#and i also might owe him financial compensation

[jamietarttsnorthernattitude]

2 and 23 for the ask game!

Thank you, my kind-hearted friend!

2. Go to your AO3 “Works” page, to the sidebar with all the filters, and click the drop-down arrow for “Additional Tags.” What are your top 3-5 most used tags? Do you think they accurately represent your writing habits?

Whumptober 2023, Jamie Tartt Needs a Hug, Hurt/Comfort, Hurt Jamie Tartt, Whump. LMAO. Yup, those definitely represent my writing habits haha

23. What’s a trope, AU, or concept you’ve never written, but would like to?

I've talked a bit about the AUs that live in my brain here. I kind of want to write a time-loop fic, but I haven't found a good enough idea for both the hook and the days, etc.

[gretavanfleetposts]

Reader asking him to wear something normal is so funny to me. Like, that's so real. I do have to say though, if this fic is also going to make me agonize over Danny and reader, you will owe me financial compensation. I'm already so invested, I don't care how little their interactions might actually mean. Get Sam out of here so Danny can have her haha

Season of the Witch - Part Two

Masterlist

Pairing: Sam Kiszka x F!Reader, Danny Wagner x F!Reader

Synopsis: Danny always told you, you shouldn't play with things you don't fully understand. When trying your hand at magic, you accidentally summon something more than you bargained for. Now stuck, you try to find a way to rid yourself of him, but what if the only way of ridding yourself of him is dying?

Warnings: mentions of sex, mentions of witchcraft, angst, 18+ ONLY, MINORS DNI!

WC: 3859

You woke up with a start, sitting straight up in your bed. Your shirt clung to your damp, sweaty skin as you untangled yourself from your sheets. Your mouth was incredibly dry, almost cottony, and you nearly fell to the floor as you stood up. Your mind was trying to process something, something you couldn’t put your finger on, but it wouldn’t let you push it aside, letting it nag at you. Shuffling into the kitchen, you grabbed a glass from the cupboard and filled it at the sink, gulping down the tap water before getting another glass to quench your thirst as you thought.

“Good morning, Fawn.” you jumped, the glass slipping from your hands and shattering into pieces on the floor. Everything rushed back to you in a flash. Leaving Danny’s apartment, the web searches for the curse, the shaking, the fear, the strange man that was in your apartment. “I wish you wouldn’t have done that, I already cleaned up your mess from last night.” 

You froze, partly scared to move and cut yourself on the shattered glass, and partly because the voice was right behind you, so close that if you moved, you were sure his lips would graze your ear.

“I’m not going to hurt you.” the man informed you, his voice strangely soothing. “I swear on your soul.”

“My soul?” you whispered, glancing over your shoulder at him. He smirked and shrugged nonchalantly.

“It’s not worth much, but it is something.” he twirled a lock of your hair around his finger. “Did you sleep well?”

“Please don’t,” you turned your head, tugging your hair from his grasp. He let it float out of his hand, continuing to smile at you. 

“Are you still afraid of me?” he tsked at you, angling his chin towards his chest to give you the biggest doe eyes manageable. 

“I-I don’t even know your name…” your hushed breath fanned across his face. Straightening up, the man grinned, standing back and tugging on the lapels of his crimson, satin suit to make sure they were even. 

“My name is Samuel,” he introduced himself. He stared at you expectantly.

“Oh, uh I’m-“

“No need.” Samuel cut you off dismissively. “As you slept I took the liberty of going through your things.” He continued, rattling off your full name, height, and weight, proudly. You pictured him rummaging through your bag in the early hours, studying your driver's license. “That’s more than my people care to know after a bonding. Usually you don’t learn the other's name until after the fornication.” 

“The what?!” you nearly jumped out of your skin, inching your way away and around the island, away from him. “There will be absolutely no fornicating!” Samuel watched you back away into the living room of your apartment with a smirk, and when you were close enough to the door, you turned to throw it open and run out. 

“Going somewhere?” you were nose to nose with Samuel as he arched an eyebrow mockingly. 

“Let me go,” you whispered. “Please, this was just a mistake and I’m really sorry. Let me go find my friend, and we can fix this.” 

“Little fawn,” Samuel raised a hand slowly, as if you truly were the skittish woodland creature he named you for. He brushed your hair back from your face, gazing down at you. “There is no undoing what has been done. We are bound for eternity by a stronger magic than you can comprehend.” you could feel your face fall from fear to despair, and something in the being in front of you softened, only slightly. “But if you want to see your friend and have them tell you the same thing, then so be it.” You didn’t want to believe him, but a small ache in your chest hinted towards him telling the truth. “You should bathe, you reek of perspiration.”

Samuel stepped away from you, and nodded towards the short hallway that led to your bedroom, the bathroom on the way. You moved towards the hall, glancing over your shoulder to make sure he wasn’t following you. The tall man just watched you, giving you an innocent waggle of his fingers to usher you along. 

You took a quick shower, combing through your wet hair afterward and setting it into two braids. Realizing you didn’t have any clean clothes in the bathroom, you wrapped your towel tightly around you before skittering out the door, dashing across the few feet towards your bedroom, shutting the door behind you quickly and locking it. Dressing quickly, you finished tugging on a pair of ankle socks as you unlocked the door. You half expected Samuel to be gone as you stepped back into the living room, and yet he was there, lounging on the couch looking bored. His eyes slowly glanced over to you, a sigh of complacency as he stood up and moved towards the door.

“You can’t go out like that.” you stopped him from placing his hand on the doorknob. Samuel sent you a challenging look and you rolled your eyes. “You look like you’re about to go to a club.”

“And praytell, what would you rather I wear?” Samuel blinked, waiting for an explanation. 

“Something normal? Casual?” you shrugged. 

“This is normal and casual.” Samuel huffed. “Do you have anything I could borrow, then, if this is not suitable for the public?” you nodded, moving back to your bedroom. You were always stealing clothes from Danny, taking his t-shirts when you would crash at his place, promising to wash them, and then putting off laundry for so long you assumed they were just yours now. He never asked for them back, even when he saw you wearing them, though you must have cost him at least a few hundred dollars in replacements over the years. Pulling a soft cotton t-shirt from your closet, you turned to walk back out and hand it to the man, but once again he surprised you with being directly behind you.

“Can you stop?” you jumped when you saw him. “Please, personal space.” you thrust the shirt at him as he smirked. Keeping his eyes locked on yours, the smirk stuck to his lips, he slipped his red suit jacket off, not looking as he tossed it behind him, only for it to land neatly on your bed. Reaching behind him, you heard the metal of the beaded harness cling softly as he undid it, letting the cool silver slide down his arms, that being dropped to the ground with a clatter. Samuel’s eyebrows raised slightly as his hands dipped towards the button of his pants. “Stop! Just take the shirt, you can keep the pants.” He chuckled as you pressed the shirt into his bare chest and walked away from him.

He looked ridiculous, nice, satin dress pants and velvet matching loafers, and a ratty slightly oversized t-shirt hanging over his torso. You would have laughed if you felt you had the time. As soon as Sam emerged from your room, you ushered him out the door and into your car. After another minor argument about buckling in, he finally clicked his seatbelt into place and you were able to back out of the apartment parking lot. 

Samuel fiddled with every knob and button on the console, changing the station for the radio, sliding the volume up and down. You couldn’t even focus on it as you tried to figure out how you were going to explain to Danny that you conjured a….something….and how to get rid of him.

You arrived at Danny's door quicker than you wanted, Samuel right behind you, hands behind his back as if this was a Sunday stroll in the park. Reaching out, you rapped your knuckles on the wood, your stomach beginning to tie itself in knots. You still didn’t know how to explain what happened, especially since he’d warned you to stay away from the darker intentions. 

“Hey, I was going to call you and see how the protection spell went…” Danny had opened the door with a smile, but it faltered as he looked behind you at the tall, dark haired man that had become your shadow. 

“Well, it…went.” you tried to smile but could only grimace. “Can we come in?” Danny looked back to you, studying your face for a moment before nodding, stepping back and opening the door. Moving past him, Samuel followed in, looking bemused as you turned and watched Danny shut the door.

“What did you do?” Danny asked when he turned around. He crossed his arms over his chest, looking at you expectantly. Sam also turned to you, looking entertained as he waited for you to detail your magical mishap.

“I’m sorry, I know you told you that I was just doing a protection spell but I didn’t. I wanted to get even with Asher and I did a revenge spell.” Danny looked at you puzzled.

“I tore those pages out of the grimoire, how-”

“Tell him, tell him how,” Samuel chimed in. Danny’s attention flickered to him once again.

“I’m sorry, who are you?” Danny furrowed his brow, giving the stranger in his apartment a once over. 

“He’s uh, he’s Samuel.” you introduced him. “He’s….well, he’s-”

“She’s still not used to it, I’m her, well, I guess you could say eternal life partner.” Samuel grinned cheekily, holding up his hand to show your old ring still firmly planted on his left ring finger. Danny’s eyes widened as he looked from you to Samuel a few times. “Congratulate us!”

“Sam,” you groaned under your breath as he tossed an arm around your shoulders. You shrugged him off of you, stepping towards Danny. “I looked up a spell online, and it was wrong,” you stopped when you were toe-to-toe with your friend, looking up at him with pleading eyes. “I know what I did was wrong and yes you already told me not to mess with the dark shit and I’ve learned my lesson, but now I’ve summoned this guy and apparently we’re bonded forever and I need you to tell me there’s a way out of this.”

Danny’s lips were pressed into a thin line, jaw clenched as he gazed down on you. In your friendship, you’d both tested each other's patience, but you were scared this mishap pushed him beyond his usual forgiving limits. In all  the years the two of you had been friends, you had never straight out lied to him. At least nothing more than a little white lie. But a lie this big had your chest aching. You stared up at him for what felt like hours, when finally he spoke.

“You lied to me,” he murmured quietly, not hiding the disappointment in his eyes. You could feel your heart crack at the sadness in his voice. 

“I know, and I’m sorry,” you apologized, feeling your face turn red from embarrassment and eyes sting from tears about to be shed. “Danny, I fucked up big time, and I need your help.” Danny stared at you for a few moments longer, before sighing. 

“Tell me what you did, exactly.” he instructed you. A shaky sigh of relief washed over you and you took your phone out of your pocket, typing into the search function what you remembered from the night before. You turned slightly so Danny could see the small screen in your hands as you scrolled through, not finding the site you used. 

“Dammit, it’s not here anymore!” you groaned as you continued searching. “It was like the fifth website last night, Danny I don’t know what happened.”

“Walk me through what you did then, as best you can.” Danny placed a hand on your shoulder, making you turn towards him again. You thought about it, placing yourself back into the frantic mess from last night. 

“I drew a circle in the middle of the living room, and there were these sigils I drew on the outside.” you explained, biting softly on the inside of your bottom lip as you recalled. “I-I don’t really remember what they looked like.” you felt the tears well up in your eyes again as you looked at Danny, panic setting in. Danny reached out, his large hand taking hold of your upper arm in a reassuring grip before sliding down to your hand, sliding his fingers between yours. 

“It’s okay, I have a lot of books, I’m sure we can find them.” he pulled you into a comforting hug, chin resting atop your head as he swayed you gently. No matter how disappointed in you he was, he couldn’t stand to see you upset. 

“I remember them.” Sam cleared his throat, causing you to pull away from Danny. You had almost forgotten he was there in the room. He offered a tight smile as he looked at you, then to the man holding you. “Daniel, do you have any paper and a pencil?” Danny hesitated letting you go, but moved away to one of his bookshelves, grabbing an old notebook, and rustling through a few drawers. 

He returned and handed the requested items to Sam, who turned on his heel and perched himself on Danny’s small dining table, setting to work. 

“What-what is he exactly?” Danny whispered to you when he stood back next to you. You shrugged haplessly. 

“I’m not sure,” you whispered. “He moves pretty fast, he cleaned the mess in my apartment like it was actual magic…do you think he’s a demon?”

“I truly don’t know,” Danny shrugged. 

“It’s rude to talk about people behind their backs, you know,” Sam chimed loudly, not once turning away from his sketching.

“Are you a person?” Danny countered, crossing his arms over his chest again. At that, Sam looked up with a haughty smile. 

“I seem to be right now.” He turned back to the paper, and Danny gazed down at you. You could see the worry in his eyes, asking silently what you got yourself into. You weren’t sure what your own gaze conveyed, but you tried to apologize over and over again. “Here it is, this is what she had inscribed on her floors.”

Danny took the paper from Sam as he held it out. He studied it for a few moments, and you peeked over, looking over the sigils you’d drawn the night before, trying to see if you could somehow make heads and tails of the mistakes. Sam watched the two of you with a bored expression before reaching over and tapping his fingers on the page. 

“This sigil is what opened a portal, and this one,” he moved to the one directly across the previous. “is the one that summoned me.” he winked over at you. “The sigils and her energy were enough to do it, her incantation meant almost nothing.”

“I’m not sure about these markings,” Danny turned to you quietly. “I haven’t studied dark magic like this before.”

“So I’m screwed?” you looked at him, your hope failing. 

“For right now, yes.” Danny shook his head. “I’ll have to do some research, call a few friends who’ve dabbled more than I have.” Danny cupped your face, his thumb grazing across the apple of your cheek. “But we’ll find a way to undo this. Break whatever this is and send him back to where he belongs.”

“He is standing right here and he thinks he should have a say in when and where he goes.” Sam cut in harshly. He was glaring between you and Danny now. “I was summoned, I didn’t choose to be here. I didn’t choose to be bonded. But like I told you last night, little fawn, actions have consequences. And this is the price you’re paying for your stupidity.”

“You don’t get to talk to her like that,” Danny was stern as he pushed you slightly behind him. Samuel sized up your friend as he stepped forward, almost sauntering up to him, challenging him. 

“As the one bonded to her for eternity, I will speak to her any way I please.” he replied, his voice eerily quiet.

“If you lay a finger on her-“

“You’ll what? Sage me to death?” Sam sneered. “None of the little tricks you have up your sleeves,” Sam paused, taking in Danny’s cut shirt. “or lack thereof, can get rid of me.” 

“You wanna bet?” Danny challenged, stepping closer. 

“Guys, please,” you stepped around Danny, placing yourself between the bickering men. “I don’t think I can handle anymore explosions right now.” Sam grinned, proud of the memory of his entrance into your world, while Danny glared. 

“You’re right,” Sam cleared his throat. “Darling, I’m famished, it’s been so long since I’ve had a body like this. Could we find something to eat?” you were slightly taken aback. Aside from the new pet name, you weren’t sure why, but you hadn’t thought about the fact he would need to eat. He was, after all, seemingly human. 

“Oh, uh yeah. There’s a diner up the block.” you turned back to Danny. “Do you want to come with?”

“I think Daniel is better suited to his books here.” Sam cut in before Danny could answer. He and Danny exchanged looks over your head and you watched confusedly. 

“He’s right,” Danny finally ceded. “I should start seeing what I can find, reaching out to a few contacts. The earlier I start, the sooner we can break this curse.”

“I owe you, Danny.” you couldn’t help but throw your arms around his shoulders and hug him tightly. “Seriously, I will buy every drink at the bar from now until we’re dead.” 

“Don’t sweat it,” Danny’s voice was muffled into your shoulder. 

“Can we go?” Sam’s voice called out, already standing by the door. “I don’t like this feeling in my stomach.”

“It’s hunger,” you pulled away from Danny, moving to the door, catching the tail end of Sam’s stomach growling. 

“Oh I am well aware of hunger,” Sam smirked. Twisting the doorknob, he tossed the door open, ushering you out. Turning on your heels, you looked back at Danny. 

“Text me if you find something?”

“Of course,” Danny smiled back, letting it fall as Sam used a single finger to push you forward, giving Danny a taunting look as he did so. 

“Goodbye Daniel, it was a pleasure.” Sam shut the door behind him before Danny could speak. 

At the diner, you fiddled with the wrapper to your straw, watching the paper bend and twist between your fingertips. Sam was content to people-watch, making passive comments about the fashion people chose to wear these days. Your thoughts were consumed by your present and future, regretting your past actions. What if Danny couldn’t find anything? What if his friends couldn’t and you were stuck, bonded to Samuel for the rest of your life? 

As you ruminated about your possible futures, staring at the paper twisting in your hands, you began to get angry. Angry you hadn’t listened to Danny, angry for someone putting incorrect information on their website, angry at the entity beside you for just existing. You barely registered the paper in your hand was beginning to smoke, until a small flame burst from it. Sam's large hand covered both of yours, effectively putting out the minuscule flame. 

“Something you’d like to share, fawn?” you glanced up at Sam, who was watching you with an almost unreadable expression. There was a proud smirk tugging on the corner of his plush lips but his eyes were carefully trained on you. 

“No,” you shook your head, dropping the papers onto the table and pulling your hands out from under his palm, resting them in your lap. He continued to watch you as you did everything to avoid his gaze. Your only reprieve was when the waitress brought your food, setting down the plates on the table, at least four in front of Sam, and two in front of you. 

“I don’t know where you’re going to fit all that,” the waitress joked, looking over Sam’s meal. There was a stack of pancakes in front of him, on the next plate a farmers omelet stuffed to the brim with fixings. Another plate held steak and over easy eggs, and the fourth, his sides, bacon, sausages links, toast and hashbrowns. “You must be some sort of athlete or something.”

“Why yes, I am,” Sam grinned. The waitress just smiled and walked away to tend to her other tables as Sam unrolled his silverware from the paper napkin. You finally turned to look at him, as he placed the napkin in his lap, and reached for the syrup jar by the salt and pepper shakers on the table. You watched him grimace at the sticky feeling of the handle, it not having been wiped down in some time, but he soldiered through, dousing his pancakes in it. 

Picking up your fork, you started picking at your own breakfast, cutting a small bit of your own omelet and pushing it around before taking a bite. Sam was nearly done with the pancakes, moving on to the sausage links on one of the other plates. 

“You need to eat,” Sam spoke between bites, watching you push your hashbrowns in and out of the puddle of ketchup you’d squirted onto the plate.

“I’m not really hungry.” you shrugged. Sam sighed, placing his fork down onto his plate, waiting until you made eye contact with him to speak again.

“You need to eat, you need your strength.”

“For what?” all you had planned on was going back home and locking yourself in your bedroom, and rotting in bed, mourning the life you once dreamed. Sam leaned forward, folding his arms on the table after pushing his plate away from him.

“Have you ever done that before?” he questioned. You quirked an eyebrow at him, and he rolled his eyes, huffing almost annoyed. 

“You just lit that paper on fire.”

“Oh, n-no.” you shook your head. Sam picked his fork back up, moving the plates around and digging into the steak. “But the sun was right on it, where I’m sitting, it was probably just a freak accident from the angle of the window or something…a trick of the light.”

Sam looked up at you, disbelief clear across his face as his knife cut through the steak. He didn’t say anything else, focused on dipping his bite of steak into the runny yolk of one of his eggs. You finally ate a little of your omelet, which seemed to satisfy him to keep him off the subject. Truth be told, you weren’t sure what happened. The spark wasn’t anything, just enough to tingle in your fingertips before Sam had covered your hands. 

By the time Sam had cleared his plates, and taken the hashbrowns from yours, you’d successfully gaslit yourself into believing that nothing had actually happened, it really was just a trick of the light. Danny had told you, there was no such thing as magic like you’d seen in movies, and despite the evidence in front of you, you were making yourself believe it.

Taglist: (feel free to add yourself!)

@joshsindigostreak @sinners-go-to-drink-the-wine @ascendingtostardust @sammysprincess @sammykiszkamyass @belovedsamuel @sunfl0wer-power @indigo-starcatcher @sammyscherub @earthlysorrows @lvnterninthenight @allieisacrybaby @losfacedevil @xserenax-13 @sarakay-gvf @shutupdevvie @myownparadise96 @watchingovergvff @gretavanfleetposts @josiee-gvf @joshkiszkatoothgap @madneedshelp @gardensgatedaisy @myownparadise96 @demonrat444 @dannyandthekiszkas @tearsofbri @paleshadow-ofadragon @happy-harpy-stuff @like-a-woman-in-a-dream @starshine-wagner @objectsinspvce @josh-iamyour-mama @mountain-in-springtime @cal-a-bungaa @capturethechaos @jankandjonch @gvfpal

@allybjt @hippievanfleet @weightofbrokenbells @joshkiszkasbadussy @malany-gvf @ruby0antlers @samofthedawn @sacredjake @aim4thedoublee @diditallforyouu @gvfmarge @highladyofasgard @sammysvanfeet@gold-mines-melting @earthgrlsreasy @mountain-in-springtime @forcebond301 @stardust-and-shadows @llightmyllovee @gretavangroupie @comesofarsomehow @infinisonicosm @indigofallingsky @hellowgoodbye @hearts-hunger @fwzco @dharma-divine33 @lightsofthe-living-gvf @ascendingtothestarsasone @klarxtr @ofthecaravel @musicspeaks @mindastreamofcolours @imleavingyoufornewyork @dammm1256 @jordie-gvf @demonrat444 @misshunnybee @valleydollgvf @brookes-so-done @age0fwagner @starcatcherxstevie @amethystars @jakesguitarsolo @lolidontknowwhat

[souridealist]

On what occasions does Phoenix Wright get paid?

PHOENIX WRIGHT: ACE ATTORNEY

Case 1-1 Defendant: Larry Butz Does Phoenix get paid? No way in hell.

Case 1-2 Defendant: Maya Fey Does Phoenix get paid? I doubt it ever even occurred to him to bill her, honestly.

Case 1-3 Defendant: Will Powers Does Phoenix get paid? Yes! I doubt Will makes a lot of money, but he has a steady job, and the studio might or might not have covered some of it. Some kind of compensation occurred.

Case 1-4 Defendant: Miles Edgeworth Does Phoenix get paid? I feel like Miles tried to pay him and Phoenix refused him point blank, and they went back and forth on this for entirely too long until Maya, wanting burger money and also to keep the damn lights on, took it upon herself to deposit the check behind Phoenix’s back and leave for Kurain Village before he discovered it. This is probably what kept him fed through all of game two.

Case 1-5/DLC Defendant: Lana Skye Does Phoenix get paid? Definitely! Lana makes decent money, she knows what the rates for a good defense attorney should be, and she would absolutely take that debt seriously. Congratulations, Phoenix, burgers for you and fancy plant food for Charley.

ACE ATTORNEY: JUSTICE FOR ALL

2-1 Defendant: Maggey Byrde Does Phoenix get paid? A little bit. Phoenix almost certainly gave her a hefty discount, simply because she’s a good person in a bad spot and cops in this universe seem not to make very much money.

2-2 Defendant: Maya Fey Does Phoenix get paid? No way does he charge her, she’s family.

2-3 Defendant: Max Galactica Does Phoenix get paid? Yes! Max canonically made a hefty salary, so I think Phoenix would be willing to charge him a relatively fair price. He might’ve knocked a bit off because of the tenous position the circus ended in, but still, probably went all right for both sides.

2-4 Defendant: Matt Engarde Does Phoenix get paid? He charges that motherfucker for every time that Phoenix blinked over the course of that trial. Edgeworth helps him find ways to jack up the bill even higher. Matt Engarde is going to send Trucy to college and Phoenix hadn’t even met her yet.

All in all, a profitable game for Phoenix.

ACE ATTORNEY: TRIALS AND TRIBULATIONS

3-1 Lawyer: Mia Fey Defendant: Phoenix Wright Does Mia get paid? Honestly this depends entirely on your headcanon for Phoenix’s backstory, but Mia is an employee in Grossberg’s (highly profitable) firm rather than running her own office, so she might draw a flat salary regardless of whether he pays his bills. (I did no research on how billing in law works and I feel that is entirely in the spirit of the games.)

3-2 Defendant: Ron DeLite Does Phoenix get paid? Hmm. On the one hand, Ron was throwing around very valuable objects, but on the other hand, he was driven to crime by financial desperation in the first place, and Phoenix did also screw up his alibi. I think probably Phoenix only charges him for the theft trial and charges him the broke people rate.

3-3 Defendant: Maggey Byrde again Does Phoenix get paid? Maggey has gone down in the world financially even before you factor in how Tres Bien is on the verge of collapse, so... no. Phoenix charges her a pittance, if that.

3-4 Lawyer: Mia Fey Defendant: Terry Fawles Does Mia get paid? Mia can speak to ghosts, but that does not mean that she can bill them. As above, however, she might be pulling a flat salary. Regardless, probably not her greatest concern at the time.

3-5 Defendant: Iris of Hazakura Temple Does Phoenix (or Miles) get paid? Phoenix has a personal tie to Iris and she’s from the Fey extended clan, who have no money. He never saw a cent for that case.

I’M PUTTING THE ENIGMAR/GRAMARYE TRIAL HERE FOR CONVENIENCE Defendant: Zak Enigmar aka Zak Gramarye Does Phoenix get paid? Not only did Zak pull a defense-and-dash here, that man owes Phoenix seven years of child support. Zak Enigmar has out-mooched Larry Butz.

APOLLO JUSTICE: ACE ATTORNEY 4-1 Defendant: Phoenix Wright Does anyone get paid? Phoenix canonically states his intent to do so! ...By hoping he was getting the discount rate, but still, planning to pay a rate. Of course, it’s difficult to bill a man whom you’ve just gotten arrested. So, frankly, who knows. However, as above, Apollo is an employee and might be making a flat salary. Enjoy it while it lasts, kid.

4-2 Defendant: Wocky Kitaki Does anyone get paid? Eventually. The Kitakis’ money is all tied up in Wocky’s operation for the time being, and I think Mr. Kitaki would refuse to use yakuza money to pay for Wocky’s defense any more than for his medical treatment. However, they’re not going to leave that debt unpaid forever, so eventually there is profit!

Of course, how exactly billing works at the Wright Anything Agency is... anyone’s guess. I suppose Apollo is technically an employee, but given that the place is held together with string and a wish, I don’t think a flat salary is in the cards this time. My guess would be that Trucy bases it on a performance contract (I don’t know a ton about that either) -- for every booking, Apollo gets paid and management gets a percentage.

4-3 Defendant: Machi Tobaye Does anyone get paid? I don’t think anyone was really planning to bill a fourteen-year-old who’s about to get arrested for a different crime, but Lamiroir may have reached out to the agency and offered to take care of it on his behalf, at which point they had to try and come up with a bill. Still a pittance, especially given the surgery plans (and... everything else.)

4-4 Defendant: Vera Misham Does anyone get paid? She was raking in an implicitly large amount of black market cash and she feels guilty about having it and would want to pay them back, but she’s also a nineteen-year-old agaraphobe navigating the world on her own for the first time. I think, ultimately, they bill her on the low-low end of reasonable.

It’s also possible that Phoenix got paid for what was, technically, a fair bit of government labor in setting up the jury system, but asking questions about those logistics is.... a choice even I am not going to make.

I haven’t played Duel Destinies or Spirit of Justice yet so further updates as events warrant.

I think my conclusion here is 1) in order to make money, Phoenix Wright needs to be supervised by someone who is not currently on trial and older than nine 2) Phoenix definitely gets to tell Apollo that he had to defend uphill in the snow both ways.

[starr-fall-knight-rise]

HASO, “Freak of Nature.”

A continuation from yesterday. I hope you all enjoy, and I hope you enjoy the setup for some other stories I am planning on doing :)

Have a good day!

Breaking News

The Galaxy is left stunned after the events of late yesterday evening, when a single armed shooter appeared from the crowd and fired on UNSC leader and cultural icon Admiral Vir during a routine press conference given at UNSC headquarters Fort Harmony on the eastern Mericandian coast. Reports describe the event as happening midway through Admiral Vir’s address as the single, hooded female pushed through the crowd and drew a handgun on the Admiral firing once before fleeing into the crowd. She was apprehended by armed security agents only moments later as she tried to flee the scene. On scene witnesses report that an accompanying marine tackled Admiral Vir to the ground just as the shot was fired.

 In a statement made early this morning by Admiral Vir  he reports that, “Thanks to the brave actions of Corporal Angel Ramirez I am alive and unharmed.” Corporal Angel Ramirez is a decorated veteren of the UNSC deep space division and served his first tour aboard the UNSC Enterprise on its maiden voyage. Since then he has served under Admiral Vir on both the UNSC Harbinger and most recently the Omen distinguishing himself in combat during the Burg war and the Kree engagement. Our sources report that Corporal Ramirez was once an up and coming champion in the Mericandian winter Olympic ice skating team before joining the marines. 

Reports say that the corporal came out of surgery early this morning and is in stable but critical condition. 

The only question remains is who would attempt an assasination on such a beloved cultural icon. More on that with our crime reporter Jim Shaw.

Thank you, Emily, early this morning we received reports from Fort harmony officials that the name and identity of the shooter is 37 year old Adrea Halen member of a traditionalist leaning moderate group the Hunt Party, who have condemned Admiral Vir in the past for his support of legalizing extrial relationships. President Hunt, leader of the hunt Party and CEO of Hunt Metals said in a statement today. “Our party had nothing to do with Ms. Halen’s actions, while we disagree with Admiral Vir on some fundamentals of government, we would never attempt to silence him through violence. At the end of the day Admiral Vir has done far more good than he has bad and no man deserves to die due to his political views. What Ms halen has done is condemnable, and the party does not support her actions.”

Further comment was withheld until a later date. As of yet police have been unable to determine if she acted alone or with the assistance of the group. Police chief Henry Winzer added in his statement today, “Ms. Halen has not, as of yet, divulged her motives behind the shooting, however based on preliminary evidence of the scene it seems as if these were the actions of a woman acting alone. Detectives have been unable to find any correspondence between her and a third party and even her husband had been out of the country for the past few months.”

Her motive remains, as of yet, unknown. There is evidence of a radicalized political view since she did attempt and target Admiral Vir, and some of her personal social media content has been leaked to the public reporting her dissatisfaction with going the GA and her open disgust for extrial activities especially in regards her oldest son who was in a relationship with a Finnari before moving to Noctropolis. We have since been unable to contact him.

In the past Admiral Vir has been known as a great political proponent in favor of extrial relationships, and a non isolationist view having once said that, “Cooperation and companionship with the GA will be the bedrock of human expansion into space.” With the popularity of Admiral Vir as a cultural Icon, it can be said that his political views have been influential on the younger upcoming generations of today, while the older populace still remains wary of political involvement with extraterrestrial life. In oth-

Adam shut off the TV sinking back into one of the stiff plastic chairs that adorned the hospital waiting room. His eyes felt grainy and dry, and his head ached dully behind his eyes. Off in the corner of the room much of Ramirez’s family lay asleep on the plastic chairs including his father and otters who had arrived late last night. They had fallen asleep after a nurse ventured in a few hours to go to let them know that he was stable and alive. Adam himself had not been able to sleep thinking about his friend, replaying the moment over and over in his head wondering if there was something he could have done to prevent all of this from happening. But the more he thought the more he realized that it was probably unlikely. He might have been able to dive out of the way himself before the shot was fired, but Ramirez was already in motion before that.

He couldn’t have seen it coming, no one could have, and no one did.

Ramirez had just been the fastest.

He sunk back into his chair miserably and stared at the wall. There were no windows in this room, the guard detail had insisted upon it incase someone else tried for his life. It all seemed so strange to him. Why would anyone want to kill him? 

He knew the answer though, as much as he wanted to think he was just some nobody, he wasn’t anymore. He was… a political figure, someone who could influence what happened in the galaxy and there were plenty of people who weren’t bound to agree with him on a lot of things.

He just wondered why he hadn’t seen this coming sooner.

His implant buzzed, and he looked down to see that his mother was calling. Whoopse, she wasn’t going to be happy that she was just hearing about this over the news, but he knew he needed to talk to her. He stood and made his way into the hallway, where a protection detail eyed him hawkishly.

Closing the door behind him, so as not to disturb its sleeping occupants, he answered the call, speaking out loud as the implants in his throat and ear picked up the sound, “Hey, mom.” 

“Adam! Adam are you alright! I just saw the news.”

“Yeah, yea I’m ok.” He took a deep breath, “Sorry I didn’t call. It’s just been kinda hectic.”

“And you’re sure you’re ok?”

“Yeah, I mean, I feel like shit but no bullet wounds….” he trailed off 

There was silence for a moment, ‘I’m so sorry sweetheart, how is Ramirez?”

“Doctor’s haven’t given us all the details yet, but he's at least alive and survived surgery.”

“Thank goodness…. We owe that boy.”

“I know, mom…. I know.”

Just then he heard voices off down the hall and turned to see Dr. kill and Dr Katie approaching from the wings.

“Mom, I’ve gotta go, but I’ll call you as soon as I can, Ok?”

“Ok.” 

She let him go and he hung up as the two doctors approached.

“How is he!”

They motioned him into the room and he followed just as Ramirez’s family members were waking up.

Adam hovered near the door not entirely sure if he was supposed to be there. Ramirez’s mother sat up, “Is h ok!”

Dr. Kati and Dr Krill glanced at Adam. Adam realized with Dr. patient confidentiality, and it being family, he probably wasn’t supposed to be here. He went to step outside, but Ramirez’s abuela waved him back.

Ramirez an Dr Katie nodded.

The little alien stepped forward towards the family, “I have both good and bad news.”

The group waited with bated breath.

“THe good news is that your son made it through surgery. He is stable and recovering in the ICU.” he glanced over at Katie, “The bullet went in through his back, through his right kidney and perforated some of his lower bowl. We were able to fix the tears but the kidney…. Was not salvageable.”

The family glanced back and forth between each other, “That…. That’s not so bad though. He has two….”

Krill shifted slightly, “Well that is the remarkable thing and also the bad news but…. Your son only had one kidney. We wouldn’t have noticed it were it not for our imaging, but it seems he has lived with this defect his entire life without complication.”

Dr. Katie Cut in just then, “Since he was born with the defect, his body compensated. The kidney that was destroyed was much larger than average…” She trailed off 

The family members looked between each other, “So…. So what does this mean.”

“We have him on dialysis right now, and he is going to need a kidney transplant.” Dr. Katie folded her hands, “There are a few options, there is always the possibility of getting him a donor kidney or equally possible and more…. Advisable would be to have a kidney grown for him using his own stem cells, that way we can grow him one like the one he lost considering there is no way for us to give him two. If he were to get a donor kidney, he would have to undergo chronic gene therapy to avoid medications that would leave him immunocompromised. However in that case he would need to be medically discharged. If we were to grow him a new kidney, he would be able to return to his post without being discharged, but the cost is…. Admittedly much higher.”

The family glanced between each other their faces pulled into grimaces.

Adam knew their financial situation. He had heard stories about Ramirez growing up and knew enough to know that his family had never been well off. They had been close, his childhood had been excellent, but they had never been rich. Affording either of those options was going to be a stretch.

“Well we will have to talk about-”

“I’ll pay for it.”

The entire room turned to look at him.

“You-”

“I said I will pay for it. With the settlement for the court case, I can pay for it. He saved my life this is the least I can do, Please…”

His pleading was so plaintive that the family could hardly say no. He did have a point as well. Instead, he received an enthusiastic hug from Ramirez’s younger sister who clasped her arms around him and nearly snapped him in half with her strength. She was an olympic boxer after all, so he wasn’t surprised.

“Thank you thank you thank you.” She repeated.

Dr. Katie looked at him with a pointed expression, but she didn’t need to ask. He intended to pay for every last cent of Ramirez’s treatment even if he had to fight his abuela for it. He wasn’t entirely sure he’d win against her, but he would damn sure try if it meant doing something fo his friend.

He owed him after all.

And even if he didn’t Ramirez was his best friend. This wasn’t about owing him, this was about doing anything for someone he cared about.

Dr. Krill shifted in his place, “We will get the equipment ready and start later this week. I…. would be honored to perform the operation. I will be upfront with you and say that I am the universe's foremost surgeon, but I would also be the first Alien to perform a transplant”

“I of course, you saved his life last night-”

They seemed almost in shock. Everything was being paid for and the universe most renowned surgeon was practically begging to do it.

The only way this could have been better is if their son hadn’t been shot in the first place.

***

The steady beeping of the machine echoed around the room. Adam sat with one ankle crossed over a knee looking down at his implant and absently reading through that day’s news report as a soft whirring came from the machine just to his right. He wasn’ technically supposed to be here, but the doctors had made an exception for him and the family. On the other side of that a glass tube was busy growing an extra kidney. There was security outside the door and a doctor came in every few minutes to check on the kidney, and the man to which the kidney belonged.

Adam scrolled dow.

There was a shifting just to his side, and with relief Adam looked up to find Ramirez stirring. The man tried to open his eyes but squinted against the light and groaned raising one IV tethered hand to block the light.

Adam leaned over resting a hand on his arm, “Hey you’re finally awake.”

Ramirez cracked an eye at him and groaned.

“Come on ya freak wake up.”

Ramirez closed his eyes again, “Why…. When I wake up do I have to see your ugly ass.

Adam snorted, “How sweet, freak.”

“Freak, have you looked at yourself lately.”

“At least I was born with all my kidneys.”

Ramirez opened his eyes and frowned, “What?”

Adam smiled slightly, “Turns out your dumbass has lived his entire life with only one kidney. Congratulations, you are a freak of nature.”

“No shit, really? I had no idea.”

“We know, anyway the bullet sort of ruined it, so you have to get a new one. He pointed across the room to the glass tube and its slowly growing kidney which was no bigger than a jellybean right at that moment.”

Ramirez looked and frowned, “Ew, gross… wait who's paying for that,because I don’t think the military covers transplants.”

“It's taken care of.”

“By who.”

“By someone.”

“Someone who.”

“Someone who would rather remain unnamed.”

Ramirez looked at him,”It’s you isn't it.”

Adam sighed, “You saved my life, so shut up and let me buy you a new kidney. I owe you that much at least.”

“Fne, fine.”

There was a pause between them.

“I….. thank you, for saving my-”

“Dude don’t get all sappy and shit on me ok. You would have done it for me.” Adam went quiet still wishing to thank his friend but knowing Ramirez would never accept i.

Ramirez shifted to look at him, “So, you know why they tried to kill you?”

Adam shrugged, “Not really, the lady who did it has some political affiliations who don't tend to agree with me, but that connection doesn't seem to fit completely. Either that or she blames me for making her son an extrial in which case….. That hardly makes sense either.” he shrugged, “Either way she isn’t talking, and now I can’t go anywhere without five to six bodyguards spilling out my ass.”

Ramirez snorted, eyes closing, breathing deeply.

“You feeling ok.”

“Yeah…. I’m alright, just tired.”

“Then go back to sleep ya big idiot. Maybe if you’re a good boy santa will leave a kidney under your pillow.”

Ramirez let off a weak huff, “Didn’t know santa was a black market organ dealer.”

“He is this christmas, now shut up and go to sleep.” Ramirez didn’t argue with him beyond that point, and fell back asleep just as a nurse ws coming to check on him.

Adam was relieved. 

Ramirez was, hopefully, going to be ok.

Though what remained were far more questions than there were answers. 

[tiramisiyu]

【未定事件簿】  Tears of Themis: Xia Yan Personal Story 4-4 Translation

Translation Masterlist | Xia Yan Masterlist | Video

Chapter 4: 4-1 / 4-2 / 4-4 / 4-5 / 4-6 / 4-7 / 4-9 / 4-10 / 4-11 / 4-12 / 4-13 / 4-14 / 4-16

North District

Ji Xiaoyu and older sister Ji Xiaoqing originally lived in a two-bedroom apartment in the north district, left by their parents.

After that apartment was forcibly seized by the loan company, the sisters started to rent an apartment.

Xia Yan and I came to the place that Ji Xiaoyu was now renting, according to the address Sphinx gave. However, we waited for a long time, during which Ji Xiaoyu never showed up.

Xia Yan: According to Sphinx, Ji Xiaoyu took on three to four part-time jobs at the same time after Qian Yi’s death.

Xia Yan: Within a few months, she took on a severely high workload from morning to night. Typically, she returns home at around 11:30 at night.

Xia Yan: However, she suddenly left all her jobs two days ago.

MC: Could she be engaging a lawyer for a lawsuit? To repurchase her parents’ real estate?

MC: She’s saved enough money now and needs to focus on the case, so she left her jobs?

Xia Yan: Possibly.

MC: Then I could probably provide her legal assistance to talk to her, right? Perhaps she’ll be more willing to communicate with us then.

Xia Yan: Okay. I’ll say that I received a commission to investigate the Bedo Loan Company trap loan issue, and that I’m preparing to help my client file for a civil compensation lawsuit.

Xia Yan: If she wants to file for a civil lawsuit, she’ll probably be willing to talk to us.

Xia Yan and I were in the middle of talking when we heard faraway footsteps – it just happened to be Ji Xiaoyu.

In the video Xia Yan and I had seen in the afternoon, Ji Xiaoyu’s condition could be called “haggard” or “fragile”.

But now… she was basically skin and bones, surrounded by an air as heavy as death, and her face was completely frozen.

--

START INSPECTION

⊳ Box and leaflet

MC: (A casket and a cemetery leaflet…)

MC: (So she worked hard to accumulate money to buy a place in the cemetery for her sister?)

MC: (The casket looks newly bought. She’s probably selected a place at the cemetery and is preparing to bury it…)

 What are the injuries on her right wrist?

⊳ Wrist slit injuries ⊳ Scrapes

MC: (Injuries layered on top of each other… she must have attempted suicide many times.)

MC: (Though they look like old injuries, she really doesn’t look like she’s come around…)

 ⊳ Clothes

MC: (Her clothes are splitting at the seams, yet there was no attempt to fix them… it looks like she doesn’t care about herself.)

 ⊳ Eyes

MC: (Such severe dark circles. She must not have slept in a long time…)

--

MC: (Ji Xiaoyu’s condition does not look good at all. I should carefully observe some more and think cautiously first.)

 END INSPECTION

MC: Xia Yan, Ji Xiaoyu…

Xia Yan: Mhmm, I know. We have to find out what’s going on with her as soon as possible.

Xia Yan and I walked towards Ji Xiaoyu. However, she walked past us expressionlessly, without even giving us a single glance, as if we did not exist.

We could only double back a few steps and block her with outstretched hands.

Xia Yan: Hello, you must be Miss Ji Xiaoyu?

Ji Xiaoyu: …

Xia Yan: I am a private detective who’s received a commission to investigate the case of Bedo Loan Company’s trap loans.

Xia Yan: This case will open trial soon. My client plans to collect evidence to file for civil litigation.

Xia Yan: Miss Ji, may I ask you a few questions?

Xia Yan: With your clues, I might be able to find a few new investigative directions.

MC: Miss Ji, I am Lawyer MC.

MC: If needed, I can provide legal assistance for you and help you file for a civil compensation lawsuit.

Xia Yan and I handed her our own namecards, but Ji Xiaoyu did not take them.

She searched up the employers indicated on Xia Yan’s and my namecards, only stopping when she saw news that involved my legal defense.

She lifted those lifeless eyes slightly.

Ji Xiaoyu: What do you want to know? Do you want me to serve as a witness or write a testimony?

Ji Xiaoyu: I’m fine with it all. Only… my sister will be buried within a few days. Please do not give me trouble during this time.

MC: Understood, we will be careful.

Xia Yan: My apologies, Miss Ji, but we have a request right now.

Xia Yan: Can we speak with you about the progression of events for this matter? Of course… I understand that this will make you remember unhappy matters.

Ji Xiaoyu’s expression remained as numb as ever. Only her lips pursed slightly.

Ji Xiaoyu: … Come with me.

--

Ji Xiaoyu’s Residence

We followed Ji Xiaoyu into the place she was now renting.

That was a room of a mere ten square meters. The room was filled with a musty smell, as if no air had circulated here in a long time.

Miscellaneous items were piled in the corner of the room. Only the two boxes of corrugated cardboard near the door were uniquely neat and tidy.

Ji Xiaoyu: I’m guessing that you wanted to ask why I ended up in that trap loan?

Xia Yan: We do have some questions about that.

Ji Xiaoyu: Because I wanted to buy something, but was short by two thousand dollars.

Ji Xiaoyu did not wait for us to continue asking and began to speak.

Her tone as she spoke was completely emotionless and smooth, as familiar and indifferent as if she had repeated it many times.

Ji Xiaoyu: I feared being criticized by my classmates if I bought something so expensive suddenly, so I did not borrow from them.

Ji Xiaoyu: Back then, I thought that I would be able to repay it the month after, when I received my wages.

Ji Xiaoyu: I never thought that I would end up trapped.

Ji Xiaoyu: Because I could not pay back the money, they said that if I agreed to take a nude photograph, they would extend the time I had. Otherwise, they would tell my sister and school immediately.

Ji Xiaoyu: Foolishly, I took the photos.

Ji Xiaoyu: So after, I was even more scared of telling my sister, and I didn’t dare call the police. And for my reputation, my sister could only bear the humiliation and not call the police.

She narrated until the end, a heavy self-mocking gradually settling itself into her voice.

MC: (Miss Ji…)

Ji Xiaoyu: What else do you want to ask?

--

START QUESTIONING

⊳ Qian Yi

Xia Yan: Miss Ji, you once accused Qian Yi and Bedo Loan Company of being related. But the police concluded that evidence was insufficient after investigation.

Xia Yan: What did Qian Yi do during the case?

When this name was brought up, Ji Xiaoyu’s frozen face suddenly distorted as she clenched her fist.

Ji Xiaoyu: He never came to collect debts with that loan company before.

Ji Xiaoyu: He merely kept providing me and my sister’s whereabouts to those people.

MC: Providing your whereabouts?

Ji Xiaoyu: After Bedo Loan Company took away me and my sister’s house, we thought everything was over.

Ji Xiaoyu: But they refused to release us, saying that I still owed them money, pushing me to work at a karaoke bar to return the money.

Ji Xiaoyu: Otherwise, they would reveal that photo to all the people around me and my sister.

MC: …

Ji Xiaoyu: Sister moved houses with me several times to hide, but he kept finding us very quickly.

Xia Yan: After finding you, what did he do?

Ji Xiaoyu let out a strange laugh.

Ji Xiaoyu: Nothing at all.

MC: Nothing at all?

Ji Xiaoyu: He merely appeared near our rental location and smiled at us smugly.

Ji Xiaoyu: After, the scoundrels from the loan company would come to our door.

Ji Xiaoyu: Once, big sister couldn’t bear it anymore and begged him to let us go, but…

--

[Flashback]

Qian Yi: You say that I’m following you and revealing your locations to Bedo Loan Company. Then… “where’s the evidence”?

Qian Yi: Under the clear heavens, all is balanced. You cannot slander others based on nothing.

Qian Yi: I simply just… somehow always manage to run into you. Maybe this is some sort of destiny?

Qian Yi: Then, I just happened to bring you two up with those that I know.

Ji Xiaoqing: Then… what will it take for you to stop bringing us up?

Ji Xiaoqing: You all have already taken all our money—

Qian Yi: Miss Ji, people are also a sort of financial property.

Qian Yi: According to what I know, Miss Ji, you just hopped to a big company with a pretty decent annual salary?

[Flashback end]

--

Ji Xiaoyu: Sister originally wanted to move out of the city, but my student enrollment is within Stellis.

Ji Xiaoyu: Which is why we’ve always stayed here.

Ji Xiaoyu: Bedo Loan Company and Qian Yi were basically two colluding villains.

Ji Xiaoyu: But in the end, the police said that there was no evidence and they could only let him go.

Ji Xiaoyu let out a mocking laugh.

Ji Xiaoyu: I’ve heard people call this “procedural justice”. What is justice, then…

Xia Yan: …

MC: …

 ⊳ Relationship to Qian Yi’s death

Xia Yan: Miss Ji, according to my investigations, you bought a restricted blade the day before Qian Yi’s death.

Xia Yan: That day, you were given a violation ticket from police for carrying prohibited items, and the blade was confiscated.

Xia Yan: After Qian Yi’s death by cardiac arrest, the police also investigated you.

Xia Yan: Back then, a police officer testified for you, saying that he had been keeping an eye on you secretly, and that you did not have the time to commit the crime.

Xia Yan: But if I’ve guessed right, you were following Qian Yi back then, correct?

Ji Xiaoyu: Is how that human scum died that important to you?

MC: It’s like this, Miss Ji. Qian Yi just might be linked to another case that we’re investigating.

MC: So we wanted to ask you whether you noticed if Qian Yi was acting unusually at any point.

Ji Xiaoyu: No need to explain. He’s dead anyways, and I don’t care why you’re investigating him.

Ji Xiaoyu: But you came for nothing.

Ji Xiaoyu: I did follow him for a few days, but didn’t notice anything unusual about him.

Ji Xiaoyu: Even if someone did kill him, they would have just been “enforcing justice for the heavens”.

 ⊳ Ji Xiaoqing

MC: Miss Ji, we… have a few questions about your sister Ji Xiaoqing…

Ji Xiaoyu: No need to be so hesitant. Go ahead and ask what you want.

Xia Yan: Miss Ji, according to what we know, your sister found out about everything only when Bedo Loan Company seized your real estate.

Xia Yan: After, she was always low-spirited, and then ended up getting into an accident due to drunkenness.

Xia Yan: I’d like to ask you about the details when your sister found out about the trap loans.

Xia Yan: Did she make any unusual actions?

Ji Xiaoyu: Unusual? Under those circumstances, what sort of actions wouldn’t be unusual?

MC: …Could you tell us about where she was different from before then?

Ji Xiaoyu: My sister had always been a very hardworking, motivated person, both in work and life.

Ji Xiaoyu: The year my parents passed just happened to be the one where she was testing for university.

Ji Xiaoyu: Because of limited money and to take care of me, sister gave up on the famous university she’d set her heart on and went to a typical university.

Ji Xiaoyu: Without the halo of a famous school, she worked harder than anyone when it came to studying and work.

Ji Xiaoyu: A few months before Bedo Loan Company found my sister, she had just job-hopped to a very famous company.

Ji Xiaoyu: When Bedo Loan Company had just come knocking, sister still pretended to be lively as she went to work…

Ji Xiaoyu stopped for a moment.

Ji Xiaoyu: But when the police were investigating my sister’s cause of death, they found the people from her company. Only then did I find out…

Ji Xiaoyu: Those scoundrels knew that sister was working at a big company, so they often went to harass her, to make her hand her earnings to them…

Ji Xiaoyu: Sister refused, so those people handed out flyers insulting us at the company…

Ji Xiaoyu: Sister’s mistakes increased in frequency at the company. After, she resigned.

Xia Yan: But you just said that she would pretend to be lively at work? So she went out to…?

Ji Xiaoyu: I don’t know why sister pretended to go to work in the days after.

Ji Xiaoyu: I’m guessing that she just didn’t want to see me at home and think of sorrowful things…

MC: Have you ever secretly followed your sister?

Ji Xiaoyu: … What right do I have to follow my sister?

Ji Xiaoyu: It makes perfect sense for her to want to avoid me, to have time and space to herself.

Ji Xiaoyu: I harmed her so much. Should I not even give her this bit of space?

MC: Miss Ji…

Ji Xiaoyu: But you’re also right. I should have followed my sister.

Ji Xiaoyu: If I watched over her more and worried over her, then at least, I could’ve brought her home after she got drunk, and she wouldn’t have gotten into an accident.

Ji Xiaoyu: But back then, I was only worried about my own sadness and shame. I never thought once for her.

 ⊳ Other people she’s interacted with

Xia Yan: Miss Ji, may I ask, has anyone found you after you told the police about the trap loan?

Ji Xiaoyu: After sister passed, I dropped out of school.

Ji Xiaoyu: After teachers at school found out, they came to see me a few times.

Ji Xiaoyu: The rest were a few reporters who came to interview me and take pictures for news.

Ji Xiaoyu: After attention on this matter subsided, no one else came.

 ⊳ Civil compensation

MC: Miss Ji, Bedo Loan Company will begin trial for a case soon.

MC: I read the case details – the real estate that your parents left behind were defrauded away by the company using a fake lawsuit.

MC: After the court comes out with a criminal case verdict on Bedo Loan company, I can help you file for civil litigation.

MC: This way, what your parents left, as well as your assets that were defrauded from you, can be taken back.

Ji Xiaoyu: No need. I don’t need compensation.

Ji Xiaoyu: It’s already pointless…

END QUESTIONING

 Ji Xiaoyu: Are there no other questions?

Ji Xiaoyu finished answering all of Xia Yan’s and my questions.

I originally thought that asking these would poke at her emotional wounds, but the whole time, her voice was expressionless, unusually indifferent.

Xia Yan and I locked eyes for a moment, seeing the same confusion and worry in each other’s eyes.

Xia Yan observed the items in the room again, looking at those two cardboard boxes near the door.

Xia Yan: The things in these boxes are…?

Though we could guess what was in it, Xia Yan still acted with caution, avoiding saying anything along the lines of “things left by the dead”.

Ji Xiaoyu: They’re my sister’s things.

Xia Yan: Can we take a look?

Ji Xiaoyu nodded slightly, then opened the cardboard box.

We first saw a journal with Ji Xiaoqing’s name on the cover.

Xia Yan flipped through the diary, giving it a few flip-throughs. The handwriting was beautiful and organized, and the contents focused on work and the comfortable times spent with her little sister.

Xia Yan: Your sister had a habit of writing in a diary, yet she didn’t write anything after finding out about the trap loan?

Ji Xiaoyu: She did. Several times, I saw her writing things in a black leather notebook.

Ji Xiaoyu: I don’t know what she wrote in there. Every time she saw me come over, she would immediately hide the notebook away.

Ji Xiaoyu: She probably wrote a lot about hating me…

Ji Xiaoyu: She clearly should’ve blown up at me, beat me, cursed me, and thrown me away so she could live in another city… but she still put on a strong face in front of me, every day.

Ji Xiaoyu: She also needed to vent, so I didn’t sneak any peeks.

MC: (Miss Ji…)

Xia Yan: Is that black leather notebook still around?

Ji Xiaoyu: I couldn’t find it. Maybe she tossed it away after she finished writing in it, or maybe it dropped somewhere on the day of the accident.

Just when Xia Yan and I were planning to look at some of Ji Xiaoqing’s other items, Ji Xiaoyu brought up a suggestion.

Ji Xiaoyu: You can take these boxes away and take your time going through them.

MC: Can we? These things…

Ji Xiaoyu: I’ll be preparing to bury my sister tomorrow, so I’m very busy. I need to rest right now, and I can’t wait for you.

Xia Yan: I understand – we’ll take these away for now, then. Don’t worry, we’ll examine them carefully and won’t break them.

Ji Xiaoyu: …

Ji Xiaoyu: I’d like to let you know that after my sister’s accident, the police also examined them. But they didn’t notice anything.

After hearing Ji Xiaoyu’s words, Xia Yan and I picked up the boxes with Ji Xiaoqing’s items and prepared to leave.

Ji Xiaoyu: Wait.

MC: Miss Ji, is there anything else you need?

Ji Xiaoyu: Why… why are you treating me like this!

Right when we were about to leave, Ji Xiaoyu suddenly became agitated.

MC: I’m so sorry, Miss Ji. If we have offended you in any way—

Ji Xiaoyu: Why aren’t you condemning me!

Ji Xiaoyu: It’s because I got too greedy and wanted to buy something expensive that I borrowed the money! It’s all because I wasn’t cautious enough that I ended up in the trap loan!

Ji Xiaoyu: It’s because I was a coward who was too scared to tell my sister or call the police that I kept sinking deeper!

Ji Xiaoyu: It’s all because of me… that my parents’ house ended up being defrauded away and that my sister died…

Ji Xiaoyu: You asked me so much, but why didn’t you scold me…

Ji Xiaoyu: Why… did you speak to me so sympathetically… when I committed so many unforgivable mistakes…

MC: …

Xia Yan: …

For a moment, I wasn’t quite sure of how to respond.

Xia Yan: Miss Ji, though this issue started because of you, you were not the one to cause all the misfortune.

Ji Xiaoyu: Have you not heard of the phrase, “flies don’t bite eggs without cracks”? Those who are pitiful must have a hateful side…

Xia Yan: But those who did evil are ultimately those “flies”.

Xia Yan: Whether pitiful or hateful, I have never thought that the focal point of a case should be whether the victim is perfect.

Xia Yan: You’ve already condemned yourself enough.

Ji Xiaoyu: …

Xia Yan: Even if you’ve already bought your sister’s resting place, don’t rush to do anything foolish.

Xia Yan: At least wait for our investigation to end.

Ji Xiaoyu: W-what do you mean?

Xia Yan: I feel like we might be able to find your sister’s black leather notebook.

Xia Yan: No matter how much you just pretended to not care, you must actually want to know what your sister was thinking and doing during that period of time.

Ji Xiaoyu was silent as tears rolled nonstop down her face.

Ji Xiaoyu: If you really find any clue that my sister left behind…

Ji Xiaoyu: No matter what it is… no matter how angrily she cursed… please tell it all to me.

Xia Yan: We will.

[figonas]

Twilight Re-watch Notes Pt. 1 - A Contest for the Worst Movie Quote in History

I'd like to think I'm funny so please enjoy my scene-by-scene notes from a recent Twilight Saga re-watch.

Hey Catherine Hardwicke, opening with the death of an animal was probably not the best choice but go off I guess??

There is a lot of general Bella awkwardness that I'm skipping over here but the scene in gym class is so horrifically, painfully uncomfortable that I almost passed out from the second-hand embarrassment.

Jessica trying her best to be fake nice to the human embodiment of a crumpled soda can: "Aren't people from Arizona like....really tan"

Bella with all the cadence of a child who just found out Santa isn't real: "yeah..I guess that's why they kicked me out"

Mike clearly just trying to get his dick wet: "HAHAH you are funny"

no mike she is not.

I'm not gonna go into the biology class scene because god knows tumblr has beaten that particular horse to death. BUT the scene in the administration office immediately after that is a TRIP. Edward has one of his most dramatic lines here when they won't let him switch classes: “I’ll just have to endure it” ?!?!?!?!?!?! This is INSANITY, he sounds like he's going to burst into tears like Edward please chill you aren't even being a little subtle.

I will never get over Bella trying to put Ketchup on her burger and then just???? giving up???? when it doesn't come out after she limply shakes it approximately once.

“HOW YOU LIKIN DA RAIN GIRL” Is our first contender for the worst and most unnatural line in movie history, and trust me there are plenty more.

Bella accusatorily saying “you were gone” to Edward as if this dude who she met for approximately 30 minutes 2 weeks ago owes her even a PALTRTY SCRAP of an explanation about anything???????

Actually, this whole scene is a horrific nightmare of awkward intrusive conversation:

“You’re asking me about the weather” HOE WHAT ELSE ARE YOU GONNA TALK ABOUT YOU DON’T KNOW EACH OTHER

“hey did you get contacts” WHO JUST ASKS THAT?!?

and of course; “it’s the fluorescents” [RUNS AWAY]

Charlie and Bella have the only organic-sounding dialogue in the entire movie. Any awkwardness they have is BELIEVABLE father-daughter awkwardness and not like "I'm being forced to film this against my will" awkwardness like every other exchange in this film series.

Bella asks Edward ALL OF ONCE about him saving her from the truck and Edward gets so haughty and smug thinking that Bella won't figure it out

“you’re not gonna let this go are you?” “no” “then I hope you enjoy disappointment” [storms off] MY DUDE LITERALLY 2 SCENES LATER SHE FIGURES IT OUT IN 3 GOOGLE CLICKS

“I had an adrenaline rush, it’s very common you can google it” contender number two for the terrible dialogue award.

Edward saying “if you were smart you would stay away from me” AFTER HE APPROACHED HER LIKE FUCK OFF [skeleton throwing its own skull gif]

Kstew got a lot of flack for her performance in this movie but when she has a good partner to exchange lines with she SHINES. The scene with Angela and her at the beach where she tells her to ask Eric to prom is GOOD. EVERY scene with Charlie in THIS ENTIRE FRANCHISE is GOOD. It is nothing but pure misogyny that Rpatz didn’t catch any flack for his truly, horrifically awkward performance

I cannot believe Stephanie thought it would be a good idea to have Edward save Bella from potentially getting gang r*ped like I get it girl is about the drama but still this is just a TOOOUCH too far

“your hand is so cold,” WHO SAYS THIS TO SOMEONE THEY BARELY KNOW COMPLETELY UNPROMPTED???

SHE TRIES TO REFUSE CARRYING BEAR MACE WHEN SHE WAS ALMOST R*PED NOT 4 HOURS PREVIOUSLY LIKE SIS CARRY A KNIFE?!?!?!?!?

The “you’re impossibly fast & strong” monologue is so bad I want to barf

“I’ve killed people before” “doesn’t matter” BITCH YES IT DOES WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU

“MY OWN PERSONAL BRAND OF HEROIN” IS SO BAD. Like we all recognize how bad this is right? Especially when one considered the target demographic for these films, i.e. teenage girls, have NO FUCKING FRAME OF REFERENCE FOR THIS WHAT.SO.EVER.

“And so the lion fell in love with the lamb” YOU’VE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR ALL OF 3 SECONDS I CAN’T WITH Y'ALL. AT LEAST THE BOOK HAD SOME BUILD-UP JESUS GEEZUS

Who thought this meadow scene was a good idea, they need to be sent straight to hell. WHY ARE THEY LAYING DOWN LIKE, SIT MAYBE?????? IT’S SO WEIRD AND UNNATURAL THEY LOOK LIKE DOLLS I HATE IT

The scene where they get out of the car and Edward puts his arm around Bella while Spotlight by Mutemath plays in the background is TOP TIER teen drama bs and I love it. Far and away the best shot in the movie apart from The Baseball Scene(TM).

I will never get over the fact that Edward's bitch ass rats Bella out for already eating when she comes over to meet his family. BE FUCKING COOL EDWARD FOR ONCE IN YOUR LIFE, GOD!!!

Esme is too pure for this world I can’t deal with her, & Emmet waving the knife is my favorite thing in all 5 of these movies

Why tf are Alice and Jasper fucking off doing god knows what in a tree and not helping with dinner like everyone else? Y'all ain't special even Rosalie is helping

Esme talking to Rosalie “Clean this up..now” I LOVE YOU BE MY MOM

Earlier they talk about the fact that vampires don’t sleep BUT the first thing Bella says when she walks into Edward's room is “no bed” girl we know what you after you ain't slick.....

WHAT IS THIS DANCING SCENE IN HIS BEDROOM IT’S HORRIBLE TO WATCH and I want to find whoever thought “well I could always make you” was a good line for Edward to say and slap them directly in the mouth.

“hold on tight spider monkey” excuse me while I VOMIT

Mike offering his opinion on Bella dating Edward HOWEVER justified is automatically invalidated by A. his own romantic interest in Bella and B. the fact that he has also know Bella for all of 10 minutes & has no bearing on her personal life whatsoever

THE PAST COUPLE OF MONTHS THIS MAN HAS BEEN COMING INTO HER ROOM AND WATCHING HER SLEEP THIS IS RED FLAG CITY LIKE BELLA WATCH A TRUE CRIME DOCUMENTARY OR READ THE NEWS FOR FUCKS SAKE

THIS FRANCHISE HAS THE MOST HORRIBLE KISSING SCENES IN MOVIE HISTORY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! YOU CAN HEAR LITERALLY EVERY BREATH, EVERY AWKWARD PRESS OF LIPS. You're telling me THIS was the best take of this???? CAN YOU IMAGINE HOW AWKWARD THIS WAS TO FILM

The whole scene when Bella is telling her dad about her date with Edward is absolutely god tier. Charlie snapping the barrel of the shotgun closed, him motioning that he has a halo on, asking her if she still has her pepper spray. BILLY BURKE LIFTED THIS MOVIE UP AND TRIED SO HARD TO CARRY IT ON HIS BROAD, MUSTACHIOED DAD SHOULDERS, WE STAN

WHERE TO START WITH THE BASEBALL SCENE:

Supermassive Black Hole in the background, Alice going AWF with her pitching, Rosalie getting all pissed when Bella says she's out and Emmett yells "c'mon babe it's just a game" like the puppy dog of a person (vampire?) he is, CARLISLE WEARING A SCARF WHILE PLAYING BASEBALL, I WILL NEVER EMOTIONALLY RECOVER FROM JASPERS BAT TRICKS, EMMET AND EDWARDS LAUGH AFTER CRASHING INTO ONE ANOTHER.

A TRULY IMMACULATE MOVIE SCENE. This scene isn’t long enough

“My monkey man” might be the worst line in this movie, I’m so torn between which one is the worst. Also, I'm just now realizing that this is the second time someone has compared a loved one to some type of monkey and I really don't like it.

Bella's defeated “I can’t hurt him” breaks my heart every time. AND FUCKING BILLY BURKE pulling out his acting chops with Charlie’s poor little broken sounding “I know I’m not that much fun to be around we can do more stuff together” & “I just gotcha back” LIKE LITERALLY EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS SCENE HURTS ME ON A PHYSICAL LEVEL AND I AM ENTITLED TO FINANCIAL COMPENSATION

I know I've skipped over a lot but it's just a lot of like star wipe level montage of nonsense, so we are mOVING ON to what is possibly the biggest plot hole I've never recognized before now: How in the hell was James planning on luring Bella out if he didn’t find that videotape of Bella's mom looking for her????? Or was he just going to bust up in the holiday inn, metaphorical guns blazing & toss Bella out a window???

This fight scene between James & Edward is VERY poorly choreographed and you can practically see the stunt wires pulling on their clothes but no one is surprised..this is Twilight after all.

Who the fuck starts the fire in the ballet studio if Carlisle & Edward are with Bella, Jasper and Emmet are holding James's arms and Alice is ripping his head off???? Esme and Rosalie aren't there so the only explanation is that Emmett's power Stephanie never told us about is his ability to start small, controlled, indoor bonfires with his mind.

If Bella was losing blood from her femoral artery it is HIGHLY UNLIKELY that she would have been cognizant enough to tell them her hand was burning + THERE’S A BIG ASS BITE HOW DID THEY MISS IT???

Let Me Sign is such a good fucking song. Actually, while we're on music every song on every Twilight Saga soundtrack SLAPS. At least 1 department at Summit Entertainment was staffed with competent people. (side note, why the fuck do I know the studio by name that made this movie. I need to go lie down)

Bella acting a damn fool in the hospital bed like clingy much

CHARLIE IS SUCH A GOOD DAD FUCK!

The Edward/Jacob beef is so dramatic at prom can you both chill for 5 minutes we haven't even gotten to y'alls bullshit yet that's not until New Moon.

Bella really thought this mfer was gonna turn her at prom in the middle of the dancefloor??????????

Flightless Bird American Mouth. That's it, that's the bullet point

Victoria coming to prom, like we stan a dramatic bitch.

I will almost CERTAINLY post my New Moon (Extended Edition) notes in a few days. & yes I do have notes on the entire franchise.

[theoneaboutsinnersandsaints]

All Debts Cancelled

Let me be straightforward – this is literally a journal about God and how He canceled all my debts.

I still owe money to the bank, for sure. I am still broke but recovering with God’s grace. However, over time, the more I reflect on my dire financial situation, the more I realize that it is the perfect analogy for my spiritual condition: moral bankruptcy. And that is the debt I was referring to that God canceled and is ultimately the overarching theme of this and the rest of my journal entries.

You might be asking, “Are you delusional? What makes you think you are so special that God would cancel your debts?” Well, truth is, I am a nobody. I am a worthless, shameless sinner. And that is precisely what makes this story mind-boggling. But at the end of it all, does it matter who I am? Well, maybe, if only to provide context. However, let me be clear that this story is not about me but about the God of the Bible who graciously, lovingly, and mercifully paid all my debts in full. The hero in this saga, therefore, is not me but the One who was nailed to the cross on my behalf, whose resurrection gives me the hope of eternal life, and whose blood washed away my sins.

Sin. Now that is something easily identifiable when scrutinizing others but hard to own up to when looking inwards. If, in the past, someone had asked me if I were a sinner, I would have been offended. My first thought would have been, “Who do you think you are asking me that offensive question you immoral, arrogant, egotistical scum?” I would have been both evasive and defensive at the same time (a winning combo for sure) and I would center my argument around the fact that I am no Hitler and therefore, righteous to some degree. That’s it. Argument won.

Or was it?

Did I honestly believe that God would surely avert His eyes from all the lies, curses, anger, slander, and blasphemies that have since come out of my mouth within my lifetime just because I pale in comparison to Hitler? Would the Creator, the Most High God, who is perfect, just, and holy turn a blind eye to all of my shamefully immoral acts just because someone else is more wicked than I? If it were that simple, then that would be the end of it. To gain God’s approval or evade his wrath at the very least, I can choose to either commit less sin than my neighbor or cause them to sin more than me. And if this were true, then it follows we can be thankful for the worst offenders like Hitler for keeping our rankings at bay, right? Wrong. Very wrong. Not to mention disturbing.

Are you starting to see how flawed this logic is?

Let me illustrate further by using the bank analogy I mentioned earlier. If there were five of us who took out a loan from the bank in varying amounts between Php5,000 to Php1,000,000, bound by the same contractual terms and conditions, and all of us, by some misfortune, failed to pay on time, would the bank sort the balances from lowest to highest and then spare the lowest balance from the late penalty fees? Of course not. Everyone will be penalized according to the terms and conditions regardless.

Such is the case with sin. And unfortunately for mankind, the penalty of sin is death. (Rom 6:23) So, it is settled then—all I must do is avoid sin to avoid death. Sounds easy enough.

Obviously, you recognize the sarcasm in the previous statement as well as the gargantuan stumbling block leading to eternal life. It is written after all that, “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” (Rom 3:23)

From where I stand, it seems there is no way out. If all men sin and the penalty of sin is death, therefore all men will die. Logic 101. You have your premises leading you to your conclusion—a grim one at that.  But wait, everyone dies anyway so, what difference does it make? Even if I managed to commit zero sin, I will still die, wont I? What then is the use of repenting and changing the error of my ways if I will inevitably end up in a coffin? It seems there is no use trying. Let me just wallow in my wickedness and hope to have the best depraved life ever on Earth because the one after this, without a doubt, would be agonizingly worse.

Is that it, then? Do we stop here and give up?

Pause. Breathe. Read on because there is hope.

Let me switch gears for a moment and use a courtroom analogy to better demonstrate the hope I mentioned. Let’s say Tom accidentally backed his car into his neighbor’s fence and, thinking there were no witnesses, decided to keep quiet about it hoping his neighbor wouldn’t notice. But, as misfortune would have it, the neighbor has CCTV evidence showing it was Tom who trashed his fence. So, he drags Tom to court so he can be served his punishment according to the law. Tom was found guilty and was charged Php500,000 in property damages payable within 24 hours otherwise he will be locked behind bars. But Tom has no capacity to pay such huge fees. Luckily, Tom’s father was in the courtroom. He takes out his wallet, writes a check, and gives it to Tom’s neighbor. The father tells his son to consider the money as a gift and therefore does not need to be repaid. The judge then, seeing that the all the legal requirements have been satisfied, lets Tom go. Case closed.

In this story, Tom represents me, and the father represents the Savior.

Let me take this further by using a literal example. Barabbas. Do you remember him? He was the notorious criminal who was supposed to be crucified but was released after the crowd chose him over Jesus. “Then he released for them Barabbas, and having scourged Jesus, delivered him to be crucified.” - (Mat 27:26) Like a lamb led to the slaughter, Jesus Christ—innocent, blameless, sinless, perfect—submitted himself to the fate that was supposed to be Barabbas’ which meant that while Barabbas was indeed tried and convicted for his crimes, nobody can stop him from walking free because he was lawfully released as someone else took on his penalties.

I am Barabbas. I am guilty of all the sins I have committed but have been forgiven. My penalties have been paid in full and I am therefore a rightful recipient of the promise of an eternal life and so is every single Christian who submitted themselves to Christ and called upon him to take on their penalties because it is too much to bear for any simple human being.

The gift of salvation is both simple and complex. It is just and righteous on one hand and yet seems so unbelievably unfair on the other. Unfair because you would initially think there is no way God would forgive just like that without any sort of punishment or compensation. Surely, I must work my way into heaven. I need to deserve it, earn it, and show some effort to be on the receiving end of it; otherwise, every other low-life murderer and rapist will enter the gates to heaven as easily as Mother Teresa.

But you see, that is precisely what makes it just and righteous. Everyone sins. Everyone is depraved. Yes, even Mother Teresa. And because man, whom God loves so much, (John 3:16) will never be able to save themselves, He provisioned this gift of salvation free for all—for all who humbly admit that 1) they have sinned; 2) that they are answerable for having committed all those sins against God; 3) that they have no capacity in any way shape or form to deliver themselves from the penalties of their sins and therefore 4) need someone to redeem them, save them, wash them, heal them, atone for them, die for them, and give them eternal life.

God is both the judge and the redeemer.

If a man stands before God and arrogantly proclaims that he will bear the penalties coming his way, well, that is precisely what he will get because he has the freewill to do so. But, if he chooses to go to God, plead guilty to his crimes, turn away from his sinful habits, and ask for forgiveness and redemption, God the Father will send him to His Son, Jesus Christ to be redeemed, to be washed with His own blood that He shed on the cross. He then sends him the Spirit of God, who will dwell in him and make him a new person like he was born again. “He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” – (Titus 3:5-7) It is therefore “by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.” – (Ephesians 2:8)

Faith and not works. Works then becomes the fruit. It is after-the-fact. Not a requirement of salvation but a result of salvation.

This sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? Like a get-rich-quick scheme bound to have something in the fine print requiring an impossible condition you can never hope to fulfill thus nullifying everything. Either that or it could be the greatest, most elaborate love story ever be written. A love story about the Most High God who “so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” – (John 3:16)

God is love after all. He wants you in his turf. He wants you to belong to him again. So, you ask, why can’t he just give it to all of us then? Why do we have to repent, confess, etc.? Can’t he just grant this sweeping forgiveness and just let us all into heaven if He is all about love anyway? Can’t he just tolerate our sins and let us all be if He is after all the very embodiment of love?

Good question.

Yes, God is love. But we tend to ignore that He is also holy, just, and righteous. How would you feel if a judge sets a criminal free who robbed your house, killed your dog, and set your house on fire, just because he loves all men and therefore will set them all free? This kind of love will deem the judicial system corrupt and useless. It is unfair. It is dysfunctional. It is morally wrong. Do you want an unfair and corrupt God who will go about things in whatever way suits him at any given point in time? Or would you rather a fair, consistent, and trustworthy God who would exact the correct penalties as written in His law?

Therefore, the answer to your question is this: God, being righteous and just, put in place a set of laws of morality in order to draw the line between what is acceptable to Him and what is not. Without such standards, how can any human being expect to know whether they have done wrong or not? And if there are no laws, by what standards then will we be judged against? He is a righteous and just God. He put together those standards and made it known to everyone to make a clear distinction exactly when we are doing right and when we are doing the complete opposite. But while you mull over God’s justice and holiness, pay equal attention to this attribute as well: God is a loving and merciful God. While He knows that man, being the depraved creature that he is, is wallowing in sin and can never hope to meet the standards He set, He has in His heart mercy and the desire to put us all right with Him again and dwell with Him again like Adam and Eve before they sinned in the Garden of Eden. So, what does a just yet loving God do? He provides the perfect atonement that we can only dream of providing for ourselves. He sends His only Son to be at the receiving end of His penalty and wrath once and for all. He sends His Only Son who is blameless and pure, to take on our punishment so that through Him, we can be forgiven, we can be made righteous, and so that like Him, we can therefore be resurrected and given glorified bodies the way Jesus Christ himself was resurrected on the third day. And Jesus Christ, His Son, who loves His Father and loves us, willingly humbled himself to become like us, live as humans do, and willingly offer His life as the ultimate and perfect atonement for all our sins. He could have said no, but he didn’t. He didn’t have to lay down His life, but because of His great love for us and knowing we have no other way out of our own depravity, He offered His own life in exchange for ours.

If this is not the greatest love story of all time, then I do not know what is.

Can you imagine sending your own son or daughter to prison to spare one of your employees who embezzled money from you from being sent to prison himself? Are you willing to sacrifice the life of your child and have him bear the life sentence that should be served by the soulless man who shot a bullet through your spouse’s chest as he took her money? This kind of love is unheard of. This kind of love is beyond this world. This kind of love can only be coming from the Most High God in heaven who is pure love.

This thought never ceases to amaze me.

And this is precisely why I am starting this journal. I feel the need to record my own epiphanies since late 2018 when He found me and shepherded me back with the rest of His sheep. I hope that by sharing my own thoughts and realization, I will be able to reach kindred spirits as well as touch the lost ones who are trying to navigate their way around this crazy world that only seems to get worse by the minute.

This is not about a magical answer to all your pains and problems as if you were getting three wishes from a genie. No. This is about knowing and acknowledging where you come from, who created you, whom you should be loyal to, which kingdom you belong to, and who the God is that you serve. This is about the true gospel of God that is all about forgiveness, redemption, and freedom. This is about realizing that we are the long-lost prodigal son who finally came home into the open arms of his loving father, having been welcomed with gladness despite having done his father wrong. This is about experiencing joy amid an otherwise chaotic, upside-down world knowing that you don’t belong here but in God’s home. “But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.” -(Philippians 3:20-21)

If you are still reading up to this point and are one of those who feel this God-shaped void in their hearts, then God must be talking to You. He is pointing you to Him for He is the only One who can fill that void and make you whole. Start your journey. Pick up your Bible and start reading the four gospels a couple of chapters at a time: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Pray before you read and ask for faith.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” – (Matthew 11:28-30)

[avengerscompound]

The Games We Play Together

The Games We Play Together: An Iron Man Fanfic

Buy me a ☕ Character Pairing:  Tony Stark x F!Reader, Bruce Banner x Natasha Romanoff x Tony Stark x F!Reader

Word Count:  4814

Warnings:  Open Relationship, Smut (MMFF Bisexual orgy, Frottage, oral, anal and vaginal fingering and sex).

Synopsis:   Tony Stark is a playboy and why would you want to change that? Your open relationship takes a fun turn when you bring up sleeping with other Avengers.

The Games We Play Together

You couldn’t tie Tony Stark down.  That’s what everyone had always said.  He was a playboy.  He used sex as a sport.  He was good at science, engineering and collecting notches on his bedpost.  Who would be stupid enough to try and change him?

Not you, that’s for sure.  You loved every little nuance of that man.  From his complete and utter inability to buy a gift when under pressure, to the way you would find him hyper-focused on the next iron suit.  From the way he risked his life to save the world, to the way that he made no secret about enjoying sex and sleeping around.  Why would you change it when you loved it too?

Some nights you went out on the town owning it.  Him dressed in his best Armani and you in Dior, his arm around your waist and a killer smile on his face as flashbulbs popped all around you.  The aim of the night, to find someone to take home with you both.

Other nights you’d compete, seeing who could find someone to do something illicit with first.  Then you’d take them back to the car and compete for things like the loudest orgasm or who could get their partner off first.  Sometimes you’d pick up for the other.  Sometimes you’d select each other’s target.

There were rules.  Safe sex always.  No lying.  The person you ended up with had to know what they were getting themselves into.  You also had a safe word.  If for some reason jealousy reared its ugly head, or you were just not feeling comfortable, or you’d just had a change of heart and you wanted to go home and put on an oversized hoodie and eat junk food while you watched James Bond movies, the word artichoke was all either of you needed to say.

People loved to criticize your relationship, but it worked.  You didn’t try to change each other.  You just were happy with the way you were.

“You ever considered one of the others?” you asked Tony one night as you sat beside him painting your toenails.  It took a moment for him to register you’d spoken as he turned the gauntlet on his arm over and tweaked another component.

He looked up at you over his glasses and wrinkled his nose.  “I wish you wouldn’t do that in here.”

“Yeah, well -” you gestured to his open toolbox on the table and the parts that were laid out haphazardly around.

He shrugged and went back to what he was doing.  “Touché,” he said.  “What did you say?”

“I said, have you ever considered one of the others?” you asked again.

“What others?  What are we considering them for?” he asked.

“The Avengers.  And for dirty superhero sex, Anthony,” you answered.

He looked up at you and shook his head a bemused smile on his face.  “No.  What’s that old adage, ‘don’t shit where you eat’?”

You scrunched up your nose.  “Well, I hope there’s none of that involved.”

Tony lost it laughing, falling back onto the couch and draping an arm around your shoulder.  “Well, okay.  Let’s say I did consider it.  Who did you have in mind exactly.”

You chewed your bottom lip and tilted your head to the side.  “Well, they’re all pretty great specimens.  Thor immediately comes to mind.”

Tony threw his head back laughing again.  “Of course he did.”  He tapped the screwdriver he was holding on your arm.  “Unfortunately for you, Point Break is off world.  Though I’m sure he would love for you to have your way with him if he were here.”

“Maybe next time,” you said, screwing the cap on your nail polish and setting it on the coffee table.  “Steve is cute.”

Tony laughed again and pulled you close to him kissing your temple.  “I think hell would freeze over before you convinced Captain tight pants to join in on our shenanigans.”

“Okay, okay.  Of the people here who I think would participate,” you hummed leaning into his shoulder.  He rested his chin on the top of your head and continued to tap the screwdriver on your arm.  “What about Natasha?”

“For me or for you?” he asked.

“Either/or,” you answered and kissed his throat slowly.  He leaned his head back to give you better access and tossed the screwdriver onto the coffee table.  It slammed into your nail polish knocking it over and ricocheting off, scattering other tools around before falling to the floor.

“For you, I’d say she would.  For me, not in a million years,” Tony hummed in reply.

“What did you do to Natasha?” you asked, moving to kiss just under his jaw.  You sucked hard and used your teeth making him let out a ragged moan sound.

“I didn’t do anything to Natasha.  We just… I just… It’s complicated,” he protested, pulling you a little closer to him.  “Are you trying to give me a hickey?  You know I have a press conference tomorrow.”

“Why do you think I’m doing it?” you answered before returning to suck on that same patch of skin.

He chuckled and you felt it vibrate under your lips.  “Such a bad girl,” he said.  “Is it so I have to wear makeup or so people can see.”

“The later.” you hummed, running your thumb over the spot to assess your work.  “Always good to let them know that it’s test-rides only.”

“Would I get to watch?” he asked when you returned to sucking on the same spot on his neck.  You hummed to let him know he could and he smiled and ran his fingers up your spine.  “So that’s what you want to do?  Fuck the spider while I watch?  I might be able to make that happen.  Might.”

You pulled back and looked him dead in the eye.  “No.  That’s not all.”

“Oh, what else?” he asked, raising an eyebrow at you.

“Bruce,” you said.

He startled, blinking his eyes at you.  “Bruce as in my Bruce?”

“The one and the same.”

He furrowed his brow and tapped out a pattern on your arm.  “I - I don’t know.  For me or for you?”

“For you, but me if you don’t think he swings that way.”

You watched him as he thought it over.  He looked up at the ceiling and then down at the partially constructed gauntlet on his hand.  “I think it would be tough to convince him.”

“The Hulk factor?” you asked.

“That’s part of it,” he replied.  “Look, I’m pro the idea.  Either outcome.  I just don’t want to ask him.”

“So,” you said, walking your fingers up his chest.  “You ask Nat for me.  I’ll ask Bruce for you, me as a backup.  Bonus points if we can get them both at the same time.”

“For this Saturday?” Tony asked.

“Sounds good,” you agreed.

Tony leaned in and hovered his lips over yours.  “Do you know how much I love you?”

You smiled at him.  “A whole hell of a lot.”

“At least,” he said and captured your lips.

A few days later Tony cornered Natasha in the Gym.  She was practising moves against a martial arts dummy.  “What do you want, Stark?” she asked as he sidled over to her.

He watched as she expertly performed her moves on the dummy, not looking up at him, just laying into it.  “You know about my unusual relationship?”

“Everyone knows about it.  I’d have to be living in a cave,” she replied.  “If this is you propositioning me for sex, that would be a hard pass.”

“Ow, I have feelings, red,” he said, holding his hand to his heart.  “I wasn’t asking for me anyway.”

Natasha stopped what she was doing and looked him up and down wiping her brow on the back of her forearm.  “You weren’t?  Oh…” she said.  “Oh.  Well, that’s another matter altogether.  Would you have to be there?”

“Seriously.  Ow,” Tony joked.  “Not essential, but we’d hoped.  We had also hoped, maybe Bruce could be too.”

Natasha started laughing. “If you can get Bruce to agree to that, then yes.  I would pay to witness that.”

“No financial compensation necessary.  Saturday night?” Tony asked.

“Sure, but if he’s not there, it’s just me and her.”

“And a video camera,” Tony teased.

“Just me and her.”

“Fine. See you Saturday,” Tony laughed and headed back out of the gym.

You had approached Bruce in the lab the same afternoon.  He was sitting at a workbench looking through an electron microscope and you pulled up a stool beside him, close, but not so close you were touching.

“Hey Doctor Banner, whatcha doing?” you asked, intentionally putting on a fake innocent voice.

Bruce looked up at you and smiled.  “Well, you see…”  He stopped dead and shifted his chair back.  “Oh no.  No.  No, no, no.  It’s not… No.”

“What?  What no?” you asked, genuinely puzzled.

“I knew this would happen someday.  I knew as soon as he started seeing you and you began challenging each other that one day, you’d come in here…” Bruce said.

“Wow, that’s quite the ego you have on you there, Bruce,” you said, pulling yourself up straight.

“So you’re not… you don’t… I’m not…” he babbled.

“Use your words.  I’m not what?” you teased.

“You aren’t here to proposition me?” he asked.

You smiled and brushed your skirt down.  “No.  I am.”

Bruce started shaking his head.  “Then I’m back to no.  No.  No way.  I can’t.  The… he… I’d … No.”

“You don’t want to?” you asked.

“I didn’t say that,” Bruce said looking away.

“I’m not going to push the issue.  No means no.  Just… if you want to talk.”  You patted him on the shoulder and stood up, heading towards the exist.  As your hand slid over his back, he grabbed your wrist.  “Stay,” he growled, his eyes flashed green for a moment and the arteries in his neck bulged out turning green before fading back to normal.

“What the hell?  What just happened?” you asked turning to face him.

“That,” Bruce said.  “Is the reason I have to say no.”

“Sounds like he wants you to say yes,” you reasoned.

“He does.  I do.  I just… I don’t think… If I were to…” he shook his head.

“You’re worried that if you do this it won’t be you showing up?” you asked.  He nodded.  “But you want to?”  He nodded again.  “And he wants to.”

“That’s what you want?  To end up in some threesome with the Hulk?”  He sounded disgusted and he turned away from you.

You put your hand on his shoulder and slowly turned it into a hug.  He turned in your arms and put his head on your chest, wrapping your arms around him.  “You know that’s not what I meant, Bruce,” you said.  “Maybe he can be reasoned with.  Maybe if you asked him to stay back?”

Bruce sighed.  “I - maybe.  What if he doesn’t though.  What if you end up with a Hulk out.”

“Well, that wouldn’t be the first time Tony has had to deal with one,” you joked.  When you were just met with a stern look from Bruce you chuckled and shook your head.  “Well, then it’s off.  At least he wouldn’t be there because he’s angry.  But maybe make a deal.  He can look but he has to stay back.”

Bruce didn’t say anything for a moment.  “I can’t promise I’ll be the best partner.  I don’t think - you - if you’re with Tony so much.  And others.  I might be a letdown.”

You kissed his brow.  “Well - I’m not exactly asking for me,” you said suggestively.

“Tony?  He wants to?  With me?” he asked, looking up at you.

“If that is something you’d be interested in.  He’ll take just watching us if it’s not,” you said.

“I would… yes.  Me and Tony,” he said, a deep blush reaching his cheeks.

“You are so cute when you get shy, Doctor Banner,” you teased.  “Now, if Natasha could be talked into it would you be opposed.”

“Oh god.  I haven’t even had sex at all for years,” Bruce groaned, his head snapped up and the same flash of green happened as before.  “Hulk like lady spider.”

“Alright, big guy.  But watching.  You gotta let Bruce do the driving,” you said.

His eyes and skin settled back again and he shook his head.  “I hate when he does that.”

“Well, it sounds like a date, Doctor Banner.  Saturday sound good?” you teased.

He nodded.  “Yeah.  Yes.  Saturday.”

Saturday rolled around and you decided to dress up.  You dressed in a matching black lace g-string and bra with stockings and garter belt.  You sat at your vanity fixing your hair and applying your makeup.

“Really going all out for Natasha aren’t you?” Tony asked, pulling on his jeans.

“Have you seen Natasha?” you countered as you applied your mascara.

Tony chuckled and started digging around in the drawer.  He pulled out a box of condoms and lay out about a dozen on the table.  “Well yes, that I have,” he said.  “What do you want out today?  Toys?” he asked adding a tube of pomegranate flavored lube next to the table.

“Couldn’t hurt, but I’m pretty sure Nat’s going to be just fine with the gifts God gave her,” you said.

Tony came up beside you and kissed your cheek, running his hands up your side and cupping your breasts.  “You’re really excited about this aren’t you.”

You tilted your head back and kissed him.  “I may need to change my panties before they even get here.”

Tony laughed and smacked your ass before going to the cupboard and opening up the cabinet full of toys.  “Nothing rough I assume?”

“With Bruce here?  I think that might be pushing his boundaries a little too far,” you said.  “Though I bet Natasha is great at that.  Maybe another time.”

Tony hummed.  “A birthday perhaps.”

“And who said you were bad at buying presents?” you teased.

“No one.  No one has ever said that.  I’m an amazing gift giver.”   Tony went and pulled three different vibes in varying shapes and sizes and put them next to the other things, plugging in the charging stations for the two that needed it.

“Don’t forget water,” you said.

“What am I?  An amateur?” Tony huffed disappearing from the room.

He reappeared as you were stepping into the slinky red dress you had chosen with a wine bucket with ice and several bottles of water shoved into it.  He put it on the vanity and stepped up behind you zipping your dress up.  “You look good enough to eat.”

“I sure hope so,” you teased.

You spun in his arms and he pulled you into a deep kiss.  When he pulled back he rested his forehead on yours.  “I love you so much, you know that?”

You smiled and ran your fingers through his hair.  “I know, and I love you.  It’s you and me.”

He nodded.  “Always.”

You headed out into the entertaining area just as the elevator opened.  Natasha and Bruce were both there together.  Natasha had dressed up too.  She wore a figure-hugging black dress with a split up the side.  Her makeup was perfect, with winged eyeliner and dark red lips.  She strode in, looking completely in control of the situation, making a beeline for you.  She kissed both your cheeks and hooked an arm around your waist.  “Don’t you look delicious,” she teased.

“You’re looking quite appetizing yourself, Natasha,” you purred.

In contrast, Bruce was wearing a jacket over an untucked checked shirt.  His collar was unbuttoned and he entered the room like he wasn’t sure this was where he intended to be.  He looked around everywhere but you and Tony, wringing his hands as he moved into the room.

Tony took charge, approaching him and putting an arm around his shoulder.  “Bruce,” he said warmly.  “Come in.  Do you want a drink?”

“No.  No, I better not,” he mumbled.

“What about you, ginger snaps?” he asked Natasha.

Natasha shook her head.  “Oh no.  I want to be in complete control of my faculties.”

“Well then.  Not even going to pretend this is something it’s not.  I like it,” Tony said.  “Bedroom’s through there,” he gestured to the hall.

“Shall we?” Natasha asked.

You nodded and led the way down to your bedroom.  Natasha spun you to face her as soon as you were in the room.  She cupped your jaw in both her hands and kissed you.  It was fierce and possessive and you matched it, moving your lips with hers and circling your tongues together.  Tony and Bruce entered the room behind you and closed the door behind them.  Tony helped Bruce remove his jacket and hung it up with his own.

“Hey, it’s okay,”  Tony said as he approached him again.  “We have all the time in the world okay?  When you’re comfortable and not a moment sooner.”  He ran his hands up Bruce’s arms and along his shoulders.  Bruce’s eyes darted from Tony’s to you and Natasha.  Your hands had started exploring each other’s bodies.  Natasha reached behind you and unzipped your dress.  It slipped to the floor and you stepped out of it and kicked it aside.

Bruce made a noise that seemed to be a low rumble and a high pitched whimper at the same time.  “How about we watch the girls?  They seem to know what they’re doing,” Tony said, a tease to his voice.

Bruce nodded and let Tony lead him to the bed, taking his shoes off and setting them gently aside.  He climbed up on the bed beside him and casually rested his hand on Bruce’s thigh.

You and Natasha gradually rid each other of your clothes.  After your dress came hers.  Then you each removed the other’s bra.  As soon as your breasts were exposed Natasha leaned down and circled a nipple with her tongue.  As it hardened into a peak she sucked it into her mouth and pressed her teeth on it.  You pulled her back onto the bed and she straddled your thigh and latched back onto your breast.  You moaned and looked back at Tony and Bruce.  Tony had wrapped an arm around Bruce’s waist and his hand had slipped between the buttons of his shirt.  Bruce watched you both closely and his muscles twitched under Tony’s fingers.  You reached up and took Tony’s free hand as you raked your nails up Natasha’s back.

You raised your leg so it pushed against Natasha’s cunt. She started to grind against it.  Her own leg pushed against you and you rocked against it, sending a warm current through you.  She switched breasts before beginning to kiss her way down your stomach.

“Oh fuck, Natasha,” you moaned, lifting your hips to meet her.  She dragged your g-string down, snapping the clips on your garter.  There was the soft tickle of her lips over your pussy before she moved to one thigh and sucked a patch of skin hard on the inside of your thigh.  You hissed and bunched your hand in Natasha’s hair.

“Looks like the spider is trying to mark my girl,” Tony said, dragging his fingers over Bruce’s stomach.

Nat looked up from between your legs smirking at Tony.  “Thought I’d sign my work.”

“Maybe you should do something worth signing first,” Tony teased.

“Oh, ho ho…”  Natasha laughed and looked up at you.  “Well, I guess I’m making you question your entire relationship now,” she said to you before ducking back down between your legs.  She swirled her tongue over your labia before placing a large open-mouthed kiss on it.  She ran one hand up your stomach and squeezed your breast as she pushed two fingers inside of you.   She stroked them along your walls and when she touched down on your g-spot she pushed hard and twisted her hand so her knuckles dragged over it.  

You cried out and arched back as a jolt shot up your spine.  Tony had his hand in Bruce’s pants and was slowly pumping his cock.  His own strained against his jeans.  Bruce’s chest was heaving and he had his eyes trained on you and Natasha.

Natasha continued to work your g-spot relentlessly.  She pressed hard, corkscrewing her wrist and dragging her fingers over it.  As she did she sucked and nipped at your clit.  You lost the last semblance of control you had on yourself.  Your legs trembled and your toes curled.  You came, gushing on Natasha, crying out incoherently and clutching at Tony.  Bruce made a deep guttural moan as he watched on.

Natasha sat up and raised her eyebrows at Tony.   “That,” she smirked. “Is why I sign my work.”

You grabbed her and rolled her over, yanking her panties down and off.  You start to grind your pussy against hers as you leaned in and teased her lips with yours.   “Time to repay the favor I think,” you purred.

“What do you think, Brucie Bear?” Tony hummed.  “Shall we give the girls a run for their money?”

Bruce nodded, his skin flushing and the two men began stripping off their clothes.  Yours rubbed against Natasha as you reached for one of the vibes.  It was long and thin and could be bent to reach where ever you wanted, with two separate vibrating settings on each end. You lubed it up and pushed it inside of her just as Tony had pushed Bruce down beside Natasha.  You got to your knees and leaned over, kissing Tony hungrily as you used the vibe on Natasha and he rolled a condom onto Bruce.  Below you Bruce and Natasha began running their hands over each other.  Natasha leaned into him and kissed his throat as Bruce arched back, exposing it more to her.

Tony broke the kiss, his breath coming in shallow.  “If you get Natasha off before I get Bruce, I’ll trade you.”

“Hey now, I never said anything about trading,” Natasha protested.  Tony looked down at her and cocked his eyebrow.  She scowled at him before nodding.  “Fine.  I guess I have always wondered what the big deal is.”

“That’s a girl,” Tony said as he straddled Bruce’s waist.

“Watch it Stark, I can still change my mind,” she hissed.

You turned your focus back to Natasha, leaning down over her, and straddling her thigh again so you could rub against it.  Your fluids smeared over her leg, leaving it wet and glistening under you.  You fucked her with the vibrator as you kissed her fiercely, biting and sucking on her lips.

You focused the toy on her g-spot while bending it in place so it pressed on her clit.  As she started to buck and pant under you, you increased the speed setting on the handle and moved your mouth to her neck, sucking hard on a patch of skin.  She arched up with a loud groan.  “Oh god, too much,” she gasped.  Her leg wrapped around your waist and her heel dug into your back.

Beside you, Tony had gone from teasing Bruce’s cock against his asshole to letting it sink deep inside of him.  Bruce gripped tightly to Tony’s hips, his knuckles tinged with green and his head was tilted back, making the tendon’s on his neck pull taut.  Tony rode him, bouncing on the man’s cock as his own slapped on against his stomach.  He ran his hands over Bruce, touching his face and neck and chest and he kept whispering his name.  “Bruce.  Feels so good to have you inside me, Bruce.  Oh god, Bruce, Fuck me.  Just you.”  Keeping him present with him.  Reinforcing who was in control here.

Bruce sat up and pulled Tony into a hard kiss, cupping his jaw and moaning into it.  Tony wrapped his arms around him and held him close as he still moved against his cock.

You moved to Natasha’s breast and sucked on one nipple, flicking your tongue over it as it dimpled.   Natasha whole body tensed and then spasmed and she screamed out.  “Oh fuck! Yes!”

You kept moving the vibe in and out and you slowed the setting of the vibrator as you looked down at her, watching the look of bliss as her orgasm washed through her.  “God, that was a nice O face, wasn’t it, T?”

Tony looked over and nodded.  “Very nice work.  So we’re swapping?”

Bruce made a low rumble sound and nodded his head.

“Alright, but I’m in charge,” Natasha said.

Tony slipped off Bruce and let Natasha push him onto his back and grabbed a condom from the dresser.  “I wouldn’t have it any other way,” he teased.

Bruce sat up and removed his condom before switching it to a new one and you climbed into his lap, rocking your pussy against his cock.  He flipped you onto your back next to Tony and slowly eased his cock into you.  You and Tony looked at each other, lying side beside as Natasha rode him and Bruce slowly fucked you.  You leaned in and kissed each other.

Bruce’s hands slid over you, holding your throat, massaging your breasts.  He reached on over to Tony and his fingers flicked over Tony’s nipples.  Natasha followed Bruce’s lead and did the same to you, first pinching at a nipple before moving her hand down to your pussy and rubbing her thumb in circles on your clit.

You gasped and jerked up under Bruce as a current of pleasure ran through you.  It seemed to flip a switch in Bruce.  He went from a gentle rolling motion to leaning down and bracing his hand on the headboard and just fucking you hard.  You groaned, cupping his jaw and looking into his eyes.  They were flecked with green and bored into yours.  “Oh fuck yes, Bruce.  Fuck me hard.”

He furrowed his brow and groaned thrusting deep into you and making the bed shake.  Beside you, Natasha rode Tony, her breasts bouncing as she held his hands pinned over his head.

You felt another orgasm threaten and you brought your fingers to your clit and circled it helping push it over the edge.  You came moaning and twisting under him.  Bruce kept thrusting hard and deep into you as you spasmed around him.

“Oh fuck.  Close.  Red,” Tony panted.

Natasha smiled down at him and started fingering her clit.  “Together, Stark?” she purred.

You watched them as you held tight to Bruce.  Natasha threw her head back and moaned, her stomach muscles tightening, and her thighs shaking.  Tony’s hips snapped up into her and he released with a groan.

Bruce’s eyes flicked from them to you.  You could feel the twitch of his cock letting you know he was close.  “Bruce,” you whispered against the shell of his ear, flicking your tongue in a circle around his earlobe.  “Pull out.  Come on me.  We can make Tony clean it up.”

Bruce groaned and nodded his head before pushing up to his knees.  He pulled the condom off and stroked himself.  His cock jumped in his hand and he spilled over your stomach in hot waves.

“Oh god,” he moaned, collapsing down beside you.

You looked over at Tony and licked your lips.  “Guess you’ve got something to keep you busy for a second, honey.”

He got onto his hands and knees.  “It’s my pleasure, dear,” he said and ran his tongue over your soft flesh as he licked up the mess Bruce had made.  You ran your fingers through his hair and smiled happily as Natasha and Bruce looked on.

“I never expected Tony Stark to be as subby as he is,” Natasha said with a shake of her head.  She grabbed a water from the bedside table and a wipe and began to clean herself up.  “That was fun though.  Thank you for the invite.”

Tony hummed and rolled over onto his back resting his head on your stomach.  “You are both welcome to stay or not.  Use our showers.  Whatever you like,” he said, taking off his condom and tossing it in the trash.

Natasha leaned down and kissed you softly before patting Tony’s leg and getting up.  “I’m just going to go.  Don’t want people talking.  I’ll see you all tomorrow,” she said and started getting dressed.

“I’d like to stay.  Can I stay?” Bruce asked.  There was a slight shy hesitation in his voice and you and Tony instinctively curled into him.

“Of course, Bruce.  As long as you like,” Tony said.  Bruce smiled and nuzzled into his neck.  There was something about the words and the slight bit of tenderness that made you feel warm to your core.  It might take some new boundary setting, but maybe, there was something new here too.

[nevermesswithteddybears]

TAYLOR SWIFT FOUGHT FOR YOUR ARTIST INTEGRITY – WHY WON'T YOU DO THE SAME? - AN OPEN LETTER TO EVERY ARTIST

I haven't been debating for three years for nothing so here we fucking GO.

Dear whomever it may concern,

In June 2015 – four years ago – Taylor Swift wrote an open letter to Apple Music explaining why she would not have her music be available for streaming on the platform; to give you a quick reminder and sum-up, she refused to have her music be streamed because the platform did not compensate artists for the three month free trial their users were getting.

To quote Taylor: „This is not about me. (...) This is about the new artist or band that has just released their first single and will not be paid for its success. This is about the young songwriter who just got his or her first cut and thought that the royalties from that would get them out of debt. This is about the producer who works tirelessly to innovate and create, just like the innovators and creators at Apple are pioneering in their field… but will not get paid for a quarter of a year’s worth of plays on his or her songs.“

Apple Music changed their policy, and stated that they would be paying artists their earned due during the three months of the free trial, and on that day, Taylor Swift herself changed the game for many – if not all – artists in the industry; especially those she sought out to protect, the new talent. In fact, many artists speaking up about the current situation – some of them against Taylor, to which I'll get to in a moment – probably got quite a few cheques from their Apple Music streams that definitely helped them become financially stable. Most of all, though, this action did not remain on one streaming platform. As it is in physics, every action has a reaction, and here Taylor's actions echoed throughout the industry and insured the payment of every artist throughout the streaming platforms that are largely the way people listen to music today.

Taylor Swift did not fight for herself. By the time she released 1989, she was already an established enough artists to earn more than enough money for herself, her crew, and everyone attached to her in a more than decent manner simply by playing her live shows. As quoted above, she fought for YOU. YOU, reading this. YOU, an artist she might not even know but whose work she already valued enough to put her name and reputation on the line. YOU, who might now open your mailbox and receive a cheque of royalties from a streaming service and not even know that it might be a fraction more than it would've been four years ago before Taylor asked for adequate payment for all artists. SHE FOUGHT FOR YOU. SHE FOUGHT FOR YOUR INTEGRITY. Taylor Swift has been a punching bag of the industry for years, and yet she put a then controversial topic upon her shoulders – in actuality one of many Taylor has spoken up her, be it LGBT+ issues, sexual assault, and her recent open involvement with politics – and did it all because she through it only seeked to help the fight for OTHERS.

TAYLOR SWIFT FOUGHT FOR YOUR ARTIST INTEGRITY IN 2015. WHY WON'T YOU DO THE SAME NOW?

I pose this question beacause, once again, Taylor is placed to speak within an issue that currently to many seems small and insignificant, seems like it might be an overreaction or not that important, but will through time, echo throughout the industry in a way that will change it from the ground up.

I firmly believe what I say now; One day, you will find yourself owning your own masters without a catch. And in some way it will – much like the numbers on the cheques from the streaming companies – be thanks to Taylor Swift, and what she is doing NOW.

Taylor Swift left Big Machine Records – a label she had been signed to since she was fifteen, the label that had discovered her and under which she had released six albums, starting with her self-titled Taylor Swift and ending with reputation – last year, and through that action, through her choosing what was best for her future career, she was forced to leave her masters behind. Now, the company – and the masters – have been sold to Scooter Braun, and Taylor – whose fight for the masters I will touch upon soon – is farther from them now than she ever was.

Before I go further, I want to ask you one question. One question that sums up this entire debate that has been brought up since the news broke. One question which, when answered, should tell you whose „side“ you should be on. One question.

DO YOU, AS AN ARTIST, BELIEVE YOU SHOULD OWN YOUR OWN WORK?

Is your answer no? Well then, I won't claim to understand it, but I certainly won't stop you to continue your career without truly owning a single piece of what you've achieved. If that is where you find comfort, if that is where you are content and happy, then side with Scooter Braun.

But, I believe, in your heart, that the answer is YES. And this is where I will tell you that it is important to stand with Taylor, as it will ultimately lead to a change in your opportunities as well.

To put this into perspective quickly before I move on: Imagine you are an artist. Imagine you have a lead writing and producing credit on every single one of your songs. Imagine that, at nineteen, you wrote an entire album all by yourself. And imagine now, that you DO NOT OWN ANY OF THAT. This is the situation with Taylor Swift. After a career that's slowly reaching two decades, Taylor Swift will only truly own her upcoming album Lover, out August 23rd. She does not own the masters to any of her SIX previous ones.

Taylor has publicly said that she has fought to own her masters for years, and was continuously denied, and she has also only found out about the sale of Big Machine Records along with the world. Imagine that, imagine your life's work being entirely in the hands that are not yours, and then – without your knowladge or consent – being sold to someone else. Someone who, throughout your career, has brought you only pain. And now they hold six pieces of your heart. Now they own your fifteen years.

Scott Burchetta, the previous owner of Big Machine Records, has released a statement along with the final offer he supposedly gave Taylor for her to aquire her masters, one she has denied. And he presented that offer as if to say Taylor has no one to blame but herself for not now owning her masters, had she accepted the offer. But, he doesn't point out one thing: where Taylor offered to stay in the company for an additional seven years to in return get full ownership of her masters, Scott Burchetta wanted ten. In fact, for every album master of hers Taylor wanted to own, Scott Burchetta asked for an additional album. Even for Taylor, an artist who for the longest time had an album out on average every two years, it would far exceed the ten year timeframe. Taylor Swift took the way out, even if it meant leaving the rights to her life's work behind, because she knew it was the right thing to do. Otherwise, she would have stayed. And the management would've still changed. And she would've been left caged for the remainder of her career.

The issue at hand here, though, is that not at one point was Taylor ever again reached out to with the option to buy her masters. Not once was she brought into the conversation of what was going to happen with her fifteen year legacy. And not once was she given the opportunity to buy that legacy back. Because ultimately, this was never about money. It was about POWER. It was about two men gaining the power over a female artist's fifteen years of work, the female artist whose sole discography brings the company 35% of its entire earnings, the female artist who now probably won't get updated certifications on any of her older songs, and who through that will never be able to officially reach her deserved status of an artist legend.

The line „if a man talks shit then I owe him nothing, and if he spends my change then he had it coming“ is now owned by a man who has complete power over Taylor's masters, a man who gets money off every one of your streams or previous album purchases. A man who has done nothing but abused and bullied Taylor throughout her career.

This isn't the first situation of an artist trying to get control over their masters. Recently, artist JoJo re-recorded and re-released an album she did not hold the masters to, rendering the masters useless, and that is one solution that Taylor could try. But the point is, she shouldn't HAVE to. None of the artists should have to. JoJo herself should not have had to.

I will bring back that question now. The main question. DO YOU BELIEVE ARTISTS SHOULD OWN THEIR OWN WORK? FULLY AND COMPLETELY, DO YOU BELIEVE THAT? Because THAT is what this conversation is about. Ultimately, it is not about who is mean or who is nice, not about who has what reputation, or who gets the bigger name to stand behind them, it is not about who needs to give a half-assed apology or anything of that sort. It is about arists integrity. It is about Taylor Swift, and YOU, and any other artist, being afforded the opportunity to own their own work.

I believe they should. I believe something should be done to protect artists. I believe there should be a clause that all artists get their own masters once they leave once their contract is settled. If not that, then I believe all those artists should be given the opportunity to buy them back; especially once the management of the company is changing.

If you believe so too, if you believe in YOUR integrity the way Taylor Swift always has, if you believe in HER ARTIST INTEGRITY as well, then stand by her and speak up. Be the reaction to her action. Be part of the echo throughout the industry. Fight for her right because you are most certainly fighting for yours.

@taylorswift, I stand with you. Everyone else should too.

With love,

Katarina

[rivetgoth]

.. ;D ..

Time to be Ogre’s unofficial marketing representative.

PLEASE please please go support Nivek Ogre. Follow his Twitter at ohGrOfficial, follow his Instagram at ohgr_official, like his official Facebook page. Go buy his newest album on Bandcamp or buy some of his merch from his online store. Buy his music (ohGr or Skinny Puppy) off Amazon or iTunes or wherever you prefer to go (that will actually give some of the money to the artist!). Or buy stuff from the Skinny Puppy online store which’ll also go to him too.

As most of you should know by now Nivek Ogre is my hero and my favorite person in the whole universe and the best person who has ever existed. Most of you know him as the frontman for Skinny Puppy and ohGr, some of you here might be more familiar with him because he plays Pavi Largo in Repo! The Genetic Opera and other good sexy perfect characters. All of you who follow me have definitely been forced to be aware that he exists (good). What a lot of people don’t know, though, because this has gotten almost no mainstream news coverage, is that he recently had about $100,000 stolen from him :(

Last year Ogre started a PledgeMusic fundraising campaign to help release his newest album, TrickS (which is fucking fantastic, by the way, and can be listened to for free on the official ohGr Youtube page here). PledgeMusic had until last year been a totally trustworthy and successful website for mostly smaller scale music artists to connect with fans directly and crowdfund projects, kind of like a GoFundMe or a Patreon but specifically for musicians. Buuuut the site collapsed; Pledge was caught taking the money that fans were giving to the artists and using it for other things, and they went bankrupt when they were caught unable to give any of the artists their money. The fans had their money taken in secret and the artists never received a dollar of the money they had made. A shitload of bands have been totally fucked over and MILLIONS of dollars are owed that will likely never be given to their rightful owners. You can literally just google the news results for “pledgemusic” and see a ton of sources on this, here’s one for reference.

Yes, this was illegal bullshit, but the artists are trapped, because it takes money to sue, and they have no money because PledgeMusic stole it. Some artists have sounded like they are seeking legal compensation and are planning to try to sue, and I think everyone involved in the theft absolutely deserves to go to prison LOL, I support legal action being taken here 100%. I heavily encourage everyone to look into this and spread more awareness of what’s going on, especially if you’re an artist of any kind yourself and/or you’re someone who’s been vocal about supporting artists financially (all of you who have reblogged posts about stuff like how artists deserve to be commissioned at a fair rate for their art!!), and ESPECIALLY if you’ve ever relied on some form of crowdfunding such as a Patreon yourself. I don’t mean that in a “shame on you for not talking about this ://” way, I know it hasn’t gotten much coverage, but now that you do know I think everyone who cares about artists being paid fairly for their art should be speaking up more about this. It’s a devastating blow to so many people and it deserves way more public outcry... But on topic again, the fact is that Ogre & Mark Walk (the other member of ohGr) have decided not to take legal action - According to Mark this has left them in debt, they produced the entire TrickS album and Ogre toured (WITH A BROKEN JAW) with literally no money and making no profit, and with absolutely no foundation of financial stability at this point they’ve announced that they just want to try to move on and recover from this as they go while creating new music.

So that’s the good news!! They’ve announced that they’re working on new music right now. Apparently they’re about two months into the writing process. They’re posting previews and demos of their WIPs on their social media pages so you can follow them for updates!! ;D Ogre and Mark have both been pretty active and answering questions and they’ve also started posting some unreleased older demos from the 90s and teasing a “vintage ohGr” release sometime soon. They’re being so optimistic through this whole stupid ordeal and seriously deserve so much support. I’m so sad that there’s been so little acknowledgement of this horrible situation and how much it fucked over so many artists but Mark and Ogre have been adamant about the fact that they don’t do what they do for money and the music is born out of passion and wanting to bring their art to life and they deserve the support to be able to do that while also being able to have financial stability and comfort ... Ogre is the best person in the whole world. He’s so sweet and kind and loving and talented. He’s so passionate about what he does and in 30+ years of touring he’s never cancelled a show ever even when he was beaten and robbed and fractured his jaw and taken to the emergency room on the same DAY (AT AGE 55)... He’s devoted his whole life to activism alongside his music and he cares so much about every living thing. He loves to share oatmeal with bees and he gives the biggest nicest warmest hugs ever. Please go support my dad. :( 🖤

[anchormain]

HEADCANON. prompt from here.

how stable is my muse’s mental health?  have they been diagnosed with any mental illnesses and  /  or conditions?  do they have any undiagnosed mental illnesses and  /  or conditions?  do they or should they attend therapy?  

        it is.... extremely unstable. he absolutely should attend therapy, and he absolutely will not. he finds it excruciating to talk about his problems for the sole purpose of talking about his problems. he will talk about them for other people’s benefit, like when it’s something they’ve both gone through, or as a sort of unspoken deal --- they confess something, then he offers something in return. it’s quite transactional and it’s sort of via the feeling that he owes them a confession since they offered him some personal detail. 

autism

        i personally headcanon and write morse as autistic, though it isn’t confirmed canon. he can be seen stimming a lot. the most common ones are pen clicking and little hand movements, though his repetitive music listening could also count. he looks away from people when talking to them more than is socially typical, and has some obscure interests that he’s often teased for. he isn’t diagnosed and won’t seek diagnosis. 

trauma

        morse is fundamentally quite a sensitive person. he feels things very deeply. things that might be brushed off by others can hit him hard. on top of that, he has a lot of trauma. a wide range. 

    childhood trauma

        his parents divorced when he was young; his father got another woman pregnant and left. morse lived with his mother. she died of cancer when he was 12. he had essentially cared for her and watched her die and there was nothing he could do. that alone is a significant trauma for a 12 year old. then, he had to go and live with his father and new stepmother and baby stepsister. his father was indifferent towards him at best and found him to be a disappointment. his stepmother was outright abusive towards him, and he was nearly driven to suicide at age 15 by her bullying. this living situation has left morse feeling like a burden to anyone and everyone simply by existing, and he tries to compensate for the trouble his existence causes the world and his ‘failure’ to save his mother by helping anyone and everyone. it drives him. he feels like he owes something, always. 

    adulthood trauma

        morse went to university on scholarship. though he knew he was clever enough to be there, his financial status did change how others perceived him. he fell in love deeply and proposed to her. she said yes. her family disapproved of morse and regarded him as a failure and a disappointment, much like his own family. his fiancee later left him for a rich boy. this solidified the insecurity morse had in his financial situation. he was so heartbroken by this that his work suffered and he was sent down. 

        as a detective, morse experiences countless traumas, and there’s a list here because there are too many to even talk about here. one of the most significant, though, is the shooting. it left him with very, very noticeable ptsd. he returned from his ‘recovery’ period having lost weight, flinching violently at loud noises, and quite subdued. he would quickly become defensive if questioned. 

eating disorder

        morse’s eating problems stem from his childhood. his father’s gambling problems meant his family weren’t particularly financially stable, and he was regarded as just another mouth to feed. morse was made to feel guilty for his own basic needs due to the ‘burden’ on his family. he dealt with this by forcing himself to become indifferent, as though not having his basic needs met is simply not a problem and does not upset him. this manifests in his adult life as a general disregard for his own health and needs. morse doesn’t feed himself particularly well. he does have his healthier periods, but if he is stressed, he will not eat regularly. he places ‘eating’ and ‘sleeping’ lower on his priority list than ‘doing his job’. 

alcoholism

        morse’s alcoholism really kicks off after the shooting. he has his ups and downs with it from then on, but it becomes an overall downward spiral. it’s picked up on more than once by others, but it’s not really dealt with. he'll often come home from work and decide to drink instead of eating, and will drink until he falls asleep. 

[holden-norgorov]

I agree with what you define here as equality, but I don’t agree with your assessment that equality is what feminism is about. Feminism doesn’t enjoy a monopoly on the concept of equality between the sexes either. In fact, it has a poor track record in those regards.

What made it possible for feminism to become so successful as a cause to the point of being exploited as a universal synonym for “equality” is the historical skewed (to the point of being revisionistic) portrayal of the legal and social contractual relationship between men and women under patriarchy which began being taught in primary and secondary school, and which shaped the entire worldview of a whole new generation of students who never dared to challenge or dig deep into their newly-acquired beliefs.

I'll give you an example of how that works. I’m sure that at some point, during history class, everyone has been taught something along the lines of, for instance, “under patriarchy, women were not allowed to own property”. (It's actually married women, by the way, but is often presented as all women.)

But here’s what our school educational program didn’t bother to add. This part of the marital custom of coverture was aimed at providing protections, entitlements and immunities on the wife, and placing full financial accountability on the husband. As in: no taxes were owe-able in her name, so she was never held liable if the marital taxes were not paid. She was entitled to be supported by her husband to the best of his economic ability, even at the expense of his own health, and entitled to expect her husband to perform strenous labour under no workplace safety regulations in order for him to fulfill his obligation to her. She was also legally empowered to purchase goods on his credit as his legal agent, while not being held accountable for it. If the family went into debt, only he was vulnerable to being put in debtor's prison. If an action on her part damaged another person's property, it was he who was legally responsible for compensating that person, even if she had brought nothing of material value into the marriage.

I was told none of this in school. I was simply told “women were not allowed to own property”. This made it seem like women were considered second class citizens with no privileges to compensate for their handicaps, rather than different citizens with different privileges that did compensate for them. Regardless of how satisfactory we might view that compensation through the lens of the modern day, what was presented in school was that there was none. This system was not presented as a bargain or a trade-off between men and women, or an exchange of things of value to and from both sides of the contract. It was presented as “men not letting women have property rights”, full stop. It was presented as an unilateral, unfair deal for one party at the expressed benefit of the other (which is where the whole feminist oppressor/oppressed dialectic comes from).

Feminism is not just “about equality”. It has not just a purpose. It’s a diagnostic body of ideologies. And the social diagnosis they offer is extremely inaccurate, because it completely misunderstands how patriarchy functioned, what was its true purpose, and therefore in which ways it was an unequal system. Our school education left us with the inevitable conclusion that patriarchy was a system where men had more rights and more privileges, while women had less rights and more duties – as in, a one-sided oppressive structure. Instead, men had more rights because they had more obligations, and women had less rights because they had less obligations.

So:

Was patriarchy an egualitarian system? Absolutely not.

Was patriarchy an unfair system? I can see this being up to debate, and I can see both sides (men and women) having compelling arguments to support their own claims, steaming from the strict expectations both genders were subjected to under it. But it’s important to note that every society that successfully arose and acquired civilization status in our entire history was patriarchal, because patriarchy was the most efficient structure able to provide counter-balance to the disparity in biological risks and costs between the sexes regarding reproduction (which is... kinda the whole point of being a living organism, and the only way for any living community to survive). So I really don’t know if “fairness” should be a trait attributable to consequences of biology and evolution, which are completely amoral engines.

Was patriarchy a balanced system? Yes. Yes it was. At least in the broader sense.

Patriarchy was a social system that worked like a charm for at least 14,000 years of recorded history, starting from the beginning of the Agricultural Era (12.500 BC) and up until the industrialization of the developing world (1800 AC). It’s only when wealthy, high-status women started realizing, with the environmental change brought to us by the Industrial Revolution, that now they could get their food from the grocery store rather than from their men’s sweaty and bloody hands, and that they could get the money and resources they needed from the new democratic government rather than from their men’s own pockets, that they collectively decided to take a huge dump on it.

And if you think first-wave feminism had actual gender equality in its mind, you are sorely mistaken. Precisely for its deliberate misinterpretation of patriarchy, feminism has been, from the very beginning, a movement unilaterally interested in giving women equal rights to men, without burdening them with the corresponding obligations men were subjected to in order to justify their exercise of those rights. Patriarchy was not egualitarian at all, but it was balanced in its distribution of rights and obligations. And the first feminists, the suffragettes, deeply unbalanced society because of their mis-diagnosis in pretty much every aspect they touched with their efforts. And perhaps worst of all, they knew exactly what they were doing. 

The suffragettes knew exactly that universal male suffrage had been granted by the government to the male citizens as a payment for their obligation to face military conscription and go to war on behalf of women. That is why men had the vote and women did not: because men were subjected to mandatory draft (and, to a lesser extent, chivalry) and women were not. Citizenship rights and citizenship obligations were supposed to go hand in hand, because they had always gone hand in hand for men. (And this is also why a lot of women opposed campaigns for female suffrage, and a lot of men didn’t.) The suffragettes knew this, because in 1917, during WWI, the U.S. government had started sentencing to death draft dodgers who were protesting their obligation to risk their lives, and because of a Supreme Court’s ruling over a constitutional challenge of military conscription brought up that same year by a group of activists. This is why a small number of suffragettes actually campaigned in favor of mandatory war work for women for a while... up until women were granted the right to vote without having to pay anything for it, at which point all of this was quickly put to silence. But wait, there’s more. Despite knowing that male citizenship came at the cost of mandatory military conscription, a lot of suffragettes, most notably Emmeline Pankhurst – the leader of the British suffragette movement – and her daughter Christabel – co-founder of the Women's Social and Political Union –, had the gall to join the Order of the White Feather, an organization aimed at shaming men into enlisting in the British Army by persuading women to present them with a white feather if they were not wearing a uniform. So, most of the suffragettes were actually campaigning at the same time for gaining the right to vote without having to pay for it, and for enforcing on men the obligation they had to the government (and to women) that paid for their right to vote. This was a war that killed 10 million men, some of whom were actually still without their citizenship rights (as up until the Vietnam War, the voting age was 21, but the age required to be eligible to the draft was 18 1/2). Men went on until 1973 (more than half a century after women had gotten universal female suffrage for free) to face mandatory conscription as a payment for their citizenship. 

You ever wondered what would have been the female equivalent of the draft? The Handmaid’s Tale. A piece of dystopian fiction that has never existed but everyone fear. Can you even imagine being forced by your government to turn your body into an instrument to its purpose in times of need, and risk your life against your will for the national interest, especially the interest of the opposite sex? And can you even imagine agreeing absent-mindedly whenever The Handmaid’s Tale gets refered to as an “example of female dominance” and as a sign of “female power” by men? Becuase that was military conscription in wartime, and that is how feminists describe it even nowadays. Women have never been conscripted. Ever. Not for making babies, not for anything.

Chivalry was also a uniquely male social obligation that constituted a payment for full citizenship, but the suffragettes couldn’t care less. And while they were striving to get the right to vote, they still required for men to pay for theirs even in that way. Suffragette Sylvia Punkhurst, for instance, wrote an article for the New York Times strictly after the Titanic sink, claiming that “ladies first” had always been the universal rule, and should have stayed that way. How convenient. 

And don’t even get me started on the fucking mess they made with property rights. As soon as complaints were voiced on the part of women regarding the distribution of marital property within marriage (right after the establishment of a cash economy), the patriarchy granted wives the right to emancipate their own property and income not only from their husbands’ administration, but from the entire institution of marriage, while simoultaneously leaving the husbands’ obligation to financially provide for them unchanged. Again, they demanded the rights and were granted them without the corresponding obligations required to justify them. Their entitlement to their husbands support even extended to the tax burden on their now indipendently-held property and income, which their husbands had no longer access to, despite still having to pay for. As a consequence of this imbalance, there had been men sent to prison in the UK for tax evasion on the grounds of being unable to pay the taxes owing on the property/income of their wives. One suffragette, physician Elizabeth Wilks, even refused, as had become her right under the law, to provide her husband with the necessary documentation so he could calculate and pay for her taxes, but given that he was a school teacher (earning less than her) and already responsible for paying for everything else in the marriage, he couldn’t have afforded to pay it regardless. While he was in prison, she even released interviews in which she urged other suffragettes to engage in the same behavioral tactics in order to spread awareness for their cause. Her husband was finally released from prison on humanitarian grounds due to his failing health, and died right after. Again: the suffragettes knew what they were doing. They knew they were not going for equality. And that oppressive patriarchy – the one that modern feminists define as set up to benefit men at women’s expense – went nonchalantly along with it.  

A similar situation happened also in family law. Thanks to Caroline Norton, women were granted default mother custody of young children upon divorce or separation with the Tender Years Doctrine. Up until that moment, the patriarchal assumption had always been of paternal custody, since the father was solely burdened with financial responsibility for the survival and upbringing of the children, while the mother had no obligation towards either the father or her own children upon the contract dissolution. Still, with the introduction of the Tender Years Doctrine, full default custody rights were transfered from the father to the mother, but surpise of surprises! the unilateral financial obligations that used to go along with them still utterly fell onto the father, who kept being required to single-handedly maintain the household of his minor children. Children he could no longer see or live with, but was still entirely economically responsible for. 

So. Just saying. If feminism’s purpose had truly been about achieving gender equality, they wouldn’t have exploited women’s privileges and lack of obligations to tilt what was a balanced social system explicitly and overwhelmingly in their favor, and they wouldn’t have successfully pushed to shatter the economic contract of marriage in such a way to distribute the benefits of both parties unilaterally to women and the obligations of both parties unilaterally to men. But that’s what they did. And for all of this, we are paying the price right now.

Moreover, if you believe the first wave was even the most problematic one... wait until you hear about the second wave, and the laws and policies feminists in the 1970s and 1980s successfully implemented regarding domestic violence (with the full connivance of the "Patriarchy", no less). It’s truly shocking. 

But yeah. “Feminism is about equality.” 

Feminism is about equality

It’s not about revenge. It’s not about hate. It’s not about payback. If your feminism hates on men, then it’s not feminism, it’s sexism. If your feminism wants women to be superior to men, then it’s not feminism. Stop branding your sexist actions as a part of an equality movement.

[orbemnews]

Did You Miss Out on Trip This 12 months? You’re Not Alone In a typical 12 months, New York workers of the journal writer Condé Nast should use their trip days earlier than late December or lose them — a typical coverage throughout company America. However early this month, the corporate despatched workers an e-mail saying they might carry as much as 5 trip days into subsequent 12 months, an obvious acknowledgment that many scrimped on days off amid the lengthy hours and journey restrictions imposed by the pandemic. “The carry-over will likely be computerized, and there may be nothing additional you could do,” the e-mail stated. Condé Nast was not alone in scrambling to make end-of-year preparations for vacation-deprived staff. Some employers, nonetheless, have been much less accommodating. “It’s an enormous concern we’re seeing now — competing requests for time without work over the subsequent two weeks,” stated Allan S. Bloom, an employment lawyer at Proskauer in New York. “Purchasers are struggling to determine it out.” Mr. Bloom and different attorneys and human sources specialists stated there was no clear sample in how employers had been dealing with the problem. Many firms that already permit workers to hold trip days into the subsequent 12 months — like Goldman Sachs (usually as much as 10) and Spotify (usually as much as 10) — haven’t felt the necessity to change their insurance policies. The identical is true for some firms that pay staff for his or her unused trip days. Neither Common Motors nor Ford Motor, whose hourly staff can money out unused trip days on the finish of the 12 months, is making adjustments this 12 months. However many staff could discover themselves unable to take holidays that they postponed: Salaried staff at each automakers ordinarily lose unused trip days on the finish of the 12 months with out compensation. Different firms have taken steps that might defuse a possible human sources headache and, they are saying, profit their work forces in troublesome instances. Financial institution of America, which usually requires its U.S. workers to take all their trip earlier than the tip of the 12 months, stated in June that it will permit them to push as much as 5 days into the primary quarter of 2021. Citigroup has sometimes allowed its U.S. workers to hold trip days into the primary quarter of the subsequent 12 months, however in July it added an inducement: Staff obtain an additional trip day subsequent 12 months in the event that they use all of their 2020 trip time this 12 months. Smaller firms have made comparable modifications. Latshaw Drilling, an oil service firm primarily based in Tulsa, Okla., sometimes permits workplace staff to roll over as much as three weeks of trip time. In December, Latshaw advised its workplace workers that it will purchase as much as one week of unused time past that quantity, which they’d have in any other case misplaced. “Since this 12 months was so loopy and other people had been afraid to journey, we made a one-time change,” stated Trent Latshaw, the corporate’s founder and president. A number of specialists stated a philosophical query loomed over trip advantages: Is the purpose to make sure that staff take time without work? Or are trip days merely another type of compensation that staff can use as they see match, whether or not to chill out away from the job, to complement their earnings or to pull round with them till the tip of time, as a monument to their productiveness? An employer’s insurance policies can mirror its views on this query: For all their drawbacks, use-it-or-lose-it guidelines may also help make sure that staff take time without work, stated Jackie Reinberg, who heads the absence and incapacity apply of the consulting agency Willis Towers Watson. In contrast, rollover and cash-out choices indicate that trip is an asset they’re entitled to regulate. Nonetheless, for a lot of staff, the problem in the course of the pandemic shouldn’t be unused trip days a lot as inadequate trip days. Jonathan Williams, communications director for United Meals and Industrial Staff Native 400, which represents grocery retailer staff in Mid-Atlantic States, stated staff had generally been pressured to attract down their reserves of paid time without work in the event that they had been requested to quarantine a second time after a doable coronavirus publicity. Solely the primary quarantine is usually lined by the employer, Mr. Williams stated. And a few workers have issue benefiting from the beneficiant trip insurance policies their firms supply. Up to date  Dec. 28, 2020, 3:18 p.m. ET A Goal spokeswoman stated the corporate had elevated the holiday days that each hourly and salaried staff may roll over into the subsequent 12 months, primarily based on the worker’s position and tenure. However in keeping with Adam Ryan, who works for Goal in Christiansburg, Va., many workers wrestle to qualify for advantages like trip days. Mr. Ryan stated in a textual content message that he had been with the corporate for 3 years however sometimes averaged lower than 20 hours per week. “That method I don’t get any trip or paid sick days, no actual advantages of any form,” he stated. The Goal spokeswoman stated workers may choose up extra hours below its vacation staffing association. A number of union officers, employers and human-resources specialists stated monetary concerns drove many choices about trip insurance policies in the course of the pandemic. Toyota usually permits hourly and lots of salaried workers in the USA to money out as much as two weeks of unused trip days. This 12 months, the corporate lowered the cap to at least one week, a change {that a} spokeswoman stated was meant to assist avert layoffs. The concerns develop into much more difficult for days that staff push into future years. In line with Ms. Reinberg, permitting staff to roll over days can create a pile of liabilities owed to staff that many employers are loath to hold on their books. A union official on the information group Reuters stated the corporate cited accounting issues in sticking with its use-it-or-lose-it coverage this 12 months. The union had pleaded for leniency, noting that its contract permits administration to approve a rollover of trip days in “distinctive circumstances.” “If this 12 months has not been distinctive, I don’t know what the hell has been,” stated the union official, Dan Grebler, an editor who’s chair of the employees’ bargaining unit at Reuters. “The response was: ‘No, we are able to’t try this. There can be difficult bookkeeping concerned.’” Mr. Grebler stated Reuters had begun urging staff to take days off this calendar 12 months across the identical time it had rebuffed him. A Reuters spokeswoman stated that “our coverage for U.S. workers for some years has not allowed for unused trip days to be rolled over” and that “workers have been recurrently reminded because the first half of this 12 months.” Unionized workers at The New York Instances, comparable to reporters, are inspired to make use of trip days in the course of the 12 months by which they accrue the times however can usually carry them over till March 1 of the subsequent 12 months. Days they don’t use by that time are paid out in money. An organization spokeswoman stated the coverage had not modified this 12 months. By each regulation and customized, many People have come to see trip days extra as compensation than as a mandate to take time without work. In a survey by Willis Towers Watson in April, greater than half of employers that made or deliberate to make adjustments to their trip advantages stated they had been doing so as a result of they didn’t anticipate staff to make use of all their days. About one-third that deliberate adjustments stated the profit had develop into too expensive. A number of states, like California and Montana, basically codify the property-right view of trip by outlawing use-it-or-lose-it insurance policies. (Corporations with use-it-or-lose-it or strict rollover insurance policies should exempt staff in these states.) Such legal guidelines shield staff from successfully being disadvantaged of trip days which are troublesome to make use of in the course of the 12 months solely to have them expire at 12 months’s finish. However these legal guidelines may subtly discourage holidays by making them simpler to redeem for cash or postpone indefinitely. “To me as an advocate, you have to be ready by regulation to maintain unused trip time,” stated Peter Romer-Friedman, an employment lawyer at Gupta Wessler. “However I’m undecided that creates a great incentive.” To that finish, quite a few firms, many within the tech business, have seized on the pandemic as a possibility to verify their staff are decompressing. Within the spring, the software program firm GitLab responded to a big rise in hours put in by its greater than 1,000 staff with so-called friends-and-family days, by which the corporate shuts right down to discourage folks from logging in. Google, Slack and the software program firm Cloudera have began comparable insurance policies — none of which rely in opposition to staff’ paid days off. Automattic, the maker of the website-building software WordPress.com, has gone even additional, encouraging workers who work collectively to coordinate their holidays as a approach to get rid of friction that daunts breaks. “We’ve been experimenting with whole groups taking time without work concurrently,” Lori McLeese, the corporate’s head of human sources, wrote in an e-mail. “We’re hoping that this will cut back the quantity of ‘catch up’ work workers sometimes return to after taking a trip, making their transition again much less aggravating or overwhelming.” Peter Eavis and Clifford Krauss contributed reporting. Supply hyperlink #vacation #Year #youre