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bby-deerling · 5 months

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trade of goods and services (law x reader)

can be read platonically (but why would you), happens during timeskip, strawhat!reader wc: 860 masterlist

You notice his spotted bucket hat before you see the rest of him slowly ambling through the tents that make up the commune of artists that you’ve made a home with over the past year or so. Turning your head down and away from him, you keep glances at the tall, tan man limited to your peripherals and pray he doesn’t recognize you from Sabaody, or your bounty poster; you had been getting tougher, but trying to take on the captain of the Heart Pirates alone would be pure delusion.

“Hey. You.” he says, his voice deep and low. You tense up, and snap your head to meet his gaze, hand flashing him a brief peace sign in greetings by force of habit.

“You’re a Strawhat.” he says. You nod affirmatively and give him your name, thoroughly convinced it was going to be the last thing you said before he ripped your heart out of your chest and sent it to Marine Headquarters in a box.

“I know. We’ve met.” he says. You bite the inside of your cheek, wondering what he was getting at by telling you information you both already knew. The only thing that came to mind besides him being there to collect your bounty was that you had seen in the news that he had helped Luffy escape Marineford, and that he might be hoping for a sympathy discount on whatever he was about to ask you to paint.

Surprisingly, you found that Trafalgar Law was simply awkward at introductions.

“I need a birthday gift for my navigator, Bepo. Eight inches by ten, oil on board. We’ll be in town for a few days, can you handle it?” he says, demanding more than asking.

You nod affirmatively, giving him a price. He slides you a picture of Bepo and enough berries to cover the fifty percent deposit.

“Come back in three days; I’ll use fast-drying medium so I can varnish it sooner.” you tell him. Truthfully, you hated doing so, preferring more time to work with the paint before it dries, but the job often demanded it with so many people coming in and out of the tiny port island. Law nods and begins to walk away, and you give him something between a wave and a peace sign. He stops and turns around.

“You always do that? With your fingers?” he asks. His tone is low, as if he is trying to ascertain whether or not you were trying to intentionally get under his skin.

You nod. “Sorry if it’s obnoxious. I do it without thinking.”

“It’s not.” he says with a huff as he walks away.

When Law returns, he’s impressed with the piece, and pays you the rest of the berries for the work. As you grab your wallet from your desk to put your berries away, Law gets nosy and peeks in your drawer, examining the rare coins floating around.

“These should really be in a book.” he says, giving you unsolicited advice as he goes through your things, much to your chagrin.

“I’ve got a book on the Sunny. These are just the ones I’ve collected here.” you reply, trying not to lose your marbles at his invasiveness.

Law’s inked fingers halt as he spots something in the corner of your drawer, grabbing it before thinking; his heart nearly stops when he confirms his suspicions that the coin was from Flevance.

“You must have paid a fortune for this.” he says, choosing his words carefully to prevent giving too much about himself away.

“Not as much as you’d think.” you reply, watching his face carefully as he clenched his jaw while examining the coin. “Do you want it?” you ask him. He stares at you, alarmed by the apparent concern for him brimming in your eyes.

“How much?” he says, phrasing it as more of a statement than a question.

“Take it.” you insist, eyes pleading with him. Law opens his mouth to protest, but you speak before he can. “Consider it thanks for saving my captain’s life.”

Law knows he really should pay you for it, but finds himself accepting your small token of kindness, closing his fingers around the coin. He found you peculiar; under any other circumstances, he would find the coin an omen of danger, a sign that someone was trying to send him a thinly veiled threat, but he only turned up with good intentions when searching your face.

Law intends to leave it at that and walk away, but something in him urges him to leave you with some parting words.

“You’re too sweet. The New World is going to eat you alive.” he warns.

You smile at him, eyes filled with determination and blind faith. “Not when I have Luffy by my side!” Your words take Law aback, and slightly amuse him.

“I have a feeling we’ll meet again.” you tell him. “When we do, you better have a coin for me.”

“I’ll think about it.” he replies indifferently as he keeps walking.

(When you meet him again, he does indeed return the favor by slipping a rare coin into the pocket of your coat.)

#one piece x reader #x reader #trafalgar law x reader #law x reader #this was gonna stay on the hard drive but i edited it and felt good enough abt it to share #one piece scenarios

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authornina · 9 months

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Savvy Day Care

***THIS HAS NOT BEEN THROUGH A TYPICAL EDITING PROCESS; ALL SHORTS ARE ROUGH DRAFTS***

Sav sat in the driver seat of their shared brand-new Mercedes Benz sprinter passenger van going over his checklist to make sure he had all of his nieces. They had so many children and counting, a regular little mini-van wouldn’t do—like on ballet and gymnastics days that they all had together or when Jacob did field trips with them. Minus the boys who rarely made any fuss, all nine girls were very specific at times and some didn’t like sharing seat belts or their personal space if they weren’t in the best mood, so they invested in a sprinter and it’d been smooth sailing since.

“Melody, she so pretty make my heart all fluttery.”

“Here,” she cheerfully replied to her uncle. She didn’t always get to spend a lot of time with her father’s side of the family so being in the presence of her uncle and cousins made her happy.

“Delightful Damaris, she gon’ be a stunnin’ runway model in Paris.”

“Here!”

“Pretty Poppy, all these hoes gon’ wanna copy.”

“Here me go, Uncle Sav!”

“Savannah my precious banana,” Sav called then looked in the mirror and she raised her hand, still not able to verbally communicate much but they were working on it day by day. They mostly depended on sign language. He and Chi were just thankful she was able to walk on her own now without assistance. “Queen Day B, my G!”

“Here daddy!” she giggled.

“Aubree my gorgeous lil cup of tea.”

“Here,” she blushed.

“Ivory, my cute honeybee.”

“I’m right here,” she replied bashfully.

They loved their pet names given by Uncle Sav.

“Lovely Loire, even though you mean you the one I’ll always adore.” “Hmph!” she folded her arms with a scowl. The last thing she wanted to do was be in a leotard, tights, ballet shoes and a slick back bun. She looked just like a little Lake with an attitude.

“Ion know what hmph mean lil girl.”

“Me here!” Loire pouted, attitude on a hundred.

“You gon’ be flung over the bushes you keep actin’ up,” Sav threatened and she poked her lip out, and started crying into her sister’s arm. “My beautiful River gon’ always have my back and deliver…slaps! To ya muhfuckin’ dome on behalf of her uncle!”

“Here, Uncle Savy,” she laughed. “You make my sister cry,” River put her arm around Loire.

“She made her lil bad ass self cry. Loire cut it out before I get Sugar Sprinkle Pickle,” he referred to their dog that Lake let them name and she straightened up real quick. For some reason she was afraid of that little ass chihuahua. “Ard, everybody got their seatbelts on?” “Yes!” they all responded at the same time, Savannah nodding her head up and down.

“Do anybody gotta go number one or two before I pull off?”

“Nooo!”

“Goin’ once, goin’ twice, and we out!”

Jacob was on vacation for a week so what he’d usually tend to with their children was split between Sav, Lake, and Dem. Vant declined to help, wanting to use all of his free time from the kids trying to give Ivy another baby which she refused.

They had so many kids that keeping them active was necessary. They had tons of energy which needed to be channeled in something productive other than fighting with one another. Leave them in the house for too long, barrettes were flying, hair was being pulled and nothing but crying and screaming filled the air.

Once they arrived at the studio, Sav parked and got out making all of the girls hold hands as they crossed the lot. They basically had private lessons seeing as their group made up one class.

“Good afternoon!” their teacher, Ms. Farrah smiled as each of her tiny ballerinas marched into the studio. While the class went on Sav sat to the side taking pictures and videos, sending them in the group chat.

Avery: Fix Loire bow, she get on my nerves with that lil ass attitude! Ivy: Why is Aubree actin’ like we don’t practice the pliè at home? Ooh that girl! Vant: Fuck off my daughter bro Ivy: STFU! Avery: Nobody is talking about Damaris eatin’ everybody up though Chi: Straight running circles around them! Show them how it’s done Maris! Sav: My Banana is the best one Chi: And she is! Avery: She is doing so good, I’m so proud of her Ivy: Me too. Vant: Love Banny and all but I’m not bouta sit here and lie Ivory killin’ all them! Avery: LIES! It’s Damaris, River, THEN my pookie poo Ivory Ivy: Avery don’t make me kick your ass. Avery: Facts are facts! Lake: Can y’all all shut the fuck up? Chi: Husband! Why you gotta be so mean? Avery: Chi. Ivy: CTFU! Sav: I’m mutin’ y’all dickheads now Chi: You better not nigga! Ivy: Whose making dinner tonight? Avery: Not me! I’m tired and my back is hurting Chi: I can’t cook Lake: That’s why you need to sit the fuck down somewhere Avery: Do you see how you talk to me?😭 Ivy: Omg! Avery go away, you wasn’t complaining how he talk to you or crying when you laid up and got your ass pregnant again! He said sit down somewhere so SAT DOWN! Chi: Husband I woulda been sittin’ Sav: Chi get your fuckin’ head knocked off Vant: At least she lay down and get pregnant, some people act like it’s gon’ ruin their fuckin’ life to have another baby. Ivy: Vant do not start! You are not the one that has to PHYSICALLY go through a pregnancy! Vant: If I could carry my own fuckin’ babies I would! Sav: This nigga gay Wreck: Gay asf Vant: 🖕🏾

Pav: The girls are so cute! I wish I had a daughter to do ballet Sav: You late Pav: We were all napping Chi: You always sleep, let me find out you lettin’ Daly do you like Lake Daly: 🍆

Ivy: Okayyyyyyyyyyy! Get it get it! Vant: Ivy. Relax my nigga. Avery: I swear this is the last one. I can’t do this anymore. We’re gonna have to use condoms. Lake: Yea ok Ivy: TMI Chi: I would never make big daddy—nevermind Sav: Wait till I get home. Ima put a dent right in your fuckin’ forehead. Avery: LMAOOOOO! Big daddy that bitch! Chi: 🖕🏾 Dem: I’m not reading all that shit Ivy: Heyyy bookie Dem: Hey Avery: LMAO! Dem did you eat? Dem: No Avery: You want me to cook you some food? Sav: But you just said you was tired and your back was hurtin but now that Dem ain’t ate shit you got the energy Avery: Hater much? Vant: I’ll cook Wreck: Then I’m stayin home Daly: Me too Lake: I’m not eatin’ nothin Vant cook Pav: I will cook. Geez. Everybody be here by 8 Vant: Ayeee! Wreck: I’ll be over there Sav: You cook better than Avery anyway Avery: 🖕🏾

Sav: Ard the class is over. I’m takin all they asses to my house for a minute. Chi: Lord. Let me put up all my good shit Ivy: Don’t do that to them lmao Chi: You know they bad as shit! Sav: No, THEY kids is bad as shit. My babies is good. Dem: And mine Avery: So what tf are y’all saying? Ivy: Exactly! Wreck: Lake and Vant got some bad ass kids. Lake: Ok Daly: Now I need to put up all our good shit Ivy: Vant? Vant: Man…Ion feel like fightin’ and our kids is bad as shit Ivy: Wow. Sav: Bye dickheads!

Putting the phone in his pocket, Sav gathered his tribe of little ladies. They all walked to the van hand in hand talking over one another.

“Loire, you feel better?”

“Yes!” she answered her uncle now all smile. Sometimes it took his niece a minute to warm up.

“Good…who wanna go bother auntie Chi?”

“Meeeeee!” they all raised their hands at the same time.

“She’s my mommy,” Sav heard Day say.

“And she’s my auntie,” Aubree sassed.

“Don’t be mean to me.”

“Talk to the hand!”

“Daddy!” Day shouted. “She put her hand in my face,” she whined.

“Aubree chill out.”

“I’m tellin’ my daddy on you!” Aubree asserted.

“And what he supposed to do?”

“Beat chu up.”

“Your daddy can’t beat my daddy,” River added twisted her neck.

“I bet he can!”

“No he can’t!

“Ard,” Sav laughed. “Y’all chill, it ain’t that deep.”

“But Uncle Savy, she—”

“It’s ard River,” Sav turned to her giving her a look. “We know the real.”

River nodded then rolled her eyes at Aubree. “My daddy still can whoop uncle Vant, I seen him do it,” she whispered just having to get the last word.

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wrathofrats · 5 months

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well... how abouuuttt "why dont you ever listen to me?" with a ghoul of your choice, maybe the other ghoul is mad at dew, or maybe dew is upset, maybe because hes been trying to communicate that hes struggling ajd the others havent picked up on it, and he just wants it to stop. idk im not that good at coming up with prompts on the spot but i hope this is a good enough idea!! 🤷

Hi it’s been ….. we aren’t going to talk about how long it’s been.

But I hope you enjoy, yall seem to love when I give Dew problems (don’t worry I love it too)

Slapping aether in here because it hurts

Anyways, cirrus makes a joke, dew needs a hug and aether is a very supportive boyfriend

Dew doesn’t know when it began to bother him.

He sat on the couch nonchalantly watching some horror movie cirrus had thrown on. The exorcist? He doesn’t know, he doesn’t think he really cares.

“Careful cir, you’ll give him nightmares” aether teased

“He is the nightmare” cirrus rolled her eyes in a response, a playful smile at her lips. It was a joke.

His chest feels hollow as aether ruffles his hair. Something about it didn’t feel right. A normal quip that would have him saying something stupid in response, or simply giving her the finger, suddenly didn’t have the same feeling to it.

He swallowed heavy, the salvia only added to the pit in his stomach.

It’s a gross feeling, something between knowing he’s overreacting and wanting to cry at the thought that they actually think he’s a nuisance. Both are untrue, the logical part in his brain tries to convince him but it doesn’t stop the tears that sting in the back of his eyes, the flush in his face or the way his head feels like it’s full of starch.

It was a joke.

He’s overreacting, he’s certain of it but he can’t stop himself from getting up and walking away without his usual banter.

“Dew? What’s up?” Aether calls after him, following him into the bathroom.

Dew shakes his head to save his dignity. His voice will shake and crack, he knows if he even tries to say he’s ok a sob will rack his body and he won’t be able to contain himself anymore.

He’s embarrassed because he’s overreacting and he’s clutching the sink as aether puts a supportive hand on his back but it feels patronizing because he knows he’s overreacting and he’s-

“Did we say something?”

Dew sobs. Quick, choked off like it wasn’t supposed to come out because it wasn’t. Because he’s overreacting and he shouldn’t be acting like this. Because it was a joke and he’s making a scene because he can’t help but overthink everything.

“Dew, it was a joke” aether embraces him, lightly to not overwhelm him, but he can’t leave him like this. Dew barely lets go of his vice grip on the counter top to let aether pull him into himself. “She didn’t mean it, we thought you liked jokes like that”

He doesn’t. He’s said that.

Dew shakes his head and pushes away from aether enough to speak.

The crack in his voice makes him wince as he chokes and gasps the sobs back to try and get out what he’s saying without being a complete mess, but it’s pathetic anyways, he feels like a child. The way aether stares in concern makes him feel like a petulant toddler throwing a fit.

“I can’t stand them anymore. I’ve said this”

“Have you?” Aether asks, genuinely. The fact that he’s being genuine almost makes it hurt more. He wishes aether would just let him be dramatic and leave him alone.

“Why don’t you ever listen to me?” Dew all but wails. He’s louder than he means to be, another sob ringing out in the middle of his sentence. Aether looks confused and concerned, like dew has actually lost it this time, over a joke no less.

“I am, I am listening to you droplet, tell me what’s wrong”

It feels patronizing, dew knows aethers not trying to be but the frustration builds anyways.

“I’m tired aeth, I’m tired of you all acting like you hate me. No one ever acts like they genuinely like or want to be around me and it’s fucking heart wrenching” dew cries

“Water bug you know i-“ aether shakes his head, remorseful.

“No, aether you don’t understand. You all keep saying you hate me. It stings. I don’t know what to do I don’t understand why I’m the only one not worthy of kindness” dew clings to aethers shirt like if he lets go aether will disappear and stop listening to him.

“Dewdrop I’m sorry I didn’t know-“

“Stop please just - I don’t get it” dew sobs. He leans his head into aethers shirt, fist fulls of fabric brought up to his face as aether embraces him tightly.

Dew just weeps, a dam of emotions he can’t bare to vocalize comes out in tearful pleas instead.

“I don’t get it. I’m sorry. Please listen I’m sorry. I don’t understand” the demands come out in choked off cries, forceful sounds racking his small frame as aether hugs him tightly to try and get him to stop shaking.

Aether lowers them to the floor, holds dew in his lap and tries to soothe him.

“You’re not being dramatic, I’m sorry. We love you so much and I’m sorry we don’t say that” aether whispers into his hair.

Dew starts to quiet down as aether traces shapes into his back, the distraction well needed. He clings and listens and tries to focus on whatever aether is dragging into his skin with the tip of his fingers.

“So sorry waterbug, you’re ok, I love you so much. You’ve done nothing wrong”

Dew realizes what the shapes are.

He’s tracing hearts into his back.

#time to give dew pain again #I’m sorry man idk. love that thing but consider: I give him all my problems #also the important note of no one’s in the wrong here #sometimes communication is hard and so are emotions #aether would die for him ok? so would cirrus #the band ghost #ghost #fanfic #nameless ghouls #ghost bc #wrath writes #dewdrop ghoul #aether ghoul #angst

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schraubd · 11 months

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How To Hack The Law

Do you ever idly puzzle through various ideas for a "perfect crime"? It's awkward to talk about -- you don't actually want to do them, you don't actually want to give anyone a bright idea, but they're still so interesting to think through.

The legal community is abuzz with the story of a lawyer who relied on ChatGPT to do his research and submitted a brief filled with entirely invented cases. ChatGPT just made them up out of air -- complete with names, citations and quotes -- and the lawyer dutifully added them to the brief. When opposing counsel tried to read the cases for themselves, they were baffled because they couldn't find any trace of them. The presiding judge went so far as to contact the clerk of the courts where the cases were allegedly filed, confirming their non-existence. Now the lawyer is facing sanctions; he is begging for mercy on the grounds that he had no idea ChatGPT would lie to him like that.

I know of very few lawyers who have sympathy for this lawyer. But imagine a slightly different case. Let's say that LexisNexis developed a glitch where it invented a case. If you typed in the (invented) citation to the case, it would pop up on Lexis the same as any other case -- name, judge panel, court, reasoning, everything. But the case isn't real; it was a complete invention. If a lawyer came across such a "hallucinated" decision on Lexis, I think we'd be very forgiving if she ended up being deceived and relied on the case in her briefs. Indeed, I actually wonder, in a situation, like this, how long it would take the legal community to figure out that the case wasn't real.

For example: the last case contained in volume 500 of the Federal Reporter (3d) is Jacobsen v. DOJ, 500 F.3d 1376 (Fed. Cir. 2007). That case ends on page 1381. Suppose an enterprising criminal hacks the Westlaw and Lexis database* and adds another case, call it Smith v. Jones, cited to 500 F.3d 1382. To further cover her tracks, the criminal "assigns" the case to a panel of judges who are no longer active on the court, to make it less likely one of them will see it and be like "I don't remember that decision." Smith v. Jones, of course, can be about and say whatever the criminal (or the unscrupulous lawyer who hired her) wants it to. Need a precedent that appears to decisively resolve a contested point of law in your favor? Voila -- the new case of Smith v. Jones is there to meet your needs. Indeed, the diligent criminal could add one or two new precedents per volume on a range of topics, providing bespoke "new" precedent to shift the legal terrain on an array of different issues.

If this happened, again I ask: how long would it take for the legal community to figure it out? If the initial hack was undetected, could one get away with doing this? Certainly, there would still be ways to confirm the cases are not real. If one back-checked the cases back to the clerk's office, one would discover they're vapor -- but realistically, that almost never happens. We take Lexis and Westlaw as proof enough; I'm not sure I can imagine a circumstance where I would try to confirm the veracity of a case I saw on Westlaw or Lexis by contacting the clerk's office. There probably would be some other hints that the cases were suspect -- the lack of citations from other cases would be a significant hint that something is shady -- but I can imagine a crime like this slipping by us for some time. And the longer it goes unnoticed, the more these cases have the opportunity to subtly adjust the overall trajectory of law in a new direction.

It's a scary thought, no? We're very reliant on the robustness and reliability of online databases. If they start to falter, we run into seriously trouble very quickly.

* Note: I assume -- and desperately hope -- that this is difficult-to-impossible to do.

via The Debate Link https://ift.tt/hLkYFA1

#artificial intelligence #crime #hacks #law

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aethersgirlfriend · 4 months

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cumulus and phantom is one of my favourite ships so have some <them3 thoughts under the cut!!! im so tempted to write a fic ab them so if u have any ideas pls share i need a prompt

cumulus being the one who put the blanket on him and got him to drink water after his summoning

lus calling him honey and phantom calling her my love when he isn't too awestruck ("hi honey" "HIIIIIIII")

him always sending her photos of clouds

them combining their elements to make his magick spread around the den faster or to make her air have more healing abilities when she uses it to cool down someone with a fever

phant practically running to her room and crawling on top of her after a long day of practice with omega and aether and laying on her chest purring so loud while she scratches that one spot behind his left horn

him bringing her shiny rocks and little trinkets he finds during the day and leaving it outside her door with a sticky note saying ' :) ' and no one knows she has a whole box for them under her bed

him being completely inlove with her beauty in a way that makes her blush and squeal and run to rora after getting a response to a photo she sent him who will gasp and squeal with her as cumulus runs onto her bed and kicks her feet and rory is actively aw-ing at her summoning buddy and cir walks in and can't even pretend to be mad that the new summon is seducing her lover because the way he's going about it is so adorable

her kissing over his scars and insecurities and calling him beautiful

he comes to her a couple nights before they start touring and he admits that he's terrified he'll do a bad job at replacing aether and that everyone will hate him (im sorry but theres no phantom ghoul thoughts without a sprinkle of angst) and she listens and comforts him and he sobs so hard he accidentally sends out a massive wave of quintessence (his magick acts up when he feels strong emotions!! topside things xx) that makes them both go a bit silly and they're lying on his bed giggling over some dumb photo of a pufferfish and swiss walks in like because he smelt the magick and he's so confused

cumulus and swiss known as the 2 ghouls who serenaded the new summons before anyone else could (they OWN the title.)

him killing 3 birds with one stone and coming into the girls den with 3 roses in his mouth

aurora and phantom are more ghoul-like/animalistic than any of the others so cumulus will walk into her room to find a nest on her bed made of everyone's clothes and duvets and blankets and sheets etc etc and look inside to find the 2 cuddled up, kneading at eachother, tails intertwined, purring very loudly and when they smell her their ears immediately perk up and they let out happy ghoul noises and drag her in to do their ghoul loving ghoul ritual

he panicked so much when he first got his claws stuck in her gorgeous hair that he almost started crying because he thought he'd 1. hurt her and 2. be the reason she had to cut some of it off but she hushed him and called mountain who giggled at his reaction and got a whole kit from the kitchen - this happens all the time. none of the boys can help but appreciate her cloud like mane of hair

they have the best nonverbal communication. (they communicate mainly in ghoul noises and she understands his confused head tilts nearly as good as swiss can, but no one can beat rora)

aeth got then matching pj's because he's a cutie and phantom refused to take them off until she politely told him he smelled like shit

them baking together and him being covered in flour

aether, mountain and swiss all pampering her like the goddess she is and phantom finds them and feels left out so aether shows him a few quint tricks that has cumulus asleep in minutes and phantom just sits there playing with her hair as she snoozes feeling so proud of himself

lus having to go to the library alone one day after there was an incident with dew and a few of mountains potted plants and phantom immediately jumps at the opportunity and follows her around the library for wayyy longer then she's normally there and she's just handing him books that she thinks sounds good and he's carrying every single one because he wants the praise (he's so real)

him seeing lus at one of the many balls held throughout the year and even though his date is aurora, he's completely gobsmacked at her dress and just everything about her but aurora totally agrees so they just kind of admire her from afar

#cumulus ghoulette #phantom ghoul #aeon ghoul #the band ghost #ghost bc #ghoul headcanons #nameless ghouls #nameless ghoulettes #aether ghoul #mountain ghoul #swiss ghoul #aurora ghoulette #cirrus ghoulette

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appalachiananarchist · 2 years

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Appalachian Flood Relief Resources

Last post update: August 5, 11:50pm

Eastern Kentucky has been affected by historic and devastating flooding this July. Somewhere between 35-40 people are dead. This post is designed to compile information for the relief efforts. It will be edited and updated as new information is made available to me, so if you see this post and want to reblog it, please click on my profile and reblog directly from my page in case I have edited or updated the post! Please message me with questions.

Monetary Donations:

Below is a compiled list of some donation funds for the 2022 Eastern KY flood relief efforts. Please look through these or look into any of these organizations to decide if you are comfortable donating.

Aspire Appalachia (website here)

Foundation for Appalachian Kentucky (website here)

EKY Flood Relief (KY state fund)

EKY Mutual Aid (Twitter here)

Appalachian Regional Healthcare flood relief fund

EKY Heritage Foundation here

Shop Local KY T shirt fundraiser here

Appalachian Apparel T shirt fundraise here and here

Volunteering:

If you are local to the area, please consider a donation of your time. There is a lot of work that needs done and a lot of people needed to do it. You will lose access to clean water, so bring your own. You will need to find your own accommodations if you stay overnight as we are housing many displaced residents already.

Hazard, KY is looking for volunteers to help clean out debris and houses daily. Crews are leaving from the Forum 101 Bulldog Lane at 8am, 10am, and 12pm. You must be over 18. This is physically demanding work. Just show up at the Forum before noon. Bring your own water and food. Long pants and boots required. Tetanus shot recommended. (And if you know a house that needs this service, contact: 606-268-0896)

Contact info for inquiries into volunteer roles in Breathitt county: (606) 233-3502

Perry County volunteer sign up here or call volunteering coordinator at (502) 693-6667

For rescue effort volunteering in Perry County, contact 606-216-6621

Letcher County Central High in Whitesburg is requesting volunteers from 8am to 7pm - simply show up by 8:15am.

Letcher County Central High Mercy Chefs volunteering information

Letcher County cleanup volunteering: contact (606) 733-5620

Kentucky Red Cross volunteer application. Search "disaster action team" to find positions that respond to natural disasters like the flood.

World Central Kitchen Volunteering form (scroll down until you see the entries for “KY Floods”). 301 Perry Cir Rd, Hazard, KY.

Appalshop archival recovery efforts volunteering form

Materials Donations:

If you want to donate items, one of the most desperately needed items in all counties right now is clean drinking water, followed by non-perishable food, cleaning supplies, diapers, formula, and personal hygeine products. Perry county specifically is requesting NO MORE CLOTHING donations.

Google doc listing various drop off locations

Aspire Appalachia amazon wish list here

Shop Local KY Amazon wish list here

Updated drop off locations for Breathitt County materials donations at Aspire Appalachia's facebook (currently: First Church of God, Breathitt County Hunger Alliance Panbowl Community Center, Jackson City School, and Vancleve Fire Dept.)

Updated Perry County flood response, including materials drop off locations, here. The ONLY major location accepting drop-offs in Hazard is the old JC Penny’s building (278 Black Gold Blvd). Perry county water drop off info: contact 513-312-8631. Perry county food drop off info: contact 606-438-9109.

Letcher County: Letcher County Central High School (435 Cougar Drive, Whitesburg)

Letcher County: CANE Kitchen (38 College Drive, Whitesburg)

Letcher County: Pine Mountain Partnership; see link for various drop off/pick up locations and times.

Further info on drop off information for Letcher, Knott, Floyd, and Pike counties here at Appalshop

Lexington drop off locations: Shop Local KY Warehouse in (1093 West High Street, Lexington, KY); Appalachian Regional Healthcare drop-off location at 2260 Executive Dr Lexington KY.

If you are part of an organization capable of medical supplies donations, please email [email protected] with inquiries. There is an URGENT need for replacement medical supplies!

#appalachia #east kentucky #flood relief #2022 Flood #mutual aid #fundraiser #donations

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awesomefringey · 1 year

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Hi Sabine, here’s the link to Briana’s house that sold. I compared the kitchen from the real estate images to the deep fake video of Freddie in a kitchen and they match. Being in this fandom has improved my FBI skills no end 😂

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/4612-Cielo-Cir-Calabasas-CA-91302/79804322_zpid/

Oof... okay, let's read up:

Sold: $1,600,000 Sold on 12/27/22 (Zestimate®: $1,735,400)

Quintessential Calabasas living! - Gorgeous 4 bedroom home located within a gated community, The Colony at Calabasas. Built in 2006 this beautiful 2 story home boast hardwood floors, new carpets, granite counter-tops, stainless steel appliances, 2 fireplaces, 2 car garage, spa-like master bathroom, with dual walk in closets. Perks include community pool and playground, balconies off the bedrooms, tranquil yard with picturesque hillside views and only minutes from Malibu Country Mart, The Commons of Calabasas, Pepperdine University and Westlake Village. Easy to show. View Virtual tour for Interiors!

Bedrooms: 4

Bathrooms: 4

Full bathrooms: 4

Flooring: Carpet, Hardwood

Appliances included: Dishwasher, Freezer, Garbage disposal,

Laundry features: Room

Total interior livable area: 3,078 sqft

Fireplace: Yes

Parking features: Garage - Detached

Spa included: Yes

View description: Mountain

Lot size: 4,748 sqft

Home type: Single Family

Year built: 2006

Has HOA: Yes

HOA fee: $260 monthly

County: Los Angeles

Heating: Central

Property Type: Residential

Rooms: Breakfast, Living Room, Powder, Master Bedroom

Equipment: Other, Gas Dryer Hookup

Laundry: Room

HOA Fee Frequency 1: Monthly

Source Living Area: Vendor Enhanced

Parking Garage: Garage - 2 Car, Driveway

Source Lot Size Area: Estimated

Style: Spanish

Pool Description: Community

Listing Area: Calabasas

Listing Status: Pending

#ask #louis' house #calabasas #briana jungwirth #living situation #larry houses

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beardedmrbean · 10 days

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NPR defended embattled chief executive Katherine Maher against "online actors with explicit agendas" on Wednesday as her old social media posts continue to go viral for exposing her personal left-wing ideology.

What seems like a never-ending supply of social media messages Maher posted before running NPR have been unearthed in recent days by critics of NPR, including Manhattan Institute senior fellow Christopher Rufo.

Maher, who served as the CEO for Web Summit and Wikimedia Foundation prior to taking over NPR last month, showed her support for Hillary Clinton in 2016 and Joe Biden in 2020 while regularly sharing liberal talking points and criticizing Donald Trump. Many feel that someone with such blunt partisan views running NPR on the heels of veteran editor Uri Berliner penning a scathing takedown that detailed the "absence of viewpoint diversity" at the organization could be troublesome, but the organization chalked up the resurfaced tweets as "bad faith" attacks.

"This is a bad faith attack that follows an established playbook, as online actors with explicit agendas work to discredit independent news organizations," an NPR spokesperson told Fox News Digital.

"In this case, they resorted to digging up old tweets and making conjectures based on our new CEO’s resume," the spokesperson continued. "Spending time on these accusations is intended to detract from NPR’s mission of informing the American public and providing local information in communities around the country is more important than ever."

Rufo has also unearthed old video of Maher saying the First Amendment makes it too difficult to censor "bad information." But much of the controversy surrounding her is the result of posts on X, the platform previously known as Twitter.

Before taking over NPR, Maher tweeted essentially whatever was on her mind. For example, she once shared details of a dream where her and Kamala Harris were on a road trip together "comparing nuts and baklava from roadside stands" before she "woke up very hungry."

Others were more political.

Maher wrote on X in May 2020 that while "looting is counterproductive," it was "hard to be mad about protests not prioritizing the private property of a system of oppression founded on treating people's ancestors as private property." In another post on the thread, Maher said that property damage was "not the thing" Americans should be upset over.

In another 2020 post, Maher is seen donning a Biden for president hat and said it was the "best part" of her efforts to get out the vote.

"I can’t stop crying with relief," she wrote after Biden won.

Maher also took issue with the infamous New York Times Tom Cotton op-ed in 2020, saying it was "full of racist dog whistles." She argued it was based on the "false premise that the country is in a state of ‘disorder.'"

Several of her old posts that have resurfaced reference concern over White privilege and "White silence."

In June 2020, Maher declared "White silence is complicity."

"If you are White, today is the day to start a conversation in your community," she continued.

Maher identified herself as an "unalloyed progressive" supporting Clinton in the 2016 election. However, Maher had some criticism for Clinton at the time, saying she wished the then-Democratic presidential nominee "wouldn't use the language of ‘boy and girl,'" because it was "erasing language for non-binary people."

In 2018, she wrote, "I’m angry. Hot angry, slow angry, relentless angry. This anger is going to fuel and burn for a long time, and it will deliver back exponentially," during Christine Blasey Ford's testimony accusing Supreme Court nominee Brett Kavanaugh of sexual assault.

Rufo joined Fox News on Tuesday to explain why he’s been busy circulating Maher’s old tweets.

"I spent the last day or two digging through her tweets to show people exactly what she believes. It’s actually incredible. It is the most vapid, left-wing propaganda imaginable," Rufo said on "Jesse Watters Primetime."

"She’s been at it for year. She’s a supporter of BLM, she believes in the pseudo-science of White privilege, White fragility, she criticized her own Whiteness," he continued. "It’s like Mad Libs for left-wing women."

In addition to the deluge of old social media messages being resurfaced, NewBusters reported on Wednesday that Maher has donated to Democratic candidates such as Stacey Abrams. NPR did not immediately respond to a request for comment about her donations.

Berliner, who resigned after blowing the whistle on NPR’s liberal bias, doesn’t think Maher is fit for the job.

"We're looking for a leader right now who's going to be unifying and bring more people into the tent and have a broader perspective on, sort of, what America is all about," Berliner told NPR media reporter David Folkenflik prior to quitting. "And this seems to be the opposite of that."

Berliner also scolded Maher when he stepped down.

"I am resigning from NPR, a great American institution where I have worked for 25 years. I don’t support calls to defund NPR," Berliner wrote in a statement published on X. "I respect the integrity of my colleagues and wish for NPR to thrive and do important journalism."

"But I cannot work in a newsroom where I am disparaged by a new CEO whose divisive views confirm the very problems at NPR I cited in my Free Press essay," Berliner continued.

#nunyas news

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unknownmothergoose · 8 months

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[image IDs: the left is a five stripe flag that uses dark, saturated tones. the stripes are medium blue, dark salmon, gold yellow, dark beige/dark sand, and medium green.

the middle is a five stripe flag that uses pastel tones. the stripes are dark blue, salmon, yellow, beige, and light green.

the right is an image of Livio from Trigun on a five stripe flag that uses pastel tones. the stripes are dark blue, salmon, yellow, beige, and light green. END ID]

system trans male for trans men with systems FOR FOR DID/OSDD/UDD/P-DID SYSTEMS

blue for connection to manhood salmon for complicated identity from multiplicity or long spells of questioning yellow for gender expression as a multiple tan for healing green for safe communities that give you room to express yourself

please credit me if using i do not allow reposts to pinterest, archives, or wikis

[image IDs: the left is an image of AB-CIR from evillious chronicles on a five stripe flag that uses pastel tones. the stripes are purple, cyan, red, gold, and forest green.

the middle is a five stripe flag that uses pastel tones. the stripes are purple, cyan, red, gold, and forest green.

the right is a five stripe flag that uses dark, saturated tones. the stripes are light purple, cyan, orange-red, gold, and forest green. END ID]

system trans woman for trans women with systems FOR FOR DID/OSDD/UDD/P-DID SYSTEMS

purple for connection to womanhood cyan for complicated identity from multiplicity or long spells of questioning red for gender expression as a multiple gold for healing forest green for safe communities that give you room to express yourself

please credit me if using i do not allow reposts to pinterest, archives, or wikis

#actually did #actually dissociative #system flag #system pride #mogai flag #trans system #trans flag #trans male flag #trans female flag #ftm flag #mtf flag #system trans #WHAT ARE TAGS okay commentary time #this was sparked by talking to my special singlet last night and i opened my flag maker thingie to make the trans male sys flag #and it randomly generated the colours used for trans male so i said yea fuck it thats the flag #i will make versions for transmasc and transfem at some point! as well as nonbinary and cisn't #as always my medical system flags include self dx #if there's anything i can do to make these gentler on the eyes let me know and i will make some additional versions #these are very light and bright and i am still learning flag making tbh #.goose coin #first time i didnt rapidly attempt to include sys orange everyone clap (ace/aro/aroace sys i tried so hard)#long post

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kiruliom · 11 months

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otherkin | fictionkin | conceptkin

archetrope | cir | paratype

icosahuman | fenikae | constelic

alterhuman

dumb blonde alterhuman identity types

blonde is used in a gender neutral way, the idea of being a dumb blonde being female-aligned exclusive is misogynistic and just incorrect.

[TS: do not reupload anywhere public unless Im credited and informed (please), flag is ghostfacelover by gender-mailman. end TS]

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davidmann95 · 1 year

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Twitter nearly packed it in last night, so transcribing a thread of mine from this year I liked here for posterity, with minor edits and a bit of reformatting:

A thread on how Superman's development over the decades inadvertently mirrors stages of human development, because even though I took 'Superman guy' out of my bio to avoid pigeonholing myself if I don't do this sort of thing occasionally I will explode.

Golden Age is simple - he's a newborn. The world's a hazy outline, and the big baby is destructively tantruming against everything Wrong in it.

He doesn't even have the object permanence to get that someone doesn't become a new person when they put on glasses!

By the Silver Age as a kid he's a little more cognizant. He's got friends and recognizes family, it feels like he's all-powerful and should be able to easily have whatever he wants yet at the same time he's constantly powerless, undermined, and under assault by the mean 'ol world.

(He's also kind of a little shit who thinks in black and white terms of right-and-wrong but delights in his ability to find 'loopholes' around the rules, and everyone generally indulges him.)

Bronze is the awkward teen years, wracked by ennui,

self-doubt,

and a soaring sense of potential and self-importance.

While more mature and capable of great insight, he's blissfully blind to how deeply, deeply stupid his world still frequently is.

Then the Byrne/Triangle years - he's grown-up, buttoned-up, a movie star now and putting on a professional front without his neuroses so blatantly on display.

He's even trying for something like an adult relationship after vacillating between 'I can't be tied down' and 'girls are icky'

He is however also helplessly getting his ass kicked or otherwise humiliated by the powers that be now on a semi-regular basis, because this is the Real World, Son!

In the 2000s and 2010s you start to get Superman as father - allegorically at first in starting to be treated as such by the rest of the 'superhero community', with Cir-El, Kon-El being revealed as his clone/kid/brother/whatever, Chris Kent, and culminating in Jon Kent.

(Illustration by Sebastian Fiumara)

This era's naturally bookended by Manchester Black telling him that he's a fuddy-duddy stick in the mud dweeb who's out of touch with The Kids.

(As pointed out by @charlottefinn the New 52 at least for the present-day stuff is in this context basically his midlife crisis - or perhaps midlife Crisis - where he leaves his wife and awkwardly dates around, gets a shiny new wardrobe, and generally acts like he's 20 again.)

(Prior to recent events, we were) entering the full-on middle aged era of Superman where he's slowing down if still very active,

the kid's out of the house,

and with so many years behind him he's reassessing.

(And even aside from a strategy however sensible in context of 'leaves Earth to hang out with a bunch of cool young people and get back to his alien-fighting dictator-toppling glory days', lest you think that midlife crisis is fully over:)

Like a lot of Superman - like a lot of any character that exists on this sort of broad scale - this definitely wasn't deliberate, but lines up neatly and lends a certain weight. Following to the logical conclusion, we can expect this Jon and Clark in 30 more years:

I googled 'Old Man Superman' to get that last cover since to my surprise I didn't already have it saved and found this extremely cool design by Giannis Milonogiannis and Ladon Alex, so here's your reward for making it to the end.

#Superman #Opinion

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narrans · 7 months

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Everyone Needs A Little Hero | Calling All Heroes

It was a slow process, but Hero was finally starting to feel normal. He was slowly making his rounds to all of his human friends, albeit without being seen, and helping them in the ways he could. He managed to sharpen most of Watney’s pencils for sketching, he left a few encouraging notes for Maggie, and he even managed to get some of the things in Eliza’s apartment out from under the couch so she could find them later.

Overall, the teenage Borrower was feeling rather optimistic about everything in life once again. The only human he had really purposefully come out to talk to and let himself be seen by since the incident was Sam, and he couldn’t be happier with that decision.

Sam was there and always ready to talk about anything and everything at Hero’s pace. With the changing seasons, Sam had to stay home and go to more doctor’s visits recently, so Hero was able to come by and keep him company, playing games and goofing off. There was only one time when Hero was close to being seen by Sam’s mother, but Sam was able to quickly make a fort of blankets to cover up his four-inch friend.

It was a jarring experience, but Hero managed to keep himself composed and steady, even after when Sam’s mother left the room.

So, when Rey came to Hero with a proposition, Hero felt relatively good about it.

At least, in the beginning.

Rey, his fellow Borrower friend, evidently had been seen and was now in communication with a new human in the building named Theo. Theo was a good guy, according to Rey, and he seemed trustworthy with the secret of Borrower kind. In full transparency, Rey ended up telling Hero everything about how he and Theo met, which set Hero on edge.

“You mean his sister saw you too?” asked Hero, feeling his body shudder with a sudden chill that emanated from his bones. “Held you?”

“Well… yeah, but she thought I was a toy and hasn’t pried any further, according to Theo. But, listen, I really think that we can help Theo as part of the whole ‘Help Humans’ campaign,” emphasized Rey. “He is in a wheelchair, so you don’t have to worry about him getting too close to you. Sure, he’s an inventor, but he won’t hurt us. I’ve already run the test on whether or not he is friendly and safe. Plus! Our activity doesn’t require either of us to be seen. He’ll just assume it was me.”

Hero knew Rey wouldn’t lead him astray on a wild goose chase, but the thought of even accidentally being seen by someone new stopped him in his tracks. In a weird way, he suspected this was how he sounded to Rey when talking about helping humans who were already friends. Hero also knew Rey had a sixth sense about humans - one he wished he possessed with more accuracy - and he decided it would be worth helping Rey.

“Okay. What is this plan of yours again?” asked Hero.

“Okay, I’ll cut to the chase. Theo needs money to help him with his legs. I know we don’t have money, but other humans do,” said Rey. Hero immediately felt something inside him bristle.

“Rey, you’re not saying we borrow money from other people, are you? That’s not borrowing. That’s stealing!” said Hero, feeling like he was scolding his friend. Rey shook his head and waved his hands, as if waving away bad air.

“No! No, that’s not what I’m saying. I’m saying that coins get lost under the floor and under furniture all of the time. We even have some in our home. Paper bills get lost too. All of these things are ones that get lost. We’re just collecting them and giving them to someone else. If they’re lost and the humans aren’t looking for them, then they aren’t being missed. It makes them fair game. What do you think?” Rey pointed out.

Rey did have a point. A lot of borrowed things were things that weren’t missed, and that spare change would fall under that category. Plus, humans moved in and out of all of these apartments, meaning the people currently living in the apartment might not have been the ones to lose the money in the first place.

Given these circumstances, Hero felt like he could get behind Rey’s plan.

“Okay, so we are just going around to different apartments, collecting coins, and then bringing them to Theo? How will we know if it’s enough?” Hero asked. He knew how to count, but the whole concept of money was beyond him. Borrowers worked in trade, not money.

“I have no idea. We can ask Ashlynn, if you feel up to it, or we can just surprise him with it and hopefully it’ll be enough,” said Rey. “I assume the numbers on all of them mean something, so we could try and add them together, but I think just giving it to Theo would be best.”

To Hero, it seemed like a decent enough plan. It kept them safe and hidden while accomplishing another goal of helping someone. With a couple of nods and a few minutes of thought, he decided to agree.

“Alright. Just… being safe is what matters,” said Hero. At this, Rey gave him a thoughtful grin.

“Well said, and definitely a top priority. Now, let’s go exploring. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover,” said Rey.

The next day, Rey and Hero met up at Ashlynn’s apartment before setting out into the walls for spare change.

Admittedly, it was a bit more of a task than the boys thought it would be. First and foremost, coins were deceptively heavy, especially when you started collecting them. One after the next, they gained weight quickly and the boys had to make multiple trips to the outlet by Theo’s bedroom in order to drop off the coins they collected.

Second, the coins didn’t all look the same. They kept seeing the same four, sure, but there were others in the mix too. Some had odd scribbles and writing on them. Some of the writing looked like squares, others looked like squiggles, and some looked close to the four they saw, but were different sizes with different numbers on them.

“You don’t think…” puffed Hero as he helped stack another set of coins with Rey’s help. “That there are this many different kinds of coins, do you? I mean, the world is a big place, but there are so many different types.”

“There… is… no… way… there are… this… many,” heaved Rey as he hoisted another silver coin on top of another that was about as big as his torso. “I mean, why would they have so many different types? They all use it, right? Some of this… might be play money – stuff they don’t actually use except to play with.”

“I have no idea. Maybe you could ask Ashlynn about it?” Hero suggested. Rey consented to ask Ashlynn about different types of coins and money once they made it back for dinner.

They took a few breaks, especially after they found a dozen or so odd-looking papers that looked like paper bills. They crawled under floors, between beams, and even dared to venture into attic crawl spaces and found a few coins wedged among decorations for different holidays. After another long-ish break, the two Borrower boys decided they had enough to present to Theo. Though they weren’t sure how much was actually in their hordes of stacked coins, they knew it would definitely help.

It was only now, however, that Hero started feeling a little uneasy. He took a few deep breaths and stared at the back of the electrical cover in front of him.

Used to, he would be filled with exhilaration. He used to be so excited to go out and see who he was going to be helping. Now, however, he just felt a massive pit in his gut. Most of his body felt like he was in some kind of cold sweat, and his nerves felt jittery and aching all at the same time.

“Hero?” The young Borrower startled as Rey came up and set a comforting hand on his shoulder. Hero stared into the reassuring pale blue eyes of his friend and realized only now how hard his heart was pounding against his chest and that his breathing had increased tenfold.

“Y-yeah?” stammered Hero.

“You okay?” asked Rey. “You know you don’t have to do this next bit. I can manage on my own from here. You’ve seriously done so much already.” Rey’s smile seemed just as luminous as the light at his hip. Hero felt his heart slowing as he was pulled out of his mental spiral. He looked back at the electrical cover, the light coming from all sides around it, making it seem like some kind of magic door.

He wanted to go. He wanted to go and meet Theo. He wanted to see the look on Theo’s face when he spotted the coins.

Still, the apprehension and experience from the last time he spontaneously met someone, that girl named Lily, was fresh in his mind. He knew he could trust Rey, but the last thing he wanted was a repeat experience.

Still…

A hero needed to be brave and face their fears in order to live up to their name.

Hero wanted that.

Swallowing dryly, he nodded.

“I want to go.”

Rey’s smile broadened, as if he were beaming with pride at some unspoken personal growth.

“Good. Then let’s go. No time like the present.”

With that, the Borrower boys pried off the electrical cover and hoisted themselves over the edge of the wall that divided the world of the Borrowers and the humans.

Hero glanced out and saw they had emerged from under some kind of furniture piece that was probably a dresser. He glanced down after taking a few steps out and saw that there was carpet under his feet that was squishy and made him feel a little off balance.

Hero would have stepped a little further out from under the dresser, but something immediately caught his eye that made him freeze.

There was a human on the ground.

For a moment, Hero thought about retreating back into the walls, but he steeled himself and stayed fixed to his position on the ground.

The human boy’s face was slightly off to the side and his eyes were closed. His breathing was ragged, and he was shivering violently. Hero watched as Rey glanced toward the slightly opened door before darting out into the open toward the human.

Hero stayed planted to the spot.

He wanted to go over and help, but only now did he realize he was shaking a bit too. Seeing a human’s head three or so feet away practically looking under the cabinet was a bit alarming to see, and it was the last thing he expected based on Rey’s description of Theo.

“Theo! Theo!” Rey was shouting. Hero snapped out of his stupor and looked toward his friend, and the sight made a cold shiver shoot up his spine. Rey was pushing on Theo’s forehead, touching and slapping his face ever so slightly to try and awaken the human.

Theo groaned and stirred, which sent another round of convulsing shivers through his body.

“Theo! What happened? You’re burning up,” said Rey. Rey’s usual calm demeanor seemed rattled seeing his friend on the ground and in obvious discomfort. Hero couldn’t stay put. He needed to do something.

Taking a breath and still shaking in his shoes, he dared to take a few steps forward out from under the dresser to observe the rest of the room. There was a mechanical whirring sound coming from the towering desk on the opposite end of the room. A chair with massive wheels that were about as wide as Hero was broad was nearby, but it looked slightly shifted. Based on what Hero was seeing, it looked like Theo might have fallen directly out of the chair and onto the ground when this sickness started.

Hero glanced at the door again, hearing nothing at the moment in the rest of the apartment, before approaching the immense human on the ground.

“Theo!” Rey’s panicked shouts finally rousted the boy as he lazily blinked.

“R-rey?” mumbled Theo. “What ar-.” His voice failed as sleep tried to pull him back into oblivion.

“No! Theo, don’t go back to sleep. What’s wrong? Are you sick? How long have you been like this?” demanded Rey.

“I… f-f-feel s-sick,” muttered Theo. “I… ju-ssst need sl-sleeeeep.”

Hero listened as Theo continued to try and form words while Rey persistently questioned his friend. Hero, out of curiosity and wanting to stay slightly out of Theo’s direct field of view, dared to venture around Theo to see if there was something they were missing – and they were.

Right as Hero made it to Theo’s legs, he saw that his pant leg by his shin was dark. Hero was terrified out of his wits, but hearing Rey’s distress and knowing Theo obviously needed help helped him scrounge up enough courage to walk all the way down toward the end of Theo’s long pant leg. Using his hip lamp, he shown a light up slightly into the dark fabric tunnel and knew immediately this was serious.

There were dark red streaks and massive discolored patches of skin all over Theo’s legs. Near the dark patch, it looked like there was some kind of cloth bandage taped on the back. There was a bit of a weird smell coming from the bandage, and Hero didn’t need to be a human doctor to know this was very bad.

He ran back toward Theo’s head where Rey was still getting him to talk.

“Rey! Ask Theo what happened to his leg,” called Hero as he ran across the difficult carpet.

“Theo, what happened to your leg?” asked Rey. Theo’s face scrunched in discomfort as he replied.

“M-my da-ad got angry. He b-broke a bunch of bottles and was throwing them around. Got cut… I think…. I sent Bells to a fr-rie-nds house to sleeeep o-over for a f-fe-few nights. And o-on my b-birthday toooo…” mumbled Theo. Rey and Hero exchanged frantic looks.

Rey obviously looked like he was at a complete loss. This was beyond either of the Borrower boys’ knowledge of how to fix. This was bad – really bad.

“I… I don’t understand,” muttered Rey. “I saw him just the other day. He wasn’t bad. He was fine.”

Hero felt the tenseness in the air. It was tangible and making his chest feel tight. This kind of helplessness was akin to what he felt when he was taken.

He hated it.

Sadly, it looked like Rey was spiraling just as hard as he was.

Hero wanted to hide away, but that wasn’t what a true hero would do. A hero would be able to make the situation better and save the day.

Then, an idea occurred to him.

Doctors.

Sam told him about doctors and how they were able to help at places called hospitals. It was a long time ago, but Sam had explained that there were people who would come to you and fix the problem in an emergency.

This felt like an emergency.

Hero wasn’t sure how to do it, but he had to try. Sam explained it once before where you take your phone and dial a few numbers to send the doctors to you. The Borrower boys needed to find a phone.

A calm set over Hero’s mind and, like so many times before, he was able to take a breath and the way forward seemed straightforward. He clasped Rey’s shoulder in his hands and turned his friend to face him.

“Rey! Help me find Theo’s phone,” instructed Hero, snapping Rey out of his frozen state.

“Phone? Um… right… it’s… there!” Rey said as he looked around the room and spotted the phone up on top of the desk. Together, both boys ran toward the desk and scaled it, hand over fist, and ran across the smooth surface toward the technological device.

Both of them had a fundamental understanding of how to use the device, but neither had done something like this before.

“Okay, so now what?” asked Rey.

“We need to dial 9-1-1 and then hit the talk button,” said Hero.

“Wait, we’re going to have to talk to someone?” asked Rey. Hero looked around frantically, seeing no other alternative, before Rey nodded, resolve setting Rey’s features, before he crouched over the phone and tapped it. The screen glowed with life as Rey pressed the buttons, which were bigger than his hand.

Lit from the screen, Hero thought Rey looked a little spooky as they both acknowledged what they were about to do.

“We don’t have to be seen when they come in,” reminded Hero. “We just have to get them here.”

“Do we even know where ‘here’ is?” asked Rey as his hand hovered over the green phone button.

“Starlight Paradise apartments, and I think this is the seventh floor,” said Hero. Rey darted back across the table and shouted down to Theo.

“Theo! What is this apartment? Where are we?” shouted Rey.

“Eight thirteen,” mumbled Theo, who convulsed again as his eyes lulled. Rey said the number over and over again as he sprinted back to the phone and crouched by the device. The two Borrower boys exchanged one final look as they knew what they were about to do.

Hero could only hope it was the right thing.

Rey pressed the button.

It took less than ten seconds for a man’s voice to come over the line.

“9-1-1, what’s the location of your emergency?” stated the operator. Rey, swallowing dryly, cleared his throat before speaking as loudly and as clearly as he dared.

“Hello, yes. We’re in the Starlight Paradise apartments, room eight thirteen. My friend is on the floor and he’s shivering. I think there’s something wrong with his leg. He’s in a wheelchair, but he’s hurt. Please, can you get here fast?” said Rey, biting his lip as he listened to the sounds of clicking and typing on the other end of the line.

“Has your friend ingested anything harmful recently?” asked the operator. “Do you need an ambulance?”

“Um… no. No! He hasn’t ingested anything,” stated Rey. Hero felt his heart pounding out of his chest as he glanced over to the door, hoping no one else was in the apartment. “Look! He said his dad cut him with a broken bottle. He’s a jerk. Please! Just get here fast. He’s really sick!”

“Alright, just stay on the line and remain calm. An ambulance is on the way. What else can you tell me about his physical condition. Is he responsive at all? Or is he unconscious?” asked the operator.

“He’s… kind of responding? He keeps trying to sleep. I’m having a hard time keeping him awake, but he’s able to talk and stuff. When… when will they get here?” asked Rey, looking wide-eyed at Hero. Neither of them could believe what was going on.

They were talking to a human on the other end, and they couldn’t tell that they were. The operator didn’t know the two boys were Borrowers.

“The ambulance is almost there. Could you please open the door and be ready to show us where your friend is?” asked the operator. Both Borrower boys exchanged wary glances.

“Um… I… I… I don’t know,” sputtered Rey. “Look, he’s in the back bedroom. I can’t get the door unlocked. I don’t know where his dad is. Just… please! Help him!”

“Understood. The paramedics are almost there,” said the operator. “Please stay on the line.”

Both Rey and Hero exchanged wary glances, knowing they would need to hide away as fast as possible. Rey hated the feeling, but Hero’s reassuring nod told him it was the right thing to do. It was only five, maybe six, minutes later when there was a terrifying, crashing sound from the other room. Hero and Rey nearly jumped out of their skins when they heard the sound of a loud knock followed by shouts from the other side of a door.

The two knew they needed to run and hide, despite every instinct to make sure that Theo was alright.

Hero and Rey darted across the desk and managed to slip down to the ground to hide under a cabinet near the desk when another even louder crash happened. The sound of splintering wood followed by rapid footsteps flooded the apartment.

Helpless and hearts pounding, the two Borrower boys crouched low and watched as six or so humans rushed into the room and began working on Theo, lifting him up onto a board with wheels and rushing him out of the room.

“Well, here’s the phone, but who made the call? Anyone else here?” called one of the paramedics as he scanned all around the room. Hero and Rey barely had time to hide behind the legs of a nearby table when the paramedic checked under the bed for anyone who might be hiding.

They thankfully left the phone behind as they finished up and rushed Theo out of the apartment.

“We have to get that phone,” hissed Rey. “If something happens, we need to be able to answer the calls and stuff.”

“Are you crazy!?” demanded Hero. “We need to get back. We’ve pushed our luck as it is. No doubt someone else will be in here to sweep the room again.”

“We’ll be quick,” insisted Rey. “I’ll push it off of the table and we’ll scoot it under the dresser into the walls. I’ll come back and get it later. Please, Hero. The family watching his sister will probably try and call him.”

Hero didn’t like it, but he couldn’t deny Rey’s pleas. He needed to help, not hinder; and the sooner they did this, the sooner they could get back and let Ashlynn know what happened.

Never before had two Borrowers moved so fast as the boys ascended the desk once again, pushed the phone off of the desk, and maneuvered it into the walls. They left the coins behind for the time being as they shoved and lifted the phone through the walls all the way down to Ashlynn’s apartment.

It took a long time, and there were dozens of questions that followed from Ashlynn, Soren, and Dorian as to why Rey had brought the phone with him. Hero helped fill in a few of the details, daring to come out and see Ashlynn, which was the first time he had done so in a long time.

After a bit of hot chocolate, the friends decided that they had all done the right thing. Ashlynn decided that she would help man the phone and made a few calls to make sure she knew where Theo was taken, claiming she was a cousin who was concerned.

Hero didn’t like the minor deception, but seeing that Ashlynn was able to get a few updates about Theo was a good sign.

It was also a good sign to Hero that, after everything, he was still ready to help humans. He had gone out and helped Rey and Theo both today. He faced his fears and charged into the unknown, relying on his instincts and everything he learned from his human friends to save someone.

All in all, he felt good – heroic even.

And it wouldn’t be the last time….

~~~~~^*^*^*^*^~~~~~

Continue

Beginning

Prompt

ASK ME ANYTHING

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thevagabondexpress · 6 months

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This is one of the odder asks I've sent, and I'm aware of that. But I have long believed (for about 8 years) that a modern-day version of Matthew, who had the awareness of nonbinary communities and words to describe being gender non-conforming, would likely identify as some form of enby. He already is heavily gender non-conforming in the TLH canon, and I think he'd be even more so in the modern day. Idk why I'm sharing this LOL but I feel like I had to.

Odd ask to an odd person = an odd response. This is interesting because you, knowingly or unknowingly, brought this to the doorstep of the person who has an entire list of TLH gender headcanons just sitting around in cir notes because I have done so much thinking about it. The one place where I do see myself in him is we both love funky fashion choices that don't stick strictly to one presentation of gender or the other: I have fully shown up to places in an (approximated) three piece suit with a plaid shirt and dangly earrings before; I would love to spend a few hours with Matthew digging through the take-something-leave-something closet at my local queer safe space. And what I love about Matthew is that he's gender-nonconforming in a way that invites multiple interpretations. He could be a cis dude who likes eyeshadow and nail polish. I'd welcome trans Matthew headcanons; that's someone I can see fighting tooth and nail with a fascist and winning. And I love the thought of modern!Matthew indentifying as nonbinary or perhaps genderfluid or not necessarily taking a concrete label but just throwing the gender binary through the window like a chair at a cage match. In our modern day and age gender is this kaleidoscopic thing, ever evolving into bolder and bolder patterns and I agree that he would definitely spend time exploring that.

#matthew fairchild #the last hours #gender headcanons

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musicfren · 2 months

Text

Protests March 2nd (this Saturday). Mostly USA, some global

Albuquerque, New Mexico

11:00 a.m.

Tiguex Park