#i did try to refuse the money but she very much insisted me to keep it i was preop maaaybe 2yrs hrt at the time too

[answersfromzestual]

I have some important safety information I thought an old (trans) man can tell you.

I have been reading and hearing a shocking number of people of minority groups going up to potentially dangerous people and "call them out" for maybe their shirt or a logo, a tattoo, etc.

Please do not approach random people, especially since you are (maybe) associating with someone dangerous from a hate group. If you walk up to them, you are the aggressor legally. You are legally in many cases responsible if something happens between you and that person. Defamation is real, and if you call out the wrong person, you can be sued. If it is truly a person of hate you are putting yourself in a position that is not good. Getting physically injured is real.

You will solve nothing going up to a hateful person and "calling them out." You, at this point, are just as bad. You went out of your way to bring someone down or tell them what they already know and now they feel you are proving their point. You now are bringing hate into the world, by approaching that person.

You should never assume anything. What happens if that person is not part of a hate group? Maybe doesn't know a hate group is using this logo.

Even worse, what if they are dangerous and hateful? Someone truly hateful will not allow you to easily walk away.

Do not put yourself in dangerous situations like these!

You do not know what people are capable of, and the internet makes everyone easier to target. If they live in your town they can find you if they want to bad enough, the internet has made people too easy to find.

You are not karma, you do not need to call anyone out.

You are not going to fix their views, so just stay away. Please.

Enough minorities are murdered and assaulted. You dont need to make yourself a target.

Help an old person load their groceries, ask a mother with squirmy children if she needs some help loading up her car. Help someone in need if you want to do some good.

Please be safe.

[an-au-blog]

more zosan reversed tropes bc uni wants me dead and this is my way of coping:

not fake dating, but where everyone is super convinced that they aren't ACTUALLY dating...

One day, Zoro and Sanji call everyone over and announce that they are getting engaged. It comes as a big shock to almost everyone because: 1. they say it too matter-of-factly, with disdain almost; 2. they never told anyone they were dating. Luffy, being Luffy is very happy for them and tells them they can't get married if he doesn't wed them as their captain. They respond that they never expected anything else. Robin and Franky congratulate them, Brook starts getting ready with the music, but Nami and Usopp? Nami and Usopp couldn't believe it. And they refused to let everyone else believe this lie. They decided that both Sanji and Zoro are lying, but why??

They make a makeshift investigation, but it turns out that Luffy and Robin genuinely believe them, Franky and Jinbei think it's none of their business and they can't bring themselves to break it to Chopper and Brook because they were too happy to attend a wedding. Soit was up to Nami and Usopp to prove to everyone else that there was no way they're dating.

At first they start looking at how they interact with each other. It was obvious they were faking it - they never started bickering and fighting and even when they just sat in silence Sanji would throw a ladle in Zoro's direction because he's snoring too loud. Or Zoro would make a biting comment about Sanji and it would start all over again.

But that was how they usually were, so it wouldn't prove much if some of their friends were so willing to accept their announcement at face value knowing they act like this. So Nami takes upon talking to Zoro in private, while Usopp talks to Sanji in private.

At first, Nami starts telling him how she would take money off his debt if he tells her the truth, but then he says the same thing that he said to the crew. That yes, the cook is a pain in the ass, but they love each other and want to get married. She threatens to tax him for lying, but he keeps insisting there's nothing else to say. She meets up with Usopp again, hoping that he did a better job than her, but he just said that Sanji caught onto him from the start saying it's for real and whatever he's scheming will not work.

They change tactics and switch partners, hoping that Nami will have more luck with Sanji, as he can't say no to her, and Usopp can try getting under Zoro's skin.

Usopp starts off by telling Zoro about how a great swordsman should have a nice and powerful partner, mentioning Hiyori, but then the unexpected happens and starts almost defending Sanji as his choice. "Sanji is stronger and nicer than her." "He's a worthy opponent and we already have the same priorities (Luffy)", "He's stubborn and driven, it's great." he says it all with a shrug and Usopp almost feels like he misheard him. "But you always fight?" Usopp says as a last resort. Zoro smiles widely "Yeah, it keeps me on my toes, my blood pumping. I love him so much, Usopp."

The sniper wasn't sure he wanted to prove they weren't a couple anymore. In fact he was starting to believe them. Nami came back with an equally defeated face. Nami tried using her charm, but Sanji kept going "Alas, my dearest Nami, Zoro and I are really getting married, unfortunately it is no joke. Unless you'd like me to take you out on a date!" And in desperation, Nami said "yes", but then Sanji flipped a switch. Saying there's no way, he was just joking and he'd never do that to Zoro. He's done self sabotaging and he really doesn't want to ruin things for them.

Robin overheats then and goes. "Oh, why didn't you ask me. I've seen them sneaking into toilets and private places like teenagers for months now."

And the theory had been debunked.

[bi-bard]

Babysitting - Mike Schmidt Imagine [Five Nights at Freddy's (Movie)]

Title: Babysitting

Pairing: Mike Schmidt X Reader

Word Count: 1,267 words

Warning(s): none

Summary: (Y/n) offers to watch Abby while Mike is taking on his new job. However, maybe they overestimated their ability to juggle babysitting with their growing workload from school.

Author's Note: Here's a fun fact for you: I've been watching Game Theory since middle school. This means that I know far more than I should about this franchise. It was such a distinct point in my life that my mom texted me during opening weekend of the film to ask if I had seen it yet because her and my dad could remember me watching those videos.

This imagine is basically a test run. There's a more plot heavy story (less straight-forward fluff, more depth) that I might write in the future if people enjoy this.

-------------------

I had vivid memories of the time that I swore to my mother that I would never babysit ever again.

The kids that I had watched up to that point were awful. Small demons whose parents had no intention of preventing tantrums and bad behavior. I had been hit, screamed at, had my money stolen, and god knows what else.

So, when I told the people who knew me then that I was going to be babysitting again, they were understandably shocked.

However, they didn't know how different Abby was from those kids that I had known. Abby was kind and intelligent and creative. She had a level of empathy that I think most people couldn't comprehend. To put it very simply, I adored her.

When Mike frantically knocked on my door, begging for help, I was more than willing to help.

I had known Mike for a long time at that point. I knew when he truly needed the help. He had refused to pull me away from school before, no matter how much I had insisted that it would be fine. Him admitting that he needed me to help out was a true sign of need.

He had just started a new job and needed someone to stay overnight with Abby. Just to make sure that she ate, slept, and got up in time for school. I had been in the middle of studying for classes and exams, so I was already staying up through most of the night anyway.

I thought that I was doing well. That I was going to be fine for the rest of the night.

Abby had gone to bed. She hadn't eaten much but that wasn't incredibly new.

I had made myself at home at the dining room table. I was hunched over the dining room table, nothing but the quiet sound of the TV to keep me company as I scribbled notes. My eyes were darting from my notebook to the textbook next to me.

At some point, I found the words beginning to jumble up. I shook my head, suppressing a yawn as I did so.

I felt my eyelids getting heavier. I tried to stop myself from falling asleep, rubbing the heels of my palms into my eyes.

I stretched out my arms, cringing at the sound of popping as I did so. I still had so much work to get through. I couldn't afford to fall asleep now.

I rested my chin on my hand as I continued writing.

After that, my memory goes somewhat blank. I could see vague chunks of my text. I kept trying to get myself to focus more and more, but it wasn't going very well.

The last thing that I remember about that night was a jumble of letters that I was certain used to be real words a few moments ago.

When I woke up, I wasn't at the table. I was in a bed. I sat up abruptly, looking around the room. I was trying to figure out where I was, how I had gotten there, and why the hell I would've been there.

It was a matter of moments later that I realized that I was sitting in Mike's room.

"Shit," I muttered. I assumed that some part of my tired mind had walked in here, looking for comfort. I could only hope that I had enough time to get out of the room without getting caught. And then, I looked at the clock. "Oh, shit, shit, shit!"

I had slept in far more than I would have ever meant to. I ran out of the room, rushing toward Abby's room. I knocked on the door.

"Abby, sweetheart, I overslept," I explained through the door. "You need to get up and get ready, okay?"

I didn't hear anything on the other side. I pushed the door open, looking into the room. The room was empty. I walked inside. She wasn't in bed, wasn't in her fort. She was gone.

"Fuck," I muttered, running my hands over my face.

"(Y/n)-"

I jumped and yelled when I heard a voice behind me. Mike was standing in the doorway, now with his hands held up due to me jumping.

"It's alright," he explained quickly. "I got home early enough to get Abby to school."

"I'm so sorry," I said. "I... I don't know what happened. I was sitting at the table and studying after Abby went to bed. And then, I just... I don't remember even getting up from the table, never mind walking down the hallway and laying down in your bed- oh god, I slept in your bed- I'm sorry, you must be exhausted-"

"I'm fine-"

"I was going to sleep on the couch because I can barely sleep there, so I knew that I would be able to get up early enough to get Abby up. I promise this won't happen again. Any of it! I'll make sure to get Abby up on time, I won't mysteriously sleep-walk to your bed-"

"(Y/n)!" Mike cut me off.

"What," I asked.

"I put you in my bed," he replied.

I paused for a moment. "You... What?"

"I came home and you were asleep at the table. I tried to wake you up, but you were obviously exhausted. I didn't wanna leave you lying there. I managed to wake you up enough that I could walk you down the hall and let you sleep in there. I figured that I'd take the couch. I really didn't mind."

"Oh," I mumbled. I had no memory of it. I must have barely been awake. Like when you get carried into the house from the car when you're a little kid. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he grinned at me.

There were a few moments of silence after that. I felt myself getting more and more nervous as I stood there. My heart was beating faster and I felt my skin warming up.

Had Mike always made me feel so nervous?

"Well, I... I should probably head out," I explained, pointing awkwardly at the door behind him.

He nodded and stepped out of the way. It wasn't until I had just stepped into the hallway that he spoke up again. He quickly blurted out, "You don't have to!"

"What?"

"You... You'll be here tonight anyway and you still have the extra set of clothes that you were supposed to use last night. Your stuff is still out on the table. It would be easier to not waste the gas."

"I need to shower, Mike."

He furrowed his eyebrows for a second. "Believe it or not, I do have a functioning shower. And even a lock on the door."

I scoffed at him. "I'm starting to think that you want me around for your sake more than Abby's."

There was a small pause before he managed to get out a forced chuckle. "Well, y'know..."

My smile faltered a bit as his sentence trailed off. "What?"

"I'm gonna go get some more sleep," he explained, ignoring the previous sentence entirely. I saw his cheeks turning just a bit pink as he went to walk down the hall to his room. "You just make yourself at home. Again, bathroom is there, futuristic enough to have a locking door. Food's in the kitchen. I'll be up in a few hours."

"Okay..."

I watched him as he closed the door behind him.

I found myself chuckling as I turned around and walked to the living room.

We were going to have a very serious conversation about this later.

-------------------

Navigation Guide

What I Write For

Some Original Characters

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for refusing to pay mere 15 bucks for a while?

I (34F) started working at a supermarket, everyone is friendly and nice there. This one woman (29F) in particular was very nice, shy and doesn't talk too much but I liked her so much and wanted to be friends. I approached her and we hung out everyday, and we even commute together because I don't drive. I assumed it should be free because it's not my car and i shouldn't be responsible for it but offered to pay a part of her gas bills anyway since it's a she was nice enough to match my schedule and sacrifice a part of her time to pick me up and drop me off, we agreed that she would only drive me if she was free so it wasn't a commitment, and i only needed her for evening shifts because my husband is available on morning shifts. Her only condition that I should never be late because she's always on time and I promised her that.

To thank her properly I even bought food for her everyday, the same sandwiches and cakes I like. I'm not sure if she like them too but I can guess because we seemed to have a similar taste in food. The first couple of days she accepted them with a simple thank you but she told me I shouldn't had to. By the third day she started to reject them insisting that I shouldn't have to, and that she brings her own lunch with her. I insisted on her to accept my gifts and she did reluctantly but told me to stop doing again, because it's my money and i should spend it on myself. I told her we are friends and what's mine belongs to her, and wondered if the food I pick didn't suit her taste so I asked her if she liked it or I should buy different things for her. She said she liked them actually she just didn't want me to spend my money needlessly. I continued buying her food everyday regardless. She stopped thanking me for my act of kindness and awkwardly accepting the food, and every single time she tells me I shouldn't do it again but I insist. This continued on for 2 weeks until she told me she wanted to diet, and I should stop buying her food and specially cake because she is trying to lose weight. I agreed but asked her about her diet so I know what to buy her, but she refused to tell me and I stopped buying food for her.

After a while I started commuting with her on morning shifts too because i can get home faster than with my husband but I noticed she wasn't always available because she make many plans after work. She just informs me she has plans but never tells me what they are, so I started to think she's lying and get sad about it. I never confront her because that's not my style so I just tell her it's fine then vent to my other friends about how she keeps ignoring me. That's not the only reason I think she's ignoring me mind you, she also sometimes doesn't hang out with me during breaks.

She found out what I told other friends and got mad at me insisting that I was lying, she said she was just busy sometimes and can't hang out all the time or that she didn't want to disturb me when I was hanging out with other friends, she also reminded me that she isn't obliged to drive me around all the time because that's not what we agreed on.

We had another fight for something irrelevant but we made up, however I felt that we were growing distant after that. She hanged out with me less and less, because I told her she didn't have to sacrificer her plans for my sake ever and that we I don't have to match our schedule anymore, but I still felt sad about it. I knew venting to my other friends would anger her so I kept my mouth shut this time, so she doesn't accuse me of lying again.

We still commute together specially in evenings shifts, but not too much in morning shifts because she keeps having plans. I don't complain about it even when my husband is unavailable.

I received a message saying she hesitated to tell me something but she had to increase the price for our commute if I still wanted to be with her, and the price she set was insane! 2.5 bucks for each ride meaning I had to pay 5 bucks everyday day! she said driving isn't just about gas and that gas is already expensive because her car isn't economy and specially because we live in a hot climate and we need the AC all the time. I didn't like it and tried arguing with her over it, but she didn't budge and I didn't want to lose our friendship over it and tried to forget about it and I actually did forget it so after a month she told me I had to pay 75 buck for the entire month and I got angry because it was too much. For reference this is not the US and 75 bucks is more than enough for gas, my husband's car needs 50 bucks monthly but her car probably needs about 100 bucks and i'm paying 75% of that! She reminded that it was the price she set and she calculated it carefully so she doesn't accidentally charge me for extra rides. For the next couple of month I only commuted with her when necessary and had to pay around 50 buck each month. Also because I pay her much more I thought I might as well get the most of these ride so I always did grocery shopping after work while she waited for me. It's just 15 minutes usually and she shops sometimes too so why can't I? I started doing grocery whenever I needed without asking for her permission even though she asks mine when needs to shop, but after all I'm the one who practically pays for our rides. She's using me for gas so I might as well use her, I felt I should have never suggested helping her with gas, I'd get free rides and these problems would never happen.

I always ask her how much I owe her immediately after getting our paychecks on the 27th, but I need a few days to prepare the cash so I don't pay until after a week usually. We had a fight because she claimed I was always "late" so I decided to finally stop commuting with her, I paid her the 40 bucks I owed her for that month after I stopped talking to her. It was the start of a new month I never rode with her or talked with her, yet when we got our paychecks she told me I owed her 15 buck! I called her out on her lies and told her to stop using me and stealing my money because I haven't commuted with her for the entire month, but she told me it was for the 28th, 29th and 1st day, three days after the paycheck so they would be paid the next month.

I did the math and realized she was not making it up, I didn't apologize for accusing her because I'm still right, she's very greedy for charging me that much. I didn't pay the 15 bucks because that's such an insignificant amount and it didn't matter. She sent an angry message the next month saying she wants her money and I was overstepping boundaries because "I'm getting too comfortable at her expense". I called her out for annoying me just for the sake of 15 bucks, I don't know why that's important to her. I told her I regret even suggesting to pay her, she blew up on me saying it was common sense to pay the driver and that I'm the one who assumed I was riding for free. She claimed she actually told me about the money beforehand but I embarrassed her by assuming she was giving me free rides, and that her embarrassment caused her to not charge me enough at first. I don't remember any of that, I know I have a week memory but I think she is making all that up to get my 15 bucks, so I refused to pay. I reminded her that I bought food for her everyday and she was so ungrateful for that, which proved I'm generous but she's greedy. I also told it's her fault she allowed and forced me to ride her car!

I blocked her number before she replied so I don't know how she responded to that but I decided to go to HR. Unfortunately HR said our commute is none of there business and my ex-friend had the right to charge me as much as she wanted to, and if I didn't agree to that price I shouldn't have rode in her car in the first place!

I paid the money after that, I even gave her 30 bucks because I'm generous and told her to stop bothering me. She refused to take them because I only owed her 15 bucks but I left before she could return the money. She's TA for charging me too much and being ungrateful but am I also?

What are these acronyms?

[aita-blorbos]

AITA for kind of lying to my customer?

For starters, I (38M) do not actually like my job that much, but I can’t really be hired to do anything else. Regardless, I try to be as professional and ethical as I can be about it. 

So my twin sister (38F) and I have been running a small business together for many years, although we moved into a new neighborhood recently so we have had to sort of reestablish ourselves. Money is very tight for us both right now, we have no support systems, and this is the one way we can make a living. One night, I ran into a performance artist (40M) who really looked like he could use our services. He is a social outcast who does not really like his job, just like me, so we got along really well- I think he is the first friend I’ve made in some time. He said he was not interested, but he asked for a business card so I hoped he would come back.

The guy got back to me a day or so later and he offered us a commission- for good money, too. He was very urgent in his particular request. He did not really offer any specific details, I think it was over some kind of relationship drama or something? I did not ask, not my circus not my monkeys. So my sister and I got to work. (I suppose I have to mention what exactly it is I do for a living for this to make sense. My sister and I are assassins.) Anyway, she got ahold of our requested target and it turns out the guy wanted to kill our local government representative (I do not keep up with politics that much so I do not know him that well). Then my sister and the representative got talking and she really clicked with him, which is unusual because she’s usually pretty cynical about love.

My sister started begging me to not kill him. We really needed the money- so I refused. However, I really do love my sister. She is the only person that has always been there for me, and she accepts me despite my many eccentricities. And she really deserves more than what she gets. But I did not want to outright lie to my client either. Then I realized I had promised a body, just not whose. So we just kind of found a guy who stumbled into our house and killed him instead.

The client insisted on burying the body himself (sentimental reasons I suppose) so we wrapped it in a bag and I tried to warn him against opening the bag up. He seemed pretty happy with it at the time, so I suppose all is well that ends well? But I have not seen him since that night so I do not know how it turned out.

I suppose it eats at me sometimes that I lied to him. But at the same time, I did not want to hurt my sister by killing the one guy she has fallen for in years.

AITA?

[eventide-imp]

This is a vent post. It's kind of long I guess. I just needed to put it somewhere because I feel like I'm losing my mind. And I had already woken up depressed as hell yesterday when part of this happened.

I need someone in charge of the strings of fate give me a FUCKING break. Gas gets cut off with no notice and we manage to get it back on after four days and TWO calls to the gas company. Since the pilot lights went out because there was no gas, the oven is still dead and there's no way for me to relight it. It just keeps giving an error. Which means spending more money for it to be serviced.

The water heater light was also out. Well guess who's going on almost two weeks with no hot water now because after getting the gas back on, we discovered the fucking control panel for the water heater is dead! Which means we can't turn the damn water heater back on. It's 325 to replace it OR over 900 to just replace the whole damn thing.

And the shower doesn't work. It's a simple part to replace but the one my grandmother bought doesn't fit. my grandmother refuses to pay a plumber to come fix it or just buy a new part that should fit. That's been broke for over a month. So everybody has to try and wash in the tub, and now in freezing cold water. I finally ended up going to my mom's just so I could wash my hair for the first time in two months.

And then my 12 year old Big Pup was doing a very normal 12 year old thing. Being curious about one of those character chatbots. His friends use it, so of course he's gonna want to look at it. Frankly I'm only concerned about him potentially getting something 18+ out of it. My ex on the other hand is CONVINCED someone could hack it and start talking to him through it??? Nothing I said could dissuade him from this, even when I said it doesn't work like that he just insisted "well it has HUMAN OVERSIGHT doesn't it!?" And like yeah but that's still not how it works???

The only real issue, in my opinion, was Big Pup feeling the need to sneak around to use it. My ex was also concerned that the kid was apparently talking to the character like a romantic partner, which, I don't actually know what that means. And he didn't bother to take a screenshot or anything to show me as an example, so I still have no idea what that means. His other concern was the kid not feeling like he could talk to people well and struggling to socialize. Which is normal??? For being 12???? Like middle school and high school are AWKWARD AS FUCK, there's so much going on for them to deal with!

I made it clear I had no issues with finding a therapist for Big Pup (he's an anxious bean, has parents who aren't together, has a younger sibling with a decent age gap, he's got a lot to cope with!), and I was also not opposed to getting the kid into after school programs so he could try to socialize more within his hobbies.

But I offered to show the kid ao3 so he could have fanfic to read instead of using the chatbots. I thought that was a good compromise. My ex just said "NO. He can write it if he wants but I don't want him reading anyone else's stuff. Yeah that's your thing and you read it at his age cause your parents should've been paying more attention to you."

I......I am trying not to take the rest of what he said personally, because it basically just continued like that where he shut me down instead of at least considering that as an option alongside the other things. And comments about my parents not paying enough attention to what I did on the internet. but it just really REALLY felt like he was basically saying he doesn't want our son to end up like ME.

I know I struggle socially. I always have. The only time in my life where my friend group was greater than four people, one of whom was usually my twin, was high school and that's purely on the patience of one girl deciding she was gonna stand in front of my desk to talk to the nervous and shy mouse of a girl with the manga during history class the first day. And then three of her friends, all of them having been friends during middle school, joining her. They stood around my desk and talked over my head for three days before I got the courage to actually join the conversations. And then they found out the school had an anime club. And even in anime club, surrounded by peers who actually liked the same things I liked, I still struggled. I still talked the least. They didn't care. I was there and listening and could manage a few jokes, that was enough.

Most of my friendships moved online after I had Big Pup. Nobody wants to keep inviting someone who can never come out anyway. (My family staunchly refused to babysit unless I needed to go to a doctors appointment or do the grocery shopping). I'm very glad of my online friendships. They've helped me so much. I try to return the favor as much as possible. They've bought my kids Christmas gifts, and birthday gifts, and helped me with transportation and so many other things. They're part of my support system. I love them.

I know I'm not any better socially. If anything I've probably gotten worse. I KNOW I've pretty much stopped masking my neurodivergence most times. It's just too exhausting to have to pretend to be neurotypical 24/7. It's part of why I burnt out and my body crashed. Nobody really wants to accept it. So I still have to partially mask. But I can't keep it up. I just can't. It's too much for my own mental health. My ex is adhd. I've got epilepsy and a strong case for autism. Both Big Pup and Little Pup are blatantly neurodivergent. It's always been obvious to me. But my ex has been in denial about it for years. He's only just recently (like the last three or so months recent) come around to the idea that they are.

And apparently the thought that they might be like me is too much for him. But I'm supposed to take myself out of it. I'm supposed to not get defensive. I'm supposed to not take it personally.

AND ALL OF THIS WITHOUT ANY GODDAMN HOT WATER.

[black-wolf-spirit-art]

It's okay to have some miscommunication and miss some details on some parts. As long as you communicate further to fix an issue, everything is okay!

Since there is money involved, the matter on the situation is much more important, definitely, and the client is the boss.. but don't beat yourself up for this, okay? Mistakes happens and you went through a rough one...

Just take the time to talk things out and take as much details as possible next time so you can prevent unnecessary comes and goes.

Just please understand the client like the client understands you too so everyone gets a win!/lh

Hi there! I assume this was about the Afreakingdorks post. Thank you that's very sweet. And thank you for reaching out.

There was absolutely some miss communication between the two of us and I adapted to all of her requests as best I could. The issues arose when she requested more than 3 edits past the sketch phase. In my price sheet I state that they are alowed unlimited edits in the sketch phase, then 3 free edits past the sketch stage, but after 3 edits I would need to start charging for my time. This is when the issues began because they were unwilling to pay for edits but insisted, I make them for free. When they were unwilling to compromise, and the conversation was seeming to go downhill I agreed to show them the flats layer to prove I did in fact add gray to their Sona's fur and reduced the opacity in the light layers to make them show more. I also emailed the files to them with the edit function enabled so they could mess with the files any way they pleased since it was not quite what they had wanted. I also offered them a 50% refund for the piece which they refused. I know they were also talking about the file "conveniently appearing" after they harassed me on 2 different tumblr accounts. But they didn't consider that I had sent them 3 high resolution PNG's that take a few minutes to send over. So I guess to her it looked like they just appeared after she started spamming me on her two other accounts.

To be perfectly clear to any of her followers that came to my page due to this altercation. She received several WIP's. She made edits to those WIP's which I then made, and she approved of them/ gave the thumbs up for me to continue the illustration. This happened several times during the sketch phase and 3 times during the line art phase. She then received said finished piece but requested more edits for free. When I told her I couldn't make any more edits for free she got upset. She requested I send what I had to her email which I did, and she received it. The transaction was completed.

She also showed screenshots of our conversation but cut them up and rearranged them to make it look like I was taking advantage of her on her blog.

I've been receiving commissions for over 5 years and never had an issue with a customer. I'm always willing to compromise with the customer as well. But once it was clear she was trying to get more work for free and continued to gaslight me in the conversation, it was time for the transaction to end. They paid for a fully rendered illustration with two characters and two side images. I illustrated the background for free for them. Thats the full image they received. I would share our screenshots as well and the image itself but since It was an NSFW piece and there are minors following me I do not want to expose the imagery to on this platform.

There were several instances where they were directing me to manga/comic style while contradicting themselves and insisting I draw it in my own style and liked where the piece was going which added another layer of confusion.

All and all this has absolutely been an interesting customer experience. If she wants to moan about how I hurt her reputation and sladerd her good name, she has ever right and I certainly won't stop her. It's disappointing to see from a 31 year old adult. But what can you do, I'm not willing to add to her pitty party.

I'm sorry to keep going on about this. That was a long post and I really appreciate the fact her followers are willing to stand up for her so much.

I'm just an illustrator she commissioned to draw her sona having sex with Donnie from ROTTMNT in a bathroom stall. I'm not interested in making this into a whole ordeal.

[los-ninos-tortugas]

(Throws this at you because I love your blog)

Rewatched Touch and Go today and it's such a GOOD 03 Raph episode!! It tells us so much about him!!

The mob chasing him? Not that big. He has fought and defeated bigger groups of actually trained and armed assailants. (Heck, he did it BLIND in Lone Raph and Cub.) This group didn't even have guns. If he had chosen to fight, he would have won - but he didn't even CONSIDER fighting them until his back was against the wall and he couldn't see another way out. This is punch first ask questions later RAPH choosing to flee because he didn't want to hurt ordinary scared people.

His interactions with Mrs Morrinson are just BEAUTIFUL. First of all his face when she pulls him through her door and essentially kidnaps him is hilarious and adorable. Secondly, he didn't have to let her do that!! He is so much stronger than her - he could have pulled away, but he didn't!! And then he spends a couple of hours at this random old lady's house THAT HE HAS NEVER MET BEFORE moving boxes and keeping her company and drinking tea. And he clearly has a good time!!! I don't even think it occured to him to try and leave - SHE has to tell him that it's getting late and he should go home. And when Mikey and Master Splinter suddenly have briefcase full of money? Raph's first impulse is to give it away to someone he has only known for a couple of hours. (Sidenote - this episode is the third time the Turtles are in possession of a stupidly large amount of money. The first time they hand it in to the police, the second time they insist April uses it to rebuild her shop, and the third time they give it away to somone only one of them has met. What does that say about them, when literally everything they own is other people's refuse? They are poorer than poor, and yet they give away life changing amounts of money with no regrets. I love them so much)

This episode really showcases how GENTLE Raph is. He is so good with vulnerable people. He doesn't treat Mrs Morrison as a convenient escape - he treats her like a person. And yes, there is a lot to be said about the fact that she is blind, and that that means she is treating him like a person - but he could have left as soon as he knew it was safe. He didn't have to move boxes and be kind to her. He didn't have to speak to her respectfully or drink tea with her or even let her pull him into her house.

Just... the 03 boys are such GOOD boys. They are extremely kind, and I love that about them. This episode showcases that for Raph so well.

(There is more I wanna say about this but my brain is melting due to the heat so I'm going to leave it there)

Thank you I do try my best <3

ALSO THANK YOU FOR GIVING ME A REASON TO TALK ABOUT MY BOY (I do love all the 03 boys but 03 Raph is my fave)

So I decided to rewatch the episode too so I could refresh my memory. And omg you’re sooo right. While 03 Raph is definitely one of the more straightforward Angry™️ iterations of Raph, he’s also one with a really strong moral compass. The crowd isn’t that big, they’re not armed, they’re still on edge from seeing their city torn apart. Could he have very easily incapacitated them single handed? Yeah probably, but it’s just not in his moral code. This Raph is very much a protector of the innocent, even when they don’t appreciate it. The fact that he only draws his weapons when he thinks he has absolutely no choice says a lot about how violence was his absolute last resort. And even then, as soon as Mrs. Morrison emerges from her apartment he puts his weapons away again.

His face when she pulls him in is so shocked but like, Raph you’re letting it happen! He really didn’t have to let her pull him into her house and he seems so surprised by it but he also doesn’t resist even a little bit. Also the way his voice goes from his usual kind of gravelly roughness to a slightly more gentle tone, like he’s almost speaking in a slightly higher register than he usually does and it’s kind of sweet? Little old lady is here better use my Polite Voice. And yeah, there is something kind of interesting about her being blind because yes, it means she’s not immediately hostile to him, however she gets pretty touchy when she’s pulling him into the apartment. She takes his notable three fingered hand and then she puts her hand on his shell when she pushes him in. Not going to lie when the mob asks her about “aliens” and she says there’s no aliens she sounds just like… mildly insincere (but maybe that’s just the New Yorker in me talking. We all say shit we don’t mean when we want someone to stop bothering us).

There’s something really funny about the fact that we don’t see the conversation that presumably happened right after they’re both inside, we just cut straight to Raph moving boxes 🤣 he really went, “well while I’m here…” and just started doing whatever she asked of him. And he just met this woman but he was already curious about why she was packing up to move! (Which is kind of a trend with this version of Raph and it’s part of what really makes him endearing to me. In spite of his tough guy exterior he gets invested in people soooo quickly. Even though Casey annoyed the (s)hell out of him when they first met, Raph also became incredibly invested in making sure his fellow hot head didn’t fist fight his way into an early grave. And you mentioned Lone Raph and Cub, where, despite the kid (I forgot his name at the moment) initially resisting Raph’s help and telling Raph to leave him alone Raph only becomes more determined to help him out.) I think even if Mikey and Splinter hadn’t conveniently come home with a suitcase full of money Raph still would have found a way to help/stay in touch with Mrs. Morrison because that’s just the kind of guy he is. (But also kind of makes you just how convincing his argument was to get Mikey to give him the money, these boys are very generous as you rightly pointed out and knowing it was going to a good cause I think Mikey would have agreed pretty easily but also Raph did just meet her that night so he must’ve had to have been reeeeaaal convincing)

My brain is also soup from the heat ✌️

[dyns33]

Unknown love

Another Lord Byron x Reader. I had two versions of this story, I don’t know yet if I’ll post the second one. 

Lord Byron could have said no to his dear aunt.

He would often say no to his dear aunt when she asked him nonsense or boring things, mocking her only to be better forgiven with smiles and poems a few days later.

So when she told him about marriage, he laughed. He had scoffed.

But unfortunately, he also had to listen to her carefully when she explained to him that the family's finances were in a terrible state. They were spending way too much to keep up appearances and pay for the upkeep of the mansions, and soon they would be broke, up to their necks in debt, and unable to go on living as they wanted.

It was not suitable for a family like theirs.

Lord Byron did not care what other people thought, but he loved his daily life, he loved his comfort, his freedom, and even if his writings brought him a little money, the parties and other pleasures he offered himself made everything disappear even faster than it had happened.

A good arranged marriage was therefore the ideal solution.

He was very clear with his aunt. She might find a rich heiress, but in exchange he insisted that his loving future wife would not prevent him from continuing to follow his habits.

In short, he would offer his title and a mansion to the young girl, who could live on the estate, in another building, as a Lady, and he would stay in his house, as if he were absolutely unmarried.

His aunt thought that was a wonderful idea, since he could be extremely unpleasant when he wanted to.

After several months of searching, she found Y/N Y/L/N. 

According to her, the girl was perfect. Pretty, discreet, well brought up and educated. If he ever wanted to talk to her, he wouldn't be bored. He wasn't sure she shared his love of partying and debauchery, but after a quick chat with her father and the young girl, she had seemed smart enough to say that her husband would be free to do whatever he wanted, as long as he didn't force her to do things she didn't like.

Lord Byron signed the marriage contract, showed up at the church, read his vows and quickly kissed his new bride before returning to his business. The little time he spent with Y/N was not unpleasant, but he didn't really try to get to know her well.

It had no interest for her, really. A waste of time, and the risk of hearing a lot of criticism about the fact that he was neither a good husband nor a good man. Even if his new wife's opinion didn't matter, it was never pleasant to be insulted. His life therefore continued normally.

There were many times when he had to talk a bit with Y/N, at dinner parties they were invited to, or during important celebrations where she insisted on being by his side.

Again, Lord Byron had nothing against her. She really was as beautiful and intelligent as his aunt had said she was, and he sometimes found it sad that she ended up marrying him, but it was too late to have any regrets.

      "I have a favor to ask of you, but I'm afraid you will mock me."

      "If you want a new dress, jewelry, or another silly gift, that's fine with me."

      "No, none of that." she said shyly, lowering her eyes. "I... I had the pleasure of reading some of your writings and I... I was tempted to write myself. I would like you to read me."

This made him laugh. It was stronger than him, he couldn't help laughing, which seemed to upset his dear wife, who avoided him for the rest of the evening.

He didn't think about it afterwards, too busy preparing his new poems and having fun.

Until a new author appeared in the newspapers, then publishing some works. An anonymous author, whose identity no one knew, except perhaps the publisher who refused to give any information. An author whose writings were prodigious.

Lord Byron fell in love with these writings, and very logically, he considered that he could only love the mind that had produced them, even if he knew nothing about this person.

For months on end, he not only began to write for his unknown love, but he talked about their works to everyone and he harassed the publisher, who always refused to give him a name, even when he offered him many money, kneeling down on front of him.

One evening when he was talking about this with his friends, his wife came back.

      "I don't want to disturb you, but I was wondering if you would have some time to read this poem I wrote for you."

      "It's adorable my dear, but no. Not because I don't have time, but I'm afraid that nothing can touch me since I discovered the writings of this mysterious author. I'm afraid to be terribly critical of you in an unfair way."

      "But maybe you'll like it. Maybe... Maybe I write as well as this author."

This made him laugh again, and this time it made Y/N cry, who went back to her house.

Byron didn't think of it, like the last time.

Except that the day when the new writing of his love was to be published, there was nothing. 

Everyone thought there might have been a problem. The author could have had an accident, a family problem. They might have needed more time to finish writing. They might have had no idea, or been unhappy with what they had done.

But the days passed and there was no news. The publisher made no announcement, saying it was awaiting word on whether it could give a release date. Then he announced sadly that there would be no date, because there would be no more publication.

This was terrible news, which plunged Lord Byron into deep torment and endless depression.

Nothing had any flavor or importance anymore. He couldn't write and the few parties he organized didn't amuse him at all.

The truth came out during one of them though, as the drunken publisher that he had invited stared at him, slumped on the couch, too miserable to move.

      "You are pathetic."

      "Thank you, I know. You are no better yourself. Could you at least tell me why my love no longer writes ? If it is a personal reason, a death, an illness, I could understand. I think I I need to understand, to mourn. I really loved them."

      "You don't like her at all, otherwise she wouldn't have stopped writing !" growled the editor, emptying his glass. "She was wonderful, and you ruined everything. I'm sure her poem was perfect, but I didn't have the time to read it, she burned it ! She burned everything ! You can be proud of yourself. Men of your kind shouldn't marry such amazing women, they destroy them."

It may have been the alcohol that made the publisher say absurd things, but Lord Byron then had the terrible doubt that the author was Y/N, his dear wife, and he immediately visited her to find out for sure.

She didn't seem surprised to see him, when he never came. She was really very smart. She immediately guessed the reason for his presence.

      "I know that you know, so talk then leave. Or don't talk and leave, please."

      "I don't know what to tell you, to be honest. I didn't know... I'm an idiot. I apologize to you, I'm begging you to forgive me. Do you hate me ?"

      "If I hate anyone, it's myself. It was obvious that you weren't interested in me and I was stupid to think that would change. I never dreamed of being published, you know ? I don't care what other people think. I wanted... I just wanted your opinion. It made me so happy to hear that you liked my writings. They were for you, only for you. But when you laughed, when you refused to even imagine that I could be a good writer... It hurt me, and I couldn't do that anymore. I decided to keep myself to myself, I will not write anymore."

      "No !" he cried, falling in front of her. "I cannot live without your writings, knowing that it is my fault that the world is deprived of such wonders !"

      "All good things come to an end. But you're a writer yourself, so you can go on."

      "I don't have your talent, clearly not ! And why should good things come to an end ? It's absurd."

      "To savour them, and have beautiful memories."

      "No. No, I refuse."

      "And yet, Lord Byron, so it is. I loved you, I was happy to be your bride, I thought we would understand each other. I was wrong and now it's over. Goodbye."

Despite his tears, pleas and lamentations, Y/N went to her bedroom, leaving him alone on the living room carpet, from where he refused to move for three days. Then, tired and hungry, he finally agreed to go back to his own house, where he stayed in bed, not writing, not reading, and giving no party.

Everyone was very worried. This was not normal, for even when he was desperate or ill, Lord Byron threw at least one party a week.

To learn that his love, his divine love, was his wife, who had loved him, who had written for him, and who had lost the flame because of him, had been a real shock for the poor man.

He didn't think he could be himself again, after such a revelation. Once again, nothing was important anymore, absolutely nothing and he let himself waste away for days.

Then, as he brought her his meal, his butler placed a manuscript on his bed.

      "I don't feel like reading." muttered Lord Byron without moving.

      "Forgive me. Your wife insisted, but I can..."

      "Y/N ?! This is from Y/N ?!"

In an instant, Lord Byron was full of color, springing from his bed to pick up the manuscript and read it by the fireplace, careful not to burn the pages. In addition to the poem she had offered him to read, there were all of Y/N's writings, those she had published, and new ones, which she had never shown to anyone else.

Heart pounding, not caring about the night, the rain, his pyjamas, his bare feet, Lord Byron ran across the land that separated their two houses. Without thinking, he climbed the stairs, opened the door to his wife's bedroom, and sat down by the bed, taking her hands as she slept.

      "You have to publish all of this."

      "My god, George, what time is it ?" she asked turning her head in her pillow.

      "Too soon, or too late, I don't know. What I do know is that I love you, I love your writing and you need to publish it."

      "Right now, I have to sleep."

      "You don't understand."

      "I understand. I completely understand, I wrote all this." Y/N said looking him in the eyes. "Now, Lord Byron, go to sleep."

      "I can't ! Not after this. I need more ! The world needs more !"

      "Not now. Sleep. I know you can, for me."

Too exhausted to get up and go home, Lord Byron stared at his wife's bed for a long time, where he had never slept. Sighing, Y/N took his hand to help im up, laying him down next to her.

But he still couldn't sleep, watching her. This annoyed her a little, and when she asked him why he still wasn't sleeping, he replied that she really didn't understand.

      "Maybe not. What is wonderful for you is normal for me. And vice versa, I guess. Or almost. I cried while reading your writings, but they never prevented me from sleeping. Close your eyes."

This time he obeyed. That night was the start of something new, the couple finally settled under the same roof after a year of marriage, sharing the same bed, and starting to write together.

[the-present-is-a-gift-au]

Chapter 18: In Which Twig and Darkrai Embark

Twig wasn’t exactly eager to bring Darkrai along on the expedition to track down Cresselia, but it was difficult to turn down the fact that he was pretty much a living Cresselia tracking device. She wondered if the ability to sense one’s counterpart went both ways. She never did understand how Cresselia was able to track a single pokemon down across time and space. Admittedly, Cresselia was a Legend, and had unknowable powers as a result, but Twig was still baffled by the complexity of it. Though if she had a Darkrai-detecting sonar built into her head, it did make significantly more sense how that worked. 

Darkrai watched as she packed a bag full of enough essentials for a two-person team and then some— she wasn’t confident in her ability to evade many attacks when she was so haggard as she was— and offered help wherever he could. He insisted on carrying the bag when they set off. Twig didn’t begrudge him the chance to be helpful. She knew how desperately one could feel a need to help— and she was also too tired to refuse the chance to travel without the heavy weight slung over her shoulder. 

They trekked through multiple mystery dungeons on the first day, and Twig had to stop Darkrai from walking into traps on several occasions. 

“How can you tell when they are there?” He asked as she took up the lead once more. “The traps, I mean.”

“There was a special workshop at the guild one day where a guest speaker came and taught us about how to identify and evade different traps. I decided to swing by as it started and copied another apprentice’s notes when I couldn’t keep up with what the speaker said.” She motioned for him to step around a sleeping pokemon, lowering her voice as they passed. “That student was always kind of seen as the worst one out of everybody, but he took the best notes. He knew what he was doing, even if he was a bit slower than the rest of us. He just needed time and a bit of extra training, and now he's an apprentice to the Guildmaster himself.” 

“You speak of him with pride.” Darkrai’s quiet rasp was pensive, thoughtful. 

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m proud of him. He’s a good friend, and I’m stoked that he’s doing so well for himself.”

“What was your apprenticeship like? What did the training entail? It’s all very fascinating.”

“Getting up at dawn, saying morning cheers, taking jobs for the guild on a self-directed difficulty level, receiving only ten percent of the profits from said jobs, doing the same thing day in and day out… that sort of stuff. It was nice.”

“You only kept ten percent of the income yielded from the jobs you took?”

“Yeah. Turns out using Exploration Team Federation amenities, networking, training, expedited opportunities for jobs, healthcare, and other services meant we had to pay a lot of money, so they just took it out of our wages.” She sent a glare at a pinsir sizing them up from a ways off in the chamber of the dungeon. “Don’t try me, pal, I’m not feeling like playing nice today!” She hollered, then turned her attention fully to Darkrai. “Is it still this way? I can’t remember which fork you said to take back there.”

“This is the correct direction. I would have said otherwise if it wasn’t.” He peered over her shoulder, eyes narrowing in a familiar glare. “Ah. Pardon me— duck?”

“Duck?” She echoed, then dropped to the ground when she felt heat building at the back of her neck. He melted into the shadows before her as a blast of fire burned through the air where their heads once were. 

She whirled around, readying her claws to send an attack back at the salamence who just sent a flamethrower her way, but Darkrai reappeared in the shaded corner of the dungeon behind their foe. He crossed his arms and flung a dark orb forward— it caught the salamence’s back, and he collapsed in a fidgeting, groaning tangle of wings and limbs. In an instant, the enemy was disabled— stuck in a nightmare, and without landing a single physical blow.

She nearly shrieked when Darkrai’s whisper came from behind her. She didn’t notice him reappearing again at her back. “We have little time before he wakes. I’d recommend that we move quickly.” 

Terrifying display of Darkrai’s powers aside… Impressive. That was impressive. Good to know that the random pokemon who had the misfortune of picking a fight with a Legend wouldn’t be stuck in a nightmare for all of eternity, but also concerningly impressive. She wondered why Darkrai was so beat up when she first found him in Mount Travail when he could just trap every foe around him in their sleep— even if temporarily.

She found it simple enough to bury the fear of whether that salamence’s twitching and muttering was how she looked to Kip and Cresselia while wrestling her way out of her nightmare in Dark Crater by reciting expedition safety mantras in her head.

***

Darkrai eagerly assisted as they set up camp for the night at the base of the mountain where Cresselia dwelled— his very being was prickling uneasily with her presence, even at the distance, and it was a great distraction to focus on tying knots and setting up tents as Twig instructed. She swept the perimeter of the camp, making certain that there was no chance a forest fire would break out from any slumbering embers and that they would have a means of escape in the unlikely case of an ambush. He asked about why she kept pacing at the far edge of camp, gathering stones and branches.

“I’m getting supplies for a fire. Wish I knew where some flint was, though. I can’t believe I forgot it at home… Ugh. How are we going to have a fire without something to start it with?”

“Is the flame at the end of your tail somehow insufficient?”

She paused, then muttered a quiet curse he didn’t recognize beyond the venom with which she spat it. Something from her days as a human, perhaps? Regardless, she swiftly arranged the stones in a fire ring and turned some fallen branches and kindling into a proper campfire using her tail. Soon enough the camp was properly set, and they were able to rest. 

Twig clearly needed it. She had become slower in her reactions as of late, and the weariness in her face was undeniable. Darkrai couldn’t ignore the guilt he felt at this, but was unsure of how to remedy it when he knew Twig’s anxiety tended to spike almost concerningly high whenever he was out of sight. 

At the very least, the mountain’s base was beautiful. The stars were bright overhead, and the trees whispered in the breeze. It was chilly, yes, though thankfully not enough to truly bother him. Twig had to wrap herself in several blankets to keep warm, but they worked well enough that he found no cause for concern when she stopped shivering— the source of the change wasn’t hypothermia, she was simply protected from the cold by the quilts she had wrapped herself in. Strange, though, that a fire-type couldn’t keep herself comfortable with the heat she naturally bore power over… Ah. But she wasn’t always a charmeleon, nor had she begun life as a charmander. 

Twig was watching the fire with a look so misty eyed he found himself compelled to ask if she was well.

“Huh?” She blinked a handful of times, seeming to come awake. “Yeah. I’m fine. Is something wrong?”

“You seem disheartened by something. Are you perhaps homesick?”

She stared at him in open surprise, eyes wide and mouth agape before she burst into laughter. “No way! Seriously, no way. I’m having the time of my life being on an expedition again, even if it’s not with a real team. I’m just thinking about my partner. I miss him. He’d love all of the ruins that cropped up in the last mystery dungeon we went through.” She shifted her weight where she sat, pulling her tail in closer and bundling the blankets higher up around her neck. “What, are you homesick?”

“Not necessarily. I’ve not found much of a connection to locations in my time— more so to people.” He took up a nearby branch and prodded at the fire, shifting the charcoal and branches so that they’d reflect heat toward Twig instead and warm her directly instead of himself. She had built the fire so that it would send most of its heat opposite of where she sat— was it because of her old partner? From what he’d gathered, Kip was a water-type, mayhaps a mudkip in particular, and would no doubt feel the cold more keenly than even Twig as a result. Her constant quest to care for others was as endearing as it was worrisome. At what point would she advocate for herself? She seemed ready to starve to death if it meant providing a single morsel for another. Resuming his spoken train of thought, he said, “Many find it somewhat strange, from what I’ve seen, to possess no loyalty to a location… Do you feel similarly to those who find such things odd?”

“Eh, not really. Sometimes I get a craving for Chimecho’s cooking at the guild, or maybe the sights and sounds of the town square back home, or the chance to people-watch at Spinda’s Cafe, but it’s not as much about locations as it is about people for me. I miss Chimecho calling everyone for dinner, and seeing so many smiling faces as I shopped for supplies, and Kip trying his hardest to order food for us both on his own.” She shifted again, posture bowing in a newfound melancholy. “It’s not places I get homesick for, it’s people.”

Silence.

“What about you? I mean, you already kind of said, but—”

“People are the ones I find myself caring for most, yes. Though I’m not too sure that others feel the absence of company quite as keenly as I do.” The wind picked up slightly. He pulled back further within his tent. “It seems if I’m even away in the next room that they’re gone entirely.”

“Gone entirely… Wait, are you talking about why you’re always, like, a foot away from someone at any given time?”

It took a moment to gather his thoughts in the face of such blunt, tactless honesty. “Ah— I suppose so, though I would have phrased it differently.”

“I’ve wondered about that. It seems to bug you a lot— I could tell you were upset when you offered to go in the other room when Dusknoir visited.”

“I was, but I knew you prefer to have the distance when conversing with the members of that particular social group.” He considered how to describe his discomfort. “It is an unpleasant experience to be alone. Almost painful. I am unsure of why, however.”

Twig frowned. “I’ve… I’ve got my own stuff like that. I lost my memories and forgot so many things about myself that I didn’t know anything but my own name and that I wasn’t supposed to be a pokemon. For you, it’s kind of…” She paused for a moment, melancholy, then pivoted the direction of the conversation with forced jovialness, “I-Its like how I forgot I’m allergic to this one type of herb, but I didn’t know why I’d always get so sick after eating them. Not until Kip said it might be a reaction of some kind, and then it sort of clicked for me.” 

He didn’t speak. She was about to say something about him that he seemed to be unaware of and which related to his past, judging by her sudden reluctance and caution with touching on the topic. He hoped that the silence would encourage her to fill it with the truth. 

She sighed. “We’ll head up the mountain at dawn tomorrow, if that works for you.” 

“It does. Please greet Cresselia on my behalf.”

“You’re not coming?”

“No, I don’t believe that would be wise. Just being this close to my counterpart has me feeling— to put it in the most mild terms possible— exceedingly ill at ease.”

“Dude, you literally just said you hate being alone. You gonna be okay when I go to talk to her?”

“I’ll manage. It’s not forever, and I can survive the discomfort knowing that.”

She watched him for a time, a gentle worry painted across her features. He found himself softened by it, not knowing how long it had been since someone had regarded him with such kind concern.

“I’ll keep watch for the night. Do not worry about waking to trade shifts— I do not require sleep, and you need whatever of it you can earn,” he offered. 

Again she watched him, though this time with a brief suspicion. That suspicion quickly fell away, though, and she bundled herself up within her tent. “Promise not to kill me in my sleep?”

“I would never,” he said, aghast. “Why would you think that I’d—”

“Yeah, I dunno. It was a dumb thought. You’re a bit of a wimp. A wimp in a nice way, but still a wimp.” 

Twig curled up tighter and fell silent for a time, seeming to drift off, and Darkrai was left to ponder their interaction.

She spoke up after a vast expanse of silence. “Hey, Ark?”

“Yes?”

“Thanks. For everything you’ve been doing.” She sighed. “It means a lot. More than I think you know.”

“The same to you. Your assistance and patience has been important to me as well.”

A pause. “I’m going to sleep now,” she said abruptly, sounding flustered.

“Ah. Rest well?”

She didn’t reply, and he took up his watch in silence.

[stepfordgoth]

Bit of a hard issue happening in my family lately that I could use some feedback on.

I don't want to say too much here, but an elderly woman in my family (let's call her G) is being treated very, very poorly by an adult man in my family (36 y/o, let's call him B) who has a history of violent, aggressive behavior with women (all the way up to physical and sexual assault) and the general consensus in my family is that it's a matter of time before he becomes physically abusive towards her, and I need help figuring out how to help.

G is B's grandmother. B moved in with G about a year and a half ago (B was kicked out of his last living arrangement, I don't know why but if I had to guess it's because he's a piece of shit who can't get along with anybody) and pays $30 to G every month for his room. The only reason G let B move in in the first place is because she's a very kind woman who would die before letting someone in her family not have a place to sleep. G knows of B's violent history with women (she's witnessed many of his outbursts firsthand throughout his lifetime) and even though I and multiple other people in our family pulled her aside when B moved in and said "hey, what are you doing? You know B's behavior patterns, you know he's a violent misogynist, you know this isn't going to end well and he's going to try to hurt you at some point.", G insisted that he wouldn't be staying with her for more than a few weeks while he gets his feet back on the ground and that he wouldn't be there long enough for him to go through his pattern that leads to violence. Obviously that's not what happened.

Long story short, B has in fact had time to go through his usual patterns and while he hasn't gotten violent yet, he has been verbally abusive to G for the last few months. No one in my family is really surprised by this (as we've all seen the pattern), but of course we are concerned that the next steps in his pattern are violent ones and that G will receive the full brunt of it. G's two daughters, K and M, have stepped in to try to keep B in line, try to make some household rules for B to follow (to keep conflict to a minimum), and have tried to make him move out. Some of the new rules in place have helped to keep some peace but the situation is still tense. B refuses to even think about moving out and keeps saying ridiculous things like "actually this is MY HOUSE, grandpa would've wanted me to have it and not his stupid wife who didn't work for it". Which is...... Just bizarre and in no way reflects anything that G's husband said or did or had written into his will before he died 10 years ago.

G knows the situation is a problem and wants B to move out but refuses to actually kick him out (again, her kind nature will not allow her to tell a family member to leave her home) and refuses to get the police involved unless B does become violent with her. K is a retired nurse and part of her response to this situation was to try to contact our county's Adult Protective Services (saying that she, as a nurse, has to report any signs of abuse she sees in anyone) to get B kicked out. K says that APS says that because B is paying $30/month he can't just be kicked out, and there are a whole different set of protocols because he's paying her for his room, and a different set of protocols still for cases of nonviolent abuse. That smells like bullshit to me since they have no written rent agreement and $30 is hardly a lot of money for an agency designed to protect elders being abused to work around in an abusive situation, and because this situation is clearly abusive even if it hasn't escalated to physical violence yet. I don't know why K would lie about that though, but something just seems fishy there.

I've started thinking that maybe I should anonymously call APS myself and without giving specifics (names and address, etc) ask some questions. The only thing stopping me from fully delving into calling APS and just setting the process into motion myself (at least asking for a case worker to visit G to ask questions) is the fear of retaliation from B. K, M and G have all stated that they believe that if they set the process of getting B out of the house into motion that he will snap and become fully violent (and I agree), either towards G or towards her house, and of course no one wants that so everything on that idea is at a standstill for now.

Is there anything I can do? I've been worried for G's wellbeing since she let B move in but learning about everything that's actually going on is making me actively scared for her.

[meddlecine]

Fixing broken hearts in med school.

The hardest part about med school hasn’t been med school itself. (Although, I’m scrunching my eyebrows up as I write this, so maybe that’s not entirely true).  The hardest part about med school has been having a boyfriend.  Maybe that’s why I don’t have one anymore.

I moved out of our apartment in January, just one week before starting my second year of medical school. We agreed that me moving out would be best for the relationship. He would take over the lease, and I wouldn’t have to worry so much about money. Up until that point, I felt like I’d tried everything, from dyeing my soul every colour under the sun in the hope that he would fall back in love with just one shade. I tried, I really, really did. But the exhaustion from meticulously choosing every word and placating my tone in the anticipation of the next thing to go wrong, was unlike anything else. He wasn’t being rude, he insisted, just being honest. And if I couldn’t take it, then that was my problem.  I’d been seeing a psychologist, who eventually, after many sessions, shared that she couldn’t believe how much effort I was putting into this sinking ship. She suggested couples’ counselling. He refused.

Had it been going on for some time? Of course it had, but there was never a ‘good’ time to end things (is there ever?). What a laughable concept! “I’m a little busy this week, maybe we can break up next Thursday at 7pm?” To make matters worse and prolong the inevitable even further, I was always determined that there was something that I hadn’t tried yet. It didn’t matter though, because it kept happening over, and over, and over. No matter what I tried to change about myself, nothing worked. Not even the happiest of occasions could blunt the edge I was skating on: I was a bridesmaid for my best friend from school, and felt more alive and glowing than I had in months. But despite every determination to keep the makeup pristine, I couldn’t help let a few tears slip during the ceremony. The vows were beautiful, it’s true, but I think that part of me was quietly grieving as I grew to understand that the guy attending that wedding with me would never, ever love me in the same unconditional way that the groom loves my best friend. And I knew that he would never want to try, because he told me so. It didn’t matter how beautiful I looked that day on the outside. On the inside, I couldn’t help but feel my heart sink as it caught up to my head.

My spirit and self-esteem had been slowly pushed further and further into the ground to the point that I believed that maybe he was right. Maybe I am difficult, and stubborn, and dismissive, and unappreciative. In desperation, I reached out to an old ex of mine, a gorgeous Parisian lawyer who was always kind, honest, and made me laugh. He admitted that although it’d been a long time since we were together, there was no reason to ever justify such outbursts of anger, and assured me that I wasn’t any of those things that I’d listed above. “But of course, you’re not perfect!” he added. I smiled and raised my eyebrows at the message, grateful for his candour, all the while thinking that I probably could’ve done without the last comment. It’s a shame things never worked out with him; I can only assume he is happy with his life in France, as he very much deserves, but he at least serves as a sobering reminder for how I should be treated. I paused and cast my mind back. Our time together is a memory long gone now, but I still remember enough to know that I missed how I felt when we were together: calm, safe, my cheeks often aching from laughing at his quick wit. All things that I didn’t have now. His one small message of kindness after all these years made me realise how miserable I really was.

Because, when I thought about it... could I survive the next 3 years of medical school, plus my training with chaotically unpredictable ups and downs? I’d heard that medicine puts a strain on your relationships, but with or without med school, I don’t think I could survive this. Just a week prior, only a few days before my final exams for the year, we’d had a fight. Another one. No matter my attempts of resolution, they were met with jagged stares of contempt and crushing silence, and so finally, after three days of drowning in an ocean of anxiety, I pleaded for some kind of resolve. I couldn’t eat, sleep, or study from the stress-induced migraines, and was a complete mess at the idea that I would lose my relationship and fail my exams. “So it’s my fault if you fail your exams?” he scoffed. He told me to get over it. I patched things up as best as I could, determined to not let someone who could be so indifferent towards my feelings be my downfall. Miraculously, I passed my exams. But I knew that next time I might not be so lucky.

Moving out bought me one more month.  It sucks, but everything was clearly crumbling around me.  It wasn’t all bad—no one gets into a relationship with someone who’s like this at the start. There were many wonderful, fun, whimsical moments in the years we were together, and the guy I left isn’t the guy I first met.  In the end we just...  weren’t the right fit for each other.  So, I may be alone now, but I’m okay with that. For now, I love talking to the patients and hearing their stories, and I love seeing someone’s eyes light up when I ask them how they met the love of their life.

Hopefully one day I’ll get to share mine.

[captainrandomobsessions]

I did a thing

Instead of working on one of my other plot bunnies, I made a new one a few weeks ago because that's how we roll here. I might continue working on it but here's what I have so far. Also, no, I still can't draw and quite frankly I refuse to learn at this point. I have started throwing money at artists and they're very kind people! But these were made via Doll Divine's Gothic Heroine Dress-Up Game so yay!

TW: Gore

Felicia's been acting odd in the days leading up to her wedding. It's supposed to be the happiest day of her life but her loved ones are growing concerned about her. She's always tired and when she's awake she's distant and thirsty. She talks about smells and sounds that aren't there and she's incredibly irate. The wedding party goes to the venue early. The venue is Rome's old estate, a bit run down but still beautiful. The wedding party spends the day setting up and trying to keep an eye on Felicia and go to bed.

When night falls, Felicia gets up and follows a straggling servant out to the gardens and kills her. The screams wake up Chiara and Ludwig (might change it to Monika because it can always be gayer). I'm not sure if the servant managed to scream before being killed or if Feli screamed upon realizing what she's done but either way, Ludwig and Chiara manage to get her inside.

Felicia very nearly screams again upon seeing her reflection in the mirror. There's pacing and panicking and tears. Surprisingly though, Chiara and Ludwig come to the conclusion that they must hide the body and the wedding must go on (this is totally in character and not because it just occurred to me that I didn't nail down how they'd react so weirdly timed solidarity it is)

After a long night of hiding a corpse and trying to figure out just what the fuck happened, the trio get up early to prepare for the wedding. "Are you sure this will work?" Felicia whimpers as Chiara prepares to curl her hair.

"It has to." Chiara's voice is shaking. Be it exhaustion or lingering fear, neither sister comments on it.

The lovely couple manages to say their "I do's" without too much trouble. No one seems to notice that the bride is a bit pale and keeps standing in the shade. No one seems to notice how tense she might be, or how she doesn't smile with her mouth open. (though now that I think about it, someone had to notice that Feli isn't smiling how she usually does right? I feel like she has a very natural and 'iconic' smile.)

And lastly, as the celebration goes on into the night, we have Chiara going down to Rome's wine cellar to get more wine. Antonio (her guest? Her date? Her husband? Fiance? Idk) insisted that he should get it. She knows the cellar well enough and she could get the wine just fine.

I couldn't make an image of this part but I imagine that someone had climbed into the cellar and is hiding there. I don't know how they got in but they in there. And Chiara startles them and this person attacks her because Chiara will never be unscathed in my fics.

[like-rain-or-confetti]

Copperhead (Copperhead x Female!Reader)

So Copperhead isn’t completely fleshed out but i wanted to give her a go. Copperhead goes by he/she/they pronouns. I personally go by she/her pronouns so if i get this wrong, i’m not trying to be upsetting and apologise for any offense should there be any.

You were at Roman Sionis' club, rather reluctantly but never the less you had to show your face. Roman wouldn't be happy if you hadn't. That didn't necessarily mean you had to speak to him. You just had to ensure he saw you and he did. His gaze drifted to you behind his mask where he sat in the booth. Two girls on either side of him, getting more and more drunk and flirting shamelessly. You nodded to him from the bar acknowledging him. Not long later you went to the bathroom. 

You had been washing your hands when you heard the bathroom door shut to your right. Your head jerked towards the noise. A blonde entered, five foot nine in height and very muscular. Common sense told that if this blonde walked into the ladies bathroom, then this was clearly a woman. Her cleavage another ROBUST hint. However she didn't fit the gender stereotype. In fact, if her clothes hadn't given her away, you wouldn't have had a clue if this was a man or woman. Her jaw, was very defined, her muscles in her arms rather large. Her chest and neck were tattooed. As well as her bicep having a separate tattoo. Her hair was short, resembling a messy pixie cut. Her eyes were most striking. They already popped given the black make up covering her eyes and across the bridge of her nose like a mask but she had bright yellow eyes, her pupils black slits- like a snakes. You hoped it was contacts. She was very attractive although very intimidating. The tattoos were reminiscent of gang affiliations but none came to mind. "Hola Chica." The woman smirked, her eyes looking you over like you were a snack and she was hungry. Like a predator eyeing her prey. "Uh...hi." You swallowed hard before turning your back to her to dry your hands. "You're Roman's friend, right?" You grimaced. You'd hardly consider Roman Sionis a friend. He scared the shit out of you. You shivered at how she emphasised her 'S'. "Uh, yeah." You nodded. "I haven't seen you before. Who are you? Are you a friend of Roman's?" You asked, turning back around to face her. "Me? I could be anything you want me to be." She grinned. "Sionis is not my friend. He's the contractor, he pays up and we get along just fine." You felt a shiver run up your spine as you noticed her tongue. It was split down the middle, another feature looking more like a snake. You took a step back and she took a step forward. "As for who I am. You can call me Copperhead." Your eyes fell to her hands that had claw like contraptions on each finger. "Oh...Nice to meet you." "Isn't it?" Her eyes gleamed. "I'm (Y/N)." You said quickly. Her words caught up to you. "Sorry...Roman pays you?" She held up a clawed a hand with a smirk. "I don't think I need to give you many hints as to what my job is when I have these, do you?" Realisation struck you. Shit. You were talking to an assassin.  Your eyes widened and you moved to pass by her. She caught you and pushed you up against the tiled wall. You could smell her perfume as she seemed to breathe you in, a mischevious grin on her face. "Let me buy you a drink." "Oh, y-you don't have to-" You refused quickly. "I insist." She fired back. "Come on, Chica. I've had my eye on you for a while. You don't want to be here and I bet you got a story. So come on, I won't try anything. It'll certainly keep the creeps away so what's the harm until you gotta leave huh?" She had a point. However she seemed to miss out the part that she's just as much of a stranger as everyone else in the club and she was the first to pin you to a wall. "Fine just...no funny business right?" "Honey, if I wanted to sleep with someone- I would have grabbed one of the party girls. They're the easiest. They'll do anything to rebel against daddy with his money." She pushed herself away from you. "I'm buying." She wiggled her eyebrows and you sighed. "Yeah, I guess there's no harm in it." "Great! What's your poison?" She asked. 

You sipped at your vodka, scrutinising Copperhead. She giggled, noticing your gaze. "Enjoying the view?" You grew embarrassed. "Sorry! I don't mean to stare I just...this is gonna sound weird but Roman doesn't usually hire female assassins." You began. She hummed. "Well, I'll let you in on a little fun fact, Chica." Copperhead leaned in. "It's not gonna work trying to fit me in one category. I'm hardly a girly type but on top of that- I'm genderfluid." She chuckled. "There's talk as to where Copperhead is more than one person. It never dawned on anyone that perhaps I don't fit into any category they want to put me in." "Oh...are pronounces ever an issue?" You asked. Copperhead shrugged. "Honestly, babe... I don't care what anyone calls me. You don't get to be hurt by what people call you in my world. As long as its respectful. I can go by anything." A smile grew on your face. "What?" Copperhead asked playfully. "I was just thinking how fun that must be. No restrictions, untouched by stereotypes." You replied. "It grows on you, once you accept yourself and learn to kick the shit out of anyone who dares to utter a word against you." A smirk on their face, Copperhead nudged you playfully. "Good for you. That's enviable. I'm shit at sticking up for myself." You replied. "You gotta learn to say fuck it and fuck them...and not in the fun way." They replied and you giggled. "Yeah, I'm a bit of a wimp when it comes to that." You admitted. "Well, if I see you around Chica. I'll make sure to scare you enough to frighten you into thinking what could happen if you don't stick up for yourself."

[ironiedevivre]

i wish i had someone to actually hear what i say & reply to it. or at the very least, just listen & let me feel heard instead of completely alone.

i feel like i must be out of my mind, but i know it's not me. baby sibling has taken over the laundry room - the ENTIRE floor is covered with her clothes. (& the entire freezer is full of her food, tho she insists none of it is hers. in which case i should be allowed to throw it all out, but she flips out, so what is the truth?) & because of that, i can't bring any food to the shelves in there. so it's piled up in the kitchen, where middle sib & mother complain. but there's no room. the workroom & basement are covered w/ baby sibling's crap - broken hangers, tons of dollar store shit & shopping bags, so much. i tried to clean in there too, & she flips out if i move her stuff. there is literally no way to clean the living room, the kitchen, the laundry room, the basement, with all of her stuff in the way. & when i try anyway, i get stuck & overwhelmed. idk where to put anything. she just keeps buying more. & tonight, i had to clean out the living room closet. tons of heavy blankets & pillows have to be washed. there was no room in the laundry room to put the pile that didn't fit, so i left it by the stairs. there was no room to get to the dryer let alone open it, so i moved baby sibling's clothes out of the way & now she's throwing a fit because i supposedly mixed clean & dirty laundry (it's all on the floor!!! it's covering my laundry, the towels & sheets & things i keep trying to find but always have to rewash because she throws everything on the floor or takes over the dryer so everyone else's clothes get mildew!!!) & left a pile by the stairs (there's literally nowhere else to put it, because her stuff is everywhere. literally. nowhere else.) like wtf am i supposed to do here???

it's so fucking unfair too that i cleaned & organized that room so many times. middle sibling & i did the kitchen so many times too, & baby sibling turned that into a disaster. (& she used to keep using my treadmill as her personal stage. if i had the energy, i can't even use my treadmill at all because of her & her stuff.) i cleaned & organized the living room, & baby sibling leaves piles of shoes & work things & shopping bags there. mother's bedroom is full of baby sibling's clothes, & makeup, & there's barely room to walk & neither the door or the closet can be closed. i tried to clean that too, & baby sibling flipped out. & that's the number one reason why mother gets so angry about "us" being here - baby sibling's mess taking up so much space. all of us trying to clean around it but i'm not able to keep up. i don't know where to put all of her dishes & jars & whatnot, & her stuff is filthy & never gets clean in the dishwasher, so idk where to move it so it's difficult to do the dishes at all... she's just not a good housemate to anyone...

i feel like shit without my car. i'm trapped again. at least mother's agreed to get a rental for a week - i'm dreading it tho, because she wants to cram in shopping sprees & she gets angry if i suggest i want to do anything for myself (or go to a protest, because somehow to her, attending the occasional protest means i should be able to hold a full time job...?)

severe, severe depression. extreme anxiety. everything is terrible & i have little reason for hope.

close friend has offered to send a check to help with car repair. i don't know how to tell her that i refuse to take money from her. she's done too much already & while this particular repair is a huge one for anyone, i just. i'm wracked w/ guilt over needing help w/ the cost already, nevermind the guilt (& gratitude) for all her help in the past. i already feel like i could never repay her. i can't add more to that. (i still haven't sent her christmas presents for the past 2 years >_< how do you send the most recent one w/o sending the previous one, but i accidentally broke the previous one & have to redo it & it never comes out good enough, i'm so worried it won't be good enough. & i now still need to find one more part for the latter so it's coherent & makes sense. i have them, i swear i have them. just so fucking anxious...) back to the point - it sucks that it's something i desperately need but i don't like that she keeps bailing me out. i don't want that for her. i don't want to be that to her. i don't want to be a burden, regardless of how willing she is to help. she offered to let me stay with her once i'm homeless, & as much as i'd like to visit, i could never stay.

gods i feel like shit... it is so hard to want to keep living...

[gaypenguins99]

Am I the A-hole for cutting my family off after they hurt my fiancee and I?

Tw// taken advantage of and drug abuse

So this will be a little long because so much happened but I'll try my best to keep it short as possible, please let me know if I'm the a-hole dudes

Last year around March or may my aunt's wife of 20 years was diagnosed with cancer. There was alot of drama between my aunt and her wife's family, so it wasnt an easy process. My aunt had managed to get her a really good cancer facility and was there round the clock with her when her family wasnt there.

Fast forward to December, and my aunts wife passes away. My aunt loses it. At the time, My fiancee (F-26) and I (F-23) were there for her as much as we could be living 4 hours away and not having enough money to travel that far. Almost every night we would listen to her scream and bawl her eyes out and tell us shes gonna kill herself and all we could do was just be there and reassure her as much as possible. My fiancee was there more than I could be, because at the time i had to wake up at 4 am every morning for work, and my aunt always called at night and they would stay on the phone all night.

We swore to her we would make it for the funeral in May of this year. (Her family had her cremated and wanted to wait until deceased wifes birthday for the funeral) Now, ignoring all warning signs keeping us from going, we managed to make it there.

We arrive the day before the funeral. My aunt and the rest of my family has had an on/off problem with pill and alcohol addiction. I was assured she was completely clean by both her and my nanni. It is also very important to note: My sister (f-22) is with a registered pedophile (m-30). THAT Is a whole other can of worms but we do not speak, and because of what he did (child pornography, and exposing himself to an 11 y/o boy) my fiancee and I REFUSE to have any contact with her. If she can stay with someone like that, who reoffends while they're together, that's not someone I need in my life.

So. My aunt swears up and down he would not be there. (Fiancee is a tall, strong country woman from the hills of tn and can handle just about anyones bs, but she nor I wanted to risk a negative situation happening on a day that needed to be for my aunt) and so comes the day of the funeral. And guess who shows up. If you guessed the afore mentioned sister and pedo, you get a cookie 🍪.

My fiancee and I share a look of absolute horror, and i go right up to my aunt to ask her if she knew anything about it. She told me she didnt want to tell us he was coming because she "knew we wouldnt have made it down here" and that she "really needed her family with her". My fiancee and I take a few very deep breaths, and go to our room. Now. My aunt had INSISTED we drink. Had literally SHOVED A SHOT into my fiancee's hand to "help calm her nerves". I was rushing around getting everything ready, letting my fiancee stay in the room to try and control her nerves because we were BOTH extremely upset we had been lied to, and we now had to ride in a vehicle with them for over an hour to the funeral.

My fiancee continues to drink, my aunt keeps bringing her them while I'm still rushing to get everything together for her wife's funeral, not realizing what was happening.

Theres a falling out. Fiancee sits in livingroom because my aunt convinced her to. Pedo stares my fiancee down, refusing to look away from her. Apparently, she went outside to calm down, and when she tried to come back in- he stood in the doorway and refused to let her pass. So she shoved passed him and went to her room. Now I didnt know this was going on, not until I saw my fiancee visibly shaking and trying to take deep breaths in the room. I got her to calm down, aunt pokes her head in to see what's going on, we explain.

For those who have gotten this far, strap in. It gets even better.

Pedo sits on the porch. My aunt convinces my crying fiancee to come to her room to calm down because we had to leave soon. I will never forgive myself for needing to use the bathroom in that moment. I wish with everything I hadn't left her alone for 5 minutes. I came out and the bedroom door was closed. I opened the door to see my fiancee coughing and looking scared, confused and worst of all: sober. Something was wrong but I wasnt sure what. I asked what was going on because my aunt and sister were both standing around her. My aunt said she was just helping her calm down and sober up, I then pressed and asked what she gave her and she said "just a little weed shes fine but we have to leave now".

An instant pit formed in my stomach. We are all pot smokers. I knew that was not what she gave her, but I tried my best to just trust her because this woman was like my mother.

Fast forward to the drive. My dad got me, my fiancee, and my aunt and drove us to the wedding while my sister followed in their car. I noticed right away something wrong with my fiancee, she had never acted so loopy and made crazy outbursts. Like I know my goofy baby, this was not her. Something was wrong.

We get to the funeral. My fiancee is now angry. Fucking livid the whole time. (My aunt got us worked up the night before screaming, throwing and breaking things, and telling us all the horrible things her wife's family has done) now I was upset too, but her anger was near enough to kill someone and I had NEVER seen her like that before.

I'm gonna fast forward to that night (my hands have been shaking while writing this so I'm sorry for the typos) my fiancee starts crying and tells me what actually happened because she couldnt remember before. Apparently, my aunt offered her a puff off of a pipe. She wasnt sure because she hadn't seen that kind of pipe before (shes never been around any kind of drug other than weed before so she truly didnt know any better at the time, especially being extremely drunk) but then my aunt asks her "do you trust me?" And so my aunt then gives her a shotgun hit (where you inhale smoke and exhale it into another person's mouth) followed by two quick puffs from it being literally shoved in her mouth. I'd like to note: my aunt kisses her during the shotgun hit, and after all of this? Tells her NOT TO TELL ME.

My fiancee bawled while telling me saying "I couldn't keep something like that from you, itd be wrong"

I confront her the next morning. We take a walk and she starts the "no it was just a puff of weed she dudnt see it" and I told her to cut the bullshit. I made her look me dead in the eyes and tell me what she drugged my fiancee with. She told me "just a little cocaine- not enough to hurt her"

"Just a little cocaine- not enough to hurt her" is not a sentence that should exist.

Theres a falling out, obviously, where my fiancee drives off crying because my aunt doesnt think its "that big of a deal" and she shouldn't have "ruined her day by drinking too much"...I go off on my aunt. She says some horrible things to me that I wont go into full detail on, but I'll just say it's apparently my fault my mom was hooked on meds in the first place (because I was born, ya see) all the hell I was put though growing up was all my fault and, one of the good ones: "you and your sister never complained when I gave it to you so what's the problem".

I told her she needs to apologize profusely to my fiancee because, I understand the pain of grief and what it can do to someone, however that is not an excuse to drug someone for your convenience. You were so focused on looking better in front of your wifes shitty family, you put my fiancee's life in danger to make yourself look better instead of, I dont know, letting her stay home?

The next day before we leave, my fiancee leaves my aunt a note FORGIVING HER FOR DRUGGING HER AND TAKING ADVANTAGE OF HER and told her she just needed a little time to process because the pain she was feeling was too much to handle, and she needed to heal.

We were going to pick up my aunt from work to drop her off and say goodbye, and we find out our dog died at home, and she had puppies still nursing on her. Our hearts were broken for the second time that trip. My aunt came out, demanded we get out and socialize, I try to explain what happened and my aunt wont listen and my fiancee gets angry because no were waiting while my aunt chats it up with a coworker. I'm crying, my fiancee is crying, and my aunt finally gets in the car and starts going off on us for being rude. I try to talk, she literally yells at us and my fiancee finally snaps. She snaps at my aunt and tells her "not to fucking yell at us, we just lost our damn dog and you wont let her get fucking breath in"

Shes quiet the whole drive, aside from snide comments under her breath. We hug. We leave.

We go home. My aunt is BLOWING up our phones, cussing us out, telling us it was my fiancee's fault it happened, what a terrible person she is, just some truly God awful horrible things you should never say to someone. And this goes on for MONTHS. She breaks my fiancee down to where the first week we were home, she was drunk every damn day. Then it progressed to my aunt telling her to kill herself, sending pictures of her dead wife and dog, and asking her to "tell me when it starts to hurt boo" just because my fiancee tried to say she understood the pain because she lost the two most important people in her life the same way. And for the record, I'm blasting my aunt for the way shes treating my fiancee, and then she turns my whole family against us.

My aunt sends us a screenshot of messages between her and my nanni (the most important person in my life aside from my fiancee) where my nanni responds to the selective screenshots where my aunt breaks my fiancee down to where she snaps back at her. The messages where she blows up? That's the only thing my nanni got to see, supposedly. "Dont listen to her, shes just crazy probably from the drugs and alcohol". That's what my nanni had said to my aunt about my fiancee. I called my nanni immediately to set the record straight and all she could do was defend my aunt and say that my fiancee was ALSO to blame and that they're equally as wrong.

Important note: we press my aunt because we find out you dont smoke cocaine. She gave her meth. Fucking meth. And my sister brought it with her. So proud of my family.

At this point, its 6 months later and my fiancee has been in counseling for the trauma for 2 months and is doing better. I have cut off all communication with my family because my trust has been completely broken. I refuse to speak to my aunt, my sister, or my nanni.

My fiancee supports my decision, but reminds me if I want to talk to them she would never stop me. I want to talk to my nanni. I want a relationship with her, but i dont know if it's a good idea.

Lasting effects this has had is my fiancee is still pushing through the suicidal thoughts, and the anger never really went away. Ever since that trip she gets extremely angry over the smallest things and its caused some obvious stress for me. While she doesnt scream AT me, she screams around me and it throws me back to childhood sometimes. Shes gotten better but this is something that were still recovering from. I want my baby back and they took that part of her with them, and I'll never forgive myself for it.

Am I the asshole for cutting off my family because they all support my aunt? Or should I for whatever reason try to forgive them?