#validating them as family

[serene-sapphic]

thinking very much about them tonight.

[slfcare]

2024 is about letting people care about and for you. it’s about answering ‘how are you’ with honesty, asking for space when needed, accepting help and being open to advice, listening to concerns and having difficult conversations. it’s about trying your very best to let go of the feeling that you’re completely alone, and finding ways to prove to yourself that you aren’t.

[hyacinthsdiamonds]

I'm sorry but the irony of Nico calling Max unprofessional is sending me so bad like sir there's an entire garage full of people, who were literally in the trenches trying to survive the Brocedes fallout while just doing their jobs, who might have a few things to say about your (& Lewis') level of professionalism at that time 😭✋️

[heshmmity]

tongues & teeth - the crane wives

[what-am-i-doing-in-this-fandom]

STOP I'm thinking about the part in Gravity Falls where Stan shows up with freshly bought (stolen) light bulbs only to see Ford screwing a new one in surrounded by family.

And OH my GOD. AGH.

Stan gets a little (ir)rationally upset about this because... It's.. Guys,,,

Stan perceives it as Ford once again easily receiving the praise and love of their family when he had to fight tooth and nail to receive even half of it.... I'm not well ✋😔

[kacievvbbbb]

Mihawk and the Red Haired Pirates

-Look I don't know what to tell you, Mihawk's epithet is literally Hawkeyes meaning he is world-renowned for his eyesight meaning that he'd probably make a good sharpshooter. And maybe Yasopp decides to test this theory with a little friendly competition. And after giving Mihawk a quick intro into how guns work, maybe Yasopp had to pull out every trick there is in the book to narrowly avoid losing to said Hawkeyes, who as it turns out is indeed very good at hitting targets and who had literally just learned how to cock a gun not even 30 minutes ago. But who's to say what actually happened, the day of November 25th at 2:35pm? Certainly not Yasopp, the record clearly shows he is undefeated.

-Once a year Ben and Mihawk go on a little trip just the two of them. They act like it's just so they can shit-talk Shanks but actually, they just go fishing somewhere in the middle of the ocean and drink horribly overpriced and fancy alcohol. Look Benn loves his crew, and would die for them but also if he doesn't get at least a week to himself once every year he'd kill them all himself. He deserves nice things and a little peace and fucking quiet and not being constantly inundated with the whims of a man child and Mihawk's the closest he's ever gonna get to a friend with taste, and he travels alone with a bunch of fancy wine. Sue the man. Mihawk who would rather nap is fine to let someone else sail his overgrown raft against the annoyingly ever-changing grandline for a week or two.

-Wouldn't it be cute if Mihawk learned a lot of his fancier cooking techniques from Roux? Like he knew how to cook to survive but watching Roux is how he learned to like properly dice vegetables and that eating fish prepared the same way three times a day is not infact a life he would like to lead. This was of course less cute to Lucky Roux who in the beginning had no clue what was happening and only felt the weight of Mihawk's otherworldly stare on the back of his neck as he handled knives. (he defiantly for at least a little bit, thought Mihawk had a knife fetish. which, he's not entirely wrong)

-To Building Snake (who I just learned is the RHP's navigator) Mihawk might as well be a modern-day miracle. In his eyes, Mihawk's sailing is proof that god exists, because only divine intervention can explain how this man ever gets anywhere never mind on time or early even. Building Snake is pretty sure he owns neither a map nor a log pose and he has never actually seen the sails of Mihawk's pretend ship unfurled or in use. Actually, he has never seen Mihawk do anything but sit menacingly on the throne in the middle of the boat, which why? If you think about it for even a second longer that 2 minutes how Mihawk "sails" anywhere breaks every law of physics and somehow even the concept of geography. Building Snake would like to dissect him and study him under a microscope but knows the boss would disapprove.

[lynnlyrae]

I was talking about Arcane finale with a friend and joked that Isha didn’t die, but went to past because of hexcore magic, grew up, became friends with two guys who kinda reminded her of her previous adoptive family… in this new life she became known as… Felicia……

[a2zillustration]

December Baking 2024

My Great Aunt's Molasses Cookies - 5/5

I actually made a metric ton of cookies this month, but this was the one two batches I made by myself. This one comes straight from the fam, so I have to type out the recipe (spoilers, it seems suspiciously like the recipe on the molasses jar, but it is slightly different).

INGREDIENTS 3/4c shortening 1c sugar 1/4c molasses (we get mild) 1 egg 1/2 tsp cloves (we don't use them bc my mom hates them) 1/2 tsp ginger 1 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp salt 2 tsp baking soda 2c flour extra sugar for rolling

DIRECTIONS • Preheat the oven to 375ºF

• Mix shortening and sugar; add molasses and mix.

• Put egg in a separate bowl and put the dry spices into the egg. Mix together and then blend them in with the rest. (author's note: I don't really know why we do this bc mixing the spices with the egg is hard and you have to really scrape it out of the second bowl, but who am I to judge)

• Add in the flour and baking soda. (author's note: I mix these and the salt separately, like you would a normal cookie recipe, then add them gradually)

• Use a small cookie scoop to make the balls and roll in sugar.

• Bake on ungreased sheet at 375 degrees for 8-10 mins. They need to look done but not necessarily brown. Makes approx. 3 doz

NOTE: The first batch was made subbing in butter for shortening. I added ~1/2tsp of corn starch just to see what would happen, but they still spread considerably. They're much chewier than the shortening version though. Next time I might try using slightly less molasses or adding a little more flour to offset the extra liquid from the butter.

ANOTHER NOTE: The shortening cookies do come out a little crunchier, but you can do the trick where you put them in a container with a fresh slice of bread for a day or so to soften them up.

Anyway, we love these cookies. My mom makes them all the time because they make a lot, they're pretty easy, and they taste really good. Plus, they're usually something that you wouldn't see when you'd expect cookies!

[starheirxero]

I am very curious about why you don't want Lunar to go with the astrals.

Given our understanding of you it seems odd that you wouldn't want to see more of the astrals and star power.

Maria is being a bitch about it and I want to know your reasoning [especially considering you were a lumini shipper at one point in time]

[Rez anon]

Okay this has sat in my inbox for a few days and I've been really turning it over, because yeah, by all accounts? I should be super into this! In fact, I am still actively curious about astrals n star power n such, and I do still enjoy lumini tons!

I think it's just that, this is a question being proposed after a long line of events that have constantly had me asking "when does it get better? when does it get easier for Lunar?" and this proposition, to me, feels like it's answer is: "it doesn't get better. it doesn't get easier. they either stay, disconnected from their family while accidentally putting them in danger, or they leave, disconnected from their family in a different way while throwing themselves into a life that requires constant stress and hard work with a council that has deeply mixed feelings on them."

And honestly? I can't even fully wrap my head around why that irks me so bad!! Because all things considered again, this is the kinda fucked up situation that should get me going "oh MAN this is so unfair I'm eating it up, pain and agony!!! ^_^"

But. Somehow the unfairness just deeply upsets me.

And uh, that's. The short answer, but I hella yapped and don't wanna delete it, so more under the cut:

Maybe it's something about how Lunar even acknowledged it feels unfair, but settled on "I don't deserve fair." Maybe it's something about how Lunar's entire basis for leaning towards leaving is "My existence is an inherent threat."

Maybe it's something about how Moon's mind grinder conditioned them into the previous behaviors in ways that even Pollux has said "I think you've just settled into constantly hating yourself, dude." Maybe it's the fact Libra's "test" was just. A magic version of the mind grinder too!!

On top of all this, why do I have any reason to believe Lunar will be welcomed in the council? Half of them wanted Lunar dead! Lunar is different and I absolutely don't put it past a lot of the astrals to actively sabotage Lunar so they can point and go "ah, see? what did i tell you, the thing's too unstable/stupid/whatever to be an astral."

The reason it makes me so upset is because I just feel on a deep, visceral level that Lunar deserves better than this. Lunar deserves better than to lowkey be forced to ascend to demi-godhood because everyone around him is distant and he doesn't have anyone to fall back to. They're honestly already alone, astralhood is going to be the final, irreversible nail in the coffin.

And, something my friend pointed out to me, is that it feels like they know that! It feels like they're just leaning towards astralhood because "well, at least I'm doing something 'productive' there so it's less certain misery than having to stay around my family who reiterates to me how much I've fucked up and how weird I am to them."

But... you know what? Maybe I'm wrong. Maybe my assumptions of the astrals is grasping onto info that is either not fully revealed, twisted/masked, or just flat out retconned. Maybe they'll ascend and it'll fix all their problems just like that! Maybe absence makes the heart grow fonder and whatnot and the family will be normal about Lunar afterwards. And if it does turn out the astral council is just a bunch of chill guys? Then I was worried for nothing! Great!

But based off what I know and have gathered and interpreted? Lunar becoming an astral sounds like a surefire way to spend the rest of their life teetering on a breakdown.

[oflorelei]

How it feels to be in the asoiaf fandom when you are lowkey a chill guy, don't get the weird "stan" movement, don't involve yourself in shipping drama and just rant a lil every tuesday but otherwise enjoy yourself:

[sonik-kun]

"If Jiang Cheng is all about debts, he should repay his debts to Wen Qing and Wen Ning!"

What debts? The two were from a sect that decimated his own. Be it willingly or not, they occupied the burned remains of his sect and helped the war effort on the Wen side (whilst assisting WWX and JC, but bear in mind, WQ only did it begrudgingly due to the risks associated with asissiting them. It's funny that y'all would jump to her defence whilst shitting on JC when she was in the exact same position he was in btw. But that's a debate for another day~).

Expecting him to pay a debt to the people that were, to at least some degree, complicit in numerous genocides is pretty messed up.

Even then, JC DID vouch for them to express his gratitude for helping him and WWX to escape and get their parent's remains back. But the other leaders shut him down when he did and scoffed at him. I feel like I've said this so many times on here, but he was in no position to argue any further on the matter. Especially when a more established sect leader like LXC was shut down, too.

As for the core transfer that he didn't consent to, how can he thank someone for that when he never knew it had happened in the first place?? Or asked for, for that matter?? The whole thing made him feel shitty anyway when he found out about it.

WQ and WWX, although both had good intentions, still had no right to experiment on him like that and keep this very invasive secret from him for so long, too. You can't just do something for someone without them knowing or consenting and expect them to repay that "debt" when you find yourself in a pinch. That's kinda like blackmail and is very coercive.. Something WWX and the Wen sibs are certainly not..

Then there's the situation with WN. Sure, he could be thankful for WN helping to get him to safety and treating his wounds (which, see my earlier point, JC did express gratitude.) But that opportunity kinda all fizzled out when WN killed JZX (I know it was an accident due to him being under the influence of DC but let's be real. That resentment is going to be there. Espeically since the topic greatly upsets JL soooo).

Even all that aside, you seriously can't expect JC to "repay his debts" and help WN and WQ out of that situation when the whole CW was against them. Helping them was suicidal and would bring on the wrath of the other major sects. And we all saw how that went for WWX (as JC rightly predicted)..

Had JC sided with the Wens and took them in to "pay his debts," he would have dragged the whole of his sect into the siege that happened soon after. This would mean more innocents would have been involved, and it would be the destruction of Lotus Pier all over again (and quite possibly the destruction of the Jiang, too). JC had to prioritise his own people. He would be a shit leader otherwise.

I feel as though some of y'all put some unrealistic expectations on JC when assessing his character. Especially when you compare him to the others in the story (returning back to my point I made earlier about him and WQ and how similar they both are).

On the topic of "debts" though, I would also like to argue that doing a good deed out of the kindness of your heart shouldn't be seen as a debt. And if you do something with the expectation that someone would do something for you back in kind, wouldn't that make you a shitty person? Is that what you're implying the Wen sibs are (or should be) ? Self-serving people who only help others if something is to be gained? 🤨

But what about the "debt" JC goes on about, you might ask? Oh, you mean the PROMISE that WWX made HIMSELF? That he would stay by JC's side? And be his subordinate? To fulfil his role as promised and expected of him?

That wasn't a debt.

WWX construed it as being one, but it doesn't fit the criteria, honestly. What WWX had was an obligation. He made that promise himself, and JC held him to it. It wasn't one JC forced him into as some form of servitiude, nor was it made in return for bed and board or something.

We know JC isn't truly about holding debts over others. If he was, he would have dangled his own sacrifice over WWX and used that to guilt trip him instead. Or force him to pay him back in kind. But he never did. Why? Because he loved WWX, and he didn't want him to feel "indebted" to him. Especially when WWX revealed his feelings of "letting go and moving on" to him.

You could go on forever about debts and who owes who what, but the thing is, each of these characters have hurt eachother in one way or another that at this point, the notion of who owes what doesn't matter anymore. The situation is far more complex than that. That's why all "debts" were dropped at the end, and JC and WWX just moved on. I feel that was the message MXTX tried to convey in her work. About moving on and letting go of grudges. Perhaps JC antis should take on that advice? And move on too?

[mangio-formaggio]

Am sorry, but even if it's always had some emotional sincerity and rawness underneath all the shenanigans, TUA never was the show I expected to be a realistic depiction of life. Particularly with Diego and Lila who are a couple of maniacs whos relationship always was unhinged and unconventional even by that world standards. So I whenever I thought about their family life it's always looked like bit more R-rated version of Spy Kids, but not whatever the fuck it was in s4.

[stars-self-ships]

This imagine goes out to the self-shippers who either choose not to associate with their family, or unfortunately are in a position where they may not have much of a family at all.

The latter half of the year— specifically, the holidays— can be a tough time for many for a myriad of reasons, but just know that throughout it all, your F/Os see you, are here for you, and will remain by your side no matter what.

Think of all of your F/Os not only as one big family, but your true family, whether or not the first paragraph of this post applies to you. If it all becomes too much and you are disillusioned by the notion that you're all alone— you're not.

Your F/Os couldn't be happier to have you in their lives and are so thankful for you. Romantic, platonic, familial or parental, just you being the person that you are makes them even happier than you could possibly fathom.

💞 Remember that. 💞

💖 Proshippers/Comshippers are not welcome to interact with this post. 💖

[a-lost-time-traveler]

I like that the universal agreement of the umbrella academy's fandom seems to be "season 4 sucked and therefore it's not canon"

(spoilers for S4 in the tags)

[jonsrightrib]

I love the moral debate but I also think Orym should get to punch all of them. just a little.

[mabaris]

another thing that i just noticed is that the dwarves have now had done to them by the elves what we’d thought the elves had done to them by humans, at least before inquisition. cut down in their peak and permanently ruined, left to scrabble for the broken pieces of their history

not to say it’s an inherently bad choice because oppression isn’t that straightforward, but it sure was an interesting choice to shift the “they destroyed our way of life and fractured our society and we ARE allowing ourselves to feel angry about it and reclaim our history and maybe use that to rebuild what we once had” narrative from the elves to the dwarves. like if that’s the story you really wanted to tell, you could have also given it to like. bellara