#me when she takes money out of my bank account and refuses to tell me what for hahahahahahaha had to call her 11 times because she stopped

[seeyouinthespring]

kinda wish i would never have to talk to my mom again but we're roommates rn so that can't even happen

[broadwaycutie16]

Hey, I hope you don't mind me asking, but what is this whole Karma of Lies thing about? I often have some of your posts showing up on my dashboard about how people are not listening to you clarifying things about your story, but I avoided looking into the whole situation myself because I don't want to expose myself to so much (Adrien) salt which I know is at the initial root of all this (or at least, thats how it came across to me)

Would you explain for me what this situation is about? I'm always intrigued by this whole thing whenever I see another post from you, because of how wild reading about it all out for context is, but now curiosity finally got the best of me x3

So basically, KoL starts as your basic salt plot. Marinette’s being bullied by Lila, her friends are extorting her and accusing her of being unfair to Lila, Adrien’s just like “everything’s fine, Marinette” and telling her to just take all the crap from everyone.

Then Hawkmoth’s identity gets out, and Lila decides to cut her losses and get the hell out of there, but not without getting something out of the deal. She gets Adrien to send her money to her, and because Adrien is so trusting, he puts in the info for his family’s emergency bank account right where she can see it, not even thinking that Lila would try to screw him over. Spoiler alert: She does. She drains Adrien’s whole account of fifty million, leaving him without a cent in this catastrophic time in his life, and skips town by telling her mom a sob story. She also tricks the class into giving up their most expensive possessions, and then sells them to other people after she leaves.

So now Lila’s committed a grand felony, and she’s clear to continue her reign of terror anywhere she wants, with her newfound wealth goving her limitless potential on destroying lives. And you know what Marinette does to stop her?

NOTHING.

Marinette refuses to lift a finger to get Lila arrested. The narrative would have you believe that it’s because she’s setting boundaries and taking care of her mental health for a change, but it’s easy to figure out the REAL reason. She gives all these excuses over why she’s unable to do anything about it, using lots of loopholes, completely ignoring the fact that she’s supposed to be a superhero and thus has a moral obligation to stop Lila, if nothing else just to save all the innocent people she’ll destroy in the future.

Meanwhile, Adrien becomes penniless, his father goes on the run, and his aunt refuses to personally take him in because she’s more concerned about the scandal than about her orphaned nephew, basically resigning him to live in Marinette’s old apartment with hardly anything to call his own while Marinette moves into his old room at the mansion after getting a job with Audrey Bourgeois, who has now taken control of Gabriel’s company. And all through this, Marinette and the narrative are basically saying, “you didn’t help me when I needed you to stick for me, so now I’m not gonna help you when you need it”, basically ignoring the fact that what’s happening to Adrien is a hundred times worse than what happened to her.

Even worse, Marinette trashes all her friends’ reputations on live TV, calling them out for mistreating her without stating the reason why they mistreated her, so the public doesn’t know the full story. And Adrien, desperate to get his life back, makes a stupid and arrogant mistake and tries to take down Mayura by himself, but is easily fooled by her to give her opportunity to steak his ring. The villains are defeated, but now everyone in Paris thinks Adrien gave Nathalie the ring on purpose, and accuse him of being a willing accomplice to his father, effectively crushing any little particles of hope he had left for his future.

But what truly makes this fic a dumpster fire of a story, is how the author directs the whole narrative to try and make you believe that everything that happened to Adrien was 100% justfied, that not supporting Marinette and letting some girl bully her and turn her friends against her, a problem that was temporary at worst and that basically was nothing more than some schoolgirl drama, means that he, a fourteen year old boy from an abusive household, deserves to be virtually homeless, bankrupt, disowned by his entire family, and falsely accused if terrorism, and doomed to living the rest of his life out on the streets, without even the slightest conception that maybe it was a little too much.

Oh, and the only punishment Lila gets is some vague warning from Marinette about her future, and apparently, that’s supposed to be enough to stop the girl who knowingly teamed up with a terrorist and was willing to doom the city just to get back at one person for one embarrassing incident in front of one person.

Basically, The Karma of Lies is the worst salt fic of all the salt fics, punishing Adrien for childish stupidity with permanent life damage beyond anything written in salts before, and trying to send the message that it’s okay for Marinette to let it all happen just to get back at him for not being a better friend.

Trust me, do not read it. It is a garbage fire. I regret reading it every day. It’s really messed with my head. Even now, I’d wholly welcome an infinite number of sequel fics punishing Marinette and her “friends” (read: evil minions) for what they did, because if the story says that Adrien deserves his fate for doing nothing, they deserve even worse. This fic is the epitome of everything wrong with the Miraculous Ladybug fandom.

[evans23]

RICKMAS 2024 - DAY 14 - DECEPTIVE KINDNESS [C1]

Pairing : Elliott Marston x OC

Summary : She tried to escape her arranged marriage, but she found herself trapped with Elliott. Can she trust him ?

Tag(s)/Warning(s) : Arranged marriage. Some rude words. Racism. Racism towards aborigines. Tell me if I forgot anything.

A/N : I didn't proofread because I'm so, so, so behind and my brain is just like "Woman ! I'm tired !"

Also read on AO3 - Wattpad

When you were told you were getting married to Armand de Mont-Alban, you ran away. You never would have believed your father would offer your hand to another without asking you. You had always been his little princess, the one he let everything go. But apparently, not this time. You had some tantrum, threatened to throw yourself into the sea, but your father wouldn't listen. On the contrary, he had threatened to lock you in your room until the wedding day if you continued to make him go gray.

So, without hesitation, and with the discreet but kind help of your mother, you had fled Sidney. Your mother had given you the money she had saved up for years to help you join your uncle, his brother, in the Outback.

You had taken your business with you, the bare necessities, and you had joined the stagecoach that would take you to Adelaide. From there, another stagecoach would take you to Alice Springs. And finally, your cousin's husband would help you reach your uncle's house in the north.

At least, that was the plan, because once you arrived in Alice Springs, you learned that your cousin and her husband had left town for Katherine almost a month ago. The letter announcing it must have gotten lost, but whatever the case, you found yourself spending more than you had planned to be able to sleep. You had hesitated to leave again. The town needed waitresses and although you were not used to manual labor, anything was good to escape. Except that your father would come to get you there, you were sure of it and here, no one would protect you.

So, after talking to a merchant and giving him the rest of your money, you had managed to find yourself in a cart full of pigs to reach the town where your uncle lived. But honestly, pigs were worth much more than your fiancé.

Armand was a cold man. He came from a rich family, richer than yours, who had made their fortune in sheep's wool, then later in breeding prestigious horses. His father was a governor and his mother came from a long line of French aristocrats. If his mother was mannered, she was also very pleasant although she often lacked judgment about her son and even more so on the question of the aborigines.

His father was a rather pleasant man, always with a joke and everything seemed to interest him. But Armand... Armand had inherited a hot-tempered character, amplified by the fact that as a child, his mother had never refused him anything. And when he couldn't get obedience with a snap of his fingers, he used his hands.

After days and days of a hellish journey, you had finally arrived at your uncle's. The initial surprise he had when he saw you, all disheveled, your beautiful clothes rumpled and smelling of manure, evaporated to give way to a dull anger when you explained to him the reasons for your presence.

"Uncle, maybe you could have the marriage annulled. You are influential," you begged him, tears in your eyes.

Your uncle was probably one of the richest men in northern Australia. First thanks to his work, later thanks to the inheritance from his parents. Your poor mother had not been able to have anything of this inheritance and all the estates, jewels and bank account that was in the United Kingdom had returned to your uncle. A good sport, he had shared them with your mother and you too at the same time. But today, for the first time, you saw in this wealth a power that could help you get out of this arranged marriage that you did not want.

"I'm going to go to Sydney, see your father and this Mont-Alban. The father might be able to be convinced to abandon this union."

"Am I going to have to stay here alone ?" you asked him without even trying to hide your apprehension.

"No. I have a partner who is also a good friend. I'll explain the situation to him and I'm sure he'll let you stay with him while I'm gone. He's a cattle rancher who has influence here in the region. You'll be safe with him. But, [Y/N], please avoid being too quick-witted with him and above all, don't tell him your opinions on the aborigines. He's..."

"I get it," you grumbled, rolling your eyes.

"He's really smart, but his opinion on the aboriginal issue..."

"Is biased because despite his great intelligence, he's a bit of an idiot ?" you answered seriously.

"Yes, well, avoid the question with him, please."

You agreed without adding anything, already knowing that you were going to hate him. But it wasn't like you had a better solution, so you couldn't be ungrateful.

Your uncle had had no trouble getting Elliott to agree to you being under his protection. A nice, well-filled envelope and the promise that he would be given priority for the sale of his cattle had been enough. Elliott was his friend, but he was aa skilled negotiator and your uncle respected that.

"This is my niece," he said as he helped you off the cart."

"This is my niece, [Y/N]," your uncle introduced you.

"Mr. Marston, I'm delighted," you said politely.

Elliott snickered and you did your best not to make a scathing remark at him. In his eyes, you were indeed a well-bred little rich girl who had never known a single minute of work. And he was right. But he was wrong when he thought you must be a little prig used to ordering and getting things done.

"No sir here, sir, that was my father. I'm Elliott," he finally said before taking the suitcase that your uncle had just taken off the cart. "I'll show you to your room."

Elliott's imposing stature, mixed with his dark eyes and that mustache that gave him the air of a man of high society, impressed you right away. He made you nervous, but there was no way he would realize it.

You walked through the house which was beautiful, clearly demonstrating the man's wealth, even if it was far from the opulence of your own home. However, you did not mark the servant. Or rather the slave. An aboriginal. You clenched your fists, but true to your promise, you said nothing.

"Here is your room. It is the coolest in the house, even if it will be stifling most of the time. If you need a bath, Kunkurra is here for that."

He put your suitcase on the floor and left without another word. You settled in comfortably, thanking Kunkurra who seemed surprised but said nothing. Deep down, you hoped that this cohabitation would go well. After all, your uncle trusted this Elliott.

You couldn't be more wrong. You couldn't stand him. Elliott. He got on your nerves. He was arrogant, full of himself and racist. He didn't share any of your values ​​and when he twirled his gun between his fingers like an Appalachian cowboy, you imagined him shooting himself in the foot and it amused you immensely.

You tried to eat before he finished his work so as not to have to share his table and you avoided being in the same room as him as much as possible. In truth, you spent most of your time reading and sometimes helping Kunkurra. 

The slave had been surprised the first time you helped him with the dishes, but he hadn't said anything. You weren't like the other people on the estate. He liked you.

That night, however, you couldn't avoid Elliott who had caught you talking to his horse. He had been touched by this gentleness that wasn't apparent but seemed to be your true nature. He had then asked you if you would have dinner with him and you hadn't dared to say no.

All evening, he had asked you questions that were more than just polite. They were too specific. It was a little too much about your family's money too.

"Being a well-born girl, life must have been easier," he remarked as he cut his steak.

"It probably was. Until now," you replied without looking up from your own plate.

"You always got what you wanted, right ? It must be a change for you to play servant alongside Kunkurra. Washing plates is probably not something you did often at your parents' house."

You blushed slightly at his last sentence. You didn't know he had noticed you helping his slave.

"Indeed, I have rarely washed dishes in my life. But I have never desired an arranged marriage."

"With a rich man. Enough to have even more servants and to ensure you never break a nail."

"At least our servants are paid !" you spat, suddenly raising your head.

Elliott, for the first time since you arrived, saw something other than melancholy in your eyes. There was a fire under there, a bright fire that was ready to burn all of Australia.

"You men are all the same," you finally said, "to believe that obedience is better than happiness."

"I never said that," Elliott replied more quietly than he expected, "and don't be so quick to judge all men based on the ones you've known so far. This fiancé may not be so terrible after all."

"The first time he met me, he called me a 'mare to tame' but also that he would be happy to do it. Judge for yourself, Elliott."

After that, a heavy silence ensued and when you had finished your plate, it was without shame that you helped Kunkurra clean up the kitchen.

After that evening, you no longer avoided Elliott. You stood up to him, answered him back in kind and you weren't afraid to challenge him. And he liked it. No one had ever dared to speak to him the way you did, much less a woman, but you, you weren't afraid to speak your mind. You were different from the cocky little Lady he had imagined. In fact, you were even interesting. Sometimes.

Knock, knock, knock.

...

Knock, knock, knock.

...

Knock, knock, knock.

The door flew open, revealing a shirtless Elliott and for a moment, you couldn't take your eyes off his muscular torso. A scar on his stomach slightly intrigued you, but when his baritone voice started growling at you, you quickly came to your senses.

"FOR GOD'S SAKE, WOMAN, IT'S..." he turned to glance at the clock on his dresser, "it's one in the morning!"

"There's something out there," you said quietly.

A noise had woken you up and trembling but determined you had gone to knock on Elliott's bedroom door.

"Maybe one of the men needed to pee," he replied, suppressing a yawn.

"It wasn't a man peeing," you replied a little frustrated that he didn't take you seriously.

"We're in Australia, my dear. We're surrounded by wild animals. They exist here, far from your nice houses in the city," he said without hiding his exasperation.

"What if it wasn't an animal?" you insisted, not reassured.

He sighed dramatically, rolling his eyes before finally returning to his room in a theatrical gesture to come out a second later with his gun.

"You never do anything without it?" you asked following him.

"My dear, if it's a thief, you'll be glad I took my gun."

He crossed the living room with you on his heels. Your hand was almost touching his bare back, you were so afraid of being left alone. When he opened the front door, he made a gesture to you to keep quiet. You nodded while continuing to follow him on tiptoe.

Arriving on the porch of the house, he fired once in the air, making you jump. It was then that an animal on which the moon made its light dance, making its red fur shine a little more, ran away at full speed.

"A dingo," Elliott said, taking your arm to lead you into the house. "And now that we're awake, how about some tea?"

Without waiting for your answer, he set to work. You refrained from telling him that you were surprised that he was able to do something domestic without his slave. Instead, you thanked him in a low whisper.

"Thanks for not laughing."

"Oh, believe me, that was hard," he replied with a small smirk.

You each sat down in an armchair, but Elliott didn't miss your gaze that often lingered on his bookshelf.

"You can borrow some if you want."

"Thanks," you replied a little surprised, "I like books. They don't lie."

Elliott stood up with the grace of a feline and pulled out a large volume that hadn't been read in a long time to hand it to him.

"This one is full of lies. A story of adventure in the wild west."

"If this story allows you to escape for a moment and forget about reality, then it's not a lie," you replied as you took the book.

Elliott looked at you, really looked at you for the first time. And for the first time, he began to doubt what he had set out to do.

"Mr. [Y/S],

Your brother-in-law has asked me to watch over your daughter while he attempts to cancel this marriage you have arranged for her.

You and I, I am sure, are pragmatic men. I understand the importance of this union to your family.

I will protect your daughter as I promised, until you come to collect her to offer her to her fiancé.

As a man of the world, I am sure you understand that a service, especially one as great as watching over your most precious possession, cannot go unrewarded.

I would very much like to expand my business with Sidney and the surrounding towns and I am certain that you and I, Mr. [Y/S] could help each other.

In the meantime, please accept the assurance of my highest regards.

Kind Regards,

Elliott Marston."

"Do you remember London ?" Elliott asked you as you helped him feed the horses.

"No. I was four when we left, my whole life is in Australia," you answered with a hint of nostalgia.

You and Elliott were talking more and more. In fact, you would almost dare to call him a friend. He was witty and he listened to your opinion. You often argued about the Aboriginal cause, but one night he surprised you by questioning your fierce need to defend them without prejudice or mockery.

"Why does your father force you to marry this man if you are his little pet as you say ?"

"For the sake of propriety. We are always a bit English, no matter where we are, aren't we?"

Elliott shrugged his shoulders

"My father was Irish. But my parents died when I was very young..."

That's when he explained to you. Everything. And you understood why he harboured such hatred towards the Aborigines. You didn't excuse him for what he did to them in return, but you thought that maybe all was not lost for this man. He could be fixed. He could learn. He could become better.

"My father always kept the values ​​of the United Kingdom. He was strict when I was a child, but always fair and loving. My mother, she... well, I guess she always behaved like a good wife," you explained, stroking Elliott's stallion.

"Everything you refuse to be, right ?" he questioned without contempt.

"We are capable of being more than an obedient wife, Elliott. We can learn, we can do the same things as men. We are no less intelligent than you, and my friend Cassandra would be as capable as some of your men here. But there are very few men who are willing to see our values ​​beyond tradition."

Elliott said nothing because he knew he thought like your father. Yet he found himself noticing your subtlety, your intelligence, but also your resilience and the way you had of hiding your vulnerability under a facade of calm and restraint.

And he was starting to blame himself. He thought about that letter he had written just after you arrived with the intention of posting it as soon as he went to town to buy food. But he was no longer so sure he wanted to do it.

If only. If only he had hidden it better. If only you hadn't been snooping around after your bath while he was making you dinner, proud to introduce you to one of his specialties. If only he had burned that letter as soon as he understood what that tightness in his chest meant when he saw you.

Then, maybe you would have never known that his kindness had been, at least at first, just a deceptive kindness.

[seraphsfire]

Life situation & kitty update! Help me stay in Seattle instead of being forced to go to wyoming

Hello! I was able to make rent this month, but so far I cannot make rent for next month.

Ko-fi has been holding donations since paypal has been flagging them as "income" so that no longer works.

If you would like to help me out using paypal, the link is HERE. I will look into other venmo and cashapp. you can also reach out for a commission! If you donated via paypal and would like me to draw you a little something in thanks, please let me know!

I also put together an AMAZON WISH LIST , most is things for the kitties or food and some non-essentials / self care things for the hell of it that are things i haven't been able to buy myself for a while. Other than rent, kitty supplies and food are what I spend most $ on.

More on what I'm facing and what my kitties need:

about the kitties:

My sweet kitty Jade, needs a steroidal shot for her dermatitis. She should have gotten another one on the 25th, but I had no money to take her to the vet and she started ripping her fur out and made big, golf-ball sized spots completely bald on her armpit and chest :'( We put her on benadryl, moisturized her, and gave her a little jacket thing to help but I can tell she's really uncomfortable and really needs a vet visit to get that. it's $80 just to visit my vet and i'm sure the shot could be anywhere from 10-40 dollars, I really don't know. She's not in danger of pulling huge chunks of fur out thanks to the little jacket but she's really not happy and it makes me so sad.

About my situation (kind of long, sorry):

My Parents (mostly my mom; it's very hard to get responses from my dad) gave me rent money for September, but then made it clear that she will no longer help me financially under any circumstance if I want to "choose" to live in Seattle, then I'm essentially on my own. She doesn't want to give me money because she doesn't want ours to be a "transactional-based relationship" (after spending my entire childhood having them pressure me to move out on my own)

My dad is convinced that since Seattle is a city, it is very unsafe (and too full of Democrats) and that we would be safer living in their small town of Pavilion, Wyoming--which is literally just like, a few very spaced out neighborhoods. The nearest actual town is a 30 minute drive, and it's not very big either, and I don't drive. I would be snowed in *with them* for 4+ MONTHS every year, and every summer unable to leave the house for weeks because of the heat.

My dad has told my sister and I that if we choose to live right next to them, where they could have complete control over our lives, they would even buy us a house--but because we're not doing that, they refuse to support us in the life we've chosen for ourselves. They do not see the cruelty in this and think we are being nonsensical staying somewhere like Seattle which is "dangerous" and they do not like that it is full of non-republicans. I came out as queer in 2016, something which they have never spoken about since. I would likely be the only (out) queer person for MILES, and I don't feel like being the guinea pig for whether the anti-gay people there are the kind who ignore you or the kind who will hatecrime/kill you (:

Since I'd be at zero in my bank account in wyoming, they would have complete control over what I eat (not fun since I have a messed up digestion), clothes I buy, where I go, and how I behave just like they did when I was a child, or they'll start taking things away hoping that "tough love" will work. (it just made me mentally ill lol)

If I start a job in a week and a half I might be okay, but if I can't start until after that I won't have enough for October rent. I have one interview coming up but the future is still very up in the air.

[asryakino]

FULL STORY OF THE SAGA OF THE EXPLOSIVE PHONE AND THE ELECTRONICS STORE THAT TRIED TO GET ME TO COMMIT DOMESTIC TERRORISM! -

This is going to take a hot minute to type, so be patient

on June 18th 2024 I was out running errands, and picked up dinner, in doing so I overdrew the credit union account, I THOUGHT I had zeroed it out, but it had actually overdrawn.

I didn't find out until after the bank had closed, and since the 19th was Juneteenth (a federal holiday in the states) the CU was closed.

I THOUGHT I could sign the account up through Zelle and/or cashapp and just transfer money directly into the account, but Zelle continually failed, and cash app let me enroll it, but not transfer the money to the account.

Continually they said the issue was with the DEBIT CARD, not the account and told me to call the bank. I couldn't.

On the 20th, I woke up early enough to call the bank, and began the arduous process of verifying over the phone with my dad just so I could talk to them, and Zelle, and try to figure out why the everloving hell the zelle system said there was something wrong with the card and not letting me even sign up so I could transfer money into the account.

I spent four hours on this. Calling one, calling the other, being on hold. and NO ONE could fix the problem.

I repeated myself so many times I was tired of hearing myself. I got one person who said it was the carrier, so I had to call t-mobile, except it wasn't tmobile it was mint, and tmobile transferred me to aura and not mint, and finally to mint who said 'oh that feature is already unlocked on the account you need to call the banking institution or zelle.

On the final call to zelle, the new tech was refusing to accept the verification. and starts going through her little trapper keeper script of why she was refusing to accept the verification when we had all the answers all the info and had ACTIVELY BEEN VERIFYING FOR FOUR HOURS until this point when she says, off handedly during her script read (she was literally just reading the fucking bullet points, I could HEAR the pauses as she shifted line down) "Your account must have more than a dollar in it to enroll"

I spin, looking at the phone only to realize that the phone my dad is holding has expanded, and popped the back of itself off. And immediately begin internally panicking but externally I'm just being frustrated because THAT was the problem for the past four hours, not me entering info wrong, not the information being incorrect with the bank, not the debit card being mislinked, not a system error THE ACCOUNT WAS ALREADY OVER DRAWN AND IT TOOK FOUR HOURS AND WIGHT TECHS TO TELL ME THIS CONDITION?!

I tell dad to immediately hang up the phone and give it to me, I'm ready to rip my hair out and he thinks I'm going to throw the phone and kind of clings to it. I say, firmer. "Give me that timebomb NOW" and he goes 'what is the pro- what the fuck is that?"

I saiod "That is a spicy pillow and you need to give itt to me -now-. I'm taking it to best buy it should still be under warranty." "Yeah, yeah.." and he handed me the phone "When did that happen?" "When you took the phone out of the case to talk to zelle a second ago. It's blowing out, and It doesn't need to be here." "Yeah you go handle... this..."

I explain the zelle issue why it wouldn't enroll, and go get dressed, grab the spicy ravioli and run out the door with the idea that I'll go to the credit union two cities over, fix the overdraft and then take care of the phone return. While driving it's still expanding so I reprioritize and decide to return the phone first.

In my mind, this is a simple thing. I know the phone is under warranty, it has become a safety issue, their standard practice of "keep this and send it off" is not a viable option so it will HAVE to be a refund/in store exchange.

I know this because I've had to do this once before in the past. I know how their policies work, I know the standard returns but more importantly I know the severity of a bloated li-ion battery and how fucking important it is to get it into a safe disposal unit to be picked up by hazardous waste techs with a fireproof vehicle

I go in, at this point I am forwardly professional, I am not panicked, excitable or anything I have my mask of professionalism on and I'm all fucking business. I go to customer service and say 'I need to make a return but before that, do you have a fire blanket or fire suppressant for this fire hazard" and I gently set the phone on the counter. My only thought is to safely contain this ACTIVELY EXPANDING lithium battery.

She looks down, eye go wide and goes "I don't know let me check" and runs to the back, I hear from the back "We have a bucket of sand" and I retort "That will do, this needs to be contained immediately please"

They come get it, and take the potential fire hazard to be buried in the sand bucket. NOW we may commence the return process. I immediately put on the customer service interaction mask, and give them the information for the account, I joke that my receipt for the purchase had bleached out in the car (It had, I keep it in the sunglasses holder and it had legitimated denatured) and we agree that is why they have everything digital.

The CS says it's a rapid exchange in store for this, I said yay, that's actually really nice, because 'express' is not great. She agrees, and sends me to the mobile department, I say take all the time they need, I'll pick a new phone and confirm it's what my dad wants, and I know the paperwork is going to take a hot minute.

I confirm dad doesn't care as long as it's functional, so I pick out the same type, but updated model of phone (Moto G Stylus 2023 model to replace the 2021 model that is buried in sand in the back)

I talk to mobile, connecting with the associate over customer horror stories and the like while the new phone that he, customer service, geek squad techs, and two other associates and a manager have seen, agreed this is going to be an instore exchange because of the circumstances.

We begin setting up the phone and I realize the sim card is still in the bomb. I roll back over in my wheelchair to ask if it's safe to get the sim card. And they say they have to check the IMEI anyway and I bawk. We've already confirmed it's probably not safe to turn the phone on right now, and they say it's okay, it's on the sim tray. I didn't know that, good information. And I ask, cautiously, if it'd be okay to turn it on BRIEFLY so I can get only the login email on it to know which email my dad used for logging into google so I can get his contacts and account synched

the tech says "I don't recommend it" I asked if it would be okay to do so knowingly against advice to turn it on, get the info, turn it off and rebury the thing?

By now, it's been confirmed the battery is no longer expanding, and it's not actively leaking, smoking or heating up. We all agree it's a compromised cell within the battery but it hasn't been breeched, so it's safe-ISH to handle, briefly, but it shouldn't be agitated too much just in case.

I suggest removing the back fully so there's no pressure points. I'm ignored.

I get the info, turn off the fire bomb and hand it back, where it's taken back to what I assume is the sand bucket.

after a little while, the replacement phone is ready for login, I begin setting up the phone for my dad and logging in his information so it'll be set up and ready to go. They begin the return paperwork for the other phone.

At this point it's been about 45 minutes. It's been a smooth process where everyone was on the same side of 'we do not want to agitate the bomb, and Asrya should be leaving with a functional phone and NOT a fire hazard."

when they try to do the return, the SKU (sales identification number) comes up as dead meaning that the store chain doesn't carry that model any more, and the system won't accept the item as a return for cash, credit, or refund. It just -won't- . Initially, I tell them I've had to do this only twice before (I didn't mention it was spread out over like twelve years that I've been using this specific protection plan with Best Buy) and that they may have to store manager override it.

I've had to utilize this process before with laptops I had to exchange due to manufacture defects... so I actually do know how the policy works, the former general manager of the store had explained it to me YEARS ago.

So I tell them that it happens, and to take their time, I know it's a pain in the ass and I'm sorry I'm taking up so much resources, but it's really okay and as long as the end result is good, I don't mind waiting.

At this point it's 1 in the afternoon.

I've been at the best buy for an hour.

The manager comes up after a while, telling me that it's physically impossible. And I'm going to have to use the 'express return' system, it's the only solution that their system is allowing them to process.

I start getting frustrated, which means I start crying because I am fighting the urge to begin yelling. I've now been here for over an hour, I was in the middle of handling the situation and I NEED the phone in order to process the banking issue this all started with so my dad doesn't get charged overdraft fees.

I explain I can't wait a week for a new phone and what am I supposed to do with the bloated phone?

they explain this process, and get snippy telling me "It's 2-3 days not a week" I tell them it's 2-3 BUSINESS days "well... yeah" "This is THURSDAY, at the earliest it'll process Friday then ship out on Monday, if I'm LUCKY it'll arrive on TUESDAY at the earliest, and maybe not until Thursday of next week! During that whole time my dad's account will have overdraft fees being applied to it for each day! We can't afford that! On top of that you want me to pay a 70$ deposit just to do this! We do not have that money right now"

I was told I could apply for and use the best buy credit card.

I asked for a phone number to call, that there HAD to be an alternative solution, I said I didn't want to take the fire hazard home with me.

By now they had REMOVED THE PHONE FROM THE BUCKET and were walking around with it after me, trying to get me to take the fucking compromised battery.

I tell them to put that thing back in the sand bucket. And they give me 'corporate's number' a 1877 number. I ask if that's the number to call to talk to a supervisor or manager because this is an exception to the policy if ever there was one. If anyone would have the directions for overriding this dead sku problem, it should be the store manager's area or district manager

I am told there is no area or district manager.

I am FLOORED, I realize I've not been around this system for a couple of years but that information just... baffles me. I ask who THEY call when they have a situation come up that can't be handled in store.

They tell me they call the 1877 number.

I am BAFFLED by this, but I call the 1877 number, the call id comes up as 'best buy express kiosk" and I groan because I recognize this as the trunk line call center. I brace for and prepare to handle this for an hour. I am still trying to be as professional as possible.

I have now been here for going on two hours.

I roll out into the entry way, they CHASE ME with the fucking firebomb of a phone and ask if I'm leaving. I look back at them holding this fucking bloated phone and say no I'm just trying to get out of everyone's way so I can call the number and would they PLEASE put that thing back again and leave it in the safe bucket!

I spend the better part of hour three struggling to get through these customer service techs, explaining the situation and begging for them to transfer me to a manager or supervisor. I'm being denied this at every turn until I get to "returns" and am told to ask THEM for a manager by a tech who seemed to understand the situation and why I was calling.

I'm transferred, the tech listens, agrees that I should NOT be handed a firebomb to go home with, and should not be expected to ship a bloated li-ion battery in the mail and that it should be an in store return with store credit. I ask her to please explain this to the manager and go to remove my headset and put her on speaker so the manager can hear it from corporate

the call disconnected

I break

I begin crying, as quietly as I can, and the manager goes 'well' and I explain the call disconnected... I have to get back to that point.. and roll back into the entry way to begin the process again.

I'm crying, I just need this to work.

I've been here for nearly three hours.

The new tech that answers refuses to confirm the account and begins insisting I give my personal number and email to him. Refusing to accept the account information.

He puts me on hold. I call the corporate number again, merge the calls, and he has me on a mute hold. I get another tech that sound like the same guy, who also eventually puts me on hold, and then disconnects the call.

I'm sobbing and breaking down at this point, I'm having a panic attack, and struggling to maintain any type of composure at this point. I tell them I'm going out to my car so I'm not causing a scene in their store and is the manager positive there is no other option. I need to be leaving with a working phone, or at least I do NOT need to be leaving with a fucking FIRE HAZARD that they are expecting me to ship in the mail it is ILLEGAL to ship compromised batteries in the mail.

this fucking manager looks me dead in the face and says I can purchase a new phone to use, and just bring it back after the 'express return' is finished, or I can just do the express return, but there is NO WAY at all physically for her to do the return, in any shape, form or fashion, that I will have to take the fire hazard phone with me and ship it to their facility when the new phone comes in the mail in five days or so

I say I do not feel comfortable holding onto a FIRE HAZARD for a week, much less being without the ability to do the banking and is best buy going to cover the overdraft fees I'll be incurring and what am I supposed to do with a fucking bloated phone that could explode?!

Her solution? "You can go to walmart and buy a bucket and sand and put it in there if you don't feel safe with it, I hear that sand is good for batteries like this"

I snap... I just.. break down and begin crying because at this point I've been here for three hours, I know what she's suggesting is absolutely wrong, she's lied to me about not having an area/district manager, and she's standing over me like some fucking goon while telling me to take a BOMB home and then send it in the federal post in a week!

I break down, I take the stupid fucking bomb, they make me factory reset the phone I had been working on previously, I take the sim card, and I ask again if there is ANYONE I can call to talk to that will help. Who do THEY call when there's a situation because there HAS to be SOMEONE. They insist that nope, there's ONLY the 1877 number to the call centre.

I'm bawling, I'm broken, and crying I'm having heart issues, my head is screaming, my face feels burnt, and I roll out to the car and put the chair away. While unpacking the chair I realize I had actually put a pack of switch thumbsticks in the cart because I had been hoping to buy them with the leftover store credit I'd have when they all thought it was going to be a store credit exchange.

With my legs SCREAMING in pain, and barely able to walk, I limp back in on my crutches, unintelligibly sobbing and return the nearly-pilfered item, then go back to the truck. St this point I've set the phone on my driver's seat, I begin working on possibly loading the chair back on the truck when there's a loud, gunshot-like POP noise

and for a brief, horrifying moment, I think the battery has just exploded in my truck. Only to realize the heat had actually boiled a bottle of soda, and THAT was what had just exploded.

I'm determined, angry, frustrated, pissed, and petty... I don't want this fucking bomb in my possession, I know for a goddamn fact I am not supposed to have this bomb in my possession, I know that if it goes off and causes damages that best buy will be liable for it, and frankly, while the payout might be nice the inconvenience of having to deal with the damage, replacement, insurance, lawyers, and court costs and investigation are too much for me to handle. I don't want to go through it I JUST want a phone that works, the bank situation to be fixed and to NOT HAVE A FUCKING BOMB IN MY POSSISSION

I begin calling the useless as fuck call centre again, and for the next three and a half hours (totaling seven now) I continually try to explain, repeat, get transferred, sobbing, crying and getting hung up on by asshole techs. and I'm losing more and more composure as it goes on.

I FINALLY get a tech who says 'it should be store credit' I said I need the instructions on how to do that because the manager is claiming to not know how to do it. and I beg her to talk to the manager. Success. I go back in side, clinging to this tiny spider thread of hope that they'll fix it.

the manager takes my phone, asks if she can step tot he side, I say yes, and she comes back and they're both just repeating that the only solution is for me to send this bomb in the mail

I tell them it's ILLEGAL to send it, it's literally a federal crime. It CANNOT be policy to do this. None of them will budge. None will do the override, they're INSISTING I have to wait for a phone to come in, and then send a BOMB in the mail. I tell them this is probably why we've had mail trucks catch fire if they're telling people to do this it's ILLEGAL

The fucking manager says 'it's not actively leaking, it's not smoking or how it SHOULD be legal to send it in the mail' I ask for the salary person she mentioned. I go tot the mobile guy I'd been talking to six hours ago. I ask HIM to get me the salary person. This woman comes over and stands over me, arms crossed, with them angrily standing in front of me, arms crossed, like they're trying to intimidate me out of the store for trying to run a scam.

they continue to tell me there's no other option that they wouldn't spend six hours to tell me know they'd help if they could that I'm going to have to use the mail system.

I ask the salary manager who they call. She says corporate. I say that is horseshit. She gets offended and I clarify. That if their new policies is to call the call center number they gave me that is a horse shit policy and THEY are in danger of running into DANGEROUS situations like this without a way of getting out or around it. Who do I call to complain about that policy then?

"You can complain but it won't do anything to change the answer"

"Who do I call?!"

They give me no answer.

I leave

after seven hours of fighting with them. I leave, in possession of a fire hazard, my head pounding, feeling sick, having now gone through MULTIPLE break downs, melt downs, and panic attacks over the past seven hours of being on site trying to get them to do the right things.

I go home and explain to my parents what happened, I unload the tiny amount of groceries I'd picked up (twenty bucks of emergency cash) and realize how much bullshit it is what had happened. So I begin calling the local investigative news stations to see if they want to look into this.

One of the news stations is VERY interested in the fact this store told me to buy a bucket of sand to put a dangerous fire/explosive into. They're interested that the store can't be called with inbound calls, that there's apparently no area or district manager to call, that the store sent me home with an explosive and told me to send it in the mail.

I send the store to the news station. I call other stations, they're not as interested. That's fine. I'm advised to call the attorney general of commerce and leave them the story. I do.

June 21 2024 - I still need to correct the banking situation so I determine to drive to the bank, make a physical deposit with some change I have on hand to bring the account high enough to accept the cash app deposit I tried to withdraw two days before. And while I am in the area of the credit union, I'll go to a different best buy, explain what happened, and see if they give me the same answer.

The bank was thankfully open two hours later than I though, giving me plenty of time. They accepted the deposit, and I was on my way, I get to the other Best Buy.

The battery has expanded again by this point. But still no leaks, smoke, or active heat but I don't trust it, and moving it is a bad idea. I take it inside, I explain what happened and this store is absolutely horrified of my story.

I show them receipts of what happened. I explain their responses, their 'solutions' and their suggestions. This store's crew is just locked in abject horror that this happened. I explain why the other store wouldn't do the store credit and they say 'let me call my manager' and I tell them about how the other store told me there was NO area or district manager.

They look confused "Well he's kind of a roaming district manager, but... yeah... we have... I have a lot to tell Abby."

I breathe a sigh of relief. I was right, there's an area manager, and a roaming district manager... I wasn't crazy I did remember correctly how their policies worked... I tell them about the 'we call corporate' situation and how I was on the phone for 7 hours thereabouts, being hung up on.. they all continue to look horrified... at this point they hit the same dead sku issue, and I lament a possible repeat. They said they were NOT going to let me have that bomb back, we were NOT going to be sending it through the mail (one even said 'Isn't that considered like.. terrorism?!" and I agreed I was pretty sure it was. ) they said I was leaving with a phone they just had to get 'Abby' to tell them how to bypass this... and she did. In like.. five minutes.

"Is store credit okay? It'll probably have to be store credit" "YES! That's perfect, it means I can just get the phone and a new plan..." They help me find a phone they have (Moto G 5g 2024 model) and even with a new plan, I had 33% of store credit left over!

They tell me that phone is NOT leaving the sand bucket, and there's a brief funny moment of one associate holding up the sim tray (they'd used it to confirm the IMEI and confirm it was the phone under warranty) and the tech laughing and holding this tiny piece of plastic "This is probably the least problematic part of the phone"

I agree... the situation was handled, and I tell them I DID report them to the AG, and the news stations, and one of the associates goes "I'm REALLY surprised that store did that... that's the main hub store of the district, and he's on vacation right now but Roy, the district manager... that's his HOME store... I don't know what they were thinking" and I go "Roy.... Roy.... Mister Roy? Kinda tall, brown/black hair? Used to be the General manager of that store? THAT Mister Roy is the district manager?" "Yeah! He was the general manager there for a while." "Yeah about three0four years ago, I've met him! He's the one who told me about the way the protection plans work"

They all agreed he was not going to be happy, and any new friends that store makes from my reports were justified, they were glad I raised hell about the battery because it would have been a disaster if it'd gone off, and "didn't they know how dangerous these batteries are" and "why the hell did they send you home with that?" and me agreeing it was insane and wrong and just... feeling better to know I wasn't crazy in the way I knew the world was SUPPOSED to work.

So in the end - the banking situation was handled, I was able to get a new working phone for my dad, that did indeed transfer all information, contacts, images and everything over (for as evil as it's become, google synching system and account connections are INCREDIBLE for this exact situation) and I had enough money left over to get the switch thumbsticks I'd wanted to get from the other store... I still have some money left over. and they were cheaper than my local store.

the news station hasn't gotten back to me yet, but they may not until Monday at the earliest, but the situation is done at least, (largely) and the end was a good one.

and that concludes the epic saga of "Asrya and the exploding battery - and the store manager that wanted her to commit an act of domestic terrorism"

[chelsea-katz]

HAPPIESTPLACEHQ TASK 8 - ALTERNATE UNIVERSE

  ... You wanna know what the papers won't tell ya?

Well, what can I say? When a good-lookin' dame like that walks into your office, asking for your help, who am I to refuse? Not like the official investigation was goin' anywhere, poor thing. It seemed nobody cared about a missing child, not when it was a kid from the streets. Me, I've always prided myself in caring about everyone, and makin' sure such injustices get their spot in the light. The kid who disappeared was a friend of hers, she told me. A lounge singer, she was. The kid was a paper boy, so I had seen him here and there a couple times... And he ended up bein' in the wrong place, at the wrong time. There might be somethin' he heard that he shouldn't have. Somethin' about the mayor being implicated on some big deal with his mysterious benefactors. The three Bs, I call 'em. The top dog at the local casino, where people went to empty their pockets and their bank accounts; the head honcho of our most frequented waterin' hole, where my singer friend charmed the crowds; and the enigmatic heavy hitter businessman, our mayor's largest contributor, who had his sticky fingers all over town. The usual suspects, see. Now, I'm no big-shot PI, but I am a reporter, and I take my job very seriously, as you know. So I went snoopin' around, as I do. And whad'ya know, there's a whole lotta secrets going 'round here! What a surprise, right? And my hunch, of course, was right on the dot. What I wasn't quite expectin' was how protective these folks would be of their secrets. But when there's money and power involved... I don't mind the occasional tiff 'n scuffle, of course, I'm used to it. For whatever reason, people don't like me stickin' my nose all in their business. But I do take issue when people's lives are on the line. With an ongoing string of strange random murders, that I knew I could link to these three Bs's associates in the underworld... I was deathly worried about my singer friend and the kid! So just imagine my surprise when it turned out the singer had been blackmailed into helpin' these crooks catch me, paint me as a drunk and a phony, and as if that wasn't enough, destroy all my investigation... That, I can only take that personally.

[anything-viva]

sorry i just need to rant about this bc i've fucking had it. here's the big lies she's told me off the top of my head, kinda tmi but idc.

like she said she got pneumonia when she was nine and her parents refused to take her to the hospital, nearly killing her. funny thing, whenever i complained abt my cramps she'd bring up how hers used to put her in the hospital. (way to center the conversation on yourself, btw!) she wouldn't be old enough to drive when she first started getting them, so who took her to the hospital? i went to school with her, i live five minutes away from her, never saw ambulances that often! curious!

that's also part of the reason why i didn't get my shit checked out for so long! "oh, it's not as bad as rachel's so it's no big deal. i should just shut up and bear it." i can hardly stand up for ten minutes without pain now. THANKS! I CAME TO MY BEST FRIEND FOR ADVICE AND YOU LIED TO ME <3

btw her periods aren't even that bad. she gave me the thinnest fucking pad that would hardly last me three hours on a bad day like that. SHE CLAIMED IT WOULD LAST TWELVE! FUCKING LMAO! she didn't belive me when i laughed and told her it wouldn't last. if your parents refused to take you to the hospital when you nearly died, why would they take you if your periods are that light? like if your outer signs are so minimal, they wouldn't take you!!

said her dad took the lock off her door and creeped on her. HER DOOR HAS A LOCK, THERE IS NO DAMAGE ON THE DOOR!!! also the way she described it sounded exactly like an anime trope. shes a MASSIVE weeb, so i think she got it from some shitty anime she saw.

she said she's saving up to move out of her abusive household yet she splurges money like crazy. her room is full of anime figurines and unused wiccan shit. i really don't think she's actually a wiccan, she would've used those candles but they showed NO signs of use! as soon as we get together she starts talking abt buying lingerie and stuff from spencer's. aren't you saving up???

she says she can hear demons when her ears start ringing- babe, you have tinnitus.

and the constant constant "how do you think i feel?" she says i can tell her anything, but whenever i complain it's almost always "hOw Do YoU tHiNk I fEel" unless im on the verge of a fucking breakdown

said to my face "i haven't gotten fast food in months!" I WAS IN THE CAR WITH HER WHEN SHE GOT THEM? LIKE LMFAO? i wouldn't really care how she eats, but the audacity to lie to my face about something I SAW?!

she lies about getting commissions CONSTANTLY. made some fucking ridiculous lie up abt getting a comm from some rich lady who owns property at the tip of florida, supposedly over 100 manatees live there! No the fuck they don't!!!!!!! do you think i'm stupid?!

most recent example happened tonight. she hung up some of her paintings today at the gallery and claimed afterwards she got two offers on them? no the fuck she didn't, they were some of her worst paintings. i was there most of the time, i likely would've heard it!

i think that last bit is bc i got more attention than her. we were seated at the same booth. i talked a LOT to the people who were interested in my art because i can hold a conversation!

that's why she started making up shit abt commissions and getting jumped. OH MY FUCKIGN GOD

SHES BEEN DOING THIS AS LONG AS IVE KNOWN HER AND I ONLY JUST REALIZED

EDIT I FORGOT ABT THAT ONE TIME THIS SUMMER SHE SAID HER DAD TOOK A THIUSAND DOLLARS FROM HER BANK ACCOUNT. GOOD GOD I FORGOT ABT THAT. MY MOM AND BROTHER WERE THERE.

[arcane-sync]

This is 100% some specific part, just dont know who I am right now. I am just... tired and pissed, and I have enough control to say things I'm not usually allowed to say.

First, and honestly the less severe of the two offenders: this fucking school. The only other school in the area with the same program is more than double the cost. So transfering isnt really an option. But i hate HATE having to keep an eye out for a short list of professors who want me kicked out of this program. I finished this semester and as i got ready to leave the final class, the teacher said goodbye with such vitriol. I pointed out that it sounded like get out. Her response was "well..." then she tipped her head like i had a point then walked away. I hate sitting here and praying her bias doesnt tank my grade in that class. I kind of like my 4.0. I hate that i will have to spend the next two years here watching my back. I've stopped keeping my diagnosis a secret. I will not sit back and let this school teach my fellow students that DID is a mythical creature when the 12 month prevalance rate is HIGHER than bipolar, OCD, and anorexia (at least according to the DSM-V. I dont own the TR yet). I wont hide when i have in ACTUAL EMAIL the CHAIR of the department saying I "am not allowed to continue in this program until such a time as I am cured of my disability." Sure its resolved for now, but I know I am holding a smoking gun.

And the fact that DID celebrities on tiktok and twitter are on a hate campaign against professionals? Yeah, triggering that anger more. Fuck them for roping me in with the entire profession. For making parts of us feel WRONG for wanting to enter the field cause theyre all getting painted as villains right now. They talk about professionals not listening to people with DID as if there are not professionals practicing RIGHT NOW who have DID. Talk about being stuck in the middle, when both your fellow professionals and your clients hate you.

And second, our husband: Who still refuses to use preferred pronouns. Who was OFFENDED when he found out we have male alters and accused us of being trans. Who still says it was okay to try and give us an exorcism when our DID first started showing (and the fact the first part claimed to be a demon is beginning to feel like a flimsy excuse). Who eats out meals without telling us then gets offended if we do the same. That I have to RATIONALIZE every single purchase with. Every single dollar spent has to be reported and labeled as to why we bought it so he can balance the budget. But like... we are paying out of our own bank account that is filled exclusively with our student loan money. So... why? Unleas he doesnt actually think we will get a job after this degree and is constantly preparing to take on our medical and grocery expenses. But we don't have the money to leave him and no support network in the area to help. Who still defends himself saying it was my BIBLICAL DUTY to give him sex. Who went a year without and growled out that he will NEVER go that long without sex again, and that sounded an awful lot like a threat at the time. The man that so many of us are still scared to talk to about anything remotely related to politics because its more important for him to stand up for his political beliefs than comfort our fears. Birth control, trans rights, riots, shuts all of those thoughts down with his anger. And yet, I'm in the minority on leaving this relationship. The others dont think its that bad. That he can get better. That he's TRYING to get better. As if him trying to get better absolves him of suffering any sort of punishment for his past actions. And the marriage counselor AGREES. Says things arent getting better in the relationship because we wont let go of the past. That its our TRAUMA and resulting trust issues ruining the relationship.

I'm tired of swallowing down acid when I feel like I have every right to be spitting it in other people's faces. But the others beg me to. And for the life of me, I cannot convince the others otherwise. They wont listen to me.

[anotherdayforchaosfay]

I'm Disabled.

Before applying for the federal program SSDI, we married. This was to prevent losing the life-saving insurance I needed. At that point, I was still on my parents' insurance, but would soon age out of being able to use it.

After we married, I applied for SSDI, which takes about two years. Everyone is denied by default, so I was prepared with an SSDI lawyer (they only take the case if they know they can win, and their payment is a very small portion of your backpay; my lawyer was paid just 15% of my backpay)backpack. When the rejection letter arrived, I immediately went to her for help.

I inquired about the state program SSI. She told me I didn't qualify because I'm married. I applied anyway, because I ad nothing to lose. Here's what the person at the SSI office told me I would have to do before I could apply:

I need to divorce my husband.

I need to live alone. We could not be living together because this would be seen as us basically being married.

I need to have less than $2k to my name at all times.

I cannot work.

I cannot live with my parents because their income would count against me.

I cannot own expensive things that could be sold for money.

If I was approved, I would have to continue following these rules with a few additions.

I cannot receive gifts of money.

I must have a bank account, and they would monitor it to make sure I never went even a single cent over $2000.

I cannot have a savings account.

I cannot have a safety deposit box.

I would have to continue living alone.

They can stop by my home at anytime to inspect how I'm living. They could talk to my neighbors to see if I had anyone who visited and helped me as more than just a friend. This means I could not have my former husband turned boyfriend stay overnight, and he cannot be perceived as taking care of me.

I cannot have anyone help me financially. This means no one else can pay my bills. If I cannot afford those bills on my own, I would have to apply for programs that would. Most of those have long waiting lists, like section 8 housing (we had applied for section 8 housing in 2008, and three years ago I received an email telling me we qualified. They had only the information we gave them in 2008, and have since moved across the country).

My SSDI, if approved, would count against me financially.

The most money I would receive from SSI, if I did everything they demanded and was approved, was $618/month.

This is enforced poverty. It's also the onky way may of those Disabled would be able to receive the medical care that keeps them alive, like Medicaid. My seizure medication used to cost nearly $2k/month. My neurologist gave me free samples of it every month and helped me apply for free medication through the manufacturer's financial aid program (you should too if you can't afford your medication). I was receiving medical care through the hospital's financial aid program when I married and lost my parents' insurance coverage.

I refused to do as SSI demanded. My SSDI lawyer was, in fact, relieved when I told her I'm married. Why? Because marrying afterwards would have caused serious and life-threatening complications. She encourages everyone who applies for SSDI to marry if it's possible a ble for them to do so. Because of her, I was approved for other programs, things I didn't even know existed, but for two years, it was Hell-on-Earth. I couldn't work because it would count against me. At that time, rent was $650, but my husband was making federal minimum wage, worked full time, and his employer kept changing his schedule, which made it impossible to apply for a second job.

I know many who are on SSI and need it in order to remain alive. One of my friends nearly fell out if the program because a nosy neighbor saw her and her boyfriend cuddling in her couch watching a movie. They assumed he was secretly living with her. Said neighbor was frequently seen just outside my friend's windows, watching her. When she met my lawyer after getting the automatic SSDI rejection, she married, got into the programs I had been in, and filed a restraining order against her neighbor because my lawyer absolutely insisted on it. The bitch violated the terms three times and was put in prison for six months. She's now on SSDI, married, and much happier.

Marriage equality does not exist until the Disabled can marry without losing everything.

[nsfwmiamiart]

Incoming Text for @penelopecruzoficial and @salmahayek : This message can save lives. Zoe & Rosario are treacherous because these two women are suffering from jealousy. Trust me, you don't want to take any chances with a jealous woman. Their bank accounts are empty, so guess what they'll do next? They will try to ruin the whole party because they are poor and we are rich now. You are friends with her, but that friendship is out the door when you don't help her economically. They expect us to fill their bank accounts with money, and if we refuse, they will plot against us. It's time to cut off the head of the snake before they burn the house down. It is your duty to warn @MarcAnthony and tell him to make sure they don't get into the inner circle of Christina Santini (@santinihoudini). We must protect our princess at all costs. Never forget that Christina is like your daughter now, and it is your duty to make sure she is safe and to clean up her circle from treacherous people like Zoe & Rosario. I write a lot of jokes and skits to make my audience laugh, but you've read my comedy skits—the truth is in there. You know what they are capable of doing to us. They are on the phone with all sorts of Hollywood criminals, and it's time to cut your losses. Don't be mean to her; be kind. I'm not encouraging you to break their hearts—no, on the contrary. I'm just saying that they should never get access to Christina Santini because she is the source of the wealth. Christina is the daughter of Salma, Penelope, and Marc Anthony. You are responsible for her safety. When she is safe, your money is safe. Do you understand?

[devious-dickhead]

My four big joys for 2024

- having a job to save money for next year

- having my licence to gain independence

- having a boyfriend and making him a part of my life

- graduating

So far nonenof these are going well. I lost my job and haven't found another one yet, my bank accounts slowly running dry and I can't find another one because i don't have a licence. I still don't have my PS even though I'm nearly 18, i have to rely on other people to get me around and I'm constantly at theercy of the driver. My mother hates my boyfriend, i can't talk about him without her making me feel miserable, and I'm constantly made to feel guilty for picking him over my family. And they all refuse to acknowledge that we've been gothwr nearly a year and it's not a middle school relationship, I'm planning to spend my life with him and intertwine our lives . And yet that's never going to happen is it, because how can you intertwine your lives when you're not allowed to even say their name.

All that i have left is graduation, and quite frankly I'm not setting my hopes high, i just want to get it over and done with, i want the dissapointmwnt of my ATAR and uni applications over and the embarrassment of the graduation fanfare been and gone. I want this year over and yet I'm still so scared for it to end. Because all of these issues will still exist next year, but I'll just have more time to dwell on them, and all of them are my issues, but they're so out of my controll.

I need to get my driving hours up, but i need somebody to take me driving, and nobody wants to. I need a job, but I need somebody to employ me, and nobody wants to. I need my mum to reconsider him, but she dosent want to, and nobody's can make her.

I need to graduate, but I'm scared to take that step, and everybody's telling me to trust it.

3/4 of my big joys are making me miserable, no doubt in 4 months time it will be 4/4.

[forestryfae]

found an important legal letter i havent touched until now OPENED in the windowsill. mom straight up opened it, read it, didnt tell me id gotten it, and just left it wherever. the fuck is wrong with her.

like i got a text and a phonecall from her about MY BROTHERS birthday but about a legal document she illegally opened? on top of her refusing to give me the spare key to the house and taking my passport for?? i dont even remember what it was but it was done so i wouldnt have to take the train for a quick errand like that so now MY passport is at HER house

my passport she should have fucking brought back here, my spare key she refuses to give back to me, illegally opening my mail, using my money without my permission or input or knowledge when she was still my legal guardian, not allowing me to talk to a lawyer, not helping me with the house but also not letting me do anything to the house beyond painting it and living here, starting like 50 projects on the house and never finished even one

but in the meantime theyve upgraded their own terrace, built a hot tub floor out of materials found on my property, upgraded the livingroom, bought a bunch of new furniture, they regularly bring my little sister here so she can play with the neighbours kid, she regularly helps my brother clean his apartment and helped him move out

they cant be bothered to come help me renovate the house they promised to help me with and refused to let me have any input in the process, not letting me know how much money i have or what things would cost or just fucking telling me what they were planning to do and when. just randomly showing up instead. last year i was at home alone and the only time they showed up to help was after id left. they removed an oven from the chimney and didnt patch it up and mom was supposed to talk to an electrician 9 months ago now but she never did so half the house isnt even useable. it was so fucking cold i couldnt live here and i didnt even know theyd fucked up the chimney until i got here

and when i did bring it up during a family dinner the only response i got was that "they hadny gotten to it" theh built a deck for an outdoor hot tub and a whole roof for their terrace and they bring my little sister here for sleepovers with her friend but they couldnt change a lid on the chimney and patch a hole in the 6 months they had before winter? its been two fucking years since i found out i cant use the chimney at all because of those two things

holy shit

mom is supposed to come help me clean tomorrow and help me with the lawn and all im thinking is im fucking done with her. i never want to talk to her again like what the fuck. is she trying to let me freeze to dwath? starve? i asked her to call the doctor for me Once and she never did. shes fucked in the head

oh but why didnt i just fix those things? i wasnt allowed to know how much money was in my bank accounts and i wasnt allowed to start any projects. i was barely allowed to paint the fucking walls. obviously i couldnt do much beyond sit here and hope things would work out. its kind of hard to fix shit when your own mom treats you like an unwanted dog

[xtrablak674]

It's Much Closer Than You Think

The longer I live the more I continue to realize that no matter what trials and tribulations I am going through I am extremely blessed.

Yesterday evening I got a message in my inbox on Facebook that I am sure everyone here is familiar with, someone asking you for money in the guise of being a friend of yours. The hack is so dated it doesn't even make any sense to do it anymore. The message was coming from an ex I dated ten years ago. And this is how it read:

"Hey. It's been too long, I know but I'm desperate right now. Is there any possible way you could send any amount of cash to me via either Square Cash (My Cash on Android) or PayPal. I will pay you back on Tuesday when I get paid. I'm so sorry to contact you like this."

Now you see no use of my name, no proper greeting, no attempt at interaction, just went right for the money. Of course I am amused by all of this because this hacker has gotten the wrong person. I know this ex and albeit his being adopted he has two very loving alive parents there's no way if he's in a pinch he would be contacting me for money. The entire idea was preposterous.

I was in a playful mood so I sent the Hacker back this jpeg I had been sending out to friends of Death coming to collect this old woman on Halloween and she mistaking his robes for a costume, but when Death sees she has given him full sized Snickers bars he let her know, we're good. Just a piece of silliness to get a quick laugh, I don't really celebrate holidays but I thought let me share this with this Hacker just because.

I did and this was his response:

"I was recently hospitalized for over a week with an infection in my spinal fluid. While I have made a full recovery, I have not fully landed on my feet. My "friend" Eddie Diaz came to see me while I was heavily sedated and helped himself to my cell phone using my finger to unlock it. He then transferred $3,000 into his mothers account. I did eventually catch it in time for the bank to stop the transaction but they froze my account pending and investigation. I've made it nearly a month but payday isn't till Tuesday and my electricity just got shut off for missing two payments in a row."

I was so intrigued by the level of detail and the use of a 'real name' of as a villain, this was such a good story. But I had been gooked in the past and this wasn't a phone call this was an elaborate text message, and from all the TV shows I watch, you never follow instructions of a text message without verifying that you are actually talking to the real person. This was my response:

"Dear Sweet Hacker, you have over played your cards. I dated Mr. Binswanger and know none of this to be true. :)"

And inserted an animated gif with a big NO.

I realized I didn't have a phone number for this ex so I looked for him on Instagram, I found an unused account and sent it a direct message. I was disturbed enough by the message I thought I should take my intervention a bit farther. I looked through his Friends list and found someone else with his unique last name and sent them a direct message. I recalled from when we were dating this person was his mother.

"I think someone has hacked Kurt's Facebook account asking for money."

Not my best piece of writing as I look back on it, but the message is clear enough. A mother would alert her son of such a hack. I then decided to include a screenshot of the Hacker's conversation with me just so the mother could see I wasn't making it up. This was her message back to me.

"No, sadly, this is accurate, as far as I can tell..."

Wait what the fuck, this was really Kurt? I was on the phone with my brother at the time I got her message, so I was trying to listen to him drone on about another issue with his children and read the reply from my ex's mother, which continued with:

"As you may know, he has a substance abuse problem and we've refused to help him until he goes back to the hospital for a mental evaluation and rehab."

She hit a enter and followed this with another message.

"Our hearts are breaking."

My heart dropped, this was awful. What was more awful is this was happening in real time as my brother was still on the phone he hadn't even realized I kept switching phones. I had put my tablet on its charger near my computer but had answered his phone call on the princess phone near my bed. I could hear the messages bling in from Mrs. Binswanger. I was trying to be present for my brother and my ex's mother at the same time. I don't understand why I can't just say no or learn to better navigate better boundaries. I clearly should have told my brother I would call him back later, dealing with such sensitive and devastating news was something that really needed my full attention, but no, I kept sending Mrs. Binswanger a message then putting my red phone back on the hook and went to the princess phone to pretend like I had been listening the entire time.

This was something my brother still hadn't realized about himself yet, he just calls me to unload whatever is emotionally burdening him, and even though he's got a little better to not have a soliloquy on the phone he still has a ways to go, this is why I encouraged him to write like I do to empty and calm his mind. I interrupted his story that he was retelling for like the third time to say I knew what the solution was and I gave it to him. I then switched my attention back to Kurt's mother, where I wrote:

"I'm sadly too aware of it. I thought he was doing better."

And I genuinely did, he had moved back to California to be closer to his parents, he had a teaching job and from our brief interactions, which were inspired by a Google Photos reminder that we had dated nine years ago. I think that reminder was from 2016 which this year would make ten years ago.

I hadn't realized it had been so long since I had dated anyone. I know I have been celibate for easily over seven years or so and I hadn't dated anyone within this time but looking at the actual receipts I was surprised. I remember my position was then and sort of still is I wouldn't do any more dating until I could find someone as emotionally mature as I was, I was tired of having to do all the emotional heavy lifting in my relationships I didn't think it was fair to me or the person I was with.

"I'm so sorry you're going through this."

"We had no idea."

"He hides it well. He's masterful at it."

"Evidently. Eddie Diaz did take his phone and car, but we were able to get them back. Won't let him have car until he gets help. He actually bolted from hospital."

"I haven't really kept in touch with Kurt since we broke up nearly ten years ago. We had spoken a little but I had no idea he was back to his old habits."

"Was he using with you? Is that why your relationship ended?"

This was a difficult question, in part because I wasn't sure. We had been fuck buddies for a few years having had sexual relations on numerous occasions before he intrigued me with the idea of wanting to date. I had never dated a 'trick' before and generally speaking I didn't think it was a good idea. Because of my penchant for raw sex, I had a tendency to get tricks with lower self esteem and usually a high percentage of drug users. Which at the time I didn't see as problematic, since I knew I wasn't using myself. But I knew the trend, no one with a high sense of self was out in the streets having unprotected sexual intercourse with multiple partners, it just wasn't something that anyone with a high sense of self worth was doing. I knew clearly my stable of men was more or less damaged goods.

But my vanity had piqued my curiosity, what could Kurt have possibly seen in me during our wordless interactions that he wanted to date me? I knew visits to my apartment were more revealing then when I would deliver to my waiting bottom in whatever shacks they lived in. I think I dated him because I was surprised he had seen me beyond just being a piece of meat. But is that a good reason to date someone? Shouldn't the standards be a bit higher? I hadn't even realized he was taller then me until we were dating. I had always seen him horizontally up until that point.

"I wasn't aware of any drug use while we were dating. He may have been smoking post but he never did it in front of me. He got physical with me is why I broke up with him."

Now remember I am STILL on the phone with my brother who had called around 9:30pm and it was now close to eleven o'clock, my responses to Mrs. Binswanger were a bit spaced out with my traveling back and forth between phones, and I wasn't always hearing the tone of the message over the droning of my brother.

Kurt had punched me in the chest, hard, on the escalator at the Union Square location of Barnes & Nobles. I thought we were being playful he had said something about his bowels or something I hadn't really heard him and kept up with my mischief but was rudely awakened when his fist hit me dead center in the chest enough to knock the breath out of my lungs.

I had treated him like a king, white water rafting dates, where we wore thematically matching T-shirts, I think his the Joker and mine Batman. I had picked him up from the airport when he had came back from a trip with his parents, something that seems like a romantic staple in all the rom coms. I had filled my studio apartment with red balloons for a Superman themed birthday party, I remember nearly being asthmatic after blowing up over two hundred balloons by hand. It was a a silly, geeky adventure-filled courtship. And now it had come to an end.

That is the one thing I could never tolerate from any man, you will not put hands on me. My first boyfriend had said 'They're love taps.' I told him I will 'Love break his neck if he put hands on me', I had no toleration for what is commonly known as intimate partner violence and I wasn't going to be on either side of it. I broke up with him a week later. He knew he had fucked up majorly, he had never had anyone treat him as well as I did and he instantly regretted his actions.

"Oh no, I am so sorry. That may have been drugs. He's blown up with us lately, but nothing physical."

"This is ancient history. I could tell even then he had some emotional issues that hadn't been resolved. Nothing to apologize for he learned that that was inappropriate behavior because I broke up with him soon after the incident."

"My opinion is he needs therapy and has needed it for years. But he has to want to get help."

"We totally agree and are urging him to get it. So far, he doesn't want it."

"Well that's the hardest part admitting there's a problem.

"Are you and your husband getting support around these issues? There are AA groups for families to talk about how to deal with addiction issues with a family member."

"We are working with NA and AIAnon groups.

"We had our first meeting today. We used their website to get some book recommendations which have helped both of us. Our family and friends have been very supportive."

"I'm happy you're getting support. You will need it through this very difficult time."

"Amen!"

I then sent her two of my favorite photos from when I was dating her son.

"Thank you, he looks so happy and healthy. *sad emoji*"

"I treated him well. I would like to think he has happy memories of me. I always tried to model healthy behavior for him."

"He's only spoken well of you. Your photos were hung in his room."

[Photo by Brown Estate]

[lucasdonovan]

"Don't worry, the last thing I need is to bring your wrath onto myself." Lucas grinned teasingly. He could never imagine Carrie angry, she didn't seem to have that bone in her body, but he didn't want to upset her nevertheless. He cared for her, and he cared for the little boy attached to him by his side, and the last thing he wanted was to disappoint either one of them. However, he did like teasing Carrie, because it was easy and it was fun, and she seemed to like to do that too. Seeing her blush made him grin, and while he probably should have paused and questioned it, Lucas was simply far too distracted. "I don't know, it's nice to be reminded that sometimes." He joked along. "So if I ever forget to tell you that you look good or that outfit suits you well, you get my blessing to kick me in the shin."

"I've missed you too! And you never know when I might go away again, and I'd hate to miss out on the chance of getting to hang out with you again." It was just like Lucas, to wake up one morning, pack up a bag and go on another journey. It was difficult to remain in one spot, and while he stuck to his roots, refusing to even buy a house that would symbolize the wealth he was earning from all of this, nothing else really mattered. He could buy a cheap car tomorrow and decide to drive across South America just because it sounded like fun. "Why? Don't tell me you're already feeling too old for the hard liquors?" Lucas couldn't help but tease Carrie a little bit. He was always quick to do that, and he equally expected her to tease him back. So when she attempted to discipline Hindley in the nicest way possible, it still brought a smile to his face, and it took everything in Lucas not to burst into laughter. "I can't help it! Both of you are so adorable, how am I supposed to be so serious about it? Maybe he was trying to be gentle, I'm just too weak to be able to handle it properly." He couldn't help but smile once more, taking Hindley's hand to distract the boy long enough for him to focus on something else - especially on the food Carrie had brought him. "He'll know that I can make his mom laugh? I don't know, I think that just gives me extra points in his eyes, and I'll take the little dude's approval any day."

The topic was quick to shift onto a serious one, and Lucas allowed Carrie to express herself, and explain what she really wanted. It was heartwarming, really, to hear her plan, and he could see why she would want something like that. If he was in her place, he'd probably wish for the exact same thing. "You know I can help, right?" He knew the immediate answer would most likely be a 'no', but Lucas genuinely wanted to help Carrie. She had helped him so much when they were growing up, she'd done so much, and he always wanted to repay her for that. "I've got the money, and more often than not, I don't know what to do with it. So rather than having it go down the value while it's in my bank account, I could use it for something good."

“Thank goodness yes, he still buys into them. For now, so you better watch your mouth.” Carrie teased, no malice in it because, well how could there be? Lucas could probably scream expletives in Caroline’s face and she’d probably just apologise asking what she could do to make him feel okay again. The girl was far more interested in making sure he was smiling than she was. Although at the mention of the compliment being repeated she blushed a dark red up her neck and cheeks. “I…well yes, I do. I’ve always thought you’re handsome you know that.” Mumbling at the end she tucked some hair behind her ear, turning to start clearing up a empty glass that had held her water from a while back, needing something to do so she didn’t have to look directly at him. His attention shifted, he was looking at Hindley again, but the thought had lingered a lot longer with Carrie clearly. 

“Okay great, that’s awesome. I’m glad we get to spend some more time together! I’ve missed you.” The blonde admitted, not that it was a secret, had she not just turned into a human beetroot in front of him she might find it easier to say it now. “Just so you know I’m not going to be on the vodka though, maybe a nice glass of wine, or two.” Hard liquor was something she’d tried to avoid a little more since that night with Gavin since it was clearly something she had no ability to hold. Having another set of hands for bath time, the bedtime routine, well that would be an added bonus for the young mother, plus Hindley would absolutely love the older man being around for longer. “Hey, hey little man, come on.” Hurrying forward she gently moved his hand away from Lucas’ mouth, but firmly, giving him a look. “We don’t do that do we? We use gentle touches.” Unable to stop herself laughing at the overdramatic reaction Lucas went with even if it was sarcastic and she was meant to be being serious to discipline her son. “Stop it, you’re going to make me laugh, he’ll know…” Glancing at Lucas before having to look away so she could suppress yet another peal of giggles. 

The topic of where she was going to live wasn’t funny though, not to Carrie, or Lucas it seemed. The anxiety she got when she thought of moving him back into the apartments was monumental but she also didn’t want to overstay their welcome at Gavin’s. “I can’t afford that.” She admitted, swallowing with a little shame, averting her eyes. “Having a kid is really not cheap, people are right about that, so I need to save a bit more before I’m able to buy anywhere. Especially with a yard. It sounds stupid but I was planning on saving until I could buy the house I used to live in with mom but…well it was always a long shot anyway.” 

[dragonmasterkaylz]

Tangerine x Reader- Trouble

“When are you gonna tell your girlfriend what you do?”, Luke asked his brother as they approached the very expensive-looking apartment building. Elliot wiped the blood off his face and said, “Never… I don’t want her to know”. “She’s going to find out eventually mate. She’s not stupid!“ Elliot rolled his eyes and looked at him. “Look, she’s never gonna know and you better not fucking tell her, got it?!!” Luke nodded and walked away. “Fine…”.

It was the middle of the night, so he assumed Y/N would be sleeping. He pulled out his key, when the door suddenly opened. “Get in”. His eyes widened when he saw his girlfriend looking so angry and he asked, “What’s wrong?” “‘What’s wrong’? ‘What’s wrong’?!!” Then she pointed to the kitchen table, where all of his weapons and gear were. “I was just cleaning the apartment… when I found a box hidden in the closet. Very well hidden, I might add!”

Elliot couldn’t say anything and he leaned against the wall. Keeping secrets from Y/N wasn’t the best idea, but it was the only way to protect her. “You’ve never told me about your job. What do you do?! And why the hell do we have so much money?!!”, she asked, tears forming in her eyes. He frowned and walked over to her before saying, “I should’ve told you before, I know that. But… I couldn’t. I need to keep you safe”. Her eyes widened in shock as tears ran down her cheeks. “Just tell me… please”.

“Me and Luke are assassins. We kill targets, like mobs and genuinely evil people, and get paid to do it”. When this information sunk it, she looked down and whispered, “You don’t kill innocent people then?” “No! I wouldn’t dream of it! Ever!”, he said before cupping her cheeks. She held his hands and said, “That’s a very dangerous job. What if you get killed doing it?!” Elliot gave her a look and asked, “Do you honestly think I’m gonna leave you alone? I’m not dying… because I refuse to”.

Then she hugged him and kissed his cheek. “I would say that you can’t refuse to die… but what you said was really sweet, so I’m not going to”. Elliot chuckled and then looked at his weapons. “Did finding them scare you?” Y/N then let go of him and said, “I was mostly confused… until I saw how money was in our bank account”. She picked up his brass knuckles and hummed. He walked behind her and put his hands on her waist. “How can I make this up to you?”

Y/N giggled and turned around before saying, “You know how you can make it up to me~”. He groaned and asked, “Do I have to…? I’m too tired, love”. She gave him a look and then kissed him. Elliot kissed her back and she slowly broke away. “So… you don’t want to have sex with your girlfriend…”. He then picked her up, making her squeal, and kissed her again. “Sorry darling, but the last time you said that, you made me make dinner”. “… Sorry”.

After a passionate night of making love, Elliot fell asleep with Y/N in his arms. Since he started assassinating people and making enemies out of really bad people, he was scared. Scared of losing the most important person in his life, and she was sleeping in his arms. Of course, he had nightmares, but none of them were this intense. It caused him to have a panic attack while he was sleeping and Y/N woke up to him breathing heavily. “Elliot…?”

“Fucking let her go, now!!!”, Tangerine shouted to his enemies, who had a knife against Y/N’s throat. Tears were running down her cheeks and he looked visibly terrified. “You two, Lemon and Tangerine, have been making a lot of work for me by killing off my men. So, I’m going to take away the one thing that’s precious to you”. Tangerine then watched as the man holding her pulled her head back. “No…!” The knife slid across her skin and he screamed.

“Elliot!!!” He woke up, panting and shaking. His eyes went over to find Y/N sitting there, looking very worried, but she was obviously alive. Then he pulled her close and kissed her head. “Darling…? What’s wrong?” He didn’t tell her, he daren’t tell her. He just started crying into her shoulder. “I love you… I love you so fucking much!!!” She was surprised by this, but she kissed his cheek and hugged back. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to…”. Then he pulled back and kissed her sweetly.

In the morning, Elliot was making a Full English Breakfast when he heard Y/N walk out of the bedroom. “Good morning. How are you feeling?”, she asked before hugging him from behind. “Not great. I had a horrible nightmare…”, he admitted. She looked up at him and asked, “About what?” He turned around and his eyes widened. “Y-You’re only wearing your underwear and… my shirt”. She giggled and said, “Tell me about your nightmare over breakfast”. He kissed her cheek and the continued.

After telling her, Y/N hugged him and said, “That’s not going to happen sweetie. Did you know that I took ten years of karate and know how to use an air rifle?” He looked at her with a surprised look and asked, “Where are you from again?” “The Countryside! And I’m the daughter of a Farmer”. Elliot blinked and said, “You just got way more attractive”. She giggled and then kissed him.

“So, don’t worry about me… there’s an air rifle under the bed~”.

“Okay, come with me. We’re having sex, right now!”

END

[szallejhscorner]

Hello Szallejh-chan. Can I request where the reader is living with Chishiya. The reader is like 4th year college student and Chishiya is already an intern and he was being paid (canonical Chishiya is rich coz his father is a doctor with high position). While the reader is struggling financially because she doesn't have a family anymore. She needed to support herself. She's struggling to balance part time jobs and being a full time student that it takes toll on her physical and mental health. She wouldn't ask Chishiya for money or would borrow money from him coz she's too shy and wanna keep her dignity. Like she's getting skinny and mentally drained and would often breakdown when Chishiya is not around because she's exhausted trying to survive and making ends meet. Then, by accident Chishiya heard her crying and found out that the reader is struggling financially and he helped her. I don't how would you do the helping part but I trust your judgment. Sorry if the explanation is too long I just wanted to be specific. Thank you! I hope you are healthy both physically and mentally ♥️ (this request is actually based on my current situation right now struggling between working and studying).

Hi Nonny (:

Wow, this is a long one. I'm sorry that you have to face such struggles right now, and I hope things will turn to the better for you soon! Thank you for the ask ~

If one of you is going through something similar, let me tell you that it’s not wrong to ask for help. We all have to endure situations that we can’t go through alone, and there will always be a way to get support. Don’t let things like this destroy you, because strength doesn’t mean to suffer alone. Strength means to reach out your hand before you fall to the ground.

Stay safe, all of you!

Would a trigger warning for a panic attack be appropriate here?

Falling Apart

You’re not sure you can do this much longer. It’s too much, all of it. This should have been a dream come true, living together with the most handsome man in entire Tokyo and studying what you’ve wanted to study since you were a little child.

In the end, it turns out to be a nightmare.

You feel drained. University is taking most of your time during the week, with all the papers and essays and courses you have to attend, and then there’s the part time jobs. Work at the grocery store every saturday and sometimes on other evenings as well, work as a waitress in the restaurant down the street on sundays.

The last day off you remember has been half a year ago, and still, you can’t even afford a simple breakfast. Financial support is rare when none of your family is left in the country, and the restaurant had issues with paying out your salary this month. There had been troubles already last month, and the month before.

With not a single penny left on your bank account, you don’t even have enough to buy a simple bottle of water. Payment from the store is just enough to pay the monthly rent, at least your half of it. Chishiya pays the other, and he doesn‘t struggle at all. How should he when he’s already working as a surgeon, in a famous clinic with a famous name? Some would even call him rich, although he couldn’t care less about that.

And yet here you are, starving while sitting in front of a brimful fridge.

The food has all been bought by Chishiya, with the money he earned. You don’t deserve any of it, and you refuse to take it. As a grown-up woman, you should be able to afford your own stuff, right? You shouldn’t rely on your boyfriend for such simple needs.

Chishiya wouldn’t even mind to pay it for you. He would instantly pay all of the rent if you told him about your struggles, but you’d rather sink into the ground than do that. He knows that it’s not easy for you, yes, although you’re doing a good job making him believe that it still works out so far. Despite the regular breakdowns you’re suffering from.

Looking at the tremble in your hands, you don’t think you can keep it up much longer. You’ve been so tired for an eternity now, and not only because there is not really an opportunity for you to sleep much. It’s the mental exhaustion that’s the worst, the fears and worries and doubts shouting and screaming inside your mind, causing you headache after headache.

Today you’ve been lucky that the restaurant’s chef offered all of you some snacks as an apology for the lack of payment, but a couple of fries and burritos can’t make up for the weeks and months of stress you’re going through. And it won’t help your current state to get much better at all.

You don’t need to take a look into the mirror to know what you’d glance at - a creature made of nothing but skin and bones, dark bags under the eyes and protruding cheekbones. The glow in your eyes has long vanished, being replaced by a constant worry how you’re supposed to make it through each day.

You’re tired, and you’re hungry. But most of the time, you just want to sleep. Hours. Days. Weeks. An entire month.

The worst is that you know this will never be possible. Instead of allowing yourself to dream, the nightmare continues to get darker. Afraid to go to bed because the next day will only be worse than the last, and because it will only bring new problems instead of solutions.

With a defeated sigh, you drop down onto the chair. Chishiya’s chair. All of the furniture inside this house belongs to Chishiya. The table, the kitchen, the carpet you walk on. Nothing is yours. You’re like a vermin, infesting this house. Unasked. Unwanted.

Useless.

The tremble of your hands increases, and so does your heartbeat. It begins to race painfully against your ribs, while at the same time, invisible claws tighten around your lungs, making it impossible for you to breathe.

All warmth has vanished from your body, replaced by ice cold needles that spike your skin together with the freezing sweat running down your spine. Like a sharp blade cutting deep into what’s left of you, draining you even more.

The worst is that you can’t breathe. Trying to do so hurts too much, and you hear your own voice gasp and plead for it to end. It’s a frightening sound, like a scared and hurt animal. Weak, desperate, brittle and fragile. Terrifying.

Trying to move, you realize that your legs don’t obey any longer. They have been replaced by a huge mass of concrete, unable to carry you away from this place. You’re frozen in space, helpless and alone.

You need to sleep. You need to breathe. You need to sleep! You need to breathe!!

All of a sudden, hands appear out of nowhere and clench around your wrists, pinning them onto the table while a body against your back doesn’t allow you to move. Its warmth is too much, and the claustrophobia makes you gasp even more. It’s only making it worse. And you can’t manage to scream proper words to make that clear.

“Focus on breathing.”

That voice. Chishiya. Last time you had checked the clock, it had been hours left until the end of his shift, and it feels like only minutes have passed since then. How long have you been sitting on that chair? How could hours have passed just like the blink of an eye?

No matter what, this is too much. The warmth of his skin against your cold body. The force with which he keeps you still. No. No. NO! “I-... you have... let me... please... Please, I-”

Your voice is nothing but a scratch, unable to build a proper sentence. And Chishiya doesn’t listen; instead, his touch only intensifies.

“Focus. On. Breathing.”

You do. You’re not exactly given another chance anyway, so you listen to the sounds of Chishiya’s mouth close to your ear and try to mimic them. Breathe in. Breathe out. Breathe in. Breathe out.

Surprisingly, it helps. Despite the pain and pressure around your chest, your lungs still fill your air. You’re not suffocating, no matter how much it feels like you do. You’re not dying. And together with your breathing, your heartbeat returns to normal as well. The rush in your ears ebbs away and some of the warmth returns to your limbs. While your fingers are still trembling, it’s not that bad any longer, and it takes you a while to realize that Chishiya isn’t holding your wrists any more, finally giving you the freedom you longed for.

You focus on breathing for a while longer. In an out. In and out. In and out.

Then, as unexpectedly as Chishiya’s hands, a mug of hot chocolate is placed in front of you. The warmth of the cup immediately spreads to your hands when you wrap them around it, and the sweet scent is soothing while you wipe your cheeks dry of tears that you didn’t even notice falling.

Chishiya sits down on a chair next to you, with enough distance that he doesn’t touch you. While he has never seen you like this before, he seems to know exactly what’s good for you. Not that you ever wanted him to see you that weak... He was never supposed to witness that side of yours. And you have to pull yourself together to stop your hands from trembling harder again. It can’t be helped now; it’s too late to hide. 

“You need to quit one job.”

His voice is calm and determined, and it sounds so easy when he says that! Of course you know that it would be better. You would want to quit both of them actually, to focus on studying and good grades, but you can’t. It’s nothing but an unreachable dream reminding you of the helpless situation you’re in. “I... can’t.”

Your voice still sounds desperate and forein. Too weak. You don’t want to sound weak.

Chishiya exhales a breath and watches how you sip your chocolate. At least the drink helps to ease your sore throat, but the look in his eyes is unquestionable. “I don’t care which one. Two are too much. I can’t allow you to continue like this.”

Those words sound so weightless, spoken by his lips. A man who has never faced financial struggles, who has a rich dad, a well-paid job. Everything. He doesn’t know what it’s like to dread every day because the money will never suffice for the entire month. It is so easy for him to offer help, when he‘s not the one living in shame. No, you are the person not able to provide themselves with food and all. The vermin that has to beg for everything.

In the following silence, you realize that you have spoken those thoughts out loud. Not that the current situation could get much worse.

“Is that really what you think?”

He could never understand. It’s not his dignity about to be thrown away. Just yours.

You don’t answer, but the look in your eyes must have said enough. Chishiya places his hands on the table, so close that his warm skin is brushing against your cold fingers. “One year.”

“Huh?” Unable to follow his train of thought, you simply stare at him, causing him to chuckle.

“Let me pay the rent for one year. Focus on university until then. You can keep one job or quit both, but two is not an option. One year. When things look better then, you can pay it back bit by bit. You won’t owe me money then, and you won’t be in my debt.”

It’s an easy offer. You know he will be able to pay it without any effort, and while you don’t feel comfortable with it, you will pay him back. Not because he needs the money, but because you need it for your dignity. Maybe, if you want to avoid such breakdowns in the future... well, it could be worse, couldn’t it?

You lean against his shoulder, and never before have you wanted to sleep so much. Never before, even though you’ve had such breakdowns already, you have felt so tired. “I love you, Chishiya, but...”

“Then prove it.”

Too tired to ask, you reach out for the mug of chocolate to take another sip, knowing that Chishiya will explain it to you anyway.

“Prove it and stop destroying yourself like this.”

You sigh. His offer makes sense, and you would be foolish to decline. Most of all, he does it because he cares for you. Because he thinks you’re worth more than going through such struggles.

“Okay. One year. Not a single day longer.”