#i have to stay fulltime just to afford to live

[finchsthoughts]

As someone who was tested positive for autoimmune disease around 3 months ago, tested just because I was numb. Then about 2 months ago the pain started, the hard mornings getting out of bed. Now, I walk with a cane, have to sit at work, and have lost the ability to use my legs more than once in the past month. I'm only 19. It's coming so quickly and I can't prepare.

Shout out to the ten year old who just got diagnosed. Shout out to the housebound fourteen year old. Shout out to the eighteen year old who can’t go to the university they wanted. Shout out to the twenty two year old who can’t get a job. Shout out to the twenty six year old with a caretaker. Shout out to the thirty year old who can’t buy their own house.

Shout out to young disabled people. We exist.

[sheplayswithlifee]

Atreus had risen early, long before the first light of dawn, preparing for his grueling five a.m. shift at the coffee shop. In those quiet moments before the world awoke, the house felt empty, and he relished the solitude. But today, his solitude was short-lived as he heard his mother's footsteps approaching.

Heidi entered the room with a sense of purpose, "Atreus, I need to talk to you," she began, and Atreus couldn't help but groan inwardly at the prospect of having any conversation this early in the morning.

Heidi continued, her tone grave, "You having two children was... not acceptable but accepted. You went to stay with her mother, and you come back with her being pregnant again. Do you know how to be safe? Maybe I should've had the sex talk before. I expected your dad to do that, but..." She trailed off for a moment, the weight of her unspoken thoughts hanging in the air. "My home should be emptying as I get older, not filling up."

Atreus couldn't contain his annoyance any longer. "You're acting like I wanted this to happen," he snapped, his frustration evident in his tone. "The first time was a legit accident. This time we were trying to be careful. Watching when she ovulated and stuff. Apparently she's a rare breed where that doesn't matter." Atreus lowered his voice before speaking the next part, "I don't want this. I love Mel and Sym! But this ain't the life I want to live."

"It's a little too late for that." Heidi said assuming he was talking about being a father, not about his relationship with Baylee. "Do you think it's time for you to move out and provide for the family you created? I've been a crutch for you. I want you to be the adult you've made yourself out to be."

"Alright, ma. I get it. I'll get out. Is that all you wanna say? You acting like I'm not responsible. I've graduated high school early, I'm in my final semester of uni. I'll get a job once I graduate."

"You're not responsible. You're a teenager with three kids, Atreus. Does that sound responsible to you? You've been in your final semester for three semesters. Then I find out you’re engaged to this girl. You can’t even afford to wipe your own ass and you've proposed?! What is going through your mind when you make these obtuse decisions?"

"Okay."

"You don't like what you're hearing? I don't want to tear you down. I just want you to pay attention to what the hell you're doing. You've not even started your life but you've got a family with a part time job. Your girlfriend just got a fulltime job. It's backwards. I just want you to understand."

[mod2amaryllis]

This might be a bit out of nowhere but any advice or where to begin on becoming a vet tech? I currently have a job as a kennel assistant and I've decided I want to pursue vet work as a career but don't know where to start

that's exactly where i'd recommend you start, at a kennel! build confidence working with animals in a way lower-stakes environment (dogs are usually relaxed and happy at daycare/kennel, compared to the stress of being at the vet). unless you're already at a clinic? ok i'm gonna operate under the assumption that you're at a daycare/kennel.

all the following advice is usa specific. depending on where you live, you might need to get registered by taking the VTNE standardized test. i have an associate's degree in veterinary technology but never passed the test and am therefore not registered. in my area it hasn't been an issue because registration isn't required. nobody really cares as long as you can do the work, and i'm a shit test-taker yet a BALLER tech (also the test costs hundreds of dollars to retake). but again, i do have a degree, completed a full vet tech course, and my only option in the whole state was a private tech university which was waaaaaaaaay more expensive than it should be. like $40,000 student debt in a job that's infamously low paying. if i could do it again, i would NOT go to THAT school, because the other huge thing is: the clinical experience is where i learned 90% of what i needed to excel. if you have a more affordable schooling option like a community college or a university with scholarship options etc, do it!! but be wary of private schools, they're entirely profit driven.

if you're a kennel tech now and want to take the next step, then apply to be a kennel tech AT a vet clinic. kennel techs are usually there for janitorial duties and an extra set of hands for stuff like easy restraint. there's a big ol national veterinary staff shortage, you shouldn't have any trouble finding a clinic that's hiring. EVERYBODY hiring right now. bringing someone on as a kennel tech then eventually transitioning to vet tech/assistant is often the preferred way to hire from a training perspective, because starting with easier responsibilities and focusing on getting along with the rest of the team is less pressure than hiring a brand new TECH tech and loading them up with all the craziness right away.

now as far as the like....emotional side of things, i think i've already spoken extensively on how hard it gets. the first five years of fulltime teching was a roller coaster where the lows were a very very deep level of hell. now it's been 7 years going on 8, i'm part time, i'm the best at what i do, i've stayed with the same clinic and my pay is closer to what i deserve (it'll never ever be high enough lol), so i've finally reached a point of peace with this job. just be prepared for it to get worse before it gets better. one bit of advice from a trainer's perspective: when i'm hiring/training someone, the value that is way higher than your tech skills is how well you get along with the team. are you inquisitive and willing to learn? do you explicitly ask questions when you're not sure about something? are you respectful of doctors? do you keep a level head in a crisis? are you humble and willing to do the gross or mundane sides of the job? are you, like, cool? having those attributes makes you a good candidate, even if you're inexperienced. some of the best hires i've had were total newbies with great attitudes, and some of the worst hires i've had were seasoned techs who think they're hot shit and don't play nice with others. can't overstate how important teamwork is in this field.

if your plan is to eventually become a veterinarian, then this is where my expertise ends. <3 i have never wanted to be a vet, i'm settled in my career, i know nothing about vet school, go with god. <3

[thedailydosevibe]

The ‘Unseen’ Students in the Affirmative Action Debate

July 1, 2023

Dolly Amos, a black student who struggled financially to make it through nursing school, trying to stay happy and be in school or struggle was becoming a battle. She didn't struggle with making it in the school she struggled with affording it and still trying to maintain her college experience. The Supreme Court’s decision to strike down affirmative action will very likely have powerful consequences for elite college admissions, potentially limiting the pool of Black and Hispanic students at the most selective universities and affecting the diversity of future leaders in business, government, and beyond. Many students have said that this isn't fair for colleges such as HBCUs "The culture should be kept not opened up to many". School hasn't been a choice for many especially those who can't afford it such as myself. I've been finding my way but stressing in the process I am blessed not to have gone straight out of high school to work because there was no way for me to get there instead I have been working during and after high school and still full-time now as a fulltime college student at my dream university but some aren't as lucky which isn't fair. I am a firm believer that college should be free. “Somewhere it switched from ‘I want to be in school’ to ‘I just want to survive,’” said Ms. Ramos, 25, who recently finished her nursing degree. To get there, she cobbled together credits from multiple colleges in New York State, and at times lived in a youth shelter and slept on the floor of a professor’s office." That is just a voice from one imagine a voice from many I know I am not the only one who can relate here is the link to others who have similar stories.https://www.nytimes.com/2023/07/01/us/affirmative-action-students.html

[esperanta-dragon]

I will add the fact that people think that I have time to finish artwork every 3 days and they don't understand I have to pay my bills. But I would have to get more Patrons, which is impossible because when Patrons join and see I don't have Patreon as full time job and I don't post every 3 days something new, they leave. Because they expect this is something like Netflix, Disney+ and so on when they pay few $ per month and get access to many possible movies and TV series which costed millions of dollars and are owned by big corporations. And like this I will never get to the point of having this as fulltime and creating more art. Because I am in constant stress that I can't even take a break from drawing when I feel burn out because more Patrons will leave because apparently I am not human being and I need to burn out in order to deserve that 1$ Patron who might change their mind when they see I am not posting every 3 days so I am apparently waste of money.

"But you do this for fun, no?"

Yeah, I do. Guess what, if you say this to a lot of artists and add "why do you expect money when you do it for fun" you can say good bye to their content because they have to eat and pay bills. People expect to get everything, fast and in the best quality and preferably for free. But if I will keep having this as a hobby and will have time to sit down to art only few hours a week, you will never get more. I don't have rich parents or family (I don't have any) so I can't afford to live with them until I make proper money from art. I don't have a partner who makes a lot of money (I don't have any) and I can stay at home and build my art career. No I can't leave my job to pursue my art career and hope I won't starve in first 1-2 months and then I will have to go to work again because I failed. But yeah in order to build fanbase and Patreon I have to spend more time on art which I don't have and will never have in foreseeable future because age of supporting artists is apparently gone (or my art is shit, who knows) and my time and work has no value to others. I even lowered price for tiers, deleted the highest tier, consolidated prices, I am turning off billing when I feel I am not providing enough of content, yet people still leave, so you can imagine how I feel and how I am constantly thinking I should give up and delete Patreon. Because I am starting to think my art has no worth and I shouldn't be even bothering people or asking for support. And don't let me start on how algorytm works on social media because I have to be extremely lucky to reach more than few people with my art.

Apparently my work and amount of time I put into my art is not worth even that 1$ per month. Bless to all my Patrons who stayed and keep supporting me and if not with money, they are my mental support.

I am human being, yes I would like to be an artist, I have a lot of project in my mind which are on hold or I get to them very slowly because I have job which pays my bills. And without supporters who understand I need to start small, I will never ever create more often and faster.

I guess I will have to put aside a lot of money to leave my job and try if I can burn out while releasing something every few days and hope people will think of me worthy of their support. At this point I just gave up on hope that one day I will have more support from fanbase and I will be able to leave my job and pursue art career.

If I will win a lottery, that would be also an option and I will start drawing more. Or maybe I will finally find a good and compatible partner who would be ok if I stayed home but I don't want to rely on other person in this.

Rant over.

tl;dr: I don't have time to make more art. I need to pay bills. I can't get more supporters because I don't make enough of art. In order to do that I need more money and supporters. This cycle will never break. So I am stuck I guess. Unless a miracle happens. Which won't, I am a realist.

The curse of modern fandom is that it has allowed fans to get even closer to artists, but they won't view the artists as people.

Human limits, human mistakes, human feelings, human needs, are never ascribed to artists, and when other fans rightfully point out, "hey, humans are making this, maybe don't harass them or demand they cater to your personal tastes," it gets shut down under, "uh, people who make popular mainstream things are automatically Public Figures who are also probably rich, so eat the rich and destroy artists over every perceived minor fault. <3"

Even though there's, y'know, a really big strike currently going on because those artists are very much not rich or influential or in control of the bullshit.

[thokage-archive]

Lol depressed on main

[lennjamin-o7]

I feel a little bit bad that I haven't been able to update To Be Truly Free. Even though I know I have a good reason, I am very sorry it is taking so long. And while I recognize I don't OWE anyone an explanation, I feel like it will make ME feel better to explain.

TW: Discussion of Death, Dementia

So, my Grandmother who lives with me has dementia. We've known this for a while, for years. But over the last month, her health has taken a pretty sudden downhill. Her memory is almost completely gone, and she is entirely unable to explain any medical issues she is having. She can say "It hurts" but is unable to tell us exactly WHAT hurts or why. So my family is constantly trying to figure out WHAT medical issues she is having when she cannot tell us herself.

She is unable to be left alone for even a moment, constantly needing someone to watch her. She needs a lot of help getting back and forth to the restroom. She is constantly refusing to eat, so we are scrambling to find things we can convince her to eat. She isn't drinking enough water, so we have to encourage her to do that. Frankly speaking, she's dying. And we are doing what we can.

Everyone in my family works fulltime, so we have a sitter that sits with my Grandma when we work. But on our days off, we take turns sitting with her and taking care of her. Sometimes we can afford to ask the sitter to stay on our day off if there is something we really need to get done.

I do most of my writing on my days off. I write on my pc in my room, which I cannot do while I watch Grandma. My sister was kind enough to loan me her laptop so I can write while I stay with Grandma, but it really hasn't worked out great. I don't know why, but I really haven't been able to be productively writing while watching my Grandma. I don't know if I am such a creature of habit that the change in environment is throwing off my writing, or if the constant need to stop and help Grandma is slowing me down, or just the use of an unfamiliar keyboard is causing issues. But even though I spent two whole days writing, I only got about maybe a third of the amount written I usually do in a day.

So, it really sucks because I still LIKE the story and I am so EXCITED to post it. I just haven't been able to devote my time to it. And it is what it is. My family is more important that a fanfic, and I know everyone would understand why its taking so long. Just makes me feel sorta bad because I want to post, but just do not have the time.

Anyways, thank y'all for being patient with me. It's greatly appreciated.

[outerbankspreferences]

Into the Unknown - Sarah Cameron

Request:  Can you please do a sarah x fem reader were reader is a pogue and they are oposites. Like the reader dresses more sweat shirts and mom jeans. And they are kinda rivals because she’s a pogue but they spend a day together and realize they have feelings for each other. Could you also add in somthing bout not really knowing if reader really like girls but descoverse she’s bi after talking with Sarah (sorry Ik this is vv specific but I’m feeling some sorta way towards sarah so yea)

MASTERLIST

WORD COUNT: 1531

A/N: I hope I portrayed this the way you wanted!

You hated the thought tog going to the Kook academy, but when you got offered a scholarship your parents didn’t want you to give it up. You were an amazing artist, and your art teacher at your old school had helped you get the scholarship. You didn’t come from much. Both of your parents worked fulltime to help support you and your siblings. At first you didn’t want to go because you didn’t want to leave your friends. The Pouges were the closest thing to family you had.

 You only agreed because Kie went there, and said she finally wanted to have some friends. She had a falling out with Sarah Cameron the year prior. “Come on Y/N, it won’t be that bad. You can hang out with me. At least you’ll know someone.” Kie said sitting around the fire. “Oh yeah, hang out with the one who was no friends. Probably not a smart move.” JJ spoke up. Kie slapped him on the arm, “it’s the Kook princess’ fault I don’t have any friends. She told everyone I called the cops on her party.”

 “But you did call the cops on her party. I was with you when you did it.” John B interrupted her. “Okay who’s side are you on? She invited everyone in the school but me. The bitch got what she deserved.” Kie snapped at him. It was an unspoken agreement that none of you liked Sarah after what she did to Kie. They were best friends in grade 9 and then Sarah threw a party and didn’t invite Kie, so she got the party busted. You can still remember her calling you all the time crying, you felt so bad because there was nothing you could do to help her.

 “I plan on keeping my head down until graduation, I don’t want to meet anyone. I’ve got all the friends I need with you guys.” You said leaning back in your chair, watching the fire. “Probably a good idea.” Pope said to you, he knew how nervous you were for this.

 It was finally your first day at the Kook academy. You and Kie shared a room but didn’t have any classes together. She had showed the day before where all your classes were so you wouldn’t get lost, but this place was huge. You had been looking for you AP Art History, when you bumped into someone, “I am so sorry, I wasn’t looking”- You cut yourself when you saw who it was, Sarah Cameron.

 “It’s okay, you’re Y/N, right? I think I’ve seen you at the boneyard a couple of times.” She said smiling. You didn’t really know why but she made you nervous. It was something you’d never felt before. All sudden you had not idea what to say to her. You realized she was waiting for an answer.

 “Uh, yeah that’s right. I’ve seen you there before too.” You confirmed, looking back down at your schedule. ‘don’t talk to her Y/N.’ you thought to yourself.

 “What class are you trying to find. I couldn’t find my way around this place for like a month.” She said grabbing the schedule out of your hand. “Oh, AP Art History, I’m in that class too, follow me.” She said leading you the way to the class.

 She was still looking over your schedule, “it looks like we have a lot of classes together, we should hang out I’ll help you find your way around. Who’s your roommate?” She asked walking fast through the halls, you were struggling to keep up. “Uh Kiara, and I’m sure I could find time to hang out.” You said trying to avoid the topic, Kie would kill you if you hung out with her. You guys made it to class right before the bell rang. “Kie would probably kill you for hanging out with me, it’ll be our little secret.” She said winking at you, and your heart flutter.

 This kept up for weeks, always hanging out, you learned a lot about Sarah. She was an artist too, and you guys spent a lot of timing drawing each other. You would catch yourself sketching her when she wasn’t around, simply drawing her silhouette.

 You’d never felt this way about another girl before. You always assumed that you were into boys, but maybe you were wrong. You and Kiara had gone down to the meal hall to eat supper, a normal night for the two of you. You hadn’t really been paying attention to what Kiara had been talking about, more focused on looking at Sarah. She seemed so confident with her friends, like she was on top of the world.

 “Y/N? Earth to Y/N.” Kie said waving a hand in your face, pulling out of your own little world. “Sorry, what did you say?” You blushed hoping she didn’t realize who you were staring at. “I said, Kelce asked me out for lunch next week, do you think I should go.” She seemed annoyed you weren’t listening in the first place. “I don’t know, he didn’t really have the time of day for back home so what’s different here? I think you should be careful.” You spoke honestly. She looked at you like you had five heads. It wasn’t the answer she wanted, but you were known for speaking your mind with your friends.

 “Well, aren’t you a supportive person.” She said laughing. You felt bad for what you said, not wanting to hurt her feelings. “I’m sorry Kie, I didn’t mean to be rude.” You spoke not wanting to start an argument. “I think I’m just going to go back to the room, I’m tired from volleyball today.” She said getting up, you tried to stop her put she didn’t listen. “Smooth move L/N.” You look up to see Sarah sitting in the place Kiara was sitting.

 “What are you talking about?” You asked even though you knew she just watched the whole encounter happen. “Kie, I know it can be hard living with your friend. We’re all going to the beach tonight if you want to come.” She offered smiling at you. “I don’t know Sarah; I’m not really dressed for the beach.” You gestured to the mom jeans and sweater you wore down to supper.

 “Yeah, I didn’t really want to go to the beach anyways, let’s go down to the art room, I still have to finish my project for Mr. Willis’s’ class. You both grab some snacks and head down laughing to each other. You got your easel all set up and started working on sketch. Sarah but some soft music on in the background to break up the silence. It was the nice thing about your friendship, you didn’t need to speak, just each others company was enough.

 It made you nervous to be alone with her. You were sure her friends didn’t like you, and yours didn’t. “So how did you get into the academy Y/N? I’m not trying to be mean, but I know you’re a Pouge, I thought your parents couldn’t afford something like this.” She asked, careful about how she worded things. “Uh, I got a scholarship, my old art teacher sent some of my work in without me knowing. It was Kiara who convinced me to come. It looks better to art schools apparently. I’m going to need a lot of help if I want to leave the Outer banks.” You explained not looking up from your drawing.

You weren’t normally this open with people, but with Sarah it was just easy. You never felt judge by her, she would let you talk all your problems away and never interrupt you. “Do you want to leave? The Outer banks I mean.” She asked sounding sad you didn’t want to stay. “Yeah, it’s every Pouges dream. I think I still want to live by the ocean, just not here.” You explained. “Sometimes I wish I could just get up and leave today, you know? No explanation just packs a bag and never come back. Go from town to town working a little when I needed the money.” You said looking over at her.

 She was staring back at you. “I wish I knew that freedom. I know you guys think being a Kook we have everything we could ever want, but I would kill for your freedom. I see you guys hanging out having so much fun in the summer. Know cares if you guys are late, or what you wear, or who you with. You don’t have an image to uphold.” You could tell she was being sincere about it. “We’ll leave one day Sarah, just me, you and the open road.” You said giggling, falling in love with the idea. “Promise?” she asked laughing, “Promise.” You replied.

 When you talked to her like this, it was when you knew you loved her. Sometimes you were sad because she was dating Topper, and clearly not interested in women, but you were happy you got to spend these moments with her. Just the two of you talking. Not a Kook and a Pouge, but two friends with a mutual understanding.

TAG LIST: @drewstarkey @fttayla @lemur46 @pita0402

[blackswallowtailbutterfly]

I can only speak for Ontario, Canada, but for me moving from my small city where I just couldn't find longtime fulltime work to my current city where I've been working at the same job, with raises, for the last six years:

It helps to have friends or acquaintances or family members in that city in case a position at their place of employment opens up so they can vouch for you.

It helps to have those people so if a job does become available, you have someone to stay with while you look for a place.

Boundaries!!! Figure out what you can afford to live on and don't settle for a place that's more expensive! I decided I wasn't going to pay for an apartment over $1000 (which at the time was already much higher than the one in my old city), all included, and that I didn't want a roommate. Took some time but I got it.

Friends and family willing to help you move. This will cut down the cost of moving by a lot.

Friends and family willing to look after some things you don't want to get rid of but can't take with you right away or at all.

Try to get a place close to your new job if possible. You're going to save a lot on transport if you're able to walk every day to and from work rather than driving or taking public transit.

Obviously, this depends a lot on circumstances that might not apply to you, in which case I unfortunately can't speak from any experience. But if they do, then that's how you can not let the potentially higher cost of living (if you're moving to a bigger city) completely eat away the difference in higher pay.

I am told that moving to a smaller city can be better for both finding work and cost of living if you have a car. I don't, so unfortunately small city life, while I generally prefer it, hasn't worked so well for me, but I can definitely confirm the lower cost of living part and less stress of travel for non-job-related things.

Realistically speaking, how difficult and quickly would it be to:

Move to another city (or even another state)

Find a good place to live, like an apartment

Get finally fucking hired for a job above $17 an hour, preferably $20 an hour at minimum

Yes, I'm truly asking this because I really, really want to know opinions (Me: a Black American female)

PLEASE

[reila-blr0906]

So life update...idk who actually reads these but i just wanna vent somewhere..

Since october i got offered a fulltime job at a warehouse. The pay has been decent and decent enough that i would consider staying even with shitty managers up my ass, but overall ive liked it so far because it suits me and i get paid weekly.

They offered me a permanent position and i said id take it if they would allow me to have an additional day off for my upcoming spring semester, but i have yet to recieve an update on this...i hope they keep me on. Im really anxious about this because my spring semester begins in about 2 more weeks.

Also did i mention i changed my major to a two year mechatronics major starting this spring. So now instead of waiting for a possible career for another 3 years its been shortened to 3 or 4 more semesters (depending on how quick i move).

Anyways, things at home have been getting more tense. The narcissism and verbal abuse continues. And its only got worse ever since my youngest sibling turned 17 and started rebelling. Its so ironic that if it was ME behaving the way her so called favorite is behaving now when i was 17 id literally be beat. But no. I stayed home and had no friends just as this person wanted me to.

Just now this person got finished lecturing me again with the usual hypocrisy they think i never notice. I keep my mouth shut the entire time cause that's what i was taught growing up otherwise id be beat like usual. And funny enough her favorites have always talked back with no consequences.

I really do feel that 2021 may finally be the year i make my way out with the little bit of savings i have in my account. Unfortunately I've already looked and looked for places to live in my state but this place is just too expensive. So when i do make my way out i will need to leave to a more affordable state while i wait it out in hotels. I am so thankful that i finally got my own car last year. That was all i needed to make my way out along with a fulltime job. I am so close. I just need to work on my savings now.

[tamakiamajikistentacles]

Lucky Charms {Eijirou Kirishima}

A/N: So I got this idea earlier this morning for the holiday and wrote it instead of finishing the piece I originally wanted to put out this weekend. I hope you all enjoy because Kirishima as a dad has me weak!

When he was younger, Kirishima was a night owl through and through. Waking up in the morning to attend classes at UA had been a struggle especially before the dorm system was put in place. An earlier time on the train meant an earlier alarm but on campus he had an explosive best friend to quite literally drag him out of bed.

Now two children, a full-time job as a pro hero, a shared agency, and ten years of marriage later, his body took whatever sleep it could get and refused to let him sleep past seven am. Which was fine because it allowed him to get done what he needed before the rest of his family awoke.

It was definitely fine on Mother’s Day because it gave him the time to wake up his two children in preparation for the holiday. Since they had inherited his late-night tendencies and reluctance for mornings, it was often a challenge.

“Chiyo, its time to get up,” he said softly, nudging his daughter’s shoulder lightly. “We’ve got Mother’s Day to celebrate.”

The teenager grumbled, her comforter pulled tight around her curled up form and scrunching up her already rumpled black braid, every minute of her thirteen years evident in the reluctance.

“Don’t make me send your brother in,” he threatened playfully.

“Dad!” she groaned, blinking up at him with her mother’s eyes. Brows furrowed, she rubbed her pajama sleeve across her face before sitting up. “Why can’t we wait another hour?”

He laughed as he walked towards her bedroom door. “We wake mom up with breakfast, she doesn’t come looking for it. You act like you haven’t done this a dozen times before.”

Ignoring her huffs he told her to meet him in the kitchen as he made his way across the hall to his son’s room. Walking into the smaller room, he chuckled at the sight in front of him.

Kazuma was lying on his stomach, his arms and legs star-fished out in all directions. One foot peeked out from beneath his blankets, the blue sock half off and the elastic clinging desperately to his toes. The closer he got, he could also hear the tiny snores escaping his parted lips.

“Wake up, little Riot, its Mother’s Day,” he laughed, grabbing his foot and shaking it.

The boy snuffled and rolled over slightly, blinking up at his father sleepily.

He grinned. “C’mon, we gotta meet your sister in the kitchen to get started!”

“Oh, okay,” he mumbled as he tossed his comforter aside. Just like his sister, his dark hair stuck up in all directions, though the shorter length made him look more like a black-haired version of his favorite uncle.

The Kirishima boys made their way down to the kitchen where Chiyo was waiting for them on one of the breakfast stools, her thumbs flying across her phone’s screen. Her braid had been taken out and her hair laid in wild waves against her shoulders.

“Alright,” Kirishima started as Kazuma took the seat next to his sister, “I’m gonna start on your mom’s breakfast and you two can go get your gifts from the closet, make sure everything’s ready.”

Chiyo set her phone down and gestured back towards their living area. “I grabbed our gifts and everything looks good. We both signed the card last night. The flower and card from you are with the gifts on the kotatsu.”

“Thanks baby girl,” he smiled. “Then let me get her breakfast ready and we can get this show on the road!”

Kazuma giggled. “Dad, you’re just making cereal!”

“Yeah, but that’s Mother’s Day breakfast!” he replied as he pulled a bowl down from the cupboard. He declined to add that breakfast also included coffee, but that wasn’t always the case. “Chiyo, can you grab the milk please?”

She nodded, moving towards the fridge. “He’s right, though, dad. We don’t do much for Mother’s Day breakfast. The Bakubabies were telling us that Uncle Katsuki wakes up super early and makes a big American breakfast for Auntie, then wakes them up to help carry it and give gifts.”

He grabbed the milk from her, dousing the poured cereal as he chuckled lightly to himself. Bakugo should never have made such a big deal about the little nickname for his children.

“Its just sort of tradition,” he said easily, pouring the coffee into a large Red Riot mug from his first official merch line.

“How did it start?” Kazuma asked curiously, kicking his legs absently.

Kirishima paused as he finished putting the coffee and cereal onto the serving tray. He often thought about the first Mother’s Day they had celebrated after Chiyo was born, especially when the holiday approached, but he didn’t think he’d ever really discussed it with his children.

“Well, your mom and I had been dating in high school and after graduation we moved in together. I was just starting out as a hero, doing sidekick work at Fatgum’s agency with Suneater, and your mom had taken a position at Ryukyu’s agency for management. Chiyo was born about a year after we graduated, and even though we both worked fulltime up until then and even after, money was tight,” he admitted.

He didn’t find it shameful that they had struggled when they were just starting out or that having a baby young had been difficult, but he often worried that his children’s confidence in him would wane if he showed too much of the hardship. Old insecurities always died hard.

“The very first Mother’s Day we celebrated, I… I couldn’t afford much,” he murmured. “I got her a card and a pink carnation, but when I went to make her breakfast I realized we didn’t have anything to make a special meal. All we had was an unopened box of Lucky Charms so I went with it; either I brought it to her in bed or she would walk out to the kitchen to get it, you know? If nothing else I could save her a trip down the hallway.”

Glancing up at them, he saw the eagerness to listen to their parents’ beginnings, no trace of pity in either of their gazes. He briefly marveled at how beautiful their eyes were, thankful that they got their mother’s eyes and his dark hair to become perfect little combinations of them both.

“She didn’t mind the cereal and cried when she opened the card,” he continued, smiling at the memory. “She told me that it was the best first Mother’s Day she could imagine, and that she couldn’t wait until Chiyo was older to help carry in the tray of cereal. So that’s just how it’s happened every year since. Even when I became a hero with Fatgum and when your Uncle Katsuki and I started our agency, she told me I should only ever get her a card and maybe flowers, but no gifts. When you two got older it was easier to get gifts because I could just say they were from you, though.”

They all laughed, the tension that the air had held since he began his story gone.

Chiyo bumped Kazuma’s shoulder with her own. “That’s the kind of husband you better be.”

He puffed out his chest and knocked his little fists together in his father’s signature move. “It’s the manliest way to be a husband!”

Kirishima smiled widely, pride filling him at how truly amazing his kids were. He was blessed in every way possible with his family and he wouldn’t trade them for anything.

“C’mon, kiddos, let’s go surprise your mom,” he said, and they ran to the kotatsu to grab their gifts to her, Kazuma handing him the single flower and dusty pink card he had chosen for his wife.

The trio made their way upstairs, presents held in the children’s grasp and him balancing the tray in one hand and his own presents in the other. He was sure his wife was already awake from their laughter in the kitchen, but tradition said they had to wake her up with breakfast in bed.

“Happy Mother’s Day!” they shouted as they entered the bedroom, Chiyo and Kazuma jumping onto the bed with her to give hugs and kisses.

She looked up at him with a beaming smile as he set the food on her bedside table, mouthing “thank you” as she hugged the children close.

Kirishima nodded, his own smile wide, as his eyes drifted to the three frames on the wall behind her. The bottom two displayed each of their children’s pictures from when they were born, the frames a soft purple color with their names engraved under their respective photo. Above them hung a dusty pink frame that read My First Mother’s Day, an open card and a single, dried pink carnation inside.

The carnation represented endurance, and he knew what the writing in the card said by heart, the words he had written so many years ago still true.

“I grew up with two mothers, and I used to think that taught me what motherhood was all about and, in a way, it did. I’m forever thankful to the women who raised me but when it comes to motherhood I look to you as my source for what it truly is. Growing up I didn’t see them struggle but persevere through the hard times. I never came home to see them swaying a sleeping baby in a sling across their chest while they prepared dinner, a laptop on the counter with a business meeting half over where they presented end of the quarter data. They supported my dreams of being a hero, but not by staying home with a newborn daughter while I took extra hours to grow my name and try to earn just a little more than enough money. I love you endlessly for the sacrifices you’ve made for our little family and the way you mother Chiyo. I can’t imagine anyone else by my side during the good times and the difficult ones, and I say difficult because with you they’re never bad. You’re an amazing mother and I can’t wait to see you teach Chiyo even more as time goes on. I love you so much.

Eijirou”

[onceaponamidnightdreary]

The Crimson Crusader

Ksk--ksk--testing-sks- ello- ske- esting one to three, testing one two three. Alright, we’re live. Greetings civilians. This, as you may not know, is the Crimson Crusader, your average vigilante that you don’t know and love to hate. Though, I ain’t your average vigilante. Why, I’ll get to that later. I’m perched on a rooftop, doing my daily patrol. It’s about ten at night and things are a little low, crime-wise. You may want to know why I’m broadcasting this recording, as people like us like to keep our identities hidden. It won’t matter, you won’t find me on any records, or government documents, those have been burned. Heck, I don’t know why I’m doing this myself, but I’ve gotten tired of all you conspiracy theorists. This is my story, where I came from.

See, I was born and raised in the town of Lindhold, of which you are probably familiar. You see it on the news all the time, all the crimes and the rich people up the hill. See, the town was divided into three parts, the Uppers, the Middle, and the Slums. Figure it out by yourself what they mean. O’course, I just happened to be born in the worst part of town. Down there, we didn’t call it Linkhold, nah, to us, it was known as Fester. Cuz everything was always rott’n and festering, the buildings, the food, the people. ‘Specially the people. I was born in a dead-end alley-way with one-eyed alleycat as my nursemaid. The first thing I saw, apparently, was the cat hissing as me. Funny enough, I’ve always loved the creatures after that.

My mother named me Angel Crimson Aldrich, though nobody called me Angel. You called me by my middle name, or you didn’t talk to me at all. Why my mother named me this, I didn’t know. I was as far from Angel as you could get. She said it’s cause I looked like one, with my sienna-pale skin, slate-grey eyes. And white-blond long hair. I cut it the next day, lopped off the sides and the back and it stayed that way ever since, wild in a devil-may-care way. Nothing to grab. One thing I couldn’t figure out was my last name. Aldrich. My mother's name was Evalin Savanna, so I figured it was my father. Never knew him, but I hated him all the same. It was ‘cause of him that my mom suffered. Never even paid a stupid child support check. I bet he didn’t even know I existed.

I lived with my mom in a rotting wooden flat, just the two of us. She died when I was five, pneumonia. Never had the money to afford the medicine.

The tenant evicted me and I spent the next two years as a street-urchin, pickpocket extraordinaire. Don’t feel bad for me, I was’n the only one. Hell, those streets were riddled with kids like me. Nobody batted an eye. It was just life in the town of Fester. I went to elementary school, I was smart for my age. The school was deplorable, a library the size of a cupboard, overcrowded classrooms, you name it. Dropped out at age six. From then on, my life moved on faster. At seven, I joined my first gang, held my first gun at nine, and killed my first man when I was eleven. Those streets make you grow up fast.

When I was thirteen I was lucky enough to run with a gang called the Crusaders.

Sound familiar?

I kept with them, moved up ranks. I was smart, I followed orders, I was ruthless, I fought like a demon. At fifteen I was the right hand girl to the leader, a chick called Smoky, cause of her eye-shadow. She was like an older sister to me, teaching me everything I knew. She was the toughest person I know, and it ain’t easy for a girl on the streets. You learn to survive, to not trust. She died in a gang fight, promoting me with her dying words. I was sixteen and I became leader to the second largest gang in Fester. Back then, gangs were everything. You paid homage to the right gang or you died trying. Turf wars were battles that decided life or death. We controlled five city blocks, and they were everything and we gave everything to defend them. But the Crusaders weren’t your average gang. I doubt any gang led by a woman is. See, we didn’t deal drugs, ammo, or counterfeit money. And I know you’re wonderin’ what we did do. See, ‘Crusaders’ means a person who fought in the Crusades, a medieval battle for Christianity or something. But today, it comes to mean someone who uses vigorous, aggressive movement for the defense or advancement of an idea or cause. That's what we did. Since the police were useless and usually bought off by a gang, crime raged rampant in Fester. If you walked down town at night, it was extremely likely that you would be mugged, shot, stabbed, or kidnapped.

Or all of the above.

So me and my gang, we dealt out justice, an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth situation. But we had a very meticulous system. If you stole, the first question we would ask is why. If you stole to feed your family, we would let you go. If you stole because of greed, we would take double what you took. And thrice the second time. The third time, we cut off your hand. If you murdered for revenge, we understood that. If you killed for power, for gain, for absolutely no reason at all, well, then you died. If that made us bad people, we didn’t know. But it was the only type of justice we knew and we were good at it. We also stole from the Uppers, the rich, white folk in their god-awful fancy McMansions. They never walked in our lower part of town, didn’t bat an eye at the crime and the poverty, didn’t know an’ didn’t care that one peice of furniture in their house could feed an entire family for a year. Man, we hated them, them in their fancy cars and clean clothes. Worst of all, they did nothin’ to deserve it. They were all born into money, like their parents before them. And their parents before them. So we stole from them, hacked into their bank accounts, emptying ‘em little by little.

Wait- sks there's something,- sks- I’ll be back- sks-(Gunshots and yelling in background. Thumps and bodies hitting the wall.)

Sks- ksk- krshhh-sks-kay I’m back. There was some idiot who thought he was at the top of the food chain ‘cause he had a gun. Now he’s got a major concussion and the entire police station in his face.

Idiot.

So I should probably tell you about some people that were in my crew. Every gang has a crew, the inner circle basically, then a few runners, people that send messages and help with other stuff but aren’t there fulltime and lastly, your hoard, which were people that were under your protection that other gangs couldn’t touch but only ran favours for you now and then. My crew and I were real tight, we had to be, watching each other's backs and all.

My right hand man was a guy called Leon, smart as a whip and tough as a shark, and man he could get things done. He used to run with the Sidestreet Shavers, I think, before they kicked him out ‘cause he saved a little girl's life. I heard, took him in, and he’s been loyal ever since.

My tech guys, the hackers, was a girl, ex-heroin addict nick-named Half Print, and her sweetheart, a thin, skinny blond guy called Stevie. And damn, were they good at their job. I had no doubt they could hack the Pentagon if they wanted. They had an extensive blackmail file on everyone. You know, just cause.

My muscle, two brothers, only two years apart, named Cork and Neal, just your average for-hire thug, buzz-cut, 6 foot 2, tattooed knuckles, that kind of thing. But they had good hearts, you know, real softies when you got to know them. They lived on the streets before they busted a dog-fighting ring and I gave them my protection. Genuinely good people are hard to come by.

I also had a spy/assassin, a mute girl named Stiletto, cause of her preferred weapon, and her girlfriend who was my scout, Hatchet, an african-american girl who ran away at age ten thanks to her abusive and homophobic father. She also had the largest library of curse words known to mankind, including some in different languages.

We all suffered. We all dreamed. And that's what made us different from other gangs, you know? Nobody in the god-forsaken town of Fester had ever dreamed. The place just sucked the hope right outta you. We were a group of hopeless dreamers, wishing for something more than this hellhole. We wanted to go to college, to travel, to help others like us. But we can’t. Can’t afford any of it.

Which brings me to the next part of my story.

It was dangerous, living in a gang. You run the risk of getting beat up and shot.

Which was exactly what happened to Stevie.

Now we weren’t as close as Me and Leon but we were still great friends. And looking at his broken and bleeding figure I wasn't thinking clearly. He was the most fragile out of my crew, and I thought he was dead. So we did the worst thing possible.

We called 911.

We were gang members with a bleeding dying figure on our hands. But we were hysterical and young enough that they didn’t arrest any of us. They let Half Print ride in the ambulance and the rest of us ran. Straight on ran the six blocks to the hospital.

The news was grim.

He was alive but in a coma. Busted rib cage, punctured lungs, ruptured organs, several broken bones. They needed to do surgery or else he wasn’t gonna live. We agreed, saying that we would pay them back.

The price came to $530,000.

We didn’t have that type of money.

Hell, we didn’t even know how to get that type of money.

But Hatchet heard about a government program that needed willing human volunteers to experiment on. They were offering $600,000.

We argued about who should go, everyone offering themselves. I told them it was my duty, as leader and left without a word. I appointed Leon as the head until I returned. No one mentioned what we were all thinking, that they might never see me again.  

From then on, everything becomes a little blurry.

The scientists didn’t bother using anesthesia, so I remembered pain. Lots of pain. They took my right eye, too. Replaced it with a mechanical one. After the experiments, I trained, and everything became a haze. I learned weapons use and types of fighting styles, my drugged up mind not even questioning it. They made me stronger, faster, with inhuman reflexes. There were 20 volunteers of people desperate enough to need the money.

After a year, there were only three left, including me. I still don't remember what happened but apparently I killed them. Then I burned down the government building. The head scientist escaped, a man called Dr. Armada.

Then I went back to my gang.

They pressured me to tell them what happened, how I was stronger then normal, stronger than human.

I didn’t have a lot of answers to give them. They were excited for my powers, as they called it. They wanted to use it to stop crime, to do the things we strived to do.

I told them no. I didn’t want to be like the superheros in New York. Nothing good came out of that, look what happened to Tony Stark. Dead after saving the world. I wanted to lay low after all that had happened.

We had a fight, … and… I left. One of the greatest regrets of my life. As I was heading out, I heard a girl crying out for help, with my inhuman hearing. I got there without thinking and stopped the guy attacking her. It was laughably easy. I realized that they were right and I headed back to apologize.

And I will never forget this, as I headed back, the warehouse doors were wide open and the moonlight illuminated red stains on the floor.

Blood.

I rushed in but it was too late. Wide, glassy eyes, bodies cold and stiff. And I heard a gasp to my right. It was Stiletto, the girl who never spoke in her damn life. She looked at me and… I-I’ll never forget this. She said “Remember Crimson, doing what is right is not always easy. But doing’ what is easy is not always right.”

And then she was dead.

I swore then and there that I would become what they wanted to be. The dreams they never had, the fight they always wanted.

I became, in honour of them, the Crimson Crusader.

That is me, Angel Crimson Aldrich, signing off, for now.

[pynkhues]

Assuming the divorce has been finalize and Dean’s new job is stable do you think Dean and Beth will still try the whole nesting plan from season 2? I’m hoping he’ll just live with Judith for now until he get his own place. Like can you imagine if Beth has to share a one bedroom apartment with him and constantly wonder if Dean remembered to wash the sheets before they switch because if he had no problem sleeping with women when they were married he’ll definitely do so now that they’re divorce.

I’ve actually been thinking about this question a bit, anon! I’m not sure, of course, but one of the things I think 2.12 and 2.13 sort of underlined in terms of Beth and Dean is that they’re still in dire straits financially. Beth has all of Rio’s cash now, but it’s cooked so it’s unusable, the dealership is shutdown at least temporarily (although I think we have it more or less confirmed now it’s been shut down for good with the S3 spoilers we have so far - or that they’ve sold it, which could have solved a few of their financial problems), and Dean’s incapable of working for anyone else because he’s 110% ego and clearly had a money repellent curse put on him at some point, haha.

What I’m getting at, is that I’m not sure how on earth they could afford an apartment, and even if Dean’s new job is stable enough, I don’t think their credit will have rebounded enough for either of them to get a loan. Since we know Jessica Walter is back as Dean’s mother, I could see him either living with her fulltime, or - if they were still trying the nesting situation - him staying with her on Beth’s weeks with the kids, and Beth staying with Annie or Ruby during Dean’s weeks with the kids. As a solution though, it’s hardly one that would work longterm, but then a shared apartment wouldn’t either for exactly the reasons you said.

So I’m not sure, I guess! 

It’s interesting though, because the Boland kids seem to have been on set a lot for 3.01 and 3.02, and we know a part of that will be because they’re a part of the Beth-Rhea plot, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it was also due to a shifting domestic setting / domestic tensions for Beth either aka Dean moving out and the two of them attempting joint custody (which honestly - I can’t imagine ever running smoothly). 

What do you guys think?

[maergo]

Not often would Minho reach out to his parents in a state of panic. If anything, he’d never want to do it because of the distance between them and a phonecall wouldn’t always be enough for him to calm down. In a lot of cases he’d need a hug, a cup of tea, any simple type of gesture that’d help him to calm down a little by being taken care of, and though he had friends to reach out to, even that didn’t feel like it was enough anymore. He didn’t know if it was because he knew what he could expect from them or because he felt like he was bothering them too much even if they’d say the opposite. Either way, he felt the huge need to talk to his parents – or specifically his mother – anyway as there were some things he’d kept hidden from them and it became harder and harder to keep those things hidden. So, without much information he’d asked his mother to come visit him as soon as she possibly could and within a few days the two of them were seated in front of each other, a cup of freshly made tea in their hands. It was silent, Minho was trying to find the words he desperately needed to tell his mother but now that the moment was there it suddenly had become a lot harder again. Luckily for him she wouldn’t try and rush him.

After a long moment of silence Minho took a deep breath, staring at the table in front of him. ‘‘I don’t know how much longer I can go on.’’ His voice sounded like all emotions had left him, though in reality he was feeling everything at once. Joy, anger, fear, sad, all the common feelings were there and he didn’t know how to deal with them. ‘‘What do you mean with that honey?’’ The woman looked confused, but deep down she knew what to expect. ‘‘Life.’’ Short and direct, like the typical ‘I’m fine, thank you’, although his answer wasn’t a lie that’d cover up the truth and he couldn’t even remember if he had ever been so direct to his mother about it. She’d known in the past that he was struggling but ever since he left New York he wouldn’t talk much about how he was feeling if it was even slightly bad unless they were seeing each other in person – and even then he would often cut things short. Of course, the times he would see his mom in person were times he wanted to enjoy.  The expression the woman had on her face didn’t change much, it became more worried but that was really all. Minho was too afraid to look her in the eye as he continued to talk. ‘‘I’m trying so hard to find things to enjoy, to hold onto any happy feeling but I just can’t anymore. I can’t enjoy anything anymore.’’ Barely had he told her anything yet he already felt like he was about to completely break down in front of her and suddenly he wondered how he had been able to stay quiet about it all for so long. The one person he used to tell everything to had become the one to knew the least about what was going on and for Minho that only was another thing to add to the list of things he absolutely hated about himself. Maybe moving away from his hometown wasn’t the greatest idea he could’ve had after he graduated, but it was too late to make a change to that now. Of course, he could move back but that would just be more stress added to him and at this point he was sure he’d get a heartattack if he had to deal with even more. ‘‘Sweetie, you’re pressuring yourself so much more than you can handle, you need to-’’ ‘‘No, mom. All I ever wanted is just a little bit of happiness. And I had it. And I fucked it up big time.’’ He looked at her, eyes as watery as they could possibly get while his hands started shaking, the content of the cup almost spilling out. Just two weeks prior had he texted her that his relationship had come to an end, he didn’t explain anything and he wouldn’t answer any questions about it either. His friends had been there for him when needed, it felt like there wasn’t any reason to talk about it to his mother but of course he was in the wrong thinking that. She was the first to know he had fallen in love yet the last to know how badly he had fucked it all up. ‘‘I fucked it all up so bad. I couldn’t make him happy, I couldn’t make him proud, I couldn’t make him feel like he had won the lottery. All I could do was make him feel like complete shit, I could only drag him down with my negativity and that resulted into a fucked up relationship.’’ The tears were making their way down as he spoke, voice cracking as if he was about to lose it. The woman put her own cup down before reaching out to grab the one her son was holding, the worry he would actually spill the content was extremely small but she knew that in a situation like this, anything small that would go wrong could have the biggest impact. There were a lot of things she wanted to say but most of them would be the wrong thing to say for the time being. She had to be careful but still realistic. ‘‘Minho, there are always multiple reasons a relationship comes to its end and only very rarely is it caused by one single person.’’ ‘‘I couldn’t be happy, I couldn’t make him happy. I couldn’t hide my feelings anymore so I fucked up moments that were supposed to be nice.’’ ‘‘Honey, those are very general exa-’’ ‘‘I couldn’t make him feel like he could tell me absolutely anything. He’d pushed someone out of his and Luna’s life, then hid the fact that that person was back in because I’d be upset. I was put to blame for that person to not be in their lives for a while. He didn’t want me to meet his first son because I’d just fuck up the vibe. Up until the day we broke up he didn’t tell me he had found his brother, he refused to tell me sooner because I’d just be upset. My jealousy would’ve been a problem. Again, would’ve ruined the mood if he did tell me sooner and I’d meet his brother. All I did was ruin the mood and if I tried to do something fun then out of the blue I’d fuck it up anyway because I can’t fucking stick to any positivity. I don’t know how people deal with their fucking traumatic experiences, how they keep their heads above the ground.’’ There was a sigh, a worried one. It wouldn’t be fair for her to be biased, of course she’d much rather comfort her son to try and convince him that he was not the one at fault, but hearing what he said partially sound reasonable to her. If he really was feeling down so much then it wasn’t weird to her that some things were left unsaid, but that didn’t mean it was fair. ‘‘You’ve been able to keep your head above the ground sweetheart, what happened that you’re struggling with it so badly now?’’ A sad laughter came from the writer and he looked further down. ‘‘If only you knew...’’ ‘‘If only I knew what?’’ ‘‘About my suicide attempt last year.’’ Silence. Complete silence, aside from the rushed heartbeat that Minho could clearly hear – and it wasn’t his own. He gave it a moment until he spoke again. ‘‘I tried to kill myself last year with halloween and I would’ve succeeded had he just listened to me and stayed home.’’ He’d dreaded this moment for so long. Though there had been a lot of moments he was on the edge of telling her, it never happened. Not a single part inside of him wanted to hurt her like that. She was the person that gave him the life he had and there he was telling her that he didn’t want it anymore. No person would ever want to hear their children say that they didn’t want to live, or that it was too hard to. With that there was the fact that he’d kept it hidden from her as well, though part of him knew that she was suspicious anyway. Their bond had always been strong like that. ‘‘I never liked the idea of you living so far away from us, but you seemed to be so sure of it being a good idea that I kept my mouth shut about it. I wish you had stayed with us in New York for longer, that you would’ve let us take care of you longer. You needed it to get yourself back on track but instead you wanted to move here. We let you, because you were old enough to make your own decisions, but we were always worried to receive the call we did now.’’ ‘‘Even dad?’’ ‘‘Even your dad. Despite that you two didn’t have the best relationship, he would’ve gone through fire to keep you safe. When I informed him that your relationship ended he got more worried than me, unfortunately he couldn’t afford to leave with his job going on. He did ask me to tell you that he feels really sorry about that.’’ It felt like a part of Minho got healed, for so long had he dealt with the idea that his father never wanted him around but now that he heard the truth from his mother things seemed to lighten up already. Not enough for the situation to become better now at all, but now he did have a chapter he could give an ending to and never look back at again. ‘‘I don’t.. want you to feel like you’re always the one who should get blamed, because that’s not true and a lot of times you can’t do anything about certain situations, but you do get in your head so much. There is no reason for you to keep blaming yourself for everything, especially not because there are a lot of things that your father and I could and should have done differently when you were still growing up. We can’t undo the wrongs, but we can admit to our mistakes. Right now you’re striving for the perfect life, with the perfect income, the perfect relationship, but if I can give you one piece of advice right now it’s that you’re never going to stop learning and you’re never going to stop making decisions that you’ll later on realize weren’t the right ones. What you need to do is learn how to cope with situations in a way that isn’t so self destructive.’’ ‘‘Then what am I supposed to do? Therapy isn’t working, work isn’t distracting enough to keep my thoughts occupied, I don’t have easy access to a piano…’’ Looking up when he spoke Minho could tell how nervous his mother was. There was something she wanted to say but her entire expression gave away that she wasn’t sure how he’d respond to it. ‘‘Maybe.. you should consider to get some help in a psychiatric hospital. Fulltime help. I know it doesn’t sound very appealing but I think it’s all there’s left to try for you to deal with everything. They’ll be able to invest more time into your situation and you’ll have easier access to instant help even in the middle of the night.’’ A psychiatric hospital. Not once in his life had that ever sound like it could be the solution, but it was indeed the last option to try out. Would he be happy to go there? Definitely not, death still sounded more appealing, but if it’d even make one person feel slightly more at ease knowing that he was going to try it out then he figured it could only be worth it. However, ‘‘What if it won’t work?’’ He was one that’d doubt absolutely anything, he didn’t believe that he could get better again, but for once he was willing to force himself to go into it more open minded than what would be usual. Either way he had to ask the question, yet he did so in a way that it would be clear for his mother to know that this really was the last option he’d try out, even if suddenly there’d be something on the market with a guaranteed solution. The woman let out a nervous sigh, knowing what he meant to say. She did not want to give in but it wasn’t realistic to force her son to stay around completely against his own will. ‘‘Then that is what it is. I’ll be thankful that you’ve been willing to try it anyway.’’ Something held her back from saying that if it wouldn’t work that she was willing to let him go, as if admitting to it would guarantee for the treatment to fail. Minho knew that it is what she meant to say, and for the first time in a long while he felt a genuine smile on his face, knowing that he finally had her understanding.

[manicpixiedreamsquatch]

My husband and I finally decided we can't stay in our home. Our neighbor has turned it into such a toxic place that staying here is just too damaging to our mental health and overall wellbeing. And even though we are part of a co-op, and they've agreed she is an issue, they claim to be unable to do anything about it.

We can't afford to buy anything new in this market, and my husband is still trying to find fulltime employment, so we are going to put our stuff in storage and move in with in-laws for a while.

I'm wrecked. We made such a cute home for ourselves and our dog. I love our little yard that backs up to a farm. We sometimes walk our dog through the farm. I finally got into growing vegetables.

And now we have to give it all up and pack our lives away. Go from having a home of our own to just a room.

We did EVERYTHING we were supposed to. Followed the community guidelines. Worked our asses off to try to have good jobs to afford to live in this area. And what? Fucking awful people get to stay where they are with no consequences and we get run out.

[ag-silver]

Oh god this! Ladies, gents and everyone in between, prepare for the rant of the century as I unload fucking 7 months worth of bullshit I have went through searching for a new house (I still haven't found one). First of all, here you're lucky to get an apartment that allows pets at all and lets you pay a fee or deposit. That is LUCKY, you WILL pay it because it is the ONLY house within a 5-7 mile radius of your uni or work that allows you to have a pet. I literally cant move house because not only does no where accept my fully trained, groomed, neutered and well behaved cat but they also don't allow students. That's right, houses here can either charge students and young people more or say that they are forbidden from even viewing the house. Despite young people getting paid less per hour for the EXACT SAME work as someone older than them. You have listings that are like:

No pets, sorry (as if the sorry makes it any better that my cat, a member of my family, is basically not allowed to live anywhere depsite him being an emotional support animal with a prescription attached to him, there is no law protecting him)

No dss (benefits from the government that people who cant work get)

No students (pops up more frequently than ads on a YouTube video uploaded by Vevo.)

Living wage paid workers only (so must be over 25 pretty much)

Professionals preferred

Family friendly :)

So, they are looking for "professionals" (that doesn't sound fucking classist at all) or families where at least one parent makes over the living wage and works fulltime and does not study. Also that family cant have a dog, cat, hamster, bunny, fish, bird whatever. Yeah that sounds fucking great. On an unfurnished house with a 1500 deposit and you're asking 950 a month for it. Oh and fuck you if you have a disability and cant work and have to apply for welfare because young people, students, disabled people and pet owners are now not allowed nice housing and must live in shitty flats in loud and run down areas where the house is shit but overpriced and they have to pay a fee every month just to have a member of their family stay with them. Then if you are a student or young person with a pet and you finally get affordable housing be prepared to fork over 6 months rent upfront plus a pet deposit along with your actual deposit, so like 7 grand all in one go or provide a guarantor who HAS to be 'immediate family' when really they mean your parents. So fuck you if you have no parents or your parents are abusive, the agent doesn't give a fuck. Oh your older brother earns 40k a year and has good credit but doesnt own his house because he literally just got a graduate job, well fuck you get your abusive, narc parent instead. This totally wont be held over your head or backfire on the tenant in any possible way. And they are totally, 1000% reliable because every parent loves and fawns over their kids and cares for them. Totally not a fucking a lie there. Landlords seriously need to get out of this fantasy land they have made where everyone has a perfect family and there is also only one kind of family.

And don't get me started on fucking HMOs. Jesus Christ what a fucking mess. Its to stop over crowding but instead of it being one person or one romantic couple per bedroom it is only 2 unrelated people in one house unless the house has a special license that no landlord wants to get. Let me show you how ridiculous this is: you could rent a 6 bedroom house but if your friends arent married or are_ your sibling or parent, then only 2 of you are allowed to live in the house to protect you from 'overcrowding'. But apparently getting married fixes this problem, so 6 people could live in a 3 bedroom so long as they were all married to each other. Mmmm okay, suuuure. So yeah, fuck us if we want a 3 bedroom house so we can actually afford rent without starving to death in the summer with no student loan and the landlord is too cheap to get a fucking HMO license and is bitching because at least 2 of us arent married to each other. Fuck agencies, fuck landlords I want to live in a Hilda-esque cabin in the wilderness and do my uni work from home with my fluffy, lazy cat and the meme loving fucks I call friends. I also want double glazing, the boiler and gas metre out of my room, a bath, a fixed roof, carpets because laminate flooring is shit and I hate it, no bug infestations in my house, no sirens from ambulabces driving past, no drunk people arguing wth each other at 2am on the street, my kitchen out of my living room and trees where I live. Anyways rant over, looking for housing is such a headache.