#cant risk losing customers

[citrusitonit]

RANT !!!

i remember the people who caught up just as the shop was closing and we were having trouble bexause we had to turn the lights back on and get the keys again from the back and rearrange the boxes so they could see the display and they just kept saying "its just a littlw bother just bear with it" and didnt even give us the exact change we had to reopen the counter and cashier again and they just kept saying its "just a little bother and we can bear with it" i hope that every day they trip and crash on their face

[nerdie-faerie]

Having a 9am class and an 8 hour shift the same day I have an assignment due so I haven't slept, is a recipe for disaster. Fingers crossed I don't bodily attack a customer 🤞

[ominoose]

Top 5 Oscar characters most likely to be yanderes? 👀

Ooooh here we go. In no particular order:

• Blue Jones

He's possessive as hell, relationships for him will be part of his status and control is notoriously a big part of who he is. Blue wants to know where you're going, now long you'll be there, what you're wearing, etc. Sometimes he might not let you leave, not for a particular reason, just to exercise control.

Blue picks what you wear too, treating you like his perfect doll. Since you'll live in the Lennox club you'll have his guards eyes on you constantly, so anything you do will be reported back to him. You live in the palm of his hands, and he'll lord that over you, letting you know he paid for that pretty dress and the roof over your head, if it weren't for him you'd be on the streets. Hell even use his customers as proof that no other man will treat you as well as he does since he technically doesn't bend you over a table without at least a warning.

• Steven Grant

Steven could end up a yandere without even realising. He has no real relationship experience, through Marc, Jake and his parents he doesn't even have any examples of what an average, healthy, stable relationship looks like. All he knows is Marc's deep but repressed feelings, so when it comes to his own love he's got so much pent up but doesn't want to repress it, he wants to show it. Steven will read all the romance novels, not knowing it's not reflective of real relationships, and take his que from those.

Expect him to be over bearing, smothering you in love, hugs, constant affirmations, accidentally objectifying you. He's absolutely obsessed with having someone love him and having someone to love. If you ever try to leave? You're talking nonsense, you loved him before, you cant stop now, hes not going to risk losing you. Will definitely get frantic and do something he regrets in a panic, like chaining you to a wall. That won't make him unchain you though, in fact it's probably for the better, you can trust him to take care of you.

• Nathan Bateman

Another man who loves having control, but instead of Blue being more sly about it, teasing you with the open Club that's actually a prison, Nathan has you completely isolated. This makes it much more easy to completely brainwash you.

I fully believe Nathan would make you dependent on him, leaving you locked in a room when you misbehave. He's the only other human you have, completely cut off from everyone else, it'll be easy to make you cling to him.

When you act out he makes an android version of you and dotes on it in front of you, especially when you're locked in clear, glass room. Nathan will show the android more care and affection than he shows you until you're sobbing and begging to get back into his good graces.

• Leto Atreides

I was hesitant to put him here but in my mind it could happen in a few specific scenarios. Being the Duke of an entire planet, the Emperor of the Universes favourite guy but also his enemy, throw in the trauma of his first wife killing his first born in a jealous fit and also his mother figure killing his dad for the same reason, Leto has gotta have some issues. That's a lot of pressure and relationship drama.

House Atreides have honour, a trait Leto likes to represent, but that isn't without flaws. This can lead to, as we see when he gets KO'd in Arrakis, being blinded by determination, blinding by pride.

If you were his favourite concubine or wife, in a period of high political stress, like during Arrakis, if things get rough I can see him snapping. He'll hold it in, trying to remain the figure of calm reason and all it'll take is one Harkkonnen threat towards you or you taking initiative and making a meeting with political heads to aid Leto, then he snaps. You'll be kept strictly in a private wing because you're his and he cannot lose you, will not lose you to the threats plaguing House Atreides from every shadow. Leto loves passionately, deeply and values loyalty and he will know that's his weakness. You're his heart, so he'll keep you locked away from the outside.

• Shimmer!Kane

I lean towards the theory that clone Kane is more primal and caveman like, he has only base human instincts when he's fresh out the Shimmer. This means he will have base instincts towards a partner.

All he has in him is a feeling of connection towards you and the concept of "partner". To him that just means you are his. Since his emotional understanding is very limited, this just manifests as him being possessive, not recognising boundaries.

I'm not much for a breeding kink, but he will breed you, that's just his understanding of humans and might even be programmed into him from the Shimmer. He might even coddle you, taking over any labour you're doing whether that be putting jars on the top shelf or carrying something upstairs. You'll likely end up feeling like a human pet for him to study and possess.

I know William Tell or Jake Lockley or Basil Stitt would've been popular choices but personally, if I was to be truly honest, I can't see it in canon (although I love it Fanon wise).

For William, I think hed too self loathing. He can barely make himself be in a normal, loving relationship and doesn't allow himself the pleasure of sleeping on a normal bed. If William dated someone and suddenly felt himself becoming possessive, controlling or any real overly strong emotion that wasn't pure love he would bolt. William knows what he is capable of and hates it.

For Basil, I think he's just too... pathetic. I don't think he has it in him to be controlling, he's too submissive. He might try, but you'd shout or tell him off and he'd buckle. He'd just sit and cry if you did something to upset him or left. Might spam you or stalk your socials but that's it.

For Jake, I think he'd check out if his emotions ever got that intense. I don't see Jake allowing himself a relationship while he's still keeping to himself from Steven and Marc, but if he was open I still see him being wary. In a scenario where he does have a partner and feels himself becoming too obsessive or controlling he would ghost and never come back. His commitment is to the body and by extension Khonshu, for your own safety and his head mates he'd split.

[ceasarslegion]

Okay i cant decide this and my flights are coming up so im outsourcing to my tumblr followers (foolproof plan)

Pros:

-the lines dont apply to security officers anywhere across the US and canada for either regular security or customs. I have complete and total line bypass, so i will not have to wait for shit in security or customs

-tickets are all on the same booking under the same airline

-I'm traveling carry-on only this time. No risk of luggage not making it to the next plane because all of it will be in my hands the whole time

-My connection will be at 5pm which, in my experience, is the height of dead time in an airport unless everything is delayed due to weather or airline incompetence

-Inner knowledge of security regulations means I could do everything in my sleep and will be through in like 5 minutes tops. No chances of my bags getting pulled because I know what they'll look like on an x ray and can pack my things accordingly, buying even more time by making it so incredibly easy for the operator to clear me. Model passenger

-flying westjet. high chance of a delay on an international flight, buying me more time on the layover

-I cross the border to start with coming back and gave away an extra shift in case i get stranded for a day, meaning i couldnt give less of a shit about the return trip. I'll figure it out

Cons:

-Layover is 1 hour and 10 minutes.

-Connecting through Pearson. High chance of faraway terminal change and navigation confusion

-Connecting from Canada to the US in Pearson. The TSA has very specific security regulations, meaning I will have to go through security a second time and THEN US customs in Toronto, not here. Planning ahead for more time impossible

-booking insurance that covers this is 120 bucks. thats almost the price of my one night hotel room in laguardia. I am not made of money and am losing a week of wages here plus regular vacation expenses

-flying westjet. high chance of delay on any flight ever. Utterly fucked if my first flight is delayed

[bitchapalooza]

I shouldn't make headcanons before I finish the game, but here's some Vanillacupcakeshipping(Larry x Katy; kinda like this name better lol) headcanons!

They've only been married for 2 years now. They were dating for about 7 years before, though.

I like the idea that Giacomo is Larry's son :) so he is their son :) well Katy's step-son anyway! Maybe Larry was married before, I dunno lol

Larry tries everything Katy bakes, especially her newer pastries/experiments. Theres no garentee theyre added to the menu, but its pretty likely it will be.

Katy loves it when her husband comes home! She stays up as long as she can to wait up for him. She ends up falling asleep most times, however. Larry finds it very sweet of her, but worrying for her health.

Larry tries so hard to call her at the exact same time every day to say hello and check in on her, but sometimes he gets so busy that he cant call until the evening or not at all.

Though most times Katy cant answer anyway. Shes often too busy herself.

Katy really loves cute clothes so Larry will often come home with a cute dress or blouse he saw in the window and thought Katy would like it. She doesnt always find the chance to wear them, but its a nice gesture and she appreciates the thought behind it. They do have a couple date nights every month though and so she wears them then!

Speaking of date nights, I think they simply see a movie or go out eating. Larry makes it a point to spoil her on these nights because he thinks she deserves it. He also thinks she's a queen so he maybe a bit biased lol

He doesn't show it whatsoever, but on the inside Larry is a flustered mess any time Katy is around.

Larry worked a lot of over time in order to afford the ring he proposed with. She doesn't wear much jewelry due the risk of losing it while baking, but even so he wanted to give her a beautiful ring. It isnt fancy, the diamond is small but that was the point (since Katy doesn't wear much and prefers simple jewelry when she does wear it). What made it beautiful, and Katy can agree, are the custom web engravings on the outside and her name and the date they met was engraved on the inside too. Its very special to Katy and she wears it on a chain when she's working.

Their wedding wasn't anything special really. It was just their small families attending. A quick ceremony with a small reception at the bakery.

Giacomo is pretty okay with Katy. He didnt like her much when his dad and her started dating though. He mostly lives with his bio mom, but on the weekends he's with Larry and Katy— well when school isnt going on. Speaking of such, Larry had given up on trying to get Giacomo to go back to school. It was more so his ex-wife telling him to give up and let Giacomo make his own mistakes. Katy still feels like she may cross a line so she doesnt really say anything on the matter despite wanting to.

I don't think either of them want their own kids right now. Maybe in the future if its not too late, but for now they're fine.

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[svankmajerbaby]

not to keep sinking into a monster high shaped hole or to bring that wednesday series topic again but yknow since i had to see dull memes about the avatar sequel stuff guess this is my revenge

anyway. millar and gough who are the actual showrunners of the netflix wednesday show, not tim burton, and who wrote and produced the series, also produced and wrote the monster high movie so many people were pissed off by at first and slowly, i think? they came around to. and i find this interesting bc these are two franchises/properties which i see a lot of similarities between but that in the end i feel like should be treated as different things bc of their respective tone and general audience.

monster high in general is meant for younger kids especially now that it has softened its image to relatable instead of aspirational, which to me is fascinating from a marketing toy line perspective. the addams family was alwys meant as skewing older. i really assumed that the series would be about riverdale/teen wolf/supernatural level horror/suspense/adult content, and having a meaner edge and really much darker humor. in the end bc of the need to have stakes in the netflix series a lot of the humor was softened in a way that it doesnt really appeal to me/becomes a character quirk of wednesday instead of something that its normal inside this universe, the sort of casual cruelty and cartoon logic of the 90s comedy movies cant apply when you also have to be worried about characters dying tragic deaths and there are harry potter-esque mysteries and drama going on. that change in tone to me was what really killed it, it took away what made the addams interesting and left it at a level in which it was purely aesthetic surface. im not saying its completely unenjoyable, after all it has millions of fans who seem to vibe with it. im just saying that it doesnt really carry the spirit or the tone of the 90s movies, or even the 60s tv series, which was more focused on comedy overall and was much better at it.

with monster high the movie though, i think the gothic magical high school mystery works much better since it already has a few animated movies that have that sort of tone. the franchise itself works with issues of adolescence and therefore identity, self-acceptance and friendship (issues that the wednesday series wants to give to the protagonist, to varying degrees of success). and i find it really interesting that ive seen so many posts that say something like "oh the outfits are so bad, the fashions all wrong, why didnt they get actual cosplayers", etc. i dont expect everyone to know this but tv movie budgets, especially channels like nickelodeon or disney channel or the like, are pretty small even compared to streaming movie budgets. they usually recycle sets and costumes from other series by the same production company/costume company in the area, and between preproduction and shooting there is barely any time or budget for customized pieces. this isnt an excuse as much as reasoning. and apart from that there is also the nature of the new generation which is more focused on relatability and being appealing to a wider demographic than the first generation, which was more aimed at shocking and calling attention to itself. in that sense im kinda happy with what they went with, the clothes looks kinda cheap but it also looks like what kids in the 14-15 year range would believably wear to look cool and that remains accessible while also being fashionably easy to identify and distinguish themselves and their tastes. the actors are all Very Much covered in makeup and wigs but there is a difference in the styling of the generation 1 dolls/fanart/restylings that make them look much much older, and that would probably spark more controversy that mattel might not be super keen on rn. so unless they literally went the riverdale route of hiring actors in their mid to late twenties to portray fourteen year olds, dress them in miniskirts and risk losing that 8 to 11 year old audience to upset parents, what we ended up with is next to the best we could have hoped for.

apart from that, what im most curious about is how they will touch upon the issue of the two worlds in conflict, monsters and humans. the wednesday series didnt quite work it out in a way im satisfied with, partly bc of burtons and burton properties' own difficulty applying crítical thought to the very concept of "outcast" and marginalization, and partly bc of a tendency of wanting to apply allegories and analogies to these matters. you want to create meaningful comparisons to real feelings of alienation to emotionally appeal to the audience. but also you as a writer have no real experience reading about real actual marginalized identities and just have a general idea that things were bad and people are angry and people protest about it and also that the Teens™ are complaining in social media using new terms you can stick in the mouths of your characters. in that sense monster high's aim at the younger audience saves them from embarrassing themselves too much, which i cant say the same for wednesday (or the winx netflix series, and a bunch of other teen-aimed media, for that matter). so what remains for the monster high franchise is to figure out how to properly handle something like the idea of the two worlds of humans and monsters needing to find some common ground (something i think its really cool in the way it could be sparked by clawdeens new status as a werewolf being half human half wolf), though its the sort of thing that the writers of future iterations should be careful about and really just not be afraid to shake things up a bit and defy their own narrative status quo. like not be scared to have characters like claire the goth girl from that one animated movie, or the jekyll/hyde kid that was also technically half "normie", to explore further aspects to the idea of identity and marginalization that have a much more appropriate home in something like monster high.

[fuck-customers]

Can people please just understand at least in the USA, i dont know how things work elsewhere, as employees we cant do shit without permission? We cant say or do anything that would offend the customer, we cant say or do anything that might risk business. We cant make decisions on who, where, or when people are allowed to shop or how they can behave if theyre not an obvious immediate risk to other customers.

We can't tell a customer theyre being rude or inappropriate without getting fired, we cant tell them theyre making a mess or holding up a line, we cant tell them theyre in the way. Telling people no in basically any capacity or making your own decision without consulting your boss is the same amount of 'lose your job' as slapping somebody across the face here.

We dont get to say no. We dont get to speak up at all. We dont get to change things.

I am so tired of people saying 'just do X' 'just tell them to leave' because we CANT

[twstedrabbithole]

I have this self insert where since the arrival, the Dark Mirror told them they cant get sorted to any dorm, but they have a ‘role’ where they are required to move around and live in each dorm. How long and which dorm they want to move around is their freedom given by Crowley. Can I have an interaction with dorm leaders, where this reader wants to move in to another dorm, and asked the permission from the dorm leader but this time they also asked “oh by the way I have a pet snake”

Hmm, I think I get what you're saying!! It is a very interesting idea too! Especially since if they take the place of MC their role is essentially being the therapist XD

But I think I'm gonna focus on the pet snake aspect, since that will allow me to write hcs that are more general for everyone! Hope that's okay!

Again like your last ask I'll do headcanons since it is all the dorm leaders! I hope you enjoy this one as well!!

The first thing his brain registers is the pet snake, he's gonna freak out. Especially since the hedgehogs have a tendency to break out and run around the dorm

You would have to calm him down and console him over how you take care of the snake and how well behaved your pet is.

Once he's calmed down, he'll say he'll think about it. It might take awhile because he may have ordered the students to reinforce the hedgehog's pen-

But after while of you and your snake being in the dorm, he'll slowly but surely warm up to the slithery thing. He is an animal person, so he may ask questions about it.

Will freak out if you put the snake on him, but as soon as the snake is on him he'll just stand still until he's calm again. Once the snake is off he's gonna order you to never do that again, or at least give him a warning.

Does this guy look like he cares about you having a pet snake? Sure he may be surprised at first but generally he's not gonna care.

All he'll tell you is to keep the snake in check and make sure it doesn't cause a freakout, since that would disturb his naps.

He's not really gonna pay attention to the snake, unless it's near him. He may not show it but he's not gonna let the creature have a chance to bite him.

After some time he would get used to it, maybe even somehow take naps with it. Since he is very warm I'm sure the little guy would love to rest on him.

You really have nothing to worry about if you're in Savanaclaw, just don't lose it and cause the others who are scared of snakes to freak out.

Azul would be very curious, he's surely seen sea snakes at some point. So he wouldn't be too surprised nor scared.

He would have you make sure the snake can't wonder around the dorm or restuarant, would be bad to lose customers!

If your snake is a sea snake, he may let your snake live in the aquarium in Monstro Lounge. As long as it doesn't risk the marine life in it though!

He'll also make sure to keep Floyd away from the snake, for I'm sure Floyd would want to try to eat it. Jade would help as well.

All in all you have nothing to worry about really!!

Kalim would be excited with you having a pet snake! He may even get some so your snake can have some friends! Jamil will stop him....hopefully-

Kalim is gonna want to lift and have the snake on him no doubt. Jamil will definitely stop him every time if the snake is poisonous or venomous.

Since a snake is the symbol of The Sorcerer of the Desert, he would want to make sure the creature can live really well in the dorm! Trust me he's gonna pay for anything your little buddy needs.

Surprisingly even Jamil would take a liking to the snake, especially if he saw it eat a bug or two that was close to him. So don't be surprised if Jamil and the snake got along really well, or if Jamil doesn't stop Kalim from spoiling the creature.

I would say this dorm is the best dorm for your snake to live in!! Since I'm sure most of the dorm would love it and make sure it lives it's best life!!

Vil would definitely be surprised by the fact you have a pet snake, he may even forbid the snake to be in the dorm.

But it's not because he hates the snake, oh no. It would be for the snake's safety! Since I'm sure there are peacocks running around the dorm, the snake would not be safe at all!

If you can somehow convince him, he would only allow it if the snake lives in a terrarium. And have his dorm make sure no bird gets in the building. Since the peacocks would actively search for the poor little guy.

Maybe even warn you about Rook, but even he knows the Hunter wouldn't necessarily hunt your companion....maybe-

In the end he would highly advise for the snake to not live in the dorm. But if it has to live in the dorm he can manage some way for it to live there.

Idia would initially freak out over the thought of a snake in the dorm. Since he doesn't know if the snake is poisonous or venomous or not.

If you manage to calm him down, with the help of Ortho, he may let you bring the snake in.

Ortho would definitely search for loads of info on how to take care of a snake! He would want to help, like any kid would!

After some time Idia would warm up to the snake, especially if he sees Ortho helping to take care of the snake.

Just don't let him see feeding time, he'll hide in his room for a couple of weeks.

Malleus would be intrigued about your pet, being a reptilian fae himself. He may already even know things you yourself may not know!

The rest of the dorm wouldn't really be too afraid of your little buddy either! I mean who's more scary than Malleus?/j

He would definitely be like Kalim and make sure the creature would have the best life in the dorm, such compassion for the animal would cause Sebek to cry!

Speaking of the others, I'm sure they would be curious about the creature. May even help you out if you cant provide for certain things!

Your snake friend would most certainly be a good fit in the dorm!

[bethchapelsbonnet]

I say No 55

HOURMAN AND DR MIT NITE Reunite after she is Rescued with Dr McNider ofcours during battle and Rick just cant wait until after the battle .He even Stars By her side the whole time

I hope thats ok

Okay. Firstly, I'm going to answer your closing concern of "I hope that's ok." The short answer is no. No, that's not okay, Love. Please remember that whenever you send these prompts into others, this is a request for free labor and we're merely asking you to select from the list so that we can freely practice our craft. It's not a custom order.

Furthermore, this may or may not be something that I might write, but I would doubtfully write it in this way. So, I will take your prompt #55 and write something of my own for this particular prompt, and hopefully you can find content that writes the very specific prompt that you're eager to see. 🙂

"I missed you... a lot."

"I missed you" is something that can be so personal. So deep and connected, with the right person, and yet can be so empty and shallow from the wrong one.

Rick wasn't always great with words. That being understood, his loved ones knew that when he said something, he meant it. Maybe not some of his pep talks, that were more to support you than emote for himself, but things like, "I'm sorry." "I understand." "I love you." "I care." "I'm here." Things like, "I miss you." Those would never be an exaggeration, and you'd do well to appreciate that they weren't common.

Beth always knew. Sometimes, he didn't have to even say the thing, but she was the type to be clear, so he would, just so she knew that he was serious and willing to do what it took. They weren't together the entire time.

They took a break, when Beth entered a work-school program at an elite institution, and decided that Rick shouldn't come along with her.

Rick looked like his next step would be to punch down another tree. There was no light in his features and he didn't feel any of the warmth that he generally associated with her. That was all because his heart was breaking.

His first response to this blatant and gross betrayal, this abandonment that she had promised would NEVER happen was anger. He didn't express it. She could just tell.

"Rick, you know that it's best for both of us right now, right?" He grimaced. "Maybe not best, but it's the most sensible way for us to both do what we need to do and not have to…"

"What? Not have to WHAT, Beth? Because the last time I checked, there was NOTHING that we weren't willing to do for each other! And now, what? You don't want to have to put up with me and my issues?" He clenched his fist and she started crying.

Rick shook his head and pulled her to himself, "I'm sorry." She sobbed into his jacket. "This is why, isn't it? It's because I'm like this.."

"It's because it's what's best right now…"

"For you. Because I keep fucking up."

She cupped his face, "I want you to have everything that you deserve, Rick Tyler, and you deserve so much more than this world has given you… more than I'm able to give right now. I have to focus on my studies and I don't want you to follow me. I don't believe that I will be available as needed and I think that pretending to would make it harder on both of us and it would be disingenuous of me.." she whimpered, "I still love you."

That hurt him more, but nothing that she said was irrational or untrue and he couldn't force her not to break up with him if it was. "I understand." He said, miserably sad. He wanted to simply die. He didn't want to think about returning to a life after being left behind again, by her this time.

.

He made it alright. They did different hero stints in different groups and stuff, him mostly with the JSA, her with other teams and heroes. It scared him, to think about her out there, not having him to have her back. Sure, she had teammates, but did any of them care about her like he had? Did she have new best friends? A new lover? Was there somebody right now, warming her bed and being her shield in a fight?

The call was late and unfortunately, some guy answered. "Umm… sorry to call so late. Is Beth available?"

"She's working on something pretty important.."

"Okay. Yeah. Of course. I'm, if you could tell her Rick called…"

"Rick.." the person said, "Will she need anything else or just Rick?"

"Rick?" He heard her say in the background and the man was going to relay the message, but she wound up with the phone, "Rick? What's happening? Is everything ok? Do you need me?"

His heart wasn't prepared for this. He wanted to say yes. Of course he needed her. He loved her. He always would need her. "I'm sorry. I just was thinking about you…" there was a long pause and a relieved sigh. Then she said something to someone in the background. "I didn't mean to scare you," he attempted, "I was having some kind of anxiety. I guess I just… regressed to needing to talk to you."

"I'm the regression, huh?" She teased, then chuckled. "It's okay. But, why did you call this line? Did you delete my cell or something?"

"I…" he glanced at his own phone and plain as day it said Beth WORK. "Must've hit the wrong entry."

"Okay. Well, if you need to talk longer, call me on my cell, okay?"

"No.. it's fine. I'll let you go."

"Okay…" another pause, "you'd still tell me if you needed something, right?"

"I'd." He bit his lip and was grateful that she wasn't there to see his face. She would know that he just wanted her so badly. "I'd try." She sighed. He grabbed the bridge of his nose, "I love you."

"Rick... I have to go." And she hung up. A moment later she sent a text: I love you too. Please take care of yourself. 🙏🏾

.

Rick walked into the JSA headquarters and was startled to see Hootie there. Why would Hootie be here? "Court?" He called and only then realized that some conversation died down. He went towards the silence and saw The Green Lantern, speaking with Courtney and Yolanda. "Jennie! What's good?"

"It's not good," Courtney said, sadly. Rick looked worried and it only intensified when Yolanda took his hand.

"What is it?"

Jennie cut to the chase. "It's Beth." Rick nearly collapsed JUST from that much. "She's alive, but… she's been injured very badly and she's unconscious and.."

"Where is she?" He asked.

"I can bring you. Just you. I know everyone cares about her, but Rick is the only person listed for this type of… situation."

"WHAT TYPE OF SITUATION IS IT?" Rick asked, on the verge of tears.

"Life or death. We have to leave immediately."

"Yeah, we do!" Rick said. Yolanda and Courtney tried hugging him but he really didn't want to be touched. He couldn't handle that.

.

She looked so frail in the hospital bed. Her head and face were wrapped up, almost completely. Her nose and mouth though… while not seemingly damaged, were the only thing that seemed not to be with those wraps.

Her current team was already preparing the cover story for her death. Her death? She wasn't going to die. She couldn't die. Please, don't die, Beth. I couldn't take it. He couldn't find any words on his tongue. "I care…" was all he could mutter and he held her hand, lifeless and soft.

Some of her current teammates talked to him, trying to explain what happened and what may happen next. He couldn't really take in everything. Unless Beth got up, there was no "next" happening. He would be here until she got better or until she left forever. "I'm here." He kissed her hand.

They could use his help on a mission. Without Beth's fighting skills, they were disadvantaged. He shook his head. He'd have liked to apologize and explain that there was no way that he left Beth and risk her not being there when he returned. Still speechless. For days. For weeks. "I miss you," he pleaded. Please, wake up.

Her hand began to move and he called for help. Hopefully, he wasn't losing it. Doctors came in, he was moved aside while they checked things. He was overwhelmed, but refused to step out.

After a while, she had been unwrapped and helped to sit up. It was a lot to process. She been blasted with a ray, and knocked unconscious from a head injury. She could have been paralyzed. They were shocked that she wasn't… but she was blind.

Sure, she still had her goggles, but it was… going to be quite a life change, and she still had healing to do. "You're not alone," she heard Rick say and she gasped and reflexively turned in his direction. She absolutely couldn't see him, but he made his way to her side, and her hands found his.

"I missed you… a lot," Beth said.

"Here I am." And she wasn't going to get rid of him.

"I can never see your face again," she said in the softest voice ever, hoarse from her down time. "I mean.. not like it is.. not like I remember it.."

He took her hands and placed them on his face, "You'll learn it. I'm never letting you go that far away from me again."

"I'm not your responsibility."

"You never were my responsibility. I should have been clearer. I never felt obligated to protect you or forced to defend you. It was always out of love."

"That hasn't changed?"

"Kidding? I would have hitchhiked here, if I had to just to sit at your side for all of these weeks."

"I don't know what to say…"

"Do… do you still love me?"

"As much as I did the first time I told you."

"We don't have to say anything else, for now."

[nabsthevulture]

I was looking at your bear skull post and I really have to ask, how did you manage to get it so clean! Thats amazing, almost every bear skull i see for sale is disgustingly greasy. Is there any way to salvage a skull like that?

I macerated it! Since it's so hot here and I cleaned it around October(?) It mostly degreased itself. I just used dawn after that and gave it a short peroxide bath.

For salvaging skulls, it depends on how they were cleaned, honestly. Sometimes people will beetle clean a skull and not bother to degrease it, in which case you can degrease them with little fear.

If a skull is bleached, boiled, peroxide boiled, etc. Then you should tread very lightly with those. Bones that undergo bleaching can lose a lot of general stability either immediately on arrival or down the road depending on how long they were bleached. If you try to degrease something that was bleached you may find that the skull becomes brittle or soft over time being in the degrease bath. If you're going to try, use a softer degreasing agent like Dawn, so you aren't risking damage that chemical degreasers could cause.

Boiled skulls can be different. If they weren't boiled to the point of being frail and chalky on arrival, you can try to degrease them with dawn, just like with bleached bones. I've found that boiled skulls are a little sturdier than bleached bones if its not already messed up.

However if they are chalky and falling apart either as a boiled or bleached skull, its probably best to leave them be.

SO peroxide boiled skulls are things I've seen but never had to work with. From what I understand and what I've been told, there isn't much you can do with them once they've started to show signs of damage. My friend told me about a skull a customer brought in that turned into crumbles after some minor handling. I cant say much on the topic but be wary if you come across this.

In general, its a coin toss really. If its expensive, hard to find, something you're not willing to risk, then it may just be best to leave it be. If you're unsure of how it was cleaned, ask the seller. Some are happy to share, others aren't. But it never hurts to try!

I hope this helped, if you have any further questions don't be afraid to ask

[arianaapeyton]

My Cash App Account Closed [ How to Unlock/Reopen it? ]

 My Cash App Account Closed / How to cash out on Cash App and transfer money to your ... - Harness confirm the closing account. this will sign you outside of the cash app.. This video will tell you how to create a new account without. Why is my cash app account closed? Your bank may also issue a check to the address they have on file for you. Now tap close my cash app account. tap confirm account closing. delete the app. Here you should explain all the issues that you are having and reopen your account.

Why is my cash app account closed? If the debit card number you used has changed but the bank account is still active, the funds may be returned to your cash app. I can't access my cash app account. This is to confirm that you want to deactivate your cash app account. Whether you choose to delete it through the cash app.

Before closing the account, tap the cash out button on the app's home screen to move funds out of your account. Luckily, deleting your cash app account isn't very hard. However, the great news is that you can reopen your closed cash app account. Most financial platforms will store your account if it has been removed. If the cash app terminated your account, then you need to contact the cash app customer support. Can you delete the cash app transaction history? Harness confirms the closing account. this will sign you outside of the Cash App. Now everyone is using digital platforms for professional and personal use. Then enter the phone number or email associated with the account you.

Unfortunately, the only way is to contact the cash app support team directly. So, you have to know all, before going for any troubleshooting solutions. In this article, we will show you some of the reasons why cash app close my account and how to reopen it? The app can be used to make transactions between friends and family, small businesses, etc. Like Venmo, the Cash app is a useful application for transferring money to friends, family, or other contacts just using your mobile phone. Closed bank accounts or expired cards. All you need to do is link your card or bank account to your cash app account and then find the cash-out option in your cash app home screen. Then, select your profile icon and this will take you to a page with more information about what it means when you close your cash app account. Harness confirms the closing account. this will sign you outside of the cash app. Why is my cash app account closed? Why is it cash app closed? There are two ways to delete your cash app account. Now everyone is using digital platforms for professional and personal use.

Does your cash app account accidentally close, you want to reopen it? Before closing the account, tap the cash out button on the app's home screen to move funds out of your account. Then, select your profile icon and this will take you to a page with more information about what it means when you close your cash app account. Most financial platforms will store your account if it has been removed. Cash app is anything but difficult to use by new clients yet once in a while, they cant open the record.

Related Topic: Cash App Transfer Failed

A text or email confirmation will be delivered to you to demonstrate to you since you may see, deleting your cash app account is a very straightforward procedure. Are you wondering why the cash app closed my account for no reason? The unparalleled answer for open or recuperate your old records is to connect them with another record. A text or email confirmation will be sent to you to prove that you have unlinked your account. Check online that your cash app account has been deleted. I pull up the cash app immediately. Reopening a closed cash app account you might have deleted your account in the past and wanted it back. Read all of this carefully to ensure that.

To prevent any mistakes, tap confirm closing my cash app account. once these steps are complete, you should receive a confirmation.

Explore here to know more about the cash app. Whether you choose to delete it through the cash app. Tap confirm the closing account. this will sign you out of the cash app. Cash app is an online money transfer app for instant payment transactions. Cash app is anything but difficult to use by new clients yet once in a while, they cant open the record. I can't access my cash app account. Reopening a closed cash app account you might have deleted your account in the past and wanted it back. All you need to do is link your card or bank account to your cash app account and then find the cash-out option in your cash app home screen. Your account might have been created using a different phone number or email address. Tap the profile icon on your cash app home screen. After the cash app closes an account, a user cannot do any activity on it, and it becomes a very annoying experience. If you've deleted your cash app application without thinking, though, you could have funds sitting in your account. Click on the setting button.

Tried and was successful by introducing a payment platform which is a cash app. As I said cash app continuously monitors the account in the background and at the same time side by side it put a red flag on some suspicious account and when it happens, you can't send money to your close friend, family member, and any other contacts. Lest I forget, a cash app account can be used for bitcoin transactions. yes, you read that, right! Does your cash app account accidentally close, you want to reopen it? There are many customers on the cash app unable to send or receive money because the account has been closed.

This video will tell you how to create a new account. There are two ways to delete your cash app account. Cash app terms state that they can close your account at any time with no explanation, but they likely closed your account over that chargeback. However, the great news is that you can reopen your closed cash app account. Before closing the account, tap the cash out button on the app's home screen to move funds out of your account. Like Venmo, the Cash app is a useful application for transferring money to friends, family, or other contacts just using your mobile phone. Cash app is anything but difficult to use by new clients yet once in a while, they cant open the record. Harness confirms the closing account. this will sign you outside of the cash app.

How to delete cash app transaction history?

Tap the profile icon on your cash app home screen. A text or email confirmation will be sent to you to prove that you have unlinked your account. About 30 million people use the app then the Norfolk, Virginia, resident noticed a payment to him was suddenly and mysteriously refunded from his account. Like Venmo, the Cash app is a useful application for transferring money to friends, family, or other contacts just using your mobile phone. As I said cash app continuously monitors the account in the background and at the same time side by side it put a red flag on some suspicious account and when it happens, you can't send money to your close friend, family member, and any other contacts. Chargebacks end up costing cash app fees and such, and they don't want to take the risk of losing more money. 

Did your cash app account get closed? 

As we progress, I'll discuss more on the cash app and the bitcoin relationship. Before closing the account, tap the cash out button on the app's home screen to move funds out of your account. Then, select your profile icon and this will take you to a page with more information about what it means when you close your cash app account. Tap close my cash app account. details: Now everyone is using digital platforms for professional and personal use. Can you delete the cash app transaction history?

[mx-bright-sky]

They say "thank you for coming into work"

They say "you're so brave"

I dont feel brave

I feel like a coward

The only thing keeping me from having a breakdown every day is that I dont think about it, I dont let myself think about how every day im there, my life is at risk from the off chance that someone who has it will come through and pass it on to me

When I do think about it, I'm scared

Terrified

But that's what bravery is supposed to be, isn't it, standing up when you're afraid?

Excepting I'm not standing up, because I was never given a chance to sit down

If I dont go into work, I'll lose my job, I'll lose a stable income

And im too afraid of that to stand up for myself and admit that I Dont Want To Be Here

Essential workers are heroes, they say

I dont feel like one

I feel exhausted, I feel terrified, I feel like I'm nothing more than a pawn

Everyone talks about how beautiful it is that people have been so kind to each other in this crisis, but I have to grin and bear it as a customer yells at me and berates me for things beyond my control

Every day, someone will go "Hi, how are you?" And I'll say "good, how are you" despite being not good, because it's just an automated response to me at this point, and then theyll go on to say they're so tired of all this, they just want it to end, they want to go do this or that

I cant remember the last day I had off, and tomorrow im not schedule but I have to hold my breath the whole time and beg, beg everything that is holy, that they wont have to call me in to cover a shift, because I know im not capable of saying no

Im not a hero, I'm not a hero, I'm not a hero

Last night as soon as I was out of work I just started crying, not for any solid reason, but because I was tired and cranky and hungry and most of all just SICK of this SHIT

But I know that its only gonna get worse, at least where I live, because every day people talk about how Stupid this Quarantine is, how unnecessary all these measures are, and I know that all these people, as soon as they're given the chance, will throw caution out the window and launch us into a second wave

Theres no point to this post. Theres no end. It just is what it is.

I'll post this, and then I'll end up going back to work the next time I have to, and the time after that, and the time after that, and I'll just keep barely skating by on my thin ice mental health until I reach some conclusion that I can't even see clearly from where I am

[somekindoftuber]

vld youtuber AU (klance, part 3)

part one | part two

(I don’t think I clarified it in parts one and two but Lance and Pidge are roommates. Lance finished college two years ago)

After spending the weekend with Shiro and Keith, everything seems a little brighter.

Lance has an extra spring in his step that annoys the hell out of Pidge. He plays Overwatch with Keith at least twice a week, and they make a devastating team when they’re playing to win. Keith plays with a fiery, single-minded focus that would probably be scary if Lance wasn’t already crushing on him. So instead it’s just insanely attractive, the way Keith sounds when he’s barking out orders to the team. He’s a natural leader and Lance is stupidly eager to follow.

It’s time for Lance to make a trip home to Cuba to see his parents and he’s so excited, he only gets to go home every few months. It’s only for a week, but Pidge will take care of his cats. He mentions to Keith that he’ll be out of town and won’t be available to play for a bit.

Lance makes some vlogs while he’s home, and does them in Spanish because why not? He bets a lot of his followers don’t even realize he’s Cuban and this is his chance to show off his home. It takes a whole night to add the English subtitles because he doesn’t trust YouTube’s auto CC feature not to garble his words, but it’s worth it when he sees the outpouring of comments on the video, a lot of them in Spanish. He gets one from Shiro complimenting him left and right and it makes Lance blush and flail a little.

He spends every other minute with his family, teaching his nephew how to play the ukulele and cooking with his mom and he’s so happy to be home, he cries a little when it’s time to catch his flight back to the states.

He gets in an Overwatch game with Keith the night he gets back, and he tries not to be annoying but it’s hard not to gush about his trip over the mic. He’s halfway through telling Keith about some sea turtles he saw on the beach when he’s interrupted.

“I know, Lance. I saw the photos on twitter.”

Lance blinks. “Uh. You did?”

Keith seems unfazed and triggers his ultimate, taking out half the enemy team. “Yeah? I follow you.”

And oh my god, Keith follows him on twitter. Keith follows him on twitter. He’s suddenly freaking out that he might have tweeted about Keith?? But no, his account is public and he knows better. “Oh, uh.” Lance almost gets taken out by a Sombra. “Your account is set to private, so it didn’t tell me you were.”

“Oh.”

Lance is panicking a little because he wants to ask if he can follow Keith on twitter but is that too much? What if he keeps his account locked for a reason? What if that’s too forward? What they have is cool and he doesn’t want to fuck it up--

“You can follow me,” Keith says, quiet. “All I ever post is bikes and photos of Kosmo, though.”

Lance hopes the sound of his chair squeaking as he bounces in it doesn’t come through the mic. “I could always use more dogs on my timeline,” he says, trying his best to sound nonchalant. They play for another hour and then Keith yawns, saying he has to work early tomorrow. Lance bids him goodnight, then manages to wait until he’s brushed his teeth and gotten ready for bed before hitting the “follow” button on Keith’s twitter, @k_redlion. He then opens discord on his phone and goes to the chat with Hunk.

LanceyLance: HUNK HE SAID I COULD FOLLOW HIS LOCKED TWITTER LanceyLance: HUNK LanceyLance: SEND HELP

When Lance wakes up, all he’s gotten from Hunk is a few party popper emojis. He checks to see if Keith accepted his request and he totally did. Lance spends a half hour just scrolling through the mysterious secret twitter, and Keith wasn’t lying. It’s just photos of motorcycles in progress, his dog, occasionally Keith taking an adorable selfie with Kosmo. Sometimes a photo of a sunrise. He checks Keith’s profile and sees his birthday is in late October and Lance has to laugh. Of course he’s a Scorpio. Of course. Keith has less than 40 followers and Lance sort of feels blessed.

He manages to stop himself from liking a five month old tweet where Keith is smiling up at the camera with Kosmo out cold on his lap. Just barely.

July finally hits and it’s disgustingly hot, but it’s always Lance’s favorite month for several reasons:

More excuses to get ice cream,

More excuses to hit the beach,

It’s his birthday month,

It’s the month of Harborville Pride.

Pride comes first and Pidge is excited too, because the college town of Harborville might not have much to offer other than the university, but it definitely knows how to put on Pride. The city park becomes crammed with people for days, food trucks lining the streets with picnickers and grills and ultimate frisbee (which Lance is no slouch at). The marina becomes packed with boats. Most importantly, it means Hunk is coming into town for the weekend, so Lance will get to hang out with his two best friends like they used to - stay up late, watch movies, stuff themselves on junk food and Hunk’s homemade cookies.

The day of the parade (the first one, anyway) is a Saturday morning. Lance and Pidge wake up Hunk from where he’s camping on the sofa and they all get dressed, Lance in his blue, pink, and purple sleeveless shirt, Pidge in her black, white and purple hoodie, Hunk in his pink, yellow, and blue tee. Pockets stuffed with small cash bills for funnel cakes and hot dogs, they set off for the town center.

The parade is amazing this year and they have a blast. Lance convinces Pidge and Hunk to be in a selfie with him that he posts to twitter with the caption, “Having a blast at Harborville Pride!!” Lance then puts his phone away and doesn’t really check it for the rest of the day, having too much fun with Pidge and Hunk and all his other friends.

He’s exhausted when he comes home, collapsing into bed. He manages to open twitter and check it one last time before he passes out. His notifications blew up, of course, but one sticks out.

@k_redlion liked your photo

He kicks his feet a little. So it’s out there, Keith’s saw the colors he wore. Was it too forward? Did Lance unintentionally broadcast his crush on twitter? Maybe. Who knows how Keith would take that information. Lance passes out with his phone in his hand.

He’s in a queue for a game in Overwatch with Keith when it comes up again. Lance was casually talking about a band he saw at Pride.

“Sounds like fun,” Keith comments. “Pride sucks here. One tiny parade and then everyone just goes home.”

There’s a record scratch in Lance’s brain. Does that mean…?

“You should come here next year,” Lance says as evenly as he can. “Harborville knows how to party.”

He hears Keith huff a laugh. “Maybe.”

Lance sucks so bad after that, missing all his shots and dying more times than ever. He’s too distracted. Keith goes to Pride. What did that mean? It could mean so many things. He shouldn’t get his hopes up, he really, really shouldn’t.

“You okay?” Keith’s voice comes through his headphones. “You’re sort of sucking tonight.”

Lance feels a wave of hot embarrassment wash over him. “Ugh, yeah, sorry. Guess I’m just tired.”

He stops playing after that, saying goodnight to Keith and resisting the urge to scream at Hunk over discord about it.

.

Pidge is taking one of her high level classes over the summer so she can graduate in December, so she has little time to hang out with Lance. So he’s bored. A lot. Work at the cafe has slowed down, the only customers he gets are dying for cold brew coffee. He makes a lot of videos, records a lot of comedy Overwatch material, sings some covers of love songs for his channel.  He goes to the beach a lot and posts selfies on twitter, making sure to showcase himself while also trying to remember that he has a few thousand followers and he should be careful what he posts. Lance starts playing some free games from Game Jolt for his channel and it gets a good response. His birthday is right around the corner, and though it’s on a Tuesday, Pidge promises to take the night off to celebrate with him. Hunk is going to make the drive in too.

He’s scrolling through twitter on a rainy night when Pidge kicked him out of the living room to spread out her study materials. There’s a photo of Keith smiling softly with Kosmo on his feed and Lance takes a minute to appreciate it, the warm lighting complimenting Keith’s ridiculously attractive cheekbones, Kosmo with his giant tongue hanging out as Keith hugs him. It’s adorable and Lance hits the like button immediately. He’s about to keep scrolling when something catches his eye. Lance sits up and taps the photo, using his fingers to zoom in.

There’s a rainbow bracelet on Keith’s wrist.

It’s almost hidden under Kosmo’s neck fluff but it is absolutely a rainbow, exactly the kind you’d get at Pride and Lance is about to hit the ceiling. It couldn’t be a coincidence. Could it? They’d talked about Pride like three days ago and Keith liked a photo of Lance in his bi shirt and holy shit. Was this a hint? Lance already liked the photo. He could take it back, but he didn’t want to?

Lance rolls around on his bed clutching his phone to his chest for the next ten minutes before opening discord to gush at Hunk yet again. Hunk, apparently, is getting fed up.

Hunk: omg just talk to him!! LanceyLance: i cANT Hunk: Lance you know I love you but this is painful to watch, just ask him out already. please. for me?

But Lance is scared. What if he’s reading too much into this? What if he’s only seeing a connection because he wants there to be one? It wouldn’t be the first time he’s made that blunder, cringing as he remembers Nyma and the huge falling out that resulted from Lance charging in head first. He couldn’t even repair their friendship after that.

He didn’t want to risk losing Keith, too.

.

July is winding down and it’s almost time for his favorite birthday tradition: an all-day charity livestream. This will be the third year he’s done them, and he’s expecting the response to be even better this year. It takes him a while to decide on a charity - he’s done a children’s hospital, first responders, local charities. Lance spends days trying to decide when it hits him. The next day, he makes the announcement tweet:

Lance! @LancyLance • 2m Hey guys!! Doing a birthday charity livestream on Saturday 7/25, 10am-10pm to benefit Disabled Veterans National Foundation! Will be playing Overwatch, Risk of Rain, Apex Legends and more!!

He goes about his day, feeling pleased. Later he checks twitter and sees that Shiro has retweeted his announcement with a comment, “Make sure to check out my buddy’s livestream next week! This charity means a lot to me.”

And wow does that make his day.

For the next week it’s business as usual. Work at the cafe (his latte art is getting better, but Lance keeps photos of that work sequestered on Instagram), recording videos, singing in Overwatch, playing games with Keith and Hunk. Lance can tell that Hunk is trying to push him to make a move on Keith, but he’s still reluctant. Keith hasn’t really indicated that he’s interested in Lance at all. Sure, they’re casual with each other, but there hasn’t been anything he could classify as “flirting.” Even though he’s opened up, Keith is still stoic as hell and Lance hasn’t figured out how to crack him.

It’s the Saturday of his livestream and Lance is loaded up with snacks, drinks, and everything he needs. He’s set up his room to have a fun backdrop and did his full skincare routine to make sure he looks good for the webcam, he even borrowed some fancy diffuser lights from a friend.

The stream starts and he gets about 30 viewers in the first hour, which is a good start. By noon he’s up to 400 which is insane, and the donation counter keeps going up. He set his goal to a thousand, and it’s looking like he’ll reach it before dinner. Lance takes song requests from viewers and has more than one laughing fit. When he gets into an Overwatch game, he’s thrilled to see Keith there, and shoots him a quick text to make sure it’s cool for Lance to point him out.

Keith (2:18): yeah it’s cool

So Lance introduces Keith and his chat goes nuts. Apparently Keith is crazy popular and Lance can’t help but notice how many declarations of “omg Keith is so hot” are scrolling past. They play a few serious rounds where Keith dominates everyone, then Lance creates a custom server with no cool down time on abilities and zero gravity. He uses it as an opportunity to do more comedy songs. Lance takes a short break, and when he comes back, Keith has signed off. There’s a text on his phone from Keith reading “gotta work on some stuff.”

He’s in voice chat later when some girls come on with mics and they know his channel. They’re thrilled to be in a game with Lance.

“Lance! I love your videos!”

“Sing a song for me, Lance!”

“Lance, I love you! Marry me!”

He laughs at the last one, playing his guitar. It’s not the first time he’s gotten a mock marriage proposal in a game. “Sorry, ladies,” he answers, strumming on his guitar. “I’m afraid my heart is spoken for.” He’s talking about his massive crush on Keith, of course, but no one needs to know that.

There’s some “aww” and “boos” but they don’t actually sound hurt, so Lance keeps going. He switches to Apex Legends which he’s spectacularly bad at, but he still  has fun. By seven that evening, they’ve met their goal of one thousand dollars, but Lance encourages people to keep donating.

He’s exhausted by the end of it, but at 9:50pm Lance does his exit speech, thanking everyone who donated, thanking his friends who played with him, and taking a second to thank Keith by name. He hopes Keith is still watching.

Lance falls into his bed and sends a quick text to Keith to thank him. He doesn’t get a response.

.

CONTINUED IN PART 4

[mystic-kitten-writer]

OMG HOEE YOURE BACK -tears of happiness- I cant wait till chapter 32!!!!!! Cpuld we pretty please have a lil teaser? No pressure. I just need to a taste of your goodness 😇 Luv yaa gurl 😉

I’M BACK BITCCHESS 🤗🤗🤗🤗🤗

LOOL - of course, you can sweetie! I love dropping teasers, it keeps me motivated 🥰

Here is the teaser! It’s the start, a nice lil’ taste of this crazy chapter because boooooyyy does shit hit the fan in this chapter. Enjoy~!

Rating: SFW

Words: 2000 (a tiny tease, I gotta save some content for when I post 😅)

Notes: WIP; not edited and subject to change, my loves :) Also, I noticed that the start of this chapter is decepitvely sweet for the shit that is about to happen lol - I’m evil.

~ Ying Yue Jiang ~

            “You know…you have beautiful eyes, Princess.”

           “Awe, thanks, Sokka.”

           “Too bad your face is ugly.”

           “I swear-”

           The immature hoots that erupted from Sokka were loud and clear. His belly rumbled in amusement, entertained at my exasperated expression as I rested over his stomach.

           We were lounging in Zuko’s and I bedroom, munching on cookies on our bed, despite it being early in the morning. Zuko already rose and went for a morning jog – and I would be lying if I said I didn’t use the excuse of me being under the weather to avoid that run.

           It was as Zuko was leaving that Sokka busted through the grand doors, still in his polar bear pyjamas, with a plate of cookies in hand – “I wanted to check up on Princess, see how she’s feeling.”

           And that leads us to where we were now.

           I grumbled under my breath, stuffing another fresh-baked chocolate-chip cookie into my mouth as Sokka beamed down at me. Despite the pointless banter and teasing, Sokka and I were venting to each other; I was beyond happy. I never realized how much I missed spending time with him – he was my partner in crime, the person who helped me learn to laugh again.

           And while Sokka has been my side from the beginning – we never got a chance to hang out as much as I would’ve wanted. Appreciate the presence of each other, even though ‘sibling time’ means tons of teasing and humiliation.

           A hand rested behind his head as he leaned against the bedframe, stuffing another cookie in his mouth. His hair has grown so much already.

           Usually, it was up in a messy top knot, but today, he let his hair down. Zuko still had the lengthiest hair out of the guys, but Sokka was starting to prove himself to be a worthy competitor. I was always jealous of how attractive Katara’s and Sokka’s brown hair was. There were natural blond highlights, and it complimented their baby blue eyes.

           “Hey…did Aang bring Momo?” I pondered out loud; brows pinched as I tried to recall the last time I saw that mischievous creature. He was already so infuriatingly elusive, but now that we were in the Kingdom, it was like he vanished.

           “Yeah, but you know how Momo is…” Sokka mumbled under his breath, more focused on chewing the cookie stuffed in his mouth than answering my question.

           “I haven’t seen him once!” I exclaimed, and Sokka snorted, “Join the club. I asked Aang the other day, told me Momo is hiding out in the kitchen.” I couldn’t help but roll my eyes hearing that – of course, Momo is there. Appa would’ve joined Momo if he were here and could fit.

           “Explains why the kitchen staff is panicking. They keep complaining that the food keeps disappearing – scared it could be a ghost.”

           “You know what would be really funny…” Sokka mused, and based off the tone alone – I knew he was thinking of something evil. My mouth opened and closed, fighting the temptation to ask because I knew better. There was a reason why Sokka and I got along; we were the definition of dumb and dumber.

           My lips puckered, and the next thing I knew, I turned on my side, facing Sokka eagerly.

           “What’s your plan?”

           Right away, Sokka grinned, sitting upright. I yelped, body rolling onto his lap, and in a bold move – he put down the plate of sweets on the bed. He means business.

           “What if we covered Momo in flour – make him look like a ghost? The kitchen staff would lose their minds.”

           “Sokka~! I can already imagine the mess.”

           “And I can already imagine the looks on their faces when they see a ghost.”

           I huffed, crossing my arms. “No, Zuko will kill me if he finds out it was us.”

           “Keyword, if.”

           “Where is Katara when you need her?!” I groaned to myself. If Katara were here, she would’ve shut down this plan before Sokka could even think of it. She was the mother of the group for a reason – she kept us all in check.

           I grabbed a cookie from the plate that Sokka set aside, shoving it against Sokka’s lips. “Lie back down and eat a cookie.” I pestered, the only way I knew how to distract him. Sokka laughed against the cookie I practically stuffed, trying to chew the whole thing in one go.

           “Aren’t you excited? She’s arriving tonight.” He mumbled between chomps. An enormous smile appeared on my lips, brushing my bedhead hair away from my face. “I can’t wait!” I gushed, body sprawling across the bed as I hugged my teddy bear close to my chest.

           My gaze shifted upwards, staring at the wooden lined ceiling above us, with a silly look. It’s been how long since I’ve last seen Katara? It felt like forever, but I knew it was only a few months. Woah…me and Zuko haven’t been dating for that long, have we?

           It felt like Zuko, and I have been together for years – but not in a bad way. I just felt so comfortable with him. Our routines, how open we are with each other, it was surprising to think that we haven’t been together for that long. But also look at everything that happened, everything we have gone through together…

           It’s no surprise we’re as close as we are. We practically went through everything a couple may experience over their lifetime in a span of a few months. Add in the fact that he’s the ruler of a nation – things get a bit complicated.

           “She’s going to freak out when she hears everything that is going on.”

           I pouted, snapping my head towards Sokka, “She doesn’t know?”

           He frowned, his silliness gone and face stern, “No. We didn’t want to give too much information via messenger bird or attached to Appa. It could get intercepted. It’s not worth the risk.”

           A blue silence fell between us; my gaze returned to the ceiling, lost in my thoughts. Despite all the smiles, the giggles, the sweet moments of bliss – that didn’t change the current chaos around us. Mai is a traitor, Azula is back, and Yakone-

           It was like someone punched me.

           The mere mention of Yakone had a shiver running up my spine, the hairs on my arms rising in terror. Zuko didn’t mention his name once around me, and I wonder if it was because he knew how shaken up I was after the incident.

           And the worst part of it all was I still had the handkerchief Yakone gave me that night when he comforted me, hidden away in my vanity. Gosh, I should’ve thrown it out, burnt it –anything, but keeping it. I didn’t know why I even kept the stupid thing. Maybe it was to remind me that he wasn’t that evil as a man?

           That there was still a little bit of good left in him.

           Yakone knew my family’s crane story. Dumb luck? He’s also a Bloodbender. But Aang told me that-

           “Princess…how is your ‘Fire Nation Politics’ lessons going?” Sokka asked, his voice cutting my thoughts in half. I couldn’t help but jump slightly in surprise, and right away, Sokka’s hand fell over my forehead, a soothing gesture spotting my uneasiness.

           “Hmm? S-sorry, I didn’t hear properly.” I mumbled quickly, looking up at Sokka. He rolled his eyes at my aloofness, flicking my head before speaking again, “You’re lessons involving politics. Zuko told me you’ve been learning a few things.”

           I groaned loudly.

           Gosh, bloody Fire Nation politics.

           The moment I accepted that stupid Imperial Consort seal, I’ve had to brush up on my Fire Nation knowledge. From previous Fire Lords, customs, family trees, and laws – I wanted to cry. It wasn’t that it wasn’t interesting, it was just so much information thrown at me at once.

           My hands fell over my face as I internally sobbed.

           “It’s so difficult. I understand the basics, but the system here seems so backwards at times.” I whined into my hands, venting all the annoyance I had bottled up. There were so many things going on; at this point, I felt like I was memorizing words rather than understanding.

           But knowing the rules did help out and gave me the chance to fire that meanie of a councilmember…Maybe I did understand more than I was giving myself credit for. But with everything else going on at the moment, my head hurt tons.

           “Why don’t you ask Zuko to help you out, Princess? He is kind of like, the Fire Lord.” My hands dropped from my face, opting to throw my arms into the air in defeat. “I don’t want to bother Zuko. He has so much on his plate. I want to do this on my own.”

           “But Princess, this is his job. He’ll help if you ask– he wants to help.”

           I huffed to myself, biting my lips in frustration, “I know, but…I-uhh-I don’t know. I don’t want to. Have you seen the book I had to read for this week?”

           Sokka shook his head, and I grumbled to myself, “On my nightstand. See that ridiculously thick book? Yeah, try reading a page and not fall asleep.” Sokka laughed at the evident disgust in my voice, grinning madly as he reached to his side. Just thinking about the book had me shivering in fear.

           But I was trying.

           Watching the way Zuko worked on a daily, it made me want to work just as hard. I wanted the prove everyone wrong – that I wasn’t some arm candy for Zuko. That I knew what I was doing…

           Sometimes; it felt like Zuko was the only one who believed in me in this kingdom. I won the people’s hearts – now I had to prove to the council that I can do this.

           I closed my eyes, letting my arm rest over my eyes, the migraine that I’ve had still dully throbbing.

           It was strange, for the past five or so days, I kept fluctuating from feeling better to isolating myself in bed. My body was hurting; my head felt like a hot mix of heavy and aching. Was having a cold always this annoying? I usually had Katara heal me; I haven’t experienced a full-blown illness in years.

           “I’m gonna read where you have your bookmark,” Sokka spoke, and I merely nodded.

           Although…I don’t remember having a bookmark in my book…I didn’t make it far enough to bother putting one. I could hear Sokka snort as if he was trying to sniffle in a laugh-

           “Yesterday, Zuko used the lounging area after our bath, and I couldn’t be happier! He looked sooooo cute sitting there, reading. He almost fell asleep-”

           “OH MY GOSH SOKKA STOP!” I screamed. This asshole was reading my bloody journal!