#The very very left one is for Bari

[panco-1812]

Merry Christmas ~~~!!!!

[lesbiancientforesttroll]

Think about Harrow's AU Bubbles

Thinking about Harrow's AU bubbles, not as fanfic references, but as expressions of her subconscious fears and desires, is so fascinating.

The Harrow Nova one is pretty obvious. Harrow's parents were obsessed with her being a necromancer, were willing to kill for it. It's only natural she'd wonder, "What if I hadn't been?"

And the answer Harrow gives herself is: Your parents and everyone would reject you (except, wildly, for Crux). Also they'd be alive cuz you'd never opened the tomb, and you'd be an unpopular orphan they'd abuse (Just Like Gideon). And you'd still be just as devoted to serving the Ninth with a blade. There's a lot there. But the other really telling bit is her relationship with Gideon. Harrow Nova professes to hate the reverend daughter even as she seeks to (re) create the necro-cav bond with her. But that hatred doesn't seem to be mutual. And the bit about the daughter intervening when Harrow was whipped…

That's Harrow's subconscious saying if their roles had been reversed, "Gideon would have treated me better than I treated her. Gideon would have protected me."

The Ball AU also seems like a reasonable extension of Gideon's childhood query: "What if my other parent is the most important guy in the universe?" Answer: Emperor Dad would throw a big party.

But also… it's a bride-finding ball! That's so very telling. It could have been anything, but Harrow invents another scenario where she's fighting, competing to get to Gideon, to be awarded the role of her sworn partner (first cav, now bride), while outwardly claiming not to want it.

Now The BARI Star AU often gets described as a "coffee shop" one, but it's actually set in a cohort cafeteria. And normally I wouldn't split hairs over that, but I think the cohort setting is actually really significant. The Cohort was Gideon's dream, and also Harrow's rival for Gideon's attention. It's what she kept trying to leave Harrow for.

So now Harrow dreams that she's left Drearburh to join the cohort and will meet Gideon there. Not fight or compete for a role where they're bound to each other, but just meet her there. That feels like yielding. Like compromise. It makes me think Harrow's subconscious has matured past trying to keep Gideon with her always and is instead looking for ways that SHE can be with Gideon. Meet Gideon where she is.

(Also this may be a stretch, but I always find it low-key funny that Harrow imagines Gideon in the cafeteria… I like to think her brain is skimming lists of hypothetical military jobs like... what sees the least action... ah, coffee-adept, she'll be perfectly safe there...)

[aroace-genderfluid-snake]

i’m doing GREAT i’m doing FINE this is all just FINE AND DANDY and i hope EVERYONE IS HAVING AS GOOD A DAY AS I AM

[determinate-negation]

What is important to understand about that moment was that Zionism was a political choice — not only by western imperial powers, but also by Jewish leadership. They could have fought more strenuously for Jewish immigration to the United States. And a lot of the Zionist leaders actually fought against immigration to the United States. There were a number of stories reported in the Jewish Communist press about how Zionists collaborated with the British and Americans to force Jews to go to Mandate Palestine, when they would have rather gone to the United States, or England. There’s a famous quote by Ernest Bevin, the British Foreign Secretary, who said the only reason the United States sent Jews to Palestine was ​“because they do not want too many more of them in New York.” And the Zionists agreed with this.

While this may seem like ancient history, it is important because it disrupts the common sense surrounding Israel’s formation. ​“Yes, maybe there could have been peace between Jews and Palestinians, but the Holocaust made all of that impossible.” And I would say that this debate after 1945 shows that there was a long moment in which there were other possibilities, and another future could have happened

[…]

Question: Who or what is responsible for the erasure of this history of Jewish, left anti-Zionism?

I wouldn’t blame the erasure solely on the Soviet Union or Zionism, because we also have to think of the Cold War and how the Cold War destroyed the old Jewish left, and really drove it underground and shattered its organizations. So I think we also have to see how the turn toward Zionism was understood as something that would normalize Jews in a post-war era.

With the execution of the Rosenbergs, the Red Scare of the late 1940s and ​’50s, and the virtual banning of the Communist Party, which had been throughout the 1930s and ​’40s half Jewish, for much of the Jewish establishment, aligning themselves with American imperialism was a way for Jews to normalize their presence in the United States. And hopefully that moment has to some degree passed. We can see the emptiness and barrenness of aligning ourselves with an American imperial project, with people like Bari Weiss and Jared Kushner. Why would someone like Bari Weiss, who describes herself as liberal, want to align herself with the most reactionary forces in American life?

It’s a bloody matrix of assimilation and whiteness that emerged out of the Cold War suburbanization of the 1950s. Israel was part of that devil’s bargain. Yes, you can become real Americans: You can go to good U.S. universities, you can join the suburbs, enter into the mainstream of American life, as long as you do this one little thing for us, which is back the American Empire. Hopefully, with the emergence of new grassroots organizations in the United States, among Jews and non-Jews who are questioning the U.S. role supporting Zionism, this calculus can begin to change. With the rise of Jewish Voice for Peace, IfNotNow, the Democratic Socialists of America and the Movement for Black Lives all taking a serious stance against U.S. support for Zionism, the common sense in the Jewish community has begun to move in a different direction, particularly among the younger generation. The battle is very far from over, but it makes me just a little optimistic about the future.”

- The Forgotten History of the Jewish Anti-Zionist Left

[astraystayyh]

it’s actually so much worse. so this one press editor made a public post calling for the cancellation of refaat. because he made a joke about the fake rumours of baked babies (she framed it as if he was making fun of real incidents and even when it was pointed out that the story was fake and refaat was being sarcastic in order to mock the story, she still didn’t take it down). refaat was known to make jokes and meme and make fun of idiots. so it wasn’t out of the ordinary for him to mock fabricated lies that discredited and dehumanised his people and their resistance. but this woman. and many other writers and reporters in western media have continuously tried to smear his reputation.

and that kind of put a target on his back because a lot of crazy zionists and idf soldiers follow these people (especially bari). and sent refaat death threats.

and today… his sister’s home i believe, was deliberately struck, killing refaat and his family including his children. it was a targeted attack.

and yeah also because he was an outspoken poet and academic. they killed him to silence his voice that was reaching so many people across the world.

and now many pro zionists are celebrating refaat’s martyrdom and spreading the same fake story about the “baked baby” even though the truth is that the baked baby story is from the deir yassin massacre where israeli soldiers baked a palestinian baby in the oven and made the father watch.

i am so angry. i am so heartbroken.

these are the first and last pages of his book, light in gaza:

please read his words. share his story. and the message he’s left the world with. don’t let his murder be in vain.

i feel so heartbroken "how many palestinians are enough?" apparently 16.000+ Palestinians aren't enough for our world. 75 years of colonization isn't enough for our world. our humanity bleeds dry before our eyes, every myth of democracy and international law and accountability and punishment is dispelled. it isn't real if it doesn't serve the interests of the west.

israel is actively targeting prolific writers, academics and journalists because they KNOW their words have an effect on people. on us. if Israel wasn't so threatened by the power of us speaking up they wouldn't have purposely killed the Palestinians who share IDF's crimes with us. please don't stop talking about Palestine, please it's the least we can do. the very fucking least

[aimbutmiss]

It was another long night in the office for Crocodile.

To be fair, it was never intentional. He always reminded himself to retreat to his sleeping quarters at acceptable hours as he sat down to get some work done, but the idea was forgotten the moment he picked up a document.

So, he had severe time management problems. Whatever.

He dropped the paper he was holding and rubbed his temple with a groan. He was getting too old for sleepless nights like this. But work never ended with Cross Guild. He had a lot of things to overlook, even with the help he had from Daz and Buggy, who surprisingly made quite the good businessman. And maybe he was being a bit too cautious—too detailed with his work, but he found out the hard way that attention to detail payed off. He wasn't new to all this, he had built Baroque Works from ground up and he had also very much done the same with Cross Guild. He was proud of his meticulous work habits. No matter how many sleepless nights he had, it was always worth it.

And he loved his office; it was his safe place. He loved having a little corner to himself, away from everyone and everything. Karai Bari was loud, always home to some type of festivity. Crocodile was never one for such ruckus, and only allowed it because it helped with crew morale. But no matter what stupid thing was going on out there, he could shut it out and hide in the peaceful silence of this room. He could crunch numbers day and night, without having to deal with nightmares in his bed.

Yes, Sir Crocodile had nightmares; for he was human like any other.

He wasn't ashamed of his demons, but he'd never admit it to anyone if asked about it. He had spent years building the strong, powerful persona he had. He had convinced many that he was invincible, without weakness. It would all crumble if the world found out he woke up in cold sweat some nights, tears staining his face.

Monsters did not cry.

He slammed his head on the desk and closed his eyes for a second. Trying to get his much needed rest from a few seconds of shut eye was ridiculous, but it was better than nothing.

Before he could get up and get back to work, the door to his office slowly opened. He could have looked up to see who it was, not that there were many people who would walk into his office in the dead of night, but he decided to act as if he had fallen asleep for some reason. He just... felt like it. He didn't move an inch as footsteps approached closer to his desk.

"That could be a fire hazard, you idiot."

The mysterious intruder turned out to be just Buggy, which was weird. The clown had no reason to pay him a visit, especially not at this hour. The man picked up the lit cigar on the ashtray and put it out. A few second later, he gently laid a blanket on the "sleeping" man's shoulders, making sure he was covered up nicely. He hadn't moved from his place, so he must have detached his hands to pick it up from wherever.

"You don't have to work yourself this hard, you stubborn old man."

Crocodile was suddenly hyper aware of everything: the smell of Buggy's newly washed hair; his hand on his back, drawing slow circles into his tense muscles... He felt himself involuntarily relax into the touch.

"I could have changed you into something more comfortable and carried you to your bed if you weren't built like a fucking sea king. Oh well, this should do for now."

Before his business partner left the room, he could barely feel him give a kiss on his head. Yet it was enough to make the hairs on his neck stand up.

Buggy walked to the door, trying his best to be silent, and shut the lights. He left with a gentle whisper of "Good night." and Crocodile didn't have it in himself to get up for the next... God knows how long.

Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep just like that. When he woke up the next morning, he had mild back pain from sleeping while hunched over a chair. But despite that, he hadn't slept so well in ages.

No nightmares, just a warm blanket and the lingering smell of shampoo.

[ideas-4-stories]

Sfw omegaverse anon -

The "omega bestie" thing was smth Shanks probably told Luffy - ((Shanks sees a tiny unscented little pup all alone and went "Oh it's free real estate" /hj.)) In actuality, Makino raised Luffy for a good deal of time, but he is a rambunctious child, and I think he'd pester Shanks for stories and songs and all sorts of things. Shanks is a softie and so absolutely caved. Luffy learned a lot of the pirate's code from Shanks as a very small child and he treated it like GOSPEL, bc Shanks was, is and always will be his hero. So he definitely also got some very silly stories about Shanks' youth, and Buggy starred in more than a few, but never explicitly by name, it was always "my best friend" or "my packmate" or, on really sentimental evenings, "my baby brother".

When Luffy first met Buggy in Orangetown, the few braincells he has left sparked a connection - blue haired, sweet smelling, silly, greedy, trickster clown man? Blue haired, sweet smelling, silly, greedy, trickster omega packmate of his semi-adopted dad? Yes, that math is mathing. Small world. Anyway, gotta beat this clown. His hands are rated E for Everyone.

So yeah Luffy definitely knows Buggy is an omega, and when Buggy mentions "we served on the same crew", it just clicks. It's not really a big deal to him anyway, it feels stupid to care about that kind of stuff. You could not PAY him to care (but if you want to try, it's best to pay in food).

But yeah, Rayleigh and Crocus just both went "Ah, the kids will be fine" and then the kids went and were very much Not Fine At All. But that's a conversation for a different time.

Their parental instincts only kick in when Buggy gets flirted with or when Shanks gets hit on with complete seriousness for followup. It's both obnoxious and also funny.

Shanks gets a heart flutter, and by nightfall his denden is ringing bc Rayleigh is 🤏 close to swimming out there what is going on, red-?

When Crocodile and Mihawk finally get their shit straight and start the whole Courting Thing, the Dad Squad Of Remaining Rogers are in perfect synchrony detecting a Disturbance In The Sanctity Of Their Children.

Crocus calls Rayleigh. Rayleigh talks to Crocus. Neither have Buggy's number. How did that happen? Damn. If only Rayleigh lived with a woman who has an expansive information network where she can check for Buggy's contact information. If only Buggy was part of a widely known business with contact information for business needs. If only they considered this information and just how many options they DO have at hand.

Instead, they call Shanks - Shanks who is having a meltdown because "Bugs is growing up" and "two Alphas, really?!"

This does NOT bode well.

One prospective courtship is one thing. TWO simultaneous courtships are complicated. Those two Alphas enacting the courtship being former warlords, a mafia boss and the world's greatest swordsman, is something else entirely.

Crocus is sharpening his harpoon, debating his options. Rayleigh is seriously debating free swimming to the New World. Things are about to go DOWN and it's chaos all around.

Meanwhile, on Karai Bari, the Cross Guild Poly has finally hit the Holding Hands Stage, because they're stupid, silly and none of them are actually working with anything resembling game. Buggy blushes every time Mihawk pulls out his chair, he melts whenever Crocodile gets the door for him, and he's absolutely LOSING IT every time they ask him to spar.

Fighting has become their love language somehow and every time Buggy lands a hit of some kind, the others damn near swoon, which makes HIM swoon, and the crew and mercenaries are just watching this like the weirdest slow burn soap opera ever conceived.

Anyway yee I'm sleepy so I'm off, byyyeee~~~~

Shanks definitely did a Roger, looking at Luffy asks around who's child this is and proceeds to pick him up to Benn’s dismay (That is not paid enough to deal with his captain’s bullshit) Good thing Makino raising Luffy for a good bit of time. Luffy pestering Shanks for all sorts of things too, that's so Buggy.

Shanks talking about talking about Buggy without saying his name, I wonder why he won't say Buggy’s name to Luffy. Maybe Shanks didn't want Luffy to go and find his packmate, but that didn't matter when Luffy met Buggy. Good thing Luffy has some braincells after all that training Garp put him through. And the ‘Yes, that math is mathing. Small world. Anyway, gotta beat this clown. His hands are rated E for Everyone’ Yeah that's so Luffy, like damn he don't spare anyone.

Not Rayleigh and Crocus thinking that Buggy and Shanks will be fine. Indeed that is a conversation for a different time. I understand that Crocus would of given the kids a few things they would need in life while Rayleigh probably like I taught shit, you are good. And dips into the night without saying goodbye to grieve his captain and be with Shakky (for some reason that seems like he would do that. Its a headcanon)

THEN not their parental instincts kicking when Buggy gets flirted with or when Shanks gets hit on with complete seriousness for fucking followup. OH NOOOOOOOOOOO, that’s not how parental instincts should be (I mean to be fair, neither were planning on having kids probably, but then Roger metting those two happened, but like… dudes that’s not how it’s supposed to work)-(Indeed it’s obnoxious and also kind of funny if you ignore that’s not parental instincts should work…) Shanks getting scolded by Rayleigh when his heart’s fluttering, I wonder who that person is, anyway Mihawk and Crocodile getting their shit together and start trying to court Buggy (you know he’ll first think that they are threahing him, so it takes sometime)

Started laughing at ‘the Dad Squad Of Remaining Rogers are in perfect synchrony detecting a Disturbance In The Sanctity Of Their Children’ I love that, you know it’s not only Rayleigh and Cronus because most of the veteran Roger Pirates helped raised them too (hc/)

Crocus and Rayleigh not having Buggy’s number is so them… but what if it’s the same number he always had and they think it’s the wrong number now? Have they bothered to check? Or if they had, Buggy had openly said it wasn’t Buggy’s number? There could be so much more drama, but anyway yeah if ony Rayleigh lived with a woman that can find people’s numbers because she got that information network, if only Rayleigh knows where his child’s business is, oh no it’s too sad that they can’t find anything…

THEY CALLED SHANKS! Oh no! That’s the last place to call to find Buggy and to check if he’s alright! That man is fucking drunk, crying, ranting and raving about this! Oh dear! RIP to Crocodile and Mihawk, even the littlest teasing bullying their clown will land them in bad graces if those men see it (dear gods what if they found out they beat the shit of Buggy one day, that’s when shit would it the fan. Buggy’s followers will have a fucking telenovela to watch, they just need to be a safe distance away because holy shit someone might fucking died in the crossfire) Truly things are about to go DOWN and it's chaos all around… “Big News” Morgan would having the time of his fucking life with this.

Meanwhile on Karai Bari Island, where nobody knows about what might happened later down the line! Awwwwwwwwww, they are now in the Hand Holding Stage!!! That’s so cute! It took awhile because of so many things, good thing they worked it out.

Mihawk and Crocodile being gentlemen to Buggy is amazing, and them asking to spar is like BIG invalidation for him. Fighting and bullying each other (affectionately) is definitely one of their love language. Truly is like the weirdest slow burn soap opera ever conceived.

[wordy-little-witch]

Dropping random One Piece ideas bc this is it now. This is how I cope.

Buggy focused bc I love this little blue haired buffoon

Buggy

• AuDHD

• BPD

• gender is a performance and he LOVES THE SPOTLIGHT BABYYYY

• Buggy is actually a year or so younger than Shanks, and they both use this as an insult point for arguments. Buggy calls him old man, Shanks calls him a teeny tiny little clown baby, Buggy punches Shanks, Shanks cries dramatically, the works.

• in my perception between them, their relationship could go either way - I love the interpretation of them seeing one another as brothers, I love the interpretation of them being lovers, I think either one fits them and it's precious and depending on the Shuggy flavor of the day. It's never both at the same time though. One or the other.

• Buggy has always been terrifyingly flexible. It was waved off when he was very little, but it was only around the time Crocus joined the crew that he noticed Buggy was much more flexible than most kids his age. Turns out baby blue has hypermobility syndrome. The Roger pirates helped him learn wrapping techniques to help stabilize his wrists and knees and hips, his biggest problem areas, but after the Devil Fruit Fiasco, he can and will just drop a limb. Floating is so much easier on bad pain days.

• Buggy still wraps and braces his body when he can, but he also hides most of them beneath his clothes. Few have seen him freely in braces. Cabaji and Mohji are the most familiar with that. Ritchie takes his role thereof as a living, furry weighted heating pad.

• kinesthetic and visual stimming Buggy my beloved.

• sometimes he's just. Touch Alvida. Not in a weird way, just... her Devil Fruit makes her skin and hair feel absolutely DIVINE and he can spend hours just. Playing with her fingers or brushing her hair. He's embarrassed by it.

• he has a very meticulous skin and hair care routine. It's one of very few routines he keeps to. Not even being in prison stopped it.

• he's actually really damn good with money and running a business. The situation with the Cross Guild was a Bad Time, Bad Place, Bad Luck situation, which is honestly just his brand at this point.

• He was a warlord for all of a few months, but in that time, he did, in fact, have to attend a few meetings, and he did, in fact, make a friend! A friend nobody ever expected.

• Boa Hancock and Buggy are the most underrated Mean Girls Squad ever and I'll die on that hill, I think they'd be so funny as friends. Ask me more on my Boa Buggy Besties ideas please I am begging I love them so much

• Cross Guild happens, and it goes fairly similar to Canon, but Buggy quite literally within that three week time frame got the entirety of his loan back AND the interest and was like "hey so like. Did you still want this or-?"

• the mercenaries at Karai Bari are all very progressive. Buggy is a lax ruler, by most standards, but he puts his foot down firmly regarding bigotry, racism, sexism, etc.

• Buggy is not actually human, but he doesn't know that. He was orphaned at a VERY early age, was adopted by Roger pretty young, and he doesn't really remember much pre-piracy. He does know his genetics are a little weird, #ThanksCrocus, but not much beyond that. This may be Important later on if anyone wants some silly little concepts

• demisexual nblm, but once he catches feelings, he becomes a harlot harlequin

• once took off a limb and forgot where he left it. Has genuinely devoted microchipping his limbs.

• some people have comfort activities like hiking or painting. He makes bombs. It's very soothing and he likes the BOOM

• has a multitude of explosives btw; everything from large range, highly damaging, lethal weapons, to flashy, mildly inconveniences. He once made a batch of mini muggy balls full of itching powder just to see if he could and now it's his favorite thing to prank people with. ((Yes, he designed those while a Warlord. Yes, he tested it on the Navy. No, he was never definitively caught.))

• when he's busy, he ties his hair in a bun and puts pens, pins, etc in his hair, ends up looking like a porcupine or sea urchin.

• he has a really bad habit of hyperfixating for hours upon hours on end. Galdino, Alvida, Mohji and Cabaji have a rotation system to check on him if he hasn't been seen for 5 or more hours. They'll drag him away from his work (some more gently than others), make him eat, drink, etc. ((Alvida huffs and puffs about it, but she's also among the first ones to wipe a grease smear from his face, look him over head to toe and determine whether she's pulling the Girls Night card. She will die before admitting that she adores this bastard.))

• Buggy is allergic to pineapples.

That's all I got rn okay ily byyyeeee

[imiwrites]

BESTIE you want ken fic ideas I got Ken fic ideas-

SPOILERS BTW

I need a 'Reader is sick and Ken takes care of you' fic so BAD!!! Something about golden retriever man being good husband material makes me FOAM AT THE MOUTH

Like we all agree he's lon a super good journey of self-discovery after the end of the movie. And that's super healthy!!! He deserves to figure who he is as a person and not just an accessory 🥺 But in doing so, he becomes extremely compassionate towards other Barbies and Kens too! So just the idea of Ken running around, being the friendly neighbor type, doing errands and whatnot because he discovers he likes helping people, and maybe he even runs errands for the reader!! Like if the reader is super swamped with her profession (what ever it may be) and Ken starts getting her groceries, and he polished her car, and cleans up her home. Like REAL malewife material.

And perhaps that causes a really sweet bond to form, and that's why when she ends up getting sick, Ken is the one to swoop in. His job at beach can wait, for he has a very big task at hand: taking care of his favorite Barbie Girl ever and making sure she feels better in no time 🥺 bonus points if it's rare that anyone gets sick in Barbie Land, so he's super worried 😭

Feel free to ignore this but if you don't, thank you for the fic in advance!! 🩷

Bed Rest

Ken x Fem!Reader

barie spoilers below the cut!!!!

Sypnosis: After Stereotypical Barbie left Barbieland, Ken decided to figure out who he was. Helping people was one of his new favourite things, and when a certain Barbie falls sick, Ken drops everything to be there for her.

Word Count: 1.4k

Warnings: Descriptions of fainting, not proofread, FLUFF

A/N: This is my first time writing on Tumblr and I lowkey have no clue how it works but it's fine!!! Anyway I hope you enjoy, I haven't written fanfiction in a while so I hope it's alright! I'll get to the other requests tomorrow <3

masterlist

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It took Ken some time to realise that he was enough, or ‘Kenough’, as he’d put it. After Barbie had left Barbieland, it took him a while to feel himself again. But with it came a lot of realisations. He realised that doing beach was a lot easier when his mind wasn’t focused on Barbie, and he was able to talk to people he wouldn’t usually notice. It was a nice change, Ken had to admit.

He also realised how much he enjoyed being around other Barbies and Kens, whether it would be at a big blowout party, or cheering on the Barbies as they played volleyball. Friendship was another fairly new thing to Ken. While he’d known everyone for almost his entire existence, he realised he never really knew them. Being able to understand and relate to his fellow Barbies and Kens was an experience he never thought he would have. Without his focus on Barbie, he found that being able to lend a hand to a friend was also another thing he was quite good at. And often, it came with a small reward, which always kept a smile on Ken’s face. 

He’s constantly seen helping out his friends. Whether it be fixing Lawyer Barbie’s car, or helping another Ken’s beach, he always enjoyed being able to lend a hand to a friend. It was always left him with a bubbly feeling in his stomach, and a grin permanently stuck on his face. Who knew helping a friend would be so enjoyable?

He also enjoyed lending a hand to Chef Barbie. She had the sweetest smile, and after every task he helped her with, he would get a reward in the form of food. And company. Ken appreciated the company more than the food, not that he would ever admit this out loud to Barbie. Sure, the pastries were downright delicious, but nothing could replace the soft-sound laugh she let out at his jokes, or the look of anticipation on her face when he was telling her a story. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Thanks Ken!” Barbie waved from the window of her Dreamhouse, watching as Ken held two bags of groceries out, undoubtedly for a new recipe she wanted to try out. 

“It’s not a problem, Barbie. I’m happy to help.” A shy smile graced his lips as he placed the groceries down on her kitchen bench. He’d turned to leave, when the call from Barbie stopped him.

“Why don’t you stay here while I cook, I feel like I haven’t seen you in a while.”

Ken was suppressing a smile, “I don’t know, there might be some more people to help out.” It was a lie. There was no one else to help. Ken was going to stay regardless.

“Oh, sit you,” Barbie giggled, pulling out a chair, “You’ll be helping me by keeping me company. And being my taste tester, of course.” 

Ken paused, as if to think about it, but the both of them knew he was going to stay. “Seeing as you really need me, it would be impolite for me to go now,” Ken explained, as he walked towards the pulled-out chair, completely mesmerised by Barbie as she started combining ingredients in a mixing bowl. A strong smell of chocolate filled the room, and Ken let out a soft hum of delight.

“Smells good?” Barbie turned around, smiling, and Ken nodded his head eagerly. 

“Always does. What exactly are you making?”

Barbie hummed, turning back around to place the mixture onto a tray. “It’s a surprise, but it’s going to taste amazing, I promise.”

“I’m sure it will, I mean it already smells so good.” Ken stood up from his chair, making his way to the kitchen. “D’you want me to wash those dishes for you? Get it out of your way?” 

“If you’d like to, that would be perfect. Thanks Ken!” Barbie beamed, sliding the dish into the oven. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Woah! Barbie, I know I say this everytime, but this is most definitely the best thing you’ve made so far!” Ken said, in between bites of what Barbie had called a ‘Brownkie’, the perfect mix between a brownie and a cookie. 

Barbie giggled, “Thanks Ken, I’m glad to know it tastes good. I’m going to bring it to Barbie’s blowout tonight, think they’d enjoy it?” Once a week, President Barbie would host a blowout with all the other Barbies. After some discussion, it was agreed that a party every night was too much, and only holding a party once a week allowed for more excitement. 

“Oh they’d more than enjoy it, trust me!” Ken exclaimed. “I don’t know how you do it, everything you cook is always just perfect.”

Barbie shrugs. “Lots of practice.” She pauses, looking away before looking back at him. “Hey Ken?”

“Yeah?”

Barbie looked down at her hands, then looked back at him. “Do you think you’d wanna come to Barbie’s blowout with me?” 

Ken’s eyes widened. Whatever he thought she was going to say, it most certainly wasn’t that. “I- uhh, yeah of course!” Identical grins appeared on their faces. 

“So, I’ll see you there tonight?” Barbie asked, and Ken nodded vigorously. 

“Thank you for the Brownkie, I gotta get ready, but I’ll see you there!” 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

As she was getting ready, Barbie could feel a small pounding in her head. It hurt. She was unsure what it was, she’d never felt something like that before. She shook her head, pushing it out of her mind. It was President Barbie’s blowout, she couldn’t be thinking of silly things like that.

She walked towards the kitchen, grabbing the platter of goodies she’d made earlier, including the Brownkies that Ken had enjoyed. The pounding had only gotten worse as she continued to get ready. She tried to ignore it, she really did, but the more she focused on ignoring the pain, it had just gotten worse. Barbie clutched her head as she walked, the platter precariously balanced on her free arm. 

The sound of music filled her ears, but only made her head pain worse. What was this thing, and why did it have to come now? And why was the room spinning?

“Barbie!” She heard Ken call out, but she couldn’t quite place him. She felt… strange. She was almost positive she was standing still, but it felt like she’d was moving really fast. The lights hurt the pounding in her head, but the music had gotten quieter. She heard a faraway clang, and she looked to her arm, the tray of baked goods gone. Barbie could hear Ken calling her name, and she swore he was standing in front of her, but she couldn’t quite make it out. 

“Ken?” she whispered, a chill spreading throughout her body. She felt someone touch her arms, but it was too late. Barbie had collapsed into Ken’s arms.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Someone help!” Ken called out. He was stressed, which is something he should not be feeling. In fact, he was here for a stress free night with all the other Barbies and Kens, but of course, something like this had to happen. 

Barbie’s eyes fluttered open, and Ken let out a gasp of relief. 

“What happened?” her voice was soft. 

“I-I’m not sure, you looked really funny, a-and I was in front of you and it was like you couldn’t see me and then you just fell.”

Doctor Barbie came around the corner, assessing Chef Barbie. “I’ve never seen anything like this before. But from what I’ve learnt, it should be nothing. Just take it easy for a few days, and you’ll be fine.” Ken grinned, feeling relieved.

“Let me take you home. I’ll take care of you for the next few days.”

“Ken, you don’t have to do that, I’ll be fine, don’t worry.” Barbie smiled gratefully.

“Are you joking? I’m worrying a lot! Doctor Barbie just said she hasn’t seen anything like this! Barbies don’t get sick! I’m staying with you, and you aren’t leaving your bed until you get better!” 

“Ken, what about beach?” Barbie tilted her head. She knew how much he loved his job. 

“Beach is the last thing on my mind right now, I need to make sure you’re okay.” Ken smiled as he stood up, holding Barbie in his arms. 

“You know, I’m quite sure I’d be fine walking.” Barbie whispered, hiding her face in his neck out of embarrassment.

“Are you joking? I’m not taking that risk. Just relax, I’m taking care of you, and I’m sure you’ll be better in no time.”

[mimisempai]

I wasn't expecting you 4/5

Chapter Summary - Pastry date

Aziraphale comes as expected to collect his pastries, and receives a lot more...

Notes

It seems they're good at surprising each other...

On Ao3

Rating G -  2202 words

Chap 1 - Chap 2 - Chap 3 - Chap 4 - Chap 5

"So how did you like it last night?"

Crowley, who was restocking the pastries in the display case, replied to Nina without turning around, " You guys are a pretty nice, fun group. Even if you've had one too many."

As he chuckled, Nina protested, "Hey, it was the carpet seller who had one too many. We weren't sober, that's clear, but we weren't drunk either. Besides, you should be thanking us for taking care of the 'Brown' problem."

"Yes, in a very subtle way."

He straightened and Nina shrugged, "It's the result that counts, right?"

She leaned toward him and said in a conspiratorial voice, "And what do you think of the bookseller?"

"He is... interesting."

"Interesting?! Interesting?! I had to put up with poor Mr. Brown's lamentations, and all you can tell me is that he is interesting?"

Their bickering was interrupted by the jingle of the door bell, and Crowley's chuckle died in his throat as the object of their conversation had just walked through the door.

Nina nudged him and whispered, "I'll leave you with this... interesting customer."

Crowley shook his head as he watched Aziraphale approach the counter and greeted him, "Welcome Aziraphale, what will it be today?"

"Good morning Crowley. I don't know yet, let me see what you have."

The barista watched with mild amusement as the bookseller paced back and forth in front of the display case, hands behind his back, looking for his pastry.

Then Aziraphale turned to him and said, "I'd be tempted by a slice of apple pie, but the slices are pretty big. I was wondering..."

He took a few steps closer and continued, "Do you have a break? Maybe we could share it and..."

Crowley didn't have time to react as he felt Nina unfasten his apron behind his back while she said, "He's entitled to a break and besides, as luck would have it, it's now." Then she nudged Crowley and added, "Come on, come on, half an hour, so don't waste a minute. I'll bring you the pie and..."

Aziraphale, an amused gleam in his eye, continued, "A cup of Earl Grey."

Crowley, realizing he had no chance of resisting, not that he wanted to, added, "An espresso for me."

He pointed to an empty table in the back of the coffee shop and said to Aziraphale, "After you."

A few seconds later, they sat down and waited for Nina to come up with their 'order'. When she had placed the drinks and the halved slice of pie on the table, she said to Crowley, "The half-hour starts now," then walked away without looking back.

The two men looked at each other and laughed together.

"Always so subtle."

Crowley nodded before asking, "Isn't the bookshop open this morning?"

"Yes, Muriel, my co-worker is here. I don't like dealing with customers, but they're very good at it, so we work it out."

The barista nodded and asked with interest, without a trace of judgment in his voice, "So it wasn't really a joke on Nina's part?"

Aziraphale shook his head and said in a self-deprecating tone, "I inherited this bookshop. It was my grandfather's, and he took me in when I left my... family at 18. I'm a literary critic, I love to read, and I'm not really a shopkeeper, not to mention the fact that I'm very attached to books, so I find it hard to part with them. But it's no miracle, you have to make money to keep the shop going, so Muriel came along at just the right time, a bit like you did with Nina. They intuitively know which books to buy for the bookshop to sell and which ones belong to my... collection. So they take care of the practical side of things, and I can get on with my work, surrounded by my precious books.  I'm not even a bookseller, you see".  

"Impostor," Crowley teased as he took a bite of pie.

Aziraphale laughed softly and continued, "But I'm only talking about myself. I know barista isn't your only job. What else have you done?"

Crowley replied, "Barista is the job I've done the most, but I've also been hired several times as a mechanic's helper because I have an old car I like to tinker with, and I've also done courier work. But none of that is my dream job. In fact, the reason I wanted something more stable and to be able to settle down is because..."

Crowley paused, realizing he was about to tell someone about his dream for the first time, and someone he barely knew. 

Aziraphale must have sensed his hesitation, because he said quietly, "If you don't want to talk about it, I understand, you know, we barely know each other, you don't have to..."

But Crowley wanted to, he had this compulsion, this feeling that he could tell the other man anything, so he continued, "I want to study astronomy. I know it's ridiculous, and I don't-"

"Hey, don't say that! Let me remind you that you're talking to a bookseller who doesn't sell books! My only question is, why this particular field?"

"I grew up in the country, and on summer evenings when the sky was clear, my father and I would often go to the same clearing to look at the sky. He would show me the constellations, know the names of some of the planets, and always tell me that he regretted that he hadn't studied to understand more. So when I was about ten, I promised myself I'd learn as much as I could so I could show him a lot more. But when I had just started college..."

His throat tightened and for a few moments he was unable to continue. Sensing his emotion, Aziraphale put his hand on his, which was next to his cup, and said gently, "Take your time."

Crowley thanked him with a smile, warmed by the kindness in Aziraphale's eyes, and lowered his gaze to take the time to collect himself so he could continue. 

After a few seconds, when he felt able, he resumed, "But he and Mom were in a terrible car accident and didn't make it, so, as they were my only family, I had to work to support myself and had to forget that childhood dream. Until now. I don't know if I want to make a living out of it, but I want to be able to fulfill that dream, for myself and for my father. There, you know everything."

Looking up, he saw Aziraphale's eyes shining with unshed tears as the bookseller said quietly, "Thank you for your honesty. I'm truly sorry for the loss of your parents. I know we barely know each other, but Crowley, I have to say it, you're amazing, you know? This is a very beautiful dream, and I hope with all my heart that you can make it come true."

Then he squeezed Crowley's hand before pulling it away, adding in a lighter tone, "And don't ever say it's ridiculous again."

Crowley let out a shaky breath, suddenly feeling as if he had been lifted from a weight he hadn't realized he was carrying, just by sharing his greatest secret with the man in front of him.

Then his eyes slipped to the wall clock and he exclaimed, "Oh, it's been half an hour!" He finished his coffee before standing up and saying, "My break is over. I'm sorry, I have to...

"Would you like to have dinner with me?"

"What?"

"I know it might be a little soon since we didn't know each other until yesterday, but-"

"Yes."

Aziraphale could only repeat like a parrot, "Yes?"

Crowley laughed softly and replied, "Yes, I would like to have dinner with you. Just tell me when and where."

"Tonight and at my place? I know it's not very proper for a first date, but I think it might be better for, well, you know, with the street gossip and..."

Seeing that the bookseller was starting to ramble again, Crowley stopped him by putting a hand on his shoulder and said, "No, that's fine with me."

He was rewarded with a bright smile and added, "I really have to get back to work. See you tonight then!"

He walked away, then returned to ask, "What time?"

Aziraphale, who had risen, replied, "7:00?"

"Perfect!"

Crowley then joined Nina behind the counter to help her serve the arriving customers, while Aziraphale strolled happily back to the bookshop.

He stepped through the door and exclaimed cheerfully, "I'm back!"

Muriel, who had been bending over behind the counter, straightened up and replied, "Welcome back."

"I'll put the last box of books away."

"Okay!"

Aziraphale picked up a box and walked to one of the shelves, whistling a lively tune. After a few seconds, Muriel appeared and asked him suspiciously, "You look very cheerful. Any reason?"

Knowing that his colleague and friend wouldn't let go until he said something, he replied neutrally, "I have a date."

"A date? A date? Mr. 'I'm going to end my life a bachelor because no one can stand someone like me' has a date?"

"Yes, Muriel..."

"Who, where, how?"

Aziraphale chuckled and replied, "Crowley, the new barista, here, I invited him to dinner."

"Him? Whereas you didn't know him yesterday?"

Muriel reached over and touched his forehead.

Confused, Aziraphale asked, "What's the matter with you?"

"I'm checking to see if you have a fever."

Aziraphale laughed again and replied, "Idiot."

Muriel became serious again and asked quietly, "Are you sure?"

Aziraphale replied with the same seriousness, "Absolutely sure."

"What has changed since yesterday?"

The bookseller replied quietly, "Something about him makes me want to take the risk."

Muriel looked at him thoughtfully before turning and walking away, "I'm in the mood for a hot chocolate, I'll be back soon!"

"Ok- What?! Muriel, no, don't-"

But only the sound of the shop door closing answered him as he saw his friend cross the street and enter the coffee shop.

Crowley was just putting the clean dishes away when he heard the coffee shop door open. Nina was checking the inventory in the back room, so he turned to the counter and saw a new customer arrive, looking determined as they walked up to the counter.

"Hello, I'd like an extra large hot chocolate, please."

Crowley replied politely, "Very well, I'll bring it right over."

He went to prepare the chocolate and returned a few moments later to the customer who had taken out their purse.

He handed them the hot chocolate and said, "3.25 pounds, please."

The customer grabbed the cup before handing them the money. Just as Crowley took it, they grabbed his wrist and looked him in the eye, saying firmly, "If you hurt him, you'll have me to deal with."

Crowley almost laughed because he was twice their size, but something in the customer's eyes told him they were serious, even if he wasn't sure what they were talking about.

He just nodded and watched in amazement as they left the coffee shop and crossed the street before entering the bookshop.

"Well, you just met Muriel."

"Muriel? Aziraphale's co-worker?" Crowley looked back at Nina, who nodded and then laughed at his bewildered expression.

Crowley thought the people on this street were completely mad, but somehow he was really beginning to appreciate their sweet madness.

*********

Much later in the day, about two hours before Crowley was due to arrive, Aziraphale began to wonder what had possessed him to invite the barista like that. What would they talk about? It had been so long since he'd done that. What if the other man found him boring? What if he had misread the signs?

"It is not the mountain we conquer, but ourselves."

The words his grandfather used to repeat to him whenever he doubted came back to Aziraphale's mind, and as he looked at his portrait on the desk, he felt calm return to him and murmured, "Thank you, Grandpa."

Aziraphale took a deep breath and continued his preparations, heading to the kitchen to cook dinner.  He was quite confident in his culinary skills after receiving compliments from members of the small community on Whickber Street who had tasted his cooking more than once.

An hour later, the meal was ready and he looked at the kitchen clock with satisfaction. He had just enough time to shower and make himself reasonably presentable for the evening ahead.

He didn't dwell on the fact that it took him a little longer than usual to choose his outfit, that he combed his hair three times before finally tousling it with his hand, that he put on his best cologne. 

The most important thing was that half an hour later he was ready.

All the preparations didn't stop his heart from skipping a beat when he heard a light knock at the door. It also didn't stop his heartbeat from quickening as he approached the door to open it.

With his hand on the latch, Aziraphale took a deep breath before opening it and saying, in what he hoped was a natural way, "Good evening, Crowley."

_________

Still not beta'd

Still not my native language

Still hoping you'll enjoy this story  🥰

Still thanking you for bearing with me 😝

Ineffable Husbands masterlist : here

[eretzyisrael]

by Peter Reitzes

About 25 minutes into the event, SJP activists simultaneously stood up and slowly walked out, screeching chants of “Bari Bari, you can’t hide, you’re committing genocide.” Of course, she was not hiding. She was on stage, engaging in public discourse, offering to take questions from community members, including the very activists screaming at her.

The “walkout” amounted to a heckler’s veto that prevented the speakers from talking. Uniformed police, followed by Provost Clemons, ushered SJP activists out of the event. Some activists remained outside the auditorium, heckling and shouting at the audience after the event finished an hour later.

The conversation between Bruni and Weiss offered a model of how two people can engage in civil discourse about important issues while sometimes disagreeing. I will not summarize the impressive conversation here, except to say that Weiss mentioned how her highly respected media website — the Free Press — had recently received criticism for publishing a column by Andrew Sullivan that was viewed as being strongly critical of Israel.

UNC offered free pizza to attendees as we left. There were many uniformed police officers outside, and SJP activists were shouting chants and attempting to intimidate attendees who were leaving. A group of four masked SJP activists shouted at us and followed my group. Police officers appeared to follow the activists who were following us.

One reason SJP activists feel emboldened to act in such menacing ways on campus is that UNC continues to allow them to conceal their identities during protests and disruptions. UNC policy and North Carolina law prohibit the use of masks to hide identity. The great preponderance of the masked audience were SJP members, who were easily recognized as they sat in the same two areas and walked out in unison.

The “arguments” SJP activists screamed at us after the event indicated these young adults have no interest in engaging in difficult conversations. The activists following us were yelling about what they called “genocide pizza” and “apartheid pizza” that UNC offered.

[cellythefloshie]

ＩＭＡＧＩＮＥ: Being Jon Cooper's Daughter and Dating Sidney Crosby Celly’s 300 Follower Appreciation

NOTE: mentions of the pandemic/lockdowns.

when you have been invited to join your father at the 2019 NHL Awards in Vegas you had merely been excited to experience the city with the greatest nightlife in America

but it also left you nervous

you hadn’t attended an event of such scale before

there were players from all over the league who were nominated

all of the NHL’s elite to be honoured

and it left you surrounded by stars

as you walked the red carpet with your father you couldn’t help but feel a little star-struck when you caught sight of Ryan O'Reilly with the Stanley Cup

and you couldn’t help but be a little tongue-tied when you found yourself in an awkward conversation with generational talent Conner McDavid and his girlfriend as you went looking for a drink

but the overwhelming feeling was but at ease when you found familiar faces

Nikita Kucherov, Andrei Vasilevskiy and Victor Hedman had all been nominated along with your father for awards that year

seeing them all brought you instant relief

the team was like a second family to you 

having them all there together put you at ease 

making you a little too comfortable

it left you cheering a little too loud for Andrei as he took the stage to accept the Vezina Trophy

and louder again when Nikita accepted the Hart trophy to add to his already impressively earned Ted Lindsey and Art Ross Awards

you were standing right up out of your seat

your hands sore from the applause when you felt a pair of eyes on you

scanning the room casually from where you stood your eyes were quick to find Sidney Crosby who was all too shameless about his stare

he wore a coy smile

one that only grew as he realized you had spotted him

not once did he look away until the crowd had begun to calm and his attention returned to the stage

settling back into your seat he remained on your mind the rest of the night

and you could feel his eyes on you on occasion

you didn’t need to look his way to know it was him that was staring

you didn’t know why he would be staring

but the fact that he was left your mind to wander with curiosity

Sidney was older, very handsome, and undoubtedly the greatest player of his generation

and that night he only had eyes for you

or at the very least it seemed that way 

and it became all too clear at the after party

you should have been disappointed that your father had lost the Jakc Adams to Bary Trotz

but you had your father’s sportsmanship

you would always respect those who were victorious even when it meant taking a loss

and so you mingled at the after-party offering your congratulations to those who had taken a trophy or two home that night

you enjoyed a drink or two

and the finger food that was served

it was when you were out mingling

and your father was distracted by an enthralling conversation with Ben Bishop that Sidney approached you

he was nothing but respectable

not even touching you when the media came by taking some candid shots of you both in casual conversation before asking for a photo together

it was just when you thought you had gotten ahead of yourself in thinking that Sidney Crosby might have - at the very least - been interested in you

because the conversation was much too respectable and intelligent to be fueled by attraction

that he surprised you by asking to get away from the party

you were taken back by how forward he was about it

but you didn’t decline

it only took a moment for you to make an excuse 

you slipped away for only a moment to feed the excuse to your father who gave you a quick hug and a kiss on your temple

then you snuck out of the party with the Pittsburgh Penguins Captain

he was nothing but a gentleman as you took to the city together

finding a place to eat a real meal together 

and enjoying some of the nightlife before ending up back in his hotel room

you were sure it was going to be a one-night stand

because you didn’t leave him your number when you snuck out of his room at an ungodly hour and back to your own

and you didn’t hear from him again for weeks

not that you had given him many ways to reach you 

but somehow he had managed to get ahold of your phone number

you didn’t believe it was him at first

he was very much out of your league

older, and could get any woman he wanted with ease

plus, it was just a number on the screen after all

but when he texted you the ungodly things he had done to you in that Vegas hotel room you knew it was him

and not only was it him, but he also wanted to see you again

when you had hooked up with him you didn’t even think it was a possibility 

and yet you were making plans to see him again during the summer

A secret meet-up or two during trips that you claimed were girl’s trips were spent on private all-inclusive resorts where Sidney got to know you better than anyone

but then the hockey season came

his time was focused on his team in Pittsburgh while you were in Tampa

and you were ready to accept that it was just a crazy summer romance that only the two of you knew about

but by some chance, your paths crossed in New Jersey

you were on a work trip

and he was set to play the Devils

you convinced your colleagues to go to the game

and by the end of the night, you were in his bed

and suddenly the season was halted

put on pause as a pandemic consumed the world

and you were stuck in Jersey

flight cancellations left you grounded, unable to return to Florida without having to get a rental car and make the drive

before you could make the arrangements to get the car your company had already agreed to work from home

and you were suddenly not needed in Tampa beyond your parents insisting that you return home

but instead, you were faced with another option you hadn’t even considered could be a possibility

Sidney offered his home in Pittsburgh to you

it was a grand home, with only him to occupy and with no one knowing how long it would all last he wasn’t going into it without company

and you couldn’t stay no

at first, you had to make excuses

telling your mother and father that you were still with your coworker in a place you were able to rent in Newerk

but in reality, you were in Crosby’s home playing house

you worked from his office while he worked out in the gym

the two of you cooked your meals together 

and you kept yourself with busy with Netflix and your antics in the bedroom

but soon the secrecy was becoming too much

and your relationship with Sidney was becoming more than just killing time when he let the first “i think I’ve fallen in love with you slip”

you knew you had to tell your dad but you were worried about just how he was going to take it

telling him over a zoom call just didn’t seem right

yet that’s how it was done

and your dad was furious

not solely at the fact that you had been “dating” a hockey player

because he had always warned you to stay away from dating them

but that you had kept it a secret from him

and while your relationship with Sidney was long-lasting

your father still was never very approving of him

And neither was the team

fast forward to March 3, 2022

you returned home to Tampa to watch the Pittsburgh vs Tampa game

and you had an announcement to make over dinner before the game

Sidney had proposed

your parents couldn’t have been happier

but the Tampa Players were less than enthused

maybe it was the timing of it all

but they were all very protective of you

you were like a little sister to them and you deserved the world

they didn’t doubt that Sidney was going to be able to give that to you

but that didn’t mean they weren’t going to give him a hard time as you would forever have a roster of 22 - and alumni of big and little brothers to look out for you

when it came to game time Tampa found itself in familiar turmoils 

they went down 2-0 early in the first

and by the end of the second period, things were heated

a scrum broke out in front of the net with Cirelli going after Sidney only to face Rust instead

no one got to mess with the Captain

and when penalties were handed out and the Bolts took an extra penalty the overprotective nature of your father mixed with his passion for the game and there was no controlling him 

he was yelling so loud that the whole arena could hear it, and the officials weren’t having it

and your father was ejected from the game before it could reach its halfway point

leaving your seat you moved through the halls of Amalie and found your father alone in the locker room

he was still pretty red in the face but calmer now

you couldn’t help but feel a little responsible for his outburst as you moved to sit on the bench beside him and wrapped him in your arms

he welcomed your embrace

his cheek coming to rest against your hair

and it was there holding you that he apologized

for the outburst and for how he has been throughout your relationship with Sidney

always supportive but not always approving

because you were his daughter 

he was always going to be skeptical of a man’s intentions with you

and the engagement left him relieved but saddened

you weren’t his baby girl anymore

you were all grown up

and he couldn’t be more excited to walk you down the aisle

[nobrashfestivity]

Unknown, Vajravarahi Vajrayogini, circa 1100, with two teachers above and four deities below.

At the top of the composition are two figures of teachers. On the left side, wearing a yellow hat, is very likely to be Atisha. The figure on the right is quite possibly Dromton.[77] Vajravarahi (Bari Gyatsa): "Vajravarahi, with a body red in colour, one face and two hands. The right [hand] holds, in a manner held aloft, a vajra curved knife. The left holds to the heart a blood filled skullcup and carrying a katvanga [in the bend of] the elbow. Having three eyes and bared fangs. Having a crown of five dry human skulls and a necklace of fifty fresh. Adorned with a garland of flowers. Wearing a lower garment of tiger skin. Standing in a dancing manner with the left leg extended in a half [vajrasana] posture." (Konchog Lhundrub).At the bottom left side is Simhanada Lokeshvara, white in colour, without ornaments. To the right side is Shakyamuni Buddha. On the bottom right side is Krodha Achala, wrathful in appearance, blue in colour, standing in an aggressive posture. To the left side is Chaturbhuja Lokeshvara with one face and four arms."... a lion with the head looking to the right. Above that is a moon disc ... the Lord of the World, Simhanada, with a body white in colour, having one face and two hands, three eyes, with the hair bound in a topknot. The right hand is extended above the knee in the refuge giving gesture and the left placed firmly on the seat behind the back. Having the appearance of an ascetic, seated in the lalitaraja posture. On the right side is a white snake coiled around an upright trident and on the left side, above a lotus stem is a skullcup filled with various fragrant flowers and adorned with a flaming sword." (From an edited version of the Bari Gyatsa by Ngorchen Konchog Lhundrub (1497-1557). GTKT, vol.12, folio 258. -Jeff Watt, October 1984. Vancouver, Canada).

[aminocamino]

Day 15 24 April - Belgrado to Atapuerco 31km and 479m

Couple of things I should mention. I discovered these roast almond dispensing machines , 1 € for a handful and I introduced Carrie to them. They are addictive and every time we saw a machine we would dispense some. Stopped it now though as they can ruin your appetite.

In addition yesterday Carrie developed a sharp hip pain - worrying obviously. When she took her pack off to suss it out and put ibuprofen gel on it she discovered the rucksack was sitting on the toggle of her top. So no major injury but we both have the ABA (all body ache).

This morning it must have been -1/1deg. There was frost on the ground and it didn’t begin to melt till 10am.

This is the old bridge going out of Belorado, a reminder of its past.

It was a beautiful cold morning - passed this marker on the way. Still a long long way to go! And the ruin is all thats left of the Monastery of Sant Felix de Oca.

The path out of Villafranca Montes de Oca was steep, very surprisingly. And the path then wound through lovely forestry track. Saw a man selling scallop shells he had painted himself and a very odd wood sculpture park. Some of the carvings were abit macabre…

The monument is Monumento de los Carlos and marks the shallow grave of 300 people who were executed in 1936. Very moving marker in a remote place.

The forestry track to San Juan de Ortega was beautiful to start but after 7km of the same scenery it was painful. We arrived at San Juan de Ortega - a stunning village with two cafes. We stopped for a drink at the first one - and to our delight we bumped into Nathan/Abi and 8 month old Fred. Hugs all round. Its good to meet up with your Camino family. They told us they had a bad experience with an Albergue owner in Belorado who was so mean they would not put the heating on. It was 1 degree last night. Poor Fred! Think they eventually forced him/her to turn it on.

Carrie and I loved San Juan de Ortega - definitely a place to stay overnight at.

The church of San Nicolas de Bari and the buildings attaching to it as well as the courtyard are stunning. Especially on a beautiful sunny day such as this one.

After San Juan it was another slog to get to Ages. We loved this village. It had a beautiful high street and some very old buildings - it wasn’t spoilt by industrial buildings. Definitely another one to stay in.

The 2km to Atapuerco felt like 15. We walked over 19 miles (not the 18 per the Camino planner I am using!) today and we felt it. Our Albergue was an interesting experience. Not our favourite - just felt grubby. And the showers were so tight! When I was hanging clothes out - I noticed a pair of bright red orange underpants… they followed me around because in the morning they were on the radiator right next to my jacket 😲. And a bloke keeps wondering around in his grey green underpants… reminds me and Carrie of hairy man!

Carrie took this one of me in front of my bed. We were both in top bunks unfortunately. Not sure why I am smiling as the place didn’t feel clean.

The one restaurant in the village was closed. But the bar was serving pizza, Carrie offered to share but I was starving. We had 19 miles to feed. Afterwards we sat in the sun in the middle of the village and chatted to Rebecca and Debbie - both lovely Canadian women we got on with really well.

[anonymousewrites]

Logos and Pathos (Book 2) Chapter Eleven

Spock x Empath! Reader

Chapter Eleven: Trouble with Klingons

Summary: (Y/N) has to watch out for Klingons, but they seem intent on messing with the Enterprise crew. That's fine. (Y/N) will handle them.

            As (Y/N) waited to be sent back down to Deep Space Station K-7, they were far from bored. Uhura had been gifted a tribble by a travelling merchant, and it had no multiplied into more than twenty. So far, no one was complaining, though, since their little trills were calming. Their effect on others’ emotions were pleasing as well, so (Y/N) was enjoying themself not dealing with negative emotions as they pet a tribble.

            “Spock, they’re so cute,” cooed (Y/N) as the pleasant emotions of calm humans washed over them.

            Spock looked at them. He found (Y/N) cute as they played with the little animals, but he wasn’t going to admit that. “They do seem to have a calming effect on the crew.” He was pleased to see (Y/N) to relaxed.

            “Here! Pet one. It’s nice.” (Y/N) held out a white tribble.

            Spock knew he should make a logical reason to not pet the tribble since there was no reason for him to other than it would be pleasant (close to an emotion), but he couldn’t’ say no to (Y/N)’s eager expression. “Very well.” He held the tribble and softly petted it. Spock was not immune to its charm.

            “How long have you had this thing, Lieutenant?” asked Bones, looking at Uhura.

            “Since yesterday, Doctor,” she replied. “This morning I found out that he—I mean, she—had babies.”

            “Well, I’d say, in that case, you got a bargain,” joked Bones.

            “You running a nursery, Lieutenant?” asked Kirk.

            “Oh, Captain. Well, I hadn’t intended to, sir, but the tribble had other plans,” said Uhura.

            “Did you get this at the space station?” Honestly, Kirk was just surprised that one tribble had become twenty overnight.

            “Yes, sir,” said Uhura.

            “A most curious creature, Captain,” remarked Spock. “Its trilling seems to have a tranquilizing effect on the human nervous system.”

            “Celian, too,” added (Y/N), sighing happily as they played with the tribbles.

            “Fortunately, of course, I am…immune to its effects,” said Kirk as he stroked the tribbles fur.

            “Oh, yes. Of course,” teased (YN).

            Spock did not reply for the sake of his pride.

            Kirk smirked and chuckled at the interaction, exchanging significant glances with Bones. “Well, Lieutenant (L/N), I hate to remove you, but I need you to return to K-7. Baris is getting nervous about all the Klingons, and even if they don’t try anything with the wheat, I think negotiation might be needed.”

            (Y/N) smiled. “No problem, Captain, I’ll head right down.”

            “Be careful,” said Spock. “The Klingons are volatile.”

            “Don’t worry, Spock. I can handle what they throw at me.”

l

            After they ordered, (Y/N), Scotty, and Chekov sat down at a table while the other nine officers (twelve in all to match the Klingons’ numbers) occupied another.

            “Excuse me, but may I interest you in a tribble?” said Cyrano Jones, the merchant whole gave Uhura a tribble.

            “No, thank you,” said (Y/N).

            Jones shrugged and left, walking over to the Klingon table. “Ah, friend Klingon! Might I interest you in a tribble?” He held out a tribble, and it trilled angrily as it neared the Klingon.

            The Klingon, Kolax (Koloth’s right hand), glared at it distastefully and backed away. “Get it away from me.”

            “I’m sorry, I can’t understand it,” said Jones in confusion as the tribble screeched. “I’ve never seen them act this way.”

            (Y/N) cocked their head. Interesting. Tribbles don’t like Klingons.

            “Get it out of here,” repeated Kolax.

            “They never act like this,” said Jones.

            “Take it away!” barked Kolax.

            “Yes, of course,” said Jones as the tribble cried out. He walked over to the bar.

            The waitress arrived at their table and handed out drinks.

            “When are you going to get off that milk diet, lad?” teased Scotty.

            “This is vodka,” said Chekov, huffing.

            “Where I come from, that’s soda pop,” said Scotty. “Now this is a drink for a man.”

            (Y/N) chuckled. “Scotch? I have to admit, I think Celian drinks are the best.” They lifted their cocktail, ‘Passion.’ It was pink with a fruity scent. “Delicious with just the right kick.”

            Scotty considered. “I once had a scotch variant in a drink called Déjà Vu from Celia. That was excellent.” He grinned. “I was drunk as a skunk afterward, but it was good.”

            The trio laughed together as they relaxed for the first time in forever. Their peace was interrupted as Kolax spoke loudly from the bar.

            “The Earthers like those fuzzy things, don’t they?” remarked Kolax, looking at the tribbles. “Well, frankly, I never liked Earthers. They remind me of Regulan bloodworms.” The Klingons laughed, and Chekov scowled. Aggression dripped from Kolax like oil.

            “That does it!” cried Chekov.

            “Easy,” said (Y/N).

            “Well, there is one Earth man who doesn’t remind me of a Regulan bloodworm. That’s Kirk,” spat Kolax. “A Regulan bloodworm is soft and shapeless. But Kirk isn’t soft.” The Klingons snickered. “Kirk may be a swaggering, overbearing, tin-plated dictator with delusions of godhood…but he’s not soft.”

            Chekov tried to stand, but Scotty held him back. “Easy, lad.”

            “Don’t let them get to you,” said (Y/N), ignoring Kolax’s poisonous emotions. “They’re trying to get a reaction. Don’t give them the satisfaction.”

            Kolax turned his attention to (Y/N). “Celians are tolerable, but they’re so…sensitive. I’ve heard some are good for their looks, and I guess that’s true.” He smirked. “I guess the Federation keeps some of the softies around for eye-candy.”

            “Mx. (L/N)!’ said Chekov. “You can’t just let them talk about you that way.”

            (Y/N) smiled calmly. “I can take some insults, Chekov.”

            “That’s right! Such a good sport,” sneered Kolax. “And that means I can say that the only reason you’d lower yourself to deal with Federation weaklings must because you like that attention.”

            (Y/N)’s gaze darkened, and Scotty and Chekov looked at them watchfully.

            “I mean, why else would they be kept if they weren’t sleeping around?” sneered Kolax, the disdain clear in his voice.

            Chekov’s hand curled into a fist, and he stood, but (Y/N) was faster and approached Kolax. They could ignore the ugly crawl of his emotions on their skin, but they wouldn’t just sit there.

            Kolax smirked. “You know, we’ve been in space a long time. If you want a little fun that’s better than these Earthers and Vulcans, just let me know.”

            (Y/N) laughed, taking Kolax, Scotty, and Chekov aback. They sighed and smirked condescendingly at Kolax. “Me? Lower myself to sleep with the likes of you?” They scoffed. “As if. You don’t even deserve the time I waste talking to you.”

            “Alien whore,” hissed Kolax, his anger reaching red-hot intensity.

            “Yep, that’s me, and you wish you could get some,” said (Y/N), rolling their eyes.

            Kolax made a move to hit them, and Chekov and Scotty were on their feet in a second to defend their friend. Scotty swung and hit Kolax in the face. The other Klingons were on their feet in an instant, and Chekov tackled one. Brawls between Enterprise officers and Klingon agents broke out around the bar.

            (Y/N) sighed as chaos reigned. Oh, boy. This is a mess.

l

            Aboard the Enterprise, Kirk paced before the twelve officers who had been in the bar when the fights with the Klingons broke out. Spock stood with his arms crossed in the corner.

            “I am forced to cancel shore leave for both ships,” said Kirk in frustration. “I want to know who started it.” No one spoke. “I’m waiting.” He sighed. “Freeman. Who started the fight?”

            “I don’t know, sir,” said Freeman.

            “Alright. Chekov��” Kirk raised an eyebrow at the ensign. “I know you. You started it, didn’t you?”

            “No, sir, I didn’t,” said Chekov.

            “Well, who did?”

            “I don’t know, sir.”

            “ ‘I don’t know, sir.’ I want to know who threw the first punch!” Still, no one answered. “Alright, you’re all confined to your quarters.”

            “Captain, witnesses assure that (Y/N) was not involved in the fight,” said Spock. “And their specialties will be needed.”

            Kirk nodded. “Right, right, the rest of you, dismissed.” He stopped Scotty as well as he went to leave. “Scotty, (L/N), you two were supposed to prevent trouble.”

            “Yes, Captain. My apologies,” said (Y/N).

            “Who threw the first punch?” asked Kirk.

            “Um…” Scotty coughed uncomfortably. “I did, Captain.”

            Spock raised his eyebrow in surprise. Normally, Scotty was excitable but sensible.

            Kirk blinked. “You did, Mr. Scott?” He looked at (Y/N). “What started it?”

            (Y/N) winced. “Well…the Klingons were trying to provoke us, Captain.”

            “They insulted us!” said Scotty indignantly.

            “Must have been some insult,” said Kirk.

            “Aye, it was,” said Scotty, his face wrinkling in disgust.

            “You threw the first punch,” realized Kirk.

            “He was doing a really good job controlling himself, but the Klingons just kept pushing,” said (Y/N). “They got pretty mean.”

            “Pretty mean?! They called Kirk a swaggering, overbearing, tin-plated dictator with delusions of godhood!” cried Scotty.

            “And that’s what caused the fight?” asked Spock, raising an eyebrow.

            “No, no, I know the Captain can take a few insults,” said Scotty.

            “Ah,” said Kirk, admittedly a little disappointed at Scotty’s blasé attitude towards those insults. “So what did the Klingons say that did started?”

            (Y/N) coughed awkwardly. “Well, uh, Kolax called me a whore.”

            “And then he went to attack them!” said Scotty indignantly. “I mean, maybe they could hold themself back, but I couldn’t let that slide.”

            (Y/N) smiled. Scotty was a good friend.

            Spock’s eyes narrowed imperceptibly. He greatly disliked that the Klingons had insulted (Y/N) like that. He knew that they were attractive and that drew attention to them quite a bit. Unfortunately, Spock himself had seen people make unwanted advances on (Y/N), and he hated it. He hated seeing them uncomfortable. In fact, while Spock preferred peace to violence, he admitted to himself that he would struggle to keep his composure if he was in Kolax’s presence when he insulted (Y/N). They didn’t deserve it in any way.

            “(Y/N), I hope you were not injured by Kolax’s attack,” said Spock.

            (Y/N) shook their head. “No. I avoided the fighting.”

            Kirk sighed. “We’re glad you’re alright. Scotty, while you had good intentions, I do have to confine you to your quarters.”

            Scotty smiled. “Thank you, sir. That’ll give me a chance to catch up on my technical journals.” He left the room happily.

            “Captain, as (Y/N) was uninvolved in the physical altercation and may be needed for negotiations with the Klingons, might I suggest that you—” began Spock.

            Kirk waved a hand. “They’re not getting punished. They handled themself well.” He nodded to (Y/N). “Good job, Lieutenant.”

            “Thank you, Captain,” said (Y/N).

            “I’ll try to smooth things over. God knows what Baris’ll say about this,” sighed Kirk, leaving the room.

            (Y/N) sighed. “I know he says I did a good job, but I didn’t really do my job, did I?” they joked, glancing at Spock. “I should have realized that snapping back at Kolax would only worsen the situation.”

            Spock took a step closer to them. “Kolax was disrespectful. You handled it with your words. I find that approach logical.”

            (Y/N) raised an eyebrow. “Even though I insulted him back?”

            “Admittedly, that was not the most diplomatic approach.” Spock looked at (Y/N). “But I still approve.” (Y/N) blinked in surprise. “I…It displeases me to see people take advantage of your kindness. I think you rightfully defended yourself.”

            (Y/N) smiled. “Thank you, Spock.” Their face fell. “I just wish people didn’t assume that because I’m attractive and friendly it means I down for everything. I’m not. I’m more than a pretty face.”

            “Your value has never been in your appearance alone,” said Spock, reaching out and resting his hand on their upper arm. “I value you for your mind.” And your heart. But he wasn’t going to say that.”

            (Y/N)’s smile returned with a dusting on pink on their cheeks. “I’ve always been able to feel safe with you, Spock. Thank you for that.” They looked at Spock with love in their eyes, although he couldn’t identify it. “I’m glad you’re here.” Their hand moved to cover his hand on their arm, but they held themself back in order to not cross any boundaries.

            “As am I,” said Spock. Realizing his hand still rested on their arm, he drew it back and cleared his throat. “And if you need help making sure people do not cross your boundaries, I am here to offer you my assistance.”

            (Y/N) grinned. “You do have an imposing presence. People would listen to you. I’ll let you know if I need any help.”

            Privately, Spock promised himself to intervene in any future issues. It was illogical to believe words constituted a threat, but he couldn’t stand by if (Y/N) was hurt. They—Well, they weren’t his partner, but he would protect them as if they were.

            After all, Spock loved them.

            (Y/N) felt their heart swell up as Spock assured them that he was there to help them. To know that he respected them and wanted them to be respected by others felt wonderful. (Y/N) could hardly contain their desire to reach out to him and hold him tight. Their emotions were bright as their gaze met his.

            If only Spock knew how much (Y/N) loved him.

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Hetalia Rarepair Day 2

@hetalia-rarepairweek

Romano x America Prompt: Comfort

“What the hell is this?” Savino asked loudly, gesturing the box in front of him.

“I was gonna make pasta.” Alfred replied innocently.

Savino scrunched up his nose with a large frown.

“I come all the way from Bari, and you’re making Kraft mac and cheese…and you have the audacity to call it pasta!”

“Well, why don’t you show me how it’s done properly.” America asks with a grin.

Savino grins widely and rolls up his sleeves.

“Just watch.”

Approximately 5 minutes later, Alfred found himself thrown out of the kitchen by an indignant Italian. He attempted to return at least twice but was met with the same fate every time.

Meanwhile, when he wasn’t throwing Alfred out of the kitchen, Savino went about making fresh pasta and a savory sauce to go with it. He had been in Alfred’s kitchen often enough that he knew his way around it, very carefully crafting a delicious meal. The only time he paused was to ask Alfred where something was before kicking the blonde out of the kitchen again.

About an hour later, there was a lovely meal with a lovely wine that Savino happened to find in the cabinet as well. The wine just so happened to be a nice Italian wine that went perfectly with the Braciole that he just finished.

With that done, Savino needed to have a little chat with Alfred. As Savino let him back in, Alfred rushed past him to take in the scent of the pasta dinner that was sitting on two plates.

“Smells great ‘Vino.” He said happily, completely disarming the brunette with his genuine smile.

“Al-” Savino tried again.

“I’ll go set the table!” Alfred shouted as he ran back out of the kitchen into the dining room to set the table.

This was yet another thing that tipped off Savino. Usually, neither of them wanted to set the table. Alfred seemed a little too eager today. Plus, the guy seemed pretty nervous for no reason. He also seemed very insistent to be the one who said grace.

Finally, Savino had enough.

“Alfred, we need to talk.”

“’Bout how awesome this food tastes?” Alfred said clearly attempting to avoid a conversation.

“If you’re not going to be honest with me…I’ll…do something.” Savino attempted to threaten, not being able to come up with a realistic threat towards the man he loved, but he stood up to make a point.

Alfred sighed and muttered something under his breath before stuffing his face with pasta.

“What was that?” Savino asked genuinely.

“I just wanted to eat your cooking.” Alfred finally responded, looking like a kicked puppy.

“Why all the fuss then?” Savino sighed tiredly. “Why not just say ‘Savino, can you cook tonight?’”

Alfred began poking at the pasta that was left on his plate.

“You’d say no. Your cooking is always so good, and I look forward to eating it. It’s like comfort food, ya know? I thought since you just flew in you wouldn’t want to cook, so I figured I’d have to trick you into cooking for me.” Alfred said sadly.

Savino brushed his hand through his hair in frustration. Had he really come off that way?

“Look damnit, if you want me to cook and you’ll do the dishes I’ll do it. So long as you’re not interrupting my siesta or anything stupid like that.” Savino replied in a grumpy tone.

“You’re not mad at me?” Alfred asked one last question, his bright blue eyes piercing into Savino’s heart.

“No idiot, I’m not mad at you. I-I love y-AAAH”

Savino was interrupted by a very excited American glomping him. He began half cursing the American out in surprise and attempted to peel the taller man off of him.

“You are getting pasta sauce all over my shirt!” Savino complained.

Still, Savino wouldn’t have it any other way though. He was spending a comfortable week with the man he loved, even if that man got pasta sauce on his nice shirt. The shirt could be replaced. These memories couldn’t.