#knockoff shopping list

[ventique18]

Holy shit Malleus stans actually managed to eviscerate ALL in-stock Malleus merch on Shopee omg (SEA shopping platform). They did leave behind $1 photocards and those never-ending AliExpress knockoff badges lol. And one over-priced plushie (3x standard price) I guess.

I know because I scoured through all listed items looking for SOMETHING to buy. I managed to snag the last moipon plush in stock. 😭

I'm not kidding when I say most of us here share the same taste 🤸‍♀️

[kosomolski-dolls]

How to spot a Recast store.

First of all, what is a recast?

A recast is an unlicensed copy of a BJD, a knockoff, a fake. Usually the dolls are bought from a legit company (sometimes not even from the recast company itself, but from supporters), a mold is made (either making a physical mold or a 3D scan) and then the dolls can be mass produced. Usually made in China, but there are exceptions to this.

I'm not going into detail here on why they are a big problem, there are tons of posts about this on the internet. They are bad, they destroy the dollmakers and artists that I love, if you're fine with that, this blog isn't for you.

This blog is for those, that want to buy legit BJDs and don't want to accidentally buy a recast, which is getting harder and harder.

I'll put this under a cut, because this is gonna get a bit lengthy.

What not to do: Google "buy BJD", you'll literally get a ton of Ali Express listings of knockoff BJDs.

You will have to do some research up front, you need to know what company you want to buy. For that, you can go to the BJD hashtag, here, on instagram, sometimes even Twitter, and see if there is something you like. Usually people also tag the company and sculpt, and if not, asking usually gets the reply.

You can also go to one of the many official dealer pages and just click through their dolls to see if you find something that you like.

Stay away from Ali Express and Amazon. Both of these pages are riddled with knockoffs. Idk if there are actually any legit sellers on Ali, if there are, they are few. I think Dollzone sells on Amazon, but seriously, most of the dolls there are fakes.

Ebay and Etsy are also full of recasts, but you can find some legit dolls there.

So, how do you spot a recast store? Let me show you some hints, that are usually a dead giveaway.

A lot of different styles.

This is the header of an etsy shop. While the two on the left might be from the same maker, the other two are very different. (The one on the right is a doll from Fairyland, one of the, if not the most recasted company out there).

Different styles only make sense, if the seller is a distributor/dealer. If it's not a dealer, back out.

Which brings us to the next point:

Generic names.

If a shop were a dealer, they would give you the names of the companies and sculpts.

Example from an official dealer:

See how you can choose the company, size, and then the sculpts? Recast shops don't give you that (there's one exception, that I'll mention later).

They give you "1/4 BJD Doll MSD", "Girl BJD 1/6" or if they wanna go all out "1/3 BJD Doll 60.5CM Full Set BJD Doll With Clothes Resin Toys Best Gift for Girls Hand Made Doll Custom Dolls OOAK Art Doll diy Dolls".

They want to stay as generic as possible, so the newbies that google for "buy bjd" will be redirected to their pages.

If you find generic names, back the hell out of there. I don't know a single company or dealer, that do not tell you what doll exactly you're buying!

Short production time

BJDs take time to make. They are not mass produced dolls, they are casted, sanded, strung and packed by small companies. Even the big names in this hobby usually are just a hand full of people. So it takes time.

Usually between 2-6 months. I don't know any company that actually gives you an estimate below 60 days. Sometimes they ship faster (maybe it's a popular sculpt and they have actually made some for stock, maybe they didn't have a lot of orders during that time, etc), but they don't usually give you a shorter timeline.

If your listing claims the doll will be shipped in 1-2 weeks? Bad news for you, that's usually a recast store.

Price

I hate to say it, but this is an expensive hobby. Dolls usually cost at least $200, oftentimes more. There are some companies that have cheaper prices, but if it goes below $150, I would definitely have a closer look.

Now, the price is usually the last thing that I mention, because before the price tag, you should check for all the things mentioned above. Only if you have a consistent style, specific names, and a timeline that makes sense, then you should check for the price.

I say that, because I know of one Recast store, that tries so hard to look legit, they actually put effort in it.

And that is the BJD Shop.

Look at that. You have company names, you have sculpt names, it looks like a legit dealer (if you ignore that their production time is 1-4 weeks).

But now look at the prices.

Not taking into account that this specific sculpt isn't even available from Fairyland anymore, the price? Is not even $100 (for blank doll).

Now let's look at the actual price by FL:

Rule of thumb: If a price is too good to be true, it very likely is.

So I recommend actually looking for the doll company, if you find a dealer you're not sure is legit, and compare the prices.

A good page for information is Den Of Angels. It's a forum, but a lot of things are easily available without account through Google. For example their dealer list. Is it complete? I don't know, maybe not, but it's a good start.

I hope this is helpful for anyone who isn't sure about a shop they want to buy from.

[strangestcase]

Not sure if you've ever made a post like this/someone has already asked this and you've answered but I was wondering if you had a list of J&H adaptions (of any kind and as well as other fans making things that are just online stuff rather than big professional things) that you really like and think people should get into if they haven't really explored or even know of just yet? I'm curious because I've only branched out a little bit and got some stuff that was fairly. Meh.

I have made a few posts about the matter but! I’ll gladly repeat myself.

the trick with finding good J&H adaptations is to forget about 1:1 plot accuracy and instead focus on theme accuracy. You’ll be pleasantly surprised to discover a lot of adaptations (including crossovers and pastiches) understand the book and what it’s getting at.

Here’s my personal list of recommendations:

-MazM Jekyll and Hyde: a Korean visual novel that adapts the book to a T. The main timeline (chapters 1-8) are free to play, but chapters 9-10 and a few other tidbits are very cheap. Since it’s styled like an RPG, you can talk to NPCs that will give you some insight in the historical and cultural context of the novella. It has a spin-off game called Hyde and Seek in which Hyde is one of the antagonists, if you’re interested.

-Le Testament du Docteur Cordelier aka The Doctor’s Horrible Experiment: originally released as a TV movie in 1959 but later released in cinemas, this Jean Renoir production tightly follows the book plot with very small changes. The biggest change is that the story is set in 1950s Paris rather than 1880s England, with all the characters having different names. It has a budget of five dollars and a shoestring but it’s very well written and well acted, with a professional mime playing Jekyll and Hyde. My friend @nemeyuko has a copy with English subtitles. WARNING: there is a rape scene near the end.

-I, Monster: a 1971 Amicus production (basically a knockoff Hammer movie) with Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing as the leads. Some character’s names and events are changed, but the plot is very much recognizable as a Jekyll and Hyde adaptation. The setting is also changed to the Edwardian period. This adaptation focuses on the psychological element of the story, including overt references to Freud and modern psychoanalysis, and putting the spotlight on Jekyll’s addiction to the serum.

-The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: 2003 Norrington movie that has almost nothing to do with the comics it was adapting from, but it’s considered more enjoyable by most people since it isn’t as dark and gritty. I specially recommend the movie for its take on Jekyll/Hyde, since it doesn’t shy away from the addiction angle. Hyde is entirely done with practical effects. The movie novelization is available in the Internet Archive, and it has a bit more focus on Hyde.

-Jekyll and Hyde at the Old Vic: a dance adaptation that reimagines Jekyll as a dorky botanist in 1950s England. It doesn’t have any dialogue and it’s mostly about an angsty love story but I really liked it (basically imagine Jekyll and Hyde meets Little Shop Of Horrors, and I’m not exaggerating!). It was available for free on YouTube a while ago but it’s been taken down- if anybody has any recordings let me know!

I have a rather lengthy list of adaptations I’m watching on YouTube, a lot of which I haven’t even started yet (and a lot of which aren’t particularly worthwhile) but here’s a little documentary and a couple of funny sketches.

[pansyfemme]

I LOVE your style as another colors and patterns lover do u have any shops you recommend besides like etsy and such

UMH so like. depends on pricepoint and what you’re looking for. in terms of rlly nice but really expensive stuff theres fashion brand company, big bud press, lucy and yak- but those are kind of exceptions in weirdo and colorful fashion since most brands don’t really have the audience to price that high, the decora and colorful fashion community is rlly small 😭 I also look a lot at pinup and modern fashion type places like modcloth and unique vintage, not so much for most of their stuff but they sometimes have collabs with things like care bears or strawberry shortcake, which works. but in general im a bit fan of kei collective, they’re a collective of USA based artists, mostly in the jfashion circle, and a good portion is colorful and cutesy. (one of their house brands, good fortune, has made some of my favorite peices in my closet.) After that, you’re really looking into individual artists or brands. Candytrap is run by great people and def the best for plus sizes, my only complaint is some of their fabrics are kinda cheap. Clammy Heart! has a lot of really nice stuff, Pretty Sour is like. really small but i’m really excited about their future releases. I really love Ocean in space, she mostly makes shirts but they are damn good shirts. Kirakirakarakasa is really reliable, i love their plush purses sm. I’ve never bought from egglien creations, but a cardigan from them is on my bucket list lol.

something you’ll notice is there are quite a few pastel focused brands but not many for neons and bright colors.. but you can kiiinda work with it. usually i just try and buy a few more pastel items to style with other peices and it works out ok. Thrifting and stuff is of course never out of the question, it’s just a matter of knowing that theres about a .0000001% chance you will be able to find a peice to base an outfit around at a goodwill, usually i just get plain color stuff if it’s vibrant enough and use it as an accent. Vintage or consignment stores can be good but as a fat person I don’t tend to have a whole lot of luck with those.

as always i reccomend you watch cybr.grl’s two part series on decora brands, it’s really helpful. I’m listing mostly USA based brands here but she has reccomendations for Canada, the UK, Australia and Japan as well.

Finding colorful fashion is easier than it’s ever been, but you are gonna have to be creative from time to time. I ended up finding out that brands focused on raves or clubbing actually has a lot of stuff that can work. Just be smart. Theres a lot of knockoffs on shein and stuff of some brands as well as some very low quality stuff out there (i still regret buying from in control although i still wear the stuff i have from them.) so it’s just a matter of trying to see where other people are buying from and realizing what you’re looking for and not looking for.

[the-bjd-community-confess]

I tried to buy a recast head on Aliexpress. Up until now my dolls have been legit only and I planned to keep it that way, but I was browsing around for other stuff on Ali (as one does) and on a whim searched up an older long-discontinued Fairyland event sculpt that I've loved for awhile. Just to see. There was one listing from a smaller recast shop for only around $20. I felt very conflicted about it but I ended up placing an order because I was really curious and there was no way I'd ever afford that sculpt legitimately if it did come along on the secondhand market. A couple weeks later the shop messages me to let me know that they're actually out of stock of that one head and not planning to make more, and gave me a refund. Part of me feels kind of relieved that it didn't work out but part of me is a little disappointed too I guess. I don't plan to try again because the idea of owning such a forbidden doll feels nervewracking and I also do sincerely care about my money going toward artists in the actual hobby community. I guess it was the extremely low price of the head and the curiosity and the idea of owning such a difficult to find sculpt (even a knockoff) that caused me to cave.

I've been thinking about the whole thing a lot, I think because it's made me think a lot about the recast issue and how it plays out in the BJD community. I've read countless articles and opinions and reasons why recasts are bad--I've heard every argument--and I do agree on the whole! And yet I still I feel like I can't really find it in myself to fault people who do buy recasts. Anyway, this is kind of a half-baked confession but I guess I just wanted somewhere to dump my jumbled feelings about this whole thing.

~Anonymous

[nochiquinn]

The Ongoing Situation, updated and revised with new developments:

my kid is type 1 diabetic. she uses a constant glucose monitor. this involves a small sensor attached to her arm that lasts for about two weeks that we scan with a reader. she has insurance coverage, but the cost of the sensors have been creeping up each time we refill, around $40 for two (so far), and that’s a monthly purchase if they don’t break or fall off or what have you - then it’s twice in one month. the reader has decided that test strips are for other people, so we had to purchase a separate finger-stick tester for when we need to double-check her sensor readings.

the other reality is the cost of insulin. she takes two kinds, a rapid-acting for meals and to correct highs, and a slow-release at night. each of these comes in a pack of 5, and with insurance each of those packs costs ~$75. the rapid-acting disappears faster bc we have to send one to school with her - she’s not allowed to carry it back and forth. so that’s two pens in active use at the same time.

her dad, my partner, is also t1d, and requires all the same supplies she does (sans the sensors/monitor). so they draw from the same pool of alcohol swabs, pen needles, etc, but he has his own test strips he has to purchase, ~$25/50, and we've been having to buy them more often thanks to the aforementioned fuckery with kiddo's reader. he also has to buy his own insulin, which is ~$50/5 pens (since he can thankfully use the knockoff walmart kind), x2 because he also needs a long-lasting dose for overnight. kiddo also has her own stash of supplies at school - a pack of test strips, syringe heads, alcohol swabs, etc - and her dad has one at work. this necessary doubling-up of supplies adds up. school is starting back, so we have to replenish her school kit as well.

so just sitting here and doing the math, sensors + test strips + insulin for them both = $315. and that’s before swabs and glucose tabs and what have you. insulin-dependent diabetic care in the united states is a fucking racket.

this wall of text is to say: helping us buy medical supplies for them both would be a huge weight off our shoulders. ways to do this include:

amazon list, to buy supplies directly. (needles are no longer on here, because for whatever reason amazon has stopped shipping them to our address. I don't know if this is true for everyone or just us, but we're now reliant on the walmart pharmacy and the pip website for needles.)

gofundme

ko-fi/ko-fi shop

tipping

redbubble

teepublic

on the larger scale, please vote for and support politicians in favor of expanding medicaid/medicare, capping the cost of insulin, or universal healthcare in general. voting is not enough etc etc but it's a start. also, as always, burning down the pharmaceutical industry. 💙

[pacificgrimsarc]

[ shop ] for trent and twyla ✨💕

[ shop ] sender and receiver go to the grocery store together | @bloodrodeo

"Oh my lanta. Didja see what's been goin' on with poor Kate Middleton?" You hear her before you see her; Twyla's nose is buried in today's tabloids while in line at the local Food Lion. The front page of the rag is a poorly 'shopped photo of the aforementioned princess and her children, smiling widely and eerily at the camera. "All that money and she can't even hire a proper PR team. What a disaster!"

A well-made, but knockoff, brown handbag is dangling from Twyla's forearm and she's moving up the queue slowly, not really paying attention to where she's walking. Beep... beep... beep. The elderly cashier takes her time ringing every single item the customer a few spots ahead of them has. Twyla is no stranger to the colossally slow pace in which these big grocery stores are run, but gosh darn does she miss the quick-and-easy pick-ups back home in her small town. Still, she's buzzing with excitement; she's going to meet Trent's Pops for the first time for Father's Day weekend, but first they had to complete a laundry list to help prepare for the celebratory barbecue.

She finally looks up from the magazine, a concentrated look on her face like there's a true, substantial mystery behind the entire Kate Middleton thing and she's about to solve it à la Nick Cage in National Treasure. But it disappears rather quickly when she sees, right next to the magazines in line, is a small stand of sparklers and other small fireworks. A sign on the stand says MORE FIREWORKS IN BACK. A megawatt smile appears on her face and she grabs a couple of packs of sparklers.

"I haven't played with these since I was a little kid," she tells Trent. "We gotta buy some." A pause as she eyes the small fireworks she didn't pick up. "You think your Pops'll be up for shootin' some off? Don't wanna set your house on fire meetin' him for the first time, but... this is an opportunity I just can't pass up."

PROMPTS FOR ORDINARY THINGS THAT FEEL INTIMATE

[fouryearsofshades]

Hi, I have a few questions — are there any new trends in the hanfu movement you’re fond of/don’t like? Why or why not?

Is there a website out there that complies a list of the most popular and active hanfu taobao shops? Or even just a “top XX hanfu taobao shops of 20XX”? A lot of my favs aren’t available or the shops have closed so i don’t know where to really look anymore haha

Hello~ Thanks for the ask.

Ok, to be frank, I am not really following the fashion closely nowadays because I am neither on little red book nor douyin. I followed a few bots on weibo but they are generally only reblog the more "authentic Han" style products. For example my friend told me that heziqun was very hot in 2022 and she received a lot of requests but I maybe saw 2 or 3 heziquns on my dash for the whole year.

汉服资讯 summarizes top ten shops of the month/year but it is a paid service (but you can google the title and see what will come out). In December 2022, the top 10 hanfu shops are:

十三余

织造司

重回汉唐

七月夕

钟灵记

池夏

游园惊梦

织羽集

远山乔

乌扣旗舰店 （specialize in children hanfu）

There is also an official account on wechat called 汉服安莉 that can be used to check if the shop is authentic.

New trend I like: pockets on mamianqun! They usually couldn't hold anything heavier than a card because it will mess with the smoothness of the pleats (especially in skirts made with lighter fabric) but one can put their hands in it and that is enough for me.

Dislike stuff below (basically just rants):

New trend that I really dislike: The weird "xiyu" (western territories) or Tibetan style or whichever minorities style. I don't know how popular they actually are as I only see them on my dash when people are complaining about them. I am not familiar with Tibetan culture so those often just looked like cheap knockoff of Tibetan robes (because they are), but there are people who write analyses about why some of those patterns are offensive when they were used that way. IDK how should I feel that hanfu is not exotic enough for consumers that some designers thought they need to include those elements.

The other things are just more of a personal tastes... Also they are older than one year so possibly not new trend per se, like fake peals tassel on skirts. I just think they don't look flattening on people not as flat as paper because they will not hang down smoothly. It is just too messy for me.

[franciskirkland]

LietPol Headcanons

yay!!! love them <3

so in the early fandom days i used to read a lot of lietpol and write a bit of it, this time around i haven't given it much thought but it's such a good ship and deserves more attention imho. i consider them an old married couple much like england and france.

the femdom ship of all time (i don't have a solid gender headcanon for poland but he seems so bigender to me... like my babygirl. or maybe he's non binary or just a flamboyant femboy. anyway.)

you know the 4 pm dick flattening meme? yeah that's them.

"he asked for no pickles" but liet is already eating the sandwich made incorrectly bc he doesn't really give a fuck. acceptable sandwich.

they're probably toxic in a way that looks really fun and cute externally. there is no way feliks isn't some flavor of crazy. but its ok he's so quirky about it!!! he likes pretending he's harley quinn or some shit. he's such a messy bitch and never grew out of it. he calls tolys daddy despite keeping the man's balls in a ziplock bag in his knockoff louis vuitton.

as far as tolys he's a very multifacted character but i can't see him as like this badass that he's apparently portrayed as in recent fandom.

he's socially awkward and neurotic and tired of everyone and poland is his biggest migraine but that bussy game is ridiculous and he gets off on being treated poorly. he keeps repeating happy wife happy life like some sort of mantra while completely losing his shit. i don't think he's actually like a pathetic wet noodle i do think he could be kind of a simp but it's inadvertent he's just trying to appease feliks because that satisfied lil smirk and evil gay laugh is what he lives for.

but it's not all that, they do have their sappy romantic moments, are emotionally vulnerable with one another, and have a lot of fun together. i see them playing jokes on each other a lot, watching movies together and snuggling, finding new hobbies that they can do as a couple like cooking or completing 'challenges' like. '30 autumn date ideas' or watching films off a list. and shopping together!!!

i see feliks putting in a lot of effort to cheer tolys up when he's down and if he ever does actually hurt his self esteem he's quick to apologize, reassure him, and make it up to him however he wants. i feel like tolys isn't a super romantic guy in general, at least he has trouble displaying it, but he's always in awe of how he managed to land such a cutie and doesn't let feliks forget that he's appreciated.

[ladylingua]

It’s wild to me that amazon’s official WOT store is not doing a like “dress like your favorite character!” curated list of costuming knockoff items

they carry literally everything in the known universe, you can’t tell me they couldn’t either

A) pay some manufacturer a shitty cutthroat rate to create decent but affordableish versions of the show costumes

or

B) literally just have an intern create a list of “character inspired items” from the stuff they already sell on the site.

They would make money either way, I can’t believe they don’t do this for all their shows what is even the point of being an internet shopping mall that makes tv if not to have synergy?

[ask-redditblr]

Intro post

Welcome to ask-Redditblr, your local knockoff r/askreddit blog! 

You have thought-provoking questions? You need to find answers, but you are above browsing the deteriorating, capitalistically-run platform that is Reddit?

Then, this blog is for you!

All you have to do is submit your question (or you can send it as an ask IF you can’t find the “Submit a query” button). It will be published unless the post is deemed inappropriate (see rules). Those browsing the blog will do their best to either answer to the best of their abilities (or answer at all if the question calls for an opinion), reblog or tag/mention someone they believe can help you.

Here are the rules:

The “post image” option is enabled for convenience’s sake. Don’t make me regret it (this means no submitting bowluigi smut for laughs)

Please be respectful to each other

Please try to make genuine queries. Joke questions are ok, I just don’t want keysmash in my inbox.

No hate speeches (or racism, sexism, homophobia, yall get the gist)

Any post breaking one of these rules will be removed. Repeat offenders will be blocked. After what number of offenses will be at my discretion since they can vary in severity.

I can’t think of anymore rules, but I may add more if necessary.

If you have any questions or feel like making a suggestion, my askbox is open. 

Here’s a list of tags available if you want to tag your posts:

#advice asked

#technology

#fandom 

#science

#music

#suggestions asked

#work

#movies

#school

#shopping

#food

#opinions asked

[rocknrollsalad]

🎄 A quick little thing for the steddie holiday drabbles and steddimas Christmas / Christmas traditions

🎅 just some christmas traditions with the boys. the ending wasn't known to me at any point, I swear, but I love it.

🎁 content/trigger warnings: less than great christmases, poor family dynamics, family struggles

🎄 word count: 1838

Christmas was such a weird time of year. In truth, Eddie wasn’t a fan. Magical things like the elves being behind on presents, and not expecting Eddie to earn anything other than coal, so they had to take things back to the North Pole to make them work properly turned out to be the police taking back stolen goods. Al told him, at the ripe age of six, that Santa was a con. He didn’t exist and it was better for everyone if Eddie knew that.

It wasn’t better for all the kids Eddie told once they returned to school. Unknowingly, Eddie ruined a lot of Christmases. Al Munson was who ruined them, really, but it took Eddie a long, long time to realize that. To realize that man had ruined more than major holidays.

Wayne tried to repair the magic but in the years Eddie would have been gullible enough to buy in, he was too enamored with his father to think he’d do anything wrong. Never mind whatever he’d do to have Eddie with Wayne, that didn’t count. Year after year.

The other problem is that Christmas is for the rich. The Munsons couldn’t afford all that extra electricity to light their homes. Inside or out. A big bushy tree? Only that one year Eddie chopped it down himself. Al was proud but Wayne talked a lot about permits and private land. It was the first Christmas season the cops came for Eddie.

Worse than all the decorations, the family vacations, and the meals were the presents. Stealing them was the only way the Munsons could afford a Christmas like on TV. Other than that it was a knockoff GI Joe from the food basket because what else does one get “boy: aged seven”? It was a bit better than the football, at least.

New bikes and big old hams were for people with money and Eddie learned quicker than anything else, that did not include him. Still, he had friends who were in the same boat. They got together and made fun of the food that didn’t even have a brand and Barbie-like dolls with crooked eyes. They shared the pain of being too old to get toys, like hitting the teenage years meant one stopped liking things.

More importantly, bonding over the donated goods was Eddie’s first taste of “family is what you make it”. They may not spend the holiday itself together but why would a day on the calendar dictate a magical gathering?

By high school, it was cool not to care. Eddie cared passionately about so many things but glad tidings and stockings hung with care weren’t on the list. His home life was more stable though not entirely conventional. Still, it provided its own little attempts at tradition and Eddie kind of liked filling a stocking for Wayne to see when he came home from work.

Now he’d fight demons from another dimension. Santa Claus and a few reindeer almost felt believable again but more important than ever before. Wayne said it was that new lease on life and that he felt similar when he came back from the service. The first year, he said, he wanted nothing to do with holidays but the next five years had him pulling out all the stops.

Eddie skipped over the year of wanting nothing. He wanted to host the biggest Christmas gathering Hawkins had ever seen. All of November was spent trying to master cookie baking, something he managed to get worse at. Wayne put a stop to it when Eddie burnt through a cookie sheet.

Only December said the work was for naught. The Byers had plans as a whole blended family. The Wheelers were the picture of Suburban Happiness. The Sinclairs were actually a happy family, shopping for another town to live in. The Corroded Coffin boys had all moved away slowly after the town cracked and fell into the pits of hell, each gone before Eddie checked out of the hospital. It was smart and beyond their control. They all sent each other Christmas cards but it wasn’t quite what Eddie was looking for.

He now had money for the biggest, bushiest tree and everything to hang on it. Dinner could be purchased if not cooked. Gifts? He still bought them for everyone. Perhaps his first and last Christmas with these guys, he didn’t know, but it wasn’t going to stop Eddie.

Gifts were easy, Eddie could buy or make something for everyone. Almost everyone. In all his thoughts and fuss about the holiday, Eddie had glossed over Steve. To a lesser extent, Robin as well, and they were their own weird family but not lumped in with others. It was easy to think about The Wheelers because Eddie hung out with Mike. Not easy to think about Steve, a guy he only seemed to spend time with in big gatherings.

Not through Eddie’s doing either. He’d survived the Upside Down with a newfound respect for Steve and what he thought would be someone gunning for best friendship. Or maybe more but Eddie blamed that fantasy on the drugs they gave him at the hospital.

So Eddie showed up a few days before the actual holiday, generic gift in hand and ready to spread holiday cheer. Steve was shocked but immediately apologetic that he didn’t have a gift in return. Obviously, that wasn’t the point of the holiday but it stung the slightest bit. If Eddie had any clue what to get Steve beyond snacks and liquor, it’d have stung more.

They chatted on the porch for a while. Steve’s parents were home and not into entertaining company, Eddie understood. When he asked what Steve’s plans were for Christmas, he learned there weren’t any. Steve’s parents would go through the expected Christmas morning stuff but they were so burnt out from all the other holiday obligations that the rest of the day was spent separately. Something Steve said was a lot more fun when he was a kid. Hidden away in his room with mounds of new toys.

These days gifts were socks, t-shirts, and things he needed, things he wanted, but couldn’t play with. Occasionally he’d get a book or a movie but after the family breakfast, it became another day.

With Eddie’s changed outlook, that wouldn’t do. So, he did the only thing he could think of and invited Steve over. Wayne was going to work because no one was turning down time and a half, so Eddie would be all alone. They could watch movies, play cards, and eat the dozens of candy canes Eddie acquired throughout the month. An offer Steve wasn’t jumping at but Eddie wore him down and he agreed.

And when the time came, Steve showed up. Bags of chips and homemade cookies in hand. So, Eddie lived up to his promise. They watched cheesy Christmas movies and fought over whether Gremlins should be included in that. They ate way too much junk food and Eddie beat Steve at poker so many times he wished they were playing with money. The night ended with them passed out on the couch, woken up by Wayne returning from work.

Maybe not the most textbook of Christmases but it was about that jolly spirit and having a good time with others, right? Surely there was some good quote in that Muppets movie to apply here. Eddie didn’t care about caroling or eggnog or tinsel on the tree.

For a while, it brought him and Steve closer but they quickly fell back to the buffer of all their other friends. Eddie squashed that old crush and made peace with being acquaintances. Until December rolled around again. This time Eddie went over without a gift and invited Steve over. Nothing had changed in Eddie’s life and it didn’t look like anything had in Steve’s so why not hang out and not spend the holiday alone?

Steve agreed. No puppy eyes, no annoying pleading, just immediate acceptance. So they watched their movies, ate their junk food, and played fun little games. Wayne woke them up and this time he brought breakfast.

The next year, Steve asked “are we getting together?” and Eddie felt a warmth in his chest he’d never known. It was almost enough to make him cry, something he really didn’t understand, but he nodded and promised to rent some new movies this year.

It also brought them a little closer. The organic push they needed. Saving the world together was too high pressure, too overdone in Steve’s life. Eddie earned friendship through perseverance and bad jokes. They started hanging out without their common friends and Eddie found out he liked being around Steve. A lot.

So when another December showed up they didn’t even need to ask. Steve just showed up. Wayne left them a bottle of whiskey and two blankets a coworker crocheted. They watched the same old classic movies and played board games. Steve still brought fresh baked cookies and things felt like Christmas.

Snow started to fall and they paused things to go out and enjoy the peace and stillness in red and green. There’s a special way the world quiets down when it snows, even with all the family dinners and arguments. In that snow, Steve kissed Eddie for the first time. Leaving Eddie to wonder if Santa was really out there, reading his letters.

They fell asleep cuddled together for the first with an alarm set to wake up and make breakfast for Wayne. Eggs, bacon, toast, fresh squeezed juice, the works. The last pieces of the holiday had clicked into place.

By the next one, Eddie and Steve were living together. They had their own apartment, their own little lives they were cultivating, and they still went over to Wayne’s to watch movies and play games. He left them whiskey and blankets and they made him breakfast.

For years this went on. Unconventional but their own, this was what said Christmas to Eddie. Even with the tree set up in their apartment and the Christmas Eve Eve dinner with the other couples in their friend group, Eddie looked forward to cards, to board games, and the same VHS.

The same year Eddie and Steve’s family grew was the last one Wayne was going to work. He’d be retired by next Christmas. Which they all celebrated by going above and beyond. Everyone did a little extra to pretend they didn’t know how things would continue.

And things morphed, as they did when a couple turned into parents. Nowadays, the kids go over to Grandpa Wayne’s where they watch silly cartoons, play games, and eat too many cookies. Eddie and Steve drink and spread magic around their home. To keep with tradition, Wayne brings the kids back home Christmas morning to wake up a passed out Eddie and Steve. Only now it’s not the whiskey that does them in, it’s building dollhouses and bikes. They wouldn’t have it any other way.

[skippyv20]

Ban List for Sane People

Hi Skippy & Friends-Pilgrim with some thoughts after reading the dismal news headlines on this quiet August Sunday morning. All I can come up with for survival is to not support activities that are rotting the core of our countries as we the people are being hamstrung by leaders that seem to be wolves in sheep’s clothing. 1. Disney-any and all parks and products. The latest Twitter photos showing huge middle-aged men greeting small girls in front of a princess dress shop with bewildered parents is mind boggling. How can these families even walk by those huge monsters wearing ill fitted costumes, while entering the store? How can this slime ball company consider hiring these cretins because of new company policy??? 2.Ignore all Instagram influencer$$ posing in their bathrooms in all forms of undress or useless, ugly clothes, shoes and accessories that cost minor fortunes. How many more 100-million-dollar jets or mansions do the Kardashian girls need these days for being total narcissists, adoring and in love with their own newly augmented image? For sure, the ILBW will not be on my list of people to make super rich with this nonsensical system brought to you by questionable brand designers and administrators creating “fashions” which are not only ugly, but they are also worthless in the real world. At least Italy has the sense and courage to ban the last former husband of Kim as he parades his basically naked new wife in public places. I have had it with other people’s boobs & butts in my face 24/7.

 3. Shopping in designer stores where you might get shoved/hit/shot by a mob of bash & grab gangs. Our car was hit during our LAST trip to infested San Fran…we won’t set foot in that state now. If a store does attempt to stay open…how about showcasing & selling those clever knockoffs made in China-that would get those robbers really mad. Gumps, the once stately emporium since 1861, has decided to shutter it door, located steps from Union Square in San Fran…no one is safe from this illegal free for all right now.

4. Don’t invest in campus housing especially for sororities. In Laramie, Wyoming the Kappa Kappa Gamma sorority lost their lawsuit to keep non-females out of their dorms! A very big guy who “feels like a female” has talked his way into living with them, drooling while watching them…WHAT??? The court said they would not define what a woman is.

 5. Don’t book a campsite at the ultra-secretive 2,700-acre Monte Rio, CA club called Bohemian Grove, which is part of the Bohemian Club, the San Fran based non-profit that runs the more than 100 exclusive camps??? Don’t let anyone you like work there…the world leaders who go there don’t pay well as it is off the books…of course it is. They are also very demanding and have huge bonfires for very creepy things.

6. Don’t buy any super expensive mediocre artwork by (you know the name) a drug addict/cheating husband, who did shifty Ukranian & Chinese deals for his father’s coffers. This middle-aged man, lawbreaker is allowed to live in the White House, travel on Air Force One and spend over $15,000 a month on rent in Malibu with his security team also billing the same rent nearby and yet they want to arrest a former President of the US for questioning voting procedures in Atlanta?

 7. Don’t take the new tour just announced in NYC!!! This late night, free walking tour of rat hotspots is getting popular?? “The rats are like the new celebs.” proclaims the owner of the Real NY Tours. Time to go weed the garden as I ponder my one single vote. Over and out from a crowded Cape Cod.

Wow!  So much happening, and the world gets crazier!!!  Thank you dear Pilgrim!  Praying for better days!❤️

[lady-byleth]

Fun fact: my parents had to go grocery shopping this week (cuz we all have adhd and literally forgot that the whole house was fucking empty) and they ran the whole list by me to make sure everything was boycott approved.

"I'm gonna get such and such...NO WAIT MELANIE!"

"Yes, mother???"

"Are we boycotting this?"

"No, it's not on the list"

"Okay good!"

"Don't forget Ferrero is on the list tho"

"oh no, I know, I wasn't gonna get any. It's like Nestlé, it's so off the list for good. No name knockoffs it is"

"great!"

It can be so easy yall

[sergeantnarwhalwrites]

I have come for the blorbos

Get in losers (affectionate), we’re going shopping!

Who’s the:

“Get my shit and gtfo” speedrunner

“You hit dairy, I’ll hit produce, meet at checkout #4” commander

“If it’s not on the list, it’s not going in my cart” parent (regardless of parental status)

“The store brand is just as good” frugalist

“How will I know I don’t need something if I don’t go down every aisle” browser

“Ooh! Look!” impulse shopper

“Never shop on an empty stomach” food court prioritizer

Hahaha XD I love this. Let's roll out. And yes I will be doing all of my ocs

1. Greeter (Space Don't Dictate Fate), Green (Robots & Gardens)

2. Cosma, Arc, and Tharion (Space Don't Dictate Fate)

3. Saz (Fucked at Five), Donnie (Robots & Gardens)

4. Ian (Fucked at Five), Digits (Robots & Gardens)

5. Hollis and Peace (Robots & Gardens)

6. Elliot (Fucked at Five)

7. Julie (Fucked at Five)

XD The Fucked at Five crew is pretty spread out. Saz will eventually toss Elliot in the cart so he stops getting distracted and lost in the store. Saz also gives up on trying to drag Julie around the store. Saz and Ian get into arguments when he picks up store brand pop tarts and bread.

The Space Don't Dictate Fate crew have a singular outlier, Greeter. While everyone is breaking off and making progress. Greeter eventually decides fuck it and speedruns it by herself, mostly for the challenge. A little bit to spite and annoy Cosma. Tharion catches wind of this and is sure to move in slow motion to spite both of them.

The Robots & Gardens crew are a little less spread out but Green is the true outlier. Donnie keeps them on track and allows all of Digits off brand buys as the somewhat cheapskate he is. They also don't want to hurt Digits feelings by telling her that knockoff doritos can never be equivalent to the real thing. He lets Peace and Hollis wander and flips off Green when she either hovers over them angrily/impatiently or is already checking out and leaving them.

[mango-jpeg]

After lunch, while the rest of the camp is lounging in front of oscillating fans indoors to escape the heat, the senior staff piles into the poorly ventilated living room of Varka’s house. It’s midsummer, and that means staff evaluations.

“Any final thoughts for Bennett?” Jean calls out, to generally positive mumblings. Above them, the ceiling fan creaks laboriously, stirring the hot air into a weak gasp against the sweat on Diluc’s brow.

Jean gets the only decent seat in the room, a moth-eaten armchair, while everyone else crams in around the coffee table and tries not to sweat on one another too much. Diluc could probably snag the chair, he’s the one taking notes after all, but he’s not a monster. Instead he’s shoved into the corner of the sagging loveseat while Keqing tries and fails not to slump into his side, the deflated cushions doing their best to deposit her in his lap. On her other side Ganyu is sitting half on the arm, half on the cushion while she works on a friendship bracelet safety-pinned to her shorts. Aether and Lumine are on the floor with their head counsellor binders open in their laps, Gorou’s perched on one of the rickety kitchen chairs braiding Kokomi’s hair, badly, who’s more occupied with her outtrip planning than the topic of their actual meeting. 

“Since he nearly burned down the teepee he’s been on his best behaviour,” Tighnari remarks, not looking up from the materials he’s spread on the floor in front of him; dried leaves and flowers he’s arranging on card stock. Cyno’s leaned up against his shoulder, watching his hands with the kind of luminous attention that makes it impossible to look directly at them. They’ve truly ascended to a new tier of PDA, where even the most innocent of contact looks embarrassingly intimate.

“I saw him with Timmy this morning,” Diluc says. “He seemed really good with him.”

“Oh and Timmy is a total nightmare,” Aether groans, his sister nodding vehemently in agreement. “I’ve never seen such a homesick, wet blanket of a camper. Bennett is working overtime with that kid.”

“Maybe we should rotate him off cabins next session, if it’s that bad,” Jean suggests. 

“Yeah, just gotta make sure he doesn’t think it’s a punishment,” Lumine says, wryly. 

“What if we—” Keqing begins to say, but is dramatically interrupted by the door slamming open. To be fair, the door is barely hanging on to its hinges so this happens every other time it’s opened, but when Diluc sees who’s in the doorway he can’t help a quiet groan.

Kaeya strolls in with an armload of candy, his stupid over-large aviators precariously balanced on the tip of his nose. “Stopped by the tuck shop,” he announces, unnecessarily, then dumps his spoils on the coffee table. Everyone dives for the candy—hardened gummy worms, dried fruits, knockoff sourpatch kids shaped like broccoli—as if they don’t gorge themselves on it everyday.

Kaeya’s changed since sailing into no-less scandalous jorts and a staff shirt from two summers ago that’s slightly too tight now that he’s apparently a gym rat. The sleeves cut into the flex of his biceps and Diluc looks back to his screen.

“Any other notes for Bennett?” He prompts, tired.

“What’ve you got?” Aether asks around a mouthful of banana chips. Diluc reads out his notes; attentive to campers’ needs, must build confidence in himself, continue to avoid eco activities, great involvement in programming.

“Sounds good to me,” Lumine says, serenely checking Bennett off the list in front of her and moving on to the next name. “What about Razor?”

There’s a momentary pause that feels excruciatingly long. Everyone chews or fans themselves, clearly trying to think of something productive to say.

“He’s a fucking mad lad,” Kaeya says eventually, which is so completely unhelpful Diluc doesn’t even pretend to write it down, just shoots him a dark look. Kaeya leans his hip against the kitchen table, apparently indifferent to its pained shriek and any concept of modesty as he folds his arms across his chest, muscles flexing. He grins like he thinks he just said something funny, which is one of his most insufferable grins by far.

“I caught him eating raw sumac leaves during Survival,” Tighnari says, thoughtfully.

“I’ve had to ask him to stop wrestling with his campers twice,” Aether says, half a sigh.

“Oh, yeah, and he has punch-Jordan in his cabin,” Kaeya says, pointing knowingly at Aether who mimes hanging himself with his braided hair.

“That kid sucks,” Lumine chimes in supportively.

“I heard Razor say he turns his underwear inside out so he can go longer between washes,” Kokomi says, absently, not looking up from the provincial park map spread out before her. Diluc resists the urge to put his head in his hands.

“What! Doesn’t he take his laundry in on his days off?” Jean demands, predictably distraught by this information.

“I’m pretty sure he does,” Aether says, his voice tipping up into a question. 

“Did you see his awesome costume for the leadership camp-wide, though?” Gorou interjects, clearly scrambling for something positive to say. But at the same time Ganyu tentatively replies to Aether; “Or is he still just jumping into the lake fully dressed?”

“Doesn’t he shower?” Jean exclaims, and everyone piles on from there. Diluc gives up and closes his laptop. Kaeya catches his eye and grins.

Twenty minutes later, when the bell rings for afternoon activities, the only thing Diluc has written down for Razor’s eval is: Energetic.