#// Like an adult when tax season comes around.

[candyredappledragon]

Two days have gone by and it was bittersweet to see the others go. It was fun talking to others and making memories with them. Kieran really had so much fun hanging out with his friends. Even thinking about it made him feel happy but now he has another problem…

Sitting at his desk, Kieran sighs in dismay while holding his pencil, tapping it against the desk in a rhythmic motion, looking at what's in front of him. The only thing that sucks right now is being behind with schoolwork and lord Arceus he's bored out of his mind! He hasn't really touched his phone that much during the past two days unless he was texting his friends or Florian.

His eyes were already getting tired looking at the white sheet of papers.

This is so boring.....

[joonipertree]

Someone planted in my head that todoroki playing with eri would heal his inner child because he grew up not allowed to play with his siblings or have any friends so!

Imagine one day you lug in a huge lego set or a puzzle and you ask him to help you with it. Shoto, who generally is a quieter and calmer soul, finds peace and comfort in it. The both of you spend hours on it, even if he's tired after work. He starts buying more and more sets, and lets be honest....dabi or one of the older todoroki siblings probably guilted endeavour into spending money on these sets for his adult son.

Then, you bring in beyblades and the two of you start having mini battles that have narrations and everything. I'd like to think that Shoto already has some experience with this because of Class A and used to do this a lot with kaminari and the rest! Sometimes, when Class A would have a get together (no matter how infrequent they may be), they still take out the board games and get super fucking competitive.

I'd like to think that no matter what, Class A spent years in school with weekly game nights!!

Then! One day, you drag shoto with you to watch the Barbie movie which he LOVED, he wore pink and everything, and got really curious when you talked about playing with dolls as a kid. He played with dolls as a kid but generally on his own.

Next thing he knows, you bought some toys and the two of you were sat on the living room floor playing with dolls. Shoto, in all honestly, felt silly doing so but didn't wanna discourage you so he played along. At first, he played it with a very no nonsense tone, made the bear have a job and responsibilities.

"Ah, tax season is coming around...it'll be tough this year."

"Shoto....I don't think the bear needs to worry about taxes."

"She's a businesswoman, it's her civic duty to pay taxes."

"Well she didn't so now she's under arrest :)"

"Ah fuck."

Pretty soon this just fizzled out into a plushie collection that included his own eventual plushies, his friend's plushies, bunnies and bears and cats. He even had those giant ones that are almost life sized. Yes, some of them he bought them for you and you bought for him but they turned into a shared custody situation.

One day, Touya visits with the two of you sitting on the living room floor, shoto's hair braided and cute star stickers on his face. You were focusing heavily on painting his nails half white and half red. Shoto just made eye contact with his older brother and grinned, asking if he wanted his nails painted.

"Do ya'll have black?" Touya asked.

"We have sparkly navy blue?"

"Fucking fine."

And that's how he ended up on the floor too, with his legs crossed and a cat plushie between them, having his nails painted while his baby brother tied his hair into pigtails. The man complained really loudly about it but had no intention of moving.

[topsytervy]

Santa Looks Familiar

So, I thought of this while on my drive home yesterday from work. I decided it was finally time to listen to Christmas music willingly and so I put on my playlist, appropriately named tis the season bitches, and I forgot I had Santa Looked A Lot Like Daddy (Travis Tritt version courtesy of my mother) on it and this came to be.

I just couldn't think of who I wanted it to be so I made it as vague as possible so you can imagine whoever you wanted it to be. Sports player, video game character, movie character, whoever. I'm just going to add some tags so this can make it's rounds.

Happy Holidays folks.

synopsis: your daughter notices that Santa looks kind of familiar. Almost kind of like daddy?

warnings: none except probably grammar/spelling, and one mention of beer

word count: 1,075

~~~

“Asher, wake up, wake up.” The young boy groaned, flipping onto his side as he pulled the blanket up higher. “Asher, come on. Santa’s here.” 

Asher’s eyes shot open as he sat up, “really?” He asked his older sister and she nodded, putting a finger to her lips. 

“We gotta be really quiet though.” She whispered before motioning for her little brother to follow her.  

The two of them creeped out of the bedroom and into the hallway, keeping low as the peeked through the banister, looking down into the living room as the man in the red suit put the last of the gifts under the tree, standing up afterwards. 

“That’s the last of them,” the siblings heard him say and Lily furrowed her eyebrows. 

The voice sounded familiar to her, but she shook her head. 

How many times had she thought she heard their mother’s voice, but it turned out to be a complete stranger? 

“Look, Lily. He’s going for the cookies.” Asher nudged her and she watched as he reached over, snagging a couple of the cookies, taking a bite of one. 

“And what do you think you’re doing?” 

The two trained their eyes on their mother who was walking over to Santa before stopping in front of him, hands on her hip. 

“Santa tax,” he shrugged before holding a cookie out to her, “you really outdid yourself on these. They’re amazing. Here, open up.”  

Their mother rolled her eyes before opening her mouth, the kids' eyes widening as Santa popped the cookie into her mouth before his arms snaked around her waist pulling her close. 

“Uh oh. He better be careful or daddy’s going to beat him up,” Asher whispered to Lily and Lily squinted at the two. 

She watched the two adults for another minute before grabbing her little brother's arm. 

“Come on. Let's go before they catch us.” She whispered, softly tugging him back to his bedroom.  

She tucked Asher back into bed, saying good night before shutting the door until it was only open a crack. 

She glanced between her room and the stairs before heading towards the stairs, going down them as quietly as she could. 

She didn’t see her mother, but she did see Santa, his back turned to her as he drank the milk. 

The little girl cleared her throat and the man in the red suit froze, swallowing the milk in his mouth before turning towards her. 

“Well, if it isn’t miss Lily. What are you doing up and out of bed?” he questioned before leaning down, dropping his voice to a whisper, “you know, I take away presents from kids who aren’t in bed when I come right?” 

Lily stared into his eyes, the eyes that seemed oh so familiar with the same twinkle and color. 

“Daddy, is that you?”  

Santa raised an eyebrow, “now why would you think I’m your father?” 

“Well, you sound like him, and your eyes are the same,” she started. 

“A lot of people share the same eyes and voice as your dad.” He shrugged and she cocked her head. 

“And you’re not fat.” Lily was blunt with her words. 

“That’s not a very nice thing to say, Lily May.”  

“And you know my middle name. No one knows my middle name except mom and dad.” She stated matter-of-factly and he narrowed his eyes. 

“I’m Santa. I know everyone’s middle name. I know your middle name and Asher’s. I even know your parents' middle names.” 

“If you’re not dad, then why did you hug mom?” 

Santa waited a second before responding, “because all your dad wanted for Christmas was for your mom to make sure she was very loved and in order for that to happen, I had to hug her very tight so she could feel the love from you guys.”  

Lily blinked at him, “really?” 

Santa nodded, “yep. There’s no way to wrap love up and just hand it to someone. You have to give it to them through hugs.” 

“Oh,” Lily said, her eyes casting downwards before she turned them back towards Santa, “I’m sorry for getting out of bed and eavesdropping but between us,” she leaned in close, “my dad would’ve hurt you if he saw you hugging mom like that. He’s very protective of his family so I was just looking out for you.” She whispered. 

“Ah I see,” he smiled before reaching behind him and grabbing a cookie from the plate, handing it to her, “well, since you were looking out for me, I think I can overlook yoy being out of bed this one time.” He told her with a wink, and she grinned, nodding her head as she took the cookie from him and turned back towards the stairs. 

“Merry Christmas Santa.” She told him before heading back to her bedroom.  

“Merry Christmas Lily.” 

** 

Your eyes moved from your book to your husband as he came into the bedroom, removing the fake beard and hat.  

“Did you enjoy your milk, Santa?” You teased and he shrugged. 

“It was aright but between the two of us, I’m more of a beer guy.” He grinned before beginning to get changed from the costume to his pajamas and you bookmarked your page, setting the book on your bight stand. 

“What took you so long anyway honey?” 

He took a breath and looked over at you. “A very close call with Lil.” 

Your eyes widened. “Oh god.” 

“It's okay. I’m a fast thinker.  Explained any suspicions of Santa being daddy away. Many people have the same eye color and voice. Of course I know her middle name, I know everyone’s middle name.” he chuckled as he came over to his side and climbed into bed, “and that Santa was hugging mom because all dad wanted was for mom to know she was loved,” he pulled you into his chest and pressed a kiss to your head as you blushed, throwing an arm over his waist. 

“I love you,” you told him, pecking his lips. 

“I love you too.” 

“You know she’ll figure it out eventually, right? Two years from now she could look back on this moment and put two and two together. That Santa and daddy looked an awful lot alike.” You told him. 

He shushed you as he closed his eyes. “Let's push that thought far away from us and just enjoy the fact that our kids still believe in Santa.”  

~~~~

[swampstew]

Captain_CumShot - Chapter 2

Welcome to Raven's Reading Nook - a small corner of this blog dedicated to cozy story times. Take a seat on the chaise lounge, plug your electronic device in so you can enjoy this multi-chapter, full blown smut story. The Captain is the snack and sadly, I have nothing to offer to soothe the yearning. As always, links to Wattpad and AO3 at the bottom. Enjoy, from your favorite loyal, cabin hoe♥

Summary: You treated yourself to a tier upgrade😘

Minors DNI you will be blocked - for adult audiences only.

Admin: Thanks for upgrading your subscription to Tier III! The Captain will want to thank you personally ~ drop your next available hour slot and we’ll set it up.

You: 10 PM

Admin: Talk to you soon ~

10:00 PM

Captain: Hey doll. I’ve seen your likes and comments around here for a while and I’m chuffed that you finally upgraded. What changed?

You: Truthfully, I challenged myself to save up so I can really treat myself when I felt I needed it. Especially after the last year and four months at work.

Captain:…

Captain: You waited ONE YEAR and FOUR MONTHS before you felt like you needed a break?

Captain: I’m flattered you’ve chosen me as your reward but gat damn girl. You need to treat yourself more often.

Captain: What the hell do you do for a job??

You: I’m an accountant at a small but valued firm, so we’re kind of just always busy! Especially at tax time which is ALMOST over. So I spoiled myself a few days early.

Captain: Congratulations ~ Do you work in a stuffy office with a buncha dorks?

You: Well I wouldn’t say dorks and it’s not a closet! I work in an office building with maybe less than 50 other people. I have a corner office so yay for small wins!

Captain: Aye that’s the least they can do fer’ya!

Captain: Do they make you dress business professional like you’re gonna meet the president every day or is it a normal place that lets you dress like a human being?

You: Haha, nothing so refined. Business casual for the most part, Fridays we can wear jeans, and sometimes during the seasons they’ll do a morale boosting themed clothes week thing.

Captain: 🤔

Captain: Does anyone enjoy that?

You: Some do, some don’t. The bosses buy a big lunch spread though so it’s not all bad.

Captain: Tell me, are the morale boosting bits mandatory?

You: You’re not required to dress up. They don’t technically say you have to be at the luncheon but they do have someone sweep the desks to make sure no one is still working. I think they legitimately think they’re providing a “break” for us but like, a paid lunch hour would be a thousand times better.

Captain: Bet.

Captain: You ever skipped it all together? Just said fuck it and hid on the roof to scroll on your phone and eat lunch?

You: Sometimes my car! We have a secure parking garage and its air conditioned so it’s quiet and not boiling hot.

Captain: Hooray for small victories.

Captain: Have you ever gotten uncomfortably turned on enough that you’ve escaped to your car to get relief?

You: 😳

You: Maybe once or twice. I’m always afraid of getting caught.

Captain: I’d make sure we wouldn’t.

Captain: See I personally fucking hate it when instead of just paying people more, employers make their people do a whole dog and pony show. Leave people alone!

Captain: This is literally a crime.

Captain: If you’d let me, I’d come and save you from those stupid lunches.

You: 🤔

You: I wouldn’t hate that!

You: Not sure you could pull it off though, you would garner a lot of attention just from standing, you’re just that attractive 👉👈🥺

Captain: Relax, I’m nothing if not professional. Want to hear my grand scheme that I cooked up, just now?

You: Oh go right ahead!

Captain: I’d start by doing research into your company and get the lunch reservation details of these luncheons. I would then pose as an employee dropping off the food order/doing set up and while everyone is gathering, I would linger a little, totally incognito, and slip out to find your office if you haven’t already entered the room.

Captain: Should I continue? I’m really proud of this scheme actually.                           

You: Please, I wonder how you plan to get away scot-free and not get me fired!

Captain: You’d not only get fired – you’d get off, repeatedly and it would be a seasonal thing cause I’d never get caught. I think it would be a professional bonus because then you’ll be so satisfied at work, you might even get a promotion or pay raise or some shit😏

You: This I gotta hear

Captain: Where was I?

Captain: Just kidding

Captain: I would then smuggle you to the parking garage under the guise that you’re my ‘job equipment’ or whatever, and then, I’d take you to your car. Ideally, I can convince you to get in the van I rented as part of my infiltration disguise so I can actually sit and stand without breaking my neck. The windows are blacked out, I keep anchors and blocks on the wheels to keep it stable, and then I rock your fucking world.

Captain: Still with me?

You: I am

Captain: You’re probably thinking, ‘but if you’re as beastly as I think you are, won’t I be screaming my brains out?’

You: I was!

Captain: As a professional content creator – amongst other trades – I know a thing or two about sound proofing. There’s always a gag if you’re into that.

You: I could be persuaded…

Captain: I have a lot of things I’d like to persuade you to do in there.

Captain: Do you normally participate in the themed clothes or do you keep it professional?

You: I don’t usually, not really my thing.

Captain: I see.

Captain: Back to my scheme ~

Captain: After I’ve successfully fooled everyone and have you in my clutches, I’d take you to my van where you can have a lunch break actually worth attending.

Captain: I would first take off my disguise and reveal that it was me all along! After you get over your initial surprise, I’d ask you what you’re hungry for.

You: Oh I get options?

Captain: Hell yeah doll. Your choices can range anywhere from a quick snack to a mega meal.

You: Do the options change too?

Captain: I don’t believe in constraints. Unless they’re kink-related.

Captain: I think since you’re the kind of doll that doesn’t splurge too much on ‘erself, I’d start you off with a ‘left no crumbs.’

Captain: What that entails is me, sitting you all pretty like on a seat cushion, starting ngwith something soft and sweet. Kisses up the arm, on the neck, slow, building up anticipation. I’d tease you over your clothes, petting your kitten until I feel your wetness through the fabric.

Captain: Pepper your body with kisses and bites to keep you on edge. When I have you down to just your undergarments, I’d sit you in my lap. Spread your thighs open. Start rubbing your pussy until you’re leaking all over my hand. I’ll let you have a quick orgasm, a small and sweet one. But don’t think we’re done.

Captain: I might take my pants off to feel you a bit better. Push you down on my hard-on as I wrap an arm around your waist to keep you still. I’ll use my free hand to play with your pussy again. Rubbing you, flicking you, lightly smacking you, rubbing your clit, finger fucking you. Rub my big dick against your trembling body to make you even more sensitive.

Captain: Since you only have an hour, I’ll make sure you look presentable before you go back to the office. Where you can spend the rest of the day sitting in the mess I’m going to leave. How does that make you feel?

You: I’m…speechless, in a good way…Shit that’s really hot. It makes me feel devious, a bit dirty, like I really want to do it.

Captain: Damn and I haven’t even finished telling you what’s included in your lunch?

You: 🤐

You: Please forgive me

Captain: I could never stay mad at you doll.

Captain: As I was saying ~

Captain: I can’t let you leave your break without feeling fully satisfied.

Captain: Before you go, I’d spend some time with you against the van wall. If you’re into it, I can use rope to help keep you standing. I encourage it, you’re gonna need it.

You: I’m into it, I’m into it 🤤

Captain: Heh. Freak.

Captain: I’d keep you still and propped up, putting your blouse on, keeping my lipstick stains and bites hidden underneath. I’d pull your panties and bottoms over your ankles, slide your soaked underwear up your thighs…

Captain: And give you dessert.

You: What am I having??!

Captain: Me.

Captain: I’d pull your panties up your thighs but not put them on entirely. Leaving them maybe a few inches from your twitching pussy. Then I’d finally let you see my cock.

Captain: Do you want to touch it?

You: Yesss🥺please let me touch.

Captain: Don’t worry you’ll be feeling it.

Captain: I’ll prod my cock against your clit, slide it up and down your puffy lips, maybe push in a little bit.

Captain: After I get it nice and wet with you, I’d stand in front of you and fuck your body. I won’t go in in, I’ll slide in between your desperate lips, make you clench over my cock with your needy pussy, I’ll hit your delicious ass cheeks, pull back out and rub against your clit until you’re crying.

You: Oh my fucking god.

Captain: I’m not done.

Captain: While I do this, I’ll rub my thumb down on your clit, and I won’t stop until you’ve cum over my cock, frustrated yet relieved.

Captain: But don’t be disappointed just yet because the next part is my favorite part.

Captain: As you’re coming down from your orgasm, I’ll finish myself off. Jerking myself in front of you and finishing right on your cunt.

You: 🥵

Captain: Yeah.

Captain: I’d milk my length to cover you, watching it drip from your vulva and trembling lips down to your underwear and thighs. Whatever falls further down I’d wipe with my thumb and make you lick it off.

Captain: Then I’ll pull your panties up nice and high, make sure they sit on your hips just right, don’t want any of me to spill out. For good measure, I might even rub your underwear against you some just to smear it in you some more.

Captain: I love cum play.

Captain: I’ll pull up your bottoms, wipe your tears, and send you away with a kiss on the cheek and a slap on the ass.

Captain: How does that sound doll?

You: I would fucking die!!! I want this so bad fuck why would you DO THAT TO ME?!?🥵🤤 FUCK! You’re so hot, all I want is to touch you and be touched by you😩

Captain: Are you touching yourself?

You: If I said yes?🥺

Captain: I’d say me too. Check out the photo gallery later, you’ll see the load I blew for ya😘

Captain: Glad to add you to my harem of Cabin Hoes. I’m not supposed to have favorites, but I think I’m gonna grow fond of you.

Captain: G’night doll. Thanks for subscribing😘

<end chat>

Leave a vote/kudos/like to tip OR hit bookmark/add to reading list/reblog to subscribe.

[ruggiethethuggie]

Sterling Cooper || Stardew Valley

wc: 2550 tags: fem!reader, she/her pronouns, Sterling Cooper, fluff, first meetings, alcohol consumed (by adults obv), reader is mid 20s, a bit flirty if you ask me hehe, never proofread ~we type and upload

Walking to the local general store was the last thing you wanted to add to your to-do list for the day. If only you had gotten up earlier, then maybe you would’ve noticed sooner that you were out of seeds to be planted for this season. No seeds means no crops, and no crops means you would be struggling to maintain the little level of sanity you had after taking on your grandfather’s long abandoned farm. The autumn season was beautiful here in your new home of Pelican Town. It was much different than the typical rustle and bustle of the city life you had before. But working in the corporate world had become too much stress. Not that this new flourishing farm was any less stressful, but the townspeople were always willing to help and you knew your grandfather would be proud that you were doing this for yourself.

Luckily, the farm wasn’t too far from the heart of the town where all the little stores and businesses were. It was just on the outskirts, maybe a mile or two outside the town limit, but you didn’t mind the walk. Walking was much more pleasant than sitting at a desk all day. Every day you fidgeted in your seat, anxiously awaiting for some way to leave and get out of the hell hole that was the corporate life. If not for that letter you remembered your grandfather had sent you, then you would probably still be stuck, the metaphorical chain still attached to your leg from the desk you were assigned to. It was a huge leap for yourself. Taking on an abandoned farm? Since when did you know anything about farming or crops or profit margins? The truth is that you had zero idea what you were doing, zero idea if this would even work out in the long run, but you wanted to have faith in yourself. You needed this change badly.

You checked your watch, almost 2pm. The store was still open until 5pm, so you had more than enough time to get there. Thankfully, you weren’t noticing your lack of seeds on a Wednesday or else you’d be out of luck until the next day.

The door’s chime bells dinged and donged as you opened the front door of the store and walked inside. Ever since moving to Pelican Town, you had told yourself that if you were going to buy seeds, you weren’t feeding the wallet of that scoundrel, Morris, at stupid Joja Mart down the road. You’d much rather contribute to the small community businesses. The mom and pop shops were always your favorite in the city; here, it was the same. You were no stranger to the aisles of Pierre’s; however, this was the start of a new season. The layout changed a bit each time, making room for the new seeds and items for sale. As you looked towards the counter, you could see Pierre speaking with Mayor Lewis. The conversation looked … intense? More than likely something about taxes and what not, so you didn’t want to really interrupt just to ask where the new season’s seeds would be.

You went down the first aisle, browsing through the shelves. There were so many new fall things that caught your eye, you almost forgot your real reason for coming to the store. As you turned down the next aisle, where hopefully those pesky new seeds were at, you bumped into another who was moving to the aisle you were on. You stumbled back a step or two but were able to catch your balance quickly.

“Oh, gosh! I’m so sorry, miss! I wasn’t looking where I was going. I hope you’re okay.” A hand reached out to assist you from the person you ran into. Clearly neither of you were paying any attention coming around the corner.

You brushed off his extended hand. “No, no. It’s fine! I wasn’t paying attention either, I’m sorry, too. I’m fine though, thank you,” you said with a smile. The man in front of you looked relieved that he didn’t hurt you in the head on collision you two had had. He was wearing a white button up, where the sleeves were so casually rolled up his forearms, with a black apron and a nametag on it. “Oh! Do you work here… Sterling?” you asked as you tried to read the scribbled name on the tag. He patted over his nametag and laughed. “Yeah, I do. Sorry, I know this chicken scratch ain’t the easiest to read. My name is Sterling, Sterling Cooper. And you are?” he asked, his smile was as radiant as the sun outside. “Oh, me? My name is Y/N. I just moved here awhile ago, took on that old farm down the road. It used to be my grandfather’s and he passed it on to me.”

“Ah, so you’re new here, huh?” he chuckled. “I used to live here as a kid and then moved to the city. I just moved back not too long ago either. Ole Pierre was nice enough to let me have my old job back from my teenage years.” As he said teenage years, you stared at him and laughed. He honestly didn’t look that old, but he talked as if he was pushing his 30s. “Teenage years? You mean like 2 years ago?” you jokingly said. He shook his head and snickered at your words. “I know this face looks fresh and new, but I promise I am 27. Those teenage years feel like a lifetime ago.” Twenty-seven? He didn’t really look it, but you were going to take his word. You laughed at his response as you stood there. His sapphire-like blue eyes sparkled the more he smiled. It was hard not to admire him, but you were here for seeds- not some maroon haired, blue eyed store clerk that you just met.

“Is there anything I can help you with?” he asked to break the silence between you two. You noticed he had a cart next to him that was full of new seasonal items. He must be stocking the shelves, I bet he knows where the stuff is at, you thought to yourself.

“Actually, that would be amazing?! I’m looking for some of the new fall seeds so I can get ahead on planting them on the farm. Just some things like artichoke, amaranth, bok choy- oh and pumpkins, of course! It wouldn’t be fall without those,” you chuckled as you read off your small list you had made for yourself.

“Well, let me see here,” Sterling said as he turned around and dug through the cart behind him. He was almost tossing stuff to the side in his search before finally finding a few seed pouches and turning around. “I’ve got the amaranth and bok choy seeds right here, but you’ll have to go down that way to get the artichoke and pumpkin seeds you need.” He offered you 4 small pouches of seeds, which you gladly took from him. “Thank you so much, Sterling! You’re so handsome!” The words just seemed to roll off your tongue without you even realizing it. You stood there like a deer caught in the headlights, embarrassed that you just said that out loud. Sterling, shocked as well, stood there silent with his mouth open- almost as if he was going to respond but couldn’t find the words to say.

Without saying anything more, you hurriedly walked past him and put your head down as you made your way to where he said the other seed packs would be. You could feel your face get hot with anxiety. You told yourself that next time you needed help, you were just going to interrupt Pierre or wait however long it took to get assistance from him. There was no way you would even think about asking Sterling for help again. You picked up the other packs of seed and damn near ran to the front counter. All you wanted to do right now was pay for your things and leave without talking to anyone else, especially not any other store clerks here. 

“This it for you today, y/n?” Pierre said as he took the packs and started ringing them up. “Yeah, for a while at least. Hopefully I can get these planted today and have a good start for the season, y’know?” You spoke the words, but your mind was elsewhere, and Pierre could tell. “You okay? I can get you water if you need, you look like you should sit down or something.” You shook your head at his words, you didn’t need anything more from the store- you needed to go home and plant these seeds and, maybe later, hop into Gus’ bar and relax with a drink or two after today’s efforts. “Well alright then,” Pierre said with a sigh. He gave you your total, and you passed money over the counter. It took everything in you to not snatch the bag from him as you rushed to leave. But before you left, you decided to torture yourself even more and sneak a glance at Sterling, who was still stocking the shelves in the aisles. He was very handsome, there was no denying it, but why, oh why, did you have to say it out loud?

You were standing at your kitchen sink, still cursing yourself internally about being weird at the general store, while you washed the dirt off your hands. The seeds were finally planted- at least one stressor for your day was gone, and with the homemade fertilizer you had whipped up, you hoped that this coming harvest would be bountiful enough in profit to hold you over til the cold winter months were through. After the day you had had, you just wanted to relax, so you changed out of your dirty, farming attire and slipped into some comfy,everyday wear. A nice drink and slice of pizza from Gus’ would make anyone’s day better.

By the time you arrived back in town, it was roughly about 9pm- a young night for those out and about at the saloon. You walked inside and approached the bar. “Oh, goodness! Y/N! Been a bit since you’ve come in, what can I get ya tonight?” Gus cheerily said as you sat down. “Can I get just a rum and coke and then let’s do a slice of that Gus’ famous pizza,” you hummed as you tapped your fingers on the counter. “Comin’ right up!” Gus turned around and started prepping the oven and grabbing an empty bottle to make your drink. The atmosphere was already making you relax; Gus had felt like a long distant uncle since you met him. He was always someone you could rely on that would listen to your woes and try to brighten your day in any way he could, which was usually with that pizza you loved so much.

As Gus put the drink in front of you, out of the corner of your eye you could see another person leaning on the bar as they sat down. “Hey, Gus! Can you get me an ale? Actually- make it two!” the voice sang. It didn’t take long to figure out who the person was that took the seat beside you. “Ah, absolutely, Sterling! Let me check this pizza and I’ll get ‘em served.” Sterling nodded as Gus went about his business and then turned to face you. “Did you get your seeds planted alright? Pierre said you didn’t look so good when you left the store earlier.” He put his hand on his cheek and leaned on the counter, smiling as he waited for you to answer.

“I’m fine,” you said as you glanced over at him. “They all got planted. I just … felt a little light headed. Yeah, lightheaded. But I’m fine now.” You traced the rim of your drink with your finger and then took a sip of it. The awkwardness from earlier in the day was still there for you, but he acted like nothing was wrong- or like you didn’t weirdly blurt out a compliment and run away when meeting him the first time.

“Lightheaded?” Sterling chuckled. “If that’s what you say it was, then I’ll take your word for it.” Gus placed the two ales in front of Sterling and went to the other side of the counter to take more orders from the townspeople waiting. “Don’t think this is a pickup line, but do you come here often?”

“Come here often? Sounds like a pickup line to me,” you teased. “But no, actually, I only come every once in a while- usually when it’s been a long day and I just need to relax. Why? Do you come here often?”

“Wow, first you call me handsome and now you’re asking if I come here often? Was it me that made you lightheaded? I’m flattered.” He grinned at you with a smile so delicious you thought that the few sips of your drink were already clouding your thoughts. As he took a drink of his ale, he could sense you still felt some type of way about the exchange earlier. “I mean, you called me handsome and I couldn’t even say anything before you scurried away. What if I was going to compliment you back?”

“So it was a pickup line. I’m not interested,” you said harshly, your brain and heart pulling you two different ways. “It wasn’t a real pickup line, I swear it,” he said as he held his hand over his heart in sincerity. “But what if I said I was interested? Then what? What if I wanted to tell you that I also think you’re stunning and I’d like to get to know you more, if you’d allow me?”

“Gus, is my pizza ready? Can you box it for me?” You practically shouted as you ignored Sterling beside you. You stood up from your seat and fumbled in your wallet to grab the money for your food and drink. “It’s like that?” Sterling asked with a surprised look on his face. “I have to get back to Shane anyway, he’s probably laughing at my failed attempt right now. I hope I’ll see you around though.” You watched him from the corner of your eye get up from the counter and grab the two drinks and walk over towards the fireplace where you could see Shane standing. 

As Gus took the money you handed him and put the box in your hand, he didn’t let go of it. You looked up at him confused. “He’s a nice guy, really. Been through some hard times, but I wouldn’t cross him off your list just yet.” He gave a wink to you and let go of the pizza box. “Thanks, Gus,” you said quietly. You looked over your shoulder at Sterling and Shane, laughing and drinking their ale together. The way he looked when he was happy, smiling and laughing, it was like sunshine in human form. You downed the remaining bit of your drink, which truthfully wasn’t even that much, and left the saloon with even more on your mind than before you came in.

© please do not copy and or repost my work as your own, my brain is massive and these are my thoughts.

[vitospaghetta]

How do you imagine Leon's place to look like and where do you think he lives? Some flat?

Also alaooo what do you think he does in his free time?

You have no idea how much thought I've put into this over the years.

Let me preface this with the fact that I'm specifically talking about original continuity Leon post-RE6 here, where he's a seasoned adult and has been in his career field for a while.

Leon more-than-likely lives in D.C. (he could also live in VA or MD but he strikes me as the kinda guy who would rather eat glass than commute, especially with D.C. traffic being absolute bullshit) in an apartment somewhere in the city.

As a federal agent, he makes a salary, which is something that is determined by things like the amount responsibility you have within the agency, your credentials/experience, your skillset, etc. Given his role and responsibilities within the D.S.O., he's easily a top earner. The top earners within the FBI make $153,000 annually, but it looks like top earners within the CIA can make more — like with all things, every agency is different. The D.S.O. obviously isn't a real agency, but as one that is held above all others (as far as authority within the criminal justice system is concerned), Leon probably receives a pretty cushy salary. Around $200,000 annually, easy. Income tax would fuck him over, but he'd still walk away with a reasonable amount per month to afford a $4,000+ per month apartment or to buy one and pay off a mortgage.

He can easily afford a one or two bedroom apartment in the city is what I'm saying. And I mean a nice apartment. We're talking granite countertops, stainless steel appliances, washer and dryer in-unit, floor-to-ceiling windows, in a modern building in a nice area of the city. An area that consists entirely of nice apartment buildings like the one he lives in. There's actually an area just outside of NYC that reminds me of the kinda area I can see him living in. I was there to take the ferry over into the city for a memorial/organ donation event I was attending last year.

The pics don't exactly encapsulate the full vibe, and these apartments probably go for millions due to the proximity to the city and being right off the Hudson, but it's quiet, safe, and filled with sporty people. Lots of folks walking dogs, jogging after work hours, and a sense of community amongst people that seemingly have their shit together.

He strikes me as the type to have a two bedroom apartment just for an office that he's hardly ever in. He'd want to live in a building that has a gym as an amenity because it's easier than hoofing it to a gym elsewhere, and a garage for him to put his car and the crotch rocket he's currently mourning courtesy of Maria.

As for the apartment's interior, I feel like it would completely lack personality or cluttered charm. There's a level of almost sterility to it, in that it's devoid of knick-knacks, personal photos, and encompasses a strong aesthetic of maturity. Everything in it is nice. There's tasteful artwork on the walls, and it's furnished with well-made and sometimes expensive furniture and appliances, because, as a childless adult, if Leon's going to spend money on only himself, he's going to spend it well. You get what you pay for, after all. There are obviously some traces of Leon's personality strewn about — skin care products in the bathroom, boots and leather jackets by the door, some books, laundry crumpled at the foot of his bed and piled by the washer/dryer, maybe a single sarcastic coffee mug somewhere in the cabinet — but there's no novelty.

Due to his constant bouncing around, he isn't home enough to put too much effort into it, and he hasn't had the luxury of certainty or normalcy in so long that all he wants out of his home is for it to look nice and be a comfortable place to sleep. He appreciates coming home to a place that is his, but it doesn't need to be a display of everything he's ever enjoyed. Even when he is home, he strikes me as the type to start going stir crazy when he sits for too long. The most amount of time he probably ever spent at home was when he was self-isolating and hitting the bottle really hard. There's also the generational element of Gen-X'ers being extremely lowkey about shit.

As far as what Leon does in his free time, I feel like he enjoys doing things that are out of the house due to the aforementioned inability to stay alone with his thoughts for too long. The man is constantly trying to distract himself to place distance between himself and his trauma, so where he might have been able to sit and watch a movie alone before, he struggles to now.

Leon's very extroverted, likable, and adaptable, so he probably enjoys being around other people, even if he's not actively talking to them. Though he appreciates silence as well, when he's kicking things around in his head and is trying to find some semblance of peace and a means to calm the noise. He might get a coffee at a shop right by his apartment where he's a regular and everyone knows him by name, or go for a run, or go shopping. Maybe he tries to make plans with those he cares about to go out for dinner, like he did with Claire in Infinite Darkness. Maybe he tries to catch a good sunset over the Potomac River. He goes to the gym, he rides his motorcycle around the city or takes a scenic route on the outskirts just for the hell of it, he meets up with a fellow agent and they do shots at his favorite bar.

I don't think he has hobbies, as in crafting or gaming or being too involved in any specific interests, but everything he does is fueled by his love of people, his appreciation for what good he has in his life, and his need for escape.

[emberfrostlovesloki]

Aaron Fanfiction Analysis [an essay]

Photo credits: Left (Google) Center (@themoontaxi) Right (@citronplume)

A/N: I don’t know how many of you followed my page to read some academic work, but here we are, and I’d love it if you stick around to give this a read if you are so inclined. I recently read Rome’s @criminalskies story about a BAU reader who is feeling dysphoric due to being on their period during a long case. Aaron provides them comfort, and they come out to him. The link to that story can be found here (link). While I was reading it, I was so enamored that I started taking notes. If I like something, I take notes. After finishing it, I simply had to think about the literary devices being used, and this essay was born. I asked Rome if they were okay with this, and they agreed (thank you!). Then I finished the essay, and I asked if I could share it here too. Again, Rome agreed. Obviously, after Roland Barthes and The Death of the Author and all that. We understand that reading is subjective. This is just my little take on their story. Everyone reads and understands things differently. I thought I’d just share my thoughts with you. If nothing else, please check out Rome’s page and this story. They are a joy to know and be friends with. I'm currently working on an Emily fic and and an Aaron fic, so those will be out soon too. I hope you all have a lovely end of your weekend, and I’ll see you soon  - Levi. 

You can read the essay below the cut

Word Count: 3.1K 

Content Warnings: Dysphoria and body image issues

List with all stories

P.S. I did the ungodly thing, and I printed this fanfiction on paper for the sake of annotations and in-text citations. 

Fanfiction is a Gift 

When someone who is not very familiar with the concept of fanfiction hears the term fanfiction brought up in conversation,  there is a knee-jerk reaction to assume that this type of writing is not very good writing and that those writing it are teenagers. Both of those things may be true of some fanfiction writers. However, to address the quality of writing, if something is being written, no matter what skill level it is at, that is practice. Practice makes us better writers of all of us. So there will be no complaint about quality from me on that count. But there are other types of fanfiction writers as well. There are adults who consume content and adore it so much that they want to add their voice to the narrative. They bring themselves open and willingly to the space. They share their stories with others to read and enjoy. Often, these writers are more inclusive than the content of the original material. After all, books, T.V. shows, movies, and all other entertainment media are made by the studios for one purpose -- money. The top executives of networks and streaming services are happy to discontinue a beloved show if it is not making a profit. Now some shows are disappearing entirely for tax write-off purposes. The mainstream shows that stay ongoing for years must appeal to the everyman. This often means inclusivity is not a top goal of the creators. This leaves many marginalized groups out. These often include LGBTQIA+, minorities, those who are disabled, and those with non-thin body types. It might come as a surprise to David Saslav or Sam Levinson, but not everybody looks like the characters on their platforms and shows. There has been a push for media to be more inclusive, and we see this in shows like Good Omens, Our Flag Means Death, and What We Do In The Shadows, but the number of these shows pales in comparison to the mainstream media. Serial shows like Criminal Minds is one of those shows. The F.B.I. drama hosts a cast that is not very diverse, and topics of sexuality, racism, police brutality, and other pressing issues are addressed only briefly during the show’s sixteen-season run. This is where fanfiction writers bridge the gap. Writers allow themselves and others to be included in that world, with those characters. This writing is cathartic to many. It is healing what the mainstream refused to address. This is why fanfiction is a gift. To highlight how strong some fanfiction writers are, and the power they have over language, a literary analysis will be done on a recent story published on Tumblr. The author, Rome, was completing a request for a story involving the BAU team leader, Aaron Hotchner, and a non-binary member of the team who is feeling dysphoric during their period. Rome responded to that request with a masterpiece. The untitled story uses diction and tone to demonstrate how the reader feels embarrassed and frustrated by the situation they are placed in, pacing and juxtaposition are employed to highlight how time in the show and on a personal level seem to warp and change given the circumstances, lastly, characterization is used for the reader and Aaron to display how their dynamic changes by the end of the story. 

The story starts in medias res, with the team attempting to solve a slew of murders in Louisiana. The team is stumped and tired. An argument breaks out between the reader and Dr. Reid. Here a variety of loaded words are brought up, including, “irritable,” “overdrive,” “annoyingly,” “hope,” and “exhausted” (Rome, 1). The use of these emotions sets the tone early on for the piece. This is not a fun or happy situation. The argument that takes place in the precinct highlights this, as the reader says, “‘Reid. Correct me based off something you read in the textbook I wrote one more goddamn time and I will see how far that giant brain of yours really is from your skull.’” (Rome, 2). The violent nature of the statement and the use of an expletive evince the tension in the room. Derek Morgan’s attempt to comfort adds no help, as he calls the reader “Mama” twice (Rome, 2). Morgan’s use of gendered terms only makes the reader more angry as they identify as non-binary but has not told the team yet. It is only Aaron who helps them calm down and moves them out of the room. The tone shifts from one of anger from the reader to concern from Aaron. As it turns out, not only is the reader exhausted, but has also started their period; thus the excess of emotions. Embarrassed, they move to the restroom and begin sobbing in pain from the cramps and identity crisis. Aaron moves into the space and immediately he becomes concerned as he hears his, seasoned, agent crying out in pain. He enters the bathroom stall and attempts to understand what’s happened. As he asks questions, the reader notes that his tone is “delicate” and “so laced with concern” (Rome, 7). Aaron embraces the reader to offer physical comfort in a situation that is clearly distressing to both of them. After a few moments, Aaron notices that the reader is holding the crumpled plastic of a pad. The realization hits him and “the penny finally drops, and he can understand why you were so volatile earlier” (Rome, 8). He still does not understand why the reader is so upset but true to his character on the show, he does not try and guess at an answer. He is compassionate at this moment. There is another tonal shift from care and concern to humor as the story lightens its tone. 

The reader has asked Aaron to go back to the hotel, and he readily agrees. The reader asks Aaron, who is driving,  to stop at a convenience store to get some needed supplies for their menstruation. They arrive at a store and the reader attempts to go in themself, but Aaron has none of it. He is told what the reader needs and moves into the store himself. While Aaron is very good at meeting the needs of the team, when he is faced with the choice of period products, he is suddenly at a loss. His experiences with his ex-wife does not help him much, and seeing him flustered like this brings a lightness to the story. As he faces down the tampons, he speaks aloud, “‘Light, ultra light, regular, overnight, sport, active, everyday, heavy, ultra max… shit’” (Rome, 12). Without wanting to disturb the reader, he gets one of every kind along with some comfort snacks. When the manly cashier makes a comment about women and “‘shark week’” Aaron responds, “Funny, sharks rather like eating invertebrates,” as he walks out the door (Rome, 14). There is one last major shift from humor to an understanding of passion and joy. The start of this shift is when, at the hotel, Aaron attempts a joke, saying, “‘I feel like it might be a human rights violation to deny a menstruating woman her sleep’” (Rome, 16). The use of gendered language, especially from Aaron, makes the reader uncomfortable in their body again. Aaron notices the shift and checks in to see if the reader is okay. He ends up joining them in their room. After the reader is changed, he perceptively states, “‘I can tell one moment you’re completely fine and the next it’s like you’re forty feet from your own body” (Rome, 19). By saying this, the reader reveals how they have been feeling over the past few months. That they feel their body and gender are not aligned. They note that they had hesitated to say anything for fear of being viewed differently and making work for Aaron. Aaron could care less. He is overjoyed that the reader is revealing their true self to him. Aaron states, “I am so, so happy, that I’m someone you’re comfortable to talk about this with’” (Rome, 21). The conversation continues for a while longer and there is an understanding between Aaron and the reader and real delight from Aaron in being pulled into the loop. The story finishes with a moment of intimacy and self-reflection from Aaron as he holds the reader tight to his body. 

Criminal Minds normally follows a villain, or Unknown Subject [heretofore unsub] of the week. This provides a steady narrative arc for each of the episodes: a case is announced, the team debriefs, arrives at the location of the crimes, the team creates a profile, the team investigates, another murder or crime happens, the profile changes, the climax, and then the resolution, and closing monolog, as the team returns home on the jet. This structure is endemic in most police procedural shows and it provides a consistency to the narrative. Rome’s use of pacing is more dynamic and more personal. There is clearly a timeline for the team. They need to solve these cases as quickly as possible so less people die. There is an urgency in that. It pushes the team to the height of their emotions. This is mentioned early in the story as the case “stretched on for five days” with no leads (Rome, 1). In fact, time is often mentioned either in minutes or hours. As the fight breaks out between the reader and Derek the time is “1:15 in the morning.” This is one possible justification for the reader's outburst, but not the real one. Pace is brought up again as Aaron tries to understand what has happened. The reader realizes that their period coming has made them more emotional and they attempt to soothe Aaron. They realize, “[they’ve] gone from screaming to crying to comforting him in all under four minutes” (Rome, 3). The juxtaposition of emotions in such a short time frame has the audience focus on time. On the awkward encounter that has just happened. Pacing is also used to demonstrate Aaron’s care and devotion (even if he isn’t willing to admit to it) to the reader. As he kneels in a puddle on the bathroom floor, holding the reader, we are told, “He’s desperate to know what’s happened with you, but he will kneel here until his knees lock if it means you’ll tell him when you’re comfortable’” (Rome, 8). Aaron is such a stoic character and to see him acting so tenderly, going as far as getting his expensive suit dirty, and his willingness to be in pain shows the audience how much he cares about the reader. The fact that he is willing to be in pain, while the reader is in agony demonstrates his commitment to them. Aaron is one of the oldest members of the team, thus, his kneeling on, cold, hard, tile is not great for his joints. The lowered body position does end up affecting him when he does get up, we are told he  “[lets] out a tiny groan as he stands up” (Rome, 9). The fact that they are both in pain ties the two together in an unspoken way. Aaron both in voice and action going forward, reassures the reader that he is thinking of them. Trying to get them to the hotel and comfort as quickly as possible. He makes statements like, “I won’t be a moment” to let the reader know he is cognizant of time and their discomfort. He drives efficiently, walks with determination, and does his best to be quick at finding the right tampon for the reader. The pacing takes a final turn as they enter the hotel. The times of events have slowly been shortening. These time frames move from days at the beginning of the narrative, to the possibility of hours on bent knees at the middle, and close with small moments. The reader tells Aaron, “Just one second,” as they prepare to change (Rome, 19). When the reader's real identity is revealed to Aaron, in an instant, moves, “[a] large pair of hands flys across the space between you on the bed” (Rome, 20). At the end, in their moment of intimacy, Aaron reflects on his admiration, and love, as the reader takes “short breaths” on his upper arm (Rome,  22). The juxtaposition of these time frames and pacing paired with the emotions of anger, then humor, and finally love leaves the audience feeling comfort and peace with Aaron. 

The main crux of this story is the fact that the reader is feeling heightened dysphoria due to their period and hiding this fact about them from the team and more importantly, from Aaron. Thus the characterization of both the reader and Aaron changes and develops a good deal over the twenty-two pages of text. The reader starts out unsure of why they are so angry. Why has this case been so trying on them that night? The reader is at this point unaware of the unwanted, excruciating bleeding that will start soon. The reader is observed with “eyes welling up seemingly out of nowhere as you note that you are definitely not okay, You just don’t know why” (Rome, 3). Once they are aware of their period coming, the reader is not comforted by the fact. The bodily bloodshed only emphasizes that they do not belong in the body they inhabit. The reader notes, 

The anticipation, your monthly [a] reminder of who you are forced to be, looming right in front of you. When you can feel your grasp on emotions slip just a little bit and those little voices in your head gain a little too much power. The thoughts of how your body doesn’t look anything close to who you feel you are. Rome 5

These painful external reminds pushes the reader to do things they don’t enjoy. To try and conform to some gender norm that does not align with them. The reader has gone as far as wearing makeup to appear more feminine, but all that accomplished was to make them feel like they were “playing a part… wearing a mask,” and “keeping up a facade with the team” (Rome 6). This discomfort continues but is slightly alleviated when Aaron comes to understand that they are on their period, and he reacts with care and compassion instead of a reprimand. At the hotel, the reader is upset again by Aaron's unintentional gendered words. In the bathroom of their hotel room. The shape and feel of their body bothers them, as they look in the mirror and think, “how miserable the stranger in the mirror looks” (Rome, 17). Not even putting on more comfortable clothes is helping, as their thighs appear more womanly in the stretchy fabric. It is not until the revelation is made that the reader’s gender identity lies between the male-female binary, that they fully relax. When they notice the “genuine joy radiating from Aaron,” they know they can fully be themself around him (Rome, 18). And still, the pain persists, but in Aaron’s gentle embrace, they can finally rest. Aaron goes through a similar character transformation. Even at the beginning of the story, it is never stated that he is mad at the reader. He is just very concerned. He is as baffled as the reader as to why they are acting as they are. His thoughts mimic the readers as he thinks, “You're clearly very volatile and on edge. He just can’t figure out why?” (Rome, 3). The parallel in emotions is a foreshadowing of the feelings that Aaron will have at the end of the text. The sound of the reader crying intensifies those latent emotions. As Aaron holds the reader close to him for the first time that night, he thinks that “he couldn’t care less about the surroundings, his hand finding the back of your head to hold you close to his aching heart” (Rome, 4). He continues to be concerned and his emotions are pulled, as he only wants to bring the reader some relief. He is eager to help monetarily by buying an array of period products and painkillers. This is a help, but Aaron wants to physically comfort his agent. His distress over the reader even finds voice in anger, as he insults a burly man unwilling to interact with his partner during her time of the month. At the hotel, there is more comfort for the reader, but he can still see pain in them. This pain is less associated with their period. When he asks for clarity for his own sake, he grows nervous: “He silently prays you aren’t about to begin an interrogation” (Rome, 18).

When all is finally made known, he is ecstatic. As the reader states that they fear their new identity might be a burden to him and the team, he is quick to say, “I want to make you feel as comfortable as I am able to accommodate” (Rome, 18). And in the end, Aaron is able to provide that physical comfort again as he acts as a living heating pad. He envelopes the reader in his body, his warmth. And as he begins to drift off to sleep, he questions his emotions once more, asking the rhetorical question, “Right?” as he sleeps (Rome, 22). Aaron’s character arc is centered around his care of the reader and his feelings for them. There is no dramatic “I love you” but the outpouring of small gestures and care given by Aaron to the reader clearly displays his love of them in all their complexity. 

There are so many other literary devices that are used here such as simile, personification, descriptive language, and imagery. However, the elements examined here felt the most weighty. Held the attention longer. When reading and rereading this work, many times I thought, “God, I wish I was the reader!” And here is the great delight in fanfiction -- you are the reader! Inclusive fanfiction belongs to everyone who wants to be involved. Not all fanfiction attempts this. Not all fanfiction is a reader insert or “x reader” as it is often seen on Tumblr, but to live in a time where such care is given to those often standing on the outside is amazing. It is kindness and care just like Aaron comforting and accepting the reader is kindness and care. I do not mean to say that all media, be it books, movies, or TV shows is not inclusive. Some of it is, and I’m glad for that, but much of the time diversity is added as a bonus, so the creators can pat themselves on the back and say, “We’ve got that group covered at least.” I will continue to give praise to those who give so much of themselves for everyone else. Fanfiction really is a beautiful thing.

[see-arcane]

Dead Dove Venting below, Do Not Read

I'm aging another decade every time I see any update on the state of things at this point.

Winter as a season is melting into nonexistence. Within a decade we'll likely be past the point of no return. Corporate pollution continues pumping up into the air, boiling away the future and drowning the generations to come.

Devices are being made to slot in people's brains or to lock around a head to filter company training and duties into you as you sleep.

AI is eating people's art and work and faces and shitting them out in corporations' desperation to excise human involvement from creation just to pinch another penny.

American education is sliding down the toilet between book bans, strangled sex ed, and 'history' lessons edited to erase the reality of human atrocity and variety.

Bodily autonomy has became a joke since Roe v Wade was stabbed in the back. A Texan woman--a mother already--a mother-to-be who was heartbroken to discover the guaranteed painful death of her unborn child and whose full term 'birth' would only mean agony for the newborn before its end and a risk to herself and future attempts at carrying a child--who met every possible exception set forth by Texas' abortion ban, jumped through every legal hoop, and finally was told she could go through with the abortion...only to have the state's attorney general declare she couldn't do it. She had to flee--flee--her own home state to get a life-saving procedure because the 'pro-life' movement showed its full colors to her and the country as it wiped its ass with hers (and every other person with a womb's) human rights.

Pro-life is not about preserving life. Not when its supporters are so rabid as to demand a woman risk her life for a fetus destined to die within moments of exiting the womb.

Pro-life is about forced birth and always has been. For the sake of making cattle of women and adding numbers to the population, willingly or otherwise.

And in that vein, of course child labor is making a resurgence. Now your 14-year-old kid can serve in the grease trap or bar of their choice, dishing out food full of microplastics and booze full of bad decisions to grown adults ready to wink at a high schooler and ask what they're doing after work. Heartwarming! 12-year-old is mowing lawns for the chance to save up for college where they'll get into loan debt for a degree that won't get them a job because every position in their field requires ten years' experience! Gets a new mower donated to the cause!!

Artificial inflation, price gouging, and wage stagnation have eaten the promise of independence out from under an entire generation, their little siblings, the next generation to come. We're living in cars, in sardine-packed apartments, under our parents' roofs. Probably until the day we die, ancient and hobbling inside Walmart's sliding doors as greeters and cashiers, at least until the jobs get taken by smiling hotel bots and self checkouts. Retirement no longer exists as a concept.

Genocides on top of genocides, funded by vulture governments, against their citizens' will, using money that has magically appeared to funnel aid and weapons to the mass murderers slaughtering innocent people with a brutality of such scale and evil that it cracks the mind to try and measure. A shame that money wasn't around to help the tax payers or the people in need at home. Guess how many people go hungry in America, the Greatest Nation. Or don't guess! Look.

Nausea and shame and bile.

Bile bile bile at the thought of this country, with its masturbatory obsession with World War II, with its endless marathon of 'war hero' films showing the plights and heroics of our brave soldiers sent to fight for our rights!

(Because they were drafted. Because they were poor. Because they were lied to with myths of glory and valor. Because they would be killing and dying for the Greater Good.)

All this. All this. When we are living through the proof-positive that if Pearl Harbor hadn't happened, kicking the self-absorbed hornet nest of our government into frenzy, the good ol' U.S. of A. would absolutely have jumped on Adolf's dick and applauded the Holocaust start to finish. Hell, we might have handed them every killing tool but the nukes.

Now here comes 2024.

Voting Day looms. And of course, Joe's poll numbers are shitting the bed the way Trump is shitting himself in the various court battles still chewing on him like spray-tanned cud.

In 2020, we had the vigor of the country shouting as one: VOTE BLUE NO MATTER WHO. Because we were living in a different, far more intense, borderline fascist state. We felt the pressure of the stakes of a second term with the despotic Cheeto.

But now as more blood spills and our blood boils, there are, of course, people clamoring again about how voting is a sham. What kind of sucker is still convinced that voting red or blue, no matter who, is anything but giving candy to a genocidal joke? Both parties have proven they're corrupt. Complicit. Why fucking bother? We need to do more!

And we do.

We absolutely do need to do more.

But for the love of every god I no longer fucking believe in, do it after voting for whoever Is Not the Republican Candidate. You don't want to vote for Joe? For any of the potential Democratic candidates? For whoever is blue, no matter who?

Fine! Fuck it! Stick to your guns! Vote for fucking no one! Play chicken with the top office of the entire country all over again! 2016 the Sequel!

And when every MAGA shithead votes in Trump or one of his sycophants and plunges us into Diet Tyrant Rule 2.0, at least you can wear a little badge of pride--but no actual pride badges, ha ha, DeSantis has already declared rainbows ~too gay~ for Florida schools ha ha ha--that says, 'Well, Both Candidates Were Shit, So I Did the Morally Spotless Thing and Voted for Neither! Surely This Will Earn Me a Good Grade in Martyrdom.'

I hope I'm just making too many assumptions about how literal some people are being about 'why bother' and 'hold your vote hostage' kind of talk. I hope I'm reading too much into hyperbole and not seeing the rise of a new wave of bots, undercover right-wingers, and genuinely self-sabotaging moralists who think not making time to go click a button to Participate in the One (1) Guaranteed Expression of Power We Have as Citizens short of en masse protest and/or outright civil war.

I want there to be a magic switch to flip to unfuck all of this. Half of it. Even a fraction. Every day I wake up and things are worse. Even here, on the one website I regularly dip into to try and escape into silliness and personal passions, there's no avoiding the realities of the world as they get worse and worse and worse and fucking worse.

This is as close to cosmic horror as I think we can get short of Cthulhu finally getting out of bed and wiping us out.

Everything is getting worse.

All the 2024 vote has to offer at this point is a choice between Current Bullshit (Democrat) and Exponentially Worse Bullshit with a Side of THIS CANDIDATE WILL TRY TO BECOME THE FOREVER-KING OF 'MURRICA AND WILL BE EQUALLY MONSTROUS (IF NOT MORESO) IN THE GENOCIDE GAME (Republican).

But I will still drag myself into the booth. I will still vote blue, no matter who. And I will still support Palestine, still protest against evil, still raise my voice. And I'll do so in a country that won't be run by people who want to double down on regressing society to the Dark Ages with a crossover between The Handmaid's Tale and Orwell's nightmares. Who will take dissent as an offense worthy of violence and violation. Who will take every scrap of progress made by the left or by the citizens themselves and set it all on fire.

I'm tired. I'm afraid. More tired under that.

There's such bliss in the idea of flipping the bird and then flipping the table when it comes to the small important steps we can still make as people in our society. It all feels insignificant. Lackluster compared to the bombastic moves of on-the-ground protest. But you can do the small and the big steps. And we need to.

This is not Mad Max. This isn't a comic book or an action movie. There is no utopia waiting on the other side of dismissing elections as ~not worth the bother~ when it was an election that put Trump in power and another that kicked him out.

If anyone out there has a magic switch to flip that will unfuck this country? That will unfuck the entire planet's degradation? Flip it. Right now. Hammer it until it breaks and all the withheld Grace and Sanity pours over everything like a miracle tide and we can all wake up from this group night terror.

But if that switch doesn't exist?

Inch along. Do what you can. Vote in every election, big and small. Act. Support. Boycott. Scream. Fight. Do not shrug and sink into apathy. Little steps to big steps and all the intermediates in-between.

We're not in Hell, despite the weather. Sweating in December. Another massacre per minute. No, not Hell.

Hell has justice.

All we have is this.

[nicascurls]

Strangeness and Charm - Part Five

Word Count: 2.3K

Summary: Season 1 AU where Andy and Kyle arrive at Charles Lee Ray’s old house before Tiffany leaves with Junior and Nica and ultimately save them. Set in 2017, two weeks after Cult since that's when the show was originally mentioned to be set and in my opinion, makes the most sense.

Notes: I did it! I've been caught up with Uni work recently and have exams over the next week but after that I should be free to write more! Yes, I did decide to keep Nathan Cross alive, mainly cause I absolutely despise Lexy's mother in the show and don't want to write her. Also, I had to bring up Andy being a bad driver again, I feel like that would be something brought up frequently amongst the siblings. XD

Tags: @streets-in-paradise @losersclubisms @cult-of-dollbabies @silvershewolf247 @cornerofhell

Before they knew it, Kyle was entering the house with Junior and Caroline in tow. The three made their way past the living room and into the kitchen where Andy and Nica were still sat.  

As they entered, Andy got up and made his way over to the kids, Nica following. 

Junior crouched down to Caroline's level before introducing them, "Caroline, this is Andy and Nica that we were telling you about. They're our friends, OK? They know about Chucky too and they can keep us safe."

"Chucky's bad." Caroline responds matter of factly. That statement alone caused a brief sense of calm to wash over the adults, with Andy hearing Nica breathe an audible sigh of relief behind him. At least they didn’t have to worry as much about Chucky trying to get Caroline to play any of his ‘games’. 

“Exactly, but they already know that and they can keep us safe from Chucky. That’s why we’re going to stay here with Nica,” Both Junior and Caroline looked at Nica as she gave Caroline a small wave which the young girl returned with a shy smile. "Whilst Andy and Kyle will go and help Lexy, Jake and Devon and then they’ll come back here too.” Caroline moved her gaze from Nica up to Andy before turning back to Junior in confusion, “But what about the movie? Me and Lexy were supposed to watch the movie with Mommy and Daddy.”

“I know Care, but we need to be here whilst they stop Chucky to make sure he doesn’t do anything bad there.”

“Maybe once Lexy and the others are back, you could watch the movie here?” Nica suggested, sitting forwards in her chair so she could talk to the girl, “It could be a special surprise for them since they are busy now.” Caroline, nodded eagerly at Nica, with a smile spreading across her face.

“Yeah, we could set up the living room whilst we wait for them.” Junior began to lead Caroline further into the house, “Come on, I'll show you where the blankets are, we could make a fort.”

Nica watched them disappear from sight with a small smile before turning back to the siblings. Kyle had now passed Andy a pair of leather gloves matching the ones that she now wore.

“We better get going,” Andy began “the longer the kids are alone, the more time Chucky has to fuck with them.” Nica gave a small nod of agreement.

“You sure you're gonna be okay with them?” Kyle was now facing Nica, gesturing to the living room where they could hear Junior entertaining Caroline.

“Yeah, I’ll be fine. You guys definitely have the more difficult job.”

“I dunno about that, I’ve heard blanket fort construction can be pretty taxing stuff.” Andy’s joke caused Nica to smile wider before following them to the door, her nerves for the others beginning to grow.

"Junior gave me the number of the home phone so we will update you when we can." Kyle informed her, checking her gun once again.

“Good luck!” She called just before they closed the door but the siblings got the real message, ‘Please, none of you die.’ Nica took a final deep breath before turning around and wheeling herself over to join the two kids.

"The kids are hiding in the space behind the movie screen." Kyle still insisted on driving to the theatre so Andy was reading the messages from the kids to her and they made their way over. "There's no sign of Chucky or Tiffany from there but Tiffany had a doll with her when she first arrived."

"Right." The two siblings slipped back into a comfortable silence. Andy's mind began to drift back to his past encounters with Chucky, trying to save himself was one thing. That added with multiple kids, rather than just the one one like back at military school, needless to say it felt like much greater weight on his shoulders.

"-anything else?" Andy's head snapped up once he realised Kyle was speaking to him again.

"Sorry what?" 

"Nica. Did you find out anything more about Chucky from her?" 

"Not really, it's difficult for her to work out what's happened the past few weeks. The most intel she really has is the stuff Tiffany told her and that was all delusional bullshit about her liking Nica better than Chucky and calling them a non-traditional couple."

Andy looked over to see Kyle wearing a strong look of shock and disgust.

"Yeah," Andy responded to her expression "somehow Chucky managed to find someone even more deranged than him."

"So I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that's why Nica was so worried about Junior?"

"Uh huh." With that, Kyle pulled into the parking lot of the theatre, spotting the truck and then Tiffany's car. Good. At least they knew they were still here rather than causing chaos somewhere else.

"You head to the kids, I'll catch up." Kyle instructed, heading in the opposite direction.

"Why? What are you doing?"

"Just trust me on this. I have a plan to make sure he and Tiffany stay put. I'll be there before you know it."

Andy gave a sigh and began to move toward the theatre entrance, "Fine, just don't get killed. Please." He saw Kyle give a thumbs up before moving to meet the kids.

Upon entering, he turned and headed down a corridor to the side. The walls looked bleak and neglected, definitely an area of the building that the guests weren’t meant to see. Andy took in his surroundings as he slowly made his way down the corridor, reaching for his gun so he could have it ready. There were too many shadows, too many places for Chucky to hide.

As he made it towards the end and was met with a door on his right, he deemed it safe to call out, “Kids?” The sound echoed around the empty space for a moment before he heard a voice travel from the left turn at the very end of the corridor.

“Andy? Is that you?”  He quickly made his way toward the sound and was met with the three teens as he rounded the corner. Andy let out a breath he wasn’t aware he had been holding and put the gun away.

“Are you three alright?” 

“Yeah, we’re okay. Where’s Kyle?” Jake responded quickly.

“She had a plan to make sure Chucky and Tiffany don’t go anywhere else. She’ll be here soon. Have you seen either of them?”

Devon turned to Lexy who was keeping a watchful eye on the crowd from the side of the screen, especially her parents, before turning to Devon and informing him with a shake of her head. “Not at the moment, just the guests for the movie.”

“I told dad Caroline didn’t want to watch the movie and I would keep an eye on her, so at least that’s handled for now.” Lexy added.

“Chucky’s got to have something else planned, Tiffany wouldn't have had a doll unless there was some part of the plan we don’t know about.”

“Yeah, and the truck would have already left.” Kyle added entering the room. “At least we know Tiffany won’t be now.”

Andy turned to his sister with an intrigued expression, “What did you do?” 

“Just fixed the engine of her car… So, it won’t start.” Both siblings gave a smirk as Lexy looked at Kyle with fascination. “How did you do that?”

“She has a vintage car, sure it looks cool but it's easy as hell to get into without a key.” 

They were interrupted as a scream pierced the air, soon followed by more and the sound of panicked footsteps. 

"Shit!" Andy cried as the five of them began to head to the front of the building to access the cinema itself. 

All of them were soon fighting against the hysterical crowd forcing their way out of the building. As they continued to force themselves in the opposite direction, Lexy turned her head and was able to spot her mother safely outside. But not her father. That was when Devon turned and saw Lexy frozen, he gently grabbed her arm and pulled her with him. "Lexy, come on. The best way to make sure they are safe is to stop Chucky." That got her moving again and they both followed the other three into the now, mostly empty room. That's when Lexy heard Jake's voice, "Mr Cross?!" Lexy looked up to see her dad trying to hobble out of the room, blood pouring from one of his legs.

"Dad!" Lexy cried as she ran over to him and put one of his arms over her shoulders.

"Lexy?" 

"Dad, it's gonna be okay. We can get you help, we'll get you to hospital-"

"Lexy," Her dad said again.

"Caroline's safe, Junior's watching her and-"

"Lexy, what about you?" Lexy stopped her rambling and looked at her dad.

"Are you safe?"

Lexy looked at him with tears forming in her eyes, suddenly the reality of what Chucky did to her friends became all too real for her. "Yeah, I'll be fine dad. I just need you to be too."

Kyle made her way to the other side of the man and helped him move and turned to Lexy, "Come on, there are ambulances outside."

That was when it dawned on Andy, where Chucky must be. He quickly signalled to the boys, letting them know where the doll was and the two teens crouched down and looked under the seats, with Andy holding his gun ready. Jake suddenly caught a glimpse of the ginger doll running toward the aisle and Lexy and Kyle helping Nathan out.

"Lexy! He's coming, go!" He called out to them and they quickly picked up the pace and disappeared out of the door.

Andy caught sight of the red hair and ran towards him as he began to retreat and scurry between the seats once again.

All in all, the face off was over far sooner than Chucky anticipated. He never wanted the kids to find out who Andy was or what he knew. Needless to say the team up of two of the kids he targeted and and the first kid he terrorised as a doll was far to much for only one of him to handle, bringing Jake's asshole of a father into the conversation and insulting his boyfriend went too far and Jake ended up killing the doll with is own bare hands. Needless to say Andy was thoroughly impressed by how both boys handled the situation. It had been taken care of by the time Kyle and Lexy returned. 

Lexy herself was looking a bit better, calmed down by the fact that her father was on the way to hospital with her mother.  They all took a minute to catch their breaths before moving on to the next part of the plan. 

“Okay, what are we gonna do about the truck?” Kyle asked as they made their way to the front of the building.

“I’ve got it covered.” Andy responded in an instant.

“What? You’re gonna commandeer the truck?” Kyle chuckled, clearly meaning it as a joke and then quickly went silent when Andy didn’t join in. “You can’t be serious.”

“Have you got a better plan when it comes to getting rid of 72 Chucky’s without causing suspicion?”

“With your driving?!”

“For fuck sake, this again?!”

“Yes, this again!”

“Okay, by your logic would you rather my driving be used to transport 72 Killer dolls or three living teens?” Kyle stayed quiet for a few seconds before giving in, “Fine, but Andy I swear you better be back at the house before tomorrow.”

“Yes, mom.” he responded sarcastically before sneaking over to the truck as Kyle ushered the kids back into the car.

The three teens watched with fascination from the back windscreen as Andy knocked out the driver and threw him out of the vehicle before driving past Tiffany and giving her the middle finger.

“Awesome!” Devon exclaimed as they heard Tiffany scream in frustration and fail to start her car, as the car they were in began to speed off. 

It was around 15 minutes later that they arrived back at the Wheeler's house, inside Caroline was gleefully adding the finishing touches to the fort, Junior had even ventured into the attic to find some fairy lights from the Christmas decorations for her. The distraction was more than welcome for him, the living room had made him feel far too miserable since his mother died. For the time being he was in the kitchen with Nica, helping to prepare snacks after getting a call from Kyle letting them know that they were on their way back.

“Care?” Lexy called out as the four of them walked through the door. “Lexy!” the girl called out as she ran past Nica in order to meet her sister, followed quickly in tow by Junior.

Nica then made her way to join the rest of them as Caroline excitedly explained to her sister and the rest of the teens about what they had been up to and the plan for the rest of the night. She looked around, amused by the girl’s enthusiasm before realising the absence of one person.

“Where’s Andy?” She asked, doing her best to mask the panic in her voice.

“He’s taking care of the truck of dolls, he promised to be back here before tomorrow.” Kyle informed her, “Don���t worry, if he isn’t i'm gonna go and drag him back here myself.”

“Oh, I wanna see that!” Junior called from the living room, causing everyone to chuckle.

“Anyway, he’ll be fine.” Kyle confirmed. 

That’s when Nica heard it, ‘Unless one of me gets to him first.’ ‘Shut up, Chucky.’ 

“Nica, come on. The movie is gonna start.” Junior called to her from the living room.

[frmartinshomiliesandreflections]

15th December >> Fr. Martin's Gospel Reflections / Homilies on Matthew 11:16-19 for Friday, Second Week of Advent (B): ‘We played the pipes for you, and you wouldn’t dance’.

Gospel (Except USA) Matthew 11:16-19 They heed neither John nor the Son of Man.

Jesus spoke to the crowds: ‘What description can I find for this generation? It is like children shouting to each other as they sit in the market place:

“We played the pipes for you, and you wouldn’t dance; we sang dirges, and you wouldn’t be mourners.”

‘For John came, neither eating nor drinking, and they say, “He is possessed.” The Son of Man came, eating and drinking, and they say, “Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.” Yet wisdom has been proved right by her actions.’

Gospel (USA) Matthew 11:16-19 They listened to neither John nor to the Son of Man.

Jesus said to the crowds: “To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children who sit in marketplaces and call to one another, ‘We played the flute for you, but you did not dance, we sang a dirge but you did not mourn.’ For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’ But wisdom is vindicated by her works.”

Reflections (14)

(i) Friday, Second Week of Advent

We all recognize that music can speak to us more powerfully than words alone. A piece of music can move us in our depths. I have a number of favourite pieces of music that I often return to. I listen again and again to them. I know how the music will sound because I have heard it so often, but I also know that it will move me over and over again, as if I was hearing it for the first time. The last movement of Mahler’s ninth symphony does that for me. We can all name some piece of music, be it classical or pop or rock or country and western, that speaks to us and touches us in places the spoken or written word fails to do. In today’s gospel reading, Jesus compares himself to a piper whose music invites people to dance. He identifies with children in the market square who announce, ‘We played the pipes for you, and you wouldn’t dance’. When this piper plays, very few follow him. They are deaf to the music of the Spirit that his presence plays and that finds expression in his words and deeds. The risen Lord continues to play the music of the Spirit today and we are invited to dance to his music, to allow our lives to move to the rhythm of the Spirit. This music of the Spirit plays from deep within our hearts. Saint Paul in his letter to the Romans declares that ‘the Spirit helps us in our weakness’ and ‘intercedes with sighs too deep for words’. The music of the Spirit that is playing deep within us cannot find adequate expression in words. Each day we can ask the Lord to help us to become attuned to that deep music of the Spirit so that our lives can play the song of the kingdom of God in our world today.

And/Or

(ii) Friday, Second Week of Advent

The gospels suggest that Jesus was very observant of life around him. In this morning’s gospel reading, the behaviour of children in the market place reminds him of his adult contemporaries, who responded neither to the preaching of John the Baptist nor the preaching of Jesus. The asceticism of John make people think of him as possessed; the more celebratory tone of Jesus’ ministry made them right Jesus off as a friend of sinners and undesirables. In other words, there was no pleasing Jesus’ contemporaries. We can all get into that frame of mind; there is no pleasing us. We find fault with everyone and fail to see what is of God there. The gospel reading calls on us to be open to the Lord’s presence, even when the Lord comes to us in ways that don’t quite fit our expectations. Advent is a season when we try to grow in our openness to the many ways that the Lord is present to us. When we pray, ‘Come, Lord Jesus’, we don’t specify the particular way that the Lord should come to us. We invite him to come in whatever way he chooses. In the imagery of the gospel reading, sometimes he comes to us in the joyful playing of pipes, sometimes in the mournful playing of dirges. What matters is that we be attentive and responsive to his many comings to us in the course of our lives.

And/Or

(iii) Friday, Second Week of Advent

In the gospel reading Jesus complains that his contemporaries see nothing good in either himself or in John the Baptist. They regard John as possessed because of his ascetic way of life and they consider Jesus a glutton, a drunkard and a friend of undesirables because of his more celebratory lifestyle. They remind Jesus of children he sees in the marketplace who refuse to join in either the funeral games or the party games of other children. As we might say, there was no pleasing them. Yet, God was drawing near to them in the two very different ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus. In spite of that, they found a way of dismissing both John and Jesus; they belittled both. We all run the risk of belittling the messengers that God sends us or making light of the various ways that God might be trying to communicate with us. God communicate with us in different ways at different times, in the imagery of the gospel reading, in both dirges and dances, in times of great sadness and great joy. The gospel reading this morning suggests that what is needed from us is an openness to hear God, to be attentive to the Lord. That is, above all, what Advent calls for – that listening ear which is attentive to the Lord’s coming and presence, no matter what form it takes.

And/Or

(iv) Friday, Second Week of Advent

We often hear someone say of someone else, ‘Nothing will please him/her’. That is what Jesus appears to be saying about the people of his generation in today’s gospel reading. The ministry of Jesus and the ministry of John the Baptist were very different in ways, and, yet, according to Jesus, his generation found fault with both. John they dismissed as ‘possessed’ and Jesus as a ‘glutton and drunkard, a friend of undesirables’. Rather than asking, ‘What has this person to say to us?’ they dismissed them both in an off-hand fashion. They were like children who would neither join in the dance when the piper played, a reference to the ministry of Jesus, nor would they join in the funeral game when the dirges were sung, a reference to the ministry of John the Baptist. God was drawing near to that generation through the very different ministry of John the Baptist and Jesus. God continues to approach us in many and varied ways. Advent calls on us to be attentive to the presence of the Lord, the call of the Lord, in and through the various circumstances of our lives, including those circumstances we might be tempted to dismiss as having nothing to teach us.

And/Or

(v) Friday, Second Week of Advent

Jesus was a keen observer of people of all ages. He often spoke about his own ministry and the kingdom of God using images drawn from day to day life. In this morning’s gospel reading we find him drawing on his observation of children at play in the market square. Sometimes their games reflect the joy of life. Some pretend to play pipes as if at a wedding while other children dance to the music. At other times their games reflect the sorrows of life. Some children would sing dirges as if at a funeral while others would mourn and wail in response. Jesus often noticed that there were some children who refused to join in any game; they wouldn’t dance when the pipes were played and they wouldn’t be mourners when dirges were sung. These unresponsive children remind Jesus of some of the adults of his day. They would neither mourn in response to the gloomy message of John the Baptist nor dance in response to the joyful message of Jesus. They dismissed John the Baptist as possessed and Jesus as a glutton and a drunkard. It is interesting that Jesus identifies his own ministry with the piper and the dance. His life and his message are good news, the good news of God’s love for us all; he plays a joyful tune. We are called to move in unison with the joyful music of Jesus, with the music of his Spirit that plays deep within our hearts. We try to attune ourselves to the Lord’s rhythm and melody and allow it to shape all that we say and do. That is our Advent calling in preparation for our celebration of the birth of Jesus.

And/Or

(vi) Friday, Second Week of Advent

This morning’s gospel reading shows just how much Jesus was a keen observer of life. He noticed children playing in the market place. One group tries to involve another group in their games. They enact a wedding game, playing flutes, but the other group of children are unmoved. Then switch to a funeral game, singing dirges, but again the other group of children are unmoved. Jesus sees in this unresponsive group of children an image of his own generation who were moved neither by the sombre message of John the Baptist nor the celebratory message of Jesus. They dismissed John as possessed and Jesus as a glutton and a drunkard. Both John the Baptist and Jesus had something important to say, but many of Jesus’ generation were deaf to both messages. The gospel reading calls on us to be open to both the message of John and of Jesus, but, in particular, the message of Jesus. Jesus identifies himself with the children who play pipes for others to dance to. It is interesting to think of Jesus as a piper whose words and actions play the music of God. Our calling is to become attuned to this music of God and to move to its rhythm. This music of God that Jesus plays is celebratory music, not mournful music, the music of a wedding feast rather than a funeral. It is music that brings light where there is darkness, hope where there is despair, joy where there is sadness. If we are attentive to this music and allow it to shape our lives, then we will be a life-giving presence to others and our own lives will proclaim the good news of God.

And/Or

(vii) Friday, Second Week of Advent

When children come to a certain age they often like to act out various roles. They like to play at being a doctor or a nurse or a policeman or a lorry driver or whatever. Children in the time of Jesus were no different. In the gospel reading this morning, Jesus pictures children playing pipes as if at a wedding, for people to dance to. He also portrays them singing dirges or sad songs as if at a funeral, for people to mourn to. On each occasion other children refuse to take part in these games. They don’t react either to the pretend playing of the pipes or the pretend singing of dirges. They just look on disapprovingly. Jesus compares this second set of children to his own generation. They disapproved both of John the Baptist with his more sombre message of repentance and of Jesus with his more joyful message of God’s loving presence to all. They were unmoved by John and Jesus, even though both were God’s messengers and Jesus was also God’s Son. We can all come to a point where we are no longer moved by the various ways that God comes to us. God is always trying to move us through his Son and his Spirit. We need to leave ourselves open to the stirring of God. That will often involve stepping back a little from everything and reflecting on our experience to see where God is trying to lead us, to listen to what God wants to say to us. Advent is a season when we are invited to enter into that reflective mode in a special way.

And/Or

(viii) Friday, second week of Advent

Children tend to have wonderful imaginations. They can play at being something they are not. In a sense, acting comes naturally to them. They can play pretend nurse or pretend fireman or whatever. What is true of children today, was true of children in the time of Jesus. He noticed how they played at being at a funeral or a wedding in the market place. As part of the play wedding, they would pretend to play pipes. For the pretend funeral they would play at singing dirges. Jesus noticed there were often some children who simply refused to join in these pretend games. They were indifferent to the pipe playing at the pretend wedding as well as to the singing of dirges at the pretend funeral. They simply refused to play. This scene from ordinary life reminded Jesus of the response of some people to the ministry of John the Baptist and his own ministry. John was more like the singer of dirges, and many people did not take him seriously. Jesus was more like the piper who played the pipes, and many of the same people took no notice of him either. It is interesting that Jesus uses this image of the pipe player for his own ministry. It suggests that Jesus came to play a joyful tune to which people were invited to dance. He proclaimed the presence of a loving and hospital God, or as Pope Francis keeps reminding, a God of mercy and compassion. This is good news which invites a joyful and grateful response from all of us. The Lord’s tune of good news is to find an echo in our hearts and in our lives; we are called to allow ourselves to move to its rhythm.

And/Or

(ix) Friday, Second week of Advent

Jesus uses the image of children playing to describe his own ministry and the ministry of John the Baptist. The children who play the pipes for other children to dance to are an image of the ministry of Jesus. The children who sing dirges for other children to mourn to are an image of the ministry of John the Baptist. Clearly the message and the ministry of Jesus had more joy to it than the ministry of John the Baptist. It was more of a celebration than the ministry of John. The image of children playing pipes for others to dance to is an interesting image for Jesus’ ministry. It suggests that he has come to play a joyful tune, a tune that encourages people to dance for joy. He is, after all, a preacher of good news, the good news of God’s faithful love for us all, the good news that God has sent his Son so that we might have life and have it to the full, both now and in eternity. We can perhaps forget that the gospel is the source of true joy; when it is heard and responded to it brings a peace and a joy that the world cannot give. Paul says that the fruit of the Spirit is peace and joy. This Advent we pray that we might enter more fully into the Lord’s peace and joy.

And/Or

(x) Friday, Second Week of Advent

Weddings and funerals are very much part of what goes on in every church. There is obviously a great difference between the mood of a wedding and the mood of a funeral. In this morning’s gospel reading, Jesus associates the mood of John the Baptist’s ministry with that of a funeral and the mood of his own ministry with that of a wedding. He criticizes his contemporaries for rejecting both the ministry of John the Baptist and that of Jesus. They reject John the Baptist as being too sorrowful and severe, ‘He is possessed’. They reject Jesus as being too joyful and lax, ‘Look, a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners’. Jesus compares his contemporaries to truculent children in the market place who refuse to join in other children’s games, whether it is the game of funerals or the game of weddings. These children, like Jesus’ contemporaries, will neither dance or be mourners. It is striking that Jesus identifies his ministry with the joy of a wedding feast and with the dance that is inspired by the playing of flutes. Jesus’ ministry was good news; it celebrated the presence of the compassionate mercy of God. This was certainly good news for ‘tax collectors and sinners’, and for all who felt that God had cast them aside. Jesus’ ministry remains good news for us today. He continues to make present to us the compassionate mercy of God. He calls us to join in this celebration of God’s merciful love for sinners, to dance with joy to the music of the kingdom of God.

And/Or

(xi) Friday, Second Week of Advent

Children have started to get very excited about Christmas. They are beginning to look forward to the presents they will get from Santa. Some of those presents will consist of games which will amuse the children for hours. Yet, children also have a way of making up their own games. When I was young, one of the games children played was to enter into different roles. They might play at being a doctor or a nurse or a pilot or a postman or whatever it might be. Today’s gospel reading suggests that children weren’t all that different in Jesus’ day. Jesus alludes to the ways that they played at being at a wedding or even a funeral. They played the pipes associated with the celebrations at a wedding, and they sang dirges as if at a funeral. Jesus noticed, however, that there were other children who didn’t want to join in these games. They were spoilsports, which is why some children give out to them, ‘we played the pipes for you and you wouldn’t dance, we sang dirges and you wouldn’t be mourners’. This scenario reminded Jesus of many of his contemporary’s response to his ministry and the ministry of John the Baptist. They were unmoved both by the solemn message and lifestyle of John and the much more celebratory message and lifestyle of Jesus. Many dismissed Jesus as someone who eat food and drank wine with sinners. We, however, rejoice that Jesus has brought the good news of God’s merciful and faithful love to sinners, among whom we can all count ourselves. We spend our lives trying to live in harmony with the joyful tune of God’s love that Jesus continues to play today as risen Lord.

And/Or

(xii) Friday, Second Week of Advent

As we approach the feast of Christmas, children will be getting all kinds of Christmas presents, some of which will be quite sophisticated and high-tech. Yet, I often think that what children enjoy most are the games that they make up themselves. Children in Jesus’ day were no different. In today’s gospel reading, Jesus comments on some of the games children play in the market square. They act out being part of a group of flute players, playing joyful music, such as would be heard at a wedding, hoping other children would dance to their joyful tunes, or they act out being the mourners at a funeral, singing dirges, hoping other children would weep loudly in response. It’s the make believe world of children. Sometimes, some of the other children wouldn’t co-operate; they wouldn’t dance to the flute players or mourn at the dirge singers. Their body language said, ‘we don’t want to play any game’. When Jesus noticed this, it reminded him of something else. So much of life reminded Jesus of how people were relating to him and to God. It occurred to him that the flute players were like himself and the dirge singers were like John the Baptist, and the children who refuse to join either game were like Jesus’ own contemporaries who rejected both John the Baptist and Jesus himself, for different reasons. Jesus identifies with the children who play joyful songs on the flute, because his ministry was a celebration of God’s merciful and compassionate love.  We are all invited to catch something of the celebratory presence of Jesus among us today, and to live out of the joyful energy which his presence gives us.

And/Or

(xiii) Friday, Second Week of Advent

In the gospel reading, Jesus reflects ruefully on his contemporaries. They are as good at finding fault with Jesus’ behaviour as they were at finding fault with the behaviour of John the Baptist. Yet, Jesus and John the Baptist were very different. The ministry of John the Baptist was more like the children who sang dirges in the market place for other children to mourn over; the ministry of Jesus was more like the children who played the flute in the market place for other children to dance to. If the music of John the Baptist’s ministry was reminiscent of the mournful music of a funeral, the music of Jesus’ ministry evoked the celebratory music of a wedding feast. However, Jesus’ contemporaries were equally unmoved by both types of music. They found fault with John the Baptist and with Jesus. Their readiness to find fault blinded them to the God’s activity in the ministry of John the Baptist and much more powerfully in the ministry of Jesus. To say John the Baptist was possessed and that Jesus was a glutton and a drunkard was to miss completely what was significant about the ministry of both men. We can all be prone to the kind of fault finding that prevents us from seeing the ways in which the Lord may be calling out to us through others. The music of the Spirit can take very different forms in different people’s lives, and we need to keep attuning the ears of our hearts to that varied music, and resist the temptation to turn it off too quickly by finding fault.

And/Or

(xiv) Friday, Second Week of Advent

There was a time, perhaps less so today, when children liked to play by imitating the behaviour of adults. They might play at being a doctor or a nurse or an airline pilot or whatever. In today’s gospel reading Jesus imagines a group of children playing at being the musicians at a wedding and the singers at a funeral. However, this group of children find no response at all from another group of children. When the first group pretend to play the pipes as at a wedding, the other group of children won’t dance. When they pretend to sing dirges as at a funeral, the other group of children won’t mourn. Jesus applies this image to his own ministry and the ministry of John the Baptist, contrasting his own joyful, celebratory ministry with the more austere and mournful ministry of John the Baptist. Jesus observes that like the second group of children his own contemporaries failed to be moved either by his own ministry or the ministry of John. They were behaving like God’s frozen people. The gospel reading invites us to ask how we are responding to the joyful, celebratory ministry of the risen Lord today. Does the Lord’s presence and ministry among us keep placing a new song in our hearts? Do we allow our lives to move to the rhythm of the Lord’s joyful tune, the joyful music of the Holy Spirit? In these Covid days when it is so easy to get despondent, do we allow the Lord to keep us hopeful? The Lord’s daily coming in love to us is always good news to be grateful for and to rejoice in, even when times are difficult.

Fr. Martin Hogan.

[seabreeze2022]

2023 Bahama Cruise. Part 11. Mar. 23 Georgetown, Exuma.

Cruising is not all sandy beaches, sunsets and “Pain Killers”. But sometimes it is! Sometimes you have to fix the dinghy outboard on the sandy beach at high noon then retire for Pain Killers later.

We have been in Stocking Harbor at Georgetown, Exuma for 4 days since Monday. Four wet days! Everyone in the anchorage is going stir crazy.

Every morning at 0755 the “net Host” comes on VHF channel 16 and 72, notifying everyone the net will start at 0800. This is the highlight of the day. Photo above has the VHF tuned to Channel 72.

Many anchorages have a net host. They follow a script each day. First they do a radio check for far ends of the anchorage.

Check for priority traffic. Explain local emergency contact phone numbers.

Give a weather and tide synopsis.

This is a “Controlled Net”. Please Answer with a boat name and wait to be acknowledged.

People leaving can say their farewell. Some people have been here 3 months and made many friends.

Shout out to local businesses.

People who need items or expert advice. Usually told to standby at the end of the net for longer explanation.

“For sale or give away”, with the warning taxes need to be paid. This is the fun segment. We once heard for multiple days in a row, folks willing to give of their extra stock of “Dry milk” for adult beverages. No takers, imagine that!

This week on Tuesday someone was missing a “blue sheet” from their laundry done on shore. On Wednesday, someone who must not have been listening on Tuesday, had a “blue sheet” slipped into their laundry done on shore.

It helps to take notes of boat names and what they needed.

Kids corner, where kids connect with each other.

New boats introduce themselves. The last thing is a quote, joke or thought for the day.

Rainey days. Little solar power. Stuck in the cabin. At least the clothes get a fresh water rinse!

What do you do during a rainy day. Maintenance and cleaning! Here I am checking the engine and give Nancy some cross training on the engine room. She gave up on cross training me on cooking. I can open a mean can of cold ravioli and that is about it.

Nancy does a lot of reading and movie watching. I research local history and flora and fauna.

I try and use the Single Side Band to download HF weather radio fax. No luck yet. Could be the many boats in the harbor with all their electronic interference. I have to be cognizant if even the Refrigerator is operating or not. All cause interference.

The weather broke for a couple of hours on Wednesday. Like everyone else, we made for the beach on our dinghy. While walking the beach at low tide we found a Flamingos Tongue. Just for clarification a shell, not the actually tongue of a Flamingo.

Wild Sapodillas on the trail. The fruit, the brown things in the photo, are about the size of a ping pong ball or slightly smaller.

More rain bands. Have to get up in the middle of the night and close all hatches. I sleep in the forward V-birth and know exactly when it starts raining. Because it falls on me!

I can only ignore it so long, before I decide it is worth walking around on deck while it is raining and close all the hatches.

I am still having issues with my dinghy engine. Pulled the carburetor apart about 4 times prior to departure. Like an idiot I did not touch the engine after last season. The old fuel turns into a varnish and clogs the orifices in the carburetor.

Watched a couple of YouTube videos during the rainy weather. Found some more information and ready to tackle it again. Ok, get a list together of exactly what tools are needed. Metric or Standard? Tohatsu equals Japanese, so need metric tools. Do I pull the engine cowl off while the dinghy engine is on the dinghy and floating over 20 feet of saltwater? Nope, not a good Idea. Should we haul the engine off the dinghy and lift it onto the rail of the sailboat? Lots of work and needs to be tested while on the dinghy. So twice as much work.

So how should I work on the engine with some control of the environment?

Nancy and I dinghy directly upwind of our boat to do engine work. Being directly upwind, helps if we have to oar back. Once on shore, we turn the dinghy around and I dig hole to allow the engine to be lowered to work on it.

Being careful not to get sand into the water intake on the lower unit of the engine, I start disassembling the carburetor. Repeat the days mantra after me: DON’T DROP ANY PARTS IN THE SAND….DON’T DROP ANY PARTS IN THE SAND……

Having done this before, I was not too worried about working on the beach and maybe having to oar home. But, you never know….

Nancy got tired of my terse answers and went “Walk about”.

She definitely had more fun than me! Anyway the engine ran, but I decided to tear it apart a second time. So we hauled it up the beach again. Nancy dug the engine pit in the sand this time. I tore the carburetor out a second time, while Nancy made a second loop of the beach and trails.

So far it runs ok, but have not done a true test. It runs at idle forward ok. Sun was out, so we dinghied at slow speed 1.3 miles in rough weather to Georgetown. I ran to the Hardware store for Carburetor cleaner $17. Nancy went grocery shopping at Exuma Market. We checked out with $53 worth of some essentials, which were stuffed in a waterproof bag. An 11 oz. block of coffee is $9. Swung by the liquor store for 2 bottles of Ricardo Coconut Rum, around $25 each.

It was an upwind slog home in 1 foot waves. Kind of wet. Groceries were dry. After a quick shower on the stern, we settled down for the evening.

Here Nancy is What’s Apping her Mom in Fargo where it snowed again recently.

Evening appetizers while listening to the local FM station. After the long day, “pain killers” were the perfect ending that started on the beach.

Saturday the weather breaks and we will move down to “Water Cays” in the Jumentoes. We are taking fresh vegetables and other groceries to our friends who have been in the Jumentoes for three weeks. They are moving up from the Double Breasted Cays and we will both meet in the Water Cays.

This will be new territory for us. So far this is as far south as we have sailed. Not long after we leave our anchorage we cross the Tropic of Cancer. Approximately 23.4 degrees north of the equator. From there we cross just north of Hog Cay and head directly to Water Cay. We need to hit the Hog Cay Cut at high tide to make it through with our 5 ft. draft. Will be off the grid for the week or so. Luckily, we have a water maker that will make our week down there doable.

From there we plan on visiting Long Island (Bahamas) and will then be back on the grid. Hopefully we will have some good things to report from the Jumentoes.

S/V Sea Breeze. Sand Dollar beach, Stocking Harbor, Great Exuma, Bahamas.

[waywardstraysau]

A few questions, some are follow up questions to previous asks

1. In the case of someone like MK, living on the streets before being found, do they just take them straight to the school as soon as possible? Hunter, King, and Luz they waited a month before having them come to the school so that they could set up living arrangements for them, but they were somewhere safe. Camila was letting them live in her house (for Hunter, King and Vee). But in the case of someone like MK, he was just trying to survive. Do they have emergency rooms set up for cases like that? Or since it took them two months to track him down did they already have a room cleared out in case he decided he wanted to come to the school?

2. What is Connie's major? Or is she undeclared so that she can get a better feel for things at the start of college?

3. Once Ford and Fiddleford have locked onto a world, do they have a way to be able to find it again? Like coordinate readings that the machines give them that they record so that they can revisit worlds later? Or in the case that something goes wrong they are able to rescue Ford without having to refind the world.

4. Because its tax season and I just finished my taxes that got me thinking about this. Does the school legally exist for tax purposes? Since they have to pay their staff and they have to do their taxes (not everyone did tax fraud like Stan after all). Also, if the school exists legally, they can get tax exempt letters that they give the grocery stores when buying food for the students. Just since works in a grocery store, local school districts and universities have tax exempt letters for when they need to get things from the grocery store. But that would require a legal existence which I'm not sure if the school has.

Happy to elaborate on them further! 1) Every now and again, when they investigate potential students, they sometimes have to call someone at the school to quickly get a room setup if the student in question is in an unsafe living environment and they need to get them to safety fast. MK's case was one of the slower situations since they needed time to forge all the paperwork/documentation before they could take him out of the country, so he stayed with them and by the time they got him to the school, his room was more than ready. On the other hand, they asked Dani to come with them immediately, since she was also homeless and had no other adults to rely on. Her room was only about halfway done by the time she arrived so she ended up having to share with one of the other girls her age until it was done. 2) Right now, Connie's studies center around physical science and mathematics. She knows she wants to do something in the STEM field and will probably find a way to use it to help the Gems in the new era, but she's keeping her options on what that is exactly open. 3) Yes actually! They keep meticulous records of each world they find as well as it's coordinates and any other factor that might be important to finding it again. 4) Ah the necessary but hated evil of taxes. Can't live with them, can't throw them in a bonfire and say we never got them. To answer your actual question, yes, the school does legally exist. As much as they try to keep it hidden from unwanted prying eyes, they can't hide it completely. Instead, on the paperwork they pass it off as an institution for traumatized youth who need very unique/specialized care, a lie they also use on more than a few parents. Feel free to ask more!

[ssj2hindudude]

If Valerie like sweets, is she good at baking (not cooking) just baking.

oh she any good with money?

and about tha…1st and 2nd Gen Potatoes: Where do they place from sting to waste their money on the money scale

Ok, first, she's mainly a connoisseuse, so she mostly likes to taste. But she and Kara have made a fair amount of basic and one or two complex desserts so she has most of the basics down. She can make something simple but to get something up to her standards, she has to actually buy it from a professional.

The girl passed college economics before puberty hit. Pretty sure she knows her way around a budget. Heck, she even did Kara's taxes last year.

As for the others...

Aru: Impulsive af and blows most of her cash on stupid stuff. As an adult she eventually sto- PSYCH, she still does it on occasion and it annoys Aiden and Abha to the point where she's been reduced to allowances well into her 40s.

Mini: On top of everything. Conservative shopper that only buys the necessities...by her definition that means having a medical wing built into their house. The woman has tried to get Priya to wear headgear but she's been using the same phone for over 20 years.

Brynne: Responsible spender everywhere that isn't a restaurant. But if the place sells anything edible, there goes her wallet and the restaurant's inventory. Hira and Ghata can't remember the last time they ate out without the place shutting down for a month afterwards...

Nikita and Sheela: Nikita's mostly the responsible spender and Sheela would regularly go to her for tips. After all, you need to be smart with your resources when making top of the line clothing lines. Unfortunately, that doesn't stop them from spending the price equivalent of ten Gucci bags on a tea set they saw in the mall window.

Kara: Read several books on home management and is now smart about spending. Especially conservative about it because even though the Sleeper gave her whatever she wanted, the man was still intimidating. Valerie still struggles to find her a gift for holidays and birthdays because she never wants anything!

Aiden: Responsible spender and manages the house budget...with help from Abha. He's smart, but only she is able to figure out the accounting numbers during tax season. Luckily, thanks to their combined efforts, they haven't gone bankrupt even with Aru buying limited edition LOTR merch every month.

Rudy: As a king, he has countless advisors giving him financial advice... none of which he listens to because Mini forced him to learn how to manage money with her so he doesn't make the common mistake of dividing his kingdom and causing it to collapse in on itself...also it's just the responsible thing to do! It's best this way. If she didn't keep an eye on his spending, he'd probably be in alleys spending most of the royal funds on straws. What? They were bendy with stripes!

Abha: Like I said, she helps Aiden with the taxes and can handle her money well. She's got a monthly budget with some funds set aside for... important things (and by important, she means The Latest Mystery Novels)

Priya: As crazy as her habits are, she's actually got good street smarts when it comes to cash. We're talking Toph Beifong going through the Fire Nation streets making bank good! While Abha is good at organizing, Priya actually knows how to get a good deal anywhere, including the Night Bazaar! You should've seen her the time she got a flying carpet for a quarter!

Ghata: She tries to keep her spending on the essentials like the good noodle she is. She's like Kara, scared to buy things, not because she's scared of her parents, but because she's trying not to waste money. Unfortunately, she's actually gotten more lectures because she almost never tells them when she actually needs something! She actually went barefoot to school for a week before Hira checked her drawer and found all her socks had holes in them!

Suru: He's still working on understanding the concept of money. No literally, he doesn't get why currency is a thing. Something about how everyone should just get what they need whenever they need it, but I'm sure it's nothing the capitalists need to hear. Let's just say he's still learning.

Sydney: A human calculator (ignore the part where they're a robot). Can calculate prices of anything like the dad from Everybody Hates Chris and can make quality decisions about purchases.

[sabineelectricheart]

Secreterial Duties

Summary: Byleth takes her job very seriously, especially when her boss go MIA for two days.

Rating: T - Suitable for teens, 13 years and older, with some violence, minor coarse language, and minor suggestive adult themes.

Words: 1800

Notes: A bit of a workplace romance meets broken Dimitri. Hope you like it!

It was not too uncommon for Dimitri to close himself off when his lack of sleep and hallucinations about dead people started to get the best of him. He would retreat away for a day or two, then appear refreshed and even sunny, for lack of a better term, once he had gotten word of a new project to work on.

This programming company was her boss’ very life. She would wager her bottom dollar that the business was the thing he cared the most about, on what he sunk the most effort and love to have it prosper. Considering he had just an estranged step-sister in the way of family, and all his friends were employed in that office, one would find his dedication almost reasonable.

Yesterday, Sylvain had confirmed that they closed on a large project and that they should start working on it right away. However, this has been Byleth’s third time calling her boss, her second voicemail and still there is no reply.

The prospect of a new project has always managed to break Dimitri out of his funk, allowing him to focus on something other than the thoughts that constantly plagued his mind. Alas, it seems, that he has dug himself a little too deep this time around, and even his prized company has not been positioning itself as much of a prospect to break him out of it.

Pulling the device away from her ear, the secretary caught eyes with Felix. His gaze was slightly hopeful as he was also unable to get through to Dimitri. Yet, with a small shake of her head, she signalled she also has had no such luck. The man sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before quietly going back to his desk and concerning himself with his work.

Byleth decided to follow suit the example and focused on the open spreadsheet on her computer screen. The Winter Solstice would come sooner rather than later, and she had to organize the yearly bonus pay-out and the taxes for filing season coming the New Year. There is much to be done, even if the boss was not around to check on it.

It was only after she had all but finished her day’s work, as the other employees pick up their jackets and leave, that she thought about the blue-eyed owner of the office behind her chair.

The blue-haired woman checks her phone once more to see if she had missed a call since the afternoon. Seiros, at this point, she would be more than content with anything, even a reassuring text. However, nothing had come through.

So, once she tidied up her desk and made sure she was completely alone, Byleth opened a locked drawer from her desk and fetched a key card. It was time to pay her favourite programmer a visit.

The blond man had given her a key to his home in confidence, and she made sure to honour it. She kept it very well hidden in her work station and refused to use it unless she was explicitly asked or it was a serious emergency. Neither scenario has ever played out before, but such a prolonged absence in such a critical moment certainly demanded drastic action.

The blue-haired secretary walked through the loft with her chin held high as her stiletto heels tapped against the marble floor, using the key card to call on the elevator that would take her to the penthouse.

It was the first time she has been here. She does her boss’ taxes every year, along with the company’s taxes, and so the opulence of the place is of no surprise to her. The software business brought in a decent income, even with the generous terms that they treated their employees, but that is little more than a drop in the bucket, pocket money in those obscene accounts. He earns more than she will ever do in her lifetime on his passive investments alone.

The Blaiddyd name is linked to the old aristocracy in Fhirdiad, and even if she never really cared for society pages, she knew that they were wealthy and influential. It was hard to, since the bus she rode from her home to her job every morning passed straight in front of a castle that bore the epithet.

It had been abundantly clear to her, even before she began working for Dimitri, that he did not really need to be there. She finds that her boss works hard because he believes in what he does, because he enjoys the hard labour, and she finds that she respects that.

She rang the buzzer, and Byleth waited patiently for his voice to be heard from the device. However, after a few minutes of waiting, there was no answer.

Sighing heavily, she rang the buzzer again. The woman knew very well that the blond was home for the night as she had managed to catch a glimpse of a light being on from under the door.

“You shouldn’t be here.”

The soft, sore voice sounding from the device scared her, almost causing her to lose her composure. She bit at sher lip, stepping closer to the door.

“Dimitri, I had to make sure you were okay. You missed my calls today about the new project we got.” She pointed out.

She was hoping that the argument would be enough for him to open up the door for the to talk, or at least for her to have a good look at him. For her, it was important to have more of a visual confirmation that he was truly well, but the door only offered her silence in return.

“Dimitri?” Byleth called. “Can I come in?”

Still, no answer came from the apartment.

The secretary figured that he did not want her to be there, and it was best not to push too much. Perhaps she could stop by before going to the office tomorrow, or call Felix and hope he has more luck than she did.

Feeling disheartened, she sighed, pulling her coat tighter around her as she turned to catch the elevator down.

She only made it a few steps away from the apartment before the open swung open behind her.

“What… What is this business about a new project?” Dimitri asked quietly.

The puerile quality to his question made Byleth smile and nod as she turned around to face him.

“Yes, Sylvain finally managed to land the contract with the Ministry of Health this week.” The woman informed him. “If you want it, I can give you the brief tonight. I think we are missing a certain touch.”

The blond smiled at her words, stepping away from the doorway to let her through. He helped her out of her coat and hung it on the closed, letting her get comfortable before guiding she to the bar stools in his kitchen.

“So, this new project.” Dimitri segues. “What has Sylvain said about the minutia with the contract?” 

Byleth went on to explain all that she has heard and show him the documents she had notated these last two days of work, making sure he knew every detail that she could possibly transmit ahead of a team meeting.

“I guess I have to go into the office tomorrow.” He concludes, energized. “Can you let the others know? We should sit down and discuss the software plan, there are some things I want to change to incorporate the comments from the Ministry officials.”

The secretary reached for her work bag, so she could pick up her mobile. “I’ll send them an email tonight.”

He picked at something on the counter, a slight frown falling darkly over his features. She lifted her hand from her lap, hovering just above his shoulder when she stopped.

“May I... Touch you, Dimitri?” The secretary asks, softly.

A belated breath later, he nodded. Sighing at the warmth of her hand as it made contact with his sweater. A small part of him wanting to lend into the touch, yet he kept himself upright as her thumb rubbed gently circles. That almost made him melt.

“Have you eaten anything today, Dimitri?” Her voice soft and gentle as she spoke, and with a small shake of his head, she stood from her seat.

Byleth offered a small pat to the man’s shoulder before heading into the kitchen to make him something simple. She knew, after so many lunch disasters, that her boss is majorly ambivalent about food, being able even to stomach the terrible cooking from her cousin Flayn, but he only actually enjoyed a very limited number of dishes.

A moment later, a cheese gratin, made out of that annoyingly fancy cheese which was Sylvain’s go-to choice for any gift giving occasion, was pushed in front of him. He looked up surprised, finding her sweet smile as she nodded for him to eat before starting to clean up the mess she made.

He ate, pleasantly reminded once again of the care and attention his secretary dispensed over him. He held back tears as he ate what he could, already feeling the onset of sickness creep into the pit of his stomach.

He pushed the plate away, letting Byleth quickly grab it and take it away before he could stand from his seat and bring it around the island.

“You don’t have to do that.” The man said, rather embarrassed.

She shrugged, rinsing off the dishes and quickly cleaning them before setting them up to dry.

“I made the mess, so I’m cleaning it up.” She stated, pragmatically. “Did you enjoy your meal?”

He nodded, smiling shyly as she finished up in the kitchen. Following the man into the living room and placing herself beside him as he turned on the tv for background noise.

Byleth let him talk freely, and they had a good time together, with no regard to the action-packed movie going on the cable channel in front of them.

It was easy to have a brief moment of distraction.

At one point, Dimitri fell asleep in a peaceful nap. He woke a few hours later, his eyes thick with sleep and an unfamiliar weight settled against his chest. Looking down, he found his secretary, the woman he was secretly interested in, snuggled into his sweater.

Glancing around for a clock, he chuckled silently to himself. For the first time in weeks, he had managed to get five hours of sleep with no interruptions from his plagued mind. He would accredit her with being the reason he slept as well as he did.

It might not be the perfect situation, and it will be painful to deal with it, but for now, he would enjoy the moment of warmth and comfort he found with Byleth.

*_*_*_*_*

Fire Emblem Masterlist

Three Houses Masterlist

[guessimate]

This is the beginning of round 4. I will play the original families for 1 more day if needed, because adults are almost about to age up [at the beginning of the round they had ~8 days as adults left].

I decided to play the Gardiner family first, because I wanted the boys to age up. I had some plans for Olga Leila too, but there was a rather unfortunate ROS… It was not even the worst ROS, but my luck turned out to be terrible. It was a body skill dependent ROS and I believe I rolled 1 out of 11 [she had 7 body skill points], so it was just my luck. It was scenario #40 I’m the Highwayman. She was attacked by a man who wanted to steal her coins... but she had nothing on her, and she was murdered. Her brothers are devastated, as she was taking care of them from the young age. I’m going to say the ROS was connected to what I said before – that the war would have some consequences and there would be some ‘enemies’ trying to rummage lands.

~*~

They earned around 2000$ this round, and it was at the very beginning of the round, really, as I needed them to get some money to plant some maxis plants again, for the last time this season circle, as winter was coming. They paid the taxes immediately, as well.

600$ – tax.

1000$ – rent.

= 1600$ to the Royal Treasury [total in Treasury = 118,500$]

200$ – tithe [Church’s total earnings = 19,600$]. They owe burial fees to the Church.

~*~

As children, the twins wanted to get Creativity skill points, because they had played on the xylophone when they were toddlers, but this family was too broke to get easels, lutes or anything, especially taking the ROS into consideration. I couldn’t even really get them another proper bed and they had to sleep in turns on their parents’ double bed, and on the couch. 

I feel bad especially for Ronan, as he seems fixated on improving his Creativity. Declan at least got some different wants, like going fishing. Ronan didn’t learn to talk as a toddler and maybe now he has trouble communicating his wants to the family or he isn’t convincing enough for them to get him the hobby items [I believe in TS4 children can ask for new toys, so I’d say he failed to do that].

~*~

Castor grew up on Wednesday (he was rolled to be a Romance sim) and Olga Leila was sadly ready to depart from this world. I only realized later that it makes little sense for Castor to be a Romance sim. He got Family-oriented TS3 trait before. I might give him Family secondary, maybe... Castor got his teen trait, and he turned out, being Inappropriate. It could be due to the fact that their father was diagnosed with some mental issues or because their sister is dead and mom – permanently bedridden. He has maxed out Nature enthusiasm and is on the way to becoming the perfect heir for the gardening business, as he has a Silver talent badge already.

Twins aged up at the very end of the round. They are Knowledge [Declan] and Family [Ronan]. Castor is 4 days older than his twin brothers, which is not much of a difference. If I decide to move the brothers onto their own lots, they won’t be played this rotation anymore, but if some lady wants to have an affair with them, they’ll be available.

Declan is a Great kisser, Coward, with Green thumb, and No sense of humor. He will have a winery, if I manage to get the mod to work in the spring season.

Ronan is a Socially awkward, Inappropriate sim with Good sense of humor who Loves the heat. Loving the heat makes sense, as they are from a family for whom the colder seasons were really difficult. I don’t really know what to do with him yet, but he seemed quite into Creativity, so perhaps Pottery (both maxis and the new Sun&Moon set).

~*~

Eustacia and Cyprian Carbonneau came over [it took Cyprian out of the family bin!], probably because Eustacia wanted to visit her old BFF as she hasn’t heard from her for a long time – and maybe they wanted to buy some vegetables. Unfortunately, Hortensia is pretty much a wilting vegetable at this point, but her children kept the guests company at least. It makes sense Cyprian arrives, as this is the round when he’s coming home! Unfortunately, Leofwine Gardiner is never coming back...

~*~

It started snowing during the last days of autumn already, but they managed to harvest some stuff at least. There is nothing to do in winter on a plantation really, so Castor will probably try to find love.

I think the grapevines bugged out because I had moved them from another lot (inspecting them doesn’t show any pop up, so I feel like something is up). I also had some invisible objects on the lot and had to nuke them. Hopefully the lot itself is fine though, as it had a grave on it, and I’d rather not fiddle with that.

[casspurrjoybell-19]

Does it Matter? - Chapter 10 - Part 1

*Warning: Adult Content*      

The meeting with Lord Hobbs took place in Lord Hobbs' private rooms in the palace.

Although Maric was over an hour late there was still food laid out waiting for him on the small, two person table that sat in front of a window that overlooked the city.

Brayan remained standing by the door while Maric and Lord Hobbs sat down at the table. 

"How has the city been treating you, your highness?" Lord Hobbs asked.

"I hope you ran into no troubles with whatever errands you needed to run this morning." 

"No," was all Maric offered in response.

He knew Lord Hobbs had deliberately steered the conversation in a direction that would give Maric the opportunity to apologise for being late and he had no intention of taking the bait.

"I asked you to come up with a resolution for the issue with the peasants and their food shortages before I left. Have you done that?" 

"As a matter of fact, I have," Lord Hobbs said and Maric was already sure from the smug smile on his face that he wouldn't like his answer.

"I thought it over and you're right. Letting my workers starve is inefficient. I don't want to have to train new people every season." 

"A logical position." 

"On the other hand, I'd be a terrible businessman if I simply agreed to be the one who loses out whenever harvests are bad." 

"You've come up with a way for nobody to lose?" 

"Well, I wouldn't say that."

Lord Hobbs gestured towards the pastries in front of him, welcoming Maric to try one.

Maric didn't respond to the offer and Lord Hobbs shrugged and continued talking.

"I don't think my plan is quite legal under the current system so I might need your help in changing that but essentially it would work through debt. I would give the workers a larger cut of the harvest during lean years and then when the next good harvest comes around they would pay off that debt. With a healthy amount of interest, of course." 

"It was my understanding that they never had much to spare, even in the best years. With interest added on as well, would there realistically be any chance of them repaying the debt?" 

"Oh, no."

Lord Hobbs smiled as he shook his head.

"They're not supposed to pay it off. You see as long as they're in debt to me they have to keep working for me, which gives me further leverage and I pay taxes, so this benefits the crown as well. What do you think?" 

Maric stared at him for a long moment before turning to Brayan.

"Brayan, can you bring Thayne in?" 

Out of all of his men Maric had specifically requested that Thayne be one of the ones standing guard outside the door but he hadn't told any of them why. 

"Yes, your Highness," Brayan said and then he opened the door, leant out and murmured something to the men outside. 

A moment later, Thayne stepped into the room. 

He looked as confused as anyone else about what he was doing there but as usual he didn't look concerned.

He was nothing special when it came to combat but Maric valued him for his calm, analytical mind. 

"Thayne, I have a job for you," Maric told him. 

Interest lit up in Thayne's eyes.

"Yes, your Highness?" 

"I need you to calculate approximately how much a field worker would have to earn in a year, in coin, in order to sustain themselves and their family. I'm sure you can figure out all of the factors better than I can but you'll need to take into account how many children they typically need to support, the price of basic food and clothing, supplemental work opportunities outside of the growing season. Things like that." 

Thayne had been nodding slowly as Maric was talking, eyes gone distant and thoughtful.

"I can do that." 

"Good. Get me a number before dinner time this evening and then, Lord Hobbs, that will be what you pay your workers for a season's work. No more messing around with sharing out crop yields. You can sell your entire harvest and they can buy whatever food suits them." 

"Your highness, I'm going to have to respectfully veto this idea," Lord Hobbs said.

"That would take huge amounts of power away from me and provide no benefits in exchange." 

"No," Maric said.

“No?” 

"I'm not asking you. This is simply what is happening. I gave you an opportunity to present your own idea, you came up with something that would ultimately only make things worse for your workers and now here we are." 

"I understand and I'm willing to come to a compromise but your plan is simply unacceptable. Do you forget that I sit on the council? It's within my power to veto changes like this." 

"That's absolutely not true," Brayan contributed from where he was still standing guard near the door. 

"No, he has a point," Maric said.

"Legally he can't overrule me but it's like leaving food unattended on a low table because the dog isn't allowed to take food from the table. It's awfully hard to ensure rules are followed when you're not looking." 

"I wasn't suggesting I would defy you," Lord Hobbs insisted.

"But the council does have the power to alter laws when we agree it's in the best interests of the city and I do hold sway with them. If any changes you make don't work for me, they might not be around for very long." 

"Because you're the single most powerful man in this city." 

"Exactly." 

"Hmm."

Maric turned to Brayan.

"Can you send someone to ask Paige if she wants this man's job?" 

"Excuse me?" Lord Hobbs asked. 

Maric turned back to him.

"I don't know her very well but she seemed like a nice lady. Owns some horses. I'm fairly sure the only other person I've met since arriving in this city who I actually liked isn't literate, so my options are limited." 

"You're replacing me? That's your solution to this disagreement?" 

Maric thought about it for a moment and then slowly nodded.

"Yes. I've decided to win."