#grooming hacks
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Season 4 hope/prediction: Deb's show is solid, zero issues, runs flawlessly with great ratings, but her personal life is completely eroding. We start with her discovering Marcus is leaving, and it culminates in DJ going into labor right before a taping. Deb chooses the show. When it's over, and she finally flies to Vegas, it's too late -- Aiden's not letting her in because he loves his wife too much to let DJ get into a shouting match with her mom right after giving birth, and instead takes the brunt of Deb's wrath, with her making excuses and talking about how they used her money for IVF, and anyway, DJ's fine, so who cares if she wasn't there? Kathy's in the room with DJ and the baby (DJ's the closest she has to a daughter, after all) and Deb leaves too furious to think about how badly she's hurt her family.
She heads back to her Vegas mansion -- empty, obviously, Josefina and the dogs would be in LA -- and pops open a bottle of wine. Alone. Completely alone. Can't call Marty, she has no friends, the closest she's got would be Kiki and wouldn't that be embarrassing, calling your poker dealer to talk about your feelings --
and then Ava's there. She got the news about DJ's labor, she got the story from Aiden (who was distraught, by the way, man's too much of a sweetheart for Vance drama), a spare key from Damian (happy to pawn that off on her, though if it isn't returned promptly he's taking legal action) and has arrived just in time to see the Deborah Vance having a breakdown the likes of which no one thought physically possible. Crying gives you wrinkles, you know. But Ava has to be here. She's the physical embodiment of a lesson Deb never truly learned: you don't have to like someone to love them.
In my imaginary fantasy land that I am concocting this would then subsequently lead into them fucking nasty but I understand that this may be a step too far for the surprisingly large number of very normal people who watch this show and would forgive JPL for not taking it that far. However I do believe they should fuck about it and let Ava take the reigns in their relationship while they see how many of Deb's bridges they can un-burn.
#hacks hbo#ava x deborah#avorah#avadeb#hey if anyone wants to bother writing this for real go for it I don't care#if any of this is any degree of accurate for JPL's vision of s4 then I will be extremely happy#deb is NOT miranda priestly#miranda knew from the start that she could never have human connection or she'd lose her dream job#deb has inspired such genuine devotion that she does not understand that a woman in a man's role historically requires sacrifice#she knew the fire cost her the show but she didn't KNOW that that was the only reason until now#that the network did not give a shit at all#the advertisers did and the advertisers are the true enemy#she still believes she got to the top through hard work and talent#wrong the deborah vance brand was built by people who love her and believe in her#only when she has lost DJ will she be open to hearing the truth (that it was a group effort)#from the mouth of the one person who stood by her out of a wombo combo of love and spite#only THEN will she accept that kathy was right#THIS is why frank left her. THIS behavior. the belief that SHE is a special queen who did it all alone#frank was scum by the way dude groomed her little sister#his behavior is fucked but his reason is close enough to correct that ava can use it as an example of how much deb HAS to change#btw please please please we need deb sleeping with ava and not calling it a mistake because she's too fucking tired and sad
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bnha fans stop taking the blame off Endeavor for fucking up his family challenge
#'you can't really blame endeavor for the way touya turned out' is a wildly stupid take#yes??? you can and should blame enji for abusing his wife and kids???#if enji's love for his children wasn't conditional touya would have turned out absolutely fine#i hate the way horikoshi and some fans make it seem like touya (and rei tbh) was just born 'crazy'#no. touya wasn't 'crazy'#he was groomed from birth to surpass all might#and when enji decided that touya would never be able to achieve that goal he had more kids and started withholding affection from touya#if horikoshi wasn't a hack he wouldn't have devolved touya into just being 'crazy' from the beginning#and he wouldn't have made the other todorokis shoulder the burden of enji's failures as a parent#fandom.bnha#anti endeavor#anti enji todoroki
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Chapter 69 - Interview with Midoriya
#boku no hero academia#deku#izuku midoriya#bnha#my hero academia#ochaco uraraka#ochaco looks like a goddess and izuku is hacking up his lungs 😭 truly a match made in heaven#the gorgeous bride and the ugly ass groom or something like that idk the actual quote#in all seriousness ochaco is genuinely such a good friend and a good kid i love how she's staying by his side while calling for help#both on the phone calling the police and also calling to people around them to get a pro over there#idk i just value their friendship a lot#they're both such good friends to the people around them. they care so much. they're good kids man#they're good fucking kids
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i don’t ‘catify’ casually i need to brainstorm and make notes
#meows#gus fring would be a mackerel tabby. you’ll understand once you see my vision#he would often groom his fur to match his personality and also to parallel kitty walter white#who overgrooms to the point he has bald patches. his coughs are him hacking up hairballs#jimmy/saul is a spotted tabby as a mockery of bengal cats. an expensive pedigree that he wishes he was#i sound insane but this makes perfect sense to me
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In case you’re wondering how active MSP forms are


#msp#movie star planet#we are all adults now#forms used to be a place you got hacked and groomed#now it’s a place… well it’s certainly a place…#cat rambles#nostalgia
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Tw// grooming mention
I love it when youtube recommends me a video of someone making a callout of a youtuber I didn't even know existed for sexually harassing them and grooming 14 yo. Very nice way to trigger my pocd!
#sarcasm if you couldn't tell#also this is absolutely NOT aimed at the person who made the video#AT ALL#They were 100% in the right for calling out their abusers shitty behavior#and I hope this issue reaches as much people as possible to keep everyone safe from that grooming dipshit#what I'm critiscising here is youtube#I didn't knew about that youtuber#Yet youtube still recommended me something related to them#I remember going through a huge depreasion once because youtube kept recommending conspiracy videos#the truth is youtube is just like every social media platforms#it's an algorithm that makes peope engage no matter how dangerous the things it recommend maybe (like those dangerous fake life hacks)#because engaing makes money#really begging that whole deal with google's monopole is gonna fix this shit
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Dog Health
Ensure your canine companion enjoys optimal health with our expert advice. From nutrition to exercise, maintain a high standard of care for your beloved dog!
#spring cleaning#dog owners#tips#tricks#pet care#cleaning hacks#dog grooming#pet hygiene#household cleanliness#pet-friendly cleaning#springtime pet care#cleaning products for dogs#dog-friendly home#pet-safe cleaning#spring pet grooming#cleaning routines for dog owners#pet health#dog maintenance#spring cleaning checklist#eco-friendly pet care#dog care services#Very Important Paws Reservation#VeryImportantPaws#veryimportantpaws.com
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HSR Characters I think would be attracted to Morons aka Moronsexual
These are all my headcanons. I mostly think these are funny and I was thinking about the Dan Heng fic I wrote not too long ago.
I'm also not calling you stupid as an insult. It's an astute observation/ j
Dan Heng
The more I think about this. The funnier it gets. You asked him what Obama's last name was, and now he dreams of kissing you in the moonlight of whatever planet or space station you're on. Those intertwine with his nightmares. It's like tonal whiplash for him. Also, because you're a complete and utter buffoon, you don't overthink his whole dragon identity very much. In a way, being around a stupid person lets him be himself. Yes, he does have to explain something to you five times, but it's okay. He loves those big, bright eyes without a thought behind them.
Sunday
He mourns the fact that he's attracted to a dumbass. "No. Ena. Fuck. WHY?!" he yells to the heavens. However, he is also fascinated by you. For all his life, Sunday has been monitored and groomed to be the perfect family head. Perfection was the blueprint for his life. You were one of the furthest things from that. That's why he's so drawn to you. In a way, you've inspired him to find beauty in his imperfections himself. Maybe. Just maybe. He can entertain that thought.
Kafka
You're both like Roger and Jessica Rabbit. Kafka is a cool, calm, collected, and sexy woman. You are the goofy, loveable dumbass she fell for. I can see her looking at you fondly while Silver Wolf trolls you in a racing game by hacking your controller. You don't notice anything, unobservant as you are. Truly, Kafka has felt something resembling a spark of joy whenever she sees you. That's something she hasn't felt in a long time.
I can go into drabbles to expand on this. This is funny to me.
#honkai star rail#hsr#hsr x reader#honkai star rail x reader#dan heng#dan heng x reader#hsr kafka#kafka#kafka x reader#sunday#sunday hsr#sunday x reader
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Sleepover
Yandere! Damian Wayne x (Fem!) Reader
romantic > summary: During a sleepover, Damian makes his first foray into infatuation. > word count: 1605 > [ a/n: i just love writing from the yandere’s point of view! Damian is 19 or college-age here. honestly not much plot, just musings~ i will try to write from the Darling’s POV next time hehe.]
This must be love.
“Wow, Damian… I’ve never noticed but your nails are so pretty,” you compliment, satisfied with the boy’s upkeep. Damian feels his heart thrumming against his ribcage. You are holding his hand.
Not for the first time either, but the thrill never fades.
If this had occurred a year ago, before Damian learned of how casual (generous, even!) you were physical affection, he might have dumbly stated, “You’re holding my hand.” Instead, he simply thinks it, on loop, in one long string.
You’re holding my hand. You’re holding my hand. You’re holding my hand.
Unbeknownst to all this, you simply paint his forefinger with a stripe of green so dark it looks black.
“If we’re going to do this, it’ll be by my rules,” he had said.
In reality, if you needled him any harder, he would’ve accepted pink nails with glitter on them. Who cares? There wasn’t anyone who dared to make fun of him at school. Not to mention, it’d be obvious to everyone that you painted them. You'd be marking him as yours, essentially. And at night… well, Robin wears gloves.
“Hn. How so?” Damian asks with feigned coolness. Mainly because he wants to hear you praise him. In your hushed, awed voice. When he dreams, you often sound like that. (And he quickly pushes that thought away.)
You look at him pointedly, grinning. Oh, he’s not so slick. You acquiesce to his whims anyway.
“Your cuticles are impeccable and your nails are finely trimmed… I’m impressed. Don’t you do martial arts, too? Crazy they aren’t more dinged up.”
Martial arts. That was supposed to explain his abnormal strength and fighting capability, the one time you saw him nearly break a man’s wrist for trying to pickpocket you.
You accepted the excuse with only a little suspicion.
“It’s simple grooming.”
A catlike grin forms on your face. “Hm~ I don’t knowwww… Seems like you may be trying to catch the eye of a girl – you know, girls look at stuff like that.”
Damian frowns.
He’s infatuated but not delusional. He’s aware this ‘sleepover’ is pretty platonic on your end. After nails, it’ll be skin care. Maybe you’ll even do your makeup and take goofy pictures with him. You’ll laugh and platonically huddle against him during a movie. You may doze off on his shoulder while he’ll be committing your every dewy, moisturized pore to memory.
Because of Damian’s (self-admitted) social awkwardness with your peers, you think that gives you some sort of elder sibling-esque edge on him. You are the social butterfly, leading a naive, but well-meaning social pariah through the perils of young adult life. You don’t know you are so much more naive than he is, and he adores that.
Rather than addressing the question, he snorts. “When are you going to turn on the movie?”
You hum, completing his nail’s first coat. “Oh yeah, that’s right!” You grab the remote and press play. You continue painting, gingerly admiring his long, golden brown digits. Damian preens at the attention.
As the movie plays, you pause often to look up and gape at the screen. It’s a horror flick, and boasts an abundance of cartoonish gore. While a bit more sensational than something he’d put on, he likes your dark taste. An annoying teenager gets their head hacked off with a chainsaw. You laugh and Damian feels his heart sing.
There’s a chime that rings through Wayne Manor, and he has to bite back a groan.
“Pizza’s here!” you cheer. You begin to get up when Damian whips out his card in an instant.
“I’ll pay.” To his delight, you gape in surprise, cheeks warming.
“Oh… Thanks, Damian!” You never quite get used to him paying for things, but you at least know by now not to argue. You grab his credit card and – thank God – your fingers brush against each other. It sends the most pleasant trill down his spine. “Since you’re paying, I’ll go bring it! I won’t be long.”
A corner of his lips quirk. “I’ll be pleasantly surprised if it gets back to this room at all.” You stick out your tongue on the way out.
As soon as he hears your footsteps disappear down the hall – such clumsy, loud steps – Damian’s attention falls to the messenger bag you threw to the ground of his bedroom. He knows your diary is in there. (In his mind, he can hear you protest, It’s a journal!)
He’ll be quick. He flips open to a random page, and he already is laughing at your writing style. There’s little care for capitalizing letters and full of what you explained are “emoticons”, despite being handwritten. He flips to today’s entry, half-finished.
February 01.
there’s a guy in class who’s pretty cute… one may even say HOT xP
Damian’s jaw tightens. He knows exactly who you’re talking about, and he won’t allow that neanderthal anywhere near you. At least, not again. Yesterday, you told him that your crush had smiled at you. Brushed fingers with you when passing papers. In the only class you have without Damian.
(Also, “your crush,” he scoffs. What a juvenile concept. You and Damian share something much deeper. His feelings for you are not so trivial.)
The semester is still young. Damian can pull any string to land himself in your anthropology class.
The rest of your entry for today (and the past days prior) isn’t anything notable except for when he’s mentioned.
stressful day, but at least i have tonight with damian to cheer me up. he’s seriously the best …. i should tell him more often !!! (but it’d give him an even bigger head)
He doesn’t even attempt to stop the smile splitting his face.
Damian’s keen hearing catches you striking up a conversation with Alfred in the kitchen. Despite your promise, he knows you will, indeed, take long. You love talking to everyone, even in passing. It’s an admirable quality, and one he envies.
He unlocks your phone and rifles through some messages of yours. He uses his own phone for documentation purposes. What else is there to do… He spies your jacket on his bed.
There is a shameful thought and Damian’s heart skips a beat. It is… frankly, it’s humiliating as a concept. Yet he’s enticed. It’s your jacket, after all. He brings it to his face delicately and inhales, almost shyly. Once he catches the familiar scent of your body wash, however, he allows himself to breathe it in. After being lost in it for a few seconds, he rips it away.
Only to see his father standing in his doorframe.
He knows what this looks like. Damian knows what this looks like. After years of working with the man, Damian can hear his thoughts as if they were his own, as they happen.
Damian just smelled your clothes. Even if it was investigative in nature, he could’ve retrieved a sample some other way. Someone’s personal journal is open on the floor. A phone that he knows is not Damian’s is unlocked and displaying text messages. All these things are splayed out in a circle around him. It’s uncharacteristically messy of him, as well. Damian’s own phone is actively on his camera. Was he taking pictures? And most notable is the absence of you.
In summary? Damian must have some interest in you. And by this sloppy job, it’s quite emotionally charged. And at his age, it’s likely romantic.
Damian’s skin rises to what feels like a boiling heat. What is Father going to say? He can’t stop him – he can’t. Damian doesn’t even want to talk about it, let alone be reprimanded. A feral need to escape bubbles underneath his skin. Despite the panic, he channels years of League training and hardens himself.
Bruce watches his son’s expression morph from dazed, to fearful, to steel, in real time. From Damian’s seat on the floor he offers his father only silent defiance. Bruce knows his son, his darker needs that stem from his cruel childhood. And perhaps he should’ve expected this to happen someday. Bruce exhales, eyes closing. When they reopen, his slate-grey eyes are firm and hard.
“No one gets hurt.”
And by that, Bruce means no one dies. Because Bruce and Damian are Batman and Robin – they’re all in the business of hurting people. People who deserve it, yes, but it’s still hurt. Pain.
Damian feels immense relief. He wouldn’t have killed his father – he’s not that boy anymore. But a life without you seems similarly unbearable. Damian feels… shaken. He doesn’t know what he would’ve done. He also feels grateful, that it didn’t turn out any other way.
His eyes drop to the jacket he holds in a fist.
“... Yes. Thank you, Father.” Bruce’s gaze lingers, but he leaves wordlessly.
This encounter reminds Damian of who he is. He is a detective, vigilante, assassin, and creature of stealth. He can’t be this careless, even if he knows you won’t notice.
Damian returns your belongings to their place, exactly how you left it. Diary back in your bag, jacket to where you were lounging, your phone underneath a pillow, because you carelessly tossed it aside. You’ll inevitably begin to look for it and he’ll grin once he places it in your hand.
You finally return to his room, two pizza boxes of deluxe cheese (for him) and pepperoni (for you) in your arms. You laugh sheepishly.
“Sorry for the wait, Dami.” His heart skitters at the nickname.
“It’s fine.” Your eyes glitter with excitement and optimism and purity. He finds it hard to look away, you raining down a gaze like that upon him.
“I was waiting for you.”
#yandere damian wayne#damian wayne x reader#yandere batfam#damian wayne#yandere damian wayne x reader#wish this was better but idc#its fun to just write u know :)#mine
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Private equity rips off its investors, too

I'm coming to DEFCON! TOMORROW (Aug 9), I'm emceeing the EFF POKER TOURNAMENT (noon at the Horseshoe Poker Room), and appearing on the BRICKED AND ABANDONED panel (5PM, LVCC - L1 - HW1–11–01). On SATURDAY (Aug 10), I'm giving a keynote called "DISENSHITTIFY OR DIE! How hackers can seize the means of computation and build a new, good internet that is hardened against our asshole bosses' insatiable horniness for enshittification" (noon, LVCC - L1 - HW1–11–01).
It's amazing how many of the scams that have devastated our economy and everyday people owe their success to the fact that we assume that rich people know what they're doing, so if they're doing something, it must be real.
Think of how many people lost everything by gambling on junk bonds, exotic mortgage derivatives, cryptocurrency and web3, because they saw that the largest financial institutions in the world were going all-in on these weird, incomprehensible bets.
Then there are the people who are convinced that online advertising is built around a mind-control ray, because tech companies claim that's what they have ("I am an evil dopamine-loop-hacking wizard and I can sell anything to anyone!"), and because huge, sober blue-chip companies hand billions to these soi dissant svengalis. Sure, online ads are a swamp of clickfraud and garbage, but would these super smart captains of industry spend so much on online advertising if it didn't work super-well?
http://pluralistic.net/HowToDestroySurveillanceCapitalism
From our worms'-eye-view here on the ground, it's easy to assume that rich people and the people who sell them stuff are all on the same side. "If you're not paying for the product, you're the product," right? If Facebook is tormenting you with surveillance advertising, it must be doing so on behalf of the surveillance advertisers, for whom Mark Zuckerberg has bottomless reservoirs of honest, forthright impulses.
The reality is simultaneously weirder, and obvious in hindsight. The reason Zuck is tormenting you is that he's a remorseless sociopath who doesn't care who he hurts. He rips off everyone he can rip off, and that includes advertisers, who have seen steady price-hikes and lower-fidelity targeting, even as ad-fraud has skyrocketed while Facebook draws down its anti-fraud spending:
https://www.404media.co/where-facebooks-ai-slop-comes-from/
This is not to say that Facebook advertisers have your best interests at heart, that they aren't engaged in active deception in order to better themselves at your expense. Rather, it's to say that there's no honor among thieves, and Zuck is an equal-opportunity predator. Moreover, both Zuck and his advertisers are credulous dolts, so the mere fact that they are pouring money into something (advertisers: FB ads; Zuck: metaverse) it doesn't follow that these are real or important or the coming thing.
For me, the Ur-example of "rich people are dumb, even when it comes to money" is the private equity sector. I've written a lot about PE, and how destructive it is to the real economy, from Toys R Us to pet grooming:
https://pluralistic.net/2024/08/05/rugged-individuals/#misleading-by-analogy
How they killed Red Lobster:
https://pluralistic.net/2024/05/23/spineless/#invertebrates
And how they actually created the death panels that Sarah Palin warned us about (it's OK, though: these death panels are run by the efficient private sector, not government bureaucrats):
https://pluralistic.net/2023/04/26/death-panels/#what-the-heck-is-going-on-with-CMS
The devastating effect of private equity on the real economy is increasingly well understood, and a curious side-effect of this is that people assume that if PE is destroying their lives, they must be doing so on behalf of their investors, who are making bank.
But – like Zuck – PE bosses are just as happy to steal from their investors as they are to to steal from the workers and customers of the businesses they acquire on those investors' behalf. They swaddle this theft in performative complexity and specialized jargon, but when you strip all that away, you find more fraud.
All the misery that PE inflicts on workers, communities and customers are just a convincer in a Big Store con, a bid to make the scam seem credible. For a certain kind of investor, any economic activity that destroys communities and workers' livelihoods must be a good bet. This is the dynamic at work in the pitch of AI image-generator companies, who spend tens of billions on technology that there is no substantial market for:
https://pluralistic.net/2024/07/25/accountability-sinks/#work-harder-not-smarter
AI image generators represent a high-profile, extremely visible example of "a job that AI can do." Nevermind that AI illustration went from a novelty to a tired cliche in less than a year. Even if you think that AI illustrations are a perfect substitute for commercial illustrations, that still won't come anywhere near making AI companies a profit. Add up the entire wage bill for every commercial illustrator in the world, hand it to Open AI, and you're not even gonna cover the kombucha budget for Open AI's staff kitchens.
Hell, all the wages of every commercial illustrator that ever lived won't pay back even a fraction of the money the AI companies spent on image generators. The pauperization of an entire class of creative workers is just a canned demo, a way to fool investors into thinking that there is a whole universe of similarly situated workers whose wages can be diverted to AI companies. This is the logic of small-time spammers, scaled up to the scale of the entire S&P 500. Smalltime spammers looked at AI and thought, "OK, I can generate as much botshit as I want on demand for free. Science fiction magazines pay $0.10/word. So if I generate a billion words, I'll get $100 million." But that's not how any of that works: sf magazines don't buy botshit, and even if they did, the entire market for short fiction adds up to what Sam Altman spends on a single designer t-shirt. The point of destroying these beloved, useful things isn't to make a lot of money by taking their markets – it's to convince dopey, panicked rich people to give you lots of money you can steal, because they think you can do this to every market and they don't want to miss out on the opportunity of a lifetime:
https://pluralistic.net/2024/01/15/passive-income-brainworms/#four-hour-work-week
Take "divi recaps": after a private equity firm acquires a company (by borrowing money against its assets), it typically declares a "special dividend," emptying out the company's cash reserves and pocketing them. A "divi recap" is when PE then takes out another massive loan against the company's (remaining) assets and pockets that:
https://pluralistic.net/2020/09/17/divi-recaps/#graebers-ghost
All of this happens under an opaque cloud, thanks to the light-to-nonexistent disclosure rules for PE. A public company has to open its books for the SEC, its investors, and the world. PE is private – and so are its finances. It is absolutely routine for PE bosses to put their spouses, kids, and pals on the payroll and hand them millions for doing little to nothing, all at the expense of their investors:
https://www.nakedcapitalism.com/2022/02/sec-set-to-lower-massive-boom-on-private-equity-industry.html
PE bosses charge huge fees to their investors – not merely the usual 2-and-20 (2% of the funds under management and 20% of any profits) – but also a wide variety of special one-off fees that pile to the sky. They also dip into their investors' funds to issue themselves massive loans that they use to make side-bets, without telling the investors about it:
https://pluralistic.net/2022/02/10/monopoly-begets-monopoly/#gary-gensler
PE investors are chickens ripe for the plucking: take "continuation funds," which allow PE bosses to soak the rich people and pension funds who supply them with billions:
https://news.bloomberglaw.com/mergers-and-acquisitions/matt-levines-money-stuff-buyout-funds-buy-from-themselves
Remember 2-and-20? 2% of all the money you manage, every year, and 20% of all the profits. You'd think that these would be somewhat zero sum, right? If you use some of your investors' cash to buy a company, and then sell off that company for a profit, you get the 20%, but now the pot of money you're managing has gone down by the amount you used to buy the company, and so your 2% carry goes down, too.
But what if you sell your portfolio companies to yourself, using your investors' own money? When you do that, you continue to hold the company on your PE firm's books, meaning you continue to get the 2% carry, and you can pocket 20% of the sale price as a "profit":
https://pluralistic.net/2023/07/20/continuation-fraud/#buyout-groups
This is straight-up fraud, wrapped up in so much jargon that it can successfully masquerade as "financial engineering" ("financial engineering" is really just a euphemism for "fraud"). PE bosses keep coming up with new, exotic ways to steal from their investors. The latest scam is "tax receivable agreements":
https://archive.ph/RczJ9
On its face, this is a tax scam. When a company goes public, early investors generally hold stock in the original partnership or LLC; this company ends up holding a ton of shares in the new, public company. When they sell those non-public shares in the LLC, this creates a (potentially gigantic) tax credit.
A TRA hustle involves tracking down these LLC shareholders and convincing them to sign off on dumping the LLC's shares, which generates a huge tax credit for the public company. The hustler offers to split these credits with the LLC holders.
All of this is especially attractive to PE bosses, who often take a company private, do a bunch of "financial engineering" and then take it public again, leaving the PE firm as the owner of those LLC shares that can be converted to a TRA and a huge windfall – which the PE bosses pocket, because they (not their investors) are holding those credits.
This scam is really doing big numbers. KKR – the monsters who killed Toys R Us – just diverted $650 million in TRA loot, prompting a lawsuit from Steamfitters union pension fund, which had handed these jerks millions of its members' money to gamble with:
https://archive.ph/kqQvI
This highlights another very weird aspect of the PE scam: they are absolutely dependent on pension funds. To add insult to injury, PE funds are notorious union-busters – they use union money to buy companies and destroy their unions:
https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/05/mr-gotcha/#no-ethical-consumption-under-capitalism
People who try to understand the PE business model often give up, because it seems to make no sense, leading many to assume that they're too unsophisticated to grasp the complex financials here. For example, PE is absolutely dependent on massive loans as a way of looting its businesses, but it also often defaults on those loans. Why do banks and investors keep making huge loans to PE deadbeats? Because – like the PE fund investors – they are credulous dolts.
The reason PE seems like a scam is that it is a scam. It is a fractal scam – every part of it is a scam. You might have heard about the "carried interest" tax loophole that allows PE bosses to avoid billions in taxes on the money they steal from their investors, creditors, workers and customers. Most people assume "carried interest" has something to do with "interest" on a loan. Nope: "carried interest" is a 16th century nautical tax rule designed for mercantalist sea-captains who had an "interest" in the cargo they "carried":
https://pluralistic.net/2021/04/29/writers-must-be-paid/#carried-interest
But rich people and other "sophisticated investors" (like pension fund investment managers) are no smarter than the rest of us. They are herd animals. When they see other rich people piling into some scheme or asset class, they rush to join them, which makes the asset price go up, which makes them think they're smart (until the inevitable rug-pull). When one plute jumps off the Empire State Building, the rest of them jump, too.
Which is why there's more money flooding into PE than at any time in history, $2.62T in "dry powder," handed over to greedy, thieving PE bosses in a poker game where everyone is the sucker at the table:
https://www.institutionalinvestor.com/article/2di1vzgjcmzovkcea8f0g/portfolio/private-equitys-dry-powder-mountain-reaches-record-height
If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:
https://pluralistic.net/2024/08/08/sucker-at-the-table/#clucks-definance
#pluralistic#tra#tax receivable asset#financial engineering#private equity#two sided markets#pe#looters#sucker at the table#kkr#debt#dry powder
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Oh No! I got mad about something someone I dont know posted on the internet and I am brooding and angry about it! Instead of posting I will relax and reflect and do something more productive like:
Scuba diving
Yoga
National Park Travelers Club
Becoming A Nudist
Jigsaw puzzles
Wikipedia editing
Inventing A Time Machine
Woodworking
Masturbating
Succumbing To The Amulet
Genealogy
Masturbating
Dark Alchemy
Robot combat
Bungee jumping
Electronics repair
Beekeeping
Lego sets
Shuffleboard
Slacklining
Eating Lugnuts Off The Cars In the Walmart Parking Lot
Photography
Metalworking
Hacking
Golfing
Paintball
Transcending the Limitations of Flesh
Welding
Thrifting
Sleeping
Abolishing The Division of Night and Day
Pet fostering
Meteorology
Getting Gone
Bowling
Dumpster Diving
Book collecting
Amateur radio
Meditating On My Uncountable Failures
Weaving
Ice skating
Graphic design
Brewing
Masturbating
Car racing
Stealing
Camping
Teaching Crows How To Commit Tax Fraud
Getting Really Good At Beatboxing
Cooking
Getting My Stink Salted
Bird watching
Crocheting
Gymnastics
Screaming Into the Night Sky At God
Metal detecting
Masturbating
Driving Off A Bridge
Sleeping
Thinking about Masturbating
Revisiting Classics To See If They Hold Up
Origami
Drinking
Masturbating
Billiards
Chess
Sleeping
Geocaching
Bread making
Launching rockets
Calligraphy
Archery
Jewelry making
Smoking
Video games
Needlepoint
Water skiing
Animal breeding
Stealing
Podcasting
Fantasy sports
Learning Spanish
Wine tasting
Backpacking
Getting Way Too Into Sports
Alchemy
Karaoke
Stealing
Traveling
Turning Straight Women Gay
Taxidermy
Masturbating
Horseback riding
Fishing
Being a DJ
Quilting
Juggling
Record collecting
Baking
Glassblowing
Drones
Stealing Infant Teeth
Crossfit
Improvisation
Attuning Myself To Crystals For the Purposes of Psychic Attacks
Drinking
Playing a musical instrument
Stand-up comedy
Throwing Myself Into A Volcano
Skiing
Remote cars
Bonsai
Furniture restoration
Quitting While I'm Ahead
Drinking
Writing
Smoking
Meterology
Local historical society
Disappearing In A Mysterious Accident
Assassination
Painting
Handball
Masturbating
Cheese-making
Martial arts
Astronomy
App making
Table tennis
Web design
Letting All The Demons Out of Hell
Farming
Hiking
Home improvement projects
Swimming
Skydiving
Volunteering
Animal grooming
Forbidden Alchemy
Remote airplanes
Gardening
Burying A Bunch Of Eggs
Becoming The Worlds Preeminent White Maoist
Digging A Hole To The Center of the Earth
Trivia
Journaling
Video production
Masturbating
Drinking
Crossword puzzles
Vehicle restoration
Candle-making
Drinking
Reading
Art collecting
Drawing
Makeup
Smoking
Running
Dancing On the Graves of My Enemies
Sleeping
Kayaking
Poetry
Knitting
Sleeping
Designing clothing
Sailing
Acting
Rock climbing
Disc golfing
Scrapbooking
Winemaking
Wood burning
Running Away
Museum visiting
Pottery
Escape rooms
Soap making
LARPing
Freestyling
Flying
Smoking
Snowboarding
Board games
Just Eating A Bunch of Candy
Surfing
Masturbating
Mixology
Smoking
Card games
Kite surfing
Masturbating
Composting
Dancing
Creating The Perfect French Fry
Powerlifting
Model trains
The Rites And Rituals Forbidden To Me
Movie reviews
Frisbee Wizardry
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Everything Sucks Timeline Document, dated April 21 2019
Key
❓ Subject to change
⭐ Pivotal event
Volume 1
Noctober 5th, 6016 - Wednesday
Barry is admitted to the hospital. ⭐
Barry receives his first treatment.
Barry, Uni, Caroline, Hemera, and Jay all escape and intrude on the Noctober music festival. ⭐
The patients are returned to the hospital.
Volume 2
Noctober 19th, 6016 - Wednesday
Cleanup day
The patients escape to the City dump and encounter escaped patients.
Funfetti and Puppy head to the dump.
The patients, including former ones, are all captured.
Pepper is left behind. ⭐
Volume 3
Noctober 21st, 6016 - Friday
Biannual hospital inspection
Barry meets all the patients.
The health inspectors and social workers determine the hospital to be safe.
Bright T. Howtlook promises to help out the patients somehow. ⭐
Volume 4
B plot
Ovember 8th, 6016 - Tuesday
Yearly talent show
Uni brings her puppet to life and it wreaks havoc on the hospital.
The puppets are contained and de-magicfied.
A plot
Ovember 8th, 6016 - Tuesday
Alex is in the hospital after a suicide attempt. The doctor recommends that he be transferred to Sparklecare but Dodge disagrees based upon the events of the festival. Jay's mom overhears and says it was a good decision.
Nurse Fortune takes them to the AB and introduces them to everyone. They have a meeting without Tilly.
Volume 5
Jecember 11th, 6016 - Sunday
Amber, Shirley and Ivy arrive at the CCT police station and ask about their son. They meet Fuzzy on the way out.
Fuzzy takes them to Barry's dorm and they then proceed to Wedoncare.
Charles directs Barry's family and Fuzzy to the AB headquarters.
Fuzzy reaches out to Brigh, and they devise a plan to contact the patients.
Volume 6
Bebruary 18th, 6017 - Saturday
Brigh delivers a pamphlet to the hospital that contains a link to the AB site. From there, Jay and Tilly get into contact.⭐
Jay and Tilly start working on plans.
Bebruary 19th, 6017 - Sunday
Evidence begins being collected.
Bebruary 27th, 6017 - Monday ❓
Lee dies. ❓
Bebruary 28th - Arch 15th
Other minor patients die. ❓
Cuddles is grooming Uni. ❓
Volume 7
Mapril 4th, 6017 - Tuesday
Hemera compiles all their collected evidence onto a phone. It takes several days.
Mapril 8th, 6017 - Saturday
Evidence is finished compiling.
They set up the groundwork for the escape plan to deliver the evidence to the AB. ⭐
Mapril 10th, 6017 - Monday
Delivery day
Uni tells the plan to Cuddles.
Hemera and Miley die delivering the evidence. ⭐
Volume 8
Saugust 6th, 6013
Uni is frequently throwing up after experiments from Cuddles.
Ame confronts Cuddles.
Ame attempts escaping with Uni, but ultimately dies.
Uni attempts suicide. ⭐
Volume 9
Mapril 10th, 6017 - Monday
Uni attempts again, breaking off her horn. Mood saves her life.
Mood goes and tries to kill Cuddles, but he ends up killing her.
The evidence reaches the AB, and they start organizing the police report. ⭐
Volume 10
Mapril 11th - Mapril 15th
Doom is frantically searching for Mood. Cuddles says he has her locked up somewhere.
Uni goes missing.
Mapril 16th, 6017 - Sunday
Tilly hacks into the security system and the patients go into the security office with Rem. They see Cuddles going into an underground room through a cafeteria door. The patients go down there.
Tilly and Aidan drive to the hospital after losing contact with the patients. They find everyone locked up and with Cuddles.
Cuddles unveils TPP to them, and has it kill Aidan and Chip. ⭐
He tries talking Uni into suicide, but fails. The patients break out.
Volume 11
Uni and Barry get out of the building and go to the police station and get arrested.
The AB contacts social media influencer Dane Shaw Skin, who makes the hospital go viral. The police finally listen and are on their way.
Doom sets the hospital on fire from the top floor and orders Cuddles to get everyone out. Cuddles ends up killing him and throwing him in the fire. ⭐
Patients and staff are scrambling to get out.
Toxic fumes start leaking into the air.
Volume 12
The patients all get out.
The hospital fire is contained by the fire department, but it burns to the ground.
Staff, including Cuddles, are all arrested.
Patients are reunited with their families.
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ghouls have fur and toe beans
that means they probably clean the spaces in between their toes like cats do
ghouls groom themselves and each other to bond and for comfort
that means there will be hair balls
can you imagine you're a sibling sneaking through the ministry at night and hear the typical cat hacking sound only to see swiss on all fours on the ground, his body doing the 🦗🦟🦗🦟🦗 , dry heaving and hurling up a huge hair ball
after that he just scurries off and you're left in the dark hallway with a hairball the size of a golf ball
#shitghosting#swiss ghoul#phantom ghoul#rain ghoul#dewdrop ghoul#mountain ghoul#cirrus ghoulette#aurora ghoulette#nameless ghouls#cardinal copia#aether ghoul#sunshine ghoulette#cumulus ghoulette#nameless ghoul headcanons#the sound of my cats hacking will wake me from the deepest sleep istg#papa emeritus iv#papa emeritus iii#papa emeritus i#papa emeritus ii#ghost ghouls#the band ghost#i really wish i was a serious and talented writer but this is all i got
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Spring Cleaning Tips For Pet Parents

Spring Cleaning For Dog Owners
For dog owners, maintaining a clean and healthy home is for their well-being and that of their furry friends. Spring cleaning provides pet parents the ideal opportunity to thoroughly clean a home and create a safe environment for all concerned.
By tackling pet hair, odors, and stains, organizing the dog’s supplies and toys, grooming the dog, and maintaining the yard, you enjoy a healthy and clean home for the four-legged companion.
Essential Supplies and Tools for Spring Cleaning with Dogs
Gathering the necessary supplies and tools is essential before diving in. You need a vacuum cleaner with strong suction power. A pet hair brush and lint roller are handy for quick touch-ups. Choose pet-safe cleaning products that are free from harmful chemicals.
Look for products on the label that say they are safe for pets or make natural dog-friendly cleaning products using ingredients such as baking soda and vinegar.
Spring Cleaning Tips for Tackling Pet Hair, Odors, and Stains
Dealing with pet hair is among the most significant challenges for pet owners. To effectively remove pet and dog hair from carpets and furniture, use a damp squeegee or rubber gloves to collect the hair in one place before you vacuum.
For stubborn odors and stains, it is essential to act quickly. Blot the stain with a clean paper towel or cloth to absorb as much liquid as possible. Use an enzymatic cleaner designed specifically for pet stains to break down odor-causing particles. Avoid the use of ammonia-based cleaners. They attract dogs to re-mark the area.
Areas to Focus On
Certain areas of the home require extra attention when spring cleaning. Upholstery and carpets harbor allergens, pet dander, and dirt. Consider hiring a professional or renting a carpet cleaner to clean the carpets deep.
Use a fabric-safe cleaner on upholstery and blankets and follow the manufacturer’s instructions. Remember the dog’s bedding or crate to eliminate any lingering pet odors. Please pay attention to frequently touched areas like light switches and doorknobs and disinfect them regularly.
Organizing Dog Supplies, Treats, and Toys
Keeping the dog’s supplies, treats, and toys organized helps maintain a tidy home and makes it easier to find what you need. Start by decluttering and getting rid of used or old items. Sort the hard and soft toys into categories and use baskets or storage bins to organize items.
Label the bins to make finding specific toys easier. Designate a particular area for supplies like grooming tools, collars, and leashes so they are easily accessible when needed.
Cleaning Dog Bedding and Accessories
Regularly clean the dog bedding and accessories for their comfort and health. Wash the bedding in hot water with a pet-safe detergent to kill any parasites and bacteria that may be present. If the pet’s bedding is too large for a home washing machine, use a commercial machine with an extra-large capacity at a laundromat.
Check the manufacturer’s cleaning recommendations for accessories such as leashes and collars. If they can be washed in a washing machine, place them in a mesh laundry bag to prevent tangling.
Grooming The Dog
Grooming the dog is about more than aesthetics. It plays a role in the pet’s health and well-being. Regular brushing stimulates the skin, prevents matting, and helps remove loose hair. Choose a brush suitable for the dog’s coat.
Be gentle to avoid causing discomfort. Bathing the dog is another essential aspect of grooming. Use a mild dog shampoo and thoroughly rinse to remove all traces of soapy water. Do not forget to trim the dog’s nails to prevent them from getting too long and causing injury or discomfort. If you are uncomfortable trimming the dog’s nails, get help from a professional groomer.
Maintaining The Yard
A well-maintained and clean yard is essential to a dog’s health and happiness. Picking up the dog’s waste prevents the spread of parasites and bacteria. A disposable bag or pooper scooper makes the task easier.
Consider using a pet-friendly lawn spray to promote healthy grass growth and neutralize odors in grassy areas. Also, keep the yard free from sharp objects or fallen branches that could harm the dog. Regularly inspect gates and fences to ensure they are in good condition and secure.
Preventing Ticks and Fleas
Springtime brings an increase in tick and flea activity. Taking preventative measures for the dog’s well-being and health is crucial. Regular use of the vacuum helps remove flea eggs and larvae from furniture and carpets.
Washing the dog’s bedding in hot water kills any ticks or fleas present. Check with a flea comb for signs of infestation in pet beds, like live fleas or flea dirt. Talk to a veterinarian about flea and tick products appropriate for your dog, like oral medicines or topical treatments.
Protect Your Dog During Spring Cleaning
Spring cleaning is essential, but keeping the dog safe during the process is equally important. Many cleaning products contain toxic chemicals if inhaled or ingested. Keep tools and cleaning products out of the dog’s reach, preferably on a high shelf or in a locked cabinet.
Open windows or use fans to ensure proper ventilation when using cleaning products. If you use a carpet or steam cleaner, keep the dog in a separate room until the area is arid and free from residual chemicals.
Enjoy a Clean and Healthy Home for You and Your Furry Friend
Spring cleaning is more than tidying up a home. It creates a healthy and clean environment for you and your pet. Following the spring cleaning tips mentioned above, you effectively remove pet hair, odors, and stains, organize the dog’s supplies and toys, groom the dog for a fresh spring look, prevent ticks and fleas, maintain a clean outdoor space, and ensure dog-friendly home organization during the process. You can enjoy happy moments with your four-legged companion in a healthy and clean home.
Contact Very Important Paws today in Palm Beach for all your dog boarding, hotel, daycare, grooming, and training needs!
#spring cleaning#dog owners#tips#tricks#pet care#cleaning hacks#dog grooming#pet hygiene#household cleanliness#pet-friendly cleaning#springtime pet care#cleaning products for dogs#dog-friendly home#pet-safe cleaning#spring pet grooming#cleaning routines for dog owners#pet health#dog maintenance#spring cleaning checklist#eco-friendly pet care#dog care services#Very Important Paws Reservation#VeryImportantPaws#veryimportantpaws.com
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Humans Are Extinct (Yandere!TWST x fem!Reader) Monster AU pt 13

(Malleus has a full dragon form that is much larger than his Humanoid form, though he rarely uses it. The few times Malleus uses his draconic form is in combat and to hold his Hoard. As a Dragon, he receives comfort from having his Hoard with him and being able to shield his entire Hoard with his own body. In combat Malleus has less control over himself as he only really fights when there is no other choice or he is enraged enough to turn his fangs and flames on the offending party. The only time Malleus would ever deign to be in his Draconic form outside of combat or comfort would be if the members of his Hoard request it of him.)
Warnings: yandere, yandere behavior, protective behavior, aggressive behavior, cursing, poachers, case made for both sides, threats, shinigami vs dragon conflict, platonic yanderes vs platonic yandere vs romantic yanderes, Cervitaur, Crow, Shinigami, Dragon, Raiju, Vampire Bat, mention of Water Nymph, more history of my AU,
~~~~~~~~
You woke up in an increasingly familiar way with your face snuggled up in the fur between Silver's shoulder blades. The warmth was tempting to give into as the rest had been deep and peaceful, but you wondered where the others had gone. Slowly lifting your head you hummed and snuggled the warm Cervitaur. Grim was laying in the space of your neck with his tail curled over his nose.
"Ah, you're awake."
"Mhh, Silver? Where did everyone go?"
"... Lord Hades has arrived and wished to speak with you, but Lord Malleus insisted he have the chance to speak his case first. Father and Sebek have gone with him. The Headmage insists we do not interrupt the conversation and tells me they will reach out when they have finished speaking."
You sighed and lay back where you had been sprawled across the Reindeer's back, cuddling your cat friend close. Concern colored your outlook on things and you wondered if you were going to be taken away from the home you had made at the school. If push came to shove, you preferred the hell you knew over the hell you didn't.
There was a part of you that wanted to say 'screw it' and invite yourself into the conversation being had over your future, as you should have greater say than anyone else on the matter. Another part of you wondered if it was best to let Malleus deal with the situation as the Dragon was likely better versed in political talks. You weren't entirely sure what Hades was like other than what you had been told, but you hoped he would be as understanding as you needed him to be.
It was during this thinking that you realized it had been a few days since you were last able to bathe in the comfort of your home. Where you had been cleaned up after the attack and magically cleaned to go to classes, it still didn't sit well with you that you hadn't been able to take care of your own cleanliness and grooming. If anything, a nice shower to scrub off the day seemed quite tempting and may help you clear your mind to have some time alone.
Still, you couldn't get there by yourself due to your still aching leg and tender arm. To think, you had been hacked with a Headsman's Axe and stabbed with a serrated blade within days of each other. Even so, the idea of having time to yourself to just relax in some hot water was a tempting one.
"Silver, I want a shower. Can we go back to Ramshackle?"
"Of course."
Silver carefully got up, keeping you and Grim in place on his back. Luckily the blanket you had been using was small enough that Silver could just take it with you. You didn't even have to adjust as he got down from the large nest, both you and Grim still cozy beneath the blanket. Part of you was tempted to just slip off into sleep again as the rhythmic click of his hooves on the ground served as a fine melody.
Students who lived in Diasomnia only spared a quick glance in your direction before getting out of Silver's way. All of them acutely aware of how seriously their dorm leader took your safety and how seriously Silver would take your safety as a result. Some were curious, but none dared to approach or bother the Cervitaur for their curiosity.
All you wanted was that bit of time alone and felt almost happy to know Silver was a natural deterrent for the curious students. Grim had yet to wake, even with being jostled and continued to nap in your arms as you lay across the Reindeer's back.
~•§•~
"So as you see, Lord Hades, though it is not an ideal arrangement, it would be improper to remove her from where she is comfortable and a crime to threaten the removal of a Hoard member of a Dragon."
The large Shinigami contemplated these words in silence, his tired eyes far too alert and sharp for comfort. Though this was an ancient being, even the weathering of time could not take away the razor sharp intelligence and strong morals from the Shinigami. Time could rob him of everything else, but it would never rob him of his wits and strength.
Despite being in his smaller form, the Shinigami towered over the others and was just as intimidating as he would be in his original large form. When the Shinigami moves others get out of his way.
"And this talk of poachers?"
"She would be threatened by poachers everywhere regardless of who it is protecting her. Better she be somewhere she is comfortable than take her somewhere new and still have to face the dangers of poaching."
"She would not be under such threat on the Isle of Woe."
There was truth in the Shinigami's words as the ancient being was solely in control of who entered his lands or not. The Isle was the only place that poachers would not be able to infiltrate regardless of effort or time dedicated. It was the ideal safe-space for a species that had already gone extinct such as Humans.
"Yes, she would be."
Malleus' interruption was odd as the Dragon was usually well spoken towards those of equal or greater standing than himself. Naturally, Hades was of the mind that everything the Dragon says should be taken with his own personal attachment to the Human in mind.
"How do you figure, child?"
"You cherished Humans and protected them before they died out, many of your kin did not. Who's to say that your own kin won't turn on her themselves? Young Ortho's disabilities are the direct result of Shinigami turning against family. Who's to say others won't do the same?"
"You make a vaild point, but the truth still stands; this is not a safe enough place to keep the last member of a contested species. All attempts at maintaining any semblance of safety have been thwarted by poachers looking to line their pockets."
"Then make it one."
"Speak again, child, I don't believe I understood you properly the first time."
"You say it isn't safe enough for her to stay here? Then make it safe for her. She is happy enough here and finds comfort in the presence of those she has befriended. If you can't do that much and insist on taking her from here, my Hoard and I will follow where she goes."
Hades actually cracked a smile at this, pleased with the Dragon's determination to keep and protect the Human in question. He had previously figured the young Dragon was only acting on instinct to keep that which was selfishly Hoarded away by a beast whose wings were too small for his ego. Now he could see that the Dragon was willing to uproot his own comfort to follow where his beloved Human goes regardless of how the choice panned out.
"You are determined to keep her, this is clear. How can I trust your Hoard won't turn on her either?"
"We have slept in the same nest since my child of man arrived at Night Raven. Lilia, my own teacher and first Hoard member, has guarded myself long enough for me to know his feelings on the matter. Silver and Sebek are my retainers and have acted as such for (Y/n) since her arrival. Sebek is newer to the Hoard, I conceed that, but he is no less protective of her."
Hades hummed at this, turning to look at two of the mentioned Hoard members. The Vampire Bat was a familiar face and Hades himself had heard of the Bat before. The Raiju was not a familiar face, but it was clear by the way he stood that he was currently standing on guard for the Dragon he protected. As humorous as it was to think a Dragon needed protection from anything, the Raiju clearly took the task seriously and even tried to stare down the elder Shinigami.
"Tell me, child, do you know why Humans need to be protected?"
"They are fragile and magicless."
"Yes, but do you know the way other species interact with Humans and why it can be so dangerous?"
"I don't believe I follow."
Hades stood now, his hands clasped behind his back as he walked to one of the windows nearby and looked out at the campus. He knew much of Humans, having been the primary benefactor and protector of the species he loved so deeply. There were many truths lost to time about the soft species, but Hades still remembered it as clear as the day he first encountered the odd simian-species.
"Humans are addictive. I don't mean in a poetic way either, Humans are truly addictive to many species. To the species that befriended them, Humans became an emotional addiction due to their own ability to cover their emotions and even model their emotions around those among them. To the species that ate their flesh, they were physically addictive and drove many- such as the early Gnolls- into a hunger driven state of madness that could only be curbed by partaking in consumption. For those that loved them and embraced them as mates, the very feel of their bodies and the emotional support they provided became addictive. Why do you think so many Fae were in such a state of mourning after the extinction of Humans? Why do you think so many Unicorns are desperate to have a Human in their life? Why do you think I took so much of my own time and resources to shelter them in my home?"
He now turned back to the group that watched him curiously, his old eyes noticing the way the Bat Fae averted his gaze. The Bat knew the addictive qualities of Humans and still sought to be around this new Human because it harkened back to his memories of Humans long since departed. Lilia had first-hand experience of how addictive it was to stay in the presence of a Human and be shown the coveted affection of those Humans. Despite the threat of addiction to this new Human, Lilia casually sauntered into forming a friendship and potentially more with the Human and knowingly allowed himself to be pulled in.
"Your teacher knows of what I speak. I know this addiction well and I know others are susceptible to it. Even you, in all your magic and power, are subject to the Human caused addiction. I would see Humans brought back to this world and treated properly by all in Twisted Wonderland, but many would see the destruction of this last Human to be the end of an age of obsession. Even now, we cherish and cling to the remnants of a species that was too weak to survive among us on their own, yet too treasured to be forgotten."
He moved back around the long conference table and towards the Dragon who tried so hard to convince him to keep the Human. There were many variables and this Human was certainly a treasure among treasures, but would the Dragon be able to stop himself from becoming addicted as well, or would he saunter into it the same way his teacher and advisor had?
"Can you say with confidence that you can protect her from the many addicts looking for their next fix? Can you assert that you can keep her safe from those that crave her very presence and flesh because of their driven need for her? Can you swear to me that your own addiction will not cloud your judgement to make decisions in her best interest and not your own? If you can, I will aid you in her protection. If you can't, I will remove her from the situation she has unknowingly entered and you will not see her again. Even if I must declare war on Briar Valley to do so, I am still able to say with certainty what would be best for her as a Human in a world of addicts. So, what say you, little Dragon prince? Can you swear to me that all you say is true?"
"..."
~•§•~
Your shower was much needed and felt like it washed off more than just the weight of the day. Silver insisted on getting you a stool to sit on so you wouldn't strain your leg by standing on it and insisted on keeping guard outside the door. The time alone was a relief as at least the Cervitaur respected your request for privacy.
Ortho had been thrilled to see you again and wanted to show you all he and Idia had done to improve your home, only backing off when you promised to take a look once you were done bathing. Luckily for you, the Shinigami was quick to agree and even tried apologizing to you for involving his ancestor the way he did. Grim assured you he would take a look at all the new things added to your home while you bathed and tell you if it was satisfactory or not.
Idia was thrilled to have the little cat-beast volunteer as it was clear the Shinigami was fond of felines. You felt comfortable enough to let the Shinigami brothers keep an eye on Grim while you bathed.
Now, as you dried off, rewrapped your wounds, and pulled on the clothes Silver left out for you, you felt more at peace with the situation you found yourself in. The clothes you were given were actually unfamiliar, as you didn't remember having the loose fit pants or the flowy shirt in your wardrobe, but you didn't have much in your wardrobe anyway. You vaguely wondered if you could convince Malleus and another Housewarden to accompany you to find clothing more your style. Of course, this also meant that you had to aquire enough funds to purchace the clothing you wanted.
"(Y/n)," Silver knocked on the bathroom door, "you've gone quiet. Are you alright?"
"Yeah, I'm okay. Just thinking."
"Do you need assistance wrapping your bandages?"
"Nope. I'm fine."
"Let me know if that changes."
You sighed softly, knowing it would be rare to have time to yourself but also knowing there was reason behind the almost intrusive protective behavior of those around you. If those Wolves had managed to learn about your collar enough to remove them during the attack, then others would no doubt have the same advantage. In some ways you cursed the Water Nymph for his stupid act of telling the world about you, but in some ways you recognized that if he hadn't done it someone else likely would have. He just had the misfortune of doing it first.
When you emerged from the washroom, you were not too surprised to see Silver laying outside the door. He had taken to laying down in order to help you climb onto his back as you still technically weren't supposed to walk around without aid just yet. Even as you climbed onto the back of the Reindeer, he was careful when he stood as he didn't want to jostle you too much.
"Hooman!"
Grim called out, jumping from the banister railing across from you and up into your arms. The little beast didn't seem overly upset or bothered, so you figured he just missed you. If anything, your view of Grim had become rather motherly as it was clear the young cat-beast had taken a shining to you and sought you out for comfort.
"Flames has something he wants to talk with us about. I think you should hear him out because he's actually kinda smart and the things he says don't really make sense but are good enough to believe!"
The softest of chuckles escaped you as Silver began carefully making his way down the staircase to the main common area of the dorm. You assumed that was where Ortho and Idia were waiting for you, as that was the main hub where they set up most of various device feeds to display. New curtains added over the large windows of the room had been drawn to block out a good portion of natural light. Screens were shoved wherever they would fit and all seemed to be displaying something different.
Both brothers were sitting on your couch and holding controllers, playing what seemed to be a cooperative two person game. When Silver walked in, Idia was quick to pause the game much to Ortho's dismay before he noticed you as well.
"Nee-san!"
Ortho cheered and hopped up, only the slightest stiffness in his mechanical limbs giving away his more limited range of motion. Idia stood, holding one arm and biting the sleeve of the other as you approached. It was clear the Shinigami was still nervous around you, but he seemed less stressed than he had been when you first met him.
"Hey, (Y/n), you- uh... You alright?"
"Been better."
"I figured after everything that happened... I do want to say sorry for not protecting you enough. We got assigned as your guards and you were injured that very first day. Absolute fumble on our part."
Idia sighed, letting go of his sleeve and somewhat swaying as he tried to avoid locking eyes with you. He was clearly anxious, but still trying to talk to you directly despite that feeling of stress inside of him.
"Well, I don't wanna drop this bomb on you too quickly, but we need to talk about those poachers."
"What's there to talk about? They're dead."
"But the one who hired them isn't."
"What?"
Idia gestured awkwardly to the couch as if he wanted you to sit first. Silver was quick to help you off of his back and onto the soft cushions, standing guard nearby despite not needing to in the comfort of your own dorm.
"I have reason to believe someone high up is trying to game the system an put a hit out on you. Real scumbag no-GG full of themselves type person."
"Wait, why do you think someone hired the Wolves?"
Idia turned to the large screen- a new addition among many others likely made by the brothers- and tapped what seemed to be a blue hologram keyboard in front of him. You were somewhat entranced by the movement of his flame hair and magic now that you could see both on clear display in front of you. The gemstones on his cheeks caught the light of his hair and almost made the Shinigami glitter in the low light of the room. He was surprisingly beautiful.
"I was reviewing the information about your attack and noticed some things. I hope it doesn't freak you out, but I have cameras all over Night Raven College and even a few in the forests. I don't- I can't really- I have issues with others and interacting with them. That's why I don't go to my classes, I just record them and show up for tests..."
He glanced at you then back at the screens again, his grey toned skin almost seeming to have a bit more color to it while he spoke to you.
"Those poachers went after Grim first. The one you value most and the one out of the two of you who can use magic. Then they went after your collar which tells me they knew the purpose it serves. Only those told about the collars should have known what purpose they served."
"So did one of the Housewardens hire them?"
"I thought so at first, but then I realized Headmage Crowley had to tell the various scientists and representatives what steps he was taking to ensure your safety. Looking at the lists of those who have come to Sage Island, I found more than a few whose theories on Humans would be called into question by your existence. To them, it would be better if you were gone. There were even a few who may have political motivations and that's why they hired the more beastly appearing Wolves to hunt you down instead of any other species. On top of all of this, they knew to drive Leona away from the school and deeper into the woods. You would have died of your injuries before you reached the villages and towns in the valley below the school."
"Okay, so why didn't they know about Malleus then?"
"It's kind of an unspoken rule among the Fae variants that one should not tell anyone another Fae's business. Headmage Crowley is a Crow Harpy Fae, he wouldn't dare say anything about another Fae. The Housewardens know Malleus has taken you as a Hoard member. The representatives and scientists? They would have no clue. The Wolves didn't know about Malleus and they were killed for it, but they knew about your collars."
You were surprised and shocked by the logical conclusions of the Shinigami and it did make sense. It had bothered you that the poachers knew about your collar, but you had avoided thinking about them and only now realized how odd it was they knew about them.
"None of the students here have a reason to hire the poachers. I did suspect that Water Nymph Cater for it at first, but that guy is a wreck right now and hasn't posted on Magicam since the day he took those pictures of you. He's way too deep in his feels to have hired the Wolves and he had a mental breakdown when he heard you were attacked. Talk about trying to tank when you main dps."
"Crowley said the representatives are going to come to Night Raven soon and talk about my safety at the school..."
"So they probably planned the attack to make Crowley look incompetent and get rid of you in one swoop. I've already told Papa Hades about it and he agrees that someone is controling the poachers behind the scenes. That's why he's here now. If we can find the one who hired the poachers, we can prove this whole thing is a sham to get to you or Crowley."
"So he doesn't want to take me away?"
"He does think you'll be safer on the Isle of Woe, but Papa Hades isn't an idiot or cruel. He wouldn't go against your wishes even for his own peace of mind unless he thought it would save your life. Try to cut the old man some slack, he did love Humans, you know? He has been asking about you since the moment Ortho told him you were here."
"Papa Hades?"
"It's- he prefers to be called that as our ancestor and his Humans used to call him that. Honestly, it would mean the world to him if you called him 'Papa Hades' as well. Just so you know."
You stood in silence for a moment before there was a heavy knock at the door. Silver was quick to trot over and answer it himself instead of letting you walk to the door to answer it. He seemed to have a quick word with whoever it was before someone very similar to Idia entered with Crowley, Malleus, Lilia, and Sebek.
"Hello, little one."
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Another random Arthur headcanon ramble from Evie whoops.
I feel as though Arthur's ability to take care of himself correlates with needing to be well enough to take care of those around him.
If he's alone and not needed by anyone, his self-care, grooming, maintenance all takes a massive plunge. He'll shave and occasionally hack at his hair because it gets irritating but he'll bathe less. He'll sleep even less than he already does because he sleeps better knowing he's working to look after someone else. One day he'll eat, the next he won't even think to.
If he's with others, protecting them, helping them, anything; he's making sure he smells okay so it doesn't make them uncomfortable. He's keeping himself clean so as to not disturb anyone while he works. He's eating what he can, when he can but doesn't really care too much for what it is or how much; just as long as it'll give him enough energy to keep on.
He won't fuss too much with his appearance or fancy scents or clothes, they won't make him any better at serving someone or getting paid so it matters none unless they request it specifically.
He finds he's more settled with a mission in mind, with another person to protect and care for that isn't himself. It gives him a purpose, a drive, a reason to live that is external because why would he live for himself?
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