#like objectively perfect rv is better

[kaileidoscopio]

everyone who voted havent heard of it before you have a one in a lifetime opportunity to have your life changed

Tracklist:

Psycho • In & Out • Remember Forever • 눈 맞추고, 손 맞대고 (Eyes Locked, Hands Locked) • Ladies Night • Jumpin' • Love Is The Way • 카풀 (Carpool) • 음파음파 (Umpah Umpah) • LP • 안녕, 여름 (Parade) • 친구가 아냐 (Bing Bing) • Milkshake • Sunny Side Up! • 짐살라빔 (Zimzalabim) • La Rouge

Spotify ♪ YouTube

[loveinhawkins]

Hi! hope you feel better soon! And hope you get some much needed rest in the meantime! For the one word prompt: post S4 Steddie, “hazy”.

thank you so much & thank you for inspiring a little moment about rest & healing 💕 •one word ficlet prompts

Steve finds that the couch next to Eddie’s hospital bed is ridiculously comfortable.

Eddie’s talking to the nurse—he can’t really catch what’s being said, the world growing warm and hazy—but he can hear that Eddie’s making her laugh. Knows that’s important, something that would’ve been unthinkable not so long ago: that Eddie feels brave enough to let something of himself shine through. That he can still trust in the kindness of certain people, even strangers.

Steve vaguely hears the nurse leave, glances over to see Eddie within touching distance, perched on the side of his bed. He’s folding some T-shirts in preparation for getting discharged—he’d joked when Steve had first arrived that it’s the most organised he’s ever been.

He must’ve washed his hair this morning, left it to air dry: some of the ends are still damp, and it’s gone kinda wispy around his face. It’s a calming sight, leaves Steve grateful that he no longer associates it with the dive into Lover’s Lake; now it’s something softer.

Something safe.

Eddie looks up. Smiles.

“Uh, Steve, with all due respect,” he begins, which makes Steve snort; he’s come to know it as one of Eddie’s sayings, preceding all manner of teasing objections, “what the hell?”

Steve would usually ask, “What now?” in feigned exasperation, unable to hide his amusement—but his head feels suddenly heavy, and all he manages is, “Hmm?”

Eddie’s smile grows, showing his dimples. He reaches over, and he places a hand on Steve’s knee, presses down gently, “Are you, like, training to be a contortionist?”

Steve feels the warmth of the touch through his jeans; he realises then that he’s sitting awkwardly: one knee bent towards his chest; his neck crooked, arms folded; his whole body instinctively angled toward the edge of the couch.

It’s a position he’s perfected over the years, honed in all kinds of makeshift beds—most recently the chairs of hospital waiting rooms, leaving space for one of the kids to rest on his shoulder. Snatching rest wherever he could throughout the nightmare of that Spring Break, never quite relaxing fully: ready to move, to spring into action at a moment’s notice.

He remembers Robin tactfully making sure that the RV was empty while everyone else stayed outside; his side still aching, Steve stretched out on the seat in the back. Even while he was alone, he only managed a fitful doze—nearly fell off his seat as he wrenched himself awake at the slightest disturbance.

He can’t find that urgency now. Hasn’t needed to for…

He must have zoned out for a couple seconds, because Eddie’s standing now. Watching fondly.

“If you’re tired,” Eddie says quietly, “you should sleep.”

And Steve hears the shape of it, that deliberation in how Eddie says certain things, where he slows down just a little—and Steve knows it must be because it’s something Eddie’s once been told by his uncle.

There’s a blanket getting draped across him now. Eddie touches his knee again, and this time Steve relaxes fully, feels himself slowly tilt back. There’s a pillow beneath his head that wasn’t there before.

Eddie smoothes out the blanket with care. Steve’s view is getting dimmer, a drowsy blur of eyelashes.

But he can see that Eddie’s smiling again. Hears him make a soft, jokingly disapproving tsk.

“Close your eyes,” Eddie whispers, with such affection.

Oh, you love me, Steve thinks.

It’s a thought that drifts in, honeyed and slow, like it’s really been there all along—that perhaps before, in the white-knuckled days of survival, he was too afraid for it. Did not have room to feel it.

Steve’s eyes close.

He falls asleep so completely, knowing that Eddie will still be there, that time isn’t running out anymore; he can stay right where he is. He has room to breathe, to just be—room for the next thought, the next moment, for every moment to come.

[nevermore-the-kitsune]

Top Ten Biggest Polt Twists in Animation (in my opinion).

Spoiler Warning

10. April is a mutant (TMNT 2012)

In this incarnation of TMNT, the turtles fight the evil Kraang. Their main target is April O'Neil. The reasons why have been kept vague until it is revealed that she herself is a mutant! Not any mutant but a combination of Kraang and human DNA.

9. The Philosopher Stone is made out of People (Fullmetal Alchemist series)

Brothers Edward and Alphonse Elric committed the ultimate taboo and attempted to bring back their deceased mother. However, in the process Ed lost his arm and leg while Alphonse lost his body and became a soul bound to a suit of armor. The brothers came to believe that only the philosopher stone, who is said to hold unlimited alcchemic potential, was the only way to get their bodies back to normal. That dream is shattered when they learn that the stone is made by killing thousands of people.

8. The Author was Stan's Twin Brother (Gravity Falls)

Gravity Falls is a town that holds many secrets. During their summer visiting their great uncle Stan, Dipper and Mabel discover a mysterious book that holds the secrets that lie beneath Gravity Falls. A major theme throughout this show is "who is the author" the mystery twins encounter many strang things in their quest to find out who they are. Only to have it revealed that Stan's brother was the author.

7. Chad is still in the KND (Codename Kids Nextdoor)

In the beginning of this series, Chad or #274, was the leader of the KND. Until his 13th birthday, when he betrayed them. Throughout the series Chad joins the KNDs nemesis, the teenagers, and takes a part in their plots to destroy the KND. However, when #1 is given a chance to take him out, Chad reveals that he never left the KND and was working as a spy.

6. Grandpa Max was a Plumber (Ben 10)

Ben 10 tells the story of ten year old Ben Tennyson who is on summer vacation with is grandfather and cousin, traveling the U.S in an old RV. On the first night Ben finds the Omnitrex, a device that allows him to transform into different aliens.

By the end of the first season Max reveals that he was a Plumber, an intergalactic police officer, and had know the whole time what the Omnitrex was and the Aliens Ben transformed into. While not a huge twist (the series would have some bigger ones as it continued) it was still a shock to learn that Max knew what was going on the whole time.

5. Rose betrayed the Huntsclan (American Dragon: Jake Long)

Dragon Jake Long fell in love with a member of The Huntsclan, Rose or Huntsgirl. However, she in turn fell in love with Jake not knowing that he was a dragon. Rose gets the chance to kill Jake, if she does she will become a full fledged member, but Jake shows her his human face. In turn she lets him go and runs away.

During the second season, the Huntsclan attemp to destroy every magical creature by using mythical skulls that grant anyone who brings them together a perfect wish (Think the dragonballs). In the last moment she strikes down her master and instead wishes for the destruction of the Huntsclan, knowing that that will include her.

4. Rose Quortz was Pink Diamond (Steven Universe)

Many believed that Rose Quortz, the leader of the resistance and mother of Steven, had shattered Pink Diamond, one of the heads of the Gems. However it is revealed in season 5 that she WAS pink diamond and had faked her own death to protect the Earth.

3. Nagisa's blood lust came from his mother (Assassination Classroom)

Class 3E is the bottom of society, but they have been given the chance of a lifetime. A being who can move at mock 20 says that he will destroy the Earth in one year, unless one of them can Assassinate him. He takes on the role of their homeroom teacher to better prepare them.

Out of all the students in 3E, Nagisa Shoita was the lest impressive. He was small, weak, and looked more feminine than his female classmates. Yet, Nagisa has the national talent of an assassin. He managed to get the drop on their gym teacher, a man who is skilled in many fighting styles, and took down an ex military officer (twice). He has surprised his classmates with his abilities, feom getting the drop on top assassins, including their homeroom teacher, to installing fear with just a glare.

However, this came at a price. His mother is abusive beyond reason. She forces Nagisa to grow his hair long, makes him wear dresses and other feminine clothing. On several occasions she has bashed his head into solid objects. She is unpredictable, forcing Nagisa to do what all children in that situation do, learn to control his emotions and read the thoughts of others. This woman created a viper.

2. Eric Cartman and Scott Tenerman are brothers (South Park)

Cartmans mom has always been loose. The identity of her son's father was likely going to stay a mystery. But during the second episode of season 2 we get our answer (kinda). The answer was given now we could move on.

In a later episode Cartman gets scammed and humiliated by Scott Tenerman, an older teenager. So, Cartman devises a scheme. In the end Scotts parents are dead and eaten in some chille.

Many seasons later its revealed that Scott's Father and Eric's are one and the same. Ms. Cartman amd the town had lied about his identity in order to protect his public image. Thus Cartman killed his own father.

1. Zak Saturday is Kur (The Secret Saturdays)

From the beginning I knew this would be number one.

The Secret Saturdays is about a family of scientists who study crypteds, or strange creatures with unique abilities. The most dangerous was Kur, a creature said to have the power to raise a crypted army and take over the world. Zak has the ability to manipulate crypteds leaving him and his family to believe that shoukd Kur be unleashed onto the world, Zaks power woukd be the only thing that coukd stop it.

At the end of season 1, the truth is revealed that Zak IS Kur.

The entire first season is dedicated to finding Kur and talking about how dangerous he is. Then it turns out that it's Zak, a 12 year old boy with a kind heart. I cannot describe how shocked I was, then having to wait years to find out the outcome (we moved around alot) killed me.

Remember that this is my opinion. What are some of your favorite plot twists in animation?

(Images are not mine, all credit goes to the artists)

[sdvbrsb]

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[celticmess]

34. "Please put the bottle down" and/or 35. "Please don't make me go back. Let me stay here" idk who just make it HURT

y’all are having too much fun have some angst instead :)

Characters and AU are from @devil-may-care-seriesJonathan had to admit, sharing an RV with Chuck and Reggie wasn’t the easiest thing. Maybe he could think of several junk yards that would be a better place to live than with those two, but while they were playing together it was just easier and cheaper to live in the RV. They had their moments of contention, where someone would accidentally steal someone else’s ramen or someone would wake up too early and annoy the others, but overall it worked. The only exception was when you threw Nathan Smith into the mix, and you ended up with a recipe for disaster. Like today. 

It had been bad enough that Nate had turned up out of the blue expecting them to give him a bunk and some food. It had taken all of Jonathan’s strength to stop Chuck and Reggie from jumping at his throat right there, for their sake more than Nate’s. Despite many objections, Jonathan let Nate stay. All they could see was someone who’d maybe been on a weekend bender. He saw someone who had had a rough hunt. That had led to almost an hour of passive aggressive jabs from opposite sides of the RV, so Jonathan had sent Chuck and Reggie out to blow off some steam. Surprisingly, they had listened. Maybe it was their dislike for Nate that encouraged them to comply, maybe it was Jonathan’s serious tone of voice. Either way, they left the RV, leaving Jonathan and Nate alone together. Jonathan tried to comfort Nate, but in typical Nathan Smith fashion he brushed him off with a cocky smirk and a bad joke. It took five attempts to get Nate to open up before Jonathan gave up and decided to heat up some leftover pizza from a few nights before that the two could snack on. When he set the plates down, Nate scoffed the food like he hadn’t eaten in days. From the look of him, he probably hadn’t. Other than his concerning behaviour, the two actually had a pleasant meal. They laughed, chatted, and caught up with each other for a solid half an hour. It was good, great even! So Jonathan should’ve known that it couldn’t last. 

He was adding the plates to the ever growing pile of dirty dishes when he heard the glass smash behind him. The sound caused him to flinch violently and spin to see what had happened. Originally, he thought someone - or something - had broken the windows, but he saw no shattered panes when he turned around. Then he saw Nate, stood with his back pressed against the wall, white as a sheet with half a bottle in his hand, the rest of it being all over the floor and sofa.

“Nate?” Jonathan called, but his friend didn’t seem to notice him. Instead, he seemed focused on a spot on the opposite side of the RV from him. He was wielding the broken bottle like a weapon, and his face had twisted into a mix of fear and anger.

“Leave me alone!” he hissed to no one. 

“Nate!” Jonathan tried again, looking between Nate and the space he was so obsessed with “There’s nothing there, buddy.” 

“Go away!” Nate yelled, Jonathan’s words falling on seemingly deaf ears. 

“Come on, Nate…” Jonathan muttered, looking around for anything that could help him. He racked his brain for the solution to ‘my best friend is seeing things and wielding sharp objects’, but that topic strangely never cropped up in his many years of hunting. It was at that moment that Chuck and Reggie walked in, ever the ones for perfect timing, and saw Nate with that crazed look and a broken bottle in hand. Of course their first reaction was to start shouting at him before Jonathan could stop them. Nate’s eyes flitted over to them, but they were still unseeing. Jonathan didn’t know what Nate was seeing, but it sure as hell wasn’t Chuck and Reggie. Nate lunged for them, throwing himself over whatever was in his way, but Jonathan saw the way his muscles tensed a split second before he moved and was fast enough to get in front of him grabbing him by his shoulders and stopping him in his tracks. He was faintly aware of the pain that had sprung up in his side, but he pushed it away as he forced Nate to look in his eyes. On the one hand, it wasn’t that difficult, but on the other hand, something switched in Nate’s mind. He threw himself backwards and out of Jonathan’s grip.

"Please don't make me go back. Let me stay here.” he pleaded, reminding Jonathan way too much of a scared kid. He held a hand out to him, like he was trying to calm a scared animal while his other hand went to the pain in his side to be greeted by the all too familiar feeling of blood. 

“I’m not making you go anywhere, Nate-” 

“Like hell is he staying here!” Chuck shouted, and Jonathan had to stop himself from turning around and punching him right there.

“Chuck, shut up.” he hissed, shooting a glare over his shoulder before focusing on Nate again. Nate, who’s grip on the glass bottle was strong enough to make his knuckles go white. Any tighter and he may actually shatter it.

“Nate, it’s only us. No hallucinations, just us.” Jonathan said calmingly, and he saw a flicker of recognition in Nate’s eyes, how his body seemed to relax ever so slightly. 

“Shady?” he said quietly, and Jonathan nodded.

“Yeah, it’s me.” he confirmed, starting to move towards Nate in slow, obvious movements. “Now… please put the bottle down.” 

Nate looked at the bottle in his hand, like he hadn’t even known that it was there, before nodding slowly, putting it down on the side somewhere. As he put the bottle down, he seemed to return to his senses and realise what he’d done, looking at Jonathan and his injured side in horror. 

“Jonathan, I’m sorry, I-” he surged forwards to try and help his friend, but Chuck and Reggie were there in an instant, protecting Jonathan. 

“Back off.” Reggie snapped, and Nate did. He looked from Jonathan holding his side to Shawn at his side helping him to Chuck, standing in between them and Nate like a bodyguard. It took a few seconds for the words Chuck had said to register in his mind, but once they did he was gone. Several fast, feverish steps and he was out of the RV. A few more and he was back in the Firebird, his head resting on his steering wheel as he let out a frustrated scream. Then he took one look back at the RV before starting the car and speeding off. He could find somewhere else to stay. Somewhere where he wasn’t a danger, wasn’t a hazard and wasn’t a burden.

[kirstikai]

Euphoria>bipolar mania>suicidal thoughts>cosmic ordering tl;dr

If you desire to move into a state of happiness, possibly for the first time in a long time. I want to tell you. You are meant to feel this way. Let it flow for you, dont go crazy over it. This is what life is all about. I went through an episode earlier in the year where It was my first time for happiness in a long time and I went overboard with it. I didn’t want it to end. The law of attraction was really working for me for the first time, I truly felt as if I had been in a state of awakening. I had very psychic abilities. Which we all possess, I felt so good inside, but my friends and family had completely opposite opinions. I tried to make them understand SO much. I felt like they didn’t want me to be happy, so I was at my happiest, but when people didn’t believe in me I became SO ANGRY. I FELT DEVIL THROUGH MY VOICE. They thought I was on drugs. You should hear people’s opinions, but focus on your own opinions about yourself the most. Just know when you should keep it to yourself. I am a person who loves to die her hair, so I was like. I can shave my head and wear a new wig EVERYDAY. It will be like Halloween. I came to SO many realizations, this was the psychic abilities showing through I believe. They thought I had a brain tumor. They force me to go to the hospital and I got diagnosed with bipolar mania. Things WILL rush in for you, it will be amazing. It is true that you must think positively, but there is such a thing as too many positive thoughts also. I had insomnia for about 2 weeks, and this was really causing suicidal thoughts. So i commit myself to a psych unit. This was the most boring place. I had nothing to do but sit there. This caused my brain to be so blank when I got out. I had no desire for ANYTHING. I had suicidal thoughts for about two months. I got myself into some debt. I finally ended up getting a job. Not very high paying, I was living with my grandpa for free, which I really appreciate. I have since moved in with my bestie. I got a job that pays a little more than the last job. I got an interview at two jobs within two days. Each with perfect pay for me. I hope to get the job that is higher paying. I was at this very negative place just 2-3 months ago. This time my happiness is coming back, this time I realize that I deserve it, it was meant for me. The angels are blessing me. You deserve your dreams! It will feel so MAGICAL to be happy for the first time in a long time. Bask in it. Trust. Have faith. Just believe that the universe is making it happen. I look back now at that negative time and I am so grateful that I made it through. Because now I feel like I can be on top of the world. I know deep in my heart that this is the year that I finally feel like an adult and that my life is coming together. BELOW ARE ALOT OF MY DESIRES. Make sure you are ready for the happiness you deserve. Learn from my mistake. Universe, please deliver a two dollar raise to my paycheck at dollar general, by Monday. Angels, Universe. Please bless my desires. Thank you.

Universe, please bring these feelings into my daily life:

I am a confident talker, I can always keep a conversation flowing positively.

I am full of love for myself, my family and my lover, and I care deeply for other beings.

I am a woman who thinks only positive, uplifting thoughts.

I am an intuitive woman, I have a deep automatic knowing about all things. And all living beings appreciate this about me and come to me for advice.

I am a spiritually enlightened woman safe from all negative energies.

I am a lucky woman and unexpected opportunities, experiences, and objects that I find joy in arrive to my ownership daily.

Joyful, and fun opportunities to make more and more money come my way everyday.

THANK YOU UNIVERSE. I AM READY TO RECEIVE. MAKE SURE TO SUPRIZE ME! ANGELS PLEASE BLESS MY DAYS OF LIVING WITH GREATNESS, HAPPINESS, AND LOVE. 😁🥰😎👼

UNIVERSE, I GOT A JOB OPPORTUNITY AT MCDONALDS

I AM READY FOR THIS OPPORTUNITY TO BRING A GREAT SHIFT INTO MY SELF AWARENESS. I AM READY TO MAKE MANY FRIENDS. I AM READY TO BE FINANCIALLY STABLE. I AM READY FOR MY BILLS TO BE PAID IN FULL. I AM READY FOR MY BANK ACCOUNT TO BE EQUAL TO MY NEEDS AND WANTS. THANK YOU UNIVERSE. ANGELS PLEASE BLESS MY DESIRES. THANK YOU ANGELS. 💲😁🥰🌠

UNIVERSE, I AM READY TO RECEIVE UNEXPECTED CHECKS OF ME WINNING MONEY. I DESIRE TO BE A WOMAN RICH WITH FINANCIAL STABILITY. THANK YOU UNIVERSE. ANGELS PLEASE BLESS THIS DESIRE. THANK YOU💲💲💲💲💲💲💲💲

UNIVERSE, I AM READY TO WIN AT A CONTEST I HAVE SUBMITTED.

THANK YOU UNIVERSE, ANGELS PLEASE BLESS THIS DESIRE, THANK YOU ANGELS

UNIVERSE, PLEASE SEND ME ALL MY DESIRES AND LIFE IN A BETTER VERSION THAN I COULD EVER IMAGINE! THANK YOU UNIVERSE. ANGELS PLEASE BLESS THIS DESIRE. THANK YOU ANGELS

UNIVERSE PLEASE CREATE AN OPEN, EASY ACCESS BETWEEN ME AND MY DESIRED LOVER COMING IN. I DESIRE TO HAVE A CLEAR PATH TO MY LOVER, KEEP THIS PATH FREE OF OBSTACLES. THANK YOU UNIVERSE. ANGELS PLEASE BLESS THIS DESIRE. THANK YOU ANGELS.

UNIVERSE, I AM READY TO RECEIVE MY DESIRED LOVER. THANK YOU UNIVERSE.

THANK YOU UNIVERSE SO MUCH FOR SHOWING ME WHAT I HAVE MANIFESTED. I HAVE GREAT FAITH AND BELIEF IN WHAT IS COMING. THANK YOU ANGELS.

UNIVERSE THIS IS WHAT I DESIRE

I DESIRE TO LIVE A LIFE WHERE I DON’T HAVE TO WONDER HOW MUCH MONEY I HAVE OR HOW MUCH I AM SPENDING. I DESIRE TO ALWAYS HAVE OVER 500,000 DOLLARS IN MY BANK ACCOUNT. I DESIRE TO OWN MY CRAFT LIBRARY STORE AND HAVE SO MANY FUN AND INVITING CRAFTS IDEAS THAT PEOPLE HAVE TO EXPLORE MY STORE TO FIND WHAT THEY WANT TO MAKE. I DESIRE TO HAVE INSPIRING OBJECTS AND ANIMALS IN MY STORE. I DESIRE TO OWN THIS STORE WITH MY DESIRED LOVER. WE HAVE SO MUCH FUN HERE HELPING PEOPLE OUT WITH THERE CRAFTS. WE PLAY FUN AND UPBEAT MUSIC. AND PEOPLE HAVE THE OPTION TO PLAY THE MUSIC THEY WANT TO. I DESIRE THE ABILITY TO BE ABLE TO TRAVEL IN MY RV WITH MY FRIENDS/FAMILY/LOVER WHENEVER I DESIRE. I HIRE EMPLOYEES THAT ARE VERY TRUSTWORTHY, FUN, AND CREATIVE. I DESIRE TO ALWAYS HAVE NEW PLACES TO GO. ON MY TRAVELS WITH MY LOVER. I CAPTURE BEAUTIFUL PICTURES THAT ARE JUST PERFECT TO GO IN MY STORE TO INSPIRE PEOPLE. I HELP PEOPLE TRULY USE THE LAW OF ATTRACTION TO GET WHAT THEY WANT IN LIFE. WHO EVER COMES IN MY STORE ALWAYS LEAVES WITH A NEW FRIEND. MY STORE HAS LARGE WINDOWS AND A LARGE DOOR. I ALWAYS DISPLAY NEW IDEAS FOR THE WEEK. I HAVE WEEKLY CONTESTS THAT PEOPLE CAN ENTER. IT IS AN OVERALL FUN AND EXCITING PLACE. I AM A VERY CREATIVE WOMAN AND ALL THINGS INSPIRE ME. MY LOVER AND I BLOG ABOUT OUR ADVENTURES AND PEOPLE FROM ALL OVER THE WORLD SUBSCRIBE TO OUT BLOG AND SEND US GIFTS. WE HAVE MANY FANS. WE ARE ALWAYS GETTING COMMENTS OF WHERE WE SHOULD GO NEXT OR FUN THINGS TO DO. MY BUSINESS FLOWS EASILY AND HAS NO ISSUES. PEOPLE CALL MY STORE UNIQUE AND INVITING, AND THEY ALWAYS WANT TO COME BACK. MY STORE HAS A LOT OF COMFY SEATING AREAS AND TABLES. I HAVE COMPUTERS, DRAWING TABLETS, AND THE GOOD DRAWING APPS DOWNLOADED ON THEM. THERE ARE MANY HANDS ON THINGS TO DO, AND ITS NOT ALL ART. ALL PERSONALITY TYPES LOVE COMING INTO THE STORE, AND MY STORE IS ALWAYS PEACEFUL AND EXCITING.

UNIVERSE THANK YOU FOR HEARING MY DESIRE. ANGELS PLEASE BLESS MY DESIRE. THANK YOU ANGELS.

For ISIS

DEAR UNIVERSE PLEASE MAKE MY WISHES COME TRUE

I WISH TO HAVE MILLIONS OF FOLLOWERS ON TIK TOK, PLEASE BRING ME CREATIVITY TO MY DANCES AND VIDEOS THAT I POST. I WISH TO GO ON A TRIP TO DISNEY WORLD SOON AND FLY SAFELY IN AN AIRPLANE. PLEASE HELP ME BE GOOD AT MY HOMEWORK AND TO GET GOOD GRADES. PLEASE UNIVERSE BRING HAPPINESS TO MY LIFE EVERYDAY AND LET ME MAKE A LOT OF FRIENDSHIPS THAT LAST FOREVER. THANK YOU UNIVERSE FOR HEARING MY WISHES. ANGELS PLEASE HELP MAKE THESE THINGS HAPPEN FOR ME. THANK YOU ANGELS.A

UNIVERSE, I DESIRE FOR MY FIRST HANGOUT WITH MY LOVER TO BE VERY SPECIAL. HE TAKES ME ON A LITTLE ADVENTURE, WE FEEL GOOD VIBES AND GOOD FREQUENCY ABOUT EACH OTHER THE WHOLE DAY, I WANT THERE TO BE ONE OF THOSE STARE DEEPLY INTO MY EYES, SLOW KIND OF KISSES. MAKE IT AN UNEXPECTED KISS AND VERY ROMANTIC. THANK YOU UNIVERSE. ANGELS PLEASE BLESS THIS DESIRE.

UNIVERSE, PLEASE CREATE IN ME THE SEXY AND FIT BODY I DESIRE.

I DESIRE TO BE HAVE A SEXY, AND CURVY BODY THAT MY LOVER ADORES.

I BURN CALORIES WITHOUT EVEN KNOWING. I AM A HEALTHY WOMAN. THE NEXT TIME I WEIGH MYSELF I WILL BE 180 POUNDS. MY HAIR GROWS LONG TO THE MIDDLE OF MY BACK AND IT REMAINS THAT LENGTH, FREE OF TANGLES. MY BOOTY IS ROUND AND FIT. MY BOOBS REMAIN THE SAME SIZE BUT ARE PERKY AND ROUND. MY SKIN IS SMOOTH AND HEALTHY. MY TEETH REMAIN WHITE AND CAVITY FREE. MY NAILS ARE FULL AND BEAUTIFUL. I NO LONGER FEEL THE NEED TO BITE MY NAILS. ZERO HAIRS GROW ON MY LEGS, ARMPITS, VAGINA, TOES, ARMS, BUTT AND MIDDLE EYEBROW AREA. I FEEL SO HAPPY AND CONFIDENT IN MY NEW BODY. THANK YOU UNIVERSE. ANGELS PLEASE BLESS THIS DESIRE, THANK YOU ANGELS.

DEAR UNIVERSE, I DESIRE TO RECEIVE THE POWER TO HEAL THE UNIVERSE AND BRING IT WORLD PEACE. PLEASE BRING ME THE POWER OF A GENIUS MIND. I DESIRE TO BE SPIRITUALLY ENLIGHTENED, IN A PURE STATE OF CALM BLISSFULNESS. MY WORDS INSPIRE THE WORLD. I LOVE SPEAKING TO PEOPLE AND HEALING THEM. I HOLD THE POWER BUT I KEEP IT SECRET, ONLY MY LOVER KNOWS MY TRUE POWER AND IT IS EASY TO KEEP MY SECRET. I HAVE THE ABILITY TO FLY, I HAVE THE ABILITY TO SHIFT INTO ANYTHING I WANT. I LIVE A PERFECT LIFE BUT I DO NOT BRAG ABOUT IT. THE UNIVERSE HAS ONLY THE EMOTION OF LOVE. I BRING HEALING TO EVERYTHING I TOUCH OR THINK ABOUT. THIS HEALING COMES EASY TO ME. I HAVE A GOOD STEADY ENERGETIC NATURE. AND I SLEEP WELL AT NIGHT. AMAZING THINGS COME TO MY MIND AS I SLEEP. I AM AN ANGELIC HEALER IN HUMAN FORM LIVING ON EARTH. GOD SHOWS ME THE WAY AND THE LIGHT. THANK YOU UNIVERSE. ANGELS, GOD PLEASE BLESS THIS DESIRE. THANK YOU ANGELS. THANK YOU GOD. LET THE LOVE SHINE THROUGH!!

UNIVERSE, I DESIRE TO OWN THE POWER TO SPEAK TO ANIMALS. I DESIRE A DEEP CARING CONNECTION TO ALL ANIMALS AND I UNDERSTAND THEIR LANGUAGE. ANIMALS ARE DRAWN TO ME IN SOFT AND GENTLE WAYS. PEOPLE ARE AMAZED BY MY ABILITIES. I AM AN ANIMAL LOVER AND I LOVE ALL ANIMALS. I AM NOT DISGUSTED BY THEIR SMELL OF BODY FLUIDS. THANK YOU UNIVERSE. ANGELS PLEASE BLESS THIS DESIRE. THANK YOU ANGELS.

UNIVERSE, PLEASE BRING MANY PEOPLE TO MY BUSINESS “ARTSY CRAFTSY” PEOPLE HAVE VERY VIVID IMAGINATION WHEN THEY CREATE ART IN MY PLACE OF BUSINESS. THIS IS A VERY PEACEFUL PLACE. VERY COLORFUL, IN A VERY CALMING WAY. I AM A GOOD TEACHER OF ALL THINGS. PEOPLE COME TO ME WITH THEIR QUESTIONS AND I LOVE TO ANSWER THEM. I AM A VERY CREATIVE WOMAN, I WRITE MANY BOOKS ABOUT MY LIFE AND THEY ARE BEST SELLERS. PEOPLE LOVE TO INTERVIEW ME BECAUSE I AM SUCH AN INSPIRATION. I AM A TRULY TRANSFORMED WOMAN. MY PAST IS BEHIND ME. MY PRESENT IS CALM. AND MY PRESENT SHOWS ME GREATNESS, HAPPINESS, FINANCIAL SUCCESS, AND ALL THE GOOD THINGS IN LIFE. PEOPLE LOOK TO ME TO LEAD THEM TO HAPPINESS. MY HAPPINESS RADIATES AROUND THE WORLD AND HEALS ALL THINGS. HEAVEN AND EARTH ARE IN UNION. ALL OF LIFE LIVES IN ONLY POSITIVE ENERGIES. THE WORLD IS HEALED FROM ALL NEGATIVITIES. MY HOME IS VERY UNIQUE AND BEAUTIFUL. ALL TYPES OF PEOPLE VISIT MY HOME AND WE ALWAYS HAVE A FUN TIME. I HAVE SO MANY GOOD FRIENDS. GOD SHOW YOURSELF TO ME, BRING ME THE POWERS I DESIRE, I WILL DO SO MANY GOOD THINGS. UNEXPECTED BLESSING SHOW UP FOR ME EVERY DAY. I HAVE SO MANY EXCITING POWERS I NEVER KNEW EXISTED. I AM A GOOD SINGER. MY VOICE NEVER CRACKS. I LOVE TO SING FOR OTHERS. I HAVE AN ALL KNOWING MIND.

LOVE IS THE ONLY EMOTION LOVE IS THE ONLY EMOTION LOVE IS THE ONLY EMOTION LOVE IS THE ONLY EMOTION LOVE IS THE ONLY EMOTION LOVE IS THE ONLY EMOTION LOVE IS THE ONLY EMOTION LOVE IS THE ONLY EMOTION LOVE IS THE ONLY EMOTION LOVE IS THE ONLY EMOTION LOVE IS THE ONLY EMOTION LOVE IS THE ONLY EMOTION LOVE IS THE ONLY EMOTION LOVE IS THE ONLY EMOTION. THANK YOU UNIVERSE. THANK YOU ANGELS. THANK YOU GOD.

UNIVERSE I DESIRE TO HAVE A BODY THAT IS FREE FROM PAIN. I DESIRE TO HAVE HANDS THAT ARE ALWAYS ABLE TO WORK. MY HANDS ARE FREE FROM TENSION, AND I CAN TYPE FOR HOURS. I GIVE GREAT ADVICE AND PEOPLE LOVE HEARING WHAT I HAVE TO SAY. I HAVE A SUCCESSFUL YOUTUBE CHANNEL AND I MANIFEST THINGS EVERYDAY ON WHAT TO TALK ABOUT. PEOPLE GIVE ME IDEAS ON WHAT TO MANIFEST. I ONLY RECEIVE POSITIVE COMMENTS. I CAN ALWAYS FIND THE CUTEST BACKGROUND FOR MY VIDEOS. MY VIDEOS ARE VERY HIGH QUALITY AND FUN TO WATCH. I OFTEN GET MESSAGES FROM FAMOUS PEOPLE WHO WANT MY ADVICE AND THEY PAY ME GOOD MONEY FOR IT. I AM A SUCCESSFUL AUTHOR OF WRITING BOOKS. MY PERSONALITY REALLY COMES OUT WHEN I TALK AND WRITE. I AM A FUNNY WOMAN. I AM A SMART WOMAN. I AM AN INTUITIVE WOMAN. FUN WORK ALWAYS FINDS ITS WAY TO ME AND PAYS ME WELL. UNIVERSE PLEASE SHOW ME FUN, EASY, AND QUICK WAYS TO MAKE MONEY. THANK YOU UNIVERSE. ANGELS PLEASE BLESS THIS DESIRE. THANK YOU ANGELS.

UNIVERSE I DESIRE TO HAVE A BEAUTIFUL AND UNIQUE SINGING VOICE. I WILL BE AS FAMOUS AS EMINEM. SONGS LYRICS COME EASILY TO MY MIND AND I REMEMBER EVERY WORD. PEOPLE REALLY HAVE AN EMOTIONAL ATTACHMENT TO MY SONGS. I APPLY FOR AMERICAN IDLE AND I WIN EVER CONTEST. I AM VERY CONFIDENT IN MY SINGING AND I NEVER GET NERVOUS. I FEEL LIKE A STAR ON THE STAGE.

UNIVERSE PLEASE BRING AN EASINESS INTO MY LIFE. I DESIRE TO BE ABLE TO DO EVERYTHING I WISH TO DO AND ALL OTHER AREAS ARE MY LIFE ARE STILL SUCCESSFUL AND IN LINE. I HAVE VERY HAPPY, SUCCESSFUL, TRUSTWORTHY EMPLOYEES WORKING AT MY BUSINESSES. PEOPLE ALWAYS COME TO ME THAT HELP ME IN LIFE. UNIVERSE BRING ME THE SUCCESS I DESIRE. SHOW OTHERS THROUGH ME THAT ANYTHING IS POSSIBLE. AND YOU CAN DO ALL THINGS.

THANK YOU UNIVERSE. ANGELS PLEASE BLESS MY DESIRE. THANK YOU ANGELS.

UNIVERSE. I DESIRE TO HAVE A YOUTUBE CHANNEL WITH MILLIONS OF EXCITING VIDEOS. THESE VIDEOS WILL BE EMOTIONALLY FULFILLING FOR ALL PEOPLE WHO VIEW THEM. I GET MILLIONS OF LIKES PER DAY. I QUICKLY SUCCEED AT MONETIZING MY CHANNEL. PEOPLE WILL BE INSPIRED TO LIVE OUT THERE DREAMS. THANK YOU UNIVERSE. ANGELS PLEASE BLESS THIS DESIRE. THANK YOU ANGELS.

So the past two days I have just felt the strong erge that I might meet my soulmate at either fareway or Dairy Queen. I go to Dairy Queen first. sit there a while, nothing happens. So I go to fareway. I am just slowly walking down the isles, seeing if maybe things pop out to me, and If I see this man I desire. I turn and walk down one isle, I notice a pretty fit man, but I don’t really see what he looks like, I didnt want to stare, but I do notice once he turned the isle, we Locked gazes at eachother. So right before that I picked 2 flavors of jello of the shelf. I get strawberry and orange. I go to the candy isle I notice some mints side by side. the flavors are orange and cherry. SO im like is this a sign that I should get cherry instead, so I go get a cherry flavor instead. Then I go down the alchol section. Orange budlight stood out to me, but strawberry flavor was beside that. I decided not to go back. But later as I am walking. I look at a car, I check to see whos driving, and I believe it was the same man, and I see he was looking at me. Still I did not see what he looked like.......... So IDK....

UNIVERSE. I DESIRE TO GIVE ADVICE WITH EASE. I DESIRE TO SPEAK AND MAKE CONVERSATIONS FLOW WITH EASE. I DESIRE TO BE INTERVIEWED BY BIG TALK SHOW HOSTS. THESE INTERVIEW QUESTIONS ARE ALWAYS EASY FOR ME TO ANSWER, AND MY ANSWERS INSPIRE EVERY PERSON THAT HEARS. I HAVE MANY FRIENDS WHO ARE FAMOUS AND WE DO MANY FUN THINGS. I AM A GOOD ACTRESS. I KIND BE ANY KIND OF ACTRESS I WANT. EVERYTHING IN MY LIFE FLOWS INTO GREATNESS. I AM 100 PERCENT HAPPY AND IN LOVE WITH MY MIND BODY AND SOUL.THANK YOU UNIVERSE. ANGELS PLEASE BLESS THIS DESIRE. THANK YOU ANGELS.

UNIVERSE I DESIRE FOR PEOPLE TO CARE ABOUT MY DESIRES.

[ladylynse]

Happy Halloween, everyone! Here’s the last of my Star-centric Ectober 2018 fic, Helpless, in honour of Day 31: Breathe.

(Day 13: Help / Day 15: Explain / Day 19: Mistakes / Day 26: Sanity)

How come it seems like the more she finds out, the less she knows?

Danny’s hand clamped over her mouth.

Star did the natural thing: she twisted in his grip, and when she couldn’t break free, she bit him.

Hard.

He yelped, loosening his grip enough that she was able to get away. “Why did you bite me?”

She watched him shake out his hand, wondering how much he’d even felt that. She hadn’t managed to draw blood. She wasn’t sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. “Because you grabbed me.”

“Because you screamed!”

A door banged open, and Danny lunged for her. She didn’t manage to pull away before he had a firm grip on her wrist. Someone—Valerie’s boss, maybe?—looked right at them.

And then past them.

And then he went back inside.

Screams were fairly common in Amity Park; even the locals still got spooked on occasion, and anyone would scream if the Fenton RV was barrelling towards them. It was good practice to see how close the latest ghost fight was to your backyard, too, to see if you needed to head for cover or if the ghost was harmless enough that you could toss a box at it and be done with it.

Star was used to that. Everyone was used to that.

She was not used to being looked through as if she wasn’t even there.

Danny dropped her hand. “No more screaming, okay?”

Star swallowed. She doubted it was supposed to sound like a threat, especially coming from Fenton, but…. “No more screaming,” she whispered.

“Right. Okay. We probably shouldn’t stay here. Let’s walk.”

She wasn’t about to argue—she didn’t want to stay here, and even if she wasn’t keen on being alone with him, running wouldn’t get her anywhere—but maybe…. “What…what about Sam and Tucker?”

“They’re used to me having to ditch them. I’ll fill them in later. They’re going to kill me for this anyway.” He caught her expression. “That was a joke.”

Phantom hadn’t popped up behind her and yelled surprise!, so she had a sinking feeling that that was the only joke.

Danny didn’t try to talk to her for a while. Frankly, Star was happy to trudge after him in a daze. What he’d done….

She couldn’t have imagined it. She didn’t imagine it. That had been intangibility. And invisibility. She couldn’t see how it could be a trick. The timing was too perfect. This was Danny’s doing, except that was impossible, because he was human, not a ghost, and—!

“Just breathe, Star,” he murmured, slowing down so that he was in step with her again.

Easy for him to say.

There wasn’t any way to sugar coat what had happened. She wasn’t mixing up intangibility and invisibility with anything else. He’d actually—!

Danny reached out to tug her into the park, and she flinched away. He looked hurt but didn’t try to touch her again. That made her breathe a little easier, and she followed him. When he left the path and headed for the bushes, she didn’t object. She knew where he was going now. Besides, if he’d wanted to silence her, he could have done that by now. He just wanted to talk somewhere private. She could handle that.

Probably.

“Look,” Danny said when they finally stopped in the recently-made clearing she’d hidden by not half an hour ago. “I thought you said you’d figured it out.”

She could still smell the freshly scarred earth. The remains of Skulker’s suit were on the far side, thawed now but covered in leaves and snapped branches from the fall it had taken. She knew it was just an empty shell, but it felt like a skeleton now. If Danny hadn’t known she’d witnessed the fight, why bring her here specifically? Didn’t he think someone—Skulker himself, maybe, or Technus, or a ghost with a similar affinity—would come back to clean up?

Is that why they were here, so he could catch whoever tried? Prove that this was exactly how he had been helping Phantom all along? And why she’d never seen him do it?

She wouldn’t have thought he’d dare come back when the first ones to show up could very well be his parents.

She still hadn’t answered his question, so she took a steadying breath. “I lied.” It felt strange to admit that so plainly. “People do that. You included.”

He stared at her. “But…but me being a halfa. And Phantom. You said—”

“Obviously, I added it up to the wrong conclusion!” snapped Star. She regretted the words instantly, but she didn’t think she could show weakness right now, so she squared her shoulders and stared him down instead, trying to appear more brave than she felt.

“Right,” he said in a small voice. “So what were you actually thinking?”

“Not whatever this is!” She crossed her arms, hoping he wouldn’t realize that she’d started shaking. She couldn’t seem to stop. “I just…. So it’s definitely not a title?”

Danny blinked. “You thought it was a title?”

“Like…like teacher, or mayor, or…or captain. I don’t know. Nothing made sense. I thought you’d tell me if you thought I already knew.”

Danny snorted. “I walked into that one.” He took a deep breath. “Promise me you won’t freak out.”

“Don’t think I can do that.” Was her voice higher than normal? She couldn’t tell. Maybe. It was definitely hard to keep it from quavering. She wasn’t sure if she was successful in that, either. This was…. She didn’t even know what this was. “Especially after whatever you did at the Nasty Burger.”

“I just phased the chocolate off of you. Or rather you off the chocolate. So it didn’t stain.”

“Sure. You just made me intangible. And then you just made me invisible.”

Danny winced. “At least now you know why you need to keep this a secret?”

Star let out a strangled laugh. “As if anyone would believe me if I tried to tell them. ‘Guess what, guys? Danny has ghost powers!’ Just because we live in Amity Park….” She shook her head. “Is this because of your parents? Or because of Phantom?”

For some reason, Danny smiled. “You really don’t get it, do you?”

Fantastic. Something she’d said had amused him. Good thing one of them felt like laughing about this because she felt like crying.

This was insane.

To think she’d doubted his sanity when it was her own she’d needed to worry about. This was impossible. People didn’t just have ghost powers, not even in Amity Park. What else could he do? Float? Fly? Make an ectoblast without burning his flesh? Oh, wait, training with this Frostbite ghost. Could he have been sending ice rays right back at Icebreaker if she hadn’t been there? Is that what he’d done once he’d gotten rid of her while waiting for Phantom to show?

“I’m a halfa. It’s kinda hard to explain. Ectoplasm mixed with my DNA or something like that. Just think of it like half a ghost. That’s what Poindexter told me.”

“Who’s—?”

“Not important right now. Just…. Star. Don’t freak out.”

She opened her mouth to make some smart retort about him telling her not to freak out just making her freak out more, but then—

Then she saw the light. The rings. Watched them pass over him. Change him. Found herself staring at Phantom. At Phantom. Amity Park’s infamous ghost boy. Paulina’s crush. The one who’d saved them all countless times.

“Star. Breathe. Trust me, it’ll help calm you down.”

Calm down? Calm down? He was a ghost—he was Phantom—and he expected her to calm down?

She didn’t want to ask how this had happened. Knowing might make it more real. And she could guess. Except this shouldn’t be possible, how was this actually possible?

The light returned, bringing Fenton back, and she wondered if she could chalk this up to hysteria. Maybe she could talk herself into it being a trick after all. If Fenton and Phantom worked together, maybe their timing really was just that good. And maybe they thought a trick would get her to stop digging into things she shouldn’t. Or maybe Phantom—

Wait.

Danny Fenton? Danny Phantom? He’d barely even changed his name. Or, come to think of it, his appearance. It was just so…. Who would expect Phantom to be human? Absolutely no one. Including—

Star covered her mouth; if her knees weren’t locked, she probably would’ve fallen. “Your parents—”

“Yeah. Don’t tell them.”

“Then….” She swallowed. She didn’t mind leaving the other topic; she could panic over what that meant later. This one wouldn’t necessarily be any easier to hear, but she wanted to know. “I heard Phantom…you…mention Valerie.”

Danny frowned. “When?”

“With Skulker. Here. I followed the fight.” Danny’s expression tightened, but he didn’t say anything. “You…you know how much she hates ghosts. Everyone does. But why—?”

“Ask her, not me. Just don’t…. Don’t tell her, either. Don’t tell anyone. Star, I could have the government breathing down my neck if they realize what I am. And that’s almost more frightening than everything with my parents because my parents might stop. If they realize it’s not a trick. If they believe me. But the Guys in White? They won’t. Ever. Because they won’t care.”

She wanted him to scoff, to tell him to be serious, but she knew they were beyond joking. This was…. “This is crazy.”

“Welcome to my life.” He gave her a sheepish smile, one she was used to him offering Mr. Lancer. “But, uh, since you know…. Can you help me?”

“Help you?”

“Keep this a secret. From everyone else.”

She closed her eyes. It did nothing to help calm her nerves. She couldn’t shut out the memories of what she’d seen or felt, couldn’t forget what she knew, even if she couldn’t understand it all. “Why are you telling me this?”

“Honestly? Because I thought you already knew it. And because after I blew my secret, you deserved more of an explanation, as much for your safety as mine.”

She looked at him again. No smile. No joke.

That wasn’t exactly comforting.

“I’m not asking you to fight with me. Just…just do what you can. Cover for me if you see that I need it, don’t tell Paulina or Valerie or anyone else, that kind of thing. It’s better that no one else knows halfas exist.”

The thought made her chest tighten. “There are more of you?”

Danny cringed. “Um, forget I said that. I can’t tell you that right now.”

“Ever?”

He shrugged.

He didn’t want to tell her more than he thought he had to. That was okay. She wasn’t entirely sure she wanted to know more, especially right now.

Once, she would’ve been delighted to help Phantom in any way she could. Now that she knew he wasn’t really a ghost? It was…less delightful. Knowing Fenton was the town hero was disquieting. It’s not that she didn’t think him capable of it—he obviously was—but she just…. Did half ghost also mean half human? What was he? And how could there be others?

It made her skin crawl.

“Look, Star, just because you know my secret, it doesn’t change who I am. I’m still the same kid you were stuck in detention with last week. I deserved it. You didn’t. I think Youngblood was just trying to get me into trouble anyway.” He started rubbing the back of his neck. “Do you think…. Do you think you’ll be able to look at me the same way, even knowing what you do?”

She shook her head, not trusting herself to be able to lie right now. “This is insane, Danny. How do I even…?”

“You can talk to Jazz if you think it’ll help. She knows, too.”

Star realized she was finger combing her hair, one of her nervous habits, and forced herself to stop. “Right. So Jazz knows. And Sam and Tucker. And all the ghosts. Isn’t that, like, counterintuitive to the whole secret identity thing, your enemies knowing exactly who you are anyway?”

“For most of the ghosts,” Danny said carefully, “I’ve been able to call truces outside of Christmas. When I really need it. When we really need it.”

He didn’t see them as his worst enemy. That was reserved for his parents. Or maybe the government. Crud, why had she ever looked into this? Ignorance would’ve been easier than knowing Danny was Phantom!

She took a deep breath and tried to focus. “Let me tell the others that you know Phantom.”

“Star—”

“Hear me out. Not that you work with him, not if you don’t want me to say that, but that you know him. That you and Jazz, I dunno, take his thermos whenever it’s full and release all the ghosts back into the Ghost Zone again. They’ll believe that.”

“I don’t want more attention, Star. Or to give my parents another reason to ground me. Or to try to force me to wear the Spectre Deflector.”

“It’ll keep you from being Dash’s punching bag if he thinks you can introduce him—properly—to the ghost boy. And Paulina will stop any and all bad gossip about all three of you in its tracks. They have social power, Danny, power I don’t have. But I can get you protection if I—”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because I’d rather be a punching bag than tell them a half lie like that. Because even that much is risky. Star, after the Guys in White were in town, Tucker went through the school. They’d bugged our lockers, the classrooms, even the bathrooms. If they think I have more of a connection to Phantom than any other kid out there, I’m just putting myself in more danger.”

The Guys in White—what kind of name was that, anyway?—was the government organization he’d mentioned earlier; no one else would have that kind of power. Or the motive. Not that she was really convinced the government would care so much about high school kids, but maybe they knew more about the truth of Phantom than she had until now. Or maybe Danny was just thinking the worst, though she couldn’t really blame him for that when she could imagine how bad the worst was. “Really? Don’t you think—?”

“I’m not exaggerating. And I’m not overreacting. I’ve given up on a normal life, Star. With the way my grades are, I’ve pretty much given up on my dream of being an astronaut. I’m not normal. My high school experience definitely isn’t normal. Doing something like that to get a pass isn’t worth it. Tides turn fast. The beauty pageant taught me that.”

Star rolled her eyes. “I still can’t believe you picked Manson. I mean, I can, because it’s you and her, but—”

“She wound up in the Ghost Zone because of that,” Danny interrupted. “That whole pageant, me being the judge…. It was all a setup. You want to use your social influence to help me? Trust me when I tell you something’s bad, and spread the word. I don’t care if I wind up the butt of some joke if it saves lives.” A beat, then, “I can’t afford to care.”

Star raised an eyebrow. “And what does your sister think when she hears you talk like that?” She was glad the conversation had drifted. She was on familiar ground now. Talking about Danny’s social life, even his safety, seemed more normal than him talking about what being a halfa really meant. She really didn’t want to think about that right now. Focusing on consequences she could understand was a lot easier.

Danny huffed. “When I accidentally do, she gives me a lecture. And a hug. It’s annoying.”

Star didn’t need to have a sibling to know that it wasn’t annoying. Not really. If it was, it was at least annoying but appreciated.

He wanted to change the topic; she could see that from his body language. She sucked in a breath and obliged. “Okay. So. You’re…you’re actually Phantom. A halfa. Probably because of your parents, but you don’t want to share details, and I get that. Huge secret, at least from the humans, with potentially bad consequences if something gets out.” He opened his mouth, probably to correct her, but she held up a hand. “Let me finish, okay?”

“Okay,” he mumbled. He started tracing lines in the dirt with the toe of his shoe instead of facing her, but that was fine. This was almost easier to work out when he wasn’t staring her in the face.

“You don’t want to tell anyone anything, not even something small, like that you help Phantom. Even though that’s what you told me.”

“That was only because you kept asking questions,” he muttered. “I had to tell you something to get you off my back.”

“Right. I’ll help you come up with better lies later because obviously no one else is any better at it than you are.” Star took another deep breath and tried to gather her thoughts. “You could have tried lying again, you know. I might not have believed you, but I probably wouldn’t have pushed it. That was…. It was freaky. I would’ve told myself that you and Phantom were just trying to mess with me or something. I still tried.”

Danny looked up. “And how long do you think you would have believed that before realizing that you were just lying to yourself? How long before you decided the curiosity was driving you crazy and you started taking bigger and bigger risks to find out the truth? You’d be good with one of my mom’s Fenton Utility Weapons, but I’m pretty sure you don’t already have one. Which would be a problem if you accidentally poked the wrong bear. Some of these guys have multiple sets of teeth, and their bark definitely isn’t worse than their bite.”

He thought she’d run out after ghosts on her own. “You think I’d be stupid enough to do that?”

He snorted. “You followed me and Skulker, didn’t you? After you almost got hit by some of his missiles?”

“I didn’t tell you that until after you told me.”

“Doesn’t make me wrong. It just proves my point. Not telling you now would be dangerous. If you hadn’t seen me use my powers, sure, I probably would’ve tried to come up with something again, but I can’t…. I can’t cover that up, Star. That’s why I’m trying to be more careful about it. Especially now that I can control it. I couldn’t off the start. It was rough. That’s why I kept dropping stuff in chem.”

Star blinked. “That’s when this started? Way back then?” But he was right, of course. Before Phantom was called Phantom, even before he’d been dubbed Invis-o-Bill….

“That’s when everything started. When my parents finished the portal. When all the ghosts started coming through. This is my fault. I’m just trying to fix my mess. Sam and Tucker got sucked into it. Then Jazz. Now you. And I really don’t want you caught up in this. So just…. Trust what I tell you. Keep your head down. Cover for me if Sam and Tucker can’t. Pretend you don’t know, and hopefully the ghosts will leave you alone.”

Star stared at him. “You think I’m going to be a target now? I thought you said telling me was safer!”

“It is.”

“Not if I have ghosts after me!”

“You won’t! Or you shouldn’t. Not more than normal. Just…trust me.”

It was the same thing he’d told her back in the beginning of all this. He hadn’t wanted to tell her anything then, hadn’t wanted to let her in on this. Even now that he had, he didn’t want to tell her everything. She wasn’t even sure if this was half of it. She’d been left with questions then, and she definitely still had questions now, but—

Star took a slow, steady breath. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Calm down. Think clearly. Figure things out.

“Please?”

She hadn’t really trusted that Fenton could help her when she’d been trapped with him, but he had. And she certainly trusted Phantom to save her in the past. So if it came down to it, knowing they were the same person, knowing what Danny was really capable of—

“Okay,” she said. “I’ll trust you. And I’ll keep your secret. But you’ve gotta do something for me, too.”

He looked worried now. “What?”

“I don’t want to go out and fight ghosts all the time, but if I’m caught in another attack, especially if I might be a target, I don’t want to be helpless like that again. I hate that. So get me a weapon and show me how to use it.”

She wasn’t lying; she did hate feeling helpless. It wasn’t just to get Valerie off her back, either, even though Star knew Valerie wouldn’t drop the subject until she at least agreed to think about learning something. Of course, Star was happy to let Valerie think her influence was the reason behind it all. It was a lot easier than explaining how she might find herself targeted by more ghosts than she had in the past.

Besides, if learning some weapon—not the lipstick thing; that really would be too dangerous for her—helped clear up whatever Danny wasn’t telling her about Valerie, then all the better. Not that Star would push if it didn’t. One earth-shattering revelation was enough for this week. Not that she thought it was that bad, whatever it was. The venom in Valerie’s voice whenever she talked about ghosts definitely wasn’t faked. There was no way Valerie was another one of these halfas Danny didn’t want to talk about.

Hopefully, she didn’t actually know any of the others.

Not that Danny made it easy to believe that when he purposefully didn’t tell her anything else.

It made her think she did know more of them.

She didn’t want to.

Danny smiled, his relief helping to soothe her nerves, just a little bit. “Deal,” he said, offering his hand.

They shook on it.

She didn’t know what she was getting into, what she’d already gotten herself into. Not really. But at least…at least she’d be a little more prepared for whatever Amity Park decided to throw at her next.

(see more fics | bonus chapter)

[detachhunter]

Strange, random, dreams with plot are the best, especially when they remind me that I’d not only be a Knight, but also a sniper if I really could be lmao. HELP! Dreams like this also just…Give a lot of writing inspiration too for things I work on, hmm.

We’re special forces soldiers a part of a larger team, six of us in total, and we’re currently deployed on a mission. Four members of the team is engaged elsewhere from me and my partner’s location, but they’re keeping tabs: their objective is to secure one of the smaller ships from the enemy’s port that we’re infiltrated and head out through the frozen sea to secure a weapons depot platform close to the halfway point in the intersection (basically in the middle of nowhere). My team on the other hand is to stay at the main port and take out the incoming truck cargo: wasting supplies, munitions, and weapons, etc. loaded onto heavy armour trucks in a convoy. Getting into position and setting up, my partner becomes my spotter and makes sure no one finds us, while I simply lay down on a half-secured ‘mountain’ of hard snow getting ready and comfortable. (I remember my vision was pretty blurred every time I looked through my scope, but I never fixed that…)

Waiting for the perfect shot, I got a time from my partner on when the full convoy arrives and that they parked almost bumper to bumper as they were being processed. I take my shot with a compact armour penetrating explosive round that rips through the front truck’s windshield and straight through to the back with the cargo, creating an explosion that chain reacts with all the other trucks (by chance of the dream or because this world has stupid explosive rounds, idk). Also there were seven trucks (if I remember right). Though once the explosion happens, we slide off our cover and book it into one of the port’s main processing and shipping areas that connects to the shipyard; my partner reminds me this is a civilian workplace that has strict timetables which explains why it’s so empty.

As we’re running through the building’s loading district, we can hear enemy forces outside looking for us, though it’s mostly a helicopter zooming by overhead probably trying to get a better spotter from the air in case we’re outside still. As we’re going through the facility, my partner is kicking open doors for us, securing and holding the door open for me as we pass through, I seem to be a lot slower than him and even remember commenting, “Sorry, I’d run faster but my rifle’s heavy” (I remember the weight of that thing being quite a lot along with the rest of my equipment load). My partner simply says he understands, and we get deeper into the work place.

Once we get towards the center of the building again (there seems to be a lot of roof windows here) the helicopter flies overhead again; my partner makes a comment of, “Lucky the place is mostly out for lunch right now, ey?”. Deciding to go a bit further into the building to avoid any more roof windows, I suggest if I could go to the roof, I could easily take the chopper out, however we never confirm that plan as we run into two other operatives from the reserve team that had also infiltrated with us. I seemed to have specifically noted that the shorter, less carry load trooper seemed almost too young to be a soldier (especially for SpecOps), but I knew the other quite well, so I trusted his judgement in potentially bringing a rookie.

The reserve team explains that they’ve commandeered a ship-sub for us to take back to our nearby aircraft base and that the kid is also an expert pilot, which is why he’s here; now that our primary objective has been completed, we’re to reconvene and assist the other team with theirs. We agree, and I’m handed off a special right-hand glove with no explanation, but I replace my current glove with it anyways. It’s then that we’re found by a single enemy soldier scouting ahead of their team and I basically shoot them point blank with my rifle (in which they basically evaporate from my current rounds being used). Moving out to the main shipyard line, my partner and the reserve team get aboard the sub-ship (it’s hard to explain, but what I remember was something mixed between a small flat surface shore ship and a submarine), but I resign to stay and finish picking off any additional enemy supplies and possible aircraft that might prove to be a problem in the long run. My partner seemed hesitant, but eventually agreed with my decision. Getting a confirmation from the other team that they’re close to approaching the depot, my partner and the reserve submerge and head off to the RV point that is our secret aircraft base.

Several minutes after the sub-ship has departed, I begin securing the area when a stealther suddenly appeared and tackles me down, causing us to roll a bit. I seemed quite determined to keep my rifle protected in that instance, holding it close and tight, even shielding it. I try to kick the stealther off, but we just continue to roll, punch, and hit one another until I finally decide to drag us both down into the freezing sea waters since we’re at the edge. Locking my arm tight around my sniper rifle, seemingly resigned to drown us both and drag us down with my carry load, I keep a grip on the stealther but they somehow managed to slip free and secure themselves. Basically freeze-drowning to death, my ‘hibernation’ unit activates and puts my body in shock, but also into a suspended state of death where I’m technically both dead and alive simultaneously until recovered and it’s deactivated (idk the full explanation, I just seemed to know how this shit worked in my dream LOL).

Recovering my (technical) corpse not long after the unit had activated, the stealther goes through my equipment, finding that the freezing waters had rendered most of it and the tech on my person non-functional, but do they manage to fish my locator out and track the reserve squad’s progress and route. Using their own ship-sub, they take me and eventually catch up with the reserve team and my partner before the tunnel transition, likely trying to use me as leverage too as both sub-ships surface and they face each other from the flat surfaces. However, before any ‘negotiating’ can begin the tunnel transition begins, suddenly shifting it from horizontal to vertical which throws the stealther off as they activate their boots maglocks, but they lose grip and my body tumbles, and I literally slam into my partner.

Catching me, he deactivates my hibernation unit (which is also located in the throat for…Some reason) which wakes me in a throw of shock, and I cough up water. However there’s panicked yelling telling me to shoot: I’m mostly frozen stiff, I don’t have any focus whatsoever and my body’s trembling from nervous system overload and freezing. I somehow manage to pry myself subconsciously with my rifle and take an improper mounted shoulder-based shot that gets a prefect kill and a hard recoil to the shoulder before blacking out again.

And then I woke up.

[metrobusinessadvisors]

Where are the employees? Many are choosing more control over their lives and buying businesses

By Dave Driscoll

We read about it everywhere…Where are the younger workers/professionals? Why are there so many unfilled positions? Why can’t we hire the talent we need?

From the flip side, we hear about the great resignation, work/life balance, taking a year off, renting an RV and traveling the country… even with school-aged children in tow!

This disruption in the “normal” workforce stems from the pandemic lockdown and the shockwaves everyone has experienced with sickness and/or the death of family or friends. Finding a younger worker who has not experienced pandemic-related anxiety would be a rarity. Tragically, they have learned at a younger age than recent generations that “normal” life can quickly change dramatically or be cut short.

The fear and reality are empowering them to take risks and make decisions that boomers and Generation X wouldn’t have imagined. Millennials and Generation Z are exchanging the paradigm of the “steady paycheck” for the freedom to experience life, family, and nature on their terms.

The pandemic has also unchained portions of the workforce from the office cubical. Office workers now have the ability to conduct business and earn a living from wherever they choose.  How many of us used Zoom nearly daily five years ago like we do now? Parents appreciate the flexibility to lessen childcare burdens and accommodate other family considerations. Commuters of any age aren’t sacrificing time in traffic. And many have realized they are more productive without the interruptions, distractions, and temptations to chat with co-workers. Unrestricted location and flexible hours provide the freedom to maximize productivity while exploring and making financial choices to follow their hearts and dreams.

While following those dreams, many are continuing their independence and not delaying gratification. Meanwhile, supply-chain issues result from a shortage of workers to manufacture, offload, transport, and stock products.

The Federal Reserve of St. Louis publishes the Personal Saving Rate (PSR) https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/PSAVERT. Personal savings is your personal income minus the cost to live and taxes; it’s basically the portion of personal income left over from spending on life’s necessities. The balance is placed in savings or investments. The ratio of personal savings to disposable personal income (DPI) is frequently referred to as "the personal saving rate.”

From February 2020 to March 2020, the PSR increased to 33.8% and remained at an extraordinarily high level through December 2021. However, in stark contrast, the PSR has now fallen below historical averages indicating folks are spending those massive reserves. Many folks are exploring buying a business in an effort to realize their definition of the “independent lifestyle.”

The M&A broker community has been experiencing increased buyer activity throughout the pandemic, supporting the quest for “lifestyle businesses” that provide autonomy. Owners were slow to join the trend initially, but currently are fully engaged in pursuing their dreams as well… selling their businesses to embrace their retirements with a focus on family, grandchildren, travel, and all the other things they had been postponing.

Seems perfect to me! Younger buyers seeking a better lifestyle are providing the exit pathway for boomers to embrace their retirement objectives.

A logical question is, where are the younger buyers getting the money to purchase mature sellers’ businesses? Actually, there are many sources for the equity needed to qualify for the necessary loans and facilitate the unprecedented business buyer/seller activity. A few examples include:

·       Personal savings-see PSR paragraph above

·       Friends and family

·       401(k) retirement accounts (think about the stock market growth rate over the past four-five years)

·       Seller financing - Sellers can contribute a buyer’s equity with a small seller note

A younger buyer can find the financing to complete the business purchase through conventional sources such as banks and credit unions. To qualify for traditional financing, borrowers need to conform to conventional lending standards of equity inputs from 20% to 30%, qualifying credit experience, leverageable underlying assets of the business being purchased, and adequate free cash flow coverage to support the debt service required to purchases the business.

Another source of financing is the Small Business Administration (SBA). The SBA still focuses on the fundamentals of lending but can assist a borrower with less onerous terms such as percent of equity input and length of amortization. The SBA views seller notes as a plus and that can be considered in the total equity input required from the buyer. Also, the SBA’s focus is on the historical free cash flow produced by the business, with less emphasis on the underlying assets.

So, where are the workers?

Many are buying businesses that support their definition and vision of a well-balanced life.

Given what we all have witnessed and experienced in the past couple years, priorities have shifted. Having been a business owner my entire career, I can understand why younger workers are choosing the entrepreneurial lifestyle and not allowing others to dictate their path.

 Dave Driscoll is president of Metro Business Advisors, a mergers & acquisitions, valuation and exit/succession planning firm helping owners of companies with revenue up to $20 million sell their most valuable asset. Reach Dave at DDriscoll@MetroBusinessAdvisors.com or (314) 303-5600.  www.MetroBusinessAdvisors.com

https://metrobusinessadvisors.com/where-are-the-employees-many-are-choosing-more-control-over-their-lives-and-buying-businesses/

As seen in St. Louis Small Business Monthly

[justletmeplayminecraft]

It's not uncommon that with new updates, mobs change.

Doc, as a creeper, hasn't experienced many. Creepers are iconic, if he says so himself. And his circuitry usually overrides small changes to the code.

Which is why the new update catches him so off guard.

"Doc," Ren calls. It's been a quiet night in the RV. They've washed up after dinner, and Doc is working on some plans for next season at the table. Paper is scattered across where they'd been eating, covered in scribbled base ideas and circuits. He looks up, leaning on his hand.

"Yeah?"

"I don't mean this in a rude way, man." Ren slides into the chair across from him, leaning on the table whilst carefully avoiding said sketches. His ears are tilted back, hands clasped in front of him. "But are you shedding?" Doc squints his eye, circuitry mimicking the expression for the other.

"I- No?" Ren sighs, reaching in his front pocket. He drops something fuzzy and green on the table, similar in appearance to fluff from a blanket. Doc reaches out, picking it up between two fingers. It's... Not fluff. No, it's more like a plant-

"Doc," Ren sighs. "When's the last time you looked in the mirror?"

"How am I supposed to know? You think I keep track?" The only mirror in the RV got cracked a while ago and it's not like it's easy to get a new one in deep space. And Doc's never been like Ren with the whole grooming thing anyway. He swears, the guy spends so much time brushing his own fur.

"Right. You need to look at yourself." Doc raises an eyebrow, but doesn't object as Ren pulls him onto his feet, pushing his shoulder to direct them into the bathroom.

They stop in front of the mirror, the large crack and missing pieces obscuring most of their faces. Ren points at Doc's collar, uncovered by his lab coat. His claws tap against the reflective surface.

"Ren, why am I covered in moss?" Doc asks. He can see Ren raise his eyebrows through the mirror, even though his eyes are hidden by his sunglasses.

"That," Ren declares, "was not this fluffy before." Doc squints, his electronic eye whirring as he focuses. It's still his usual green skin, the colours patchy. Perfect for blending into open fields and trees. He finally looks down, raising his shoulder to see better. There's small bits of familiar looking fluff collecting on his skin, like a beading blanket. He frowns, reaching down and picking at it. It tugs at his skin, clinging on before breaking away. Small pieces of... Not fluff caught between his fingers. No. This is...

"I think you can put that together, Doc," Ren replies, unhelpfully. Doc turns to face him instead, standing at his full height. Ren's ear twitches.

"I haven't rolled in any moss patches recently."

"Or you could just be in denial instead. I guess that works too."

"Because it's more likely I just started to grow moss?" Doc crosses his arms, scowling. "Maybe I'm going mouldy."

"Doc, dude." Ren puts his hands on Doc's shoulders, naturally avoiding the electrical joints that could easily threaten to trap his fingers. "These kinds of changes aren't bad things. I believe somebody very close to me right now has been saying that a lot lately." Doc huffs.

"You're not supposed to use that against me."

"If it applies to me then it applies to you too." Ren squeezes his shoulders, Doc relaxing slightly under the touch. "New updates can be funky, you know? We'll figure this out together."

-

Doc hisses, scraping at the peeling moss on his skin. Not only does it get everywhere, but it's itchy too. It's been making it hard to focus on building lately, always fighting the urge to scrape against the nearest surface.

"Hey Doc!" He turns at the side of Etho's voice, offering a nod. "Oh, something's bothering you." Doc rolls his eye, forever annoyed at Etho's ability to read people. Etho balances on his tiptoes, rocking forward. "Tell me about it."

"You don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes I do," Etho replies, not missing a beat. "Now, Doc, I've been told I'm an expert listener-"

"Expert annoyance more like."

Etho ignores him completely, "And I want to make sure I'm looking out for my friends!" He drops the dramatic voice, standing properly. "Seriously, you can't even stay still right now, dude. What's up?" Doc hadn't even noticed how much he'd been fidgeting.

"You won't laugh?"

"Never."

"The moss is itchy, man." He holds up his organic arm, rubbing at the skin around his wrist. "It keeps coming loose and getting stuck and I can't get rid of it." Etho looks carefully at the green plantlife dropping to the ground.

"Have you tried exfoliating?"

"What."

Etho laughs, "Well, it's like skin, right? You need to get rid of the dry stuff. Or... The loose stuff, in your case."

"And how do you suggest I do that?" Doc asks, tilting his head. His pupil constricts into a thin line. Etho reaches up, tapping Doc's nose.

"Come round my place later, I'll dig something out for you."

Doc doesn't know why he listened. Getting up their stupid cliffs is a nightmare by itself. The wind ruffles his skin, red eye checking ahead of him to make sure the path is safe. It lands in his palm, and Doc clicks it back into place as he continues to where he thinks their main base is.

Stone becomes more terraformed, small signs of life dotted around the otherwise empty landscape. And then Doc is finally stepping into what looks like a main hall. Signs cover one of the walls, with notes or small drawings. One of them is a reminder to buy food, another a drawing of items in a chest. He can recognise Etho's handwriting - the slanted, overly fancy words Doc's always told him is a nightmare to read. So the other fairly square writing must be Iskall's. At least that's legible.

"Enjoying our base?" Etho calls, head poking out of what looks like their storage room.

"You guys look like you're still in early game."

"Hey!" Etho places a shulker down, walking over to meet him. "Iskall and I are both busy people, Doc."

"Yeah, yeah." He waves his hand dismissively. "What did you want to show me?" Etho flops onto the bed, patting the open space next to him as he reaches for something. "Oh? Without dinner?"

"This is feeling less trustworthy by the minute," Doc decides. Etho shushes him.

Etho rolls his eyes, "Whatever you're thinking right now is on you." Etho picks up something hairbrush shaped. Doc's eyes narrow. "Trust me." Doc sighs, sitting down in front of him. Etho carefully pulls his lab coat off, turning Doc so he faces away.

"My thinking is that I've got this wire brush. If I brush you out well enough, that should get rid of all the moss that's loose right now and causing you problems."

"You're going to groom me."

"If you want to use that word. Now, come here." Doc is unprepared for the first press of the brush. The bristles are tightly packed, rubbing between his shoulder blades almost like a massage. Etho is careful to avoid any metal, Doc would kill him if he got scratches in it, but he doesn't want to leave any spot unbrushed.

As he continues working, Doc sinks further forward, slumping over. A low rumble emerges from his chest and it takes everything Etho has not to mention it. He picks another handful of moss off the brush, placing it on the growing pile. Doc's back is starting to look far more uniform. There's less bunches sticking out, the moss becoming a fuzzy spread across his skin. Etho brushes over it with his fingers. It really is like touching normal moss.

"Mm, you done?" Doc asks. His black eye blinks blearily over his shoulder at him.

"Was just wondering..." Etho taps the back of the brush against his other hand. "Do you think I could use this moss to make a farm?" Doc groans, Etho bursting into soft laughter.

"Shut up and keep brushing," he mutters. Etho takes a few seconds to gather himself.

"Can do, boss," he replies, pleased he gets to do something to help one of his oldest friends. He deserves a bit of TLC after everything he's done for them.

Doc sheds, little bits of green moss fall off all the time

Etho wonders if he could be used as a farm if you bonemeal him

[plumeriarubra]

:Kpop Tag

tagged by @saltyauntyoonji very long and I can’t put cuts I’m sorry.

1) 5 favorite groups?

VIXX, BTS, Mamamoo, RV, Shinhwa

2) Top 5 on your bias list?

Hakyeon, Seokjin, Dongwan, Moonbyul, Seulgi

3) Ult Bias group and why you love them?

BTS / VIXX (I can explain)

BTS : They are amazing, as a brand, as people, as musicians, and many more eloquent posts I can direct u to will tell u why. I met incredible people through the fandom. But oversaturation overwhelmed me and I’m just filthy casual now. Hence l have another, quieter (?) ult

VIXX : Is a niche, a fuckin succesful one though. As a brand I love their theatrics and aesthetics. Their musicianship is the closest thing kpop can get to Kalafina-esque. The members are excessively tall but are gentle dorks. Their fandom are relatively more managable.

4) Ult Bias and why you love them?

My current ults are Seokjin and Hakyeon,

Both are the baby of the household, but held it together when (somewhat) forced into the position of an eldest. Not afraid to embrace feminine traits. Despite gofiness are generally always in control if the situation. nice brothers who will totally hug u when u cry.

Jin : So handsome shoulder babe.

Hakyeon : so fabulous I am unworthy.

5) Favorite Kpop Meme

6) Favorite pic of your ult? (I dare you to only pick one)

7) 5 Favorite Kpop MVs

K. Will - Please Don’t

BTS - Prologue; Wings Teaser series (neither are actual MV’s but I make the rules shut up)

LOONA/ODD Eye Circle - Girl Front

VIXX LR - Beautiful Liar; Whisper

B. A. P - Skydive

8) 10 Favorite Kpop songs?

BTS - Butterfly (Prologue ver.)

VIXX - (all title songs) (U will not make me choose)

VIXX LR - Whisper

SEVENTEEN - Very NICE

Mamamoo - Dechalcomanie

SUPER JUNIOR - Evanesce

Shinhwa - Alright ; That’s right

EXO - Love Me Right

Vromance - She

Monsta X - Hero

9) Favorite Kpop crack video?

“Sanghyuk screaming (at gas station)”

10) Favorite content creator within the fandom?

Off the top of my head : bazooka, noraebangbang, kingkiwi (princekiwi?), bels ❤️,astro ❤️, johanbuddenbrooks ❤️, sugamin,refrainbow, hakyeonni, amaelamin, renquise, eccentric musician, uumokumin, mireykim, snotty, legfam (my brain short-circuit on the creator), me (yeah I love me), and SO MANY MORE MY BRAIN JUST CAN’T CHURN IT OUT AT THIS MOMENT.

11) What fandoms would you say you’re an active member of?

St⭐rlight

12) Take your top 3 biases- fmk

*skips fuck*

Marry hakyeon, objective near perfect husband material.

Kiss Seokjin, I’ll make him the recieving end of a thousand flying kisses.

13) If you could be best friends with any idol, who would you choose? 

Kim Namjoon and Lee Hongbin

14) If you could date any idol, who?

Kang Seulgi

15) What’s one Kpop album you think everyone should have listened to

HYYH pt.1+2

16) Are you a soft or a hard stan?

Soft

17) An idol that makes you go into soft mode?

Kim Wonshik, Han Sanghyuk, Jeon Jungkook

18) An idol that makes you want to smash the empire state building with one single punch?

Cha Hakyeon, Jung Hoseok

19) Favorite vocalist?

Lee Jaehwan

20) Favorite Rapper?

Suga

21) Favorite dancer?

Cha Hakyeon, Kang Seulgi

22) Things you have in common with your ult?

Introverted goof, baby of the household.

23) The most beautiful trait any idol can have?

Sincerity (I’m not copying u bels I just agree)

24) Songs that will always make you jam along?

Shinhwa - This Love

25) Your worst wrecker?

Evrybody I guess

26) Any kpop concerts you’ve been to?

BTS Wings Tour (jkt) and VIXX ASEAN fanmeet (jkt)

27) Favorite choreo?

Vixx - Voodoo Doll

28) Favorite live performance?

BTS / VIXX in any acoustics live

29) Favorite debut mv? 

VROMANCE - She

30) Recommend a rookie group

VRomance, ACE, SF9, LOONA, Dreamcatcher

31.) A kpop song you could listen to every day for the rest of your life? 

BTS - butterfly (prologue ver.)

32) Tag some cute mutuals you’d like to get to know better (and to do this challenge)!

Anyone, idk, @flap-monster , @reallybadbaker , @johannbuddenbrooks , @rianoraila , and eveybody else who wants to.

[andrewdburton]

My 2020 in review: Steps in the right direction

Are you all ready for this? It's one of my favorite days of the year! I just spent an hour entering data in Quicken, then another thirty minutes analyzing it. It's time to run some numbers.

How well did I do with my financial goals last year? Was I able to cut back on dining out? (Hint: There was a global pandemic. What do you think?) Did my net worth rise or fall? Let's take a look.

First, let's review where I was at the end of 2019.

Quite simply, I was a mess. Objectively, my life was good, but subjectively it was a disaster. My mental health was in shambles. Depression and anxiety were crippling me and truly affecting my relationships with other people. I felt like I was in the middle of a prolonged car crash.

The good news is that, for the most part, 2020 was much better from a personal perspective. Yes, I understand that 2020 sucked for a lot of people. And it was the most tumultuous year our country has seen in a generation. But for me, personally, the year was mostly good. I'll explain why this is in a bit, but first lets look at the Big Picture.

My Net Worth

Here's my end-of-year net worth from each of the past three years. (These numbers do not include the value of my business or this website.)

At the end of 2018, my net worth was $1,334,227 — a 15.2% decrease from 2017.

At the end of 2019, my net worth was $1,437,543 — a 7.7% increase from 2018.

At the end of 2020, my net worth was $1,373,233 — a 4.5% decrease from 2019.

Now, on paper a decrease of net worth amounting to $64,310 might seem scary. Maybe it's because I'm in a better mental space than last year, but it doesn't bother me. This may also be due to the fact that I realize most of that drop comes from Zillow's valuation of our home.

At the end of 2019, Zillow said our country cottage was worth $495,749. At the end of 2020, the home was valued at $437,127, which is a drop of $58,622.

Yes, I realize using Zillow to track our home value is…erratic. And it leads to fluctuations like this. Still, I feel like it's a solid enough source for home values, and it gives me some sort of number to go on.

That's one way of looking at it. But looked at another way, things are a little dicier. You see, I currently live off of my investments. Most of those investments are in retirement accounts, which I can't touch (unless I want a tax penalty) for another eight years. At the start of 2019, my regular taxable investment accounts contained $269,264. Today, they have $197,117. That there could also be my drop in net worth.

One thing is certain, though. That $197,117 isn't enough to get me to age 59-1/2 at my current level of spending. I need to spend less, earn more, or (preferably) both.

Now, let's look at some of the numbers in greater detail.

Note I'm still tracking my money in Quicken 2007. I continue to try new money apps but none of them is as good as this clunky old program.

Having said that, I didn't track my spending from May 12th to October 1st last year. I wasn't spending anything, so I thought the process was pointless. (In retrospect, I wish I had continue to track the numbers because they would have made a good baseline.) Because of this break, I have no way to know exactly what I spent over the course of the entire year. But I do have complete numbers for the first quarter (mostly pre-COVID) and the last quarter.

Food Spending

A year ago, I declared that my financial goal for 2020 was to spend less on food. I'm pleased to report that I achieved this goal although I had some help from a global pandemic. The COVID crisis kept me (and most people) at home. Yes, we did eat out now and then, but it was rare. And it was outside, when possible.

Here's my food spending from 2020.

From January to March, I spent $1700.91 on food (or about $566.97 per month). Of this, $1189.28 ($396.42 per month) was on groceries and $498 ($166 per month) was on dining out.

From October to December, I spent $1751.26 on food (or about $583.75 per month). Of this, $1427.81 ($475.94 per month) was on groceries and $323.45 (107.82 per month) was on dinging out.) I should also note that the bulk of this food spending was in December ($663.32 on groceries, $92.00 on our only restaurant meal, and $755.62 total).

So, yay! I met my goal! My monthly food spending dropped from $1053.28 in 2019 to $575.36 in 2020. If I had tracked the stats during the middle of the year, that number would be even lower.

To put things into perspective, here's a tiny spreadsheet comparing my monthly food spending over the last four years. Numbers from 2019 are incomplete. And numbers from last year are for the first quarter and laster quarter combined. (Again, data is missing for the middle of the year.)

That looks like some solid progress to me.

And you know what? I'm willing to bet that a big part of that drop in spending is because I drank less alcohol in 2020. Technically, I don't want my alcohol spending to appear as “food”. I have a separate category for booze. In reality, I'm lazy and I rarely separate beer and wine purchases from other grocery purchases. So, I think some of that drop in food spending is because I was drinking less.

Let's talk a little more about that.

Booze Spending

Perhaps the biggest win for me in 2020 — financially and otherwise — was my decreased dependence on alcohol.

I had two stints last year during which I was alcohol free: January 1st to mid-February, then Independence Day to Halloween. And since I “fell off the wagon” at the end of October, I've done fairly good about minimizing my alcohol intake. (I refuse to keep whiskey or wine in the house. If I'm truly craving a beer, I drive to the store to buy one. Or two. This policy has really helped me cut down on how much I consume.)

In 2019, I was spending roughly $200 each month on alcohol. In 2018, this was closer to $300 per month. Holy cats! In 2020, I spent zero on alcohol for half the year. During the six months I tracked my expenses last year, I spent a total of $227.07 on booze — $37.85 per month.

My marijuana expense was also down. Pot is cheaper than alcohol in the first place, but I was also trying to reduce my use of weed while I was trying to cut out alcohol. I spent maybe $20 a month on the stuff in 2020.

As an added benefit, by cutting out alcohol I was better able to lose weight. I'm currently down more than 25 pounds since July. (I want to lose another five or ten pounds, then turn my attention to building strength once more.)

Best of all? My mental health improved! In September and October, after being alcohol-free for a few months, I was enjoying peak performance. I was happier and more productive than I have been in years. This benefit to reduced alcohol use is the best benefit of all and the one most likely to keep me away from the stuff.

Now, as I mentioned, I've resumed drinking some. I've had four beers in the past week, for instance (including New Year's). For now, I'm okay with this. My mental and physical health seem great at this level of consumption. But there's still a chance I'll opt to give up the stuff completely for an extended period of time. (I have a sticky note on my work computer with a question that Tom asked me in October: “What's the postive for you in using alcohol and pot?” Great question.)

Big Spending

The sorest spot in my budget over the past few years has been big expenses. In 2015, I spent $35,000 on an RV. In 2017, we sold the condo and bought this country cottage, then poured money into repairs and upgrades. In 2018, we spent more on remodeling.

Well, last year didn't have any major home expenses but I did replace my Mini Cooper, at long last.

At the end of June, I spent $40,000 on a 2019 Mini Countryman SE All4. This seemed like a good idea at the time. In retrospect, the purchase wasn't the smartest move. The car is fine — it's not great but it's not bad — and I enjoy driving it. I especially like that most of my driving is now electric (and that I'm averaging 53 miles per gallon.) But I don't drive often enough or value vehicles enough to justify having spent this much on a car.

I don't want to say this was a dumb move…but I think it was probably a dumb move.

Time will tell.

Looking ahead, 2021 should have zero large expenses. I hope. We've performed all of the repairs and upgrades we need to do on the house. (I say that, yet I'm worried about the foundation settling.) I just bought a car. My health is good. We have no big trips planned. Our food spending seems to be under control. I have high hopes that 2021 will, at long last, be a year without major outlays. Fingers crossed!

Final Thoughts

Honestly, nothing else about my spending worries me. There were a couple of categories that saw increases last year ��� books and movies — but this doesn't bother me. COVID has led me to read more and to watch more shows. These forms of entertainment are relatively inexpensive. All the same, I'll keep an eye out to be sure my book and movie spending doesn't become problematic.

Here are a couple of final thoughts after crunching the numbers.

My new electric hybrid is amazing when it comes to fuel costs. It has an electric range of roughly 16 miles. That doesn't seem like much, but it coveres 90% of my driving. I'm getting 53 miles per gallon overall. I last put gas in the tank on November 8th and it's still half full. (The downside is that it only gets about 23 mpg when using the combustion engine.) My fuel expense has dropped from $100/month to $20/month.

My spending on streaming services boomed at the end of 2020, but part of that is because I'm researching and writing a GRS article on the subject. Three TV-replacement services totals $200/month! But I only had those for one month. (And, in retrospect, I should have made them a business expense.)

The bottom line? Last year was pretty good for me. I'm certainly starting 2021 in a much better mental state than I started 2020. Things aren't perfect but are they ever? I have a good life, an amazing partner in Kim, and I'm currently enjoying the work I'm doing here at Get Rich Slowly and at my newly-revived personal site.

Looking ahead, I don't have any specific personal financial goals. I guess that I want to increase my income. To that end, I'll continue channeling my renewed focus on this website.

2020 was a mixed bag for the business side of Get Rich Slowly. The initial expenses in re-acquiring the site have been paid, so my costs were a lot lower last year. That said, so was revenue. The site earned something like $72,000 (before expenses) in 2019. In 2020, that fell to about $30,000.

Some of my colleagues make big bucks from their blogs. I don't. I'm okay with that, though, because I recognize that many of the decisions I make are deliberately reader-centric, which means I'm foregoing easy money. Still, it would be nice to boost revenue so that I could draw income from the work I do here. Let's see what that looks like going forward…

from Finance https://www.getrichslowly.org/my-2020-in-review/ via http://www.rssmix.com/

[neganandblake]

I think I liked you better when you didn’t have a knife in your hand, Peaches... Chapter 82 - The Vase

When Blake finds herself sold out to the Saviours by her abusive fiancé, she realises that she's certainly not on her own anymore and finds an unlikely friend in Negan. And Negan does NOT like men who beat their girlfriends, one tiny bit...

MASTERLIST

Chapter 82 - The Vase

[Blake returns to her room, upset, in tears...just as familiar face turns up to her door...]

Blake burst into her room, hand clutched over her mouth, her chest rising and falling hard.

And it was only a second later, when she had shut the door behind her hurriedly, making sure she was safe and out of earshot of anyone else, did she burst into floods of tears, unable to hold it in any longer.

This was killing her. Truly and utterly.

Blake couldn't bear to think about Negan with his wives…touching them, kissing them, holding them, just like he had done with her just over a week ago…in that RV….in the bathtub…in her bed back at Alexandria.

Blake gave another sob, closing her eyes and crouching down to her knees.

Everything felt hopeless now…even as the warm evening sun drifted in through her window, shedding a golden light across Blake's neat and tidy room.

But like that she stayed, crouched there crying, for what felt like hours….but might only have been mere minutes...aching from head to toe.

She felt worse now than she had felt with David. For this was a crushing pain…a pain of knowing what she could have had….that feeling being torn away from her.

In the space of a little over a month, not only had she lost Mia but now she had lost Negan too. And things had changed too much to ever go back to way things were.

Blake was alone now…stronger...built up to be a queen in this world.

But that was no good on her own. For she had revelled in the feeling that Negan had given her…boosting her up…making her feel invincible…the king to her queen.

Blake now lifted herself back up to her feet, wiping at her cheeks and letting out a shaky sigh, brushing her hair off her shoulder, before gazing around at the small room.

Her bed was made, a pretty blue vase sat empty upon the table, and a couple of pairs of jeans littered one of the couches here, but apart from a few items of clothing, Blake had no personal effects. Nothing she needed.

Perhaps leaving now would be the best thing to do. Pack up what she could, and just….go.

That had to better than staying here and seeing Negan with his wives again, wouldn't it?

But where could she possibly flee to? She had exhausted her options at Alexandria…

So perhaps Blake could just hope for the best. Pick a direction and just leave.

But before Blake could ponder this even a moment longer there came a sharp knock upon her door, causing her to jump where she stood.

The caramel-blonde woman hurriedly wiped at her eyes, just as the door was suddenly shoved open before she could protest.

Blake gave a gulp and took a hasty step back thinking for a moment it might have been one of Negan's men….here to inflict a punishment on her for something.

But instead Blake's green eyes suddenly landed on-

"Steve?" she uttered in a slightly wavering voice, crossing her arms over her chest.

What the hell was he doing here?

Steve glanced her over, tilting his head to the side and taking a wide step forwards into the room.

"I…uh….I just wanted to see if you were ok?" he mumbled earnestly, chancing a quick glance into the empty corridor over his shoulder, before closing the door behind him with a gentle snap.

Fuck.

Now it was just the two of them here, alone.

And as sweet as Steve seemed, Blake was not in the mood for his advances, again.

He wasn't who she wanted.

Steve was tall and muscly, with a great physique, and to many a woman he looked-like the perfect guy. But Blake had had all that in David. A guy who seemed oh-so-wonderful on the outside, but on the inside he was a true monster.

Not that Blake was tarring Steve and her ex with the same brush.

Over the past day or so Steve had obviously tried his best to prove that he was one of them….that he was Negan…

But coming onto her now, would only exacerbate matters, Blake was sure of it.

Maybe now would be the time to let him down gently.

"Listen-" she made to utter, but Steve swiftly cut across her, turning back around and taking a hurried step into the room, his face serious now.

"Thank god. I've been wanting to get you on your own since I got here but haven't found the chance yet," he said closing the gap between the pair of them and staring down into Bake's eyes.

Crap.

Oh, crap.

Blake felt her heart thudding in her chest…her eyes widening slightly and meeting with his.

This wasn't who she wanted. Steve wasn't who she wanted…

This wasn't right.

She could see his gaze flickering to her mouth, as he took in her entire face.

Fuck…this was it. Was he going to try it on with her again?

Blake needed to stop this.

But before she could say even a word, Steve had spoken again.

"I think we can do this, if we're careful," he said with a small nod, lowering his voice slightly.

Blake gave another gulp now, a little confused by his words.

What? Did he want to keep their relationship on the down-low? Was that what this was all about?

"I-" she began, but again, Steve interrupted, talking fast.

"It's going to take us a while to figure out how we're going to do it, but I know we can," he said giving her a small encouraging smile and lifting his hand up, giving her upper arm a squeeze. "We can kill him, Blake. We can kill Negan….take him down."

Blake blinked suddenly.

What had he just said?

She parted her lips staring up at the brown haired man before her.

"Y-You want to kill Negan?" she uttered in a hollow tone, not really believing what she had just heard.

This had to be a mistake. It had to be.

But Steve gave a nod, sliding his hand down her arm and finding hers, gripping it tightly.

"Like I said, I know we can do this together. You don't have to do this alone anymore, I can help," he said in a soft voice, cocking his head to the other side now, his body close to hers.

From here Blake could smell his sweat through his white t-shirt.

After all this…after defending Steve all this time….Negan had been right about him.

He was out for only one thing.

To kill the dark-haired leader of the Saviours.

"T-That's why you're here?" she murmured, her voice shaking slightly as the words spilled from her lips, the smallest of frowns darkening her brow.

But Steve stared down at her purposefully now, gazing at Blake imploringly.

"I'm here to do exactly what you have," she began, licking at his lips. "To live among his people…infiltrate them."

But Blake's eyes darkened, and she tugged her hand out of his grasp, taking a step back.

"I haven't infiltrated them," she said shaking her head, her frown deepening. "I chose to be here….I-I want to be here!"

She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Gazing at Steve like he was an alien object now And in a way, perhaps he was.

"Why?" uttered the Alexandrian, in a confused-sounding voice, staring at Blake hard.

But Blake couldn't no longer give a reason to that particular question.

She turned away from him now, reaching the table and lifting her hands to her face, thinking hard.

"Steve, listen, you need to go. Now," she said chewing on her lips worriedly. "I-If Negan figures out what you're doing-"

But Steve cut across her quickly, causing Blake to look back at him, as he approached her again, taking a step closer.

"He won't," Steve urged in a calculating voice, his fingers reaching her spine. "He trusts you enough now. You and me, Blake. We can be the team that takes him down."

But at his words and his touch, Blake flinched away from him, angry now, remembering.

For there was one other person who used to speak to her like this. One person who used to try and manipulate her into to doing things on his behalf.

And right now, as much as tried to shake herself, Blake could see flashes of David in Steve's face.

"I don't want to take him down, Steve," she said in a louder voice, feeling her cheeks burning red. "I lo-

But Blake stopped herself before she finished her sentence, the words hurting her too much to say aloud right now.

But Steve took another step into her now, relentless.

"You know this is the right thing to do Blake," he said with a sigh, shaking his poignantly. "Once we've done this, you can come back to Alexandria…with me."

Once again, Steve's hand reached her forearm this time, but yet again, she shrugged him off of her, turning to face him.

"Steve, he's going to kill you!" she pleaded with him in an incredulous tone, her eyes desperate now.

Steve couldn't do this. Blake knew what Negan would do to him if he even got a sniff he was about to try anything.

But Steve just smiled reassuringly.

"He won't find out," he uttered with a shake of his head.

But Blake pursed her lips together, her face serious now, staring back at him hard.

"He will if I tell him," she said firmly.

At her words Steve was silent for a long moment, his eyes travelling over her face.

"W-Why would you do that?" he asked, his voice wavering slightly as he spoke now

But Blake blinked just twice, already knowing the answer to this one, as her eyes dropped slowly to the floor, a lump appearing in her throat.

And that was when it hit her. A fact she had known to be true for a long, long, long time now….

"Because I belong here," she said in a pained voice. "Even if I live out the rest of my days working in the gardens scraping together just enough points to eat…it'll still be my home. Negan is my home."

Blake gave a gulp, feeling an ache wash over her, finally having admitted the truth to herself.

She would never have left earlier….for how could she….this place was the only thing she had in the world.

Negan had been the only thing she had in the world…

Both him and Mia had been everything to her, and it hurt her that they were both gone now.

And even despite Negan's words, Negan's actions over these past few days….she still cared for him….enough at least to stop him being killed by Steve.

Although she doubted Steve would get very far in doing so, and then what? Steve would feel the full force of Lucille. And Blake did not want to witness that.

But as her eyes drifted back up to Steve, she saw now to her surprise that he was scowling down at her, looking furious. His features twisted up into a dark grimace.

"You know, Rosita was right about you," he suddenly muttered in a dark voice, pointing at her and taking a threatening step towards her. "She told me you were a traitor...going off with the Saviours, lying about your ex hitting you. At first I didn't believe her, I mean, I thought you were cleverer than that. But you know what? You really are as spineless as she said you were."

Blake stared at him, and in that moment she saw red.

Seeing only David's face scowling down at her….hearing his words from Steve's lips.

And before Steve got the chance to utter another stupid syllable, Blake had grabbed the blue vase from the table behind her and thrown it sharply across his face.

Steve, as tall and muscular as he was stumbled at the impact, falling to the floor and clutching at his cheek.

The vase in Blake's hand cracked, but did not shatter, but the impact was loud enough to have hurt.

"Fuck you," uttered the caramel-blonde woman advancing on him now, standing over him frowning darkly.

Her mind was whirring. What the hell was she supposed to do now?

If she called upon Simon or Dwight and told them what Steve had been suggesting they do, Steve would likely find himself dead in a matter of minutes.

And so, her fists clenched and chest heaving, fill of anger and betrayal right now, Blake made up her mind.

"Get up," she uttered out blackly, through gritted teeth.

Steve, with his hand on his red cheekbone, stared up at her, his eyes wide now.

It was obvious that he had never expected this of her. Not in a million years.

"Get up," Blake repeated louder now. "I don't have you down for a fucking martyr, Steve. So come on, lets go."

Hurriedly Steve scrambled to his feet, seemingly eyeing the vase still in Blake's hand, instantly doing as he was told.

He really was just a big puppy wasn't he?

But once he was on his feet, Blake gave him a hard shove towards the door.

"What are you going to do?" asked Steve trying to sound confident now, but his shaky voice gave him away slightly.

Jesus, Blake had seen some idiots in her time but Steve really did take the biscuit. How far had he really expected to have gotten if he had given up already, submitting to Blake's will.

But, hurling open the door, Blake, jabbed the vase into the small of his back, pushing him out into the gloomy corridor….

…not answering his question just yet anyway….

Blake gave Steve another sharp shove down the winding Sanctuary corridors, making sure they avoided any of the popular route that led down towards the dining hall where she knew most of the Saviours would be at this time of the evening.

Instead she took the back route, dingy and dirty as they were, and barely ever used by the Saviours, let alone by Negan or his generals.

"Are you taking me to him? Is that what you're doing?" mumbled out Steve, in a nervous voice, looking at Blake.

But the caramel-blonde woman merely sighed shaking her head now, cracked blue vase still clutched between her fingers.

She was tired and disappointed in herself for trusting Steve.

Negan had been right about him all along, reading him like a book this entire time.

She didn't utter a word to Steve until they were down on the ground floor, in an empty hallway beside a door that Blake knew led to an underused lot of the far side of the Sanctuary. There was a fence here, but unbeknownst to anyone but the Saviours, it wasn't chained up or locked and so would make for an easy escape for anyone who needed it.

Blake came to a stop beside the white peeling door, and turned to him finally, letting out a huff.

"You need to go, Steve," she said firmly, her eyes large and pleading now.

But the brown-haired man stared down at her, parting his lips.

He looked sad, like a huge puppy dog, his brown hair a little messy, and his white t-shirt that was far too tight for him, slightly dusty and rumpled.

"I came here for a reason, Blake," he said shaking his head.

But Blake merely gave a dark frown giving the door to her right a hard shove open.

"It's leave or die right now," she murmured back, as the last of the setting sun sent orange rays shining over the pair of them, through the open door. So please, just go. Before I change my mind."

Steve lingered for a long moment, gazing out at the lot beyond.

"I-I have no idea to get back to Alexandria from here," he mumbled sounding a little worried now.

But Blake pursed her lips together unsympathetically.

Finding his way home was the least of his problems right now. If Negan ever found out about him…

Blake gave a gulp, not wanting to think on that.

For this was her doing.

She had chosen to defend Steve. To let him stay here.

This was on her head.

Negan had said so himself.

'If he screws up…on your head be it, Sweetheart.'

Blake nibbled on her bottom lip for a moment, staring at the brown haired man before her, before she gave her head a small shake.

"Just go, Steve, please," she whispered.

And with that, with a short downward glance, with his Adam's apple bobbing slightly inside his nervous throat, Steve turned on his heel, heading out into the sunlit lot.

And Blake just watched, as he reached the fence, easing it open, before closing it once again with a creak behind him, throwing her one last long and lingering look.

And a moment later he was gone…

Blake stared out at the empty space for a few moments….before pulling the door silently closed, her hands trembling as she did so….clutching the blue vase in her clammy hand tightly.

For she knew now what she had to do…

…and no matter the outcome, this was sure too hurt more than she could say…

Blake raised her chin aloft feeling a gulp slide its way down her throat, as she brushed down the front of her indigo jeans, the blue vase still clutched tightly one hand.

Here she was, outside a familiar looking door…

…not quite wanting to see what might be on the others side…

Perhaps he was in there…with her…but right now Blake didn't care. All she wanted to was to inform him how right he had been all along…and how she was willing to face any punishment he wanted to send her way.

And so, without so much as even a knock, Blake gave the door to Negan's room a hard shove open, storming inside.

But she stopped short, just a few steps into the room to find the dark-haired Saviour sitting there on his black leather sofa, alone, hands pressed to his face.

Blake blinked, a little shocked to see that there was in fact no Tanya…no rumpled bedclothes…no hint that she had actually been here at all��

But Negan, upon hearing her enter, looked up suddenly, dragging his hands away from his face looking furious, about to snap at whoever had disturbed him.

But he stopped suddenly, the scowl falling away from his face, as his chocolate eyes landed on her, standing there before him.

Blake breathed hard, her chest feeling tight, like all the air had been sucked from her body.

But she steadied her nerves, and, lifting her chin once more defiantly, she strode forwards, slamming the blue vase in her hand down onto the small coffee table in front of him, beside a small stack of magazines.

"You were right about, Steve," she finally uttered in a hollow voice, staring down at him, trying to hold it together enough to stop herself from crying. "He was going to kill you."

Negan stared up at her now, the smallest of frowns drifting across his tanned features, but he kept his mouth pressed tightly together, his chocolate eyes narrowing in her direction questioningly.

But Blake just stood up straight, allowing yet another gulp to slide its way down her slender throat.

"I let him go," she said answering Negan's question before he could ask it, feeling her hands trembling, but she clenched her first tightly at her sides, trying to stay strong now. "But I'm still here, if you're looking for someone to punish…"

Her heart hurt now as she stared over into Negan's eyes. But she could not hold his gaze for long, her tear-filled, glassy gaze dropping to the floor, as she gave a small hopeless shrug.

"…so you can kick me out...o-or lock me back in that cell or whatever, I don't care anymore," Blake finished, shaking her head and letting a single tear slide down her cheek, falling silently to the floor.

She would take her punishment. Of course she would.

But not right now….

He could come find her to do so, if he wanted…or send his men after her.

Whatever he chose, Blake was way past caring now.

She had been an idiot for trusting Steve….just as she had been an idiot for trusting David.

And so, turning on her heel, Blake left the room, without even a second glance up at Negan, heading back out into the gloomy corridor beyond….awaiting her fate…whatever it may be.

Let me know if you’d like to be tagged/untagged in this fic. More coming soon…

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