#half-price rentals

[jellogram]

Currency conversions are such bullshit. I'll throw a price in a converter for work and it'll be like "1000 in XYZ money is 10 in USD" and then I'll read that you can buy a full meal at a restaurant for the calculator equivalent of 5 USD. Like if your conversion isn't "what is the equivalent buying power of this currency compared to yours" then what is even the point of converting??

[nerdyfangirlingbooks]

Every now and then I remember the times I would mention to my flatmate that I was thinking of buying myself something reasonably expensive (that I had been eyeing up for months and had budgeted for) and she'd tell me that I shouldn't spend that much money on something I didn't need and it would be stupid etc etc while she regularly impulse bought things that cost at least as much and she would use once (while complaining that she was under a lot of financial stress and couldn't afford <$3/week for 2 months for a rental washing machine when ours broke). She is... perhaps not my first call for financial advice

[robotpussy]

I can easily transport myself to 2007 by putting in a spiderman 3 and hellboy 2 dvd into my dvd player and looking at the leaflets inside the dvd cases 👍

[derinthescarletpescatarian]

Game that's a dating sim/time management style game, but you don't date anyone (or at least if you do, dating isn't the point). The premise is that you've gotten a new entry level job in your dream career in a town that's WAY too expensive for you to live in with zero available rentals, but due to a stroke of amazing luck and a distant family connection, you're able to score a rental in a nice community for a price you can just about handle. The catch is that you have to join the homeowner's association. Your landlord is distant, but expects you to keep in line with the HOA or get evicted.

The game consists of carefully managing your out-of-work time to keep up with the HOA's increasingly stringent list of rules about the appearance and maintenance of your property. If you don't spend enough time on yardwork and maintenance, you'll start to get violation warnings, but you also need to go to community events to avoid getting on the other members' shitlists and making enemies who'll look more critically at your property. You can buy leeway if you spend time schmoozing the other HOA people, helping them with crises, and siding with the more powerful figures in disputes. Your dream career is a background event in your life, focused more on keeping a roof over your head, but if you skip work to tend to HOA stuff you risk getting fired, and conversely if you put in extra hours and do really well you can get bonuses which you can use to pay a professional gardener or housekeeper and free up some more time. The power dynamic in the HOA can change, so be careful putting all your eggs in one basket relationship-wise lest your friends be on the outs and your enemies start looking for ways to get rid of you. But if you change your alleigances too often, you'll get a reputation as a fair weather friend, which can be equally dangerous. Getting too close to someone who ends up in a scandal could tarr you with an equally scandalous reputation, but you won't know what scandals are going on in the neighbourhood . Getting evicted or fired are both, of course, loss conditions, but showing up for work and [honing it in isn't too hard; you've always wanted to work at... uh... whatever it is that you're doing again. Never mind that. The most important thing in your life is making sure that the grass in the front lawn doesn't grow more than half an inch above the prescribed length.

[forsuretaxiinpune]

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[angel5ofp0rn]

♡ part nine ♡

ExHusband!Price x f!reader

You and John have been pretty distant during the past two months, basically just coparenting in the same house.

You decided that depending on how this goes, how John and his ex wife interact, how the kids all get along, that's how you’ll decide the next step for the two of to get back together.

On the train from London to Bath, John holds your youngest in his lap and listen to her ooh's and ah's about being in a new country.

Meanwhile, you listen to every little question your oldest asks you about the new country, about the plane ride, about why everyone here “talks like daddy”.

After a while the train finally arrives at the station. John takes the lead out the door, carrying your oldest on his back as you carry the youngest on your hip.

The two of you are pretty silent, only talking to the children rather than each other.

The kids go crazy, suddenly getting a burst of energy as they explore the rental John booked for this trip.

They’re clearly more interested in the temporary house than anything else.

"So," you look at John as the kids giggle and wrestle on the floor. "When do we meet them?"

John takes a deep breath before he speaks. "Tomorrow morning. I thought the four of us could get breakfast and then head out to Nadia's house." He speaks carefully as if he’s trying not to say something that might upset you.

You just nod, turning your attention back to the kids.

He doesn’t say it, but he’s just as nervous as you. He doesn’t know what it’ll be like tomorrow, if the kids will all get along, if you and his other ex-wife will get along.

The kids definitely don’t sense any tension, that's for sure.

•••

You and John tucked the kids into bed in the larger room of the house, letting them share the king bed. It’s just John and you in the second room, separate beds, as had become the norm for the two of you.

John's quiet in his bed simply staring at the ceiling, his mind filled with thoughts of the following day.

"John..?" You sit up in your bed and look over at him.

John turns his head, a tiny bit surprised to see that you're still awake. He just gives you a small smile.

"Can't sleep?"

You shake your head. You’d been trying to sleep for the last two hours but the anxiety isn't letting you.

"Yeah... Neither can I..." John rubs his face and lets out a small sigh. He lifts his covers. "C'mon, love."

You should put your foot down or tell him off... But you don’t.

He has you. Divorce, secret family and all.

You slowly get out of your bed and crawl into his, instantly cuddling up to his warm body.

John wraps his arms around you, pulling you to his chest. He closes his eyes, savoring this moment with you.

You're in his arms, and although things between you two are still tense, you're at least here with each other.

Things are okay as long as you two are together, he thinks to himself before slowly starting to drift off to sleep.

•••

After breakfast the four of you head off. You have John park your rental car down the block hoping that the fresh air would help calm your nerves…

Or maybe you were just stalling.

John's leading the way, carrying your youngest in one arm and holding the oldest’s hand with the other.

The kids are both pretty excited to meet Theo. They took the news that their father has another child very well… That wasn’t surprising, as they're just kids and don't fully understand.

You, on the other hand, are a nervous wreck. You thought of what would happen if Nadia hates you, since John meeting you made him leave her, or what if Theo wants nothing to do with your kids, his half-siblings.

What if Nadia and John still have feelings for each other?

John looks over at you, noticing the slight panic and anxiety on your face even though you're trying to hide it from the kids. He keeps his expression calm, even when his heart feels like it's pounding out of his chest.

He knows you're going to have questions and feelings about this no matter what, but he just hopes the two of you can get through his visit with his other family without any more damage.

The four of you continue walking, the house that Nadia and Theo live in coming into full view. John's grip on your oldest’s hand tightens slightly, you could notice. He lets go of the five-year-old’s hand once you're all at the front door and he rings the doorbell.

After a moment Nadia stands in the doorway, her blonde hair pulled back in a claw clip, a small smile on her face...

Damn it, she's gorgeous.

She's older than you, John's age, with these gorgeous green eyes and the prettiest long eyelashes and full lips… She even has the cutest dimples in her cheeks.

You felt like couldn't even blame John if he decided today that he wants to go back to her.

John didn't really think much about Nadia's appearance. To him she was just an old flame of the past. She was beautiful, sure, but he had moved on years ago.

She was just his son’s mother.

But, seeing how you looked at her caused John a bit of pain. He knew it was bothering you. He wanted to assure you that there was nothing to worry about between the two of them, but he didn’t have a chance to do so just yet.

Instead, John smiles a bit as he starts to introduce you all.

"Nadia... Uh, this is Gabriel, my son.” Your oldest, just excited to see his older brother soon, waves a bit, "and this is Linnie, my little girl.” Your youngest, feeling shy around the stranger, buries her face into John’s chest.

John then gestures to you, turning his head towards you then glances back over at Nadia. "And this is Y/N... My, erm..."

"Ex-wife." You offer, blushing a bit. No need to complicate it. "It's really nice to meet you, Nadia. Thank you for letting us all be here."

Nadia smiles, genuinely. "Of course. I'm glad this is all finally happening. Come in, come in. Tea's on."

You follow behind John as we walk into Nadia's house, holding Gabriel's hand tightly.

John walks in with you and the kids, a lot of nervous energy still adiating from him. You sit at the table with everyone, holding your youngest in your lap now as your oldest sits between John and yourself.

"Where's my brother?" Your oldest whispers to John as Nadia sets tea in front of John and you, then herself as she sits across.

John looks down at your son and smiles, his nervousness temporarily gone when asked about Theo. "I'm sure he'll be out of his room in a moment."

Nadia just seems to be staring at John for a moment, her expression hard to read, before she smiles and gestures to the children. "These two are adorable."

"Thank you,” you laugh a bit. "They're a couple of little monkeys."

Nadia laughs as well, finding your description of your children funny. She takes a drink of her tea as she sets her cup down on the table. "They're beautiful. They really look like Theo when he was their ages."

As if on cue, Theo walks into the dining room.

Of course he’s gorgeous.

He looks like ten year old John.

He see's his dad and immediately runs up to him and hugs him tightly. You watch as John smiles widely, hugging his oldest son tightly.

Your oldest, upon seeing that John is now hugging his big brother, starts to get excited. He hops out of his seat and goes running towards Theo as well.

“Big brother!" The five year old’s arms immediately wrap around Theo and hugs him tightly as well. Theo hugs him back, unfazed, as if he's know him his entire life instead of this being their first time meeting.

"Oh my God…” You smile, the sight warming my heart.

Nadia seems to be having a similar reaction to you, grinning broadly as the two boys hug each other. She turns to look at your daughter for a moment, who just watches intently, taking in the sight of her brothers. She seems excited too, wiggling around in your lap to see them better.

"Do you want to meet Theo as well, little one?" Nadia asked her gently.

Your youngest nods shyly.

You put her on her feet, and the oldest child kneels down, anticipating a hug from the toddler.

Instead, the little one runs to Nadia and climbs into her lap for a hug instead. You and John both laugh, surprised by this.

Nadia smiles and wraps her arms around Linnie, hugging her tightly. Her embrace is comforting and reassuring to the bashful little one.

"It's nice to meet you, Theo." You finally smile at John and Nadia's son. "I'm Y/N."

Theo's smile grows as he sees you, his bright blue eyes studying you carefully almost like he's trying to memorize your appearance. "It's nice to meet you, too.”

"Can we play?!" Your oldest asked John’s oldest, then looked back to John for permission as well.

John nods quickly, giving him permission to play with his older brother. Nadia, meanwhile, just smiles and nods as well. "Theo has loads of Legos in his room. Go ahead. Get to know one another as well."

Your oldest smiles widely before following his “new” big brother to his room. Linnie just clings to Nadia's chest, looking between the two of you, trying to take everything in.

"I might just keep this little one." Nadia teased, hugging her a bit closer.

You can't help but smile. This isn't at all how you thought this would go.

It's so much better.

The boys are now playing in the room, building Legos and just enjoying each other's company. Your daughter seems content to be with Nadia, who's holding her in her lap, stroking her hair softly with her fingers and talking quietly with her.

You feel John take your hand under the table, squeezing it a bit as he sips his tea.

John leans in closely, whispering to you as Nadia speaks with your youngest. "Everything's goin’ well... right?"

You nod with a small smile, then sip at your tea as well. You watch as Nadia gets your little one to open up a bit, getting her to talk and giggle.

It only takes a few minutes before Nadia convinces the two year old to go into Theo's room and play with her big brothers, and to get to know Theo a bit. Now it's just her, John and you at the table.

John looks around and seems to sigh in relief, leaning back in his seat as he continues to squeeze your hand.

Nadia and you finally get a chance to have a proper conversation as the two of you continue to talk and sip on your tea.

Everything has gone so smoothly; especially now when Gabriel and Linnie seem to have just bonded with Theo like the three have known each other for years rather than just having met today.

John sighs a bit, smiling over at Nadia and you as she holds a conversation with you, seeming more than happy that things are working out.

For the first time in a long time, today he feels at ease, like everything's going just like it's supposed to go.

After spending the entire day together, You decide it's time to get the kiddos back to the rental and get them into bed.

John helps Nadia with the dishes after dinner while you help the kids clean up Theo's room after playing.

•••

You and John finish bathing the children after their long day and tuck them into the king bed once again.

John follows you into the other bedroom, shutting the door behind him as he goes over and sits on the edge of his bed. He just takes a deep breath in there, sighing as he rubs his face.

Today went well, sure. But that doesn’t exactly change anything between the two of you just yet.

You sit on John's lap, his arms instantly wrapping around your waist. It was just natural.

John just exhales. Your warmth against his chest helped him to feel at ease for a moment.

"Nadia is gorgeous." You sigh. "You didn't tell me that part."

John chuckles softly. "Don’t tell me you’re jealous.”

"How can I not be?"

John rubs his thumb over the top of your thigh. "She's my past, love... We don't have... We've never had what you and I have."

You look at him, meeting his eyes. You try to find even a tiny hint of dishonestly.

That makes the next part harder.

“I don’t understand how you could have done that to them.” You start slowly. “The man I married isn’t a man that would just abandon his family for some random girl at a bar.”

You could feel John tense at your words. You stand up off of his lap now, pacing the room a bit.

“I didn’t abandon them-“

“You left your wife and child in a different country. What would you call that?” You retort.

“You don’t understand how things were between Nadia and I before I met you.” John insists. “It’s not like I left a happy marriage.”

“You still left your child.” You shake your head. “If you visit fucking Italy right now and meet a younger woman, would you leave Gabe and Linnie back in the states and only see them once a month? I always thought, ‘maybe John and I aren’t a good match, but at least he’s a good dad’… But I don’t know if I believe that anymore.”

“I’m a damn good dad. To all of them.” John defends himself through gritted teeth.

“You’ve been lying to my kids their whole lives!”

“Your kids?” John quirked an eyebrow at that.

“My kids.” You double down, arms crossed.

“I don’t wanna fight.” John sighs finally, rubbing his eyes. “Can we talk about this in the morning?”

“Fine.” You exit the room, going back to where the kids slept, leaving John alone.

<< prev next >>

[ms-demeanor]

if we're like, showing graphs and stuff, this is the type that i think a lot of people on tumblr are thinking of when they think about the economy.

Only one third of people with family incomes below $50k spent less than their income each month. I would guess that a lot of people on tumblr who get aggro about this topic (and the vast majority of people on r/povertyfinance, who discuss this sort of thing a lot) fall into this earning category.

Real wage increases only matter if you got a raise (one third of workers got a raise last year, which means that 2/3rds didn't - included in the economic wellbeing report linked above). Whether or not rent is outpacing wages only matters if you're not going to be rent burdened (more than a third of renter households are cost burdened in every state and 12 million rental households spend more than half their income on rent). Employment rates lose a lot of meaning when you're working multiple jobs to make ends meet (the percentage of multiply employed workers was falling in the US from 1996 to the 2010s, when it plateaued, then it started rising slightly then collapsed in 2020 and has been rising steeply since then and it's too soon to tell if it's going to go back to the plateau or keep going up).

Four in ten adults in the US is carrying some level of medical debt (even people who are insured) and 60% of people with medical debt have cut back on food, clothes or household items; about 50% of people with medical debt have used up all their savings.

Tumblr is the broke people website and yeah, people who are working two jobs to afford $900 for one room and utilities in a three bedroom apartment are not going to feel great about the economy even if real wages are raising and inflation-adjusted rents are actually pretty stable. "The Rent is too Damn High" has been a meme for 14 years so, like, yeah. Even if it's pretty stable when adjusted for inflation it is stable and HIGH.

It's hard to feel good about the economy when you're spending the last few days of the pay period hoping nothing unexpected hits your account, and it's VERY frustrating to be told that the economy's doing well when you've had to start selling blood to buy groceries.

Sure, unemployment is low, that's neat. It's good that inflation has stabilized (it genuinely has; prices are not likely to fall back to pre-inflation rates and eventually you'll likely be paid enough to reach equilibrium, but a lot of people aren't there yet).

But, like, it costs eight thousand dollars a year out of pocket to keep my spouse alive. I'd guess that we've paid off about a third of the 40-ish thousands of dollars he's racked up since his heart attack. His medical debt is why I don't have a retirement plan beyond "I guess I'll die?" So talking about how good the economy is kind of feels like being chained in the bottom of a pit that is slowly filling with water while people on the surface talk about the fact that the rain is tapering off. Neat! That's good! But I can't really see it from where I'm standing.

Inflation really is getting better. My state just enacted a $20 minimum wage for fast food workers. The Biden administration has worked hard to reduce many kinds of healthcare costs. A lot of people have had significant portions of their student debt cancelled.

But a lot of people are still having trouble affording groceries and it doesn't seem helpful to say "your perception of the economy is decoupled from the reality of the economy" on the "can I get a few dollars for food today?" website.

[robertreich]

How Wall Street Priced You Out of a Home

Rent is skyrocketing and home buying is out of reach for millions. One big reason why? Wall Street.

Hedge funds and private equity firms have been buying up hundreds of thousands of homes that would otherwise be purchased by people. Wall Street’s appetite for housing ramped up after the 2008 financial crisis. As you’ll recall, the Street’s excessive greed created a housing bubble that burst. Millions of people lost their homes to foreclosure.

Did the Street learn a lesson? Of course not. It got bailed out. Then it began picking off the scraps of the housing market it had just destroyed, gobbling up foreclosed homes at fire-sale prices — which it then sold or rented for big profits.

Investor purchases hit their peak in 2022, accounting for around 28% of all home sales in America.

Home buyers frequently reported being outbid by cash offers made by investors. So called “iBuyers” used algorithms to instantly buy homes before offers could even be made by actual humans.

If the present trend continues, by 2030, Wall Street investors may control 40% of U.S. single-family rental homes.

Partly as a result, homeownership — a cornerstone of generational wealth and a big part of the American dream — is increasingly out of reach for a large number of Americans, especially young people.

Now, Wall Street’s feasting has slowed recently due to rising home prices — even the wolves of Wall Street are falling victim to sticker shock. But that hasn’t stopped them from specifically targeting more modestly priced homes — buying up a record share of the country’s most affordable homes at the end of 2023.

They’ve also been most active in bigger cities, particularly in the Sun Belt, which has become an increasingly expensive place to live. And they’re pointedly going after neighborhoods that are home to communities of color.

For example, in one diverse neighborhood in Charlotte, North Carolina, Wall Street-backed investors bought half of the homes that sold in 2021 and 2022. On a single block, investors bought every house but one, and turned them into rentals.

Folks, it’s a vicious cycle: First you’re outbid by investors, then you may be stuck renting from them at excessive prices that leave you with even less money to put up for a new home. Rinse. Repeat.

Now I want to be clear: This is just one part of the problem with housing in America. The lack of supply is considered the biggest reason why home prices and rents have soared — and are outpacing recent wage gains. But Wall Street sinking its teeth into whatever is left on the market is making the supply problem even worse.

So what can we do about this? Start by getting Wall Street out of our homes.

Democrats have introduced a bill in both houses of Congress to ban hedge funds and private equity firms from buying or owning single-family homes.

If signed into law, this could increase the supply of homes available to individual buyers — thereby making housing more affordable.

President Biden has also made it a priority to tackle the housing crisis, proposing billions in funding to increase the supply of homes and tax credits to help actual people buy them.

Now I have no delusions that any of this will be easy to get done. But these plans provide a roadmap of where the country could head — under the right leadership.

So many Americans I meet these days are cynical about the country. I understand their cynicism. But cynicism can be a self-fulfilling prophecy if it means giving up the fight.

The captains of American industry and Wall Street would like nothing better than for the rest of us to give up that fight, so they can take it all.

I say we keep fighting.

[syoddeye]

the warren, part two

price x f!reader | 2.9k words

part one (prologue)

CW: blood (mentioned), dead animals, stalking

One bedroom. One bath. A screened-in porch. A carport. A woodshed. Fully furnished.

The old cabin in the woods is perfect.

No one answers the first call to the number on the ad, and the voicemail doesn't offer a clue as to who ought to answer. You leave a message anyway. After calling upwards of fifty places in the last week, you're desperate. The end of the month's coming up. Since you turned the motel manager down, he's wanted you out.

You fill out the rental application before hearing back, thank the gods there's no fee, and send it off with a sugary-sweet note and signature.

A woman calls back when you're in the middle of the supermarket. Congratulations, you want the place? You got it. It feels quick and surprising, but who are you to look a gift horse in the mouth? For the next four months, the cabin's yours. The landlady launches into details, forcing you to jot down directions on the back of your list. No GPS up here, she explained. The forest is too thick. Too many trees? Not a bad thing, in your opinion.

"Sure you're alright with sight unseen?"

"Yeah, I trust the pictures in the ad," You don't. "I'm itching to spend the summer in nature."

"Grouse Bay is a good spot for a getaway. You might not want to leave when the lease is up."

The sentiment makes you smile. "Sounds perfect."

~~

There is no welcome sign for Grouse Bay. No indication you're close until you're right up on it, or rather, over it.

A thick quilt of pine, fir, and cedar hugs the gravel roadway. Asphalt disappeared some ten miles back, and you pray your car and its ancient tires stick out the descent into town. You're careful not to lean your full weight against the overlook's worn wooden fence. Below you, the road carves a series of switchbacks until it sweeps through a dozen or so lakeside structures. Thin tendrils of smoke curl up from more properties hidden by trees. With the blues of the lake and mountains on the horizon, it's a regular postcard.

Your teeth clatter, and the car shakes the whole way down. You pass a few gated forestry roads and private drives with quirky names before the road curves a final time and spits you out onto the main street. The only street.

We are not in Kansas anymore.

You don't miss a single building, crawling along at the posted speed of 15 MPH. There's a motel, a veterinary office, a grocer, and a water and sewer utility building, and where the road splits to continue along the lake or further up a hill into the woods is the Foxhole.

A rough-looking pub, your lip curls at the horrifically taxidermied fox in the window beside the door. You pull into a makeshift parking spot next to an old Ranger, collect yourself, and head inside. 

Three heads swivel in your direction, two patrons and the barkeep. The men's expressions are unreadable, but the woman behind the counter offers a thin smile. 

"Sit where you'd like."

The stale air smells like heat and cigarette smoke, and the ceiling fans do little to dissipate either. "I'm actually popping in to pick up a key? To a rental?" Your eyes flick to the men at the bar, not wanting to state precisely where you're staying in front of them.

The woman's smile turns knowing. "Right. We spoke on the phone. I'm Kate Laswell. I own the cabin."

"Owns half the town," One of the men snorts, pinching the neck of his bottle for a swig.

"Ignore him," Her hand disappears into her vest pocket and produces a carabiner with one key. "You got the check?"

"Yes," You pull out your billfold, carefully slide the folded paper slip out from between cards, and exchange it for the key.

Kate inspects it briefly, then dips her head. "Need me to wait to cash it?"

Your face heats at the implication. You hadn't listed employment on the application but assumed the bank's letter spoke for you. After all, she accepted you. "No. Cash it whenever you'd like."

"Alright then. Know where you're going?"

"Yes ma'am, I do."

"So polite," she chuckles, glancing at the men who grin at you. "Well then, enjoy. Call me if you need anything or have questions."

You hightail it out of the bar, and try to ignore the weight of three sets of eyes on your back. 

~~

The engine clicks as it cools, the only sound louder than the birdsong. Wedged between the open driver's door, you stand, feet firmly planted, yet feel like you could float. You made it.

The cabin is a deep red oxblood, faded by weather and time. The carport sags more than in the pictures, and the woodshed is nearly cleaned out, but it looks like a dream. Sunlight drapes over the front half of the structure, and a breeze catches a wooden wind chime over the exterior door of the porch.

Hauling your bags out of the backseat, you trek up the gravel drive. The key slots in easily, like the hardware's brand new. The door inches open, and the smell of musty, trapped air leaks out. Here we go.

You exhale a shaky breath. So far, so good. The pictures continue to match reality. The door opens to the dining and kitchen area with a honey oak table draped in a checkered runner, coordinating cabinetry, a towering glass-doored cabinet on the wall, and the back entrance dead ahead. To the left are a couch and armchair, with a low table and a padded woolen rug beneath. The door to the screened porch also sits to the left, with the entrances you presume leading to the bedroom and bathroom ahead.

Wood paneling lines every room. Others might think it tacky, but you find it charming and warm. It makes it a bonafide cabin, one you've pictured a thousand times. The bedroom is sparse, with a simple furniture set including a dresser, a nightstand, a lamp, and a vintage brass bed frame.

You make quick work of settling in. The space is tidy enough, though it's clear that Kate probably hasn't stopped in since you signed the lease. You open the windows for fresh air and do a little dusting. The dining table swiftly becomes the catch-all, with the miscellaneous other belongings you brought scattered over its surface, including the prehistoric laptop you handed a middle-aged woman a wad of cash for in the parking lot of a Walmart. You'd left in a hurry but planned meticulously. Aside from a few necessities and groceries, you have everything you need.

In the screened porch, you discover a glider and ottoman needing new upholstery and a lacquered wooden sign with lettering spelling out The Warrens. It rests on a windowsill, covered in a thin layer of grime. You think it must be from the former owners and leave it out of an odd sense of respect.

An hour later, the place aired out, you shut the windows, clip the car and cabin key together, and hesitate at the door. What's the protocol out here? You've never lived anywhere that didn't require multiple deadbolts. The town's simplicity and the woods' peacefulness - you can't even see the end of the property's driveway from the step - make you think it's probably okay…But then you think of the men in the bar. They didn't look bad, but the bad ones rarely did.

Mind made up, you lock the door.

~~

The walk from the main thoroughfare to the cabin is ten, maybe fifteen minutes uphill. Sandals weren't the move, a reminder you tuck away for the next trip. Your focus stretches back to Grouse Grocery and its shopkeep, and you swallow hard at your naivete. 

"Aw, I didn't know you could feed the deer like this."

"It's bait, sweetheart."

Lingering humiliation propels you up the slope to your newfound sanctuary. It doesn't help the grocer's handsome. His eyes are the same color as the lake, his face framed by a beard and mustache, punctuating the mountain man look. Tall with a broad chest and shoulders that taper into a trim waist. Burly arms dusted with hair, chest too, far as you could tell through the open uppermost buttons of his shirt. Your mind fills in the blanks of what his bootcut jeans and flannel covered. Something peculiar to him, though, and you can't put your finger on it.

I'm overthinking this. It's a small town. I'm not used to it, yet. 

Not weird, just different.

The four words become your mantra when odd things start within days of your arrival.

~~ 

As you told the good-looking grocer, you are an animal lover through and through. The child who toted frogs home from the playground pushed their nose to the glass outside pet stores and braked for ducklings. You dabbled with a vegetarian diet, failed, and overspent at farmers' markets in weak absolution. But you had never been a pet person. Life never allowed for it. 

Which is why the cats are bewildering. Within the first week, three feral cats traipse about the property. By the end of week two, you count nine. Lounging in the woodpile, hiding beneath your car, or sitting on the step like they own the place. They skitter and hiss when you approach and don't touch the scraps of food you leave out to curry favor.

Then there are the 'gifts' they leave you. Headless birds, mice, and other small mammals. Entrails and viscera steaming on the cement step in the high noon sunlight. The Internet says it's normal, you say it's disgusting.

You read cats leave dead animals when they believe their human is helpless. That they see humans as big, furless, and inept hunters whose survival is in peril because they lack the innate ability to track, pursue, and kill.

Scraping the latest offering off their altar, you shrug off such notions. They're probably upset that their favorite place to squat is now occupied.

Then, the carcasses quadruple in size. One early morning, you decide to walk down to the lake to read with a cup of coffee, only to drop the mug and book into the dirt. A gutted doe is not fifteen feet from the front door beside your car. Black eyes lolled skyward, pinna flopped over its skull, and legs akimbo. After sprinting and vomiting into the kitchen sink, you call Kate.

"Sorry that's happened, I can send someone up to remove it in the next half hour. You ought to know that you might see more stuff like that, kid. Area's rich in wildlife - bears, cougars, bobcats, wolves, hell, even eagles drop half-eaten marmots from time to time."

You remain on the kitchen floor, repeating your new mantra, and not fifteen minutes later, tires on gravel announce someone's arrival. Mercifully, no one comes to the door. Whoever it is doesn't even kill the engine. You hear footsteps crunching on rock, the doe's body hitting the bed of a truck, the slam of a door, and the person pulling away.

Mustering the courage to stand, you stare from the front door, eyes transfixed on the blood left behind. You pray for rain.

It doesn't come.

~~

The front light won't turn on. You swap the lightbulb with a spare from the cupboard and zip. Nothing. You call Kate, whose patience seems a deep well. She promises to send the local handyman and gets off the phone in a hurry. Annoyingly, you don't get a name or a time.

It's noon when a red pick-up arrives the next day. You're on your feet, off the glider and its ottoman on the porch, and barefoot when the door to the truck swings open. The practiced smile you wear falters a little when a familiar cut of a man steps out, sizes up the cabin in a glance, and then turns to grab a toolbox from the bed.

You meet him at the door.

"You're the handyman, too?"

The crow's feet by his eyes tighten with a smirk. "And the locksmith." His chin lifts to the sconce. "This it?"

"The one."

"Right, I'll get a stepladder and it'll be in working order within the hour. Mind shutting off the power in the meantime?" 

"Of course. Need anything else from me?" 

His smile's a waxing crescent, mouth twitching like he's got something clever to say. You've seen it before on the mugs of men trying to get fresh with you, but he keeps whatever it is locked behind his teeth.

"No. I'll let you know when you can turn the power on."

The hum of the refrigerator dies with the electricity, leaving the cabin completely quiet. You return to the glider and book, thumbing through to find your place. Convenient, the screened porch catches the fleeting hours of direct sunlight that hits the cabin. It also allows you a chance to watch and listen to him work.

"Name's John, by the way," He says after a while, voice clipped, meeting your eye through the screen when you look up. "You didn't ask."

It's off-putting, the way he speaks. It wasn't as if he conducted himself with overt kindness at his store, but you hadn't expected him - John - to take a tone with you, a stranger. A newcomer. Your smile is eager to smooth things over, a beat faster than any instinct to fight, always has been. "You're right, how rude of me."

His focus returns to the light, giving a slight roll of his shoulders as if your apology lifted a weight off his back. "S'alright, reckon you're learning how things work 'round here."

You want to return to Winterson in your lap, but the poorly disguised condescension fans a spark of annoyance. "You haven't asked for mine."

"I know yours," He responds, pulling a rag from a loop on his pants to wipe at something. "Kate talks."

The paperback spine creaks in your grip. "I suppose that comes with owning the watering hole."

He chuckles, exchanging the rag for a pair of pliers. "Something like that."

You don't ask. Handsome John may be, but he is definitely weird. Best to avoid the bad side of the nearest grocer, handyman, and locksmith. You return to reading, and another half hour slips past. You don't notice until the hum of the refrigerator restarts, practically jolting you out of the chair.

John stands washing his hands in your kitchen sink. You did not invite him in. His head turns, seemingly hearing how your breath stutters, and he nods at the switch beside the door.

"Give 'er a try," He says, wiping his hands on a dish towel.

The light works, and you flick it a few times to be sure. You stare up at the light, listening to its muted hum.

"Y'know," John murmurs, suddenly behind you in the doorway, leaning, supported by an arm, on the frame well above your head. "This is an old place. Doesn't get let often. Probably more repairs hiding around here. Already saw a few holes in the screen. I can take a walkthrough and fix what I can while I'm here."

Your head dips back, neck craning to meet his eye at this angle. It doesn't occur to you to move despite the whole of the front yard before you. You swallow. He's only trying to drum up business. A small-town entrepreneur. Trying to survive just like you. "Maybe another time."

John raps two knuckles on the frame and pushes off. "Alright, I'll gather my things." He brushes against you as he passes and collects his tools and stepladder.

You watch him from the entry and offer a weak smile when he returns, holding a notepad. He fishes a pencil out from a pocket, scribbling a moment, before he tears off a page and holds it out – an old-fashioned carbon invoice.

Not weird, just different.

"Pay when you can. You know where to find me."

You take the invoice. "Not afraid I'll skip town?" You joke, trying to gauge his sense of humor.

He grins and huffs a laugh. It sounds only a little forced. "Not at all. I know all the best spots from the bay to the mountains, for hiding or otherwise." He rubs the back of his neck.

Your brows creep up. "Or otherwise?"

John's eyes widen a fraction, and his hand slips from his neck in a gesture of surrender. "Don't mean anything by that. More like…for food. Dinner, maybe? A hike?"

The sheepishness of his tone does him credit. So what if he's a little awkward or indelicate? Probably as nervous as you are, though clearly for different reasons. In town for all of two weeks and already a local's taken interest. Inwardly, you preen.

"That sounds like a date."

"It does." He concedes.

You start to shut the door on him, stopping when his expression falls into absolute confusion. A laugh bubbles up, and you open the door again. "Well? You didn't ask," You playfully turn his words back on him.

"Smart one, aren't you. Alright then," He muses aloud, smiling. "Would you like to grab dinner later this week? Know a good spot within a half hour of here."

The way he looks at you, eyes crinkling with interest, you don't suppose it's a bad idea to get out, make friends, and immerse yourself in the community. "I'd like that, John."

There's a triumphant glint in his eyes. "I'll be in touch, sweetheart." He dips his head, returns to his truck, and flashes a wave when he pulls a u-turn and drives out.

That night, when you return from a walk to watch the sunset, you flip on the porch light, grinning, thinking about your date.

You do not notice the little red dot within the bulb.

[buffetlicious]

My char-broiled Teriyaki Chicken Rice (鸡扒饭) came with half-boiled egg, kimchi and white rice. And it is priced at a very reasonable S$6.30 considering they are located in a high human traffic area which means high rental.

[didalexiabreakupwitholgayet]

for your confused anon re: tourist protests

my rent basically doubled in the last year and half bc of the influx of tourists/digital nomads who are willing to pay whatever is asked without doing even a little research on the actual prices. I'm not even going to touch the groceries and inflation bc they are also connected, but rent is brutal.

locals are being pushed out of their neighborhoods, homes they've lived in for years bc they can't afford the skyrocketing rent, and for the most part, the new renters don't care to assimilate/respect the local culture and traditions, people and their habits, call it way of life, if you will

it's like, they come here to have a taste of the local culture and then fucking end up building their own gated community replicating their place of origin bc our reality may be a little too foreign or exotic (🤮) for them

my guy, you're a guest. fucking act like it. or deal with the people's anger. it's that simple

thank you for sharing! i'm currently living abroad, but this is the common sentiment that i hear from my family and friends and it's especially bad in barcelona. when i come back to visit for the summer, it's very noticeable. especially because there seems to be this post-pandemic travel boom that is making things even worse. 😔

no offence taken! plus, catalans love a good protest! 😅 we have seen our fair share of violent protests throughout our history and this is something quite tame in comparison, but still gets the message across.

hi anon - you should still visit barcelona! believe me, we get thousands of cruise ship passengers who are not stopping anytime soon.

however, what i would encourage you to do is engage in ethical tourism and just understand the situation before the visit. when you come to barcelona, try and support the local economy. don't eat at multi-national corporations like taco bell owned by american or foreign orgs. and when you book your accommodation, please do your due diligence and try not to book these short term rentals that are at the heart of the housing crisis.

and i love the fact that you are learning some words in catalan and spanish. english is widely spoken here, but i always appreciate when someone tries to make an effort and say a few words in the local language. 🫶

and if you go, you should do a mini-tour of all the barça sites like plaça sant jaume!

[hometoursandotherstuff]

Here's a large townhouse for rent in Hayward, CA. 4bds, 4.5ba, and it's fully decorated for you. All you do is move in your stuff. $5,100mo. (Nearby apts. rent for half this price and I wonder if that has to do with paying the landlord's hefty mortgage & HOA fee on this place.)

There's an entrance hall thru double etched glass doors. I don't care much for the floor choice. To the left there's a fancy curved stairway and straight ahead is what I think is the dining room.

I feel like the walls are closing in. I'm sure that the lease will say that you can't paint the walls.

I guess that the living room is thru that arch. Note the round flooring on the right. I would say that a big statue or fountain would go there, then in Dec., put it away and the Xmas tree can go there.

The eat-in kitchen is pretty large and has this triangular pantry.

I'm going to guess that this is the dining room.

A guest powder room under the stairs.

It's hard to say what these rooms are. This one has a closet so it has to be a bedroom.

It has an en-suite shower room, too.

Large open room at the top of the stairs.

Definitely a bedroom.

Bedroom #2 and en-suite.

Every room has one of those long, low, cabinets and I don't think they're hiding heaters, b/c there are vents in the ceiling.

The matching en-suite for this bedroom.

This huge room has to be the primary suite. It has a terrace.

The terrace is quite big, and I think that this is basically all the outdoor space that it has.

And, it also has the largest en-suite bath.

Plus a walk-in closet.

So, there's your luxury townhouse rental in CA for $5,100mo.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/320-Tennyson-Rd-Hayward-CA-94544/2054284722_zpid/?

[ginandoldlace]

The last limousine: the Daimler DS 420 (1968-1992). In production for two years longer than the stately Rolls-Royce Phantom VI limousine, the DS 420, then owned by Jaguar and supplied with coachwork at the Coventry works, was indeed the last true non-aftermarket ("chop-shop') limousine. Over the twenty plus year runs of both cars, the Daimler's production was about fives times greater than that of the RR PVl and was priced at somewhat over half that of the PVI, making it more realistic for corporate and rental purposes, in addition to private ownership. Daimler cars were the first to enjoy royal patronage, decades before RR, giving the marque a cachet sought by many during the its production years. In the 21st century the remaining examples of the DS 420 and the PVI are highly coveted and confer upon their users a distinction elusive to this century's astronomically priced circus wagons. Photo from Park Ward Motors.

[queen-mihai]

So, I have to move out soon and find a new place to live.

Do I take the house that almost doubles my rent price?

The place that's half the size of what I'm renting now, for 25% more rent?

Or the place that's a thousand miles away?

So many great choices on the rental market today and I have not had the ability to pull together $50,000 for a down payment for a house

As if that's ever going to happen.

[ayeforscotland]

I don't live in Scotland but my mother runs an Airbnb management company and I've been telling her for years to sell her half. she got into it thinking she would help families who couldn't make their mortgage or taxes rent out spare basements or bedrooms, allowing them to keep family homes amid a truly shocking housing price jump. even she admits that she's been unsuccessful and mostly their company manages homes for people who live part time here but work elsewhere. I really hate it and I'm so glad that our city has banned all short term rentals (less than 30 days). at least they don't own any of the properties they manage but that's barely a solace. the landlords want to charge over $5000 a month for some of these houses and I can only hope they'll be forced to lower prices if hers and other companies are no longer there to run the properties.

An AirBnB management company💀

I think a lot of people who get involved with something like that do try and mask what they’re doing with the language of progressiveness and helping people out.

But for most people, it’s pure profit. I wouldn’t care about AirBnB if it was people sharing a spare room, but instead it’s allowed people to run unregulated property empires.

[linkedspirit-fanartfunart]

Between Dreams

Summery: Rinku and Ravio have strangely similar issues with sleeping and being alone, it seems. They figure out how to help each other... until they can't. (yea it's another Rinku backstory. Look. She has a lot of backstory ok?)

Warnings: Angst that's only like, half resolved? (If you wanna get the most 'fluff-like' end, just stop reading after you read "Yea, I love you too") Depression, sleeplessness & oversleeping, Rinku is trans and uses he/him for the first half and gets misgendered in the second half because she hasn't told anybody (she doesn't really care/notice at that point tho), oh also 1 (one) explicit innuendo, let me know if I need any other warnings.

---

Link stared at the price of the next dungeon item on Ravio's table. His eyelids slowly lost the fight against gravity the longer he stared. His legs were stiff and sore. He forced himself to remain upright just a bit longer. How many zeros were even on that sign? Not that it made an exact difference on his ability to buy it but the principle of the matter was there. Surely Ravio wasn’t that greedy or desperate.

Ravio leaned in and grinned. He was certain he was doing some wiggle with his eyebrows that he couldn't see.

“This is highway robbery.” Link finally concluded.

Ravio gasped, “You offend me sir! We're not even on a highway! This is premium merchandise I’ll have you know! Hand crafted! Historical artifacts! One of a kind powerful magic!”

“...Sorry” Link whispered, rubbing the back of his neck, “I can't buy it now regardless of how fancy it is.” 

Ravio sighed, “Ah welI, I'll keep it on reserve for you when you can.”

“...Really?” That sounded weird, since this was a rental based business. “Okay….”

“Anything else I can do ya’ for Mr. Hero?” Ravio cheered, holding his hands together against his chest, “You seem a bit tired.” There was a worried lilt to his words.

“Nah.” Link said. He needed to rescue the sages sooner than later. He should go scrounge for rupees around town-

“Well I suppose you can take this price issue as a sign it's time to take a break from dungeon delving!” Ravio cheered. “Have you eaten?”

“Not all that hungry-” Link mumbled. 

Ravio gasped lightly and rushed to the cabinets. “Well, allow me to remedy that.” He riffled through mostly empty cabinets, “Goodness Mr. Hero, where are your groceries?”

“I usually go to a restaurant or the Blacksmith's family gives me something-” Link said, leaning against the table, “I don't cook.”

“Absolutely absurd-” Ravio grumbled. “I’m going to have to take it out of my supplies.” he turned and looked at Link. “Alright. I'll share tonight.”

“You don't have to-”

“On me!” Ravio insisted, “As thanks for letting me stay and being such a lovely customer!” 

Ravio fumbled and riffled through his bag, pulling out flatbread, thinly sliced jerky and cheese. Link frowned, biting his lip. Ravio waved some at Link and he huffed, snatching it out of his hands.

Link glanced around for his chairs. One was pushed into a hard to get to corner, the other, seemingly completely missing. Link sighed, awkwardly settling on the ground. It wouldn't be polite to sit on the table… even if they were actually just crates.

Ravio did the same, smiling as Link munched on bread and cheese. 

“What is this meat?” Link muttered, looking at it tentatively. It didn't seem bad, just, difficult to recognize as anything from Hyrule.

“...Dried,” Ravio said awkwardly.

Link squinted.

He giggled uneasily, shrugging, “I found it.”

“...Where?”

“Er….a Kitchen?”

Link hummed curiously. The ache in his stomach and limbs could care less about the origin of the mystery jerky. It was there, it was food. He shrugged, nibbling at the jerky. With a nod of approval, Link rolled it into the bread with the cheese. 

Ravio smiled, chewing into his own piece of bread, “Hungrier than you thought, huh?”

Link shrugged softly, struggling not to yawn either. 

“Hunger sneaks up on you huh,” Ravio chuckled. He hummed, thoughtful, “... Is uh, the blacksmith part of your family?”

“No…” he mumbled, “I'm just an apprentice.” He tore into another piece of bread.

Ravio smiled oddly under the hood “Well, I'm glad you have that going for you at least! Apprenticeships are important! I'm sure it's nice to have someone supporting you through learning new skills. I think I would've liked something like that…” He shrugged and grinned, “But my rental business is booming regardless thanks to you! So it seems I didn't need one!”

Link nodded softly.

“It's quite an important skill, the craftsmanship of your tools. You been doing it long?”

He shook his head, slowly chewing the last bite of food.

“Oh, really? I wouldn't have guessed…” the genuine surprise in Ravio’s tone seemed odd, the length of his crafting career was a strange thing to be so sure about. 

“I've always liked working with my hands and working out how to make things, but I only started smithing less than a year ago.” Link couldn't help the yawn punctuating his sentence.

“Ah I see…” Ravio was quiet for a soft moment, finishing his own food, watching him. “House looks like it just got finished being renovated, job is new… busy are you?”

“Something like that,” Link mumbled.

“You look dead on your feet. I mean. That's exactly why I'm not built for this adventure business but don’t you need some proper rest?”

“Mm wouldn't I get in the way of the shop?” He looked around awkwardly. His bed especially was hard to reach. He really just didn't want to deal with that right now.

“Absolutely. Which is why I can close up shop for now.” He whistled a sharp tune and Sheerow chirped, zipping over to one end of the bed and grabbing it with his talons. Ravio nodded to the bird creature, grabbing the other end, and the pair lifted the bed up and over the tables to the center of the room. Link blinked a few times, stumbling to get out of the way. 

“Oh” Link uttered. That's how he managed to get it up against the wall like that.

Link rubbed his eyes, and wandered over to look for the sheets. He couldn't just not help. Ravio pointed, “Sheets are under the middle crate. Unless you're looking for something else.”

Link shook his head, looking over to take the item out, lifting them over his head to inspect. He nodded, and tossed the sheets out toward the bed. The blanket fell over Ravio with a “wumph.” He yelped, flailing under the confines. Link blinked, and stifled a laugh, hoping back over the crates to help free him.

“Sorry- sorry, didn't look-”

Ravio took in an exaggerated gasp of air as he was freed. He laughed, voice rich and boisterous, something about the sound familiar. “Rude! Here I am helping you and you go throwing things.”

“Sorry, Sorry,” Link whispered, grin small. He struggled to find the right corners of the sheets.

Ravio giggled and picked up another end. The pair fumbled and yanked specific corners away from each other, “That’s my side-”

“No,” Link said simply, tugging it back. 

Finally, Sheerow simply yanked the edge, making them stumble over either corner of the edge. They took a twin glance at the bed, then the sheet, and turned it until it looked right. Link lifted the edge of the mattress up to put the sheet on. The sheet snapped out of Ravio's hands, making him squeak. 

“Hey!” He exclaimed, practically falling over to catch the sheet, laughing. Link let the mattress drop, and Ravio flopped with it. “Disaster. This is a disaster.”

Link leaned against the bed slightly, looking at him with a raised brow. “You just gonna lay here?”

“You gonna stop throwing me around like a doll?” Ravio quipped, mimicking Link's intonation strangely perfectly.

“Mhm,” Link assured.

“Ahh a very respectful and thoughtful response. I'm extremely confident in the dedication to change your ways.” Ravio said, almost too cheerfully to be sarcastic as Link assumed he was aiming for. Regardless, he lifted himself back up, and fixed his corner of the bed into place. 

They tucked in the blanket with slightly better coordination. Slightly.

“No no it goes this way!”

“It's my bed, it goes this way.”

“You're making this so complicated.” Ravio laughed, tucking in the edges of his side. Link didn't bother, it would get dragged to the floor more likely than not regardless. Link flopped on top of the blankets, closing his eyes with a sigh.

Ravio was quiet for a beat. “Mr. Hero… Why are you on top of the blanket and not in it?”

“Tired,” Link grumbled.

Ravio sighed heavily, and yanked Link's untucked corner out from under him. Link opened his eyes, laughing as Ravio tossed the blanket over him, and walked over to the other side. He rather aggressively tucked it in, securing Link firmly into blanketed confines. Link snorted, twisting his body a few times to loosen it back out.

Ravio shook his head, and sat on the bottom edge of the bed, “Settled, finally?”

Link nodded.

“You never changed your clothes, ya know.”

“Mm.” It was a bad habit, he supposed, often too tired to even think about pajamas.

Ravio shook his head, patting Link's calf once, “Alright, I'll let you sleep.” Ravio stood, seemingly planning on going elsewhere.

That…felt weird. Wrong, even. Link shifted to turn and grab Ravio's hand. He froze, turning to look at him. Those embroidered eyes looked so startled. 

What should he even say here? Ask him to stay? To continue to exist close by, maybe to rest as well? Don’t leave me I don’t know if I can do it again- Link didn’t know what words to use. So he didn’t. He released Ravio's hand softly.

“Thank you.” Link whispered.

Ravio smiled and nodded, stepping away and turning out all lights but one to work.

Link’s eyes slipped closed without much thought, body heavy and exhausted. He sunk into a deep sleep in moments.

Ravio fiddled with random papers until he thought it might be safe. He turned to watch Link's slow gentle breaths for a moment. He lifted his hood, letting it fall behind his shoulders, eyes flickering over faded blond pink hair. He glanced at his hand. Devoid of the Triforce symbol. He glanced at Link again, squeezing his hands together.

He sighed softly, grabbing his spellbook. He needed to finish working on his spell to return home. He couldn't let Link fix everything for him. He would have to return eventually.…No matter how much he wanted to stay.

-

The sun was setting slowly on the horizon when Link pushed the door open with his shoulder. Ravio sat across from him, back against the wall. His arms were crossed over his bag. His head lulled against his chest far enough he couldn't see even a fraction of his face. Sherrow was hard to spot, curled into his scarf like it was a nest.

"Pst." Link whispered. Ravio didn't move. Link squinted,"...Did you fall asleep?" How could that jerk possibly fall asleep like that? The lamp was still going, he couldn't be that exhausted could he? All he did was run a shop. Alone. All day. 

Link sighed, walking over and kneeling in front of him. Whatever notebook he was writing in was on the ground next to him. Link knelt down and picked it up, putting it on the nearest table.

Sheerow perked up at the movement, lifting Ravio's hood just enough to reveal a lock of dark hair. They stared at each other for a moment. Sheerow chirred and settled back into the scarf, watching him. He was such an unsettling creature…

Link glanced back at Ravio's heavily obscured face. He tilted his head. He could probably catch a glimpse of his whole face, for once. …But that was a breach of his trust. If he didn't even take the hood off while alone, there had to be a reason.

Link frowned. He just. Looked uncomfortable. He should move him. If he slept anything like him, he wouldn't wake up if he grabbed a spare pillow and placed it under him… he hovered awkwardly.

Ravio, apparently, was a much lighter sleeper than he was. He noticed the lingering presence with a twitch. Then he startled awake, flailing. He yelped and flattened himself against the wall. "NO! I-" he shouted, panic edged into his tone. He stilled. "ha- Oh, M- mr. Hero!" Ravio's voice was deeper than he usually kept it, familiar in an unfamiliar way. He laughed, nervous and awkward.

Link's eyes widened, ears flicked up in alert. He fumbled to hold his hands placatingly, gently, "Sorry, I didn't- I didn't mean to…" do whatever it was he was doing. Obviously being creepy enough to freak Ravio out.

Ravio slowly peeled himself from the wall, crossing his arms over his legs again. He smiled and just like that, the higher pitch was back. "Ah, it's fine Mr. Hero! I- I wasn't asleep long, was I?"

"Um. No. I…er…"

He waved a hand to dismiss the rest of what Link was stumbling to say. He accepted it, not sure what he was going to say anyway. 

Link sighed. "You should probably get your own mattress soon. Something you can retire to easily."

Ravio looked down and his head moved, but Link wasn't sure if it indicated a nod or not. He stood up, a small smile under his hood. That was the real problem he had with that hood. He couldn't read his smiles without seeing his eyes. Couldn't be sure if they were genuine or not.

"I'll arrange something, don't worry. I don't mind sleeping like I was either, you know… I've slept in worse spots."

"I don’t want you to have to.” Link frowned. Link climbed over the counter to where his bed was crushed up to the wall.

Ravio and Sheerow both squawked. “Mr. Herooo, there’s no need to go doing that! I have the tables arranged so evenly!”

Link humphed, and grabbed and edge of the bed to start tilting it back down. Ravio yelped, scrambling to move the empty crates to make space for the furniture again. “You're a terrible negotiator!” Ravio complained, “Absolutely no sense of compromise.”

Link shrugged. The rabbit would likely con him into forgetting Ravio had been asleep on the floor…and probably had been doing that any time he slept. Compromise with Ravio is how he ended up with a shop in his house and no rent. Not that he asked for rent. And still won't. That part was definitely his own fault. He just couldn't bring himself to ask for it yet. Ravio needed help. It didn’t make sense to ask for something in return.

He stepped back and let the bed frame fall the rest of the way with a thunk. Ravio screeched, hands flying to his hood’s ears and yanking. Sheerow dragged out his blankets from where Ravio had stashed them. Link grabbed the blanket from the bird creature, and fluffed it out.

“I sure hope you are gentler with your rentals! I worked hard on those. Your equipment is important to maintain!”

“I know,” Link said with a shake of his head, “Come over here."

"Eh?" Ravio tilted his head, bunny ears flopping to one side.

"I'm sharing my bed. Come over here." Link took Ravio’s hand to drag him over to the edge of the bed and shuffled to get into the bed properly, squishing himself against the side to give Ravio enough space.

"I- You really don't have to, I'm fine!" He waved his hands frantically.

"I don't kick, promise." Link closed his eyes, "Come on. I don’t want you sleeping on the ground."

Ravio sighed heavily. Sherrow decided to twitter loudly in Ravio's ear at that moment, and he sighed heavier. A shuffle of dragged feet. The bed dipped. Ravio laid down, and one of the bunny ears flopped against Link's head. He shoved it blindly towards Ravio with a snort of a laugh.

"Could it kill you to wear something less massive to sleep?"

"Maybe. You don't know." He joked cheerily.

Link restrained an outright laugh, and turned his back to him, “Good night” he demanded with a giggle.

“It would be a good night if I had another rupee-”

Link faked a loud snore. 

Ravio giggled, settling in, “Good night.”

He hummed softly, feeling the tug to sleep drag at his mind. Warm and calm with Ravio's shoulder brushed against his back. Link nearly drifted off when Ravio shuffled to sit up slightly again. Fabric rustled and he felt his gaze on him for a long moment. “Please be safe.” He whispered. Link swallowed, unsure if he should respond. 

Ravio relaxed a little without it, the thought seemingly mostly needing said.  Bit by bit he sunk into the bed properly. He burrowed his head into his back, an arm loosely wrapped around his waist.

He stiffened, eyes open and wide. He turned his head slightly, looking at a flurry of violet and a hint of dark hair curled into the nook between his shoulder blades.

Ravio’s breath hitched and exhaled shakily. He whispered, "Please."

Link sighed softly. Okay, he needed a response, if only to help whatever anxiety had randomly hit him. "I will."

"I'm sorry I-” he shook his head lightly against him “…I'm sorry."

"...For what?"

He was quiet for a moment. "Not being more helpful, I suppose." 

"You've been incredibly helpful. Usually I'd have to fight my way to get the magic items you have."

Ravio nodded against his back.

Link sighed and reached back, blindly finding his ear and tucking some hair behind it. He took in a sudden sharp breath.

Abruptly, he shifted, pulling the hood further down. Link slipped his hand back, resting it against his shoulder in a facsimile of a self-hug.

"For the record, I could care less about what you look like."

Ravio humphed. "That's a lie."

"...Okay, fine, but hiding your face to these lengths? Who wouldn't wonder?"

"I could describe myself," he said with a laugh, "Would that be enough to satiate the curiosity?"

"If you're willing to describe yourself then absolutely not. You won't get to the detail you're hiding."

Ravio snorted a laugh. With a flourish of his hand, he scoffed, "What? Dark hair, green eyes isn't enough for you?"

"No. Is 'pink-blonde hair and purple eyes' enough for you?"

"Well yeah, that's rather distinctive."

"...Fuck you," Link laughed.

"I was pretty sure we were doing the normal kind of sleeping," Ravio whispered.

"Wha- …ack! Just shut up," Link swatted at the space where Ravio's head was. 

He laughed and snuggled further into the blanket. His voice returned to that deeper tone, “I guess I should take a page or two from your book huh?” It seemed like both a serious thought and a joke all at once.

Link’s brows furrowed, “Nah, you’re good as is.”

Ravio was quiet for a moment. Link shifted to glance at him. “Thank you.” Ravio said softly. 

“What you should be doing is actually sleeping,” he scolded.

He snorted, hugging Link tightly. “Yes, yes.”

-

Link hadn’t paid much attention to Ravio’s rambling until he uttered, “Yuga will be no match for you,” Ravio praised, “Especially if you have the Princess’s help.”

She nodded, brows furrowed. Link and Ravio pulled the blankets over the bed in unison. The bed was fixed so quickly Link was surprised by it. They had gotten better at working together on that. Link flopped onto the bed, looking up at the rafters. She would fight Yuga Ganon tomorrow. She knew it. She was ready. There was nothing else to do.

Ravio leaned against the headboard, smiling under the hood, “Get all the rest you can, okay?” he announced cheerfully. Then his tone went quieter, softer. It was almost a whisper, melancholic, "You're sure to need it before you reach the castle." He leaned back, going to write in that book he always did when Link forced him to close up shop to sleep. Store bookkeeping seemed exhausting. Ravio was still doing it even after selling everything to her. He must be keeping track of whatever remaining rentals he had going with others.

Link stared into the abyss of darkness that was the ceiling. Something ached in her chest, settling strangely. She shuffled a few times to find the right spot. Maybe the constant moving had made the mattress weird? Or something. She closed her eyes tightly.

Sleepless, she listened to Ravio shuffle around a little longer. The sound of paper rustling and pages turning. The scratch of a pen. She tossed and turned a few times. The quiet noise stopped. Link waited, and all she could hear was soft breaths. She sighed and turned to look at Ravio.

He was looking down at the notebook, his hand threaded in his hair. His hood was lifted halfway, but his dark hair was long enough and his hand was placed in such a way that it still obscured his face. He seemed tired and pensive over the book. Link’s eyes widened for a moment, and she closed them tightly and cleared her throat to alert him that she was in fact, still awake. She heard a quick intake of breath, and a shuffle of fabric and paper.

Link opened an eye, and the bunny hood was back over his face, turned to look at Link, leaning against the table he’d been writing on. He leaned to the right, and then to the left, looking Link over. "Trouble sleeping?" Ravio guessed.

Link sat up, sighing.

Ravio hummed, "Not a problem! I have some remedies for that…. For one rupee, a great deal, I promise." He smirked under the mask, making a ‘give me’ motion with his hand.

Link glared, "For what, exactly? I'm not paying you to knock me out or something."

"Why I'd never!" Ravio gasped in offense, raising a hand to his chest. "No, no. For just one little rupee, I can make some warm milk," Ravio laughed.

Link raised an eyebrow, "You have milk?"

"I'm the only one makin’ groceries here. We have milk."

Link sighed, "Alright, fine, sure." She leaned over the bed to pick up her wallet. She tossed Ravio a rupee and he fumbled to catch it with a cheer. He kissed the rupee, then put it away. Link smiled lightly, sitting on the bed. 

Ravio flitted across the kitchen space, which Link was also happy to not be doing. It was making her a little sleepy just watching him. It was done quickly, faster than she expected. Ravio had two mugs, one assumedly for himself. Link took one, and cradled it in her hands. Ravio shuffled his feet awkwardly as he sipped the milk.

Link hummed, "You can sit." She patted a spot next to her on the bed.

"Oh, how generous of you," Ravio sat down next to her. He took his shoes off and tucked his legs against his chest.

"Your fault there's no other seating."

"You don't need chairs to run a business!"

Link laughed and shook her head. Ravio giggled softly, sipping some more milk.

They settled into a gentle quiet. Link closed her eyes to relish in it. The sound of their twin breaths. The warmth of the cup. The weight of Ravio settled nearby. His bouncing leg, a rhythm drummed into the bed.

She opened her eyes. "You're staying, right?" She whispered. Unsure why she asked. He wasn't connected to any of this adventure. At least not beyond helping her home after being knocked out, and giving her the tools she needed. Its anticipated close didn't mean anything for Ravio's whereabouts. 

"Um… for- for what?" Ravio asked. Because of course he wouldn't catch the implied portion of the thought. He wasn't connected to it all.

"I- …Don't worry about it."

Ravio tilted his head, "I'm only in your hair as long as it takes to get my own space settled. I was pretty sure that was the agreement?"

Link nodded, brows furrowing. She dunked back the last of the milk down. She swallowed it down thickly and set the mug to the side.

Ravio looked down at his mug, lips forming a pensive line. "Do… you want me to stay?"

Link shrugged, "It… wouldn't be horrible. …I like having a roommate." She missed it. This house was too quiet without someone to come home to.

Ravio fiddled with the edges of the mug, fingernails tapping against the ceramic. Tap. Tap tap. Tap. His bouncing leg moved faster.

Link glanced at him. He looked like a ball of anxiety, using every fidget available to release the energy. "I- I don't mean to say you shouldn't find your own space. Or or anything. I… Forget I said anything."

Ravio uncurled and stood, taking Link's mug and his own to wash. "I know what you meant." Ravio said quietly. His back was to her. She couldn't read him. His body language was subdued compared to normal. Probably sleepy.

She yanked Ravio down to the mattress.

Ravio shrieked with a laugh, flailing. He grabbed his hood, instead of bracing for impact. “What are you doing?” He laughed. 

“Sleeping.” Link said with a giggle of her own, rolling so she could wrap an arm around Ravio’s middle.

“Ay, I’m not a teddy bear!” Ravio whined, turning his body to look at Link. “Uh ’course not.. rabbit.” Link yawned. She closed her eyes, body heavy.

Ravio snorted, “Yeah, yeah. Okay, Mr. Hero, I did want to get some more things done for my shop though. I’ll be quiet, don’t worry, won’t even hear the squeak of my shoes-” Link’s arm remained heavy and snug around his waist. “...Mr. Hero?” 

Link remained still, breathing slow and deep. Ravio shifted his hood to better look at her, sighing softly, “How in the heavens did you fall asleep while I was talking?” He shifted to slip out from under Link’s arm, but her grip strengthened just minutely, demanding him to stay. 

Sherrow chirped from above, and flew to sit on Ravio’s chest. He glared down his nose at him. “You’re not helping, sir.”

Sherrow made a light laugh of a sound, and snuggled in, closing his red little eyes. Ravio sighed heavily, flopping his head back against the mattress, giving up. He closed his eyes. “Yeah, I love you too.”

-

The triforce glowed upon the Sacred Realm, its mirror image shining within the blue pool that made the sky seem endless. 

“Go home, Link” Princess Zelda had bid, a hand on her shoulder as she directed him outside. 

So of course, they had to.

It was understandable. She had spent at least a good half of a day trying to ensure the Princess was alright and safe and settled in the castle. Princess Zelda was likely tired of Link’s incessant concerns. They weren’t friends like she had been with her predecessor. This was a relationship born of necessity for a hero, she didn’t actually know Link.

She also told her that she seemed like she was about to fall on her feet… and, well, Link was exhausted. Her feet dragged across the road, snagging on the occasional rock. Zelda was right, though. Lorule's triforce should be fixed, and Zelda was safely back home. The Master Sword had been returned to its resting spot until it would be needed again. Link yawned, rubbing her sore shoulder. She could rest now. All was finally, finally, well… for now, at least.

She walked up to her house, its fresh wood inviting and warm. Ravio's storefront sign loomed over the building, but it was a welcoming symbol regardless. Despite the drama Ravio had brought, he'd become a bright spot in Link's commonly too-quiet house. She pushed open the door, tiredly expecting a cheery voice announcing her arrival…

Nothing came. The house was silent. Link's gaze wandered over the empty tables. One was off-center, pushed aside carelessly. As if Ravio had been in a rush to leave.

He probably had been, trying to get to Lorule in time to stop Hilda. …Because he was Link's Lorule counterpart. Because he knew Hilda well and knew Link well.  He knew everything because her house was practically his house already… He had to have known how it would end without his final interference. That Link and Hilda would likely have destroyed each other without Ravio.

Link stared into empty space for a moment. Frozen as she listened to nothing. They shook their head. At least she wouldn't have to listen to Ravio ramble about which type of advertising was most effective before she could put her bed together. 

Link shoved the tables together on one side of the room. Simpler and easier now that they were empty. Ravio couldn't protest. Link awkwardly, carefully, dragged her bedframe back to the floor. Alone. Her arms burned with over exertion. She groaned. They were exhausted enough already.

This was the part where Ravio's near squeaky voice would exclaim in a panic, "Well don't hurt yourself over it! Fine! Sit down, sit down, I'll find your sheets."

He was not there to find any sheets. Link leaned against one of the tables and looked at the bed. 

This was the part where Uncle would scoop her up and sing in his deep, rumbling voice and tuck her in. 

He was not there to drag her to sleep while she dragged her feet.

Link swallowed. She pushed off the table, stumbling a little to fall into the unmade bed. She didn't have the energy to do it… She didn't want to.

They stared at the white expanse of the mattress. It felt like hours. Finally her eyelids felt heavy enough to let them slip closed. She fell asleep, settled into inky darkness.

Link was not gently shoved awake by a purple clad arm. Link was not playfully admonished for sleeping for 10 hours while the world still turned outside, and "Don't you know customers don't like tiptoeing around you Mr. Hero?" There was no sudden dip in the bed. No one asked “Are you planning on getting up for breakfast anytime soon or do you plan on feeding it to the birds, boy?” No whisper of long red hairs falling against their face to tickle their nose. No beautiful face waiting for her to wake. There wasn’t even a child in green shouting their name and jumping on them. There was nothing to say and nobody said it.

Link felt horrible. Their limbs ached more than ever. Their head hurt, and their mouth was dry. Everything felt heavy and uncomfortable. She groaned, loudly. No one was there to notice.

She fell out of bed more than anything, crashing against the floor. There was no blanket to fight, which was fine. But there was no cushion either. She huffed and closed her eyes again. Maybe she should just stay there. Curled on the floor, with the house crowded with unused tables and an unused bed. 

Idly, she realized she didn't have much to drag herself up for. There was nothing to save, explore or fight. There was no shop in her house to let Ravio open. The blacksmith had done just fine without her while she had gone saving two whole kingdoms. He had always been mad at her for being late anyway… The only reason to get up would be to find something to eat, maybe, and she didn't feel particularly hungry. 

Link sighed, cheek pressed against wood. They closed their eyes again and let it fade to darkness.

-

Gulley looked around the smithy. Link wasn't there. Again. The kingdom had been set right, Gulley knew that. Link should be there. He tugged on his mother's dress.

"It's been days. I've let him rest plenty! Can I go see if Link is up today?"

His mother sighed, looking out the window. "He's had a long journey dear, I'm sure he'll come back to work when he's ready. It's not like Link to simply stop working, after all… Besides, I don't know if you should really be rushing off past where we can see you anymore..."

Gulley pouted, staring at her. She chuckled, "Oh you've mastered that one haven't you?"

"So you'll let me go?!"

She hummed, "We'll go together. But let's make him something to eat. He rarely had breakfast to begin with."

Gulley groaned dramatically, but dragged his feet to the kitchen. She chuckled, watching him go.

The pair walked over to the house. Gulley rushed the last straightaway to the door. 

"Gulley, don't just barge in!" His mother admonished with a laugh.

"But I always do!"

"Please just be polite and knock," she giggled with a shake of her head, walking the rest of the way to the door.

Gulley whined lightly, rolling his eyes, "I tell you, he's not gonna answer."

"Knock," she said firmly.

Gulley huffed and knocked once.

There was no response.

"See?"

His mother sighed and knocked herself, "Link, dear, are you home?"

Quiet.

"SEE?" Gulley emphasized.

"If he's asleep we shouldn't bother him. Go ahead, open the door, we'll leave the food on the table."

Gulley pulled the door open. A table blocked the entryway. He blinked, then climbed over it.

"Gulley-" His mother huffed, setting the dish aside on the table to watch her son crawl inside.

"Link's bed isn't even made!" Gulley said, looking over the table obstacles towards his mother, "It's kinda dirty over here."

"What?" She looked at the pile of tables and huffed, awkwardly pulling herself up onto a table and going over to where Link's bed had been placed.

Link was curled on a single mattress, snoring through the day. Their hair was knotted in its ponytail. Hat on the floor. Their tunic itself was still dirty from all the worldly exploring. On the ground, a small gathering of cups and dishes.

She sighed, picking up the dishes. "Go ahead and wake him up. I'll get this done." She looked for the sink. It was blocked by a table. Ah, that explained the pile.

She set the dirty dishes aside, climbing back over the table, "Boys," She muttered under her breath.

Gulley jumped on Link's bed, "Hey Link wake up!"

Link whined, curling up further.

"Linnnkkk, you're laaaateee."

"F'r what?" They grumbled, "I don' need t'do anyth'n."

"Ohh momma his funny old timey accent is really strong now. He's really tired." Gulley dropped himself over Link, trying to worm over and look at their face.

"Don't tease him about the accent honey, it's not nice," she said, turning on the faucet.

Link squinted. 

"Have you really slept straight through three whole days?" Gulley asked.

Link's squint turned into a glare. "Mn. No?"

Gulley kicked his legs over the side of Link's bed, "I think you did. It looks like it."

"Off," Link huffed. She put no effort into pushing Gulley away. Gulley did not listen, either.

"We made breakfast for you. Momma's cleaning your dishes too."

Link sighed, shifting to lay flat on the bed. Gulley remained laying across their chest. She swallowed, making a few movements with her mouth before attempting to speak again, "Thank… you," they mumbled haltingly, trying to get the modern version of the words out, "I was about to get to it."

"Link, sweet, I'm a little worried," Gulley's mother said, putting the cleaned dishes to the side. She shifted to climb back over the tables. "I know you needed some time to recoup but-" She gestured at the tables, "What is this?"

"...I was going to move them."

"And then what happened? Do you need help moving things?"

They shrugged, closing their eyes again. Gulley wiggled over to snuggle into Link's side.

"Link."

"Whattt?" she whined.

"It will do you some good to stretch. You can't just lay here forever."

Link sighed, "I'm not going to. I've just been tired."

She walked over and tapped their shoulder, "I know. Come on, sit up, I think you've rested enough."

She dramatically raised and dropped an arm. Letting the limb fall limp. "Your child is on me."

"You've never had a problem before!" Gulley chirped, giggling lightly.

"Gulley."

He pouted. He rolled over Link, making them grunt, and hopped off the bed. Link sighed and dragged against gravity to raise their upper body. She stared forward, hardly blinking.

Gulley's mother rubbed their shoulder, "Your hair's a mess. I could help you trim it later?"

Link blinked, "What? No, no I-" She raised a hand to tug the ponytail holder, wincing at the knots. She decided to leave it in. "I don't want to do that," she frowned and swallowed, "er…yet."

"Hm. Ok," She looked around, "How about we clear up some space and get you some food! Alright?"

Link nodded, shifting to stand up. She stumbled slightly, thrusting their hands out to grab the bed frame. 

"Alright there?"

"He usually falls out of the bed," Gulley said, "I think that's the most coordinated he's been yet!"

Link squeezed their eyes shut and nodded, "Yeah, just fine." She stayed still for a moment, then nodded again. "Moving tables. Right." 

Link and Gulley's mother were able to put the furniture into an order that left enough space to walk around. They found the chairs, and Link slumped onto one as soon as she placed it.

"I assume you haven't been eating enough," she said, pushing the food she brought at them, "especially since your cabinets were covered."

Link glanced to the side, face a little flush, "I've been fine, thank you. I appreciate it."

"Least I can do for the new hero of Hyrule, hm?" 

Link's brows furrowed as she picked at the food, gaze distant. Even after it was over… She could never leave that destiny behind, could she?

"Is something wrong, dear?"

Link blinked and shook their head, "No, I think I'm just not awake yet." They smiled, "It's- this is all really too kind."

"You got our Gulley safe home, it's hardly anything."

Link glanced at Gulley, who grinned broadly at her. Gulley who was so young. Who should've never been brought into this just because Link had never been able to keep the world safe enough. Because she kept failing the goddesses in getting rid of Ganon once and for all- She nodded, putting on a smile.

"Um. How's the smithy?" They asked, hoping to create a distraction from themself. It worked. Gulley launched into describing the daily events, his mother interjecting with clarification or denial of more fantastical events. Link only half listened as she slowly ate. 

"When are you coming back?" Gulley eventually asked.

Link looked up, fork frozen halfway to their mouth. The food fell off it. Link set it down. "Back …to work?"

"Yeah! It's boring without you!"

Link raised an eyebrow, because Gulley was far too animated to have just described a boring day. 

"We are curious, Link. It's been some time. We missed you."

A dark tiredness curled around her mind and said, loud and clear: They only missed you because you just had to go be a hero. But. People needed her, what choice did she have? She couldn't ignore the gods. Ignore her destiny. …this was a punishment for pretending she was done, a trial, a granted restart. The world- worlds, needed a hero and it wanted her. Which meant. Which meant… no Uncle, no Zelda, no Rosa, no Marin, no Ravio.… 

"Link?"

"Sorry, thinking about it. Um. I can go back to work tomorrow. I'll try and clean the house today." 

"That sounds like a good idea hon."

No friends. No family. Link concluded, dully. She can be a worker, though. She knows how to do that without pain.

"Do you want some help with it?"

"No," Link halfway whispered, "No, I'll be good."