#source: used to work in grocery and dealt with it a lot

[awkward-teabag]

A big fucking hint that shrinkflation happened is the packaging gets a whole new design, they slap a BONUS on it, or it boasts about a brand new recipe. It's not 100% accurate—especially these days—but it's a sign they messed with the packaging and/or contents and are distracting customers or getting them to doubt themselves.

Of course that doesn't help when companies mess with it and don't say anything.

But if it comes in a box, be wary if it gets larger from the front as they cut down on depth to hide that they removed contents, and plastic and glass jars get a larger indent to hide they reduced volume. If it's something they can add air to, such as chips or ice cream, the packaging will stay the same but the listed weight will be lower. If the intended price is printed on the packaging (e.g. Arizona iced tea), the contents may not change but there will be a price tag or sticker on every single one in the exact same place.

Oh and count your bagels.

companies are delusional if they think consumers don't notice shrinkflation. less food in the package, less medicine in the jar, less whatever in the wherever, it doesn't matter where and it's almost always noticeable. like i just finished one box of medicine and we opened another allegedly identical one that we just bought and lo and behold, the four middle medicine segments were gone from the package. they took out four pills from the same sized box and sold it at the same price without any indication on the box other than the small number in the corner. ridiculous

[groovybaybee]

Greener - II

Greener - I

(4.2k)

cw: mentions of abuse (not this chapter and nothing too intense but better safe than sorry) also alcohol consumption

There are moments in life that conjure up intense emotion any time you think about them. Happy or sad, whenever your mind flicks through its rolodex of memories and lands on it, you feel that moment come to life. You brain must have logged every detail of that time and packed it away in the back of your brain for you to stumble upon later down the road. Your mind takes you back to that moment and brings your senses along with it. My mother always reaches for these moments in times of strife, dipping her hand into a lucky dip of ‘happy places’ and allowing the sensation to wash over her. Her favourite is a family holiday to Spain, sipping ice-cold drinks as we swung our legs in the chilly waters of the pool below us.

 Not all the moments I remember are so positive, but I feel them just as strongly. Instead, I created my own ‘happy place’ to escape to whenever I felt overwhelmed.

 I stand, waist-deep, in warm water. Waves lap around me, hugging and kissing my naked skin as I breathe gently under the moonlight. The sky above me is clear and an audience of stars shine down on me. I bare my soul to the universe and feel love and appreciation in return. The night sky watches over me as I let my eyes close, leaning my head back, chin high. My shoulders relax more than they ever have as a warm but refreshing breeze wraps around me, hugging me tightly. I hear trees rustle somewhere behind me, whispering sweet sentences to one another as the sand beneath my feet reaches my ankles, anchoring me securely to the world, grounding and protecting me from floating away.

 I let my eyes open and I am back in my kitchen. No gentle breezes or salty air. Just my kitchen, with its colourful, mismatching crockery and photographs blu-tacked to the wall. However, there is a clear change in the room since the time I shut my eyes tightly, my chest feels looser, my throat no longer feels as though it is closing, and my breathing has slowed drastically.

 Raising my phone from my side, I return to the source of my sudden panic.

A news article, forwarded from my manager, Jim, a simple ‘Didn’t know you were dating’ preceded the link to the website. Of course, he was joking, not realising the stress I was about to feel.

 Quickly clicking the link, I remind myself to breathe deep and slow as I am redirected to a webpage.

 BACK ON THE HORSE? HARRY STYLES SPOTTED GETTING CLOSE WITH MYSTERY WOMAN

Hunky heartthrob, Harry Styles, caught canoodling outside hot Los Angeles restaurant, Spago. Despite reportedly having only split with model ex-girlfriend, Camille Rowe, a mere two months ago, the pop sensation was witnessed cosying up to a new woman.

 I am skim-reading at this point, desperate to get to the end with some shred of mental stability. My eyes land on the articles singular piece of ‘evidence’, a video taken from across the street. It begins with Harry and I talking and laughing outside the restaurant, follows us as we migrate closer to one another, my head thrown back in laughter before we are nearly pressed together. I had not realised quite how close we had gotten. The video ends when Harry and I are blocked from view, Harry’s car obstructing the camera’s line of sight. No one would be able to tell we did not kiss. My stomach squeezes uncomfortably as I read the video’s caption.

 Keep it in your pants guys!

 It is all a little dramatic. A small part of me wants to laugh at the way this has all been exaggerated and made into a big deal. That amusement fizzles as I continue to read the article, pausing after reading the final line.

 All this has us wondering, has Harry really moved on so quickly?

 Good question.

 Quickly replying to my manager, I send the words ‘Blind date’, before glancing at the comments beneath the article.

 Big mistake.

 Despite the article not naming me directly, not something I am shocked or offended by as Harry is clearly the more famous of the two of us, the comment section of the webpage has not mirrored the same unawareness. Almost every comment mentions me by name, the majority questioning how we even know each other.

 I allow myself to be sucked into the vortex of curiosity, taking in every opinion possible. Many of the replies to the news make it clear that they do not know who I am, and therefore that is reason enough for me to be nowhere near Harry. A lot of comments debate whether or not Harry has fully dealt with his breakup, suggesting that this was a PR move to make his ex-girlfriend jealous. I make the mistake of googling her.

 Well I don’t think the jealousy tactic is likely to be effective.

 She is stunning. A French model. Could I be more of a cliched parallel to her? I try not to compare the two of us, however, a few comments bring attention to the bloat of my stomach and it becomes very difficult not to feel vulnerable after that. It was a blind date. Harry and I were set up. That is the only reason he would ever look at me twice.

 But he wants to see me again.

 I cling to that thought and close the webpage on my phone, pocketing it and deciding fresh air is what I need. Stepping through the patio doors of my house, I peek out into the sunshine, letting the warm rays soak into me instantly. The small house is built on a hill, the garden demonstrating this the most as it is split into two grassy tiers. I walk up the concrete steps until I reach the patio furniture at the top. Sitting myself on one of the wooden chairs, I take a second to appreciate the view; the back of my house shaded by the incline of the hill which allows me to peer over the top of my roof and look out at the hills. As a kid, I had pictured living somewhere warm enough for palm trees, now I am able to watch them arc in the wind.

 I did this, and this is far more important than a few words. I am alive, I am good, and I am kind.

 Pressing my toes into the soft, cool grass beneath me, I slip my phone out of my pocket and compose a text.

��Sat in my garden and I reckon the view would be fun to paint, fancy it?

 The soft yellowy horizon gives me a sense of security as the evening creeps in. There is so much beauty in the world and I am glad I took the time to sit out here rather than obsessing over some meaningless gossip. It will all blow over and people will either forget about us or realise that we are not actually together. A small smirk tugs at my lips as I imagine pinning this on Lucy and using it as an excuse to get a free drink out of her.

 My phone vibrates twice against the wooden table.

 I love that idea. Tomorrow work? (I’ll bring wine) – Harry

 I cannot help but grin at the small screen, quickly typing a reply.

 4pm? Catch the last of the sun that way. Also you don’t have to keep signing off!

 Only a few seconds after placing my phone back down on the table, I have to pick it back up to read his latest message.

 Sounds perfect. It’s harder to stop than you’d think – Harry

 Giggling at him, I lock my phone and set it down, excitement pooling in the bottom of my stomach. This time tomorrow Harry will be sat beside me, paint-covered and maybe a little bit tipsy. I make a quick mental note to go shopping for food to line our stomachs, not wanting to let him be exposed to my drunken self just yet.

 I spend the next day getting my house presentable, or at least as tidy as possible despite the numerous large, brown boxes which clutter my living room. I also spend the day doing errands, shopping for food and drinks Harry might like (probably going a bit overboard and buying enough options for five people rather than two), and picking up some art supplies for the two of us.

 Once home, I unpack the groceries, setting some of them out on plates and dishes, making an attempt at a charcuterie board I had seen on Pinterest the night before. Setting up the area we would be spending the most time in, I move the two small canvases I purchased earlier outside, along with paints and brushes and cups of water for rinsing. It seems a little bit amateur, but I do not have time to dwell as Harry texts me that he is just leaving his house and will be here in half an hour.

 Dashing back inside, I take the speediest shower of my life just to freshen up and rinse the day away. Chastising myself for my lack of planning ahead, I smear on a touch of makeup and quickly style my hair. I am still pulling on a pair of dungarees, clipping the straps into place, when I open the front door.

 “Hi,” I greet breathlessly.

 Harry is already smiling when I meet his gaze, looking down at me with an infectious grin. I allow myself a second to drink him in. Obviously, he is dressed more casually than two days ago, dressed in a simple but figure-hugging black t-shirt, a golden chain peeking out from underneath. Alongside them, he is wearing a pair of brown, straight-leg corduroy trousers. He looks good. It should not surprise me, but it does anyway.

 “Hi,” he offers brightly.

 Stepping aside to let him enter, I try not to check him out, mentally telling myself that I am still not certain where he stands re us kissing each other’s faces off. Probably for the best to err on the side of caution.

 Closing the door behind him, I walk us through the living room and to the adjoining kitchen, feeling a tad embarrassed by my decorating style. Splashes of colour litter the house, the walls are mostly covered in photographs, interesting drawings and potted plants.

 “When did you move in?” Harry asks, noticing the stack of boxes. My heart pangs slightly at the question but I try not to let the dread within shine through.

 “Few months now, I’m just terrible at unpacking,” It is not a total lie, so I do not feel totally bad about it. There is, however, a small part of me that resents not being completely honest with him about why a certain box remains closed and sealed. “I might have gone overboard with snacks, so please eat anything you want,” I tell him when we reach the kitchen and he sees the spread I had laid out.

 Suddenly, it all feels like too much and heat prickles my cheeks in embarrassment as I watch Harry eye the full countertops. I had bought far too much and probably seem incredibly eager. Bread touched three types of meat, touched three types of cheese, touched olives, touched sundried tomatoes. There was another plate full of fruit, washed and sliced and displayed daintily in concentric circles. Then there was the bags of crisps, pretzels, biscuits, and chocolate buttons. This was enough for a family picnic, not a light grazing, and definitely too much for a second date. If that is even what I could call this.

 “This is amazing,” Harry utters quietly, and I almost do not hear him, my internal monologue reprimanding me so severely it almost overpowers him. He turns back towards me, gazing at me softly, his face a beautiful light pink. “Feel bad for contributing so little now,” he says, a gentle teasing lilt to his voice which makes me smile, a breathy and grateful laugh falling from my lips.

 “Trust me, your contribution is the most valuable,” I say, stretching up into a cupboard to grab two wine glasses.

 We manage to carry a disproportionate amount of food outside, giggling as we stacked our arms high until I could barely see over the top of my pile. Once outside, we settle on the wooden chairs and Harry pours us each a glass of merlot.

 “Matches your hair,” he muses, smirking as he hands the glass to me.

 “Never heard that one before,” I tease, trying to ignore the voice in my head questioning if he thinks the colour is ugly.

 Harry settles back in his chair, looking out across the hills and valleys before speaking again, “This was a good idea,”

 “Yeah, the view is the main reason I bought the house to be honest,” I mumble into my wine glass.

 There are a few moments of silence. It is not particularly uncomfortable, but I decide that we could use some music. I dash inside to grab a speaker and connect my phone to it.

 “Can I leave it up to you?” I ask, holding out my unlocked phone for him to take, “I’m indecisive.”

 He lets out a chuckle, muttering a soft, “Sure.”

 Taking the phone from my hand, our fingers brush momentarily, and I have to remind myself that I am not in the middle of a romcom. I feel my cheeks redden at the interaction and quickly turn to my canvas. Placing the wooden end of my paintbrush in my mouth as I scan over the paints in between the two of us. The soft opening notes of The Chain begin to play, mingling with the warm breeze that swirls lightly around the garden.

 “Listen to the wind blow,” I sing under my breath, unable to hold myself back.

 From the corner of my eye, I see Harry picking up his own brush, dipping into a little bit of blue paint and brushing across his own canvas. I dip my brush back into the yellowy orange colour I had been mixing and paint the outline of my house. It is messy and a little childlike, but I am having a good time. Harry and I both begin to relax as we paint, singing along, and doing embarrassingly enthusiastic seated dance moves when the guitar solo plays.

 “I love Fleetwood Mac so so much,” I admit gleefully, catching my breath as I giggle and take a sip of my wine.

 “Me too,” Harry replies, a bright smile pairing with beautifully pinkened cheeks.

 “What’s your favourite song?” I ask happily, popping a raspberry into my mouth.

 Harry pauses for a moment, lowering his brush and giving the question some good thought. He makes it impossible not to admire him, watching as his brows furrow ever so slightly, lips puckering temporarily as his brain ticks over.

 “I always come back to Songbird,” he tells me, looking up at me and nodding to himself. His eyes look so bright when they catch the light, reflecting into mine. I almost have to look away.

 “It’s a beautiful song,” I admit softly, my voice quieter than either of us had expected, suddenly nervous again to be in his presence and having a conversation which means so much to me.

 “What’s yours?” Harry asks, his gaze not wavering for even a second. He is undeniably intimidating, not even due to his status in the world, but simply being beside him feels as though I have won some sort of contest. There is something in his general being that makes me feel both small and powerful all at once. Simultaneously, I cannot believe that he is here in my garden when he could be anywhere else with anyone else, nor can I believe the way he is looking at me, observing me with such delicate looks that it appears he is afraid of scaring me away.

 “Storms,” I blurt out. Taking a second to collect my thoughts, I explain, “Skies the Limit is my go-to, but Storms made me feel when I felt numb.”

 Realising that I have most definitely overshared, I quickly dip my brush in the nearest colour and spread it across the top of my canvas, accidentally painting the sky pink.

 “I think that’s really special,” Harry utters softly, his gaze still on me as I pretend to be focused on my painting and not the spectacular man beside me, or the way his eyes feel on the side of my face. “I want to make music like that, you know?” he says, turning back to the view ahead of us and finishing off his own skyline.

 “I think you have,” I confess, feeling his eyes back on me in an instant. I force myself to turn to meet his gaze, urging some sense of bravery to course through my veins. When our eyes meet, he is looking at me like water in the desert, some sort of miracle before him that his brain does not fully believe. His mouth opens, pauses, then closes again. A second later, a smile pulls at his lips.

 “I like your pink sky,” he tells me, grinning brightly, not breaking away to look at the canvas in front of me.

 I laugh, “Started as a mistake but I think I prefer it like this,” I admit, pursing my lips as I take a long look at my painting.  

 “I like the way your mind works,” Harry says, smirking when I turn to him with knitted eyebrows, “I feel like you’re so bright and full of joy. Just walking through your house felt like I’ve known you years… I don’t know if that sounds mental.”

 He looks at me cautiously, afraid he has revealed too much, and maybe he has, but I enjoy it more than I could even tell him. I like his perception of me. No matter what happens, how much he comes to learn and dislike about me, at this moment he likes me. And, oh boy, do I like him.

 The thought of kissing him pops into my head, bold and illuminated in neon. I let it pass, determined not to ruin the moment. Instead, I look at him, and he looks right back. We share a brief period of peace, the sun on our faces with a light wind blowing between us.

 “Oh!” We both exclaim enthusiastically as What Makes You Think You’re the One plays on the shuffle. Smirking at our joint reaction, we turn back to our paintings.

 For the next hour or so we fully relax into our little world, grooving along as we paint. There is a real sense of calm throughout the space, even the birds in the trees seem to chirp softer, almost as though they were part of our garden party.

 The only moment in which there is a break in the bubble of tranquillity is when Harry desperately reaches for a strawberry, stopping himself whenever his hand, covered in a rainbow of paints, gets close. Impossible to tear my eyes away, I watch him for a moment, a delicate smirk on my lips as he attempts to approach the task from a multitude of angles. He lets out a small sigh and I decide that it is my duty to intervene.

 “Need a hand there?” I ask, failing to hold back a giggle as I pluck a strawberry from the plate with paint-free fingers.

 “Thanks. Can you-- You could… Thanks,” Harry stammers while I hesitate as I raise the fruit to his face, temporarily feeling awkward about feeding a man I barely know.

 I quickly get over myself and lift the berry to his lips, already somewhat parted. Taking the fruit into his mouth whole, his lips graze my fingertips ever so lightly. Our eyes lock the second it happens.

 Things start to move slowly. My hand lowers into my lap. Harry chews the fruit and swallows, his tongue poking out to catch a stray bead of juice that had escaped from his lips to the corner of his mouth.

 No way are you letting yourself be turned on by this. So cliché.

 Despite the mental chastisement, I find myself drawn to Harry. The need to feel his lips on my own is overwhelming me. Every second spent not knowing whether he is a good kisser feels like torture, my mind in agony.

 It appears that he feels the same way, gaze hesitating over my parted lips, hopefully not focusing on my clear breathlessness. Our bodies seem to be migrating towards one another, some unknown gravitational pull guiding our chests together until out faces are almost touching. I feel his breath on my cheek and quickly I worry that mine does not smell as good.

 Why did you eat that slice of manchego?

 Surely, he won’t want to kiss me anymore. He must not have noticed yet. But he will, and I will be humiliated. Better to stop now, while for some reason he actually is not appalled by the thought of kissing you. Why does he want to kiss me anyway? He could kiss anyone he wanted. He could have anyone he wanted. It is probably the wine.

 The wine has probably stained your teeth as well. God you’re a mess.

 I stop dead in my tracks. Swiftly, I pull away from him. It is harder than I had expected, his cologne sucking me in so that it feels like I have to stop breathing in order to separate from him.

 “Sorry,” I mumble.

 I cannot look at him. Unable to face the reality of the situation and see his bemused, beautiful face. I would only want to kiss him if I did look up at him, so instead I fidget with the hem of my sleeve, nails picking away at the firm stitching.

 “I’m sorry,” Harry says, his voice is so quiet that it hurts my heart to hear him so small and dejected, especially since I was the cause.

 We sit in silence for what feels like an eternity. I can feel his gaze on me, soft and apologetic, but I am still unable to bring myself to make eye contact.

 “I’d be happy just being your friend,” I tell him.

 It is a lie. Partially, anyway. Of course, I would love to be his friend, but I also want to kiss him all over and have heart-to-hearts in the early hours of the morning. I want to hear about his first kiss, find out his favourite sweets and his happy place. I wonder if he is there now, desperately trying to escape the awkward bubble of tension surrounding us.

 “Yeah, I shouldn’t have assumed… I’m sorry.” Is all he says.

 “No,” I pipe up, a well of guilt forming in my stomach as I regard his sunken features, “It’s not you...”

 “It’s not you, it’s me?” Harry says with a quirk of a smile.

 I let out a breathy chuckle and we finally meet each other’s eyes and understand. It’s all alright.

 We keep painting. By the time the sun starts to set and the water for our brushes turns a murky grey, I have finished mine and sit teasing Harry as he adds the finishing touches to his own.

 “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” Harry counters with a grin as he adds a sweep of dark red to his canvas.

 “Better be some painting,” I mutter into my wine glass.

 “Okay!” Harry exclaims excitedly, “She’s done. Ready for the reveal?”

 “Yes,” I laugh at his question, as if I have not been waiting to share for twenty minutes.

 Harry had insisted that our final products should be a surprise for the other, so for the last hour we painted in secrecy, occasionally peering out from behind our canvases to try and sneak a peek at the other’s.

 When we angle our paintings towards one another, the difference in our styles is clear. Mine is bright with exaggerated shapes, almost cartoonish. Meanwhile Harry’s painting is more true to life, a meta portrayal of the view, two little figures of him and me seen from behind at the bottom of the canvas.

 “I love it,” I tell him, the picture bringing a grin to my face as I observed the tiny version of myself; a little blob of shoulders and messy hair.

 “I’m calling it ‘Friendzone’.” he tells me, a wicked smirk on his lips.

 “Hey!” I whine with a gently nudge to his arm, however, the bout of laughter he has elicited really weakens my protest.

 Harry helps me clear up the garden before he leaves, carefully carrying his precious painting out with him. After bidding me a sweet goodnight, leaving no doubt in my mind that he had a nice time today, I finish cleaning up. As I am washing the two wine glasses, I peer over at my painting, smiling as I remembered Harry’s comments about my pink sky. Maybe being just his friend would be easy after all.

masterlist

[sidecarghost]

Suptober20 - Day 27 Banquet

Destiel Fic Summary: Hurt & Comfort, AU where Castiel rebelled against Heaven 10,000 years ago, and he meets an injured Dean that had fallen in a ravine after having a manic episode. And maybe Banquet theme is stretch but I was kind of inspired by theme to do a Little Match Girl adaptation. Ending is happy fluff.

Castiel held his last 3 feathers in his grip, gingerly stroking them between his fingers. He had fallen, and those feathers were all that remained of his former life as an angel of the lord. Castiel had rebelled against Heaven ten thousand years ago. Before that he had been a warrior of Heaven since the dawn of Creation, and he had led armies into battle against demons and abominations.  But as the species of homo sapiens began settling into larger towns and developing civilizations, he was called in to the intelligence department of Heaven for reassignment.

The Host wanted more intelligence gathered on humanity. Castiel would have the honor of gathering intelligence for them, because of his stellar record as a loyal soldier that followed orders without compunction. Unfortunately, for angels like Naomi, it seemed that Castiel had a lot of compunction when it came to humanity. After finding a vessel in Mesopotamia, Castiel began his spy work with little concern for the humans that droned around him like ants. But slowly Castiel’s attitudes shifted, and he saw a lot to admire in the people that struggled to do their best when it was so easy to do your worst. After Naomi told Castiel to kill all the first-born children in a village because it was God’s will, Castiel decided he was done performing God’s will. And he fell.

Without angel grace or a soul to burn, Castiel had discovered he could still use his feathers to perform angel magic. Every time he grew old enough for death, he burned another feather to return to youth. He had burned feathers to save friends, and he had burned feathers to smite villains. He burned feathers to change his body throughout the ages to fit in wherever he found himself. He had been male and female and every race and creed. Castiel took one of the black, beautiful feathers and dropped it in a bowl. He reached his wrinkled hands into a cabinet drawer and grasped on to a lighter. The arthritis in his bones made flicking the lighter on difficult. But on the third attempt, a flame sparked and Castiel set the feather on fire.

**

Castiel’s wrinkles smoothed away in an instant, and Castiel thought he would call his new form that of a holy tax accountant. Castiel had witnessed the marvel of the 20th century as a Caucasian female, and he thought he would try male Caucasian with dark, unruly hair, and blue eyes for the 21st century. Castiel also considered the likely probability that this form would be his final one on Earth given his depleted feather inventory. He tucks his two remaining feathers back in his wings where they immediately reattached themselves. Long ago, Castiel had used up too many feathers to teleport, but he had sacrificed them for friends so Castiel didn’t mind the loss. He had thought he would live forever as an angel, and after he fell, he thought he would be dead in a week. Getting to live among humanity for ten thousand years was an unexpected gift. He reaches into his pants’ pocket and pulls out his new wallet. His new body came with new forms of identification. He is Castiel Novak, and he is 25 years old and a CPA.

~~

Sam was a mess over his brother Dean. His brother had moved in with Jessie and him a few months ago, because he couldn’t hold a job. Dean had lost his driving license from a DWI. And Sam wanted to take care of his brother because his brother had always been there to take care of him. But at this point, Sam felt like he was just enabling Dean, and any effort to protect Dean was just hurting him in the long run. Dean had stolen Jessie’s jewelry to pawn for money. After he had spent all that money on alcohol, Dean shoplifted all the bottles of mouthwash he could fit in his coat from a grocery store. That was when Sam got the phone call from the police department. Dean asked him to come bail him out. Sam told his brother no. Dean yelled at him over the phone, but it was all noise to Sam. Sam’s heart was broken and he couldn’t make sense of the words coming from his brother. Sam couldn’t save his brother, but he could at least set barriers for his own protection.

~~

Castiel drives up to the office park where he works. He shuts his car door and sets the alarm. He hears the chirp of the alarm and begins to head into his office building. But he thinks he hears a whine, like a hurt animal from the other side of the guardrail along the parking lot. Castiel leans over the guardrail looking for the source of the noise and calls out to whatever is below.

“Help! Fuck, down here,” a voice calls back.

“What are you doing down there?” Castiel asks.

“Fucking fell, please God don’t leave me here,” the voice breaks up in emotion.

The other side of the embankment is a ravine with a twenty-foot vertical fall. Castiel has to come around from another side of the parking lot to make it to the bottom of the ravine without injury. On his way around, he takes out his cell phone and immediately dials for emergency assistance. When the emergency operator answers he tells them he found an injured man that fell down a ravine and requires medical attention. He gives the operator the address, and she tells him that an ambulance is on his way. The operator stays on the phone with Castiel, and he tells her he needs to put his phone away to climb down to the injured man. The emergency operator tells him to keep the line open so he can tell her about his condition when he gets closer.

Castiel has climbed to the bottom of the ravine and asks the man if he is alright.

“No, I can’t fucking move my legs,” the man tells him. “I fell here two days ago. And I can’t believe you are real. I had given up hope, are you God or an angel?”

“My name is Castiel,” Castiel tells the man whose body is resting at an impossible angle.

“My name is Dean,” the injured man says and attempts to smile.

Castiel pulls the phone from his pocket and leaves the operator on speakerphone. “The man appears to have a spinal injury, and he says he can’t move his legs,” he tells the operator.

“Don’t attempt to move him until the paramedics arrive,” Castiel is warned over the phone.

“I called an ambulance, Dean. They should arrive to help you soon.” Castiel says.”Can you tell me what happened?”

“I was just feeling so good for the first time in a long time,” Dean responds. “Just goddamn great like for no fucking reason. I left my apartment, and I just needed to run. I saw this guardrail and just the idea of jumping it took hold, and then I ran, and I jumped over. Then I realized it was a mother fucking cliff on the other side. I didn’t have my goddamn phone on me, so at first I wondered how long it would be before anyone found me. But after a while, I just wanted to be dead and get it over with.”

“I’m sorry Dean. The pain you are suffering through now must be tremendous,” Cas says sympathetically.

“Fuck it is. And I didn’t get why my legs wouldn’t move after I fell. I just thought I knocked the wind out of me. But they are still useless. I had to drag my body using only my arms to this filthy puddle, so I could drink. My brother told me I’d have to hit bottom to get better. And I laughed in his face. But it is fucking scary, Cas. You seem like a straight-edge, so take my advice and don’t be a fuck up like me. Keep up your job and be a good husband and tell your kids the cautionary tale of the guy you saved from falling off a cliff,” Dean tells Castiel.

“I don’t think you are a fuck up, Dean,” Castiel says.

“Jesus, you are either the world’s most understanding person or a fantastic liar. I am stuck here in literally my own shit. And God, I don’t want to die. I’m so fucking glad you found me. I heard your voice and I figured Heaven sent an angel and I was going to miss Sammy, but at least the angel was hot so maybe going to Heaven wouldn’t be that bad. I’m sorry if I’m getting you in trouble with your job. You look like a good guy, and I don’t want to drag you down. I just ruin everything,” Dean rambled.

“No, I’m glad I found you too, Dean. And I won’t leave your side if you want me to stay,” Castiel says.

“I don’t know why but I’m so glad you want to stay Cas,” Dean tells him. “I drive everyone away though, so I won’t be upset when you leave. But right now it makes me really happy that you are here.”

Castiel considers the broken man in front of him and his last two feathers. Dean is staring in to Castiel’s face like he is trying to memorize every detail of it in case he wakes up to learn it was all just a dream, and he is still trapped at the bottom of the ravine, cold, hurt, and alone.

Castiel asks Dean to tell him his last happy memory.

Dean responds without an instant’s hesitation, as though it had been something that he had just been replaying in his mind the past two days on auto-repeat. “Thanksgiving 2005, Sam and I were at Bobby and Ellen’s for Thanksgiving feast. It was perfect. We were all together like a family. The next day Sam told me he was planning on going to law school at Stanford, and I just didn’t cope. I thought he was abandoning me, and I don’t know I just gave up and I couldn’t admit that I wasn’t coping well. I just tried to bury every feeling that I had with alcohol to numb the pain. I lost my license, and I couldn’t keep a job. Sam tried to support me, but I just lied and stole from him.

“I have been thinking a lot about that Thanksgiving. I had been a mess before that too, but after that I just gave up trying. I never dealt with anything in a healthy way. I wish I could tell 2005 Dean to be kinder to me. To look for help, and to admit I wasn’t coping on my own. I’d wish he would have a better than life than me.”

“I can grant you that,” Castiel slowly tells Dean.

“You can grant me that?” Dean looks questioningly at Castiel.

“I am not an angel, but I was a long, long time ago. I have two feathers left and I can use one to send you back and another to fix your body and remove your traumatic memories,” Castiel tells Dean.

“Holy shit! For real? That would be so awesome,” Dean looks up at Castiel. “But I can’t accept it.”

“What? Why not Dean?” Castiel asks tilting his head and squinting at Dean.

“Because those are your magic feathers. And you can’t spend your last two on a fuck up like me. You should end world hunger or wish yourself a better fitting trench coat,” Dean says.

“It would take a lot more than burning two feathers to end world hunger. And I like the way my trench coat fits,” Castiel responds. “I have made my peace with this being my final form. And I’d like to use my final feathers to bring someone else joy.”

“Well, I won’t go back to 2005. I don’t want to leave you,” Dean says.

Surprisingly, even though Castiel has lived with humans for ten thousand years, he had never really fallen in love with anyone. Maybe because he had burned through so many feathers now, he was able to fall in love for the first time. Castiel didn’t know how else to describe the way talking to Dean made his heart feel like it was being clenched in a fist.

“Is that the only reason Dean?” Castiel asks quietly.

“Yeah, if I wasn’t stuck here in my own piss and shit. I would definitely be flirting pretty hard right now,” Dean tells Castiel. “And I think a second chance sounds wonderful, but I think you are wonderful too. And if I get to have a choice I would choose you.”

“What if I went to 2005 with you Dean?” Castiel asks while holding Dean’s gaze steadily.

“Yeah, if you can come back to 2005, that would be just so awesome Cas. You are such a straight-edge like my brother Sammy. You will love him. You will love Bobby and Ellen Singer too. They raised my brother and me, after my mom died and my alcoholic dad took off,” Dean tells Castiel.

“Okay, if that’s what you want, we can both go back then. I can heal your body, but I won’t have enough magic to clear your painful memories. So you’ll remember the past 15 years and all the pain and trauma you’ve experienced,” Castiel tells him.

“S’Okay Cas, falling helped me find you,” Dean says softly.

Castiel can faintly hear the sound of the ambulance sirens now. He reaches for his last two feathers, and he pulls a lighter from his pocket. Dean watches the proceedings, with a look that seems skeptical as to whether his new friend actually has supernatural abilities or is just bat shit crazy.

Castiel mumbles some Enochian, and he sets the feathers on fire. Dean blinks and he is standing in front of Bobby’s house with his hand in Castiel’s.

“Holy Shit! I can stand,” Dean beams at Castiel. Castiel’s final magic had transformed Dean physically back into the 26 year old he had been in 2005. He wasn’t sure what happened to 2005 Dean, maybe he just popped out of existence. Time travel always messed with Cas, and he was happy this had been his last time travelling through time.

“So you told me all about an amazing feast waiting for us here. Are you going to invite me in, or did you oversell it?” Castiel deadpans.

“Oh, you’ll just have to wait and find out,” Dean teases. Dean walks through the door leading Castiel by the hand. “Bobby! Ellen! I’m home!” Bobby and Ellen burst through to the entryway, and Dean gathers both of them in tremendous hugs.

“Whoa, Dean,” Ellen chuckles, “We just saw you this morning, but I do like the affection. I was just telling Bobby I thought you had been acting so withdrawn lately. So I’m glad to see you so happy.”

“Don’t be rude, Dean,” Bobby chides. “Are you going to introduce us to your guest?”

“Castiel, this is Bobby and Ellen Singer. They have raised my brother and me since we were little, and they are officially the world’s greatest parents,” Dean says. “And Bobby and Ellen, this is Castiel. He is awesome, and well we haven’t really talked about what we are to each other yet…”

“I was thinking boyfriend, if you’d like Dean,” Castiel says smiling softly to Dean.

“Yeah, Cas I would really like that,” Dean smiles back. Then Dean turns to Bobby and Ellen who have been watching the two of them talk with some amusement. “Castiel is my boyfriend.”

“In that case, welcome to the family,” Bobby tells Castiel and pulls the young man into a hug. Ellen tells Bobby not to smother the poor thing, and then she pulls Castiel into an even bigger hug. “Oh yeah, and you call me the smotherer.” Bobby chuckles.

“Come on, boys. Jo, Sam, and Jessie are all in the living room. They will be so excited to meet you Castiel,” Ellen says.

“Okay, we will catch up in a minute,” Dean responds. Bobby and Ellen head back towards the kitchen to finish the meal preparations. Once Dean and Castiel are alone, Dean turns to face Castiel, “Are you sure you are okay with this Cas?” Dean asks. “Like I was kind of out of my mind in pain when you found me, but you don’t have to be stuck with me. I’m not going to let myself fall this time. I’m going to admit I need help, and I’m not going to waste my second chance.”

“Well, I’m out of feathers so there is no going back now. But no, I guess this sounds weird since I just met you, but I’d like to spend the rest of my life with you, if that’s okay.” Castiel confesses.

“Whoa, those are some good lines Cas,” Dean smiles. Castiel rolls his eyes at Dean, and Dean laughs good naturedly. “Yeah, I was just kidding. That is probably the most earnest thing I’ve ever heard, but I kind of feel the same way about you. I’m not sure if it’s a real thing, or just because you know you swooped in like a literal angel to save my life just now. But I’d like to find out.”

“Dean, are you going to keep your boyfriend all to yourself or are you coming to the living room so we can all meet him?” Jo yells across the house to Dean.

Dean grins and offers out a hand for Castiel to hold, “Ready to have your mind blown by the best Thanksgiving dinner of all time?”

“Yes, I’m ready,” Castiel nods. After wandering the Earth for ten thousand years, Castiel thinks he has found something that he never knew he was missing. He feels like he found his soulmate, and he holds on to the hand Dean offers and hopes that he never has to let it go.

[immpeccablystudious]

6 Important Tips to Make Distance Learning Easier

Let me preface by saying, this post will not have the answers to any of your classes to make them easier. Distance learning and, online classes in general, are what you make of them and what you put into them. I have taken online classes for many semesters and while they were never my favorite option (especially for language classes (looking at you, French 101)), I did notice that the more time and effort that I put into those classes, the more I enjoyed and did better in them.

With the added pandemic, this is going to be harder than others, but I’m hoping that my advice from my own experiences will help you for this upcoming semester/school year!

1. Designate your study area

It seems self explanatory and that everyone is saying this and that would be because it is and they are! Having a space that is solely dedicated to work/school/studying is SO important. Whether this is in the corner of your bedroom, a room no one uses within your home, or a lap desk in your living room, make sure that you are using this space only for working. My best advice to go along with that is, if you have the means to, try to revamp your work space to be more inviting and comfortable. I don’t want you to sit in a hard, uncomfy chair for hours on end looking at a blank wall and I’m sure you don’t either. Make your study space a place that you want to be! Swap that old computer desk chair that you’ve had for 8 years for a cute, comfy one instead (this is directed 100% towards me). Add some shelving for cute plants and knickknacks. Add awards or accomplishments to help you keep pushing. If possible, add a cute wallpaper! Anything to spice up the space that you are going to be spending A LOT of time in!

2. DO NOT DO WORK IN YOUR BED

Don’t do it. I spent all that time talking about designating a study area for a reason. Sitting in your bed to do work might seem like a good idea, but in reality, all it’s going to do is make you more tired, frustrated, and less likely to actually do/remember any of the work you try to do. Your bed is made for sleeping, so keep it that way! My space is very small this academic year and it’s very tempting sometimes to leave my desk, walk the 3 feet to my bed and lie there. And there’s nothing wrong with that! Just don’t bring your work with you. Leave it where it needs to be. You want to make sure that your brain isn’t associating your bed with work which could create not so pleasant sleeping habits that keep you from relaxing when you really need to. My advice? Once you get up, stay up*. I’ve found that I’m less likely to get back in bed if I straighten my bed once I get out of it. I’ll head to the living room and watch tv or sit in the dining room and watch YouTube while drinking my coffee/eating breakfast and there’s not as much of a desire to get back in bed after that.

*Disclaimer: Naps are important. Rest is important. This is not me saying do not rest/take naps when needed. Please rest your body it’s very important!

3. Start setting things up early...like now

This includes but is not limited to: your sleep pattern, school supplies, school schedule, finances, work opportunities, etc. As an Enneagram 1w2, Capricorn moon and rising, and INFJ (and generally just a type A person), I’ve been getting ready for the semester since June. Not because I necessarily wanted to, but because over the course of the few months from leaving my community college to my new 4-year, there’s been a lot of overlapping of responsibilities that has lead me to finish with a lot of housekeeping duties early. I’m now in a 3 week limbo, where there really isn’t a lot for me to do other than to wait for professors to start posting their courses on Blackboard. But, starting early has made all the difference. I started with my sleep schedule based on my class schedule. On Mondays and Wednesdays, my first class starts at 9:35am (specific, right?) meaning that if I want to have a slow and productive morning to wake up and be ready for class, I need to naturally start waking up earlier. This is my first weekend since starting my sleep change and I have successfully done it! One thing that I wasn’t really expecting to change as much as it has been is my school supplies list. I love using pen and paper for notes - it helps me think about the subject and helps to remember what I’m learning. But with online learning, I’ve had a sudden urge to try online notes. There have been times before where I would supplement my paper ones for online but it wasn’t often and it wouldn’t last very long. My main hesitation - staring at a computer screen for SO long. Using pen and paper breaks up the amount of time I’m staring at the screen (especially if I get digital copies of my textbooks). It’s the little things, ya know?

4. Let everybody know your schedule

If you’re going to be on a Zoom session at 8am, it’s important to let your parents/guardians/siblings/relatives/friends know so that nobody walks out of their room in their puppy pajamas for the whole class to see. Embarrassing story example: I was on a Zoom meeting for an student org and my brother walked out of his room without a shirt on. I didn’t realize anyone could see him until it was too late and I could see some of the advisors chuckle. Yeah, that was not fun. There have also been times when, over the summer while working, my family would be having loud conversations in the background and I wouldn’t be able to turn my microphone off. Making sure that everyone knows the times when to be quieter is important because you want to get the most out of your classes without the distraction. I would start off with just going over your schedule, when there are times to be a little louder and when things should be a little quieter.

5. Start implementing healthy habits

This goes back to #3, sort of. I wanted this to be separate for multiple reasons. I have struggled with healthy habits for so long but one of the things that helped is setting a routine. When I get into my routine, I feel the difference when I fall off and it doesn’t feel good. For someone that has dealt with iron/vitamin deficiency, taking supplements and vitamins has been my saving grace. I used CareOf vitamins for about a year and LOVED IT. Before the semester starts I do a big grocery shop that involves getting healthy foods to cook with, not so healthy snacks to have for those late night cravings, frozen meals for a quick lunch between classes, work, and homework, and little extras - skin care, body care, etc. I love Trader Joe’s for this because it is surprisingly affordable! If you have one in your area and have never been, PLEASE take some time to stop by soon! It’s my favorite place to be.

6. Planning, planning, planning!

All of my planners are probably already very skilled on this, so for those who want to get started, this is for you! I know that the aesthetic of bullet journals and planners is cute and fun to play around with but if it doesn’t work with you, not only are wasting your money, but you’re wasting your time! One source that I feel like works universally is Google Calendar. You can customize it to use it the best way FOR YOU. Just need a reminder 15 minutes before class? You got it! Need a more detailed schedule to plan out every second of your day? You got it! Need a place to put your to-do list? You got it! Want to see a daily, weekly, monthly, or yearly view? You. Got. It! Google calendar has so many bells and whistles to give you the most power and customization possible! I don’t know a single person that has used it and hasn’t loved it.

I hope that this helped at least a little bit as you all start your academic year. Of course, there are plenty of more ideas, tips, and tricks to getting off to a good but I hope these help where they can!

[tinyshe]

Take Stock In The Home Pantry

Its that time of year: taking stock in the pantry. I do it in the Spring so I can see what we used most, what we don’t use much of, make list so I can buy on sale (remember to look at expiration dates), make sure my stock is rotated properly and clear out dust and what nots, in addition to thinking about what to put up/dry or grow come summer.

Some dry goods I like to buy in bulk. An example is beans. I get them cheaper in bulk weight than those tidy little bags or boxes (same with rice). I bring it home, sort through taking out the rocks, dirt clods, broken beans, sifting them gently in my hands before placing them in canning jars with screw cap. Commercially canned goods, I look in the discount aisle for the slightly dented cans or go to the discount grocer warehouse. Don’t get the real beat up ones for storage in case the seals/seams have been violated.  I like to stick with most things in jars because I worry about can linings/seams but I do buy some things in cans like tuna.

Some fruits that I can not grow (or at least not in quantity of field lugs worth like strawberries and apricots) I purchase at peak season when they are cheaper, put in the dehydrator and then into canning jars with screw cap. The grocer will often give me a discount if he know I am buying volume (don’t be afraid to negotiate a price).  Occasionally they will throw in a free case that needs to be dealt with immediately because it is turning quickly. Develop a friendship with your produce grocer and you both can benefit. I still do the hot water bath canning a little and occasionally bring out the mehu-liisa to steam juice but not as much these days. My go to is the dehydrator. 

I also keep an herb pantry: part medicinal, part culinary. Its important to keep an eye on those because they are more fragile and have limited shelf life. I like to grow my own as much as possible. I do not buy in bulk nor buy from the grocer unless I know the product is organic and not  irradiated.  This last part is very important!

Keeping a back up stock of some toiletries is a good idea because  s o m e people forget to tell you when they have used the last bit... like shampoo or toilet paper  = /  . Same goes for some simple first aid items like aspirin, bandages, diarrhea tablets, activated charcoal, antiseptic, wound cleanser … you know, a regular first aid kit with a refill on standby (but later exp dates).

I also have a back up pantry for the pets. Not so much the canary -- its not that he’s not deserving, its just that he eats seeds that I already buy in bulk and then give him similar fruits and veg we eat (I feed him a lot out of the garden, his favourite is the nasturtium blossoms). But the cat and the dog both have back up emergency rations (wet can goods) in case they run out. Or if there are extended power outages and all the shops close down because everything is computerized/ electric! 

Some side thoughts of ‘preparedness’ since I brought up the lack of electricity. Throw in some batteries for your transistor radio, torches (lanterns/flashlights) or get a solar backup charger for your phone and charging batteries. If you have gas cooking and heat, no worries (this is why I don’t keep a big freezer section -- my fridge-freezer is electric)! If you are chained to your electricity, think about cooking and heating safely! No killing yourself off with carbon monoxide poisoning nor burning down the house BBQing in the dining room!!  They have handy little hand warmers that are activated by shaking (for power outages, I keep some for the canary and the kids at bedtime get one in a sock -- it works better than the big red rubber hot water bottles that get cold in the middle of the night). Also look at some camp gear (backpacker stove, sleeping bags, etc). Don’t get all upset thinking you need tons of stuff and all the money it will cost. Think it through. Think of it as an investment. Think about being prepared and just save up and work a   l i t t l e   piece   at   a   time for your basic needs. Or ask for these things as gifts for Christmas, birthdays or what ever :)

If you have medication, see if you can get them in 3 month supplies. I know this is expensive and some insurance companies won’t (and some medications can not) but some pharmacies will actually entice the insurance companies with great discounts if they go the 3 month route or see if they will at least let you over lap the refills. Talk to your pharmacist -- sometimes they have great ideas. Same for the elderly you care for and pets that need special meds. I’m not saying horde; I am saying be prepared if there is some reason you can not get your Rx filled on time.

Some people store water. We store very little unless we know a large storm is approaching then we bottle our own and use regardless. Mainly because if it is out for extended time, the tap water taste weird. Consider your needs and where you live.

Now you can say ‘oh that’s fine for you and yours’ but think about it: in the long run it saves time and money; you can budget a pantry little bit at a time; you don’t become depended as much on outside sources during weather/ emergencies or if you are ill or heaven forbid (!) you lose your income. Unexpected guest can crash your grocery budget but with some planning of basics, you can pull off some pretty great culinary feats out of your pantry!

So think about it. One or two extra items when you go to the market. You can start a pantry almost anywhere if you don’t have a large kitchen or pantry room: a closet, under your bed, that upper shelf or where ever you have a little space as long as it is cool, dry and preferably not in direct sun or place where it can freeze (learn more about food storage). Remember to buy things that you will eat normally and rotate your stock! Soon you will find that it is fun, a sense of pride in your little self-sufficient/ emergency ready stores and a very practical habit!

[goddessdoeswitchery]

Hellenic Polytheism 101: Pillars of Hellenic Polytheism, Kharis A Transcript

The episode can be found on various podcast platforms, including anchor, breaker, stitcher, spotify, google podcasts, overcast, pocket casts, radio public, and on YouTube.

Welcome to today’s episode of Hellenic Polytheism 101, where we will be discussing the Pillar of Hellenic Polytheism, Kharis. Again I want to remind you that the Pillars of Hellenic Polytheism  were never actually a “thing”. Unlike the 10 commandments, the pillars were never taught as a set of rules that everyone knew by the name “Pillars of Hellenic Polytheism”, or any variation thereof. What modern day practitioners of Hellenic Polytheism call “The Pillars” were essentially religious and cultural practices that were taught by family and friends via every day practices. The pillars were an essential part of the culture of Ancient Greece, taught to them the same way customs like tipping, saying “bless you” at sneezing, and the now-common practice of wearing a mask everywhere are taught to us today. In recreating Hellenic Polytheism for the modern age, the Pillars grew out of a need for a set of guidelines to help us recreate a very old religion. Kharis is the reciprocity inherent in Hellenic Polytheism, a devotional act for the Theoi with hope a return favor in kind. It is also so much more than a transactional behavior. Its not bribery, its not a quid pro quo. At the same time, it is not the Christian act of praise worship.

One of the most common actions as a Hellenic polytheist is devotional acts. Whether it be offerings, prayers, hymns, or the increasingly common Devotional Actions (like beauty routines for Aphrodite, studying for Athena, singing for Apollo, housecleaning for Hestia, etc); we worship by engaging in acts of devotion. Oftentimes, that act of devotion is also accompanied by a request. This act of devotion is not a bribe. This is an offering, and a plea. The deity in question can respond or not, it won’t change the fact that we made the offering and it shouldn’t affect how we give in the future. We give without the expectation of getting something in return, as an act of worship and of thanks for everyday blessings. We give to just give, and a lot of the times, the deity or deities in question will respond. We then give in thanks, and then they give to us. We give in thanks, they give to us and so continues the circle of praise and of blessing. This circle of reciprocity is Kharis.

And yeah, I completely understand how confusing that would be, so let’s try using some more relatable examples. I know not everyone will be able to relate to these examples, so there will be a few of them, and hopefully one of them will resonate enough that the concept of Kharis will become less confusing.

The first example I will use is of a couple. Let’s call them Kate and Ashley. They are very much in love. Kate is out grocery shopping and next to the checkout line is a display of flower bouquets. One of them has roses and lilies, Ashley’s two favorite flowers. So Kate grabs that bouquet and places it in a vase on the table for Ashley to see when she gets home. Kate isn’t getting the flowers for a birthday, or anniversary, or holiday. These aren’t apology flowers. These aren’t get well soon flowers. They’re the best kind of flowers. These are “Just Because I Love You” flowers.  That night at dinner, Kate asks Ashley to take the trash can to the curb before bed and Ashley does so. The flowers weren’t payment for the favor of taking the trash to the curb. The flowers and the request may have come at the same time, but one wasn’t required for the other. The next morning, Kate makes Ashley breakfast in bed and Ashley starts Kate’s car so it’s warmed up and defrosted before Kate goes to work. Both are acts of love that aren’t reliant on each other. Now, say this cycle continues constantly. They do each other favors, they get each other small tokens, for the rest of their relationship. No one but the most cynical would say that they have a transactional relationship. Their tokens aren’t required for favors, and their favors aren’t required for tokens. Their actions are out of devotion to each other. That’s an example of how Kharis works.

Another example, this time between family members.  My sister, my mom, and I have lived together for a lot of our lives. As adults, we have lived together for the last 5 years. My mom has a tendency to not eat, and there have been times when I’ve sent her a pizza while she’s at work, because I know then that she will eat. The food is an act of love, a way to show I care. When she responds in kind by cooking dinner for the house the next day, it is not a payment for the pizza. It’s a continuation of the circle. When I was off work for 3 weeks, I cleaned the whole house, reorganized their closets to be easier to navigate, and cleaned out the cabinets and cupboards. Its another way I show I care. My sister usually watches the kids all summer long, and my mom and I will get her flowers, as a way to say thank you. Every day of our lives as a family, we show love by doing favors for each other and getting things for each other. The favors are not a payment for the things and the things are not a payment for the favors.

Hopefully that explains what Kharis is a little better, so we can go a little deeper into what it means as a worshipper, as someone who calls themselves a Hellenic Polytheist.

Now, remember how I said that the pillars weren’t exactly a thing, and instead were a modern invention to assist those who weren’t raised in Ancient Greece with learning the customs and cultural behaviors that were common knowledge in Ancient Greece? Let’s keep that in mind. On a historical note, Kharis required something real. Having faith and good thoughts was not a part of the reciprocal circle that is Kharis. It required something real, and in Ancient Greece that did not mean devotional acts like making playlists. It meant something solid, offerings, like libations, food, incense, coins, seashells, and other solid, real items. If you have an altar, think about what you leave on it. On mine, I’ve got an incense holder, coins left at the foot of the statue of Hermes, corn from the field next to us, a nature ball with acorns and leaves and flowers in it, devotional drawings, fortunes from fortune cookies also at the foot of Hermes’ statue, dried roses and lilies in an empty wine bottle, seashells, pins, a book of myths, and a plate and cup where bread, oil, seeds, fruit, wine, and other food offerings can be left. Some of these are permanent, some of them get removed as they go bad. When I light incense and pray, when I leave food, when I leave seashells or coins or fortunes, I’m engaging in my part of the reciprocal circle that is Kharis. That means, historically, offering something real that goes above and beyond simple faith.

Now, not everyone can do that. Not everyone has the ability to have an altar, and not everyone can afford to burn incense everyday, and not everyone has the time to bake bread everyday. Now, that doesn’t mean that someone who lacks those abilities, or doesn’t have that time can’t engage in the reciprocal relationship that is Kharis. Remember, a huge part of practicing Hellenic Polytheism is bringing ancient worship into the modern world. Devotional acts are something real. You can offer a devotional act to the Theoi as your part of the Kharis. I’ve seen some stunning works of art created in devotion to the Theoi. I’ve heard songs wrote in devotion. I’ve read some deeply moving poetry. And I’ve seen prayers, prayers written with such devotion and love that they could bring you tears. Those actions are fully capable of being classified as part of the circle that is Kharis.

Kharis is not just actions, its a relationship. Much like how Xenia was a way of life ingrained into the culture of Ancient Greece, so too was Kharis. All the rites and rituals, sacrifices, prayers, hymns, offerings, everything that was offered to the Theoi; it came from the understanding that a relationship had to be built and maintained. You couldn’t just say your prayers and call it a day, you lived with the Theoi, and dealt with them every single day. Everyday, you had the opportunity to build the relationship, and the expectation that you would was built into society. Indeed, the concept of Kharis was so built into society that offerings and sacrifices were a part of their stories. Examples can be seen in many myths, plays, and epic poems from them. The reciprocal nature of Kharis is shown in the Illiad, the Odyssey, and the writings of Aristotle.  

I’ve learned that Kharis can be hard to understand, especially when you’ve grown up in a society where the love of a deity is just…..constantly there. Kharis is the idea that the love of our deities is not unconditional, and our love for them need not be unconditional as well. We don’t have that relationship with our gods that is bondless. We build a relationship with them, and they build one back. That, to me, is one of the appeals of Hellenic Polytheism. The relationship is a reciprocal one built up over time, using something that is definable, real, an offering that you can hold and see. So, we give, they give, we give, they give, until you’ve built a solid foundation for a solid relationship. That relationship, built out of Kharis, is what makes the worship we engage in so beautiful.

Thanks for listening to today’s discussion of Kharis. For today’s episode, I relied on the Illiad, the Odyssey, Kharis: Hellenic Polytheism Explored by Sarah Kate Istra Winter, The emotions of the Ancient Greeks: Studies in Aristotle and Classical Literature by David Konstan, and the Center for Hellenic Studies. You can always find a transcript of this and other episodes on my tumblr blog at goddessdoeswitchery.tumblr.com, as well as a link to the sources I used. Feel free to ask any questions, and don’t forget to tune in on September 6th, when we will be discussing Arete.

[diveronarpg]

Congratulations, ART! You’ve been accepted for the role of EDMUND with an approved FC change to Max Irons. Admin Minnie: I knew this was a winner while reading your plots Art, but it was your para sample that really left me speechless. The way you showed us how he had suffered and how he had ached, all that bitterness and resentment and ambition and pride... it was so clear how deep your love for Edmund goes. I am thrilled to see someone with such an intimate, intense grasp on Easton’s soul. Please stay forever, and please ruin us for the rest of your life! Please read over the checklist and send in your blog within 24 hours.

WELCOME TO THE MOB.

OUT OF CHARACTER

Alias | Art

Age | 19

Preferred Pronouns | He/him

Activity Level | Well here’s the thing about quarantine. I will be spending the next two-three months in a house, all day, every day, with consistent access to a laptop. I also lost my job and because the US economy is a flaming pile of garbagé, I don’t imagine getting another any time soon, especially since all my skills are in food. All this to say, I believe I will be incredibly active, outside of my Skype’d classes and grocery runs and whatnot.

Timezone | MST

How did you find the rp?  | A discord friend DM’d it to me after I went on a rant about Edmund and the layers to his “Thou, Nature, art my Goddess” soliloquy. They know me so well, and acceptances were literally in like six hours from when I got the link, so I sat my butt down, put down my real-world obligations for a moment, and typed this whole thing out like I was writing an unstarted essay due at midnight.

Current/Past RP Accounts | All my old RP writing is from years ago and is, frankly, really really bad. Thank you for making this optional.

IN CHARACTER

Character | Edmund or Easton Craven. I love Daniel Sharman’s wonderful, gorgeous face with my whole heart (hello gay awakening), but I’d like to use Max Irons instead, if at all possible.

What drew you to this character? | So, my love of Easton/Edmund actually began about a year ago, when I cut my hair and started playing around with names and different clothes. I was in a Shakespeare class at my college, and it was a requirement that we perform a monologue. It didn’t need to be Broadway-worthy, we just needed to deliver it, and we could do this as often as we liked. I performed two. One from a play we had read and analyzed, as my professor asked, and I did another. That second one was Edmund’s “Thou, Nature” soliloquy. It was the first time I performed as a guy to an audience that thought I was a guy, not a girl playing dress up. So I have a really strong emotional connection to Edmund, regardless of the form he’s in.

I was really excited by this particular version of him, however, because I thought it played right along the line of a monstrous asshole and charming young man doing what he can to deal with the hand dealt to him. He’s both of those things, to me, and I really enjoyed that you brought that forward. Edmund, from the source, reminds me of Chris Evans’ character from Knives Out, in a way? Completely self-motivated, selfish and cruel, and yet really fun and charming, as long as it isn’t you he’s screwing over at the time. I know he isn’t that character and I’m honestly really glad for it. I just found a similarity there.

I just really like those kinds of characters in fiction, and that, combined with my emotional ties and vague debt to the source character, meant I arrived and started writing as fast as I could.

What is a future plot idea you have in mind for the character? |

These are all ideas, nothing here is set in stone, and are entirely dependent on the beauty of the other writers free will.

Some Twelve or Fourteen Moonshines Lag of a Brother: From the get-go of this awful experience known as the human existence, Easton has existed just slightly behind Everett, just enough to keep the guy freezing in the shadows. It’s the last name, the mannerisms, and the goddamn eyes that sit in his skull. It is a truth, acknowledged by both me and him, that there is an association to Easton he really wishes wasn’t there. This is why I want someone to look at Easton and see Easton, not a Craven.

Now, I want to pause here, and say that Easton is a lying snake of a man that would and probably will sell out his own family for one corn chip. He is completely self-centered, convinced of his superiority, and willing to bleed the world dry to get the pound of flesh he is owed. I want someone to see this, to realize there is a snake curled around the Capulet’s necks, willing to bite and kill every single one of them if it means he gets to sit comfortably on a throne of gold and bones. Because that is what he wants, he wants the world to pay for every second of misery he endured in his life. But he is charming, slippery in the way only the truly awful can be. He’s accepted the labels thrown at him and become them, which is its own kind of armor. Who doesn’t love a bad boy?

But beyond all that, he is rotten through and through. I’d like his armor to crack and reveal the duplicity underneath, maybe around someone like Maeve or Catherine, someone that might not be believed right away. I love the idea of Easton being the wolf among some very dangerous sheep, but the really, truly awful ones not realizing. This could produce a really fun dance, where the two parties involved both try really really hard to overthrow or remove the other from their position while still trying really hard to maintain a veil of normality.

But that dance is what makes this all so terribly fun. They’re on a rock, doomed to eventually die, and Easton wants his power, but why can’t he play a few games while trying to get it?

I Grow, I Prosper: Easton, poor guy, was brought into the world and then spent the next twenty-six years being told his existence and all the things that came with it were his fault. They weren’t, or at least they weren’t in the way he had been told his entire life. He has learned to move past the label of “bastard” or “illegitimate”, meeting all such claims with the certainty that he must act the part. But does his position fulfill him? Does his current lot in life spark joy? I think not! He is a captain, yes, but so is his brother. He is, at best, on equal footing with his brother and at worst, he is the younger brother desperately following behind Everett as a living shadow yet again. Easton needs to be more than Everett. He’s wanted this his entire life. The whole city needs to look at Easton and see him, not his brother, and then Easton wants to rub it in Everett’s face, lord it over him for the next century at the shortest. That is the general idea behind this plot: Everett surpassing and overcoming his brother. The fact that he’d end up lording over so many others is really just a plus!

This plot would require effort. Loads and LOADS of plotting and communication on my part, and a whole lot of cutthroat, stepping-on-literally-everyone-else-in-Verona from Easton. He is going to have to exploit the hell out of Celeste and the information she can get him, potentially leading to her downfall just so Easton can succeed. He will need Rafaella and Tiberius to trust him almost unconditionally, which, just from what I’ve seen poking around the main, seems pretty much impossible. And of course, he has to successfully and continually one-up Everett, which might be the hardest job of all, given the whole awful tangle of EmotionsTM that Easton has towards him. It’s hard for him to be clear-headed when he wants to tear Everett into little tiny pieces with his bare hands.

But hey, that is, again, the whole point of this plot: the destruction of the legitimate son. Eliminating the sun so the moon can rule 24/7.

My Services are Bound: No matter how ambitious, how desperate Easton is to rule the world, he doesn’t yet. He works for the Capulets and he is a tool used to further the wishes of those above him in this terribly illegal food chain where dog eats dog. No matter how much Easton wishes it was different, it isn’t, at least not at the moment, and he must bide his time until something better happens.

Yes, Easton is a tool, and I want him to be reminded of that. He has the ambition to rule the world, can picture himself with a crown he may never hold, but he is a knight on the chessboard. I want his ego to be checked, I want him to be taken down at the knees and reminded of the situation he is in, who he works for. Now, ideally, this would come from the Capulet family themselves and not a rogue Montague or something.

The Capulet family, in order to win this war they’ve found themselves in, need their tools to be obedient and ready to deploy at a moment’s notice. This is not the case with Easton. He’s a rebellious man, more loyal to himself than any of the lofty ideas the Capulet heads have surrounded themselves with. So the family he serves would need to get Easton back in line, somehow. They’d need to remind him who he is and whom he serves no matter what it took and use whatever tools at their disposal. This could potentially happen after Easton completely blows off a mission he was handed to advance his own agendas, which I think would probably be the best choice as it would probably send these awful shrieking sirens off in the Capulets.

I want this particular plot because Easton is so assured that he will be able to make the world pay and yet he’s just one man against so very many others.

Are you comfortable with killing off your character? | Oh most definitely. As a writer, I am a firm believer in conditional happy endings, probably because I play so many video games. In order to get a happy ending, in order to survive, the character has to do all the right things. The likelihood of Easton doing all the right things is just tiny, absolutely microscopic.  

IN DEPTH

I was going to do both, but I’m running out of time so…

In-Character Para Sample:

There is something beautiful in standing alone, where there are no silent reminders of how Easton arrived in this world, how he stepped into it screaming and no one cared to change that. There were no side-eyes, reminding him of how unwanted he was, how utterly unworthy he was to bear the name “Craven”. No hands hiding giggles at the boy his mother ran from and his father hid away. Here, under the bowed ceiling in the transept of the Capulet’s cathedral, there was only him and God.

“I hope,” Easton began, fingers lightly running across the back of a pew likely not used for praying, “that you know what is coming.” The eyes that proclaim a taint to his family’s name were raised to dance across the ceiling. “If word is to be believed, you, an old man in the sky, a Father,” he spat out, “brought me here. Placed me here upon this Earth to do whatever it is I so wish.” A smile, small and dangerous with heavy promises was birthed on his face, an expression that could not have been more familiar to his muscles. “I suppose that’s all a father has ever done for me. Perhaps,” he mused, lightly tapping his chin as he continued to wander aimlessly among the seats of a flock absent. “Perhaps I should be grateful that both You and him are both so delightfully hands-off.”

“I suppose this rock is where You chose to put all Your bastards, isn’t it? Shoved them away from Your kingdom, making them fight for their place in Your home despite them all being Your children?” The noise that escaped Easton’s mouth was not fit for the place he stood in, but it hardly seemed to matter to him as he collapsed into a pew, feet raised to rest on a Bible, feet that had stood in a man’s blood not hours before. “I suppose that must be how it is, because we’re all made in Your image, aren’t we? And that man had to learn it from somewhere.”

His head fell back, eyes closed to the beauty above him in a silent condemnation for Who it was built for. “You’ve released yet another snake into your garden by making that woman my mother and handing me the Craven name, you know.” The observation was quiet, laced with the bitterness of cyanide, perfected over years of similar declarations. The words were familiar, not on his tongue but rather to his mind, the idea similar to ones he had kept close for years.“I have crawled in the dirt on my stomach for too long because of You, and I shall take a throne and dare You to steal it from me.”

He inhaled, once, a desperate attempt to calm the words he could feel rising like acid in his throat. It didn’t work, though Easton didn’t try very hard. He rarely did when alone. “I am owed this, you miserable old bastard,” he hissed out from behind his teeth, sounding like the snake he had just claimed to be. “I will take everything because this is Your fault, and I will make your precious sheep pay for every inch of Your mistake. It’s mine, I deserve it.” A hand was clenched into a fist in his lap and Easton shifted forward, only to slam it into the wood of the pew ahead of him. “It’s mine.”

He stood suddenly, coat rising around him like smoke rising around a fire, warning the world of the danger just over there. Turning on his heel, he left the cathedral without a look back, without a fear of God. And though there had been no one around, the air hung heavy with a question. Just which father had he been addressing?

Extras: If you have anything else you’d like to include (further headcanons, an inspo tag, a mock blog, etc), feel free to share it here! This is OPTIONAL.

I submitted this through an Easton mock blog! There was going to be stuff there but my laptop crashed and I need to eat dinner!

[starry-sky-1]

Jungkook's little adventure

Spinoff of this lovely series by @lil-meow-meow-goes-rawr who let me do this!!!! Lotso love to her and kookie who I couldn't resist writing uwu.

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“JK, JK wake up” Seokjin sighed as he shook the human bundle of blankets for the umpteenth time. The little Hatsune Miku figurine alarm clock on the bedside table chimed a dainty 8:30 am as the bundle in question groaned and shriveled into a tighter ball.

Seokjin stood, arms akimbo, and pursed his lips. “Yah! Jungkook-ah you have to wake up or did you forget its your turn to bring the groceries today? Its your free day so I understand you were up playing Overwatch till 3 am but breakfast is getting cold. I made hash browns with eggs benedict and that bread you’re fond of.We even have Banana Milk.”

Hearing about banana milk, the bundle rumbled and sat up, a head popping out of its recesses like a bunny, puffy doe eyes that were closed, revealed a mop of fluffy hair, sticking up in all directions as Jungkook let out a cute yawn before rolling on the other side and getting up, stubbing his toe in the process.

The shock of pain, made him wince and his eyes flew open, clutching the now sensitive toe in his hand.

“Ow, Ow, OW”

The elder had an amused smile on his face as he watched the entire scene unfold.

“Sometimes I wonder how you’re related to me Jungkook-ah, a graceful, beautiful human like me, sculpted by the finest, who ladies die over, and then there’s you.”

“Way to boost my confidence, hyung” He muttered and grasped his spectacles, promptly putting them on. “I’ll meet you down in 15 minutes.”

Seokjin nodded and moved to the door, kicking a one piece themed sweatpants pair that was lying on the floor for god knows how long and shut the door behind him.

Jungkook stretched, cracking his bones and made his way over to the ensuite bathroom, both brothers had their rooms connected , in a small apartment unit above the bar.

He made his way down to see Seokjin on a call, recently they had been getting quite a number of assignments. The aloof bartender was a former secret service agent and one of the finest in the nation. He knew and dealt with secrets, disillusioned by bureaucracy and corruption, leaving after finishing one of the most difficult assignments ever with him as the only survivor.

“Yes Yoongi I’ll be more than happy to babysit the squirt as you and Hoseok plummet yourself into another dangerous mission, I mean wasn’t Mist enough for you?”

Ahh Mist, that brought back some memories, quite the adventure.

Jungkook scarfed the meal on the table, marvelling at his hyung’s cooking, the meals he cooked could make him a celebrity chef and yet here he was, dealing with dangerous stuff.

“To each his own I guess” he muttered and rinsed his plate, putting it in the right place before moving to the coatstand, his trusty hooded jacket would be perfect for the crisp nip in the air. He shuffled his shoes on and went down, deciding to explore the city a bit before he would fetch groceries and then munch on snacks as he played Overwatch again, he had a score to settle with NoobMaster96.

Patting his pockets, he checked his phone, keys and wallet before making his way downtown. October would be here soon and the parks would be full of leaves in various shades of reds, oranges.He loved those.

The public park was near the older market with a lot of old shops who sold stuff the traditional way, he found the square market to be too boisterous, the stores too fancy with their automatic doors, self checkouts, the crowd too predictable. He would rather source his seaweed chips and ramyun packets from the old lady who would almost always mistake him for her grandson and give him a mangatteok whenever he dropped by.

Speaking of ramyun, he was running low on his nutrition source with cans of energy drink, that’s how he survived those gruesome matches and lived to tell the tale.

He was just rounding the corner near the store, when a police car caught his attention, the small group of people gathering near it obstructed his view from what was happening. He slipped his hood on and slipped into the gathering with practiced ease and noticed his old lady angrily ranting off to two policemen who he knew very well.

Jimin had on a strained smile as he tried to ease the temper of the lady while Taehyung stood flabbergasted, asking questions to an old man who answered them. He turned on his heel and looked at the crowd when his eyes landed at an all too familiar face. Jungkook ducked, having been caught by Tae who flashed him his signature boxy grin and walked towards him, swiftly pulling him out causing Jungkook to squawk.

“Well, well, well if it isn’t my favourite Dongsaeng” he said.

“I’m the only dongsaeng you know from school, hyung” Jungkook pouted as Tae ruffled his hair, causing his cowlick to stand once again which he had spent a lot of time setting.

Jimin noticed Jungkook and pinched his cheek, smiling his infamous eye smile “Still as grumpy as ever.”

“And you’re still as short as ever.”

Jimin’s smile dropped while Tae guffawed and slapped him on the back. Jimin kicked Tae’s shin and then smacked Jungkook’s neck causing the younger to cry out in indignance.

“Yah! Is this how you talk to your hyung after everything we’ve done for you, brat?”

Jungkook gave him a mischievous smirk and rolled his shoulders.

The crowd had begun to disperse and it was then he turned to look at his allies slash friends and asked them what was with the crowd?

Tae looked at him and sighed, “Recently there have been a lot of petty theft incidents here by individuals dressed in all black with helmets or masks and riding gloves. They snatch handbags, briefcases, anything that they can land their hands on. Moreover we can’t ID them as they have blurred their motorcycle number plates and move on a very common design, the physical build is also more or less the same so we can’t say if it’s a single person or a group.”

Suddenly his eyes shone and his grin came back, Jungkook knew that look all too well.

“No Hyung, I am not helping you in this case again, I have to defeat NoobMaster96” He whined.

“Consider it payment for helping your eccentric psychopath friend and his cute ward. Oho she’s too adorable for her own good.”

Jimin added “The coverup alone took us so much time, we hardly slept for a month and it almost cost us our current titles. I NEVER want to work on the desk again” He said with a shudder.

Jungkook nibbled on his lower lip, On one hand he knew he was obligated to help Hoseok hyung and Yana, who he considered his own little sister, on the other hand he still had to game…….

“Fineeeeee” he replied, huffing.

“I knew if there was anyone who could help us, it would be our dear little Kookie” Tae chimed and Jimin smiled as well, highfiving his partner.

“But I need the details you have, the police files and access to the traffic security cameras”

“Consider it done”

“And I want 5 packets of chili ramyeon and nori chips as thanks”

“Whaaaa”

“Don’t question him, Jimin, and done.”

Jungkook moved to their car and Tae fetched a brown paper bag with the words confidential written on it.

“Now lets move to someplace less public and discuss with fewer ears” Jimin suggested and both nodded and followed him to a cafe owned by an ex policeman.

The little bell chimed as they entered and the owner flashed the 2 detectives a toothy smile as he continued to wipe a mug in his hand. They moved to the little private cabin which he held for “special” customers and took a seat. Jimin and Tae knew it was soundproof on the inside meaning no noise from the cabin would go out but they could hear everything on the outside clearly.

Jungkook spread the files on the table and quickly went over them, clicking a few pictures of evidence on his phone, whose camera he had upgraded to give better resolutions. Taking pictures of the suspects from the traffic cameras, he placed them back into the folder.

“I’ve sent you a link that would help you get into the mainframe. I hope you know the drill. Do NOT leave any evidence of your presence, you know SPD’s IT team is getting better at tracking illegal hacking or data hostage attempts.”

The younger only rolled his eyes when there was a knock on the door. Jimin tapped in confirmation and the owner came in, placing two cups of cappucinos for the boys and a hot chocolate for him, closing the door on his way out.

They discussed more details as they took their respective drinks and Tae told him he’d told the owner to bring hot chocolate for him since he knew that Jungkook couldn’t stand the strong taste at all.

Jungkook remembered he had to get groceries and once finished, Tae and Jimin helped him fetch stuff from the aisles at the next door mart and told him they’d drop him off before going back to the station to “work”. He whined when they did not get his snacks telling him that would be his reward if he could give them the missing link to the case and close it.

Clutching the full bags, Jungkook managed to balance them as he slid his key in and went inside. The lights were off which meant Seokjin was out and should be back soon to prepare for opening the bar.

He deposited them on the kitchen counter, placing the perishables in the fridge and moved to his room, opening his laptop as he decided to copy the data from his phone. Maybe Namjoon hyung could give him an insight on this? Ahh no he’s busy so he mustn’t be bothered.

Jin returned and noticed that Jungkook was home a little earlier than usual. The boy would never drop in before 8 pm, just in time for dinner on his days off. So it was surprising to see him back so soon.

He knocked on his door “JK, did you have lunch?” the boy didn’t respond. Jin knocked louder this time. Jungkook fumbled with his headphones and peeped from the door.

“Yes?”

“I asked if you had eaten lunch yet?”

“I had a cup of hot chocolate”

“Yah! That doesn’t count as lunch! I’m making fried rice, come down in 10, irrespective of what you’re working on” Jin said, motioning to the laptop and the wires attached to his phone.

Jungkook swiftly nodded and closed the door, resuming the transfer of data as he waited. He checked his phone for messages, finding none. Of course who would message him, he smiled ruefully before checking progress of the tapes downloading in his system.

As soon as there was a single minute left to 3:10 pm, he went down in the kitchen, just in time to see Jin plating 2 servings, his being smaller than what he had poured for the younger one.

The smell was heavenly and before he knew it, the plate was wiped clean. Jungkook rose to put them in the washer but Jin shook his head.

“You have homework, right kiddo? Don’t worry hyung will handle it”

Jungkook smiled at him brightly before running upstairs, almost tripping on his feet before he plopped himself on his table again, working on a short code that would narrow his search to the bikes of the model, the perpetrators used. It would limit his view time to 5 hours. Something he was sure he could manage. He carefully scanned the now shortened footage and noticed that the perpetrators would always, exclusively be downtown. It was as if they knew their chances of escaping were better there. He also noticed how they seemed to know where to go, irrespective of whether they were on foot or bike. The alleys where the cameras could not record their further movement. Also not a sliver of skin was exposed so nothing could be said about their build, complexion or looks, even gender. All the footage looked the same.

He ran his fingers through his hair, pushing his glasses up, there was no clue, how could he help Jimin and Tae, when suddenly one of the bikes went too close to the pole. Jungkook narrowed his eyes and played the footage again. On the back of the bike was an imperceptible symbol, which he enlarged and screenshot.

One thing that he understood was that the perpetrator(s) had a good idea of the alleys, secondly they knew how to conceal their identity well so it would be physically impossible to identify them, thirdly they chose their victims randomly and finally another bike had yellow paint on its tires, from the footage of a day ago, the one with the old woman whose bag was stolen.

Jungkook knew that there was renovation going on in the eastern part which meant that atleast one of them had entered via Incheon.

He zoomed the footage as he spotted a man push the woman and snatched her bag in broad daylight as he sped off, the old woman screaming at him, which caused the few shopkeepers around to come out. Jungkook noticed that this bike was devoid of the same symbol but had another one in the same design.

He searched them and discovered 2 numbers, in a snake font, 13 and 55.

Weird!

He quickly overlooked the dates of the events and discovered that the dates were in fact a sequence! Running them through the algorithm detector he found that they were Fibonacci numbers and the

snake fonts actually represented their positioning on the cartesian plane.

He had heard Hoseok talk about a gang in town, slowly acquiring power through meticulous attacks, they hadn’t done anything severe, but their attacks were random enough to confuse the police. To make matters worse nobody knew of their arrival or departure, they chose less populated areas to target and left no evidence behind.

Putting the dates in sequence, Jungkook knew when the next attack would take place, coincidentally it was a free day for him as well. It wouldn’t hurt to give a little tip off to the detectives.

The only problem was how to confirm his suspicions, what if he was wrong? He couldn’t afford to let down another of the residents at downtown or undermine what was at stake for Tae and Jimin. He knew the pattern of such gangs all too well, it would slowly evolve to bigger crimes including shootouts and murders once they’d amassed enough power and terrorised the locals. It was an ugly spiral in the Criminal Underworld.

It was almost 11 pm by the time he had finished. Shoot! Just on time his stomach rumbled as well. He hadn’t had anything since lunch. He padded downstairs, knowing Jin would be at the bar but he’d chew his head off the next day for ignoring dinner. There was a plate of samgyeopsal with rice and clear soup, left for him. Jungkook felt a rush of affection for his step brother rise in his heart, who took care of him more like a parent than a sibling, never once questioning when he was dumped at his door out of nowhere and readily gave him a roof to live in and made sure all his needs were fulfilled.

He sat and ate dinner in silence and cleaned the kitchen up before wiping the table. Jin rarely let him in the bar, being fiercely protective of the younger one, wanting him to live as normally as possible.

He shut the lights and formulated a plan in his head. Oh he couldn’t wait to see it all unfold.

The D day had Jungkook nervous as hell, Tae had bombarded him with questions all week about his progress but Jungkook said it was difficult with lack of data but nonetheless sent him the designs on the 2 bikes just to not rouse his suspicions too much. They had thankfully bought the little lie and were busy running for matches through their databases.

He waited at the eastern end on his bike which he had borrowed from Yoongi, the sleek model was very flexible for driving in narrower lanes or taking sharp turns. The only condition was that he had to hack into some company’s financial statements, an easy job.

Hiding in the alleyway, he waited until it was just a few people out on the streets. If his calculations were correct, there would be an incident any time now. His notice turned to one of the shops in his direct line of vision, A girl with curly hair, sunkissed skin exit the cafe where had been the last week.

She had long, pretty legs clad in a pair of skinfit jeans and a white blouse tied in a knot above the highwaist as she put her slingbag around her and moved. He spotted movement on the peripheral of his vision.

Bingo! There were 2 people on the bike this time, heading straight for the woman who now had her headphones on, moving to whatever beat it played. Jungkook revved his own and gave chase right as one of them broke the bag from its sling and ran, clutching it tightly.

She screamed and gave chase, but wasn’t as fast enough as the person. Jungkook knew he’d take the alley with limited access to the traffic camera and his friend would be there, taking a quick shortcut he locked the bike and hid in the thick shadows knowing the person would be there anytime soon, as his friend waited at the other end.

The person came in, huffing as the outfit proved too much for the weather. Jungkook pounced on them, taking them down in a tangle of limbs as he subdued them. Their partner long gone when they realised that the ally had been subdued. He took the helmet off to reveal a young man with a nasty scar across his eye.This wasn’t an injury, no it was a deliberate slash. Quickly he found some spare plastic ties near the dumpbox and tied the man down. He dragged him over to the main footpath and saw the girl jogging up to him.She was even prettier up close and he blushed a bit. He dialed Tae and said

“Hyung, I have a certain present for you, come down quick” as he gave him his coordinates.

Taehyung cursed and kicked the table as his partner raised an eyebrow in question.

“That damn brat” was all he said before nudging Jimin into the car, speeding off.

Jungkook dusted the bag and gave it to the girl who muttered a “thank you”. Heck even her accent was cute and her voice had a lilt to it.

Before he could say something, the siren indicated that they were here. He looked down at the bound man who was glaring daggers at him.

Jimin stepped out first looking at Jungkook and then the man. “why am I not surprised? Of course you would throw yourself in harm’s way with 0 afterthought, Seokjin would have our skins as doormats if anything happened to you,brat.”

Taehyung looked at the man, amused.

“Can’t believe a kid took you down and those are some good knots, if I didn’t know better, I’d say you’re into some hardcore Shibari shit, Jungkook-ah”

Jungkook only reddened in response as the girl smirked at him.

Taehyung then looked at her and asked if they could ask her a few questions, she was free to go then. She nodded in assent and answered them, truthfully as Jungkook watched in rapt attention.

Jimin noticed and winked at him, wiggling his eyebrows, making Jungkook squeak and turn his head.

The detectives, satisfied thanked Jungkook after taking his statement as well.

“We’ll get all from him, but kiddo, next time you pull a stunt like this, do give us a call before jumping blindly, what if the other man was armed? and do mail us all the evidence you found, your ramyun and chips will be at your door by evening”

He smiled and waved them off before realising the girl was still there.

“So how does coffee sound?”

“Truthfully, Yakult is better than coffee, coffee is too strong for my nose” he replied, tapping his nose and shrugging. He looked at his watch.

“Oh dang I’m late for lunch again, hyung’s going to break my legs but I don’t need to buy snacks now so yess” he mumbled to himself.

The girl shook her head in amusement.

“I-I gotta run, have a nice day.Be safe” he bowed to her before taking off, picking his bike up and speeding his way over to home. Oh he was so dead today!

OMAKE

“You mean she asked me out on a date and I messed it up?” Jungkook groaned as Seokjin burst into laughter at his obliviousness.

Maybe he could spot her next time he was in downtown? It wouldn’t hurt to have her number. He flopped on the bed groaning and cursing. Atleast his Miku chan was still by his bedside to cheer him.

The End!

[arthachbroin]

So, TFW you find a ship ask meme and decide to fill it out for Brona/Emet anyway because you’re that starved for ship talk. Most of it’ll go below the cut! (source)

ULTIMATE SHIP MEME!

General:

Rate the Ship -   Awful | Ew | No pics pls | I’m not comfortable | Alright | I like it! | Got Pics? | Let’s do it! | Why is this not getting more attention?! | The OTP to rule all other OTPs

How long will they last? - A long time, one hopes!

How quickly did/will they fall in love? - Brona started crushing the moment Emet showed up after Il Mheg, and by the time Mt. Gulg rolled around she was hopelessly in love. Emet had a lot more issues to work through, and even if he found himself attracted to her, there was the whole “Kore” thing to deal with and also the tempering. But the feelings were there, if complicated, and it was only after he (hopefully) comes back that he was truly able to reciprocate entirely.

How was their first kiss? - It was right before the conversation at the Ladder, and pretty desperate and passionate and full of pent-up want and need on both ends, though for different reasons. Their second was a lot softer and sadder, and halfway a goodbye.

Wedding:

Who proposed? - Emet, because Brona is a bit insecure at times and probably wouldn’t think he’d say yes, so Emet would do it and then Brona would cry and say yes.

Who is the best man/men? - Lahabrea I MEAN UH. Aside from him I can’t think of anyone on Emet’s end, so possibly Urianger? He’s who Brona is closest to in the Scions. Or Bran, male WoL friendo!

Who is the bridesmaid(s)? - WoL friend Lulu, probably, and the rest of the lady WoLs in Brona’s squad. Any of the girl Scions who want in, too. Probably Ryne!

Who did the most planning? - Emet, because he’s into that kind of thing and he wants to spoil the shit out of Brona, and he’s also probably a little bit controlling in a harmless way?

Who stressed the most? - Emet is definitely a bit nervous, but Brona and her insecurities probably end up screaming internally until it actually happens.

How fancy was the ceremony? - Back of a pickup truck | 2 | 3 | 4 | Normal Church Wedding | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Kate and William wish they were this big.

Not crazy over the top, no, but you try telling me that Emet wouldn’t go at least a little ham. He’s ridiculously theatrical and a former emperor several times over, after all. If he wants to spoil his wife he’s going to. Brona’s a little flustered, but appreciates it.

Who was specifically not invited to the wedding? - Well, I mean, Elidibus probably. 

Sex:

Who is on top? - Brona, most of the time. Emet likes to let others take the lead, but sometimes he’ll take his turn because she deserves to be spoiled sometimes. 

Who is the one to instigate things? - Both of them, they’re horrible.

How healthy is their sex life? - Barely touch themselves let alone each other | 2 | 3 | 4 | Once a couple weeks, nothing overboard | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They are humping each other on the couch right now

They’re not constantly at it, no, but...pretty often. Very healthy sex life, they enjoy it and it’s nice for both of them.

How kinky are they? - Straight missionary with the lights off | 2 | 3 | 4 | Might try some butt stuff and toys | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Don’t go into the sex dungeon without a horse’s head

Not aggressively Weird, but oooh definitely a bit kinky. Emet is very experienced and very much one for experimenting and Brona, though she hasn’t done much before in comparison, is very interested in trying things.

How long do they normally last? - I DON’T KNOW HOW SEX WORKS I DON’T KNOW HOW TO ANSWER THIS ONE.

Do they make sure each person gets an equal amount of orgasms? - Oh yes, Emet likes to make sure Brona is happy and satisfied, and Brona’s used to making sure her partners are satisfied before she is, so together they end up pretty even.

How rough are they in bed? - Softer than a butterfly on the back of a bunny | 2 | 3 | 4 | The bed’s shaking and squeaking every time | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | Their dirty talk is so vulgar it’d make Dwayne Johnson blush. Also, the wall’s so weak it could collapse the next time they do it.

They don’t get that crazy rough, but they are both definitely at least a little rough together. Emet doesn’t like it that violent, but he does like it a bit rough, and Brona...finds she’s pretty good at delivering, and she enjoys it.

How much cuddling/snuggling do they do? - No touching after sex | 2 | 3 | 4 | A little spooning at night, or on the couch, but not in public | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | They snuggle and kiss more often than a teen couple on their fifth date to a pillow factory.

They’re awful. Terrible. Brona’s insecurities and the fact that she almost lost him forever just after falling for him, and Emet being--- well, with everything he’s dealt with, they’re both more than a little clingy and affectionate with one another.

Children:

How many children will they have naturally? - Two, twins, once everything is over for good and they have the time and space--- it’s an accident, though, and they panic a little because of more than a few reasons, but Brona wants to be a mom so badly and they keep them. Their names are Morgan (the girl) and Gawain (the boy).

How many children will they adopt? - None officially, but they’re fussy with their friends’ kids, definitey.

Who gets stuck with the most diapers? - Emet, because Brona’s very good at bribing him.

Who is the stricter parent? - Brona by a little bit, they both have a bad habit of spoiling their kids rotten because they’re just so overwhelmed with love and the fact that they have babies.

Who stops the kid(s) from doing dangerous stunts after school? - Emet is far more overprotective because babies with baby souls, but Brona’s fussy, too. Though Emet is also more likely to enable Shenanigans.

Who remembers to pack the lunch(es)? - Brona definitely is better at remembering little things like that.

Who is the more loved parent? - Oh, the twins adore both their parents, but Emet just a little more sometimes because he’s more of an enabler for the crazy stuff.

Who is more likely to attend the PTA meetings? - Brona. We don’t trust Emet doing that kind of thing, he’s not allowed to start up with other parents, he would be the worst.

Who cried the most at graduation? - Both of them would be messes.

Who is more likely to bail the child(ren) out of trouble with the law? - Brona, if just because Emet is 50/50 chance that he’s in trouble with them.

Cooking:

Who does the most cooking? - Brona, mostly because Emet is used to either not eating, Creating food for himself, or not cooking because Emperor. Not that he doesn’t know how, he’s just used to not and would forget.

Who is the most picky in their food choice? - Emet does trend towards being a little more picky, but both of them aren’t that bad.

Who does the grocery shopping? - Brona, for sure.

How often do they bake desserts? - Often! Emet is very much a sweet tooth, and Brona would happily oblige.

Are they more of a meat lover or a salad eater? - Well, my heacanon is that Emet only really eats seafood meat-wise, no red meat or poultry (don’t ask why, it’s just one of Those hcs), so he’s a bit picky there, but otherwise both of them are pretty much in the middle.

Who is more likely to surprise the other(s) with an anniversary dinner? - Emet, definitely. He likes big grand romantic gestures.

Who is more likely to suggest going out? - Emet, again. Spoil Brona rotten, that’s his modus operandi.

Who is more likely to burn the house down accidentally while cooking? - Neither one of them are that bad.

Chores:

Who cleans the room? - Brona, probably, Emet can be a little lazy sometimes.

Who is really against chores? - Emet. Why bother??? He can just snap the mess away, come on, does he haaaave to? Also he’s definitely a little used to other people doing them.

Who cleans up after the pets? - Most of Brona’s pets are seedkin, so she keeps them taken care of, but if they get anything else that’s on Emet so they’re his responsibility, dang it.

Who is more likely to sweep everything under the rug? - Emet, definitely, the lazy butt.

Who stresses the most when guests are coming over? - Neither one of them are really stressy about guests, mostly.

Who found a dollar between the couch cushions while cleaning? - Emet because he’s a nosy little shit, too.

Misc:

Who takes the longer showers/baths? - Emet, oh my god, he’s horrible, he loves long hot baths, the shit. He enjoys the finer things in life because it takes the edge off, and that includes hot baths.

Who takes the dog out for a walk? - They don’t have any pets that require walkies, really, but Emet loves cute shit so he’ll probably spoil Brona’s friends’ pets if they let him.

How often do they decorate the room/house for the holidays? - Brona isn’t crazy into the holidays, but Emet hasn’t celebrated Eorzean holidays before, and he gets a kick out of them, so he’s definitely very much the one that gets into it.

What are their goals for the relationship? - Mutual healing from their traumas, and just...enjoy the time they have with each other. Show one another they’re loved and cherished for who they are, that they deserve to be loved.

Who is most likely to sleep till noon? - Emet, no question.

Who plays the most pranks? - They love teasing each other with little silly things, so both of them, and they’re equally likely to start it. 

[cssoe-blog]

How You Can Help Prevent Antibiotic Resistance

Helping to prevent the unfold of drug-resistant micro organism can be as easy as exercising your rights as a affected person and client.

Repeated, fallacious use of antibiotics—in both people and animals—drives drug resistance amongst bacteria and has made a few types of bacteria definitely indestructible to modern medicine.

These microscopic “superbugs” sicken up to 2 million Americans a year and kill at the least 23,000, in step with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

While some groups, political representatives, and contributors of the clinical network are taking preventive and proactive steps to forestall these risky and high-priced infections, sufferers and clients can take antibiotic stewardship into their very own hands with the aid of making knowledgeable choices on the grocery save, at home, and at the physician’s office.

At the grocery store Consumers communicate the loudest with their dollars.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) says that 80 percentTrusted Source of all antibiotics offered in the U.S. Are given to food animals for growth promoting and disease prevention.

Antibiotics are the most effective varieties of pills whose use via one lifestyles shape impacts the health of some other, and the greater they’re used, the much less effective they grow to be.

The ordinary administration of antibiotics in low doses—inclusive of the way they are given to livestock and chicken in their feed and water—gives bacteria ample experience to conform around them. These bacteria continue to exist in the animals’ bodies and are still present whilst their meat makes it into stores.

About 48 million people get meals poisoning every 12 months, and some bacteria observed on uncooked meat can be lethal. Last year, the FDATrusted Source announced drug-resistant bacterial contamination in eighty one percentage of floor turkey, sixty nine percent of pork chops, fifty five percent of ground red meat, and 39 percent of chook sampled in grocery stores.

Every time you keep for meat at your community grocer, you can make a selection which could interrupt this technique: You can assist guard yourself via deciding on antibiotic-free meats, which are to be had in extra grocery stores and eating places than ever before.

Chains inclusive of Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, Kroger, Costco, and Safeway offer antibiotic-loose meats. If you can’t discover them at your community shop, ask the grocery store to remember carrying those items.

Avoid meat from factory farms that depend upon antibiotics to make up for cramped, unsanitary situations—a exercise that may result in antibiotic resistance. For example, Foster Farms chickens raised this manner carried multidrug-resistant Salmonella that sickened 574 humans last yearTrusted Source.

But customer pay attention: Much like the time period “all herbal,” many antibiotic-related statements on packaging may be misleading or are undefined by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA).

The USDA’s Food Safety and Inspection Service lists “no antibiotics delivered” as an appropriate time period for meat and hen labels. The time period can be used on labels “for meat or fowl merchandise if sufficient documentation is supplied with the aid of the manufacturer to the Agency demonstrating that the animals have been raised without antibiotics.”

Concerned with antibiotic-associated labeling, Consumers Union—Consumer Reports’ advocacy arm—sent a letter to Tom Vilsack, head of the USDA, for clarifications regarding positive claims observed on meals packaging, consisting of “No Antibiotic Growth Promotants,” “Antibiotic Free,” and “No Antibiotic Residues.” Vilsack responded that “raised without antibiotics” approach no antibiotics had been used inside the animal’s feed or water, or via injections, over the course of its existence.

Washing your fingers frequently while preparing meals and continually after handling uncooked meat, to avoid pass-infection between raw meat and other foods, also can assist lessen your risk of getting sick.

At domestic Antibacterial cleaning merchandise aren’t as protective as their advertisements claim. Use antibacterial products sparingly and most effective when appropriate. Regular soap is a natural antibiotic, and professionals say right hand washingTrusted Source is sufficient to hold human beings safe.

“Really, simple cleaning soap and water works sincerely nicely for nearly the whole lot. Using it continuously is a great aspect,” Dr. Michael Bell, deputy director of the CDC’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion, said. “For habitual day in and day trip use, at my house I use a pleasant cleaning soap that smells like flora. That's first-rate. You do not need something unique.”

Bell recommends the usage of alcohol-primarily based hand sanitizer while journeying thru the airport to prevent spreading ailment. Antibacterial soaps, he stated, are beneficial for cleansing your body before surgery.

According to the CDCTrusted Source, research have shown there’s no introduced fitness benefit to the usage of antibacterial cleaning soap in regular situations. And lab research have related antibacterial chemicals in cleansing merchandise to bacterial resistance.

The FDA proposed a rule in December that could require antibacterial soap manufacturers to show the protection in their merchandise so as to hold them in the marketplace as categorised.

“Due to customers’ vast publicity to the components in antibacterial soaps, we trust there need to be a without a doubt proven advantage from the use of antibacterial soap to balance any capability chance,” Dr. Janet Woodcock, director of the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research, said in a statementTrusted Source.

At the doctor's office Being your personal first-class endorse can assist hold you safe. Other drivers of drug resistance in bacteria are the improper use and the overuse of antibiotics in humans.

One survey discovered that 36 percentage of AmericansTrusted Source incorrectly consider antibiotics are an powerful treatment for viral infections.

Requesting antibiotics from your physician for treatment of a viral infection—particularly the common bloodless, flu, or acute bronchitis—won’t do your signs any suitable. Most commonplace infections are pleasant dealt with with over the counter products and sufficient rest.

Or, as Dr. Anna Julien, an emergency care medical doctor, tells her patients, “Your body will evidently contend with this in case you contend with your self: Sleep extra, get extra fluids, take a day or  off work to recover, and forestall going for walks round stressing your self out over the little matters.”

Many problems related to antibiotic use may be averted if the patient acts as his or her own pleasant suggest, Bell said. Experts provide the following guidelines:

Don’t demand antibiotics in case your doctor says they’re needless. If your medical doctor prescribes antibiotics, ask if she or he is positive the contamination is bacterial. Take all antibiotics as prescribed, and usually whole the whole path of drugs. Don’t give your antibiotics to a person else, and don’t take antibiotics that have been prescribed for some other character. Make positive your physician has washed his or her arms very well before performing a method, along with placing a catheter—and ask every day whether or not the catheter ought to come out. Ask your healthcare team individuals what they're doing to help save you antibiotic resistance and whether or not their facility has an antibiotic stewardship application. If you can, choose a health center with an antibiotic stewardship program. Take someone with you for your doctor appointments. “Go with a cherished one,” Bell said. “Take turns being the horrific man.”

[heydickibird]

So What’s Your Name? Part 30

A/N: This chapter will switch from the readers point of view to Dick’s point of view! Enjoy!

This wasn’t good.

This wasn’t good in the slightest. For some reason, I always seemed to have the worst of luck when it came to timing. First it was walking in on my parents while they were getting down and dirty, if you catch my drift, the second time was when I was at the wrong bank and they happened to be getting robbed, needless to say it was a hostage situation, and there are other ones that have happened that I don’t feel like recalling at the moment, mostly because they dealt with Clay.

But I do have to say that this one, this situation, takes the cake. I had just returned home from grocery shopping, because I wanted to cook for Dick tonight since he had been eating a lot of Chinese takeout these days, and what I had ran into was jaw dropping.

We were being robbed and I had the unlucky fortune to open the door when these people were walking around and destroying everything. I dropped the shopping bags in the doorway, my eyes wide, and staring at them.

“Shit! Grab her!” I heard one of them yell to another.

I gasped and quickly turned to run down the hallway of the apartment complex so that I could avoid these people and hopefully get away unscathed. I darted towards the stairs, knowing that the elevator would talk too long since a lady got into it when I arrived on my floor, and quickly began my descent down the flights of stairs.

Why did we have to live on the 20th floor?

I pulled my phone out of my pocket and quickly tapped away at the screen, calling the one person who I knew could do anything in this situation. I heard a loud voice begin to shout at me from a few flights above me and I cursed under my breath, they were getting too close to me.

“Come on Dick… Pick up the phone…” I mumbled as I continued to run down the stairs. I let out a sigh of relief when I heard him pick up.

“Dick! Oh my god there were people in our apartment robbing us and now they’re chasing me!” I said in a rush as I tried to catch my breath. I could hear the men getting closer and closer and I knew that I was losing ground.

What was I supposed to do now? Dick couldn’t get here in time, there was absolutely no way he could! I could feel my throat begin to tighten and tears begin to well in my eyes at the thought that I might not make it out of here alive.

“Dickie they’re going to catch me! I can only run so fast! Oh god Dickie I’m so scared!” I let out a cry as I quickly stopped to catch my breath.

I shouldn’t have stopped.

I felt strong arms wrap around my waist and hoist me up from off the ground and all I could do scream and kick at the man who had picked me up, dropping my phone in the process of being hauled back up the stairs towards the apartment.

“(Y/N)!” Dick shouted at his phone, looking down at it after too many seconds of silence from her end. Tim looked over at Dick with concern and knew then to expect Dick getting out his grappling hook and leaving their snack time behind.

Fortunately for Dick, he wasn’t exactly too far away from the apartment. He wasn’t as close as he wanted to be for how dire the situation sounded, but he could get there in time. A big concern would be the people trying to rob hers and his apartment, meaning they would probably have to move if it got that bad there, but that wasn’t the main concern right now. He nearly toppled over face first into a rooftop because of his scattered brain. He focused back up and began moving once again. His arms were going to be sore because of how careful he isn’t being, but he can deal with it as long as he can save her.

‘Do you need help Dick? I can be right behind you. Tacos can wait.’ Tim said over com, hacked instantly because the com was not set up to talk to Red Robin. No one worried too much about contacting Tim because Tim would make his way into the technology anyways.

“No! I mean, no. I think we’ll be okay.” Dick said back, rolling so his descent to another rooftop wasn’t so rough. He sprinted as fast as he could to another. “Eat your tacos Tim.”

I kicked my feet back against the man as he dragged me up the many flights of stairs. If I could just twist enough to the point of where he loses his grip on then maybe, just maybe, I can get out of his grip.

I let out a yelp when I felt the guy jostle me rather roughly, enough to hurt to be exact, and continued walking until we passed by my apartments floor and continued to go up the stairwell towards the rooftop.

The man kicked the door open, walked a few steps out onto the roof, and tossed me onto the ground. I let out a cry of pain as I tried to break my fall, but nothing helped as my hands and knees skid across the ground.

“Well, well, well, you seem to have been a very unlucky girl, haven’t you?” I heard a rather annoying voice say to me.

I looked up at the source of the voice and immediately felt the color drain from my face.

“Now tell me, was that your place?” He asked as he kneeled down in front of me.

“Y-Yes… It’s mine and my boyfriend’s apartment…” I said in a shaky tone, all I could think about was how thankful I was that Eden was in school today.

The man hummed a little before motioning for his goons to pull me to my feet. I felt them begin to drag me forwards and I couldn’t hold back the sob as I struggled against them.

“Oh god no! Please no!” I cried out.

“I’m sorry little lady but the fact that you saw us can’t be known. Besides, it’ll be a quick death. Once you hit the pavement you won’t feel a thing, I promise. Toss her boys.” I heard the man say as he sighed.

I let out a loud cry as I tried to struggle even more. “Please don’t do this! I have a child please!” I wailed but they didn’t stop.

I could see the edge of the building nearing us, my breathing began to quicken as the realization of what was about to happen to me hit me like a freight train.

The men stopped where they were by the edge of the rooftop and looked at me.

“It’s nothing personal, we just can’t get caught.” One said and the other nodded as I felt their arms began to move. The next thing I knew, I felt like I was diving in midair. If someone were to ask me to explain what it felt like to fall while knowing there was nothing to save you from hitting the ground all I could say was that it was absolutely terrifying and that I could feel everything slowing around me, I wanted to scream but nothing came out but a gasp of shock as the air rushed past my ears.

Dick nearly tripped again, his fear and nervousness taking over his dexterity, something he wasn’t use to doing. Normally he worked so well under pressure after so many years of working with Bruce. His heart dropped as he swung around the corner and saw her being thrown off the roof. Dick had never been this scared in his life, sure he had been through a lot during his time as a vigilante but this, this took the cake. Seeing your soulmate, the woman you loved, being tossed off a roof by a few thugs because he wasn’t there to protect her made him want to kick and punch himself.

“(Y/N)-Shit!” He cursed and sent out another grappling hook. The culprits were still on the top of the roof, but if he does it right he can get her and them. After so many years he was easily able to grab her out of the air. He wrapped his arm around her middle, doing his best to be able to make sure he had a hold on her. Her baggier shirt didn’t help, but he still was able to get a decent enough grip on her. The two of them made it up to the roof although the landing was more or less rough for her. He wasn’t able to let her go nicely while also sprinting immediately towards the thieves that were very much not expecting Nightwing to show up. Dick easily got his batons out and beat the thieves into the ground without much trouble. They had weapons themselves, but he was either able to hit them or kick them out of the way.

It wasn’t long until he was able to tie them up and jog over back to her, helping her up off the ground. “Are you okay? Are you hurt?” He asked as he inspected (Y/N) closely.

Dick ignored Tim while he grappled himself onto the roof and grabbed the thieves by their bonding. “He’s around by the way.” Tim said, pulling the guys behind him to take them down to the ground level where Gotham PD was already showing up. “He’ll probably leave you alone. Probably.” Dick let his domino mask drop to the ground and ignored Tim’s comment on it. Bruce can get as pissed off as he wants. He can’t keep this from her any longer.

“D-Dick…?” She choked out and when he nodded his head she couldn’t hold back the sob that tore through her and she nearly toppled over. “Oh god Dick I was so scared!” She cried loudly.

She felt him wrap his arms around her and pull her to his chest, but she couldn’t stop the tears that poured down her face. “I thought I was going to die! I thought I was never going to see you or Eden again!” She sobbed as clutched onto him tightly.

“I know, I know, I was too.” Dick held her as tightly as possible, trying his best to hold back so he didn’t hurt her. “Don’t worry. I’ll protect you.” He kissed the top of her head, pulling her into him once again. “I’ll protect you, (Y/N). I promise I will.” He mumbled into her hair.

She cried into his chest for what felt like hours before her tears subsided and all she could do was hiccup softly.

Dick ran his hand over her hair gently as he looked down at her with soft eyes. “Are you alright? Can you walk?” He asked.

She shook her head softly and that was all Dick needed to know before he scooped her up into his arms and made his way back down the stairs. “There’s a lot I need to tell you about, but let’s get you cleaned up first.” He mumbled and all she could do was nod in agreement.

@zoeyredbird1

[stillwooozy]

I’m just gonna ramble about irl, so ignore me. this blog is turning into my diary. 

I’m staying at my parents house for a few days and its really awkward because last year - right before I moved out - I had sex with 2 separate guys in the apartment building next to us. don’t ask. I haven’t seen either one so hopefully they both moved. but there is no way to avoid the apartment building so I’m just trying to run inside and not look suspicious. there are always people that live in the building smoking right next to my family’s house and I feel like I’m going to get murdered because they’ll recognize I’m That Fag or something. I really regret so many things I did last year. 

and my cousin, my fcking cousin, he’s getting on my nerves so much. ironic twist of events, he shares a name from my canon/source and he’s exactly the character you’d guess. SO ANYWAYS, he hates how our family has treated him/what they expect of him so for the past 2 years he’s been a hobo-idiot, he dropped out of high school and is just doing stupid shit. and the thing is, he expects me to empathize with him and I don’t. because I actually relate so fucking much to his viewpoint and experiences with OUR family, but I am constantly working hard to NOT be selfish AND to build a sustainable life for myself. You know how easy it would be to say “fuck it”, run away, couch-surf and panhandle, do a bunch of drugs in hippie vans with hippie friends, and be a nihilist who hates the world??? Like thats EASY, my cousin - you’re not special because you hate the world and feel like you were treated unfairly. The world DOES fucking suck, so get off your ass and try to make it a better place, and you have to start by working within the system (aka get your GED and find a way to make income) and doing shit you don’t want too. So you were dealt bad cards? and the way to fix it is wallow in it, live selfishly and unsustainably? Maybe I should have more sympathy, but I just think his viewpoint and actions are actually really weak and selfish. He thinks he knows everything, he thinks he is so edgy and tough by living this lifestyle. And more power to him I GUESS. I used to look up to him a lot, especially because we are (or at least were) SO similar. But he views all people as bad. I think my viewpoint is that yes, everyone is very sad and unhappy, but internally most people are innately good. we’re all just human at the end of the day. confused humans that deserve to be happy, even if we may never be. or maybe he is the one doing things right and is actually happy, I DON’T KNOW. 

I also saw a girl at the grocery store who made me feel straight, or at least bisexual, for a moment. you ever just see people you feel connected to and momentarily in love with? Like MAN I am the opposite of an affectionate person but I just wanted to hug this girl. it was like an indie movie and she was my manic pixie dream girl in another life. she was wearing mom jeans and a really fluffy jacket and had disheveled blonde hair, she was at the salad bar and I smiled at her and she asked me if I saw where the artichokes were. this makes me sound like idiot but my brain was just like “this is a good, sincere person right here” 

and I can say “manic pixie dream girl” cuz every guy I have ever “dated” has treated me like a manic pixie dream twink or just an emo hipster boi that will be down for anything edgy. so trust me - I know thats not a good position to be in. maybe I should just sign up for conversion therapy so I can date a MPDG and we can be a MPD-power couple.  

I guess I did like being this angsty “cool” hipster dude when I was in high school. I was so miserable though. still am.

[cdyssey]

Once Rewatch: Snow Falls, 1x03

“You’re a... girl?!”

“Woman.”

And then she clocks David upside the face with a big rock.

Now this is start of a beautiful pair. :’)

Omg, I’d forgotten that MM had gone on a date with Whale.

Talk about awkward.

Hm, I also think I’ll do some Whale analysis here as well. He’s arrogant, misogynistic, and kind of spineless when it comes to dealing with forces more powerful than himself. I think this is a great interpretation of source material, lol.

Bc if we’re being honest here, Victor Frankenstein is a whiny college dropout, a prototypical incel who probably passed biology but severely failed ethics.

I’m not crying—there’s just some Snowing in my eye.

On a related note, Isham’s swelling score is particularly powerful here; he amps up the suspense perfectly.

I love Once’s retcon of the name Prince Charming; it works so much better as an ironic moniker.

Snow: “True love? It doesn’t exist. It’s all arranged marriages and business transactions.” (1) So in my writeup on the pilot, I wrote something to the effect that Snow is less vulnerable to optimism than David is, that she’s long been disillusioned about the possibility for happy endings. I think this quote backs that sentiment up quite nicely. (2) I know A&E probably haven’t figured out the logistics of Regina and Leopold by this point, but even still, this quote very well applies to their farce of a marriage. (Snow’s cognition and/or ignorance of this is such a rich place to explore in fic.)

Emma (talking about Regina): Where does she think you are anyway?

Henry: Playing Whack-a-Mole.

Emma: And she bought that?

Henry: She wants to believe it, so she does.

This exchange is funny but also purty revealing, even if Henry doesn’t quite know it. Regina desperately wants things between them to return back to normal, so when Henry tells her that he’s off doing something normal, that he’s returning to his old habits of playing games and having fun and not becoming Storybooke’s new junior sleuth, she’s more than ready to take his word at face value.

Side-by-side, Ginny and Jared look so much alike, and I love that. <3 They also share a buoyant, youthful kind of energy when they play off each other. So I hereby headcanon that Snow and Henry, post-uh-everything, are always going out on mini-adventures together. With their combined imaginations and mutual penchants for curiosity, this grandmother-grandson can make even the most mundane of grocery runs into something like a hunt for buried treasure.

Regina: “Now you’re lying to me?” A simple question which cues us in on lying being a v. new trait that has surfaced in Henry. The psychology of it is pretty logical. She lied to him, and now he’s reciprocating the favor, both of them unable to trust each other at this point.

So Regina says that she found David lying on the side of the road somewhere and that she brought him to the hospital. Whale supports this statement and claims that she saved his life by this act. Assuming that this is true, then I’m reminded of that popular meta which essentially proposed that the Evil Queen rarely, if ever, made a move that would deeply or permanently harm Snow. Theoretically, Regina could have left him on the side of the road to die, could have dealt Snow an irreparable amount of damage without so much as lifting a finger... but she didn’t. #SnowQueen

“Enjoy my shirt... because that’s all you’re getting.” SJKhdsha. 

I like to think that Emma kept the shirt, and every once and while, she pulls it on just so she can mock a v. embarrassed Regina. “Hey, Regina, what was it you said to me again? You know, back when you wore a lot of dark eyeliner and had a giant stick up your—” “Oh, shut up, Miss Swan.”

Lolol, I love how Storybrooke’s hospital is apparently bordered by the woods. That’s some reaaaaally safe architectural planning there.

Snow wants to go somewhere “isolated, where she can never get hurt,” and in the context of the entire show, I hurt to fully comprehend that Snow’s young life was a hellhole. Her parents were killed, she’s forced out of her kingdom and into exile by a vengeful witch, and now, as a bandit, her existence, for all its flux, is constantly defined by paranoia and fear and cynicism and... well... guilt.

In the grand scheme of things, I think we sometimes forget about Snow.

How much she’s endured.

How much she’s suffered.

Snow: She blames me for ruining her life.

David: Did you?

Snow: [Pausing, thinking, her voice hard and wistful.] Yes.

This is a great beat because it further emphasizes that this isn’t your Disneyfied version of Snow White and the Evil Queen.

There’s no such thing as black and white morality in the world of Once Upon A Time.

The Evil Queen wasn’t always evil.

Snow White was not always as pure as the color of her name.

It’s complicated.

They both are.

MM: “Henry told me that you were from a similar situation to his own?” Honestly, beyond the fact that they were both adopted, I don’t think comparing Henry and Emma’s situations is exactly... apt. Emma bounced around from foster home to foster home and had to deal with the fact that she was ‘abandoned’ by her parents. Henry was given up by Emma to receive his best possible chance at life, and accordingly, he grew up in a mansion with a—as we’ll come to find out—loving mother. 

But, lol, that’s not the point the show’s trying to make here. Point is, Emma is a lost kid, and she’s trying so hard to make sure that Henry doesn’t end up being one as well. Plus, it’s heartbreakingly ironic that the very person she’s been trying to find is standing right next to her.

Oh, Kathryn, you have a v. painful arc coming up.

You know, had I been in the OUAT fandom when Ginny and Josh announced that they were together, that would have been the end of me.

The chemistry between these two is incomparable.

Like, I know it’s for the aesthetic™, but this bag is so impractical for the life Snow lives, lololol. 

Had to include these iconic lines.

Regina: We’ll talk about your insubordination later. Do you know what insubordination means?

Henry: [Shakes his head.]

Regina: It means you’re grounded.

Good God—Kathryn’s fake backstory is so intricate and moving. (Also, I love Anastasia Griffith. She really portrays the duality of Abigail/Kathryn well.)

“Because all of this has reminded me of something, oh, so very important... how grateful I am to have Henry.”

“Because not having somebody... well, that’s the worst curse imaginable.”

Lana Parrilla has no right giving such a nuanced performance of what should have been a one-dimension villain.

But that’s why we love her.

Over the course of the seasons, we learned that the curse backfired on Regina. Sure, everyone was miserable, but so was she... and at least her victims weren’t even cognizant of the fact that they were cursed. Heck, in that sense, they had it better than she did.

So in exacting her perfect revenge, Regina only deepened the void inside of her, drove herself to an emptiness like no other she has felt before.

By the time Greg and Owen showed up, it was nearly unbearable.

And then... she adopted Henry.

And suddenly, she wasn’t alone anymore.

Without Henry, her life is but a void, an emptiness, a nothingness of her own design, and right now, Emma Swan is a perceived threat to the tenuous solace she has carved out for herself these past ten years.

What Regina doesn’t understand is that she’s the real threat.

She’s the one who is ultimately pushing Henry away.

Okay, y’all aren’t allowed to make eye-contact anymore. 😭

:’)

I think I can safely say that “Snow Falls” is one of the most tightly written and acted episodes in the series. On an architectural level, the dialogue parallels were especially poignant, and the sentimental moments were well chosen. For instance, concluding the episode on this sweet, tender moment between Emma and Mary Margaret is an expert choice that ameliorates the Snowing pathos we’re currently feeling. Theatrically, it’s the little nuances that make “Snow Falls” so great: JMO’s uncomfortable vulnerability as Emma talks about her history with MM, the mutual attractions of Snow and David that surface in meaningful glances expertly affected by Ginny and Josh, the softnesses Lana and Anastasia imbue their hardened characters with.

Just really wonderful stuff all around.

[argyle-s]

THE SHAPE OF THINGS TO COME CHAPTER 22/38

Rating: Mature

Read at Ao3

Start at the Beginning

Supergirl talks to the press, Maggie interviews a suspect, Kara babysits Carter, Lucy seeks some advice, and Cat offers someone a job at CatCo.

Note:  For those of you who might have missed it, I’ve started posting twice a week until this story is finished.  If you only read the chapter last Saturday, you might have missed Wednesday’s post of Chapter 21 - A Distant Early Warning.  The events of this chapter won’t make a lot of sense without that chapter, so make sure you’re up to date first.

Thanks to @ifourmindbeso for her great work as a beta. Any remaining mistakes are entirely my own.

Chapter 22 –  The Back and Forth

“And in late-breaking news this morning, an arrest has been made in connection with yesterday’s bombing of a research lab in building fourteen of the Winslow Research Park. Sources close to the NCPD have indicated that the suspect in custody is a former employee at the lab. While details are still sketchy, what is known is that Supergirl was on the scene yesterday and managed to disarm two bombs, before flying a third one out of the building just moments before it exploded, and while the Girl of Steel was seen flying away from the scene of the bombing shortly after the explosion, she hasn’t been seen since, leaving some to speculate that the superhero was injured during the explosion. Reporting live from Police Headquarters in downtown National City, this is Tawny Young for CatCo News.”

Kara rolled her eyes as the report wrapped up and the story switched to a segment on the National City Valkyries getting trounced by the Gateway City Amazons. Much as she might like to take the time to watch the report and ogle the unreasonably attractive goalie for Gateway City’s women’s soccer team, it looked like it was time to do a little spin control, so she pulled up the Supergirl twitter account.

Supergirl @SupergirlZorEl 17 Nov 2015

@TawnyYoung Not hurt, just doing laundry. Anyone know how to get out bomb stains?

Vicki Vale @VickiVale 17 Nov 2015

@SupergirlZorEl Cold Club Soda for Semtex, Hand Wash in warm water and Woolite for C4. Gasoline or dynamite, throw it out

Lois Lane @LoisLane 17 Nov 2015

@SupergirlZorEl Listen to @VickiVale young Padawan. She speaks much wisdom.

Supergirl @SupergirlZorEl 17 Nov 2015

@LoisLane @VickiVale What about mad scientist grade super explosives?

Lois Lane @LoisLane 17 Nov 2015

@SupergirlZorEl unless @VickiVale has some wisdom I don’t, ask your cousin, because I don’t think Perry White will let you expense the super suit.

Perry White @PerryWhite 17 Nov 2015

@SupergirlZorEl @VickiVale I would not. Try @CatGrant. @LoisLane, meet me in my office. We need to discuss your expense account.

Vicki Vale @VickiVale 17 Nov 2015

@LoisLane BUSTED! @supergirlzorel​

Cat Grant @CatGrant 17 Nov 2015

@SupergirlZorEl No. @PerryWhite I can loan you some thumb screws for @LoisLane @VickiVale Drinks tonight?

Vicki Vale @VickiVale 17 Nov 2015

@CatGrant I don’t know. Will @SupergirlZorEl get jealous?

Cat Grant @CatGrant 17 Nov 2015

@VickiVale what @SupergirlZorEl doesn’t know won’t hurt us.

Supergirl @SupergirlZorEl 17 Nov 2015

@VickiVale I trust you. @CatGrant twitter is less private than you seem to think.

Cat Grant @CatGrant 17 Nov 2015

@SupergirlZorEl shouldn’t you be out saving kittens while @VickiVale and I chat?

Supergirl @SupergirlZorEl 17 Nov 2015

@CatGrant check @CatCoNews Feed. Dealt with a fire, a bank robbery, and 2 wrecks while you were scheduling Martinis. Can @VickiVale do that?

CatCo News @CatCoNews 17 Nov 2015

@CatCo @VickiVale @SupergirlZorEl A fire, a bank robbery, 2 wrecks and carried an old lady’s groceries to the car.

Vicki Vale @VickiVale 17 Nov 2015

@CatGrant @SupergirlZorEl I cannot. Except for the groceries. I could do that.

Supergirl @SupergirlZorEl 17 Nov 2015

@CatGrant @VickiVale I win!

Vicki Vale @VickiVale 17 Nov 2015

@SupergirlZorEl If you say so. I’m still the one having drinks with @CatGrant in Metropolis tonight.

Supergirl @SupergirlZorEl 17 Nov 2015

@CatGrant I take back what I said. @VickiVale seems kind of shady. Best not risk it.

Cat Grant @CatGrant 17 Nov 2015

@SupergirlZorEl of course @VickiVale is shady. She’s from Gotham. I’ll take my chances.

Vicki Vale @VickiVale 17 Nov 2015

@SupergirlZorEl I feel like I should be insulted, but @CatGrant is right. Everyone from Gotham is shady.

Supergirl @SupergirlZorEl 17 Nov 2015

I don’t know @VickiVale @BruceWayne seemed nice. Didn’t he @CatGrant ?

Vicki Vale @VickiVale 17 Nov 2015

Okay @SupergirlZorEl that’s a fair point. @BruceWayne is the one non-shady person in Gotham. Right @CatGrant ?

Cat Grant @CatGrant 17 Nov 2015

@VickiVale I am not sure if @BruceWayne is a saint, or a mad man, or both, but @SupergirlZorEl is right, he’s always unfailingly nice.

Vicki Vale @VickiVale 17 Nov 2015

@CatGrant leaving aside @SupergirlZorEl ‘s opinion, the Forbes interview points to the mad man theory.

Supergirl @SupergirlZorEl 17 Nov 2015

@VickiVale What’s wrong with the Forbes interview? @CatGrant didn’t @PenelopeWayne seem nice?

Cat Grant @CatGrant 17 Nov 2015

@SupergirlZorEl kittens. Saving. Now. @VickiVale see why I need a drink?

CatCo News @CatCoNews 17 Nov 2015

Supergirl spotted delivering a box of abandoned kittens to the Nations Bay Animal Shelter. @CatGrant

Cat Grant @CatGrant 17 Nov 2015

@CatCoNews I still sign your paycheck.

Supergirl @SupergirlZorEl 17 Nov 2015

Now, @CatGrant be nice.

Cat Grant @CatGrant 17 Nov 2015

@SupergirlZorEl I can only be nice to one person a day. Today’s @VickiVale’s day.

Supergirl @SupergirlZorEl 17 Nov 2015

@CatGrant how’s tomorrow looking for me?

Cat Grant @CatGrant 17 Nov 2015

@SupergirlZorEl that depends on how late @VickiVale and I stay at the bar tonight.

Maggie walked through the door of the interrogation room where Ethan Knox had been waiting for them for the past hour and took the seat opposite him, laying a thin folder on the table. He didn’t look up, just kept staring down at the table looking slouched and defeated. She understood. They’d been going round and round since eight o’clock the night before.

This time was different though. Alex had gotten back from the DEO office about forty-five minutes ago, with an impressive amount of documentation of the money trail for the Knox girl’s medical bills. It was nowhere near enough to arrest Maxwell Lord, but it was enough to get the ADA to offer a plea deal if Knox fingered Lord. The paper trail, plus Knox’s testimony, would be enough to get warrants, which would be enough to put Lord behind bars for a very, very long time.

“How you doing, Ethan?” Maggie asked. Start easy. They’d been at this for sixteen hours, on and off, and Maggie had been soft balling it the whole time, but it was time for hard ball.

“I’m tired,” he said. “I don’t know what you want from me.”

“The truth,” Maggie said.

He looked up, and she almost felt sorry for him, because the man looked absolutely broken.

“I told you the truth,” he said.

Maggie nodded. “Part of the truth. I need all of it.”

“I haven’t got anything else to tell you.”

Maggie leaned back in the chair. “Ethan, do you want to know where I was for the last hour?”

“I don’t care,” he said. “I just want to go to sleep.”

“You should care,” Maggie said. “Because I’ve been out there talking to the DA. I’ve been out there, pleading your case. Ask… begging her, to let me cut you a deal. Took me an hour to get her to say yes.”

“I don’t want a deal.”

“Yes you do, Ethan. And I’ll tell you why. You got a little girl-“

“You leave my daughter out of this!” he said, leaning forward suddenly.

Maggie didn’t flinch. “I can’t do that, Ethan,” she said, as she reached out, and flipped open the folder, showing him a picture of his daughter she’d printed from his facebook page. “I can’t leave her out of this, because she’s what this is all about.”

He shook his head, looking down at the picture. “She’s got nothing to do with this.”

“Yes, she does,” Maggie said. “I’m going tell you what I think happened, Ethan. And I want you to think really, really hard. I can’t stop you from going to jail. You walking out of here a free man isn’t on the table. You planted bombs. But, what I can do, is tell the judge that six months ago, your little girl, the light of your life, was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. I can tell the judge that you were refused family leave and fired after you missed work taking your baby girl to get treated. I can tell the judge how your insurance was cancelled, and how you were afraid your baby girl was going to die. Then, I can tell the judge about the man who came to you, who offered to help your little girl. I can tell him that this man offered to pay for your daughter’s medical care, and all you had to do was plant a couple of bombs. No one was supposed to get hurt.

“If I tell the judge that, Ethan, you’ll go to prison right here in National City. Your little girl can come visit you, and if you don’t get in trouble inside, in five years, you’ll be home, taking care of your family.”

Maggie leaned forward, looking Ethan in the eye. “Now, ask me what happens if you don’t tell the truth?”

Ethan’s eyes lifted from the picture.

“If you don’t tell me the truth, Ethan, I can’t help you. If you don’t tell me the truth, that DA is going to charge you with terrorism. You’re going to go to a federal prison. A Super-Max federal prison in Colorado called ADX Florence. As a terrorist. You will have no human contact. You will receive no letters. You will spend the rest of your natural life in an eight-foot-by-nine-foot room. You will only leave that room for one hour a day. You will never see your wife or your daughter again.”

“But she’ll be alive,” Ethan said.

“You know, you have a guardian angel,” Maggie said. This was it. The moment she lobbed the fast ball.

“What do you mean?” he asked.

“Your daughter is gonna be home in a few days. She’s gonna be home, and she’s going to be completely healthy.”

“What? How?”

“Supergirl,” Maggie said. “She found out why you did this, and she made a couple of calls. Sometime in the next few days, your daughter, along with every other kid in that cancer ward, is going to get a Kryptonian drug that cures cancer.” Maggie leaned forward. “She’s going to get that drug whether you talk or not, and she isn’t gonna have to worry about cancer ever again, because Supergirl is not going to hold the life of a little girl hostage. Not like the man you’re lying to protect. The question is, Ethan, do you ever want to see your daughter again?”

“What do you want to know?” Ethan asked.

“Everything,” Maggie said, “but start with his name.”

Kara glanced down at her phone and smiled when she saw Alex’s name on it. She picked it up and leaned back in her chair, watching as Winn sat typing away on his computer, doing Rao only knew what. She hit the accept button and raised the phone to her ear.

“Hey Alex,” she said.

“He cracked,” Alex replied.

“Finally,” Kara said. “That only took what, fourteen hours?”

“Sixteen,” Alex said. “But you should have seen Maggie. Once we had the deal cut with the DA, she broke him in about ten minutes. It was beautiful.”

“I’ll bet,” Kara said. “So, you going to arrest Max?”

“Not yet,” Alex said. “We’re waiting for the warrants to come through. Once we have the warrants, we’ll be able to tear Lord Tech, and Maxwell Lord’s entire life, apart. The TSA and the Mayor have already agreed to shut down the Train tonight. If we find even a tenth of what I think we will, Max is going to jail for a very long time.”

“That’s terrific!” Kara said. “I’d offer to come help with the arrest, but I’ve got to babysit.”

“Have fun with that,” Alex said.

“I will,” Kara said.

Kara smiled as she watched Carter and the other students come out of the school. Parents walked up and spoke with the woman who was checking students out. Some students headed for the waiting busses, but Kara took her time, waiting at the back of the line. She wasn’t surprised at all when the phone rang. She just hit the answer button and lifted the phone to her ear.

“Hello Ms. Grant,” she said.

“How’s Carter? Does he miss his mom?” Cat asked.

“I’ll ask him in a minute Ms. Grant. I’m at the back of the line.”

“Why? Did you get there late?” Cat asked.

“No. I was talking to my sister when the bell rang.”

“Well, as long as you didn’t forget.”

“Of course not, Ms. Grant,” Kara said, smiling as she remembered how the day went in the original timeline where she’d done just that. “I’ll have Carter call you from the car.”

“Okay. Take care of my boy.”

“I will,” Kara said, and hung up. She waited patiently until the last of the parents were gone, and it was just her, the attendant from the school, and Carter.

“Hi,” she said. “Ms. Grant put me on the list. I’m Kara Danvers.”

“Hello, Ms. Danvers,” she said, holding out a clip board. “I just need a signature.”

“Of course,” Kara said. She sighed the form quickly and handed it back.

“There,” the attendant said. “He’s all yours. Have fun, Carter.”

Kara turned to Carter, smiling at him. “Hey, I’m Kara,” she said. “You remember me from your mom’s office?”

Carter nodded.

“You’ve grown since the last time I saw you,” she said. Carter didn’t respond. “How was school?” Carter shrugged, and Kara grinned. “This is a really good school. I’m surprised they haven’t taught you guys to speak out loud yet.”

That got the same laugh in this timeline as it had in the other, and Kara felt a small weight lift. It seemed like things would be okay.

“You know, I really liked school. Learning all sorts of things.” She leaned down, and said in a conspiratorial whisper, “Don’t tell your mom, but me and my sister were both huge nerds.”

Carter laughed at that and smiled up.

“Mom says it’s okay to be a nerd. She says if you can face your fears and come out of your shell… nerds can win, in the end.”

Kara nodded. “That does sound like something your mom, who slips Star Wars jokes into article titles, and has the Imperial March and the theme from The Terminator as ring tones, might say about nerds.” Carter’s face split into a huge grin, and Kara straightened up and nodded back towards the parking area. “Come on. We’ve got to go into the office for a bit longer today, but I don’t think you’ll mind too much.”

From TMZ.com

Vicki Vale and Supergirl Fight a Twitter War over Cat Grant!

11/17/2015 1:45 PM PST

Gotham’s most famous reporter and National City’s own Girl of Steel got into a heated twitter exchange this morning over who would get to spend time with Cat Grant.

By the end of the exchange, it looked like a solid victory for the Gotham reporter. No word yet on what this will mean for Superhero/Press relations in National City, or for the future of Gotham’s favorite reporter and the National City Media Mogul.

The real surprise here, however, is Vicki Vale. While Cat’s long and sordid dating history has fluttered back and forth between both ends of the Kinsey Scale, and Supergirl was seen filling her dance card with the likes of Bruce Wayne, Lois Lane’s younger sister, and Cat Grant herself at a media event last Friday, Vale, has never shown any signs of enjoying the fairer sex’s company before. In fact, Vale’s only previous high-profile love interest was none other than Billionaire Playboy Bruce Wayne himself.

Seems like Vale and the Maid of Might could be picking through each other’s sloppy seconds.

Kara led Carter off the elevator on the forty-second floor, and gave a quick wave to Padme, Laura, Wilma, Marcus and Winn. “Hey, guys. This is Carter Grant.”

Winn, and the DEO agents all gave a quick wave from their desks, and there was a brief chorus of “Hi’s” and “Hello’s” as they all greeted him.

“Carter, I’d like you to meet the Supergirl Social Media Team,” Kara said.

Carter looked up at her, excitement written all over his face. “Supergirl? Really?”

Kara nodded. “Yes. Padme over there is responsible for tracking any social media traffic that mentions Supergirl, so we know if there are any trends we need to respond to.” Kara didn’t mention that Padme’s job largely consisted of reviewing prescreened material from Konex, before deciding if she needed to pass it on to Kara for a response, and working with Konex to make sure no one could track Kara’s movements back to her apartment, the DEO, or CatCo. “Laura is our business liaison. She actually talks to Facebook, Google, YouTube, Twitter, Instagram and Tumblr about Supergirl’s accounts, and handles media requests. And Wilma and Marcus take the raw footage Supergirl sends over and edit together her YouTube videos, and Winn over there is our IT guy. He runs the Krypton Remembered website.”

Carter looked around at all of them like Christmas had come early. “You guys all know Supergirl?” he asked.

“Yeah,” Kara said. “She doesn’t spend a lot of time here, but she drops by from time to time. Come on. Let’s get you settled.” She led him over to a spare desk she’d had set up just for this purpose when she’d had the contractors build out the floor. It was tucked back in a small alcove, close enough to Kara’s office, which set in the same spot as Cat’s two floors down, that Kara could keep an eye on him, but hidden from the rest of the floor, and with a clear shot to Cat’s private elevator, just in case.

“I got your Steam and Origin Passwords from your mom and had Winn download and install your entire Library in your user profile,” she said. “I’m pretty sure Winn’s down for some Plants vs. Zombies: Garden Warfare or some Star Wars Battlefront, if you want.”

Carter sat down at the desk and looked up at her shyly. “That’s cool, but… do you think Supergirl will be here today?”

Kara smiled at him. “Yeah,” Kara said. “I’ve got a meeting in a little bit, so Wilma and Winn are going to keep an eye on you, but Supergirl’s supposed to drop off some stuff for us today. I’m sure she’d have a minute to say hello.”

“Really?” Carter asked.

Kara nodded. “Really.”

“Kara?” another voice said.

Kara turned around, surprised to find Lucy standing there, a slightly flustered look on her face. She frowned, because she’d remembered running into Lucy the first time she lived this day, but she was sure it had been in Noonan’s. She held up a finger, indicating to Lucy that she needed a moment, then she turned back to Carter. “I’ll be back in a couple of minutes.”

“Okay,” Carter said.

Kara give Lucy a wave, indicating that she should follow as Kara headed into her office. She stopped at the glass doors, waiting until Lucy was inside then swinging the doors closed.

Kara’s office, in the same spot at Cat’s was two floors down, was laid out on the same model, but Kara disliked the fishbowl design of Cat’s, so while the front wall and door did have windows in them, the windows were covered with vertical blinds, which she drew. Then she turned around and dropped down on one of the comfortable sofas on either side of the coffee table, choosing to sit next to Lucy, instead of across from her. Unlike Cat’s office, Kara had opted for a warm color scheme. The walls were a warm orange shade that the contractor had called Terracotta. The carpet was a reddish tan, and the sofas were an off white with gold brocade pattern. It was the same color scheme as her room on Krypton, and just walking into the room usually set her nerves at ease, but it wasn’t having the same effect on Lucy. She was clearly upset about something.

“Is everything okay?” Kara asked.

“Yeah. Yeah, I’m just…” Lucy stopped and took a deep breath, finally looking Kara in the eye. “Is it okay if I say no?”

“Of course,” Kara said. She reached out, offering Lucy her hand. Lucy looked down at it for a moment, and Kara could see the confusion on Lucy’s face turn into surprise, and then gratitude as she reached out and took the offered hand. “How can I help.”

Lucy looked up at Kara’s face again and smiled for the first time since she’d gotten Kara’s attention. “You have no idea how long it’s been since someone has asked me that.”

“Well, then, people aren’t treating you the way they should,” Kara said. “Do I need to bust some heads? I’m really good at that.”

Lucy laughed, which brought a smile to Kara’s face. “No,” she said. “I appreciate the offer, but no one is really to blame. I just… I wanted to thank you, for what you tried to do.”

Kara shook her head. “I’m not sure what you mean.”

“I mean telling me who you are. Going out of your way to respect my feelings for James. Your cousin never did that.”

“James is being an idiot, isn’t he?” Kara asked.

“No,” Lucy said. “You just made me realize that it isn’t going to work out.”

Kara frowned and tilted her head slightly in confusion. “I don’t understand. I was trying to help, Lucy. I know you love James. I can see it every time you look at him.”

“Yeah,” Lucy said, nodding as tears started welling up in her eyes. “Yeah, I do. But he doesn’t love me. He likes me. He maybe loves the idea of me. But even now, even when I know about you, he still won’t let me in.” She reached up and wiped a tear off her face. “I tried. To talk to him about all of this, to get to understand, but he doesn’t want to share. Not with me. And it made me realize that it would never work, because no matter how much I want to be a part of his life, he just doesn’t want me there.”

“Oh, Lucy,” Kara said, letting go of her hand and reached up, pulling her into a hug. “I am so, so sorry.” She held onto Lucy for a moment, but a sinking feeling settled into her gut, and she pulled back.

“Lucy, when did you talk to James?” she asked.

“Last night,” Lucy said. “I’m supposed to go back to Metropolis… Kara, what is it?”

Kara reached up and pushed her glasses up so she could pinch the bridge of her nose. “I’m sorry. God, I am so sorry.” She let out a sigh as she looked up at Lucy again. “I did exactly what I was trying *not* to do.”

“Kara, what are you talking about?”

“There are things I can’t tell you,” Kara said as she took Lucy’s hand again. “It’s not because I don’t trust you. I do. I know that sounds weird. We’ve only known each other a few days, but honestly, I would trust you with my life. But… You’re a soldier. You understand that sometimes information has to be compartmentalized.”

“Yeah,” Lucy said. “Yeah, of course.”

“I read James and a couple of other people into a big piece of information yesterday, Lucy. Well, more than one. I can’t tell you what it is, because you’d have a duty to report it to your superiors, at which point, any hope of containment is out the window. This is the kind of information that people would kill for.”

“I’d ask what could be that bad, but after working with my father for so long, I don’t want to know,” Lucy said.

“If you talked to James last night, and he was reluctant to talk, it’s probably just because he’s processing new information. Look, Lucy, maybe you can give it another try.”

Lucy shook her head. “I don’t know. I’ve tried so many times, and I appreciate what you’re doing, even if it is for James, but-“

“It’s not,” Kara said. “It’s not for James. This is for you. I like James. He’s wonderful and supportive, and brave, but Lucy, you’re every bit as amazing as James is. I don’t want you to spend the rest of your life with regrets. If you and James can have a life together and be happy, *you* deserve that. And if you can’t, you deserve to know that too.”

“You know, you’re pretty amazing yourself,” Lucy said.

Kara shrugged and lifted her face towards the ceiling in a dramatic gesture. “It’s my burden,” she said. “Go on. Go talk to James.”

“Okay,” Lucy said. “But, first, give me your phone.”

“Why?”

Lucy laughed and rolled her eyes. “For someone so charming, you sure have a hard time recognizing when a girl is trying to give you her digits.”

Kara landed on the public balcony on the forty-second floor of the CatCo building carrying a large binder, and immediately pulled open the door to let her into the floor. All six people immediately looked up at the sound, but there was one slightly strangled gasp from over by her office, and she had to fight not to smile.

“Ms. Danvers?” she called out.

“She’s not here,” Wilma replied. “She should be back in a few minutes, unless her meeting runs long.”

“Oh. Well, I brought back the list of proposed merchandise marked with the approvals.”

“Just leave it on her desk,” Wilma replied.

Kara nodded. “Okay,” she said backing towards her office. She turned around to find Carter standing next to his desk. “Oh… Hello.”

“Uh… Hi,” Carter said. A moment later, he started to blush furiously, and Kara could tell he was kicking himself.

She stepped forward and held out her hand. “I’m Supergirl… but you probably already know that,” she said, looking up and bouncing her head from side to side. She looked back down at him. “I mean, this makes it hard not to guess,” she said, gesturing to the El coat of arms. “And coming in through the balcony is a bit of a giveaway too.”

Carter laughed, and the blush faded, replaced by a smile. “The cape is a dead giveaway,” he said.

Kara looked back over her right shoulder, then over her left, before turning and bending down, asking Carter in a conspiratorial voice, “Do you think it’s too much?” she asked. “I wonder sometimes. I had an alien grab me by it and throw me through a wall during one of my first fights.”

“Really?” Carter asked.

“Yeah,” Kara said, nodding. “She said, ‘You might wanna rethink the cape’.” Kara had dropped her voice a bit when imitating Astra. “Then she grabbed it and flung me through a concrete wall.”

Carter’s eyes got wide. “Did it hurt?” he asked.

Kara waved her hand. “Nah. Concrete walls are really soft. Concrete floors though, those hurt.”

“Because the concrete won’t compress if there’s dirt under it?”

Kara smiled. “Exactly! Wow. You’re smart. I guess that explains why you’re working here when you’re so young.”

“Oh, I don’t work here. I’m just here with Kara until she gets off work.”

“Are you a friend of hers?”

“No. I mean… Well, I don’t really know her that well, but she’s really nice. But she’s taking care of me while my mom’s in Metropolis.”

“Oh! You’re Ms. Grant’s son.”

“She told you about me?”

“No, we didn’t really talk much about her,” Kara said. “But I saw a picture of you and her on her wall. I didn’t recognize you because you’ve grown a bit.”

“Yeah,” he said. “That picture was taken two years ago. I’m Carter, by the way.”

“Well, it’s a pleasure to meet you, Carter Grant,” she said. “But I have to get going.”

“Okay.”

Kara grinned and winked at Carter, then used a bit of her super-speed to zip into her office, and set the binder on her desk, before zipping back out again. She was just kicking off the balcony when his “Wow!” hit her ears.

KPJT Channel 3 Evening News

Richard Gardener Reporting

"And in late-breaking news this evening, another arrest has been made in connection with yesterday's bombing of a research lab in building fourteen of the Winslow Research Park. While no one at the NCPD is speaking about the matter on the record, CatCo News has exclusive footage of Maxwell Lord being led out of his lab in hand cuffs by Detective Maggie Sawyer, the same Detective who was scene commander at yesterday's bombing. Detective Sawyer was later seen escorting Lord into Police headquarters, and sources say the DA's office is currently working with federal prosecutors to bring charges against Lord, not just for this incident, but for a number of others based on evidence obtained in a search of Lord's home and office earlier today.  For KPJT Evening News, I'm Richard Gardener."

Cat shook her head and turned back to Vicki as the waiter set down a fresh round of drinks.

“What do you think?” Cat asked.

Vicki picked up her Manhattan and took a sip. “It’s a tempting offer, Cat. Head up a new investigative journalism division. I just don’t know about leaving Gotham.”

Cat took a sip of her own Martini. “Come on, Vale. Don’t play coy with me. You’re not twenty-five anymore and after what happened, I’d think you’d be itching to get out of Gotham.”

Vicki shrugged. “I’ve lived there a long time, Cat.”

“I’d lived in Metropolis a long time before I bought a run-down television station in National City,” Cat said. She sat down her drink and looked at Vicki. “You know John’s never going to put you back in the field again.”

Vicki sighed and nodded. “Yeah,” she said. “I know.”

“He’s right, too,” Cat said. “After what Falcone did, it’s not safe.”

“I didn’t know you cared,” Vicki said.

“I don’t,” Cat replied. “I’d planned to offer the job to Snapper Carr.”

Vicki laughed. “Then why are we here, Cat?”

“Because every time I ask her to get me Snapper Carr’s number, my normally meek and obedient assistant suddenly develops selective amnesia, and the next morning, I find your, Lana Lang and Chloe Sullivan’s resumes on my desk, and I’d rather *not* hire someone who’s slept with Clark Kent.”

Vicki rolled her eyes. “I don’t think Chloe ever bagged that particular white whale. Though I admit, I came close a time or two. Grade A, corn fed, Kansas farm boy is good for the soul.”

“If wanting to sleep with Clark Kent were a crime, ninety percent of the women who’ve laid eyes on him would be locked up right now.”

“Not to mention at least ten percent of the men,” Vicki said. “I think Bruce might have tried to tap that at one point.”

Cat picked up her Martini and downed the entire thing in one go, before setting the glass down with a bit more force than necessary. “I did not need that mental image.”

“Oh, but it’s soooo pretty,” Vicki said, finishing her Manhattan, and waving for another round.

“Yes, well, once upon a time, I would have enjoyed it with you. Sadly, when Clark’s insanely perky cousin works as your assistant, it kind of spoils the fun. I can feel her judging me, all the way from National City.”

“Since when do you let anyone judge you, Cat?” Vicki said as the waiter came over, carrying more alcohol. “Wait… Oh, no. No! Not Cat Grant!”

Cat glared as Vicki’s face lit up in absolute delight. “I take it back. You can’t have the job,” she said.

“Oh, no. It’s too late. I am definitely taking the job. I’ve got to see this girl.”

“It’s not what you’re thinking, Vicki,” Cat said.

“Uh huh,” Vicki said, picking up her Manhattan.

“She’s barely twenty-five years old,” Cat growled.

“Well, now I definitely have to see her.”

“I hate you,” Cat said.

Vicki just shook her head. “If that were true, you would have slept with Bruce that night.”

Cat shrugged. “If you hadn’t had your head so far up your ass you can see your own teeth, you would know Bruce wasn’t the one I wanted to take back to my room.”

“Yeah, well, jealousy makes us all stupid sometimes, Cat.”

“And here I thought it was the heterosexuality,” Cat said.

“That too,” Vicki laughed.

“Considering the job I’m offering you, I hope you’ve gotten over that,” Cat said.

“What, the stupidity, or the heterosexuality?” Vicki asked.

“Preferably both, but I’ll settle for the stupidity,” Cat said.

“Well, I’ve definitely gotten over Bruce,” Vicki said.

“Everyone does eventually,” Cat said.

“Not Selina,” Vicki said.

“That’s got to hurt,” Cat said.

“Not as much as you’d think. If someone else wants to spend their life wondering when one of his stupid stunts is going to get him killed, they’re more than welcome to it. I’m not going to pretend that I won’t be a wreck when it finally happens, but I’ve managed to get enough distance that I don’t stay awake nights worrying about it anymore. Let Selina have that.”

“You’re going to take the job,” Cat said.

“Yeah,” Vicki said. “Of course, you knew that before you asked.”

“I don’t like to brag,” Cat said.

“Oh, come on, Cat. We both know that’s a lie.”

“True.”

“How soon do you want me to start?” Vicki asked.

“A month ago,” Cat said, “but until someone invents a time machine, I suppose I’ll have to settle for as soon as possible.”

“Monday then?” Vicki ask.

“That will do,” Cat replied. “Will John really let you go that fast?”

“John will help me pack,” Vicki said. “And honestly, the sooner I get out of Gotham, the happier everyone will be.”

[financiallymint]

I asked 42 students about Personal Finance. Here’s what they said + Resource Pack

Personal Finance is a subject which is not talked about enough in college; students graduate unprepared and are hit with money issues they didn’t even see coming (I actually have to pay back my education???). And that’s simply because we don’t have financial education in the curriculum.

So I went on Tumblr and asked 42 students what exact areas of personal finance do they wish they knew more about. Although some answers won’t surprise you, the general trend might. That’s why I ask you not to read each answer (although feel free to do so), but to skim the page noticing the words in bold.

I asked these 42 awesome students this exact question:

What do you, as a college student, wish you knew more about in terms of money and finance?

…here are their answers:

Alice Young: Whenever I have any doubts on money for example taxes etc and have tried asking my bank, their attitude has often been that I’m just a student and I never seem to get a full answer to a question I ask. I am clueless about most things on the finance side, I guess we aren’t told much about it at university and I always think I’ll learn things as and when I need to, really.

Adult Talk:  I definitely would say that I wish I knew more about credit cards before coming in to college because I had to spend hours doing research before I applied for a credit card. I didn’t know anything about the interest rate, when you were charged for interest, how much you started with, etc. because my mom never had a credit card. What I wish I knew more about now would be student loans because I’ve never taken out one and if I need to in the future I’ll have to speak to a financial adviser and do research again.

Ampersand-study: I’d really like to learn more about taxes, it’s ridiculous how little is said about them at school. And maybe finances related to work? Stuff like different key terms, budgeting, different types of bank accounts, a bit of student finance…

Seachellstudies: I wish I knew more about banks, credit cards and paying for stuff more. Every time I want to purchase something I have trouble because im very unfamiliar with these financial stuff

Crispacademic: I wish I knew more about ways to make money without working corporate and as a full time student. Does taking paid surveys pay off? Should i think about opening a mini business? What are ways i can earn some side money without killing myself with stress?

Stuuuuuuddyyy: TAXES, I have no idea how they operate. And I’m pretty sure my previous employer was doing me out of money for this exact reason.

Studysydney: So for me, I wish I knew more about how a student loan will impact me financially in the future, for example will it affect me getting a mortgage? A car? I’m worried how a large debt may prevent me from having these things. I also worry about how I can budget and how much I will need to survive at university.

Triana-studies: For me personally, it would definitely be how credit works and credit cards. Students aren’t taught about the basics of finance unless they start taking a course on it and we college students are smack in the middle of it all, what with getting our first debut and credit cards and taking student loans. But i would love to see more info on credit as it is so important for young people to start establishing credit as soon as they can and it smart ways.

Istudiously: So i would say what I wish I knew more about (although i have learned by doing haha) is like paying bills and writing checks and like opening a bank account and all that stuff, we never learned about stuff like this in school :/

Neuroticmedblr: I honestly wish I knew more about the different types of student loans and repayment options back in undergrad lol. Good luck with your mega post!

Optomstudies: I guess basic accounting? Like making sure accounts check out and double entry?

Samstudygram: budgeting: going from being completely dependent on my parents’ funds to being pretty much financially independent was like a shock. i realized that i had no idea whatsoever how to decide how much i should be spending on groceries, toiletries, clothes, etc. and i learned the hard way that trying to figure out your personal finances once you’re already on your own is tough. figure out how much money you have (as well as your income if you’re going to have a job or be getting financial support from your family) and figure out how much you will allow yourself to spend on groceries, toiletries, gas, discretionary things (like clothes and eating out), as well as how much you need to be saving.

Sweaters-tea-studying: But still I try my best to save where I can and I wish I knew more methods of saving money and financial tips from people, and for school to really educate younger students how to manage money wisely. My parents had always dealt with managing the money so as a college student, fresh out of home, I do find myself spending money a little bit overboard sometimes. I struggle to use money in a stable way and in a wise way without kind of yoyo-ing around, spending it on shopping and then skipping meals to make up for it.

whenstudyblooms: I think that being frugal is important but it’s very easy to forget about saving money. Especially when hs students are preparing for college; not only do they have to prep academically but also financially. I’m not an expert with the financial aspect, so I would like to know the best way to balance money between spending on different things when I get into college.

notebooks-are-my-bestfriend: and to answer your question, I would say the hardest part is budgeting. In the UK, the student loan comes through according to the universities semester/term and once the loan is deposited in the bank account, it is so easy to spend it on stuff you don’t need. So, I would say that hardest part financially is budgeting and not knowing what to do with big sums of money.

studying-minerva: Taxes, Credit Cards, Managing savings, and how to get the most out of your budget.

warmhealer: I guess I would say taxes? I think that’s something that is never explained in an accessible way.

merostudies: I don’t know enough about taxes (specifically, what is the limit one can make and still get all of their taxes returned; also, how tf do you fill out Turbo Tax). My student loans have been fairly straightforward, but my parents figured that out and explained it to me and we didn’t have to take out much so it’s been fine. For credit cards, I’ve also been good. So I guess mostly taxes are the confusing part to me, but overall I can’t say I have a lot of experience in anything since my parents were a huge help.

biologee: i think that what i struggled with the most was with having to take out a loan. i didn’t feel as if i’d been prepared for this since i knew nothing about the different types of loans and which one was better for what i wanted and the lifestyle i was looking for. i remember feeling super overwhelmed when i first started researching, and i wished somebody would have told me beforehand what to look for or even what most of the words i was reading meant. the other thing was preparing an actual budget after receiving my loan. i was living by myself for the first time so i had to factor in rent, food, water and energy, everything! so balancing that with how much money i could spend on my studies and on myself was a bit rough for me in the beginning (and sometimes still).

badasstudies: I wish there was more open information and education in schools about funding and how to approach it because it’s scary.

bokuto-studying: Good evening! I’m from Belarus and I would be interested to know about taxesin other countries

futuredentist: I’d probably say that I wish i knew more about all the bursaries available from universities to help with financial difficulty etc. A lot of the time, students aren’t aware of the financial help available to them and they end up struggling a lot.

studyingbackthen: I wish I’d known more about how UK student loans affect your financial future. Students with loans are finding that they can’t get mortgages and the like despite assurances that student loans wouldn’t affect this. It wouldn’t have altered my decision to go to uni but students need to be made aware of the reality of £50k of debt and have the chance to seek other sources of financial support through college.

Sapphire-studies: to have a student budget planner which lets you know everything you may possibly have to pay for so its less unknown what your costs will be when you start. let you know you’ll need to put down a deposit when you start renting somewhere, and that you may have to account for formals and buying presents and other little things you forget about and add up to a lot.

studyelement: Mainly I wish there was a one-credit course, or some sort of seminar explaining exactly how your student loans work, and what will happen after college. At the moment, students are taking out large loans and not realizing the consequences or how to prepare to pay these loans once they leave college.

Isabella-study: I think students should know more about term deposits.

Nightlystudying: What I struggle most with is probably taxes, medical costs and insurance costs (as well as food heh). I especially wish I would have known more about all the different kinds of insurances and which ones I really need!

Universtudy: I definitely would choose how to make investments (RRSPs, etc.) because it’s a big part of planning for the future, but you need certain skills to invest wisely and not everyone has those skills, so it’s hard to learn and plan for!

Overworker: anything to do with taxes would be useful-how to pay, which ones you need to pay etc. But also stuff about investing/saving, what’s the safest way to invest or keep money if you’re trying to save, what’s risky place to keep your money.

lillastudies: I really wish that there was some basic education about how student loans work and how you will be paying them back, not to mention how to take advantage of them in the best/most efficient way… because when you’re new to student loans, the whole process can be super confusing and way more stressful than it has tonne!! Also, some sort of education around credit cards and how they work would be great too, because it’s not necessarily common knowledge…

rowanstudysspace: I wish I knew more about student bank accounts and student overdraft actually. Also general stuff about loans, but I guess it’s different for everyone from different countries?

sophocused: I’m most worried I’ll be clueless about taxes when the time comes though

koko-studies: I guess learning about taxes a little bit more can be useful. I think it will be particularly useful for students in Canada because one of my friends studies there and she has to calculate her taxes. I think students should know how to manage their loans.

danceractorplumber: I noticed that people usually don’t know about available scholarships and financial help programs. This probably falls under student loans, but in my country college is free, so idk. But as an art student – I need to know how to ask different organisations and foundations for funds for my projects. You know, how to write an application, ask professors for recommendations and whom to ask, for how much. It can be very complicated.

study-by-heart: I think the most interesting thing about finance and beeing a student is, how to set up a decent budget for yourself and to develop some strategies in order to save some coins.

motivatemycollegelife: How can I save money? What are the things that I buy but are unnecessary? How can I control my income without wasting it?

quaintstudies: i think i would love to know more about investements & stocks, and how to plan my savings for the long run

just-refuse-to-be-stopped: I wish I knew how damaged my credit score would become. I never realized it would affect my day to day life this much in the near future. But also to try to give when you’re been given. Don’t let that initial fear of seeing the numbers make you question. It only matters if you’re happy with what you’re working towards.

wanderluststudyblr: It would be nice if people told us about Taxes – what, how, why, credit cardsin regards to HOW EXACTLY do they work (and how to not be broke and not get in trouble w/the bank), and about Student Loans!! Loans are something like, “alright, I know it’s a THING, but HOW do they work?”, like, how long they usually take to pay off (it depends on the money, yeah, but we have little to no conversations about them!), how much interest can pile up, how long you should pay them off in – to save money and stuff. I think student loans are the thing that really isn’t talked about – and I know little to nothing about.

thefashionableintrovert: I think what I wish I had known more about is budgeting for a side-hustle or job and creating invoices and clear payment plans as an entrepreneur for clients/customers. For example if I do graphic design for a small business how will I go about charging? Per-Project or per hour.

studydriven: Honestly everything! I know next to nothing about finance except that college is expensive and taxes are a thing. I should probably take an online finance course or something before I leave home haha.

S-u-u-n-y-blr: I wish I knew more about taxes. I still don’t know how to properly file them and have my dad do them. I was taught how to balance a checkbook in high school but not how to do taxes!

Do you know how many times the word ‘taxes’ appears? 18 times. And ‘student loans’? Or ‘budgeting’? I haven’t counted but I know it’s a lot.

It genuinely pains me to see how badly the schools educate us on money, one of the biggest factors of our lives. We work for money, we spend our money, we live on our money. And yet most of us have no idea how to manage it!

If you’re a college student, understanding the importance of being financially literate will help you manage your debt, save and earn money and learn how to reach financial freedom, in other words be able to do what you enjoy. And it all starts with financial education.

The real question then becomes: how do I financially educate myself? Well, fret not, as I have pitched in and created this MEGA Personal Finance Resource Pack for college students wanting answers to all their finance questions. It’s a huge compilation of content ranging from understanding taxes (about time) to inspiring student debt success stories.

All you have to do: enter your email below and voila, you have THE guide to starting your financial education, aka your path to freedom. (Oh and the Resource Pack has resources for both UK and US students :))

Some of the students I asked also pitched in with some advice they’d give to fellow students going through college. I thought it would be great to share here:

Adult Talk: A piece of financial advice I’d like to give: apply for all the scholarships and the FAFSA as soon as you can. I didn’t think I’d ever get enough to cover my expenses but I did. It’s super important that you apply for anything you can and as soon as you can.

Triana-studies: A small way for an example would be to make your big purchases for school, like all of your text books, with a credit card. You use those expenses from school to slowly build some good credit.

Samstudygram:

if you don’t start building your credit early, you’ll have a hard time later on because of a low credit score. so start sooner rather than later and just get a card from your bank with a relatively low max. try and stay below 20% of it’s max and treat it as a debit card (only spend what you KNOW you have. don’t start accumulating debt because you have to pay it eventually). this will help you get a jump start on your credit score.

paying for college: student loans, scholarships, fafsa, it’s all a lot to take in. if you can, figure it out before your first bill comes in. ask a parent or a school counselor to help run you through everything because there’s a LOT.

know how your college will want payments. some colleges split the cost of tuition up over the whole semester so you owe about $2,000 per month, while others want all $10,000 (or however much tuition is) all in august. also find out if your college can set up a payment plan to help slow things down for you if you need to.

the sooner you start saving, the better. not just for college, but for living. the first time i was on my own and went grocery shopping, when i saw my total on the register i bursted into tears. i knew food was expensive but not this expensive. if you start saving now, you’ll be able to have money for necessities and maybe even the occasional chipotle. also save for emergencies. once i figured out my budgeting i felt confident in my finances. for once i wasn’t scared to look at my bank account. and then i went out to my car and discovered two parking tickets; and THEY AINT CHEAP. saving money could help you out if you get sick, get a flat tire, get a ticket, if your computer breaks, etc. because IT WILL HAPPEN. so do what you can to be ready.

scholarships: they can be hard to get. but don’t worry; as you get farther through university there will be more and more scholarship opportunities (and they’ll give you more and more money). if you don’t get any scholarships your first year, don’t worry. it’s not the end of the world. because as long as you keep applying and keep your gpa you qualify for more and more as you get older.

community college: there’s NO SHAME in starting out at a community college (or even going there for your whole degree). while the education quality may not be up to par with ivy league schools, a credit is a credit and community college can give you a credit for WAY cheaper than a state university.

don’t stress it. college is expensive. everyone knows that. It sucks that it is, but it’s just our reality. but YOU CAN GET THROUGH IT. there’s scholarships, fafsa, work study, etc. that can all help you out. don’t let financial fears scare you away from getting an education.

As a college student myself, I also get the frustrations of not understanding the financial world. All I know for the moment is we have to keep learning and keep exploring. And then money will stop becoming an issue, it will become an interest, a hobby even.

Read more like this over at Financially Mint

[kifayatonlinestore]

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