#like even to move to a bigger apartment the rent prices are so high

[quaranmine]

i'll kill the housing market myself for scar

[yongbokology]

don’t have feelings for your annoying roommate who got hit by a car

pairings; non-idol! jung hoseok x poc! reader word count; 3.7k summary; what do you get when you have two idiots rooming together that have feelings for one another? enter ‘don’t have feelings for your annoying roommate who got hit by a car’ ratings; fluff, humor, angst(ish), smut themes, car accident, hoseok has trouble walking from said accident, idiots2lovers. NOT PROOF READ!

you’ve been living with hoseok for about three years but you’ve known him for longer. he met your brother in elementary school and you’ve had the displeasure of seeing his mug ever since. after graduating high school you wanted to move out of your parent’s home. the college you attended had dorms but were way out of price range, the small part time job wasn’t going to pay that off any time soon. your brother suggested you rooming with hoseok when he remembered that he was looking for someone to split the rent with after his roommate moved in with their partner.

“are you fucking mental?” was what you asked your brother when he brought up the offer.

you thought hoseok was one of the most annoying people to walk this planet. he’d tease you any chance he got, make fun of you, meddle in your business and would steal random items out of your room while you were still in high school because apparently he was implemented as the son your parents didn’t give birth to.

but… desperate times call for desperate measures and you wanted the full college experience and so you took the room in hoseok’s apartment and have been regretting that decision ever since.

“don’t come in my room, i’m having someone over tonight?”

hoseok glanced up from his phone, his brow quirked in amusement. “oh?”

“yes. ‘oh’. and i’m being serious too.” you made sure to make the sternness in your voice as clear as day.

hoseok had a habit of not minding his business and walking in your room at random hours of the day, sometimes without even knocking. you weren’t really worried this time however, because the prospect of him walking in were kinda slim. to simply put it, hoseok decided to get hit by a car almost two months ago. luckily, the injuries weren’t too grave but it was hard for him to walk at times. the first few weeks he couldn’t walk at all but now he was doing way better. you’ve also been taking care of him ever since. aside from his annoying personality you didn’t mind looking after him because no matter how bothersome hoseok could be, he was still someone you cared about and nursing him back to health was very important to you.

sometimes you even miss class to make sure he’s taking care of himself or assisting him in activities he can’t do on his own. seeing him struggle with basic activities did leave a hole in your heart and the hole grew even bigger seeing his hyperactive personality dim when he couldn’t do something.

“i promise i’d rather become one with this couch than use the bit of strength i have in my legs to interrupt your random fuck.”

you rolled your eyes before grabbing the remote off the coffee table in front of him and turning the tv off.

“what the fuck?! i made a bet with yoongi to see who could finish euphoria first and i’m not forking over fifty dollars.”

you throw the remote by his lap on the couch before placing your hands on your hips. “hobi, please be on your best behavior. this person is actually decent i’d rather you not fuck this up okay?”

it was hoseok’s turn to roll his eyes. he grabbed the remote from his side, turning the tv back on and clicking on the hbo max account the both of you shared. “like i said, cock blocking you is the last thing on my mind right now.”

“yeah and it better stay that way. are you gonna sleep in the living room? should i bring out your sheets and pillows?”

god you were hot when you went into nurse mode.

“nah, gonna make some ramyeon and call it a night.”

“okay, be careful.”

.

after debating on a movie to watch, you and taehyung decided on the hangover 2. you guys were thirty minutes in, arm deep in popcorn and enjoying one another’s company.

taehyung was a really sweet guy, you two met a few weeks ago at a bar he was bartending. you were shit faced after celebrating soyeon’s birthday and stayed until closing time. after a bit of conversation and getting to know one another, he kept a watchful eye on the both of you for the rest of the night and made sure you and your friends safely got into your uber. it was when you got home you found that he snuck his number into your coat pocket and the two of you have been exchanging messages ever since.

taehyung wipes his hand clean of popcorn dust before asking “hey uh, where’s your bathroom?” to which you sit up and nod towards your door.

“down the hall on your left. do you want me to pause the movie?”

taehyung shakes his head, stretching his limbs. “nah you’re good.” once making his way out of your room he softly closes the door behind him.

your apartment was set up in the way of your living room and kitchen being connected. your door was facing the kitchen and located on taehyung’s right would be your hall with the bathroom on one side and hoseok’s on the other.

with this being said, taehyung immediately got a view of what was unfolding in the kitchen; hoseok trying to reach for what seems to be a bowl in one of the cabinets, his free arm clinging onto his crutch that was firmly planted on the tiled kitchen floor.

“need any help?”

taehyung’s soft tone startles hoseok but he doesn’t make it apparent. instead, he pauses to take a breath after what felt like more that thirty seconds of trying to retrieve the damn tupperware. he doesn’t spare taehyung a glance but instead shakes his head, eyes locked on the floor.

“i’m fine, thanks.”

hesitant to just take his word, taehyung presses further. “are you sure, it’s no problem if-”

this time the venom that hoseok tried to hide the first time, boils over into his next sentence. “i said i’m fine.”

this throws the moppy haired male off. taehyung didn’t know hoseok, quite frankly this was his first time even speaking to him. when taehyung arrived at your apartment he didn’t get a chance to greet your roommate because he was on the phone with someone. that and because you told him to not really pay him any mind. however, upon first glance, taehyung thought he was chill.. he looked like someone he’d have no problem hanging out with.. so why was he being snappy?

he gave hoseok a final look before disappearing down the hall. you continued watching your movie, unaware of the scene that just played out right outside your door, laughing at the shenanigans of the characters on your screen.

hoseok took a breath again before reaching for the bowl again. he pushed himself up on his tippy toe, his fingertips lightly reaching for the rim. just when he’s on the cusp of victory, in the blink of an eye, he’s falling to the floor, his crutch clattering at his side in the midst. before he can even register what happened his legs are suddenly induced in unbearable pain, so bad that he can’t even control the scream that erupts from his lips.

frightened by the sudden whaling coming from outside your room, you jump up from your spot and immediately pause the movie. you jumped to your feet and swing your door open, the first thing you notice is one of the cabinet doors open in the kitchen, peering over the island you catch a glimpse of hoseok on the floor, face buried in the crook of his forearm.

without a second thought you rush over to his side, kneeling down next to him. “what happened?!” you yell. you look over his body to check for any signs of bruises and that’s when you notice his crutch just a few feet away from him. “hobi..”

he’s sniffling in his arm, tears soaking the sleeve of his grey hoodie.

taehyung rushes out the bathroom, confusion written all over his face. “is everything alright?”

at the sound of taehyung’s voice, hoseok's head shoots up from the floor. he’s wearing a scowl as tears continue to roll down his rosy cheeks. “yes, everything is fucking fine.”

you and taehyung are immediately taken aback by this. “woah, hobi.. he just wants to make sure you’re okay. did you fall?”

taehyung stands frozen in his spot, again not expecting hoseok’s venomous tone. he awkwardly shifts his gaze around the apartment before shoving his hands into his pockets, not knowing what else to do. taehyung was aware of hoseok being in a accident and knew of his trouble with mobility in his legs at times; you had mentioned this to him when taehyung inquired about you living with someone else.

‘i think i’m gonna go’ taehyung mouths to you and you silently nod, looking back down at hoseok who has gone back to crying into his hoodie sleeve.

the severity of the situation dawns on you when you realize you’ve never once seen hoseok so distraught. sure when he was first in the hospital and when he first came back home he wasn’t in the best spirit but he still managed to crack a smile here and there. even when he felt down, it wasn’t too long before he was his annoying self again. but never once did hoseok shed a single tear, in front of you at least, the realization making your features soften.

the muffled music on the opposite side of your door failed to mute the sounds of your hiccups and sobs. you hated jennie and her stupidly beautiful face. you hated this party and most importantly you hated jongin for sucking jennie’s beautiful face right in front of you. no, you and jongin weren't together but you two were talking for close to a month and things were going well… or so you thought. after realizing you had just witnessed, you were suddenly running away with your dignity, dashing up the stairs and locking yourself away in your room.

yoongi watched everything unfold and searched your house for your brother, telling him what went down once he was able to get ahold of him. your doting brother stopped everything and made his way up to your room, rapping loudly at your door, trying to get you to show him your face. of course that didn’t work and while he got silence on the other side of the door, you were trying to conceal your sobs into your pillow.

the constant knocking and your brother’s voice soon fell on deaf ears and after hearing none of the two for a few minutes, you sat up quickly once the rapping started once again. you were annoyed now and you wanted to be left alone.

without even an ounce of care for your appearance, you got up from your bed, stomping your way to your door, swinging it open and ready to let it rip on your older brother but halting once you come face to face with the last person you even want to look at right now, hoseok. he wore a smug grin on his face, probably about to give you shit about what happened but his grin immediately was replaced with a thin line and his brows furrowed with what seemed to be worry.

“oh fucking perfect, listen i’m not in the mood right now to get made fun of-”

you become stiff. your whole being froze. in all the years you’ve known hoseok he’s never once said anything to you that wasn’t sarcastic nor has he done anything that wasn’t to pick on you. so him wrapping his arms around you, holding you oh so close to him, wasn’t on your bingo card for the night or ever for that matter.

you’re not sure what came over you but before you knew it, you were sobbing again and embracing him as tight as possible. you didn’t know why you felt so comfortable at that moment. he could’ve easily shoved you away at any moment and laughed in your face but that never happened. instead, he walked you back into your room, closing the door behind him with his foot.

you felt his long fingers trace circles on your back, his chin resting on your shoulder. the two of you stayed that way in the middle of your room for god knows how long. after a while he slowly pulled back to take a look at you, his facial features different from his normal, smug expression that you grew to be annoyed by. he looked concerned.

your mascara stained your puffy cheeks and under your eyes, there was a bit of snot creeping from your nose and in any other instance he’d make fun of you for it but he took his sweater paw and wiped it away instead.

you didn’t understand where this ‘caring’ nature came from and quite frankly it was quite odd that he wasn’t disgusted by the sight of you right now.

“truth be told, i was coming up here to make fun of you,”

and there it is, there’s the hoseok you’re accustomed to.

“but i didn’t know you actually cared that much for the guy.”

you rolled your eyes, stepping past him to take a tissue from the tissue box on your desk. you wiped away the black that stained your cheeks as well as the stray tears while looking into your vanity, your eyes shifted to the left to get a look at hoseok who was also watching you through the mirror.

“i know it’s so easy for me to forget that i’m an actual person and have fucking feelings but yes, i fucking cared about someone i was talking to for weeks, i’m so sorry it’s hard to wrap your head around the fact that someone would be interest in me.” you bite, discarding your tissue in the bin by your desk.

“god, y/n. i know i tease the shit about you but that doesn’t mean i don’t care about you.”

“oh you care about me now? is that why you make my life a living hell? is that why you think i’m so out of jongin’s lead that he’d even think to-”

“it was truth or dare,”

your facing him now, your anger is turned into confusion. what the hell does truth or dare has to do with anything.

“i dared jongin to kiss jennie.”

you’re seething at this point. you feel like grabbing the nearest heavy object and chucking it at him. “get the fuck out.”

hoseok takes a few steps towards you and now you’re shouting. “i swear to fuck. get the fuck out of my hoseok!”

“oh will you listen for a fucking second,” his voice over powers yours, making you flinch.

besides being a nuisance, hoseok was known for his calm, collected and nonchalant personality. he was never the loudest in the room but you could still feel his presence. you’ve never heard him raise his voice even when he and your brother would argue, sure they’d be boys and be loud as fuck if they were on the game but you’ve never heard hoseok yell as if he’s actually upset.

“i heard through mutual friends that you weren’t the only girl he was talking to,” his tone is quieter now. “there were others and he was sleeping with them as well. i wanted to tell you but i didn’t know how and i didn’t want to tell your brother because you know how he gets when it comes to you and the last thing he needs is ruining his chance at that scholarship. jongin ended up ending being kicked out but it took a bunch of his to keep him from pouncing on him. i’m really sorry y/n and if you want to kill me that’s fine but i couldn’t stand the fact that he was just using you like that and i knew you’d be close by and see him for who he really is.” you let him finish.

you take a breath, letting everything sink in and while you felt a bit salty that he dared him to kiss jennie, you found it in your heart not to be too upset with his reasoning.

“jung hoseok, you’re a dumbass, you know that right?”

“a dumbass that just saved your ass from heartbreak in the long run.”

…

before he was discharged from the hospital, you were advised to keep hoseok’s legs elevated as he slept and so you were preparing him for just that. his first day home, you had to buy a few pillows from walmart so he’d still have pillows to rest his head on and now you were fluffing those same pillows to put under his feet, hoseok silently watching you the entire time. that’s what it was for a while, silence.

you hadn’t said anything since taehyung left. you were able to help hoseok off the floor and sat him on the couch, wiping away his rosy, tear stained cheeks before making the ramyeon that he was originally supposed to make. he watched you do that in silence as well. his legs were still in pain but not as bad as they initially were when he fell and that was thanks to you giving him his pain meds that he oh so hated. you watched him carefully as he downed each tablet, making sure he wasn’t storing them under his tongue. as he ate, you cleaned up your room a bit, threw out your unfinished microwaved popcorn. you also shot taehyung a text. you apologized for hoseok’s weird behavior and for your date being interrupted. his was fast with his reply, reassuring you that everything was fine and that he wouldn’t mind picking up where you left off some other time.

“i’m sorry.” you hear behind you and you fluff the last pillow.

with a sigh you collect all of the pillows in your arms, placing them on the bed. “you’re fine, hobi. i’m just glad you’re okay.”

since taehyung left, hoseok’s been feeling nothing but guilt. taehyung seemed like a nice dude and didn’t deserve to be treated the way he was being treated. “i mean it, i also want taehyung to know i'm sorry for being rude to him, he seemed chill and i was being a asshole.”

another sigh escapes your lips. “i’ll be sure to tell him hobi but i’m not thinking about that right now. i just care about you being as comfortable as possible and if five pillows are too much for your feet. raise ‘em please.”

he silently obliges to your request and raises his legs with a bit of a struggle. you catch this and use one arm to keep them up while you use the other to stack the pillows under them. “i have one more apology.”

“hoseok-”

“i’m sorry for being a coward and not being open and honest with you. it’s just that we grew up together and i never really grew out of teasing you so it was really all i ever knew how to interact with you. i was more close with your brother but i still valued you and our friendship,”

your eyes were locked on him at this point, you were confused as to where this was going and you were convinced this had to be some effect from his medicine. “is this the benzos talking or?”

“just let me finish please…i never understood why i couldn’t leave you alone and towards the end of middle school i realized i actually might favor you more than your brother. i’d beg my parents to let me walk home with you guys and convince them too. i remember proposing the idea to my parents to let me spend the night on weekends and i remember being so ecstatic when they finally said yes. i was able to spend more time with you guys but most importantly, i got to see you more. i always tired to get you to play with me and your brother but you weren’t interested, you played on your own for the most part and i remember so badly all the times i’d want to stop playing with him and to play with you but just teased you for playing alone instead. when you finally became a freshman i was happy that we’d be going to the same school again. even though we were a grade above you, i still liked that we had some classes and lunch together. i was more drawn to you by then and i felt the need to hide you from the prying eyes of upperclassmen. before homecoming i wondered about who i was going to take and i had a few options but for some reason those options weren’t satisfactory.. till the thought of asking you popped up in my head but come to find out you weren't into those kind of things and was going to stay home. by then i’d realize two things. one, i was relieved that no one had the chance of even asking you and you actually going. two, i had feelings for you and ever since then its been up from there. i cared about my appearance around you, i’d always feel anxious just seeing you interact with anyone other than family and me and i was crushed when i found out you were talking to jongin on all people and sure i’ve had relationships with all these feelings but all my relationships weren’t fruitful because they weren’t with you. i’m really sorry for how i acted tonight, that was so uncalled for and i understand if you’re upset-”

“hoseok,”

“and i understand if you even want to move out-”

“hobi.”

“huh?”

“did that accident give you erectile dysfunction?”

“... who’s asking?”

your giggle flows through his ears as well as the sound of his blood thrumming from his confession that he’d been holding in for so long. he’s swallowing hard as he watches you drop his legs on the pillow then straddle his hips, using your dainty hands to push him off his elbows and into the bed.

“took you long enough to say it,”

he’s looking up at you bug eyed and breathless, his eyes flickering between your hands that are currently undoing the buttons on your shirt and where you lie on his crotch. you lean in close enough to where your lips are brushing against one another, his bated breath fanning against yours.

“and i think this calls for a celebration, don’t you think?”

[sizzlingpatrolfox]

No no I am not saying he's pretending to live in the apartment 😂

He definitely lives there, the shoe mess is kind of a proof too. But the apartment for one looked very small/congested? For a celebrity like him and a person with big artistic interest, maybe I was expecting too much. I guess he's realistic and doesn't need exaggerated lifestyle. The proofs you have shown, I have read them previously but I still think that there must be a better property, something like a house on plot and not an apartment 😂 not now, but we might see it in future.

I guess no one could know until the information is leaked or he shares it. Anyways, I think we pretty much agree to disagree.

Ah well. Real state is extremely expensive in Korea for no reason. I rent, right, I don't own any property so I move around every two/three years depending on the lease. So I'm really familiar with prices and apartments and the best neighborhoods in my city. Even when I don't have to move I sometimes go online to check apartments up for rent/sale because I really love checking out apartments and keeping up with real state.

I've done the same for apartments in Seoul, just browsing out of curiosity as if I was to live for a while there, and I've also checked BTS apartments with the same mentality (not because I'm a stalker or anything, I just really like houses/apartments) and they're not pretty to me. I hate the white kitchen cabinets that go all the way up to the ceiling, the material looks cheap, I don't like the open plan distribution of the living room, in nineone hannam I think it's crazy that apparently the master bedroom is right next to the living room. I don't know, I just really don't like their style. It's why I asked if maybe you thought his place would be better because you don't like how it looks either.

So yeah, like I said the place is expensive but it doesn't look like anything out of the ordinary, it's pretty basic. Namjoon, or any rich person choosing to live there might have to do with the quality of construction materials, the facilities at the complex, security, the neighborhood, etc.

I think the place is more than enough for one person. I don't remember exactly but that apartment has more than one bedroom, so it's bigger than what he showed. He can fit a family-size table in his kitchen, too. That couch is for like 10 people. I think it is pretty big. Only sq meter would actually tell you how big the place is, but I don't know how many square meters the apartment is 😂 that would be creepy. The furniture might look basic/simple too but I dare you to find out how much that table or couch are worth 💀 it's not flashy furniture or decor but I'm sure it's expensive as hell.

I don't see how a house would be better. Namjoon is a single man, what would he need a house for? Jungkook bought a house and he never lived in it either.

Besides, for privacy and safety, a closed apartment complex is 100x better than a house. You don't need much to be safe and private in a complex like that and living in a super high floor. The apartment's windows are probably those that you can't see from the outside in, I imagine they have to be those type of windows. That's the reason I think they choose apartments like that one, and why they're so expensive too even if they're pretty simple; because they're thinking about their safety and privacy.

Even if Namjoon owns a house for investment or planning for a family in the future (and last he's said is that he doesn't want kids), right now he's living in nineone.

[jamiebluewind]

Sarah's mom is helping look for a place for me and my two roommates to move to at the end of the year. Three platonic people and four cats in a small 2 bedroom apartment that's got high rent is just not working anymore. We can even find a bigger (and even NICER) place for the same price! The problem? I'm disabled.

You probably think it's not a big thing, but... it is. Ever tried zillow or realtor.com? The listing don't tell you if you can get in the door with mobility issues. There's no filter for that. I use a cane and sometimes a walker (or even my wheelchair on bad days), but I have to call to find out if I can even get in a place because accessibility isn't really showcased.

And places here LOVE stairs. I've seen stairs where there was no need for them! Going up and down by the same number to arrive at the same level they started. I think they're there for aesthetics, but even if there was a reason, why can't there be a way for me to go in too? I asked an apartment manager at one place and she chuckled, saying everywhere here is like that and I'll not find anywhere if I'm looking for no stairs.

There are so many problems finding somewhere that I want to cry. There was one place I liked, but the door outside to the ramp was too heavy for me to even open on my own, making it functionally useless because of all the concrete stairs (it also had a very long walk to the elevator and then another long walk to the apartment and have you ever tried unloading a heavy wheelchair in and out of a regular car?). Another had mold which I'm very allergic to and had an asthma attack at. One place showed off its accessibility at ground level with pictures of the front of the building, but the apartment that was available was on the 3rd floor and there was no elevator. My cat is quiet (unless I'm talking to him), well trained, and helps me with panic attacks, but pets aren't allowed in a LOT of places (and now my roommates have cats too and that has to be factored in).

Sometimes I get looks or comments or even questioned because I'm not in my wheelchair that day, ESPECIALLY if I'm having a good day and mostly holding my cane for if I tip over. They think being able to do something on one day proves I can do the thing, so why am I being such a stickler?

My current place has no curb cut and there is a step to get in the door, but it was the best I could find with the least steps. My roommates have to help me often though. There's no room for a place to sit in the kitchen, so I don't cook anymore because hemiplegic issues happen without warning several times a month. The doors inside are too narrow for my walker or wheelchair. My shower can fit a shower chair and I bought a cheap showerhead on a hose, but the tub walls are high and I only have an iffy bar clamped on the side of the tub to help me get in and out, so I've fallen many times (twice in the last month in fact). Again, the best I could find at the time.

I'm so tired of seeing walls of listings that basically say with a single image that I'm not allowed inside.

[ohhoneato]

Why is it so expensive to live alone?

I'm just looking for a 1-2 bed 1 bath house, townhouse or trailer/manufactured house for less than $700 per month closer to a bigger town than where i am now. I live in one of the states with the cheapest cost of living and am not wanting to move out of state.

Seriously, I told my brother I was having trouble finding a place to live and he said to have a kid. 1st: it takes 2 to tango and I'm single as the one avocado we all inevitably leave to rot because we forgot about it. 2nd: I don't want kids to begin with.

I was just recommended the trailer/manufactured homes, but it's almost impossible to find good priced ones online in the area I want to be in.

Seriously though, the last place my brother had was $500 for 2 bed 2 bath. They have a 3 bed 2 bath rn and if they didn't have their house where they didn't have to pay, cause they have 2 kids and unstable working conditions, they'd only be paying $600. In a different state than the first one, they went to Louisiana back to Texas. Only issue is, I don't want to live in the town they live in. Working Uber requires me to be in bigger cities and towns, closest one is Tyler or Fort Worth is also a good place to drive (not Dallas, Dallas sucks ass, just like Houston). So I'm looking near and around there. But everything is so fucking expensive, my full time job is Uber and I can barely even afford a garage unit that they didn't disclose was a garage unit in 2 other family's backyard. It was $775 per month. I can't afford that, not if I want to eat and rest once in a while.

And my deadline was the end of this month, but my earnings have been shit because things literally just keep happening to stop me from being able to go out, like I can't drive if it's flooding on the roads. But I was able to extend that deadline by a month by asking my parents if I can live with them again for a month then go from there while I look.

And the place needs to have at least a stove and a fridge in it, hopefully include water and trash in the rent, I'm not looking for anything fancy, but I do need room to move around in the kitchen.

AND ABSOLUTELY NO APARTMENTS, I WON'T DO THAT AGAIN.

If it helps, I made a max of $4000 a month and a minimum of $3000 a month. I'm honestly just a shit spending that doesn't know how to make herself budget. I have a $480 car payment every month (that I'm behind on, so a credit check won't be horrible, but it won't be great) and I've just left an apartment high and dry during the beginning of Covid. Never been evicted, but I've never had my name on any but one of the leases I've lived at. And that was the one we left, because they wouldn't work with us.

I'm being honest so people might be able to actually help me.

[whatcomcredit]

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[sassypotatoe1]

I live with my icky parents and pretend to be cishet and religious and okay with their bigotry while I apartment hunt because the ONLY apartment I can find to buy, which is surprisingly a more accessible option than renting where I am, that I can get a loan approved for is 24m² total and completely rotten. Like kitchen cabinets? Rotten. Closet? Rotten. Linoleum flooring in the kitchen and bathroom? Rotten. Carpet in the single room? Rotten. Walls? Damp and mildew.

So part of what I would pay in rent if I moved out I put in a compounding interest fixed deposit so I can have a big enough deposit to go up 50k (around 2.5k in murica) so I can afford a slightly less rotten and slightly bigger place which is also the only option in that price range. Most apartments here are around 400k, and I'm talking rundown and tiny, and I qualify for a loan of 200k, which with our current interest rate would take down payments of around 35% of my income over 30 years instead of 20.

The literal cheapest rent, a 14m² wood shack in someone's backyard with an outhouse bathroom, is 40% of my income. Utilities excluded.

If I'm crazy crazy frugal and economic with my groceries they come out to 50% of my income, and meds come out to about 25% excluding the appointments to get them prescribed. You'll notice that it doesn't add up whether I buy or rent, and that's with some expenses like gas, doctors appointments and utilities excluded. I have an honors degree, write for 2 newspapers, proofread 4 and do the email newsletters for 4.

I'm doing several jobs and getting paid for half of one, and I can't even unionize and fight for fair wages or at least overtime because the company is genuinely not profitable enough to be able to afford wage increases or overtime. So I'm stuck living on my parents' dime and putting away every cent I can into a high interest fixed deposit to try to get my future housing cost down enough that I won't have to either stop taking life-saving chronic medication or starve most months.

And boomers would be like "work harder, get a better job, get a second job" babes I'm doing like 7 jobs at this job alone, I raise piglets and chickens for extra income, I make jams and preserves for extra income, I'm starting art classes in April for even more income, I have to at some point go fight for months with the state hospitals and clinics to get my chronic medication prescribed and dispensed with them, go through diagnostic testing I've already been through for 5 seperate conditions so I can get my meds subsidized, and every other job in the industry I'm qualified for pays the same or less.

Our generation aren't lazy we literally get paid a 1950s salary with 2024 cost of living and the two did not grow at the same rate and that's wrong. Housing should not be more than 20% of the average working class income. A lower class should not exist. Food should not be more than 15% of the average income. It should actually be free. Healthcare? Should be free and accessible. Education? Free, high quality and accessible.

Expenses shouldn't come to 250% of your income when you work a full time job. It's driving me insane that I can work 600% harder than boomers did at my age and I can't even afford a wooden shack in someone's backyard with an outhouse bathroom, but they could afford several bedroom houses with huge yards.

Yeah I'm okay and fine and normal I just spend multiple hours a day every day interior design planning my hypothetical future home with my emotions turned off like I'm playing an ultra depressing version of The Sims

[findingjoynweirdstuff]

Dream SMP Recap (March 18/2022) - Free Real Estate

Seapeekay is looking for a place to settle down. Bad tours him around the server to show off the various available properties. Ponk joins in and the three of them kidnap a demigod.

Tubbo and Eryn begin their new base, laying foundations in the mushroom biome. 

---

VOD LINKS:

Seapeekay

Ponk

Captain Puffy

Tubbo

ErynStreams

BoomerNA

Foolish

Michaelmcchill

---

- Seapeekay and Dream log on, Seapeekay still at Eryn’s stables. CPK navigates back to the hub with his new horse. Dream is running around on the New World portal, but CPK doesn’t notice

- Bad logs on and finds CPK. CPK tells him that he needs a place to sleep, so Bad shows him Boomerville. Nobody lives here as the previous residents went missing

- Bad is a well-respected real estate agent and offers to tour CPK around to find a house for him to live in. Boomerville is a convenient location right next to a theme park and a school taught by KSI

- Next, Bad takes him to Doozer HQ, which is currently unoccupied. 100 bedrooms, 16 bathrooms, currently listed at “1 book of Death”

- With a lovely scenic view, the L��Cast pond was built by designer HBomb and is the set of a podcast, very cheap at only 1 human soul 1 new pencil

- Bad shows CPK Eret’s castle, which has some upstairs space to rent, though he notes it’s in a very high crime area

- Bad then shows CPK Alyssa’s house, the owner of which also went missing. CPK asks to see properties where no one has gone missing

- CPK and Bad head over to Kinoko, which Bad informs him is run by a bit of a cult. He also shows off the space available in Niki’s city

- Next, Bad takes CPK to Snowchester, mentioning that the area recently had a kidnapping. He shows CPK Tubbo’s house, where the tenant moved out recently. He changes his mind outside and tells CPK the previous owner will be coming back, so unfortunately the house is no longer for sale

- He also shows CPK the definitely-furnished mansion. 

- He explains that Ranboo used to live here until the prison warden killed him, and sometimes you can still hear Ranboo’s voice around the area. This area also has a neighborhood watch for the two people responsible for the kidnapping

- Bad then takes CPK to a little ranch far away, Sam’s mega island and house. The listing just says the price is “freedom”

- Nearby is another getaway vacation home that recently came on the market with the French name of “Logstedshire.” CPK, an empath, thinks there may have been some emotions here

- They go to the Arctic commune. The qualification to live here is to also be anti-government. Tubbo also logs on. He says CPK could probably take the mansion for free, but no one wants to live there

- Bad has another property to show CPK. He warns CPK that making friends usually leads to them dying

- Eryn logs on. Bad takes CPK to one of the oldest and cheapest properties, Dream’s old house. The previous owner was convicted. There are also some apartments rented out by a bald man. Bad mentions that the previous owner of the underground home got tortured

- Ponk logs on. Bad asks how CPK feels about gambling. He takes CPK to Las Nevadas and CPK dies along the way and Bad shows him the Punzo chunk apartments Bad has available

- Near Las Nevadas there’s even a little food truck! 

- The best property has been saved for last: Foolish’s summer home! Bad tells him Foolish is looking for new people to build on his land. CPK likes the idea of building here

- Foolish logs on. Ponk comes over. Ponk is from the Board of Inspectors of Bucket and Fish and inspects CPK and Bad’s fish. He tickets Bad

- Foolish arrives, sounding exhausted from Bad’s shenanigans. They bicker, and Ponk shows them his house. Puffy logs on

- They go to the Nether and put Foolish, AFK, in a box. Bad has the idea to bring Foolish to the prison and box him there

- Ponk, CPK and Bad use fishing rods to bring Foolish all the way to the prison. Once there, they box him in with obsidian

- Later, they make the box even bigger. They also box CPK in with some stone and interrogate him. Bad takes Ponk aside

Bad: “Ponk, listen. I think he knows too much. I think – I think we have to take care of him if you know what I mean.”

- They look at him dancing

Ponk: (whispering) “Bad. Bad. We should take him to the thing and see if he reacts, you know.”

Bad: “Which thing?”

Ponk: “To test his vibes!”

Bad: “What thing?”

Ponk: “You know that thing that happened that, you know, people don’t really talk about no more in that place–”

Bad: “No no no!”

Ponk: “Just – look look, a little drive by! Not even go through!”

- Bad lags out and disconnects for a coffee break. Ponk starts drowning CPK with a fish and takes away the water. CPK saves the fish, which earns him some respect

- Ponk asks if CPK likes pain au chocolat. Bad returns and they let CPK out. HBomb logs on and Foolish comes back

- Ponk and Bad offer a deal with Foolish for ownership of the summer home in return for freedom. Foolish is not a fan of the idea and keeps trying to get out

- Ponk has the idea to put pufferfish near the block Foolish is trying to mine to stop him

Foolish: “I hope you lose your other arm.”

- Foolish rejoices as he’s managed to break a block. Ponk and Bad dig into the box to place pufferfish and CPK blocks up the entrance behind them with sand. Bad lags out and Ponk pearls to escape, drinking milk to break the sand

- Ponk goes back in and CPK blocks the entrance with obsidian. They notice that Foolish’s nametag isn’t there and realize that Ponk is the one now stuck inside

- Bad logs back on, now stuck in the box and being attacked by pufferfish. Bad and Ponk pearl out to escape. This has backfired horribly

- Later, Foolish sees the Callahan face on the statue. He has more than enough reason to kill Bad over and over again. Bad is online, so he lets Bad know that the next time Foolish sees him, he will die

- Tubbo and Eryn log on to work on their new mushroom biome base project

- Bad arrives at the summer home and, as promised, Foolish jumps off the scaffolding and hunts him. Bad gets away, so Foolish threatens the cactus tower

- Bad suggests they chill and goes to clean up the statue. He explodes a small hole in it and Quackity briefly logs in just to tell him to shut up

- Foolish threatens the cactus tower again, but Bad says he’ll fix the statue as he didn’t mean to break it. In return for sparing the cactus tower, Foolish wants him to die once. He lets Bad set his spawn

- Foolish kills Bad. Bad respawns and Foolish feels like doing it again, so he does. And does again. And again. Many, many times. For the almost-last death, Foolish makes Bad prick himself to death on a cactus. It’s very therapeutic for him

- Bad notices that the statue is hollow and wonders if it would be nice to live in it (Foolish is very against this idea). Bad’s memory blanks again for a bit, but he returns

- While Bad is occupied, Foolish sets fire to the spruce trees and accidentally burns one of the palm trees

- The two continue to hang out at the summer home and also talk a bit about the lore out of character

---

[watchmegetobsessed]

Flatmates - Harry Styles

i listened to kiwi while writing it so i strongly advise to listen to is while reading as well. without any further ado, i present you this flatmate!harry fic with some steamy smut!

word count: ~9k

warning: smut

masterlist

You were desperate to find a place to live, to say the least. You’ve always had trouble remembering deadlines and important dates, and thanks to this charming trait of yours, you successfully missed the deadline of the college dormitory applications. After a day of solid panic you started looking for cheap apartments, but living off campus seemed to be something only rich people could afford. Rents were ridiculously high and you were certain you couldn’t afford to spend thousands of dollars for a room smaller than your pantry back at home. You watched ad after ad, making calls all day for a week straight, but at the end, you always went to bed with the thought that you’ll have to live under a bridge through the first semester of your freshman year.

It was until a friend of yours, Rita, who was mature enough to apply to the dormitory in time called you with the best news you could receive.

“This friend of my future roomie is looking for a flat mate. You gave me his number, maybe you could give him a call and see if the room is still available. Just tell him Kimberly gave you his number, I’m sure he’ll offer you the room on a nicer price.”

“Oh my God, you just saved my life!” you gasped, almost feeling like crying. “I owe you big time, Rita!”

You called right away, not wanting to waste any time and maybe have the room already rented by then. A deep, male voice answered the call in a soothing British accent.

“Harry Styles,” he said in a calm tone.

“Hey! My name is Y/N and I got your number from Kimberly. I’m looking for a place to live from September and I was told you have a room to rent?”

Harry sounded a little hesitant at first, asked a few questions about you to have a better picture of you, but eventually offered the room. You quickly agreed that you’d be able to move in at the end of August. You were thankful you had one less worry about school finally.

August rolled around the corner faster than you expected and in no time, half your life was packed up into boxes and suitcases as you and your dad drove two hours on a Saturday to get you all settled in your new home. Up until this point, you hadn’t seen Harry just yet. Though you did search up his name, but he was the kind to never post about himself, but mostly about guitars, landscapes and animals. His Instagram was dry, no trait of what he looked like or even the slightest hint about himself. There was only one photo that featured the outline of a guy, which makes it clear that the person was fully naked, no trace of any clothes hanging on his body, but it was completely dark, so nothing could be really seen. However the tag on the figure made you think it wasn’t him, so it didn’t matter. His Facebook seemed even sadder, barely any posts, not even a decent profile picture. You were surprised to see there are people who don’t really use social media, but you didn’t take it as a bad sign. Harry must be a private person and you had nothing against that.

“Are you sure it’s a good idea to move in with a guy you’ve never met before?” your dad asks as the two of you are unloading the car in front of the apartment complex. Glancing up you shrug your shoulders with a little excitement, knowing that you are only minutes away from finally seeing the person you are gonna spend your next months living with.

“He sounded like a decent person, and I really don’t have any other choice, dad. Or do you want me to sleep in a park or something?”

“God, no. You really should be more careful about those deadlines next time,” he sighs kissing the top of your head before shutting the back of the car once everything is set on the ground.

“Don’t worry, I already bought a calendar so I can keep better track of everything.”

When you first told your parents that you’d be living with Harry, they didn’t seem to be a fan of the idea, but they realized you weren’t really swimming in options at the moment so they eventually come to peace that their daughter is going to be living with a guy. They didn’t make a big deal out of it, knowing well you were an adult now practically who can make choices for herself.

The two of you manage to bring everything up to the third floor and you ring the doorbell since you don’t have your keys yet. You immediately recognize Harry’s British accent as he calls out a “coming!” from the other side of the door and a few seconds later it opens, revealing him.

Your first thought is that he is tall. Very tall and oh my! How handsome! His green eyes find your gaze and his dimples come out as he smiles at you happily. This man is surely a nice sight, you think to yourself, but you quickly bring yourself back to reality as he takes a look at all the stuff surrounding you.

“Y/N, why didn’t you call me that you were here? I could have helped you!” Taking a step outside he stretches his hand out for your dad. “Nice to meet ya, you must be Mr. Y/L/N. I’m Harry.”

“Nice to meet you,” your dad nods at him shaking his head before Harry grabs a box from the floor himself, holding the door open for you.

“Come on in!”

The three of you quickly bring everything inside from the hallway and you finally have a moment to look around. It’s not a big apartment, but seemingly perfect for two people. Walking in you have a small kitchen on the left and a little dining area on the right with a simple table and four chairs around it. Further inside is the living room, it’s nicely furnished very bright thanks to the large windows across the front door. On the left there’s a door that leads to the bathroom and on the right there’s a small hallway, two doors on each side. The two rooms are exactly the same size, so there was no need to have a discussion about who is getting which room. Not that you were gonna go against Harry when he literally saved your life with letting you stay with him.

The place seems tidy and neat, it’s clear that Harry takes good care of his home and that is for sure a relief.

Your room has a double bed, a desk with a chair, a dresser and a built in little closet. Everything is white or a light beige color, nothing extreme and you already have plans about how you want to decorate it to make it cozier.

“I left two shelves free for you out of the three. I have a few hair products, but I figured you’d need more space,” Harry tells you when you put a smaller box into the bathroom that has all your toiletries.

“Thank you, I appreciate it,” you smile at him.

Your dad sticks around a little longer helping you unpack some of the bigger boxes, then you walk him down to his car before he leaves.

“Please call your mother often. You know how much she worries about you,” he asks as he pulls you into a quick hug.

“Will do.”

“And call us anytime you need help. Two hours is not that far away, I can always come and get you.”

“I’ll be alright, dad, but thank you.”

You watch him climb into the car and he rolls down the windows waving in your way as he leaves from the parking lot. You stand there until he disappears on the corner and then go back up to your apartment.

Harry is sitting in the living room when you get back, some quiet music playing from the Bluetooth speaker as he reads a book. He glances up at you and you flash him a smile closing the door behind you.

“Your dad seemed quite okay with you living with a guy.”

“He had time to get used to it. They’re not that strict though.”

“That’s cool. I was thinking, maybe we could order some food when you’re done unpacking and just get to know each other a little more.”

“That sounds great!” you smile, but can’t ignore how fast your heart is beating in your chest. Harry surely has an effect on you that you’ll need to gain control over if you don’t want to make living together hard for yourself.

It takes quite some time to unpack everything and find the right place for your stuff, you don’t even finish by the time the food arrives so you decide to leave the rest for tomorrow.

The Chinese food is all set on the table when you walk out and Harry is getting two plates for the two of you.

“Settled in?” he asks as you take one of the chairs and he sits across you.

“Not fully, but I’m getting there,” you chuckle as he hands you your order. “Thank you.”

You talk over the food, just getting to know each other and you finally get a better picture of Harry. It’s his third year of college, he is studying music and pedagogy, intending to one day use music as a helping tool for kids who have learning difficulties. He is a big fan of collecting vinyls and quite passionate about trashy rom coms.

“Really?” you chuckle when he mentions how his Netflix queue is filled with romantic movies.

“Guilty pleasure,” he nods smirking.

You tell a little about yourself too and he seems genuinely interested, which feels nice. You would have hated if he found your interests boring and negligible, but that’s not the case.

“How come you couldn’t find a roommate for so long?” you ask the question that’s been in the back of your mind for quite a while now. Both of you are done eating and you’re cleaning up the table.

Nothing really stood out about Harry just yet, it’s quite a mystery for you why he couldn’t find someone to live with him.

“Well, you could say I’m a little picky in this field. Lived with my best mate first year, and though I absolutely love him, he was horrible to live with. Felt like his personal maid the whole time. When Niall moved in with his girlfriend and I had to move on my own I promised myself I would choose carefully. Lived with a PhD student last year, he was pretty great, but he moved out when he graduated, and I couldn’t really find someone I liked since then.”

“Glad I passed then,” you chuckle as you take the dishes and start washing them while Harry stands next to you, leaning against the edge of the counter.

“You seemed like a decent person to live with, I hope I won’t be wrong about that,” he chuckles, but you can tell he is still a little scared you might turn out to be a total asshole.

“Don’t worry, I won’t be too much trouble. I’m quiet like a mouse and clean up after myself.”

“That’s all that matters,” he smiles. “Alright, I have some things to finish, I’ll be in my room if you need help with anything.”

“Thank you, Harry.”

He waves in your way before disappearing in his bedroom.

You spend most of your Sunday unpacking what was left and running errands, buying groceries so you don’t have to go to the store every other day during the week. You occasionally meet Harry in the kitchen or the living room, but you both just do your own thing and it’s totally fine by you.

School starts quiet smoothly, Harry was kind enough to give you a rundown of where you’ll find your lecture halls so you don’t really get lost around campus, easily finding your way.

Friday afternoon you and Rita are sitting at a café near campus to discuss the first week of school. You don’t have any classes together, so only grabbed lunch two times all week, but didn’t have more than twenty minutes together before one of you had to run to a class. Now you are both comfortably sat in a booth with two cappuccinos and plenty of time to talk.

“So, how is living with Harry?” she curiously asks.

“He is great! Though we don’t meet that much. He has a band so he has practice three times a week, spends the rest of his time at home reading or watching TV.”

You ate dinner together twice this week, but you haven’t really had the courage to join him in the living room when he was watching TV. It sounds stupid but you figured maybe it would bother him if you were out there with him. And since he didn’t invite you either, you just stayed in your room mostly.

“Kimberly told me he is hot, is that true?” she asks with a smirk as she takes a sip from her hot drink. You immediately feel your cheeks heating up.

“Well, he surely is a good looking guy,” you breathe out.

“Lucky you! There’s not much of those in an all girls dorm,” she pouts and you chuckle. “So are you gonna make a move on him?”

“That’s not gonna happen,” you shake your head laughing.

“Why not?”

“Because we live together and if he rejects me that would be so awkward for the rest of our time living together.”

“But you can’t know for sure if he would reject,” she points out, but she can’t bring up one thing that would change your mind.

“It’s better not to take the odds. I don’t want to end up on the street.”

 As the days go by, things start to get busier in your everydays. Assignments and papers start to pile up so you have to start working on them if you don’t want to leave everything to the last moment. You become a regular in the library, the atmosphere is great for you to get into the flow and get a lot of work done.

It seems like Harry is in the same shoe, he is often in and out of the apartment, sometimes only spends home just a couple of minutes before he leaves again. However they slowly get accustomed to each other, learn the ways the other likes things and work up a schedule for things. Harry learns that Y/N likes to take a shower twice a day and washes her hair usually on Wednesdays and Sundays, so he doesn’t try to take too much time in the bathroom on those days. He also notices how she doesn’t have time to wash the dishes after herself on Thursdays when she just runs home to have a quick bite before she has to leave for another lecture, so they came to a silent agreement where Harry cleans up after her on Thursdays while she takes up on the dishes on Saturday when Harry leaves to band practice at eight.

They work well together and soon enough all of Harry’s doubts about Y/N fade into nothing and he realizes he has made the right choice with her.

Usually she stays at the library until seven on Mondays, but this week they are closing early because they are rearranging a whole department, so Y/N leaves a little after five. She pays a quick trip to the grocery store before she heads home. Opening up the door she immediately hears the music playing, one of Harry’s vinyls is twirling around in the record player and she hears the water running in the bathroom. Setting her bags on the counter she starts unpacking the groceries.

The music and the running water pushed the sound of her arriving down, Harry didn't realize that you were home early when he opens the bathroom door, singing to himself wearing absolutely nothing as he wants to go and grab a pair of clean underwear, but he is shocked to see you standing in the kitchen.

“Shit!” he snaps, hands immediately flying to cover himself as he sprints back to the bathroom quickly grabbing a towel to wrap around his waist.

Your cheeks are heating up immediately even though you didn’t see anything you weren’t supposed to, the counter top covered him just right above the critical line, but it’s the first time you’ve seen his upper body completely naked.

Even though it was just a spit second, the sight of his many tattoos and the defined V-line leading down to his crotch burned straight into your mind, leaving you flustered and shy all of a sudden.

“Sorry! I should have let you know I was coming home early!” you call out turning around, as if he was about to walk out naked again. Harry chuckles lightly as he returns, this time a towel wrapped around his waist.

“Don’t be silly, you don’t have to check in when you come home. It was my fault, I shouldn’t just walk around naked assuming you wouldn’t be home.”

You should, you think to yourself gulping as you turn around and dare to look at him again. You don’t see less than just a few seconds ago, his chest is glistening from the dampness, his curls are still wet and you are having a hard time not to stare at the tattoos on his lower stomach, so you busy yourself with the rest of your groceries as he walks into his room and returns in a pair of sweats and a white t-shirt.

“Any plans for the weekend?” he asks disappearing in the bathroom, but he leaves the door open and you hear him shuffle around, probably fixing up his hair. He uses some kind of mousse that keeps his curls perfectly and also happens to smell like mango and some kind of citrus.

“Um, not really.”

“We’re playing at this bar with the band, wanna come and watch us?” Walking out of the bathroom he switches the light off before walking to the couch and opening up his Netflix account on the TV. His invitation surprises you, but it also feels nice he wants you there.

“Oh, sounds fun! Can I bring someone?”

“Of course! I can have a table reserved for you, if you’d like,” he smiles at you before turning his attention to the screen.

“That would be great, thanks.”

You feel like after your little encounter it’s probably not the best day to join him at the TV, especially because you can’t stop yourself from blushing every time you look at him. The sight of his naked torso pops up in your mind every time and there’s no way you can just casually sit on the couch with him without your body lighting up on fire.

 Rita is excited when you tell her about the invitation, you don’t even have to convince her to go with you since she is dying to finally meet Harry. When he leaves in the early afternoon on Saturday he assures you that there’s gonna be a table reserved under your name, and off he goes to practice, leaving you alone for the rest of the day since he tells you he won’t be back before the concert tonight. Rita comes over around six and the two of you get ready together.

“You have to wear something spicy,” she wiggles her eyebrows at you while you sit at your desk applying mascara to your lashes.

“I don’t want to overdress, it’s just a bar.”

“Yeah, but Harry invited you. I bet he wants you to see him play.”

“Of course he wants, why else would he invite me?” you ask with furrowed eyebrows.

“You don’t get it,” she chuckles turning to you, hands on her hips. “He wants you to see him play because it feeds his ego. Maybe even turns him on.”

“Stop acting like there is anything between us. We are flatmates and that’s all.”

“I think he wants to be more, you’re just too pussy to make a move yourself,” she shrugs turning back to your closet.

“Stop calling me a pussy for not wanting to make it awkward for the two of us to live together. I’m pretty sure Harry doesn’t see me as anything more than just the person he lives with.”

“Then we have to change that. And I think this is the perfect dress for that.”

Rita pulls out a little black dress you bought about a year ago, but never really got around to wear it. It’s so tight, pushes your tits up way too much for your liking, you’re not even sure why you bought it in the first place.

“I’m not wearing that,” you shake your head.

“Are you afraid he might get a boner from you in it?”

“Rita!” you snap at her, but she just chuckles.

“Look, if you’re so sure he doesn’t want you like that, why does it matter what you wear?”

She has a point. It’s not like this dress will change anything and it would be nice to wear at least once in your life this stupid dress if you bought it.

Grabbing it from her hands you throw it to the bed and start undressing as she claps in victory.

You remembered right, the dress leaves close to nothing to the imagination when it comes to your figure. The fabric hugs your figure tightly, and you put on a lacy bralette that peeks out at the top of the dress, kind of covering some more from your skin, since the dress doesn’t do much in that field itself. Rita tries to convince you not to take a jacket, but you throw your denim jacket on, feeling the need to have something give you the slightest sense of being covered.

You arrive at the bar twenty minutes before the concert starts and it’s a good thing Harry reserved a table for you, because the place is packed. You’re not sure if it’s because of them or it’s just a regular Saturday evening.

The little stage is all set up, but you see no sign of Harry anywhere as the two of you settle at your table with a drink. Luckily, the bartender did not ask for an ID, he was too busy looking at your chest. At least there’s one good thing in this dress.

The drum set at the back has the name of the band on it and you smile reading it. The word ‘Stylish’ is printed on it with bold blue letters, referring to Harry’s last name, who is most likely the front man of the band.

The place is buzzing and the two of you enjoy being out at a bar concert. When the lights go down you finally spot him walking out of the back followed by a guy and two girls.

“Welcome, folks,” he greets the audience, his accent filling up the place over the chatters. A round of cheering answers him, making him smile. “Thank you for coming out tonight, we hope to entertain you in the next hour. Our name is Stylish and now let’s get down to business,” he smirks and just as he takes a step back from the mic, the band starts playing. Harry grabs a guitar himself before stepping back to the mic and then he starts singing.

They play a mixture of covers and original songs, the transition between them is so smooth you sometimes forget it’s a whole different song that’s playing. Harry is clearly enjoying the spotlight, his presence on the stage is so natural and capturing, you often catch yourself forgetting about the rest of the band.

One song follows the other and you don’t even realize how fast this hour passes by. Harry sometimes stops in-between songs, entertaining the audience with small jokes and just casually interacting with them.

“Our last song is up next, so let me take a moment to introduce the band,” Harry speaks into the mic while softly playing the guitar so it’s not completely quiet as he talks. “At the drums, the amazing and talented Sarah Jones!”

A round of applause fills the bar as Sara waves around smiling widely, before Harry moves on to the next member.

“Playing the piano, the wonderful Charlotte Clark!”

Charlotte plays a short melody on the keys matching up with what Harry has been playing, before she also waves at the audience.

“The guy who is a way better guitarist than me, Mitch Rowland.”

Harry’s comment makes the audience laugh and Mitch just nods shyly, a smile pulling on his lips under his mustache.

“And this handsome Brit who sometimes acts like a comedian,” Sarah starts leaning closer to her mic. “Harry Styles.”

It’s no surprise that Harry gets the biggest cheering and he smirks sweetly, his fingers still strumming on the guitar. The clapping and screaming slowly dies down and as Harry steps back to his mic they start the last song.

It’s quite an upbeat, funky song, you just can’t resist dancing around on your chair and seemingly Rita is enjoying herself as well, cheering with her beer in her hand. The song comes to an end and they all line up at the front of the stage bowing down together as the whole bar cheers on them as one person.

“Woah, this was… something else,” Rita breathes out once they disappear at the back and chatter fills up the place once again and the lights come back.

“They smashed it!” you nod in agreement. You figured they are good if they get asked to perform, but this was way beyond what you were expecting.

Looking around you are hoping to see Harry somewhere, but they must be celebrating somewhere at the back. Maybe he won’t even come out, you think to yourself as you finish up your beer.

“I’ll get us another round,” you tell Rita as you make your way to the bar.

There are quite a few people waiting to be served, so you squeeze yourself into the crowd and hope to get to the front soon.

“So how did you like it?”

You jump in surprise when you hear Harry’s voice coming from behind you, and turning around you see how close he is standing to you.

“Hi! I didn’t even see you sneak up on me,” you chuckle making him smile as he squeezes himself next to you. The two of you finally reach the front, but the bartender is serving someone a little on the left so you have to wait. “I loved it, you were like a proper rockstar up there!”

“Thanks,” he chuckles and his dimples show up on his cheeks. The bartender finally gets to you and Harry is quick to order for the both of you. “’S probably better if I place the order since you’re not twenty one just yet.”

“Didn’t have any problem ordering the first time,” you smirk smugly and Harry raises his eyebrows at you before his eyes wander down your body for a second.

“I bet you didn’t in this dress.”

Suddenly, you’re very aware of how daring your outfit looks, so out of reflex, you pull your jacket tighter on yourself, Harry’s smile quickly fades as he realizes that he made you uncomfortable with his comment.

“I meant that you look really pretty. Definitely makes you appear a little older though.”

“My friend wanted me to wear it, I would have been fine with something else,” you admit as the bartender places your order in front of you and Harry pays for the whole thing.

“Glad she convinced you,” he grins down at you and you can feel your cheeks heating up once again.

He helps you carry the drinks to the table and Rita quickly puts her phone away when she sees who you are returning with.

“Harry, this is my friend, Rita. Rita, this is Harry,” you introduce them and Harry shakes her head smiling.

“Nice to meet you,” he nods kindly.

“Oh, same goes for you,” Rita smirks and you roll your eyes at her.

“I’ll go get the rest of the band, do you mind if we join you guys here? There are no empty tables.”

“Sure,” you nod smiling before the crowd swallows Harry.

“For fuck’s sake, you have to make a move on him, Y/N!” Rita turns to you as soon as he is gone.

“Would you stop?” you chuckle.

“No! This dude is so hot I forget my name when I look at him! And you live with him! You can’t miss this chance, Y/N.”

“I’m not missing anything. We live together, it’s not worth it.”

“Not missing anything?” Rita looks at you as if you were mental. “You are literally missing everything!”

“I’m done with this conversation,” you tell him just when Harry appears again, this time with two of his bandmates, Sarah and Mitch are following him smiling, hand in hand.

“Charlotte had to leave early, but this is Sarah and Mitch,” Harry introduces them as they join the two of you at the table. “And this is my flatmate, Y/N and her friend Rita.”

You all shake hands as Harry sorts out the extra beers he has ordered so everyone has a drink on their hand.

It’s no surprise, but Sarah and Mitch prove themselves to be just as cool as they seemed up on the stage. And the best thing is that they don’t shy away from sharing funny stories that include Harry.

“So have you been looking for a new place to stay, Y/N?” Mitch jokes. “I’m sure you’ve had enough of Harry by now.”

“Very funny,” Harry laughs at his bandmate’s comment.

“To be honest it’s pretty fine so far. He is a pleasant person to share your home with,” you say with a soft chuckle.

“What’s one thing you hate about living with him?” Sarah asks and Harry pretends to be hurt over the question.

“Who said there’s anything she hates?”

“Shush, I was asking her!” she hushes at him making you laugh.

“I really can’t point out anything in particular. Maybe he has been very careful, luring me into believing that he is the perfect flatmate so I get stuck with him.”

You stay for a while, just chatting and having a good time until the bar starts to empty out and you decide it’s better if you head home as well.

“We have to take care of the equipment, are you leaving or do you want to wait for me?” Harry asks you.

“We’ll just call an Uber, don’t worry about it,” you smile at him.

“Alright, see you at home.”

You say goodbye to Sarah and Mitch and part your ways with them as you and Rite head outside.

“I hope you noticed how Harry was looking at you,” Rita smirks at you when the two of you are sitting at the back of the Uber.

“What are you talking about?” you sigh leaning your head against the seat.

“I caught him staring at you quite a few times.”

“He was just probably looking at me when I was talking. Don’t try to talk something into it that’s not true.”

“Alright, I’ll stop,” she replies holding up her hands. “But I still think you are missing out on some amazing dick.”

You awkwardly glance at the driver who is hearing everything you say, but Rita seemingly doesn’t mind that you’re not alone.

“You know what? We should give Tinder a try.”

“What? Why?”

“If you don’t want to make a move on your hot flatmate, we need to get some satisfaction from others.”

“I’m fine, thanks.”

“Oh, you are not,” she chuckles. “But you will be when you match with the hottest guys on campus.”

You let Rita believe that she convinced you to sign up for Tinder, but you get out of the car with the intention of never downloading the app, like ever.

Walking into the apartment you grab a clean, oversized t-shirt and a pair of panties since your sleeping shorts are all dirty, but you were planning to do the laundry tomorrow. You decide it’s not a big deal and the shirt will probably cover enough of your body.

You take a quick shower to get off the thick smell of the bar that’s stuck on your skin, taking your time moisturizing yourself once you’re done. When you get dressed you see that the shirt does cover your bum, but if you lifted your arms up it surely shows a big portion of your ass, so you’ll have to be careful if Harry arrives.

You’re lounging on the couch watching a rerun of House M.D. and scrolling through your phone when Harry arrives.

“Hey there, rockstar!” you greet him teasingly and he just chuckles shyly.

“Is it gonna be my new nickname?”

“Well, you really were one tonight, so I think yes,” you nod making him laugh. Walking further inside his eyes stop on your bare legs and he is quick to notice that you’re not wearing any pants, like you usually do. You immediately tug on the end of the shirt to cover more of your skin, but it’s not really working.

“Ehm, I’ll go and take a quick shower,” he informs you before disappearing in his room first and then rushing into the bathroom.

Looking down at your attire you decide it’ll be better if you threw on some sweats. Harry clearly got a little uncomfortable seeing you so bare, so it’s better to cover up. You’ll just take them off when you go to bed.

Harry doesn’t take too long in there, and when he joins you on the couch you are pretty sure he took a cold shower since no steam followed him when he left the bathroom. His eyes flicker to your now covered legs, but he doesn’t say anything, just makes himself comfortable next to you.

“You like it?” he asks nodding at the TV.

“Yeah, he is such an asshole, but it’s funny,” you huff. “Hey, I took a few pictures tonight. Wanna see if you like any of them?”

“Sure,” he nods pushing himself up a little as you unlock your phone and show him the photos you took of him and the band while performing.

Some of them ended up really cool, you were able to catch the lights and their movements just the right way, especially one stands out where he was holding out a note, basically screaming into the mic, he really looks like a rockstar on that one.

“Can you send me this one?”

“Done,” you smile at him and glancing over you see that he opens the Instagram app on his phone. You watch him crop and adjust it a little bit, then tag his bandmates and finally, he posts it.

“Wow, this is the first picture on your page with you actually on it,” you tease him.

“So you’ve been stalking my profile?” he smirks at you.

“I wanted to check you out before I moved in, but your social media was no help in that.”

“Yeah, I’m not a fan of posting that much, but this was a cool picture.”

“It’s an honor to know that I took the first one featuring you.”

“Actually, this is the second one, but it is the first one where my face is visible,” Harry tells you before turning his attention back to the TV, but the gears start to turn wildly in your mind, trying to remember which picture could be the other one.

Later, when you’re lying in your bed with your door closed, you pull up his profile and stat scrolling down. Most of the pictures fall out, because they have absolutely no trace of any human being on them. But then you stop at the one that features a black silhouette of a man, the one you thought wasn’t him.

Opening up you tap on the tag and see that it leads to Mitch’s profile, but now that you’ve met him, you’re pretty sure it’s not him in the picture. So you take a closer look and as you go over the small details, like the line of his neck, how wide his shoulders are and the untamed curls, you soon realize that it is indeed Harry in the photo.

You push down a moan when realization sets in, because that means that you’re staring at the naked silhouette of Harry and it immediately starts a fire between your legs.

“Jesus,” you whisper as you let yourself stare at the photo a little longer. You weren’t expecting it, but it’s surely making you feel some kind of way.

Locking your phone you throw it to your nightstand before you bury your head into your pillow. You have to press your thighs together quite tightly to make the throbbing sensation stop so you can finally fall asleep. Well, it takes some time before that happens and it’s quite torturous.

  Unlike how you planned, Rita finally gets you to download Tinder and give it a try. She helps you set up your profile, and though at first it feels incredibly awkward, you slowly adjust to being out there on the virtual market.

You start swiping left and right whenever you are bored during classes or you’re having a break from studying. Your matches start to pile up and soon enough you start getting messages as well. You reply to the ones you like or find funny and creative, giving them a chance, but not many end up going too far. Somehow the conversations always die down and you lose interest in the person.

Only one guy gets as far as asking you out and getting a yes as an answer. Jordan is a physics major and seemed like a nice and funny guy through the messages, good-looking too, so you decided to give it a go.

So Friday evening you dolled yourself up, put on a nice blouse with your favorite skinny jeans and black heels, ready to head out to your first ever Tinder date.

As you walk out of your room you find Harry in the kitchen in his basketball shorts and a simple black t-shirt making himself a cup of tea. The shorts are hanging low on his waist and as he reaches up to get the hones from the cupboard you get a glimpse of the soft skin on his lower waist. You quickly look away before you could have any further thoughts about what else is under the waistband of his shorts.

“Oh, where are you heading all dressed up?” he asks, eyebrows raised.

“I actually have a date,” you admit nervously as you grab your keys and put it away in your purse.

“Lucky guy,” he smiles and you can feel your cheeks heating up again. There’s just something in the way he compliments you, it makes your knees go jelly.

“Thanks. I’ll see you later? I’m not sure when I’ll be back,” you tell him grabbing your jacket from the hanger next to the front door.

“Have fun,” he nods before you walk out.

 Jordan proves himself to be quite frankly the same guy you got to know through messages. He takes you to this Mexican themed bar and you are just chatting over some exciting looking cocktails, but you find yourself zoning out sometimes.

What is Harry doing right now? Is he staying at home? I should have asked if he had any plans. Maybe he is hooking up with someone right now.

You find yourself thinking about way more than you probably should and it’s making you lose your shit. So maybe this is why, or because Rita told you to just go with the flow, but when Jordan asks if you want to go up to his place you say yes.

It’s as awkward and bad as you were expecting, unfortunately. There’s a reason why you don’t hook up with every random guy you go out with once. You are totally on different pages, but when you are lying under him on his bed, you just know there’s no way out.

It’s not that he forces you, because you’re sure he would have stopped if you asked, but it would be so awkward to just walk out because you weren’t feeling the vibe. So at least one of you should enjoy it.

You should deserve an Oscar for that orgasm you fake, it’s so believable. Jordan doesn’t seem to notice that you felt absolutely nothing, just frustration and impatience, he tries to make you stay the night, but you save yourself with a lie that you have to wake up early in the morning so it’s best if you head home.

Your frustration just grows on your way home. You were really hoping to get laid tonight, so maybe that could stop you from fantasizing about Harry, because your thoughts have been wild since you found out that he is the one on that Instagram picture. It doesn’t help that he has been walking around shirtless quite a lot.

Shameful or not, you even touched yourself once thinking about him. You were home alone after a particularly boring day so you thought you’d just get yourself off. Before you could realize where your thoughts have wandered, you were moaning his name as you came hard. You couldn’t look into his eyes that day when he came home, he probably thought you were nuts, basically running away from him.

It’s almost midnight when you get back home, you were expecting Harry to be asleep by now since he has band practice in the morning, but you are surprised to see light coming from his room. As you close the front door, kicking your heels off he walks out, of course, without a shirt, his glorious body on full display.

“Hey, how was your date?” he asks as you step to the fridge to get yourself something to drink. You’ve been so damn thirsty since Jordan was… done with you, you could have asked for some water at least, but you just wanted to leave as fast as possible.

“Ugh, don’t even ask,” you whine, leaning against the counter.

“That bad?”

“Worse,” you roll your eyes and Harry chuckles softly.

“Come on, it couldn’t be that bad if you came home so late.”

“Well, it did start off nice, but I shouldn’t have said yes when he asked if I wanted to go to his place.”

“Oh.”

“Worst sex of my life, I wanted out the moment we arrived, to be honest,” you honestly say, feeling a little weird that you’re talking to Harry about it, but you just want to get it off your chest.

“Then why didn’t you just leave?”

“Dunno, I just… I was hoping for just a little satisfaction, but I guess I asked for too much,” you sigh finishing up your water and you walk past him with the intention to grab your pajamas and have a shower that would wash away the happenings of the night, but Harry’s voice stops you.

“Not everything is lost just yet.” Turning around you give him a puzzled look.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

He bites into his bottom lip and lets his eyes travel down your body, his intent gaze sends a shiver down your spine. When his eyes return to your gaze your heart is wildly beating against your chest.

“I mean that… I can make you feel good, if you want.”

Your mouth hangs open and your eyebrows shoot up at the blunt offer he just made. At first you’re not even sure you heard him right, but as you replay his words you realize that you indeed heard him crystal clear.

“Are you messing with me right now?” you ask, feeling like it’s all just a joke. He did not just offer to satisfy you because you complained to him about how bad your date was.

Harry takes a few steps closer to you, a small smirk tugging on his lips.

“Not really. You want to get off and I would love to be the one to help you with it.”

“But… we live together,” you say and realize how stupid this just sounded, but you hope he gets what you were trying to say.

“So? Does that mean we can’t fuck?”

The way he said that makes your legs go weak for sure. You’ve been fantasizing about things similar to this, but those were nowhere near to actually hear him propose the idea of fucking.

“But… it’ll be weird, won’t it?”

“Only if we make it.”

He walks closer, closing the distance between the two of you and he cups your cheek in his hand as his eyes flicker down to your lips.

“Harry…” you breathe out, but you already know you gave in. There’s no way you can say him no, not after weeks of dreaming about the exact same thing.

“Just stop thinking,” he tells you before pressing his lips against yours.

He kisses you hard and you gladly let his tongue push into your mouth within a second, kissing him back with the same passion. You wrap your arms around his neck as his hands travel down on your sides until they reach your ass and they give it a bold squeeze, making you moan into his lips. You feel him grin as his hands move over to your thighs and he urges you to jump and so you do, wrapping your legs around his waist.

Though you keep your eyes closed, kissing him hard, you can tell he brings you to the couch, laying you down to your back, holding himself up above you. He starts kissing down your jawline and neck, sucking and biting on the sensitive skin. His hands grab the hem of your shirt and you lift yourself up a bit so he can pull it off, throwing it away to somewhere behind the couch. While his lips are sucking on your breasts wherever they are bulging out from the lacy bra, his hands work fast on your jeans, undoing the button and the zipper, tugging them down until you can just kick them right off.

“Matching set? You were really counting on having a good time tonight,” he mumbles against your tummy as he kisses his way down on your body.

His right hand reaches up and cups your breast before it slides under you and easily unclasps your bra. You quickly slide the straps off and throw it to the side, so now you are lying under him only in your panties, whimpering and panting at every kiss he leaves on your body.

“What do you want, Y/N?” he hums glancing up at you, sitting between your legs as he slides just one finger over your soaking wet panties, running it along your throbbing center.

“Fuck, I want you,” you breathe out.

“How exactly do you want me?”

“Jesus, just eat me out, Harry!” you shamelessly moan and he smugly smirks before he hooks his fingers into your panties and pulls them down, throwing it to the ground.

Now you’re lying completely naked in front of him, and he pushes your knees farther apart, looking down at you with lustful eyes.

“You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to do this,” he growls as he gets closer and without a warning, he licks into you.

You moan in sensation as he starts sucking on your clit, his tongue working perfectly against your bud. Your hands find their way into his hair and you grab a handful of it in each. Oh, how many times you’ve thought about doing this!

“Harry!” you cry out when you feel him push a finger into you, slowly pumping it in and out a few times before he adds another to it. He quickly picks up his pace as he keeps sucking on your clit, getting you closer to your orgasm with every lick.

“Fuck, I’m so close!” you moan, your chest rising and falling rapidly as you struggle to even breathe.

“Cum for me, baby,” he mumbles against your wet clit and just a few more pumps later you came, screaming his name.

“Fucking hell, Harry!” you breathe out when he climbs up on you smirking.

“You think you can handle another one?” he asks, pecking your lips softly. Looking down you see how hard he is and even if you were on the verge of dying you would have said yes. There’s no way you let him get up from this couch unsatisfied after the orgasm he just gave you.

Instead of saying anything, you push on him until he is sitting on the couch and you have your knees on his sides.

“I think you are a little overdressed, aren’t you?” you ask teasingly as you bring a hand down to his erection, cupping it through his shorts and underwear.

Harry cranes his neck so his lips could meet yours again as he lifts his hips up, pushing his shorts down along with his boxers. You sit back down to his lap and his erection presses against your wet folds making you moan into his mouth.

“Do you want me to suck you off?” you ask breathlessly, but Harry shakes his head.

“I would last, I just want to fuck you,” he growls and you swear to God that was the hottest thing you’ve ever heard.

“Condom, we need a condom,” you tell him, still kissing his lips.

You get off him and he quickly runs into his room, shortly returning with a condom between his teeth. He rips the package on his way and falls back to the couch, rolling it on carefully. When he is done you swing your leg over him and get on top again, holding onto his broad shoulders. He grabs the base of his cock and lines himself up to your center and you give yourself a moment to admire his naked beauty right in front of you.

You look into his sparkling eyes and leaning down you kiss him hard as you slowly ease down to his length, his cock slowly filling you up fully.

“Oh fuck!” he moans at the feeling of you around him. His fingers dig deep into your waist as you stay still for a few moments, adjusting to his length. “You alright?” he asks breathlessly. Your eyes meet his and you nod a little before you start moving.

It takes a few moments to find the right pace and get yourself comfortable, but when you finally do, you just can’t stop. His hands are on your ass as he guides your hips a little and you feel the rings on his fingers against your heated skin. He buries his face into your neck nibbling and kissing on the soft skin wherever he reaches.

“Fuck, you look so fucking hot, Y/N,” he grunts when you let your head fall back, feeling your orgasm slowly building up again.

“Harry, I’m gonna cum again,” you pant, picking up a faster pace, desperate for release.

“Cum for me, baby. Let me make you feel good!” he moans wrapping his arms around you as he holds you still, stopping you from moving, but instead he starts thrusting into you, his cock buries so deep into your pussy, your eyes roll back into your head from the feeling.

“Yes! Don’t fucking stop!” you scream as he keeps fucking you hard.

It doesn’t take too long until you fall completely apart and cum again, your legs basically turning into jelly. Just a few thrusts later Harry cums as well, thrusting deep into you a few more times as he moans into your neck.

You lie completely numb on him, his fingers gently stroking your naked back as you try to come back to reality. When you lean back and your eyes meet again you are still speechless.

“I’ve literally wanted it since the day you walked into this place,” he admits with a soft chuckle.

“Really?” you giggle shyly.

“Oh, really. Seeing you around, sometimes without a bra under your shirt completely killed me most of the time.”

Your cheeks are heating up, you didn’t think he noticed when you weren’t wearing a bra.

“Don’t be so shy, you have amazing tits, you are not allowed to wear a bra anymore around here,” he teases you grinning as you laugh and leaning down you kiss him shortly.

“I had quite a few fantasies about you too,” you admit making him raise his eyebrows.

“Really?”

“Mhm, especially after you walked out of the bathroom naked, even though I didn’t even see your dick then.”

Harry chuckles lightly as he pushes his hair back from his forehead, resting his head against the back of the couch.

“So…” you shyly start, ”what now?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean that… we live together and we just fucked. What does this mean for the future?”

“Well, I thought that next time we could do it the right way. I could take you out on a proper date, and then fuck you on the kitchen counter.”

You laugh at how blunt he is, but you love the idea he just proposed.

“Okay. Sounds fine by me.”

[crimsonfluidessence]

Prompt 15: Row

There were more than a few things that were awkward when it came to being a fallen noble who then went on to spend eight years in the wilderness trying to return to society.

Quite more than a few things, far too many to list. But one of many such things was the fact that Esredes had never bought any kind of real estate. And he knew nothing about how to do it.

Between having no gil to his name, no longer having all of the necessary legal paperwork when it came to anything at all, and the constant dread and fear he felt being in Ishgard for any amount of time, Esredes was well convinced that moving back was impossible, even with the pardon. At best, he'd have to pick one of his noble allies to move into the spare room of in their manor and hope for the best, and that was if he even came back, which he still wasn't sure about at all.

But sometimes in life there was simply that friend, or ally, or companion who was just as stubborn as you. Esredes had too many of those to count, but this was the one who insisted to him it was possible for him to buy a house. "No it is not." He retorted back. "There is no way in the seven hells that would ever happen. Even an apartment is too much of a stretch." "No, you're right." They said. "You'd be at the mercy of the landlord, who would definitely charge astronomically high rent. That's why you need something that you can pay off and be done with, and can't be so easily taken from you." Oh, but they took it multiple steps further. They had ran the numbers when he told them the salaries both the nobleman and the government had offered him for work, and insisted that if they all charged no interest he could pay back the multiple loans from his noble allies within a few years if they found something modest and affordable. Esredes was not gifted in complex finance, and so his mind had already begun to hear nothing but white noise the more they got into this. "We're going to look at houses," they insisted multiple times Esredes made his daytrip visits to Ishgard. And that's exactly what they dragged him into- neighborhood upon neighborhood that had places for sale. Unfortunately for them, however, Esredes was probably one of the worst people to try this with. At each stop he just sort of stared blankly at everything as they moved about each house, and sure, he made comments about what he did or did not like because he was in fact still alive- but each time they asked him about his overall thoughts, there was never an answer other than some variant of 'I'm not sure' or 'I don't like it.' Between living in a noble manor, barracks, a tent, and a small little room to himself, Esredes had a limited concept of a normal house. All he could think looking at each one was how much bigger it was than his current room- or how small and empty it felt compared to his childhood home, or how little sense it made to be doing this in the first place.

No, in truth, it hadn't even been the house itself really that made him pick one. It had been more a combination of the price and the surroundings. The street had houses on either side, stretching on until the end. It was in a quieter, yet not run down part of Foundation, and all the houses looked completely identical. The only thing that distinguished one from the next was minor details like the mailbox or decorations on the door or windows. It was the perfect combination for someone who wanted to be difficult to track down. Something about the silence of the street was oddly comforting in a rather discomforting situation. Of course, it took much and more to get anywhere near being able to call it home, and when he stood inside the house, a part of him felt uncomfortable. There were people who had surely lost their place to live due to the wyverns, and here he was standing in an empty home in a city that most certainly did not want him back. But he knew they would hear none of it.

On one daytrip to Ishgard, it ran later than it usually did. The sun had sunk beneath the sky and left the blanket of night. Clouds covered the sky, and the snow came down.

Esredes had been making his way out of the city when the snow had begun to fall, but something in him compelled him to take a slight detour, and make his way back to the quiet street in Foundation. The roofs of each identical house had already been fully covered in a thin layer of snow, and snowflakes danced in front of the street lamps, crunching softly under each footstep Esredes imprinted into the sidewalk. He slowly approached the one house he knew was empty, looking up at its dark windows with the curtains drawn over. And just as slowly, he turned around, watching the snowflakes illuminated in front of the street lamps a moment... and took a seat on the steps, wrapping his arms around his knees and resting his head on top of them to watch the snow fall.

The entire world was silent around him, nothing but the wind to break the complete lack of other sound, besides the occasional slight crunching of his feet just to remind himself he could produce the noise. And there he remained for he knew not how long, letting the snow swirl around in the wind and coat his head and body in white. He couldn't recall the last time he had stopped to appreciate the beauty of the snow...

When he finally stood up again, the only trace that was left of him as he departed for home was his footprints as he made his way down the street and disappeared. For the houses did not have eyes, and the people were safe within their homes.

[mithliya]

Rural Bayern is kinda conservative but bigger cities are pretty liberal and more diverse, especially Munich. I lived there for some time and really enjoyed it (apart from having to pay rent), I'm thinking about moving back there at some point.

Baden-Württemberg is really nice as well - I love the landscape and how close it is to Switzerland and France. Either way, I hope you find a place you like!

thank u ☺im glad to hear that the bigger cities are more liberal and diverse (tho from what i heard theyre still less diverse and more conservative when compared to other areas in germany? never been tho so all i have to judge it on is what ppl have told me). either way my main concern with bayern is the insane rent prices,, it looks quite beautiful but i can imagine id really struggle having to pay such high rent for an apartment i would assume wouldnt even be that great. 

[hookingminor]

close quarters (2) - andre burakovsky

a/n: here’s part 2! hope y’all enjoy please leave me a message w your thoughts I love hearing what you guys think

word count: 2,735

one / two / three / four / five

-

Despite his sudden aloofness that past few days, Andre knocked on your door the following Thursday.

“Hi, Andre, did you need something?” You asked curiously. He never bothered you in your room.

“Actually, I had something for you. I know you’re still looking for a place, so I talked to some people and got you a showing for tomorrow at five,” he replied.

“You didn’t have to do that,” you thanked him, “Really, I can find my own place.” Though, you weren’t really sure if that last part was true. It had been a couple weeks, and you were still at a loss.

“It’s no problem,” he said with a blush, “I can send you the address and phone number of the agent later today.”

“Wait, you’re not coming with me? You have to come with me, Andre. I can’t just show up somewhere for an appointment I didn’t make,” you said hurriedly before he left.

“I don’t think—,” he began to say, but you cut him off before he got any further.

“You sent me your schedule, I know you don’t have anything going on,” you said with an accusatory finger to emphasize your point, “You have to come with me.”

Andre opened his mouth to reply, but no sound came out. He knew he’d been caught, and you weren’t taking no for an answer. You raised your eyebrows, putting on a hopeful face as your lips slowly quirked into a smile.

“Great!” You said cheerfully when you knew he wasn’t going to argue, “I’ll be ready to leave at three!”

When you closed the door in front of him, a victorious smile on your face, Andre threw his head back to gaze at the ceiling, cursing himself for not being able to tell you no.

-

You and Andre walked to your showing the next day as it was only fifteen minutes away and the parking in Denver was hell. When you arrived at the opulent building, you stopped in your tracks to berate Andre.

“Who the hell did you call? I can’t afford a place like this,” you said in awe, mouth agape as you stared up at the high rise.

“I may or may not have promised the landlord two years worth of season tickets in exchange for a favor,” he said, chuckling at your stunned expression.

“You really should not have done that,” you said, though the bite in your voice wasn’t as harsh as you intended it to be.

“It’s not a problem. I don’t have any family near me anyway, and I have the tickets to give away,” he said with a shrug.

Andre ushered you through the lobby and up to the seventh floor, apparently he’d been given the entrance code already. You didn’t say anything the entire way, too taken aback by the cleanliness and luxury of the building. You read the signs in the elevator that indicated the floors of a few amenities, pausing when you came across the information for a pool. This had to be way over your budget even with Andre pulling a few strings.

A middle-aged woman greeted you when you stepped out the elevator, tapping away on her phone as she stood outside the door you presumed was the apartment.

“Hi, you must be Andre. I’m Ellen, I’ll be showing you around today,” the woman said, using a key to unlock the door.

You followed her into the entryway, your eyes immediately noting the open concept and large kitchen. Granite covered the countertops, a perfect contrast against the white cabinets.

“As you can see, there’s a lot of natural light that comes from the large windows and balcony, high ceilings in all the rooms, new appliances in the kitchen, bathrooms were redone a year ago,” she listed on, but you were already sold the minute you entered.

“There is a gym on the first floor, each unit comes with its own washer and dryer, pool is on the roof, though it’s only open during the summer,” she continued as you wandered through the living room.

It was much bigger than what you needed but beautiful, nonetheless. Ellen led you to the hallway along with the attached bedrooms.

“This is the master bedroom, ample space for a king-sized bed and plenty of room for clothes and shoes in the walk-in closet,” she described with a chuckle.

“Oh, we’re no—” you started to say, shaking your head at the insinuation of you and Andre being a couple.

“We love it, thank you,” Andre said loudly, drowning out your voice, “Would you mind giving us a few minutes alone?”

“Of course, I’ll be out in the kitchen if you need me,” Ellen said with her best saleswoman smile. She left the two of you in the room, and you gave Andre a funny look.

“It’s easier if they just assume we’re a couple. Less awkward,” he explained, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck. You gave him a smirk that said “sure, I totally believe you” as you allowed yourself to pace across the bedroom.

“So, what do you think?” He asked after a moment, slipping his hands into his pockets.

“It’s perfect. Way out of my price range but perfect,” you replied.

“Don’t worry about that, it’s all handled. I promise it’s within your budget now,” he said.

You stood at the window, overlooking the city and taking in the view. It was the perfect location: only a few blocks away from your new job but still close to the interstate if you needed to go somewhere. There was a grocery store on the corner across the street, and you could see three coffee shops just from your view from the window.

“I don’t know how to thank you for this,” you said sheepishly. You hated owing people, and this felt like one huge favor no matter what Andre said.

“Think of it as a welcome to Denver present,” he said, “So should we go sign the papers now?”

As much as you wanted to say no, to tell him this was too much, the offer was too good to pass up. You weren’t going to find another place like this that you could afford, and Andre had already promised the landlord tickets. It would just be rude to refuse now. At least that’s what you told yourself when Andre led you back out to the kitchen.

“We’ll take it,” Andre announced when you’d joined Ellen back in the kitchen. She set her phone down on the counter when she heard his voice.

“Perfect!” She said joyfully, removing a packet of papers from her purse and setting them on the table, “I have to make a quick call, but let me know if you have any questions.” She pulled out a pen from her purse, handing it to Andre before moving to a different room.

Andre gave the pen to you as you began rifling through the lease. You scanned the apartment rules and contract appendices, noticing the way the monthly rent had been blacked out and replaced with a new price.

“I don’t even want to know what the real rent is,” you chuckled lowly, signing where it indicated.

“I wasn’t going to tell you anyway,” he replied, leaning his elbows on the counter as he watched you read.

You flipped through the rest of the pages, most of the words were a formality and discussed liabilities, not that you intended to break anything. When you had finished filling out the last signature, Ellen appeared back in the kitchen, the same bright smile on her face.

“All finished?” She asked, putting her phone back into her purse. You nodded your head, handing the stack back which she tucked away with her phone.

“You’re going to love this place. It’s very popular with young couples starting out on their own, so you’ll have a lot of neighbors like you,” she said as she escorted you back out of the apartment.

“The least starts on the first, and there is a service elevator just out back that you will be given a key to,” she added finally, locking the door behind you, “If you have any more questions, you can call me any time, or I’m sure you have the landlord’s number.”

It was clear Ellen had another appointment to get to, so you said your goodbyes quickly and left the same way you came.

When the elevator doors shut, Andre turned to give you a big smile.

“Don’t look so smug,” you said with an eye roll, “I’m going to be surrounded by young couples all the time now.”

“Well, you can always just invite me over if you need a fake boyfriend to show off,” he said without hesitation. You widen your eyes in surprise at his proposition, and Andre is quick to backtrack

“I didn’t mean like— I just meant that… If you ever need company…” he stuttered, cheeks heating furiously. You laughed at his uncomfortable shuffling.

“It’s okay, Andre, I know what you meant. And you’re always welcome here, you’re kind of my only friend in Denver anyway,” you chuckled playfully, trying to ease the tension.

The elevator hit the ground floor, and you exited, eager to leave that awkward conversation behind you.

“Back to the apartment, then?” You asked to change the subject as you both stepped out of the building onto the sidewalk.

Andre glanced down to look at you, entranced by the way your eyes glittered in the sunlight. So, he decided to take a risk.

“Actually, do you want to get dinner? I know a good sushi place,” he asked in a hopeful tone, “You know, to celebrate the new apartment and all?”

You didn’t think your mood could've gotten any better, and Andre didn’t think your smile could get any wider, but both of those things happened when he asked you out for dinner.

“I’d love to,” you replied.

Andre walked you throughout downtown Denver to a fancy sushi restaurant that sat on the corner of the street. Despite not making any reservations, you were lucky to see it wasn’t that busy and you were able to easily get a table for two.

He ordered a bottle of wine for the table when the waiter stopped by as you read over the menu.

“Do you want to get some sample platters and just share? That’s what I usually do when I’m with the guys. It’s also the best way to try everything,” Andre asked, pouring out two glasses of wine. You agreed at his suggestion, placing the order when the waiter came back.

“So,” Andre started, bringing the wine glass to his lips to take a sip, “How do you know Taylor and Tom? In all my years in D.C., they never mentioned you.”

“Taylor and I actually met in college, she was the senior assigned to mentor me freshman year. So, we spent a lot of time together. I moved to D.C. after graduation, and she was currently there with Tom so I reconnected with her and that’s how I know them,” you explained, taking your own sip of wine.

Andre nodded his head along with your story, and then he launched into the story about how he met Tom. You knew it was because of hockey, obviously, but he went into more details about their friendship and living situation with Latta.

“I always wondered why you had three ketchup bottles in your fridge,” you chuckled along with his story. You’d only been to Tom’s apartment a handful of times and it was usually because Taylor had to swing by and pick something up but you always found it odd why one household had three bottles of ketchup and absolutely no other food. You just assumed guys were weird and didn’t know any basic cooking skills; it turned out you were not all that wrong.

“Yeah, the domestic skills of the apartment were not very high,” Andre laughed with you.

He asked about your jobs after school and why you moved to Denver, and you asked about his home back in Sweden. Questions turned into recalling childhood memories and other hobbies and interests you had outside of your careers. The sushi came halfway through an anecdote of how Tom broke a hotel TV in Calgary because he was trying to kill a spider.

You continued into a story of how your sister tricked you into walking on a bee’s nest, which resulted in ten different stings and a trip to the hospital. An hour passed and the sushi between you slowly disappeared as you took turns telling stories and taking bites. Soon, the plates were empty, the bottle of wine was finished, and you could feel the waiter hovering near the wall waiting for your signal to deliver the check.

Exiting the restaurant, you stumbled out on the small ledge that dropped down to the sidewalk, your arm instinctively reaching out to grab Andre’s arm for stability. You chuckled when you made contact, clearly a little more tipsy than you originally thought. His hand slid down to your waist, holding tightly until he felt you were steady enough without the support. And even though he removed his arm from your hip, you kept your arms snaked around his as you began walking. Andre didn’t retract his arm or look uncomfortable with your proximity, so you kept it there.

He steered your bodies towards the direction of his apartment, and you knew you were probably a good thirty minutes away. The bubbly atmosphere from the restaurant followed you the entire way back to the apartment, both of you continuing the banter from earlier. It seemed as if the wall that was between you, the one that had you dancing around each other because of the unusual living situation, had been broken down and you were finally past the stage of awkward acquaintances and into the stage of friendship.

Well, you hoped it was at least at the stage of friendship, though you were silently hoping it had progressed past that. You would’ve been blind to have not found Andre attractive, but with his schedule and odd behavior and the fact that you lived together, you decided not to act on it.

But tonight you were feeling like pushing the envelope a little bit further.

The two of you entered the front door of the apartment, and for the first time in nearly two hours, a silence fell between you. It wasn’t uncomfortable by any means, but it was clear that your night out was over and the bubble that surrounded your date had popped. Now, you were back into the temporary roommate bubble.

Your hand finally released its grip on his arm when you both reached the kitchen counter. Andre stood between you and the marble countertop, his eyes still twinkling as he gazed into your eyes.

“I had a great time today,” you blushed, “Thank you for dinner… and the apartment.”

Still in a blissed out haze from the date, Andre didn’t think twice about lifting his hand to brush aside a strand of your hair. You leaned slightly into his body as his hand paused to rest behind your ear for a second.

Taking a deep breath, you tilted your head up a couple more inches, hopefully communicating that you wanted him to kiss you.

It was this action that seemed to snap Andre out of his stupor because one second he was moving his finger to lift your chin, and the next second he was dropping his hand and stepping away. He blinked away the lustful mist that clouded his eyes before coughing awkwardly.

“Uh, I have to get to bed,” he said, taking a few more steps out of your reach, “Practice in the morning.”

“Oh, okay,” you said dejectedly, your lips turning into a frown. Were you reading the situation wrong? You could’ve sworn he was feeling the same way you were.

“Yeah, uh, goodnight,” Andre mumbled, turning on his heels before speed walking to his room.

The air around you felt awkward for the first time that entire night. You were bouncing off each other the entire night, why was he closing himself off now? Your brows furrowed in confusion as you took a few seconds to process Andre’s suddenly bizarre behavior.

What the hell just happened?

[mrs-nate-humphrey]

(submission) Hi! So this started out as an ask, but as always, it got way too unwieldy for the ask box. And I’ll flat out state that while I am studying public policy and urban planning, I am by no means an expert on gentrification or on Brooklyn specifically - both are still topics I’m actively learning about. That said, I think there’s a couple of reasons people make a “thing” out of the Humphreys’ loft. For starters, it’s an incredibly easy way to undercut Dan and Jenny’s experiences amongst their peers by pointing out that they’re not really poor, so why are they complaining so much?? This, of course, ignores the facts that 1. they never claim to actually be poor, 2. the show never suggests that they really are - only otherwise classist characters like Blair do - and, 3. just because they were being bullied for a bullshit reason, it… doesn’t actually make the bullying any less bad? In fact, most bullying is over trivial nonsense - pointing that out doesn’t make it any less harmful to the bullied! Nonetheless, for people who dislike the Humphreys and are tired of their “whining”, it’s an easy rhetorical device to bludgeon them with. Besides that though, it’s largely a projection of today’s Brooklyn onto the 2007 Brooklyn the show is set in, and more importantly, the 1990s Brooklyn Rufus started raising his family in. It’s true that if you tried to purchase or even rent a space like the one Dan and Jenny grew up in now, you would need to basically be a millionaire, full stop. But acting as though a middle class family would NEVER have been able to live in a property like that isn’t just an overgeneralization - it’s simply ahistorical. Now, to be clear, Brooklyn as a whole started gentrifying all the way back in the 1960s, and has done so in periodic waves. Williamsburg in particular slowly began gentrifying starting in the 1970s - although this process didn’t reach a critical mass until the late 1990s, with a specific turning point coming in 2005. Looking to take advantage of the influx of young professionals and Manhattanites moving to the area and increasingly hungry for waterfront property, the New York City Council introduced a mass rezoning effort that transformed a great number of the neighborhoods’ then numerous manufacturing plants and warehouses into expensive, high-end residential buildings and condominiums. This rezoning process ended up pushing out many of the same working class residents that had historically been the lifeblood of the community - many of them unfortunately and unsurprisingly POC (specifically, Puerto Ricans, Dominicans, and Hasidic Jews). This wave of mass gentrification is what MADE Williamsburg the poster child for gentrification in NYC - up until this point you still had a fairly vibrant working class community living there (even amongst all of the incoming artists and hipsters, yes). Assuming Rufus bought the loft in the early 90s around the time Dan was a baby - back when he still had a semi-relevant music career - it would have been right on the cusp of an earlier rezoning effort that came in the late 90s - one that saw the median price of a home in Williamsburg skyrocket by an average of 60%. Arguably, the Humphrey family were THEMSELVES gentrifiers (albeit unintentionally), given that they pretty damn well fit the profile of “young artists looking for affordable housing that end up attracting real estate investors, that then make the area unaffordable”. Admittedly, the history of gentrification in Brooklyn isn’t exactly common knowledge, and I’ve significantly oversimplified it here - but a lot of the “how could the Humphreys live in Williamsburg when Williamsburg is so expensive???” discourse is coming from people who either have never lived in the city and know it only from television, or have lived in New York but are young enough that they don’t remember Williamsburg ever NOT being the textbook example of gentrification. It’s interesting to me how much I’ve noticed this particular line of argument increase over time - I think a lot of it is coming from younger viewers who

simply don’t realize how recent this gentrification still is, historically speaking. Finally, there’s the much fairer point that is made, and that is that the interior of the Humphreys’ loft looks MASSIVE compared to what it would be like in reality, a point which I’ll happily concede. There’s no doubt that the TV set of the loft is depicted as being incredibly nice and spacious - just look at those high ceilings! But there is also a very simple, practical reasoning behind this that does not involve the Humphreys lying about their economic status - it is very hard to film with a full camera rig in cramped spaces, so the set designers made the loft bigger than it actually would be in real life. That is why almost all TV apartments look unrealistically large - it’s not that writers don’t understand the areas and lifestyles they’re writing about, it’s that production crews often sacrifice accuracy to make their jobs a little easier. Anyways, hoped this helped a bit! For reference (and in case you’re interested in the subject and would like more information), a lot of my dates and data concerning gentrification in Williamsburg came from this very informative profile that Macaulay Honors College did on the subject - they’re actually in the process of studying a bunch of different neighborhoods in NYC and charting the specific history of how they became gentrified. It’s really a very interesting (albeit depressing) lens through which to study New York history, in my opinion.

[newstfionline]

Saturday, August 21, 2021

Landlords look for an exit amid federal eviction moratorium (AP) When Ryan David bought three rental properties back in 2017, he expected the $1,000-a-month he was pocketing after expenses would be regular sources of income well into his retirement years. But then the pandemic hit and federal and state authorities imposed moratoriums on evictions. The unpaid rent began to mount. Then, just when he thought the worst was over, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention announced a new moratorium, lasting until Oct. 3. David, the father of a 2 1/2-year-old who is expecting another child, fears the $2,000 he’s owed in back rent will quickly climb to thousands more. The latest moratorium “was the final gut punch,” said the 39-year-old, adding that he now plans to sell the apartments. Most evictions for unpaid rent have been halted since the early days of the pandemic and there are now more than 15 million people living in households that owe as much as $20 billion in back rent, according to the Aspen Institute. A majority of single-family rental home owners have been impacted, according to a survey from the National Rental Home Council, and 50% say they have tenants who have missed rent during the pandemic. Landlords, big and small, are most angry about the moratoriums, which they consider illegal. Many believe some tenants could have paid rent, if not for the moratorium. And the $47 billion in federal rental assistance that was supposed to make landlords whole has been slow to materialize. By July, only $3 billion of the first tranche of $25 billion had been distributed.

Student loans (WSJ) The Biden administration announced it will wipe out $5.8 billion in student loans held by 323,000 people who are permanently disabled. This means the Education Department will discharge loans for borrowers with total and permanent disabilities per Social Security Administration records. Currently there is $1.6 trillion held in student loan debt, much of which could be eliminated through executive action.

New England preps for 1st hurricane in 30 years with Henri (AP) New Englanders bracing for their first direct hit by a hurricane in 30 years began hauling boats out of the water and taking other precautions Friday as Tropical Storm Henri barreled toward the Northeast coast. Henri was expected to intensify into a hurricane by Saturday, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said. Impacts could be felt in New England states by Sunday, including on Cape Cod, which is teeming with tens of thousands of summer tourists. “This storm is extremely worrisome,” said Michael Finkelstein, police chief and emergency management director in East Lyme, Connecticut. “We haven’t been down this road in quite a while and there’s no doubt that we and the rest of New England would have some real difficulties with a direct hit from a hurricane.”

Booming Colo. town asks, ‘Where will water come from?’ (AP) “Go West, young man,″ Horace Greeley famously urged. The problem for the northern Colorado town that bears the 19th-century newspaper editor’s name: Too many people have heeded his advice. By the tens of thousands newcomers have been streaming into Greeley—so much so that the city and surrounding Weld County grew by more than 30% from 2010 to 2020, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, making it one of the fastest-growing regions in the country. And it’s not just Greeley. Figures released this month show that population growth continues unabated in the South and West, even as temperatures rise and droughts become more common. That in turn has set off a scramble of growing intensity in places like Greeley to find water for the current population, let alone those expected to arrive in coming years. “Everybody looks at the population growth and says, ‘Where is the water going to come from?’” [one local professor] said.

Everything’s Getting Bigger In Texas (AP, CNBC, Forbes) Texas has long been a popular destination for newcomers, thanks to cheaper land and housing, more job opportunities, lower taxes, and fewer regulations. There’s also the great weather, food, schools, and medical facilities, the abundant resources and year-round recreation and outdoor activities, artistic and cultural events, fairs, festivals, music venues, and the diverse and friendly people—you know, just to name a few. Texas has always been a business-friendly environment, which has certainly not been lost on tech and financial companies headquartered in strictly-regulated and high-priced states like California and New York. There are 237 corporate relocation and expansion projects in the works in Texas just since the pandemic hit. Tech giant Oracle moved its headquarters to Austin in late 2020; Tesla is building its new Gigafactory there, and Apple will have its second-largest campus there as well. Both Google and Facebook have satellite offices in Austin, and the file hosting services company Dropbox will be leaving San Francisco for Austin. Recently, the global real estate services firm CBRE and multinational financial services behemoth Charles Schwab moved their headquarters from California to the Dallas area. Hewlett Packard’s cofounders were two of the original grandfathers of Silicon Valley, who started their company in a Palo Alto garage in 1939. Now, the corporation is moving its headquarters from San Jose to Houston. And the number of mega-wealthy individuals who’ve moved to Texas are too numerous to mention. It’s not just big cities like Dallas, Houston, Austin, and San Antonio that are seeing an influx of people—bedroom communities are growing by leaps and bounds as well—places like New Braunfels, located in the Texas Hill Country, Conroe, 40 miles north of Houston, and McKinney, just 30 minutes up U.S. 75 from Dallas.

‘Bracing for the worst’ in Florida’s COVID-19 hot zone (AP) As quickly as one COVID patient is discharged, another waits for a bed in northeast Florida, the hot zone of the state’s latest surge. But the patients at Baptist Health’s five hospitals across Jacksonville are younger and getting sick from the virus faster than people did last summer. Baptist has over 500 COVID patients, more than twice the number they had at the peak of Florida’s July 2020 surge, and the onslaught isn’t letting up. Hospital officials are anxiously monitoring 10 forecast models, converting empty spaces, adding over 100 beds and “bracing for the worst,” said Dr. Timothy Groover, the hospitals’ interim chief medical officer.

Grace heads for a second hurricane hit on Mexican coast (AP) Hurricane Grace—temporarily knocked back to tropical storm force—headed Friday for a second landfall in Mexico, this time taking aim at the mainland’s Gulf coast after crashing through the country’s main tourist strip. The storm lost punch as it zipped across the Yucatan Peninsula, but it emerged late Thursday over the relatively warm Gulf of Mexico and was gaining energy. The U.S. National Hurricane Center said Grace’s winds were back up to 70 mph (110 kph) early Friday and were expected to soon regain hurricane force. It was centered about 265 miles (425 kilometers) east of Tuxpan and was heading west at 16 mph (26 kph). The forecast track would take it toward a coastal region of small fishing towns and beach resorts between Tuxpan and Veracruz, likely Friday night or early Saturday, then over a mountain range toward the heart of the country and the greater Mexico City region. Forecasters said it could drop 6 to 12 inches (15 to 30 centimeters) of rain, with more in a few isolated areas—bringing the threat of flash floods, mudslide and urban flooding.

“Self-determination 1, Human Rights 0” (Foreign Policy) Most Latin American governments offered little official support to the U.S. War in Afghanistan when it began in 2001. At the time, Venezuela put forward a blistering critique of meeting “terror with more terror,” and then-Cuban leader Fidel Castro said U.S. opponents’ irregular warfare abilities could draw out the conflict for 20 years. Over the weekend, as the Afghan government collapsed and chaos engulfed Kabul’s airport, today’s leaders of Cuba and Venezuela echoed their critiques while foreign ministers of other Latin American countries diplomatically issued statements of concern about Afghanistan’s humanitarian needs. Chile and Mexico made plans to accept Afghan refugees, and several countries signed on to a joint international statement protecting Afghan women’s rights. To many in Latin America’s diplomatic and foreign-policy communities, the dark events in Afghanistan confirmed the importance of the principle of non-interference in other countries’ internal affairs. The extended U.S. presence in Afghanistan was “the same mistake as always: trying to build democratic states through the use of force,” Colombian political scientist Sandra Guzmán wrote in El Tiempo. Many Latin Americans stressed that methods other than military interventions should be used to work toward human rights, even as they acknowledged how challenging it can be to make progress. “Self-determination 1, human rights 0 #Afghanistan,” tweeted Uruguayan political scientist Andrés Malamud after Kabul fell.

Afghanistan war unpopular amid chaotic pullout (AP) A significant majority of Americans doubt that the war in Afghanistan was worthwhile, even as the United States is more divided over President Joe Biden’s handling of foreign policy and national security, according to a poll from The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. Roughly two-thirds said they did not think America’s longest war was worth fighting, the poll shows. Meanwhile, 47% approve of Biden’s management of international affairs, while 52% approve of Biden on national security. The poll was conducted Aug. 12-16 as the two-decade war in Afghanistan ended with the Taliban returning to power and capturing the capital of Kabul. Biden has faced bipartisan condemnation in Washington for sparking a humanitarian crisis by being ill-prepared for the speed of the Taliban’s advance.

The U.S. Blew Billions in Afghanistan (Bloomberg) The rapid collapse of Afghanistan’s government to the Taliban fueled fears of a humanitarian disaster, sparked a political crisis for President Joe Biden and caused scenes of desperation at Kabul’s airport. It’s also raised questions about what happened to more than $1 trillion the U.S. spent trying to bring peace and stability to a country wracked by decades of war. While most of that money went to the U.S. military, billions of dollars got wasted along the way, in some cases aggravating efforts to build ties with the Afghan people Americans meant to be helping. A special watchdog set up by Congress spent the past 13 years documenting the successes and failures of America’s efforts in Afghanistan. While wars are always wasteful, the misspent American funds stand out because the U.S. had 20 years to shift course.

Western groups desperate to save Afghan workers left behind (AP) The Italian charity Pangea helped tens of thousands of Afghan women become self-supporting in the last 20 years. Now, dozens of its staff in Afghanistan are in hiding with their families amid reports that Taliban are going door-to-door in search of citizens who worked with Westerners. Pangea founder Luca Lo Presti has asked that 30 Afghan charity workers and their families be included on Italian flights that have carried 500 people to safety this week, but the requests were flatly refused. On Thursday, the military coordinator told him: “Not today.” Dozens of flights already have brought hundreds of Western nationals and Afghan workers to safety in Europe since the Taliban captured the capital of Kabul. Those lucky enough to be rescued from feared reprisals have mostly been Afghans who worked directly with foreign missions, along with their families. European countries also have pledged to evacuate people at special risk from the Taliban—feminists, political activists and journalists—but it is unclear exactly where the line is being drawn and how many Afghan nationals Western nations will be able to evacuate.

[reeesea]

Something Sweet: Part One

~the sweetest drink on the menu~

one ~ two ~ three ~ four ~ five ~ six ~ seven ~ eight ~ nine

pairing: just minsung, han jisung/lee minho

warnings: mild language (like barely)

words: 3.5k (2k too many ngl)

summary: Minho is working his usual shift at Seoul's most expensive high end restaurant, when a trio of new-comers arrive and by the end of Minho’s tedious night he’s plus one additional phone number.

a/n: To be honest this is the first thing I’ve ever written and actually posted. SO please accept this minsung one-shot that just came out of wanting more waiter Minho in my life. anyway if you read it and like it let me know, and maybe ill write more of it. In my head it has at least a few more chapters of non-plot where the other boys show up <3

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It had only been an hour since the dinner rush started and Minho was already counting the minutes until he could collect his tips and go home. Sure, he could think of countless more exhausting jobs compared to being a waiter at Menu 98 (an upscale restaurant in a part of town he most definitely did not live in), but today just hit different. He never had to do much more than just put on his Customer Server Smile ™, not mess up the orders, pour the wine without spilling, and recommend the highest priced appetizer if asked. Pretty simple stuff. Nothing too draining, but still the exhaustion set in, probably due to spending 2 more hours in the dance studio than he should’ve the previous day. 

His feet were paying for those additional long hours trying to perfect choreo by making each minute of his shift more painful than the last. Even so, working at the ever popular restaurant paid for the daily discomfort that Minho may have felt from his blistered feet. The restaurant was a well known hot spot for anyone with enough money to casually spend the equivalent of three of Minho's paychecks on a meal. CEOs and their business partners along with idols and some lesser known celebrities made up most of their usual clientele on a casual Friday night like this one. The customers always came in waves on Friday evenings, parties of usually 4 or more coming in to celebrate some successful business venture that took place during the week. Great for Minho really, because that meant usually more wine, more appetizers, larger meals, and larger checks, which means bigger tips. His bank account really needed these Fridays especially if he was gong to keep saving up to finally pursue his dream. 

A new party of six was just assigned to Minho’s section. Trademarked smile: on, Feet: still aching, Hours until close: at least another three. It looked like tonight it was going to be a long ass night. 

An hour or so passed before Minho was able to get some form of rest from being out on the floor. Minho leaned his body weight against the wall near the back of the dining room, appreciating the brief calm before the night crowd started to roll in. Thoughts of the dance he was trying to choreograph flashed through his head. He hoped that the movements he’d chosen would be able to convey the emotions of the song he had in mind. The thought of asking Hyunjin to watch his performance briefly popped in his head, but before he could consider it further the hostess was calling his name. 

“Minho! There's a new table for you in section three.” Minho moved from his comfortable position against the wall and went through his checklist; Apron? Flattened. Backup pens? Check. Hair gently moved out of his face to perfectly frame it? Check. Lastly, Polite customer service smile? Obviously. 

The three boys at the table were definitely new customers to the restaurant. Minho observed that the three of them appeared to be blissfully unaware of the de facto business casual to fully formal dress code that the other patrons in the restaurant followed. The Trio seemed to sport the street style that you would see in the popular clubs not only a block away. Two of them clothed in almost all black outfits while the third wore a bright pink colored hoodie under his jean jacket. 

“Hyung, I still can’t believe we did it! The crowd was huge, I mean after going on stage I don't even remember anything. I might have blacked out. Holy shit did I actually black out….” Pink hoodie seemed pretty animated about whatever the reason was for their meal out. Maybe a little too animated, as other tables glazed bitterly toward the source of their evening’s disruption.   

Before approaching he considered the possibility that these boys being idols was likely, but Minho still found it odd for multiple reasons. He didn't recognize them at all as idols, which he was usually pretty good at keeping up with, and when idols did casually come in it was more likely to be on a weekday for an early dinner and not a late Friday night after the dinner rush. Nonetheless, with his perfect waiter image on, he walks over to the table never showing his curiosity.

“Good evening gentlemen, My name is Minho, and I’ll be serving you tonight. Is there anything I can get you to drink before your starters?” His script rolled politely off his tongue like it had the whole night. All complete with a slight smile and arms perfectly placed behind him, as carefully and as naturally as a doll whose been posed in the same position for the past six hours.

The wide set, somewhat brooding boy has already decided after glancing at the drink menu, “yeah I'll order a bottle of the house red for the table,” glancing up at Minho from beneath his black cap. Minho swiftly wrote down the order, and moved his glance over to the next boy at the table.

“Hyung, you're the only one of us who chooses to drink wine voluntarily,” Pink hoodie spoke up, seemingly upset about the prospect of drinking bitter fruit water. 

“Jisung, you're just saying that because you can't handle anything that you can actually taste the alcohol in. I'll drink whatever Bin gets,” the handsome curly haired blonde mentions, glancing at the soft hoodied boy next to him with a look that reminds Minho of a disappointed father. Minho actively fights off the smirk that is wanting to form on his lips.

“WHAT that's not true, THAT ONE TIME I drank an entire bottle of-”

“Fine, fine just stop yelling. You’re gonna get us kicked out before we even get to eat” Mr. Black cap glances up at Minho again, but with a more apologetic look. “Add on an order of the fruitiest and sweetest drink you serve still with alcohol in it, for the small squirrel boy.” That last part came with a smirk from the dark haired speaker and a glare from from the ‘squirrel boy’ to his left. 

Minho had trouble keeping the smirk from forming this time. And maybe his perfect image faltered for a second, but he was quick to recover, and confirmed their orders with a straight face and a promise to return with water as he left to give them time to select from the menu. 

---

“Great now our waiter thinks I'm a whiny baby who looks like a squirrel. Wow, thanks Changbin-hyung.” Jisung grumbles and pinches his cheeks that cursed him with the rodent nickname. 

“Good, at least he won’t be fooled into thinking you're anything but the truth” 

“Yah! WHa-”

“Hey settle down you guys, lets try not to get kicked out please. Binnie recommended the food here, and I would very much like to eat it before we are politely asked to leave” 

Jisung grumbles something inaudible at Chan’s request, and Changbin can't help but respond with a smirk at getting to see the younger be told off.

“Also we're supposed to be celebrating selling out our show so lets do that, yeah? First show 3racha single handedly sold out! WE did that!” 

All three of them get proud smiles after that, and the bickering is left forgotten as the three recount the night, even though they had lived it together

“Not gonna lie, I think our Binnie stole the show tonight. You were on fire tonight man.” Chan said proudly, receiving a thankful smile from the younger boy, who had become shy and bashful at the praise.

“Though, Chan-hyung your rap was so charismatic tonight, you almost made that girl in front faint when you winked at her, the whole audience fucking lost it” Jisung had switched from literally yelling to just a whisper shout for emphasis.

“Hahaha, yeah I can't even believe that happened. Man, today’s energy was just different.” The smile on Chan’s face was blinding, as usual. “Hopefully we can get to play even bigger venues soon. I could get used to this...” Chan mused, seemingly already focused on the future plans of 3racha. 

“Yeah, those paydays would be real nice right about now.”

“Bin-hyung, what are you talking about, you’re literally loaded. Plus since you got that producing job, we can actually pay the rent on the apartment you parents let us stay in '' Jisungs pretty thankful for all the support Changbins parents had given them, while the three of them worked toward their collective dream to make and perform music. But he thinks they all can agree that finally being able to use their own money to live instead of just relying on handouts and the kindness of friends or family to help keep them from becoming starved or homeless, is a new kind of satisfying that Jisung hadn’t considered before. Just look at them now, at one of the nicest (and most expensive) restaurants in Seoul, fighting over drinks and having a meal that would hopefully be the first of many celebrations for their groups accomplishments. The trio could all agree that the financial stress has been one of their greatest worries, and that beginning to escape it has been all kinds of relieving. 

Before any of the boys could respond to Jisung’s comment, Minho had returned with three glasses of water, three glasses for wine, and a bottle of wine all balanced perfectly on a tray perched on the palm of his hand. Jisung had to admit it was impressive how he had managed to balance all of the glassware and liquids without losing balance, and while moving with more grace and agility than he would expect from your average waiter. 

Before Jisung had even returned from his thoughts, three glasses of water and the expertly poured wine glasses, all set delicately without a single drop spilled, were identically placed in front of each of them. Graceful may have been an understatement. 

“Have you decided what you would like to have tonight, gentlemen?” Their waiter Minho said, all with a gentle expression on his face. 

No, the answer was no, but before Jisung could respond, Changbin had already ordered the pricey steak to go with his wine. Soon after, Chan ordered the surf and turf dish that had a stupidly complicated name that Jisung couldn’t pronounce. Jisung hadn’t even remembered them even looking at the menu, or maybe it was just him who had yet to even glanced at it. Details. 

“Uhhhhh…” Jisung searched hopelessly over the menu and then at his friends, who stared blankly back at him, then back to the menu again. This was a regular occurrence when the three decided to go out and eat, when they weren’t holding themselves in their apartment for weeks at a time. Still, Jisung always ended up hopelessly unprepared to successfully order without awkward pauses and at least three consecutive strings of ‘hmm’s and ‘uhhh’s. And so,

“Hmmmmm…. I think.. Uhh…. maybe…” nothing was popping out at him, and Jisung was pretty sure at this point that he had forgotten how to read. “Ya know what, surprise me,” he decided this was the best response he could come up with.  

“Surprise you?” Minho looked just as confused as Jisung felt.

“Yeah, is that an option? If not, I'm this close to just closing my eyes and pointing.” He says while dramatically closing his eyes and waving his finger over the menu. Once again Jisung was hopeless.

He hears a soft chuckle and opens his eyes just in time to catch their waiter’s lips curl in a sweet smile that makes his eyes turn into crescents. It lasts barely a second, before his face returns to his neutral customer service expression. But Jisung decides he really likes that smile, and a part of him is sad to see it retreat so soon. 

“Well in that case, I can do the blind pointing for you, but I personally recommend the seasonally prepared local beef served on house baked brioche, that comes with garlic and parsley potato wedges. Does that sound alright?” Jisung felt he had said it faster and with more details just to confuse him. 

Jisung stares at him blankly in response, and he's pretty sure four whole seconds pass in silence before the Pretty Waiter ™ follows up, an ever so slight smirk on his lips, “it's pretty much a really good local burger with homemade fries, I think it would be something you would enjoy.” 

Jisung grins at that, “Oh! Yeah that does sound good...Thank you! I will have that.” For some reason he really likes the idea that their waiter chose something off the menu that was specially meant for him. Not that he wouldn't like all the nicer and fancier dishes they serve here with small plates with dry ice fog, but a part of him was more content in getting a dinner that didn't require him to question whether or not something on his plate was even edible. And the happy curiosity definitely had nothing to do with the way their waiter’s eyes sparkled when he talked or the barely-there smirk that Jisung just caught sight of. 

“Alright then, I’ll put in these orders. Oh! And then I'll be right back with your speciality fruit drink,” He says that last part with a slightly more upbeat tone, resulting in another smirk to appear on Changbin’s face and a groan from a slightly embarrassed Jisung.

---

Minho surprised himself. 

On any given day of work at Menu 98, he deathly avoids having to do anything more than the regular polite small talk. But for some reason, tonight he couldn’t stop himself from playing along with the antics of the cute boy at his table. The three boys were entertaining, and maybe he could blame the exhaustion and the numb pain in his heels, but the comical distraction was welcomed by Minho. He didn't even realize just how much he had been looking for a distraction from the long shift until it was staring right at him with big shiny eyes and a cute round face. Minho hurried back to enter in their orders, including his suggestion for the squirrel looking boy.

Minho wasn’t going to deny that the flustered boy at the table was cute, he was pretty aware how attractive all three the boys were when he took their orders. He had thought they were idols originally, so in Minho’s mind it made sense. Still, the waiter still felt something about the three was too unique to be categorized as just idols or trainees. As much as it may have piqued his curiosity though, Minho still got paid for his service not for his interests in customers, so he brushed it off almost as soon as it appeared. 

The rest of the evening, Minho tended to all four of his assigned tables with his usual perfect server act and minimal small talk. When it came to the three somewhat boisterous customers in the corner table, Minho may or may not have allowed himself to subtly laugh at their arguments and antics. The dynamic of the three boys was slowly becoming the highlight of his late night shift. Each of their personalities greatly contrasted and amplified the other, making way for animated and comical exchanges and arguments between them. 

When Minho had returned with a Strawberry daiquiri for the boy in pink, a chorus of giggles could be heard from the other two boys, while the other happily accepted the drink in substitute for the untouched glass of wine in front of him. Upon drinking it, the cute boy's eyes somehow widened further and shined more than Minho thought was possible. He flashed his heart-shaped smile as he thanked Minho for the drink. 

Minho nodded in return, and internally decided that Heart-shaped smiles were his new favorite. 

---

Jisung had been hyper since the show, and the energy was now focused on a new mission to see the pretty smile of their waiter again. Granted, he didn't have to try that much harder to gain the attention of the pretty waiter, being the loud and excitable person naturally he was. Every small grin that Jisung was able to pull out from under the other boy’s infuriatingly polite facade, was a major win in his book. 

Chan, Changbin, and Jisung celebrated further by enjoying the food, which was all phenomenal, and discussing their next gig the coming week. The best way to celebrate one performance is to look towards the next, or someother random bullshit Changbin had said after a couple more glasses of wine.

Overall the night was a celebration of all of the dedication and hours they had put into their music, as well as their grind to perform and grow a somewhat sizable following. They were all high on the potential of finally getting to realize their dreams and reach their goals as a group, something none of them actually thought they would get to do together. The overwhelming happiness of the night easily made it one of Jisung's new favorite memories. 

As the boys were finishing off their third--or forth--drink (Jisung definitely had another one of the strawberry drinks Minho had brought him), after dinner and figuring out their checks, Jisung felt a surge of boldness. Mostly due to having a few drinks in his system, and the slight infatuation he had with the pretty waiter's smile, Jisung decided ‘whats the worst thing that could happen? Rejection? lmao’ and wrote down his name and number on his receipt in hopes that Minho would actually read it, or maybe even contact him. Maybe. 

It was a shot in the dark, but Jisung had been feeling a little high on life, and felt like he couldn’t leave without at least shooting his shot. Jisung and the other members of 3racha got up to leave, and Jisung searched out the waiter. He  wasn’t able to see him in the mostly empty dining room now, but a hopeful part of him felt that he would see him again, leaving the restaurant with his arms around his members already bickering about who would get to shower first after their long night. 

“I'm just saying, Chan-hyung I know for a fact that you’re not even going to make it to the front door before passing out, so I call dibs. And Jisung, I’m older than you so I get veto power over your rights and decisions as your hyung.” 

Jisung was about to grumble in response but something about how Changbin’s smile was so carefree left him feeling like he deserved this victory. Changbin was definitely a little tipsy, but seeing his hyung so happy after such a rough week made Jisung glad to do anything to keep that smile there.

“Fine, fine hyung but you have to help me carry Chan-hyung up stairs when he inevitable falls asleep on me in the cab” 

“I don't know what youre talking about,” Chan replies, already yawning, while climbing into the cab.

---

Minho was picking up the receipts from his tables when one of them caught his eye.

Hey, I’m Han Jisung ^~^ (the cute one in the pink hoodie!)

Thanks for your suggestions, best waiter ever!!!

I think your smile is beautiful, Maybe I’ll get to see it again sometime?

555-XXX-XXXX

Minho couldn't help but smile to himself. He’d been hit on occasionally by customers and has been given countless numbers, which usually don't make it much farther than the trash, but something about the innocence of the note and cuteness of the boy made him actually consider keeping it.

He scoffed to himself after a second of considering it. As cute as the boy was, and as sweet as the note was, Minho didn’t have time or energy to have another added person in his life. No matter romantically or platonically, new relationships were on his ‘things to stay away from if you ever wanna make it into the dance academy’ list. He already barely ever saw his roommates, and if they weren't all in the same dance troupe, they probably wouldn't talk much. All of their time was spent working and practicing, and he and his roommates only had enough energy and free time to spend a meal or two together on the weekends. There just wasn’t any more time for anything extra, no matter how nice the idea may sound. 

He was about to give the little message the same treatment as the others as he cleaned up for the night, but a part of him couldn't bring himself to throw it away, and discreetly pocketed it instead out of instinct. Out of sight and out of mind as far as Minho was concerned.

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thank you if you read this far <3

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