#sudden cash influx

[fastlane-freedom]

Sudden Cash Influx: Manage It Effectively for Long-Term Gain

Money has always been a crucial aspect of our lives. We work hard to earn it, save it, and invest it, all in the hopes of securing our financial future. However, what happens when we suddenly come into a large sum of money? Whether it be through inheritance, lottery winnings, or a successful business venture, a sudden cash influx can present a unique challenge. The temptation to indulge in…

[itadores]

surprise!

note: everything i write is a little bit silly! i hope u enjoy u and sakura opening blind boxes hehe

pairing: sakura haruka x gn!reader

word count: 1.4k

tags: gender neutral reader, fluff, established relationship, haru and baby used to refer to sakura

Your hands hover over your phone as the device precariously balances against your water bottle resting on the table. Once you’re confident that your phone won’t come tumbling down anytime soon and fall screen first against the wooden surface of the table, you turn towards Sakura and pat the open seat right beside you.

“Come sit, Haru!”

Sakura eases himself down onto the bench, his leg briefly brushing against yours before hastily retreating. You don’t allow him to go far, bumping your knee against his, a silent reassurance that he doesn’t have to go anywhere. Sakura doesn’t look at you as he scoots a little closer to you, thigh touching your own, nearly feather-light. You lean more into the weight, which is more than a welcomed presence.

“Why do you have your phone out?” Sakura questions after clearing his throat, unsure of its necessity.

You multi-task, replying to Sakura as you pull up the camera app on your device. “I want to videotape our unboxing!”

Sakura’s brows knit in confusion. “Why? Are you going to post it or something?”

You shrug. “No, I just want to film it.” You turn to face Sakura as light concern washes over you. “Are you okay with that? It’s not going to go anywhere besides my camera roll, so you don’t have to worry about anyone seeing it.”

“Yeah that’s fine,” he replies, agreeing rather easily. Sakura ends up giving in and going along with most of your desires, but he usually needs far more persuasion. “Just don’t go showing it to Suo or Nirei or any of the guys,” Sakura grumbles. “Don’t need them spamming my phone with messages for no reason.”

“Deal!”

If that’s all it takes for Sakura to agree to be filmed, then you’re more than happy to oblige him. It’s not too big of an ask, especially considering that you know he can still find it a little overwhelming when he receives a sudden influx of text messages despite having been in a group chat with his old friends since their first year at Bofurin.

“Okay, I’m going to start filming then. Are you ready?”

You wait for Sakura to nod before you hit record.

“Hi guys!” you say to your imaginary audience, waving at the screen. “Haru and I just went shopping and we bought some blind boxes that we’re going to unbox for you all today!”

You turn your attention away from your phone onto Sakura. Although there’s nobody else around listening to you, you lower your voice into a hushed whisper. “Baby, can you get our blind boxes out of the bag?”

Sakura grabs the plastic bag lying on the other side of him and sets it aside onto the table where it won’t block the camera.

“Thank you, Haru.” you give him a quick peck on the cheek, the skin warming beneath your lips.

“Yeah,” Sakura mutters under his breath as you reach across and grab the two blind boxes you purchased together out of the bag. Well, the two blind boxes Sakura purchased because he refused to let you pay for yours or the one you insisted upon him getting for himself. He had put cash down onto the counter of the cashier before you even had a chance to get your card out. When you tried to protest, he just mumbled that he was buying it, the tips of his ears burning red. You didn’t put up too much of a fight after that, resolving yourself to simply enjoy the sweetness of Sakura.

You place one of the blind boxes in Sakura’s hand before holding your own up towards the camera.

“These are the blind boxes we got.” you show the camera all the different angles of the packaging. You nudge Sakura lightly with your shoulder, prompting him to hold up his blind box in one hand. He’s a bit stiff and his movements are a little awkward. Sakura’s obviously unused to being in front of the camera and the center of its attention, but he’s endearing all the same.

“Which one do you want?” you ask as you inspect the back of the packaging, eyes roving over the different possibilities that you could be met with once you tore into the blind box. Sakura's brows furrow as he does the same.

"I'm fine with any of them," he says, shrugging. You roll your eyes, knocking your shoulder against Sakura's.

"Haru, you have to pick at least one you would really like to have!" you insist, voice bordering on a whine. You huddle closer to him, bringing your blind box between you two. "I think they're all super cute, but I really like this one," you say as you point to the option you like the most: a gray and white cat figurine with a shrimp tempura wrapped around its waist. "What about you, baby?"

Sakura's face screws up in concentration as he looks over the options again. You resist the urge to smoothen out the crease between his brows. "I guess I like this one the most," Sakura says, a little unsure, pointing at an orange and white cat figurine with a boiled shrimp wrapped around its head.

You nod in agreement. "That one's also super cute!"

Upon hearing your words, some of the tension leaves Sakura as he relaxes against you. You smile to yourself before looking back up at the camera. "Okay, we're going to unbox now!"

You attempt to open the box nicely, but after struggling for a bit, you, not so neatly, tear the cardboard apart. Your eyes fly to Sakura's face before you can catch a glimpse of the contents of the now ruined box. "Don't look inside yet, Haru!" you suddenly cry out. Sakura startles, hands pausing from opening the box. "Let's look at the same time."

"Okay," Sakura slowly says, head tilted in mild confusion. However, he doesn't question you.

"Okay, on the count of three! Ready?" You wait until Sakura nods to begin. "1...2...3..."

Once the number three leaves both of your lips, you immediately begin to truly tear into the packaging, pulling the figurine out of the wreckage of destroyed cardboard.

"Baby, I got the one you wanted!" you happily exclaim, showing off to Sakura the silly orange and white cat figurine with a boiled shrimp wrapped around its head that he liked the most.

"Isn't this the one you wanted?" Sakura asks, holding up the figurine he just pulled. Your eyes widen when your gaze falls onto the gray and white cat figurine with a shrimp tempura around its waist. The one that you wanted so badly.

"Oh my god, it's even cuter than I thought," you squeal. There’s no resistance on Sakura’s end as he lets you take the figurine from his loose grip. You bring the figurine close to your face, your eyes greedily soaking it all in. “It’s so cute,” you happily comment as you gently place it back into Sakura’s open palm.

“Do you want to trade?”

“Hm?”

Sakura rubs the back of his neck, his fingers twisting and tangling through black and white strands.

“Do you want to switch?" he asks again. "Since I got the one you really wanted,” he mumbles, the tips of his ears glowing a soft pink.

Your eyes light up.

“Oh, that’s perfect, Haru!" you gush. "Here," you say as you slip the figurine you unboxed into Sakura's free hand. He follows suit, handing the figurine you wanted off to you.

"Ah, it really is super cute," you say once more, admiring the cat figurine now in your possession. You lean further into Sakura, dropping your head to rest against his shoulder. "Thank you again for buying them, baby," you murmur, lifting your head slightly to press a light kiss to Sakura's neck. You feel his pulse jump. "And for switching with me. I hope you like the figurine you got."

"It's no big deal," he tries to brush off, but the pink hue coloring his skin says otherwise.

"Still," you insist. "Thank you, baby."

"Yeah, you're welcome."

Most of the remaining tension in Sakura's body escapes into nothingness as he allows himself to fully sink into the weight of you. You happily sigh, utterly content with your current position. So long as Sakura indulges your want for PDA, you’ll continue to take advantage of it. Just as you're starting to get really comfortable, you abruptly sit up straight, startling Sakura into doing the same.

"I almost forgot to stop the video!"

[loving-n0t-heyting]

Cash-transfer studies can be especially divisive. “Some of the men married a second wife, some homes broke apart, some wives left their husbands,” said Andrew Wabwire, a field manager for REMIT, a research company. As with Okela-C, rumours have spread that the money is cursed – that people would turn into snakes if they accepted it.

as we all know, if you provide a person with a sudden influx of aid giving them newfound financial independence and they then respond by leaving their spouse, this is an infallible sign you have done smth horribly wrong and are undermining the marital bedrock of society

imagine if the transfers did snakify you but it turned out there were enough scalies in the experiment group that the reported improvement in life satisfaction balanced it out 🐍🐍🐍

[beautifulterriblequeen]

Please be careful sharing requests for money. I'm seeing more and more people falling victim to predatory asks.

Some things to consider:

Mistagging an ask for donations with fandom tags that have nothing to do with it goes against Tumblr ToS. Tags are filling up with tragic stories that are irrelevant to those tags. Whether they're real or fake, no one should be jumpscared by tragedy. Tag appropriately.

Sharing a con only emboldens more con artists to do the same thing. It also marks you as gullible, and your url could get picked up more bots trying to squeeze you for sympathy and cash.

Posting a request for donations without verifying and donating yourself is not activism. It's irresponsible to your followers/mutuals and only helps the scammers.

I've received at least twenty different requests in the past week alone. They come in batches, a few within minutes of each other, not organically like humans would send. Most of them are worded differently, but some have been worded identically, even though they come from separate named blogs. These are not real people.

If you see an adult ask a child they don't know for help, be suspicious. An adult should never need to ask a child to take on some sudden responsibility. They're after something else, and they're just trying to gain trust first. So I'm suspicious when I see a sudden influx of supposed asks for help and money coming to tiny little Tumblr blogs. This is Tumblr. No one here has money, or reach. We don't do that here.

These tragic asks in your inbox are a scam. Report it as spam - because it is spam - delete it, and move on with your day.

[i2rizz]

Atlanta Lock AU Pt.3

Fandom: Blue lock

Characters: atlanta lock!Nagi x reader

Im having way too much fun w this AU

------------‐---------------------------------------

The first time you heard about Nagi’s “hustle,” you were lounging in his makeshift office, which, in reality, was just the couch in the back room of O Block’s bodega. You were halfway through a soda (that probably wasn’t paid for) when Nagi, with his usual lazy energy, leaned over to show you his latest "business venture."

“Got a new plan,” Nagi muttered, tapping on his phone with that sleepy intensity he always had when it came to his latest schemes.

You glanced up, not surprised but mildly concerned. “Okay, hit me. What is it this time? Stealing cars? Reselling sneakers?”

Nagi shrugged, unfazed by your skepticism. “Nope. Something easier.”

You raised an eyebrow. “Oh? Let me guess—digital ramen?”

“Better,” he said, a hint of smugness creeping into his voice. “NFTs.”

You blinked at him. “NFTs?”

“Yeah,” Nagi said, not really explaining but still flipping his phone around to show you a badly photoshopped graphic. It was a pixelated image of a brick, with the words “EXCLUSIVE GANG NFT” plastered across it. “Art. But, like...gangster art.”

You stared at it for a long beat. “This is a joke, right?”

“Nope,” Nagi replied, popping a Pocky stick into his mouth and leaning back as though he just invented the next big thing.

“People are gonna pay for this?” you asked, half-laughing, half-dying inside.

“Mm-hmm,” Nagi said lazily. “It’s a status thing. Only a few available. Like limited edition.”

You shook your head. “Okay, but...where are you even gonna sell them?”

Reo appeared from behind the shelves, holding a stack of flyers. “I got the marketing down,” he said, flashing a grin that screamed “I’m ready to make this an empire.”

Somehow, against all logic and reason, Nagi’s “gang NFT” scheme started to take off.

It all started when Reo started printing flyers that were handed out in random alleyways, on street corners, and honestly, anywhere people gathered in O Block. The flyer promised “Exclusive Gang NFT Drops” with a link to Nagi’s barely functional website. And to your absolute disbelief, people actually started buying them.

“See?” Nagi said as he showed you his phone, where the sales notifications kept popping up. “Easy money.”

“But... it’s just a picture of a brick,” you said, still not sure if you were in a fever dream.

“It’s a rare brick,” he deadpanned. “You wouldn’t understand.”

You groaned, but to be fair, there were actual sales happening. Nagi’s “gang art” was going viral within O Block, which meant he was making enough cash to fund his endless supply of snacks.

As the days passed, things started getting too crazy. Not just the sales, but the sudden influx of people trying to resell their “Nagi NFTs” for triple the price. It started to get out of hand, and that’s when things got tense.

One evening, you were sitting outside, watching the usual chaos of O Block unfold in front of you, when Reo came running over, looking like he’d just seen a ghost.

“Nagi, bro,” Reo said, out of breath. “People are flipping your NFTs for crazy prices. The whole block’s buying in. We might’ve started a real trend.”

Nagi blinked slowly. “So... they’re all dumb?”

Reo didn’t even answer. “There’s a bidding war going on for your NFTs. Everyone wants a piece. You need to act fast before someone catches on that this is... well, just a scam.”

Nagi didn’t seem phased at all. “Nah, we’re fine. I’m in too deep to care now. Just keep selling.”

But as the “gangster NFTs” started circulating beyond O Block, the word got out. And as you would expect, other “gangs” started trying to get in on the action. Nagi didn’t even realize he’d become part of a much bigger problem until he was suddenly dealing with rival groups, trying to snatch up his idea for themselves.

“That’s it, Nagi,” you said, standing in the middle of O Block one evening as a few guys from other areas tried to buy out the rights to his NFTs. “This is too much. They’re gonna think we’re messing with them. You need to stop.”

But Nagi just yawned, unfazed by the growing tension. “Nah. We’ve got this.”

He was completely out of touch with reality—until it all went south.

Everything came crashing down one night when a local rival gang, who had been watching Nagi’s “NFT empire” rise, decided to “invite” him to a little chat about copyright and street-level royalties.

You were right beside him when the whole situation turned ugly. A couple of guys walked up to him in the middle of a street corner, all muscle and attitude.

“You’re the one with the NFTs, huh?” one of them asked, crossing his arms.

Nagi didn’t even look up from his phone. “Yeah, that’s me.”

“You know, that’s our turf, right?” another guy said, taking a step forward. “We don’t like you messing with our territory.”

Nagi’s reply was a nonchalant shrug. “It’s just art, man. Chill.”

“Art?” The guy sneered. “You’re making money off of our turf, and you think it’s just ‘art’? You got some nerve.”

You could see it escalating, but Nagi wasn’t even remotely worried. “Well, too bad. You can’t stop the hustle.”

And just like that, the situation flipped into full-blown chaos. The other gang made a move to intimidate him, but Nagi just lazily sidestepped them, clearly not phased by the tension. You, however, weren’t in the mood to get caught in the crossfire.

“Let’s go, Nagi,” you said, pulling on his sleeve. “This isn’t worth it.”

Nagi gave you a sidelong glance, looking completely unbothered. “You’re right. I can just make more NFTs tomorrow.”

The next day, you found Nagi lounging on his couch, no worse for wear. He had somehow managed to avoid any real damage, and his “NFT empire” had taken a hit, but he didn’t care. He was already onto his next lazy plan.

“Well, that was an adventure,” you sighed, sitting down next to him. “So, what now?”

“Eh, I think I’ll stick to real art next time,” he said, yawning. “Maybe a picture of a pizza or something.”

You couldn’t help but laugh, shaking your head. “You’re unbelievable.”

“Yep. And I’m still making money. Wanna help me with the next one?”

You groaned, slapping his arm. “No way. I’m done with your schemes, Nagi.”

“Too late,” he grinned. “We’re partners.”

You rolled your eyes, knowing that somehow, you were already too deep in his world to back out now.

------------‐---------------------------------------

[thedupshadove]

Thought that came to me out of a clear blue sky…Little Shop of Horrors roleswap au. 

Same setup at the beginning, but it’s Audrey who impulse-buys the Strange and Interesting Plant (which she probably names Seymour the Second), cares for it, and discovers its…unusual dietary needs (maybe instead of bandaids, she covers the wounds on her hands by wearing gloves more often, apparently as a fashion statement. Or maybe she chalks it up to Orin.) Success comes to the shop, with Audrey being the one to get radio interviews and sudden acclaim (boosting her confidence somewhat, but only convincing Seymour even more firmly that he could never ask her out. She was always too beautiful for him, and now with this influx of cash she’s going to end up a lady, so how could somebody like him have any chance? If only he knew…)

Once the plant begins to talk, it convinces her to kill Mushnik first, by highlighting how mean he is to Seymour after that boy’s done nothing but slave for him all his life in exchange for scraps of scraps. She tells herself that she’s going to confront him first, and only if she can’t make him see reason will she use the derringer in her purse, but inevitably… 

I want to preserve the “I can off this guy by staying in the chair” moment, but obviously Mushnik doesn’t use nitrous oxide recreationally…right now I’ve got it down to a choice between a sudden heart attack where Audrey just…doesn’t call an ambulance, or else he’s eating during their conversation (to show how little mind he pays to requests to treat Seymour better), and she conspicuously fails to Heimlich him when he chokes. 

In the aftermath of Mushnik’s death (which of his two assistants did he leave the shop to? I’m not sure yet), Audrey does her best to help Seymour through his tangled emotions, assuaging his guilt at not being as sad as he should be by pointing out that Mushnik was never as nice to him as he should have been, after all. This culminates in an impulsive kiss that breaks the tension between them into an open declaration of love…which Orin just happens to overhear. 

He corners her later that evening, more angry than she’s ever seen him (and we all know that’s saying something), but unfortunately for him he made the mistake of staging his jealous little rage in the flower shop, so when she bats her eyes and calls him “Doctor” and explains that the plant has some spines on the front, so if they make love with her back against it surely that will show him just how sorry she is…well, Suppertime indeed. 

From there things can run pretty much the same as the original, to whichever version of the ending you prefer. Now, let’s talk songs! 

Most of them can be kept pretty much the same, with at most some shuffling around parts and re-writing lyrics. “Suddenly Seymour” can even keep its title phrase, with the lyrics being shifted to be about Audrey convincing Seymour that he’s someone worth paying attention to. The only real sticking point is “Somewhere That’s Green”. Since Audrey, as our new main character, will be getting the likes of “Grow for Me” and “The Meek Shall Inherit”, it seems only fair that Seymour, having been moved to the position of Love Interest, should get the Love Interest Song. But it can’t be as simple as moving some pronouns around–a guy wishing for the woman he’s interested in to be a parody of a 50s housewife has a different vibe from a woman wishing to be one herself. It’s a little too unsympathetic, especially now that Seymour isn’t even the murderer. But then what do we do with it? With Audrey being the one leading the way to financial success, is the song now about Seymour’s secret, socially-deviant desire to become a malewife?

[theanticool]

Seeing as the PFL/Bellator rumors are being openly talked about by fighters involved with both promotions, guess it’s time to wildly speculate.

I’ve seen some positive sentiment around PFL’s rumored buying of Bellator MMA. A lot of it stemming from how Bellator has been run since the Viacom/Coker takeover. That’s 100% fair. Bellator went from a place that developed its own talent, to a side show, to a place talent the UFC didn’t want anymore went, and is only now enjoying an influx of homegrown talent (at a reduced rate tbh). The hiring of Big John on commentary is baffling, as he’s terrible at it. Viewership fell off the map as they moved off Spike/Paramount TV. Cards are full of slow grind fest or mismatches. So I get the idea of Bellator going away being a potential positive.

What I don’t get is the enthusiasm around PFL being the ones to buy them out. PFL has many of the same problems. Cards laden with mismatches because of their odd seasonal format necessitates highly paid talent advance out the first round. A bizarre desire to be a PPV company without any fighters who appeal to a casual audience. No promotional ability. Like, they can’t sell out the goddamn Hulu theater! I was in the Hulu Theater for Serrano-Cruz and Glory and both times they were packed. That’s how little name recognition PFL has, despite years on ESPN. That’s the other thing, their deal with ESPN is up soon. It wasn’t much but that was a significant amount of the actual revenue PFL generated. Outside of VC and Saudi money, PFL has been a fire pit for cash. They’re trying to expand to all these places: Europe, Africa, South America, the Middle East, etc. They’re paying $10 million+ for a Francis Ngannou fight in 2024. Where is all that money coming from? They don’t have a TV deal. They don’t sell PPVs. They barely move tickets. I doubt they’ve sold 100 PFL t-shirts.

Not to mention, PFL is the same organization who’s former matchmaker had to be quit because he was the ACTING MANAGER for many of the fighters on roster. Lord knows how much influence Ali Abdelaziz still has in the office.

I understand that Bellator and PFL needed to make changes. They could not both keep limping along pretending they were viable alternatives to the UFC. But all of a sudden, we’re going from three “big” North American promotions to two. That means fighters are going to lose their jobs. That means you have less options on what to watch. That means fighters’ (little) leverage at the bargaining table is being cut. It means that one of the biggest media companies in the world decided a secondary MMA promotion to the UFC was not a viable investment in a landscape where sports are the things drawing eyeballs to the TV.

Like I always say, I’m hoping for the best. But buying Bellator does not address the #1 issue facing any of these promoters - you have to draw people to the product. No one but us and a handful of other sickos watched Bellator religiously. They won’t care that PFL has Johnny Eblen on roster now. You have to build stars. Maybe instead of spending 8-9 figures to buy a company with like no name value, you buy Kayla Harrison or OAM a publicist?

[dukeofishgard]

I posted about it on Twitter and it seems a lot of ppl also agree with me, but it is super bizarre to me, as I start poking at new venues to possibly visit to RP at with Duke (he and Dracyn are overdue for a date night) the sudden influx of venues that charge actual gil for their food and drink.

This was pretty unheard of during what was, imo, the "heyday" of FFXIV rp, particularly on Crystal/Balmung. It was always "gil is for immersion only, tips appreciated!" And oftentimes Dracyn and I would tip oocly because the venues we'd go to were not only cool, but even on busy nights the people running them would take the time to interact, and oftentimes remember regulars who'd make it a point to come back weekly, and that was 10000% worth both the experience and to let the roleplayers know that they were doing an awesome job.

But charging people 5k per drink, for what (especially if it's ends up busy.) amounts to someone roleplaying handing you a drink, is absurd lmao. If you have to charge people to roleplay with you - i honestly wonder if you're roleplaying because you ... enjoy roleplaying? And considering most people are gonna have their characters sit and chill, 2-3 drinks will wind up being 15k actual gil, and again. For what will likely be a completely a bare bones interaction because there's venues also charging for table services upwards of 50k+ gil (per hr) for personalized unlimited drinks and service. The server at the bar is gonna be swamped and they're not gonna give a damn about actually engaging in roleplaying with visitors cos they're gonna be overwhelmed!

And I get it - nobody is forcing anyone to go to these venues (tho I had a friend who went to one, was told it was not real gil paid for drinks, and then... were told to cough up the gil as they left lol.) and I've written off a few already despite my initial interest.

But it's a very odd thing for me to see, especially as someone who's been roleplaying for 20 yrs, not including XIV rp.

And also the pricing is *absurd*.

Again, 5k for a drink, and its not even like they're crafting and handing you an actual in game item in return. (Those venues are even more rare, but I could understand that a little more as they're giving you actual items in return.) But 5k gil for a fake drink? That doesn't even make sense on a monetary level.

Like, for reference - I run events for FFVII twt rp. Here's the menus for our 7th Heaven Night:

And while I joked to my fellow mods/admins who help run the events that we should put our cash app up when we do the events (a joke). These prices make more sense than charging 5k gil for:

"/em hands <player name> a triple deluxe rainbow titty twister supreme on a coaster."

Like huh?

Ultimately it makes me sad, and again - i recognize that I do not have to patronize these venues (and won't) but it also just - why? Roleplay isn't a job. We're all writing make believe, and I was under the impression - because we all love writing. Or at least, that's why I roleplay. And as someone who's worked in venues, and has been given ooc tips out of nowhere - that beats the hell out of nickel and diming players for the "luxury" of roleplaying with me/at my venue. Because then you know they're not doing because you're breaking their kneecaps - they did it because they enjoyed the experience.

Ok rant over.

[balloonbreon]

can someone explain the sudden influx of the shitty furries from poppy playtime. i thought we agreed that game was a lazy cash grab made to sell merchandise to kids

[wyrmguardsecrets]

"i use AI for references bc im currently disabled and barely get enough money from the government to scrape by after rent and food. if i come into a sudden influx of cash, then i plan on getting actual digital art. you cannot change my mind." art is a luxury. use dollmakers, picrews, tons of shit out there that artists have willingly put out so people can make their OCs, even if not perfectly. quit stealing art just because you think being disabled gives you the right.

,

[feelings-fortilly]

@felixthegoodboy

Felix walked around the island, a piece of paper with an address in his hands. After everything that happened, now he had to live in a different environment until things were repaired. As he walked around he didn't pay much attention to looking for the house he was supposed to be staying in, instead he looked at all the damage and devastation that covered the island. The smell of burning buildings still remained in the sea breeze. How could all this happen? This place was supposed to be safe. He stopped walking and looked out at the ocean. It looked so beautiful, so calm. The complete opposite of the state of the island. As he stared out at the gentle waves, tears began streaming down his cheeks. He had pretended to be brave through all of the attacks now he could finally let it out...His fear. His frustration. His worry. He dropped to his knees on the sand and couldn't help but start to sob. "I-I was so scared, Vanessa...So scared..." he whimpered to himself, not hearing someone approach from behind

Tilly had her own mission. The one phone call she had for her family was short lived, and she couldn't exactly tell them why she needed an influx of cash from them - which they didn't grant anyway. She had some money from her job, but not a ton, so for the first time in her entire life, she had to be frugal. She couldn't blow all her money on one garment, even though she couldn't remember the last time she bought any garment of clothing for under $150. Any store that was open and cheap, which were few and far between. And, this goes without saying, but she didn't hit the point of desperate just yet to be going through the donations boxes yet. She at least needed some essentials before she made her way to the shelter she was staying at for however long. A few changes of clothes, pajamas, undergarments and a pair of shoes that didn't have soot and bloodstains on them. Someone collapsed in the middle a patch of demolition - maybe there was a convenience store there before? But it was so sudden that she nearly tripped over him. "My name isn't Vanessa," she snapped, having been on edge for the last week and a half. "Pull yourself together, man, we were all scared."

[deadlybydesign]

For a chimera created by science by means of genes manipulated according to alchemical directions, the sudden and violent influx of magic to the world was quite literally liberating.

If only it had brought with it control to temper the abrupt intensifying of his inbuilt weaponry. Instead, it had brought death, and lots of it, until a trio of cyborgs tracked him down and did what they could to make him somewhat safer to exist outside the labs.

It was a good thing his dark vision was excellent, because the outsized brazing goggles made full daylight about as bright as a heavily overcast day. Scruffy honey-blond hair stuck out over the straps holding the goggles, incidentally blocking any gaps between the eye cups and his skin. Looking around, the boy tried to get an idea of what kind of place his benefactor had dropped him off. He'd traveled with the cyborgs for a while, but one had left a month later, and the second another month or two after that. Now, the last of them, the young woman with the sad violet eyes and the occasionally terrifying smile, had brought him somewhere she thought he would be safe, at least for a while. There was something she needed to do, she'd told him, but she would keep in touch. She had given him a small tablet like the ones the lab people had used, made sure he knew how to use and care for it, and given him an envelope with cash.

It was too dangerous for him to even think about trying to learn how to pick pockets. If he wasn't careful, someone would die.

On the other hand, demons seemed confused by him, mostly, and tended to just pretend they hadn't noticed him. Well, except for some of the smaller ones which seemed to like him. So, it was likely he'd be safe enough here until one of the cyborgs came back for him.

Stomach grumbling, the humanoid basilisk called Saxon turned to try and find something to eat.

[fallsekings]

@sinruby​ // @hvbris​ ​// A plotted starter

                It was time for the Second Quarter Quell and the Capitol had been planning ahead of time for a few months now as it was an extra special event. There were extra security measures and Peacekeepers being brought into the city in the off chance that something may transpire, and up until now, it had been a dull affair for the President who had seen so many Games in his time... but it was still an event that he deemed necessary to keep the Districts suppressed and under his firm control. 

                While the Gamemakers plotted out the arena, which he understood to be all forms of poisonous plants, and those that handled the gambling and betting were getting ready for the influx of cash, Snow had attended meetings and gave out instructions and got ready for his smallish part to play in it all. He had written a short speech to welcome the Tributes to the Capitol, while however frivolous of a task it may have seemed, he knew that it still must impress those in the Capitol.

                Glancing down at the unfolded piece of paper in his hand once more, where he had jotted down a few notes, he took a breath and then stepped out onto the stage where he was greeted by a loud and thunderous applause. He smiled and waved at his audience and then waited for them to go quiet before he stepped up to the microphone that would amplify his voice for blocks around the city to hear. The President’s eyes moved around at the audience for a moment until they landed on the Tributes, taking them all in one by one in the costumes that had been prepared for them once they had arrived. Each one designed to represent their own district.

                Taking in a deep breath, he began his speech to welcome everyone to the Games and then near the end of it, his eyes landed on someone familiar in the crowd behind the tributes. For a moment, Snow felt his heart sink in his chest... the eyes, though years may have passed, he knew those dark eyes from anywhere. How could he not? The eyes of Lucy Gray Baird was staring back at him from the audience below. Snow felt his fists clench together by his sides behind the podium, doubtful that anyone else would take notice of his sudden tense state as he finished the last few words of his speech. The audience went up in applause once more and he took his leave.

                                                               ----------------

                Snow’s mind was racing as he waited for the peacekeepers to return with Lucy in tow. He had instructed them to use the utmost care when brining her to him as she was a mentor for District 12 and at least for now, she did need to be handled with care until the Games were over with. Hadn’t he killed her? He thought to himself as he sat behind his desk, waiting for the meeting. How hadn’t he realized that she was still alive? He had missed the shot obviously... but to show up at the Capitol now was brazen beyond reason. Snow knew that she had defiance in her, even back then, but this was almost as if she were asking to be killed once again.

                How would he handle this once it was all over? Let her go back to District 12 where she could live in peace for the rest of her days? Kill her? No, that would be too easy... after all she had escaped death by his hands once before. No, there would have to be another option. Snow tapped his fingers on his desk a few times as he considered all of the brutal ways he could have her tortured and turned to their side and then used... his thoughts paused when his secretary slid the door open and informed them that his guests had arrived. Nodding, he signaled to let them in.

                “You can leave us.” Snow said politely to the Peacekeeper. “Have a seat...” He said to Lucy, and gestured for one of the two luxurious pieces of furniture before his desk. “I see you’ve been rather... well.” 

[classicquid]

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[phantom-bleu]

More sploon au thoughts

Latte and espresso r both ex octarians, they grew up together and climbed the ranks quickly together at young ages: espresso was a weapons tech and latte became an elite squad leader (of other cacaolings who also defect i think, carmy arrow crunchy chip etc)

Latte heard calamari inkantation and was the first one who wanted to defect, she asked espresso to join her who was absolutely against it initially but came around eventually cus he mostly didn’t want to be alone in octo valley without her (would not say this out loud) and started to doubt his loyalties as well seeing latte have this sudden clarity

They studied the inkling language incredibly hard and cuz they r really smart they both r almost fluent, just with some occasional trips in grammar or pronunciation (they teach other dark cacaolings later on to help them integrate into inkling society quicker :]) but this helps them also quickly climb the ranks of the inkling turf war scene too

Again espresso uses inkbrush and latte uses octobrush. Espresso hates the octobrush but cant deny that latte is really good with it considering he sees it as a stunted inkbrush. They dont actually play on the same team normally since 2 brushes usually ruins weapon comps but they r known friends and compare and share techniques often so they r seen as a dual threat. Very close friends besides their rivalry btwn the brushes (one sided on espressos part bc hes stubborn abt stupid things)

Madeleine is a little younger than them (i see essypoo and latte as 16-17 while madeleine is new to turf wars so like. 15) but has Always Dreamed of being a turf war legend. His aunties had him sent him to a sports private school to train him in competitive play (except its a private school so they literally dont teach you shit) so madeleine has all his fundamentals down and has team strategies memorised but no practical experience w actual talented opponents so He is not very good but really really thinks he is

His aunties also helped him form a competitive team by offering top players a fuckload of money if they join. Espresso took it because he was really strapped for cash As it turns out he cant budget his military grade weapon customisation hobby with turf war prize money. He asked latte really nicely to join as well but he DID ask every friend he had before her and they all laughed in his face

Luckily for madeleine espresso is his fcking hero and his celeb crush so this arrangement is great for him. He thinks they make a great team but espresso is very standoffish with him, Presumably because he doesnt know what a Great Player maddie is yet so he commits to spending all his time w espresso to prove himself (espresso does not like this)

Espresso and latte plan to move to splatsville bc the competitive scene is a lot newer there so getting high in the ranks will be easier for the mid team they are. Madeleine thinks this is great because he gets to SHARE an APARTMENT with espresso (and latte😠 but he can pretend she doesnt live there just fine)

Rye is a splatsville born and bred who i see as the oldest between them, like 19? Shes taking less shifts at grizzco bc w the influx of ppl moving into town theyre not so understaffed anymore so she wants to get into turf wars bc she never had the spare time before (nothing to do w her ex gf chili who is big in the comp scene who rye def doesnt want to one-up)

She joins the team cus she saw essypoo and latte asking ppl to join w no prior competitive experience needed (everyone from inkopolis recognised them and didnt want to join) so she thought itd be fun. Shes amazing w the dualies but doesnt have any sense of team coordination (freelance salmon run has that effect) so shes a wip for latte and espresso but they both have hope that she’ll get really good with some guidance

Rye and madeleine get along well :] she thinks hes endearing even if he’s overconfident and in way over his head at the same time. Hes also really funny for these reasons. She teases him a lot which he hatesssss but shes one of the few ppl who can stand him, whether shes taking him seriously or not doesnt really matter cus he has someone to hang out with after battles at least (and they actually bond over this and start to mesh better)

[archupnet]

The Impact of Bitcoin's Surge on Architecture and Construction In recent years, Bitcoin has captured the world’s attention, not only as a financial tool but as an element that is influencing industries far and wide, including construction and architecture. As Bitcoin's price skyrockets, currently valued at over $60,000 per coin, its impact is spilling over into sectors traditionally viewed as separate from cryptocurrencies. But how exactly does this surge affect the construction industry, and what role might architecture play in this evolving financial landscape? Bitcoin Gains and Investment in Construction Historically, periods of increased cryptocurrency values have seen a rise in discretionary spending and alternative investments. A 2022 survey by Deloitte indicated that approximately 35% of high-net-worth individuals involved in crypto allocate their gains towards real estate investments. 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When Bitcoin surges, some investors choose to cash out and invest in infrastructure, leading to increased demand for materials like steel, concrete, and glass. This demand can lead to supply chain disruptions and price hikes for these materials. For example, during Bitcoin's major price surge in late 2021, the price of construction-grade steel rose by 15% in just three months, partially driven by an increase in demand from cryptocurrency investors pouring capital into real estate projects. Conversely, Bitcoin’s volatility can also mean sudden pauses or cancellations in projects. Contractors and architects may find themselves in a precarious position if a client’s ability to fund a project changes due to fluctuations in their cryptocurrency holdings. This instability necessitates a different approach to project management, including flexible contracts and contingency plans for sudden funding changes. 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For architects, builders, and developers, embracing this change and understanding its complexities will be key to thriving in a Bitcoin-influenced future. https://archup.net/8-well-designed-hws-for-storing-your-assets/ Read the full article