#i need to restock more so i can just buy a ton of these and put them up for way way less bc this is insane. who wld even buy this

[skunkes]

[starrysharks]

these questions are pretty similar so i'll answer both at once.

to buy from a chinese indie brand, you need two things: the brand's taobao link and a proxy site account. taobao is a chinese storefront (?) that most of these stores are hosted on. there are plenty of western stores online that also carry taobao brand clothing - like arcana archive, glitch cupids, and pixie rebels - but i would recommend just getting your stuff from a proxy as those stores often up the prices of the clothes.

note that it can be a bit of a struggle to get the taobao link of a store, especially if you don't have an account (which is notoriously difficult to get these days), but i did find some link lists! (mostly lolita stuff as that's what taobao is most popular for among alt fashionistas ^_^)

some other brands that i recommend -

eyeelike - y2k inspired, though their stock is usually very limited. sizes up to UK 10-12 (L) i believe

link (lemme know if it's broken):

frufru - bright, colorful, sorta harajuku-esque! i heavily recommend their star messenger bags, been wanting to get one of my own for a while ^_^

link

and hbreaker - a more visual kei sort of thing! more edgy than the other two stores, but i'm yet to check it out properly

link

so, now that you have the link, you need a proxy site. this is so that you can send the clothes over from china to your own country. in the past, i would've recommended pandabuy, but it died a few months ago due to illegal replica selling. for that, i'd recommend avoiding proxies that allow replicas, because they might go under while you're trying to get clothes shipped. (that happened to me T_T)

some that are reliable are:

sugargoo

superbuy

spreenow

now all you do is use the search bar (make sure it's on the "shop" mode rather than "product"), and plug in the link to the shop you want to buy from, and it should be the first result. get all your clothes, and now all you have to do is have them shipped out! shipping usually costs a lot (£20+ from my experience) and if you're buying a haul, it can be over £200 for just 4-6 items, so i'd recommend only buying stuff you KNOW you're going to wear often and enjoy. shipping should only take 2-3 weeks (at least in my experience - i live in the UK, it might take more time in the US.) and boom! now you can dress like those cool girls on xiaohongshu!

there are also two western stores i'd like to go over that have similar clothes - sixth dimension and minga london.

sixth dimension has many good qualities - they have more inclusive sizing (up to UK XL), reasonable prices based on their quality, and they restock and do sales often. i heavily recommend them if you can't afford the high shipping prices or if the sizing is too limited for you!

unfortunately, i have less nice things to say about minga london. they're highly extortionate in terms of pricing - i've seen shein quality cardigans sold for upwards of £70, for example. they do drops often, and have been accused of fast fashion but i'm not sure if that's legit or not. they've also stolen designs in the past. however, they do have inclusive sizing, up to XXXL. i'd recommend only buying from them if they're doing a sale, or if you literally have no other choice.

now regarding fruits mag - unfortunately, you can't buy from them. fruits mag is a japanese magazine that went over a variety of different street styles, so if you want to buy from fruits, you'd have to buy from the brands that the people in the magazines are wearing. as fruits was most popular in the 2000s, most of those brands are defunct...however, i do have some recommendations for japanese alternative brands!

alice and the pirates - popular lolita fashion. pretty good sizing i think, and they do worldwide shipping too iirc.

baby the stars shine bright - same as aatp, but more "cutesy".

acdc rag - yami kawaii type clothes with inclusive sizing.

dearmylove - jirai kei/dark girly clothing and beautiful shoes. inclusive sizing, i'm pretty sure they have a full plus size range! also collabed with needy streamer overdose lol

liz lisa - lolita/mori kei/girly styles and pretty coats. quite expensive tho...

moi-meme-moitie - the brand of malice mizer's guitarist mana-sama! gothic lolita. i'm not sure about sizing or prices.

6%dokidoki - yume kawaii and decora style. very colorful! i'm not sure about sizing.

angel blue - japanese kids clothing, usually worn in general kawaii and jojifuku styles. as it's for kids, the sizing is NOT inclusive at all, UK size S-M at the most from what i've seen. usually you can only find resellers on depop, but the pricing usually isn't horrible.

other than brands, i'd recommend looking for clothes thrifting on and offline (hit big city thrift stores for better chances of alt clothing), buying accessories from verified etsy sellers, and just looking around the house for anything you can turn into an accessory or part of an outfit! i hope this post helps you though!

[dresupi]

Help needed, please

Here's the situation:

My partner lost his job last month. They farted around giving us his last paychecks and as a result, we had a ton of late fees to account for by the time we got the money. I paid everything up to date for the month and then once I paid our electric bill, we were officially out of money. Plus:

Unemployment is stuck in review, pretty sure we're not going to see a cent of that. Our state has one of the lowest ones anyway, but being able to use it would have taken some of the pressure off, but alas, we're likely never going to see any of it.

He's trying to drive for uber eats, but the app keeps telling us our car is too old even though it's a 2005, which is less than twenty years old and I thought it was fine to use.

He is applying for jobs now that barely pay more than minimum wage and is still not getting any callbacks.

I feel sick and can't eat and I honestly don't know what we're going to do. We have three children and I'm terrified of failing them. I'm disabled from a non-traumatic brain injury back in 2017/2018 and I run an Etsy shop, but it doesn't come close to covering the bills. Plus, once I run out of stock, that's it because I haven't been able to use any of my earnings to buy supplies to restock, so it's not a long-term solution anyway.

Total amount needed: (this isn't including any non-essentials like credit card payments, this is just to keep the lights on and keep us from getting evicted or at least put on notice in June) :

$1362

Basically, if you can help, please do.

Paypal || Ko-Fi || Patreon || Etsy

[the-bjd-community-confess]

There’s something about begging people to share and buy your dolls/products because you’ll need to pay for certain things like food, rent, etc that’s just so icky when it’s followed by “no one else is making any money, so it falls on me to pay” kind of language and the doll artist has already been under scrutiny for not using the money from the orders to fulfill the orders before spending all of the money on some non business related expense.

I understand having costs to cover (we all do) but the bizarre transparency of “buy my doll so I can restock my fridge” when there’s absolutely no guarantee of how or when they’re going to fulfill an order because this is now theira only revenue stream and in this specific case I’m referring to, a hurricane has knocked out power for who knows how long which makes guaranteeing a product (if at all) in a reasonable time frame kind of ridiculous to me.

I lived through devastating hurricanes and snow storms that meant no power for a week plus and possible very costly damage to my home (on two separate occasions I’ve had to leave my home and stay somewhere else because I live on the shoreline and it was a possibility that my house would be gone or irreparably damaged) so I have all the sympathy for the stress, cost, and danger of being in a hurricane, but sometimes I feel like she will stop at nothing to find some reason to beg/guilt people to buy her stuff and what else, to make risky financial decisions with other people’s money.

I suspect that if people order from her this time it’ll be a long wait and that she’ll once again have to ask for more orders to cover the cost of other people’s order fulfillment because she makes it very clear that she only asks for orders in order to spend all the money on living costs (and sometimes on presents for herself or ways to treat herself) and she hasn’t seemed to learn that the bulk of the cost of an item should be spent or saved primarily to afford to make, pack, and ship the item plus whatever other operating costs. Coming from a business owner, it’s never charging $200 to make $200, it’s more like charge $200 and spend $70 to make and ship the items, keep $50 to pay operating costs/taxes, and then you have $80 to spend on the costs of living and whatever else you can stretch it for, and realistically in America you owe tons of taxes for owning your own business (if you’re not operating illegally) and those taxes eat into a bulk of your profits. Nothing is ever free money and it frustrates me to see people beg for money through sales like “I’m short on rent by $200 this month, please buy two more $100 items and I can pay rent” when that’s not how it works. And worse, I just hate the scammy guilt tripping. My business is my only source of income and sometimes I don’t make what I need, but I would never ask someone to buy more stuff from me so that I can eat or something because wtf why would you put that on someone else who’s just trying to go about their day? It’s so gross and just bad business practice.

~Anonymous

[thewonandonly]

TWENTY TWO.FIVE — AUGUST 6, 2022, 12:45PM

trigger warning: mention of se|f injury! please read at your own risk. if needed, this chapter can be skipped.

you wandered into the convenience store, giving an excited wave to mingi as he drove off, having the weekend off to spend time with his family; which also meant you had no means of getting home, since yunho, jongho and san all had prior commitments. fixing the bag on your shoulder, you turned into the store, your mood already turning to disgust when you make eye contact with seonghwa who stood behind the counter.

"hello, welcome in." he said, his regular smirk decorating his face. you sighed softly, your shoulders slumping, and the bag falling to your hands as you walked over to the back office to clock in for the day.

seonghwa had another one of his songs playing over the store speakers, and you didn't recognize it, so you decided to push it to the back of your mind.

you set your bag down and stood beside him at the counter, "is there anything that needs to be done?"

seonghwa shook his head, blinking slowly, "did everything when i came in."

you nodded.

the silence was unbearably uncomfortable for you, and for a second, you wondered if it was like that for seonghwa too.

you looked down at the counter, before the regular armwarmers across seonghwa's arms caught your eye, "you know, if boss man comes in and he sees you with those on, he's gonna throw a fit."

seonghwa chuckled, placing his hands against the counter as he leaned back, "yeah, you're right." he gently pulled the armwarmers off.

it's been a little less than a week since seonghwa started working at the convenience store with you. he's brought in a ton of customers, mostly high schoolers, and older woman, who normally lose their mind over how "attractive" he is.

you normally got stuck restocking shelves while he worked the counter to rope the customers into buying more than they need. even on the clock, he was more manipulative than ever.

seonghwa noticed that the work load got easier with one person at the counter and the other restocking shelves where it was needed. the work day was already slow for seonghwa as soon as he finished stocking, cleaning and managing the store. but as soon as you walked in, seonghwa already found a few ways to tease you. letting you sit in the uncomfortable silence he had no intention of occupying, treating you like a stranger whenever you purchased a snack for yourself, or even making fun of your music taste.

you both sat at the register, both sharing a sigh with one another. a shiver bellows down your spine as you felt the chill entering the space.

"it's cold in here." you whispered more to yourself.

seonghwa laughed, prodding his cheek with his tongue almost as if he was annoyed, "you're cold? i feel fine."

you thought you knew seonghwa, even with how little you actually do, he was kind of predictable. but he surprised you when he responded like an actual human for a second.

not only were his arms covered in tattoos, that you haven't noted before, due to his constant habit of wearing long sleeves or those armwarmers he just took off; there was scars clinging to his skin. biceps, forearms, wrists. some looked healed, others looked fresh. it was rude to stare, yet, you couldn't pull your eyes away, scanning his arms intently.

seonghwa noticed the staring; i mean, it was hard not to. he thought there was a hole ripping through his arm as you stared. he cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably. hongjoong was really the only one who knew about his affliction, and for someone else to finally see the truth that he tried so hard to hide with pigmented ink, and fabrics of clothing, it made him extremely uncomfortable, like he was in those nightmares you get when you show up to school in only your underwear, like he was exposed. some type of clarity might help, "i did it to myself." he gently kicked the counter with his shoe, nodding his head to his arm.

"what?"

"got hospitalized for it." he shrugged, like this was just a nonchalant talk the two of you were having, despite the air getting heavier around the two of you, "well, after the first thing i did, then i got hospitalized again for this." he looked at his arm, turning his arm slowly.

you thought for a second he was talking about the tattoos, the way he admired them, but no, he wasn't admiring the injuries lingering on his arm, he seemed upset by them.

"why—"

the door opened and seonghwa immediately greeted whoever came in, like he wanted to finish the conversation there.

standing there, you felt like an idiot for even staring. you never meant for him to feel uncomfortable or embarrassed. as a people pleaser, that's the last thing you wanted.

he gave you a little glimpse into his life, and you should respect it.

all the articles you read about him entered your brain once again, thinking back to why exactly he did that to himself, but you knew why. you knew full well why he was doing that to himself.

you decided to just ignore the thought for a second, grabbing the armwarmers he previously took off, and ran your thumb over them. seonghwa was doing just about anything to hide the part of him he didn't want anyone to see, especially in the moment, helping the guests. he held his hands behind his back, he moved his arm so fast when typing in the product id and he placed his hands on the extra seat the person at register was given to give them a short break off their feet. he seemed anxious about where the convenience store vest was, fixing it to hide the area.

you took it all into account that this is not something he wanted people to see.

when the customers left, you held the armwarmers back to seonghwa, a brief smile on your lips, "so you don't get cold." you whispered, "the thermostat says it's below 60 degrees in here."

seonghwa pulled the armwarmers over his wrists, up to his elbows, and he suddenly seemed like his regular old self.

a smirk covered his face again.

"seonghwa, i just wanted to say, that i'm sorry for saying you were like my dad." you looked at the side of his face, "to me, that's the worst insult i could come up with. but, you're nothing like my dad." you shook your head, "well, kind of, but i mean— wait, that's rude, sorry."

seonghwa chuckled, a natural chuckle, not the degrading one that was given when you were being an idiot, or the one that he gave to wooyoung when he was annoyed, "i know what you're trying to say." he interrupted, "you don't have to ramble."

you laughed softly, nervously. oh my god, why were you getting nervous? seonghwa's the type of person to judge no matter what, or at least you thought he was. you cleared your throat, swallowing the feeling, "start over?"

seonghwa rolled his eyes, "i don't think starting over would have anything to help with this." he motioned to the two of you.

"fine." you shrugged, "by the end of the day, we'll be best buds." she held her hand out, requesting to seal the deal that they'd be friends.

seonghwa was almost tempted to open the door of his lonely brain and allow her in, but he reserved a space for someone else, so he just pretended he didn't see her hand, and turned his head back to the door of the store.

"uh, speaking of being best buds," she started, "do you think you can give me a ride home?"

seonghwa sighed.

this was going to be a weird shift.

PARK SEONGHWA is a stone-cold, cantankerous punk-rock player. He hates everything about the world, and if he had just one chance, he’d do anything to keep the best thing about the world in his arms; you, the complete opposite of everything he’s ever built up to hate.

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copyright © 2023 thewonandonly. all rights reserved.

[cinnamonsly]

gonna start gauging interest now just so i can get ahead on things-

if i were to do one more sticker restock before the holidays (so you could get them for urself or as a gift for someone else) would you guys be interested?

if i were to restock, it would probably just be the HMS trio. i may also consider getting a new design printed, just not sure what of yet. let me know!!

this restock would probably be pretty small, but that may vary depending on if more people still want one. and if not a ton of people are interested i may just not do one haha. just putting this out here now so i can start getting stuff ready if need be

[asdfghjklartblog]

Sure this is an art blog but is writing not just another form of art? Anyways take this it’s not finished but I think it’s cool!

Eustass Kidd x Usopp one shot fic, whole fic is in Usopp’s POV,

The idea of having four crews of the worst generation on one island was a terrible idea, however it couldn't be avoided. Sanji needed to restock on spices and meat, Franky wanted to dock somewhere to work on the ship and repair some things, even Usopp had things he needed to do on the island. But the thought of seeing Law's crew sounded like a pain in the butt while running into Hawkin's or Kid's crew sounded more like a fight waiting to happen.

"Usopp I don't like the sound of this either but the next island is about a week away, and unless you and Luffy can consistently catch a ton of fish. Luffy might start thinking about eating one of us."

"I would not!"

"Yes you would Luffy."

"Hihi! Yeah I would!"

"B-But, Nami... Please!!! I'd be fine if it was just Law's crew but-"

"Torao is here?!"

Nami turns to glare at Usopp. Shit. "That settles it! We're docking at the island then! That's alright right Nami?"

If looks could kill Usopp would probably be dead. Nami gritted out in a sickly sweet tone " Yeah, sure Luffy! I'd love to dock at the same exact island that three other dangerous crews are on!"

Luffy stared at Nami with a blank face, not quite getting that she was being sarcastic.

"..... Great?"

She sighs, she's been trying to help Luffy understand more social cues as well as when people are being nice versus when people are being rude. It looks like it's not working very well though.

Nami turns to Usopp, " This is your fault."

And truth be told, yes it was his fault that Luffy heard that Law was at the island but it was not his fault that they ran out of food to keep their ship crew fed. For the most part. Okay maybe he and Luffy one too many midnight snacks. Fine, more like 10 but who's counting.

Usopp heard a chuckle coming from Robin lying in the lawn chair and reading. " Well perhaps we'll run into a bit of fun? Maybe one of us will be framed for murder of a rival crew member?"

Franky comes out to the deck to reply, "Don't scare Nami and Usopp too much, plus I think it'd be a lot more entertaining if it actually was one of us! And it was like some kind of revenge plot or something!"

Robin looked at Franky with admiration and love, then proceeded to say "Isn't that a bit too cliche, Flam?"

"Well, I gues- wa-! Robin! You know I hate being called that!" Said Franky with a small pout on his lips. As Robin started to chuckle again.

"God they're so fucking sappy and cheesy, it's so cute and I'm really glad they're happy together but like god damn!"

"You're so right Nams, look at them all happy and shit. Absolutely disgusting."

"Girl, don't agree with me. I hate you right now, now we literally have to dock on this shitty island because you couldn't keep your voice down."

"You KNOW he has selective hearing, he would've heard anyways!"

Zoro interjected with "You know he wouldn't have heard anything if you both had shUT THE FUCK UP! NOW-"

"GO BACK TO SLEEP MOSS HEAD!"

"YOU SHOULD GO WANDERING OFF INTO THE DAMN OCEAN AND DROWN ASSHOLE!"

And Zoro immediately butt out of the argument as he got hit by both Nami and Usopp.

"Anyways, both of you are on dish duty for the rest of the week."

"You can't do that!"

"I DIDNT DO SHIT!!"

"Too bad, now get ready to leave the ship. You're also both on grocery duty."

The two men groaned as Nami walked away in a huff. Zoro looked at Usopp in the eye and sent him a little glare.

"Don't look at me like that. Look I'll buy you some good sake alright?"

"... I want two bottles of good sake."

"Ugh, deal."

With a little grin Zoro went back to relaxing, or maybe to maybe have a quick nap before going. Either way he was resting. Usopp walks down to his workshop to double check what parts he already has and which ones he needs and made a checklist of them. As he was about to go to ask Franky if he also needed any parts or what not he hears a knock on his door. Usopp opens it to find Sanji.

"Dish duty and grocery duty huh?"

"Man, shut the hell up."

Which earned a small laugh from Sanji.

"I'm gonna go wake the Marimo up now so you better hurry before we leave you."

"Wait, I gotta ask Frank a couple of things before I go."

Franky then pops his head from his workshop and proceeded to ask, "What do ya need to ask me?"

Usopp was surprised to see him there, not that it was irregular to see him in his own room. It was just that Usopp didn't expect him to be here. He thought he was still with Robin or something. He probably just didn't hear Franky coming down because he was so focused on his supply check.

"Since I'm going shopping I wanted to know if ya wanted me to get you any parts before they sell out of what we need or something."

"Aw, thanks little bro! I need like about 20 of the 35-67-20 seals and 10 of those 45-80-12 seals and about 100 or maybe even 200 nuts and screws of all the standard sizes and also three bouquets of Tulips, Rhododendrons, Zinnias, Plantain lilies and Day Lilies."

"Three?"

"Yeah, I looked for some flowers that were safe for deer and people and I'm giving one bouquet to Robin, Chopper and Nami to brighten their rooms a little!"

"Aw that's sweet! But don't you think Chopper might eat those? Considering that those flowers are safe for deer to eat? Although he isn't technically a deer but a reindeer."

Franky answered stood there in silence along with Usopp and Sanji. All of them ponder the question that was just asked. Franky then started to leave as he said to Usopp "So the seals, nuts and screws! Get 'em for me will ya? Thanks little bro!" And proceeded to go to the deck, probably to question Chopper whether he likes to eat flowers or not. Sanji then mumbled something under his breath.

"What was that Sanji?"

"Nothing, just wondering what I should make for dinner, anyways now that that's over with come on."

They walked out over to the deck to find Zoro, not where he was before. Or any of his usual sleeping spots.

"ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME!"

"God fucking dammit. He probably thought we left him or some shit. Fuuuuuck."

"That damned moss head, it's like he literally has moss in his head instead of an actual human brain. I'd say I can't believe this, but this is pretty on par for that dumbass."

"Should we split up and look for him before we go shopping?"

"We can't, we need to buy the groceries before the good shit is all sold out to the other crews, that fucking bitch is gonna pay if that happens!"

"Okay so what's the plan? Just buy the groceries?"

"Usopp look, I'm gonna need you to buy everything on this list I made for you. I'll handle half of the Marimo's list and you get the other half, can I count on you to buy the best ingredients you can find for as cheap as you can?"

Usopp smirked and replied confidently, " Nami ain't the only that can get a good bargain!"

"Hell yeah, go! Make me proud!

.

Usopp was arguing with a lady about the rice that Sanji needed him to buy. He heard from another vendor that he gets all his rice from here because her rice was high quality and delicious. So he did what he had to do to get the rice.

"My final offer! 10,000 berries for 160 kilograms of your finest rice!"

"Hah! The lowest I'll go is 16,000 for 30 kilos."

"What if I said please?"

"Hmm, 15,500 for 30."

"And if I said I'd help you repair your food stand?"

"Now you're talking! 12,500 for 30!"

"Deal! Pleasure doing business ma'am!"

"Like wise."

As Usopp shook her hand he felt proud of himself, he could understand Nami in a way. Getting a bargain did feel pretty good. But then he realised his mistake. He can't carry all this rice. Well technically he could, but that would take around two or three trips. Not only that but it's starting to get dark and he hasn't bought what Franky needs yet. He starts to think hard on what to do until he hears a loud yell from across the street.

He looks over and, oh. Oh no.

"Hey! You're the sniper for the Strawhats aren't ya?"

OH NOOOOOOOOOO

"Where's that shitty little kid anyways?"

This was not a good day for Usopp.

"Hey! You ignoring me or something you brat?"

"W-Who're you calling a brat! I'm only four years younger than you!"

Shit. As soon as Usopp finished his sentence, there was a murderous glint in Kidd's eye. He started to walk over to Usopp.

"Oh really? So you're the same age as that stupid captain of yours?"

"If you hurt me, uh. Luffy will come after you!"

He's getting closer he's almost right in front Usopp.

"Who cares about your captain? He ain't here now. What I wanna know is, what you would do."

What?

He leans over and whispers into Usopp's ear, "What would you do to me, huh?"

He then pulled away and smirked at Usopp. Taking in his flushed face.

"So you want help?"

"W-Whuh? Um. I-"

Kidd sighed and said, "THE BAGS? Do you need help with the bags? You know, the shit you have in your hands?"

"Oh! Uh I mean. I guess. Fuck! Yes, I mean yes I. Haha sorry. Just. Gimme a moment."

Holy fuck? What the fuck was that? What the FUCK was that? That was so fucking hot and terrifying holy shit what.

"Could you, h-help me with the rice? That'd be really helpful and um."

Kidd looks at Usopp, and asks with an aggravated tone, "What?"

"My name is Usopp. Uh, yeah."

Kidd raised an eyebrow and looked him dead straight in the eye. He laughed, and replied with a smile "I know."

This man is going to be the death of him. He didn't think it'd be this kind of death but nonetheless a death.

"So where do you need to go?"

"Well I need to go to the parts shop and maybe the junkyard if we have time."

"Sick. So which way?"

"Well a vendor I talked to before said that the parts shop should be further down a couple of streets and that I'd need to take a right turn at the red bar then proceed down that street and then we'd find it."

“Well then hurry up, I ain’t got all day you know.”

The walk was quiet, and quickly turning into an anxiety churning venture. He didn’t understand what was happening. Sure, he understood that he was shopping for groceries and then Kidd came into the picture. He invited himself in on this little adventure or whatever just as suddenly as he arrived. Usopp still wasn’t really sure what happened between that. That must have been a joke or something right? Or maybe this was a dream? Maybe he’s actually on the ship! Unconscious from Nami’s punch! Maybe-

[auspicetaker]

grocery store duties ranked from worst to best:

- cash register. this is self explanatory i think. it sucks no matter what. with the unique twist that my job is at a fancy organic store where people enjoy self flagellating over forgetting their reusable bags and your job as cashier is to soothe them and assuage their guilt while also charging an exorbitant paper bag fee for our shitty paper bags.

- anything involving being in the cooler for more than 30 minutes at a time. i am a skinny bitch with raynauds i feel like im gonna die restocking the milk please don't send me in there. the only good thing about the cooler is that it's a good place to hide to cry / scroll your phone in peace and quiet.

- customer service desk. it's either so dead and boring that the minutes just crawl past and you find yourself inventing new Tasks just to pass the time. Or it's a maelstrom of complaints and weirdoes. i absolutely hate it even though it's objectively one of the easiest and chillest jobs to do

- general stocking (backstock, top stock, facing). this is honestly pretty satisfying to me and I don't mind it even when it's completely crazymaking (eg when you discover nobody has been rotating the cheese and there's a moldy sliced cheddar in the back that's been expired for like two weeks). it's best in the early morning before the store opens and you can listen to podcasts or music and just fucking restore order to a chaotic display of chips.

- produce section. I haven't spent a ton of time here tbh and while it certainly can get nasty as fuck (rotting fruit zone) it's also super chill. produce people regard the produce zone as their personal snack bar and seem to always be chomping on random fruits and veggies. they also have a fair bit of downtime and are often doodling weird little guys and sticking them to the outside of the produce fridge.

- bulk section!!! bulk section my beloved!!! the absolute sweetest gig in bulk is bulk repacking because you get to hide in the back away from customers and fill little containers up with raisins. but tbh I don't mind the more public facing bulk stuff even when it's nervewracking (being evil eye stared at by a customer while you try not to pour the entire 50lb bag of oats onto the fucking floor). even though i am pretty allergic to like easily a third of the items in bulk and have gotten hives from doing the work in short sleeves before, it's still my absolute favorite. i like the concept behind it (eliminating unnecessary packaging, only buying as much of the thing as you need), and it feels more actually eco friendly than half the greenwashed crap in the store

[maximuswolf]

What game has the biggest issue with money being worthles?

What game has the biggest issue with money being worthles? Money makes the world go round, but in many video game worlds, it often ends up worthless, so monetary rewards can end up moot.The Legend of Zelda series has a recurring problem, the worst cases I have seen are Breath of the Wild and Echoes of Wisdom (I haven't played Tears yet). Despite Breath of the Wild not having money you can find by cutting grass, you still end up with more than you'll ever need because you can sell virtually anything you come across. I often ended up netting a profit from shopping by selling a fraction of the stuff you collect. The are items for sale you can use in cooking, and I didn't buy most of them because the stuff I found worked fine.The most annoying part for me was that shops did sell special arrows except they quit restocking them if you had enough in your inventory so I was better off find enemies to get more. Past the early game I didn't need money for anything besides upgrading armor and quests.Echoes of Wisdom has health items for sale, that there isn't a ton of need for when you can use a bed to recover your health for free.However, the worst case I have seen is Xenoblade 3. This is a JRPG where you don't have to buy weapons or armor. There are items for sale you can use in quests and cooking, I got buy without needing to use the cooking mechanic and for the most you can find items for quests without spending any money. The accessories for sale have use on paper except exploring the map almost always let to better ones.The Land of Challenge DLC was the final nail in the coffin since while it does require grinding resources there you can get better stuff for clearing its challenges than from shops.None of this makes these games bad, it just feels weird to carry around so much cash and not have a use for it. Submitted December 04, 2024 at 06:32AM by Sensitive-Hotel-9871 https://ift.tt/kj09JnG via /r/gaming

[frenchtipnailart]

How To Properly Use Dry Shampoo

READ MORE: https://mstdn.social/@French_tip_nail

Dry shampoo has become one of those must-have beauty products. This sort of stuff didn’t exist when I was in high school, or even college. Instead, we either put our hair in a big messy bun, or took a damn shower.  

READ MORE: https://pawoo.net/@French_tip_nail

Times have changed and dry shampoo is part of my beauty routine. I just can’t imagine not having this in my beauty arsenal. Dry shampoo is great to help combat excess oil and can also revitalize your hair and help make it smell great. But my question to you is, are you using it correctly?

READ MORE: https://www.stylevore.com/user/French_tip_nail

How To Properly Use Dry Shampoo

While restocking my favorite dry shampoo a few months ago at Sephora, the saleswoman sat me down and showed me the right way to use it. Sure you are just spraying dry shampoo in your hair and rub it in, right? Sorta.

There are a few key steps to ensure you’re getting the most out of this product and really making sure your hair looks its best. Plus, since it’s so pricey, you’ll want to make sure you’re getting the most out of the can and not wasting any product.

How To Put On Dry Shampoo Step by Step

First, let’s chat about HOW to use dry shampoo. There’s definitely a way to use it to get the best results and so you aren’t going through can after can of this stuff.

Don’t make these common mistakes like applying it too close to your scalp, or only using it on dirty hair! You can use it to revive clean flat hair too to add some volume.

Here is my step by step tutorial on how to properly use dry shampoo for refreshing your hairstyle.

Step One – Shake The Can

Shake the can vigorously to mix it up. Almost every bottle I’ve ever used requires this. This ensures that all of the ingredients are properly mixed and will spray more evenly and effectively into your hair.

Step Two – Section Your Hair And Spray

Section your hair around your face to spray dry shampoo into your part. You’ll then spray about 8-12 inches away from your hairline in small bursts. You don’t want to get TOO close to your scalp so be sure to leave some space.

Also, you don’t need a TON of product. Apply dry shampoo, then move on to the next section. Repeat!

Step Three – Repeat With Other Sections

Move to the next section and repeat these steps until each section has basically turned white. Most dry shampoos will turn white, it’s totally normal.

I have dark hair and although you can buy dark dry shampoos for various hair colors, I don’t like them one bit. I’ve had only bad experiences with them as they can dye your skin or clothes with the color. If you’re using dry shampoo correctly, as in following steps 4 and 5 below, you won’t mind the white on your dark hair.

Step Four – Let It Sit

Leave it! Yup, don’t touch it. Just let it sit there and wait a few minutes for it to settle in to your scalp.

Step Five – Tap The Dry Shampoo Into Your Hair

Tap it in with your fingers. You want to tap your head with your fingertips until the dry shampoo has been absorbed. If tapping doesn’t get all the white residue absorbed, you can gently rub it in. However, I always recommend tapping it in first.

You can also brush it out if you like to remove any residual white powder. For someone with nearly black hair though, Klorane doesn’t leave any white residue after I follow these steps.

When Should You Apply Dry Shampoo?

It’s a common misconception that dry shampoo is to only be used on dirty hair. Not true! Especially with volumizing dry shampoos, you can apply this on clean hair to revive and add volume. While I would personally keep this to a minimum, as living on dry shampoo isn’t GREAT for your hair follicles (more on that below), it can be a good volume boost.

You’ll also benefit the most from absorbing oil in your scalp by applying dry shampoo at night for optimal results. Spray it before heading to bed so it soaks up the oil as you sleep. This way, you wake up looking refreshed with cleaner looking hair.

My Favorite Dry Shampoo

Over time I’ve tested and tried out lots of dry shampoo brands and have a growing collection of favorites.  You can check out this post on some of my favorites as they vary from price point and results.  I will tell you though, there is one stand-out brand that I swear by, Klorane Dry Shampoo.  As in, if I was stranded on a deserted island and I had to pick one dry shampoo, this would be it. It does the best job of absorbing oil and smells amazing.

While Klorane is my go-to dry shampoo, there are several others I do like and use. I have this entire post on some of my favorite dry shampoos at every price point. I really love Living Proof Perfect Hair Day dry shampoo, and for a good drugstore brand, Kristin Ess is also a great option for oily hair!

Klorane Dry Shampoo Review

There are several different types of Klorane dry shampoo you can buy. I go with their basic one. They do have a dark hair one but I just prefer the regular and have never had issues with white residue lingering.

They also have a volumizing dry shampoo and even a detox dry shampoo for super oily scalps. There are lots of options to choose from. But I’m an originalist and love this classic one.

I always keep a full size bottle in my hair drawer. And when I travel, I love their mini travel size one. And if you’re heading to Paris, yes, you should buy some while you’re there because it is significantly cheaper!

Why You Don’t Want To LIVE On Dry Shampoo

You’ll hear some people say that their life is just dry shampoo and coffee. Right? They use it every single day and rarely wash and blow dry their hair because of it. They think that they’re practicing better hair care by saving their ends and growing them out. Wrong. Adding a ton of dry shampoo to your hair every single day is actually DAMAGING your hair. Here’s why.

You Need Oil

Your hair and scalp need oil. It’s there to hydrate your skin, nourish the follicle and keep your scalp from getting dry and itchy. If you use dry shampoo every single day, you’re just drying out the oils.

Which, yes, it’s what the product is supposed to do and is fine to use to extend a day or two. But using it every single day in place of hair washes with a heavy hand over time will do more damage than good.

Dried Cuticles Aren’t Fun

Because you’re removing all the oil with dry shampoo, your cuticles will get dried out. When the cuticle gets dried out the hair isn’t as healthy and strong and it can break off. So the whole thought process of less washing, and more dry shampoo means longer hair since I’m not putting heat on it is totally wrong! Just wash your hair and try a no heat hairstyle to keep the heat off. And let’s not forget a good DIY overnight hair mask to help nourish your hair and scalp!

My hairstylist’s tip…

My beautician recommends you should wash your hair every 3-4 days. So if on day 3 you need a little dry shampoo that’s fine. But she doesn’t recommend adding it for 3 additional days so you can go a whole week out of your style. This will help ensure your follicles stay healthy and you aren’t stripping your scalp of those essential oils.

[rapifessor]

Pokéchronology, Volume I: Yellow

Day 13

This was a pretty grindy day, unsurprisingly. I want to make sure I'm reasonably prepared for what's coming up next, so I've been planning my endgame and powering up my Pokémon. I'll very likely wrap things up by tomorrow, and it won't be long before I start the next volume of Pokéchronology. I've laid the groundwork to make sure all of that happens.

Without further ado, let us begin. Unless you're allergic to Pokémon Yellow spoilers, of course.

Victory Road

Here we are. This is the final frontier, the last stretch before I reach the end of the game. From Giovanni's gym, I get organized and set out for Victory Road.

Ah, but of course, I must first deal with Gary, who has shown up yet again to demand a battle from me, claiming he's going to "whip" me to warm up for the Elite Four. Big if true.

In all seriousness, I wasn't sure how I was going to perform against Gary compared to last time. And as it turns out, he has a full team now, composed of Sandslash, Exeggcute, Ninetales, Cloyster, Kadabra, and Jolteon.

Luckily, I had Holy in front at the time, so I didn't have to switch to counter Gary's opener, Sandslash. I outspeed and OHKO it with Surf. Alright then, no problem. Sandslash isn't so spooky anymore. Then it's Exeggcute. Psychic/Grass, eh? Alright, Ice Beam that shit. OHKO again.

Ninetales. This 'mon actually has pretty good HP and/or Special, so they survive being hit with Surf. Ninetales' Ember does very little damage to Holy in return though, so even though Ninetales outspeeds them, Holy KOs another of Gary's Pokémon with a Thunderbolt.

In comes Cloyster. Boy, was I ready for that fucker this time. They try to Confuse Holy, but fail, and Holy deletes them instantly with Thunderbolt. Finally, Gary sends out something that Holy can't immediately destroy: Kadabra. I figure the best way to combat them is with Mycoboss, though I was worried that Kadabra might get the W anyway because of their raw Special. Surprisingly, Kadabra survives a Leech Life, so I move to finish them off with Cut. Kadabra Recovers though, so after the Cut hits I follow it up with another Leech Life. Kadabra down. Thanks to the big heals from these moves, Mycoboss was able to survive a Psychic and a Psybeam.

Finally, it's time for Jolteon. You all know how this is going to go.

Prinzessin. Earthquake. Jolteon faints in one attack. To make matters worse for Gary's ace Pokémon, they managed to get off a Pin Missile against Prinzessin, which is super effective against her, and it barely did anything. This confirms that even though Jolteon is guaranteed to outspeed my counter pick, there's nothing they can do that's even remotely threatening to Prinzessin.

So yeah. Given that I swept 2/3rds of his entire team with a single Pokémon and the rest proved to be no greater challenge, I would say Gary is no longer someone I need to worry about.

Victory Road, for real this time

Victory Road consists of a brief route where you can find a few different wild Pokémon and a cave dungeon where Moltres can be found, which you must solve a boulder puzzle to traverse. The Pokémon found outside the cave are almost all above level 40, which makes them decent to train on. I'll be coming back to them later. There are otherwise no trainers in this area.

The cave is a much more complex and difficult sequence as you must figure out how to get through while being bombarded with Geodude and facing trainers with fully evolved Pokémon. Well, I could have dealt with the belligerent wild Pokémon if I used some Repels, but why pass up the opportunity to gain some free EXP for Ominous and Holy?

There are also a shit ton of items in this dungeon. Several TMs, most of which you can already buy so I'm not sure why they bothered, and other assorted consumables. I had to get my storage sorted out yet again and ended up making multiple trips to the dungeon, restocking and getting my Pokémon healed. I taught Prinzessin Fire Blast just to free up space, which wasn't a bad idea anyway since Water Gun had outlived its usefulness on her and having a powerful Fire move gives me a little extra type coverage. Or the ability to KO Pokémon with raw power, as I've learned. Also used the TM for Softboiled on the Chansey I caught, since they're the only Pokémon who can even learn it.

The battle with Moltres was... annoying. Mycoboss is too slow and can't survive more than a turn against the legendary bird, so Spore was effectively useless as a means of disabling them. I went for the good ol' Body Slam Paralyze strat once again, which did work but man did it suck. Ominous did a great job of tanking Moltres' attacks while I spammed Ultra Balls. This motherfucker literally ate every single Ultra Ball I had. All 18 of them. In honor of them being such a brat, I named them Bratwurst.

For the rest of the cave, I had fun decimating the teams of every trainer who challenged me. I encountered a couple Machoke during my time in the dungeon, which I would have caught if Moltres hadn't been a little bitch and I had remembered to replenish my supply before returning after a trip to the Pokémon Center. Eventually I made my way out to Indigo Plateau, the site of the Pokémon League, where the final battle will take place.

But not yet. I want to do some grinding first. I got sorted at the Pokémon Center and then got straight to training. A few hours of grinding later, my entire team is level 50, which I figure should be enough to carry me all the way through the battle for the championship. I know that the Pokémon I'll be facing are stronger than that, but frankly, I doubt that it matters. Constantly being at a level deficit certainly didn't stop me from laughing off Gary's notion of using me as a warm-up. Even if his Jolteon is 10 levels higher than my Prinzessin, it won't stop me from one-shotting them once again.

I'm more concerned with the Elite Four, to some extent. I didn't look into what Pokémon they had too much, as I'd rather it be a surprise, but I know that they specialize in types much like Gym Leaders. One of them uses Ice types and another uses Dragon types. Too bad there are no pure Ice types in Generation I, otherwise the Ice user's Pokémon might stand a chance against Holy. And Dragon is weak to Ice, which Holy also has more than covered. I'm starting to think that Lapras may be a little OP. My Lapras has a favorable match-up against other Lapras for fuck's sake.

Well, we'll have to see if the Elite Four are really all that tomorrow. As I understand it, you're forced to fight them all back to back with no opportunity for a Pokémon Center trip in between. But that's just a matter of having enough items for the job. Status heals, Hyper Potions, Lemonades and Fresh Waters, Revives, and maybe Elixirs if I need them. I'll just make sure that I'm prepared for every situation and that I have the ability to heal my Pokémon to full as many times as necessary.

[lightingandsupplies]

Wholesale Camping Gear

Planning an Epic Trip? Get the camping Gear You Need at Wholesale Prices!

Are you planning an epic camping trip? Whether heading out for a weekend of fun with friends or taking a longer adventure solo, having the right gear is essential. But who wants to drop a fortune on new camping equipment?

Not us! That's why we recommend getting your camping gear at wholesale prices.

It doesn't matter if you're buying in bulk or need to pick up one item here and there; when it comes to saving money, shopping wholesale camping gear can be the way to go. There are tons of great options that cater specifically to campers, so you don't have to worry about low-quality knockoffs or outdated products.

Benefits of Shopping Wholesale Camping Gear

There are many great reasons to buy your camping gear from a wholesaler. The most obvious benefit is that you can save money without sacrificing quality, but there's more to it than just dollars and cents. Shopping wholesale also allows you to:

i. Get access to the latest camping gear:

A wholesaler is the best bet if you're looking for the newest and hottest camping equipment. They usually have access to products before they hit other stores, so you can be sure you'll always have the best of the best.

ii. Stock up on supplies:

Regarding camping trips, having enough supplies is key. Buying bulk from a wholesaler helps ensure you have essentials like fuel or food when you're out in the wild. It also means fewer trips to restock mid-trip!

iii. Find specialty items:

Camping isn't one size fits all; some trips require specialized gear. Shopping from a wholesaler can help you find everything from unique camping cookware to one-of-a-kind tents and backpacks, so you'll have the right stuff for your unforgettable adventure.

iv. Save time and hassle:

If you'd rather spend your time planning where to camp than driving around town looking for deals, shopping wholesale camping gear is the way to go. You can find everything you need in one place and avoid all those extra trips to pick up pieces here and there.

v. delivery at the time:

Many wholesale camping gear suppliers offer convenient delivery options, so you don't have to worry about lugging heavy items around. Plus, they usually offer competitive shipping prices and can get your order to you quickly so you can get your supplies quickly.

Endnote:

As you can see, shopping from a wholesaler is an excellent way to save money and time for gearing up for the perfect camping trip. So what are you waiting for?

Start planning your next epic adventure today! Visit  Marine Wholesale Distributors

[dresupi]

Help Needed & Update

The other post kind of lost traction, so I'm reposting with the same info, but with some new updates at the bottom.

Here's the situation:

My partner lost his job last month. They farted around giving us his last paychecks and as a result, we had a ton of late fees to account for by the time we got the money. I paid everything up to date for the month and then once I paid our electric bill, we were officially out of money. Plus:

Unemployment is stuck in review, pretty sure we're not going to see a cent of that. Our state has one of the lowest ones anyway, but being able to use it would have taken some of the pressure off, but alas, we're likely never going to see any of it.

He's trying to drive for uber eats, but the app keeps telling us our car is too old even though it's a 2005, which is less than twenty years old and I thought it was fine to use. He's finally gotten approved for this, so he's now driving and making *some* money. About the equivalent of a minimum wage job, but slightly less.

He is applying for jobs now that barely pay more than minimum wage and is still not getting any callbacks.

I feel sick and can't eat and I honestly don't know what we're going to do. We have three children and I'm terrified of failing them. I'm disabled from a non-traumatic brain injury back in 2017/2018 and I run an Etsy shop, but it doesn't come close to covering the bills. Plus, once I run out of stock, that's it because I haven't been able to use any of my earnings to buy supplies to restock, so it's not a long-term solution anyway.

Total amount needed: (this isn't including any non-essentials like credit card payments, this is just to keep the lights on and keep us from getting evicted or at least put on notice in June) :

The new amount we need is about $300 dollars, so I've updated the amount below to reflect that.

$1075/$1362

Basically, if you can help, please do.

______________________________________________________

Paypal || Ko-Fi || Patreon || Etsy || Amazon Wish List

Venmo: @babrittsy

Cashapp : $dresupi

[the-gay-prometheus]

Started on a 25 mg dose and switched to 30 mg about two or three months in. I'm pretty sure I'm an outlier on a lot of things, so don't take what I say as what will happen for you 😅

1. My voice started noticeably dropping like. Three weeks into taking it. But it became really obvious more like two months or so later.

2. I literally started getting bottom growth happening the day after I took my first dose. It just felt really weird. I'd say it probably became visibly noticeable about a month in but it hasn't really been bothersome or anything yet.

3. The biggest effect it had is that for a few months my depression would start to get bad again around Friday of each week and get better by around Sunday night to Monday. Sunday is when I take my doses, so I guess it has something to do with the shots wearing off over the week. I haven't had that happen for a few months now (I'm officially a year in!) and the only time my depression gets bad again is when I accidentally forget to take multiple doses in a row. Whoops.

4. I already had a lot of thick/coarse body hair to begin with so to be honest I haven't seen much of a change there. I've noticed I'm getting a little chest hair but honestly it's so small it's barely noticeable

5. No issues with hair loss yet (knock on wood)

6. I haven't stopped intentionally, but there have been times I've gotten behind on doses for reasons other than just being prone to forgetting, and plenty of times where I've had to use a vial for longer than what is typically deemed safe. I'm doing shots because it's the most cost effective option (things like the ointment can cost well over $200 for a tiny bottle!), but the drawback is that it means you also need needles (two different kinds in fact - an 18 gauge to draw up, and a 20-25 gauge to dispense) and syringes. Even though in most states you don't need a specific prescription to get needles and syringes from your pharmacy - and even if your T prescription has 'dispense with [insert needles and syringes here]' - a lot of pharmacies will be reluctant to give them to you... If not outright refuse. It's bs, and it makes getting safe needles and syringes much more difficult. It's either that, or if you're lucky enough to have a harm reduction center near you you might be able to get some clean human-grade needles and syringes from there for free, or you order them online and pay a ton of money to buy them in bulk and not have to worry about them for a whole year and just kinda hope that the ones you're getting are actually good quality. There's also a high chance your pharmacy will run out of one or both types of needles or will run out of syringes and will either make you go on a wild goose chase trying to find a pharmacy that has them or will just tell you that you're going to have to wait until theyre restocked (and who knows when that will be). Similarly in terms of access being difficult, I've also found that it's not uncommon for your local pharmacies to just. Run out of T. And then not be able to get anymore for months at a time. There was a three and a half month stretch last year where all the pharmacies in my area ran out and I had to temporarily switch to an online pharmacy which wasn't always reliable. That was the longest stretch, but it's pretty common at least where I am for pharmacies to be out for like at least two weeks at a time. What I'm getting at is - access can be literal hell, just be ready for that. That's the worst part about taking it so far.

FELLOW NONBINARY BUCKAROOS MICRODOSING T I HAVE QUESTIONS!

Please help a fella out here.

I'm seriously considering doing this. Like, making an appointment and everything. But the doctor has way less information than y'all. So to y'all I come.

If y'all could answer what you can/are comfy with, either here or privately it would be great.

How long did it take you to start to get really obvious voice drop, if you did? How long did the process take to stabilize and how deep did it get? This is one of the big 2 I want.

How long did it take to start to get bottom growth, if you did? How noticeable is it for you? This is the other big one.

Did it affect you psychologically? I have ADHD and some depression, though I am glad to be able to say I am stable.

Body hair? Let's talk about that? I'm not hairy at all right now. I'm virtually a Sphynx cat.

Hair on the head? Issues with loss? After how long?

If you stopped, why? Did you reach your goals? Did you decide it wasn't for you? (Please know I absolutely do not judge your reasons, I just want to hear about it.)

[ftm-anon]

Felt really bad about making @it-ezz-what-it-ezz uncomfortable yesterday so I'm writing them some nice fluffy headcanons. I would've just sent these straight to them but Tumblr mobile doesn't like my phone and Tumblr on PC gives me a character limit =(

These are headcanons on various characters' haircare routines because I recently changed mine, and it doesn't get talked about often.

Guzma - This motherfucker uses 5-in-1 soap and somehow still has fluffy af hair. - His hair should not be that fluffy and soft - He smells nice at least but whyyyy - Occasionally runs a brush through his hair but will mostly just finger comb it.

Ingo & Emmet - Has Shampoo and Conditioner like normal people - They share so they have restock more often than most people. - Softly masculine scented soaps. They work in a public area so their soaps can't be too overpowering. No one likes dealing with someone who smells super strongly of something. - Those sideburns need love too so they probably use beard oil or some other kind of special treatment for them. - A pair of nice smelling boys

Laventon - Funnily enough, he makes his own soap! - He learned how to make it from his Mother before he moved to Hisui - He smells like Lavender and yes he knows how funny that is. He just so happens to really like the smell and it's calming. He's a nervous man and needs all the calming things. - He makes it in bulk so, of course, you can have some too. - He brushes his hair regularly but then covers it with that hat.

Piers - This man has a tote bag of hair care products. You cannot convince me otherwise. You cannot tell me he has such long luscious hair and doesn't use a crap ton of products to keep it nice. - Haircare stuff is the one thing he splurges on. Most of his money goes to Spikemuth and raising Marnie. Hair stuff is his one luxury. - Volumizing Shampoo and Conditioner and Anti-frizz spray are just the tip of the iceberg. - He has had to buy multiple hairdryers before finding one that doesn't die on him after a month. He refuses to buy from any other brand now. - He has to make sure all of his products smell the same or are complimentary or else he'd just smell like the hair care aisle. - He's broken so many brushes and hair ties in that hair of his. It's ravenous for them. - If you're close enough to him he'll let you touch his hair and it's soft af.

Sycamore - Also very particular about his hair care routine. - Only the fanciest and nicest smelling products for him, please. - Shampoo and Conditioner and Hair gel - Not a lot of hair gel, he isn't a heathen. He doesn't want crispy hair. - He smells nice and fresh, maybe mint or cedar wood? - One of the only people on the list to use a hair curler.

I can't think of anymore for now.

[just-a-creep-babe]

Work Pest

(Habit x Reader)

Commissioned again by @selfshippinglover thank you so much bby, I love this mans 💖👄💖 I hope you like it <3

This ended up having a lot more plot than I initially planned, so I hope that's alright :”) Also I’ve never worked at a grocery store so I hope this isn’t too inaccurate 😅

~Requests are closed~

Masterlist: x

“Hey, (y/n). Hope you’re ready to work a lot today—we just got a shipment twice as big as we’re used to”

You hold back a groan as you set your things down at your spot in the employee’s room

You haven’t even started your shift yet and you’re already dreading the monotonous, repetitive work you’ll be doing for the next eight hours

“And the new person we hired just bailed on us, so you’ll be on your own for a while…” she reluctantly continues

This time, you don’t bother quieting your disapproval

“Crap, really? I thought they liked it here”

“Yeah, well, apparently they didn’t… They said something about the boss being too demanding before leaving”

You sigh

While it is true that your manager orders you around a lot, you don’t think he‘s too overbearing

It is his job, after all—he does what he has to in order to keep things working

“Alright, well, any more problems I should be made aware of?”

You give your coworker a teasing smile, trying to lighten the mood

Despite being the bearer of bad news, you know none of this is her fault, and she’s just trying to make end’s meet

In fact, between the two of you, even though she does have a higher position, you’re probably in a better financial situation than she is, thanks to a certain powerful entity that’s on your side 

“I think that’s it,” she answers, clearly relieved that you’re not upset with her

“And, hey, after our shift is over,” she adds, “how ‘bout we go out for some fast food? On me”

“That sounds good,” you hum, “I could go for some curly fries”

“Great! It’s a date,” she giggles

And before you can pipe in again, she’s gathering her things and heading out to the front

You shake your head, chuckling

She knows you have a boyfriend—and a very possessive one at that—but it never stops her from being flirty

If anything, she finds it funny

If only she knew what she was messing with…

Releasing another sigh, you shake the thought away and ready yourself for the day’s plentiful work

•••

The first half of your shift flies by without a hitch

You lose yourself in your work, mind zoning off to the familiar daydreams that always keep you company

It’s only when you finish stocking the fourth aisle that you realize you might not get everything done today

You hate knowing your boss will ask you to stay overtime, but you tell yourself it’s not your fault

You’re doing everything you can with the time you have—this just wasn’t meant to be a one-person job

Still, you try not to let it get to you as you stack cans of food together in neat little rows

Just as you begin pushing your trolley of now empty shipment boxes back to the storage room, you’re suddenly forced to a halt as you bump into a shopper you hadn’t noticed

“Oh, shoot! I’m so sorry, I didn’t—Habit?”

Surely enough, your one and only possessive lover is standing in front of your cart, his hand outstretched to stop you from hitting him, with that damn grin on his face

He tuts playfully

“You should watch where you’re going, little rabbit~ You could’ve seriously injured little ol’ me”

He flashes his pearly white canines, his lips playfully curling back

“H-habit, what’re you doing here? I have a ton of stuff to do today, I can’t get distracted”

His smile falters, but only for a second before quickly returning

“Aww, c’mon, little rabbit, don’t be like that”

He makes his way around the cart, casually sauntering up to you

You’re forced to step back a few paces as he presses closer into you—all the way until your back’s hitting the shelves and he’s got you cornered

Two strong, thick arms cage you in

You pray to god that no one—especially not your boss or coworker, walk in on you in such a predicament

“Don’t try to tell me your work isn’t boring. I’m just trying to help out by spicing things up a bit~” he practically purrs as he leans in even closer

“Besides, I’ve missed my little rabbit,” he admits, “I haven’t had nearly enough time to spend with you recently. I’m just trying to make up for that”

He’s so close

The distance between the two of you is nearly nonexistent

His eyes keep flickering to your mouth and you can tell he wants you to kiss him

You want to kiss him too

You really, really do

But just as you’re about to lean in, you manage to snap yourself out of it

There’s no way you’ll be able to resist giving in if you press your lips to his

He’ll have you wrapped around his finger if you slip up and you both know it

So, you press your hands to his broad chest and gently push him away, despite already missing his closeness as soon as you do so

“H-Habit, no—stop-stop trying to distract me,” you stutter

He “hmphs,” narrowing his eyes, almost challenging you to change your mind

But you don’t back down—you won’t

You cross your arms and quirk your brow, trying to look as set and confident in your decision as you possibly can

And, surely enough, a few moments of staring each other down, he gives up, sighing grumpily

“Fine. Can you at least finish early today? The house feels so empty without you,” he pouts, and you have to stifle your laughter because here he is, this all-powerful being, acting like a spoiled child because he wants to spend time with you

“I’m sorry, I can’t,” you apologize, “I think I’ll have to work overtime tonight”

You intentionally leave out the part where your coworker asked you out on a date, because even though it is platonic, you know damn well he wouldn’t react too kindly to the news

He groans

“You’re gonna be the death of me, (y/n)”

•••

After Habit leaves, you’re left to return your focus and attention back to your work without any more distractions

Or at least, for the moment, anyways

You fill out more shelves, meticulously restocking every product so that they look as appealing as possible for customers to buy

Back and forth, you move between the back room and the open aisles more times than you care to count, lugging box after box full of fresh, new supplies to place in their designated spots

You’re a little over halfway through the shipment when you get to the breakfast section

Half empty shelves of granola bars, oatmeals and cereals attract a few customers that absent-mindedly compare labels

Maneuvering through them, you spot what needs to be refilled and begin getting to work

You push the few boxes that remain to side to make room for the new ones

And, lo and behold, when you look back through the now open space in the shelves, you’re met with a signature grin from the other side

“Who’s this little cutie? Fancy meeting you here~”

“Habit!” you cry out his name, voice escaping much louder than you expected

You can feel the customers simultaneously all turn their attention to you—like you’re a madwoman for exclaiming his name to yourself

Your face flushes beneath their inquisitive gazes

You lean in, trying to ignore them to talk to the man on the other side

“Why are you still here?” you urge, torn between wanting to keep your voice down and being too surprised to control your volume

“Awh, you aren’t happy to see me again, bunny?~” he teases

Seeing him again does lift your spirits, but you know if you admit it, he won’t let it go

“You know that’s not the case,” you sigh, “I just have a lot to get done today”

A customer passes by behind you, and you watch as Habit’s face tenses and he almost snarls when they linger to give you a strange look

But then they move away, and his eyes snap back to you, carefree grin returning like nothing happened in the first place

“Well, don’t let me distract you. I’m just doing some grocery shopping. Why else would I be here? Certainly not because the enchantingly beautiful employee won’t get out of my head…”

You almost want to look mad at him for tempting you away from your work—again—but his grinning is contagious

And he looks so charming with that playful, mischievous look in his eyes that you’re utterly powerless to stop the smile from spreading to your face

You shake your head, and it seems like his demeanor relaxes a little, seeing that he’s made you smile

“You’re ridiculous, you know that?”

Before he can say anything else and further distract you, you replace the hole in the shelf with a box of cereal, effectively cutting off your opening for conversation

Hearing him grunt from the other side has you snickering

You don’t know what’s gotten into him today, but you do know he’s not gonna make this shift easy for you

Admittedly, can’t say you aren’t thankful for it, though

Finishing the shelf you’re currently on, you move onto the next portion of work ahead of you

You manage to finish up the whole aisle with relative speed and ease, thinking about Habit the whole time and how he‘s probably still lurking around the corner, waiting to surprise you

You bring your cart back to the storage room, unpack the empty boxes, heave on some loaded ones, and return to the front once more

You’re about to finish stocking up the next aisle when you feel a tap on your shoulder

You shake your head, smiling

“Habit, at least let me finish these boxes…”

When you turn around, instead of being faced with who you expect, you find your coworker, her brow quirked expectantly with her lips tugging into a smile

“Crap, I’m sorry, I thought you were someone else,” you laugh awkwardly, your face warming

How many times are you going to embarrass yourself today?

She laughs along

“Yeah, no kidding. I saw your boyfriend, though. He was chatting up the boss... more like threatening, actually. Just figured I should let you know,” she explains with a shrug

“Crap. I shouldn’t have told him I’d have to stay behind tonight,” you groan, smacking your face into your palm

“Hey, it’s no big. Maybe the boss will stop understaffing us if he scares him good enough. Here, why don’t you go check up on them?” she suggests, gently nudging you in the direction of his office, “I’ll finish this up for you real quick”

“Thanks. Really, you’re a lifesaver”

“Oh stop, it’s nothing,” she reassures you, laughing again

“We can reschedule our date, too. I don’t wanna face your guard dog’s wrath,” she teases

If you could sweat-drop like an anime character, you’d be doing that just about now

As much as you love her, she really has no idea what she’s messing with when it comes to Habit

“R-right, thanks again. I’ll try not to be too long. I’ll be back to pick up on the next section!” you call back over your shoulder, already heading to your boss’ rescue

But right as you’re turning around a corner, you bump into something hard and solid

The impact would have knocked you on your ass, if it wasn’t for the warm pair of hands wrapping around your hips to keep you upright

“Easy now, little rabbit. Didn’t I say you should watch where you’re going? You could’ve hurt yourself”

“J-jesus fuck, you’re gonna give me a heart attack one day!”

You press your hand to your chest, trying to calm your frantically beating heart

He chuckles, the sound smooth and husky, as he pulls you in closer

“Relax, bunny. You know I’d never let anything bad ever happen to you~”

You groan, stuffing your face into the crook of his neck as he rocks you back and forth

“You’re an absolute pest today, you know that?”

“Yeah, I know,” he snickers, “But, hey, on the bright side, your manager just had a sudden change of heart and he won’t be making you work overtime. I think he might even let you leave early. Isn’t that great news?”

He’s not even trying to hide the fact that he just threatened the person you work for

You groan and push away from him

“Habit, what did I say about threatening people?” you ask, admonishing him like you’re disciplining a new puppy

His smirk falls

“Not to,” he begrudgingly grumbles

Your mouth quirks into a smile

He’s so adorable, you can’t possibly stay mad at him

“Alright, it’s ok. All is forgiven. But I’m still finishing my shift for the day, m’kay?”

You gently pat him on the cheek, hoping he’ll agree without further argument

But, of course, him being him, he doesn’t drop the matter so quickly

“Why?” he huffs, “You don’t even have to work. I can give you all the money—all the crap you could possibly ever want. Why don’t you let me spoil you?”

He purrs out that last part, his voice splitting

You look off to the side, contemplating how you should word your next sentence

“Habit…” you hesitate, not wanting to hurt his feelings, “I just… I feel like I need to do this. It makes me feel productive, like I’m helping out. I don’t wanna sit around and just do nothing all the time, you know?”

“You wouldn’t be doing nothing all the time, bunny. You’d be keeping me entertained~”

He croons the last word in his true voice again, gently taking both your hands in his and pressing them to his chest, that playful expression never leaving his face

You roll your eyes, fighting off a smile for the umpteenth time today

“I have to get back to work, Habit. My coworker can’t cover me forever”

He groans when you pull away—again

“My shift’s almost done, I’ll see you in a few hours, m’kay?”

Without waiting for his reply, you turn the other way and start making a beeline to the next portion of stock that needs to be refilled

You feel his eyes on you the whole time that you’re walking away

•••

Finally

Finally

After what feels like way too long, you reach the second to last section you need to refill

You’ve skipped over a quarter of the work you’ve had to do, telling yourself you’ll just have to suck it up and do it on your next shift

But, for now, you have about an hour and a half to finish whatever you can

You think for sure Habit’s left the store by now

There’s no way he’d stick around that long just to mess with you

But you’re quick to realize you’re deeply mistaken as a familiar voice croons “missed a spot~” right near your ear as you’re stacking cans of soup

“F-fuck!” you swear loudly, jumping in surprise, hands fumbling with the can you’re holding until it slips from your grasp and onto the floor

But before it can hit the ground, with reflexes faster than you can keep up with, Habit snatches it back up like it’s nothing

Your whirl around to face him, only to find him inches away from you

His mouth, curled up into that same damn smirk, is unbearably tantalizingly close

“Careful, little rabbit,” he chuckles, “you almost made a mess. This could’ve burst open”

He throws the can up in the air as he speaks, then catches it back into his hands, toying with it

He’s so smug

“You scared the shit out of me! What’re you still doing here?”

He steps back, holding his free hand to his heart in mock offence

“I stay with you at your work, trying to make your day brighter, and this is the thanks I get? Unbelievable,” he shakes his head, tsking

As silly as it is, knowing he’s stuck around such a boring place for this long—just for you—has you feeling all kinds of warm and fuzzy

"Come on, you know I didn’t mean it like that,” you laugh, trying to bargain with him

It’s all it takes for him to drop the act

“I know,” he winks, “besides, I knew I had to keep an eye on you. You’re so clumsy~”

You decide it’s your turn to fake offence

“Oh yeah? And who’s fault is that?” you ask, sassily placing your hands on your hips

“Mine,” he proudly admits, voice splitting for a moment

You’re torn between wanting to smack that smug grin off of him and wanting to kiss him

Deciding the latter is probably better, you lean in

But just as your lips are ghosting over his, you hear a surprised “oh!” from down the alley

You pull apart immediately to find your coworker standing a few feet away

Her face cracks into a huge grin as you make eye contact

“My bad, didn’t mean to bother you! Carry on, lovebirds~”

“W-wait—!”

Before you can stop her, she’s turning on her heels and speed walking into the opposite direction

You’re mortified

You’re about to chase after her, but Habit wraps his arms around you and pulls you flush to him once more

“Ah ah ah,” he chastises, “no you don’t. I’ve been waiting all damn day for a kiss and I’m not letting you go until I’ve had it”

“B-but Habit—“ you whine, squirming in his hold

Unsurprisingly, you’re helpless to escape him

He’s so much stronger than you; he doesn’t even budge

“No buts! Only kisses,” he insists

You still want to head after your coworker, but how could you possibly resist that lopsided grin?

With an exaggerated defeated sigh, you give in

“Well… I suppose if I don’t have any other choice…”

“You don’t~”

He takes your hands and wraps them around his neck, making you hold onto him so that you can press your nose to his

“In 47 minutes and 56 seconds, I’m gonna get you out of this place and we can go watch some cheesy movie—your pick,” he hums

Your lips twitch into a smile

“I’d like that. But you’re still gonna owe me for distracting me so much today. My shift isn’t even over and you’re making me slack off as if I’m not on the clock”

“Yeah, well, about that…”

His grin widens, and you immediately recognize that look; he’s done something you wouldn’t approve of

“Oh no,” you groan, pulling away, “what did you do?”

He shrugs, snickering to himself

“Your boss thought you were working so damn hard lately that you deserve a break. So he’s been so generous as to give you the day off tomorrow”

“What!? But there’s so much work to be done!”

“Yeah, well, I managed to convince the fucker to hire someone else—someone who won’t bail on you and who’ll actually help out from now on. Tomorrow’s their first day, so you’ve no need to come in”

You look at him, beyond incredulous

“What? How did you manage to get him to do that on such short notice?”

“I have my ways~ Now. If I’m not mistaken, I believe I’m still owed a kiss. Two now, I’d say, since I saved your ass from having to do all this work by yourself”

You roll your eyes

Quickly leaning in, you give him a peck on the cheek

He quirks his brow, expecting more

And when you go to kiss his other cheek, he turns his head and your lips finally connect

You hum against him, savoring his warmth pressing against you, lingering for a moment before parting

“You’re an absolute pest,” you remind him again

“Don’t worry, little rabbit, I know~” he chuckles, “and you love it”

“You’re right, I do,” you agree, as you move back in to connect your lips to his one more time