#// TREE HUGGERS RISE UP

[water-to-drink]

Be a Gladiolus in a Field of Belladonnas pt10

Tree Hugger

(Summary): After narrowly escaping detection from the Natlan army it seems that the one from before has caught up with you and company

Part 1 Last Part Next Part

✧ Masterlist ✧

(Characters): Traveler!Lumine, Paimon, Abyss Prince!Aether, Childe, and ???

(Tags/Warnings): gn!reader, potentially bad fight scene, potentially ooc, potential inaccurate descriptions of Natlan, (lmk if I missed anything)

(Word Count): 2.1k

You ran until the layer of snow became thinner and the crunch beneath your shoes resonated less and less. of a heatwave. You ran until the sun that was once rising now sets and paints the sky with a beautiful mixture of red, orange, and purple. You ran despite your feet hurting beyond belief, but the adrenaline kept you pushing forward. You ran despite your lungs burning hotter and a summer day in the midst

Your feet become heavy and your movements became almost sluggish, it seems that Lumine has noticed this

Lumine looks over her shoulder towards you but you see her looking over you and her eyes widen in horror. You look in the same direction and your heart dropped. Just far into the distance you spotted the same jaguar like mask you saw back in Snezhnaya coming at you full speed

“Guys, someone’s found us!” Lumine yelled as she quickly pushed you behind her and summoned her sword

Your assailant summons their weapon, a long wooden claymore lined with pieces of sharp obsidian blades. They swung it at the traveler who expertly dodged the attacks. When Lumine swings her sword the masked individual blocks it with a shield decorated with colorful feathers. They lift up their club to strike Lumine but Aether comes in and stops the attack

The two fall into a familiar rhythm of fighting the attacker and covering the other, Lumine making swings with her right hand whilst Aether does the same with his left hand

The assailant takes out a cord with 3 balls tied to the ends of it and they swing it above their head before throwing it. The string entangles itself around Lumine’s ankles making her fall to the ground. Aether looks at Lumine to ensure she’s okay

“Aether watch out!” Lumine warns

The prince turns around to see their attacker about to deal a blow, but they put up their shield to block the hydro infused arrows, however some water splashes onto them

Seeing the opportunity Aether throws a few lightning strikes towards the assailant to stun them

Childe uses his hydro vision to make a pair of blades and charges at them. Still in a daze the attacker couldn’t react in time to block the slices dealt by the ginger

Lumine finally was able to untangle herself from the bolas

“Childe get down!” Lumine warned and she blasted a large cryo attack at the assailant, freezing them in place

Finally getting their bearings the masked individual puts their hands up in defeat. “I admit defeat, I expected nothing less from the three of you.” They finally spoke

“Who are you?” Aether said while pointing his sword at their neck

Their hands slowly make their way behind their head to remove the mask from their face. You spot two rounded ears covered in a rosette pattern, yellow eyes with slits in the pupils, and short reddish hair

“Oh my god!” You shouted out in surprise. “Wait, who are you?”

“I’m the high priestess in Natlan, Chimalma, I aid the mighty warriors in various thing, but that’s a topic for some other time.” Chimalma introduced herself

“Why should we trust you, for all we know you could have alerted your forces about us.” Aether asked still untrusting of the supposed high priestess

“I know what happened between you and the Raiden Shogun, her seeing your golden blood.” They stated matter of factly. “I also know that the Fatui has been searching for these ‘primogems’, but you haven’t had any luck finding more.”

“How do you know that?!” Lumine asked as she and Childe got in front of you ready to protect you in a moment’s notice

“I don’t mean to bring harm to their Grace, we only wish to help you on your journey.”

“Wait, ‘we?’ Who else is with you?” You asked

“Chimalma wouldn’t have known about your situation if a little birdie hadn’t told her.” A voice replied, you turned your head to see the iconic long pink hair with pink ears drooping because of heavy gold earrings with purple gems, one earring holding an electro vision

“Yae?!” You, Lumine, and Paimon shouted in unison

“Why hello your Grace.” The Guji greeted

“Wh-why are you here?! And how did you know that I’m not the imposter?!”

“Well the Shogun puppet came to the shrine one day and told me about the incident, she even told me about despite Ei seeing your blood but she was forced to raise her blade against you.” You saw Yae’s usual playful expression uncharacteristically turn into one of pain. “I apologize for our little priestess’ brash behavior earlier, I will deal with them later.”

“Wait, I understand where she learned the incident with Ei but how did she learn about the Fatui?!”

“It’s simple,” Chimalma said as she raised her hand out and a blue hummingbird flew over and perched itself her hand. “I had spies watching.”

“Birds talk here?!” You gasped in shock

“They do but only a chosen few can understand them. Soon you’ll understand them.”

“We need to head out soon, it’s getting late and do something about your clothes.” Yae looks over her shoulder and made a little gesture with her hand, a decent sided wooden carriage pulled by animals you don’t recognize and two men dressed in what you assumed to be Natlan clothing come out of the carriage. The twin instantly get in front of you at the sight of the men, sensing your nervousness they give Yae the box and kneel down before you

“Just as Lady Chimalma said, we don’t mean to bring you any harm.” One stated

“We would rather see that our end is met by your hands if you see us as untrustworthy .” The other continued

“No, you’re good. I’m not killing anyone except my doppelganger.” You reassured them

“Natlan warriors are an intense bunch.” Yae said as she walks towards you with the wooden box. “I know it’s not much but it’s all that we could find in such a short period.” Yae opens the box to reveal 7 Primogems

You take the gems and they disappear into a glittery blue dust very reminiscent of a nebula in space. You felt a tiny bit of power course through your arm and up to your chest causing an involuntary shiver racks through your body

“Whoa, I actually felt something this time.” You chuckled

“That’s good to hear, but I know a more effective method to getting your old powers back.”

“Really? What is it?” Paimon asked

“We need to go to Natlan for that.” Chimalma said as she melted the ice trapping her feet in place

“Don’t worry, little one. I will ensure your safety.” Yae said putting her hand on your shoulder in a gesture of reassurance. “However, before we enter Natlan’s boarder’s you all need to change into something less eye catching.” Yae said gesturing to your clothes

The Guji snapped her fingers and the two men go back into the carriage and bring out various clothing items, they present them to you and company

“You have to change out of your clothes to avoid suspicion.” Yae advised

You and the others quickly put on the disguises which consisted of a thick cloth shirt, leggings with a rosette pattern similar to the one that Chimalma has on her ears, and a wooden helmet carved in the shape of a bird, but you were told that could be put on later when in Natlan. Now you resembled the two men clothing wise, you all were ushered into the carriage and settled in. There was only enough room for you and Miko to sit on one side while the others sat right in front of you. The carriage began to make the long journey from Snezhnaya to Natlan, maybe the fact that you were finally stationary in hours because you found yourself dozing off and you almost rested your head on Yae’s shoulder

“You look tired, my dear. Why don’t you rest a little for now.” Yae smiled as she patted her thighs inviting you to lay your head on them

“Oh! A-are you sure, don’t want to impose…” You stuttered out as heat rushes to your face

“Nonsense, you need all the rest you can get, remember you have a long journey ahead of you.”

“If you say so.” You said and laid your head down in her lap. Yae’s lap felt like heaven, you don’t know if it’s due to the fact that you’ve slept in a cave and spent the whole day running but her thighs were spiritually healing. You were so preoccupied with the comfort you were experiencing you completely missed the death glares thrown at Yae, who in turn smirked triumphantly

The next thing you feel is Yae gently shaking you awake, you sat up and in your groggy state you looked around and remembered where you are.

“We’re here.” Chimalma said as you all got out of the carriage and looked at the beautiful landscape. “Welcome to the nation of pyro, Natlan.”

“How did we get here that fast?” You asked in amazement

“It’s a secret~” Yae said holding her finger in front of her smirking lips

You look around to see reddish orange mountains with various paintings on them. A tap on your shoulder brings your attention towards Yae

“It isn’t safe to be out there for too long without your mask.”

You put on the wooden helmet and followed Yae and Chimalma who lead you and company to a tree with parts of its bark a glowing shade of blue

You see the two hybrids looking at you and the tree expectantly

“Ohh! Uhh, how do I ‘resonate’ with the tree?” You asked

“The same way our dear traveler resonates with the statues of the seven, by touching them.” Yae answered

You hesitantly extends your hands and rest your finger tips on the tree. After a while your tense shoulders slowly relax and you press your palms on the bark. The moment you spot the blue parts of the tree start glowing brighter than before you instantly withdrew your hands. The soft giggles from Yae drew your attention towards the Guji, she takes your hands and leads them back to the tree

“Relax, just concentrate on connecting with the tree.”

You took a deep breath and closed your eyes, focusing on the tree you feel power and warmth course through you. You take your hands off the tree and open your eyes to see the blue parts glowing brightly

“So how do you feel?” Lumine asked

“That was intense, but other than that I feel the same.” You replied

“Summon some fire!” Chimalma urged

You hesitantly held out your dominant hand and imagined a flame coming out from your hand and once the image comes into your mind a decently sized fire envelopes your hand. Surprisingly the flame doesn’t hurt you and after a while the flame dies down into nothing

“Whoa, so the way for their Grace to regain their powers is to touch these trees, kinda like Lumine with the statues of the seven?” Paimon asked as she rubbed her chin

“Very intuitive little one, as to why it works for the Ley Lines instead of the statues I do not know.” Yae explains

You spot Aether wanting to say something but stopping himself from doing so, you stopped yourself from prying so to not make the situation awkward

“Now that we’re done here, let’s go time is of the essence.” Yae begins to walk away from the tree

“Wait before you go,” Chimalma said as she knelt down before you. “take this sword with you.” You took the sword and take it out of its sheath to examine it, a brown hilt leading to a blade with similar blue stripes as the tree you just resonated with

“Why are you giving their Grace a sword?! They have us to protect them!” Aether stated also offended at the implication that he and Lumine aren’t enough to protect you

“You never know and besides it’ll help jog up some memories.”

“I think you’re mistaken, I’ve never held a sword like this before.” You said

“Maybe in this life, but in your old life definitely. Everything that the old pyro archon knew, you taught it to them.”

You held the sword and felt something stir inside you and put it back in its sheath

“I’ll hold you to that statement.” You said

“I promise it’ll come in handy.”

You waved Chimalma goodbye and walk back to the carriage. Mentally preparing yourself for your next destination

The land of electro, Inazuma

Taglist:

@chuuya-brainrot @creation-magician @tartarsaucechi1de @vvyeislazzy @kokomisimpppp @aludicpoet @undecidingfate @annoying-mary @randomnatics @ventixthexanemoxarchon @bore2808 @lizzhearthz @ bidisasterforevermore @dxprived4-starboys @angstylittleb1tch @esthelily @yurivision @angelamelamela @d4y-dr3am3r @blackcoffex @not-the-shroom @raffaelo4ka @rebeccawinters @lhaol @artwitchh @imyme20 @nymphsdomain @sun7flowxr @itz-luna @flowerypesky @ghost-mint @mmmhyperfixation @legendaryexperthideout @lapinaenmicoche @sinsdumbdrabble @land-of-eternity @deathcvltcivilofficial

[vigilante-3073]

Tree-hugger

Daryl Dixon x Female Reader

PART 3

Summary: Daryl hasn't seen Y/N in a few days and she isn't responding when he calls to her on the radio. Daryl goes out to try and find her in the middle of the night.

TW: Injured reader, illness, nervous Daryl, fluff, cursing.

Daryl had gone 60 days without seeing Y/N when the prison fell. Everyone had been scattered and slowly came back together before carrying on to try and find a new home. Daryl called out to Y/N on his radio, but never heard anything back. He was certain that she had died, he found himself missing her irritating quips and bright smile.

The group managed to find a community called Alexandria and settled in fairly well, but Daryl couldn't seem to assimilate like everyone else. He slept out on the porch, feeling comfort in the thought that if Y/N was still alive out there, maybe they were looking up at the same stars.

Daryl escaped to the woods during the day, setting traps in the area and hunting with his bow. Until one fateful day when he heard a loud whistle from somewhere in the trees before getting hit in the head with an acorn. Daryl couldn't even bring himself to care about the pain, spinning around in time to see her climbing down from a tree.

Daryl rushed over, dropping his crossbow onto the ground before pulling her into a tight embrace.

"Wow, I might just have to go missing more often if you're gonna hold me like this," Y/N grinned, wrapping her arms around him.

"Don't you dare," Daryl mumbled.

...

Despite their prolonged separation, Y/N still insisted on staying in the woods. Daryl visited her almost every day and they walked his trail to check the traps together.

Daryl couldn't help but feel antsy when he hadn't seen or heard from her in three days. The final straw was when he called for her on the walkie and heard nothing back.

He knew something was wrong.

It was the middle of the night and he had been trying to get ahold of her all day. He couldn't find her when he checked the traps earlier, but he needed to look again.

He took a flashlight and went out into the woods. Daryl searched the area until the sun had started to rise. Then he spotted her in the early morning sunlight.

Y/N was laying on the ground by a tree, Daryl looked up and saw her tether still tied in the place where she had fallen from.

"Hey, hey, Y/N, can you hear me?" Daryl asked, carefully turning her onto her back.

She blinked slowly, mumbling something he couldn't understand as her eyes wandered around, never quite focusing on anything.

Daryl reached up and pressed the back of his hand to her sweaty forehead, her skin burning hot against his.

"Jesus, are you bit? Can you talk?" He asked, eyes scanning over her quickly.

There were no tears in her clothing, no blood and no evidence of bites or scratches. Whatever this was definitely wasn't good though.

"Gonna pick you up," He mumbled, sliding his arms underneath her body and lifting her into his arms.

He rushed through the woods, bringing her into Alexandria. She woke up in his arms as he carried her through the gates, squirming around in his hold and weakly pushing at his chest.

"Hey, it's me. It's Daryl. I got ya," He assured, tightening his hold on her.

"Daryl?" Y/N mumbled weakly.

"You're gonna be okay," Daryl said, carrying her towards the medical building.

Her head dropped down onto his shoulder, feverish skin pressed against his as her eyes fluttered shut and she lost consciousness.

..

Y/N had been in the infirmary for three days on IV fluids. She had likely been sick for days before spiking a fever. The medic was surprised that she lasted as long as she did without some kind of treatment.

Daryl stayed at her bedside, dutifully wiping a cool cloth across her forehead to try and bring her fever down. Her fever finally broke on the third day, but she still had yet to regain consciousness.

When she did, it certainly wouldn't be a fun experience. The entire side of her body was bruised from where she fell with a few cracked or bruised ribs, but no major damage.

She was lucky. And Daryl wouldn't be letting her forget it.

...

Y/N woke up, blinking up at the ceiling before panic quickly set in. She had been in the woods, how the hell did she get here?

She reached over and quickly pulled out her IV, throwing the tubing off to the side. Y/N sat up and got out of bed with a grimace, she tugged up the material of her shirt to see her side covered in dark bruises.

"Fuck," Y/N muttered, letting the material fall back into place.

She needed to get out of here and fast.

She looked around the room, searching the bedside table for her things quickly. None of her things were here, she slammed the drawer before taking a shaky breath.

Y/N's head snapped up when the door opened with a squeak. Her eyes quickly found the pair of scissors on the bedside table alongside a roll of medical tape.

She grabbed the scissors, gripping them tightly and readying herself to attack.

Daryl made his way into the room, pausing when he saw her awake and upright.

Her shoulders relaxed, letting out a soft breath of relief when she realized that she isn't in any danger.

"Put those down before you hurt yourself," Daryl said gruffly, nodding to the scissors in her hand.

Y/N tossed the scissors back on top of the table, "Why the hell would you bring me here? I told you that I didn't want this," She stated.

Daryl ignored her, "Why didn't you tell me you were sick?" He asked.

"I was dealing with it," Y/N said.

"You coulda died," Daryl stated.

"I'm fine," Y/N said, crossing her arms with a grimace.

"Yeah, you're welcome. Found you passed out on the ground in the middle of the woods like walker bait," Daryl said.

"Thank you for looking out for me, but I can't stay here, Daryl," Y/N replied.

"You can and you will. You're not well enough to be runnin' around the woods right now," Daryl said sternly.

"My shit is still out there," Y/N said, gesturing outwards before quickly pulling her arm back as her side ached in protest to the movement.

"No, it ain't. I went out and grabbed it a few days ago," Daryl snapped.

"A few days? How long was I out?" Y/N questioned.

"Three days," Daryl muttered.

"Three days?" She asked incredulously.

He nodded, "Shit," Y/N mumbled, rubbing a hand over her aching side.

"You're stayin' and that's final. You can stay here or with me," Daryl listed.

Y/N huffed, "Daryl-" "Pick one, tree-hugger. I'm not lettin' you go back out there," Daryl said.

She narrowed her eyes at the nickname, "You couldn't even try and call me something cute? Sunshine, honey and baby are all valid options, but you chose 'tree-hugger'?" Y/N asked.

"Quit stallin'," He said.

She sighed heavily, "Your place then, I guess," Y/N grumbled.

"C'mon, let's go" making his way out of the room. Y/N reluctantly followed after him.

...

Y/N was relieved to find all of her things stored safely in the corner of Daryl's bedroom. Her motorcycle was parked out front beside his and everything was in order, but she still couldn't bring herself to relax.

Y/N felt more exposed in this house than she ever had in the woods, but she couldn't deny how much she'd missed having warm water.

Y/N made her way out of the bathroom, towel drying her hair. Daryl had loaned her one of his shirts to sleep in, the loose material being gentler against her bruised skin.

"You take the bed. I'll sleep here," Daryl stated.

"You sure?" Y/N asked, laying the towel over the back of a chair.

Daryl nodded, already laying down on the ground beside the bed with a pillow. Y/N stepped over him and climbed into the bed.

They laid together in silence for a few minutes. Y/N picked at a loose thread on the blanket, "Daryl?" She called softly.

He grunted wordlessly.

"Thank you for saving me... You're my sexy redneck hero," She said.

"You're welcome... Sunshine," He replied.

A wide smile spread across her face, "You are my perfect man, Daryl Dixon. It's like I made you in a lab," Y/N said.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," He mumbled, feeling his cheeks heat up at her compliments.

The comfortable silence settled over them again, Daryl fell asleep quickly while Y/N tossed and turned restlessly.

Her side ached and the bed was too soft, she felt like she was suffocating.

Y/N sat up with a huff after a few more hours of restless shifting, climbing out of the bed and laying down on the floor beside Daryl.

He radiated a comforting heat that had her shifting back slightly to press her back against his. Sleep found her quickly when she was snuggled up beside Daryl.

...

Y/N's eyes fluttered open, squinting at the bright morning sunlight that flooded in through the window. She draped her forearm across her eyes with a huff, listening to the soft noises coming from the kitchen below.

Y/N washed up in the bathroom before making her way down the stairs.

Daryl was standing at the stove, "Mornin'," He said.

"What are you doing?" She asked, slowly making her way over to him.

"What's it look like? Making breakfast. Sit down," He said, turning his attention back to the stovetop.

Y/N pulled out a chair and sat at the island, "I can't remember the last time a man cooked for me," She said.

"Don't get used to it," Daryl muttered, scooping scrambled eggs out onto two plates. He grabbed two forks from the drawer before passing her plate to her across the island.

"Thanks," Y/N said.

"Welcome," Daryl replied before digging in.

Y/N hummed as she took a bite, "These are amazing, like probably the best I've ever had amazing. Is there anything you can't do?" She questioned.

Daryl shook his head with a small smile, cheeks flushing under her praise, "Just eggs," He mumbled.

"You look so pretty when your cheeks are all red," She smiled, staring up at him lovingly.

Daryl looked up at her, "You never take a day off, huh?" Daryl questioned.

"I think you should be told how smart, handsome, strong and sexy you are every single day. And if I recall, I was asleep for three days so I'm gonna be laying it on thick to make up for all that lost time," Y/N said, taking another bite of her breakfast.

"Bring it on, sunshine," Daryl smirked.

[minihotdog]

Captive - Ch. 3: Ruthless

Eric Coulter x OC Eden Rossi

Chapter 2: The Ghost From Amity

t/w: Eric tries to drown someone

Note: I'm not much of a writer so thank you for actually reading my fic XD

I pull the sleeves on my fleece sweater over my hands in an attempt to protect myself from the frigid air. The yellow book given to me by one of the kind guards lays open on the bed next to me. 

The sun has gone down and come up twice since I woke up to the stranger at my bedside. 

The guards woke me up hours ago to bathe. By bathe, I mean a bucket of cold water in a freezing-tiled room as they laugh at the sound of my teeth chattering from outside the room.

My tangled hair is being held together by a fragile clip I found in the bag in the morning when my uniform was issued. The dark gray sweater with a series of numbers printed on both sides and sweat pants given to me do very little to protect me from this freezing place.

I sit staring at the wall, a million thoughts race through my mind but none of them are entertaining enough to take me away from here.

The door slides open suddenly, startling me. I scurry further into the corner as a large figure comes within my view. It’s the strange man.

He grabs the chair, spinning it around to face me before taking a seat. I try to look away but he’s the most interesting thing I’ve seen in two days. He looks me over looking uninterested or apathetic. 

“Hello, again.” He says menacingly. 

(Eric’s Pov)

I look her over head to toe. She sits with her knees to her chest. Pathetic , I think to myself. How could anyone see her as a threat to our security? Just a tree hugger that wandered too far from base and got caught, probably chasing a butterfly before a guardsman knocked her on the back of the head with his rifle.

“Are you ready to tell me what you were doing within our walls?”

“I told you! I was delivering rations.” I stare at her, she finally found her voice after our first meeting. 

“You were delivering rations inside the headquarters, with no rations in sight and no escort?” I huff, already growing tired of this answer. 

“I’ll give you another chance, this is your last warning.” I look into her eyes, fear resides in them, but also what I can make out a determination. She thinks she can outlast me. 

“What were you doing inside the faction with no escort, Amity scum!” I spit out at her.

“I told you alread-”

I cut her off, looking towards the one-way mirror. Two guards come through the door. They place a heavy trough on the ground at the foot of the bed, water spills out the sides and pools on the concrete floor. The guards rush out leaving us alone in the tension-packed room.

“Ms. Rossi, you are in a bad place.” I almost sing to her, sucking my teeth at her naivety. “I want to send you home, unharmed, but first you have to explain to me what you were doing. If you’re innocent as you claim, that can be arranged very soon.” 

She sits there, her eyes leaving mine momentarily to look at the water. The anger begins to rise inside of me every second I see her curled up like a scared dog.

“Now, let’s try again, what were you doing within this faction’s wall all by yourself?” 

“I was delivering ra-” I lunge at her, grabbing her by the hair on the back of her head. I hold her close to me as sounds of pain leave her mouth.

“How many chances do you need from me?” No response. I pull her hair harder and she cries out. “How many?”

I drag her to the end of the bed and hold her head above the water. My knee rests on the bed behind her to keep my balance as she fights against my grip.

“Who are you? Who is Eden Rossi?” I ask, hoping she doesn’t answer. Some sick and twisted side of me jumps from excitement when she stays quiet. Her arms shoot out in an attempt to save herself. I shove her head into the water, holding her firmly as she thrashes and tries to fight against my grasp. 

I pull her head up. She coughs violently, spitting up the water she inhaled. 

“What’s that?” I taunt her. She just coughs and coughs. I push her head down once more, watching the bubbles rise to the surface, and repeat for what seems like hours before letting her go. She pulls away from me gasping for air, her hair and clothes soaked in water. I stand over her as she looks up at me in fear.

“I’ll be back to speak with you, I’ll only get worse from here Ms. Rossi.” 

I leave her shivering in the cell and head towards my quarters to try once again to try and find any evidence proving her existence.

~~~~~

I sip my coffee at the leader’s table listening to the various conversations occurring around me in the cafeteria. My shred of happiness disappears when none other than Four decides to join me. 

“What do you want?” I look away, trying to grasp at the little peace I was feeling just before.

“The guards down at the detention center told me you tried to drown the spy.” 

“This place seems to have a massive gossip problem.”

Four runs his hands over his face, frustrated. “Yeah, except it’s believable when you’re in the picture.” I shrug, not caring about what he has to say further. “You’re supposed to build rapport with suspects, not jump to torture. I mean, what is wrong with you?” He whisper-shouts at me. 

“She wasn’t budging. We don’t have time for suspects to play dumb when we might have a war outside our walls soon.” I finish my coffee and set the mug on my tray. “Besides, what would you have done? Fucked her?” 

“Holy shit, here we go again!” Four looks around, hoping no one heard the course words come out of Eric’s mouth. “You should bring her a gift to apologize, you know, for trying to kill her for fun. Maybe if you build some trust she’ll start talking,” Four says in a patronizing tone.

~Later That Night~

I sit at my computer lost in thought, the empty file of “Eden Rossi” displayed on the monitor. It’s too early in an investigation to hit a wall. I think to myself, only making matters worse. I groan in frustration and exhaustion. Four’s words play in my head on repeat. 

A gift, hmm?  

I remember the book sitting on the bed when I last saw her. Some fantasy book no doubt written by some soft-skulled Amity. 

My eyes run over the endless selection of books covering the walls of my office while lost in thought.

[anarchywoofwoof]

January 11, 2023 9:15 AM EST

Whereas worldwide temperatures have increased by an average of 1.1°C since pre-industrial times, in Israel and the surrounding areas, average temperatures have risen by 1.5°C (2.7°F) between 1950 and 2017, according to the Israeli Meteorological Service, with a forecasted increase of 4°C (7.2°F) by the end of the century. Meanwhile, rising sea levels—projected by Israel’s Environment Ministry to be as high as a meter by 2050, according to a new investigative report by Haaretz newspaper—threaten to obliterate Israel’s famed beaches, damage its desalination plants and undermine the sewage and drainage systems of many coastal cities. In the densely populated Gaza strip, where 2.1 million Palestinians are crammed into 365 square km (141 sq. mi.), sea level rise means a loss of precious real estate as well as saltwater intrusion into an already overtaxed aquifer.

...

In an arid region already threatened by desertification and declining precipitation, one would think that the looming climate catastrophe would catalyze a powerful climate movement. Instead, the whole thing is largely an afterthought. Climate made barely a ripple in the recent Israeli election, and in Palestinian politics, it has been sidelined by the government’s justified preoccupation with, well, Israeli occupation. In forming his new cabinet, Netanyahu replaced a vetted environmental protection minister with the former chairperson of the Knesset’s Labor, Welfare and Health Committee, who is widely considered to be more palatable to his ultra-conservative allies in the new government.

...

The problem, says Majdalani, is that both Palestinians and Israelis are so focused on the politics of their current existence that they can’t plan for future threats. The late Palestinian-American social commentator and literary critic Edward Said once dismissed environmentalism as “the indulgence of spoiled tree huggers who lack a proper cause.” That sentiment still lingers, Majdalani says, casting climate activism as secondary to establishing a fully independent Palestinian state. “The average Palestinian wakes up in the morning worrying about how to get to work without crossing a checkpoint. Their priority is the [Israeli] occupation. For the Israelis, it’s security, the sense that there is a dangerous enemy on the other side that needs to be controlled.” Dror Etkes, an Israeli activist who campaigns against the growing number of illegal Israeli settlements in the Palestinian controlled West Bank, says that Palestinians are given little choice but to focus on the immediate threat. “Of course climate change is important. It’s going to influence life here enormously. But when you’re almost drowning, you don’t have the time to think about anything else. You just want to keep your head above the water.”

...

Meanwhile, the power imbalance between Jewish Israelis—even those who are politically left-wing—and Palestinians promotes fears among Palestinian climate activists that cooperation could be misinterpreted as “normalizing” relations before the conflict is resolved. It’s a situation that Majdalani, of EcoPeace, has frequently faced in her own activism. “There’s this pervasive sense of ‘we don’t cooperate with the occupier, it’s not the right political environment.’ But if we wait for the right political environment, we will lose more land. We will have more people suffering water shortages, more farmers leaving their farms, and the crisis will continue.” Meanwhile, progress on the two-state solution has effectively stalled under a far-right government that opposes any efforts to create a viable Palestinian state. If the expansion of Israeli settlements on what is supposed to be Palestinian land in a two-state future continues at the same pace, says Etkes, the anti-settlement activist, “[Climate change] might not even be a Palestinian problem in 30 years, it might just be a purely Israeli one.”

[messy-gemini1]

His ( Pt. 1? maybe?)

Thomas has heard Hoyt talk about 'hippies' and 'tree hugger' and 'gypsies' among other things like that. His mama called them moon children and stuff and talked about her time where she wished she could be like that.

He never understood what she meant until he saw you enter the gas station smiling with a flower crown wrapped around your head and a large smile on your face that lit up the room.

His eyes watched your every move, the way your hands glazed the dangling bones from the window and the macabre decorations on the counter as your friends talked with his mother.

Your eyes met and for an instant he thought you were going to run and scream. But you smiled and sent a small wave his way, your bracelets clanked together. You turned and made your way back to your friends, but Thomas' eyes no longer followed your form, instead he watched some bikers stare at your behind like you weren't nothing more than a piece of meat.

You were going to be his and he'd be damned if he'd let another man violate your space with their eyes.

~~~~~~

Thomas didn't see you again till Hoyt had dragged you and your friends out of his car. Your hair was matted with blood in one spot and your arms were bruised and cut.

He had just got done getting rid of the bikers from the gas station. His hands were dirty and bloody as he stepped Infront of your form as you laid on the ground. Your eyes slowly trailed up, meeting his. Thomas could tell you were frightened by the way your pupils changed and your throat bobbed from gulping.

"Well? Go on Tommy. Mama said you wanted that one" Hoyt grinned, dragging her screaming friend towards the shed. Thomas looked from his leaving form to your own, the way you stared at him like a deer in headlights. He loved it. The way you looked at him and only him. You'd grow to love him.

He picked your form up, tossing you over his shoulder as you gasped in surprise and yelped "p-put me down!" you yelped, trying to squirm out of his grip but he was much much stronger than your own body, even if you weren't wounded.

Thomas carried you up the stairs and into his room, tossing you into the bed and quickly chaining your ankle to the leg of the bed, standing above you as you quivered.

He moved slowly, his form sliding onto his knees, so he didn't tower over you. You watched him, chest rising and falling quickly. You watched as he moved a hand slowly to your face, cupping your cheek and leaving his bloody handprint, almost marking you.

You watched him unblinking. "w-what do you want?" you whispered, afraid if you spoke any louder your voice would crack. Thomas stared into your eyes, adoring the way they shook and flashed along his face for any sign of what he was thinking.

"mInE" his broken and knarled words came out. Your eyes widened as he stood up and left the room, locking the door behind him so no one could enter and take you away from him.

~~~~~~

You sat in the room for what felt like hours. You could hear the roaring of a chainsaw off somewhere on the property. anytime you moved, the chain rattled along the floor. At one point, the man you knew as Hoyt, hollered and told you stop making a racket, so you sat on the bed with your knees tucked to your knees.

You moved when you heard the door unlock and the older woman from the gas station enter. She smiled softly at you and entered the room with a plate of food and a bowl of water and a rag.

"oh you're a beauty. No wonder my baby boy liked you. I've never had a girl before" she spoke, setting the plate on the side table as she sat on the bed next to you as if nothing was wrong.

"Now let's clean you up sweetie" she said. You didn't move as she dipped the rag in the water and started cleaning your skin. You watched her every move. Scared she'd turn and hurt you in any way.

"My boy Tommy picked you especially" she spoke. "w-why me" you spoke up. The woman looked up and smiled "he said you were nice to him and looked pretty. It doesn't take much to please to boy" she spoke.

You gulped and let her clean your skin. "There. all done. and for being so well behave you get dinner" she said and placed the plate of food on your lap. "Now enjoy before Thomas gets back. I'm sure he'll want to spend all his time with you" She giggled and left the room, locking the door behind her.

You could only imagine what that meant for you.

~~~~~~

It had been months since then. You slowly got used to being a prisoner here. Thomas was shy you noticed. Despite his larger frame he kept to himself, even in his own room. He turned his head away when you changed, when you needed to use the bathroom, he shut the door and covered his eyes anytime you showered.

You found it oddly cute, in a Stockholm syndrome type of way. You knew what you were feeling was wrong, but Thomas was gentle with you. When he wanted some time, he tried to sign to you, knowing you knew very little ASL.

He never did anything besides want to hold your hand or press his masked face against your head into his version of a kiss.

Soon, you were allowed to roam the rest of the house, even help Luda Mae make dinner. She made dresses for you to wear instead of your old, ruined clothes. You told her about your life before you were trapped there.

She liked to call you her wishful flower child she dreamed of for her son. You only smiled sheepishly and allowed her to believe what you wanted. You didn't know what was to become of you or what happened to your friend.

~~~~~~

Not until it was dinner time and you sat across from Hoyt one dinner. you refused to meet his gaze, his eyes staring you down. Luda Mae placed a bowl of stew Infront of you with a smile and continued to serve everyone else as Thomas stepped into the dining room from the basement, a place you were forbidden from entering.

Hoyt eyed you as you slowly stirred your stew, heat still rising from the broth. he grinned a little and locked eyes with You. "Ya know. Your friend aren't that bad" he said. You looked up at him slowly, he flashes a grin, spitting his tobacco into a spare can "they taste pretty good" he said, taking a slow sip of his stew.

Your body froze, eyes slowly looking down at your stew. 'no.nonononononononnoo!' you thought, shooting up so fast the chair knocked over. You gagged and ran out of the room and out the door fast as you could, Hoyt's laugh echoing the room.

You didn't get very far as Thomas tackled your form into the ground as you sobbed. You tried to push and hit his arms, attempting to get out of his grip.

Thomas refused to let you go and pulled you into his chest as you sobbed loudly in the dark. The only sound was your cries as if every insect around were scared off by the sound.

~~~~~~

You didn't leave the bedroom for weeks, even going as far as to not eat anything Luda Mae brought. Thomas gave you space, you wouldn't look at him. Even when he popped his head into the room to check on you, you wouldn't move from your spot, form curled up in the bed where you had laid for weeks.

The only time you moved was to use the bathroom or shower. Thomas tried to get you to look at him, but you snapped at his fingers like a wild animal, teeth bared at him.

He understood, you were hurt, angry, disgusted..He wanted nothing more than to see you smile like you did at the shop. But he knew it would take time. Take time for you to realize you were his and there was nothing you could do about it other than accept it.

Soon, soon you would come to terms with what happened, and you would allow him to be in the same room with him and accept him as your and you his. But until then, he would wait.

He would wait and force feed you if he has to until you make amend with yourself and accept your new life. Until then. You'll be His in his mind and stay in his room. where he can keep you from prying eyes.

___________

A/n: I tried to do a slighty darker fic. hopefully you guys liked it and i might do a part 2. request are open and i hope you guys like this!

[masked-artist-xp]

Hey Fang,you're so cool(and a bit intimidating), what sleeping position do you have? Are you like,a pillow hugger or maybe just sleep like a dead person in their coffin? Or maybe actually in a coffin if you sleep in a coffin,when you wake up do you rise creepily like a vampire in a movie? Scratch that, would your back hurt? Or,actually do you Fangs? I've always wondered,I mean,it's in the name I think. Also,do you like plants? I have a fake tree in my room it's so cool! Actually,I have a buncha plants in my room and I also have a small pink flamingo light. I think it was a birthday present. Oh, speaking of,when's your birthday? You seem like maybe a March or June birthday. Or,maybe a December birthday?... Uh,sorry I got a bit off topic here...

Fang:"...eh heh, that's a lotta questions, doll...hm, thank you for calling me cool and I'm only intimidating when I choose, but I can understand why you'd naturally be intimidated by me...

I may be half vampire but I don't fit many of the vampiric stereotypes, heh...

I tend to sleep on my side or my stomach, just cuz of my tail...

And my back and body do generally ache a lot for SEVERAL reasons...

I do actually have fangs, they do get bigger and longer when my hunger for blood is stronger...I actually chose my name myself...

Fang is not my birth name...

Plants are cool I guess...not something for me to take care of nor one of my hyperfixations...but still kinda cool...

My birthday is October 26th...yesterday was my birthday, not much celebration other than going to a karaoke bar with my friend Neo...

And, don't worry about going 'off-topic', hun...I got ADHD, so I completely understand going off-topic...eh heheheh..."

[so-true-overdue]

The planet is just fine; it's the humans who are a mess. For anyone still clinging to the notion that climate change is some exaggerated myth, it’s time to face the facts. The earth isn't just warming by itself. We’re the ones turning up the heat, and let’s be honest—it’s not because the planet was feeling chilly. This is what happens when industrial revolutions turn into full-blown climate revolutions.

Let’s not kid ourselves. The science is clear, and it’s been clear for decades. The burning of fossil fuels, deforestation, and industrial pollution—these aren’t just inconvenient truths; they’re inconvenient realities. We’ve pumped so much carbon dioxide into the atmosphere that the planet’s natural systems are struggling to keep up. Imagine throwing a wild party and then being shocked when the house is trashed. That's us, except our party favors are melting ice caps, rising sea levels, and extreme weather.

But here’s the kicker: we knew this would happen. We’ve had the data, the warnings, and the research. We’ve had scientists practically shouting from the rooftops, yet here we are, acting surprised every time a new temperature record is broken. It’s like watching someone repeatedly touch a hot stove and then wonder why their hand is burnt.

The inconvenient truth isn’t just that climate change is real—it's that we are the primary cause. And no, this isn’t up for debate. The evidence is overwhelming, and it’s not just coming from some mysterious group of tree-huggers. It's coming from the very people whose job it is to study this planet. You know, the experts.

So, here we are, sitting in the middle of a self-made crisis. The irony is almost painful. We have the technology to change, the knowledge to adapt, and yet we’re stuck in a cycle of denial and delay. It’s like we’re all collectively pretending that if we close our eyes, the problem will disappear. Spoiler alert: it won’t.

In the end, the earth will keep spinning. It’s the humans who need to wake up. The climate isn’t waiting for us to get our act together, and neither should we.

[ramrodd]

How would President Harry Truman have been better prepared to deal with postwar challenges if President Roosevelt had not been elected to four consecutive terms?

COMMENTARY:

Truman would not have become President.

That’s how elections work,

It’s not like FDR was voted off the Island, like Biden,

Truman was never on the Island in the first place without without a fourth election,

I went to Vietnam to make sure Barack Obama would get elected, Electing Kid Harris would double the pleasure. That’s exactly why the Project 2025 Conservatives hate Critical Race Theory” except for being white, they aren’t competitive in a level playing field,

I was exactly like Pete Buttigieg when I got back from Vietnam in 1971 except I am an Eisenhower Republican and he is what an Eisenhower Democrat would look like, He is like Michael Steele and Larry Hogan and he and AOC is whaat Nixon and Daniel Patrick Moynihan had in mind with Aaffirmative Action was to create the political executives in the American body politic organic to the economic configuration necessary to sustain a lunar colony for the next 100 years, if not until the end of Enoch’s 7000 Year Epoch. We are at EY (Enoch Year) 5780. AOC and Pete Buttigieg are the functional equivalent of the Jack Kemp Republicans of the Party of Lincoln pre-Reagan GOP.

Because of Biden-Harris, Reagan’s New Federalism is nearly complete, in spite of Project 2025’s insurgency committed to preventing the Star Wars economics of 2001: A Space Odyssey and the shower sciene from Starship Troopers from emerging as Starship America.

Completing Reagan’s New Federalism will fulfill Stage 2 of Eisenhower’s 1956 Presidential Platform leading to the transformation of the Military Industrial Complex to the economics of 2001:A Space Odyssey by reconfiguring the Social Infrastructrure of the Manahattan Project to the Social Infrastrucrue of the Star Wars configuration of Aeorspace Entprepreneurial Matrix core social fusion economics of The Green New Deal, Stage 2 was designed to create the legislative infrastructure to tie the material and social infrastructure together in Honey Bee Swarm DEI performance protocols of the Be All YOu Can Be aspiraations of The Green New Deal.

Project 2025 began in 1960 with William F. Buckley’s manifesto for the Nazification of America, the Sharon Statement Project 2025 is the turd in the punch bowl of the American body politic, At one point, before Reagan, the turd was basical a free range pollution that George Wallace had ripped out of the Southern Democrats, I’m related to Woodrow Wilson, The turd in the Willson family punch bowl is the origicnal sin of the Presbyterian Church USA, today, his Jim Crow, Birth of a Nation white supremacy bigotry. William F. Buckley’s “Negro Problem” repubuttal to James Baldwin’s Critical Race Theory BLM Affirmative Action proposal that led to the election of Barrack Obama, which is why I went to Vietnam, In the Nixon White House, Pat Buchanan and the Plumbers were the rising pollution of Project 2025 and the turds in the Nixon White House, And the Plumbers became the Reagan Conservatives, when the turd in the punch bowl moved into the Executive Branch of the Federal Government,

The object of the exercise is to keep the Biden cabinet in place until at least the 2026 midterms, when I think the New Federalism will be fully installed, In terms of the Aerospace Entrepreneurial Matirx of the Eisenhower process theology, the Aerospace has been hanging fire since the tree huggers were successful in shutting down the SST program and Project 2025 Conservatives around Reagan never even pretended to implement Reagan’s New Federalsim,

This is the cost of Project 2025 success of obstructing and dismantling Affirmative Action: replace the Pan Am logo in 2001: A Space Oddyssey with SpaceX and that’s exactly where we would have been in 2000 if Project 2025 had not had control of the Oval Office and the Senate,

Harris is already up and running in terms of the implementation of the New Federalism, She was President of the Senate while Biden was putting together the legislation to tie all the llllse ends for the Green New Deal and all us voters need to do is to keep Biden’s cabinet in place on January 20, 2025,

Donald Trump is the only person in history who did not even try to rise to the challenge of the office and legacy of George Washington, That’s the important lesson of Harry s Truman: he didn’t have a clue what was waiting for him, but the steadiness under fire he exhibited in France was put on steroids.

And Kid Harris is as ready as any person in history to take the hand off of the Torch of Camelot for us Boomers and not even break stride in the final leg of the aparadigm shift of Stage 3 of growing the Green New Deal,

[dbanes]

Armageddon on the Horizon?

re: response to food shortages, energy costs and people in Australia.

We have all the same issues here in the UK. Ignoring all the conspiracy theories I think the root cause of all of this is over consumption, by us as individuals, fuelled by post war credit; and businesses through the never ending quest for growth. But I’m no expert and I don’t think anyone is!

The post war credit industry gave everyone 'endless money' to buy(food and goods) whatever they wanted, I first saw it in California in 1994 with garages full of stuff and food portions twice what anyone could eat. I was shocked when I returned to the UK from Australia in 2010, it resembled California’s ‘consumptive lifestyle’ not the country I left in ’94.

That led to larger families and more excessive consumption; which in turn required a huge energy burn triggering rapid global warming which is now causing food crop failures, natural disasters, and land and resource grabs like Russia for food in Ukraine, China for minerals in Africa, the USA for oil in Iraq.

The staffing shortages in the UK are mainly Brexit related, as like the Mexicans in the USA we relied on cheap Eastern European labour which largely left the country. We are seeing food rot on the farms, that can’t help prices. I’m convinced most public services (education, health, policing) here are being run down so that private enterprise can take over which is why most of those employees left in place are burnt out after Covid.  More private sector ‘land grabs’, pushed along because there’s no government money to fund these huge inefficient organisations.

Covid was probably human error in China but has some interesting side effects. It slowed down human travel and consumption which is useful if governments NEEDED to reduce warming and stabilise temperatures. But if we’re saying Covid was deliberate, that has serious implications about trust in global leadership; but I don’t believe that. It seems to me most ’natural’ leaders who get into power aren’t that smart. More likely the behaviour of the type of person that lusts after power and consumption is very similar globally which is why we have ended up with so few having so much. 

We (mainly the west) have been living an unsustainable lifestyle for 50 years* at least; the tree huggers of the 60’s where right to be concerned about globalisation. Now armageddon, human vs the planet or human vs human, seems a reality the rich and famous have starting shoring up their lifestyles and hoarding every asset they can find. This has or will result in more prices rises.  I believe governments aren’t in a hurry to push fuel prices down because that helps reduce emissions; unfortunately high fuel prices mean EVERYTHING else gets more expensive so the less well off suffer and the very poor perish. But again high fossil fuel prices will help reduce global warming so if we have reached a tipping point then it’s a good mechanism to slow things down.  

As predicted by smart people several decades back we are now seeing the start of mass migration away from the equatorial belt as it dries up and becomes un-liveable, just like the red centre of Australia. If you look at UK cross channel numbers we saw 700+ in 2018, 800+ in 2020 to 39,000 so far in 2022. But we take in less than other European countries.

We need to get real, strip back our lifestyles, reduce consumption and start making and producing locally which means smaller connected communities, stop transporting goods and people around the planet and yearn for  less not more of everything; people and businesses need to realise we need balance not growth. If we do that then we can accommodate the needy having to migrate into the surviving temperate parts of the planet; otherwise anarchy will be the next big thing after runaway climate change.

I believe that if we all, the majority, do a little bit there’s hope,  that won’t happen but here’s mine anyway;

* https://www.climate.gov/media/12885 Photo by Javier Miranda on Unsplash

[ear-worthy]

Finale Episode of “The Last Resort” Podcast: California As Its Own Nation?

Over seven episodes, The Last Resort has explored Calexit’s founding story, if California could be returned to indigenous tribes, the roots of the Civil War, far-right activists in Shasta County, California, the state’s water rights and laws, and Mexico’s Zapatista movement — all culminating to where Calexit stands today.

You might think that a podcast that documents an organized movement for California to succeed from the United States would be a dizzy narrative about hippies, tree huggers, and people on the fringes. You might roll your eyes and whisper, “California people,” but the podcast doesn’t judge. It explains and clarifies.

It’s not. Instead, it’s an insightful and compelling narrative about competing visions for the United States. This podcast is especially timely now, since earlier this year, the Texas Republican Party in June urged the Texas legislature to require a referendum on Texas succeeding from the union. Even Mississippi has made noise about leaving the union, but the state can find no one to say stop.

This documentary podcast series is hosted by activist and musician Xiuhtezcatl (phonetic spelling: shoo-TEZ-kaht), follows the rise, fall, and rebirth of Calexit: the campaign for Californian Independence.

The Last Resort was developed by Interval Presents, Warner Music Group’s (WMG) in-house podcast network, and produced by Awfully Nice.

“What drew me to exploring the Calexit story was how it forced us to examine the things that fundamentally connect us while underscoring how we are more divided than ever as a country,” said Xiuhtezcatl, who was influenced from childhood by his Indigenous Mexican lineage and American upbringing to use his voice and his music to pursue social change. “Calexit is really just the entry point for a complex story about the many visions of the future that are competing to take root,” Xiuhtezcatl continued. “I’m excited about the opportunity to partner with Interval Presents on The Last Resort. I hope the show inspires conversation and thought around the issues and stories that are shaped by our history and that will determine our future.”

The finale episode features new interviews with Russian national Aleksandr Ionov, who was indicted this summer for spreading Russian propaganda and conspiring with U.S. political groups to act as agents for the Russian government. Louis J. Marinelli — a Calexit co-founder — is linked with Ionov, and some believe that Calexit is the “unidentified political group in Sacramento” Ionov is accused of directing.

Tune into the finale as Xiuhtezcatl asks:

Is America becoming more divided than ever? What are the options to move forward and the repercussions if California secedes?

Are we thinking about freedom and democracy all wrong, or heading to another civil war?

How do we change our mindset, not our border, to come together instead of split apart?

So listen to The Last Resort. If California does secede, does that mean we’ll need a passport to visit Napa Valley? Or have to give up almond milk?

[nickgerlich]

Roll Baby Roll

Think back to when you were young, and your parents took you on the Great American Road Trip. More than likely you saw or even stopped at one of the white and teal-roofed buildings that sold gas, souvenirs, candies, and burgers. It was Stuckey’s, home of their renown pecan log roll and coonskin hats, among other things, and there were once 350 of them.

OK, maybe you need to ask your parents and even your grandparents if they remember, because the chain had been in a steep slide for many years. At least one generation of Americans may have missed the pleasure, as well as the memories. But not to worry, a woman has rescued the company and is sending it back to American highways where it belongs.

Stephanie Stuckey (56) bought the company in 2019, and three years and one pandemic later, is enjoying a meteoric rise in popularity both as a motivational speaker as well as CEO of travel centers. She’s just using a slightly different model than the two generations of family before her.

If you know the shape of them, you can still find repurposed or abandoned Stuckey’s buildings in the wild, just like it is easy to spot 1960s-era Denny’s with their trademark batwing roof. But Stephanie has her sights set on revival, not the religious kind, and envisions many hundreds of those teal roofs across the country.

Stuckey, a former lawyer, state legislator in Georgia, and self-professed tree-hugger with the City of Atlanta, traded it all in for an entirely new career managing and reinventing a brand that was once as common as Buc-ee’s has become among travelers today.

The chain had withered to scarcely more than a dozen outlets, but Stephanie knew that there was a strong nostalgic pull for this once-iconic stopover, and especially for their signature pecan log rolls. So she built a new business model for the company that had been founded in 1937 by her grandfather.

The new emphasis would be on licensing, like a franchise, and merchandise sales. Essentially, licensees get to use all of the Stuckey’s trade dress, and sell coon skin hats, pecan log rolls, and all the things that once made this business so popular.

The company had actually sold in 1964 and again in the late-1970s, and under the ownership of increasingly large companies, lost its way. The Accidental CEO, as Stephanie likes to refer to herself, represents an anomaly in that she has clawed the family business back from the clutches of a soulless corporation that couldn’t figure out what the secret sauce had been all along.

Stephanie is also quick to admit the folklore about the third-gen of a family business being the one that messes it up. But there were those 55 years of corporate ownership in between for all that, and the brand was about as messed up as it could be without actually going out of business. She can only go up from here.

While she has had great success thus far, including a 550% growth in online sales, her quest is no small challenge. This is especially true when you consider highway mainstays like Pilot, Flying J, Love’s, Petro, and, of course, Buc-ee’s. Bigger-is-better has been the highway mantra for this entire century and easily a decade prior, and smaller shops simply do not have the luster as competitors with co-branded fast food, and merchandise featuring a smiling beaver.

But Stephanie is banking on nostalgia as one of the most powerful marketing tools at her disposal. While there are millions of people my age who remember Stuckey’s, I have to wonder how it will resonate with the generations after mine, when Stuckey’s became less and less of a highway presence.

With 65 licensed locations today, she has engineered roughly a 500% growth on the brick-and-mortar world as well. Furthermore, she has purchased four pecan candy companies, thereby cementing her supply chain. Because, you see, Stephanie has effectively gone into the candy business. Her products are available in those 65 locations, of course, but also in 200 retail shops.

Smart woman, I tell you.

Meanwhile, there is hope among younger travelers who may wish to support the underdog—albeit an underdog that once ruled the road. These shops are not big and brash. They don’t have shopping carts. They just cut to the basics. And along the way, you’ll be helping prove that Stephanie’s new role was no accident, but actually providence.

Put that on your pecan log roll and think about it.

Dr “How Do You Say Pecan?“ Gerlich

Audio Blog

[boggart23]

Keep King Charlie Way From The Green Blob

Keep King Charlie Way From The Green Blob

7 October 2022 A whole host of tree huggers, pimped up milk float drivers and Greta Thunberg fan club members think the recently ascended King Charles should go to COP27 as “sovereign of Tuvalu, a cluster of Pacific atolls sinking underwater.” The vision of Tuvalu island losing land to a rising sea is emotive, and it calls for a reaction. However, it might be best to first check the claim that…

[trespia]

I can tell u for sure eddie ain't gonna be my mc's best friend by the end of this book because if he thinks ima support any form of corporation he's got another thing coming

[upcmingorganic]

@dizzyizzyharper "I KNOW RIGHT??!?!"

“My distress levels are incalculable- I did not think that was even possible.”

[daemonmatthias]

Apparently, there's a shortage of period products. :/

Here is a snippet from this Axios article, titled "Supply Chain Issues are Creating a Tampon Shortage".

[Image ID] a cropped screenshot from the named article. It reads-

Driving the news: popular retailers CVS and Walgreens, as well as major manufacturer Proctor & Gamble, acknowledged a shortage of tampons and other period products and said they are working to meet consumer demand as soon as possible, per CNN.

The big picture: supply chain issues and historically high inflation have affected all manner of goods. Tampon prices are up roughly 10% from a year ago, Bloomberg reports, while the cost of mensural pads has risen more than 8% during the same period.

Contributing to the rising prices is an uptick in the cost to make the products. Materials manufacturers need- cotton and plastic- have been in high demand for use in personal protective equipment since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Russia's invasion of Ukraine constrained the supply of fertilizer needed to grow cotton, CNN reports.

[end image ID]

Is now the time to switch to reusable period products?

If you've been considering a switch, now might be a good time! I know not everyone can afford the higher up-front cost of reusable products, but if you can afford it, then you'll actually save money in the long run. (I haven't bought disposable period products in about 2 years.) Also, you may be able to ask for reusable products as gifts or use gift money to buy them.

Of course, every body is different and everyone has different preferences. There are 3 main types of reusable period products:

Silicone cups (Diva cups, I believe were the original main brand?)

Period underwear (Thinx is a major brand)

Reusable cloth pads (there are MANY brands, but I personally recommend Tree Hugger Cloth Pads out of Canada because they have the widest range of fabric & size options plus have some of the easiest care instructions)

Please allow me to tell you a little about my own journey of switching. I wanted to switch in order to be more eco-friendly and to save money. My general approach was first to do some research on the different types of products to determine the right one for me. I knew silicone cups were not it for various personal reasons. Then, although intrigued by the concept, decided that period underwear were also not for me because of my work situation- I need to change quickly in a shared bathroom. Next, I started looking into brands of cloth pads. I looked pretty seriously into 3 different brands. I compared cost, shipping times/cost, care instructions, sizes, fabrics, etc. Although I have friends who are very happy with other brands and have seen a few recommendations here on Tumblr, I have been extremely happy with Tree Hugger (who, btw, apparently also sells period underwear now).

After I switched, I was delighted to discover that I stopped getting rashes along my bikini line. I had assumed they were from friction and it didn't occur to me that fabric wouldn't cause the same problems. A couple months after I switched, I read a post on here of others experiencing the same thing. It turns out, most of these rashes are not caused by friction; they're also caused by chemical irritants and moisture build-up. Cloth pads do not contain these chemicals and are made from softer, more breathable fabrics, so almost everyone who switches no longer get these rashes.

Again, though, every body is different. A friend of mine stopped using her cloth pads because she started getting yeast infections. I recommended that she try a different fabric. The brand she was using had only one "style", just in different sizes. I suggested she try Tree Hugger's athletic, extra-wicking fabric or a silicone cup instead. (Unfortunately, her financial situation had changed and she has been unable to afford to try them so far.)

Even if you can't switch over completely yet, starting to build up a "stash" of period underwear or cloth pads might be a good move. I initially switched during the first lockdowns and was home, able to wash and reuse my first cloth pads during the same cycle. This allowed me to try out different fabrics and sizes and then order more of what I liked in the sizes I needed most. If you work from home and are able to do the same, I recommend it! If you aren't able to do that, it is still a good idea to order what you can afford to and use them alongside disposable products until you can afford more. Unlike what the US education system teaches- any progress is good progress! In fact, many people permanently pair the cloth pads or period underwear with a silicone cup or disposable tampons.

More than any snappy little call to action I could put here, I really just hope/pray that you are able to find a product or combination of products that make your periods more comfortable and less stressful like the cloth pads have done for me. I was intimidated by the research I thought would be required in switching, and that's why I didn't do it until lockdowns gave me the time. I hope this post gives you enough of a head start on the research that you are able to find what will work for you faster and more easily.

[astaroth1357]

MC Comes Running at the Demon Brothers for a Tackle Hug

Here's your daily dose of fluffy goodness. Nothing big, just somethin’ cute that I wanted to write real quick. May write an Undateables for this one. Brought to you by: Symphony-Clean Bandit & Zara Larsson for that extra sweetness.

Check out the Masterlist for more!

Lucifer

…… Do you have a death wish or just enjoy playing Russian Roulette with fate?

Smacking into Lucifer at top speed feels kind of like slamming into a thick tree trunk Looney Tunes-style. He grunts and gets pushed back a few inches but remains standing just fine.

At first, he keeps his arms half raised and hands very much off of them with an annoyed expression. He is not a hugger and definitely not going to be in the mood after an ambush...

“... Care to explain yourself?”

When the MC insists that they want a hug he considers just how much damage they’d be likely to sustain if he threw them off… then thinks better of it.

Sets an arm around their shoulders and gives their head a small, but affectionate, pat. They're not going to get much more than that from him, though.

Mammon

Jeez, are ya trying to kill him?? I mean, you can't. Not with a puny human body anyway, but still.

Boy has the reflexes of a cat so he already had his arms out to brace himself and catch them before they could barrel into him at full ramming speed. Good thing too, because they probably could have knocked him over otherwise.

He holds onto them tight, almost as tight as they are to him. Lucifer himself probably couldn’t separate them...

“H-hey MC, what the hell are ya thinkin’?? Can’t ya give me a warning or somethin’??”

Is acting mad, but secretly relishing that they’re so close to him and willing to show him that much affection.

Would LOVE IT if they did this in front of any of his brothers. See?? They actually like him too, damnit!!

Leviathan 

AAAAH!! GET OFF, GET Off, Get off, get off-... Oh wait, this is actually kind of nice…

Was just barely able to stay standing when they collided. Had to brace himself against a wall.

Freaked out and tried to pry their arms off of his midsection at first but stopped after slowly starting to realize that their touch wasn't going to burn him alive.

Turns into a blushing boi and hesitantly hugs back, he's stiff AF so it's a little awkward but he's trying.

"H-h-hey n-normie…! Warn m-me next time, o-okay??"

Whether they do or not, he'll never try to reject one of their hugs again.

Satan

Wanting a hug is one thing, but couldn’t it have waited until his arms were empty…?

The MC came running at him from behind and latched onto his back, arms locked firmly around his chest.

It's amazing he stayed standing, but the books in his hands end up on the ground…

His rising anger got cut off surprisingly quickly by their arms tightening. When they stated that they just wanted a hug from him, it went away completely. Just what kind of effect does this human have on him, anyway?

Pulls them off long enough to turn around and return their surprise embrace.

“If a hug is what you wanted, try coming from the front next time, okay?”

Asmodeus 

Babes, he's already running at you. Better slow down!

The two smack into each other, lock bodies together, and spin around until they both lose balance and fall over.

Better bet there will be kisses involved. Pecks for days over their cheeks, neck, forehead, really anywhere he can get his lips on. Man will not be outdone in the Overly Enthusiastic Affection department!

“Awwe MC! Are you really that happy to see moi?? Of course you’d be!”

Keeps them there for as long as he can. Doesn’t matter if they’re in public or not.

Would love for this to be a regular occurrence, heck, he’ll be running at them from now on anyway,

Beelzebub 

Pffft, a buffalo could probably charge Beel and he'd still stay standing. What exactly do you think you're going to do?

It's like ramming into a boulder, the dude is sturdy. He doesn’t even budge an inch.

“Huh? MC? ...Need something?”

He couldn’t help but chuckle when they sheepishly asked him for a hug back. How could he say no?

Wraps his arms around them and picks them up a good foot off the ground without any trouble. Boy is a snuggler and he’s going to enjoy every moment of this.

This becomes a regular habit of the two. No matter how fast they run, Beel can take it and dish out twice the amount of love they give right back.

Belphegor 

Congratulations, you have now just mowed over your first cowboy.

Wasn't expecting it at all and just woke up from a nap so his reflexes were shit-slow.

They both end up tumbling to the ground, smacking their heads together and he is NOT happy about the sudden head trauma.

"Gah! Hey… what's the big idea..??"

Locks his arms around them and pulls them close. It might seem like a hug, but actually it's a cage.

He has no intention of letting them back up until his head stops throbbing… or until he wakes up from his next nap. Whichever comes first. 😏