#but I'm also terrified of investing a lot of money into a hand then not being able to play it

[signechan]

...I think it's good they're are things for casual people or people who aren't part of a hobby. I think it's good that we make shows you can have on for background noise while you cook if you live alone or books for people who don't usual read that might help them see why reading is awesome or games that allow people who's families didn't own consoles to enjoy gaming without having to play games aimed at kids to learn the rules. What we need is to not try to make EVERY show or book or game like this. Or to take existing properties and try to force them into this. There's nothing wrong with things being accessible but there's also nothing wrong with things that ask you to engage more deeply.

[celaenaeiln]

Okay but you can’t just say “I'm not going to get into their brother relationship because that involves how Alfred treats Dick as a son rather than a grandson and is opening a whole new mansion of stuff so I'm going to wrap this up here” and not follow up with another post because that’s just cruel 😔😞 (aka this is me saying I really like & enjoy reading your interpretations and I need more of them HEHE)

😂😂😂😂😂😂

Thank you!!!! <3333

I love thinking about how Alfred treats Dick more of a son than a grandson because their relationship is different from Alfred's relationship with the other kids. Furthermore, it also explains a bunch of his actions.

First of, I know when everyone saw that Alfred had left Dick his entire inheritance they went "What the fuck." There were a bunch of jokes and questioning about why Alfred would do that and a lot of people have wrote it off as Tom Taylor's writing. But here's the thing. Tom Taylor has done a lot of stupid stuff in terms of characterization but he's done quite a few things right and one of them was adequately explaining Dick and Alfred's relationship.

I don't know how many people can read cursive but it says, "I invested much of this wisely and ethically...In fact, I planned to come to you for advice. Like Bruce, your mind is astonishing. You are a problem-solver and the world is full of problems." (There's actually panel during one of Dick and Slade's fight I have saved so lemme know if you or anyone is interested in Dick's innovativeness and how it makes his a terrifying opponent.)

Let me pause right there. This is Alfred's life savings. It's every piece of penny he's saved and every minute of his life is in that money. On top of what he says about Dick's intellect-and I agree and can prove it-he must've loved and trusted Dick an extraordinary amount to do this.

Alfred goes on to say, "I couldn't think of better hands to leave this fortune in. I believe you will see this, not as a personal gain, but as an opportunity. Because I believe in Dick Grayson."

He continues praising him and- HERE IT IS- "I am so very proud to call you my son."

DICK IS ALFRED'S SON.

This is the cleanest, clearest panel where he explicitly says it.

Hold on-this is the cleanest panel that says it? Wait a minute, let me retract that:

"Master Bruce was my son for a while. And then there was you."

THIS MOMENT HAS BEEN BUILDING UP ON US FOR YEARS. Tom Taylor wasn't doing lip service, he was just writing the inevitable!

I swear there's a panel where Dick refers to Alfred as his dad...

*Record scratch* WHAT DID ALFRED CALL DICK? WHAT DID DICK CALL ALFRED?

THIS IS WHY I LOVE THEM!!! THEY ARE GLORIOUS, BRILLIANT, UNDERRATED, AND NO ONE UNDERSTANDS THE FULL EXTENT OF EITHER OF THEIR ABILITIES, LOVE, OR DEPTH OF EMOTIONS.

THEIR RELATIONSHIP IS ON A DIFFERENT LEVEL.

Take the Ric Grayson arc for another example.

Background context: Dick-Ric-was sleeping on the counter and all of a sudden he was startled out of a nightmare thus accidentally ending up bumping into the guy next to him who was drinking. Of course the guy doesn't mind only because it's Dick but anyways, here Alfred makes his entrance. Another thing I love about about this interaction is this is one of the few times Alfred has ever admitted to being in the military. The only other time I can think of him openly saying that is when he's slapping Bruce around.

The worry in the man's eyes for his wayward son...when Bea is snarking with Dick about his tab Alfred decides to pay for him instead.

LOOK AT HIS EYES AS HE SAYS GOOD NIGHT! THE AMOUNT OF EMOTION HE HAS IN THEM IS PURE PERFECTION. THE MAN JUST WANTS HIS SON TO COME BACK.

Not to mention, Alfred adores Dick in a way he didn't even with Bruce.

"For a long time I would dread coming down to this dark hellhole. But the advent of young Grayson has forced an alteration in my attitude. The masters have made much progress in these few short months. I was opposed initially to the recruitment of the lad in Master Bruce's self-appointed 'War on Crime.' But I am prepared to admit my error. Master Richard has mad a difference for the better to our lives."

This is HUGE. Coming from Alfred, this is massive because Alfred LOATHES Bruce's "War on Crime." How much?

So much that he slapped Bruce bloody for it.

The pseudo-father and son beat each other to pieces over it. So after years of Alfred hating Bruce for what he's done, for him to say he only accepts it because of Dick-because of Dick's personality-is enormous praise and accomplishment.

Alfred loves Dick in a way he doesn't love anyone else. And before I get flamed by people for suggesting Alfred loves Dick more than Bruce, I want to say he loves Dick as much as Bruce but in a different manner. He doesn't see Dick as a grandchild who needs to be coddled and softened, he sees Dick as a son he can spoil and cherish.

Him paying off the tab was not only an act of kindness, but it mimicks the way a rich father gives everything to his youngest son. Bruce was the first born he raised but Dick was the baby of their family. This also ties in with how Bruce doesn't see Dick as just him son like he does with the others. To Bruce, they are just as much brothers as anything else.

When Bruce fires Dick from Robin after two-face, Alfred couldn't take it lightly. Dick wasn't just the light of Bruce's life, he was the fucking sun to Alfred's.

I started crying when I read this because the emotions and the pain he's feeling is so visceral. A man who has been MI5 and SAS (Special Airforce Service), who has fought wars, who has fought his son, lost his best friends, is breaking down alone at the top of the stairs over not having Dick as Robin.

You might think that's not all that sad. Worse things have happened. You're overreacting.

Tears are literally streaming down my face as I'm writing this review. Rudolph nose and ugly bloodstained eyes complete with it.

Can you ever imagine loving someone so much?

Crying in silence with a steady voice to never let them know your sorrow?

But sure, sure, he's cried when others were killed like this so I'll go into other special things.

Some of his best moments are with Dick:

The pure adoration in his eyes as he watches his young son go 'flap' 'flap' 'flap' with his older brother's too big cloathes.

He's laughing! Do you know the only times he laughs or grins like that?

That's right-with Bruce! With his other son.

With Dick, he laughs, gets angry, and actually shows interest in things not related to people's health. Dick humanizes Alfred.

Who is the only other person Alfred has gotten mad at? Oh yeah. Bruce.

There's another panel where Alfred just sits by his bedside holding his hand.

It's the little things that matter is a lie. When it comes to Dick, Alfred does things in fighter jet air shows level of affection which he learned just for this during his SAS days.

Their shared interests & mutual understanding

People always think Dick and Alfred have nothing in common between them. Dick is excitable, bouncy, and some other adjective while Alfred is calming, stoic, and butler-y. They actually forget that Dick and Alfred canonically bond of plays. Dick, as I said before, is a massive theater nerd. He loves plays. He really wanted to see that shakespeare play and Alfred said he would take him because he knows people there and then went on to complain about how his brother didn't even drop by to see him. I love their interactions because Dick brings out a different side to Alfred.

Das Rheingold was a German musical drama that was performed as a single opera at the National Theatre Munich. This is the link if you're interested in reading a short synopsis of this complicated play by the Metropolitan Opera. It's like a mix of "The Lord of the Rings" and "The Rings of Power."

Also the fact that Alfred is tying his tie like a father would tie his son's.

I know they make a crack out of it by using Bugs Bunny (Bugs Bunny is a fantastic cartoon! I grew up on it!) but Alfred knows that Dick loves opera and theater and is only asking if this particular play will suit his interests. Okay, great, we know Dick likes theater. You've said that and posted about it before. But how do we know Alfred likes it too and not just because he's British and posh and whatnot?

He has preformed at the London Theater, and this is another way he connects to Dick emotionally. When Dick complains about being Batman, Alfred is the one that tells him:

This is something Alfred understands about Dick that absolutely no one in the family does.

The two of them are show people. They know how to play the role they were given, and they know how to play it well. No one suspects Alfred the Butler of ruthlessly using firearms and no one suspects Dick the Light of the Universe to ruthlessly to manipulate allies.

Dick knows this about Alfred too and never presses for any answers. When Alfred's pulling out a bullet from Dick and performing high level medical techniques he should know nothing about, Dick asks him, "Where did you learn all this, Alfred." To which Alfred responds, "You would be amazed at what you can pick up by watching the Discovery Channel." Dick just gives a pained laugh retorts about his wonderful bedside manners.

They know.

What Alfred sees in Dick is a pure goodness that can't be emulated. He loves his son for how absolutely good he is and is devastated when Dick can't be with him. Of everyone, Dick is the one Alfred is closest to. Other members have their moments with him but no one continually seeks out his presence just for the fact they like him aside from Dick. The rest treat him as an important side character, not a parent. And Alfred responds to that devotion with overwhelming love of his own.

Alfred and Bruce's optimism comes bundled up in the form of Dick. It's stunning how it's always Alfred of all people who admits this. Alfred who isn't supposed to show favoritism or bias is the one that consistently acknowledges how important Dick is to the family and him. This solidifies the fact that Dick is Alfred's favorite.

Other moments that differentiate Dick and Alfred's relationship:

We're pretty familiar with this and many of us have laughed it off when Alfred scolded Dick (also Dick looks hot af here). But can you imagine even anyone else playfully mocking Alfred? THIS. BOY. IS. SPECIAL. Alfred doesn't even blink twice at the address, indicating how typical it is for Dick to act that way with him. You only do that to people you're best friends with.

Casual comfort, the two of them.

Dick and Bruce were brothers and how that ties into Alfred:

Adding to my "Light of Bruce's life" Robin Dick canon, Alfred told Dick that Bruce "would have self-distructed if he hadn't met me and learned responsibility. I made him laugh, and he was like the greatest big brother you could ever imagine...it was our town."

Bruce and Dick are so damn codependent.

Bruce would not have survived without Dick. That's all there is to it.

Robin Dick was the light shining through rain clouds, the glitter in the air, the angel with golden wings, the giggling sweetheart to Alfred and Bruce. He was sunshine, love, and joy and the men both adored, thrived, and cherished him for it.

And if Dick and Bruce were brothers then Alfred was Dick's father and he was Alfred's son.

[lexcellence]

What is it about Western comics as a medium that enables them to tell specific stories--or be types of art--that other media can't replicate? It feels like it'd be so easy to translate a comic to a film, but we've also seen how outrageously difficult it really is. What, to you, makes comics so worth it all?

This is gonna be long and hella cynical, and I'm going to specifically focus on the big two (Marvel and DC) here, but I think a big part of it comes down to money, and the fact that comics are largely considered to be disposable media by the companies creating them.

See, there isn't a ton invested into the actual creation of comics. Creators are freelancers, so no need to worry about pesky things like "paying a reasonable wage," or "offering health insurance" — every few months or so you'll see people who shaped and revolutionized the medium setting up gofundme's because they never got a safety net, and they aren't taken care of by the companies they put all that work into. IP rights and royalties largely aren't a thing, and the nature of capeshit is that you're always going to find some fan who is honored to have the opportunity to write for them, even as the creators they grew up reading are torn up and spit back out. Couple that with an inherently built in marketbase of nerds, and, more often than not, not "wasting" money advertising actual comics to anyone who doesn't buy them already, and to a large extent it doesn't really matter what risks a comic takes. Warner and Disney don't really have to give a shit —a "bad" superman comic, by any definition of bad, might piss off a few nerds, but isn't gonna do a damn thing to the cultural perception of Superman™️, the Brand™️, available on everything from t-shirts to truck nutz at your local Walmart. And hell, 99 times out of 100 the nerds will keep buying the book anyway, and who cares if they don't, because the comic shops will.

Movies, on the other hand, are a pretty significant investment! You've got actors, hundreds of people in cast and crew, and *actual marketing.* They've gotta make that money back and then some, while appealing to an audience of people who might own a Batman wallet, but couldn't tell you the difference between Joe Chill and Victor Fries. It's harder to take risks with movies, because suddenly you might actually taint the image of a seventy year old brand, and that terrifies all of the investors. You throw too much Comic Book Bullshit™️ at general audiences who haven't already devoted their personalities to caring about who Batman is fucking that week (Hal Jordan), and it gets messy. This isn't even some "general audiences wouldn't understand*" gatekeepy shit, either - if you pick up literally any random comic issue and you don't like it, worst case scenario you've spent like four bucks and fifteen minutes of your life, and you've got anything from dozens to thousands of other issues to try.

*that being said, I still maintain that Batman & Robin is better than any Batman comic that came out that year, and everyone who says otherwise is a fucking coward.

And so, comics end up in a weird, probably ultimately untenable position of being able to take more risks, and being made largely by people who love comics, and grew up speaking their bullshit language. They're self-obsessed and masturbatory, sure, but the thing about saying that derogatorily is that it ignores the fact that masturbation is fun? The worst comics I've read, and I've read a lot of bad comics, are still almost always labors of love, be that for better or for worse. As exhausted as I get sometimes, it's hard for me to write that off entirely.

And, ultimately, I'm just way too invested in who's fucking Batman (Superman).

[zuckarr]

I'm not sorry, but I just love asking you shit. Please answer everything from this post bye-: https://www.tumblr.com/zuckarr/717336721774231552?source=share

Asks that make you think

(thank you so much for wanting to ask me this many things, ily)

What would you do with $3 million?

I guess it's easy to go with the quickest answer, which is probably something like buying my own place, all of the knick knacks I've always wanted, lots of new clothes, expensive gifts for friends and family, etc... but I was never wealthy, so I doubt I'd go on a spending spree so easily. I feel guilty if I spend more than £20 on grocery shopping, so how could I even fathom having that absurd amount of money in my hands? I suppose I would try my best to see it as an investment and I would likely overthink what to do with it. I would also gradually get terrified of being robbed, which wouldn't be nice at all, and maybe would also tamper with my actions. Honestly, the more I think about it, the worse it feels. At the end of the day, I really can't say for sure what I'd do with $3 million.

What superpower would you want? Why?

Oof, I answered this already somewhere, but I can't bother going through all of my asks to find it. The superpower I would want is either the power of flight or the power to pause time. I love the idea of flying, and I feel like pausing time would help me regain control of myself in a lot of situations.

Where would you go if you could time travel?

I'm sure I answered this in the past, as well. Uh... maybe I would go back to my childhood and observe myself and all that happened to me. It would surely give me way more insight than I could ever imagine.

Do you believe in ghosts? Why or why not?

A part of me believes in everything supernatural. I can't deny that I wish for many fantasy creatures to be real. Another part of me is realistic and rational instead, and is constantly in conflict with the first. Maybe, in a way, I need to believe in fantasy because fantasizing has kept me going for years. I don't know where I'd be if I didn't have my imagination, my stories, my favourite creatures. Even if none of it is real, I owe fantasy that much. Short answer is yes, I believe in ghosts because they're part of a world that means a lot to me.

What color represents you and why?

I loved yellow as a child. I remember teachers telling me not to use yellow because it was hard to see on white paper, so I always used it to spite them lol. My appreciation for yellow evolved into my current love for all pastel colors. I love sunrise colors more than any other, because they calm me and bring me joy.

Three wishes, go!

... Nah, that's too fast and I would fuck it up haha!

You are a baby again but contain all your current knowledge. What do you do?

Oh my lord, what I wouldn't do. I'd definitely take so much more care of my body and what I eat. I wouldn't leave school and study properly. I wouldn't let anyone bully me. I would build my relationships in different ways and maybe also with different people. I'd probably choose different paths in my life. I would spend a lot of time away from my family. I would save money and not spend it on ex friends who never deserved it. I would celebrate my own birthdays in much better ways. I would cherish my dog and all of my other pets even more, and spend so much more time with them. Etc.

Trolley problem: how do you answer it?

I had to google what that is haha! I quote wikipedia: "The trolley problem is an ethical dilemma that presents the choice of whether to sacrifice one person to save a larger number. It usually begins with a scenario in which a runaway tram or trolley is on course to collide with and kill a number of people (traditionally five) down the track, but a driver or bystander can intervene and divert the vehicle to kill just one person on a different track."

I think there is no way to answer this. The only way I'd know what I would do is if I was in that situation for real. I can only say that I've always thought that society is made of individuals, and that it's important to take care of the individuals in order to take care of society. Sacrificing one person, or five people doesn't change anything - you are still sacrificing individual lives, therefore you are hurting society. However, humans are biased and I would definitely choose someone who's dear to me over a stranger.

What’s your dream house?

A cottage or bungalow with a thatch roof in a rural area, surrounded by woods and meadows.

Where do you see yourself in five years?

Working on a contract, I hope? And maybe in a better place mentally and financially.

What makes a word a good or nice word?

The way it's pronounced, the facial expression that accompanies it, the right timing, and of course the choice of words according to what the person needs to hear.

What’s your guilty pleasure?

Vegan cheese?? It's incredibly good my god, we have flawless plant based alternatives nowadays! I think everybody should try the Violife brand at least once, if possible!

What’s something you have that makes you nostalgic?

My horsie plush. His name is Nido and I've had him since I was 15. I used to carry it around and people gave me such weird looks because they didn't understand how could a teenager hold a plushie so lovingly like a child. I stopped carrying it around, but I still love him the same. He's my comfort plush, my wonderful, cuddly baby horsie. ❤️

If you were invisible what would you do?

I kinda like the idea of observing people when they're alone. It would be fun. I do lots of weird and funny shit when I'm alone.

What would you do in a zombie apocalypse?

I would essentially just die haha, I really can't see myself being cautious enough, or smart enough to survive.

[out-there-tmblr]

I'm not responding in order, but you asked about tax policy. Of course, I'm going to have to respond!

(if Vander really had like the tiniest traces of a homemade social welfare system then maybe that would explain why people hold him in high regard years later, but again, how realistic is that?)

That's something that I think is highly probable. If you think mining communities, if you think poor and ignored by the state, there is a strong tradition of unions and strike funds, collecting money from all and then giving it to those who are starving. I don't think Vander thought about investment in the future but I think he's always worried for people on a very individual level. So people live in the Lanes and visit the Last Drop and pay protection money, and Vander has a deal that enforcers don't come too close to his people and plays the generous protector, giving his people extra funds when they need it.

(But I think you have to recognise that Vander's protection and generousity is not to all of Zaun, it's to the Lanes specifically. It's to a small group of people he can protect.

Whereas Silco is all about the future, about Zaun as a whole. I think all of his protection money does end up fueling his war chest for his eventual fight with Piltover -- but Silco doesn't worry about what it's costing the poorest in his community. He's fighting for all of Zaun, but there's no personal protection for people or help when they need it. Let's be honest, Ekko is the best mix of the two of them. He protects his people, he worries for them, but he also sees the big picture and is trying to protect everyone in Zaun from teh threat that Silco is to the community.)

Do people come to Vander and ask him to take care of it? Does he just keep his ear on the ground and go out and take out people who he perceives to act out?

Probably. After all, we literally see him step into a deal at the Last Drop, so he is a source of authority and the rest of the crowd backs him up.

I just kind of assumed that it would have been in Silco's interest to be open about having killed Vander to appear fearsome and impressive?

That I found really interesting. Given Caitlyn's surprise at Silco being behind the crimes (her "the industrialist?" response), I think we get a twisted view of how wide ranging Silco's reputation is. Look at the Last Drop, at the photos on the wall, and Silco does appear to be a businessman. We see him scheming and threatening and killing people, but I think he actually keeps a fairly low profile. The murder of Vander? The only people who witnessed that were Vi, Jinx and a handful of Silco's flunkies. I always assumed it wasn't general knowledge that Silco killed him (explosions in Piltover followed by explosions in Zaun and Vander dead… it's enough for rumours to fly around but there's very few witnesses).

I mean, possibly it's a case of Marcus has lied on every report that goes to Piltover, so no one in Piltover is aware of Silco's true business. But Jayce shops in Zaun and other Pilties come over to Zaun to purchase shimmer (because the chembarons complain about loss of business). If everyone knew who Silco was, that would have fed up to the enforcer's in some way.

Vi gets her information from Babette, whose workers are bound to hear a lot of interesting information in their jobs. Silco, we mostly see interact with people who already know him -- chembarons, Marcus, Sevika, Jinx. Occasionally with Singed and other flunkies, but we never really see him interact with Zaun citizens who aren't somehow connected to his business (or already know about Vander's death). All of those people know he's terrifying, but I'm not convinced the Lanes themselves know that.

"but what was his tax policy" and way too lenghty ramblings about Vander's statue and reputation

Which always makes me wonder who built the statue of Vander that we see Silco talk to. Because who else in Zaun actually has the funds to build something that size? Did Silco keep up the lie that Vander started the Lanes and led rebellions and was a hero? (It wouldn't surprise me if Silco did it to keep the crowd on his side as he took over the Last Drop. That man has so many unaddressed issues, I love him.)

@out-there-tmblr

I have to admit I never considered that people don't know that Silco killed Vander and that he could have built the statue. It's a very interesting thought.

I just kind of assumed that it would have been in Silco's interest to be open about having killed Vander to appear fearsome and impressive? And the statue just looks very different to the more harsh/jagged "big brother is watching you" style that to me always suggested that Silco doesn't really try to make nice with people.

The statue looks kind of jagged, like it is made up out of spare parts that suggests more that it could have been built from scraps by amateurs rather than it was commissioned.

And would Ekko really sign a statue made by Silco to cover up the fact that he killed Vander?

So I just always assumed it must have been Ekko or people who feel like Ekko who built it. To me it always made some sense to me that it exists. That this and this would exist.

Like maybe the mural and the statue were created relatively soon after Vander's death. The mural in the Firelight base makes sense because that is just all Ekko.

I could picture somebody making the statue shortly after Vander's death, maybe even as a bit of a fuck you to Silco a "we remember that you killed the guy to get where you are and we the people were never asked if we were okay with it". There are signs that people came and tagged the statue, maybe that even maybe somebody comes and has to "keep the flame burning"?

And similarly even if the statue was meant as a fuck you, I can picture Silco not giving a shit (because he doesn't care as much what people think of him), or even find it funny. Whether despite his disagreement with Vander personally he doesn't mind if people hold up the image of a fellow revolutionary (ie I could easily picture not bothering to spread the news that Vander had a deal with Grayson and just portraying it as a normal power struggle and Grayson's death as an accident by werewolf the way the Pilties think it happened).

Or that he even thinks it's a cute that the people are rebellious (not to the extent to go and work with the Firelights, but you know, just appreciating that Zaun is kind of punky and wild).

It makes sense to me that the people of The Lanes might see Vander as a symbol of comfort and peace. ie maybe not everybody benefits from Silco's new reign. Also when somebody gets murdered it's not rare that people overemphasize their positive qualities. For that to work there really isn't much necessary than Vander being an okay, non-offensive leader. Doesn't tax people too bad, asks for their opinion, doesn't murder too many people (to their knowledge).

So that part doesn't seem too weird to me.

Firelight mural = that's just Ekko. Especially since season 2 establish that he can pull off a mural like that (okay maybe even in the AU he knew what people to ask help him or maybe he painted it 100% himself, doesn't matter, he is certainly the driving force behind it)

Statue = could have been built somewhat shortly after Vander's death. People have vague recollections of "things were better under Vander". Even that people still meet there for important political debates in a "townhall" kind of way doesn't bother me. You an still to agree to meet at Trafalgar square without having any opinion on Trafalgar.

No, what bugs me is this one.

How the fuck is Vander still a symbol of rebellion like what, 6-8 years after his death and 10+ years after presumably the last time he did anything revolutionary?

Especially since in this case we KNOW that Ekko (one of the people we know has an emotional connection to Vander) didn't paint it because he was sucked away by the hexcore and likely wouldn't just that casually made a mural celebrating Jinx at this point.

So somebody who is NOT Ekko had a high enough opinion on Vander to put him in a mural and a mural that represents revolution.

To me it has just always made more sense that within Zaun Vander would represent peace. Because the statue has always looked kind of peaceful to me with the soft glowing light. And it was Vander spent his last few years working on/building up. [maybe even longer since he seems to already be flirting with peacefulness in the Silco and Felicia flashback] And simply because to me it just seems like a very relatable thing that imo the vast majority of radicals/revolutionaries have to deal with: that they find out that in most situations the vast majority of people don't like revolutions and prefer peace/protection (see the long list of revolutions that were totally counting on "the population will rise up and support us!!" and completely whiffed on that)

As the mural venerates Jinx, there's a decent chance that one of the Jinxers made it. So why would they have a reason to have a deep opinion on a guy who those last claim to fame that we know off was to lead some sort of uprising on the bridge that got slapped down? Most of them seem young, so why would they care? There's a huge difference between somebody building a statue rather shortly after Vander's death when he might still be vivid in people's memory and years later*.

I guess a Firelight could have made it and maybe Ekko has been spinning on the tale of how awesome Vander was. But again, considering his age, shouldn't Ekko's experience be more about peaceful community leader Vander?

Admittedly, the underlying context of the mural is it being about at least one person who doesn't want it and who is in a very different frame of mind than what the mural depicts at least at that point in time. So it also misrepresenting Vander/it being there because somebody didn't properly know or understand his story is certainly feasible.

Anyway, really got me thinking that we don't really know what exactly Silco, Vander and friends really did.

The only thing we know for sure:

Built up/ran a bar

Organized something the bridge that escalated and went badly

Both Vander&Benzo and later Silco&Sevika collect "taxes" in the form of protection money

Vander seems to maybe be slightly more open to hearing from the people and responding to their wishes

We also know from writer hints that smuggling was big part of what Silco and Vander did.

Fixing the Mines

So in season one my working theory was that the mines were a shit place to work and maybe Vander & Silco "freed" people from having to work in the mines and instead shifted the economy towards more smuggling/trade which isn't as physically grueling. But that was kind of dashed by season 2 because it suggests that Connel and Felicia still worked in the mine even though Vander and Silco already own the Last Drop. So why would she still work in the mines if she could just work with them at the Drop?

Maybe they just vastly improved working conditions/worker safety? Or maybe they led a rebellion against the mine owners and actually succeeded in setting up a worker run mine?

That's the kind of thing that I could picture inspiring people years later even if it went badly (because looking around in history even short periods that feel like a lot of freedom and self actualization can inspire people for a long time even if historically speaking it wasn't around long).

Daring acts of crime

Then there's Vi's statement about the kind of stunts Vander would have pulled in his youth. So maybe Silco and Vander's early revolutionary activity contained a lot of daring and showy attacks on Piltover rich people that get them celebrated in the Undercity. Robbing big fancy townhouses and spreading the loot around generously (even if it's just by generously buying rounds or food). Or leaving showy calling cards.

Vander could be living off just that old reputation. And if he had a reputation for showy stunts against Piltover then maybe that would fit slightly better with why people might associate him with Jinx in a moral that specifically celebrates her color attack on Piltover.

Cleaning Up The Lanes I (fighting the old system)

I don't think that there's actually much trace of it. But it's a trope in a lot of fiction and I think it's worth thinking about what exactly where "the Lanes" before? Is it just one of those situation where there's always a long line of cruel crime bosses and Vander was one of the softest. And Vander and the gang got into power by picking fights with other criminal gangs and winning or by kicking out whoever was the previous boss?

And people have positive associations with that time period because they helped git rid of . Maybe that could be a good way to explain where the Hound of the Underground nickname could have come from, if they spent some time fighting or pacifying other gangs. (again personally I think it could also just be a pitfighting nick name)

Cleaning Up The Lanes II (establishing order)

Or were the Lanes lawless and Vander (with or without Silco) brought structure to it? Is this the first time the Lanes have a boss at all? If yes, what does that mean? Does it mean a pseudo government system, where taxes are collected from the ones who can afford it?

Was there maybe some sort of social system under Vander where maybe he collects the taxes and then has like a fund to like help people in need, like if they lost their house or had an injury? If Vander and Benzo collect taxes, what does Vander spend it on (presuming he might also have income from the bar?). Is that all going straight to feeding his kids

Silco when he rules doesn't live super ostentatiously either, but at least you can picture that the taxes he collects go to buying research materials for Singed or buying weapons or buying machines for Remi's factories.

(if Vander really had like the tiniest traces of a homemade social welfare system then maybe that would explain why people hold him in high regard years later, but again, how realistic is that?)

Or does running the Lanes mean for Vander that he like helped people negotiate their quarrels, like the barest hint of a court/justice system? If somebody acts out on the Lanes, what happens? Do people come to Vander and ask him to take care of it? Does he just keep his ear on the ground and go out and take out people who he perceives to act out? Do people show up at his place and ask him to decide in one of their quarrels? (I was thinking how in a bunch of RPG video games in the recent years they have introduced sequences where people ask you to decide a conflict, but even if it's not a "petitioning the duke" kind of situation, if Vander has a rule he's giving out, how is it handled when people go against that rule?)

Again going here with the idea that people might remember Vander positively if they perceived him as a guy they could go to for help and Silco later is more a hand off lawless "fix your stuff yourself" kind of guy where the normal people are concerned.

Like I said, I think Vander doesn't have to be a super duper special guy beyond "he was a nice charismatic guy with a bar people like to go to and who got killed surprisingly in way people don't really understand" for the statue to exist. But that he still gets remembered years later by people other than Ekko is more weird to me. And even if one assigns less value to the acts of season 2, there's still he whole "why does he have a nickname and reputation that even foreigners know" and what Vi is referring to with the stunts of Vander's youth that she presumably heard from other people about.

(and yes: I just wrote a whole "okay, but what would be his tax policy?" post)

[*and yes the mural that bugs me so much could be a "two part" one, ie the Vander part could be older and then somebody else added Jinx to the existing Vander mural, ta least getting around my "Ekko definitely didn't paint the Jinx mural" issues with it]

[junniepop]

JJK men and a male reader

So I died and came back. Now my inbox is filled with a lot of Jujutsu Kaisen stuff with a male reader, so I looked around and noticed there aren't a lot of male writers or even gender neutral ones, meaning that's what I'll be doing for awhile. This first request is...

before I get started, if you'd like to request something, then please see my masterlist

JJK boys with a male s/o

Warnings: aged up and language oh and some nsfw stuff cuz that's what they wanted.

Characters: I. Yuuji, F. Megumi, G. Satoru, N. Kento, R. Sukuna, T. Aoi

I. Yuuji

Isn't hung up by you being male, I feel as Yuuji got older, the more open minded he became. His sexuality was something that evolved as he aged and had a big change in his mid teenage years when he was exploring himself. Into his late teens he began seeing people of all types of representation, he simply did not care how they presented themselves.

That leads us to you, our gorgeous male that has Yuuji simping. All seriousness, this man loves entirely, some might even find it to be smothering. He is the type to text you paragraphs of good morning and goodnight texts, always leaving something for you to eat in the fridge, brings something home because it reminded him of you, and always always makes time to call you before a mission.

Yuuji always has random thoughts about you. Like, "Should I make his favorite tonight?" "I wonder what he's doing." "Oh....that would look so cute on him, should I get it?" "AH this charm has our initials on it! that means it was meant to be!"

If you're a sorcerer, Yuuji d e m a n d s to be your partner on missions and he will have a fit if someone says no. Is constantly stressing himself out over your well being, even if he knows you can handle yourself. always asking about your technique and is amazed every time he sees it. Very protective, stands in front of you a lot and when he see's you struggling he doesn't hesitate to get the curse's attention regardless of his own situation.

Also just because I feel like he would: Yuuji gave you a promise ring when he realized you were the one he wanted to be with for the rest of his life.

He has this need to prove to you that he is a fit partner, Like showing you he can cook, has his own place, very responsible with his money and what not.

The type of guy to send you a million snaps a day. He will literally show you everything he did that day and wants the same in return.

Every date with him somehow includes a physical activity. Going out to dinner? chances are Yuuji will see an arcade and more specifically the DDR in the background.

NSFW

In terms of sexual stuff, Yuuji seems like a top, but has definitely thought about bottoming and upon trying it- was not into it. Does not matter if you're much bigger than him or not, he will top you. However, Yuuji is rather submissive when it comes to his partner, he will say yes to whatever it is you want. You want him to be soft and gentle, he'll do it. You want him to absolutely wreck your ability to walk, he'll do it.

The first time Yuuji tried stuff with a guy, he for sure looked up if it would hurt and read that anal could be very painful, was TERRIFIED that he would hurt the guy. Definitely was asking with every movement if he was okay. With you he's more confident, but still askes if you're okay throughout the event.

Man is simple, likes very intimate positions where he can see your face. Heavily into pleasing you, he tries any kinks you're into even if he's not that into it. Loves being praised, it just does something to his brain, in that same line- any sounds you make go straight to his dick. Really enjoys marking, is proud to cover you in them too.

The type of guy to enjoy eating you out, like fully sit on his face. Plus it helps his dick slide in smoother.

Yuuji will lose his mind if you say you want to milk him. Yuuji usually never thinks about his own pleasure, so when you want to pleasure him until he's empty, mans is not readyyyy. Just stutters out an okay and proceeds to go stupid when you start.

Conclusion

Yuuji loves you entirely. Trusts you 100% and would do anything to keep your life stable and happy. Yuuji just wants to grow old with you tbh, so in love with the idea.

If you were to break up with him, he would be devastated, unable to continue on for a long time. I mean he placed his everything into you, why would you do this to him?

all in all, it is a very stable relationship as long as you don't take him for granted because he is prone to letting people use him.

F. Megumi

Definitely did not care you were male. Megumi cares about a person's mentality, their goals and dreams, the way a person carries themselves. When Megumi met you, he found you quite attractive, your drive is what lured him in and from there his feelings developed.

Megumi is subtle in showing his affection. Little touches here, sticky notes meant just for you, always carrying 'extra' snacks. It actually might take you awhile to notice his affections for you, simply because it is so subtle. Megumi seems like the person to wait until you confess. However. Megumi would confess if he gets pushed to or knows he won't get rejected.

Once he confesses, his love is soft and soothing with a hint of awkwardness. Megumi in the beginning would be showing affection through words and small acts of service, always telling you how much he appreciates you and doing things for you. Some of these things would be things like picking up snacks for you, doing your laundry, leaving you some of his clothes. He likes to do these things without you knowing because I think it lessens the embarrassment he feels doing it.

Even if you are in a long term relationship with him, he always gets flustered by you. Megumi is naturally reserved, so telling him I love you with sincerity will cause him to malfunction. Poor boy freezes and stutters around his words while avoiding eye contact.

Now, physical contact in this relationship is a tell tale sign of how much Megumi trusts you and loves you. Megumi is the type of person to reserve physical touch for someone he completely trusts, so with you, this will let you know his true feelings.

Touch would start with closeness at first, just grazing hands or bumping knees, but would develop into hours of intimate cuddling because he's touched starved. KISSING, oh my lord- his kisses tell you everything he feels. so intense, no matter how soft he kisses you.

if you're a sorcerer, Megumi is the type to go on missions with you, but doesn't complain if he can't go with you. However, worries a lot and contemplates going after you. Unlike Yuuji, who would go to literal war, Megumi trusts your strength a lot. The only time he is like yuuji is against a particularly strong curse. Loves fighting together though, it shows how much you trust him.

NSFW

Megumi gives me verse energy. Like he was a top for a long time, asked you if he could bottom once and was surprisingly into it. So now when the mood arises, its whatever you guys are in the mood for. You guys often take turns.

His first time was with you- Megumi just seems like a late bloomer and you were the only person he did stuff with. He's very gentle because he knows it can be painful, I think sexually his fear is not being good enough for you, so give him as much reassurance as you can.

Now this boy is rather kinky despite his personality. Loves when you beg, drives him mad to hear your pleas and whimpers. Likes the pain of you needing something to hold onto when he tops which results in scratches down his back and the pulling of his hair. Doesn't think condoms are necessary because you're the only person for him in his eyes- aka likes breeding. When he bottoms, he enjoys riding and wants to see your face as he does. Do not get it twisted though, he's very much into you messing him up and railing him.

SEND THIS BOY NUDES. DO IT. Mans will sprint home if he has to. Don't do it too often or he'll get used to it. Maybe like once every two-ish weeks. Or better yet do it while he's on a mission. Megumi always tries to answer you, so expecting something serious, he short circuits when its just a pic of you in some underwear he thought he ripped the last time you guys were intimate.

Conclusion

Shy boy into some kinky things with his partner. It might take him some time to develop a deep relationship with you because he's scared you'll leave, but as long as you provide him the security he needs, he'll stay by your side indefinitely.

If you were to break up with him, you're just like his dad in his eyes and the betrayal would result in him locking many people out. Unlike Yuuji, who's emotions pour out of him, many wouldn't know Megumi is barely scrapping by.

G. Satoru

Gojo doesn't give a rats ass how you present yourself, he lives by the motto "a hole's a hole." What truly would make Gojo invest in more than casual hooking up is your personality. Gojo needs someone who doesn't need him and doesn't care about who he is in the sorcerer world. Someone like that would capture his eye rather quick and this man is like "Eh? I'm GOJO SATORU, you know top dog?" and you would just blink and go back to whatever it was you were doing.

Shows off so much trying to impress you. "ne ne (Y/n) did you see me squash that special grade into dust?" *sigh* "Yes Gojo, I also saw you split one into a thousand pieces and turn another into a ball." so unamused by his abilities.

The one time he saw amazement cross your features is when he was playing the piano (I feel Gojo's other talents were never looked at and everyone saw him as this god like being, all he wants is someone to look at other things he can do.) and his heart skipped a beat. Because his first goal was just get into your pants, he was quite surprised you were more interested in his normal talents. This is where he begins showing you his real side, still a teasing man child, but he begins asking you about your interests and seeing what you have in common.

The more he learns, the harder it is for him to find a way not to commit to you. You see Gojo subconsciously looks for a reason to leave, he hates being tied down and is super flighty. Then there's you, ticking all his boxes without even knowing it. There's only been one person to do that.

So he takes a leap and goes for it. He's still scared that he'll get burned like last time, but he's willing to try.

One of the requirements to being with Gojo is you need to be strong in your own right. Gojo is an extremely powerful man with many enemies, so his partner must be able to handle themselves. Being a sorcerer, Gojo would B E G you to go with him on literally every single mission and would throw the biggest tantrum until you say yes. Sometimes when he's being particularly childish, he'll stop fighting the curses to watch you do it. "You can do it (Y/n)-chan, if you win I'll give you kisses." Takes everything in your power not to launch your technique right at him as he sits there with his shit-eating grin.

This man in the beginning of your relationship is immediately extremely handsy. Just all up on you all the time, but little do you know is, this is really a protective measure for when you're out of the house. At home, he's still handsy, but you can just feel how different it is. He'll come and fall asleep on you, stand behind you when you're doing your skincare routine, always following you around the house.

Overtime, you'll become his place to rest when he needs to recharge. You're the only time Gojo gets a break from being at the top. It makes you wonder if he ever truly gets to be normal.

Overall, Gojo's love is deceptively delicate because his personality is quite childish, he uses it as a mask to hide how he's really feeling. So you might think everything is going swimmingly until he ups and leaves you. Once he starts showing you that real side of him, that's when you have him wrapped around your finger.

NSFW

This man is incredibly horny. His stamina is very high and he's very kinky. Gojo is a dominant verse whore. It doesn't matter if he's taking or giving, he's always in control. Honey you were not first and you might not be the last, this man is very confident in pleasuring you.

Gojo like I said, is incredibly kinky. He enjoys degrading you, overstimulating you until you beg him to stop, he wants to break you and make you only crave him. Seriously, you might want to think about a safe word because this man won't stop until you're not even speaking coherent sentences. In saying that there are somethings that you can try (key word 'try') to do to make him lose his mind. One of those things is a blowjob, his dick is incredibly sensitive in certain areas, so he'll become a mind-numbed mess if you're good enough. Another is softly begging in his ear and saying how he's the only one who makes you feel this way aka call him your god in bed and he'll bust right then and there.

Phone sex. Legit will call you if you guys haven't been together for a few days and all you hear are his whines and groans. "Guess what I'm doing cutie~"

THIS MAN- you're never safe to answer your phone because one time you opened the snap and it was him lazily jacking his dick. You have a small heart attack every time the notif is a snap from Gojo, just praying you can open it in public and 9/10 you can't.

The type of guy to get handsy in public places. Just in your ear like "Baby pleeeeasssseeeee can we fuck in public, I promise you'll still be able to walk when I'm done."

Conclusion

Gojo is a rollercoaster of a relationship that needs it's rider to be okay with a lot of distance for awhile and sudden disappearances. Without the right criteria, the relationship is doomed to fail.

If you were to break up with him, he would immediately sleep with as many people as he can to numb himself from the pain of having a hole ripped right through him. He'd go back to that childish personality, but you can feel the edge in his words despite his tone.

N. Kento

Nanami gives me 'gave up on the sex of my partner ages ago' energy. Like he has tried relationships with a lot of people and realized all people suck. So you being a man means nothing to him, you just have to prove to him you're not shitty like everyone else.

The type of guy that takes you out on proper dates in the beginning. It's usually dinner because of his job, but sometimes he'll ask you to lunch. Nanami will bring you small gifts like flowers or Knick knacks he thought you'd like.

Nanami likes someone a little younger than himself, probably around 23-24, they still have that idealistic thought process but with realistic foundations. He likes someone who can be serious, but still enjoys things like joyrides or going out bowling.

Nanami is a very uptight guy, so you're going to have to work to get him to relax. When you do, this is when he starts to see you as long time partner rather than someone who is just for fun. Literally goes from stick up his ass, to a big softie that just wants to curl up in bed with you. He'll start smiling more and doing intimate things like bathing together.

Nanami would probably rather have someone outside the sorcerer world so he doesn't have to think about work when he sees you. He wouldn't complain if you were though, gives him a lot less to worry about since he knows you can handle yourself. Doesn't even stress when you go on missions by yourself, he respects your strength.

NSFW

Now Nanami is moderately kinky. He's definitely a top and will not change. He's into ddlb (dom daddy and little boy for my innocents out there.) Very much into control and making you take it, he's not one for brats and will tame that shit right out of you. Doesn't need a safe word, he's very good at gauging your reactions. Really really into deep throating and you better learn how to breathe or you'll be struggling. Likes breeding, so he would be glad you can't have children.

Conclusion

Nanami’s love is traditional and straight forward. He likes routine to a certain degree and that degree ends at stable relationship, everything else is not that fun without a level of risk to him, but he likes that when he comes home, you'll be right there.

if you were to break up with him, Nanami would sigh and say he told himself so. He's hurt, but it'll solidify that people are still and always will be shitty.

R. Sukuna

Sukuna does not do love. period. The only way I could see him giving notice to someone is if they are powerful, someone who can bring him amusement. Sukuna only does thing for his own entertainment end of discussion.

I’m going to be using post-Yuuji Sukuna, so he’s restricted by Yuuji himself and can’t outright cause chaos at all times. This way Sukuna has to spend more time with people than he’d like to, normally he would just kill something once he’s bored, but now he has to deal with them.

Noticed your technique through Yuuji and was amused, much like Megumi, he thought your curse technique had a lot of potential to be devastating. As Yuuji spent more time with you, Sukuna began noticed more things about you, like that you cooked better than Yuuji, were extremely versatile in battle with your technique and so on.

The type to notice your attraction to him and act on it. He can’t really do much since he’s in Yuuji’s body, so he’s going to work with what he’s got. Didn’t care if you’re male or female, he just likes a strong partner so he can go harder during sex.

Your relationship would start with being his toy, something to bring him pleasure that is all. With Sukuna, you must both respect him and not fear him. He’s very big on respect and trust, but hates when someone he views as ‘important’ fears him because they’ll betray him the second they can. Everyone else can fear him, he doesn’t care.

Sukuna is also highly unpredictable and unstable, be prepared for death at a moments notice tbh. He’ll kill you if he feels like it. In a deeper relationship, Sukuna is a hard pressed tsundere, saying things quite harshly. Saying things like, “Here brat, I don’t need you breaking just yet.” “Dumbass, that curse was stronger than you.” “I took care of them because you’re weak.”

Trust between Sukuna and you is a game of high stakes chess, one wrong move and you’re nothing but trash to him. However, succeed in earning his trust and you’ll be rewarded with a loyal man. Though Sukuna hates showing vulnerability, so he’ll treat you the same in public places that he would treat anyone else. Alone, he’s alright with whatever as long as it doesn’t annoy him.

Surprisingly protective. He’ll kill curses he deems are a problem to you or rip a person limb from limb if he found a hair missing from your head. Doesn’t understand why you don’t let him handle it, he’s way stronger than you.

Is almost never soft with you unless he’s extremely tired or just waking up. Holding you as close as he can and telling you not to go. Don’t bring it up either, he’ll end you if you tell anyone.

Will never tell you, but likes touching you, you’re very soft compared to him. He’s the type of guy to have callous from years of fight and doesn’t really care about his skin to much because he’s a God in his eyes.

Would rather surrender himself to a church than admit he gets slightly giddy when you remember small details about him. Like this man has a lot of history, so when you know a tiny random detail about him, his non-existent heart shutters a little.

Nsfw

This man is extremely kinky during sex. I pray for your well being because honestly I don’t know if you’re going to live through sex with him. A dom top period, that last person to even insinuate they could top him was added to his innate domain permanently.

He’s into completely dominating you and make sure you know he owns you. B I G into impact play, slapping you a lot until you’re a beautiful red. Degrading and humiliating you, honestly would let people watch so they know that you’re his property.

Actually really likes his partner to be a brat, man loves breaking you and turning you into a submissive bunny just for him. Honestly he just likes pushing people beyond their limits, like really into emotional play, he wants to see your expressions when he does something. Ooo objectification, will use you like a foot stool and sit on you. Man in general will work you hard.

In saying all that, immaculate aftercare because he knows your mind is too far gone to remember him being this caring and soft for you. Literally bathes you and gets you into bed curled up on him. Also makes sure your body didn’t sustain a lot of damage during sex.

Do. Not. Taunt. Sukuna. It will not end well. “Huuuh? You think you can handle more little boy?” Eyes narrowed and smile too tight. You’ve awoken the beast and he’s not going to leave anything unbroken.

Conclusion

Sukuna’s love is... well a bike ride through hell? To be honest you’ll never know if he loves you. Everything about him is highly unpredictable and dangerous, you could end up as worm food in seconds.

Breaking up with Sukuna... you’re joking right? You don’t have the balls to tell a man who could split you into a million pieces with a flick of the wrist, you’re breaking up with him , right?

Seriously he’ll kill you, no hesitation. It’s either realize you’re stuck with him or die. I think most people would assume he never cared at first, but he did care and now you want to leave him? Absolutely not. He set everything down for you and he’ll be damned if he lets you live without him.

T. Aoi

(First and foremost- why is it so hard to find Toudou headers.)

Okay, I’m sorry but Toudou to me is a straight guy, so I can’t really see him with a male. But, if it were to happen, I think it would go like this:

Being childhood friends with Toudou, you were used to his eccentric personality and sometimes extreme antics.

This man is EXTREMELY comfortable with you. You guys grew up together, so some of the things you guys do together would definitely be seen as way too much for friends. I’m talking sharing the same bed, bathing together, using each other’s things without permission. To you guys, you’ve been doing this since you were little, so neither of you think twice.

I think there would be a trigger that would make Toudou realize he’s more into you than being friends. Like maybe someone flirting with you, he’d at first think he’s being replaced as a friend, but it’s much deeper than that. Definitely debates in his head about what he’s feeling toward you. After going back and forth with his type of girl in his head, he’ll come to terms with it.

This is when he’ll start noticing things he’s never payed that much attention to before. Things like how small you’re compared to him, the way clothes fitted to your body, how pretty you actually were and most important difference- how he’s never noticed you have the fattest ass he’s ever seen.

Seriously this man’s sexuality went from women to women + you.

Toudou isn’t the type to wait either, as soon as he knows how he feels, he confesses. He’s the type of guy to say “take it or leave it, that is how I feel.”

You kinda just stand there. Like, huh? Toudou are you feeling okay? Have- have you been cursed? There’s no way, Toudou middle name pussy pounder Aoi just said he was into you romantically... right?

After the shock, you reciprocated his feelings and began dating.

Now, this man- S U P E R affectionate and devoted. Always wanting to hold hands or link arms. He loves cuddling and playing with your hair while you sleep on him. Puddy in your hands if you give him a massage.

Toudou is immensely dedicated. He knows your favorite foods down to the amount of salt you use on your fries, knows what sizes you prefer for hoodies, shirts, button ups and so on, and this man knows your favorite movies by heart.

He’s the type to buy you something simply because you said it was starting to give you problems.

Lovvvvessss dates. I mean he’s a hopeless romantic, he wants to take you on really cheesy dates that you’d see honeymoon couples go on.

The type to want to match clothing or jewelry.

If you’re a sorcerer, he’s wanting to train everyday, he likes seeing you in action. Double points if you can match him in strength too. He respects your strength enough to not worry about you, he’s confident in his S/o’s abilities.

NSFW

Top. Enough said. Ok but seriously, he wants to clap you cheeks so bad.

Toudou has the biggest size kink too, I’m talking like he’s the type to point right at your navel and say “I’m right here baby~ can you feel me filling you?”

His definitely into railing. His favorite position is the mating press, allows him to hit deeply and as hard as he wants.

Lovesss when you whine and beg. He wants to see how much you can take before your begging him to let you cum.

The type of guy to leave your ass a nice reddish purple color. Just two big ass hand prints on you ass and hips.

✨i m m a c u l a t e✨ aftercare. It’s almost like he’s worshipping you when he’s cleaning you up and making sure you’re taken care of.

Conclusion

Being with Toudou is like being with an Aries, he’s high energy and can get easily bored. He enjoys someone who excites him both mentally and physically. Loves a challenge. Toudou’s love is like a concentrated ball of sunlight, it’s hot and bright. He’s overly devoted to you and tells you how much you mean to him all the time.

If you break up with him, he’s the type to hold his head high until he’s alone and then he breaks down, crying into his hands. Thinking, “Was I too much?” “Maybe I wasn’t enough?” He’s confident, but he’s still a person with insecurities.

[lynne-monstr]

hi blog, here we are on the last day of the year. I guess it's time for the obligatory reflect-and-look forward rambling.

the good: i accomplished some big goals this year.

top of the list was finally renovating my apartment. i am so much happier every day living in a space I like. it was also terrifying because (other than the down payment on my apartment) it's the most money I've ever spent on something. but I finally did it and I'm proud

long fic! not only did I finish posting de-aged ywz this year (my longest ever fic!!) but I also finished off my old shadowhunters case fic AND wrote another long not-a-ghost fic! a good year for long fic, and I'm so pleased about it

I was able to fly home many times this year to see my new nephew

read a lot of good books

the not-so-good: mostly in relation to my job. I am constantly torn about whether I should leave and go somewhere that pays better. but on the other hand, I (usually) have a pretty good gig where I work remotely and don't work much more than 40 hours a week. those perks are worth it but this year was rough and stressful and I need to decide whether this job still works for me.

goals for next year:

keep writing. maybe finish up a bunch of my wips that have been languishing

write some filthy porn

get back into making gifsets

I've fallen off the wagon with my investments so I need to tidy up my brokerage account and invest more. I hate doing it but a girl's gotta retire someday

travel more. I miss traveling

I hope 2023 is kind to all of us! 💙

[disgruntledspacedad]

HEADCANONS!!! So a past bad relationship of Ears has been referenced. I'm sure it will play into your story at some point so no spoilers requested! BUT - how does that experience manifest in how Ears interacts with Javi? Is she reminded of that relationship by things Javi does (or - most importantly - doesn't) do? How does Javi help her cope (if he does at all given Ears is proud and likely not to admit to much at first!)? xoxox

Actually, I had not planned to explore this in depth at all, because it’s potentially triggery and because Ears is deeply ashamed of allowing herself to get into such a situation to begin with. It’s one of those secrets that she’ll take to the grave, if she has anything to say about it.

But that’s a crying shame, because Ears’ past abuse is integral to how I perceive her. Strap in, folks. We’re about to take a deep dive into the darker history behind our favorite chaotic sunshine child. Trigger warning for discussions of nonconsensual sex, controlling behavior, and general shittiness below:

Andrew Lewis was Ears’ army recruiter. Ears first met him when she was seventeen. Andrew was 28. He was tall and blond and pretty, with bright green eyes and a smooth as silk personality.

They got on like a house on fire. Andrew complimented her intelligence and work ethic, and Ears, who had very little positive male attention in her life, fell for this tactic pretty hard. It’s not long before they are “dating.” Andrew feeds her all the lines - that she’s special, that he’s never met anybody like her, that he can’t wait to spend his life with her, that bullshit. He buys her all kinds of little gifts and takes her out of town for dinner. Ears eats it all up.

But he’s careful to remind her that the relationship has to stay secret. Fraternization is a word that he throws around a lot. Once Ears realizes what that means, it scares the living shit out of her, but by now, she’s so deeply invested in this relationship that she’s too afraid to do anything about it.

Once Ears starts questioning things, Andrew’s demeanor shifts. There are no more dates, no more compliments. Ears needs to keep quiet or else. Andrew never hits her - he’s smart enough not to leave marks - but Ears is afraid of him anyway. She’s forced to do a lot of sexual favors that she has no interest in, and Andrew is mean as a snake if she doesn’t perform exactly the way he likes. The entire thing is incredibly stressful and demeaning, and it’s not long before Ears resents Andrew, and herself.

Desperate, she goes to her brother Danny (also a military guy) for advice. Danny laughs in her face, tells her she got what she deserves for fucking an officer, tells her good luck reporting. “Better keep your head down and do as your told, Shrimp. You’re just his little whore, and he knows it.”

Ears takes a big risk when she’s twenty years old and transfers from her community college to a state university four hours away. At this point, Andrew was already losing interest and openly fucking other women, but Ears is still terrified that Andrew will trash her career. For the next two years, Ears is at his beck and call on long weekends and during school breaks. She longs to tell him to stick it where the sun don’t shine, but Andrew could easily ruin her and receive nothing but a slap on the wrist, and the idea of disappointing Jack and proving Danny right is intolerable.

So Ears obeys. Sometimes it’s weeks, or even months, between encounters, but still, Ears is never really free of Andrew.

By the time she’s deployed to Kuwait, it’s been over a year since she’s seen him. It doesn’t matter. Ears is constantly looking over her shoulder, terrified that her past choices are going to bite her in the ass. Fear and shame define the first decade of her adult life.

Quitting the Army is one of the most liberating choices she’s ever made.

Ears’ history impacts her relationship with Javi deeply. Really, you can argue that all of Rules of Engagement is just Ears battling her demons. When we first meet her in Rules, Ears is wary and very guarded, almost on a hair trigger. Several times Javi is being genuinely nice to her, or giving her pretty obvious signals, and Ears still looks at him like he’ll bite. She’s terrified of somebody finding out about their relationship, even though they don’t work for the same organization. Her feelings make her feel vulnerable and exposed, she doesn’t want to accept help or money, doesn’t want to give up control of her life. This defensiveness lasts even into Aftershocks, where she’s very quick to snap at Javi, “don’t tell me how to feel.”

Regarding bedroom stuff, Ears isn’t big on being pinned or cuffed. She’s let Javi restrain her with one of his ties before, but that was Javi. She trusts him, and besides, he asked her nicely first.

When Ears offers to let Javi fuck her face in Yours, that’s a very big thing. I think I say something along the lines of, “you’ve never offered this to a man in your life...” She swore up and down that she’d never have that experience again, but Ears ends up breaking lots of her rules for Javier Peña.

Breath play is completely out of the question.

Ears is super sensitive to power dynamics, and her relationship with Andrew is partially to blame. She’s used to subtly navigating so that she’s got the upper hand in a conversation, and she’s constantly evaluating and reevaluating what she should say next, how to leave herself an out. Years of having her career held over her head by an abusive asshole have made her almost paranoid, but it’s a trait that serves her well in Colombia.

This is why Bill Stechner’s swerve in The White Room rankles so bad. One again, Ears has found herself on a ball and chain, and once again, she perceives it as entirely her fault.

She will never, ever admit this to Javier Peña. Ears is fiercely independent, and her deepest fear is for anybody not to perceive her that way. She sees her past as a weakness, and she’ll die before she lets Javi in on it.

Javi might pick up on certain little quirks here or there. He knows Ears well enough to see when she’s uncomfortable, and he adjusts his behavior accordingly. There are moments when Javi might have darker suspicions, but he doesn’t dwell on them. Ears is so unlike any woman that Javi’s ever been with that it’s almost impossible to gauge her behavior as normal or abnormal. Besides, the idea of anybody hurting Hannah Aarons is painful in the extreme, and Javi doesn’t want his mind to go there.

Ears would tell him if it were something like that, surely.

That’s not to say that Javier Peña doesn’t help Ears cope with her trauma. Of course he does. He’s just not aware that he’s doing it.

Every time he looks at her like he really sees her.

Every time he considers her opinion.

Every time he asks her if it’s okay to try something new.

Every time he tells her she’s beautiful and means it.

Every time he drops those soft little kisses to her forehead, cheeks, and nose. The ones that aren’t sexually gratifying at all, the ones that are just barely brushes of his lips because he just can’t restrain himself from touching her intimately.

Every time he asks for for a story.

Every day that she wakes up cradled in his arms.

Every day that he’s patient with her abruptness, or kind when she hesitates, or understanding when she’s wary.

Every time he respects her “no.”

Every time he goes out of his way to pick her up from work so she doesn’t have to walk.

Every time he works his ass off to bring her to completion.

Every time he stares at her with that awestruck, stunned, love-dumb expression.

Every time he waits up for her on the sofa.

Every time he subtly shows her off to the Search Bloc boys.

Every time he tells her he’s proud of her.

Every time he tells her she’s amazing.

Every time he whispers Spanish into her hair.

Every time Javier Peña shows her what it is like to be truly, deeply loved, Hannah Aarons heals a little more.

[thatgirlonstage]

Asdfggsjgs I accidentally hit ask before I finished my message. Fuck. I'm terrified of what's gonna happen. So, whose your favorite of the IPRE crew? What was your favorite stolen century planet? Can you believe Justin fucking improv-ed that "who?" How surprised were you by the Barry bluejeans twist? How do you think they're gonna defeat the hunger? Also, got any headcanons now that you know most of the story?

Dude when Justin said “Who” my HEART FUCKING STOPPED. I went back and listened to all of the memory loss scenes a second time because they’re just. So good. They’re just so good.

I seriously cannot stress enough how much I just did not expect to get so invested in these characters but I am, I really really really am. And I mean they spend so much time joking around and breaking the fourth wall that at first I didn’t know - and then I always forget - how well they can all improv and stay in it when they hit serious conversations and how real it can get. I mean both Magnus and Taako have had scenes that have ripped my damn heart out, and Merle is so irreverent most of the time but then sometimes you get conversations like the one he had with Lucretia in the spa or some of his conversations with John where he spits out straight wisdom and just. Whew. How am I supposed to handle this show?

Hmmm so outside of the main three Lup is DEFINITELY my favorite of the IPRE crew. I don’t even know if I can pick a favorite from THB. I mean... maybe Taako? But I love them all so much and all in different ways.

Speaking of Lup, I reeeeeeeeeeally want to know when Griffin wrote the ending of this campaign and worked all this stuff out. I mean, Taako picked up the umbra-staff on a fluke of a dice roll. Narratively, it’s brilliant - but Griffin didn’t engineer it. Merle could just as easily have succeeded in picking it up, which makes me wonder whether Griffin knew who Lup was when they found her skeleton, or if she would have been Merle’s sister instead, or... what. I also want to know whether he knew who Barry Bluejeans was back in Here There Be Gerblins. And, I mean, in that instance it doesn’t actually matter, because BARRY didn’t know who Barry was, but I just want to know how long Griffin has been sitting on the dramatic irony of it all. Also the Barry twist was the most hilarious thing to happen and like I said, I DESPERATELY want the recording of the five minutes after that episode ended of Justin, Travis, and Clint presumably just losing their shit. I soooooooo wish I’d been in the fandom at the time to see everyone flip out. I was surprised, I mean I didn’t predict it, but there was also an element of “Oh my God, of COURSE that’s who it is. Of COURSE.”

I think that the conservatory and the void fish planet was my favorite. I am so weak for Magnus’s love and connection with Fisher and it KILLS me to think of him finding Fisher and not recognizing him, at first not even realizing he was there.

As for the Hunger - well, Lucretia’s plan is out, right? Because the Hunger is already there. But I’m wondering if it could be, hmm, repurposed? Maybe instead of sealing a plane away from the Hunger, she could use the spell to... seal the Hunger away from the planes? But obviously there’s a lot that has to be tied up - what happened to Lup, how do they handle the Light of Creation/the relices (maybe some kind of mutual destruction thing between the Light of Creation and the Hunger, although Lup said even if she could use the full force of the Light of Creation she wouldn’t be able to destroy the Hunger so that seems unlikely), I’m guessing Merle might have one last conversation with John, what’s happening to the gods and the astral plane and Kravitz... gah so so much.

I don’t usually just... come up with headcanons, if some idea hits me really strongly I’ll latch onto it or if I’m writing fic I’ll come up with stuff, but since you asked I can do one for each of the THB :D

--I feel like Taako and Lup probably had to get good at repairing their own clothes since they didn’t have a ton of money or opportunities to buy new ones, but Taako used it as an opportunity to maybe glitz up his clothes as much as possible. And I feel like even once Taako became relatively more successful with his cooking show and everything he still liked altering and sewing patterns and personal touches into everything he owns, so like all of his clothes just have their own personal flair to them

--Merle created a little personal garden for himself on the Starblaster, taking a potted plant from each planet where that was possible. Lucretia, to the best of her ability, has continued to maintain his garden since he’s been gone. Some of the plants have died and she has been unable to salvage any seeds or anything that would let her regrow them, but some have continued to thrive and drop seeds or bulbs that can be replanted when they die.

--Magnus is one of those people who’s not really happy unless he has something to occupy his hands or something to DO. After he started to learn woodcraft he just always brought some bits of wood and a knife to carve with everywhere he went. He sort of leaves a trail of carved bits and bobs everywhere he goes, because they’re not always things he needs or wants so he’ll just give them away to people. There’s a giant pile of them on the Starblaster from years when they couldn’t safely spend much time off of the ship.

Idk, what do you think? :P

Anyway, I wish you luck with the finale!!! I probably won’t be able to listen to it tomorrow but I’ll get there in a couple days. Again... unfortunately strange time to be joining a fandom. I don’t feel like I’ve quite, hmmm, earned the right to join in the crying and everything, but I’ll hover on the fringes anyway :)

[putris-et-mulier]

I have a big announcement and I'm going to get really emotional, so heads up

I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry! But I think this will be for the best

Some of you guys have been following me for years and I can't tell you how much I appreciate that. You guys have been so kind, it's because of you I haven't had to buy toilet paper in over two years. I've been through a lot while running this blog and some of you have watched and supported me throughout the whole journey.

I thought I would be dead by 30, everyone did, but I just turned 32 and although my health has always been declining I'm not at risk for dropping dead this second. I also am running a household and taking care of my mother who has very severe Alzheimer's. My family has gone from simply not helping to beginning to scheme to get things like mom's Social Security number for reasons I haven't figured out yet. I've been in the hospital a lot since I started this blog, I was officially hospitalized twice and lived in a home once. I've broken my ankles, knees, wrists, nose, broken teeth out of my face, torn half my face off, I became anemic multiple times because there's times I simply didn't have any money to eat for a few days, I had to sell my car and because I can't get in one unless it's wheelchair acceptable I am as good as confined to my neighborhood unless I want to take public transit but things like today happen, I couldn't go see Logan for my birthday because the transit simply wasn't running this weekend. Because of a mistake with IHSS the first caretaker I got earlier this year stole $7,000 from me. Things keep happening so I can't even attempt to bring mom's medical bills down.

I'm just so tired.

And unhappy.

I started this blog right after I lost my ability to write or type and I don't think I could've dealt with how big of a loss that was if I did not this blog to hang out on and talk to you guys about comic books with.

I need less responsibility, if not off-line then certainly online. I want to create things again. Fully formed things I can take pride in. Because none of this is going to get easier, it's just going to become different and if I want to make it work I have to live differently to accommodate it.

This sounds dramatic, like a suicide note, but this is actually about something I'm excited about and think some of you will be too but I know a lot of you will feel a bit betrayed.

About when I stopped writing a friend and I created a publishing company. It's actually extremely easy to do, especially if you only sell digital books which we don't, but it would've be easy. I'm not legally allowed to have anything under my name so my friend put it under hers and has her taxes all complicated up because of it. My friend put in a $1000 nest egg and we use the company to try to find unpublished and marginalized writers, artists, and models. We had seen firsthand the inequality that goes on in those industries. So, we made Good Mourning. It's run by me and my two best friends that I've known since we were children. Recently we developed something we are calling The Discourse which is where we will be doing a lot of what I do here, talk about pop-culture stuff and get academic or open a discussion on social justice, but the other two are involved which means the same thing but with a bigger variety of fandoms. It's a podcast, soon to be an ezine, blog, and we are going to publish a line of discourse books which are going to be like social justice handbooks with a fandom theme.

I'm excited about this. It gives me new opportunities to try writing in different ways, it consolidates a lot of things that I do already, I'll get a chance to be a fan again instead of a web mistress, and my friends will be so closely involved that if there are some days I just can't get in my wheelchair I know everything will be taken care of.

The only problem is, if I left I would miss all of you. Even the ones who hate me. Maybe it's childish to not want to let go of things but this is the Internet and if you're going to be childish, you should do it here.

I am turning this blog into The Discourse (the blog version)

I'm still going to be posting all the new Deadpool stuff but now it's also going to be more of the same things with other fandoms as well like all of X-Men and K–Pop and other hyphenated things. I suppose it won't be that much different, just no reposts from the archive of Deadpool stuff all day, I'll just be putting my favorite old posts in the queue by hand so it's all good. 

None of the current content will be removed, all of those info op-ed posts like about Deadpool sexuality they will still be here and I will still update them but now I'll be doing them about different characters as well.

The name won't be the same, but it actually hasn't always been the same. This one's just become infamous. I hope you do decide to stay with me at least for a while, I'm going to do my best for all of you.

Good Mourning has taken over the financial responsibility of this blog and we are now The Discourse.

Are you a sellout if you sell out to yourself?

And you have to put up with a new moderator, cosmic. But if you guys have been here for a while you probably have heard her on the podcast. Quick bio: she's terrified of everything and loves Doctor Who.

Obviously I'm going to be changing things around here a little bit but it's nothing you'll see from your dashboard. Also, we plan on coming out with the first issue of our ezine next month and since is the first one it's going to be all us but we really want you guys to participate. Maybe you have a short poem about your asshole or, perhaps preferably, your favorite character's asshole? I can promise you, your poem is getting in the very next issue. I'll have more details for you soon.

And since I'm not solely responsible for anything anymore I'm going to get to do some really cool things, like giveaways here. Even for people who just follow the blog. I get to borrow the business card to get the prizes so you guys could even choose what you want. And I could go to Party City and get some of those participation trophies for the losers. Or we can behave like responsible adults, unlike the generation before us, and giveaway fandom merchandise that is not toys it says so on the box.

I'm excited, I hope you aren't disappointed. I have to think of my health. My physical health can't take all the responsibility and my psychological/spiritual health needs me to keep investing myself in fandom shenanigans.

My personal blog still is genoshaisforlovers.tumblr.com

and if you want to get to me somewhere else you can always go to christyleighstewart.com I always direct it to where or what I'm doing at the time

If you send in an anonymous ask here about this I won't be able to answer you but I will answer everyone privately about this.

It's still me here. Things are going to be different but I swear to God I am sitting in my seat the exact same way and "typing" this the same way I usually do.

If this whole Discourse thing isn't your…thing but if you love me personally I am also at my personal blog. The me talking openly, that's all moving over there. Over here I am working as your game master or… Alice in Wonderland would be a better metaphor, right? So I'm working as your Mad Hatter?

It's a cliché but I am selling out so, yeah, I am now the Mad Hatter.

And I'd like to welcome you to this tea party just give me a second and

so now that we're seated comfortably, all of this remains free as does the podcast but you don't get the rewards unless you subscribe at least $1 to The Discourse

As the Mad Hatter I can tell you, specifically the blog members, without embarrassment that this whole project is and act of love, as everything we've done always has been and always will be, because the profit goes toward me as a paycheck and as I can only make so much money within a year without losing any of my benefits and I get to decide what goes on my paychecks and she is totally mens sana in corpore sano, officers, so it's cool as long as the stuff I do is worth anything to people. I just set it at $1 to join because that dollar has a president on it with the least value and thanks to the election George Washington will be the second least valuable dollar.

– Christy

[therealestatesparkblog]

The Stupid-Simple Budgeting Trick I'm Using to Stop Blowing 5 Figures a Month

Ill set the stage for you. Every Friday, the credit card balance email would arrive, and I would be physically sick and terrified to open it. It was like the Russian roulette of email, wondering how horrible of a job we did this week at following our budget. Oh my god, how did we spend this much money? *Insert the throwing up emoji.* I felt like a complete failure. How did we do this again? Didnt we figure this out finally? The Background Having a clear budgetand a clear process for where the income goesis essential. My wife and I have worked together on our budget for years now. But its also easy for the lifestyle creep to begin, to get shiny object syndrome. Wed had the blessing of our income steadily increasing for a number of years, but for a time, our skills and diligence with saving, budgeting, and knowing what to do with the money had not grown with it. You may be thinking, Tough life. The trolls of the internet are literally digging their way through the interwebs towards this post as we speak. The guys complaining about having all these bucks to blow on whatever. Let me suggest instead we put the focus on this adage:Its not what you make, its what you keep.

The Excuses For multiple months in a row, my wife and I would have these weekly conversations about sticking to our budget. We would then take turns arguing back and worth about what we had or hadnt done. Where we spent the money and whose fault it was. There were lots of great reasons why we had made the decisions we hadand how it would be totally different the following week or month. The problem is, these were all excuses. This dinner. These things for the kids. Some hunting crap. The thing on the counter. That lunch. These toys for the kids. That tractor part I had to have. That little flight across the country. Fancy new shades. These Lululemon pants. Anyway, you know what all of that really is, right? Excuses. No ownership of the problem. Related: 4 Steps to Buy the Car You Want Within the Budget You Can Afford The Results At the end of the game of your favorite sports team, its easy to see the score, right? There is a winner and a loser. Back then, our budget, savings, and investments were the big fat losers. And our credit card, the stupid crap we were buying, and our bad behavior and habits were winning. Although we were making awesome money on a regular basis, I was feeling literally broke. Our system and our budget wasnt working. We were literally paying these credit card bills in increments and could blow more than five figures on a monthly basis. So embarrassing. Something had to change. The Conversation My wife and I were texting back and forth. I believe that conversation went something like: Me: Hi love, hope you are having a great day [adorable kiss emoji]! Mrs.: Thanks love, you too. Awesome day with the kids here. Im sure youre out there crushing it, you amazing man you. What an adorable beard you have, too. Ill have a whiskey waiting for you on the counter with one of those cool round ice cubes as soon as you get home tonight. [Some embellishment here may be possible.] Me: Oh yeah, thanks love. Crushing it ALL. DAY. Me: BTW, have you happened to look at the credit card today? Mrs.: No, been busy with the kids at the library and the grocery store, then taking care of your stuff, then cleaning, and then school with the kids, and then Me: Yeah, its like $4k. THIS WEEK! How in the world did we do this, AGAIN! Mrs.: Wow. Me: What in the world are we going to do? This is such a nightmare. Mrs.: Its time. We need to go back to the envelope system. Me: Holy cow, why didnt I think of that? The Transition to the Envelope System Ill point out, its not an easy transition after you are used to doing whatever you want. And believe me, I was at least 50% if not more like 70% at fault for the spending in the household. Its fun to get whatever you want. But it also has its downsides. Like blowing all your money, leaving you feeling broke and stuck. If you arent familiar with this, Dave Ramsey and many others have spoken at length on the envelope system. The premise is, you write out your budget for how you will spend your money monthly. Anything that is paid directly, like a car payment or a mortgage, is accounted for, which would then be paid via bill pay. Then, everything else budget-wise, such as eating out, clothes, groceries, fun money, kids sports, toys, whatever, is paid out by cash from the envelopes. No exceptions.

The Execution Usually, I have a monthly draw from our business around the first. So, after having my draw completed, I walked into the branch of the bank and walked up to the teller I knew by name. I handed her my check and then asked, Id like to deposit this check, and Id also like to withdraw $4,000 in cash please. I had this feeling she was thinking to herself, Is this dude really taking that much to the strip club? Wow. I got a pretty good chuckle at that thought. I let the pause go for another few seconds, and then said, We are doing the envelope system at home now. Have you heard of it? Related: The Foolproof Monthly Budget: How to Save Up Money to Buy Investment Properties It fun to share what we were doing as she gathered everything together. She stepped back over to the teller station with this giant stack of cash. I was thinking, did she do the math wrong here? Its like 2+ inches think, made up of $20s and $100s. She counted it once (with a machine in that quantity) and then walked over to me to count it out. I swear it felt like five minutes counting these bills out. Every few minutes, I would look around to see if there were other people around wondering what in the world I had gotten myself into. I was thinking, I wonder if this is what the drug dealers feel like? And now I have to walk out of the bank with this. The cash doesnt fit in the bank envelope. Or two. So I just carried the stack out and walked directly to my truck. When I got home, I showed my wife this same stack of cash and said something funny like, Giddy up, momma. Im sure she was impressed. And I was seriously hopeful this would finally get us back on track. The Outcome The previous time we used the envelope system, maybe four or five years ago, we used them for well over a year, with great success.We have now been doing the envelopes for two or three weeks. And just like the last time, I have felt an immediate sense of calmness in our decision. If we want to eat out, we do. If my wife needs something for the kids, she gets it. But we know that the money in the envelope is what is budgeted, and we have to work together within the categories to make sure we are on the same page. Its a lot harder to spend a $100 bill out of your wallet than it is to pull out your credit card and swipe it. So, I will do a follow-up on this in another six to nine months and give examples of what we have run into, what was working, what we had to tweak, and some of the results from savings and spending. Final Thoughts Its my goal with this post to tell the truth. Making money is actually the easy part. Keeping it, investing it, and not raising your lifestyle every time you make more money is hard. No matter if you make $2k a month or $100k a month, you need a budget. You need to tell your money where its going and to hold it and yourself accountable for the outcome. No more excuses. No more email roulette with the credit card statement. Own the outcome, and lets get after it.

How do you budget in your householdwhat has worked, and what have the challenges been? Comment below! https://www.biggerpockets.com/renewsblog/how-not-to-blow-5-figures-a-month/