#tvs price hike

[fiercemillennial]

Streaming Dreams or Pricey Nightmares? The YouTube TV Price Hike Saga

Is YouTube TV playing us all? 😡 The latest price hike has us wondering if streaming is still worth it. Let’s unpack this together. Drop your thoughts below! #StreamingWars #YouTubeTV #PriceHike #FierceTrends #FierceMillennial

When “Cutting the Cord” Feels Like Getting Tied Up in Bills Streaming Used to Save Us—Now It’s Draining Us Remember when cutting the cord was supposed to save us money? Fast forward to today, and we’re paying more than we ever did for cable. The latest villain in this plot twist? YouTube TV, which just announced yet another price hike, and let’s just say, folks aren’t taking it lightly. If…

[creativemedianews]

Mobile, broadband, and TV providers can't charge mid-contract price hikes

Mobile, broadband, and TV providers can't charge mid-contract price hikes #broadband #chargemid-contract #Mobile

[foldingfittedsheets]

I’ve never had a particularly strong desire to get high. Altered mind states have always been somewhat unappealing to me. The only drug I’ve ever enjoyed taking was a prescription strength muscle relaxant that loosened all my knots at once and sent me into the boneless slumber of jello. Top marks.

But I have dabbled with pot. As I’m wildly sensitive to smoke my only recourse was to try edibles and anyone could’ve predicted this was a recipe for disaster. So here’s the story of the first time I got high.

Brendan was a major stoner. He was a high energy guy who loved hiking, had his shit together, and absolutely loved getting high and relaxing. One day he decided to make pot brownies. Brendan was an amazing cook in his own right but he came into my life at a time when I was eating mayonnaise sandwiches and started giving me real food so I viewed him as a paragon of cookery. He made amazing desserts. And he didn’t make a batch of no pot brownies.

I’d never had one of Brendan’s brownies, before, but dear god I wanted one when they came out of the oven in a waft of rich chocolatey smells. They were fudgey and perfect and all that I wanted in the world was to eat one. I watched him take a bite, burning with envy and desire.

Being high seemed like a small price to pay if only I could sink my teeth into the warm splendor of brownie. I came up to where he was sitting on the couch, slightly behind his left shoulder. “Hey. I want to try a bite,” I told him.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes!” I was sure as fuck that I wanted that brownie in my mouth.

Brendan was sat facing the tv and held up his hand without looking so I could take a bite. I am not a creature of modest bites. And I wanted that brownie. I took a huge bite, carving into the interior of the brownie, leaving Brendan with a only a rim.

He pulled his hand back and saw the brownie crime I had committed and gave a resigned chuckle. “Well this is going to be fun.”

On one other occasion in my life I’ve tried an edible and there was a brief relaxed period before things went horribly wrong that made me think, this is probably where most people stop and enjoy themselves.

But on this occasion, the massive bite of brownie didn’t drift me slowly up through layers of being high. It skyrocketed me into high space with great prejudice. I have no memory of a middle point, I wasn’t high and then I was suddenly so high I couldn’t function.

I’ve heard people talk about paranoia. I didn’t have that. Some people mention nervousness, no, none of that for me. My mind was simply gone. A thought would blip to life on one side of my brain and fail to travel through the fog to find its conclusion. I couldn’t think. I wasn’t really experiencing sensation. I was nothing in the void.

When Brendan realized I’d been staring wall eyed at nothing for too long he said, “How are you doing?”

It took a long time to process the words and even longer to slur out, “I can see everything.”

I don’t remember him getting up and leaving, or waiting, or anything really. Thoughts flickered and died in my mindscape, meaningless and alone.

Then Brendan put headphones on me.

I was unable to conceive of anything as wonderful as music surrounding me, and thus began the only nice part of the trip. I might have experienced ego death but at least I had the ethereal sounds of Pure Reason Revolution to wrap myself in.

I’m not sure how long the nice phase lasted. But eventually something started going wrong in my mouth. My throat became uncomfortable enough to pierce the haze I was in. It was almost numb, and impossibly dry. I drank water to no avail. Finally I conceived of the solution. “Ice cream!” I demanded of Brendan.

He went to grab some and I was dismayed that when I took a bite the sensation in my throat intensified. “It made it worse,” I complained.

“Made what worse?” Brendan asked, because of course I hadn’t actually told him why I’d wanted ice cream.

When I told him what was happening he said, “Oh, of course ice cream is going to make cotton mouth worse.”

“Well then why did you give it to me!” I complained. He smiled fondly at my irrational grumping and got me more water.

Finally I’d had enough. Music couldn’t erase my discomfort, I was getting frustrated I couldn’t think but I was still high as balls and I wanted the night to be over. Brendan suggested I go to bed so I climbed up into my bed and lay there, uncomfortably high.

I couldn’t sleep. My throat was so cottony, a side effect I hadn’t known existed and I thoroughly loathed.

Then I thought: I could masturbate! Brendan had talked about enjoying that while high. I’d give it a shot. My body however was wiser than my head and was having none of this plan. It refused to respond, stubbornly insisting that now was not the time.

I doubled down, refusing to give up on this horrible idea and in a bitter struggle, and against my body’s own wishes, I produced an orgasm that rated a 0 on the pleasure scale. Something happened but it was like a resentful flex of muscles that stopped immediately.

Furious with the overall experience of being high I buried my head in pillows and finally slept. I told Brendan the next day about my attempt and he facepalmed so hard. “Why didn’t you just go to sleep! You were way too high to enjoy that.”

I grumbled and agreed that it was very stupid. I tried to weigh the single bite of brownie I had with the absolutely wretched hours of discomfort and while it didn’t quite balance it was still pretty close. It was a really good brownie.

[saijspellhart]

Guys, buy physical media it’s dying. They are taking it from us.

My local Meijer (a regional variant of Walmart) has stopped selling physical media. Like outright. It’s now gift cards for streaming services, and online shit. They are phasing out physical video games too. They are phasing out laptops, DVDs players, blueray players.

I know, I know, streaming services are so easy and convenient. But like, you don’t own it. You are at the mercy of the services. Once they kill physical media completely they can hike up the prices as steep as they like, $30, $40, $50 and more a month. Because it will be the ONLY way (short of pirating) that you can watch shows and movies. They will make it cable and satellite premium levels of expensive. And you won’t be able to stop them. They’ll hold your favorite shows hostage behind paywalls and micro transactions. They’ll vault up shows and movies and make them unavailable for long periods of time. You’ll have to have 7 different streaming services all costing $40 bucks a pop to watch the things you want.

You’ll have access to NOTHING without paying a premium. And remember, you already pay money to have an internet connection. Are streaming services really as affordable as you think? Internet price + the price of each service? That adds up. And they keep raising the price, and will keep raising the prices, because they know you’ll keep paying.

Having physical media means you get to watch your favorite shows and movies anytime. With or without internet connection. Broke as fuck? You can still watch it, because it’s yours. Did they lock up your favorite show or movie to make it more exclusive? You can still watch it with physical media because you own it. Want to let your friend borrow it? You can lend it to them, or burn them a copy. No need to fret about stupid services cracking down on password sharing. Want to watch the movie or show with online friends? You can stream DVDs over Discord so friends can watch with you.

(Am currently streaming Teen Titans the original animated series with my best friend over Discord. It’s mine, so neither of us pay anything to watch it together.)

Companies are writing off physical media as unprofitable. They are culling it. Taking it out of stores, making it less accessible.

People around me talk about all these movies and tv series they’d love to watch, but have to buy another streaming service to access it. And I offer to let them borrow the DVDs or Blueray, and they straight up tell me they don’t own DVDs or dvd players. Why?! WHY!? They subscribe to 4 or 5 different service instead forking out $50+ a month. But they put themselves at the mercy of these services, at the mercy of internet connectivity and access. They can’t even borrow a movie or show from me, because they are so dependent on internet and streaming.

Did you know there are literally ways to save your movies digitally and take them on the go? Streaming should be a neat little thing that’s convenient, it has its perks and uses, but it should NOT the only way to watch media.

Save physical media.

Buy a dvd player.

Buy movies.

Buy shows.

Own your media.

Stop renting it. Streaming is just glorified rental.

Stop renting it.

Because soon that’s all you’ll ever be able to do.

[libbyfandom]

Let’s take a look inside Modern!Mizu’s Camera Roll! Featuring Reader and BES Characters (Companion Piece)

Screenshot of an undercut with long hair.

Screenshot of a wolf cut.

Picture of her tv screen showing her new high score at a video game. (To rub it in Taigen’s face that she beat his)

Her hand cupping the back of a pretty neck covered in hickeys.

Akemi death-gripping a trash can with her face buried into it as she hurls. The rollercoaster Mizu forced her on is in the background.

Selfie of her and her adoptive father at a baseball game. (She couldn’t get him to smile. He only hummed, which made her laugh)

Video of you asleep on her, your head on her shoulder and your hand curled up on her chest. Her fingers are gently brushing the side of your face for a minute, before your eyebrows pinch in sleep. You make a soft, stressed noise unconsciously. Her lips press to your temple for a long moment. “Shh shh shh.” Your expression relaxes again, and she goes back to gently stroking your cheek.

The full moon.

A video of Ringo coming up silently behind you and Akemi while you're standing in line at a coffee shop. You two turn around and nearly jumps out of your skin when you sees him. (He's always so silent)

Screenshot of a quote “How do we forgive ourselves for all the things we did not become? -Doc Lubel”.

Her torn up jeans and bloodied outer thigh as she sits in the grass along the road, her crashed motorcycle in the background.

A video of her holding your wrists down in bed, oh so slowly pressing kisses all over your chest where she yanked your top up to your collarbone. Every once in a while she bites into your skin without warning, gripping your wrists tighter when your body arches and tries to twitch away with broken whines. She waits each time for you to stop moving, staring intensely up at you with your skin between her teeth, before she licks at the bite to soothe it away and restarts the cycle.

Video of her sitting on her bed practicing knife flipping.

Her hand holding a book titled "Waiting by the Front Door: Children of Parents with Addiction".

A close up of the price tag of the book "Waiting by the Front Door: Children of Parents with Addiction".

Saved selfie Ringo sent of the two of them on a hike.

Screenshot of a dinner reservation confirmation for two at a new restaurant downtown.

Video of Akemi in the middle of some rant in Mizu and Ringo’s living room. The darkness outside the window suggests it’s very late into the night. She gestures wildly at something off camera. “-and Taigen pees in the fucking shower-!” Taigen’s voice comes from somewhere off camera, loud and offended. “I aim for the drain!” You sit in the background behind Akemi, looking disturbed and distressed.

Screenshot of piercings. (For the wish list people are asking for)

A gif of a character going “Some god damn peace and quiet”. (For the wish list people are asking for)

The ocean.

Saved video Ringo sent of you two at the beach bonfire. You’re cuddled up into each other while sitting against a log, your legs overlapping hers. You’re both staring into the fire, absentmindedly playing with each others fingers where you’re holding hands on your lap. She’s never looked more relaxed.

You and Akemi in the backseat asleep on the drive back from the beach.

Saved photo you sent her of her and her adoptive father playing chess. Her brows are furrowed as she thinks over her next move, sitting properly with her hands in her lap. This is instead of how she usually plays with one leg propped up on her chair and elbow leaning on her knee when she plays with Akemi.

The one nice photo of just her and Taigen, posing in a big mirror at a dark, more upscale restaurant wearing suits.

Screenshot of receipt for two concert tickets on your birthday.

Ringo laying head down on a pile of finals notes in defeat at the library.

Screenshot of a text you sent of a grocery list.

A video in her “Hidden” folder that is 37 minutes long and requires a password that only she and you know.

Screenshot of the word “Bitch” in Barbie pink font.

You curled up on the couch fast asleep, wearing Mizu’s oversized college sweatshirt.

Saved photo Ringo sent of Mizu standing in the bathtub making a peace sign with one gloved hand as the other holds Akemi’s newly dyed and wet burgundy hair while Akemi is seen leaning over the tub so Mizu can rinse out the excess dye.

A picture of her hand holding an engagement ring nestled inside a green velvet box. She wanted Akemi’s opinion. So she’ll stop having an anxiety attack over what she picked.

[wimble-warcrime]

been watching wayy too many bushcraft stuff and wilderness survival competition tv shows, so im inspired first COD fic, but i've read too many not to contribute at this point

-bushcrafter!simon riley who is not normal about anything, lets be real here. he spends 6 months deployed in bumfuck-nowhere roughing it with the boys, only to return his own little piece of land in the middle of civilized bumfuck-nowhere. he bought the property after a night of too many drinks and decided in his drunken stupor that he had no need for people or pagentry. and he was right

-he sells most of his earthly possesions, putting whatever he can't (or won't) sell into a storage container he hauls up to the property. at first, with his military training and field experience, he gets by on the bare bones while he figures his shit out. this isn't some survival expedition with a clear goal--he's going full wildman, living in the woods like this. the only address he has is a p.o. box at the closest town's post office. it's a bit of a pain getting down there, so he goes only when he's visiting the local hardware stores--he becomes a familiar (albeit masked) face with the locals

-his set up is pretty swanky after a good few months in the wilds on leave. he may or may not have (but he'll never admit to it) scrolled on pinterest for a wee while looking at what the bushcraft and survivalist lads were building for some inspiration, but at the ends, he's mighty proud of his little cabin in the woods. each time he comes back from deployment, he adds more to it, eventually expanding it to have a sort of functioning toilet and shower, a little woodstove and a relatively comfortable bed.

-one day after a particularly grueling mission, he decides to see just how far he can take it. he's been hunting for his game and gets a box of the community garden vegetables delivered to his driveway every week, but he wants more of a challenge. so he starts gardening. ever one for a flare of drama, simon starts using the bones of his kills to turn into some half-decent knives and other tools. and as much fun as it is, doing his dooms-day prepping shit (as price has lovingly called it) he won't admit he's lonely

-gets a rescue dog called lucky--lucky only has three legs and one working ear, but the mutt is so darn cute he has to bring the poor beastie home.

-the pretty bird who volunteers at the animal shelter is also cute, and lucky has grown on you. you're weary to part ways with the dog, but the masked man and his terrible flirting are endearing enough to smooth over the comfort. after he leaves, you're naturally curious about just who that man was. you hear around the town that he's a recluse who lives in the mountains like a caveman (he for sure could pull off a loin cloth with those hips of his) and that he gets the local garden delivery box every week

-so you do as any rational human would with that information and sign up to volunteer with the garden center. they let you deliver boxes after a few weeks of consistent effort, and when you're manager hands you the list of addresses, she makes it very clear that on box in particular is to be left at the drive way and that's it. he doesn't like people nosing around

-you save his delivery for last, driving up the 'drive way' to the edge of the woods and no further. like the foolish girl you are, you get out of the car and start hiking into the woods to deliver this man his vegetables. halfway, you find lucky running about, the mutt so excited to see his favourite human he almost vibrates right out of his skin he happily leads you to his new home, where the man you hoped to find is chopping wood out front. shirtless.

-you're content to salivate over this mans physique but lucky is determined to share his excitement with his second favourite human and announces your presence by barking.

-simon is silently thrilled you're here. ever since he met you when he adopted lucky all those weeks ago, he's been working up the courage to go back and befriend you. only problem is, simon is not normal about anything, so he instead starts fancying up his house in the hopes that you might see it one day. he told himself it was a delusion to think you'd just appear without any effort on his part. but luckily for him, you're not normal about anything either.

-you get the grand tour of the place, making a few remarks on the garden out front and the adorable little wood stove in his house ("My grandma had one of these in her house, she used to cook with me on it all the time. my apartment isn't exactly equipped for one, but i've always wanted one anyways"). when you see his bed, you can't help but sit down on it, needing to know if it's a comfy and sturdy as it looks (def not imaging why it would need to be sturdy--you're a big girly, furniture needs to handle all that extra fluff if you're using it) it is exactly as comfy as you thought it would be, lying back against the hand-me-down quilt and closing your eyes

-you make a comment about how many animal pelt are in the bed, praising simon's expert preservation of the furs and off-handedly remarking how you always wanted to learn how to hunt. when you look up at him from his bed, raking your eyes over his giant frame standing there with barely contained lust? well, let's just say he's ruminating on how big the newest addition has to be for a nursery

----

this is just a drabble, but my panties get wet at the idea of a wild, forest-dwelling man sweeping me off my feet and away from civilization to go live with him in his little hut in the woods. im the type of delulu that would HAPPILY be a bare foot and pregnant wifey living with my half feral man who worships me daily and lives to please me

did i maybe ready waayyy too man werewolf romance stories as a tween? why yes, yes i did. it altered my brain chemistry in a way you guys just wouldn't understand, but i cannot be normal about relationships anymore and it's a problem

ANYWAYZZZ hope you enjoyed, cause i know i did ;)

[hometoursandotherstuff]

I guess b/c the condo in this 1985 building in Seattle, WA is the penthouse, the 2bd, 2ba, 1,171 sq ft unit is $1.895M + $2,241mo. HOA, while a similar unit on the 3rd fl. is $675K + $1,207mo. HOA.

I don't know why they show stairs. Does the elevator only go up to this floor? If so, this is quite a hike, b/c it turns left to more stairs.

I don' t know for sure, but that may be the case, b/c this is the entrance and it's at the top of the stairs, no elevator in sight. Well, that sucks right from the jump.

The living room has a plain fireplace and shelves under the windows.

There's a textured ceiling, too.

View of Elliott Bay.

A half-wall separates the kitchen. That's different- there's a drawer unit on top of it.

It's a galley kitchen, not as small as some other galley kitchens, at least there's a wider space down the middle.

Nice sunny little TV room with shelving.

Very modern shower room is kind of small, but the shower itself looks large.

This sun room is a very nice feature and it's meant to be the dining room.

The primary bedroom is right off the sun room.

It's not very big, for such a large price tag.

It has a small 3pc. en-suite, but it has some high end finishes.

And, here's another view of the bay.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/98-Union-St-APT-1309-Seattle-WA-98101/48981641_zpid/

[seonghwaddict]

★ NEVER SAY NEVER. [ 004 ] rotten lemons.

synopsis. something about the eight most well-known boys of your campus just didn't sit right with you, so you never gave any effort to interact with them. but after a series of... interesting incidents, they can't seem to leave you alone. pairing. college students! vampires! ot8! ateez x fem! reader. genre. fluff, angst, eventual smut, college au, vampire au. chapter warnings. blood drinking. word count. 1.7k

　　　　　　　　chapter iii // chapter iv // chapter v

Seonghwa, Yunho and Wooyoung returned to the house at around four in the morning, each carrying two crates. As soon as they stepped through the door, they were greeted by Hongjoong as he made his way down the stairs, blue tufts of hair bouncing on his head.

“How’d it go?” He asked over his shoulder as they followed him into the kitchen and dropped her crates on the countertop.

Seonghwa shrugged and opened the first crate as Wooyoung and Yunho moved to the living room. “The usual. The prices went up though, 300 thousand per five bags.”

With an understanding nod, Hongjoong took a seat on one of the island stools. He reached for a different crate and pulled it towards him, looking through it before pulling out a translucent white bag, a thick red liquid swishing around inside. After taking a look at the label, he snapped his fingers. A thin wine glass appeared on the counter and it didn’t take him too long to open the bag and pour its contents in the cup.

“Did you get some O neg for San? He said he’s running out,” he asked after taking a refreshing sip.

“Yeah, probably enough to keep him satisfied for a few months.”

While they were quite open to drinking any type of blood, they had preferences. Some of them preferred sweeter tastes (usually O or B-type blood as they taste somewhat like the sweetness you’d get from honey) and others preferred more sour tastes (such as A-type blood, a taste that resembled the slight sourness you’d get from a cherry). However, with San, he’d always been in a bit of a tricky situation…

O-type blood, specifically of the negative sort, is considered one of the rarer types of blood. The demand for it can get pretty high, which in turn also makes prices hike up quite a bit. Typically blood vendors wouldn’t have a lot of O-negative stocked which can sometimes be a bit concerning. Especially because that’s the only blood type that San’s body can process.

But, fortunately, they didn’t have to worry about that too much since their go-to vendor always had some of that prestigious type.

Around the country, there were different vendors for blood bags—blood-banks. Unfortunately, the closest one to their house was a 2-hour drive, so it was inconvenient to constantly go and come back with the bare minimum amount they would need for a week. Usually, the bags get stocked and sold to vampires and after a month, anything that wasn’t sold would be donated to local hospitals on behalf of a ‘private blood donation organisation.’

Of course, many vampires preferred to get blood directly from the source (A.K.A. suck it out of people’s necks themselves), since it had a sweeter, fresher taste. But, alas, this was also too inconvenient for the boys living in this lavish mansion. They’d have to consider too many things before sucking the blood directly from a human, so they opted for just buying it in bags.

“That’s more than enough I think.” Hongjoong swirled the blood in the glass one more time before downing the rest of it and wiping the excess on his chin with the back of his hand. “Thank you.”

Once Seonghwa finished moving all the blood bags to the fridge, the two men moved to the living room and joined the rest of their cluster mates. San, Mingi and Yeosang were playing some video game on the TV; Jongho sat in an armchair and read a book, occasionally glancing to see how the game was going; Wooyoung sat on the ground with his head in San’s lap and Yunho sat cross-legged on the couch, narrating the game like a football narrator.

“Yeosangie, did Y/N get home safe?” Wooyoung asked as the round ended and Yeosang passed his controller to Yunho. A fond smile stretched itself onto the blond’s face as he nodded gently, thinking back to the way you had slept so peacefully in his car, light snores filling the silence of the vehicle.

“Who’s Y/N?” San asked, tilting his head down to look at Wooyoung.

“She’s an art student. We were each paired with one to work on a project. She actually came over here a few hours ago so we could start working a bit,” he explained. “I like her, she’s very pretty. A bit stubborn though, I almost had to fight her because we couldn’t agree on something. But I don’t think she’s very fond of me.” He concluded with a pout.

“Jongho also met her before, more or less,” Yeosang added, looking at the youngest as he shifted in his chair, “she works at that bookstore that you go to sometimes.”

The theatre student in question looked up, blinking at the ceiling and tilting his head as he tried to remember. He grimaced “The one that smells like a rotten lemon?”

“No,” Yeosang was quick to deny, not wanting any of the men that hadn’t met her to get the wrong impression. “The one that smells delicious.”

They talked about you for another ten minutes, Wooyoung recounting his experience working with you and Yeosang explained how you two had met. His brothers poked some fun at him, making it sound like he’d fallen head over heels for the girl that regularly ordered an iced latte with triple sugar. He swatted their teasing comments away but blushed the shade of Jongho’s hair when Wooyoung mentioned he’d seen some sketches in her sketchbook that looked an awful lot like him.

“If he liked her I wouldn’t really blame him,” Seonghwa had laughed, perfectly straight white teeth on display. “She’s intriguing.”

So, yeah, they all agreed there was something interesting about you. The ones that hadn’t met you tried coming up with ways to meet you, and the ones that had tried coming up with ways to meet you again. All the while Wooyoung giggled, knowing he’d have to spend the most time with you and loving the fact he could rub it into everyone’s faces.

But, for now, they wanted to spend their weekend relaxing and being lazy without constantly thinking about some cute girl. (That was a lie. Even though they would deny it, Wooyoung couldn’t deny the way his mind wandered to you every hour, wondering what you were up to; Seonghwa thought of you every time he stepped into the kitchen and if he concentrated hard enough—which he did for a single reason—he was sure he could still smell your sweet vanilla aroma wafting through the air; Jongho worked his way through his books faster so he could go to your book store and Yeosang spent his day at work hoping you’d walk through the door.)

You didn’t really question it, but were still mildly confused, when you walked out of the art studio the next Monday and saw Wooyoung standing against the wall, waiting for you. Students ogled as they passed by him and some talked and laughed extra loudly to get his attention, but his eyes remained on you.

Approaching him, you raised an eyebrow. “What are you doing here?”

“Picking you up, obviously.” He rolled his eyes playfully, reaching for your hand and dragging you out of the building. “I had another idea. I want to be able to do more for this project, so I’m going to choreograph and film a dance that we could maybe display at the exhibition with, like, a projector or something. You know, so we both contribute to this—equally. How does that sound?”

When he stopped and turned around to face you, he had to stop himself from cooing at your face as you thought. Your face was directed at him but your eyes looked unfocused, lower lip caught between your teeth as you tried to visualise his idea. Finally, you gave an approving hum and nod.

“That actually doesn’t sound like too bad of an idea,” you nodded as he resumed leading you to wherever it is he wanted to go. “Maybe the paintings could be based on pieces of your choreography.”

“Yeah, that’s also a great idea!” He cheered enthusiastically, a bright smile different from the usual mischievous one you see plastered on his lips. “Oh, also!” He stopped again as he remembered something, tugging on the hand that he still held within his colder one to get you to face him. “We’re gonna be hosting a party, you should come!”

Now that was something a bit harder for you to agree with.

“Oh, I don’t know…” The insecurity in your face dwindled as your words trailed off. “Parties aren’t really my thing.”

“Please, Y/N, just this once.” He gave you his best puppy eyes and pleading voice. “The rest of the guys want to meet you, and what better place than a party where you can let loose?”

You decided it was a tempting proposal. After a long, torturing pause, you finally sighed, “Fine. When is it?”

Excitement lit up on Wooyoung’s face and you could’ve sworn his brown eyes nearly started sparkling. “We were planning on Saturday, but we haven’t made the announcement yet so we could always change it if you want.”

The pure joy he felt faltered for a second as your face fell.

“I’m not available on Saturdays, so Friday or Sunday would work better for me if that’s ok.”

Instantly, he began nodding. “Yeah, we could do it on Friday. What do you do on Saturdays, if cou don’t mind me asking?”

Ah, shit. I did not think this far ahead. You smacked yourself mentally, scrambling to come up with a plausible excuse. If he found your hesitation suspicious, he didn’t say anything about it as he awaited your answer. Instead, he watched with interest, loosely swinging your conjoined hands from side to side.

“Oh, you know. I study and catch up on all the sleep I usually miss.”

Wooyoung narrowed his eyes at you, lips pursed and a contemplative hum ringing from him until he nodded and resumed his walk once again. “Okay. I’ll send you the address later, it won’t be at our house—last time someone broke the chandelier.”

“What chandelier?” Your brows furrowed as you briefly looked up to him. It was then that you realised he was still holding your hand, so as discreetly as possible, you tugged on it and hoped he would get the hint.

“Exactly.”

After a few more tugs it seemed like he finally noticed, his grip loosened and you were able to slip your hand out.

“Do you have any classes for the rest of the day?”

You shook your head after trying and succeeding to remember your schedule. “No, why?”

“Great, let’s go eat!”

　　[ lilo's notes ... ] this one's a bit short. i'm not really amazing at writing scenes that involve more than 4 people, but i've been getting better i think so it should be fine. we finally got some vampteez content in this chapter, hope y'all like that.

　　ଘ(੭˃ᴗ˂)੭ taglist ... @atinytinaa @marievllr-abg @legohwas @moonsangie @kiss-hwa @cqndiedcherries @ateezourstars @kitty4hwa @hyukssunflower @aestheticsluut @neohyxn @mrowwww  @darkdayelixer @itsokaytobedumb00 @hwa-sans @purplelady85 @meginthebuilding27 @stopeatread @mothworked @foliea @euphoric-emily16 @teezers99 @mulletjoonsupremacy @imalildelulu @sunukissed @blehhhidk @ad0rechuu @d1am0ndw0lfxd @strawberry-moonpies @bluehwale-main @lightinythedark @stupefystudies @yandere-stories @skz-enthusiasttt @seongwin @huachengsbestie01 @galaxypox @seongwin @yuyunhoo @kyukyustar @seongfury @moonminji @lilactangerine @lelaleleb ​​@asjkdk @honey-lemon-goose

　　NEVER SAY NEVER　©　seonghwaddict, 2023

[hopeidontgetaddictedtothis]

The worst possible platform

From what I've heard, Watcher TV is being hosted on Vimeo. This means the folks on Watcher Entertainment probably purchased Vimeo's Enterprise option, a tier being offered to organisations. Now, this is really bad for many reasons.

In the past 10 years, Vimeo has become incredibly user-unfriendly and increasingly expensive. It has become so notorious to filmmakers that they've been actively looking for alternatives.

There are also countless horror stories about how filmmakers and Patreon creators got hit with unexpected Vimeo price hikes. For instance, one user reported that Vimeo raised their rate that they were grandfathered into by 256% with only 45 days notice!! And in the Verge article below, one artist said she got hit with a bill of $,3,500 USD.

So, the Watcher will host their videos on a notoriously expensive and inefficient platform and make their fans pay for it.

And to put more salt on the international fans' wounds, Vimeo OTT actually offers support for regional pricing! The seller can add and adjust individual prices per region. Had the Watcher team used this feature, it could have been incredibly helpful for the international fans because the exchange rate makes the $6 USD drastically different, as many have pointed out. There is a more detailed overview on VImeo being their chosen platform on in a thread from Watcher's subreddit.

[bingoboingobongo]

cod characters alphabet: activities

Characters: Simon “Ghost” Riley, John “Soap” MacTavish, Kyle “Gaz” Garrick, John Price, Alejandro Vargas, Rodolfo “Rudy” Parra, Valeria Garza

Warnings: none

Prompt: Activities - What do they like to do with their s/o? How do they spend their free time with their s/o?

A/N: hehe new year new event i’m excitedd. also yes gaz’s ice cream choice is mine too don’t hate.

simon “ghost” riley:

alright so simon likes to spend what little free time he has doing something quiet and relaxing

he just needs a break from all the chaos and noise of wartime and so he’s not a big fan of going out or partying when he has spare time

i feel like at the beginning of your relationship he might take you out to dinner or on a date or something like that just because he feels like your relationship isn’t that strong yet

but once he gets really comfortable with you he’s much happier to spend his time indoors

simon usually will spend his free time reading or sewing (his masks get very dirty/broken very quickly so he needs to have a lot spare okay im sorry)

sometimes he might go outside on a walk/hike away from people so he can just catch a break

honestly when he’s alone he’ll like get into his chair, start whatever activity he’s doing, and then not leave until he’s done

like he will spend the entirety of his free time just sort of decompressing

again at first he was hesitant to let you in because it was sort of like his own self-care routine but he’s found that it’s much easier to take care of himself when you’re there

sometimes he’ll let you curl up on his lap while you nap/read a book/scroll on your phone, and sometimes you guys will sit together on the couch under a blanket

it’s very much a comfortable silence and honestly simon really prefers days like that than when you guys go out

john “soap” mactavish:

okie so soap is all about having new and fun experiences whenever he has free time

so much of his life is spent in the military and he wants to have a lot of fun memories that aren’t work related he can reminisce about when he’s old (or just while he’s bored at work)

whenever he has free time he’ll be spending it with you, even if you’re in the military with him

honestly he just wants to make sure he spends as much time as he can with you, that way if something does go wrong he won’t regret leaving you alone

he’ll take you out on all sort of fun dates and adventures

he loves taking you around town to try out all sorts of restaurants and bars

that being said he’s not a very harsh food critic and he’s mostly just going to try new foods so get ready for a lot of “christ this is so good try it” and “we have to come back here next time”

that being said, if you’re not up to going out or if the weather isn’t right or something, he’s more than happy to spend the day inside with you

he’ll try to cook something with you (the results may be questionable) but it’s okay because you guys spend most of the time laughing anyways

he’s also down to cuddle on the couch and binge a new tv show with you if that’s more your style

he won’t say this out loud (but it’s very obvious) but his favorite genre of tv is reality tv

he gets soo invested in all of the drama and he definitely eats up all of the overly dramatic videography and editing

kyle “gaz” garrick:

hmm so during his free time gaz really likes to listen to/discover new music

he’s got a really broad taste of music and so one of his favorite things to do when he has free time is go around to bars/clubs and just listen to the local bands

of course whenever he can he’ll go to concerts of his favorite artists but with expenses and his busy schedule those are pretty few and far between

he loves to take you with him on these little musical adventures though

many of your nights have been spent at crowded pubs listening to a band play while you guys talk about something dumb that makes you guys laugh

either that or having way too philosophical conversations that would probably be more suited to a university philosophy lecture than a pub with sticky tables and cheap beer

but gaz has had some of the best conversations of his life with you at those pubs so he doesn’t mind it

that being said, if you’re at that point in your relationship gaz really likes taking you to visit his family

he really loves his family, especially his younger siblings, and so whenever he has the chance he goes to visit them and check up on them

and it’s so much more fun when you come along

he’ll take you and the kids out for some ice cream at the old shop he used to frequent when he was a boy

he always gets lime sherbet and rocky road on a waffle cone whenever he goes

and do not yell at him because he swears that it is a good combination because you get sweet and you get sour and it’s not like the flavors even mix together that much so it’s fine

john price:

okay so price is a little bit like ghost in that he likes to spend his free time with just cuddling and sort of relaxing

usually with a crossword and a cup of tea, especially in the mornings

but when he has a little more free time he does really like going to see the arts

i’m talking theatre, dance, museums, concerts (but he tends to lean towards classical or jazz/blues, he just doesn’t understand rap/hip hop i’m sorry)

he’ll always take you with him if you’re down to go as well

and yes during christmas season he always takes you to see the nutcracker

that being said price isn’t really a fan of very many musicals

he feels like it’s kinda hard to understand what they’re saying during the songs and then he just has no idea what’s going on

afterwards he’ll take you out to a nice restaurant so you guys can talk about everything you saw

but if there’s nothing good around he’ll take you back home and make you a home-cooked meal

i feel like price definitely has two homes, a small house (or maybe apartment) in the city and then a cabin somewhere in the woods

what can i say the housing market was a lot different when price was buying his cabin

usually he’ll take you to his cabin during the winter, and then his city place is used for the rest of the year

alejandro vargas:

alright alejandro is a little older than soap and gaz and so his days of partying and going out are past him

i mean don’t get me wrong he can still throw a mean party but his body just doesn’t bounce back the way it used to

so like ghost and price he tends to spend his free time with you in a more reserved way

i think alejandro is probably a really good cook and so that comes into play a lot during his free time

whenever he’s home he’ll practically refuse to let you cook or order anything and insists that he can make it for you

he likes to spend his weekends testing out new recipes or making new foods that you can make when he’s gone

because he always drags you along to the kitchen with him and has you learn how to cook it with him

honestly he’s a teacher/leader at heart and so it’s almost like therapeutic to be teaching you how to cook and stuff

i mean it’s combining like three things he loves: cooking, teaching, and you

once he’s done making the food he’ll cozy up with you on the couch and turn on a show you’ve already watched while you eat, that way he can talk to you and ask you for feedback

honestly he’s a romantic and it shows when he spends his free time with you

he also really loves giving himself (and you) a little spa day a few days after he comes back from duty, just to really decompress and forget about all the stress of work

rodolfo “rudy” parra:

okay so honestly rudy doesn’t really have one thing that he loves doing during his free time

actually wait no he does it’s either building legos or watching other people build legos

that being said, he can’t always do that or sometimes it just gets boring and so really his favorite thing is just spending time with you

wherever you take him, he’ll follow

whether that’s shopping, doing chores, watching a movie, getting dinner

as long as he can look at your face, you could be telling him to jump off a cliff and he’d die happy

what can i say he’s absolutely smitten for you and he’s so like eager it’s amazing

that being said if neither of you have any plans he’ll beg you to stay in bed with him the whole day and you guys will just cuddle while you scroll on your phones or talk about random things

he likes to watch a lot of youtube and he’ll always point out little things he thinks are cool/funny for you to look at

and if you don’t understand it he’ll explain it all to you and why it’s interesting/relevant

honestly though, he really just likes cuddling or sleeping with you during his free time

he’s usually pretty exhausted or beat up whenever he comes home and so spending the day with his head on your chest just sounds like heaven to him

valeria garza:

alright let’s be real being a drug lord is no easy feat and so valeria doesn’t get as much free time as she would like

but when she does get time for herself she’s probably gonna be spending it on you instead

honestly i really see valeria as the kind of person to really spoil you

i mean being el sin nombre brings in a lot of cash so she certainly has the resources to do it

i think if she’s coming home to you, she’ll have to take a minute to decompress for a bit

even though she likes to be the provider in the relationship, she likes it when you hold her for a bit just when she gets home so she can let all her problems melt away

she wants to leave el sin nombre and all the cartels and drugs behind whenever she’s with you

even if you’re involved with it with her, she’d much rather keep that stuff out of her home life

once she’s rejuvenated though she’ll insist on taking you out

usually it’s shopping, dinner, a movie, a party, etc.

okay i’m gonna get into some like psychological stuff but like, i feel like being a woman in a male dominated field (the military and drugs), she feels like there’s sort of like a subconscious need for her to be more masculine, and so she does this by providing for you financially through gifts and stuff like that

but also when it’s all over and the drugs and the shopping and all of it is gone, valeria also just really likes cuddling with you

she’s a big fan of late night pillow talk because it’s a chance for her to release some steam/be vulnerable which she really can’t do during her day-to-day

[clip-the-simp]

Not Much Else [Pt.3]

Ao3

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5 - Part 6

Pairing: Cooper Howard/The Ghoul x Fem!Reader

Word count: 2,246

Warnings: canon typical violence, swearing, needles and mention of surgery, suggestive content, (I’m bad at warning tags so just let me know if I need/should to add some)

Tags: Mild Proofreading, suggestive content, flirting, wing play(?), reader had bat wings, Bounty Hunting, deviation from TV show, pre!show events(?), (Again I'm bad at tags so let me know)

Summary: You're a vault experiment that makes it to the surface. Quickly you learn the lay of the land and a few years later end up working the same bounty as The Ghoul. You convince him to let you tag along after having a feeling that you just had to follow him. Where will this story lead? Only time (and my motivation) will tell.

A/N: Things are getting heated y’all. This is part 3 to my Copper Howard/The Ghoul x reader fanfic. Be forewarned that this is going to be far from canon and really unrealistic honestly. But listen. If writing has taught me one thing, it’s that anything can happen.

The trek through the mountains was a bit harder than you imagined. Having hiked multiple times before the bombs dropped and practically living in that environment, it really bummed you out to know you weren’t as capable of the task as before.

“Come on now! Slow Pokes get left behind.” The Ghoul shouted from above you. He was a good ten yards ahead and picking at the tree next to him that had already been tampered with. It seemed that the target was marking his way through the words.

What a dumb ass. You had thought at the first marker the two of you had found. For someone trying to not be found he had made it quite easy. Although in total honesty you weren’t sure why he was being targeted.

The price on his head was hefty to say the least and the contract didn’t specify if he was needed dead or alive, only that his body needed to be brought back. Although if he was turned in alive there would be a nice bonus added.

From what it seemed, he came from one of the higher crime groups that resided on the coast. And considering he had enough to bargain with to afford hired muscle, they had to be from wealth.

Your back cracked as you straightened up next to The Ghoul. He had waited for you to catch up, which you appreciated. You might be fast in the air, but on the ground your wings did carry some weight to them.

“About time y’caught up. Take a look at this.” The Ghoul pointed at a clearing just over the ridge where a camp sight had been set up. The fire was still smoldering as though the inhabitants left in a hurry. A few moments later The Ghoul and yourself were rummaging about the camp. While you examined the area closest to the fire pit, The Ghoul scanned the perimeter.

“They left in a hurry, that's for sure.” You picked at the remains of the fire to determine when it had been lit. “But as to why I haven't quite-” You began to speak only to get cut off.

“I know why.” The Ghoul said followed by the sound of his gun unholstering which caught your attention. Immediately lifting your head to see The Ghoul, a large shadow settled at your back as you froze. Whatever was behind you had your companion aiming quick before firing off several shots in your direction. When the first bullet left the barrel of his gun, you dove to the side and began to crawl far enough away to feel safe to look behind you.

What you saw was the largest yao guai, a mangy mutated bear, you've ever had the displeasure of laying eyes on. Your heart was pounding in your chest as you stood. The bear roared and The Ghoul’s initial shots had only managed to piss it off more.

“Shit!” He yelled as the bear began to charge at him. The Ghoul tried to fire off another shot but nothing happened. The gun was jammed. The yao guai was still laser focused on The Ghoul as you finally unfroze from your shock. Your hands fumbled for the gun holstered at your thigh. You knew you didn’t have bullets that were going to bring the beast down, but it would get the attention off the man who did. Shooting your own rounds, the bear quickly turned in your direction before promptly changing course. Now focused solely on you.

“Fuck Fuck Fuck Fuck!” You yelled as you ran from the mutant. You didn’t think this one though at all. Your focus had been purely to get the bear's attention off The Ghoul and it worked.

Not realizing how close the bear had actually been, you were quickly knocked to the ground as the force of the yao guai landed on your back, causing all air to leave your lungs. There was a sickening crunch as something in your body broke and a muted scream tried to leave your throat.

Before the creature could do any more damage there were another two shots coming from behind you. The first shot caused the bear to yowl in pain and get off of you as it turned back to the one shooting it. The second forced the bear to fall to the ground in a limp heap beside you. There was a quick sound of jingling spurs that came from somewhere beside you, but the pain that began to bloom in your back took away from all other senses.

Tears started to pluck at the corners of your eyes as breathing came back to you. Pinpointing the broken bone was easy after you tried opening your wings and a shooting pain came from your left wing. A yelp came from you as you tried to stand. You found yourself back on the ground, the pain from disturbing the broken limb causing a wave of nausea to wash over you.

“Stay still.” The Ghoul said kneeling in front of you with a stimpack in hand. Fear gripped you as he grabbed your arm and jammed the needle into your arm. Your muscles were tense which were bound to cause a bruise in that arm. Your mind was fogged from the memories of the vault you came from while the stim needle was buried in your arm . The cutting of flesh, recovery from surgeries, but most of all the injections of mutated cells that were forced into your bloodstream.

“Y’still with me darlin?” You heard The Ghoul’s voice break through the fog in your mind. It felt like an eternity before he spoke after removing the stimpack. Your eyes were hazy as you looked at him and tried to focus your senses again.

“Ya,” you shook your head to try and relieve yourself of your thoughts. Bringing your attention to The Ghoul, you found his eyes to focus on something other than the past. “I’ll be fine.” You assured him as you slowly stood up, The Ghoul followed and placed his hands on your shoulders to keep you balanced.

“Y’don’t look it.” He mumbled as you held a hand to your face trying to gather yourself. The tackle to the ground definitely threw you off not to mention the sudden flashbacks to the vault.

The Ghoul’s hands remained on your shoulders while he took in your facial features. You looked terrible and were in no condition to travel. His hands delivered a light squeeze before he removed them and walked away to poke at the bear.

“We’ll camp here for the night.” He stated as he cut into the bear's hide to harvest what he could. You looked over to him puzzled. There were still at least two hours worth of daylight left which was valuable time you would lose.

“There’s still daylight left. And god knows how far ahead start they-” you began to argue. But you were cut off when he glared over his shoulder at you. Your body instantly froze when your eyes met.

“I don’t care. I’m not traveling with y’injured.” The Ghoul’s voice was low and gruff. There was no room for argument in his tone. Slumping your shoulders you reached back to touch your wing. There was still a throbbing pain where the bone was trying to mend itself.

“We’ll travel when your wing is fully healed in the morning.” He had brought his attention back to the bear as he cut away at the flesh. Sure the bear was full of radiation and not good to eat, but food was food. And for you, radiation was no big deal having been pumped full of it in the vault.

An hour had passed before the two of you settled in by the newly sparked fire. The sun wasn’t fully set but with the trees the world seemed darker. In the mountain elevation it seemed to be a lot colder than what you had grown accustomed to in the desert.

The Ghoul sat to your left that night which was unusual. He had kept the fire between you two every night since working together which sparked the question.

“What’s with the change? Tired of sleeping alone?” You teased with a lite jab of your elbow into his arm. He let out a chuckle that caught you off guard. It was such a wonderful sound to hear from him. The Ghoul turned to look at you while you grinned at him.

“Maybe.” He answered. His tone had dropped to something a bit more sinister which sent a shock up your spine. It held an edge to it that burned a fire in your belly, especially when you noticed his eyes on you. They showed something primal in them.

Clearing your throat you turned your gaze away. Grabbing the designated poking stick you stirred the fire. But you felt your body continuing to grow warm with The Ghoul’s gaze on you.

You leaned back against the log the two of you were using as a rest once you finished poking the fire. There was a sudden discomfort that laid in the joints of your wings as you realized they hadn’t been stretched in a while. After realizing that you threw off your jacket to properly unfurl your wing.

Sitting up a bit you carefully stretched your wings directly behind you before bringing them to shield your back and The Ghoul’s. There were a few good pops that came from the base of your back that relieves some of the pain. Tucking your wings back into place you finally noticed The Ghoul’s eyes lingering on them.

“Let me take a look at that wing real quick. Need to see if the stim pack worked.” The Ghoul said as he reached for your exposed wing. Before you could protest his hand was gripping lightly at the base of your now healed wing and making its way to where the brake had been. An unexpected bolt of pleasure ran through you, forcing a soft moan to leave your lips.

Your face grew painfully hot as you slapped your hands over your mouth in pure horror at what just left it. Your wings clamped close to your body as you tried to make yourself as small as possible. Burying your face in your hands The Ghoul whistled lower as he smirked at you.

“Didn’t know that was a turn on for y’ sweetheart.” His voice was low again as he teased, which only caused you to burn hotter.

“Shut the fuck up!” Your statement was muffled by your hands. The Ghoul just laughed at your embarrassment. No one had touched your wings since the scientist that attached them, because even after that you would scare them away from touching you. So you never knew the sensitivity they had when others messed witg them.

“It’s alright darlin. We’re both adults here.” He leaned into you a bet while placing an arm across your shoulders. You tried to look him in the face but the heat in your face was still prominent.

“Well I’ve never had someone touch them before so I had no idea that was going to happen.” You admitted as you glared into the fire, trying to find any way to relieve the burning in your body. The Ghoul just leaned back on the log, throwing his arms behind him while his legs spread open in a lazy state.

The thought of you being between them shot through your mind as you admired him. You quickly tried to clear the thought from your mind but the blush was already obvious.

“From the way y’reacted you’ve never been touched.” His words cut through your thoughts causing you to whip your head around to face him. That comment of his stabbed at your pride. Did he really think you were that innocent?

“I’m not a virgin, you know. I was in Hollywood for years as an actress so I have some experience.” You spat at him before turning back to the fire.

“You were in Hollywood before the bombs fell?” His voice went hoarse when he questioned you. Something in the air shifted at that moment. There was a silence that followed his question.

“I was. Mostly played in commercials but had some bigger roles.” You started to reminisce on the old times. Missing how the sun didn’t blister your skin so easily or how people weren’t always out to kill you. At least most of the time. “Why? Were you?”

“Ya. I was.” The Ghoul grumbled while he looked into the fire. You kept looking at him. Trying to figure it out. He was so familiar but every train of thought led back to the same man. Your eyebrows raised as realization hit you.

“Oh my god. Cooper Howard?” His body stiffened at his real name. Your jaw fell slack as the pieces were put into place. His eyes found yours which only confirmed the accusation more. There was a deep seated pain that laid beneath his eyes which stabbed at your heart.

His appearance was nothing like the one he had before when you had worked with him. Not only was his nose gone, but his warm demeanor and overall well natured self was gone. He was tougher with a willingness to kill for whatever the occasion may be. Your eyes softened from their shock as you began to speak.

“What happened?”

[mangledmouth]

I call you, and autumn crowds back against July Dead pines stretch their skeleton hands over fifty-cent, eighty-cent, hundred-cent price hikes. I call you and the plastic bottles multiply like cancer. I’ve been trying to reach you for an interview— if that makes any difference. Yeah, I traded in my hands for a microphone. I burned the cross necklace. I just want to know what long seasons you lived what abhorrent changes you saw as a child. Child-eater, my editor corrects. Child-eater. To be so eager for the future you get knocked back to the past, I know that to be out for your own stomach, yeah. I swallow it. I call you. On tropical beaches the rich men must still be living summer in your crackpot hermit house, you might be too. christ, I’m hungry. I’ll do what the TV taught me and cannibalize, tracking down my inner child with knife and fork, call you over the blood and ashes in the hundred heat. I want a remake of your life, the director’s seat a distant Halloween and a poem for the future. —outside the sagging Christmas display Nostalgia catches Life in its arms. Presses frantic kisses on the fading corpse.

saturn's son works retail - r.m. strange

[sneakersnacks]

Come Back Safe to Me

A/N: I am so sorry this took so long, I just haven't been home the past two weeks and now my fiancé and I are going to a wedding this weekend that is out of state, so more driving lol.

Please enjoy everyone, I am always open to ideas and whatnot so just shoot them my way :)

Part 2: https://www.tumblr.com/sneakersnacks/729235462263390208/come-back-safe-to-me?source=share

Part 1:

https://www.tumblr.com/sneakersnacks/729117150526291968/come-back-safe-to-me?source=share

When walking into Ghost's house it's everything that you expected it to be, very minimalistic, nothing on the walls, a sofa and recliner in the living room in front of a TV. A very plain kitchen that you could tell isn't used often, that will probably have to change.

He seemed a little sheepish, letting you into his space. "It's not much, but ya know, I'm never here anyways. I already have your room straightened out at the end of the hall." He explains, walking down the hallway, your bag in hand. "Mine is right here if ya need anything." He gestures to the room across from yours.

The room was a decent size, a queen size bed in the center with a dresser and nightstand. Again, white walls with white curtains draped from the window. "I really appreciate this, thank you." You say, expressing your gratitude.

He didn't respond vocally, just with a small nod. He set your bag down and left you in your room by yourself, closing the door behind him. You stood there in your room, putting away your clothes in your dresser and putting some things in the night stand; your journal, anxiety meds, a few photos of you and your brothers. You reached the bottom of your bag, and there it lay, your biggest secret. You would never admit this to anyone or let anyone see, but you carry your childhood stuffed animal with you wherever you go. It's the only thing you really have left of home.

You aren't in touch enough with your older siblings, you will call maybe twice a year to let them know you are still alive and to send gifts to your nieces and nephew but that was about it. You took out the small stuffed toy and placed it under your pillows.

You walked down the hallway and noticed Ghost's door was closed, leaving him to his privacy. You went to the kitchen to see where everything was. The kettle was on the stove, and a tiny coffee pot was on the counter. You looked in the fridge and cupboards, you'll need to do some shopping. You automatically started making a shopping list in your brain, noting what you need.

You heard Ghosts' door open, and his heavy footsteps come down the hallway. You were still looking through the cupboards when you heard him enter the kitchen. You turn around and immediately turn back to cupboards, your face bright red. It was your first time seeing Ghost in just civilian clothes. A tight black shirt that seemed to hug every muscle and some sweatpants that hinted at his thighs and well other regions. He wore only a plain black balaclava. You assumed this was just what he wore casually. He didn't need to wear the skull plate around all the time.

"I already have someone dropping off groceries in a bit, even got you some coffee and a coffee pot." He says, you try to compose yourself and turn to face him, giving him a light smile.

"I noticed, thank you, tea was never really my thing."

"Not surprised." He gruffs and rolls his eyes.

"So what do you usually do when you have time off?" You ask him, and he shrugs his shoulders.

"I don't usually take the time off unless I have to, or Price forces me. I read occasionally, hike, whatnot." He explains, and you nod your head.

"Why did you choose to do this, Ghost?" You felt a little more at ease to ask him this.

"I….I need to keep an eye on you. Keep you safe while you recover. You don't need any more mishaps." He explains. His demeanor changed a bit when you asked. He was a bit tense and shifted his weight on his feet when he was responding. He finds a comfortable stance and takes a deep breath in and let's it out slowly, "Crow, when I saw you on the helis floor with Alea trying to dig out those bullets, I have never been so afraid to lose someone before, it happens a lot in our field of work, its normal but seeing you unresponsive..... I didn't know what to do with myself." He made his way to the table and sat in one of the chairs, his head in his hands. You walk over, debating on placing your hand on his shoulder. You knew how he was, touching Ghost wasn't a normal thing to do but you lightly placed your hand on his shoulder, giving it a small squeeze.

"Ghost...." you aren't sure of the words you should say, you just needed him to feel that you were okay and that you were there for him. Your guys odd friendship was an ongoing puzzle between you two, and it didn't seem to have an end. It took you a long time to trust him and he trust you.

----

Price walks into the room with you following behind him, you seem to peak everyone's interest. It has been a while since a new recruit came into the 141 and to be fair you weren't the norm of someone joining the task force.

"Everyone I'd like for you to meet our new recruit, Crow. They are a hell of a fighter and knows how to get shit done. Be nice and treat 'er like family." He states as he introduces you to everyone. Soap and Gaz seem nice, you met Price through Laswell when she first suggested to him that you join the task force. They greet you and whatnot, but one person stays in their seat, the infamous Ghost. You didn't expect to be buddy buddy with him, you've heard the stories about him and even had a chance to read his file. You wouldn't push it past him if he knew you were joining before anyone else, he probably read your file as well.

He just looked at you from his chair, his cold eyes scanning you up and down. You've dealt with men his size, they weren't as scary as him but you knew from then on you would prove to him you belonged here. You met his gaze and held it until he abruptly got out of his chair and left the big office.

"Don't worry about it Lass, he will warm up to ya." Soap says with a chuckle. You try to give him your best smile for reassurance but something stirs in you and you don't know what it is.

----

You felt Ghost place his hand on top of yours, snapping you out of your thoughts. You can count on one hand how many times you've seen him without gloves on, you try to remember all the little scars on on his hand. Everything from the little scars to the bigger ones that made you curious about what he went through to get them.

Ghost's hand on yours sent a shiver down your spine, and you couldn't help but notice the warmth of his touch. It wasn't a gesture you were accustomed to from him, and it left you feeling strangely exposed and vulnerable.

As your eyes met his, you saw something in them that you hadn't seen before – a glimmer of something more than friendship, a hint of emotion that seemed to transcend the boundaries of your unconventional relationship.

The two of you sat there in the quiet of the kitchen, his fingers gently intertwined with yours. You felt a growing tension in the air, a palpable connection that neither of you had acknowledged until now. It was as if the unspoken words hung in the space between you, waiting to be voiced.

The moment was cut short due to a knock at the door, both of you pulled away, the spell broken, and Ghost stood up to answer the door. A delivery person stood there with bags of groceries, and Ghost took them, thanking the delivery man as he closed the door.

"Let me make dinner tonight?" You ask taking the groceries from his hand and going back into the kitchen.

"You're supposed to technically still be resting and recovering." he says crossing his arms, "I can cook tonight".

The evening sun cast a warm glow throughout the cozy living room. Ghost watched as you expertly unpacked the groceries, a playful smirk on your lips. The moment of shared intimacy before the interruption lingered in the air, but now it was time to decide who would take charge of dinner.

You raised an eyebrow and teased, "Do you even know how to cook anything besides adding water to MREs and instant dinners? I see what you eat on base."

Ghost chuckled and leaned against the kitchen counter. "Well, I can certainly manage more than that," he replied with a sly grin.

You both locked eyes, a silent challenge passing between you. In the end, you decided to take the lead, pulling out chicken and assorted vegetables to prepare a home-cooked meal. The evening promised not only a delicious dinner but also the continuation of a moment that had been so rudely interrupted.

[fabbyf1]

Hiiiii so I might be completely wrong with this one, but I think you’ve once mentioned that you went to the Austrian GP?

If the answer is no, pls ignore this ask, I’ll be embarrassed

If the answer is yes, would you mind giving some insights to a first time GP-visitor who is only mildly anxious about it?🥺🥺

Did you have GA? Did you camp there? If yes to either pls share some helpful insights 👉🏼👈🏼

Also what can I expect from stuff like the fan zone? What’s the food and drink situation like? Were you able to hear on track commentary? Do I have to run and hide because things are scary and everyone is going to hate me?🙃

BESTIEEEEE I would love to answer these questions for you.

YES, i went to the 2022 Austrian GP!! (shoutout to the gayest lestappen celebration ever.)

i drove to the track every day, so i did not camp. there were plenty of parking lots (big grass fields) with free parking. there were TONS of signs on the highway and on the local backroads directing you to the track. i had no problems finding it, even on the first day. i stayed at an airbnb about 45 minutes away (because it was GORGEOUS) and i never had any issues or sat in too much traffic getting there each morning.

i sat in the T3 grandstand, which was a fucking HIKE. a HIKE bestie. my calves are still burning. it's hard to tell from watching the race, but that shit is way up at the top of a hill, and the parking lots are all down at the bottom near the pit straight. there was no way around hiking that bitch every day lmfao.

there was a big screen right near me, but they don't play the sky commentary on it. every race i've been to there's been a local commentary instead. so in this case, it was german commentary. so if you don't speak german, you won't know what's happening. (pov you're me trying to translate what i could to my Texan bestie because she was LOST lmfao. don't worry guys, i got this.) the cell service wasn't great, but you'll have to keep in mind that my lil American phone was data-roaming and literally trying it's best lmfao. so it might be different if you have a European plan. not sure how that works. but if you have data, you could pull up the sky commentary to listen to and that would be helpful in knowing what's going on.

i'd say the biggest drawback to going to ANY race is that... it's really hard to know what's happening. even if you can fully understand the commentary. it's not the same as watching it on tv. it's not a bad thing! you just... might be a little lost sometime and miss a lot of the on-track action. it's fun to watch the race afterward and see everything you missed.

the food and drink situation was pretty good! there were lots of different stands selling all sorts of food. everything i ate there was really yummy. it was all pretty reasonably priced, from what i can remember. our tickets said no outside food or drink, but i brought a reusable water bottle with me every day and they never stopped me at security.

please drink LOTS of water. more than you think you need. especially if you're drinking alcohol. and wear LOTS of sunscreen. the sun was insane.

there were lots of reports of fans (specifically female fans) being harassed during my race. which is honestly... so fucking disgusting. and i'm so sorry that happened to people. but thankfully, i never ran into any problems. everyone i met there was really nice and everyone in the grandstands seemed to look after each other. and it's not just because i'm a max fan either... i have a very obvious Lewis tattoo on my forearm that lots of people commented on lmfao.

but as your Cool Aunt, i would say... regardless of your gender or your appearance: be cautious, don't get too drunk, keep your eyes open, and always have an escape route in your mind. but that's my advice for anyone leaving their house though, lmfao, not just a gp.

i think you're going to have a great time, bestie. i loved that weekend so much. idk if you're a local or have been to Austria before, but if it's your first time there, i hope you enjoy it. it's one of the prettiest places i've ever visited. i can't wait to go back one day.

[ghostismybbygorl]

Its 4/20 you know what that meaaaaans

420 headcannons

Nsfw

Warnings: Drug use (duh)

Lets get started

Ghost

This man is a STONER. He smokes weed all day everyday

He likes to dabble into mushrooms as well though he has to be in the right headspace to do it.

He likes to go on camping trips and trip on mushrooms while hes doing the hike in and relaxing listening to the nature and watching the trees move as he lays in a hammock

He prefers hybrid strand of weeds since it balances him out and calms him down.

He keeps a cbd pen on him and uses it after a tough mission or if he really needs to focus

He hates edibles with a passion. He took one of soaps brownies thinking it was a normal brownie and was sprawled out on the couch unable to move completely greened out

He uses a bong or pre rolled joints (gaz rolls them for him

MUNCHIES GALLORE

He has a trio; something sweet, something salty, and chocolate

You can catch him at 3am devouring leftovers, soaps snack stash, anything edible hell eat

This is the grinder and bong he likes to use

Soap

Doesnt smoke as much as ghost and gaz but he does it every other week

He likes sativa because it helps him focus but also puts him in a good mood

BIG ACID TAKER.

He'll trip on acid when he goes to a rave or music festival

When he goes on excursions with ghost to partake in psychedelics he'll drop a tab

He's done all the psychedelic drugs but prefers acid and shrooms the most

Hes a big edible eater he makes THE BEST pot brownies just a perfect amount to where you get high but not green out (only that one time he made them extra strong for him and gaz (ghost stole some and made him green out))

He prefers to smoke joints and edibles

Price

Not a big weed guy but he takes cbd gummies to keep his stress levels down

Accidentally ate soaps pot brownies and sat on the couch staring at the tv while gaz had to babysit him (they put on those child stimming videos to keep him chill)

Used to do coke like crazy in his 20's but stopped when he realized how bad it was affecting his life style

Surprisingly he'll join a smoke session with the kids and just vibe out telling war stories to them

Big joint smoker and gummie taker

He likes hybrid and indicia; the man really just wants ti veg out and not worry about anything

Gaz

Certified babysitter

He's in charge of the snacks and taking care of everyone when theyre high

He smokes pretty much every day and keeps a dap pen on him at all times

Introduced price to cbd gummies

He doesnt like psychedelics at all he tried doing shrooms with ghost and ended up having a bad trip

"Ghost, the purple men are following us"

He likes usuing different strands depending on the day hes having

If he's tired and needs a little boost he'll do some sativa but if he just wants to chill and veg out he'll do indicia

Learned very early on to not mix strands in one day. He ended up greening out and had to be babysat by his friends and keep him calm

JOINT ROLLER SUPREME

This man can roll the most perfect joints in the world

He usually smokes with ghost if he wants to be social with someone

Their smoke sessions are the best. They like to share a blunt watch some bluey and eat ghosts munchie combos

[beardedmrbean]

Florida's Attorney General is investigating at least 160 cases of price gouging as the state reels from two hurricanes.

Ashley Moody's rapid response team has received hundreds of complaints of overcharging as some companies allegedly try to cash in on people's desperation, and the team is visiting people to gather information, Florida's WFLA TV station reported.

It said the top three counties that reported price hikes after hurricane Helene are Hillsborough, Pasco, and Pinellas, three adjoining counties in southwest Florida. Saint Petersburg is in Pinellas and Tampa is in Hillsborough.

Anna Maria Fiallos, investigator with Pinellas County consumer protection, told the station: "There's a lot of devastation and unfortunately in any situation, even in a disaster, there's bad actors that will take advantage of it. That's why we rely on our residents of Pinellas County to be alert and let us know, so we can go out and do what we can to protect them."

Newsweek has contacted Florida's Attorney General's office for comment.

At a Wednesday briefing with President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris warned that the federal government would intervene to stop companies exploiting hurricane victims.

"To any company that—or individual that might use this crisis to exploit people who are desperate for help through illegal fraud or price gouging—whether it be at the gas pump, the airport, or the hotel counter—know that we are monitoring these behaviors and the situation on the ground very closely and anyone taking advantage of consumers will be held accountable," she said.

Hurricane Milton made landfall late on Wednesday and killed over a dozen people. Nearly two million Floridians were still without power on Friday. Helene killed an estimated 230 people in late September.

United Airlines strongly denied it had jacked up prices as people hurried to flee Hurricane Milton and said a viral online photograph of its fares was inaccurate.

"United capped Florida fares on Sunday," it told Forbes via email. "Since then, the average price for a one way, economy class ticket to our hubs from affected Florida markets was below $500."

It also said it added 18 extra Florida flights.

Alan Rubin, cohead of the Severe Weather Emergency Recovery Team at the Blank Rome law firm told Newsweek that companies cannot suddenly increase prices for roof repair or debris removal after a hurricane.

"There is a standard rate for most of the services that need to be rendered, for example, debris removal, roof repair, and other standard cleanup services that are provided by either private or state contractors," he said.

"Price gouging is a particularly egregious activity that state and local municipalities view as being unacceptable and will be treated as such," he said.

Blank Rome, which has over 600 attorneys in offices throughout the U.S, has had a severe weather team in place for several decades.

Rubin said attorneys general in every state where there is a natural disaster "immediately issue a statement that indicates any price gouging or any attempt to charge more than the going rates prior to the storm will be considered an attempt to price gouge, and that is illegal in any of the states that have been affected by Hurricane Helene or Hurricane Milton."

"Additionally, prior to impending natural disasters, all gubernatorial offices must ensure that no services being rendered are considered over the normal rates," he added.