#shipping was pricey but I love them

[snowdropsandtigers]

A nice thing this month was receiving the Illumicrate Exclusive editions of The Black Magician Trilogy by Trudi Canavan! They look so nice, and I love the author’s paintings. It’s a been a beloved series for me since 2004, and has warm fandom memories. I’m glad to have it in a fancier version. 🥰

[bitfruity]

i hope everyone had a good holiday! i wasn’t very active yesterday because it was christmas day here and i was with family. but i wanted to say thank you so much for the wonderful christmas tree messages (i had to download the app later to read them🙄) they really warmed my heart😊💚

i know others have made some lovely posts about this fandom and the community here that are way better than anything i could put into words. but i just wanted to say thank you all because i’ve honestly never interacted with or had the confidence to post much of anything in a fandom before. i’m a very socially anxious person and unfortunately that carries over to online interactions as well so i usually used to just lurk and maybe leave a tag here and there.

but this beautiful frandom has made me come out of my shell more and given me confidence to post my silly thoughts or contribute to the conversation. i’ve even made some internet friends which is something i’ve never done before!

one of the tree deco messages said that they enjoyed reading my tags and that made me really happy because i didn’t used to do that very often and now i feel like i’ve joined in on the fun. i often have insecurities if i’m doing fandom/internet speak right or if my jokes even make sense😅 so it’s really validating to hear that at least one person enjoys my commentary just like how i enjoy so so many of yours💚

anyway before i get too sentimental here are some of the gifts i thought you guys might enjoy

my sister made me this card🤩💚

and she also got me a gengar plushie😈

[99centmusecd]

🔥🔥🔥THEY'RE HERE🔥🔥🔥

(wow the image quality kinda got scrungled... oops)

Scissors, Odin, Ouja, 2 Zoldas, 3 Knights... and not one, not 3, but 6 Ryukis! They make such a fun hollow plastic sound when they're dumped in a pile together hahaha. The listing had them as "dirty and damaged" but just a wet q-tip was enough to make them look much nicer.

Size comparison with SHF Vulcan (honestly, one of my favorites SHF so far, up there with Thouser and Ex-Aid... though, all the others I have are either new and expensive or old and breakable so I don't pose them near as much)

Investigating and Invading my desk

And another something special! An EP by Scissor's actor, who was in the band The Lantern until 2006. There's hardly anything about the band online; I can only find one recording anywhere (though I'm probably not looking in the right places tbh tbh) but I've been looking off and on for months and finally!

:)

[cerbreus]

every time i start trying to look up how to fill out the customs form for the packages i wanna send to my bf i get sooooo nervous because the Australian customs enforcement is just a full website of "DON'T MAIL ANYTHING EVER" basically. Bruh i just wanna mail some rocks it shouldn't be this hard.

[testure-1988]

Finally got an Agent Side Grinder shirt

[tonyglowheart]

these fabrics are gorgeouusss, it makes me want to order more to hoard lmao

[botaniqueer]

Seed Sources

I updated the sources list for 2024! Here is the Google Docs link for sharing off Tumblr. A lot of my gardening guides are written with the Pacific Northwest in mind, but this should useful for most folks on Turtle Island. For people elsewhere I'm not 100% sure how many of these are able to ship off-continent but it's worth checking out! EDIT: I have found out the hard way that indented bullets do not work on Tumblr for web browser so I have tried my best to make them visually distinct. The Google Doc is formatted properly though.

General/Big Brand Seed Shops

Burpee Seeds

Ed Hume Seeds

Johnny’s Seeds

Renee’s Garden

Territorial Seed

Independent online fruit and veggie shops 

(More exotics and rare cultivars)

Adaptive Seeds

Breeds plants specifically to adapt them to the Pacific Northwest

Alliance of Native Seedkeepers

Indigenous-owned seed company

Experimental Farm Network

A network of plant breeders with an extensive collection of unusual cultivars and species of edible plant that don’t commonly appear elsewhere.

Very reputable

Pro-Palestine

Fedco Seeds

Good on social justice issues and have awareness of white supremacy

Maui Seed Company

Lots of Hawaii-growing species, plus soaps!

Pricey

Smart Seeds Emporium

Some of the photos are enhanced stock photos which is a little annoying, but I have ordered from them

True Love Seeds

Works with Black and Indigenous populations to source seeds and does education projects regarding race and ethnicity

Contains unusual seeds from breeding projects

Pro-Palestine

Uprising Seeds

Pro-Palestine

Local to the Pacific Northwest

Succulents and Other Ornamentals

Mesa Garden

Smart Seeds Emporium

Lots of ornamentals in this shop as well as food plants

Germination can be inconsistent on some of their seeds

Avoid/Blacklist

Baker Heirloom Seeds

Take credit for seeds from other sellers, including Indigenous farmers.

Work with Cliven Bundy and upholds white supremacy

[benkyoutobentou]

Hello

What are some good resources for learning Japanese?

Thank you for asking!

For just starting out, I recommend JapanesePod101's videos on both hiragana and katakana.

For beginner grammar, I used and really enjoyed videos from both Japanese Ammo with Misa and Miku Real Japanese (both on YouTube). Misa's videos are a lot longer and more in depth, but if you want a quick overview of a grammar point, Miku's videos are great. Both channels also have lots of other Japanese learning content as well!

For beginner textbooks, Genki is well loved, but I haven't used it myself. I also believe that there are YouTubers who make videos based on the lessons within Genki, if that's up your alley. I won't even name the textbooks I used to start out, because I'd never recommend them.

To get started with kanji, WaniKani is a popular choice that seems to work great, but it's a pretty pricey subscription. I use the app Learn Japanese! - Kanji, which is a one time purchase of 10 USD. It can be buggy, but it has a built in spaced repetition system and, hey, it's ten dollars.

The subreddit r/LearnJapanese has a huge resource list here, but I only link this hesitantly, as my main advice to using it is to look at the resources, and never darken r/LearnJapanese's door ever again. That place is horrible and will eat all motivation you have to learn Japanese. I saw someone ask elsewhere if it was possible to be fluent in Japanese because they saw someone on that subreddit say it wasn't. Seriously, it's bad.

As for my current resources, ie. very much not beginner resources, I'm slowly but surely making my way through Tobira. I really like it as a textbook, but I also just use it as far as I need it. To elaborate, I came back to it after a while of not using it, and found that it was just a bit too easy now (singing the praises of immersion!), so I've been skipping around on the reading comprehension questions, because I just don't think they're worth the effort for me right now. The later chapters probably will be, though.

JPBD is a lifesaver for me right now. I've fought with Anki on multiple occasions and had it work for me many times, but right now, the premade decks are what are gonna get me to study vocabulary, not pretty pictures. I also really like the ability to study a deck before you read something, rather than only being able to study vocabulary retroactively. The example sentences can be weird or terrible, but it allows you to choose from multiple sentences or make your own, so the benefits absolutely outweigh the drawbacks for me. Another thing of note is that these flashcards only go Japanese-English, so if you want to have the option to do English-Japanese cards, you might want to stick to Anki (or idk rip the decks and put them in Anki).

If you're ready to immerse and want to start a collection of physical books, I buy 90% of my Japanese language books through CDJapan. They have multiple options for shipping and are generous enough with sales and rewards points that usually I can get that to cover the cost of shipping. Plus they sell at Japanese retail price (minus tax!) so it's extremely reasonably priced.

I hope this helped a bit, and good luck on your language learning journey!

[cuddlebugzz]

Hey hey! Since the last post went over so well I thought I might as well share more steps on my agere gear journey! I felt a little shoppy lately so I bought some stuff I've never tried: namely, Little Kings Diapers from abu and bigtots training pants! I also got some new goodnites, I'll share about those too. Continued under the cut!

*before we start I want to mention - I do actually use nappies. I'll put {these brackets} around talk about it in case you want to skip it.

So, going chronologically, shortly after buying my boys goodnites I also bought the girls pattern. I bought these ones at the actual store, a walgreens I think. I heard the girls pattern was hard to find so I thought I'd pick some up. It took me two tries to work up the nerve, but as with last time, it wasn't actually a big deal. Same quality notes as last time:

soft and comfy, but not too big. I did try fluffing one, and it did add softness! Still very discreet, it makes no noise and you can't notice them through regular pants.

{ they hold a decent amount wetness wise. I've had no problems with leaks or dampness on clothes.}

Next up is the Little Kings! I bought a two pack sample of the medium size on thursday, and it arrived on saturday! They came in discreet packaging, the shipping label didn't even say abu, and it came with a ziplock bag for storage. I immediately noticed how big they are, easily twice the goodnites. They also smelled like baby powder, and felt sooo soft to the touch!

I was going to wait until another day to try them, but I got excited. I did rush through the application though, so it came out a little wonky lol. The medium is definitely a little big on me, but I don't think they carry small, so it'll suffice. Here's the deets!

soooo soft. I know I've said it, but I'll say it again. They're very different from the goodnites, they're plush all around so they're bulkier. They also cover much more, the back came up to my lower back and was a little difficult to hide under my pants alone. Sooo cozy though, probably better if you apply them well!

Surprisingly quiet for what I was expecting - maybe some shuffling, and it does make you waddle a bit, but it's not too hard to hide. Not necessarily discreet, but not loud. They're cloth backed, which is why.

They have 'hook and loop' tapes, which are a little like velcro, so you can adjust them!

{ obviously more absorbant than the goodnites, that's what they're made for. I actually had a little trouble going in them because they were so padded - but I did manage a little. It didn't even activate the wetness indicator, so Im assuming it can hold quite a bit. Probably a good overnight nappy if you struggle with bedwetting.}

Overall, if I had a smaller size, they'd be 1000/10 perfect!

Lastly, we've got the training pants from bigtot!! And honestly I'd go so far as to say these are my favorite piece of agere clothing. They're exactly what I wanted! I always loved training pants, the softness is just comforting, and these are exactly what I wanted - or even better!! Notes:

So. So. So soft and pillowy!!

Adorable patterns

Pretty pricey, but worth it if you have it! They're very well made.

Pretty discreet, a little big but nothing too noticeable.

They run a bit small, so maybe try a size up! They can get a little tight around the elastics.

{ I don't have a washing machine so I can't speak to the effectiveness of these when it comes to using them }

Overall, 10000/10, even perfecter!! Anyway, I hope this whole review post was helpful ♡ lmk anything else you'd like to hear about!

[narcissiah]

Build A Bear | Black Noir x GN!Reader

yo so last week or smth i went to build a bear with my little relatives and when i saw chubby cubby (look it up you wont be disappointed) i fell in love, then i was struck with inspiration. so my chonky teddy bear and i hope you enjoy this lmao

warnings: heavy cursing, SPOILERS FROM S2 but not too specific in the bulleted fic? still be warned. other than that pretty mild, fluffy? yeah fluffy and probably ooc for black noir but whatevs

VAGUE (but still) SPOILER AUTHOR'S NOTE AT BOTTOM OF POST!!!!!!!!! DO NOT READ BEYOND THE ###

when news spread of Black Noir being in critical condition, a lot of internal questions were raised at Vought: who did this? was it an accident? was it on purpose? was it another supe? how can we market off this? etc

once crisis control handled the public nightmare that was social media and news outlets (special thanks to Cameron!), did the flood gates open

in the first few days, there were countless cards and money chip-ins for charity donations that Black Noir advocated for

i mean you could not take a shit without someone thrusting a card in your face and saying, "Wanna write something sweet to Noir so he gets better soon?"

hence came the little lie, "oh, i already got him something with a card. thanks tho"

you worked in the crime analysis department, so you did not have a close relationship with Black Noir personally

but that didn't mean you felt bad; i mean, critical condition? you had to give him something

and people at Vought would easily find out you lied and who knows what would happen then?

there are definitely some snakes in the grass if you know what i mean

but what would you get him? everyone else was giving cards and flowers and balloons. no doubt his hospital room is flooded with all those things

so while you're agonizing over what to get him because god forbid snakes figure out your "white" lie, you're stuck on babysitting duty for a friend's eight-year-old kid one day

while you're not too hip on what eight-year-old kids do in their spare time nowadays, you decide to take them to the ol' reliable of your childhood: the mall

as you both are walking around bored out of your minds do you see the answer to your agony: the holy golden glow of build-a-bear workshop

you have to drag the kid you're babysitting inside, but they dont put up a fight for long when they see a stuffed animal they like

unfortunately, you dont see anything you like, but you buy the kid your babysitting his bear (a frog dressed like Obi-Wan)

At the check out do you see another saving grace: "exclusive customizable bears online! order one today!!"

so the second you drop the kid off and you're at home, you immediately go incognito on your browser

you buy a stuffed (animal of your choice) and dress it up like Black Noir because build a bear is in an obvious partnership with Vought for younger consumer marketability

for the extra hell of it, you buy a "get well soon" shirt bc you thought how cute it would be to put it over the Black Noir getup

for the customization, on all 4 paws do you write: Black (front right) Noir (front left) For (back right) Ever! (back left)

you buy expedited shipping and when it finally arrives, you put on the get well soon shirt over the black noir outfit, but you stop from putting on the black noir helmet

why you didnt put on the helm was beyond you. maybe because you thought the sentimentality was stronger since you're recognizing he's still human beneath the suit??

who the fuck knows, anyway

you ask Ashley to give it to Noir (which took a lot of convincing, and a pricey meal for lunch).

funnily enough, you dont leave a card or any sign the gift was from you

you doubted yourself and regretted your decision because why not

but as long as you got him something with a little more personalization (and therefore make your lie true), you'd live with it

and forget about it eventually lol

fast forward like a few months

Black Noir recovered and had just finished his tour across the country selling his bullet-proof backpacks

you indeed forgot about the bear as time went on

one day you're at work and fucking around on the company computer to pass time when you feel a very warm and very heavy hand on your shoulder

the entire crime analysis department goes gravely silent

*sweatinglikeJordanPeelememe*

you slowly turn in your creaking office chair, and stare into the bottomless abyss that was Black Noir's goggles

he gestures for you talk outside privately (a secondary location? aw hell naw) but you oblige

as you both walk out of the department, the looks your co-workers give you... one of them even salutes you off

oh jeez oh fuck oh jeez oh fuck x100

when you're both outside in the back where there's literally not a single soul in sight, do you apologize

because its Black Noir, and of course he knew that was your gift

"ah jeez, Mr. Noir, sir, im sorry if you didn't like the bear. I didn't mean to offend you, please dont--"

and then the most confusing fucking thing happens

he pulls out a motherfuckin build-a-bear which was your favorite animal (how did he know?) wearing a freakin "thanks a bunch" shirt

*confusedwhiteguyblink*

he holds it out to you; you're quick to snap out of whatever fucking dream this was and gingerly take it from him

then you start giggling, relieved and so bewildered because what the fuck???

"hey...thank you," because of course you would say thank you for a thank you gift

and as if the day couldnt get any fucking weirder

Black Noir pulls you into a hug

like, a minute-long hug

while you're not as quick as earlier, you still reciprocate the hug—you even gently (read: awkwardly) pat his back!!

and then he removes himself from the hug, stares at you, then fucks off doing Black Noir shit

for a place of honor, you keep the toy right next to your monitor and look at it whenever you're feeling not like yourself

also, coincidentally, when Black Noir needs something from your department, he goes right to you and only you!!

#

i get the vibe that no one really cares about Black Noir at Vought; so i personally headcanon that except for the kiss-ass usual gifts, he got jack shit while at the hospital, if any at all. that's why i headcanon? imagine? that the second someone puts some thought into a get well soon gift like reader does, he's over the moon. my boy needs positive attention!! 😭😭😭

[maleficentmrsofallevil]

My favorite wigs

Ankle is being a diva again (no walk, just sit), and I'm chatty.

Surprise! My favorite wigs are becoming more expensive - but there are some affordable ones, too.

Leekeworld: many available in-stock from Denver Doll Emporium (DDE). They run about $30 each, but there are a few on sale. I like them because they are soft, on the thinner side (so they lay nice and flat on the doll's head), and they are sewn to an elastic wig cap. I prefer size 7-8 for almost all of my big girls, cuz 8-9 seems a little too big for most heads (exceptions: Volks, Domuya, Supiadoll, and Little Monica. Those girls got some big noggins).

This is a particular favorite (Blend Misty 7/8):

This 60cm-1/3 size brown-black wig from AliExpress for $6.79 currently. It's thin and incredibly soft. AliExpress wigs are very touch-and-go: for the most part, they require significant alterations (thinning, bang trimming), but considering how cheap they are, I'm willing to risk it to find the occasional gem. Wefts are sewn to an elastic wig cap. Currently on Leona:

That's a silver Leekeworld wig on Doll Chateau Bella on the Y-Body-06 in size 6/7, by the way. Imomodoll Dio/Rei is wearing a size 9-10 silver wig that I'm pretty sure I got on sale from DDE.

Iplehouse: made for their dolls specifically. Wefts are sewn to an elastic wig cap. Lots of folks complain that the wigs are too thick and look fake, but I (a) don't care, and (b) love the vibrant colors. Aaliyah is wearing size 8-9 IHW_M075 in Sienna (currently $16.10 plus shipping):

Natural fibers. HOOOO boy, if I thought Leekeworld wigs were pricey, moving into the natural fiber world has been pure sticker shock. Getting one of these for $30 is a STEAL. They tend to run in the $50 and up range. Natural fiber wigs are generally made of animal hair such as alpaca or mohair (goats). A big part of the price is the - well, destink process, to put it bluntly. Goats are stinky. The fibers need to be washed and washed and washed to remove dirt (goats are dirty), stink, and funk. Then dyed, if you want a color other than white or brown. Then you gotta brush the hair and glue it into wefts. A buddy told me about the process after buying unprocessed mohair. No, thank you. I'll just pay someone else, if there's no objections.

However, because these are natural fiber wigs, you don't have the problems that come with styling synthetic (plastic) hair. Human hair dye, curling/flat/crimping irons, and hair products are all good for this kind of hair.

You DO need to worry about the integrity of these wigs. They're frequently glued to hard caps, so no water/wet-wet stuff at the roots. The hair is super fine, so no hard tugging, or you'll pull it out of the wig. But man, are they pretty, and so so soft.

Like custom dolls, outfits, or shoes, these are generally available only from independent artists. Mass-producing these would be a total PITA. And let's be real: you've got to be pretty dedicated to deal with all that goat poop. (Yes, goats have poop on their hair. FREQUENTLY.)

[kingkenzieofmold]

Hi, I love your art and the comic of Henry Stickmin ships. Can I request Stickprice? I requested this on your art request post and you didn’t respond. I’m so sorry if I’m being annoying.

Your not annoying at all! Enjoy some Stickprice for the soul! (Still think Pricey is a another good name for them<3 /lh)

[beyondtheborderridiculous]

Watch Mankai Stage Autumn 2020 (The Tale of Genji) w/ Eng Subs

Watch Mankai Stage Autumn 2020 (The Tale of Genji) Eng Subs

Yay! It’s here at last! The third autumn play is finally here! (It only took 10,000 years…) Get ready for the yakuza!

If you are feeling generous, my tip page is here. It’s hella empty, but it’s me, I promise. I just have no idea how to organize it… YOU ARE NOT REQUIRED TO PAY ME THOUGH. Please, don’t feel pressured! 

INSTEAD I HIGHLY ENCOURAGE YOU TO PURCHASE THE DVDS ON YOUR OWN TO SUPPORT THE FRANCHISE DIRECTLY!

For those of you guys who didn’t get a chance to watch the previous ones, I’m really sorry, but because of lack of storage, I won’t be reuploading it. But if someone wants to do a discord watch party or something with someone who already has the files, I wouldn’t be opposed to it (I’m also willing to do it, but my timezone is Pacific, so that might not match with some of you).

I’ve also been getting requests for my transcripts of the scripts. Those I have decided to charge. A coffee per script. Again, if you want to watch the previous ones for free, just dm me to schedule a watch party.

But if you guys still want to watch Autumn 2020 anyway, please read my following rules! 

Since it’s a bit risky posting this on YouTube, I’ll be uploading this onto a google drive. Please DM me with your email, and I’ll be happy to share the link with you.

Also, I’ve been receiving requests for the drive through anon. I can’t reply to anon messages directly, and I feel iffy about publicly publishing your email, so please, for your sake, don’t send me a request through anon. Also, the fact that you’re on anon kind of makes me nervous? So please just dm me off of anon.

I also want to note that I purchased both the DVDs and the scripts, and combined, it was pricey as hell (don’t even get me started with international shipping). So out of respect, please don’t post this or share this anywhere else. I don’t mind if you decided to download it, but if I ever come across this anywhere else, then I won’t be sharing the others. Also please DO NOT UPLOAD SCREENCAPS OF THESE ON TWITTER ON INSTA. Tumblr is fine, since no one checks this hell site, but the other ones? No way.

Also, my reading comprehension is a lot better than my listening in Japanese. Mankai Stage loves their ad-lips, and as much as I love them, they drive me up the wall. For example, there’s a lot of yakuza lingo being thrown here and there, and omg was that a struggle. I cannot claim to have 100% accuracy in any scene. I merely tried my best. If someone wants to make corrections, I totally don’t mind! Instead, I’d love to know! (But I probably won’t be changing it officially since… rendering the whole thing again would take fucking forever.)

I’m just an amateur at subbing, so I apologize if the quality isn’t the best. I do a proof-watching before rendering, but I’m not sure if I caught everything. Sorry if there’s some mistakes!

Lastly, I have one request, and it’s totally optional! But I would love to hear your commentaries/thoughts/opinion, on Mankai Stage Autumn 2020, since it’s kind of lonely just fangirling about it myself. 

As proof of you reading through this whole thing, please include the word: yakuza, in your DMs to me! 

Thank you!

[supermarine-silvally]

Could I pretty pretty please ask for 💗 for my beloved Portada, Hadley love? 💜

Here you go, my dear Dolly!! <3 tysm for the request; it got long af but I always underestimate how much I enjoy writing Ace Angst heheh

No direct spoilers, but written in such a way that anyone who Knows can read between the lines lol hope you enjoy!! <3

💗 slow kiss / gentle kiss / inevitable / soft

Ace hated Loguetown. 

It wasn’t the shops; those were objectively fine. Maybe a bit pricey at times, but there were enough of them around that he could easily take his business elsewhere if he felt he was getting a raw deal. Nor was it the pubs (well, save for one notable exception), nor the tourists, nor even the occasional increased presence of Marines. No, what he hated about Loguetown was that he couldn’t exactly tell anyone that he hated Loguetown. 

Because that would always lead to the follow-up question he really didn’t want to answer: Why?

And sure, he could lie, and blame it on pricey shops or low-quality pubs or loud, annoying tourists or having to outrun a determined Marine captain once in a while. But anyone who knew Ace knew that he didn’t have a problem with any of those things on any other island they ever visited. Which would lead him back to the infernal question of why. Why Loguetown? What could possibly be there that turned an otherwise cheerful, fun-loving guy into a broody, angry young man?

There were three people in the entirety of Whitebeard’s fleet who knew Ace’s secret. The first to find out was Deuce, his vice-captain from his Spade Pirates days and who now served on Whitebeard’s massive medical division. The masked man had learned of it back when the two had found themselves stranded on Sixis Island at the same time. Ace hadn’t admitted it so much as Deuce had sort of managed to guess it. His initial negative reaction had been what Ace always feared, but Deuce had fortunately come around shortly before luck would bestow them with the Mera Mera no Mi, and Ace had gained the powers he would become infamous for.

The second who knew was Whitebeard. What sort of ‘son’ would Ace be if he kept such a massive secret from the man he called Pops? Ace had feared the worst when the words left his lips, but Whitebeard had merely chuckled in response. “We are all children of the sea,” he had said, and Ace had felt as if the weight of the world had been lifted from his shoulders, if only for a moment.

And the third, of course, was Yara. His Yara; Yara who had shared her secret in turn, removing her eyepatch to reveal the most beautiful heterochromatic eyes he had ever seen-- and boy, did he want to punch anyone who had ever made her feel otherwise. He could have kissed her that night, underneath the stars, but it would take him much, much longer before he finally surrendered to a love he had no chance of ever winning against. As far as Ace was concerned, those were the three people who would ever get to know. Even his other closest friends would have to be kept in the dark. It was better that way. 

All of those things floated around Ace’s mind as he returned to the small ship Whitebeard had ordered him to take for his mission. It was a simple enough task; all he had to do was meet with a supplier who had promised the Whitebeard Pirates a new supply line running from the East Blue into the Grand Line. Fairly standard pirate stuff, especially for an Emperor’s crew. Usually it would be something that First Division would handle, but Marco was away dealing with a distress call from an allied fleet who had encountered an unknown illness and required the support of a skilled doctor. So Ace, as Second Division Commander, gladly stepped up to the plate. 

Until he heard that the site of his mission was fucking Loguetown. And by then, it was too late to back out. 

So he had gone to Loguetown with his men, and he had hated every second of it, determinedly keeping his eyes on anything but the town square and the ghastly tourist attraction located there. He had done his best to keep up with the jokes and the good humour that he was known for, but by the end of the day, he was exhausted and absolutely determined to go somewhere he wouldn’t be reminded of that man. The navigators, however, had decided against trying to tackle Reverse Mountain in the dark, meaning that he had to wait until daybreak before he could finally be out of there. It was such a pain. 

The port they were anchored in was fortunately far enough from the main town that Ace at least wasn’t confronted with too many reminders of the answer as to why he hated Loguetown so much. He could try his best to forget about it for a few hours, at least. 

Or that’s what he hoped, anyways.

Sighing, he leaned against the edge of the anchored ship, staring out at the open ocean, the tiny glints of stars reflecting off the water’s calm surface. Everyone he had met in town had been so pleasant. He thought of the old lady who had given him a discount on three bags of rice to take on their journey back to the Grand Line because he was just ‘such a nice young man.’ Would she still say the same thing if she knew about the blood that flowed through his veins? 

Do I deserve to be alive?

Ace had asked himself that question many times before. It was only fitting it would return to the forefront of his mind in this place, of all places. And it was all the fault of that man. 

“You’re thinking about him, aren’t you?” a familiar voice spoke.

Ace sighed again. “Am I really that obvious?”

“To me, you are.” Yara perched herself on the gunwale. She was wearing the new sundress that she had purchased for herself back in town, her long violet hair swept over her shoulder in a loose ponytail. “I should’ve insisted Pops find someone else for this mission. It wasn’t fair to send you.”

“Eh, I can cope.” He tried to shrug it off. “And besides, you look gorgeous in that dress, so it was worth it in the end.”

Yara frowned. She clearly wasn’t buying it. “Alright, now tell me how you really feel.”

“I said I’m--”

“Ace. Please. Don’t bullshit me.”

He let out a heavy sigh, his gaze resting on a buoy that bobbed a few metres away from their ship. “I hate it here. Everywhere I looked, it was like he was tormenting me from beyond the grave. Him and his damn legacy.” 

The look in Yara’s eyes was sympathetic as she reached out, smoothing a strand of raven hair behind his ear. She kept silent, allowing him to continue rambling.

“I know it’s bad to say, but I wish I could torch this whole place to the ground. Then maybe the world could move on.” Maybe I could finally find a shred of peace from it all. 

“You know the World Government would never let that happen, Loguetown or no Loguetown.” She laughed bitterly. “They certainly love their bogeymen.”

“Yeah.” He sighed. “I know. It’s never gonna end. I’m just… cursed forever, doomed for the entire world to hate me because of him and his stupid treasure. Maybe there’s no way out, except…”

Yara gently tilted his head, bringing their eyes to meet. “Now you listen to me, Portgas D. Ace.” She cupped her hands around his face, thumbs brushing tenderly against his freckled cheeks. “You are not your father. None of his deeds are your deeds. None of his sins are your sins. Anyone who can’t see that is an idiot of the highest order, blinded by World Government propaganda or their own ignorant grudges.”

Ace blinked, feeling the conviction behind her words. Yara leaned closer to him, her breath ghosting against his face as she pressed her forehead to his. Ace’s arms wrapped protectively around her waist, his fingers tracing the zipper at the back of her dress.

“You are the most wonderful man in the world, and the best thing that has ever happened to me,” she whispered, her lips hovering only centimetres away from his. “Fuck your father. Fuck Loguetown. Fuck the world. You deserve to be alive, and you deserve to be loved.”

He swallowed, emotion gathering as a hot lump in his throat. “Yara…”

She pressed her lips to his with such adamant tenderness that it stole the air from his lungs. He kissed her back with the devotion of a prayer whispered in an empty cathedral, the softness between them melding together in slow, careful movements. Ace’s tension ebbed away, leaving him with the sensation of floating among a sea of stars, anchored to Earth only by the honeyed taste of Yara’s lips. 

“I love you,” she breathed as she pulled away ever so slightly, fingers stroking the side of his face. “Never forget that.” 

“You really don’t think he was a monster, huh?” he whispered.

She shook her head. “The biggest monsters in my life have all carried the World Government’s flag. I can’t see how a man who opposed that could be so evil.”

Ace stared at her for a moment before letting out a small laugh. “I can’t wait to introduce you to Luffy. I have a feeling the two of you are gonna get along great.”

Yara smiled as she slid down from the gunwale. “I’m very much looking forward to meeting your brother someday.”

“Just to warn you, he’s a handful.”

“So are you, my dearest fireboy.”

Pulling her close, Ace pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “…Thank you, Yara. I shouldn’t think too much about my old man; not when I have the perfect family right here. You, Luffy, Pops… You’re everything I could ever want.” Everything I never dreamed I could have.

“C’mon.” She offered him a hand, and he took it. “Let’s get some rest before we depart.”

Nodding in agreement, Ace allowed her to lead him towards the captain’s quarters. Soon, Loguetown would be behind him. And while he could never truly escape his bloodline, he could at least take solace in those who loved him despite it.

One Piece OC friends taglist: @auxiliarydetective @oneirataxia-girl @daughter-of-melpomene @box-of-bats @starcrossedjedis

[beyondthisdarkhouse]

Hi! I love your Blackwork patterns, and the one with the acorn and leaf garland especially is PEFFECT for a project I'm currently working on.

only thing is, I have about 5m of edge to embroider, and also shipping internationally is pricey.

Would it be okay if I copied the pattern off the pictures you posted and sent you like $15 for it?

(if in the future you'd ever consider pdf patterns I'd also be very 👀)

I have some GREAT news for you! What you want is actually already out there, perhaps beyond your wildest dreams.

The acorn border you like is not actually my design. I'm using it with permission from its designer, Kim B. Salazar, who freely shares a lot of patterns online in addition to having published many books of patterns. Her terms are that they may be used for free by any person making a non-commercial craft project for themselves.

Here's the PDF the acorn border is from. (It's in the second column from the left.) Take it, enjoy it, go wild, send back pics (optional).

What copyright means on these patterns is that the designer has the legal right to say who can make and distribute copies, or use them to make money. I'm allowed to use her patterns in my shop because I emailed her and worked out a license arrangement where I can sell a certain number of copies; once I've hit that limit, I'll have to go back and make a new arrangement. I am guessing I got a different deal from her than a factory wanting to print off 10,000 of them might.

So yeah, the pattern is already free for you! The idea behind my shop/the value I add to the equation when I'm using someone else's designs like this is being the person to acquire the interfacing and ink, prepare the computerized pattern layout, print, cut, package, and ship the results.

I will think about selling PDFs of my own patterns. Safe to say, copyright in these matters is intensely complicated, and I need to have all my ducks in a row before I really dive in.

[angiestown]

I am once again coming back at you with complaints about somewhat niche dessert decorating supplies being extremely readily available in the states but just completely inaccessible in Canada. this time it's these fUCKING little gold stars that I love

they're super sparkly, flavourless, and very little noticeable texture. when used on chocolate (like I intend to), you can't notice the texture at all because the chocolate is harder than the stars.

in the states, these go for about ~$7 CAD a bottle. kinda pricey for such a small thing, but not unreasonable. in Canada, the cheapest I can get them for is $21 which is.. kinda of pushing it for such a little thing. I tried ordering from US amazon to get the US price, but with shipping it comes to $24. ordering directly from wilton doesn't work because they won't ship these to canada. other brands make these too, but they all either don't ship to canada, or to get them here I'd be paying between $30-$285 shipping !!!! what the fuck what could possibly make it cost so much !!!!

and I don't think they have anything in them that make them illegal in canada because I actually have a sprinkle mix with these stars in them that my aunt bought here in canada, but because they're so light they all stick to the inside of the bottle while only the other sprinkles com out