi mungkin postingan kali ini bisa menjadi referensi bagi kalian yang ingin mencari sosok ibu-ibu on the internet yang (menurutku) kontennya seru untuk diikuti. Berhubung w gak terlalu into skincare dan makeup, tentu ibu-ibu berikut tidak jatuh ke bawah dua kategori tersebut. Ku suka ibu-ibu yang bahasannya lifestyle dan slice of life. 

[written in no particular order]

1. Rika Melissa (http://seerika.wordpress.com)

Asli ini salah satu ibu-ibu random yang aku suka banget tulisannya. Kalau gak salah inget, pertama kali nemu blognya Kak Rika ini (akrab) pas lagi baca blogn Bebenyabubu (iya emang chain blogwalking). Sebagai seorang WNI yang nikah sama pria Finlandia, dia menerapkan OPOL (One Parent One Language), dimana Sami dan Kai (dua anaknya) hanya bicara bahasa Indonesia sama Rika, dan hanya bicara bahasa Finlandia dengan bapak mereka. Kocak banget dulu pertama kali denger mereka ngomong bahasa Indonesia wk kayak orang Batak.

Suka banget tulisan-tulisannya yang raw, gak jaim, tentang perjalanan dia pas lagi mengandung anak pertama dan kedua, postpartum disorder yang dia alami, gimana hubungannya sama Mikko, celetukan-celetukan menarik dari anaknya, gimana dia depresi, serial dia lagi keranjingan beli topi, dan tentu saja cerita gimana akhirnya dia bisa nikah sama Mikko. Seru banget pertama kali kenalan di Istanbul, terus akhirnya end up together beberapa tahun setelah itu. Postingan pertamanya bisa dibaca di sini. Udah dua tahun terakhir ini mereka pindah ke New Jersey karena Mikko lagi di-assign kantornya untuk cover berita dari Amerika. 

2. Diana Rikasari (http://dianarikasari.blogspot.com)

Udah ngikutin dia dari sejak belum nikah, pas masih musim fashion blogger. Dari dulu udah super penuh warna tapi makin kesini makin totalitas banget 🤣🤣🤣🤣 jujur sempet nge unfollow IG nya karena capek liat palet warnanya. Tapi akhirnya balik follow lagi karena menurutku DR itu keren banget. Dulu kuliah TI, pernah sempet jadi konsultan, akhirnya bikin brand sepatu (I Wear Up), dan udah lumayan lama pindah ke Lausanne, Swiss, karena ikut suaminya kerja disana. Cerita Diana-Sharjeel juga seru, mereka ketemu pas lagi sama-sama kuliah di Malaysia. 

Anaknya udah dua, Shahmeer dan Daria, dan kayaknya baru tahun lalu dia bilang bahwa Shahmeer itu autis dan nonverbal. Dia banyak sharing tentang upcycling projectnya pake barang-barang secondhand ataupun barang bekas anak-anaknya yang udah kekecilan. Pas pindah ke Lausanne emang dia sempet ambil fashion design course, dan juga pernah bikin fashion show temanya autism. Waktu itu juga dia pernah post curhat gimana dia lagi down banget karena brand yang dia punya itu dipegang sama orang-orang yang nggak niat, gak responsif. She said that it was so hard to take care of a business when she’s faraway. 

3. Geneva Vanderzeil (https://www.instagram.com/genevavanderzeil/)

Pertama kali ngikutin Geneva dari blog A Pair and A Spare-nya yang isinya adalah DIY projects fashion dan home decor. Sekarang temanya lebih ke home living - upcycling sofa, meja, bikin project renovasi, ngehias rumah. Ah pokoknya sangat sangat satisfying kalau ngikutin apdetannya Geneva. Dia ini orang Australia yang tinggal lama di Hong Kong, terus udah beberapa tahun ini balik lagi ke Brisbane. Dia punya dua anak perempuan sama pacarnya, namanya Frankie dan Bobbie. Awalnya w nebak-nebak apa Frankie tuh panggilan buat Frankincense tapi waktu itu dia balesin netizen katanya emang dua nama itu adalah full name dan bukan nama panggilan.

Asli mau banget jadi kayak Geneva dan punya seabrek home decor projects. I like.

4. Bebenyabubu (https://bebenyabubu.com)

Jujur ku lupa pertama kali nemu blognya Bubu (code name dia, tapi aku udah nemu sih nama aslinya siapa HEHE #detektif), tapi mungkin karena waktu itu aku lagi blogwalking nyari cerita-cerita orang Indonesia di Swedia, atau dari Mamarantau juga ya. Pertama kali bacain serial gimana dia akhirnya bisa nikah sama suaminya, orang Swedia yang descentnya Asian (selalu suka bacain origin story orang-orang yang udah nikah). Dia awalnya tinggal di Helsingborg, udah punya 2 anak (Josefin dan Emelie) dan kalo gak salah sekarang udah pindah kota deh.

Isinya jauh lebih serius daripada blognya Seerika (makanya aku lebih suka tulisannya Rika), tapi juga insightful dan kadang raw. Teman tulisan dia selama 2 tahun terakhir adalah tentang gimana dia struggle untuk dapetin kerjaan. Mulai dari sibuk ngikutin kursus dan kelas untuk mengasah skill coding dan designnya. Update terakhirnya Januari 2021 jadi udah lumayan lama, tapi akhirnya dia dapet kerjaan sesuai passion yang dia mau juga :”) Sungguh salut sama orang-orang yang tidak mudah menyerah.

5. James Kicinski-McCoy (https://www.instagram.com/bleubird/?hl=en)

Kalau ini aku ngikutin circa 2016-2017 deh kayaknya, pertama kali stumbled upon lifestyle blog dia yang super estetik, di postingan tentang pernikahan dia sama Aubrey yang super cute dan intimate banget, di barn gitu. Plis bisa banget dicek di sini. Sama Aubrey ini pernikahan kedua buat James, dan dia punya empat anak - 2 dari pernikahan pertama dan 2 dari pernikahan kedua. Nama anak-anaknya Juju (Julian), Plum, Birdie, sama Sailor. Sungguh indie.

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Emang sejujurnya w paling demen blogwalking dan ngikutin personal blog strangers on the internet sih. Karena entrynya super personal rasanya kayak lagi baca jurnal terus auto merasa kenal deket wkwkkw. Yah sekian filler post karena aku lagi nggak ada ide mau nulis apa tapi pengen nulis aja.

[edited: 17 September 2021]

OMG satu lagi ketinggalan:

6. Dr. Sastia Prama Putri (@mamakuchi)

Lupa deh pertama kali nemu si ibu doktor ini dimana, kayaknya pas lagi kepo-kepo L’Oreal Woman in Science atau lagi baca-baca soal dosen ITB. Bu Sastia ini S1-nya di Mikrobiologi ITB, terus lanjut S2 dan S3 di Jepang. Sekarang ngajarnya di Osaka University, dan dulu kepo banget karena ibu ini dulunya adalah Gadis Sampul dan temenan sama Dian Sastro, Laudya Cynthia Bella gitu2🤣🤣🤣🤣 dulu suka kepo-kepo tanpa follow, dan untungnya kemarin aku sempet di-approve follow IG personalnya sebelum doi berpindah ke public acc. Hhe.

Dia lumayan sering sharing tentang hidupnya di sosmed, makanya aku suka ngikutin juga wq. Dia dulu nikah sama orang Filipina, punya 1 anak yang namanya Aisha (gemes banget pas bayi asli, sekarang udah gede). Pas akhirnya aku kepo IG si ibu lagi, asli bingung banget kok suaminya berubah wq ternyata doi cerai dan sudah remarry. Cerita dia sama suaminya yang sekarang pun seruuuuuu banget asli - throwback sampe jaman dia masih S1 di ITB dan suaminya lagi S2 di Unpad. Sempet jadian tapi terus putus pas si ibu lanjut ke Jepang, sampai akhirnya nikah sama orang lain dan menetap di Osaka 😭😭😭😭😭 Sedangkan dia sendiri belum nikah sampai akhirnya balik lagi sama Ibu Sastia. Terus sekarang mereka lagi hamil :”) padahal umurnya udah hampir 40 tahun dan ternyata Bu Sasti ada kelainan di kandungannya gitu, pun sempet keguguran dan pengangkatan tuba falopi. 

Hiks hiks sungguh sangat inspiratif sekali ngikutin cerita dia sebagai seorang professor, ibu, istri, akademisi. Some people are just so bright.