#which also means a joint card???

[crystallizsch]

octavinelle enjoyers, all of you are next.

[caffeinewitchcraft]

AITA for being proud of my job as a regional Nightmare?

My sister told me she’s making her own post and that if I was so sure I wasn’t TA then I should make my own so here I am.

I’m a regional Nightmare. I’m very proud of how hard I worked to get here. Not many terrors in their 20s get this high up and it’s because I do the work. I get up at 8pm and I’m out in the woods grinding out those quotas until dawn. Sometimes I sleep out there in my uniform just so I can be the first on scene for the multi-part jobs. I’m efficient, I’m punctual, and I’m committed. My goal is to be a Cyptid by the time I’m 30 and, to do that, I have to stay on at all times.

As a result, I work a lot. I’m often not home for days at a time. I have a very strict training regimen and my time for friends and family is virtually nonexistent. That’s why when I do get the time to hang out, I prefer to spend my time intentionally. What I mean by that is that I don’t want to sit on a couch when I could be lifting weights. I don’t want to chill in the pool when I could be volunteering for new scares. I especially don’t want to gossip over tea when I could be getting overtime.

Last Saturday, my sister invited a bunch of family over to her house. My job in the Virginia woods fell through, so I decided to go. Silly (her childhood nickname) said she had something important to tell the family so I thought it wouldn’t be a waste of my time.

Key word: thought.

When I got to Silly’s house, I was surprised to see so many cars out front. Our parents were there and our older brother. The house was packed. There were cousins, aunts, uncles and a ton of people I didn’t know.

At first the event was fine. Silly’s always been a good cook (see, I know you’re reading this, Silly, and see? I do compliment you when do something actually good) and everyone was really enjoying the flank steak (though I did have to save it before she cooked it medium well). But as the day wore on, I could tell people were getting bored. Silly and Mom were focused on cleaning up and said that dessert would have to wait until her fiance got home. Which was kind of rude to be late and I felt really bad for Silly. It seems like my soon to be brother-in-law (BIL for short) is never around when she needs him.

In an effort to help, I engaged some of the people I didn’t know in conversation because the party was getting a little dead and I didn’t want one of my sister’s parties to fail. I was trying hard not to think about the time I was wasting waiting for my future BIL so it also served as a distraction.

It turns out one of the guys was a fellow terror. He worked a corporate job and we talked for a while about the pros of being freelance like me. He asked me a lot of questions and I was happy to mentor another terror.  Corporate can suck the art out of what we do. My clients only care if the quota for their mission is met and don’t enforce such strict timelines. They come to me for quality. Poor guy barely had time to mend his uniform between scares (his cloak was tattered and his hook hand was rusty) so I recommended my tailor and blacksmith.

The guy and I exchanged information. I gave him my business card and he looked for one of his. While he looked, I felt nature calling so I headed upstairs to use my sister’s bathroom (like hell I was going to use the same one as my Uncle Joe). From up there, I saw my future BIL pull into the driveway.

 Being a regional Nightmare is a tough job. Like I said, I have to train a lot to keep my certification. So I thought it’d be a good idea to get a scare on my BIL both to punish him for being late and to make up for all the time I’d already wasted at the party.

So I waited for him to come upstairs to change and, when he did, I pulled out the works. I darkened the room and fell back into the shadows. Then, while he groped for the light switch, I stretched out my leg (I have an extra joint in them) and tried to nudge him. I honestly didn’t expect for him to trip and I DEFINITELY didn’t expect for him to fall backwards. I’ve been practicing this skill on my family since I was sixteen and got the leg extension mod and none of them ever fell like that.

My future BIL fell down the stairs. I panicked and raced over to look over the banister. He was fine! He wasn’t bleeding or anything and, when I saw that, I started to laugh.

Everyone freaked out though. They all said I was being immature and bullying my BIL. I told them it wasn’t bullying, it was my actual job. I said that I was just joking and didn’t know my BIL, a former “Cryptid”, would take it so hard.

My mom jumped in and backed me up, but my sister has always been the Queen of the castle. Silly and Dad kicked me out ( I mean, I let them, I’ve got enhanced strength and I didn’t want to hurt them). Dad called me a disgrace and to not come back home.

I asked him if he was really kicking me out just because I wanted to show off my skills a little? And he said yes. And Silly said I had it coming to me for a long time.

I don’t even know what went wrong.

 So AITA for taking pride in my work?

---.

SillyCreeper says: Oh my god, you actually made this post? You’re an actual idiot. For anyone who believes this story, read mine before you vote. My brother left out a few details like how the party was my GENDER REVEAL PARTY and that he’s not a regional Nightmare, he’s a  Slasher for hire.

OP replies: I am TRAINED to operate as a regional Nightmare. That makes me an independent regional Nightmare.

SillyCreeper replies: Regional Nightmares don’t steal failed missions from corporate Slashers

OP replies: Get your own post, Silly

SillyCreeper: Oh, I already did. Have fun being torn apart on yours, dumbass.

-----

Thanks for reading! If you'd like to read Silly's AITA post a week early, please consider becoming a patron (X)!

Aita for going no contact with my brother after he pulled a Scare on my husband?

I'm working on this anthology during November and I'm having a blast with this story in particular! The family drama keeps going on and on

[ms-demeanor]

I've been following what's been going on with Belphie the kitten and his person, Greer Stothers, has just mentioned pet insurance in a tag on a post and I wanted to give an example from my life backing up why pet insurance can be a good idea and why I think it is worthwhile.

Two years ago my sister's dog had bloat while she was on vacation. The kennel he was staying at recognized symptoms and called my sister to clear them to take him to the emergency vet. My sister is very financially secure and this dog is an enormous part of her life, so she said yes with barely a moment of hesitation. That ended up being about twelve thousand dollars of emergency surgery.

Large Bastard and I got pet insurance for Tiny Bastard the same week because we realized that if someone had presented that option to us, we would have had no choice but to have Tiny Bastard put down, and we didn't want to be put in that position.

I did a lot of research about different kinds of pet insurance and different levels of coverage and annual maximums and deductibles and so on and so forth. Tiny Bastard is a senior dog, so this was going to be expensive no matter what options we went with, so I chose a moderately priced plan with a $500 annual deductible, unlimited annual coverage, that pays 80% of the bills incurred annually below the maximum. What that means is that we pay the first $500 of care totally out of pocket, after which point we are reimbursed 80% of any vet bills for care covered by the plan.

The first year we had this plan I was kind of iffy about it. It's a noticeable monthly expense and we didn't even spend the deductible in vet bills the first year. Except that a month before the policy was set to renew, Tiny Bastard got diagnosed with diabetes. We now have monthly insulin costs and syringe costs; there are tests she has to have regularly to monitor her overall condition and we need to do more frequent vet visits to track symptoms.

Suddenly the insulin alone means that the insurance is break-even within six months and the additional visits and tests are something we can afford instead of something we'd have to put on credit.

Our plan (through ManyPets) covers medication, surgery, diagnostics, medical equipment, and euthanasia and cremation. It doesn't cover pre-existing conditions, joint conditions for dogs who were signed up over a certain age, dental care, spay/neuter, vaccinations, or prescription food but honestly all of that makes me just kind of wish we'd signed her up earlier - her knee problems *would* be covered if we'd had her signed up as a puppy, and the monthly cost would have been lower if we'd signed her up then. And there are at least a few emergency vet bills that I wouldn't still be paying off on my credit card. Hell, I've probably paid more in interest on some bruising she got in a fight three years ago than I have for this policy as a whole.

I am glad that Greer is able to take care of Belphie. I am glad that my sister was able to take care of her dog. But I'm also really, really glad that for a relatively low cost, I would be able to take care of Tiny Bastard if she were catastrophically injured, or if she needed emergency surgery. I'm glad that I'm able to take care of her now with her medications and her additional vet visits.

There are a lot of people who say that pet insurance isn't worth it, especially not for young animals. But if your young animal gets very sick, or gets badly injured, or eats a hairband and needs an emergency endoscopy, then it will probably be VERY worth it. It's a risk/reward question. You feel like you're wasting money if you're paying for a policy that you never use, but honestly that just means you're lucky to have a healthy pet.

I'm lucky that Tiny Bastard was relatively healthy before I got the insurance; I'm also lucky that she was insured when she was diagnosed with a chronic illness that will need lifelong care. This enables me to provide care for her that would otherwise be financially unmanageable, and that makes the insurance *extremely worth it* from my perspective.

And Belphie is a good example of why it's a good idea to get coverage even for very young pets. Greer is recommending it because this kitten has required a tremendous amount of care during a period in his life when it's generally taken for granted that a cat will be healthy. (And Greer is not stupid for forgoing pet insurance - pet insurance is still a relatively new concept and there are lots of people who are leery of it for a number of good reasons)

So I'd say that if you've got a pet or are getting a pet it is very worthwhile to find a pet insurance plan that fits in your budget. There are a variety of plans out there and some are very inexpensive. Check coverage levels (you can even get some with wellness plans that include dental care and vaccinations) and see if there's something that works for you.

I personally don't think I'm ever going to own another pet without having pet insurance. It's ridiculous how much easier it is for me to say yes to diagnostic tests or different treatments than it was before because I know I'm going to be able to fit Tiny Bastard's care into our budget.

[sorry-not-feeling-it-right-now]

You know how Quiet seeing the title cards is like, canon to the lore

The only time when Quiet(or, we, the player) weren’t able to see the title cards is during Princess and the Dragon when we are in the Princess’s body. And the question comes—who named and created the title cards?

It couldn’t be the Narrator, cause a version of him is gone after each chapter and he cannot retain the memories of the previous run. It couldn’t be us/Quiet, cause even when our/his consciousness was transferred to the Princess the title card didn’t appear. And it obviously couldn’t be the Princess herself, since she doesn’t even know that it had existed until you told her about it. Which leaves us with only one candidate (or, well, candidates)

The Voices.

Assuming that Hero was created at the very beginning when Quiet decided that Shifty would be a princess, before Narrator had killed himself and begin the workings of the construct. Hero is silent at the beginning, but he later makes his presence known. He wants to be seen as a hero and doing the right thing, therefore the chapter 1 title “The Hero and the Princess”.

Opportunist saw the Princess as a lying witch. Therefore she’s called The Witch in her chapter. Smitten saw her as a Damsel in distress, hence she’s called The Damsel. Contrarian has never met the Princess before, and therefore she’s a Stranger to him. The chapter 3s are basically just the joint perception of two or more voices. The Damsel is dead cause you killed her in cold blood? She’s dead and a ghost, obviously (said Cold). But Smitten said “NO! SHE IS STILL THERE AND SHE STILL LOVE US AND WE MUST REDEEM OURSELF”, therefore The Grey with a wedding theme. You’ve slain Tower when she was supposed to be untouchable? Last time we saw her, she had been furious about you being able to hurt her. Broken is devastated about it, while Stubborn wants to stick it up to her, therefore she becomes Fury.

The thing is, I don’t think the Voices themselves could see the title cards. They can tell whenever a new loop had occurred and how many times we’ve been there, but I don’t think they could read them like you could. So imagine the chaos that must’ve occurred in the perceived body of Quiet when none of the voices know what’s going on and with the Decider gone.

So. If the names of the title cards were named that way because of The Voices, would that make the names the Voices have be named by them as well? The Princess can’t perceive, and even if she could it’s not in Quiet’s nature to change outwardly. She doesn’t even know the Voices existed until she possesses us or be one with us in some way. Also, even without us in the body Opportunist is still called Opportunist, so it can’t be Quiet naming them. Would their names be what they perceive themself to be? Cheated is called Cheated because he felt cheated over? Hunted is Hunted because he’s the one being hunted? Cold is called Cold because he sees himself as cold blooded and frigid? That means that they are the titles they gave themself. They are labelling themselves.

(Edited to have this cause I have a stupid idea. Ignore this)

[nicromancytarot]

HOW CAN YOU ENHANCE YOUR SEXUALITY (18+)

This is a general reading based on a collective of people. Take what resonates and leave what doesn’t. If you don’t feel the pile resonates with you, don’t be scared to try another, if it still doesn’t feel right, that’s ok! Maybe our energies aren’t as connected and my readings are not for you.

I do these strictly for fun and educational purposes. I do not charge for these readings, and I do not fake readings. Channeled by me and my guides, using pictures.

I am a feminist before I am human, and I keep seeing people calling women ���bop’s” all over the media, which is just another derogatory term to start off a pathetic attempt to suppress women’s sexuality, so let’s see how you can enhance yours, shall we?

(Minors, please don’t interact with this one xoxo)

PICK A CARD READING

I asked my spirit guides how you could enhance your sexuality to better your experience and express your sensuality, pick a pile to see what they had to say!

PILE 1

Blood on the snow by Hozier came on, so you guys could honestly benefit from having sex, or doing some type of sexual “ritual” when on your period, even if it just be a form of self pleasure. I’m hearing that some of you could have your period in cycle with the full moons, it could be a good idea to try your hand at giving yourself a release when the moon is bright and full.

I’m seeing that you guys have an innocent way of expressing your sexuality, I’m getting that you may have been sexualised at a young age, or you feel very infantilised now. Due to this, I feel like it could be good for you to reclaim the thing that people make you feel bad for, wear those frilly clothes, and put that bow in your hair, allow yourself to have your hair beautifully done in some pigtails, however do not allow someone to rip your innocence away from you, just because they see it differently does not mean that they have the right to make that your problem.

Your sex life could be nothing, or very inconsistent, you may be scared of hookups, or need deep emotional attachment in order to have sex with someone, I would recommend building those foundations for safe sexual encounters if that’s what you desire, or allowing yourself to let go of the need for control all the time. Hooking up, or having sex spontaneously does not make you disgusting or easy going, sex is fun and beautiful, it’s the one time that someone sees you at your most vulnerable state, your body undone and intertwined with theirs, but it can also be experimental and exciting, you get to learn new things about your body and figure out what you do and don’t like, don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

I’m literally getting “smoke a joint” lmao, you may feel like you’re too stressed to have fun with sex, maybe you’re scared of trying new things with your body, some of you could even shy away from masterbation out fear of judgment, or just feeling gross. You need to relax, sex is such a natural thing, and I’m sorry that yours has been so frowned upon from a young age, but you deserve to have fun, to explore your body, and all the possibilities that come with it.

Try a rose toy, possibly a pretty pink dildo, who knows.

PILE 2

I’m feeling that you guys haven’t had sex since a breakup, you’re possibly shying away from being openly sexual since this ending, and it’s hurting you a lot. A number of you feel as though your emotions are expressed through sex, so you’re really finding it hard at the moment to show people how you feel, and now blow up in their face, you’re like a bottle that’s spilling over.

You guys need to loosen up, you either turn to self pleasure a lot or not at all, no in between. You need to find yourself some way of expressing those emotions beside the sex, I’m feeling that your “shadows” don’t come out until night, which I believe was normally when you would partake in these two people sexual activities, which was why it was so easy for you to express yourself during these sexual encounters.

I feel like you need to have someone you trust in order to express your feelings, and for that I would recommend hanging around with your friends late at night, a possible sleepover, so then you’ll tell them exactly as you feel.

Now back to the sex, I feel my shoulders and back tensing up, and I just consciously unclenched my jaw, so I’m feeling that you need to utilise sex in order to relax. With the full moon, you guys might be feeling a tad more stressed than normal, I feel the need to tell you that will pass.

I heard “Italian” so I went to search up Italian sex toys incase that would help you, however I did manage to find a Reddit post that mentions a public vending machine selling dildos for €20, so for that, I am feeling that you need to be more open and willing to try new things, things that are unexpected but exciting, you could benefit from a hookup, preferably not your ex.

Throw them panties aside and enjoy yourself, loosen up, let yourself feel that pleasure that you are clearly so desperately seeking. Have fun, and do it unapologetically.

You could benefit from a bullet vibrator, or a clitoral pump.

PILE 3

You guys struggle to go with the flow, you let things happen, but they happen in a stylish way, you are the type to have a bed rocking time, and then complain about your favourite blanket getting dirty, before getting up and grabbing yourself something to eat. You ride the tide, and possibly something else. I think you like to be in control, but you struggle to get attached. You may have quite a few hookups, maybe you forgot about self pleasure and rely on other people to do that for you.

What would happen if you laid in bed by yourself, cracking open a pomegranate, letting the juice paint your chest like you’re its canvas, would that help you lose control? I’m seeing a need for mess, your body becoming covered in the red tint of the pomegranate, or maybe you’re eating a peach and letting the juice run down your chin, do you like fruit?

I’m getting a natural vibe to things, I think you need things to be natural, rather than so controlled. After having sex you’re going ahead and making yourself a bowl of nachos, how long does that take you? You have the add the nachos, then the cheese, some sauce, chillies, you putting guacamole on there too? It’s all too controlled.

Grab yourself a tub of ice cream and let someone go down on you, or give yourself a vibrator for that same effect.

Just lose the control.

This is random, but honestly probably a great exercise for you, I want you to put on some makeup, tons of mascara, lots of lipstick, or gloss. And then I want you to smudge it, stare at yourself in the mirror as you ruin your makeup, don’t try and redo it, don’t get upset or angry, don’t even hesitate, watch yourself as you allow your mind to let go of the need for perfection, the need for control.

Hell, drink a cup of coffee at night, just do something that will stop you being so authoritative when it comes to sex, also, stop being on top, just for a little, let your sexual partners take the lead this time.

You don’t need to be in control.

you could benefit from a rotating or thrusting dildo, or a travel/pocket vibrator.

[augustvandyne]

Hey! Could you do fluff John Nolan and wife reader where she visit the station and everyone just awed at her beauty? Maybe someone try to flirt with her. You decide how it end. Tag me later. Thanks!

first time writing for nolan 😜

lmk how i did!

nolan’s wife

You were way too beautiful to be John Nolan’s wife, is the first thing that comes to mind to all the officers when you introduce yourself.

Lucy and Jackson knew Nolan was with someone, because he always shot down anyone that came onto him everywhere they went. Whether it be the hospital, a call, the bar, anywhere.

But they didn’t know that that woman was his wife, nor that she was that gorgeous!

And I mean everyone, even Tim Bradford, was checking her out as she made her way towards the rookie.

“John,” You said in a silky voice, slightly fixing his tie.

“Y/n,” John smiles down at you, leaning down to place a kiss on your lips.

That was the only downside of your husband—his height. He was so tall, and it wasn’t that you were short, it was just that he was so tall! Even in high heels you couldn’t match his height or anywhere near it.

“Oh, my god,” Lucy sped over to the two of you, her hair pulled back into a low bun. “You are gorgeous!”

“Thank you?” You pull back slightly from John, giving him some personal space.

“I have to say, you are beautiful,” Jackson says, his hands resting on his belt.

“Who’s this smoke show?” Smitty walks over, raising his brows and flashing a smile. “Wanna go out tonight?”

“Yeah, I’m gonna have to pass,” You nod awkwardly, holding your hand out to let him see your ring. “I’m married.”

“To who? I could take him,” Smitty assures you.

“To me. She’s my wife,” John asserts dominance, which has Smitty backing up a few steps.

“Alright, slow down cowboy,” Smitty puts his hands up, walking back to his desk.

Lucy laughs, shaking her head.

“Hey, we were just about to head out for lunch, wanna join us?” Jackson asks nicely.

“Oo, yes!” Lucy jumps excitedly. “Please, please, please come!”

“I mean, if it’s okay with you,” You turn towards John, looking up at him sweetly.

“Of course, oh, I’d love for you to go,” John puts his large hands on the sides of your head, leaving a kiss on the top of your head.

“So it’s a deal, let’s go,” Lucy puts her arm through yours. “Y/n gets shotgun.”

Lucy drives you to this food truck joint, that has several different types and trucks to try from, so you could basically get whatever you wanted.

You sit in front with Lucy, while John and Jackson take up the backseat.

You snap a photo of John in the back seat, and tell him that you think it’ll make the Christmas card this year, resulting in a laugh from him.

Once there, Lucy picks a table with four chairs, and you sit as John gets the two of you something to share. Because, yes, the two of you are adorable like that. But also because he wanted to surprise you since you’ve never eaten there before.

You watch him go around to several of the trucks, getting a bit of everything, and you love him for it because he knows you so well.

Lucy shares a few of her fries with you as you wait.

When he sits back down, you are relieved to be hit with the smell of food, but then are hit with the urge to vomit.

Which brings you back to the whole reason you came to see John at the station.

You cover your mouth, which has you receiving a concerned look from your husband.

“Everything okay?” His frown deepens as get up.

“Excuse me,” You all but sprint towards the nearest trash can and hurl into it, not even caring about how people around you are trying to eat.

“You okay?” John appears beside you, rubbing your back and giving you a napkin so you can wipe your mouth.

“I’m fine,” You swallow, trying to get the taste out of your mouth. “Did you get something to drink?”

“Yes, it’s right this way,” John still watches over you intently, his hand on the small of your back. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I’m okay,” You laugh it off.

When you sit, you feel eyes on you, and you know who they belong to.

Your husband.

“John, we should talk,” You turn your head, dropping your fork.

“And that’s our cue,” Jackson nods to Lucy who stands with the man to leave to another table.

“What’s wrong? I thought everything was okay.”

“It is,” You grab his hand. “I took a test this morning.”

“A test? What— like, like a pregnancy test?” His eye brows shoot to his hairline. He was surprised, to say the least.

“Yeah,” You look down. “It was positive.”

“Really?” John lets out a breath.

“If you don’t want this, I understand,” You tilt your head. “You’re still just a rookie, and—“

“No,” John shakes his head with a big grin bloomed across his face. “I mean, I’ll admit, it’s terrible timing, but I couldn’t be more happier.”

You let out a big sigh of relief that has John laughing along with you.

“Good. Because I don’t know what I would have done, had you said you didn’t want this baby.”

“I would never say that to you, or anyone, for that matter.”

You smile up at him, placing a kiss on his jaw.

“We’re gonna have a baby,” John whispers.

“Yeah,” Your eyes water a bit, stupid hormones. “We are.”

[timkontheunsure]

Narcissistic family structures

Guesses about Blitz and Barbie Wire's relationship

Blitz says they used to be soo close, but she's not in the flashback to the circus.

Not the around during Fizz and Blitz performance, or his traumatic flashbacks to the accident. (I'm not counting her not going to Mammon's concert as that was clearly ment to be a date, but both Blitz and Fizz bottled it. Blitz even bought Fizz's ticket).

There could be any number to reasons for that, but I'm going bet on the logical one of + a bit of a twist here.

The invisible child

We've seen Cash set up antagonistic positions for Fizz (a kid who worked for him) and Blitz (his own son).

As Fizz the golden child, with all the conditional love that can be withdrawn if they are less then perfect.

And Blitz as the scapegoat, who is blamed for any and everything that goes wrong.

Cash is a narcissistic, and the most common 3rd child role is the invisible child. Barbie looks she was talented enough to keep her head down around her dad.

Not getting the abuse of the scapegoat, but not getting the attention either. Being neglected by her dad. And childhood neglect can be a risk factor to addiction. Initially it can also be a cry for help, and some of the attention they are lacking too.

I think she's missing from these memories, because she was overlooked generally.

This could go a way to explaining why she as a teenager she's scratched out her Circus tattoo. And flipping off the camera in their act poster. (Blitz has no scars so they have to be younger than 19. We'd probably see his braces if we could see his teeth).

If pre fire her dad has no use or time for her, what use or time does she have for him.

But that's no longer completely true. Barb's back in contact with her dad. (That who Blitz phoned).

And Cash was the one to sign her out of rehab. (Blitz is most likely who checked her in when things got really bad).

Mental health clinics/rehab normally want family to be involved in discharge. So the person has a place to go, and won't be made homeless.

That why Blitz is confused how she could leave without him knowing.

They've also talked since the fire; because she knows the name he's been using the last 5 years.

Which means unlike Fizz; she does know the fire, that killed their mum, was an accident.

But Barbie fall back on toxic family pattern of blaming Blitz when things go wrong.

People who haven't been in these relationships assume the kids will band together against the abuse. But that doesn't happen. They can be close unless the abuser turns up, or till something goes wrong. Like Barbie dose.

Her dealer dies as part of a random accident with a firework, and she immediately screams at Blitz for it. Reverting to his previously name for extra spite.

Then laughs at him for trying to be a family. I mean yes Blitz really should be reading the room here, but she's still going all in as daddy's little girl here.

With how she touches their mum's necklace, and the joint birthday card, and got of other happy pictures; it clear both twins loved their Mumma.

But it seems likely without Fizz, or Blitz; Cash would probably occasionally turn up to captive audience Barbie in rehab. So they could mutually lick wounds, and scapegoat again.

To truly get over an addiction you need to take a hard look at yourself and your trauma; and not just the things that were outside your control.

Because while they can make you more susceptible, ultimately it was normally your choice to rely on that substance. Be that alcohol, cigarettes or opioids.

(There are cases of showbiz parents force their kids to take substances. But don't know if that Barbie or not).

And I'm not sure Barb's taken that look yet at herself yet. The nurse who's takes odd delight in first blocking access to Blitz visiting Barbie, and then telling him she left months ago saying something pretty interesting. (Perfectly fine to block who you want from hospital, but the nurse is being strangely gleeful).

She calls Blitz a deadbeat. Which doesn't really make sense. Blitz is Barbie's brother. He's not the parent to her. He isn't responsible for Barb's bills, or care. She's an adult who seems to want honest work, (good for her🙂).

But that would definitely be how Cash would see it. Narcissis see children as tools to be used for the good of the narcissist.

This tells us that Cash has been at rehab frequently enough to charm the nurse on side. Instead of her trying to get Barbie to take a fuller look at herself, and her actions.

Unfortunately invisible child are more likely to be roped back in by narcissistic parents; if they get shown some of that attention they've craved when small.

I'm hoping that the longer she's out the less contact Barbie's going to have with Cash. With more of a life she'll no longer be as useful to Cash's ego.

And she didn't appear to tell him about her job with the chemists... Though that come be wasn't paying attention? Blitz does ask if Cash even asked... I'll cross my fingers that she gets to work things out alone for a wee while.

Basically all this is to say I buy that they were close pre fire. I buy Barbie, Blitz and their mum having a good relationship.

But I can't see a world were Barbie would feel secure enough to risk sticking her neck out for Blitz.

She's too much ingrained in the dinamic that things going wrong are Blitz fault.

Yep could end up being wildly wrong, but her being missing from the flashbacks, and being the invisible child would just kinda work for me. 🙂

[katyawriteswhump]

Alpha watching (and how not to do it)

For @steddie-spooktober prompts, picnic fog (+ halfway to halloween) and @steddiebingo prompt, ‘voyeurism.’

Rating: M; WC: 2683; Tags: O!Steve, A!Eddie, voyeurism, hurt/comfort, emotional hurt/comfort, snuggles, fluff, mentions of nudity and sexual content, slightly under negotiated kink, light D/s undertones. Summary: O!Steve loves to secretly watch. A!Eddie loves being watched and is ready to take good care of his little audience of one. I realized I hadn’t written any of the kink prompts on my steddiebingo card so I figured I better get going! Read on Ao3

🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡

It was late Wednesday afternoon.

For Steve, that meant heading down to the lake—not Lover’s Lake, one of the smaller, hidden ones. The one where Eddie Munson and his band hung out, enjoying a lazy picnic with beer and pretzels.

Steve, of course, wasn’t invited. Nope, he’d lurk in a freakin’ bush, like the tragic Omega perv he’d become, and watch them.

Through his dad’s clunky old binoculars.

The first time it’d happened by accident—he’d been taking Will Byers bird watching, okay? It was totally innocent. Trouble was, once they’d spotted Eddie and his friends, Steve couldn’t look away.

How was he supposed to not stare at Eddie Munson sitting cross-legged, shirtless and shameless, smoking a joint? With all those sizzling hot tats plastering his criminally lickable torso?

“Shut your mouth before you swallow a bug, Steve,” said Will, softly. “Why don’t we go say hi? They come here every week, and Eddie’s cool.”

“No way,” said Steve, and they’d left then, before they’d been spotted in return. He had to get the kid home.

He moved birding to Tuesdays. Wednesday became Steve’s ‘creepy stalker’ day, which he wasn’t exactly proud of. On the other hand, he needed another hit of Eddie, and he’d literally no clue how to actually start a conversation with the guy:

Hey there, Munson. I’m the douchebag whose former friends used to bully the crap out of your friends. Had a low-key crush on you since fifth grade, and now I spend my entire life dreaming about you jumping my Omega bones.

Yeah, I used to blurt these things out to the objects of my affection, no sweat, and facepalm about it later.

Thing is, I don’t hang out with anyone my own age anymore, apart from Robin at work, and… You’re different, okay?

For the past six Wednesdays, Steve had crouched in a prickly bush, torturing himself with longing and a growing tinge of self-loathing. He shouldn’t be here. But, oh God, he loved watching Eddie—who was so revved up and alive, so commanding, so Alpha. He loved how Eddie’s friends took all their cues from him, laughed when he laughed, fell deadly silent when he as much as whispered for their attention.

And when Eddie brought out his acoustic guitar and strummed, sweet and mellow, Steve would sigh his heart out and die a little inside.

If Eddie happened to glance roughly his way, he’d die ten times over. He’d literally stop breathing, blood jamming up. When the Alpha’s attention wandered on, he’d feel empty, a little dirty.

What would happen if Eddie caught him, spying on him and his friends?

Dammit, some weird, messed-up part of him was desperate to find out. That fear that trickled down his spine when he thought about Eddie catching him… punishing him, even?

It was fear, for sure.

It was also, somehow, delicious as warm maple-syrup. Especially when he daydreamed that angry Eddie might fuck him anyway, all mean and a bit rough. Then kiss away his tears and snuggle him till he wept fresh and happy ones.

It was nearly May now, and the nights were getting warmer.

So here he was—scrambling up a tree, those binoculars swinging by their strap around his neck. He shimmied along a branch, under the cover of spring foliage, all to get the best view possible of Eddie and his dudes swimming.

Eddie hadn’t bothered to bring his swim trunks.

Eddie and co were splashing and yelling, generally fooling around. Steve was getting squirmy and decidedly damp between his legs. He even indulged a little side fantasy about Corroded Coffin banging him all at once—would his ‘freaky’ Omega biology accommodate that?

Then he forgot Gareth and the others even existed.

Eddie strolled out of the lake, butt naked, brazen, his Alpha dick bobbing before him.

Steve twiddled with the focus on the binoculars. Wow, that lake was cold! How big did Eddie get when he wasn’t freezing his balls off? Eddie wandered around, still laughing and joking, still freakin’ naked, scratching his pits.

Which should not be hot.

Eddie shaking his hair around like a soggy dog was equally agonizing.

Steve reached to adjust his wet chafing panties, wobbled on his branch, smothered a terrified wail. By the time he’d regained his balance, the band were drying themselves and dressing, gathering up their gear. They exchanged chummy pack hugs with Eddie, that made Steve hiss with jealousy, and wandered off.

Apart from Eddie.

He settled down, damp clothes clinging, idly strumming his guitar.

A little keening noise escaped Steve’s throat.

Eddie wasn’t leaving. The sun was beginning to dip, and Steve really, really needed to go home. One of his butt-cheeks had gone to sleep, and his thighs ached from gripping the branch. He raised his binoculars for a final peek, only to find the lens had misted up. Bummer.  Was he really breathing that heavily over wet-dog Eddie?

Turned out, he wasn’t.

A thick mist rolled across the lake. A few fleeting heartbeats later, Steve couldn’t see the bottom of his tree. His hyper-focussed, Eddie-obsessed senses scanned out, and he detected… Wolves? Bears? Rogue Alphas? Howls and blood-curdling shrieks?

To be fair, he couldn’t scent anything specific beyond marijuana, wild garlic, and the fading hints of Eddie and his gang. All he could hear was a hooting owl. No matter. Scary shit lurked in forests at twilight, shit that preyed on dumb little stray Omegas. He’d stayed way later than the last few weeks, and… Holy Shit!

He suddenly recalled tonight was half-o-ween! He wasn’t into that superstitious stuff, but… Ugh, Robin believed in it. As a rule, she was annoyingly right about most things.

He scrambled down the tree and fell the last bit, landing awkwardly with an actual squeal. He rubbed his ankle, which had taken the brunt of his fall and throbbed like a bitch. He managed to get up and limp on. He needed to get back to his bike, tho’ in the thick fog, he couldn’t find his path, let alone any landmarks.

He ended up groping forward, zombie-style, to prevent himself colliding with the trees. A minute or so later, he managed to stumble straight into the stupid lake.

He went under, flailed, then splashed up through the surface, gasping and choking. He’d gotten an arm tangled in the strap of the suddenly super-heavy binoculars, and he was panicking his soaked Omega butt off.

A hand emerged from the fog, grabbed the scruff of his collar, and dragged him onto the muddy bank.

Eddie’s hand. Eddie… Eddie!?!

Steve crumpled forward to hack up a lungful of yuck. Eddie scraped Steve’s hair from his face, patted and rubbed between his shoulder blades.

“It’s okay, little Omega.” Eddie carefully untangled him from that ton weight around his neck. “Gonna be okay. I gotcha.”

Steve slumped sideways into Eddie, who wrapped a towel around him, with a muttered apology about it being thin and damp. To Steve, Eddie’s hands alone felt better than the plushest towel his mom ever paid top dollar for.

“Sssssh, it’s okay,” cooed Eddie. “I gotcha. You’ll be okay.”

Steve was already okay. He was cold and shivery, still a little frightened, and growing more okay by the second. Eddie’s hand moved gently up his spine and threaded tenderly through his sopping hair. Eddie’s warmth, his oaky-smoky scent, seeped through Steve, enveloping him in a super-overwhelming hug, and even his shivers lost their bite.

Eddie dabbed him drier, soothing and cuddling him, while time lost meaning, and then…

“How you doing, Steve? Feeling better?”

How could he not be? His face was notched cosily beneath Eddie’s chin, and he was drugged by the heady scents of bittersweet woodsmoke and…. Oooooh, evening dew on freshly cut spring grass?

He answered, “Mmmmm.”

“Cool. Let’s get you somewhere warm.” Eddie draped his jean jacket around Steve, hooked both his hands under Steve’s shoulders and hauled them both to their feet. Steve whimpered at the loss of close-contact, and Eddie braced him a little tighter. “Not gonna faint on me? Do I need to carry you?”

“M’good.” He was a touch lightheaded, mind, and the idea of the Alpha carrying him wasn’t unappealing. Eddie brushed Steve’s chin up with his knuckles, and Steve gawked up into Eddie’s gorgeous brown eyes. They were warm and caring, tho’ that was definitely the hint of a smirk, and…

…Steve’s mushy Omega brain finally remembered the plot.

Shiiiiit!

Did Eddie know what he’d been doing out here? Had he guessed? Was it written all over Steve’s guilt-drenched face?

“Come on, you,” said Eddie, and he scooped Steve against his hip and started guiding him off through the mist.

“Thanks for helping me out of the lake,” said Steve, voice pitching incriminatingly high. “Yeah, I was out here, um, bird spotting. Would’ve been okay, ya know. I’m a pretty good swimmer and all, but yeah… grateful.”

“You’re welcome” said Eddie, with a delicious rub of Steve’s back. Then he stopped dead and twirled Steve to face him: “Let’s cut the crap, Sweetpea. Did you enjoy the show you actually came out to watch?”

It was amazing how someone as shivery as Steve could send that much hot blood to his cheeks.

“C’mon, don’t keep me waiting. Reviews make me edgy.” Eddie’s toothy grin was pure predator.

Oh God. It was over. Steve addressed his squelchy Nikes. “Yeah. Yeah, I enjoyed it.”

“Feels good to get that out in the open, huh?” Eddie squeezed him, so gentle, so very kind and reassuring.

Steve nodded. Tho’ he did feel slightly sick.

Eddie continued helping Steve back to his van, as supportive and tender as if Steve hadn’t been outed as the worst kind of peeping Tom. Steve, meanwhile, clung around Eddie’s midriff as tightly as his wobbly arms allowed.

Eddie ‘fessed up, too.

He had sensed Steve watching, pretty much since the start. He’d caught a whiff of Steve’s scent—through his blockers, like wtf? That said, Steve was all too aware he perfumed madly whenever he’d got Eddie in his sights.

“Why didn’t you just say hi?” Eddie pressed Steve into his van’s passenger seat, leaning to help Steve, who fumbled with his seatbelt. He flashed that toothy grin at point-blank range: “Am I really so terrifying?”

Steve bit his lip, swollen from agonised chewing. Eddie could be scary, all Alpha and commanding. He was also an earth-shatteringly good guy. Steve knew it, had seen it, had been told it by friends. He’d made excuses to himself and clung to his habit of lurking because… because…

That treacherous lower lip wobbled. “I couldn’t! I’d got in the habit of snooping, and I was scared, and it… it got kinda lonely, and part of me wanted you to find out, I… Oh God, don’t hate me!”

“Sssssshhh, it’s okay. I don’t hate you.” Eddie pressed Steve’s head to his chest and rocked him, in the most comforting cuddle yet. “You like to watch, Baby. That’s okay. You like to watch, and it screwed you up inside, because you figured you were being a sneaky little shit, and in the end, you wanted to get caught. It’s cool. It’s fine. It’s a game we can play, huh?” He brushed his thumb, featherlight, across Steve’s damp cheek. Then growled viciously and lifted Steve’s chin in a pinching grip. “The only thing you’re never gonna do again, Omega, is take stupid risks. Like I could leave with the others on Half-o-ween, deserting you to get home safe alone.”

He slammed the door and stomped around to the driver’s side.

“Thank you,” sniffled Steve, when Eddie slid in beside him and notched the heater onto full blast. “Thank you, and honestly, I’m sorry. I’m really grateful you stayed to look out for me.”

Eddie yanked the handbreak and winked. “Any time. Um… you got pondweed in your hair, Sweets.” As Steve frantically raked for it, Eddie reached to pluck it out. Then handed him a spotless handkerchief from the glove compartment to dry his eyes.

“My uncle Wayne never lets me go without.”

The journey home should’ve been dead awkward. It really wasn’t. They chit-chatted about school, work and mutual friends, and discovered they got along as easily as if they’d been hanging out for years.

When Eddie pulled up at the end of the Harringtons’ drive, he tested Steve’s binoculars then handed them back. “The lenses are fogged up with damp. You gonna get into trouble? Do I need to come in and tell your daddy it wasn’t your fault?”

“It kinda was my fault,” mumbled Steve, swallowing a lump from his throat. That Eddie cared enough to make sure his dad wasn’t gonna flay his ass meant a lot. “Honestly, they’re his old army ones or something. It’s no big deal.”

“Cool.” Eddie went around and opened Steve’s door, took his hand, and helped him out.

Then he plonked himself down in the spot Steve had vacated. He yanked Steve down onto his lap and clamped an arm around his chest.

“This is what’s going to happen.” Eddie’s mouth ghosting against Steve’s ear set his breaths shortening, his heart skipping a beat before going apeshit. “I gotta go back and collect the rest of my gear from the lake. You’re gonna go inside, and have a nice hot bath, and go to bed and get a decent night’s rest so you don’t get sick. I’ll pick you up tomorrow after work and we’ll have some fun. What d’ya say?”

Steve nodded madly: “Yes, yes. I’d like that, Eddie.”

“What did you call me?” A hand slammed on Steve’s upper thigh, squeezing brutally. At the same time, Steve grew acutely aware of the Alpha dick slabbed beneath his ass. And yes, a fresh wave of dampness oozed between his squirming thighs. “I’ve been real good to you tonight, Omega. I’ve taken care of you. I’ve watched over you for weeks while you played your twisted little game. You gonna show me some respect?”

“Yes. Sorry. I’d like that, Alpha, please. I’d like to have fun with you tomorrow.” He licked his lips, nervous in that oh-so-good way, wriggling and trembling because he simply couldn’t help himself. “Thank you again for caring for me, Alpha.”

“Okay, Sweetheart.” Eddie slavered his tongue up Steve’s throat. It was all Steve could do not to go limp and offer it up for a way-too-premature bite.

Then he was squeaking again, as Eddie pitched him back onto his decidedly unsteady feet. He’d no sooner regained his balance, than Eddie jumped up behind, loosely grabbed one of Steve’s wrists and swatted his rear.

“Ow!” Steve grabbed his stinging butt.

“Sweet dreams,” said Eddie, pulling Steve close again before adding, “They better be about me.”

“They always are, Alpha.” Steve smiled the truest smile he’d felt in an age. Telling the truth filled him with happy, fuzzy feelings that he was determined to earn.

Eddie’s hands came up around Steve’s face then. The kiss happened, delicious and slow, with plenty of tongue. It brought warmth to Steve’s heart and to some place deeper—that place that ached for Eddie, ached for more of the Alpha than tonight was gonna bring.

Eddie started Steve up the driveway with another sharp spank, which set Steve’s ass tingling as yummily as his lips.

“I’ll be here at six,” called Eddie, with a touch of to-die-for gruffness. “Dead on. You better be ready, Babe. I don’t like to wait.”

Even before he’d gotten his key in the front door, Steve knew he was going to do exactly what his Alpha told him to do that evening. His shoulders felt loose, his heart fizzy and light.

Eddie knew. And Eddie… returned his feelings. He even got Steve’s craziness. Steve would no longer have to cringe over how he’d passed his Wednesday afternoons. He might be able to claw back some self-respect.

Tomorrow, tho’?

Maybe he’d make his Alpha wait in the van until quarter past six and see what happened then.

🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡🧡

my steddie fic on AO3

[mossyscavern]

B-127, where are you?

____________________

Megatron can’t find b-127

He. Looked. Everywhere!

Ever since he let bee stay with the high guard, still figuring out how to get him home, his decepticons are in higher spirits. He wouldn’t say it out loud… but he was also in high spirits when the sparkling’s here… only problem?

B-127 is nowhere to be found. He looked around the throne room, the med bay, the area outside where he found him crying, everywhere!

He even check on starscream to see if he was hogging the sparkling again. Not even starscream had seen him. In the end (after destroying the base) he accepted the fact that bee might’ve returned to Iacon.

“Soundwave, report.” Megatron states, awaiting for his now communications officer to report what he saw. “Today’s scans: as normal as starscream’s treachery.”

“I heard that!!” The seeker yells, huffing and mumbling in a language megatron doesn’t seem to recognise. “Starscream: vosian, heritage before the primes fall.” Soundwave answers.

‘Ah, that makes sense.’ Megatron thinks for a moment, then another thought popped up. ‘He’s happier than usual… why is he happier?’ Megatron thinks again as the now war-frame looks directly at the mind reader.

“You are… happier today.” He says looking at Soundwave suspiciously. “Soundwave: looks like this. Conclusion: need to update visor and mouth guard.” He answers.

“True… but your em field says otherwise, it’s like your hiding-.” Megatron stops, optics widened as he finally realised whose turn it is today.

“… soundwave, do you know the whereabouts of b-127?” Megatron finally asks, watching Soundwave’s body language as the bot’s em field beams at the question.

“Soundwave: waited for that query. Rumble, frenzy, b-127, eject.” Just when he pushes the button, rumble, frenzy and bee popped their helms out, giggling.

“Hi megs!” Bee waves, smiling wide as megatron stares, blinking. ‘… bee’s going to be the death of me, I swear..! That is adorable though-.’

Megatron thought, Soundwave smiles cheekily to himself and held b-127 in his servos, passing him to megatron as the sparkling’s servos reached for megatron.

“Thank you Soundwave, but please refrain from pulling that stunt again.”

Megatron says, holding b-127 close and protectively in his restarlueus. “Understood.” Soundwave nods and left with his cassettes. Megatron turns to bee with furrowed ridges. “Have you been with Soundwave the entire time?” Megatron asks.

“Yeah! He’s the coolest bot in the high guard! You’re still cool yourself but Soundwave earns the title of best bot. Not best friend which that title-.”

Megatron cut bee off, hugging the smaller bot. “Meggy? Are you ok?” Bee asks, concern going through his processor. “I’m-… I’ll be fine. I need this.” He mumbles, sighing in relief as b-127 hugs megatron.

This is real. Bee’s real… in the metal. And still here.

“I’ll be ok, but promise me you’ll never leave.” He asks staring at the wall he had shot at.

“I dunno... that’s a big promise.” Bee mutters, burying his helm between the shoulder joint and neck guard as megatron. “Just-… please.” Megatron asks.

He’s already lost one bot he cares about, he’s not about to lose another. Not ever. “But what about the whole, ‘figuring out to get me back’ thing?” Bee asks. “We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. Ok?”

“… ok.” B-127 nods, earning a pat on his helm. “Good bot… by the way you’re grounded.”

“… but I’m already a grounder though.”

“Snrk, it’s grounded. Not grounder.” Megatron informs.

“Ooooh… what’s grounded?” B-127 asks, tilting his helm. “I think Soundwave is the best at explaining it.”

____________________

Okie dokie… another of @yuukirita’s babybee au.

Here’s the art they did that got me thinking of doing this -> (papa/mama Soundwave strikes again) <-

Now served with the million dollar question… does babybee know and learn what grounded means?? (I don’t actually have a million dollars… I have a toy t-Rex and an uno reverse card tho-)

[baseball-dokyeom]

Long Day

Pairing: Gn!reader x idol!woozi

Word count: 582

Content: fluff, more fluff, domestic Woozi, so so sweet and rahh

Notes: Woozi likes your hands, so down bad and in love

A/n: hi!! This is my first time posting a lil story on here! It’s also my first time writing anything in a while. I hope you enjoy!:) and happy birthday Woozi!! <33

.•*•.•*•.•*•. ─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ─── .•*•.•*•.

“Baby!” You call, as you walk inside the apartment. You hear no reply, which probably means your boyfriend, Woozi, isn’t home yet. You go to his studio room in your shared apartment, and it’s empty. “Ah,” you mumble to yourself. “He went into work today.”

You quickly shower and change into some comfier clothes and got take a spot on the couch, turning on some TV while you wait for Woozi to get back home. A while later, once you hear the door open, you crane your head to see your boyfriend, who looks a little more tired than normal. Seeing him give you a tired smile, you get up off the couch and walk to him. “Hello my love,” you say softly.

“Hi…” he murmurs, leaning forward to rest against you.

“Long day?” You ask. He nods in confirmation, wrapping his arms around your waist. “Let’s have a night in, okay?” You say softly. “We can get some takeout and come back and watch that new movie you’ve been telling me about.”

“Sounds good,” He murmurs against your neck, pressing a soft kiss there, before pulling away to kiss your hand.

“I’ll drive,” you smile. You grab his backpack and hang it up, before grabbing the keys and heading out the door with him.

As you get in and start driving, he absentmindedly grabs your hand, kissing your knuckles, joints, the pads of your fingers. In the years you’ve been dating, you’ve noticed he’s always seemed to love your hands, holding them, playing with them, kissing them whenever he can get the chance. It’s one of your favorite things, the way he always plays with them, it never fails to make your heart race.

When you arrive, even though you drove, he makes sure to get out first, taking your hand and kissing the back of it, a small smile on his face as he does so. You chuckle and kiss his cheek in thanks, as you lock the car and walk inside.

There’s another one of his habits, as you stand in line, his hand rests on the small of your back, eventually drifting to your butt. It’s nothing sexual, his hand just naturally rests there, eventually coming to wrap his arms around you from behind, his fingers intertwining with yours. When you try to pay, he swats your hand away and hands the cashier his card. You’re crazy if you think he’ll ever let you pay for anything in this relationship.

He drives back home once you get the food, once again resuming his habit of playing with your hand and fingers while he drives, gently squeezing your hand and tracing small shapes on your palm. Watching him play with your hand makes you smile, it gives you butterflies each time, that small habit of his. It’s a tender thing, really. Your touch tends to keep him grounded, a solid reminder that the love of his life is really here, and with him in that moment.

When you’re inside, you both take turns feeding each other, sneaking kisses between bites, and quips about the movie you’re watching. It’s the small moments of intimacy and love that keep your relationship healthy and strong.

Once the night ends and you head to bed, your head rests on his chest, your limbs entangled. He looks down at you as your breathing gets deeper, a small smile gracing his lips. He presses a soft kiss to your forehead, while he rubs his thumb on the back of your hand, making sure you fall asleep first.

Once he sees you’re finally asleep, he closes his eyes, continuing to rub circles on your hand. “I love you, more than anything,” he murmurs, as he falls asleep. He holds you, feeling safe in knowing that he has nothing to worry about, while his heart and home is soundly asleep in his arms.

[systemadministratorclu]

Y'all, I just HAD to share this, because holy shit.

A little background first:

I run the drive-thru cash register window at a fast food joint. One of the shittiest jobs there is because some of the rudest/stupidest people on the planet come through the drive-thru, and one must have near superhuman patience to deal with it. That said, there are customers who come regularly and are not hard to deal with at all. And then there are some-very few and far between-that restore your faith in humanity a little every time they come.

This is about one such customer.

This guy comes every day at about the same time with his grandson (6 years old when this started, recently turned 7) and gets the exact same thing every time. To the point where now either I see their car or I hear the guy say his name (whichever happens first) and I'm already ringing them up. Because of this, the kid now thinks I have weirdly specific psychic powers, and has said he prefers coming to the place when I'm there. He's also decided I'm the best employee this place has. The granddad talks to me like I'm a human, they're always smiling and happy to see me (which means a lot in this line of work, let me tell you) and even on my shittiest days, they've managed to make me smile. I genuinely look forward to seeing these people every day.

Recently, grandson was hella excited to tell me he had a birthday coming up. Reminded me every day "my birthday's coming!" as most 6yo kids do.

Maybe I was feeling a little holiday spirit or something, but one day after work, I went to the Dollar Tree near the restaurant. I picked out a kid's birthday card and a Christmas card. I wrote a message in the Christmas one about what I just explained above, thanking them for bringing some joy to my days, because y'know what? People need to hear that shit. Especially in today's world. And I wanted them to know how much this meant to me. I wrote a little joke in the birthday card about not forgetting the day. Then I looked in my wallet, saw I had a $10 and a $1, and stuck the $10 in the birthday card. Addressed the birthday card to the kid and the Christmas one to kid and grandpa. I give the cards to them on their normal drive-thru visit. They are of course surprised (kid starts yelling "thank you" even though he hasn't gotten to open it yet) but thankful. Then the line moves on.

Fast forward to today.

I see the car come in but I don't start ringing the order up, because it's WAY early for them. I give my usual greeting, then I hear a woman's voice, so I think it's someone in the same kind of car. But when she asks "is this Hal?" I then realize it's the kid's mother, whom he has told all about me and who has come through with him before.

I say yes, and she tells me she's not here to order anything, just to see me, since kid and granddad are sick. I tell her to come on to the window, she does, and hands me a card and a nicely wrapped gift. I asked her to tell them hi for me, she said she would and then the line moved.

I got off on lunch break and opened card and gift.

I was not prepared. At all.

This is the gift...

...the card (no writing on the front).....

.....and the typed note inside the card that actually brought tears to my eyes.

......I'm still not over this. I will be thinking about how this went on for OVER HALF A FUCKING YEAR and I had no idea.

This is the kind of stuff that makes this shitty job worth it. People like this....We need more of in this world. I'm going to hold onto that note so when I feel like shit or I don't matter, I can look at it and know there's a kid out there who I am so important to that he got his dad to write a whole-ass letter, to some random stranger he only knows through his son, inviting me to their fucking house. I'm tearing up again as I write this, just thinking about it.

If that doesn't say "you matter", idk what does.

(And yes, I will go at some point, because how can I not? I'm not gonna dash this kid's hopes and make myself look like an enormous asshole. This is the RL version of being handed a toy phone and told it's ringing)

[spaceorphan18]

Any thoughts on Chris’s latest interview??

I assume you mean this one?

I have not watched it so.... let's live blog, shall we?

I appreciate that he got his hair to stand up on all sides. Looking good Chris ;)

Basics on Chris? I totally guessed his expertise would be related to the paranormal. I completely forgot about the British History love of his, so I'm so not surprised there.

I really was waiting with baited breath to hear if he'd say llamas were his least favorite animal, lol. (Oh god, a lot of you weren't around when he claimed he liked llamas because he said he was a social llama and ended up getting a room full of stuffed llams, lol)

Oh my god, off of Diet Coke? What even?? Also, guys. Don't kill me. Don't revoke my Chris fan card. While I'm glad that he went back into acting - I have no desire to see that film he just made. It sounds like... not my cup of tea. (sorry :( )

The 'who are you' quiz section was super cute. I do love that he gives us little bits into his daily live and world and something that has just not changed is his sharp wit. I have always been a fan of his humor.

Chris's high school experience - I mean he's talked about this a lot over the years. A lot. But the thing that sticks out is this evolution of being okay with it. When he was first on Glee - it was STILL a big trauma. Which makes sense because instead of going to college, Chris went straight from HS to Glee, and omg, what an insane thing to do.

The getting into Glee stuff is... stuff I've heard before. But always glad to hear him speak on it, and again, glad he's in such a better place in life that he can reflect without the being traumatized part. The stuff about his current auditioning is interesting. He admits he doesn't really anymore unless he really wants to... and I'm guessing not really much has come his way that he really wants to do. I have a feeling that he probably won't do a whole ton of acting moving forward, but you never know.

Chris talking about his coming out on Chelsea Handler, lol... I love that he can reflect about being 18, and how differently choices are made when you're that young. But I also love (and get, and my god sometimes still I remember why he's the only celebrity whom I've ever felt was actually a bit like me in thought process) the fact that he was like - I'm gonna try to do this once and never deal with it again. And have it, like, become a bigger ordeal than he could have ever imagined.

I love though, also, that his story is also being contextualized through a queer lens. And, I mean, I felt this way when he was talking with Kevin about their joint experiences -- I'm so, so glad Chris has these queer spaces to have these conversations, because there's a level of knowledge and awareness and perspective you don't get from straight media.

(He took his shoes off, how cute, lol. Also this interview knows, like, nothing about Glee. Fascinating.)

"I would rather be the unicorn in the room than the elephant." -CHRISTOPHER!!! This quote is fantastic.

Getting into the conversation of activism, and how queer culture and community was still very different back in 2009-10 then it is now. And I mean, it's come a long LONG way since I was in high school back in the 90s. We've come a long way in the past fifteen years, even if the asshats in charge are trying to push everyone back to the 50s (or really the 30s :P) Anyway, some great queer history embedded in this.

The conversation about fame being his protection back then is fascinating. Also, how he calls himself ugly (back then). Oh Christopher.

He talked to Shirley MacClaine about aliens. Because of course he did. I love him.

OOhhh, Chris loved every guest star except for one. Any guesses who? (Honestly - I have no idea. so this is a fascinating new tidbit. Perez Hilton? Lol - Chris didn't work him though.)

Also more interesting things to think about - Chris getting a lot of the spotlight early on created resentment. (I wonder if it was Lea... Hmmm.)

Mr - I'm never getting married - actually mentioned that at some point he and Will probably will get married. Don't know if that was kind of a deflection from this dude assuming or if he's changed his mind. But, I mean, c'mon, in any capacity we all know he and Will consider each other done and locked in for life, which Chris basically confirms. (Awww - I love Will.)

Oh god, talking about the tinhatters. Chris, thank fuck for finally talking about this more openly and explicitly. And guys, I told you. I TOLD YOU that this shit happened.

THE HAIR STORY! HE'S TELLING THE HAIR STORY! No, guys, this was almost like urban legend stuff, but yeah, there were rumored instances of people sending hair to Will (and to Mia) and he actually talks about this. Oh my god, I'm laughing (though my god this was not funny at the time)

Oh, god, he thinks there were 100,000 CCers. No. There weren't. That seems too high. The people who were actually crazy were a very, very small number -- who made an unfortunately huge impact.

Oh. God. Also. He is NOT talking about Darren when he talks about people who are still in the closet. He's just not.

Oh for the love of fuckery, this host is just... he had to take a college course to discover fanfiction? C'mon.

Ah, the awkward conversation of celebrities reading fanfic. I wish this conversation would be had with someone who understood it better. Honestly do not like this host's summation of it because -- not just as someone who reads and writes it, but as someone who understands it's influence on published writing and understands its relevance in women's circles, this is a much deeper conversation and this host makes it feel trivialized (because they don't understand it).

Also - I wonder what Chris read, great abs and about cats? lol.

STOP FUCKING CALLING ANY KIND OF QUEER FANFIC SLASH FIC. It's old school term. Now it's just... fanfic. You no longer need to qualify the fic by saying it's slash.

This host is... bugging me a bit. But that's my issue.

They're getting into the writer portion and as a writer myself I'm... honestly a little bored by this. The TLOS convo he's had a million times. He's also talked about his process a lot, which idk, maybe this is more interesting to non-writers but like, yeah, yup, i've been there done that.

Aww, Chris talking about his anxiety issues - I do always love hearing about this, because I feel like mental health issues don't get addressed in the way should.

Um, they end on a section called 'fight me' where Chris debates a position - and his is that only queer actors should play queer roles. I... think that's a nuanced question that deserves more than a 60 second watered down debate and I'm not going to touch it.

And.. yeah, that's what I have to say about that. It's nice to hear from Chris again, so glad he's so much more open about his life and experiences. If I'm being honest, though, I think I do kind of value the conversations more so when he has them with, say, Kevin and Jenna, because there's something more personal going on there.

But that's just me - someone who has followed Chris and his career for, my god, what sixteen years now? Yeah. :)

Hopefully that answers your question, Nonny! lol :)

[booksandstuffsthings]

Spoilers through season 2.

Anyways the best Easter egg/detail thing about iwtv is lestat's card. Some 112 years have passed since lestat gave louis that card and it is in phenomenal shape when louis hands it to daniel. The only thing that is crazier than if louis has held onto it this whole time (meaning he would have had to take it with him post MURDER, through WORLD WAR 2, and the burning of the coven and san francisco and Dubai) is that he had a reproduction made, like did he think over the font, try to recall the exact layout of it, where it's details impressed upon him that sharply???? Contrast this with Armand. You may not remember but armand also gave him a card when they first met!! And we do NOT see it in present day. How sickening for armand, like genuinely it'd be over for me. Either It's our joint marital archives in which case having your ex-husbands/ex-situationships business card there is insane especially if you dont have your own in there. or it's louis's personal archive which is still crazy, like did armand know that it was there or did he see it there when it got handed over to daniel?

My personal headcanon is that louis kept that shit in the ticket pocket of one of his suit jackets (yes this is the place where dreamstat mentions having louis initials embroiderd over his heart.) So either he made the conscious choice to take the suit jacket with him or the card in specific, through ww2 (hence Claudia's "you carry him in here" like it'd be even crazier if she was aware of this) or possibly he had the card in his jacket and forgot about it for some length of time and rediscovered it in the Dubai penthouse. Either explanation makes me rabid. Like what happened when louis found the card? How did he feel, what emotions did it invoke? The other option is that armand was rifling through louis things and either had to give it back to him directly, put into the joint marital archives without saying anything, or put it back in the pocket. Which IF HE DID means that louis knew exactly where it was. The third option is that louis went through his stuff to prepare for the interview and found it then. Or even more interestingly, went through his stuff found the card and that's what triggered his desire for a rerun at the interview, this is probably the one I find most narratively compelling, like the card that started it all begins it again. Like woooooooow. But like we'll never know. Maybe it was used as a placemarker in a book he brought with him, the possibilities are endless.

[nerdishpursuits]

It's rather obvious the lavender marriage will, eventually, happen. And I'm not against it, given it's 1958. In fact, I think it can lead to interesting storylines if handled smartly (I know, I know ... smart isn't really the MO here) However? I have some gripes with the way they're introducing this scenario. Gripes which by no means lessen my enjoyment of the show. Like I keep saying, this is a novela de sobremesa and, thus, subject to the whims of its genre: nonsensical timelines, plot-points that don't quite connect, pacing issues etc. Nonetheless, it doesn't deter my amused nitpicking nor my eyebrow-rising routine.

Marta & Pelayo have known each other for 2.5 seconds.

There's currently no threat in sight that would merit Marta & Fina considering this suggestion (S. is in jail; the people who know them, and support them in their own way, wish them no harm; Marta is a wealthy widow, has a surname that carries weight, a social standing and, momentarily, needs no protection - if anything, it's Fina being perpetually single that would raise/raises most eyebrows; Marta & Fina have their own life and rhythm that requires no upgrade; Marta's business deal is going swimmingly etc.)

The one who stands to profit the most from this is Pelayo himself, who keeps repeating he has no interest in anything sentimental, unlike Marta & Fina who have been fortunate enough to win the sapphic lottery. This is a business decision for him, of course, yet he also confesses he envies their relationship. Pelayo then tries to sell this idea of a sudden epiphany he’s had? One he tries to wrap up in a neat little bow and market as the best thing since sliced bread? Ultimately, it involves invading the sanctuary he’d just praised for reasons that, at present, are largely selfish (befitting his character as a ruthless businessman and the show’s timeline). I will say I love the fact that in the preview for the next episode Marta goes “WE have a reply”, ergo. Fina and Marta herself.

Most of Marta & Fina's circle of family and friends are aware of their relationship and Pelayo would only expose himself (I assume most of the Mafin friends and allies would piece it all together and Jesús wouldn't hesitate to use this information to his own gain)

Even if this is a lavender-marriage, Marta would lose her freedom: socially and financially. She’d have to attend all kinds of functions and play the dutiful wife. Is it manageable? Eventually. And a lot of the conflict will derive from it, I think. At the same time, do I think a more solid reason is needed for Marta to take this step and for Fina to agree with it? Yes. But who knows. Maybe Marta’s own ambition will end up playing a part? More information is needed here. I will say, I hope they refuse at first.

Commendation to Marta's before and after reaction … hahaha, you’re kidding me … you’re kidding me, right?

I find myself pondering if, at first, they only want to test the waters with this idea. Introduce it as a possible option these characters can fall back on. To me it would make sense for Marta & Fina to initially refuse Pelayo's proposal. Their friendship can then continue to grow and when their backs are against the wall, which will inevitably happen, the lavender marriage-card can be pulled out of the sleeve. Ergo, Pelayo might be in danger and they decide to help him, Marta might be in jeopardy herself etc. As it comes across right now? They’re racing downhill without breaks. I suppose we'll see what they have in store for them, won't we? I have to say it was lovely to see Marta & Fina behave like a couple while in company. I don't think they've ever acted as relaxed in front of anyone, not even Carmen. Which is why I'd love to see their friendship with Pelayo continue to mature in a way that brings the three of them closer, making joint decisions. For now, I'd say more time is needed to grow a true sense of camaraderie. But hey: we're on novelita time and it has its own quirks. Other than that? Carmen inadvertently running her mouth in front of Tasio? Drop the ball she did. At least, she vehemently pressed hubby dearest to promise he'd hold his tongue. A tall order indeed, because knowing Tasio and his chronic foot-in-moth syndrome? It's only a matter of time before he shits the bed. Granted, he didn’t react as badly as I thought he would, but it’s obvious he considers Marta and Fina’s relationship an aberration, something laughable and ridiculous. Let’s hope he fully comes around and becomes the brother Marta deserves. And speaking of Carmen: she really needs to loosen up with Marta who's done nothing but bow her head, plead guilty and ask for forgiveness. I still think Carmen should have understood Marta’s position and anguish and shown more empathy. If not as a friend and Fina’s partner, at least as a fellow woman? It’s still unclear to me if she learned the extent of Santiago’s abuse? But given her attitude, I gather she’s still clueless.

Case in point? Carmen is pulling at this thread with Marta so hard it'll end up snapping and hitting her square in the face. And I do confess I'd like to see Marta finally bite back. Carmen is treating Tasio as if he doesn't have two brain-cells to rub together, incapable of making his own decisions and subject to the most devious manipulations. Not to mention Marta has never treated any of them as if the class divide mattered. And now Carmen heaps that reproach onto Marta's overflowing plate as well. Might be Carmen needs a healthy dose of Fina's volcanic temper. Front-row seats to that, please and thank you. If Carmen can go full-blown unreasonable over her troglodyte husband? Then Fina can go full-blown reality check over her fiercely protective wife.

Ahoy!!! Onto next week’s drama.

[mindfulstudyquest]

❥﹒♡﹒☕﹒ 𝘄𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘀𝗺𝘂𝘀 pros and cons

a girl asked me to talk about my erasmus experience in the questions box and she inspired me to make this post. if you have posts to request don't be shy! unfortunately i don't have all the time i would like to uptade but i will try to keep up.

erasmus is a student mobility program of the european union that allows a european student to attend a school in another EU country for a period of time legally recognized by their home institution.

it is a temporary experience with many benefits, enabling students to engage with different cultures and customs. due to its non-permanent nature, i believe it is one of the most beautiful opportunities for a student to feel completely free to explore and understand themselves, to figure out what they want and do not want from their life and educational path.

but let’s start by discussing its downsides. unfortunately, not everything is perfect.

𝟭. paperwork ( 📄 )

hey, i know, guys, i'm not the first or the only one to say this, but the paperwork for erasmus is a pain in the ass. it's not only extremely complicated, but universities (mine for sure, but i know it's a common experience) provide zero help in filling out the documentation. especially if you're not familiar with bureaucracy (and at 20 it’s normal not to be familiar with these things), it can seem like an insurmountable mountain. but if i, someone who doesn’t understand anything about this stuff, managed to get through it, you can do it too. typically, the documentation includes:

various information like ID, health card, and the IBAN of an account in your name (or joint name) where they will deposit the scholarship.

learning agreement, another plague sent from hell because you usually have to deal with two professors, one from your university and one from the host university, who clearly would prefer to mop the sea than help you fill out your learning agreement.

financial agreement for the scholarship, which has specific deadlines by which you need to submit documents (usually IBAN, learning agreement, and acceptance letter from the host university). fun fact: i almost missed this and didn’t receive the scholarship because these deadlines were buried deep in my university’s website (don’t be like me, make sure to be informed well about the financial agreement or you risk being left without money).

the best advice i can give you is to find someone from your university who has already done the erasmus where you’re supposed to go and ask them for some information. they, having gone through it, know what mistakes to avoid and what’s best to do. the offices often assume too many things and give you insufficient and hasty information.

𝟮. finding an accomodation ( 🏡 )

this too, another pain in the ass. it depends on the city, but here in madrid, finding a place to live has been a nightmare (and indeed, i've significantly overshot the budget i had set for rent). you have various options for accommodation:

student dormitories these solutions may seem the best at first glance, but they aren’t always. here in madrid, the fees for the dormitories at my campus cost more than my current rent, plus having only one kitchen for an entire floor is not exactly optimal comfort, especially if, like me, you cook a lot.

apartment studio/flat this is definitely the most comfortable option, but also the most expensive. a studio outside the center in big cities can cost up to €1000 a month. however, if you can afford it and prefer privacy, then go for it. at first, living alone might not be easy, especially if it’s your first time away from family, but you’ll get through it quickly.

room in an apartment this can be the best or the worst option depending on your luck because having flatmates means cohabitation, which is not always pleasant. if you're going in erasmus with someone you know, it might be optimal to share an apartment or take two rooms in a larger flat. personally, i rented a room in an apartment with three other people (two bathrooms and a kitchen), and i couldn’t be happier; i love my flatmates, and we quickly became friends. we cook together, go out together, spend entire evenings chatting and joking and they helped me a lot overcoming the first crisis. i realize, though, that i am an exception, so choose your accommodation carefully.

in short, consider your choice based on 3 factors:

proximity to the university/public transport links i study outside of madrid, almost an hour by bus from my place, but i live practically across from the bus stop, so it’s not a problem at all.

centrality/connection to the city center you're in erasmus to experience the city!

comfort of the place such as private bathroom (very hard to find but not impossible), utensils, AC, appliances (we have a dishwasher at home, and i assure you it saves our lives everytime).

𝟯. homesickness ( 🤧 )

yes, everyone feels homesick, even the most stoic. but guarantee you, you'll get through it. first of all erasmus, fortunately or unfortunately, isn’t forever. it’s a 6 month/1 year experience that is incredibly valuable for your personal growth, at the end of this period of time, you'll be back home. secondly, you can always stay in touch with friends and family in the age of technology. those who truly love you will support you in this project and do everything they can to make you feel less lonely. lastly, during erasmus, you’ll make many amazing friendships and connections that you otherwise would never have the chance to make.

𝟰. language barrier ( 🦜 )

i can’t say much about this, i've never studied spanish in my life, but, since i'm italian, i have no trouble following the lessons and understanding people when they speak, even though i'm still not able to express myself well in this new language. however, by living in another country, you’ll learn the language much faster and more effectively than with any academic course. in just a month, i already feel much more comfortable with spanish, and everyday i learn new things.

and of course, i could talk for hours about the benefits of erasmus, but i might save my praises for a post i'll write later, towards the end of this experience.

i can tell you that in just a month here, a whole new world has opened up for me. not only is the thrill of being in another city, in another country, an electrifying flow of continuous energy, but i’ve also realized things about myself that i might have ignored before.

i have much more confidence in myself; i feel freer, less afraid of making mistakes. it’s true, i’m far from my family and friends, but this also means i’m far from all those eyes under which i always try to appear perfect.

i crave to see and learn, i'm eager to discover new things, and this drives me to do things i probably wouldn’t do in my home country, to appreciate their flavor and indulge in the uncertainty of "maybe i’ll like this".

for the first time, i’m experiencing a new country without the rose-tinted filter of a short vacation. i’ve never felt as rich and full of gratitude as i do now, and i hope this is a feeling every student can experience.

so, erasmus, yes or no? absolutely yes.

i’d love to keep updating you on my experience abroad. what do you think? would you like that? let me know in the comments! star kisses ⭐

[piratefishmama]

Finders Givers | Prompted by @aellafreya

Curiosity.

Some may call it a dangerous thing. Some may argue for its ability to lead you to the truth of things. Some may claim it leads you to temptation, to regret, to suffering.

Steve Harrington, was curious.

He’d found the source of his curiosity while visiting a bar he’d planned on purchasing. It wasn’t a huge establishment. Or a well known one. Not exactly big bucks in the making but it was sat in a prime location atop a cellar that led to miles of underground tunnels which frankly.

He wanted.

He wanted them and not for legal reasons either. The tunnels weren’t on any official city map, predating them, Robin and Nancy, his right hand, and his researcher, found them by pure chance while on a fun little jaunt through the local libraries.

Fun being a stretch for Robin, but she needed to hang out with another woman her own age. And so did Nancy.

But he wanted those tunnels, they stretched all over the damn city, with just a little bit of work they could pop up anywhere, perfect for many a less than legal activity.

So many by-chance happenings had led him to that ratty little bi-fold leather wallet. Wasn’t even quality leather either. It looked old too, black with an embossed devil head pattern that probably came from some truck stop somewhere.

He could have just handed it in to the owner he was trying to buy out, could have even thrown it away, but curiosity was a devil sometimes. So there he was, sat down at one of the many tables in that little bar while one of his people did the majority of his work for him (honestly what’s the point of having people if they cant do your work for you?) perusing the contents and feeling more and more depressed by the second.

First, there was a wad of coupons and a single quarter in there instead of bills, which was never a good sign.

Second, a single, solitary, sad, badly rolled little joint.

Third. A single bank card with Mr E J Munson on it. Not even a credit card, just. A debit. Which statistically didn’t mean great things about this person’s credit score. Could just mean the owner was trying to avoid debt, but… doubtful.

Fourth, a stick of gum.

Fifth, a guitar pick.

Sixth, a library card, oof couldn’t even afford to buy the books.

An expired driver’s license desperately in need of renewal registered to Edward Joseph Munson, the photo made him look like he’d just gotten out of jail or some shit, his hair a terrible buzzcut and eyes too big, too dark, and too haunted to be anything else, but then that was just sometimes how those photos turned out. He could have been a totally innocent man!

It had his address on it, a few descriptors, height half an inch shorter than Steve himself, brown hair, brown eyes, male, 140lbs at point of issue (he’d been seventeen), date of issue, issuing State, along with a date of birth, clocking him at a year older than Steve, twenty nine, and… that he was apparently a donor.

And finally, a month old pay stub from a local fast food joint. So minimum wage worker at best.

It was… kind of sad really. Steve actually looked up the address on his phone, just for curiosities sake, because he was already in deep enough to look through a guy’s wallet, might as well google the poor saps address, just in case he felt charitable enough to drop it off on the way back to the high rise.

Oh there was that deep sadness some people might yell ‘I told you so’ about.

It wasn’t bad. But it sure as shit wasn’t good either. Steve knew of at least six bottom dweller drug dealers that operated out of that block, which explained the joint.

And also made him sadder about the joint, the weed probably wasn’t even all that good.

“Hey Robbie?” His long time friend and platonic soulmate turned her bored gaze over to him, she’d been playing angry birds on her phone, he could hear the war cries of those birds every time she launched one. “We done any charity this quarter?”

“Mmmmmnmnnnnoooooo?” It always looked good to the public for a rich guy like him to do charity work. Wouldn’t look too deeply into him if he was seen publicly doing good. “Unless you count telling Dustin to go wild in that nerd shop last week as ‘charity’, your child nearly emptied the damn shop.”

“Nah that was his birthday present, can’t call that charity.” He wasn’t going to reiterate that Dustin wasn’t his child. He was basically mom at that point.

“Alright, so what’re you thinking?” She sat up, turning to face him properly, putting her phone screen down on the table “Sponsoring something? A drive? There’s this cute little animal shelter in Japan called HEART I read about last month, ran by just a woman and her husband working with volunteers, could be a good thing to donate to? Helping animals is always good for PR.”

“…Those sound way better than what I was thinking, this guy’s wallet is bumming me out.” The expression on her face could have probably put grumpy cat to shame. “Pick one of your choices and do something with it, whichever you want. Imma do something about this wallet.” It didn’t have to be a big PR stunt, the fact that he was doing it on the DL as well? It always came back around all sunshine and roses because people believed it was totally selfless.

Didn’t do it for PR, couldn’t be doing it for PR, he hadn’t announced it.

It was always for PR. Always. The reaction just took a little longer to circulate and people were suckers.

“Just give it back to him? That should be charity enough. It’s like nine bucks to replace a driver’s license, you’re saving him nine bucks. Charity.”

“For someone who started out poor, you’re awful, Robin Buckley. Deal with this bar thing for me would you? I’m going to go on an adventure.” Curiosity was a powerful thing!

“Alright but if you come home with another stray I’m suing!”

“That was—”

“Seven times Steve! Seven!!” It wasn’t his fault that he struggled to see teenagers down on their luck. And four of them were two sets of siblings so it technically counted as one time per set, and one came with Nancy so—!

“Fine!” –So, he wouldn’t argue.

Empires weren’t built with throw away people who held no loyalty to you although he did have many of those on staff. Empires like his were built on the foundation of family, and while the one he’d grown up with was a little bit lacklustre, the one he’d built was perfect.

So he wouldn’t argue, he knew she loved them just as much as he did, in her own way, and that any additions would be welcomed with open arms.

—

Steve didn’t take the car. Although he probably should have, he knew at least three of his people would be following him, keeping an eye on him for safety reasons. At a distance of course but they’d be tailing him for the sake of safety.

That neighbourhood wasn’t safe. No matter if he had a weapon on him or not, it wasn’t safe for people like him.

People with visible wealth.

The watch on his wrist alone was probably worth more than some of the buildings in that neighbourhood, and it wasn’t exactly early in the day either. The sun setting made for an excellent ‘rich person in the wrong goddamn neighbourhood’ future police report.

But he made it to his destination unscathed.

The fast food joint from that pay stub. He even double checked the address on it. The chances of this Edward Munson being there were low, but that was fine, he just wanted to check it out. The atmosphere in there, the management styles, he’d hang out in the corner, get a cheap coffee and people watch for a while. See how fun Edward's work life was so he could add it to his decision making tree.

Curiosity really was one depressing little bitch baby.

The manager on staff was loud. Rude. Sexist. And he was pretty sure he’d made one of the staff cry because she’d hurried out very quickly rubbing at her face and sniffling. The temptation to put out a hit on him? High. But no, that was a lot for one asshole… maybe he’d just send Jane out, let the kid take his knees out.

She deserved a little bastard ba—

Someone beat him to it. A commotion later started by someone with a lot of hair, hair that’d been put up in a net and half hidden beneath the uniform’s god awful mustard yellow cap. It’d been two hits, the guy hitting him, and the manager hitting the floor, blood pouring from a very broken nose, spectacular.

The rest of the staff looked on in wide eyed horror, one yelping “Eddie, holy shit!” as the man pulled his cap off to reveal all that hair. “You’re so fired!”

“Didn’t need this shit show anyway! Chris an I quit, peace out assholes!!” Eddie. Eddie. Steve rose to his feet. Godawful coffee forgotten in the face of the mystery Edward, who caught his eye once before continuing on his way, all big brown frankly beautiful Bambi eyes, less haunted but still so big, full, kissable lips, and god, so much hair, going in the same direction as the blonde who’d disappeared to probably go and cry.

Eddie did need that job. He really needed that job. Steve had seen the state of his wallet. He needed that job, or at least he needed the paycheque that came from that job. Couldn’t even afford to buy his own books! He rented them, he rented books.

Jesus.

God, Robin was gonna judge him so bad for the person he was about to become.

Part 2