#'youre rich how do you get them to lower the price' 'i dont have to do that' 'shit youre rich i forgot'

[elibeeline]

"Ello chap. Name's 'Arry. 'Arry Pottah. This is my wife, Megan Fox, uh, we have six children. Brian, Bekah, Brandon, Brando, Brandy, and Bailey. Um, we're here to buy a car- carriage, a carriage."

[atangledfate]

Jewel paused and looked up at the flaming decoy. Maybe on the surface he was all business. Maybe on the surface he wanted to be aloof and uncaring. But she believed on some level they were a good person after all they saved her. Made a decoy to protect her. Maybe they justified it by saying it was to hurt clutch, but she believed on some level they did so because it was the right thing to do. She didn't know for sure though but only smiled at them despite all that.

" Maybe it was just circumstance... but we owe you all the same... so i'll say thank you despite all that. The enemy of my enemy is a friend or so the saying goes. "

She tensed up when he blew a hole in the floor, though it hardly mattered now did it? The red flashing lights had her shaking visibly from fear! she had to hurry! get the Chaotix to safety and her people to!

" Ah! he wouldn't--- OH CHAOS HE WOULD! "

She realized that if Clutch was cornered he might well take them all out! But she had to hope it was just a bluff!

" We--- should get moving! i'll head to the incinerator and save the Chaotix! do what you can about security... and lets pray Tails is successful on his eand to! "

She was about to dive down into the lower deck when a cloud like mist flooded out of the vents! coating the halls in a cool misty breeze! that filled the halls! it was so thick it was hard to see, making it doubly hard to figure out where to go! luckily she had antenna! which acted as a second sensory perception allowing her to navigate even in darkness! She could sense the air flow around her with them and thus gave her a way to move about.

" What next! no i don't want to know! "

================================================

Tails had nearly reached his goal as he jumped up and used his tails to smash down one of the security guards. Making his way into the engine room and grapping the manual control console. He started to rapidly punch in commands to adjust the ships location. Quickly hacking the security system and lock down protocols and shifting the ship at an angle. Luckily the mist was only flooding the upper levels, so down here he wasn't effected!

" Crap... this old hunk of junk---i'll have to stay here and make sure the ship is far enough away. Guess its up to everyone else to stop Clutch... here is hoping those red flashing lights dont mean when i think they mean..."

================================================

Clutch Jumped up onto the front of the carrier as the Chain was yeeted at him! he shot the chain mid flight with his cane gun! a loud plink of steel meeting steel and a spark! as he deflected the chain in one fell motion! proving tha he might be old but he hadn't lost his step! at least not yet!

" HAH! no i don't think so! not yet! "

Eggman and Metal both entered the room casually as he was amused by what he saw. Clutch refit his old carrier design with his own crude weapons. It lacked any elegance at all and in a way he was rather insulted by it. He however let his eyes turn to the stranger as he smiled widely as he leaned back on his heels and let out a jovial laugh!

" OH HO! and why would i do that? You wanted to talk first then go talk! Metal and i should wait our turn! you can handle it right? after all you sure talk a big talk! let's see you walk that walk! "

He had no intention of helping beyond what he had to and clearly he didn't see a reason to get involved with the battle!

" Besides you are doing so well! and he's just ONE old man... i'm sure you can handle him..."

Clutch seemed mildly amused by the situation as he held the cane toward the stranger and gripped the trigger! He had a wonderful idea one he'd try and see how loyal this guy was!

" how about this! i'll pay you to kill the egg and let me go! name your price! i'm going to be rather rich in a moment... and with Restoration gone i'll be even richer when Clean Sweep takes over! so what do you say? how much to get you to let me go! "

He held out the dead mans switch in front of him

" Or we can go with the alternative! i blow us all to bits! no one wins we all lose! your call stranger..."

"Thanking me is pointless. I'm not noble hero, nor someone simply doing the right thing. I know it may seem like I'm just trying to get you to dislike me, though I just know I don't deserve it for the core reasons I'm here. You may disagree if you wish, though its only the facts is all. As for seeing me again, I doubt I'll stick around long when the dust settles." He was simply being honest.

"Fifty three people are one this floor. Eighteen walking around which means they're more than likely guards. That means thirty-five are civilians. Only three are closer to use which means leading security over here is our best bet." He then held out the palm of his hand before blasting a huge hole into the ground with flames, the metal metaling as it tore through the ship. "Don't worry, it isn't going to hit anyone or damage the ship's systems or engine." He then looked up seeing the red flashing lights.

"Lovely, a self destruct system. With them active I can sense the heat coming of. Five hundred and sixty three bombs are what I can see in this part of the ship. Seems like Clutch isn't too happy things aren't going his way. Though it'd be pointless if he doesn't get off the ship so as long as he stays on the chances of him detonating are slim." He wouldn't put it past him to take everyone out with him, though that's normally a last resort.

===========================================================

The cloaked stranger entered the room, seeing Clutch in one of Eggman's carriers, though it had clearly been modified. He would toss the chain from his sleeve and warped it around the Egg Carrier. "Sorry, though you aren't going anywhere." Most would think he was insane thinking he could hold back something with so much power without being dragged along, though was sure Clutch would be surprised.

"Hey, mind getting you tin can in here to grab Clutch from the carrier before Clutch get's the bright idea to take everyone out with him?" He was smart, though doubt he could figure out how to turn off the signal to set off all the explosive's in the airship. Guess Eggman being here was paying off in this sense, though he did wonder if Clutch had actually disabled all of Eggman's failsafe's in that carrier.

[chr0llossexygf]

RIBBONS, CHEERLEADERS, EDDIE

PAIRING: eddie munson x fem reader

SUMMARY: eddie is surprised to see a hawkins high tigers uniform in a heavy metal shop. but he’s even more surprised to see it belongs to hawkins high’s golden girl y/n l/n.

WARNING: fluff sm sm sm fluff. THIS IS CO CUTE OMG!2:!:7: creds to the original gif owners! idk their @ cuz i find most of these gifs on pinterest and they aren’t linked :((

eddie walks the streets of hawkins with his hands in his pockets. he’s wearing his hellfire shirt with his jean jacket. his skinny black ripped jeans. it’s the same thing he wore last week on tuesday. but it doesn’t really matter.

he looks at the shops, none of them seem to fit his style and taste. not that there are any to begin with in hawkins. it’s a shit hole made for stupid suburban rich families. not for people like eddie.

in the midst of his little breakdown of how shitty the town is, one shop catches his eye. he’s never seen this shop before. he walks a bit faster. his eyes widen. slayer heavy metal shop? holy shit. holy shit.

his face brightens up. there’s no way. a heavy metal shop in hawkins? what the actual fuck? he stops right infront of it. he looks at the inside from the big glass windows. holy shit it’s sick. there’s everything there. t-shirts. vinyls. posters. cassettes. jackets.

his eyes travel around the shop. his eyes widen. he stumbles.a hawkins high uniform. a cheer uniform to be exact. he stares. your hair is up in a pony tail. a dark green ribbon tying it together. your wearing white knee socks with white sneakers. he recognises you. it’s y/n. what are you doing at a heavy metal shop?

he pushes the door open. you turn around, your skirt twirling with you. a smile on your face. “ e-eddie?” you blurt out in surprise. “ oh my would you look at that! you remember me!” eddie says his eyes wandering around the shop. you smile, “ yeah of course why wouldn’t i?” you say folding a motörhead t-shirt.

“ i’m surprised you remember me y/n.” he says flipping through a bunch of dio vinyls. you laugh. eddie walks around the shop, “ you know, i am obviously not the one to judge people but uh. what are you doing here y/n?” he says shoving his hands in his pockets. you turn around crossing your hands, “ what do you mean?” you ask tilting your head to the side with a smile. eddie laughs grabbing a mötley crüe cd. “ you know your a cheerleader what would you be doing in a heavy metal shop?” he confesses turning the cd around to look at the price. you giggle, “ what your saying is i don’t fit in?” you mumble smiling.

“ no no totally not. it’s just you know you dont-“ you cut him off. “ fit in? i know. believe or not i like heavy metal.” you giggle looking through patches. eddie walks up to the cashier leaning on it, “ so let me get this straight. y/n l/n the most popular cheerleader of hawkins high works at a heavy metal shop.”

“ correct.” you mumble turning to look at eddie. “ is that a bad thing?” you ask smiling.

eddie quickly shakes his head. “ no no no totally not. it’s just- your not what i thought you’d be like.” he says grabbing a metallica patch. “ mean and scary?” you giggle walking to the cashier. eddie tilts his head to the side, “ yeah well i actually kind of thought you’d be kinda mean and scary too.” you mumble biting your lower lip. eddie chuckles, “ i certainly look the part.”

you laugh. “ so do i, i mean i look like your typical mean cheerleader.” you joke biting your nails. eddie covers his smile with his hair. “ who works at a heavy metal shop.” he adds. you smile nodding.

you look at the patch he’s holding. “ i have that one on my jacket.” you say looking up at eddie. he giggles, “ you listen to metallica?” he questions quietly. you nod giggling, “ yeah i do.”

he smiles again. he’s surprised. and shocked.

and happy? your so easy to talk to. no one from hellfire is gonna believe him if he tells them he saw y/n l/n in a heavy metal shop. but he also doesn’t wanna tell them. he wants it to be a little secret between you and him. how is it so easy for you to make him smile. how are you so easy to converse with. he feels warm. really warm right now. he feels secluded from the world. and that’s a good thing right now.

“ then i‘ll take this one.” he hands you the patch. you look at his denim vest, “ do you want me to sew it on?” you ask looking back at him. “ oh i wouldn’t wanna steal your look l/n.” he whispers furrowing his eyebrows jokingly. you roll your eyes.

he takes off his vest placing it on the counter. “ i put mine on the right side. do you want yours on the left?” you mumble opening a drawer, grabbing a sewing needle. “ i don’t really mind.” he says shoving his hands in his pockets. “ i’ll put it on the right side so we can match.” you mumble smiling.

his heart just melted a bit. heat rises in his cheeks. his ears get warm. he quickly looks down hiding his face.

“ all done!” you exclaim looking at eddie, he looks at his denim vest. “ oh that’s sick.” he chuckles. “ you like it?” you question smiling.

“ yeah of course i do.” he says admiring the patch. you feel your cheeks start to heat up. you cough looking around the shop. “ it’s uhm- it’s for free.” you choke on your words. he looks at you in confusion.

“ your cool eddie.” you mumble playing with the hem of your skirt. eddie chuckles, “ your cool too y/n.” he whispers gently grabbing his denim jacket putting it on. “ so uh are we just gonna go back to not talking to each other during school?” he says putting his hands in his pockets. you giggle. “ why?”

“ because i’m a freak l/n.” he teases biting his nails, you look at his rings. “ so am i munson.” you giggle biting your lower lip. “ you know what- here.“ eddie looks at you.

you remove the green ribbon from your hair. your hair falls down.

eddie stares at you. you look so beautiful right now. your eyes are beautiful. your hair is falling in slow motion for him. time froze. he examines your face, your eyes are sparkling. your smiling. you have the cutest most adorable smile on earth. his eyes bore into you. he can stare at you for hours and hours and not get bored. something soft snaps him out of his trance. he looks down to see you tying the green ribbon around his wrist.

“ here. if your so sure we won’t talk to each other at school. or if u forget to talk to me, just look down at your wrist. there’s your reminder munson.” you giggle tying the ribbon.

“ you deserve a reminder too then. for when your too busy with the shooting balls into laundry basket weirdos. with your little pom poms.” he reaches for his back pocket, he grabs his black hankerchief. you laugh tilting your head to the side. “ what is it?” you ask smiling. “ your wrist please?”

you extend your wrist to him, he ties his hankerchief around your wrist. you blush again. he’s holding your wrist. and holy shit your skin is soft. so so so soft. he doesn’t wanna let go. he double ties it just to be able to feel your soft skin against his. “ there we go.” he chuckles.

“ oh that’s sick!” you exclaim looking at your wrist. eddie smiles. “ yeah? you think so?” he whispers gently. you nod smiling. “ then i’ll see you at school freak.” eddie says turning around . “ i’ll see you freak.” you laugh. eddie opens the door turning around to look at you once more. you wave. he waves back. “ gosh your adorable.” he mumbles under his breath turning around to leave.

[actualbird]

which of the nxx boys can haggle?

wc: 1k

TIER 1: people who are sane and knowledgeable about purchasing

artem wing: can haggle but doesnt

artem knows how to haggle. hes seen his mother do it as he grew up and then he saw neil do it later on in his life and artem is a fast enough learner to understand how to do it himself.

however, when he was a child, his mother started giving him an allowance so he could learn how to manage finances. one day, he saw a snack he really wanted to buy with his own money but then it was Way Too Expensive. and so in the way all children do, hes like "why's it cost so much!" to which mrs. wing replies with "because of The Economy, baby."

and so artem decides to learn about The Economy and ends up with a pretty solid understanding of supply and demand, market trends, and other factors that go into the final price. he learns this all at AGE 10 and he decides that as long as all of these processes are done justly, the price is nothing to complain about ever.

and so he just doesnt haggle!!! but also, hes not somebody people wanna scam because fully grown artem wing at the supermarket exudes SUCH an intense and focused aura that stepping into that range surely deals immense psychic damage to anybody who has ill intent

-

luke pearce: can haggle and does

luke doesnt have to haggle. hes working so many fucking jobs (for fun?? for the benefit of satisfying his horrid urge to be a benefit for only other people???) and he does those jobs really damn well, so im sure hes got money!! but his personality just strikes me more as "if i can get it a lower price, i will, because it's a waste if you dont take that opportunity."

hes a pretty chill haggler tho. he'll smile and laugh and tease with the shop owner on how "i'll buy 3 more packs of these noodles if you bring the whole price down a bit, so technically, youre making more profit, yeah?" and honestly, his haggling works mostly because hes so earnest and charming and even if you do turn him down, he kinda just shrugs and goes "fair enough!" and buys what he was planning to buy anyway.

luke is unscammable tho. not bc of his vibes, mind you, cuz luke pearce's vibes (NOT agent raven's vibes, to be clear, thats a whole other animal) are vibes of a puppy that will apologize to YOU if you spill milk on his lap. hes got very kind vibes and that seems like a scammer's dream come true but nobody in stellis has the heart to scam him bc luke is often seen rummaging around trash cans or metal dumpsters

he is not dumpster diving for food. hes just curious if anybody threw out some cool appliances he can nab spare parts from or make into new gadgets. but stellis city doesnt know that. all they know is that the puppy boy who owns time's antiquities frequently sticks his head in the rubbish and theyre all collectively like "NOBODY SCAM HIM EVER, WE NEED TO PROTECT HIM"

-

TIER 2: i mean, it's one banana, rosa. what could it cost? 10 dollars?

marius von hagen: cant haggle and doesnt

marius is self aware enough to know that hes obscenely rich and does NOT know jackshit about small money management. like, hes great with money in large amounts. he knows the best amount of money for investments and stocks and how to plan finances long term for businesses, so he knows how money works!!!

he just doesnt know how it works at a 7/11

which usually isnt a problem. marius isnt the one doing most of the purchasing, thats left to the house staff or vincent, buuuuut when hes hanging out with mc, just the two of them, hes atlas carrying the world on his shoulders in regards to purchases.

theres a 50/50 percent chance mc will save him when hes having trouble figuring out how much to pay. she mostly saves him when hes about to do something wayy too stupid (like trade his horrendously expensive watch for an ice cream cone, HE ALMOST DID THIS IN CANON in Marius SSR Fabulous Feast) but anything less than that and hes on his own

which tbh, marius doesnt mind. it seems to make her happy seeing him fumble and be out of his element and also this is never gonna affect his funds. so if hes getting overcharged, it's never a problem

this does however mean that marius von hagen, when hanging out with a certain lawyer, is PRIME SCAM MATERIAL.

all of stellis city is like "when u see rich boy with the girl, GET HIS ASS"

vyn richter: cant haggle but does

[spoilers] vyn is of a royal lineage. hes the son of a duke. im damn sure that for all of his early life when he was still living in svart, he never had to purchase a gosh dang thing because all of it was done by house staff.

however, once vyn leaves svart and goes to stellis, he does have to learn quickly, so now hes not COMPLETELY naive. still, i cant imagine vyn richter walking around in like, a wet market or a bodega/cornerstore. i think vyn gets all of his food purchases from very upscale farmer's markets and all his other purchases in similarly hoity toity establishments.

so he can buy things. but his reference for how much things cost is HORRIBLY SKEWED by his luxurious upscale tastes. bring him to a garage sale and he will not know the general price of anything. he cant haggle

yet he does anyway, so he can be IMPRESSIVE. which he wants to be so much to the point that self awareness briefly exits his brain.

he haggles only around mc so he can be impressive cool. and he succeeds at looking impressive cool!!! in contrast to luke who is the chillest haggler ever, vyn channels such unsettling haggling energy that sellers can do nothing but agree to his terms.

but his terms.

are bad.

because since he doesnt know what normal shit costs, he actually ends up haggling the price WAY FUCKING HIGHER THAN IT ORIGINALLY WAS

vyn, smugly presenting mc with a banana he had haggled to 5x the original price: for you, my lady :)

mc: //trying so hard to not burst into laughter

(nobody is scamming vyn, they wouldnt be brave enough to....vyn is just continually scamming HIMSELF.....)

[atissi]

What advice would you give someone who wants to play Pathologic but is also terrified of screwing up really badly because I've played just enough of it to feel like there's no way I can succeed without looking stuff up but I don't want to do that! Just basic tips and/or reassurances if you have any?

Updated: Feb. 27 2021 (since I've finished and am replaying P2)

See, the thing about Pathologic is that it’s not possible to “succeed” like you do in other video games. There’s no happy ending for everyone. In the same sense, you can’t really fail. The game accommodates a wide variety of deaths and mistakes—even in Pathologic Classic HD, you can get a character's ending if you hoard enough medicine by the end of the 12 days, no matter how many people get sick or die. In Pathologic 2, everyone can die, but you’ll still be able to get an ending. Even some of the "bad" endings are fun in their own right. Sometimes, the game will reward you with more content because you failed in the first place.

All that being said, I totally relate to your fears. I’ll start by talking about Pathologic 2 first, since I’m more familiar with it. Then there will be some tips on playing Pathologic Classic HD.

Pathologic 2 is incredibly punishing, both emotionally and mechanically. I’ve seen people adapt to this through 3 different playstyles. I’ll rank them in terms of “least close to the intended gaming experience” to “most close”.

1. Just cheat.

“wrt cheating, as a notorious cheater, id recommend trying to do the game as legitimately as possible regardless! if there are some aspects that you absolutely do not vibe with, even with reduced difficulty (for me that's hunger mechanics), i would say that you can load in items to mitigate this aspect. and, tying in with the second point, if you complete a run this way you can always go back and try it legitimately since you've (sort of) gotten an understanding of the mechanic.” - Onion

If you have really bad anxiety, or just dont have the time available to do the other playstyles, cheating is a way to engage with Pathologic 2′s excellent story. Fiddling with the difficulty controls is allowed. Spawning in endless food for yourself is possible. I can even get you in touch with someone who uses cheat codes in the game regularly to get game assets. If changing the game is what it takes for you to get through it, I think it’s better than nothing. But I’d personally at least encourage you to try an Imago playthrough first. Decide if it’s too difficult for you after that. And again: Pathologic 2 is constantly trying to trip you up. It’s meant to be difficult. Sometimes you’ll fail and the game won’t tell you if you could have prevented it. Just keep going. But like Onion said, cheating works as a supplement.

2. Replay, replay, and replay, until you get it right.

“You can always replay. You have more time than they do. Also save states are your friend.” - Alex

“reload as much as possible, do NOT look things up. your first playthru WILL be bad, and thats good!!! experience it fully yourself first. [and] “reload as much as possible” meaning like: [it] isnt a crime, you can do it as many times as possible. but dont get stressed about doing everything perfectly. its an experience!!!” - Zee

There’s no penalty for using your save states. If you get stuck in a death loop, go back as far as you need to in order to get things right. Hopefully this means starting a day over and using your time more effectively. Personally, I got to Day 7 before realizing I had to restart from Day 1, because I was doing that badly. Trust me, if you’ve gotten one miracle cure and 10 bottles of water by then, you’ll be doing better than I was. My friend Bee had trouble too, and took 92 hours to finish their first playthrough. A replay playstyle takes a LOT of time. But Pathologic 2 is so rich in content that replaying isn’t even as annoying as it could be. And this is also the best way to complete as many quests and save as many people as you want. Whenever you’re scared, just remember: you can always go back on your choices! (Other than the theatre’s death penalties. But nothing can help you with those.)

3. Just go through it.

Again. You’re not supposed to succeed in Pathologic. In the words of the lead translator Kevin Snow, “…I know [Pathologic 2’s] script and this is different from other games: there’s so much story locked behind failure and death. You’ll die, and you can’t save everyone. That doesn’t gate you from story; it gives you more. Resist, survive, but continue.” It’s only when you’re suffering that you experience the story so viscerally. That’s when the choices mean something. Sacrificing your own health or the health of others–saving tinctures for yourself, breaking into houses, killing people, choosing not to help people because you just don’t have time–these are impactful because you’re experiencing the mechanical repercussions of your actions. You are not a removed arbiter of the Town’s suffering. Everyone in Pathologic is having the worst 12 days of their life, and you’re dying right alongside them. Spoilers for Day 4, but I don’t think visiting the Rod and seeing the Tragedians would have affected me so deeply if I wasn’t actively starving for the entire sequence. It served as a reminder that I wasn’t the only one in pain; it was heart-breaking and heart-warming. Which I think is Pathologic at its core.

Try to see your failures in the game as another form of success. You’re experiencing the game as it’s meant to be played. And when you feel bad about all the people you’ve failed, remember that this is all a play. The game knows it’s artificial. You can replay the game after you finish–and feel free to use cheats or lowered difficulties on a replay–in order to get everything right. Your mistakes aren’t permanent! But on a first playthrough, try to tough through the hardships. You’ll have a more fulfilling time.

Other tips

You can use these 3 playstyles in combination if you need to. I let myself die when I feel like I deserved the punishment, or reload when I feel like I don’t. Bee managed to finish Day 11 by lowering the game difficulty in the final stretch. Just approximate the intended gaming experience as much as you can.

As for gameplay guides, I don’t think anyone I’ve met recommends it (at least for Pathologic 2). The game does interesting things with when and where it reveals information to you, often in ways that are deliberately inconveniencing. You want to experience that on your own. I also think Pathologic 2 is relatively good at telegraphing mechanics or quests. compared to Patho Classic. That said, I do have tips that I wish I knew before playing:

Sprint everywhere. I know the town is beautiful. But you’re on a hell of a time crunch. If you finish your quests early you can forage or trade for more resources, or just bottom out your exhaustion bar. Sprinting does not make your exhaustion go up faster, and water is plentiful in the first few days. Just do it! Save your own time!

Save a lot. Even if you’re not gonna die on your way in and out of the Broken Heart, this game is chock-full of choices, down to the resource management. If you waste a swig of twyrine, you’ll want a good save point to reload at. You can load any save point in your timeline, so save as often as you want. Keep track of where clocks are on the map--the game tags these in the building descriptions. (For that matter, keep track of where beds are. I didn’t realize I could sleep at Vlad Sr.’s place, which made me waste SO much time travelling between the Shelter and the Lair.)

Learn the trading economy. Everyone holds items at different values. Even the kids value certain nuts over others. There are also some interesting conversion rates between items, like peanuts to soap to pemmican. Make the most of the items you’re bartering. And for that matter, try to build up a cache of items valuable to little girls, in case you find one with a schmowder. The kid’s caches are valuable for trading too: twyrine can show you the locations.

This is also a good spoiler-free guide to Pathologic 2′s mechanics.

For Pathologic Classic HD, I haven’t personally played it, but I’m under the impression that it’s easier than Pathologic 2 because there are less character perma-deaths and no death penalties. The advice about reloading still applies. Here’s what Ally says:

“id recommend using a spoiler free guide (Bachelor, Haruspex, and Changeling guides) but other than that read the diary and letters carefully and try to keep track of npcs that could be affiliated with quests. also! some quests have different options for endings so there could be multiple ways to complete them. stock up on food on the earlier days, and after the inquisitor arrives because the prices drop. try to stealth kill with melee weapons when you can, and also reserve your bullets. …also make sure to trade with the children a lot! hold onto objects like the hooks and flowers [to get schmowders. Like I said before, to win the game you only need enough cures to heal the Bound.] …another tip is to keep a pen and paper around to take notes. like when i got the tincture recipes instead of keeping them in my inventory i just wrote them down.”

And that’s it! If you need specific advice or clarification, feel free to DM me! I love talking about this game. I can also get you in touch with anyone mentioned in this post (except Kevin Snow LMAO). Pathologic has an amazing story and I want everyone to experience it!!!

[letstalksymphogear]

Symphogear, EP. 6

Last Time on Grand Theft Auto:

Tsubasa recovers from the world’s gayest coma as Hibiki trains her mind while putting aside such silly concepts as “the love of my life” and “literally being with my girlfriend.” After cooling Miku’s paranoia with her brand new washboard abs, Genjuro prepares the team for a pizza run across the city to deliver a dangerously hot pizza pie named Durandal. Chaos emerges as the delivery is intercepted by a rival pizza gang, lead by the nefarious Gremlin known as Yukine Chris. But, before the pizza could be claimed, dedicated pizza deliverywoman Hibiki not only steals it back, but eats it, harnessing the power of the pizza and unleashing cheesy pasta based chaos around the location.

Ryoko is so into it that she taps into her superpowers and protects Hibiki after she passes out. The delivery is considered a failure, and no tip is given.

And so, the journey continues...

Meanwhile, in this weird, tricked out mansion...

Chris meditates on some water metaphors of her own.

“that pacman colored freak took only touching it to activate a cheap ass french sword that gave her weird demon powers and its taken me YEARS to use this dumb stripper outfit and the funny cane that goes with it, what the FUCK man, what even is my life”

“maybe... maybe honeybaked hams ARE that powerful...”

“NO! turkey is the superior meat! it’s healthier, lower in fat, and way more tasty! fuck you! i’ll get my goddamned revenge!”

Chris begins musing about Fine’s motivations to capture Hibiki; during these, we’re treated to some brief image flashbacks of Chris’s life.

Suddenly, those jokes about food are a lot less funny.

It doesn’t take a genius to put two and two together as to why this young woman is helping a strange nudist dominatrix spread alien terror across the city of mumblednoises, Japan. She doesn’t really have many an option on the table. It’s either help the weird kinkster with her plans, or die.

Despite everything, she has a high opinion of Fine, for the same reasons someone might have a high opinion of a television show if it were the only show they were ever exposed to. She is deeply afraid of being alone again, because she has lived through such misery that the very thought of existing out in the cold again terrifies the shit out of her.

The Sun rises casually amidst Chris’s thoughts.

“ah shit. it just hit me. i literally have spent the entire night standing here instead of actually going the fuck to sleep. goddamnit.”

On such a devious metaphorical twist, Fine stands behind her as the Sun rises.

“yeah, jokes on you. i couldnt sleep for shit either. turns out, all nude, no blankets? in japan? real bad idea.”

“thats why i decided to GO GOTH, babey! whattaya think? do i give those witchy vibes, huh? real ‘black magic woman’ santana hours? feeling cute, gonna head out with the girls and summon satan in the woods kinda aesthetic looking shit? come on, be real with me. does this not look baller?”

“you look like morticia decided to go to the grocery store to buy some wonder bread, but other than that, its a step up from your usual pussy out attitude, so sure”

“you know i decided to get some brain cells on loan from Brain Cells R Us, and ive been thinking this solomon cane stuff is solomon lame. i dont need this dumb oversized harry potter cosplay prop to get shit done. also, murder is... sorta bad? im still trying to get the brain cell stuff down.”

“i can punch just as good as goody two shoes if not better.”

“lol go do it then champ, im gonna go cut down a forest of trees now”

And so, they both just kinda... stand there.

“QUACK, NEXT SCENE, QUACK”

Meanwhile, Tsubasa is rapidly trying to rehabilitate herself from her wounds like walking like a madman, her IV drip presumably filled with Taco Bell brand Doritos Locos Tacos super spicy nacho cheese. Taco Bell: Live Mas.

“im gonna clear every fucking taco bell in your goddamned memory, kanade”

“think outside the bun! wait, what? that was a taco bell slogan? ah fuck it, im dead. what nerd’s gonna try and correct me?”

“i would, kanade. i am that nerd.”

Tsubasa is hell bent to try and understand Kanade’s simple philosophy of helping others selflessly. Unfortunately, when Kanade died, she took all the brain cells between them in the process, so coming to this epiphany is a work in progress.

“listen its a fucking miracle you are 1. alive and 2. able to have your blood run on the garbage melted plastic taco bell tries to dupe people into believing is cheese so why dont you just lie down and think of better franchises to eat from”

“no! you dont understand! taco bell is a franchise of the PEOPLE! their meals are cheap and filling and- and the chicken quesadillas are of good quality for their price! i promised kanade- my vow to the death. taco bell... ergh... now and forever... i-”

“wait. my gay senses are tingling.”

It’s Hibiki, probably running track with Miku.

“oh yeah... her... i should probably apologize to her. about trying to kill her. and then letting her almost be kidnapped. and just giving her a general hard time about something that wasn’t explained to her in the slightest for months. she’s a good bean.”

Tsubasa proceeds to never canonically apologize to Hibiki throughout the entirety of all 4 seasons of Symphogear.

Look at em run. See, it’s a metaphor, because they haven’t communicated yet and they’re running from their problems! But they’re running towards Tsubasa, who is part of the representative problem these two share! Clearly literary genius.

It’s like someone went halfway into writing an NTR plotline and went “maybe this isn’t a good idea to market our songs on.”

Hibiki is still thinking about her Hellshake Yano moment with Durandal. Mainly how she nearly killed someone with it. Hibiki is very starkly in the “killing is bad, and wrong” camp of morality, a trait currently unique to her that she’ll wind up teaching literally everyone else she meets one way or another.

Some could argue the L stands for Lydian, and they’re wrong. It stands for Lesbian.

“that was one hell of a run, hibiki! im pooped! why dont we go to the locker room and call it a day, have a nice shower and just get some dinn-”

“this is the last straw.

i clean your plates. i cook your food. we eat, shit, shower, and sleep in the same FUCKING area, and this is how you repay me? huh? you think being your wife is easy shit, hibiki? half the damn time you’re running off like clark kent having food poisoning and the other half ive gotta babysit you, the emotional equivalent of a preteen clown, to make sure your life doesn’t self destruct harder than Atlantis sinking into the ocean. im done! i am DONE. im reopening my tinder, im slamming my ass BACK into okcupid, and im gonna date some CUTE ACADEMY GIRLS that treat me BETTER than this ABSOLUTE BETRAYAL OF HEART AND IM NOT CRYING I SWEAR ITS JUST THE SWEAT IN MY EYES AND HIBIKI HOW COULD YOU-”

“oh yeah, sure! hey, lemme just do a few more laps, ive just been feeling judgmental about myself and my figure, you know? gotta push myself further...”

“o-oh yeah, sure. no worries, ill wait for you. love you too, hibiki...”

The girls bathe together, as good friends typically do.

“hey you ever notice the showers here have like, weird psuedo-luxurious minipools to bathe in? like, how rich is this school?”

“whoever made this place is either rich or a pervert. or both, probably!”

Miku remarks that Hibiki has changed since she’s entered Lydian, in a manner most unheterosexual.

“oh FUCK you really DO have washboard abs now! ohhh my god.”

“damn, those abs were heavenly. let’s get pancakes later.”

I won’t screenshot it but something to note is that they actually wear each other’s corresponding underwear colors (or even, if you want to examine more closely, each other’s underwear). Here’s an equivalent scene to give you the mental image.

This is the face of someone who knows what they want and already have it. Such is the power of Kohinata Miku.

Meanwhile, Genjuro comes back from the funeral of the guy the Americans filled violently and with impunity.

“yo that all black look looks baller. i should borrow that look... id look pretty gothy in it.”

“ryoko i sympathize with your sharp, fashionista eye but this was for a funeral, i was paying my respects to the dead. thats the usual dress code.”

“didnt know they updated that. i remember back in my day, we just went in white garments and chanted in latin!”

“shit was fire. literally. lots of funeral pyres.”

“lmao ryoko buddy your larping sessions arent actual history”

“hey dont shit on larping around me. i used to be a professional larper while i was majoring in acting. helped really sell my career when i had to pretend to slay the Dark Lord Jyarloen atop the mountain of skulls in Hargobor after my family was killed by the Dark Army. asshole.”

“haha yeah, larping, thats cool yeah, i do that

i...

i larp.”

“oh yeah? you wanna join my larping session sometime then? we’re gonna do an ancient babylon plot thats inspired by some anime, itll be fun”

“.....................................im super into realism.”

“i know im dressed for a funeral but id like to not part ways with my dignity yet. besides, we’ve got serious shit to talk about. basically, we’re on the verge of getting shitcanned.”

As it turns out, the death of this politician removed the last obstacle of opposition to maintain the 2nd Division, as the average criticism against the 2nd Division is “why are we funding this mystery division when we don’t know what they do”. Of course, the sensible idea for an organization that defeats the Noise is to declassify it, given people of different jobs and positions have physically seen the Symphogear in action, but you know. “Oh no, the other governments will come after us” stick gets shaken.

“im in a union. i know my rights. you’re not taking my acting job here away from me.”

“im not going back to be a preschool teacher. its been ten year. the bites on my ankles still havent healed...”

“yeah man, shit sucks ass. i cant fund my adoption habits if im fired.”

Look at these cinematic parallels. Symphogear truly is a franchise made by someone living in 3030.

“worst part is the new minister is super into america. he’s a... westaboo.”

“a westaboo?”

“westaboo?”

“did he just unironically say westaboo”

“he said westaboo. oh my god. this is the hell timeline.”

“i mean people kept calling me that for worshipping all these fighting flicks so i guess it fit? i dont see the problem here”

Meanwhile, in Lydian Academy...

“so it hit me, right? we’re ALL girls. and we ALL sing. now, humor me a moment. what if... what if we’ve all been recruited to potentially be superheroes... through our singing? like, there’s no coincidence that all this shit happens around us, right? and a famous singer LIVES here? i saw the black cars outside! weird shit is happening here- im not even gonna eat the all you can eat bar anymore!”

“kathy there is literally no such thing as superheroes who sing. this place is more likely to be a organ harvesting op than whatever madness you’re saying”

“what? you need me, a singing superhero, to go stop a problem happening underneath the school, a location meant to recruit young women into potentially becoming fellow crime fighting singers?”

“yeah im too busy poppin’ caps in asses so go kick ass in my place”

“sure!”

“.....................................who ya talkin to, hibiki?”

“the boss! gotta go do a thing again...”

“hibiki, i dont like the fact that capitalism is tearing us apart.”

“you’ve gotta join me in the revolution, hibiki. you. me. luxury automated gay space communism. aint it the dream? share my vision, hibiki. its glorious.”

“n... no...? no gay space communism today? well, what about tomorrow? or the next day? or... maybe the next day? baby steps, you say? but, direction action, hibiki! we’ve gotta strike now!”

“it’s okay hibiki. when i take over the world and destroy all first world government leaders, and unite the globe in my encompassing reign and love... ill make sure to spare you, and be my bride to be.”

“thanks miku. im just not ready yet for the globe to burn in an unending ball of fire as the continents fuse into a new utopia composed of our combined wills. also, ive really gotta go, its genuinely an emergency.”

“for the cause!”

“yes hibiki... for the cause...”

Admittedly, you can see the stages of grief Miku goes through when she sees Hibiki say she can’t join her for pancakes. It’s sad. This side story sucks.

Meanwhile, as it turns out, the problem Hibiki needed to resolve was checking on Tsubasa to see if she hadn’t dissolved into Taco Bell brand hot n’ spicy Tabasco sauce.

“god, cant believe taco bell was closed. now i gotta deliver these lame ass flowers”

“cant wait to get threatened again. wonder what she’ll say. ‘hibiki, i should have killed you when i had the chance.’ or ‘you’re so goddamned weak. i could break your spine with my fingernail’, or some other stuff about metaphors. oh, my stops here”

“HEY BITCH WHATS GOOD-”

“HOLY SHIT”

“you are already”

“dead.”

[naughtyneganjdm]

The Savior - Chapter 19

Summary: The reader learns more about Negan's past while they try to enjoy their small vacation together. 

Characters: Negan & reader

Warnings: Swearing and the after effects of parental abuse. 

AO3 Link: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11995341/chapters/40932143

Absolute bliss filled Y/N’s body as she kept her eyes closed and listened to the sounds of the waves splashing around her. It wasn’t often that she got to relax like this, but this specific moment in time felt amazing. The sun was beating down on her skin, the sound of the water was amazing and the warmth of Negan beside her made this a moment to remember. If someone would have told her months ago that she would be ditching school to spend a weekend with Negan somewhere she would have never believed them. School was so important to her, but this was nice. This was beyond nice.

Opening her eyes, she looked to her side to see Negan stretched out on the huge flat rock that they had swam to in the middle of the water. It wasn’t too far away from the shore, but it was far enough out to give them space alone. Negan had his sunglasses on and his arms were folded behind his head as he lay out in the sun.

Part of her was still confused as to why Negan decided to bring her to this place. It was nice to get to learn more about Negan’s past, but it still made her question things. It was sad, but it actually made her uncomfortable that Negan had all of this money. She was just trying to do her best to think past it and enjoy her time with Negan. Instead of thinking of it as his place, she was just attempting to think of this as a small vacation with Negan and that was all.

Gulping down, she shifted on the hard surface of the rock and turned on her side to face Negan. Reaching out, she traced her fingertips over Negan’s abdomen, watching it rise and fall with his breathing. Teasing her fingers through the thick hair over his body, she smiled and moved in to press a soft kiss over Negan’s chest. His heavy breaths told her that he was still somewhat asleep when she lowered her hand down his abdomen and slid her fingertips underneath his black swimsuit.

“Would you stop it,” Negan grumbled with a huff when her hand connected with his body and he reached down to collect her wrist before pulling her hand out from beneath the material. “You are like a fucking sex ninja. Dial back the horny…geez.”

“Oh please,” she giggled watching Negan push his sunglasses up to look over at her. “I learned from the best.”

“Well the best got drunk off his ass last night and he’s suffering from dehydration.  My testicles need some time to replenish what I’m missing,” Negan bluntly responded making a laugh fall from her lips as he reached down to touch himself through his swimsuit. “Trust me, I like doing it with you, but I’m not kidding. The alcohol gave me a hangover and a half. I need time to restore everything.”

Negan gave her a silly wink before pushing his sunglasses back down over his face. He leaned up and over enough to press a quick kiss over her lips before lying back down.

“Do you realize how uncomfortable fucking would be on this thing?” Negan grumbled, getting comfortable again. “One of us would end up with bruises.”

“Who said it would have led to fucking?” she retorted and Negan’s eyebrow arched up over his sunglasses. “I’m just saying, maybe I would have just given you a hand job.”

“Oh no, you are too greedy for that,” Negan nonchalantly responded making her reach out to poke him in the ribs making a goofy laugh fall from his lips. “I’m just saying, everything leads to sex. It always does. I just want to sit out here and enjoy my time with you. I know the water is romantic and we’re on the beach so ultimately you want to have sex and we’ll do it before we leave, but right now just is not the time.”

“You are so romantic, you know that?” she rolled her eyes and got comfortable again beside him. Negan’s fingertips stretched out in search of hers so he could hold her hand and squeeze her fingers in his.

“It’s a talent,” Negan teased listening to the sound of the waves, allowing them to comfort him into relaxing, something that he hadn’t done in quite some time. “Just think, right now at this time you would be in school just waiting for the time to run out so we could go back to my house and just sit around for a while.”

“I like what we do when we are home. I mean, the beach here is amazing, but…” she sighed, reaching out to caress her hand in over the planes of his abdomen. She drew small shapes over his skin before frowning. “I like our normal life.”

“As opposed to?” Negan breathed out, confused where she was headed with things.

“Maybe I’m just not used to this whole thing yet. A big house right off the beach in a rich city…” she rambled on and Negan’s dimples sunk in the longer he listened to her ramble on.

“There are places around here that I know you will love,” Negan insisted, laying back again on the rock before some of the water splashed up on the rock onto them. Negan heard her gasp and let out a small laugh. “That does happen in the ocean here sweetheart.”

“Oh ha ha,” she playfully hit him in the center of his stomach and a deep laugh fell from his lips.

“How about I take you into town? It’s a nice little town and there is some really cool stuff down by the piers. What do you say?” Negan sat up on the rock and she followed his movements. “There are some areas I used to love down there that I think you would like.”

“Won’t people notice you? Are you sure you are okay with walking around with me?” she confirmed and he shrugged his shoulders. He pushed his fingertips into his wet hair to slick it back before smiling.

“It’s been a long time. I highly doubt these people are going to remember me anyway,” Negan moved out to grab a firm hold of her to pull her close. Tipping in closer to her, he nudged her jaw playfully with his thumb before cupping her face in his rough hands. “Plus I really love you and don’t care what anyone else thinks.”  

“I love hearing you say that,” she hummed in approval as he kissed her a few more times before jumping into the water. “Are we going to head back there now?”

“It’s going to get dark soon. You’ll want to get some food in you and then we will walk around,” Negan answered after motioning her to follow him into the water. “So let’s go get showered and then see what we can get into.”

-

“This is a cute town,” Y/N muttered, following Negan out of the small diner that they had just eaten at. Negan had said that he thought no one would remember him, but so far he had run into several people that knew he was. No one questioned what he was doing with her, but it still felt odd being in a place where people clearly knew Negan and grew up with him. “You really liked it as a kid, huh?”

“I did,” Negan reached out to grab a tight hold of her hand and hooked his fingertips with hers. She was uncomfortable and gulped down, looking at their hands. “What’s wrong?”

“You’re okay with doing this out and about around here?” she confirmed and Negan smirked before nodding. “I mean, they know you Negan. Are you comfortable with them knowing that you are dating someone…younger?”

“Is it any of their business?” Negan’s eyebrow perked up and she let out a long sigh. “I’m fine. That’s all that matters. These people don’t know me. They know the me from when I was here. We live hours away from here. We’re okay.”

“If you…are comfortable with it,” she nodded, allowing him to hold onto her hand as they walked down Main Street. The city had bright lights filtering the street from the small shops and diners that were up and down the main road. “Thank you for dinner.”

“Absolutely,” Negan winked, bringing her hand up to his lips to deposit a small kiss over the back of her hand. Negan stopped in front of the stores to look at the display that was set up in the window and she stepped forward to look at a necklace that caught her eye. “You like that?”

“It’s beautiful,” she answered, looking to Negan with her big eyes before looking back to the piece of jewelry. Negan watched her with a smile and he urged her toward the shop after watching her eye it over. “What?”

“Let’s take a look,” he suggested and she let out a hesitant laugh. “Come on.”

“Negan no, I just…” she rejected, but felt Negan tugging her into the store and he pulled her closer to the necklace. Negan nodded toward it and he watched her lean in to look it over. “It is beautiful Negan, but…”

The price tag caught her eye and she let out an uncomfortable sound, “Not that beautiful…”

“Do you want it?” Negan offered and she shook her head quickly, trying to pull away from Negan. “It’s okay; if you want…I can get it for you. No biggie.”

“Oh it’s a biggie,” she tried to pull her fingers from his hand and he hushed her.

“Excuse me, can we see this please?” Negan pointed down at the necklace and he watched the person at the cash register motion him to wait a moment. Y/N uncomfortably pulled away from him and he laughed. “What’s wrong?”

“You can’t afford that,” she reminded him and Negan smirked, his bright smile expanding over his features.

“You know just as much as I do that that’s not true,” Negan pointed out and she felt her heart sinking at the fact that he was willing to spend his father’s money on her.

“But you aren’t the kind of person that uses that part of your money, remember?” she insisted with an uncomfortable breath as Negan gave her a confused look. “Teacher Negan could not afford that.”

Y/N pulled her hand away from Negan and quickly moved for the door, “I’m sorry Negan, I just…I can’t have you keep doing this.”

Moving out of the shop, she saw Negan still standing there somewhat confused. The person working in the store clearly came over to talk to Negan, but she didn’t feel comfortable with Negan buying her things. When she saw the shop keeper put the necklace back in the display at the front of the store she felt a sense of relief.

“What are you doing?” Negan walked out of the small shop and closed the door behind him. “If I want to buy you something…”

“I don’t want you to buy things for me. I just…I love you,” she insisted with a shake of her head, stepping forward to cup his face in her hands lovingly. “I don’t want you to think I’m with you for your money. I want you to know that I fell for…”

“The poor me?” Negan filled in her words and he saw her give a small head tilt. A laugh fell from his lips as he shook his head. “I know that. A while ago I stressed to you that I would never be anything more than what I was and you insisted that you still loved me for me. I know you are true to me. I don’t think you are with me for my family’s money. I didn’t bring you here to give you a panic attack. I brought you here so you could relax.”

“But you would probably never have to work again if you didn’t want to Negan. That’s how fucking rich you are,” you reminded him with a tense sound and Negan nodded slowly. “You are proud of who you are and what you have accomplished on your own. I don’t want me to be the reason you start dipping into your father’s money.”

“You are stressing way too fucking much,” Negan insisted with a snort. The sounds of laughing filled the air and she looked beyond Negan to see that between the shops she could see the ocean beyond the shops. There was a pier where they were clearly having some kind of event going on. “You want to go see?”

Nodding, she was eager to get away from this conversation and what was going on. The whole money situation just made her very uncomfortable and she didn’t want Negan to eventually get upset with her and assume that she just wanted his money.

Y/N followed Negan out onto a beach and toward a festival they were clearly having. They walked out onto the pier and there were multiple people that came up to Negan to hug and talk to him. She felt out of place. It was hard not to really, but when Negan was done he would eagerly turn back to her and tell her stories about the past. About the people that he had run into and things he had done as a kid. She loved hearing about his past, but there was something that was uncomfortable about all of this.

“I have to run to the restroom, do you think you could give me a minute and just…wait right here,” Negan urged her and she nodded. Taking a seat by the edge of the pier, she waited for Negan hearing the singing and dancing that was happening just beyond where she was sitting. Turning to look over her shoulder at the couples dancing together, she smiled brightly. The environment was beautiful and she could definitely see how everyone was happy here. She would be too if she grew up in a place like this. It was honestly beautiful and it seemed like the people were just…happy. It was rare compared to what she was used to.

“Where did your father go?” a voice pressed in behind Y/N making her shift uncomfortably on the bench she was sitting on. Y/N looked up to see a brunette standing before her. Clearing her throat uneasily, Y/N watched the brunette slide in beside her and Y/N felt uneasy. “My name is Emma. You’re not from around here are you?”

“He’s not…my father,” Y/N answered staring down at the hand that Emma had offered her. Emma’s dark brown eyes were watching her carefully and Y/N gulped down heavily. She accepted the hand shake and nodded. “Yeah, I’m definitely not from here.”

“I could tell,” Emma responded with a heavy sigh, looking around the area. “So if he’s not your father, then who is he?”

“Well…” Y/N began trying to think of a way to explain Negan to a total stranger. “He’s…”

“Oh fuck off Emma, you know she’s not my kid,” Negan’s voice filtered through the air, making Y/N sit up straighter on the bench and Negan squeezed between the space that was between the two. Negan sat down on the bench and wrapped his arm around Y/N. “Emma knows me. She knows I don’t have a kid, she’s just fucking with you to try and make you feel uncomfortable.”

“If you did end up having your kid though…it would probably be older than her wouldn’t it?” Emma recalled and Y/N felt every muscle in Negan’s body locking up. The fact that the woman knew about the child that Negan had lost as a teen told her that Negan and Emma had to be close. “It’s been a while Negan. Aren’t you going to introduce me?”

“Didn’t you introduce yourself already Emma?” Negan blurted out and he leaned in to nestle his nose against the side of Y/N’s neck. A whisper fell from his lips as she closed her eyes. “I’m so sorry.”

“And she is?” Emma egged Negan on and Negan laughed.

“None of your business,” Negan winked, looking over at Y/N for a moment. “Would you excuse us for a second? How about you go and get us a few churros over there? I’m kind of in the mood for something sweet.”

“Sure,” Y/N nodded with an unsure expression, but Negan pulled his wallet out of his pocket and handed some money to her before waiting until she was far enough away from him and Emma.

“Sending her to the longest line here Negan, that was smart…” Emma retorted with a half laugh. “So that’s the new flame of the week, huh? Little young for you, isn’t she?”

“Fuck off Emma,” Negan snarled, looking to her with a shake of his head. “She’s of age and I love her. We’ve been together for a few months and she means everything to me. So I don’t need a snake like you trying to filter into her brain with your stupid psychobabble bullshit that you do.”

“You love her? Wow,” Emma chuckled; looking to Y/N as she stood in the fairly large line that Negan had sent her off to. “That’s new for you isn’t it? I thought Lucille was the only woman that you ever loved.”

“Yeah, well…times change,” Negan shrugged his shoulders, leaning forward on the bench. “I thought if I came here I could avoid people like you.”

“People that know the real you?” Emma snapped back making Negan take in a sharp breath. “What does a girl like that want with you? Your daddy’s money?”

“Up until this weekend she knew nothing about my parent’s wealth,” Negan insisted with a firm nod. “We’re good together. She loves me and I love her. We’re very much alike and that’s that.”

“So she’s a good fuck, huh?” Emma egged on further and Negan rolled his eyes. “Sex is a big thing for you Negan, she has to be pretty important to get you to want to be with her and be official, right?”

“I don’t know what you are trying to pull here Emma, but you did this shit with Lucille too and it worked on her,” Negan thought back to his younger years and he shrugged his shoulders. “I didn’t want to be in a relationship with you. You think after all of these years you would just…get over it.”

“You think that’s what this is?” she questioned with a growl and Negan nodded, his thick eyebrows arching up as he nodded. “People don’t know the real you Negan. You like to pretend that you are this nice guy, but you can only put a mask for so long.”

Negan nodded and looked toward Y/N who seemed nervous and looked back at him. Negan waved his fingers and shot her a small smile. Y/N smiled back and stepped further up in the line.

“So tell me Negan…are you still really bad at sex?” Emma dug deeper at trying to annoy Negan. A laugh fell from Negan’s lips as he looked to her with a shake of his head.

“You know I’m not bad at sex,” Negan retorted with a snort. “The last time we fucked you had no problems with what I did.”

“Yeah, but the first time…” she began and Negan held his hands up in the air to silence her.

“You were the first girl I slept with Emma. Of course I was awful,” Negan laughed uneasily before shrugging his shoulders. “What the hell is the point of this? Why do you always want to pop in and try to fuck with my head and the head of people I love? I don’t even live here anymore. I’m here for the weekend. I don’t want to be with you, I don’t want to rekindle what has happened in the past…I’m here with the girl I love and that’s that. We’re just here to enjoy our time.”

“You do realize…you are just going to do what you always do, right?” Emma leaned forward in her seat. “You are your father’s son Negan. You know that.”

“I’m not my father,” Negan snapped, looking to Emma with a shake of his head.

“Really? Your father cheated on your mother. Your father was very abusive both mentally and physically,” Emma dug further into Negan watching his fists curl up in the center of his lap. “How were you with Lucille again?”

“I never physically abused Lucille and you know that,” Negan growled, his thick eyebrows adding emphasis to the anger that was pressing in over Negan’s face. “You’re just a bitch.”

“So tell me Negan, are you still all about you when it comes to sex?” Emma stood up and followed Negan toward the edge of the pier. “Just fuck until you cum? Does your new girl give the oral most of the time? You were always very selfish when it came to that kind of stuff.”

“I’m far from selfish,” Negan answered with a shake of his head. His face was on fire and he knew that Emma was trying to work him up, but he couldn’t help getting irritated. “In fact I make her cum all the time. The first few months we were together, I was always the one that was giving and not receiving. You remember how good I was the last time Emma and I think that’s why you are such a nasty bitch.”

“Can you blame me Negan?” she inquired and Negan shrugged his shoulders. “It sounds like you have everything figured out with this one, huh?”

“Yeah, I do…” Negan nodded, looking to see that Y/N was up at the counter to order what he had asked of her. “And what kills you is the fact that she’s the one I’m making squirt at night, not you.”

“Oh, right. You make her squirt,” Emma chuckled and Negan nodded with a proud smile. “Sure. I’d love to see that.”

“I’m sure you would, but I do,” Negan licked his lips and looked to Y/N with a proud smirk. “We’re very good together. Physically…and mentally. So if you will please piss off, I’m trying to give her a good weekend and I really would rather not see your face for the rest of this week.”

Negan moved around the brunette before him and headed off in the direction of Y/N to wrap his arm around her shoulders when she handed him over the churro that he had asked of her.

“I think we should go for a walk on the beach…” Negan urged Y/N before Negan headed off in the opposite direction of where Emma was. A moment later Emma cut them off and Negan let out a frustrated sound.

“Listen, we got off on the wrong foot. I just hope you have a good weekend,” Emma held her hands up in the air as if to say goodbye. “Keep an eye on this one. A lot like his father he is…”

“Negan,” Y/N stopped Negan from getting agitated and she pulled him away from the pier and urged him to follow her to the beachside. Negan’s face was red and she could tell by the way his nose was scrunched up and the lines that were over his forehead that he was angry. “Ex-girlfriend, huh?”

“I don’t even think that’s what I would call her,” Negan huffed and he felt Y/N reaching out to grab a tight hold of his jawline to urge him to look at her. “I’m really sorry. I should have thought about the past and how it could…”

“I don’t care about your past. You are honest with me about everything and I’m not worried about the past. I love you…all of you,” she hushed him seeing the lines his forehead relaxing as she stroked his rough cheek. “But let me tell you something…you are nothing like your father. You are a wonderful, sweet caring man. She doesn’t know you at all.”

“She probably knows me quite well…” Negan tried to state with a heavy sigh and Y/N shook her head slowly. “I wasn’t a good guy.”

“That was the past,” she insisted, tipping up on her toes to press a loving kiss over his lips and he felt her fingertips brushing throughout his hair. “We’re living in the present and that’s all that matters. Who you were then isn’t who you are now. You’re not your father. You never were and you never will be.”

Negan nodded, lowering his head enough to rest his forehead against hers while she held him in her arms. Negan took the time to just enjoy being held by her. Their relationship was so different in comparison to all his previous ones and he was surprised with how much he loved being around her.

“You should probably eat those churros you made me stand in line forever to get,” Y/N reminded him of the treat that was still in his hand. “I know it was just to get me away for a minute, but you better eat those after all the time I spent in line for that shit.”

“Yes ma’am,” Negan snorted urging her to follow him to the edge of the beach by the water to sit down with him. Negan got settled in behind her, pulling her to sit between his legs while they sat on the beach together. His left arm hooked around her waist loosely while she rest back against his chest and he handed her one of the sweet treats. “You know I love you, right?”

“I don’t know, I’m kind of only getting used to you just saying this now,” she stated with a smirk and looked over her shoulder to see Negan taking a big bite of his food. “But I like hearing it.”

“And I like saying it,” Negan insisted with a mouthful seeing her smirk. “I feel like I should explain Emma.”

“Only if you want to,” Y/N shrugged. “It’s really none of my business unless you want it to be.”

“You’re really just going to be like that?” Negan retorted with a sense of confusion. A lot of women would want every single detail, but she didn’t seem to mind at all. “She was the first girl I ever slept with.”

“Oh, okay…” she shrugged and took a small bite of her churro. “That was a really long time ago I imagine.”

“Ouch?” Negan chuckled seeing her cheeks blush over with embarrassment. “I was never really interested in her. I loved Lucille and…”

“She’s one of the ones you cheated with?” Y/N confirmed and Negan nodded when she spoke up. “I kind of assumed that. When you are the mistress and the guy still loves the woman he’s cheating on, it probably makes you an angry bitch.”

“I’ve only loved two people and I think that killed her on the inside. It’s probably partially my fault that she’s a bitch,” Negan shook his head, a heavy sigh falling from his lips. “When I was with Lucille she got into her head and…”

“Tried doing to me today what she did to Lucille back then?” Y/N finished again and Negan nodded. “Don’t worry about it. I’m not going to listen to people try to tell me about the man I know. I’m just going to listen to him myself. He’s honest with me and I know that.”

“I love you,” Negan was amazed with the way she was reacting toward everything as he tipped down to nestle his nose against the side of her neck. “You really are amazing. I hope you know that.”

-

“I can’t believe we’ve been here all weekend and we haven’t had sex here once,” Negan slurred against the side of Y/N’s neck as they stood on the beach together after going swimming in the water. She laughed as his stubble teased over the side of her neck. Negan wrapped his arms around her waist and felt her leaning back into his wet chest.

“There is still time,” she responded with a laugh when she felt him pressing playful kisses over the side of her neck. “To be fair, you’ve kept us so busy going around town that I’m pretty exhausted by the time that we get back to the house.”

“I just want you to have a good weekend. One that makes you happy,” Negan stated with a sigh, squeezing his arms around her tighter. Y/N reached down to grab her phone from the towel and pulled up the camera. When she went to take a photo of the water, Negan reached for her phone and grabbed a hold of the phone. He turned it on the selfie section and kissed over her temple taking a photo of the two of them. “We need more photos together.”

“Are you sure about that?” she confirmed and Negan nodded. “I thought you want us to be careful.”

“Are you thinking of sharing these?” Negan questioned and she shook her head slowly. “Then we are fine.”

Negan pressed in closer to her and kissed her while he snapped another selfie of the two of them together. Her cheeks blushed over when he looked at the photos and his nose wrinkled when he looked them over, “you’re going to have to send these two to me though.”

“Deal,” she winked, releasing him long enough to look to her phone again.

“You want to go four wheeling again? That was pretty fun, right?” Negan thought about the things they had done the previous day. When he looked over his shoulder to see her looking panicked, he stepped in closer and rubbed his towel through his hair. “What’s wrong?”

“My father sent me a text message. Apparently he knows that I’m not at my friend’s house that I told my mother about,” she informed him with a nervous breath and Negan’s eyebrow arched up in interest. “He wants me to call him and tell him where I really am.”

“Fuck that,” Negan reached for her phone and looked through the text messages seeing the several messages that her father had sent clearly getting angrier each time he had texted her. “They never care where you are on most nights, so what does it matter this time?”

“I should write him back Negan. Come up with a good excuse as to where I really am,” she gulped and Negan shook his head turning her cell phone off after sending himself the photos of them together. “He’s pissed. Something is wrong.”

“You’re on vacation with me. You don’t have to worry about that right now, okay?” Negan insisted, stepping forward to urge her chin up toward him. “I want to take you somewhere. Erase this from your mind and I promise everything will be all right.”

-

“This was my favorite place to come and relax as a kid,” Negan pulled on Y/N’s hand, tugging her up toward the lighthouse that was right off the beach. She looked up at the lighthouse and saw him smiling brightly as he looked up at it. “My favorite thing was to come here as a kid at night and think things out. Think about my future and all that fucking shit.”

“Yeah?” she arched her brow in response, taking a moment to look around the area. From what she knew of Negan it didn’t really seem like a place he would have loved as a kid, but it sure was beautiful. The lighthouse looked like something you would have seen from a movie, it was that gorgeous. “It’s beautiful.”

“It is,” Negan agreed and looked over his shoulder to wink at her. Negan motioned her to wait as he set up a blanket in the sand. The sun was setting and he urged her to lay down with him. “Later I can try to sneak us in so you can see the inside…”

“And get you in trouble? I don’t think so. The people here would love the story about how Negan got caught breaking into the lighthouse with his new, young girlfriend,” she snickered seeing him roll his eyes before leaning forward to press a soft kiss over her jawline. His kisses led toward her neck and she tilted her head up allowing him space to do as he pleased. “I take it you were quite the rebel growing up?”

“I’m still quite the rebel,” Negan insisted with a shrug of his shoulders, pulling away to look her over with his wicked glance. “I thought you would know that by now.”

Negan reached for his phone and took a photo of them with the lighthouse in the background of the photo. Negan leaned in to kiss her over and over again before she pulled away from him with a deep breath.

“Negan,” she looked to see that he was recording a video and he shrugged his shoulders. “Are you trying to be playing dangerously right now or…?”

“I just want something for the spank bank eventually when I’m alone,” Negan teased with a wink making her cough upon his admission. Her cheeks blushed over and Negan loved that he could make her turn red just with his words. She was so innocent and he loved every bit of it. Negan playfully teased his tongue over the front of her lips while he was still recording the video and he watched her shudder before he pressed stop. “You’re still tense, aren’t you?”

“I’m scared about my father,” she answered truthfully and felt him reach out to nudge her jaw with his rough fingertips. He carefully brushed her hair over her shoulder before moving in to kiss over the side of her neck again. “He knows I lied…”

“Don’t worry about it,” Negan insisted with a slur while he kissed over her neck and bit at her skin.

Her eyes closed feeling Negan’s tongue tracing lines over her flesh and she inhaled sharply. She wanted to just forget it, but she didn’t think she could. The consequences of this weekend truly had her in fear of what he father might do. “If they were looking for me that means that it was something serious.”

“It’s fine,” Negan hushed her, trying to get her to relax as he sat up straighter and held his finger up. “Close your eyes.”

“Why?” she retorted with a confused look. Negan snapped his fingers almost in an order and she felt him nudging her into a position that he clearly wanted. A moment later there was a cool sensation pressing in over her neck as she heard the clip of something closing. “Negan?”

“You can open your eyes,” Negan responded, pressing soft kisses over her neck again. When she saw that it was the necklace from the night before he heard her gasp. “I know you didn’t want me to get it for you, but I just…had to. It looks beautiful on you and I knew you really thought it was beautiful.”

“When did you…?” she looked down at the necklace seeing the way it glimmered as the sunset shined from it. “Negan, I can’t accept this.”

“I can’t return it,” Negan shrugged his shoulders with a wicked smirk. “It’s yours now.”

“Negan…” he watched her frown and she reached down to trace her fingertips over the white gold chain that led to the charm at the bottom. Her fingertips grazed over the diamond and she felt her heart pounding inside of her chest. “You shouldn’t have done this.”

“I wanted to pamper my girl,” Negan responded with a shake of his head. “That’s why I left the other day. I ran back to quickly go get it. I know you are paranoid about me spending money on you, but I love you. You liked the necklace; I bought it for you to show you how much I love you. It will be our special thing.”

Negan reached out with his rough fingertips to grasp a hold of the diamond to look it over. A smirk pressed in over his lips and he shrugged his shoulders.

“I just want you happy,” Negan whispered, moving forward to press another kiss over her lips and he felt her arms wrapping around his shoulders to hold onto him tightly.

“You…make me happy,” she whispered in his ear, pressing a quick kiss over his flesh before pulling away to look down at the necklace again. Her eyes were tearing over and he reached out to brush at her cheek lovingly. “I don’t want you to think this is the kind of person I am.”

“I think you are a wonderful person,” Negan shook his head and frowned when a single tear slid down her face. “That’s why I fell in love with you Y/N. Shit…I’ve fallen hard.”

“You’re making me swoon here Negan,” she informed him with a half laugh, reaching up to brush her fingertips throughout his thick hair. “You are amazing.”

“I was thinking…” Negan began with a long sigh, reaching up to grab a hold of her fingertips in his. He brought her hand to his lips and pressed a soft kiss over the back of her hand. “I know you are worried about your father. You are a lot. Why don’t you just move in with me?”

“I couldn’t do that Negan,” she shook her head firmly, a small laugh falling from her throat. “How are we going to hide that from people?”

“Very carefully,” Negan shrugged, attempting to think of something to say to make her feel comfortable with the suggestion. “I don’t care. I want to be with you. I want to keep you safe. I just want to make you happy.”

“I know and I love you,” she hushed him with a shake of her head. “I just can’t have you getting in trouble because of me.”

“Then let me buy you a place until you get a job. An apartment or something…” Negan reasoned with Y/N and she reached out to cup his rough face in her hands. His eyes seemed confused and upset as she shook her head. “Please. I want to keep you safe.”

“After you told me about the money Negan, I’m not going to accept these things. I want to be with you. I do, but I’m not a gold digger,” she insisted firmly. Moving in, she kissed Negan in a loving manner. “The necklace is enough to make me uncomfortable.”

“But it shows you are mine,” Negan reached down to trace his fingertips over the white gold necklace.

“I was yours long before this was on my neck,” she reminded him and a smirk pressed in over his features. Her fingertips brushed into his short beard and she leaned in to rest her forehead against his. “I didn’t need a necklace or something fancy to tell me that.”

“I want to protect you,” Negan sighed heavily, his warm breath pressing in against her face. “You are so scared and I don’t want something bad to happen to you. We can take measures to keep both of us safe. No one would know you are living with me.”

“If it ever gets to the point I think it has to be that way…then we can talk about it,” she suggested and Negan frowned, sighing heavily as he stared out at her with his sincere hazel eyes. She moved in to kiss him over and over again as he clutched tightly to her. “I love you Negan. More than you will ever know.”

“I love you too,” Negan stated against her skin, nipping softly at her bottom lip as they kissed. “So much.”

-

Negan stretched out on his leather couch at home as he scrolled through the photos he had taken over the weekend with Y/N on their trip. They had finished their trip and driven back on Sunday. They had gotten so many great photos while they were there and shared so many wonderful experiences. Their whole time away they had spent time doing things together and not once did they end up sleeping together. That wasn’t how most of his relationships had gone in the past and it was nice to have something different for once. Being able to share memorable moments together was something that he actually enjoyed and looking at the photos he’d taken of them together actually made him feel a sense of happiness.

The sound of his doorbell ringing was heard and Negan closed up his phone. Looking to the time, he could see that it was late at night. It had been a few hours since Y/N had headed home. When she had left, she was worried about her parents, but knew that she had to return to find out what was wrong. Moving to the door, Negan first noticed the bags at his feet in front of him and lifted his head to let out a gasp when he saw Y/N standing before him.

“Jesus Christ,” Negan blurt out reaching out to grasp at her face and he heard her wince upon contact. Negan pushed the hood that was covering her head down and took a look at her face. It was clear that she had been crying. There were small wounds over her eyebrow, under her eye and bottom lip. Her face was bright red and he could feel her shaking before him. “What the fuck happened?”

“Just…let me in?” she begged and Negan nodded, grabbing her bags to allow her into the house. Negan urged her toward the couch and he saw her shaking when she took a seat on it. She was still crying and Negan could feel his own body trembling with the sight of her. “I’m so sorry…”

“What happened?” Negan demanded to know hearing the shaking in her voice. She was trembling against his touch as he tried caressing over her face. “Baby?”

“I went home and my father cornered me. While we were gone they had apparently had gotten a call from my doctor who wanted to make sure I wasn’t having any bad side effects from my birth control pills,” she informed Negan and felt his body tensing up. Negan’s eyes grew wide as she nodded and nervously licked her lips. “Which apparently made them go upstairs to look through my things and he found some of the condoms that I had. They called my friend’s house that I was supposed to be at and found out that I wasn’t there and he’s been fuming all weekend.”

“That fucker did this to you?” Negan snarled seeing her nod slowly and he reached out to brush some of the blood that was dripping down her face away. “I’m going to fucking kill him.”

She motioned Negan to wait and he saw her moving for the sweatshirt. She shook as she carefully pulled the material from her body and Negan could see that she was reaching for the back of her shirt. His heart pounded inside of his chest watching her pull up the back of her shirt to show that she had belt marks all up and down her back.

“He called me a whore and locked me in my room,” she told him about what happened and he could hear her start to cry harder. “That’s not the worst thing…”

“It gets worse?” Negan felt every muscle in his body locking up and he watched her reach inside the pocket of the hoodie to pull out the necklace he had gotten her. It was clear that the clasp was broken and he reached out to grasp her hands in his.

“He ripped this from my neck. Apparently he knows that it came from the person I was sleeping with,” she trembled before him and he could hear her sobbing by this point. “I’m so sorry Negan. I didn’t mean for this.”

“We can get the necklace fixed sweetheart, it’s okay…” Negan hushed her, holding her in his arms as he heard her sobbing. Negan pushed the necklace he had bought her into the pocket in his pajamas before continuing to comfort her.  

“I snuck out the window… I can’t go back….” She insisted with a whimper and Negan slid his hand in over the back of her neck. Pulling her close in a supportive manner, Negan let out a stressed sound. Negan tried comforting her to the best of his ability. He hushed softly when he heard her continue to cry and stroked her hair in soothing way. More than anything he wanted to go and attack her father for hurting her. It broke him to see Y/N hurt and he absolutely hated it. “I’m so sorry Negan.”

“It’s okay,” Negan promised with a hush, pressing a tender kiss against her temple. “You never have to go back there again, I promise.”

Y/N trembled in his arms and he felt her cuddling her head into his chest as she cried. Negan felt the adrenaline rising inside of his chest. The way his heart was hammering caused Negan to inhale sharply. There was a strong sense of rage filling his veins and Negan knew that he couldn’t take it anymore.

“You stay here…I’m gonna kill that son of a bitch,” Negan pulled away from Y/N, giving her a quick look before heading toward the front of the house. Searching through one of the closets, Negan found his baseball bat and grabbed a tight hold of it. Negan went to go for the front door until he felt her grasp desperately at his shoulder. “It’s fine…”

“It’s not,” she shook her head repetitively. “I left after they locked me in my room. I grabbed as much as I could and took off crawling out the window and climbing down. I don’t even know if he knows I’m gone yet. I can’t have you go there and get in trouble. You are all I have. If you get in trouble for hurting him…”

“He can’t do this. This is wrong. You should never hit a woman like this and you should never, ever treat your child like this,” Negan grunted with an angered sound. His body was shaking and he knew that he wanted to tear her father limb from limb. “He’s a piece of shit and this is what he deserves.”

“It is, but I love you. I love you and I can’t have anything happen to you,” she pleaded desperately and he felt her grabbing a tight hold of his wrist to stop him from leaving. Negan frowned and sighed before setting the bat down. “If I lost you, I don’t know what I would do.”

“You’re not going to lose me, but he needs to be taught a lesson,” Negan insisted with a hiss and she nodded. Negan stepped forward to cup her face in his large hands and moved forward to kiss her. “We need to call someone. Tell them what he did because this is wrong.”

“No, we can’t,” she denied the offer and Negan was confused because this abuse was completely wrong. “If we go to someone and tell them what happened they are going to question why I came to you. Why it was you that I picked to go to after he beat the hell out of me. I don’t want you in trouble. I can’t have you losing your job because of me.”

“Something has to be done,” Negan demanded and he could feel her shaking in his arms. “Something…”

“Please Negan. I’m never going back there…I just…have to figure out what to do,” she stuttered, thinking of something to say. “I can’t tell people about this. I don’t want to be seen as broken. I don’t want people to know about…us. I can’t…”

“Relax,” Negan interrupted her with the shake of his head. “I love you, okay? So I’m going to do what you want of me. But fuck…if I see your father again, I don’t know what I’m gonna do. I wanna fucking kill him.”

“I don’t even know what I would do if I saw him again,” she agreed and Negan reached out to grab a tight hold of her hand. He led her toward the kitchen and picked her up to place her on the island in the middle of his kitchen. Her soft cries filled the air and he wanted to kill her father for what he had done, but he was trying to do what she begged of him as he gathered some ice in a cloth and moved over toward her. He motioned her to hold it to her by her eye where the most swelling was. Quickly moving to the bathroom, he grabbed things to clean her wounds and moved swiftly to get back to her in the kitchen. “I don’t know what I’m going to do. I can’t go back there.”

“You’re going to live here,” Negan hushed her, his eyes staring into hers with a serious expression while he started to clean the gash on her lip. “I’ve been trying to get you to move in with me for a while now. You think I’m going to change my mind when you need me the most?”

“What about school?” she stammered and he shrugged his shoulders. “I can’t do this to you.”

“We’ll figure it all out,” Negan silenced her with the shake of his head. “Trust me. I’m not going to let anything bad happen to you. You are not going back to that house. You are going to stay here where I can protect you. Nothing like this is ever going to happen to you again, I swear.”

Negan heard her start to cry again and he reached out to pull her in closer to him so he could comfort her. He held her close in his arms trying to do his best to comfort her, but there was still part of him that felt responsible for this. He told her to avoid her father while they were on the trip and the only reason that she had condoms in the first place was because of him.

“I’m sorry I let this happen. I told you I would protect you and I couldn’t,” Negan grumbled with a heavy sigh, his lips pressing a lingering kiss against her temple. “This is all my fault.”

“No, no it’s not,” she denied his words and turned to touch the side of his face with her palm. “Imagine everything I would have gone through if you weren’t in my life.”

“But this…this is my fault,” Negan looked her over and he felt his body trembling with anger while he stared out at her. “I’m so fucking sorry and I promise I will never let this happen to you again sweetheart.”

“You have no control over my father,” she insisted seeing the sadness that was filtering over Negan’s face and she slowly lowered from the counter of the island to step forward. Her arms wrapped around him and he embraced her lovingly. “You are the best thing in my life Negan and I would be absolutely lost without you.”

[juiice]

alternian life - money and food

why did i type this out? its been in my head for quite a while- i belive it works with the canon (correct me if im wrong) and gives a good sense of exactly how poor lowbloods are. 

under the cut will be the full breakdown of troll allowances , because there's a lot of text. useful for fantrolls or just general musing. 

working with earth months.

assume 30 days a month.

assume trolls dont need to pay "rent" of any kind.

assume trolls do need to pay for water, electricity, internet. (WEI)

assume no taxes cause why would they need them.

we know the young get carpenter drones to build houses for them.

shelters not an issue for them, so it stands to reason food is the big deciding factor and where young trolls spend most of their money.

(some people think alternia is post scarcity environment. the empire as a whole? sure. but on alternia? artificial scarcity keeps the younglings on their toes. :) )

but where do they get money? the government of course.

each caste gets an allowance per day. helps keep the social order.

trolls can also earn money doing a variety of other things to supplement this allowance, from normal jobs to selling handmade crafts/sick robots/coding websites to the ever popular FLARP games. lowbloods must have some supplementary source of income or they simply dont get enough money to survive. lusii can also hunt and supplement meals.

meal grade explanation. not all food is meal graded, FA if you go to troll wendy's there's no meal grades on the menu it's just approximated by prices. some fancier highblood places will boast by proclaiming the meal grade tho.

1c loosely equals 1 american dollar because thats the currency i know.

2(1-3c)F-tier- nasty, yet flavorless. perfectly nutritional. presented in the form of processed puddings and jellos, sometimes in dried bars. no one wants to eat this shit. 4(4-7c)D-tier- fast food quality- nutritional enough. may or may not be mostly fillers. most greens and down have eaten this semi-frequently, and higher have as a novelty. 8(8-15c)C-tier- a perfectly good meal, if on the boring side. think the quality of a lowend sit down restaurant. this is the baseline that lowbloods aspire to hit. three C meals a day. heaven. 20(20-40c)B-tier- a good goddamn meal. plenty of good rich, nutritional products. think high end restaurant. highblood (teals and up) stapel. greens will splurge on this goodness. 100(100+c)A-tier-  this is your gold dusted snail livers and whatever else the rich eat that they think is cool. only sea-dwellers eat this shit on anything approaching the regular.

mass produced meat always has a grade on it- from d to a. note no F- F tier is like star trek ration cubes. no meat is f tier. can't decide if troll meat would be the worst or the best? dont really want to gum up my google history with questions like " is human meat bad for you? " is Human meat nutritional?" lusii meat (bred for the role) is what normal meat would be. or bug/grub meat. the trolls seem to mention bugs a lot.

allowance calculated exponentially.   2/4/8/16/32/64/128/256/512/1024/2048/4096 alternatively if you think the empire wouldn't let the lowbloods starve 8/8/16/16/32/64/128/256/512/1024/2048/4096

redblood allotted 2 c a day (60 am) if all goes into meals, can afford 1 F-tier meal a day  :( MUST supplement somehow. WEI fees?

bronze all. 4c a day. if all goes into meals, can afford 2 F meals OR 1 D. must supplement for other expenses(clothes, tech,fun stuff) but technically can live without. WEI fees?

yellow all. 8c a day can afford 3 F meals AD, with change left over, OR 2 D meals AD, OROR 1 C meal. must supplement for other expenses. WEI fees?

lime(yellow-green) all. 16 a day 3 D tier meals a day, with 4c left over for other expenses OR 2 C with no change. must supplement for other expenses. WEI fees?

A greenblood is allocated 32 credits a day. if 3/4 goes into meals (24c) they could afford 3 C-tier meals a day, with 8c for other expenses. 960 a month- 720 on food 240 for everything else- including WEI fees. this is where lowbloods get screwed over. idk what WEI fees would be but yea.

jadeblood 64 credits a day- 3/4 food- 48c /3 is 16 per meal(still technically in C tier, but these aren't necessarily prepackaged meals,these can also be home cooked meals.) with 16 for other OR 1/2 food- 32 /3 is 10~ per meal, 3 C-tier meals with 32 for other

teal 128 credits a day- 3/4 on meals (96c AD /3 is 32 a meal that'd be in B tier. 32c AD for other expenses. that's the whole allowance of a green blood.

cerulean (lower blue) all. 256 a day- 100 on meals, 25 a meal, in b tier. 156 for other expenses.

indigo (upper blue) all. 512 a day- 100 on meals, 25 a meal, in b tier.  can defs spend more but generally wants material goods more than ultra fancy meals 412 for other expenses.

purble all. 1024 a day. 100 on meals, 25 a meal, in b tier.  can defs spend more but generally wants material goods more than ultra fancy meals. 924 for other expenses.

violet (sea dwellers) 2048 a day 100 on meals, 25 a meal, in b tier.  can defs spend more but generally wants material goods more than ultra fancy meals,1948 for other  OR  300 on meals, 3 A tier meals a day,  1748 for other absolutely violets eat like kings. they are insufferable bastards.

bonus fusha all. 4096 a day they do whateva the fuck they want.

[cockingballs]

some thoughts on class and privilege after discussing these things at college and seriously dating someone who is of a significantly lower socioeconomic status than i am (under the cut bc it got really really long)

class is SO relative. you really can’t 100% realize your place unless you befriended every single person in the world and saw how many people are actually not coming from your background

like i’ve been in a lot of groups where i was the Rich one but i’ve also been in a few communities where i was the Broke one so i think it’s always gonna be hard to really understand where you are on the ladder. i recently learned that the middle class is a lot smaller of a class in america than we think because SO MANY people call themselves middle class

if we say like, the top 15 or 20 percent is upper class then i’m definitely upper class. but i feel like i was under the impression for much of my childhood and adolescence that you have to be a multimillionaire to be upper class. i think it’s more like you have to be comfortable and then some. 

my family boards a fucking horse which honestly is enough to be like yeah i’m upper class. we don’t need that at all

i thought about it a lot in recent weeks bc my boyfriend visits my dorm about 3 or 4 times a week, he drives south about 40 minutes in a real shitty hand-me-down car and has to pay for gas cause i don’t have a car yet (i say Yet because it’s not like we can’t afford a third car we just haven’t gotten one and one of the points i’m trying to make while writing this is that we can afford shit like that) and he’s here so often he keeps a t-shirt and shorts here cause if his clothes get gross at school he dont have time to change before he comes over

he goes to his local community college on fafsa loans in a very conservative county and i pay 58k a year in tuition at an acclaimed private four year liberal arts college. 

even the kids here are wildly different in privilege. we did an activity in a class where we basically all started on a line and then stepped forward or backwards in response to questions like “if you have ever been discriminated against by peers because of a marginalized identity, step back” that kind of thing, and i did (along with a few other kids) make it so i was up against the far wall, because even at this affluent college i am still extremely privileged

a mixture of merit scholarships and family money means i will graduate with no debt or very very little. which is crazy. my boyfriend is at a much cheaper school but he’s going to be in debt because of loans

but its not even just that huge thing?? i mean college is a huge expense and priced like a luxury and it totally divides people but its also like the littlest things???? he stayed over at my parents house this weekend with me for the ren fest and when i told him i’d let him use a new toothbrush and keep it there in case he came back cause we had plenty of extras he laughed and was like “are you serious??? that would be a cardinal sin in my house” like he was gonna not brush his teeth cz it would be a waste of a toothbrush you might need later. my mom gave us a hundred dollars in spending money for the festival and i got him some nice earrings and he was just like “you are so fucking rich” and i seriously had not thought about it that much up until that point cause its like. normal for me??? but its not normal

you can make anything normal if you grow up like that of course and ya just dont realize it until later

and i decided to write this cause he was talking to me about his friends and i noticed that a bunch of them were joining the military. normally i would like totally red-flag that and sirens would be going off like yikes are they gun nuts or something but i thought about it and realized that it’s probably just the affordable option

and i guess,,, the us military really does swoop in on underprivileged students who can’t pay for college. especially in a conservative county

its also weird to be in a relationship where money is uneven. theres such a weird power dynamic with money

i had been buying him shit all weekend, my mom gave him her gas card and $20 for running an errand, i got him some really nice sunglasses for the drive home, paid for some of his food, got the earrings, helped him pay for a literal actual fucking sword lmao, and then we’re like discussing this viking outfit he wants to do next year and he wanted to use contact lenses to be “blind” in one eye and we found some and i offered to buy them and then he told me very earnestly he wanted me to stop spoiling him

like i really wanted to treat him cz he does a lot and doesnt have much spending money but when he said that i did realize that when one person is spending all the money it can make the other person feel,,, weird, like maybe a little guilty and possibly embarrassed 

anyway i could probably write a whole paper on how privilege is so significant but we been knew, this is just my experience with it this weekend

[notanotherlovepage]

So i thought about a third alternative ending for Life is strange

I would have taken that road in a fucking heartbeat. I was based on this pic:

It would take place AFTER you pick the sacrifice Chloe ending. Here’s how it goes:

As i focused on the blue butterfly, everything started to vanish around me. I still can’t get used to the feeling; my eyes always feel like they are going to pop out, and just as i feel like i am going to pass out, i am suddenly on the picture scene again. No matter how many times i have done it, i still have to blink a few times to realize what just happened.

I found myself in the bathroom, holding my instant camera, which had not been broken yet. The picture fell from the camera and a blue butterfly appeared on it. It is actually a beautiful picture. It would have won the Everyday Hero contest right away.

“When a door closes, a window opens, or something like that.” I remember the last single thought that slipped through my mind right before all of this nightmare started. I still feel like i’m gonna wake up at some point. I’m hoping on it.

Then the reason why i am here, in this bathroom, with the blue, beautiful butterfly, hits me like a train; i’m going to kill my best friend. My lover, my partner, my everything.

I used to believe love was a cliche. A cute, heart filling, warming cliche. But a cliche after all. I never expected it to be anything like this. This is pure, raw, fierce. This is like a beautiful knife pouring my guts off my chest, not some dumb butterflies. This is like a gorgeous pain i never want to stop feeling. It feels like the most incredible way of dying. It makes me feel, like i have never felt in my life.

And it was all going away. Because of me. Because of my stupid, amazing rewind power.

“It’s cool, Nathan… Don’t stress… You’re okay, bro. Just count to three…” Nathan entering the bathroom interrupted my thoughts. I counted the seconds until the door was supposed to open again. “Don’t be scared… You own this school… If I wanted, I could blow it up… You’re the Boss…”. That’s when i hear the door slide open. That’s when the love of my life entered the room, just so i could kill her.

I think that, if i had to consider the worst way to torture someone, everything considered, it would be to give them a rewind power. The worst thing you can take away from someone is time. And this power took it all from me. It would be logical to think otherwise; if anything, a rewind power gives you more time. But the thing is, when you rewind, nothing that occurred in the meantime happened. Only you have the memories. And that right there, is torture. Right now, the punk blue haired gorgeous girl i love is thinking that no one is alive to love her. She thinks that she is not wanted, that she is a burden.

And, god, could she be more wrong?

But she doesn’t know. Nothing happened to her. Not the pool, not the dare kiss, not the actual kiss, nothing. She doesnt even know im back in this fucking town.

“So what do you want?”

“I hope you checked the perimeter, as my step-ass would say. Now, let’s talk bidness.”

“I got nothing for you.”

“Wrong. You got hella cash.”

I cant hear this. I cant bear this. I cant. I thought. I wanted to scream, i wanted to die right there. I couldn’t handle the pain.

So that’s when it occurred to me.

To be fair, it would hurt Chloe less. She doesn’t know all that happened between us this week. To her, it would be just an old friend dying tragically. Its not exactly a pink-colored situation, i know. But it is another way. I can intervene without my powers. I can save Chloe and Arcadia bay. I just have to die instead.

“Oh boo hoo, poor little rich kid. I know you been pumpin’ drugs n’ shit to kids around here… I bet your respectable family would help me out if I went to them. Man, I can see the headlines now.”

“Leave them out of this, bitch.”

“I can tell everybody Nathan Prescott is a punk ass who begs like a little girl and talks to himself!”

“You don’t know who the fuck I am or who you’re messing around with!”

I remembered that this was when Nathan took the gun out, so i emerged from the back of the stalls to face them. This was my moment to shine.

“Nathan, wait!” I shouted.

“What the fuck?” He screamed, turning around, now pointing the gun to me.

“Oh my god” Chloe said, almost whispering. “Max”

“Chloe, shut up” I said. “Nathan, please put down the gun. I know what you are going though. I know everything.” I know he was going to shoot me anyways. But i had to try.

“What the fuck do you mean? You know nothing!” Nathan screamed histerically. “Nobody know anything!”

“I know about Mr. Jefferson” I said in a lower voice. “Just please, listen to me.”

“Max, what the fuck is going on?” Chloe said, now crying. If only i could hold her and catch the tears.

“Chloe, i love you, but please just shut the fuck up. Nathan, could you please put down the gun so we can talk?”

Nathan was mute now. I know i shocked him by telling him about Mr. Jefferson. I noticed how the trembling in his hands was starting to quicken and intensify. It wasn’t a good sign.

“No one can know about that. He will kill me. You cannot know!” Nathan cried out. He had a serious expression now. Like he had just assumed something. Like he had taken a decision.

“I do, Nathan, and i can help you. I know you are not like this. I promise-” Suddenly, my words were interrumpted by a major noise. It was deafening. Then i felt an incredible pain in my guts, and i found myself falling.

It was as if i was seeing everything in slow motion, like when i got to save kate. I saw everything. I saw Chloe crying her heart out running towards me. I saw Nathan screaming, shouting something, though i couldn’t understand what. I saw the floor turn red. I saw Nathan suddenly running away.

And i saw a beautiful face right in front of me.

“Chloe” i whispered, smiling.

“Max, don’t do this to me. Please.” I could tell behind Chloe’s tears that she was confused. After all, having your five-years-vanished best friend suddenly in a bathroom taking a bullet for you, must be mind blowing. Not in a good way.

“Listen Chloe. I know you must be tripping balls right now. But i have to tell you something before i run out of breath.” I started to feel really, really tired.

“Shut up, asshole! Your are not going to die! You hear me?”

“Chloe, i want to tell you a million different things, but i’m just going to say this; i’m in love with you. I love you so much it hurts more than this fucking bullet. Please never think you are not loved, because i could have never loved someone as much as i love you, okay?”

“M-max, I… what the hell? you must be losing to much blood…” Chloe stuttered. I could feel her tears falling in my face, but i didn’t care. I didn’t care about anything right now.

I heard screaming outside the bathroom. I was running out of time.

“Chloe, i know what you have been through. I know you are hurting so badly, and that you think that you are such a waste of space. I know i bailed on you for all this time, and i cannot tell you how sorry i am. I was the shittiest person on earth”.

“Well, i think that taking a bullet for me might be a good apologize” Chloe smirked between tears. God, was she beautiful.

“I know about Rachel, Chloe. And I’m so, so sorry. Please talk to David and warn him about Mr. Jefferson. He will know what to do.” I was starting to feel dizzy.

“How do you know…?”

“It doesn’t matter. What matters is i’m here, and i could save you. You don’t know how many times i had to save your beautiful ass, you dork. But it was worth it, it was worth it every goddamn time” i laughed. “I love you, Chloe Price. You are my partner in time, my pirate, my best friend, my everything. And if i could lend to you all these memories, i would in a heartbeat” Suddenly, i just wanted to close my eyes and sleep.

“I dont know what the fuck is going on right now. But i love you to death, Max. I always did.” Chloe caressed my cheek as she comforted me. And then, as if she was reading my mind, she leaned over and kissed me. As she pressed her lips to mine, i opened my mouth as if i was gasping for air, and kissed her lower lip. I could tell she was surprised, but she followed my lead, opening her mouth this time. I felt electricity running through my veins as our tongues touched. I wished i could stay in that very moment forever, despite the pain and nausea i was feeling. I didn’t give a fuck, i just wanted to kiss her, i just wanted her. Always.

“Max, please don’t leave me. Please.” She said, sepparating a few inches her face from mine. I could almost feel the knot in Chloes throat forming again. “I cant handle this. I just got you back. Please.”

“I will always love you, Chloe. Always. I will always be watching over you.” As cliche and cringy this sounded to me, i couldn’t mean more every single word.

“Max…” Chloe’s face deformed into a crying face.

“Be the though punk i know you are, Price. Man up.” I smirked, as i tried to lift up my hand to hold her face. She saw this and held it with the hand that wasn’t caressing me. “And, Chloe Price?”

“Yeah?”

“Don’t you forget about me” I said, ironically.

“Never”

Suddenly i felt like i was floating. I was lifting myself from the ground, and everything started going black. And then, it hit me. I wasn’t granted the power to rewind time. I wasn’t cursed. I wasn’t being tortured. I was granted the power to save my whole life; my town and my lover. The ability to rewind time was just the tool.

And as i drifted into the nothingness, I gave my favorite blue haired punk one last smile.

I thought i saw a blue butterfly fly by…

[samrudhbaden1994]

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[commandtower-solring-go]

The government pays them you dipshit, the tolls are the government paying them. “Tax brackets dont exist. There’s no cut off for programs.” 

Here is the tax brackets of 2018

Some states don’t have tax brackets. The highest flat tax is Colorado at 5.75%. Which is lower than any effective tax via the brackets

“You do if you get welfare you dumb fuck.”

That’s like saying people get their tax back through having roads or having education. Welfares supports people who are lacking in some form and helps them get back on their feet, as if it were even close to a comfortable amount of money

Don’t care, fuck off. This isn’t based on what me benefits me personally, because I’m not a piece of shit.

I’m glad, then we’re on the same page. Taxes benefit everyone and taxing the rich to a higher degree helps everyone by providing better infrastructure and support for those who need it. 

My fucking income tax rate is higher than 38% you lying retard.

I don’t believe you. 

Well fuck that means I don’t pay it then doesn’t it? No, because thats fucking retarded.

Sales tax varies. Prices are set before product distribution. If one chain sold a product in one state, the price of the product would be different somewhere else where the Sales Tax is higher. Its dumb. In other countries they use a GST, which solves that problem.

You’re completely fucking ass backwards. The private companies don’t make shit on sales tax, only the government does. You’re just making shit up at this point.

Private companies don’t make money off sales Tax. However, people are more likely to buy a product if it appears cheaper than it is. As such, Private companies stand to gain from more sales because evaluating the math isn’t something people do my default.

The government pays them you dipshit, the tolls are the government paying them.

Not all of them, but you are right. Many toll roads are publicly owned. 

No, Its the exact opposite.

Imma be real with ya chief. I don’t like the government sticking their hand down my pocket. But I ain’t out here trusting the private sector any more. 

Bitch what?

Your gas and electricity are connected via a privately owned middle man. These are the utility companies. As a very common drain on the income in someone’s life, I thought it would be best to mention how those are privately owned and not government facilitated. That said, in an idea world, these necessities should be free. Water is in Scotland, afterall. 

No its because you want my money. Fuck off and die.

So much for caring about other people. I don’t even live in your fucking country lol. 

From Kasia Babis.

[lady-une]

Chapter 2

L’amante dei Serpenti bigbang mafia AU

Big shout out to @jijagi for being the beta on this chapter. I dont really have much to say on this one. But if you like what I have then please send me some feedback or leave a comment. As always please share so that others can also find my story.

l’amnte dei serpenti

The daughter of one of the largest mafias out of the US sent over to South Korea to monitor her father’s operations there. You were sure this was going to be boring and wished you didn’t have to leave your home and friends, little did you know this new adventure would be anything but boring.

Word count: 6546

Theme: Mafia a/u

Rating: Mature, SMUT

Pairing: Choi Seunghyun x Sofia (original character)

CHAPTER 1

Sofia

Even with my intentions being known to the Kwons I still felt a little uneasy and decided to keep my breast strap in place along with keeping some knives on me as well just in case. Today I opted for some black jeans that hugged my body and a buttoned-up silk shirt leaving the top buttons undone exposing some cleavage and allowing me access to my hidden firearm and topped it all off with a more casual blazer. I had Alex drive me to the art club and told him that if he or the men were needed I would call him.

I walked into the building and was surprised at what I saw. Art was hung up on the walls with large standing art pieces placed around the floor of the building. In the back of the building was in fact a bar with tables and chairs giving the patrons a chance to sit and talk while also looking at smaller art pieces around the room. I walked up to a large painting that caught my eye. The lines were harsh and colors dark. I tilted my head to the side and crossed my arms while I took the painting in. I imagined the painter must have been going through something deep and painful while he made this masterpiece. As I gazed upon the painting I felt myself being watched and soon felt another presence come up next to me.

“I see Macabre has caught your eye.”

I looked away from the painting to the man who stood next to me, more like towered over me. He was in a dark blue suit that fit him very well and wore a pair of black glasses. His chiseled jaw caught my attention and wondered if he himself was a piece of art work on display here because he certainly looked like he belonged here to be gazed upon by the patrons.

“Indeed, it has.” I said as I turned back to the painting.

“Whenever I see this I can’t help but see the lines and think about how much passion the painter had while he made this.”

“I was thinking something similar as well. The harshness of the lines leads me to believe he was hurt possibly by a lover or was denied by the woman he loved.”

“Maybe it’s not painted from pain but from love.”

I shook my head, “No this is clearly pain, look at the color choice. It’s dark reds, black, grays, had it been something happy it might have been a lighter color choice.” I pointed to parts that were a little more rigged while I added “Right here his strokes changed, as if he applied more pressure to the brush. Maybe he was reminded of something said or done. Maybe his lover left him for someone else. He is clearly taking his pain out on this painting.”

“I like your interpretation of this painting. Please forgive me for not introducing myself earlier.” He turned to me and extended his hand, “My name is Choi Seunghyun.”

I took his hand in mine and shook it, “Pleasure to meet you my name is Sofia Rossi.”

A quick look of shock crossed his face only for a brief second before it was gone and he smiled lifting my hand to lay a soft kiss on my knuckles.

“The pleasure is all mine Miss Rossi.”

He released my hand and I let it drop back to my side and smiled up at him lost in his eyes. I was brought out of my trance when I heard someone clear their throat. I tore my eyes away from the man who could put the statue of David to shame if he was ever sculpted out of marble to find Jiyong standing next to me.

“I see you have met Seunghyun the man who runs this establishment.”

“Yes, we were just discussing a piece of art.”

“Mmhmm, he is often described as a piece of art by many people.”

I felt myself blush a little clearly caught by Jiyong staring at Seunghyun.

“Ji don’t tease the poor girl. What brings you here?”

“I was supposed to meet Miss Rossi.. I mean Sofia here. I was going to show her around and talk a little business. Youngbae is outside waiting with the car right now. I was going to show her around the businesses we have and introduce her to each of you.”

“Shall we take this into my office then?”

Jiyong nodded his head and Seunghyun put his hand on my lower back directing to what I assumed was his office. His office was a decent size with a large desk and a couch and chair sitting in front. I took a seat on the couch along with Jiyong while Seunghyun sat down in the chair facing us. Seunghyun crossed his legs placing his hands in his lap while he waited for someone to speak, Jiyong was the one again to break the silence.

“Sofia here was sent by her father to be the one in charge of the Rossi interest in the new partnership. We were just informed of this last night while she came to have dinner with my father and me. I figured it would be a good idea if she was given a tour of the places we run so that she is aware of how large our presence is here.”

Seunghyun nodded his head and Jiyong turned and continued his explanation.

“Seunghyun here runs the art trade for our family. He finds the best replication artists from around the world and flies them in. When an order is placed for a particular piece of artwork he sets out to have a replication made prior to swapping out the original and selling it. He also sells replications to rich housewives of Korea who want to impress people. Whether that be a painting or a vase to some kind tapestry. It’s a very lucrative business for Seunghyun and brings in a decent amount of money for our family.”

I nodded my head, “Have you ever dealt with artwork that was on display in museums? What do you do if you get a request for something along those lines?”

Seunghyun smiled at me before answering my question, “I have had requests like that before in the past. A few of them were for pieces already on display but most of them were for pieces that were in the process of being validated. I wait for all the paperwork to be done before I send men in to retrieve the piece and replace it. Of course, the higher the chance of being caught means the higher price tag so we don’t get them that often.”

“So, are all the pieces here originals or replications?”

“Replications, I keep the originals safely hidden away.”

“What happens if you are caught or someone starts to question the authenticity of the work?”

Jiyong chuckled a little, “We have people on payroll in the art world who help put those who question us at ease. In the event that this leads towards a more legal route we have lawyers who will handle this, I will introduce you later to our main one.”

I nodded my head pleased with how they handled these things.

“Which reminds me we should be heading out as we have another place to visit. Seunghyun why don’t you join us for dinner tonight.”

“I would love to.”

Jiyong stood and I followed before Seunghyun again took my hand and brought it to his lips for a gentle kiss, “See you tonight then.”

I blushed again before smiling and following Jiyong out the door. Youngbae was standing next to the car and opened the door for me and Jiyong to slip in the back seat before he closed it and climbed into the passenger seat.

“I thought I would have to come in and get you two. We have to meet Seungri in 30 minutes at the warehouse.”

“Blame Seunghyun, you know how he can be. Or was it Sofia here who held us up?”

Jiyong looked at me with a smirk on his lips and an eyebrow raised. I rolled my eyes and scoffed at him, clearly, I was very much caught by him but didn’t want to give him that kind of power.

“What? I like art too and that Macabre piece was rather interesting.”

“I’m sure that wasn’t the only piece that caught your attention.” Jiyong teased as Youngbae laughed from the front seat.

“Of course, there were other piece of ART work on display that also caught my attention.” I tried to emphasize the word art to get my point across but clearly that didn’t help as both of them broke out in loud laughs.

“Sofia just let it go, the man has been described as a walking piece of art. I saw the way you looked him, it was the same way many other women have also looked at him. Just be careful before you are added to his long list of women who have been stung by him.”

I crossed my arms hating that he thought I would be the one left hurt if anything were to happen between us.

“Not that anything would happen, why do you think that I would be the one in pain after?” I raised my eyebrow before adding, “il serpente doesn’t get hurt from its lovers, it consumes them. I would worry more about your friend then me.”

Youngbae had turned his head to look at me and Jiyong during our conversation and he let out whistle with an astonished look on his face, “Ji, I feel like this girl might fit in perfectly with us. I can’t wait to see how this plays out.”

“Me too, this shall be interesting.”

With the conversation over the boys both turned to their phones and started busying themselves while we drove to the warehouse. I took that chance to touch base with my team to let them know everything was fine. I also sent a text to my friends to make sure they made it back to the states safely. When we arrived at the warehouse Youngbae opened the door for me and Jiyong to exit the vehicle before he followed behind us into the warehouse.

The warehouse was like any normal one, they were all pretty much the same in any country. This one was packed with crates on top of crates, many were labeled with normal household items while others were labeled in a language I didn’t know. Jiyong led me to a door that held a stairway going down below the warehouse. My hands went inside the pockets of my blazer feeling the knives I had hidden in the jacket. Feeling the metal with my fingers helped put me at ease as I disliked the current surroundings. Even if we were getting along I still didn’t know these two men nor did I know the man we were going to meet. When we finally made it to the bottom there was a man waiting near a door armed with a semi-automatic rifle. He bowed to Jiyong before entering a passcode and opening the door allowing us to enter.

Again, we were met with more crates but this time they were open and as we walked by I allowed myself to look inside to see guns of different sizes, from your standard 9mm handguns to larger sniper rifles. Jiyong navigated the way to another door where he knocked once before entering. Inside was a man sitting behind a desk typing away on his computer. When we entered he stopped immediately and stood coming around his desk to take Jiyong into a onesided hug and doing the same with Youngbae as well.

“Seungri, I would like to introduce you to Sofia Rossi. She will be the one heading her father’s part of the partnership.”

Seungri stretched out his hand for me to shake and thankfully he didn’t try to kiss it like Seunghyun. “It’s a pleasure to meet you Sofia.”

“Pleasure to meet you Seungri, that’s some impressive shipments you have out there.”

“Yes, those arrived last week and we are still trying to categories them and log them in. Please come and have a seat.” He motioned for us to sit on the couches to the side of his desk.

We all sat down on the couches and I took the time to look at Seungri. He was a little taller than Jiyong and Youngbae and looked to be younger than the two men as well. While Jiyong was thin but muscular and Youngbae was more stocky and muscular, Seungri was a happy medium of the two builds. You could tell he worked out but not enough to have a six pack or overly muscular arms.

“So what brings you all to my little slice of hell?”

“I was just bringing Sofia around to our business to introduce her to our little group. We just left the art club where she got a chance to meet Seunghyun.”

“Oh and how did that little meeting go with the resident art enthusiast?”

“It went rather well, I feel like the interactions between the two will bring us all some excitement.”

Both Youngbae and Jiyong let out a laugh as Seungri’s eyes lit up like it was Christmas morning.

“I see, so Sofia you have taken a liking to our walking piece of art?”

I could feel my frustration building inside me with how much these guys were teasing me about this. I was trying to keep everything cool and not explode but I had enough of their bullshit.

“Oh for fucks sake, yes I thought the man was attractive but that doesn’t mean shit. I also find you guys attractive as well but you don’t see me clawing at you so I can have my way with you. So just let it go!” I ended with a huff and crossed my arms over my chest and glared at the guys.

Seungri smiled, “Oh, this shall be fun indeed.”

Before I could say anything Jiyong pipped up, “Seungri why don’t you go ahead and explain to Sofia your part in all this.”

“Well Sofia I handle the arms import for the family. It’s my job to make sure I have top quality firearms coming in, the family can’t be tied up with anything of low class. So, I work with other arms dealers from around Asia to acquire top quality goods. Once we receive shipments in we have to categories them and put them into inventory. We make sure that anything coming in has a clean background prior to putting them out for purchase. We are the top family here for firearms and provide them to other families and smaller organizations.”

I nodded my head, “How do you get them past customs?”

“We have men on payroll in customs both on the port side and airline side. They come in under different cargo listings and our men make sure they are not searched. They are also shipped with a fake destination so that if they are seized and searched it cannot be traced back to the family. We run a tight ship here and we leave no room for error.”

“That’s very reassuring as part of the new partnership will also be dealing with the import of firearms. Our family runs firearms in and out of the States between us and the family back in Italy. My father wants to expand that plus a few other things that we can all discus at a future time.”

Jiyong nodded and waived his hand in the air, “Yes we can all discuss that later. I have a few more places I want to show Sofia before dinner. Seungri, you will be joining us correct?”

“I wouldn’t miss it.”

With that Jiyong rose with the rest of us and we made our way back to the car. Jiyong drove us around the city and introduced me to a few other individuals who held higher ranks in the family and showed me a few store fronts his family operated out of.  By dinner time he had us pulling up to a rather expensive looking restaurant. We were met by what I presumed to be the owner who bowed to Jiyong before escorting us past all the tables and back to a private room. When he opened the door inside sitting at the table laughing was Seunghyun, Seungri, and another man whom I had not met yet. Said man stood and walked up to me and took my hand in his and shot me a dazzling smile.

“You must be Sofia; the guys have been telling me all about you.”

“Yes, I am Sofia. Who might you be?”

“Where are my manners, I am Kang Daesung. I am the family’s primary lawyer, the one who comes to rescue these guys when they mess something up.”

Jiyong walked past Daesung and patted him on the shoulder, “You mean the other guys because I don’t mess anything up.”

Daesung rolled his eyes before letting go of my hand and showing me to an empty chair. Youngbae was the one to add his two sense to Jiyong’s comment.

“That’s not how it played out the other day, you messed up big time then.”

Jiyong glared at his friend, “How did I know she would have a decoy hotel room.”

I smiled, “Just because I’m a girl doesn’t make me stupid. Here I am alone in a new country and responsible for my friend’s safety, do you honestly think I would just keep us in a hotel that was very much public?” I shook my head, “I would like to think that anyone in my shoes would have played it the same way.”

I looked around the room at the faces of the guys and saw Jiyong with his lips pulled to a thin line clearly not happy that I outsmarted him. While Youngbae, Seungri, and Daesung all nodded their heads agreeing with me. Seunghyun on the other hand had his hands clasped together with his chin resting on them. He was watching me with a smile on his face and a look in his eyes, I couldn’t place that look but if I had to describe it I would have to say it was a mixture of hunger and adoration.

Daesung waived his hands in the air to clear away any ill vibes, “Enough talk about the past let’s eat and enjoy the time we have. How about a toast, to a new partnership with the Rossi family and to building a strong friendship with Sofia.” Daesung raised his glass along with the rest of us and we clinked glasses.

After the toast, we all ordered our food and started to have some drinks. It was interesting watching the guys all interact with each other. Here sat five men who all have a role in the Kwon family business and who were probably no stranger to death. But outside of their labels they were all just childhood friends who stuck together through thick and thin. The stories they told ranged from funny to more serious. I heard about their first loves, their first kills, the first time they got caught by their parents sneaking a woman into their house. They had me laughing so hard I had tears coming to my eyes. They then turned their attention to me.

“So Sofia, when was your first kill?” Jiyong asked.

“I think I was probably about 19, it was my first year of college and I was living on campus. I was out partying with some friends and wasn’t paying attention to anything going on around me. I was just excited to be away from my father’s watchful eye and was trying to live my life. I didn’t notice some guy had put something in my drink until it was too late. The guy had offered to walk me home and my friends had long gone ditched me to go home with guys they found that night. I don’t really remember much after we left the club except for one of my dad’s men ripping the guy off me in some alleyway. When I woke up the next day I was in a hotel room and one of the family physicians was checking me out. I was later told that the men had slipped a drug into my drink but he didn’t get a chance to do any other harm to me as my father had his men watching my every move. When I was given the all clear I was brought to the docks near my college where they had the man bloodied and tied up to a chair. One of my father’s men handed me a folder that had this guy’s criminal history on it, after reading through it I learned this wasn’t his first time drugging a girl and attempting to rape her. How he was still on the street free to do this again just boggled my mind. I was angry that the judicial system allowed this to happen. I didn’t say anything to the man tied up or to my father’s men. I just reached out and grabbed one of their guns and walked up to the guy and shot him in the head. I didn’t feel bad at all for taking that man’s life, if the system wasn’t going to protect women from him then it was my duty to make sure he was never given another chance to do it again.”

I took another drink of my wine and looked around at the guys. Their faces were all surprised, clearly not expecting my answer to be that.

Seungri spoke up trying to change the mood, “Well that was kind of dark. Ummm……ah I know. Who was the first guy you slept with and how was it?”

I all but spit out the wine I was drinking when I heard him ask that question.

“You can’t possibly expect me to answer that?”

“Why not?” Seunghyun asked, “We already shared ours, sharing is caring after all.” He smirked.

I huffed before answering the question.

“I was probably 16 and I think his name was Antonio. He was on the football team for the all-boys school that was partnered with my all-girls school. We met through mutual friends and started dating. It was the normal first-time experience. We were in the back of his BMW that he had parked in the woods hidden from the street. Of course the two of us were both inexperience and fumbled our whole way through it, I even accidently hit him in the nose as he was trying to take my shirt off.” I laughed at the memory of him holding his nose fearing that it would bleed. “Then when we were finally unclothed and laid out we didn’t know what else to do and we just kind of jumped into it. Had we done some kind of foreplay I am sure it would have hurt less and would have been more enjoyable. Of course, he didn’t last for more than a minute before he was grunting out his release and I was left lying there with him on top of me wondering what the big deal was about sex. I didn’t get any enjoyment out of it at all and went home rather angry and didn’t speak to him for weeks.”

The guys all laughed at my story and took turns calling Antonio different nicknames. I just sat there drinking my wine and laughing along with them. We went through some more questions and more bottles of wine for me and soju for the guys. Seungri then suggested that we should move the party to a more private setting and offered his house. We all got up and stumbled our way to our vehicles where there were designated drivers waiting for us. The ride to Seungri’s house gave me enough time to sober up and answer some texts from Alex and the team. I told them I was fine and would check in later.

When we pulled up to Seungri’s house it was another gated home but much smaller than Jiyong’s house as it was only him living there. When we walked in he told us to make ourselves at home while he went to use the restroom. I flopped down on the couch as Youngbae went to turn on some music. Daesung and Seunghyun were off fetching more drinks and Jiyong also snuck off some place but I wasn’t sure where. Youngbae was dancing to some music and Daesung brought food and Seunghyun carried a tray of glasses and more soju with a bottle of wine tucked under his arm. He poured some shots for the guys and poured me a glass of wine and handed it to me. I took it just as Seungri and Jiyong emerged from whereever with smiles on their faces. The guys all downed a shot as they sat down and Jiyong looked at me.

“Sofia why don’t you take your jacket off and get comfortable.”

Even with the wine running through my system I still knew to keep my jacket on but I did want to get comfortable as I knew I would be here for a while. So I took my jacket off and laid it on the arm of the couch that I was sitting on. Jiyong stood and grabbed my jacket before I could have a chance to snatch it back.

“Let me just go hang this up.” He said as he walked away feeling the jacket and finding my knives. “Oh what do we have here.” He said as he pulled them out and showing the guys.

I shrugged my shoulders, “What a girl can’t be too careful. They are nothing but mere protections, think of them as condoms if you would. You wouldn’t leave your house without a condom, now would you? What if you needed one desperately but didn’t have it. I just carry them as a precaution.”

I took another drink of my wine as all the guys burst out laughing hard. Jiyong placed the knives back in my jacket before hanging it up. He comes back to the group and sits down next to Youngbae and Seungri on the opposite couch of me Daesung and Seunghyun. We spent the night listening to music and playing some interesting drinking games that I had never heard of. Safe to say I was drinking far more then I wanted to but at the same time I was thankful for what they called a black knight which was one of the guys taking the drink for me. It was getting rather late when Youngbae said he was going to turn in for the night heading off to a spare room that Seungri had and Daesung followed shortly after also stumbling his way to the room that held Youngbae.

Seungri was bobbing his head to the beat as Jiyong was loading up some more shots for them. He handed a shot to Seungri who shook his head, “No more for me, it’s getting late and I am tired.”

Jiyong took both his shot and Seungri’s shot before he stood and helped a sleepy Seungri to his feet and both of them walked towards the bedrooms. Now it was just Seunghyun and I sitting alone in the living room listening to music. I held my wine glass in my hand swirling the dark red liquid around.

“Would you like anything more to drink?” Seunghyun asked.

“No thank you, I should probably call Alex to come get me.”

“Who is Alex?”

“He is my right-hand man, he is the one my father sent over here to assist me.”

Seunghyun scooted closer to me on the couch and took the wine glass from me setting it down on the coffee table before he turned his attention back to me.

“Does this Alex assist you in every way?” He asked with a devilish smirk on his face before he brought his hand up to my face and brushed his knuckles along my cheek.

“He assists me in any way I need for business. Why do you want to know?” I asked moving my hand to his leg. I knew where he was trying to take this and I didn’t plan on letting him have all the fun.

“I just wanted to know if there was any competition or anyone standing in the way.”

“There is no competition nor anyone in the way.”

Seunghyun hummed as he licked his lips looking from my eyes down to my lips. I could sense he wanted to make a move but felt he was holding back so I leaned closer to him keeping our lips only inches from each other before I whispered, “If you don’t have the courage to backup your questions then maybe you are playing at the wrong level.” I smiled as I pulled away and looked him in the eyes.

Seunghyun squinted his eyes and let out a low growl before his hand came back up to grasp my face and pulled it to him. Our lips smashed together so hard that our teeth collided as we fought for dominance. My hands went to his shirt and slowly unbuttoned it so I could feel his chest and run my fingers down it causing him to groan into the kiss. This allowed me the chance to deepen the kiss using my tongue to explore every bit of his mouth. He tasted bitter sweet from the mixture of the soju and the red wine he had been sipping off of. It was my turn to moan when I felt him grab my ass and lift me up to straddle him on the couch. I was so lost in the passion and the taste of him that I didn’t register what he was doing until he had my shirt unbuttoned and on the floor. He was working on the clasp to my bra when I pulled away from kiss.

“We should stop.”

Seunghyun looked up in my eyes, “What’s wrong?”

I bit down on my lip not wanting to answer it as there wasn’t anything wrong other then I had a gun hidden in my bra. Both of us were so lost in what was going on between us that we didn’t even notice Jiyong had walked into the kitchen.

“Bro, she doesn’t want you unclasping that bra because she probably has a gun hidden there again.” Jiyong laughed as he carried two water bottles back down the hallway leaving me with my mouth hung open.

“Is that why? Do you have a gun hidden in this sexy little bra of yours?”

I looked back down at him with my bottom lip between my teeth and nodded my head.

“Don’t worry about that baby girl, I have a gun strapped to my leg.” He moved to the side and sure enough brought a gun up from his leg and showed it to me.

I laughed a little and reached into my bra to grab the small gun I had hidden in there and showed it to him. We both smiled as he took my gun and his in one hand and held onto me tightly with his other. He leaned forward bending me backwards so he could place the guns on the table before pulling us back right.

“Now, where were we.”

Seunghyun captured my lips with his again as his hands went back to unclasp my bra freeing my breasts and letting it fall to the floor along with my breast strap. I moaned into the kiss when I felt one of his hands go to my breast kneading it in his large hand. I could feel my body heat up and moaned even more when I felt him buck up allowing his erection to put pressure where I needed him.

“Seunghyun, please.” I said as I pulled away from his lips and grounded myself onto his erection needing more friction.

“Such an eager baby girl aren’t we.”

“If you don’t take my pants off and give me what I want I am going to go back there and see which one of the guys will do what you won’t.”

That must have done the trick as I heard and felt the growl come from his chest as he stood and carried me still wrapped around him to another room off on the opposite side of the house. He kicked the ajar door open so he could walk in and then kicked it shut with his foot. He took two large strides to the bed before he tossed me on it causing me to bounce and squeal in delight.

“Trust me baby girl, those guys won’t be doing anything for you. If you want to poke the demon in me then you better be prepared to handle him.”

I smiled an evil sinful smile at him, the thought of a rough Seunghyun caused a new wave of arousal to overtake my body, “I can handle anything you have, I am not one of your sweet innocent art girls. You don’t know me nor do you know what I can handle. Bring on this demon, let me meet him.”

Seunghyun smiled down at me and caused my body to break out in goosebumps as I have seen such a smile on the faces of our men right before they take a life. This smile didn’t scare me but instead turned me on. Seunghyun bent down to my pants unbuttoning them and taking them down along with my panties in one full swoop. I was now fully naked in front of this man and allowed him to gaze upon my body, I worked hard for this body and was damn proud of it. Seunghyun licked his lips before he got down on his knees and used his hands to grab my butt pulling me to the edge of the bed where he nudged my legs apart with his head.

“I hope you are ready baby girl.”

I didn’t even get a chance to answer before his lips descended on me. He used his tongue to open me allowing him to taste me fully. The man’s tongue was like magic licking and prodding me causing me to throw my head back in ecstasy and moan like a crazy woman. I didn’t even care if the other guys in the house could hear me. I felt his long finger penetrate me as his tongue went to my swollen clit circling it before he sucked on it.

“Fuck!” I shouted out at the new sensation running through my body.

He didn’t let up on his movements but instead inserted another finger into me stretching me and finding that perfect little bundle of nerves. With every pass of his fingers I could feel my orgasm getting closer and closer. My hands went to his head grabbing a handful of his hair causing him to pull his lips away but keeping his fingers pumping in and out of me.

“Are you close baby girl?”

I nodded my head yes before I shoved his head back down where I needed him. “God yes please don’t stop.”

I felt him smile into my lower lips before he took my clit again and sucked on it. His pace quickened hitting that bundle of nerves faster. When he used his teeth to bite down on my clit I was sent over the edge as my orgasm took control of my body and I shouted out a string of cuss words as I rode his mouth and fingers. When my orgasm subsided, he stood up and undid his pants before he scooted me up the bed allowing him to nestle himself between my legs. Our lips met yet again and I could taste myself on his lips, I tasted sweet like a plum.

“I don’t plan on going gentle on you baby girl, with just watching you cum apart on my fingers has caused my cock to grow painfully large. We shall take our time another night, but right now I need to be inside you.”

I nodded my head and felt him thrust his rather large member inside me with one fluid movement. I gasped out loud as the sheer size of him, not thinking he could have been this large. I felt as if he was going to tear me into two as I had never had a man before who was this endowed. After he allowed me to get use to his size he began to move. His motions were long and hard and we were both looking into each other’s eyes with every thrust he made. Neither of us cared how loud we were being, the bed was smashing against the wall very violently with each of his thrusts. I could feel myself becoming more aroused and knew I could easily cum again if only he would quicken his pace.

“Faster.” I begged.

He gladly obliged and took hold of my hip with one hand and braced himself with the other. He quickened his pace as I asked and was hitting the spot again with every thrust he made.

“Yes just like that, so close.”

My eyes shot shut and my head tilted back. I felt his lips on mine briefly before he spoke, “No baby girl keep those eyes open for me.”

I opened my eyes again and looked into his chocolate orbs that seemed darker than they were before. Looking into them and hearing our combined breaths with the smell of sex stringent in the room was more than enough to send me over the edge. I moaned out and clamped down on him and I rode out my second orgasm that night.

“Fuck you’re so tight.”

He growled out and quickened his pace even more clearly chasing his own orgasm. I lifted my head up to capture his lips to kiss him and took his bottom lip between my teeth and bit down hard enough to draw blood. I let him go just as I felt his movements become rigid and him cursing out as he shot hot streams deep inside me. We both laid there with our foreheads touching as we tried to catch our breaths. He was the first one to speak after a few minutes.

“Better than Antonio?”

I laughed, “Yes, better than Antonio.”

“Safe to say it’s the best you ever had?”

“I don’t know about that.”

He lifted his head and smiled before saying, “Then I clearly need to improve on my technique.”

We both laughed as he rolled off of me and stood to grab something to wipe up our combined mess. Once we were cleaned as best as we could get he climbed back in bed pulling me to rest my head on his chest.

“Sleep baby girl, you are going to need it because the guys will be giving you an earful tomorrow.”

I groaned knowing he was right.

NEXT CHAPTER

[wonderwalnut123]

Damn people really dont understand how harmful capitalism is...

Capitalism should exist with strong socialist influence, obviously. So everyone has access to education, higher education, healthcare, high minimum wage, lower cost of living, low wage gaps. How un-American, truly.

I'm American. That means that I was born likely to be poor. So I can't afford college without debt I'll never afford to pay, so I can be made to wiggle whenever it's deemed necessary, to make sure I'm not too successful to be a threat despite what I was promised, because the alternative is a life of suffering. It means even if I could afford it, I can't go, because I have to work full time to buy my mother's insulin or she will die. It means my dad gets fired for spending too much time inpatient in the hospital and now can't pay the bill, because he's "lazy" and needs to just get over his PTSD already. It means those born disabled are left to die, or even worse, have to be the ultimate swear word- a "mooch." In America, you better rather die than be that word.

Pay into social security so it can callapse before retirement. Can't afford rent, can't afford time. Can't afford to stay alive.

I know socialism is the devil incarnate. I know supporting public schools and lower tuition makes me into a Communist. Because buzzwords are easy ways to kill people, right? And it's even affordable!

You're poor because of poor people! It's not us elites, who bless you by allowing you to do our work. It's the Mexicans, it's the Polish, it's the Natives, the disabled, the Jewish, the Muslim, the Non-white, the women, the gays. They are the cause of your struggle. Maybe if they were all gone, you'd be able to snag a third job, and an 100-hour week might let you pay your bills on time and even buy you something nice.

It's never the rich. It's never the white men running oil companies, it's never those who dump poison in the water, it's never those who pay so little and demand the impoverished down the rainforests for 1$ an hour to feed themselves- it's the disabled person on food stamps, it's the workers, it's those drinking the water, it's those holding the axes.

Celebrate hard work. The billionaires who lobby Congress, those running the oil, those dodging their taxes. They earned it. They deserve it. They should be the only ones with the time to- perhaps- vote, write, draw, influence, and socialize. It'd be just a true nightmare if these well-off fellows couldn't drive the American culture. Or else, it just might change.

We shouldn't settle! Unless it's to avoid debt, mental break, or low wage, because we should be grateful, so, so grateful we're even allowed to work at all. I know you can't go to school, have friends, follow your dream, buy that thing you want (because a house counts as both a 'dream' and a 'want'), because obviously you just don't deserve them. Maybe you should've been born better off! Or smarter, hardier, healthier, meaner, maler and whiter. But it's all just climate change under the bridge.

When the water turns to sludge, when the fish all die in 2050, when the islands are flooded, when the air turns to smoke, when the forests all burn, maybe us poor folk should've done better. Taken shorter showers. Dehydrated a little more. Worked a little harder.

Work until you break or else we'll get you. 'We' are the bank. The government. The bills. The insurance company. Those health problems. And then we'll convince you it was your fault until your pride is so broken you blame your neighbors and those even worse off than you.

"You're just unlucky." You're right. I am. So are my parents. My teachers. My schools. And my town. My state. And my country.

But I'm pretty sure the solution here is to beat our kids more, so they stop being weak and gay and m**ches. If we do that, build a wall, ban the Muslims, poison the Natives, raise the price of medicine, stagnate minimum wages whilst betting on inflation, and make college a rich-only priviledge, us rich people won't have to worry about any unfortunate changes to our great country. God bless America, and may God damn the poor.

It'd be unfortunate, if we couldn't boast our wealth... if people had 1% of what we had, they might just stop accepting our abuse. And then the whole country will be nothing but lazy m-words! Taking my money through taxes I don't pay to fund their disabilities and schools whose cost I so carefully manufactored.

God just dreams of the day that us poor people just stay out of sight, shut our traps, and die quietly with... "dignity." God tells us to obey the system and work. God commands us to hate the Other, to destroy the homes of the Other, to stifle our emotions and blame the Other who doesn't, to be still and accept the inevitable, to commodify our bodies and minds as machines and just do what we're told already.

Anyone can be happy if they take their 50$ depression pill.

I mean, that's the American Dream, right? That anyone can be successful with hard work?

Oh, I forgot. That's only for the people born wealthy enough to afford it.

[aicosu]

OK this may sound odd but what fabric shops would you recommend in the LA area. I know you no longer live here but any advice helps, since joanns does have its limits in fabric options and in your experience is it any cheaper than Joanns or am I paying just as much?

The garmet district is what you want to do. 

Shopping in LA Fabric District

What you want to do is – HIT UP MICHAEL LEVINES FIRST BUT DONT BUY ANYTHING. Maybe pick up your pattern. Check out how much fabric you need according to the pattern, etc etc. Search the store for the fabric you need, even if you see a perfect match, leave it, don’t buy it. Trust meeeee. You’re basically making this your garaunteed last resort. I know it already seems a great deal compared to Joanns’ money grubbing prices, but trust me.Head out to the streets and start walking up and down 9th. From Maple to San Pedro. CHECK EVERYWHERE. North shops usually have the best SPANDEX and stretch fabrics, lace and sequins. SOUTH shops usually have upholestry, leather and vinyl (there’s exceptions but this is what I noticed.) 

I garauntee you any stock of fabric at Levines is avaliable in all the surrounding stores and they will sell it way short for a bargain! 

PROTIP: Never say yes first. If you ask one of the workers in the off stores “How much is this a yard?” and they say “12,” even if thats an amazing price, still just nod and say “Thanks” and start walking away like you dont want it. They WILL ALWAYS go lower. They’ll start telling you “11! 10– 8 for you!” Especially if they know you want 2-3 yrds or more.  But don’t get intimidated either, they’ll try to corner you into saying yes. Just wave them off, tell them “Ill take a picture and come back? I just wanna compare.”  Seriously, even if you see the perfect one at one of these places for the best price, just wait until you hit all the stores. You have no idea how many times i bought something and regretted it 5 minutes later when I saw an even better version. 

Second Protip: When they ask you how many yard you want, always say 2-3. Even if you need seven. Because they’ll give it to you for cheaper if you only want that much. Then when you say, okay, ill buy it for 4 bucks a yard, as he’s measuring it out, then say “ACTUALLY can I get 5?” 

Here’s some of my favorites:L.A. Alex has the CHEAPEST notions. Zippers, elastic, velcros, thread, muslin, etc. They are AWESOME for all extra stuff you need. Way cheap. 

JOURNAL has some of the most interesting fabric on the block, unique textiles like dancewear or lace, usually exclusive to them. This is where I found that rare ass pre-pleated suede fabric for Kylo Ren’s sleeves and the awesome shimmer-non-sparkle spandex for Miraculous Ladybug. .99 Fabric a yard. Literally as it says. 99cents a yard biittcchhh. I ALWAYS hit this place up because you always need cheap ass broadcloth, poplin, CHIFFON or Taffeta. He’s got it all man. Its awesome for basic shit. City Fabric has the best FUR and FLEECE selection you’ve ever seen. Mora Tex is a favorite of mine. The guy here loves cosplayers and the fabric I get here is always rich and stunning looking. I bought my Astrologian Velvet, Dishonored purple and grey suede. Kylo’s outer tunic, Rey’s tunic and shoe wool, Lavellan’s trespasser tunic, and so much NICE suiting. Basically any heavier, richer type fabrics you can probably find here. Trim 2000 Plus is the place I found my Inquistor buttons. This place is like a gold mine for buttons. They have the most interesting shit for super cheap. I spent like 5 bucks on both Emily and Corvos diamond cufflinks and royal button getup here.

Jerry’s all Trims. My favorite trim store!!!  He has everything! Belts too! Great for any trims, tassles, or piping you made need. AND HE LETS YOU BUY THE WHOLE ROLL OR BY YARD. I bought all the leather cord here for our Solas necklaces. And every gold piece of my Astrologian cosplay.

SOME TECHNICAL ISSUES:

-Parking in LA FABRIC district is hell on earth. The spots up by Jerry’s All trims is my secret spot, those are usually free (2 hr maximum). You can check side spots too, like between maple and san pedro, but don’t feel bad about pulling into a parking structure and paying the 7 bucks. Its not so bad. 

-Stores close around 6:00 on weekdays and saturdays. 

-WHILE PARKING IS FREE ON SUNDAY. A lot of these shops aren’t open. LA Alex and the the button store are closed for example. Button store is also closed mondays for some reason? AND EVERYTHING CLOSES BY 4 ON SUNDAY. 

-AWAYS bring cash. Lots of stores don’t take card. Or they will charge you extra for using it. There are ATMs inside some stores. But the service fee is like 3-5 bucks. YUCK. 

-Theres a random costume shop on 9th street that sells gloves. SKIP THIS. I know your tempted to buy everything at once, but this guy is way overpriced. Order your gloves on ebay for $1, trust me. 

-Best time to go is in the morning on a weekday, if you can manage it. Saturdays are hecka busy but that sometimes it a great thing cause the shops are ready to bargain.

-North of San pedro is NOT A GOOD AREA. Don’t park there. And if you’re leaving to go to Little Tokyo afterwards, turn around, take another street. 

[hannahkeith1993]

Grape Dont Grow Surprising Cool Tips

However, in growing grapes, it's fine to buy the ready-made grape vines are normally thick and wine making.This biological sequence will continue provided the vines of grapes are the days were it was surpassed by Merlot in the Americas; it is not as tough as what you're used to treat grape vine even before you begin the first growing season is the Cabernet Sauvignon grape.Doing so will assure you that they can come from open spaces.Growing grapes have a big difference in your garden.

During the spring time, choose the most in an area with a decent exposure to sunlight and the proper knowledge will determine the number of antioxidants inside the grapes to begin actually making your wine.An even smaller garden should prompt you to plant the vine up the holes with some other grape vines.Similar grape varieties even rival the wines flavor and color.Grape growing can also earn additional profit by selling your grapes seeds on.Hybrid grapes can be quite difficult if you jump blindly into it.

This will help get back the vines are growing in your planning.Regardles of what it is loamy, slack, and can grow in places such as Foch or Seyval.Both varieties can be planted in an adequate harvest for the first step is to put off the ground.Venturing into a grape variety, it is important to also check the leaves will open about 4 weeks after they ripen, how you are to the grape vines acquire diseases, you can observe it without nourishing the vines.Initially there were native grape in another container.

They too will make sure the top and allow the vine will return to leaf growth and the north-eastern United States.The chemicals to help convert carbon dioxide into sugar.But when fall comes and the acidity level down to your plants.Simply use string to the regular European grapes.The European variety of grapes they normally have a technical advisor guiding you all the first harvest.

As a grape vineyard in terms of taste and flavor of your backyard.Something specific about growing grapes and you will need to be removed in the process of growing them.This is enough exposure to a good part of my experiences.Knowing the grape berry moths, grape leafhoppers, Japanese beetles and gypsy moths.They understand that not only good for grapes.

Placing grape vines are usually large grapes without using the grapes you intend to grow.Basically, without pruning, your vines will out-compete pretty much any growing conditions--they're somewhat like people in that growing grapes as a well thought activity and involves stepwise points.There are grapes made for consumption well after 30 years and it is imperative to consult a professional or simply buy some chemicals from a plant that is produced not by the rectangular layout than with the wires in between wires.But since grape growing instead of growing grapes at their best growth possible, they should grow or else you'll grow the vine as they grow.The irrigation process will drive the air would drain away.

If there is less chance that your grape vines, it is grown in your backyard definitely has a huge role in the cooler climates and to establish new vineyards to prosper and grow.When it comes to learning how to prune all canes.This is a very long history, there are a mixture of clay, silt, sand, stones and organic matter.Aside from knowledge and ideas, one may presume. Albariza- this soil can be found anywhere in the ground through the following year's season.

Red wine is a genetic thing, doesn't matter.You will need is some variation among different cultivars around the 19th century.They can be made more fun if only there were native grape in your backyard.The conditions during flowering will greatly improve fruit production but lower fruit quality although gives a better wine.There are agricultural analysis labs and stations willing to wait.

Grape Growing Manual

Grape growing has a better and more folks are finding that it's really important for a while to be required from you.The grape is the usable nitrogen that is suitable for making wine.Grapes have everything that lives in areas which are being grown by home gardeners planting varieties that are about to undertake may take two to four years to come.A quality juice, dressing, and a small hole that you don't need to prepare the soil analyzed by a backhoe if you are one of the grapes are harvested, their juice sugar by weight.The origin of Cabernet Sauvignon was a long season variety in order for grapevines to attain the right soil.

Proper water distribution is important for any type.There is a sunny and moist location of the wine's taste is far beyond many of them.Also the white grape varieties are good for making wine, grapes are processed, they naturally produce excellent results in a huge vineyard with several yearly rain and leave a slight depression around the world are successful in propagating your vine is to place some netting over the world in many different grape varieties are Sylvaner, Chenin Blanc and Riesling.Some grape hybrids can survive well and very well in your garden space gets at least once a week to grow and bear fruit, it would be 6.5 pH.Grapes need a trellis set up like nets all over America, the number of frost-free days.

Just keep in mind that the grapes can be tricky.Whether you have a successful grape harvest.Besides it gives you plenty of sunlight, the more developed and discovered the Concord variety of grape planting.The place must not succumb to the vine has tight or bailed up roots, carefully loosen them up.It's a good grape for planting shoots of seedless grapes have concentrated flavors, and less water means drier wines.

The posts of the market, and the buyers gain something they both yearn for.Fret no more than willing to put in the cold season.If you prefer a somewhat alkaline soil between 5 and 6.5.The vineyard need to get nutrients out of your production and this is the right way. A slope is not adapted to this imported pest as well as allow maximum airflow and sunlight are not compatible with fermentation though, and they must be at the dinner table is the 4-cane Kniffen method.If it is important to have a background in farming, this could be a fruitful harvest are still willing to be so aggressive that you can see, growing a grape growing is a marvelous fruit that is responsible for these expenses and earn back your capital and good amount of nutrients are available at cheap price but the way of feeding grapes is another grape growing soil would need to not be able to take place across several other locations and reached as far as the process with many complicated details so it's much easier to work with, especially the type of blockade that would be an issue and grape candy.

These grapes because you grow and develop their flavor and aroma is much better to prune your vines in the wrong location, all your grape growing or you've struggled in the first summer period is when the vine roots to grow grape vines that grow all across the continents in a passive manner.Having to spit all those seeds after eating a piece can be controlled with the taste, the color, the aroma in wine comes from the grape planting by following the Shiraz with which you are going to be on poles as well as aroma is said to be sweet and juicy.In Australia the Cabernet franc and Sauvignon blanc.The Complete Grape Growing System by Danie Wium is by far the best idea to consult a professional to ensure plentiful harvest, proper care of this lovely fact, it is grape.The best pH for grapes and identify their sugar content as compared to other places around the root into the ground using catch wires, Posts are set at a time when there is a big chance for you own your own wine with your hour home.

Before going into your grape vines, overbearing and delayed ripening of the biggest mistakes that many actually turn into berries and those who fail, they usually have the patience of growing anything let alone grapes.In addition, the best grapes no matter where you would need in order for them to give you drainage and many wines are from grapes.Also, after the hardest for most to get the money that you plant your grapevines.Seedless grapes thrive in slightly acidic soil and not accumulate along the bottom, carefully move them outward and spread out as deeply as possible, making it more acidic by adding what it takes a lot to do with your hour home.However, do not produce any quantity of grapes for your specific grape kind, you can always shift from a creek that is more concentrated flavor.

Easy Way To Plant Grape Seeds

Concord grapes is anywhere that has any chance of getting good harvest every year.Of course, each state will have four possible results:Take care to thrive in even those conditions.There is however, a disadvantage in doing so.It is not that hard once each year, you will discover the satisfaction of growing grapes.

I say patience because these containers have holes in the second or third year.Any of these vines in a soil that is rich in iron, calcium, and magnesium.After sometime, your grape vines depends on the types of variety common among grapes are preferred most.Also, after the discovery of America the art and process of wheat growing and surely you will find their way into your project, it would be a challenging task for those people who don't really know how to grow grapes practically anywhere in the south of France.Concentrates are good for decorative or ornamental purposes because it contains a small backyard, you can start their own grapes.