My Favorite Genre Of Scene With The Straw Hats Is When They're All Frightened They're Going To Get Killed

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Pocketful of Stars

I carry a container full of stars in my pocket.

I hand them out to cashiers as the card processes. Like a little crow handing out shinies. Never know who needs a star to make their day.

Once while in the mall, I passed a perfume counter with a girl with sad eyes. I paused. No transaction. No reason to stop to interact, but those dark sad eyes.

I walk back and hold out the container, tiny knickknacks tinkling in the motion.

“Hello, would you like a star?”. It’s awkward. But very little grace is needed to offer something pretty and shiny.

“Why?” Her response is unexpected. Intense. Shocked. Staring with import at the container.

“Just a cute thing I do. Never know who needs a star.”

I feel sheepish. Usually it’s a quick interaction, a star offered as a receipt is passed. Too quick to process the idiosyncrasy of the moment. Too sudden to not be excited for a cheap little star made out of stone.

“My best friend just died.”

Her face is lowered, sad eyes looking at the stars in the myriad of hues.

“She had an entire sleeve of stars. Tattooed all up her arm…”. She traced an invisible path on her skin with delicate fingers.

She looked at those stars and the strange giver with significance. She chose her star of onyx and asked for a hug, happily given.

Coincidence. Miracle. Serendipity. Mundane magic. Whatever it was.

You never know who needs a star.

annabeth “no fear in the face of the war god, in fact i’m going to verbally eviscerate him” chase, percy “fuck around and find out, i dare you ares” jackson, and grover “thanks for the emotional abuse, bye!” underwood

those kids had him fucked UP, they ate i fear

best brownies in the known universe (at least, according to my grandma)

some year and a half ago when i was getting ready to move out i combed through all the family recipes that lay lost to time and one of the ones that i found was my grandmas brownie recipe. idk where she got it from (nor can i ask cause she has dementia) and its a printed out email she sent to my mom in june 2000. but by george these the best brownies i have ever tasted. would she be pleased that i am sharing this recipe with my vast following? absolutely.

YOU WILL NEED:

5 tablespoons butter (unsalted) 1 ounce unsweetened baking chocolate (or as much as your heart desires) 2/3 cup unsweetened good cocoa powder 1 cup sugar (white) (superfine preferred, normal works fine) 1 cup sifted white flour (can use gluten free) 1/2 teaspoon baking powder as much cinnamon as your heart desires (your heart needs to desire at least some cinnamon. its essential to the recipe) 3 egg whites 1 egg splash of vanilla extract (again, non negotiable step!)

preheat your oven to 325 degrees. grease a square baking pan (9x9 preferably).

in a small saucepan over medium heat melt the butter and baking chocolate. while that is melting, sift together the flour, baking powder and cinnamon into a small bowl. once the butter and chocolate is done melting add the cocoa powder and cook it together for 1 minute. add in the sugar and stir. it will get very thick. this is correct.

set that aside to cool. while thats cooling take a large bowl and put in your egg whites, egg and vanilla. beat it up with preferably a whisk but you can use a fork if youre fresh out of whisks. once the chocolate is cool enough to not scramble your eggs dump it in the eggs and mix it together. add the flour in gradually and keep mixing until its smooth and happy.

spread into your greased baking pan. put it in the oven for EXACLTLY 18 MINUTES. very crucial step. they will come out slightly under done. that is what we want. as they cool they will continue to cook in the pan. we dont want them to get hard and sad. they are not good when they are hard and sad. do not overbake them. you will be sad.

slice them up and as the official last step on the original recipe says: EAT ENJOY AND MAKE MORE! (theyre very good with mint chocolate chip ice cream)

“A healthy relationship is where two independent people just make a deal that they will help the other person be the best version of themselves.”

— Unknown

Hi! I was on Instagram recently and stumbled upon Nisreen Shehada's account. Before October 7, Nisreen posted very aesthetic, well crafted baking TikToks/videos (which looked delicious!) Since October 7, she has been sharing her daily life in Gaza.

This is the first reel of hers I saw. It's so important that she is not only documenting her daily life right now (for public record, for memory, for history) but that she is doing it in a format that is so familiar to anyone online right now.

I think that even well intentioned people can sometimes unintentionally dehumanize groups fighting for justice amidst tragedy. It is vital that we view Palestinians not just as victims or impoverished or assume life has always been this non-stop nightmare. Literally, Nisreen is like so many people I know. Like so many people you know! Just a regular lady who loves baking! Just your friendly neighborhood dentist! Aperson who loves their families. A devoted cat mom. A very stylish dresser.

I love that her page shows how people are living day-to-day now. And I love that it shows her finding moments of joy even in the darkest of times. ❤️

Please give her account a follow.

Edit to add: I've made a separate account for archiving videos and posts from regular people in Palestine documenting daily life. You can follow it @watermelllonarchive

When C.S. Lewis wrote “but some day you will be old enough to start reading fairy tales again.”

Meep

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