#(and I payed rent and bills like the adult I am of course)

[vasattope]

I'm a responsible adult until I'm faced with the opportunity to buy concert tickets

[strniohoeee]

Labyrinth

Pairing: Matt Sturniolo X Female reader

Synopsis: A numb and addicted y/n can’t seem to understand why her life suddenly feels different. She’s done nothing but move around in her adult years, so why is it now that she feels she can’t pack up and leave anytime soon?

Warnings⚠️: I haven’t written in over a month, so I’m super rusty this might be shitty! Cigarette smoking and mentions, mentions of addiction, mentions of alcohol. I don’t condone smoking or drinking (underage).🖤

Song for imagine: Cigarettes and Coffee- Otis Redding

Its early in the morning

About a quarter ‘til three

I’m sittin here talking with my baby

Over cigarettes and coffee

I was never one to deal with stress easily which led me to deal with it in the worst ways possible. Drinking, smoking, quitting jobs on the spot and even packing up and leaving places…..I know stupid and risky, but I never had that anchor in my life to tell me everything was going to be okay.

If I felt stressed and useless my things were packed and I was on the road to a new state. I think I was on state number 7 in about a year and a half. Who the fuck in their right mind handles stress this way? That was the million dollar question, and I had the answer…. I wasn’t in my right mind…not in the past, not in the present and undoubtedly not in the future.

After my last breakdown I landed in California precisely in Los Angeles, the city of angels. Where all your dreams and aspirations could come true. It just felt like lost paradise to me, but it’s the longest state I’ve ever stood in. For some reason I couldn’t find the power in me to leave when I got stressed. It was as if I had some unforeseen future here….a future of happiness and hope?

But the stress still gnawed at me. Will I ever have a career, will I ever be truly happy, will my parents be proud of me?How am I going to pay for next month's rent?How am I going to pay for next week's groceries?

It was a constant battle and I never severely suffered because I always found a way, but once all that was taken care of the immediate panic started again about how will I be able to do it all in the following weeks.

I started smoking constantly and it was weird because I wasn’t a smoker but I knew I should drink a little less. I only lit a cigarette when the stress was so bad I refused to drink anymore. Not like smoking was any better ruining my lungs rather than my liver….

But the problem was it went from one to two a day to five and on really bad days even up to eight. It was a bad crutch I simply couldn’t pull away from. They were my training wheels and I was so scared that once I let go I’d crash and burn.

I had an addiction and I had no one around me to slap me out of it. Of course I still spoke to my parents, but I just lied about it. I mean there’s truly no one to blame but myself, however all that regret left my mind once a lighter was in my hand and I took a long drag while the cool night breeze brushed against my skin.

I was lucky enough to have found a job almost instantly. It was a cute little coffee shop that had a small selection of books. It was a peaceful and slow paced job. We only really needed two to three people working. So I’d open at 8am and waited for the next girl to clock in at about 11am.

It was a fun job that paid the bills and my horrendous cigarette addiction. I had found a decent studio apartment nearby. But I was always convinced that this would be snatched from under my feet and I should never get comfortable. As you can expect this led to my extreme stress and anxiety.

I didn’t necessarily have friends here, I mean yes I was cool with my coworkers and boss; but we weren’t friends. It was more of a hi, bye situation. It didn’t bother me much. I was always a loner. I never really found people who got me, so I stayed with the only person who did…me.

On my days off I spent a lot of time walking around flea markets, heading into other cafes and even writing. I’d always hoped that one day I’d be a writer. My mind was always running and I figured someone out there might actually relate to and enjoy the words I’d write on a piece of paper.

Today I was actually working a small shift from 8am to 1pm. I was staring blankly at my reflection in the bathroom. Scrubbing my hands and gargling mouthwash. It was 11am and I was coming back from my break.

Spitting the mouthwash into the sink I closed the cap and stuffed the travel size bottle into my purse. Inhaling deeply I looked at myself once again.

“You have got to stop smoking” I replied in a mumble

Slipping my hand blindly into my purse I pulled out my perfume; spritzing myself before shutting the light and heading into the break room to place my purse back.

Slipping my apron on my coworker walked in, clocking in the back as she offered me a smile

“Good morning Y/N” she said as she walked towards me to place her things down

“Good morning K” I stated as I offered a smile back and began to make my way to clock back in

I wasn’t sure why her name was K, it was all over her employee paperwork. She was here before me, so I felt I had no right to ask her for her real name. But it was interesting for someone to just drop the rest of their name and solely go by a singular letter.

After punching back in I walked to the front, not a surprise it was dead. The only people lingering around were the 8am-9am crew. Sighing deeply I decided to clean up a bit.

It was about 12pm now and I was watching the clock anxiously waiting to clock out and run free. Usually I worked 8-4 and sometimes even 8-6. I had a whole day ahead of me and two days off might I add. I felt pretty invincible

Drinking from my water cup the door chimed signaling a customer. Placing the cup down I began to turn around.

“Hi welcome to Mugs” I stated as I turned around

Immediately I was intrigued. I have never seen someone as interesting before. I mean it is LA, so I have seen some interesting stuff; but no he looked different…. And for some reason I couldn’t really look away

Placing his vision glasses on top of his head he squinted his eyes to read the menu. My eyebrow raising.

“You know glasses are meant for you to see things” I said logging into the register as I looked up at him

“I’m sorry?” He said looking at me

“You um…. You put your glasses on your head and then squinted to read” I said pointing above me at the board

“Oh… well these are just blue light glasses. I genuinely can’t really see” he said in an awkward way

“Ohhh well uhh want me to read the menu to you?” I asked laughing a bit

“Oh no it’s fine, I’m not really a coffee drinker” he stated looking at our pastry display

“You do realize you’re in a Coffee shop?” I said jokingly

His mouth opened a bit and then he squinted his eyes

“I am now seeing how ridiculous I look” he said chuckling and shaking his head

“No judgment here” I said sticking my hands up in defense

“I won’t waste your time any more! Can I have a chocolate chip cookie and that bottle of Pepsi” he said pointing behind me at the small fridge

“One Pepsi and one cookie, coming right up” I said checking him out on the screen

Grabbing the cookie and bottle of soda I placed it on the counter and slid it towards him.

“You can tap or insert your card whenever you’re ready” I stated clicking some buttons on my screen

“I’m uhh actually paying cash” he said fishing in his wallet

“Woahhh cash in this century?” I said giggling and fixing the system

“Yeahh I carry a little bit of cash and little bit of card” he said shrugging his shoulders

“A little bit of card….hmm…that’s funny” I said giggling a bit at him

“Well you know what I mean” he says playfully rolling his eyes

“I’m just messing with you” I said shaking my head

Smiling he handed the cash over and grabbed his items

“Keep the change” he said waving with his hand and nodding his head

Walking out the door I couldn’t seem to understand why I had a stupid smile on my face. Putting the cash in the till and placing the change in our tip jar.

Turning around I was met with my two coworkers staring at me with a smirk on their face. I’d never been the spotlight of attention and I’ve never gotten anything other than a good morning from either of them. So my face dropped and I got self conscious

“What?” I said a bit scared as I straightened my posture

“He was totally into you” K stated as she placed the rack of cookies down

“Was not! We were just making friendly conversations” I said opening the pastry shelf and putting some cookies in

“No no I agree with K we’ve had a lot of guys come in here, but this is the first time I’ve seen a guy like utter more than two words to you and he was totally geeking out” Delilah stated

“Totally! That kid was blushing like crazyyy” K stated as she grabbed the now empty tray and began to walk back towards the kitchen

“Guys come on! It was just friendly banter” I said shutting the pastry door

“Delilah knows her shit too, that’s how Danny and I got together” K stated from the kitchen

“Shut up! No way” I said rolling my eyes

“Sure did! As soon as we had an interaction K told me he’d be back for my number, and that was three years ago” K replied

“You just got lucky this was nothing but mere coincidence” I replied back to them

“You’ll see girl” Delilah stated as she began to make herself a coffee

Playfully rolling my eyes I checked the clock, I had about 10 minutes till my shift was over. I decided to make myself a drink.

As I made my iced latte I began to wonder. I didn’t really have many interactions with guys, but I think I’d know if someone was flirting with me.

It just felt like a friendly banter with an awkwardly shy….nerdy guy. Laughing to myself I finished making my drink.

“Alright girls I’m going to clock out now” I stated as I walked to the back

Punching out and grabbing my things I slid my apron off and grabbed my drink. Heading towards the front of the cafe

I waved bye to the girls as I took a sip.

“Have a good day girls” I said as I walked out

I had the whole day ahead of me and I didn’t even know what I wanted to do. My job was near a pier where I could always sit down and watch people.

Before heading to the pier I decided to stop for some food. Heading into a small restaurant I sat down. Taking my book out of my purse I began to write. I hadn’t written in two weeks and it felt wrong.

Ghosting my hand over the paper, my mind just kept going blank. I couldn’t form a proper sentence and my mind began to race again. Thinking back on that boy I began to think about my love life.

Honestly I didn’t really have one, I was more of a hopeless romantic. Often watching rom coms and rolling my eyes at how unrealistic that love was. I’m sure it was tangible, but I was just a sour puss.

I longed for a relationship like that to always know you’ll have someone there for you loving you unconditionally. To be with someone through sickness and in health. I was only 22, but it seemed to me that everyone around me already had that amazing soulmate. I was very clearly late to the game and I wasn’t sure if I’d ever find someone to love. I wasn’t even sure I was lovable myself.

Then again I never put myself out there, but times have changed. It's not that easy. Guys have become so shitty and all they care about it sex. But it’s like what about getting to know the person deep down.

Not once has a guy ever asked me my dreams and aspirations, where do I see myself in five years? What are my biggest goals in life? What’s my biggest fear….. I lost all hope for love by the time I was 18.

Reading romantic stories and watching these shows and movies definitely added salt to the wound.

I hadn’t realized how much I was writing till my hand began to cramp. Looking up I realized it was no longer daytime.

“Shit” I muttered under my breath

Slamming my book shut I paid my bill and began to gather my things. Walking out of the restaurant I stepped out onto the golden street. It was about 5:45 and I really couldn’t understand how that much time had passed.

I think that’s why I enjoy writing the most, I’m so far gone in my own world it’s like I’m frozen and the world around me continues to move.

Walking towards the pier it was surprisingly empty at this time. Breathing in the salty air I sat down on a bench. Watching the ocean I let the breeze blow through my hair.

Digging in my purse I pulled out my pack of American Spirits. Sighing deeply I pulled a cigarette out. As soon as I grabbed my lighter all the regret washed away from me.

Placing the white object in between my lips I flicked the lighter a few times before a glowing flame appeared before me. Guarding the flame from the wind I brought it closer.

Inhaling as I lit the cigarette all my worries washed away. This was only my second cigarette of the day and I somehow felt accomplished.

Kicking the gravel underneath me I took a long drag, exhaling I got up. Walking over to the edge of the pier I decided to sit down allowing my legs to hang off the edge.

I wasn’t 100% sure I could do this, but it’s worth a shot I thought to myself. Leaning my chin on the railing I took another drag as I stared into the sunset.

Life was so beautiful and I wasn’t sure why I was so sad and numb all the time. I took a lot for granted and I hated it.

I really needed to stop smoking.

“You know those things will kill you” I heard from behind me

My brows began to furrow as I took a drag

“I’m sorry?” I said annoyed as I looked behind me, blowing the smoke out through my nose as my face dropped

“You shouldn’t smoke” he said again with a cheeky smile on his face

Meeting eyes with the same guy from the cafe made my heart skip a beat and my throat go dry.

“Squinting your eyes is also bad for you” I said putting the cigarette out

“Won’t kill me though” he said shrugging his shoulders

“You never know” I said shrugging my shoulders and standing up

His eyes followed me as I got up and it was only then did I feel super self conscious about this whole situation. My embarrassment turned a bit into anger.

“Anyways you drink Pepsi, so that for sure will kill you” I said as I dusted my pants off

“Guess we’ll both be dead then” he replied

“Wow you’re super blunt” I said scoffing

“Sorry! I’m sorry I didn’t mean to come off rude. I was just playfully teasing” he said looking nervous

Looking at him for a split second and I sniffed and then rolled my eyes

“It’s fine. It’s a bad habit anyways” I replied shrugging my shoulders

“We all have bad habits we’re not proud of” he said in a whisper

“Are you uhh following me?” I asked him cocking an eyebrow

“What? No oh my god no! I was just walking and I thought you looked super familiar” he replied putting his hands up in defense

“I’m just teasing you” I said giggling

“I’m Matt” he replied placing his hand out for me to shake

“I’m Y/N” I stated as I shook his hand

“It’s nice to formally meet you” he said awkwardly

“Yeah” I replied awkwardly

“I’ll uh… ill let you go on about your business. Maybe I’ll see you around” He said

“Well you know where to find me” I said smiling at him

Opening my bag I was digging around for my phone before successfully pulling it out.

“Right, well have a good evening” he said and waved shyly

“I’ll see you round Matt” I replied

Going our separate ways I looked down at my phone, 6:55pm…. Sighing, I walked back to my car close to the cafe and drove home.

Shuffling up the stairs I pushed my apartment door open after unlocking it. Making note that I must call the maintenance guy because that door needs some WD40 badly.

Locking the door I turned my lights on. Today just felt strange like I couldn’t put my finger in exactly what the fuck was going on.

Walking over to my patio I opened the sliding door and stepped out. Taking in the evening breeze my mind just went blank.

Stepping back inside I grabbed my purse, grabbing my lighter I shuffled my hand around my purse to feel for my pack of cigarettes. But my brows furrowed when I didn’t feel the square container.

Walking over towards the light I opened my bag more and looked inside. An annoyed feeling washed over me as I couldn’t find the box. I mean honestly good because I did not need anymore.

Still searching as if the box was going to magically appear. I groaned soon realizing I must’ve left them on the bench and they are for a fact long gone by now.

Throwing my lighter back into my purse I groaned and sat on my couch. The one time I desperately need a cigarette I fucking left it on the pier.

I cut that night short with a 80s movie marathon and left over pizza as a midnight snack.

remembering that tomorrow I had to stop into the cafe to pick up my paycheck. We’re living in a very digital world right now and my job still does paper checks….

Groaning at that I decided to call it a night….

The End

Okayyy IVE BEEN GONE FOR SOOO FUCKING LONG. And I’m sooo sorry it’s just life has been so crazy since March! However this was the end of part 1….stay tuned for more🥺🖤🖤

-J💅🏽

[leafyaa]

Chapter 15

You woke up to the sound of your doorbell ringing continuously. Apparently it was already past 9 am and you slept through your alarm as well as several calls.

"Who could be at my door today out of all the other possible days you could disturb my peace." You groaned in annoyance as you quickly got out of bed to stop whoever was ringing the doorbell and ruining your mood.

You peeked through a window to see an all too familiar indigo haired guy with a bouquet of flowers.

"Kunikuzushi? What are you doing here?" You said as you open the door.

"I asked you to hang out today, remember?"

Oh right, you cried yourself to sleep when you were remembering Hikari. You forgot to text him back to say no.

"R-right.. Well come in I guess.." You rubbed your head as you let him in. He placed the bouquet on the counter and started to go through your fridge.

"What are you doing?" You suspiciously eyed him as he started to take out several eggs and a carton of milk.

"Making you dorayaki. Go freshen up and breakfast will be fresh and ready." Kunikuzushi offered you a smile of reassurance as he continued to search through the cabinets for ingredients.

Your suspicions dropped slowly as you realized he wasn't here to argue about going out, yet. 

"Oh uh.. Okay thanks?" You said and quickly hurried to your bedroom.

You were still in your kuromi pajamas so you really needed to change. Even though as an adult you still loved Sanrio stuff and no age could change that. Then you remembered your cat Maple who you haven't seen yet. 

"I probably should look for her after I change.." You mumbled as you grabbed some clothes to go to the bathroom. 

After 15 minutes you finally get out and walk towards the kitchen to see Maple hesitantly eating the food Kunikuzushi prepared for her. As she tried one little bit of seemingly tuna she immediately started to eat the food quickly as if it was her favorite meal. 

"Took you so long, I'm making some dorayaki. I'm also made some miso soup because you look like you need some." He nonchalantly said as if he was roasting your exhausted look from 15 minutes ago.

"Thank you I guess. " You sat down at the counter to eat the pancake Kunikuzushi placed onto your plate. Taking one bite your eyes immediately widens. The flavor... the texture... Everything tasted so perfect! 

The Kunikuzushi you remember didn't even know that you needed to add oil to a pan to bake an egg! But this.. Oh wait he has been cooking the whole time for you. You forgot. But besides that you remembered that you once were at his house which was ginormous by the way and that he tried making instant noodles for you and didn't add water to the pan for the noodles to boil. The egg incident was a week after that. 

"It tastes delicious.." You muttered and Kunikuzushi smirked with his back turned towards you. 

"Now finish up because I've the whole day planned out for you." And your pancake dropped from your mouth. He fucking tricked you with his seemingly innocent gesture to cook breakfast. Of course he did.

He took you to several places in the next coming hours. First it was watching a movie in a privately rented cinema with unlimited food (you forgot he was rich). However the movie was great, he picked your favorite one after all, and the food was amazing!

Then it was taking a short flight to Liyue- which you didn't even understand how he arranged that but putting that aside it was to go to a Kuromi themed café to eat lunch.

Then flying back to Inazuma to go to a kimono boutique to buy you a brand new kimono to wear which you wanted to refuse because it was 500.000 mora?? And he told you to not worry because it wasn't much. With that much money you could pay your bills for at least a couple of years!

After that he took you to an evening festival to eat some snacks and play some fun games- it ended up with you as the winner even though you swear Kunikuzushi purposely let you win. You did notice him being particularly great at aiming at moving objects which almost no one could win, not with ease at least. 

A couple games later the two of you ended up back in the restaurant where you ironically first ran away from him. Enjoying the food and unlimited service as you both started talking with each other about the old school days. Especially you teasing him about the adorable dumb stuff he used to do. 

And lastly ending up at the beach where it was rumored someone would be lighting up fireworks upon someone's request. The two of you ended up with two paper plates of taiyakis handed out by a familiar individual with strawberry blonde hair. 

Yoimiya’s birthday was today and you completely forgot. She used to be one of your closest friends when you got back from university. She was absolutely ecstatic to see you at the beach and kept talking about how she was going to set off fireworks even though you were pretty sure that was banned a while ago. But despite that you were happy to see she was doing well and embraced her happily back.

"The sky is beautiful.." You sighed as you ate the last bit of your Taiyaki. Kunikuzushi hadn't taken any bite to your surprise. You remembered him always eating the stuff you gave him. 

"I'm glad I picked a good day to take you out." He replied with a smile. His taiyaki was still untouched on a paper plate. 

"Why haven't you eaten yours yet?" You questioned out of curiosity. 

"Just don't like sweet things." This took you by surprise as you looked at him like he was crazy. 

"What about all the sweets I baked or cooked for you? You never complained about them! I-I didn't make you hate sweet foods right??" You stammered in slight guilt. Maybe you tired him out of eating so much sweet stuff.

He, in response, just chuckled and handed you his plate. 

"You can keep it to eat later. I was already pretty full after dinner." 

"Okay..." 

It was a bit awkward for a second. You lookes away to avoid the awkward tension and take a deep breath. Today had been a lot... And despite the overwhelming amount of activities you enjoyed today. 

"Hey Y/n, The fireworks are starting." Kunikuzushi nudged your shoulder, catching your attention as you looked up to see beautiful fireworks exploding. Yoimiya indeed set off fireworks as she had told you she was planning to do so.

"Wow..." Was all you could say as you admired the beautiful vibrant colors. Inazuman fireworks were truly the best kind in Teyvat, or maybe just Yoimiya’s fireworks. It was a long time ago since you’ve seen them but you just felt your eyes light up at the sight of them.

Festivals were almost non-existent since the Tenryou commission took over a decade ago, only the Yashiro commission could sometimes host them under strict rules from the Tenrou commission. You were pretty sure you would hear from Thoma how his boyfriend got in trouble because fireworks were set off.. but that was a problem for later.

As you were watching in awe you didn't notice you were getting closer to the water. Kunikuzushi, who was slightly worried, tried to gently pull you back, but that didn’t work of course. So he had to increase his strength to pull you back before you would wet your clothes and yourself. However he didn’t anticipate that you would fall over on his lap and that both of you would get so close to each others’ faces. Kunikuzushi blushed furiously while you bursted into laughter. Your laughter painted a faint smile on his face and he unconsciously pulled you into his arms, your face was buried into his neck and he was into yours. For a moment, time seemed to pause, the embrace you shared gave you a warm comforting feeling. Was it love?

As the firework show was coming to an end you stood up and dusted the sand off your kimono. You had your taiyaki in the folded plate and walked off the beach with Kunikuzushi. It was past midnight and he wanted to bring you home like the gentleman he was.

It was perfect as you were pretty tired already from all the traveling around.

"You sure you'll be fine? If you want you can stay the night in my house. I'll look for a spare mattress." You said as you got out of the car.

"It's fine, I just want to know you're safe inside your home. I don't need to stay over for the night." He said with a small smile as he locked the car. "Here's the plate by the way."

Oh yeah you completely forgot after taking a nap inside the car.

"Thank you. But if you do change your mind just say it and I'll figure something out for you!" You exclaimed while walking to your front door.

Kunikuzushi followed, making sure to look around for any suspicious people or animals lurking around the area.

Though you stoppes in your tracks, finding an envelope on your doorstep.

You bent down to pick it up and Kunikuzushi watched with curiosity, analyzing the appearance of the envelope. It was white, no post stamp, nor an address…

"Who would send me a letter today..? It's not like it's my birthday or whatever.." You said quietly as you carefully opened it with your nails.

Kunikuzushi widened his eyes as he noticed a well familiar stamp on the corner of the letter before you started reading.

"Wait Y/n I don't think-" But it was too late because you already read half of it.

You dropped the letter and envelope and almost fell over from the shock and disgust you are feeling at the moment.

You heard Kunikuzushi calling out your name but it was no use. Your brain was panicking and all you could do was pant as you dropped to your knees. You felt like you had to throw up. 

You immediately grabbed the envelope and found a single tooth inside. A small child's tooth..

"No.." A scream followed as you let out the most horrific scream as you clenched your fist with the teeth inside of it.

⇠ previous ⭒ masterlist ⭒ next ⇢

Notes:

:p

Summary:

You've dated Scaramouche in your high school and college years but just as you wanted to announce your pregnancy to him he broke up with you without any reason. He left you to be a single mom for 7 years. But now that your daughter has been missing and abducted for a year and you've not been doing well and out of a sudden he showed up into your life again trying to apologize for his past mistakes..?

Taglist:

@swivy123 @kichiyosh1 @wwwrizchan @k1t0 @killumeow @pinkdreamerbailifflawyer-blog @samarill @xiaotopia @aqualesha @eattingshits @omoriaddict @mave-in @sketcheeee @xiaossocksniffer @elernity @ohmyfinggod @luvkvni @kunikissr @meadowofdarts @kaoriie @scaramochies @ekriis @rizakari @xxrexx @lovingveliona @magica-ren @lilybythevalley @theflatdoorkicker @lazy-sanns @reixtsu @fullw0rld @kunikuzushis-darling @childesgingerhair @kochothehoe @mercy-not-merci @ash1

[hippielittlemetalhead]

So season 3. Let's do this!

This took so so so long and is not quite where/what I wanted it to be soooo... I am so sorry 😅🥲 this will most likely be 2 parts cause... Yeah, just life man.

Actually some dialogue in this one? Sure, a line or two, as a treat.

(Part1) (part2)

Steve had been working at Scoops Ahoy for a few weeks now and he feels like he's built a decent rapport with his coworker Robin. She's witty and snarky and opinionated and when Steve wears a more tinted lipgloss than he intended resulting in a customer clocking it and saying something rude that he can't help but smile his dead-eyed customer service smile at, she clocks out for her lunch early (and takes an extra 15 minutes) and comes back with a full face of makeup and shoos him into the back with the mascara she bought from the shop a couple stores over. They both start coming to work with at least mascara, eyeliner and lipstick and Steve loves it. He compliments the hand-drawn designs on her shoes and she asks where he got his rainbow heart pin. They mostly disagree on music they listen to -she still lets him drag her to a couple live music nights at The Hideout with him and Billy every now and then anyway- but their politics and basic life philosophies line up pretty well.

He could do without the 'You Rule / You Suck' board, especially when Billy gets in on it and adds tallies from a little notebook he starts keeping when he and Steve hang out outside of kids and work. And the jokes about his kids (and occasionally Billy) when they come through for free passage to the movies. And the jabs about his parents' money like he still has access to that or their house.

He doesn't tell her that he was cut off and disowned and kicked out. He doesn't tell her that he had to get a job to help pay for his community college courses because he was a disappointment that couldn't get into a pre-approved 4-year university and that meant no college fund and he was still a few years away from being 21 and having access to the trust fund his grandparents set up for him when he was still just a lump of forming cells. And even then anything in that will probably be blown on buying himself his own permanent place instead of just a hand-me-down trailer in the middle of the woods so he needs to save for things like bills and a mortgage.

He doesn't tell her that the reason he lets the kids get away with so much is because they're *his* and they've already seen more fucked up shit than the cops in this town (save Hop) and he'll be damned if they don't get to just be kids. He'll be damned if they decide he's someone they need to hide from and sneak around like they hide and sneak from Joyce and Hop cause that's how they didn't know about half the shit the kids got up to while the adults were doing their best to take care of things themselves. He doesn't tell her that he's paying "rent" to the chief of police (it's way less than he should be but it's all Hop would take).

He doesn't tell Robin a lot of things.

Then sometime after Robin finally warmed up to him but before Dustin comes back from camp, Eddie Munson walks into Scoops Ahoy, his metalhead nerdy entourage in tow. He orders a plain scoop of vanilla with sprinkles in a cup and one of the others also orders something small and simple (while longingly eyeing their diabetes-inducing, horribly artificial tasting, bubblegum flavor when Munson turns away) before all of them are squeezing into one of the largest booths, emptying out messenger bags and backpacks of overstuffed binders and scuffed up versions of very familiar looking textbooks. It's like looking at an older -slightly grungier- version of his kids.

"Gentlemen, now that 🎶school's out for summer🎶-" There's a musical lilt as he says it that sounds vaguely familiar to Steve, "-and it has been confirmed that I will in fact be held captive for yet another stint in the hell they call Hawkins High School it is time we confer and conspire for the next year of Hellfire and the little sheep that will be joining our flock." He kinda loses track of it after that because then his kids are rushing in demanding tasters of everything and edging towards the lifting part of the counter with a look in their eyes that speaks of mischief. He puts up the initial fuss about them only visiting him for his backrooms access and that they promised to only come over when there were no customers around. He lets them through anyway.

He notices Munson eyeing him as he puts the partition back in place shaking his head and Robin laughing at him as she washed their ice cream scoops. The one that's vaguely more familiar looking than the rest and reminds him of a taller, angrier, Dustin with a better hair regimen isn't quite glaring at him but is definitely paying more attention than the rest of Munson's posse and seems more suspicious than Eddie's curious.

The metalheads are still there when Billy shows up stinking of chlorine in clothes that are damp where they cling to his frame. The group loosens up a little when he shoots Steve his signature smug smirk as he shrugs on his denim jacket that -like Steve's own jacket hanging out of sight in the staffroom- had begun accumulating patches and pins since Neil's incarceration. Unlike Steve's, Billy's has homages to bands like Mötley Crue, Deff Leppard, Twisted Sister and Guns N' Roses with little trails of shakily embroidered flowers and constellations on the collar and hems and filling the spaces between the patches and pins. Billy also has a small pink triangle on the lapel where Steve has a rainbow. Steve pretends not to notice the way the group goes a little quiet as Billy starts his usual routine of sunnily demanding tasters of all the available flavors and then again with sprinkles to "-really get an idea of their ✨nuance✨, prettyboy" before deciding on a scoop of double chocolate with a scoop of raspberry vanilla in a cup with sprinkles and one of their fresh waffle cones on top. Like always.

"Really branching out there aren't ya, tough guy?" Steve keeps his face as stoney as possible but he can't help the humored edge to his voice.

Billy just winks at him running his tongue over his teeth as he gives Steve an exaggerated leer, "Gotta keep you on your toes, handsome." Robin fake gags and Steve laughs and Eddie Munson turns red as he stares at the two joking jocks. Billy goes quiet as he stares at his ice cream and Steve recognizes the look on his face, tells the blonde to go sit down in their usual booth and he'd be taking his break soon and they can talk about whatever's bothering him.

What's bothering him is Neill getting parole for 'good behavior', Jim only telling the Mayfield-Hargroves almost a week after he was let out because that was actually the same day he himself found out. Billy found out just before a summer basketball practice session and thinks he snapped at an underclassmen he's been trying to get to open up about what Billy is 90% certain is going on in the kid's home, but he knows that cops can't do much if the victim(s) refuse to trust in those trying to help them. He's worried about the kid he snapped at. Worried about Susan and Max. Worried that even with the restraining order Neill will try something. Billy tells Steve he had thought he saw Neill around the outskirts of town during errands or during his turn to haul the kids around a couple of times before Hop told them and now he's sure it wasn't just paranoia. Steve tells him they'll figure it out, reminds him he's not alone in this

That makes Billy smile, small and tired but real and grateful. His shoulders are still tense and there's still a wariness in the smallest crease between his eyebrows that makes Steve ask if there's anything else. They talk about some of the weird dreams Billy's been having that makes Steve encourage him to talk to El. Just to make sure Billy isn't going through what happened to Will the last alternate-dimension-go-around.

They make plans to head out to see the two Hoppers after Steve's shift. Come up with a basic timeline of when and where Billy thinks he saw Neil so they have something to start with for Hop. Put together an idea of how involved Billy wants to be in whatever plan Hop comes up with. They're interrupted by a group of girls swanning into the shop and Steve being yelled at by Robin to get himself back to work. As he gets up from the table Steve levels Billy with a look that makes the blond think about the way Max and the kids described Steve when they talked about how he fought off the pack of demodogs in the junkyard, planting himself between them and snarling snapping danger like Galahad himself.

Steve looks him in the eyes and says "I swear Billy, we're going to get through this, we'll take care of it and keep you and the girls safe. Hop knows what's going on and even Callahan can't get away with letting that piece of shit fall through the cracks after what he pulled." He leans in close and bites out probably louder than he should for the amount of people in the shop, "And if that fucker gets near any of you I've got Darling in Baby's trunk and I am not afraid to use her on a human shaped monster instead."

Author's (rambler's) Notes:

So, that's all I have for season 3 rn I am so sorry. 😭 I'm working on the next bit but I am so burnt out recently and now I'm unemployed cause of the ceiling at my job caving in which does not help the stress. So I unfortunately do not have a timeframe for you. 🥲 A couple of folks asked to be tagged so... Here you are? To be fair I'm not making any promises in regards to the taglist in the future, I will do my damnedest and y'all will have to bear with me.

I'm glad people are liking this and tbh this has gotten more attention than I expected so thanks? I appreciate the appreciation of my ramblings. Feel free to scream at/with me about this au in my asks box and I'll respond when/as I can. I'm just glad people are enjoying this. 🙃

@heartsong18

@knightofthieves

[m1d-45]

i am. thinking about reverse isekai some more to get me through these trying times (finals season) and imagine the stress of having to take care of the poor acolyte(s) who ended up in your world (i'm going with adult reader who has their own apartment and job and pays taxes n shit. just bc i don't want to write abt explaining to parents/roommates what tf is going on)...... like ofc it's super cool like omg your favorite characters!!! irl!!! but after the initial surprise wears off?

obviously you can't just leave them out on the streets bc they'll like. i don't know. get fuckin hit by a car or something so you let them stay in your apartment!! your tiny. one bedroom. apartment. it's fine, you can stay on the couch! you barely have enough food to feed yourself, thanks to your minimum-wage budget? that's fine! you don't have to eat that much, and you can't just let your guests go hungry!!

they try to help the best they can, they really do... but all the finished chores and time spent learning how to use the technology of your world don't change the fact that they can't help with the one thing that seems to matter most in this world - money. with extra people to provide for, you're forced to take up extra shifts, work longer hours, just to earn enough to be able to not have to choose between eating and paying rent.

of course, you don't let them know about all this, but your guests don't tell you that they can hear the way you cry late at night when you think everyone's asleep, stressed out by everything that's suddenly been thrust upon you - teddy anon

god man you 🤝 me

that’s so. ugh man-

at first you’re so starstruck and in awe, excitedly talking to them and showing them what every appliance does—partly so they don’t break them, partly because you like the shine in their eyes as they learn.

the first week is easy, and it’s when you’re shopping that the reality of the situation starts to set in.

you’re not used to having to buy for two, and the subject of their clothing comes up quickly as well. not to mention the fact that they’re probably used to more organic or locally grown stuff, and what if they react badly to food here? and that’s putting aside what they like and prefer too, but you can’t let them leave the house since they’re still not used to everything-

and your job, gosh, you’d taken a few days off at first to help then adjust but now you were feeling the sting of that lost pay. not to mention the fact that all your expenses and bills would go up since, yknow, they needed to use lights and water and all that while you were out of the house.

and if more than one were isekai’d? godspeed, man…

thoma and noelle make themselves useful doing chores, but quickly realizing that there’s little to do. they quickly become antsy; though they try and make food for you to return to, they struggle with your appliances and your tastes, not to mention your lack of raw ingredients.

some like diluc, childe, or ayato try and offer you mora, pulling bags of it from their inventories to of course compensate you for your stay, but it doesn’t go over well. you have to deny them and explain that mora isn’t used here, but all that gets you is stunned confusion—and dawning horror, later, but that’s a burnt bridge when you get to it.

others such as venti or xinyan try and perform on the streets, but it doesn’t pay as well as they want it to. ningguang is a bit more confident in herself, but that crumbles the moment she realizes that she both holds no power here nor has any knowledge of the market. she knows she can do something, be useful, but she doesn’t quite know how, and that’s the worst.

a few tend a bit towards the ‘street performer’ type, whether intentionally or accidentally. i can see kazuha subtly using the wind to guess a number someone’s thinking of, and kaeya could easily keep someone talking long enough to perform some quick sleight of hand. no, he doesn’t steal—you’d get far too mad at him for that—but his ornate get-up and smooth voice draw people in often enough that he makes quite a bit in tips.

keqing, ganyu, and ayaka all offer to either get jobs themselves, but since they technically don’t legally exist, they try and help you apply to better ones instead. thoma might try and do housework for your neighbors—it serves a few purposes, including getting a bit of cash, keeping off legal books, and increasing your relationship with them. jean and ganyu try and help manage your finances, or at least learn how to file your taxes to chip away at the stress they’ve caused.

a few straight up offer to steal—yes, offer, they wouldn’t even breathe without your permission of course they’ll come to you before doing crime—such as dainslef, childe, or kujou sara, but you shut that down quickly enough. xingqiu spends a lot of his time on online writing contests, and the occasional 50-300$ comes in your mailbox, but don’t count on it. albedo might try and sell his art, but he’d much rather give it to you, to be honest. your smile is worth more to him than some stranger’s approval.

some are completely lost. itto, gorou, hu tao, sucrose, collei… they’re all at a loss for what they can do to help. they don’t know your world, they don’t know what’s happening, they don’t know why you lie about it being a guest room so they feel less bad about taking your bed. it doesn’t work.

none of them do, really. after a good few months, maybe a year or so, all of them fall to this level of helplessness. they don’t know how to get you back to their world, they don’t even know how to leave themselves, but it’s clear that their presence here is wearing on you. they try, they do, but even the most chipper of your followers can see how dreary you seem.

it feels wrong to lie in your bed. it feels wrong to depend on you, when it should be the other way around. it’s wrong to take your resources and your time, wrong for you to be the one in distress, and they can’t even do anything about it. they’re stuck within these four walls, unable to help you, stuck being helpless.

from down the hall, they hear you sigh, poring over yet another impossible choice, and the sound alone brings them to tears.

they needed to get you home. but how?

[ataleofcrowns]

I discovered your work recently, and pulled all nighter to finish reading all 9 chapters. I fell in love with your style of writing and all the characters, as well as world building. You are so talented! Thank you for your hard work! My question maybe a bit uncomfortable for you, thus you are free to ignore it if that's the case. I was wondering if you plan to add nsfw content or maybe make additional patreon exclusive like many do, or you don't plan on doing it at all? I definitely don't plan to buy it if you gonna do it👉👈 hehe

P.s sorry for my english, I am not a native speaker

This ask was from a while back but I've been thinking about it recently, so I thought I'd answer regardless!!

While I would like to publish adult content on my Patreon, the payment situation is making me a bit wary to commit.

I know other IF authors and erotica writers in general are active on the platform, but the unfortunate truth is that we're basically at the mercy of what the platform allows. Add to that the fact that my only payout methods on Patreon to receive pledge money are Paypal or Payoneer. Online financing companies have never been friendly towards adult content creators.

Ideally, I'd like a way to steer clear of any possible risks when I start to put out adult content. I know the primary target of censoring and banning have been online sex workers, unfortunately. Any adult content I would put out wouldn't contain anything that could be considered pornographic or problematic, but nothing guarantees these companies won't ban any and all adult content wholesale in the future.

I may be overly cautious, but the ambiguity of the situation is very frustrating, and I would rather not take a chance on something uncertain. Especially since I'm using Patreon funds to literally help pay rent and other bills while I'm in uni.

I even used the Patreon pledges from last year to pay for a whole year of classes. It's allowing me to continue to work on AToC in my spare time and get some benefit out of it, instead of having to get a part-time job on top of studying, which would leave essentially no time for writing.

Still, as I said before, the adult content that I would publish would be very mild. Sexually explicit, of course, but very romance oriented - it wouldn't be about kinks or fetish material, so I think I'd be safe. I'm leaning towards dipping my toe in it, maybe later this year.

Either way, I'll let you know if I ever decide to publish it!!

[sheogayrath]

aaaaack ack ack i'm being negative

feels so alien to me reading posts from people in their 20s yearning to get out of their parents houses. the idea of moving out is really scary to be honest. i am so reliant on my parents for so many different things. i have gotten better over the past few years but you still have to show me exactly how to do something with an amount of specificity that most people can't even provide. having a job and paying rent and paying bills, doing things with the bank. those kinds of things. the way people talk about it surely there is some information i am missing. i don't even know how to ask the right questions to get the information i need. other people telling me that everyone feels this way has stopped being reassuring and feels more like dismissal. some of this is my fault in the way that you sometimes don't feel motivated to build skills when you're young that you'll wish you have as an adult. and my parents did a fine job of raising me but i still ended up in the awful habit of fumbling for a while when presented with a task that i hate and inevitably my parents (especially often my mom) just do it for me. which feels like a really stupid thing to complain about when so many of my peers had genuinely toxic or abusive or neglectful parents but it's still something. while i'm out she sometimes cleans my room for me and empties the bin and she makes phone calls on my behalf and books doctor's appointments and drives me places because i am neglecting learning to drive, oh god, i don't want to? i don't know how? i can't? i can't tell the difference. i don't need you to yell at me but i don't need you to do it for me. i guess i just need a push. the other day she was calling the bank about something and i heard her say something about me being autistic so it's hard for me to the person on the phone and yes this literally is true but i didn't like that. excuse me calling on behalf of my fail womanchild daughter. i feel like i'm even getting a stupid fake degree for babies. this is devaluing the work i do but it's still a thought i have and i'm writing it down. of course i chose the thing that doesn't involve studying or exams. my non classmate friends are like i am so stressed because i am learning about the way the world works by reading books. i have to take a test where they ask you to recall factual information. and me? i draw pictures. the average 15 year old is more equipped to navigate the world than me. all i want to be is a person who drives and does laundry. at least when i housesat for a while i was cooking dinner for myself and washing the dishes every night. at least i know i can cook. lots of people can't cook. well that's it that the post

[reinelefey]

I have been lax in being on here, though that is nothing new, and I am... In need of writing. Pay attention to the tags.

Okay. So. First thing is first: I got into a relationship a few months ago, which always seems to be a mistake on my part. But I was told to give him a shot, and so I did.

He didn't seem controlling at first. It started as being protective. Wanting to make sure I'm safe. Wanting to know I got places safely. I do that, of course I can see the logic.

He helped me. Sold me a car I could afford for a price I thought I could live with. Paid for things I didn't need him to pay for, treated me like I was a treasure. I wasn't to walk on the outside of sidewalks, I wasn't to touch a door.

It felt classic. It felt like MAYBE I was getting someone who thought I was worth effort. Someone who was making the choice to make me their priority. It felt like I could afford to relax a little, let myself rely on someone a little.

But then. But then, but then, but then.

I was making more than him. I was paying for our food and bills throughout the week while his check took care of our rent. We never starved. We never ran out of gas. I always made it work, and if I couldn't, he usually could, or we would work together. And bit by bit, he started to use this against me. Claiming my math didn't add up when he asked where my money was for rent at the end of the week. He began to act as though the arrangement we had did not exist, and paying the rent was a burden on him.

He was angling for an invite into my home. He had already requested keys many times at this point. I was not about to make that invite. I took on more hours at work. I began to do more work AT work, to raise my tips. I remember doing my makeup more then, and every time you'd told me I looked like shit because it was too much, and I looked better without it. And claimed there was no artistry to it, which. FUCK YOU. Do you know how hard it is to get an even cat's eye with POWDER and the WRONG BRUSH? Fuck you. I have hands steadier than your parents relationship, though that's not hard.

I digress. He began to show up to my work, angry, yelling at me. If I did not reply to him within a couple of minutes of his snap, I would get punished for it because he was more important than my work, in his opinion.

It became a daily struggle. He went off his meds, and started the morning furious with me for some imagined slight or another, usually having to do with the fact that I worked late, so I slept and woke late, among other things. Or you would start the day in love with me, telling me how much you wanted to marry me, spend the rest of your life caring for me, and learning and growing with me, telling me how great of a wife I would make. Then, later, when I didn't reply quickly enough, you turned everything around and made it my fault, simply because I didn't cater to your impatience.

I digress again. He cost me my job because of these actions. Which made me further reliant on him, as he still did not give me the title of the car I had bought and paid for many times over.

So. I am trapped now in a relationship I have been wanting to leave for half of the time it has been occuring, and then. And then. You go back on your meds. You swear everything will change. You will treat me with the respect and consideration I deserve as you did at first when you were on your meds. I trust you because you said that you'd quit drinking after making people fear for my safety, and you had. And you had never harmed me, physically. An improvement over the last

I gave you a chance. And for two shining weeks, it was good. It was like I regained the person I gave a chance in the first place. But again, it was an act. A mask, a giant

Fucking

Charade.

I began to apply for jobs. It is a struggle in this area, but I managed to schedule three interviews in one day. But one of them is a bar.

I wasn't supposed to apply to bars because you told me I wasn't allowed.

I'm a grown ass adult and the bar was hiring, so I applied.

And then.

Then you said to remove my things, and I tried.

You accused me of applying for "fake jobs," and I snapped. I said that you have no diploma, you have no ged, your job pays you under the table, and you don't pay taxes. But it pays the bills, doesn't it?

But that. That was the wrong thing to say. You were up in an instant- hands headed for my throat- and I walked away. I took my things, and you continued to scream, and throw them, and I fought PTSD flashbacks the entire time. You threatened to run over my son's toys, and then tried to hit me with one. You threw me to the ground, and you threatened me. I've never stood back up so fast. Only to walk away. I couldn't risk it. My son was inside. I couldn't go to jail. So I didn't come after you.

You came for me, though. Wrenching open the door to my home after proving you were willing to hurt me. I fought with you over the door, and you bashed my head with it, giving me a concussion.

My sister called the police, sure that they would help me. Sure that they would see what you had done. The police saw the blood on your arm from my nails, where I stopped you strangling me, and then listened to your best friend lie.

I was cuffed. Thankfully not in front of my son. My sister had taken him by then. I spent 24 hours in a jail cell, terrified of my future- while you blamed me and said I was a cunt who deserved to die.

I came home, and it STILL didn't stop. You saw I had a male friend stay the night to make sure I was safe, my first night home. (You have nearly 100lbs on me, what else could I do? My legs contain all of my strength, and would have done nothing if your hands reached my throat. I was scared you had a key.) You did donuts outside of my house for HOURS until you damaged someone else's AC unit. You were drunk,you were screaming, you were saying you wanted to kill me.

I was held tight and rocked until 7:30 the next morning- when you left, I could sleep. Until then I couldn't stop the arrhythmia long enough to let my adrenal glands stop.

I hated you. I feared you, I was not allowed to be outside if you were, and so I stayed in my house and tried to figure things out for the next week. I paid my rent, and then they said we both must leave. The following Monday was one of the most harrowing nights of my life. You were drunk again, and revving the truck. (It still stuns me how I can go from being all but sexually attracted to the sound of a 5.3L V8 to having it induce panic attacks within the span of an hour, maybe?)

You did donuts around my house, but I was alone. I heard you screaming, and I heard my name. I still don't like listening to the recordings I took that night. You wanted to break my neck. You wanted to watch me bleed out, you wanted to burn my house down. I recorded it all. Everything I could catch from inside my bedroom. When I thought you were inside, I went to shower. You weren't inside. You watched me go. And you watched me come back. Screaming to your friends how much I deserved to die because I broke your heart, and lied.

I hid again, and recorded some more, and still couldn't stop shaking. I spent the night in bone chilling terror, only passing out when you left for work, yet again. They told me they were evicting me for sure, after your behaviour.

You had taken my car back. Scrapped it. 300$ was all it was worth to you to take away the one thing that could have saved me now. I had a week to pack. Less every day. But I was frozen. I was terrified, I had no one to turn to and I was /alone/. I couldn't reach anyone for a WEEK, except a neighbour that I NEVER spoke to save twice. She helped me pack, and throw everything I couldn't fit in a van or SUV into a truck. I tried to sell my home for 3.5.

But this is Florida, and mold is sneaky. I only got 900. You would have loved that.

But it was enough to put a down payment on a van, and you showed me I'm strong enough to survive this because I was strong enough to survive /You/.

Now I have two jobs lined up, and have reconnected with the people that love me. I haven't eaten in a bit, but I'm working towards it.

You didn't win. You didn't break me.

I won. I kept my integrity, and I kept myself.

I do not wallow in despair, yet I have witnessed you doing so. It is a small comfort, but it is a comfort none the less to know that in this aspect, too, I am stronger than you.

[musicaddictand]

My former roommate was abusing me

So, in late 2020 I met this guy, with whom I studied for language exams together. He had a spare room in his apartment which he offered to me. I accepted, so we became roommates.

The first year living together was awesome. Things were very harmonious. I kept saying "I'm living with a friend".

The first half year of 2022, things soured a bit. We began fighting more often, but things were overall still harmonious. And we always managed to reconcile, at least.

However, midway 2022 something happened. His girlfriend moved in with us. He never asked me if I'm alright with her moving in, but I didn't really mind, so I didn't say anything. However, retroactively it should have been a warning sign to me that he makes such a decision against my will. People also told me to "never live with a couple. It never ends well". That's a decision I would soon have to learn myself.

2023, things soured even more. I was working from home a lot. I told him time and time again to not interrupt me when I'm in meetings. He ignored it the entire time, and then got angry when I told him: "Not now!". He once even shouted at me, and my co-workers could all hear him.

We also had this WhatsApp group for the shared apartment. He'd publically complain about me within it, in front of 3 other people.

The girlfriend and him also started making decisions against my will. For example, they insisted a cleaning lady come to our apartment. Every week. I'm a fairly tidy guy, and said that I this is not fair to me that I have to pay regardless. They didn't care.

Around then we also started living fairly seperate lives. The girlfriend took up almost his entire time, and he only ever talked to me once he needed money.

I also was never allowed to complain. He threatened he'd lock me out of the Wifi if I didn't comply unconditionally. Saying the router was his and that he had every right to exclude me from it if I "didn't respect him". Yes, in spite of the fact that I contribute to the bill. Once I actually did complain, and he did lock me out. In spite of the fact that I needed it for work. Things never were the same again after.

However, in 2024, for the past half year, things started to fall apart completely. We barely ever talked anymore, and when he did, he always shouted at me. I also caught him lying. He claimed to be paying higher rent than me, which wasn't true, I did the math (setting aisde the fact that his girlfriend and him were sharing a room, and she contributed nothing).

Their bathroom also broke for a few weeks, meaning they had to use mine, violating my privacy and and my night's rest. Of course, that's not their fault, but do you think they showed any gratitude for me letting them use my bathroom? Of course not, they insisted that it's my obligation, and they don't owe me as much as a "thank you".

It didn't stop him from using my connection to him, however. He was in France for a few days, and stayed with my parents. I expected some gratitude, because he has their contact data through me, and my parents wouldn't have accomodated him if he weren't my roommate. But no, he insisted he owes gratitude to my parents, nothing to me.

He disturbed me, too. We had to share the living room, and I once had a phone call. I have a very powerful voice, and aparently "disturbed" him that way. But do you thing¡k he handled it like an adult? No, like a five year old he decided he didn't "have to be cooperative because [I] wasn't". So he set his call to loud speaker, handicapping me even more in my call.

However, the straw that broke the camel's back was the dog. I one day woke up and had to discover there's a dog in the apartment. Only upon investigation did I discover that they'd made the decision to accept the girlfriend's old dog into the partment. I freaked out, because they, again, made the decision against my will. But also, because dogs disgust me, and I ( as well as one of our other roommates) am allergic to them. They didn't care. They insisted the dog will stay, against the wishes of me and any other roomates. He insisted he can do it, because he is the "most senior" tennant. And as such his decisions beat out on everyone else's.

Anyway, soon after, I left the appartment. That wasn't funny, either. Mature as he is, he called me a "fucker" and "asshole" several times, He also was uncooperative when finding a new tennant and when it came to finishing my business.

But yeah, I've moved out, and are finally free.

I need to add that I indeed try to resolve things. I explained to him and the girlfriend when they treated me a way that I didn't like. But to no avail. They have showed no understanding and no willingness to compromise. He just was too domineering. He also threatened to cut me out of the internet if I complained. So yeah, there's clearly blackmail involved here.

I'm not saying that I'm perfect. I'm pretty hysteric, and myself was unable to remain calm. I also have cPTSD, and little things trigger me, and I don't forgive easily. However, he said as late as October that he's hoping we can live together for a long time. So I'm obviously not that bad of a roommate.

Also, while I was living with him, he fell out with a seperate friend, his mother, and then with me. Me on the other hand haven't fallen out with anyone else outside of him. So I take that as an example as to why he's more of a problem than me. If someone is an asshole, they're an asshole, if everyone is an asshole, you're the asshole?

[aboatwithlegs]

An Objectively Correct Rewrite of The Arthur Finale

'Sup nerds and nerdinos, I have a problem with Arthur.

No, not Arthur Koestler (though no one with CBE after their name escapes my wrath on principle alone). I'm talking about Arthur Read, the autistic aardvark who dresses like an 8 year old Mr. Rogers and somehow still has more friends than you.

But my problem isn't with the twerp's fashion sence, it's with Season 25, Episode 4b: All Grown Up, aka Arthur's final episode. The very moment it released in 2022 the ground quaked, the oceans roared, the angels wept as the sky tore asunder and God Themself¹ decended to personsally task me with rewriting it. I said I'd get around to it.

Babies and mentlegen, that day is today because I have nothing better to do.

TW: SA, drugs, death, TERFs, student loans

The Correct Futures

The only thing you need to know about the old version is that they got old, cuz we're scrapping all of it aside from that. The adult versions of each characters was so far removed from the actual futures of these characters that I am personally insulted and have filed with my lawyer to see everyone responsible for it given a restraining order. So we gotta fix that. This episode here is gonna be a feature-length anthology film. Every character gets a 5-10 minute sequence where we see how the next 20 years of their life unfold. I'm gonna put them in alphabetical order because the only one who can tell me what to do is my talking cat. Oh, and remember: Habrá Examen, Langosta Perezosa! ***~~~*** ***~~~***

Alan "Brain" Powers: Goes to MIT and finds that, after being "The Brain" for so many years, he is suddenly just average. It's such a shock to his ego that he begins to instinctively lash out at everything he finds unfamiliar, eventually dropping out and becoming a moderately successful right-wing podcaster and youtuber.

Arthur Read: Our boy grows up to be a perpetual grad student (English major, of course). He pays the rent as a TA and is so terrified of the world outside of academia that he finds comfort spending quiet evenings in, grading papers from the comfort of his dingy bachelor apartment. He lives off instant ramen and spends most of his free time escaping into his books. He sometimes daydreams of getting a "real job", owning a house, and raising a family like his parents did, but dismisses it as too idealistic.

Buster Baxter: Eventually gets Diagnosed with ADHD and an Adderall prescription changes his life. He starts excelling in school and fixates on a dream of becoming an indie film director. At age 14 he is diagnosed with a brain tumor, and a few weeks after his 17th birthday his dying wish is fulfilled when his ashes are sent to space². Every year that passes his friends take a little longer to remember his name.

D.W. Read: Develops symptoms of BPD and a coke addiction. At age 16 she uses a fake I.D. to get a job as a stripper until her cousin Ryder recognises her mid-lap dance. She spends a year in juvie and drops out of high school. She drops by the Read household every few months to ask for money, but the rest of the time no one knows where she is.

Fern & George Walters: Fern and George marry when they are both 18, he takes her last name. She is a stay-at-home mother raising their two young children, writing BDSM-fueled erotic fiction while the kids are at school. George keeps the bills paid with a steady office job as a software engineer and maintains a healthy work-life balance to ensure he's present for his family. They've never left Elwood and wouldn't have it any other way.

Frank Frensky: Frank (still going by "Francine") goes through an extended period of identifying as a butch lesbian before finally coming out as trans-masc. When he finally transitions it involves cutting off his family and moving out of state to start fresh. He plays drums in an underground queercore collective and self-publishes a zine featuring semi-biographical comics about a young boy growing up in Elwood.

Jenna Morgan: Disappears under mysterious circumstances. No one notices for 7 years, which then sparks a city-wide furvor as everyone tries to investigate the disappearance at once. Later found to have not actually gone anywhere.

Muffy Crosswire: Dates Frank ("Francine") for most of high school. Muffy ends the relationship when Frank comes out as trans and gets deep into TERF circles. After graduating Yale and getting her LLM in constitutional law she enters state-level politics as an openly queer Republican. She uses LGBTQ+ and Feminist talking points to advance a far-right cryptofascist agenda and is generally considered to be "one of the good ones" by both parties.

Prunella Deegan: A naturopathic wellness-coach with extensive collections of both healing crystals and cats. Her entire segment is an extended anti-vax rant with hippy aphorisms sprinkled throughout. Enthusiastically voted for Muffy.

Shelley "Binky" Barnes: His mother begins an extended affair with Pickles the Clown, leading the already-distant Mr. Barnes to file for divorce. Binky is left in his mother's care, but she soon finds him too much to handle, especially with how little he seems to respect his new step-father. He is passed around various aunts and uncles for most of his adolescent life and begins to act out at school as a result, earning him a reputation as a troublemaker. When he's sixteen he attends a house party and finds Sue Ellen alone in a room with the dead body of a boy from their class. She frantically explains that he was trying to assault her and hit his head on something after she pushed him off. Binky opts to take the fall for her, stating to police that he punched the boy in jealousy. He is sentenced to 10 years in prison for aggravated assault and 3rd degree murder. Even while in prison he maintains a close friendship - bordering on romance - with Sue Ellen, but he insists that she not wait for him because he wants her to be happy and loved. A week after his release he is arrested for armed robbery. Officers report that the suspect seemed relieved when they arrived, and said something to the effect of "I'm going home".

Sue Ellen Armstrong: Sue Ellen becomes an ardent activist in middle school and is a regular face at demonstrations and community support orgs alike all throughout high school. When she's 16 a boy tries to force himself on her at a house party and she fights him off, accidentally snapping his neck and killing him instantly. Binky perjurs himself in order to take the fall for her. As the years pass, Sue Ellen gets burned out as an activist and instead works as a graphic designer for NPOs. She continues to visit Binky in prison and considers him her one true love, though he insists they can never be because she deserves someone who can be there for her. Sue Ellen never commits to a serious relationship, but does occasionally entertain casual encounters with older, often married, men. Occasionally speedruns Virtual Goose: Unleashed on Twitch.

Third Grade Male Rat #1: Killed in an altercation after sexually assaulting Sue Ellen. Is mourned by no one.

No one.

So yeah, I think that's pretty much it. Make it hand-drawn, black-and-white, and have it on my desk in an hour kthxbi

[alto-viola]

Reflection over the last four years. (Vent)

I'm still not over the pandemic's absolute destruction of my young adulthood. I'm not free loading - honestly think I pay way to much of a share of the bills - (I started paying rent the second I turned 19) but I'm still stuck at home. My family treats with the disrespect of a child and the responsibilities of an adult, just like always. It bothers me so much. My family relationship is still tumultuous.

I'm four years into my two year degree and I can't help but feel like part of the blame is on my college for failing to check on professors and students during the pandemic. Online learning was a joke and significantly delayed me.

I still can't drive, which here in America makes everything difficult. My family kept me from learning, spooked me when I tried, and now they're shocked I'm too scared to. Not knowing how to drive is such a bummer, because it makes me more reliant on my family.

I work from home three out of five days a week, the other two I go to a mostly empty office, which is a blessing. However I think I'm overworked and underpaid. I truly love my job but I have coworkers who do literally nothing and get paid the same as me because my boss doesn't check who did what for the week. I'm doing their work to keep our team from falling behind.

My mental health is still in shambles, and that's not great. I am reaching the point where I think I should go to therapy, as horrifyingly vulnerable as that is. My OCD has kept me from writing for fun. (I still write daily for work and school, don't worry.) But without saying to much, the OCD has grown into a mess bigger than I can handle alone.

I did leave my bad friendships over the course of these 4 years and for that I'm grateful. I haven't been dragged into a signal drama-flued fight in years, which is such a low bar but it's a start, lol.

I am getting more comfortable with being in public places. I think I am back to pre-pandemic levels of okay.

I am getting better at self advocacy and actually pushing for my disability accommodations to be used in school.

My [redacted] is out of jail and doing so much better. Even tough dealing with him is super taxing on me. I think he is trying to be a better man, even if it is just emotional manipulation. I really hope it's not.

So yeah, these last four years have been fucking insane, lol.

[sukajunin]

28 club

As I approach the cusp of my 28th year, I find myself in a familiar contemplation, attempting to rack my head for the perfect summary of the last 365 days. It’s as if I’m striving to construct an intricate mosaic, each fragment representing the lessons learned and the things experienced. Instead, the process feels more comparable to completing a puzzle where I have lost the guiding picture on the front of the box.

Every year I turn older, I try to do this - at least for the latter stages of my twenties - and I inevitably find myself at a dead end. I’m not entirely sure why I put so much pressure on myself to recount the past year, but perhaps the impending anniversary of my birth beckons me to ponder not just the present, but the past in particular. This inbetween connects me to the years gone by, a time when anything was possible, and life’s tribulations were yet to reveal its ugly truths to me. 

Birthdays always remind me of my fleeting youth, which is why I don’t find myself celebrating it much. Even though 28 is still considered a young age, I can’t help but to observe how life’s subtle changes accumulate. Every year, there is always something that puts my aging body and soul (gosh, I’m so dramatic) into perspective. From the obvious increase of the number of candles on the cake, to the decreasing number of birthday messages (because only the true OGs will remember your special day when you finally turn off the Facebook Birthdays feature). 

This year, I’m reminded that it has been a decade since my high school graduation. I’m struck by the passage of time and I started to believe that, for some reason, life was much better then. But more than that, I recognise that the fondness I feel for that chapter isn’t about yearning for the past - it’s a reminder that life is a fucking complex work of mosaic that requires both joyous colours and colours of hardship. 

Of course, only some small parts of the past were better because it wouldn’t be life if it were not met without its share of struggles. The absence of adulting responsibilities like paying rent and bills was great, but it was nicely balanced by the weight of familial turbulence (nothing like a good divorce in the family to really humble yourself).

Because the truth is, life can only be understood backward; but it must be lived forward.

This decade has been more than a journey - it’s been a metamorphosis, like Hilary Duff’s greatest album of all time. Each year, each step, has contributed to a deeper understanding of who I am and where I’m headed. It’s natural to linger on the past, to find solace in its known contours, but I’ve learned that true growth lies in embracing the unknown future.

Now that I’m closer to 30 than I am to 20 (damn, wow), the rearview mirror reveals a landscape of memories. There’s an allure in nostalgia, like seeing a Discman in a museum, which is crazy to say the least, but it can sometimes paint a rosier picture than reality. Remember: objects in the mirror may appear closer than it seems. Or rather, the past seems brighter than it actually was. 

But amid all this, I realise that the present often demands more attention than I grant it. It’s tempting to compare my trajectory to others’, especially in the age of “transparent” social media, but I’ve come to accept that my journey is uniquely my own. People like to tell me: “Can you believe it’s been a year?” And because I enjoy self-deprecating jokes, I add: “I know, what have I even done with my life?”

I’ve had moments of achievements and even self-discovery in the last few years, but it’s still human of me to question if this is progress and to wonder whether I’ve done enough. I have to remind myself that I’ve written a narrative that’s distinctly mine and what I consider as being “behind” might be different for someone else. Where are we going anyway? Is there a chequered flag with free-flowing champagne waiting for us at the end of this race that we call life? 

In a few days, I’ll gift myself not just another year, but a reminder to be present - to appreciate the beauty in the here and now, as banal as it sounds. No one is keeping track of what I have done or haven’t done, except for me. Even the setbacks have contributed to the bigger image of the mosaic of my life. The measure of my worth isn’t confined to societal markers; it’s a reflection of the person I’ve become, the lessons I’ve learned, and the thoughts and actions I’ve been exposed to.

So, as I pen this chapter and embrace another revolution around the sun, I offer a piece of advice to my younger, more stupid self: Trust the journey, for it is yours and yours alone. Embrace the open road of existence with curiosity and resilience. Happy birthday to you, and may you learn to love the future, and appreciate the present, as much as you do the past. 

[raggaraddy]

Sugar Daddy turned sour

Request: Hi!!!! read all of ur works its all amazing cant believe ur new.. can i request for a yan sugar daddy taehyung x reader x yan sugar daddy jungkook. they found out that that y/n have 2 sugar daddies and they lost their sanity(as if they even have that)...Thank u and YOU GOOD,KEEP GOING💜💞💞💞💞😘😁

A/N: I don't know how to post a reply to a personal message yet because I am new and Tumblr deficient 😅 But I hope you like the scenario ^-^ thanks for the request 💜

Here for Part 2

Summary: Juggling two guys and getting everything you want from them has always been easy for you, and Taehyung and Jungkook are no exception. Or so you thought.

Trigger warnings: Mentions of non-con, assault, cheating, violence.

Yandere! Taehyung

Yandere! Jungkook

Sunday.  Taehyungs day.  

You open your webcam, checking your eyeliner quickly in the startup view as you wait for the Tae to pick up on the other side. He pops up quickly a beaming smile filling his face.  

“Y/n! Baby, I’ve missed you.” He’s radiant. As happy and as bubbly he always is. 

You go along listening to him excitedly run through his past few days, telling you everything in excruciating detail as he jumps from one half-finished thought to another. He may be an adult but he certainly has a young soul. The whole while you feign attention, your fingers continually fidgeting with the diamond necklace or the matching bracelet he had sent you a few weeks back.

“How was your weekend?”  He finally gets around to asking. 

“Not so good. I always have to work so much," You complain, batting your eyes at the camera.  

“You could always quit and come live with me.” He jokes-but not really. It’s a topic he has raised 3 times already.  And you have the same answer ready as always. 

“Daddy, you know I’m a strong and independent woman. I could never let someone else pay for me.” You pout, running your tongue over your lower lip while pushing your chest up a little to draw attention.  “It’s just my rent is so expensive. I feel like I work just to pay the bills.” 

In truth, your rent is already being covered by someone else.  But he doesn’t need to know that. 

While you continue to run through the fabricated details of your weekend, Taehyung is distracted, looking down at his phone.  You know what's happening. It’s like a game. And you’re winning. Your banking app sends a notification, letting you know that K. Taehyung has just sent you a payment. 

You open it up. Yep. That's rent for the month.  Or more, money for that new TV you wanted.  

“Oh! Daddy, noo.” You whine down the camera. “You can’t.  I am okay. Really. Please don’t spend your money on me.” You frown if only to stop the smile that is fighting to fill your face. 

“I want to baby. I have the money, and I just want you to be happy. Don’t stress about bills okay. I’m here.” 

Sometimes, it’s almost too easy.  

“Okay Daddy, if you insist.”

Tuesday.  Jungkooks day.  

With Jungkook it’s a much more straightforward transaction.  He has said he wants to pay for you and he hates the back and forth pretences.  He just wants you to say thank you, smile pretty, and give him all your attention.  

“Do you need anything more for the week?” He asks through the camera.

“No Daddy, you take such good care of me. Thank you.” You smile. 

“You still have the weekend of the 14th off?” He raises his eyebrows suggestively.  Off-screen you quickly scan through your calendar.  

14th, 15th and 16th: Jk weekend.  

Hmm, that came up quicker than you expected. You try to keep your booty calls with them as far apart as possible. 

“Of course, I’m so excited! I haven’t seen you in weeks.” You say, it been less than 100% truthful.

“Months.” He corrects with a surreptitious undertone.  

“Where are we staying this time?” 

You always insist to stay in hotels. Because ‘your apartment feels too busy and mundane, and you want the time you spend with him to be magical and undistracted’. Honestly, you just don’t want him, either of them, in your personal space. You purposefully chose boys who live a few hours away.  It’s hard enough to keep them separated in your everyday life with them being far away. It could only get messy for them to know where you live and how to reach you in person.

You’ve certainly gotten smart at this. Arranging the two men into different days of the week, scheduling them into your calendar to keep them apart and unaware of the other. Both had specifically said very early on that they do not want to share you with anyone else.  And that you were all theirs. And while both of them seemed to trust you, you knew their reactions would be unpleasant, to say the least, if they found out about the other. 

Sugar Daddies can be so possessive. 

But while both these men are very handsome, money is better and more reliable than boys. And if they are stupid enough to spend it all on you, why should you care.

The week passes quickly and it’s the 14th.  Once more you find yourself in the lobby of a 5-star hotel. Jungkook arrived in town early and sent you a message with the room number. 

Time to actually work for your money. 

You knock on the door only to find it slightly open.  Entering there is a trail of rose petals lining the floor leading into the suite. All the lights are dimmed with a warmth of candlelight filling the room. This is so typically Jungkook. Pulling out all the stops to try to impress. 

Dropping your bag at the entrance, you close the door behind you and explore inwards.  

“Daddy?” You call out in a singsong voice. Your heels clack on the tiled floor as you round the corner into the living room. Jungkook is sitting on the lounge, one leg crossed over the other, arms rested up over the back. You smile at seeing him. You always seem to forget just how stunning he is in person. 

“Which one of us are you referring to?” A deep voice startles you from behind. You jolt, spinning to see Taehyung standing behind you leaning against the wall.  

Holy fuck. 

Your mind starts to jumble through what is happening. Thinking about what it was that might have given you away. Evaluating how much they may know. And planning your next move.  

Damn it.  You doubt you’ll be able to smooth talk your way out of this with Jungkook. He’s too direct and absolute. So you’ll just have to accept that that relationship is over. However, you might be able to salvage this situation with Taehyung if you play your cards right. Being defensive should do the trick.

“What is this?” You snap, keeping focused on Taehyung. “This is such a violation of my privacy! You keep smothering me Taehyung! See this is why I tried to find someone else to hang out with.” You stomp your foot. He would always wrap around your finger so quickly with the little girl act. 

“Ha!” He blurts out a short laugh in contradiction to how you expected him to react. “Wow. No, go on. I want to see where this is going.” 

“Do you think we only just found out about each other?” Jungkook pipes up, coming from the couch. 

You sigh. You had almost saved enough for a holiday to the Maldives too. But they seem to know too much. Fine. You can burn both relationships. They were starting to get too clingy anyway.  “Whatever.” You roll your eyes. You got all you could from them. Time to move on to the next.

As you shrug them off, Taehyung steps into the path of the front door. 

“Where do you think you’re going?” Both he and Jungkook start to close in tighter. There is a cold tone to his words. Something far too close to a threat for your comfort. Even in heels, both men naturally stand taller than you which usually wouldn’t bother you. But with an unsteadiness to your footing and a very short dress on, in a dark room with two men you have used and spurned, you are feeling even more vulnerable than you feel you should. 

“Move.” You order. 

A smirk on his lips, Taehyung lifts his hand up and backhands you, knocking you back a few stumbled steps. You gasp, your hand clinging to your cheek, eyes wide in shock. He starts forward, Jungkook intervening, standing between the two of you. 

You can not believe he just hit you! He has never done anything like that before.

“No, don’t do that.” He stops Taehyung as he starts to swing again.  Shaking all over, you’re relieved that one of them is seeing sense.  You take the outstretched hand of Jungkook, lip trembling from the burn on your cheek. He draws you closer and you wrap into him for protection. In the same motion, his free hand swings down punching you in the stomach, doubling you over, dropping you to the floor. “If you hit her head, she might get spaced out. I want her to feel this.”

His words send a chill down your spine. This can not be happening.

“Are you crazy!” You gape, trying to speak while gulping down air. Your head is dizzy, your lungs burning.  Kicking off your heels for better movement, you climb back up to your feet not wanting to engage either man. Eyes focused you look past Taehyung to the door, storming forward. “I’m leaving. We’ll forget all of this, okay.” You bargain through short, panicked breath. 

Taehyungs large hand slams you into the wall, pressing his palm against your shoulder. He follows Jungkooks lead, pounding his fist into your gut. And then again. And again.  His hold removes letting you free and you plummet to the ground, crying within broken huffs while cradling your battered torso. 

“You’re right. That is better.” He laughs at Jungkook. 

“Stop!” You beg, unable to raise your voice above a soft yelp. 

“What's wrong baby? You wanted two men. Now you have them.” Taehyungs bright smile returns to his face. This time with an entirely different meaning than it had ever had until it shifts into a straight, harsh look that you have never seen from him. “Didn't you always say you wished there was some way you could repay me?” 

“You said that to me too.” Jungkook joins his side, both hovering above you, trapping you between them, the wall, and the floor. 

Leaning down Jungkooks hand follows you as you squirm away from him. His fingers wrapped around your throat and lift you up, keeping you against the wall. He takes advantage of you being stuck, leaning into you pressing his lips to yours as you resist as much as you can. 

“Baby, you’re going to pay us back for every dollar we spent on you.” He snarls. 

Taehyung turns your face to him, also forcing a kiss on you. “Don’t worry, Y/n, you’ll see that we know how to share.”  

Part 2

[doloresdraws]

‘When I look back on my life It's so hard to face you I never wanted to fight this fight I'm ashamed of the truth No, I don't want to hurt you, baby I don't want to hurt you, baby I didn't mean to hurt you, baby

God, I'm sorry’

When I look back on my life I never wanted this fight (I don't want to hurt you baby) If I could turn back time (I don't want to hurt you baby) I would make it alright (I don't want to hurt you baby)

I love you, I love you sunshine’

Unbelievable, but I painted something new and even managed to finish it in two sittings.

Finally a proper painting of my Sabbat Nosferatu character Fox for our upcoming Sabbat game set in San Francisco. Since his story didn’t start yet I can only share something about his background.

Fox came to San Francisco from a small town in Ohio to escape a brewing unhappiness and resentment towards his mother and responsibility of caring for his two younger sisters that in his eyes slowed him down. He was tired of having to act like an adult in his family and also having to endure the looks and gossips of his classmates, because everyone knew what his mother did for a living to be able to take care of her three kids.

He had these naive dreams that living in California will bring him more and better opportunities to make good money and to live the life he often saw on tv growing up. He really wanted to become something, to prove his mother that you can get money with honest, not self-degrading work. He really hoped that he will be able to earn enough money to ensure that his sisters will never end up in the same line of work as his mother.  Of course the reality was not quite how he imagined, he struggled to find work at first, having to even spend a few nights sleeping in the park, but with his determination and eagerness to do just almost any work he was able to find various construction work and other small odd jobs to sustain his basic human needs. A lot of his colleagues were of Mexican and Venezuelan origin and through daily socializing with them he actually picked up some Spanish. He was still looking for a better, stable job but even though he often had little money to go on, he was adamant to stay clear of any criminal work. After about 6 months he was able to secure a job as the sewage treatment plant worker, it wasn’t as glorious work as he dreamed of and the surroundings were often very unpleasant, but he hid his pride and put his best efforts to do his job well. He quickly became very good at it and was even promoted, with the extra money he was able to rent a small apartment.Although far from how he imagined it, his life for the next few years was quite good, he managed to find himself a girlfriend and was planning to get marry to her, the biggest problem was that Gloria was in the US illegally, so he had to figure out how to make it happen.

Unfortunately everything changed when Fox got into an accident during his work when a gas pipe exploded and a fire had started. He was one of the few people injured, but unfortunately for Fox, he was the one who got the most severe burns that covered about 40% of his body, unfortunately also his lower half of the face, neck and hands. After this accident his life spiraled quickly, his company had friends in higher places, so instead of paying for health bills of their workers, they actually scapegoated Fox and sued him and his group of workers for the accident. He had no money for a fancy lawyer, so he lost the case, together with his medical bills his debts started piling up. His personality changed, he was angry or didn't speak at all for days. Gloria tried to help him and tried to be by his side, but he hated the fact that he could see the pity on her face whenever she looked at him. So he really started being mean to her so she would leave him alone, right now he didn't want anyone around. One day it got out of hand and he pushed her out of the door and told her never to come back, that she should get back to her Taco country or something offensive like that. He also managed to shout some Spanish insults at her, his words really hurt her as she ran away with tears.After a few days he felt really bad for breaking the things between him and Gloria in such a horrible way. He knew deep down that he needed her and wanted her by his side, even if it hurt to see how she looked at him, he knew that she was worth it. She actually never showed him where she lived before, so obviously the only places to look for her were the areas where she used to work. He hated to go outside and interact with people as they would always look at him the same, with pity and disgust, but he wanted to try to make up with Gloria. Yet when he asked in the bar the manager said that Gloria didn’t come to work in a last few days. He then went to ask around in the market she used to help and one of the women there told him that two days ago there was a police investigation and that they took a lot of people without proper papers away and that Gloria was among them.

Once again Fox felt absolutely helpless, she was probably detained and ends up deported back to Mexico and there is nothing he can do about it. He had no money, he didn’t even know where exactly she was. That night he bought a few bottles of tequila, drank as much as he could before he felt sick and threw up, which fucking hurt as all of his scars weren't fully healed yet. He hated himself, it was his fault she ended up on the street and now she is gonna end up back in Mexico with her last memories of him will be him yelling all this horrible shit to her face. He was ashamed of himself.

After this his life got even worse, now he had no emotional support, no friends, no job, painful scars that made him look like a monster. He usually spent his days staring at the ceiling, he couldn't really drink much as it was just too nasty, so he just existed for a while. His debts forced him to find work, but he couldn't do physical jobs he was used to anymore, he managed to find some odd jobs, probably because people felt bad for him which he resented. He even worked in 7/11 store, but all of his jobs were just temporary, he couldn’t keep any of them for more than for a week. It was not that his employers were unhappy with him, but Fox couldn’t just stand all the stares and pity looks he got from his employers, coworkers and customers. It didn't take long and he couldn’t keep up with the rent and when he lost the apartment, he became homeless. He could of course get back to his mother, but he actually didn't even notify neither him or his sister about his accident, he didn't want to be a burden and also he had too much pride to ever getting back to that shitty small town. All he wanted was to hide from people, to be spared of their pitiful glances and their talk about how strong he was. He wasn’t strong, he was a shitty, pathetic person who abandoned his family, resented his own mother, he failed his sisters and he treated the person that he loved as a Punchbag for his spite and insecurities, and now she will probably end up in some kind of human trafficking ring, because of him.

I will talk about his Embrace in more detail in some future post, but basically he was a shovelhead who somehow managed to get a chance to prove himself to the Sabbat. Although he loves his pack( some more than others) he still isn’t quite convinced by the Sabbat’s ideology, his biggest difficulty being the ever-present unnecessary violence, he still tries to cling to the last bits of humanity inside of him and that often leads to dissatisfaction from the Bishop and thus reflecting badly on his pack. He is torn between trying to fit in and wanting to measure up to his fellow Cainites and to do what feels right in his heart…

I am honestly very excited to finally play a Nosferatu. ❤

Fox © me/doloresdraws lyrics  ©  Hurt by Meg Myers

[loreweaver-universe]

And that’s...the show.

Man.  Wow.  A Place Further Than the Universe, huh.  This is now my favorite anime I’ve ever watched.  Great pacing, great writing, strong and lovable characters, gorgeous animation...all pulled together into one big warm blanket of feel-good fiction.  This show is so sweet and so sad and so happy at the same time.  It’s rare for a work of fiction to pull tears out of me, and this one did so multiple times.  Especially Megumi’s farewell scene, man, that DESTROYED me.

God, this was good.

It’s a show about four teenagers going to the end of the world and finding themselves.  It’s such a simple premise, but they got so much out of it.  I loved this show.  I think the only bits of it that I didn’t like were when Hinata was trying to flaunt her body for the adults early on and that brief blip where they emphasized that it was the MALE staff who were extra sorry to see the girls go.  Those bits were weird.  The rest of it, though?  Amazing stuff.  Chef’s Kiss dot meme.

The relationship between the four girls is my absolute favorite part of the show.  They come together so quickly as such natural friends that it’s amazing to think that there was a part of the show where they didn’t know one another.  I’d have watched another six episodes of these girls easily.  It’s good that the series ended where it did, of course, it was an excellent narrative choice, but man, this was a fun time.

If I have a complaint about the characters it’s I think that Mari becomes something of a side character once they actually get to Antarctica--she’s important to the group’s cohesion as the point they all rallied around, but she doesn’t really get any focus.  That’s a shame.  The parts that did focus on her were awesome, though.

Well!  That’s that.  Thank you so much for picking this show, Oro.  It’s so good.

Speaking of Oro, now that I’m finished with A Place Further Than the Universe, Oro is continuing to be my patron, but instead of picking one show to jump right into he’s having me watch the first episode of a handful of shows to see how I like them.  Immediately replacing A Place Further in my lineup will be the first episode of Princess Principal, so that will be interesting.

Up next more immediately, though, I’ll be starting the first episode of Kino’s Journey!  That’s the show replacing Amphibia in the patron picks list.  I’ll be starting that in a little bit, so stay tuned for that!

I also now have a store! You can buy shirts, hoodies, stickers, mugs, and more there in two designs–Bullshit Space Magic and the King of Frogs!  I hope you guys like what you see there!

As always, thank you so much to my 59 patrons for making it so I can do this for a living, and thank you again to all the people who have donated to help me survive the last six months of my shattered mental health.  You guys make my life so much richer.  I’ll see you guys in a little bit for Kino’s Journey!

IN OTHER NEWS:

I recently completed my blind playthrough of Resident Evil Village!  You can see the full playlist of those streams by clicking here!

If you’d like to help me pay my rent, buy me some food, or help with my bills and medicine, please use my direct donation link!  If you’d like to support me per liveblog completed every month, please pledge to my Patreon! Becoming a patron not only allows you to vote on what shows I do whenever I choose a new one, but also grants access to the community Minecraft server to $5 patrons or higher!

You should also go pledge to Gio’s Patreon, or his Sponsus–our Discord server maintenance tech, creator of Rubybot, and community Minecraft server overlord deserves far more than I can afford to pledge to him by myself.

If you’d like more of me and my content:

My Episode Lists master page, where you can find every show and liveblog I’ve done!

My Discord server, where you can come hang out with me and other fans, check out member liveblogs, and join community gaming guilds!

My Twitch channel, where I stream variety games every so often!

My Youtube channel, where you can check out past streams!

My ask blog, where you can send me questions and comments!

My Twitter, where I make announcements about liveblogs and streams!

My merch store, where you can get shirts, mugs, stickers, and more!

It’s your kindness and support that lets me do this stuff, and I wouldn’t be where I am without all of you to do it for.  Thank you all so much for your support, and for tuning in every episode!

OTHER PEOPLE YOU MAY ENJOY:

I may have been one of the earlier Steven Universe liveblogs, but a whole community of livebloggers has sprung up over the last five years!   I linked to a bunch individually for a few wrap-ups, but honestly, this end-slate is already eight billion miles long, so I’m just gonna link to my links page.  Click here if you want recommendations of other livebloggers, or other neat people, or webcomics and podcasts that I recommend.

[glimmer-nightshade]

Tumblr peeps, it is now time I ask of you to help me with a current life situation.

Fiancé and I have been best friends for 5 years. During that time I’ve lived with my elderly grams and he has an apartment that he shares with his almost adult (17) son. His rent is relatively cheap for this area and I pay my share of utilities to my grams to help. This keeps out cost of living low. We live in an area of NY where rent is high, job availability and pay are low. But we both have very little family and they are all in the area and moving out is just as expensive.

We have been planning on buying a house together soon and both recently got pretty decent paying jobs so we could afford to really start saving. Also starting this month we were going to have set schedules so we would always have the same days off together. We both worked for the same retail location.

He was just offered an IT position that pays Pennies. Like he will barely be able to afford his bills and groceries, let alone save for a down payment or even afford a share of mortgage. He’s only had this better paying job for a few months so has no savings built up yet.

He decided to take the job even though I think it’s financially irresponsible because he wants to enjoy going to work, will work a Monday-Friday job from 730-430. Have weekends off. He can also go back to streaming after work.

I of course want him to be happy, but I feel like it’s a betrayal. Like we were just finally getting somewhere close to normal and being able to afford a life together and I was raised that you sometimes sacrifice present happiness in a job for future happiness and security. It just feels more like a single persons decision to work somewhere you know will make life financially difficult and I also have the mentality of “the grass is not always greener”.

So please give me your thoughts and feelings on if this were your situation? How would you feel? Am I being selfish? Should it have been a joint and unanimous decision? I’m trying to support him, but I just feel like in the end this isn’t going to help us and they we may drift apart as we will likely never see each other due to not living under the same roofs and having opposing schedules…

9/16/22