#which means if they DON'T take it seriously i can then report my JOB to people higher up

[hellyeahsickaf]

I get disability memes on my Pinterest feed but after getting one for ER Drs/nurses that I found concerning, I kept seeing more and more like it and I went down a rabbit hole. I know it's one of the most stressful jobs someone can have and I really appreciate the medical staff that have been kind to me. These things are definitely made by the types of people who haven't been.

I think it's important because memes are kind of a way to let off steam but they mean what they're saying. They're not just jokes but they're framed in a way that they can say it more comfortably. Sometimes they're just straight up admitting to crimes and malpractice. It's like when someone says something that crosses a line in a joking tone so that if you feel attacked they insist it's just a joke and you're taking it too seriously. But my life is constantly in the hands of these people and I've been mistreated time and time again by medical personnel

I'm gonna go through them because honestly I hate them and there are a lot of repeating themes

These are extremely common. The focus of the meme being that a whiny patient is asking for pain medication that they clearly don't need. Something commonly mentioned in these is disbelief that the patient has an allergy because it's common for someone trying to get drugs to claim they have an allergy.

Also the Confucius one is both ableist and racist so double whammy I guess!

I've dealt with people I know are silently assuming this of me. I'm allergic to NSAIDs- deathly allergic and at risk for asphyxiation or anaphylactic shock. Medical staff sometimes have this attitude of "we know when you're faking your pain" (no really I had one say this shit on my post about this) and that has traumatized me immeasurably because they'd rather me wait for 4+ hours in some of the worst pain of my life than risk the possibility of me being an awful scheming mustache twirling addict.

This category is just as common. "I don't like you so I'm going to drug you". That's more fucked up than they seem to think it is.

Then there's the category of "you're a whiny little bitch and I don't believe a word out of your mouth". Which contributes heavily to medical malpractice and abuse

Again these are doctors and nurses making these, people responsible for treating patients with care and dignity and respect. Especially if they want any in return

Aaaaand this one is just a crime. One that's happened to me actually- reporting examinations that never happened to get rid of me because I was such a nuisance (crying, hardly coherent, drenched in sweat, 9/10 pain on arrival)

And then there are the ones like "don't mess with me because i handle your treatment/meds 💕". Things like "the way you treat me is the deciding factor for how fast I'm going to get your painkillers 😊". Which to me is just... evil?

I've never in my life mistreated medical staff but people in a lot of pain get mean sometimes. It's a survival instinct actually- for aggression to accompany pain or panic. Not that it's ever okay but it isn't personal

These are just a few examples really, there are so fucking many of these with this awful, cruel, cynical tone. There are some funny ones that aren't mean or degrading towards patients but so many of them are and in nearly every one I see a mean spirited healthcare worker that I've encountered at some point who damaged me in ways I will never psychologically recover from

[altruistic-meme]

i think if he approaches me about it again on Monday im going to have to be like. "dude. listen. genuinely, i need you to understand. do not ever correct me on what gender i say i am. don't do it to anyone else, either. it is an incredibly dick move and i found it neither cute nor funny. and if you ever say anything along the lines of "you have an obligation" because i was born with a fucking vagina again, i will be cutting your balls off and turning your dick inside out and then YOU can enjoy the obligations of having a vagina."

and if he tries to get upset at me about it i will tell him that quite frankly im chill with him but i can and will go to HR about it if it happens again. i am more than happy to deal with it between us but if it isn't dealt with then i will take it one step further. don't fucking try me again.

hes lucky enough im not STARTING with that.

trying very hard to not be annoyed or upset and failing URGH

[st-dorothy-minority]

"Hurt" - an emotional, angst-filled Radioapple fic

I greatly hesitate to post this. It is very, very special to me and feels more vulnerable than anything I've written. (And honestly, I may delete it at any point 😩)

I would love it if you could spare a comment if you read this and share your thoughts.

I wasn't going to finish this, but I've been seriously struggling this month myself, and it's one small thing I can contribute for Suic*de Awareness & Prevention month.

Based on the song "Hurt" by Christina Aguilera (please check that out before reading to get the full impact. Imagine the song sung by Charlie https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/christinaaguilera/hurt.html)

Dedicated to @persephoneblck - thank you for your love and support through my struggles ❤️

-----------

“Charlie, I-”

“Just don't! I can't do this anymore! For once, I wish you'd show up when others need you, when I need you!”

“But Charlie-”

“Mom was right. You don't know how to be a husband. You don't know how to be a leader. And you sure as hell don't know how to be a dad! I won't ever ask for anything from you ever again. I don't want you in my life anymore!”

As she turned her back on her father and returned to what remained of the hotel with the other residents, Lucifer felt himself quickly losing composure. Still, he made one last attempt to talk to her by calling out, “I’m proud of you, Charlie!” When she didn’t turn around, he lowered his gaze to the ground and added sorrowfully, “More than you could ever know.”

****

It was a couple hours before Alastor was able to check on his emotionally wrecked lover.

It was no surprise he found Lucifer still in the throes of depressive anguish.

Taking a seat on the floor where Lucifer sat next to the bed, Alastor placed a consoling hand on his back and rubbed it affectionately.

“We both know she didn’t mean what she said,” Alastor assured.

A few tears splashed onto the glass of the picture frame Lucifer held in his hands, which housed a photo of himself and Charlie that Vaggie had taken not long ago.

“She gets into fits of passion, like you, and ends up saying things that aren’t true,” Alastor continued when it was clear Lucifer wasn’t going to respond.

After a minute passed with more silence, Alastor gently pulled the picture away, set it aside, and took Lucifer’s now restless fingers in his hands to hold.

“Luci….No one is perfect. Mistakes happen. Hurt feelings happen. It’s a consequence of the human heart that seems to remain in us demons, including Charlie. She’s still a child with much to learn. You are doing a much better job than you give yourself credit for. Give yourselves some time to be apart for a bit. There is nothing wrong with maintaining some distance for a little while as she cools her head.”

Lucifer sniffled, wiped his eyes, and uttered pitifully, “But she’s right. All of it. I was never there when she needed me. I fucked up with Lilith….I’m a shitty, fucking failure, Alastor.”

“Now I absolutely have to disagree with you about all of that. You are trying. You are learning. You won’t get it right all the time. Let the past be the past with its wrongdoings. She’ll have to learn to do the same.”

Heaving a heavy sigh, Lucifer nodded. “Yeah….I guess you’re right….Thank you.”

“Of course.” He brought Lucifer closer, placed a soft kiss against his temple, and asked, “Care to lie down? You should rest.”

“Not yet. Think I might go take a bath and try to relax.”

“Want me to join you?”

“No, I, um....I think I want to be alone tonight.”

“Are you sure?” “Yeah. Plus, you should go back to check on everyone and help with whatever they need….since she doesn’t want my help….”

“Alright then. I’ll report back tomorrow with how things are and to check on you.”

Placing a finger under Lucifer’s chin, he tilted the devil’s head up to kiss him tenderly. When they pulled away, he was content to see Lucifer smiling.

“I missed that smile,” Alastor purred, causing Lucifer to giggle.

“Funny that you never give me the chance to miss yours.”

“If it’s any consolation, you certainly bear witness to my genuine ones more than any other demon in this Hell.”

“I’ll take that,” Lucifer conceded happily.

Doting one last kiss onto Lucifer’s hand, Alastor took his leave.

****

----Five Years Later----

Clutching her phone tightly in her grasp, Charlie blinked through the tears to find the most precious contact in her list. From the moment she saw the adorable duckie profile pic and the name, the relatively quiet crying became uncontrollable sobbing.

It was approaching mid-evening, and it was tradition to conclude the horribly painful day with a call to the person she missed more than anything. The person she longed to hug again. The person she yearned to see his smiling face again.

The person she owed everything to, the one she wished to apologize over and over again to.

The one who had taken his life because of her.

It was rare that a day passed when Charlie didn’t replay the last exchange she’d had with her father and felt her stomach twist into knots and the guilt consume her from realizing how cruel and heartless her final words to him had been. To have not even acknowledged his final words to her of how proud he was of her.

Attempting to take several deep breaths, she at last touched the screen to call her dad.

She knew he would never answer, yet his voicemail (and the messages he’d left on her phone that she hadn’t deleted) was the only way to hear his voice, even if it was brief and impersonal.

Hello fellow citizen of Hell! You’ve reached the head honcho himself, Lucifer Morningstar. If you aren’t in my contacts, how the fuck did you get my number? If you are, I’ll call you back at some point. If this is Charlie, I’ll get right back to you, sweetie! If this is an emergency, well, I don’t know what to tell you other than you’re probably S.O.L. Still wanna leave a message? Be my guest!

*beep*

“….Hi dad,” Charlie began in a tiny, constricted voice. She paused briefly due to the uneven breaths attacking her, closed her eyes, inhaled deeply as best she could, and tried again. “I um….I miss you….so much. I’m so sorry for what I said and blaming you. I didn’t mean it….I was wrong….so, so wrong…..I wish you were here….I still have so many questions and….I need you….I need you, dad….I was mad, I didn’t mean it….I love you and I just want you back. I want to understand. I love you….”

She was able to end the call before the phone slipped from her hand and she hugged herself as the crushing grief overtook her.

I wish you were here….I need a hug….I’m so sorry….

She felt the presence of her new company before he even sat next to her. On the balcony of the hotel overlooking her inherited kingdom, Alastor joined her on the bench without a word. This had also become their tradition – to share the remainder of the evening together in silence with the only other person who understood more than anyone else how suffocating the loss felt. They each had very different relationships with Lucifer, but the fact remained they each loved him beyond measure.

While Charlie’s regret plagued her in the form of her last words to Lucifer, Alastor’s was rooted in having left him alone that night. If only he’d insisted on staying, denied Lucifer’s request, and remained at his side. The memory of finding the king of Hell submerged in golden-tainted water in the bathtub, his wrists and neck sliced open to the bone by the only weapon in the realm that could mortally wound him, haunted Alastor just as vividly all these years later. He could still recall Charlie’s screams of denial and sorrow when he told her what had happened, remembered how she grabbed onto him as her knees gave out and they held each other for nearly an hour, drowning out everything and everyone around them.

Once Charlie regained her composure for the most part, Alastor eased his arm across her shoulders and drew her closer to rest against him in a loving embrace. His other hand took hers and held it, and they stayed this way for hours.

Eventually, Vaggie came to help Alastor escort Charlie to bed, which Alastor appreciated because he knew Charlie would continue to be cared for during the hardest night of the year.

As for him, it was the one night he returned to Lucifer’s home and laid in the bed he’d shared with the fallen angel. He fetched Lucifer’s favorite over-sized duckie plushie to cuddle with – the one he’d always teased his lover about whenever Lucifer chose to hug it at bedtime – and breathed in deeply. The scent was fading, but it was enough to revitalize the memory.

Letting the tears fall at last, Alastor whispered, “I’m sorry I left you when you needed me most. I love you.”

[leggerefiore]

cw: Short drabble, comedy mostly,

pairing: Emmet/Reader

A funny idea popped into your head as you watched the twins work. Both seemed completely lost in their tasks, so you opted to strike while they were least expecting it. Calling out to them, you managed to get Ingo to turn his head toward you and question what you needed. Emmet kept focused on the paperwork on his desk, likely exhausted of filling out an injury report. It seemed despite his constant reminder to check safety, some decided to ignore his heeding.

“Are you guys twins or something?” you questioned them. Ingo's expression shifted instantly to something completely unamused, while Emmet whipped his head up to look at you in bewilderment. Neither seemed to take your words well. Yet, you still got a laugh out Ingo's sigh and shake of his head.

“Of course not, we are simply two men who happen to look identical and share parents,” he replied, giving a rare bout of sarcasm, “… Quite strange, isn't it? That us identical strangers would find ourselves sharing an apartment and job. You would truly almost think us related, no?” Emmet gasped out at Ingo's words. You found your laughter strengthened. What a concept! A world where they were not twins. It seemed truly impossible with how much of themselves they had based on their bond as brothers and twins.

“Mhm, yep! Verrrry odd, indeed!” Emmet agreed to play along, “My stranger seems to think he is my older brother. It can be annoying when he orders me around.” Ingo shot a look at him. The younger twin only gave an unyielding smile in return. The older one of the two crossed his arms and narrowed his gaze. A dangerous look. Of course, only if one did not know what a softie Ingo was under it all. Of which, you and Emmet did. A head tilt was Emmet's only reply. The two were clearly having one their wordless conversations. You felt a bit left out.

“Well, I apologise but I'm only interested in twins, so I'll be going now,” you continued. Emmet looked at you before rushing over to catch you. Ingo appeared mortified by his younger brother's actions. You laughed more as he clung to you tightly. Eelektross truly did suit the man.

“That's mean, darling,” he whined, “… Me and Ingo are verrrrry close. Why ask such an odd question?” You leaned into his embrace, enjoying his hold quite a bit.

“… I don't know. Haven't you seen those theories online that you two aren't twins?” you recalled some insane conspiracy theories about the two. Emmet tilted his head. Ingo seemed shocked.

“Are you saying…” Ingo began.

“… People think we aren't twins?” Emmet finished, letting you go to pull out his phone. He began to type in the theory. Ingo took off his hat and scratched his head.

“… That is certainly a first…” The older one already sounded exhausted by the concept, “I cannot recall a time in our lives where that was not the first thing someone noticed. We don't exactly hide it…” They really did not. Matching outfits were extremely common with the two. They even attempted to mimic each other to eerie success. Emmet gasped at his phone.

“I am not a Ditto!” he was deeply offended, “Rude! Brother, look at this!” The phone was jousted toward Ingo, who took it from his hands. He then had a similar reaction to his twin.

“Why are they all theories about you not being human? That is so oddly cruel,” he put the phone down and shook his head. “… Assuredly, you must know better than this,” Ingo gazed at you seriously. You nodded. Really… You loved Emmet. That would be the furthest thought from your mind. Both relaxed at that and let themselves settle back into their work, Emmet returning to his desk.

“I do buy the clone theory, though,” you said before heading out the door.

Each looked offended once again.

Later on, you explained that one of them was technically a genetic clone of the other considering how identical twins worked.

They had to relent to that one, unfortunately. Yet, this brought a debate over who was the “clone.”

[rebelrayne]

Hi, I'd like to request something if that's okay. Which litg athletes do you see competing in olympics this year or maybe next four years? And which ones do you NOT see competing? I hate sports but I have a weakness for athletes, especially certain litg ones.

I can see Levi doing it this year, maybe Jamal (my baby daddy) this or next one. And I think Dylan and Arlo would be too cancelled to participate. What do you think?

Hi Anon! I'm not sure I'm the best person to answer this but I'll give it my best shot! I am not well-versed in sports so hahaha I kind of got a little unserious in some parts.

These are the Islanders that I came up with that are athletes (in some form or it is their job): Levi, Reese, Rahim, Henrik, Jakub, Jo, AJ, Tai, Dylan, Arlo, Pete, Jamal, Lewie, Chloe, Hazel, Logan, Jack, Sophie and Jude. Yes, Kat is a club dancer but I wasn't sure if I could count that with Chloe and Hazel, but I guess on a technicality she could be here, too.

Below the cut this is so long haha

Season 1

Levi - Would probably more likely be coaching at this point in his career. He'd be 32 and had made a name for himself, but ultimately stepped down to further himself in coaching. Could also see him being a commentator, too.

Reese - That mf isn't retiring until they say he's not allowed on the team anymore. Sadly, I don't think wrestling is too popular but I could be wrong. Like he'd pitch a fit and claim they were just against him or something. He'd be there (unfortunately for us).

Season 2

Rahim - Might be out of his prime now. I mean, we know he's good at what he does and all, but this is a pretty competitive sport and when newbies come in, they tend to take it by storm for a while. He's probably just playing the circuit.

Henrik - Yeah, he was a climbing instructor but there's sport climbing. I don't see him doing the Olympics though. He's pretty down to earth, probably not interested in making it his job in this way. He'd rather spread knowledge and love of climbing to others through teaching.

Jakub - lmao as if this big-headed buffoon would miss out on weightlifting or something. Like he's too stupid to be cut from the team anyway. Send him an email and he still flies to the Olympics because he can't read idk

Jo - She would qualify under Cycling BMX Racing and I think she would have done it before. I'm not sure if I'd believe that she's at this one though. She's older, probably settled down or at least doing something related and not racing as seriously anymore?

Season 3

AJ - Definitely there. Loves competition, a great team player. She's 100% playing Field Hockey at the Olympics and I love that for her.

Tai - So technically I think Tai is a rugby coach not a player? Maybe I'm not remembering that though. I think he would be more likely a coach than a player for this Olympics though personally. He has the personality to be tough but also inspirational.

Season 4

Dylan - Definitely did not make the roster after his S4 mishaps. They were so embarrassed that they ghosted him. Left him on read when he asked about how to put in an expense report to get money back for his flight and whatever because no one contacted him about flying with the team. His teammates all blocked him on social media except one, and they didn't only so they could see his profile and laugh about what a loser he is :)

Season 5

Arlo - I mean, I don't know if she got canceled sadly. She was doing what everyone on Love Island does and I can't really blame her. I think she was probably given the opportunity to try out for the team, but that doesn't exactly mean she made it. She was Semi Pro, which means she wasn't the best out there anyway.

Pete - Tried out to be on the sport climbing team, fell on his ass and still has a bruise on his tailbone eight months later. BYE.

Season 6

Jamal - Please, they probably invited him personally to be on the team. He's got such a great energy and he's funny. He'll be there for sure and is definitely medaling.

Lewie - I mean this is a big sport. Did he try out? Sure. Did he make it? Maybe. Football is a massive sport and you're going up against the best in the entire league. I'm going to stick him in the maybe but probably not.

Season 8

Logan - Does anyone even remember this guy? I mean, like, I picked him at the last recoupling and I still forget his ass exists. That's probably what happened if I'm honest. He tried out, the coaches forgot that he had and he never got a call. Aw, poor Logan. Maybe he should try being more memorable next time.

Jack - Oh, he tried. He tried and failed. They laughed and were like, no this is serious not just a hobby. But they invited him to be a Physio for the team so all in all, a win for Jack. (He fangirls over the cyclists when he sees them).

Sophie - I think she tried out and as annoying as she was, she may have made the cut for Acrobatic Gymnastics (is that a thing still? idk). Kinda hope she sprains her ankle as she walks up to the mat or whatever, but I'm kind of a terrible person so.

Season 9

Hamish - yes. If being annoying and obnoxious was a sport. I love him, but he would win the gold. No competition. Though he does play golf now......damn, is there anything he can't do????

Jude - Okay yeah he would be there but the last time it was held was 2021 so I guess it would be next year if it was every 4? Not sure on this but there is a Motor Sports category. You go, Jude! Even though you're kind of a dick and weirdly obsessed with Kat in my game.

[radrage]

Fallout Companions and the Jobs They'd Have in a Modern AU

Cait: Physical Therapist. I feel like she'd be either a PT/OT or an actual therapist. Specifically for sportspeople. Though this is if Sole meets her post-boxing career. If not, well, she's a Boxer.

Curie: School Nurse. No doubt in my mind. She loves working with kids. Thinks they're the "future we all need". Also thinks they're adorable and the stories they have for her are always really sweet. She's adored by the entire school (which is probably an elementary/middle school) and always gives her patients a lollipop.

Codsworth: Butler/Nanny. That's a given. I mean, he's programmed to be a butler. Think an Alfred type-beat. Loves to cook on the side and his employers always love when he cooks for them.

Danse: OSHA employee/Safety Inspector. Another pretty obvious one. Is really vigorous and the GMs he shakes down always despise getting him for checks. Takes his job very seriously. Post BB (TBD what that translates to in a modern AU), he works as a freelance mechanic. Always some form of grease/oil on his uniform.

Deacon: Makeup Artist, duh. Or a SFX artist. Loves his craft, probably cosplays on the side. I don't have much to say for Deacon, but he probably holds competitions with his fellow artists for "best wig" and things like that. He hoards the entries to those comps.

Dogmeat: Instagram dog. 600k followers, MINIMUM. We love Dogmeat here, he deserves the best. Spends his days chasing ducks and barking at cars, much to Sole's (and DM's follower's) delight.

Hancock: Laid-back Gas Station employee. Sells weed on the side. Always zoinked out of his mind and probably needs a detox. Doesn't do much on the clock, but when his higher-ups come in, he straightens out. Pretends to not see the homeless people swiping ramen/chip packets because "Fuck capitalism. Homies need to eat."

MacCready: The homeless person Hancock refuses to call the cops on (/j). In seriousness, MacCready probably works as a freelance builder. For my Aussies, think a Tradie. Doesn't like his job and wants nothing more than to be a stay-at-home Dad, but needs to work for Duncan's sake. Very dusty, all the time.

Valentine: Grief Counsellor. Helps those who lost loved ones to manage their emotions. Always dreamed of being a detective, but never got the chance. I feel like that helps him connect with his patients as he lost something close to him as well. Maybe worked as a detective in his early days but had to retire after Winter's End?

Piper: English Teacher/assistant. Maybe works at the same school Curie does. Buys weed from Hancock. She wants to be a reporter, but a stable job is more important to her so she can care for Nat. Adores her kids, but despises the workload. Teaches night classes for those who struggle with English.

Preston: Works in the community department of the local government. Organises homeless drives, soup kitchens, etc. Really into charity work and probably volunteers on the side. Aggressively nice to everyone who comes into his office. "HAVE SOME TEA. PLEASE, EAT. EAT."

Strong: Works under MacCready. Demolitions expert. That or a Personal Trainer, for obvious reasons. He'd be really into whatever he does and keeps his head down for the most part. Goes to Piper's night classes.

x6: The manager who hates Danse. Probably works in a government-sanctioned building, so he actually works with Danse a lot. Sits in his office that probably has a catwalk over the actual building and looks down on his peasant employees. Think Lord Farquaad.

[ladythornofrivia]

Cigarette Girl

Pair: Rindou x Reader

Warning: Mature Content and Adultery. If you’re under 18, I’m sorry, you can’t read this

Author’s Note: I didn’t get to do my permit test. So I’ll be doing it next month, which means I have more time to gain knowledge on it, which is great! More knowledge more confidence, right?! I'm still doing my best on writing the story. Rindou and Reader are going to meet soon. (Note: Report if someone decides to steal the synopsis and my story. And notify me. Thank you) ❤️

Chapter 1: Grenade In Her Hands

Previous Chapter Next Chapter

Anyone who goes nearby the doors or halls knows exactly what's going on. As long as they're far away--out of sight, out of mind, as people say--no one will suspect a thing.

"You're fired," the employer said, pounding his desk with his palm after ending an ugly phone call from one of your boss's regular customers. "Do you know how badly you fucked up, (y/n)? Very bad. I lost one of my favorite customers because of your half-ass job!"

"What? What do you mean I'm fired?!" you said, hands shaking frantically, yet tight grip onto her boss's desk. "Yui demanded me to take over her shift; she didn't give me enough info to handle all the process--I was doing the best I could to find help, but everyone kept saying that they're "sick"."

"Fuck me, (y/n)," your boss said, groaning in anger. "Because of your half-ass job, now every single one of the new customers aren't coming in! We had to close the store in early."

"I did my job as best as I could," you interjected. "I'm always here on time, I always take their stead. Besides, talk your employees about this--they're the ones who don't want to do the job."

"Let's see--you're constantly late, you didn't follow the rules--always fucking around. And you talk back to me, your humble manager? You got a job because of me. Your hours of fucking around have been saved because of me. And now you're going to victim blame me? I'm the only one who saves your ass."

You shook your head at his ignorance. "For the record, I didn't fuck around; those "admirable" people you favor we're the ones who fuck around. They didn't do shit when I have to cover all their shifts. They don't want to do the fucking job; they want to do the bare minimum and get paid quickly."

Your boss flicked his wrist in a dismissal and hissed between his clenched teeth. "Oh, please, (y/n), you always like to play victim--a fucking damsel-in-distress. This is real world, not a fucking high school, for fuck's sake!"

"It's true, though," you fired back. "They threatened me over the text saying that if I don't do the shift, they'll sue me."

Your boss raised his finger at you. "I don't want to hear anymore of your lies, (y/n). Go pack your things. They're in the right to sue you however they want. I don't give a fuck what happens to you. If you want to screw around, go apply to prostitution. You deserve it, you fucking pig. Go be a pig somewhere else. I have nothing else to say to you. And if I ever see you again, beating your ass is the only payment you only ever going to get from me."

Clenching your fists, your mind urged you to try to find a cup of hot coffee to splash on his face, wanting him to go blind for not taking you seriously.

But by the end, you don't want to prove them right. You just want to live in a good life with a stable job of any kind to provide for your sick parent. Your brother, however, being a pathetic adult he was--and still is--you wish nothing more but to live in a better house in a better environment with your mom, hoping she'd get better, that she can rely on you and support you unlike your sibling, whose supposed to be the one in charge. Leave his sorry ass out to whoever is going to take care of him.

With a gritted smile, you took off your apron and threw it at his face, hearing a panicked muffled sound from him as he fell off the ground with stacked boxes fell atop of him. Those heavy, stupid boxes you kept seeing every time you have a meeting with the employer has now became your ally, wishing those boxes were a little heavier than your boss's personal insults.

"Fuck you and your stupid ass, pervert, just because you didn't get good tits and cunt from me. Maybe you should be in the adult industry instead to get your annoying frustrations out. I won't expect a payment from you, stupid bastard,” you said, gathering your things at your locker to put in a box and walk out from the building to call a cab.

Dialing your old phone to relay a message to your sickly mother, someone tapped your shoulder. It's your co-worker, Aimi, with a smile on her face.

You didn't smile back, still carrying the box.

"Sorry about him and everyone else," Aimi said. "You don't deserve it." Aimi picked in her pocket and gave you a good amount of cash around ¥500,000.

You found yourself gasping. "Where did you get that?"

"I stole it from every single one of the co-worker's wallet."

"Put it back; I don't want to get blamed at. They'll sue me," you said, shoving the money back towards Aimi. "You're going to sell me out if they find you."

"Because you helped me last time, I have no other way to pay you back. You've been helpful to me, even when I'm sick or taking a day off. And the boss hasn't paid you for more than a week. You deserve to have a good payment before you leave. Besides, I'm planning on quitting, too. I have no intentions on telling them about you."

"Good luck," you said with a stiff smile by the time the taxi arrive at the side of the street.

"You, too." Aimi watched you mounted inside the cab and waved a goodbye at you as the taxi took off.

*~~*~~*

Your brother wasn't there as you reached home. You paid enough money for the taxi. At this rate, you’re thinking about a better transportation, a better and faster travel in order to save a lot of money and time.

A dreaded silence fills you every time you got home from work. A never joyful silence. It's always haunting, making you to expecting things for the worse--a real life horror movie.

Checking your phone, you expect a call from your relatives. You got none; everyone in the family want nothing to do with you; you often ask if someone in the family can take care of your sick mother in case something bad happens; your mother is too weak to travel to the hospital, so you try to find your ways as best as you could. Always making pathetic excuses about how 'Time takes up on their work' or other relations to work. Of course they didn't want your reason to be voiced out. They never wanted to hear what you're up to, what your family is up to, because whenever you call, it's always the words, “Mom needs help; she's sick, I can’t drive: I need your help to take care of Mom. Take her to the hospital. I don’t want her to go.”

When you asked your brother to help, he told to you to “fuck off”.

And none of them took it well. When you try to contact your mom’s friends, they never picked up your message, your voicemail. Everyone is enjoying their vacation and their retirement. Your mom’s friends are weird.

Funny how they always wanted help from your mother. But whenever your mother needed help, that's where they're up and gone without a second thought. What good is family and friends are for if they don't help but to stab you in the back as a gratitude in return and always making lame excuses at every chance they get the moment you speak up?

You did everything you can to support yourself. The house you're living in was quite ordinary, yet empty. Every single decoration is there, but the presence of joy and company was always lacking, and is often lacking. You try to redecorate it a few times, thinking about anything to make a soothing ambience to match the atmosphere, but nothing matches compare to what you have in mind. You ran out of alternatives.

You wanted everything back from the way it was before--before the mess, before the time you have wasted grew bitterness, you wanted it exchange with happiness and fondness to look back on. Instead, every year has grew harder and impacted greatly on your health and the hope somewhere inside your cognitive thoughts, vanished. You had friends, but all left you when they find out you aren’t rich, and that your older brother spends his time on drinking alcohol and shouting all night, disrupting the neighbors and shattering beer bottles. You protect your mom against his antics; hid her in your bedroom. Despair is your greatest enemy.

You were hoping someone is there to knock on your door and help you find a way out with your sickly mother. The last job you got fired on, was the last straw. With your lack of experience, you wanted nothing more but to commit a terrible act for you to spend money on getting your mother to a full recovery.

Being a better person, to rise above everything and everyone who has no commendable, moral act made you sick to the stomach. You wanted it to stop. Being a better person--to improve as one--seemed unreachable. Everyone in the family, even at work, never gave you a chance to improve for a better growth.

Life seemed unfair unless you're ethereally winsome, extremely wealthy and popularly unique to look at. Privileges meant everything, hard work meant nothing. If only your life is easier with money and lawyers. When you're at your worst, nobody was there to help you.

You can sue anyone who betrays you. But you decided to not go onto their level. Rising above than "civil" and "good", "benevolent" people is the only way to survive in life.

Never minding the expectations of them calling or texting back, you went upstairs on your right.

At your bed, your mom lay asleep with a heater on.

Collapsing down on your knees as your heart began to gnaw with pain. You couldn't handle the pressure anymore. With many people in the world, you're still alone and vulnerable and feeling the worst wave rumbling in your blood and body.

You wanted nothing more than to become a dust, shredded with silken blood and fractured bones.

Gathering your courage, you swept your feelings aside and put on a smile, carrying on as you lifted the plastic bag with nutritious food for her.

"Hello, Mom," you greeted with a sad smile. "I got you some food--your favorite."

Your mother stitred awake, sleepy eyes facing at you. "(y/n)," she said, breathing and yawning as you watched her stretching within stiff motion.

"I got you food," you said, placing it down.

You watched her gather the food at the table and ate every last crumb and portion, including a hot drink you ordered.

"I got fired, Mom," you said. "They didn't pay me back with money. Tried to blackmail me, too. I'm sorry, Mom. I tried my best to get into a better track on pulling myself together. But I got great news. I got the money for you to go to the doctor. We can check and see what's wrong. We can also get the medication."

Your mom splayed her hand, caressing it on the side of your face. "Don't worry, (y/n), everything will fall into place. I want you to know that."

"I hate our relatives," you sputtered with a soft weep. "I hate them. They used you and then took off--cut us off, even. They're so pathetic. Mom, I don't want you to go."

Your mom chuckled. "I'm still here."

You shook your head. "That's not what I mean. I wish Hiroto would get sick instead of you. With your kindness and loving trait, you don't deserve to get sick.”

"Your brother is having a hard time. Just ignore him."

"I can't. He's been drinking everyday. He stole the last money whenever he has none. I don't want him to come back here. He always invaded our space and always talk down on me. Why do I have a family member like him?"

Your mother shushed, embracing you. "Someday there will be someone who loves you and cares for you. You won't need me anymore."

"Everyone is a pervert, a liar and a monster."

"Not every one," your mother said. "You'll find someone special," she promised, patting your back. “I don’t want you to be helpless and hopeless if I someday were to be gone from this life.”

As she mentioned of you wanting to have someone special in your life, your heart numbed, at first, then burnt and squeezed by something regarding your past. As if you knew who. Regardless, you haven’t met anyone special just yet. Your life has been frozen since high school—work and taking care of your mother. But finding work is difficult.

As you embraced your mother, you said, "Someday, everyone who underestimate us, they'll be sorry—I just hope they’ll realize they’re in the wrong. I'll never leave you, Mom. Never."

“I know you won’t.” She kissed atop of your hairline.

With a dead-end, you have to come up with another plan to be permanently away from being under a mercy of your useless drunken brother and your self-centered relatives. Everyone wanted a shortcut, but in order to obtain shortcut of privileges, it must be earned with right and clever work.

In your life, your hands are never filled with luck and fortune, nothing but full of grenades.

After you put your mother back onto your bed, you called your other friend, and left a voicemail. "Hey, can we meet up at the café?"

*~~*~~*

He’s been there since 30 minutes past, and all he couldn’t think about but the smell of drugs and scattered pills.

"Can you get rid of the bitch?" Rindou asked Sanzu, who was polishing his expensively customized katana.

In a lazy form, Sanzu crossed his leg over the other, seeing a clear reflection of his scarred face--two diamond-shaped on each corner of his lips.

"Which bitch?"

"The one whose recently with me."

"Which one? I know you have plenty of bitches in your hands."

His lips curled in disbelief and disapproval. "Are you high?"

"No, I'm low."

Rindou rolled his eyes. "Aoi. Aoi Tanaka."

Sanzu's lulled expression grew with disgust. "That bitch? She smells like sewer rat. What do you see in her?"

"Are you going to do it or not?"

Sanzu placed his weapon down. "What's the catch?"

"I'll give you one of the expensive drinks at the club."

"No."

"No?"

"I want cash. I want more customized katana to add on my collection."

"How many?"

"Five more."

Rindou's brow flicked.

"Fine, ten!"

Rindou sighed with hands on his hips, then his hand stretched towards Sanzu for a handshake. "It's a deal."

Sanzu hit Rindou's hand instead like a high-five. Rindou frowned as Sanzu cackled like a drunk person.

"Just make sure you hide her body. If anybody suspects her missing, whether a friend or family," Rindou continued with a whisper.

"I'll get to it. Finally some action. I want to test my katana on them."

"Don't fuck this up. Or I'll tell Mikey about it you decide to be incompetent once you find her or anyone who associates her."

Sanzu released a maddening laughter. "Trust me, I won't."

“Clean your room for once. Maybe the girls will go with you when you want to flirt with them.”

Sanzu flicked his wrist in dismissal. “Yeah, mom.”

At once, Rindou quitted the room with a huge relief released from the intensity on his shoulders.

Finding another girl should be easy for Rindou. He hated sticking to the same girl for six months. No other girl could refuse his offer.

Taglist: @galactict3a @colored-tr-panels @f1yh1gh @mrssano04 @glamourkills18

[my-castles-crumbling]

hi cas

im not sure how to word this but im just gonna giev it a go i guess

so i'm a minor and i'm queer, both my parents are pretty homophobic. when i say minor, i mean that if they threw me out i'm too young to get a job

also, they're not nice to me. i don't mean in the posh kinda way- i mean it. my dad's bounced my head off the walls a couple times

i guess i got lucky with one thing and that's that no one's real mean to me about it- honest, i've been the queer awakenings of so many of my friends theyve taken to calling me casanova. i got a good card with my friends, too, but my problem is actually there

so most of my friends know my parents. a couple of the girls have made queer jokes at me in front of my parents on accident. i've had to slur and belittle my own people just to keep the damn roof over my head. i dunno if it's worth it to live with them until i'm of age- i really wanna dip at sixteen.

i dunno. thanks for reading. what do you think.

Hi hon <3

I am so sorry that this is your situation. It literally pains me to know that you and so many other kids are dealing with this, and I hope you know that you deserve so much more.

It sounds like you're smart- smart enough to know not to come out to your parents or something similar. That wouldn't be safe for you, unfortunately.

You kind of have two options, here. One- you could report your parents. It sounds like they've hurt you in the past, and if you're in the US or similar, it might be enough to be taken from them. BUT the foster system is shit, and depending on your country, that might not be the best solution, unfortunately. You have to decide which is safer for you. Which, I want to acknowledge, is an absolutely HORRIBLE decision to make at 14 or 15 or whatever age you are. Like I'm nauseous thinking about it. But that's reality.

Your second option is to start planning. However you can (in a safe way), start making money, building a support system, making a safety plan. If you make money, make sure your parents don't have access to it. Find friends and possibly adults that support you and would take you in in an emergency. Research youth shelters and low-income housing as well as emancipation options. Don't act rashly. Be smart, and weigh all your pros and cons. Again, if you can, find an adult irl who knows the full situation who you can discuss all the pros and cons with. The more you can plan before acting, the better off you'll be, but also take your safety into account. How long can you stay and save up before it starts to seriously affect your physical and mental wellbeing? Do you have a backup plan in case your parents find out and kick you out? What resources are available in your area?

These are all big, scary, adult decisions to be making, but the reality is you have to think about them. And if you need to talk any of them through, I'm here!

Naming you lily anon.

[mins-fins]

the detectives treat.

summary: in which a snappy forensic scientist and an awfully flirtatious detective have a.. complicated relationship.

pairing: kim taerae x m!reader

genre: detective au thingy?, fluff

warnings: mentions of murder, mentions of corpses, and weapons

word count: 0.7k

notes: jun (@luvjiun) really read my mind when it came to this LMAO, not exactly angst because rn i feel allergic to writing angst, and this is shorter than what i usually write but take this because after this weekend updates will become MUCH slower 😭

— coroners forensic laboratory. — 11:23 am.

"if you don't stop coming in here to bother me, my knife will meet your face" taerae scoffs as he points the scalpel towards the figure who waltzes into his office, his voice full of contempt. yn lets out a gasp, stepping back a little bit.

"calm down mr. kim, if you do so you'll have to think about your murder case in the future, gunwook will be sad" yn shrugs, a vicious smile tugging at his lips.

taerae huffs, rolling his eyes as he gently places the scalpel down onto the examining table. he clicks his tongue and turns to yn, who smiles even larger at him.

"what do you need then, detective? hurry up i don't have that much time for you" taerae's voice calms down, but the clear annoyance is still there. yn sighs and shakes his head, used to this behavior.

"just the usual, i need the autopsy report for the case jeonghyeon's holding" he begins. "also, mind coming with me to mr. uehara's office?" he inquires, and taerae's eyebrows knit together.

taerae stares at the taller, contemplating.

was officer seok matthew not in today? that's quite unusual, he thinks.

"where's your partner?" he asks, pulling off his gloves and disposing of them. he again narrows his eyes at yn's smile. "ah, matthew? he's with keita, you know, he needs assistance after the whole incident".

taerae huffs, crossing his arms. "not you and that bibliography or, magazine, or whatever? your so full of yourself" yn laughs, a faux grimace coming to his face.

"your one mean person mr. kim, you know how hard jihoo worked for that piece to sell, it tells the amazing stories of me as a detective! even gunwook loves it, you can ask mr. chen too" yn beamed, his smile teasing, ticking off any of the remaining patience taerae had left.

"acting as if you didn't almost get jihoo arrested for a crime he didn't commit" taerae mutters meanly under his breath, snapping his head to the other direction.

yn grimaces, a real one this time.

"that was my job! i just sought out the truth".

taerae snickers, turning his head towards yn. "not during the trials you didn't, that was all chen and lee".

"but if it wasn't for me, no evidence would've been presented! i still did play a big role!" yn huffs in ignorance, taerae simply looks him up and down.

"you know what? here's the autopsy report you've been asking for, be off now" taerae places the autopsy report on the desk, turning away from yn and hoping he'll leave, even though he knows it won't do the trick.

"what? not to be rude but you still have to accompany me to mr. uehara's office" yn stood there, confused. taerae chuckles at his words, not taking them seriously.

"i don't think you'll need my help, can't you just go ask lee to help you with that task?" taerae looks back, a smile on his face, showcasing his deep dimples.

"no, jeonghyeon is busy with the trial, your the only one who can go to the office with me" yn walks over to taerae, and the shorter sighs. "your a grownup are you not? so you getting lost in seoul while looking for mr. uehara's office seems pretty impossible" taerae's voice was much calmer, his smile not fading.

"i'll treat you to lunch if you accompany me, besides, it's hotaek who usually goes to mr. uehara's office, not me" yn replied.

"lunch? are you ridiculous?" taerae scoffs. "we aren't even acquainted, what makes you think you can bribe me?"

okay, that's a lie, they are acquainted, and they have been for as long as they can remember, but close? taerae would never say he was close to yn.

"oh yes we are, gunwook likes me, admires me even! we've been acquainted since our first case together back when we both still resided in chungcheongnam-do" yn smiled, though his cheeks flushed.

it must be the temperature.

but they're inside a coroners laboratory?

taerae decides to brush it off.

"i.. ugh— fine, just to get this case through, i'll come with you" taerae sees yn's eyes light up, which is exactly why he continues.

"but, you should refrain from bothering me, that's all i ask" and again, before yn can give a response, taerae pushes past him, grabbing his coat and walking out of the door.

[destinyc1020]

I'm not a fan anymore due to my own personal reasons, but I want to be objective. Timothee wants wrong to ask that worker not to stake pics. He's in character, and it was unprofessional for them to consider the eclipse over their job. Also, after seeing Tom filing TCR in new York and dealing with paps and fans asking for pics, I can understand why he was paranoid and off cause he's in character but also feels violated if that makes sense. I think Timothee may be a bit of the method and also struggles with some type of anxiety. He's very paranoid recently, so maybe being as famous as he has created that more. There was a time he was so open, and noe hes closed off. Whenever he's papped, he wears a mask, so maybe idk im speculating.

However, this isn't the first case. I've heard of this diva behaviour on set, unfortunately. There were rumours on DM a few yrs ago that alleged some crew workers in London about his antics whilst filming Wonka, and he was unpleasant to a female PA for messing up his umbrella request. There were several sources who cosinged this, but because he's big, it didn't go any further than those rumours.

He apologised the next day and gave them signed pics of the merch, lol. At the time, as a fan, I considered that he was dealing with the aftermath of his grandma passing cause it was during that time, so maybe this time he's dealing with the pressure of being Bob Dylan. I'm not defending him cause I'm not a fan, but actors in some cases do lose themselves in roles. I even remember during the press for Dune 1, Rebecca said timothee was more of a character actor than she is. When they said cut, he's still in that headspace, whereas she's making jokes.

Even Z said during a q&a for Dune 2 when she visited set, Timothee was standoffish cause he was in character. He apologised for that. I'm more shocked at the accusations of the director allegedly pushing a worker and not caring cause directors egos are never fun to work with moreso an actor imo.

Timothee is tricky to discuss because hes changed a lot, so who can defend him without their own personal bias? Before, he was very open with fans, and now it's only due to work that he works when he does with his fans unless it's for himself. He doesn't gonna podcasts anymore or has personal interviews. It's not bad, but it can be jarring as those fans became accustomed to his accessibility but now all they do is criticise his dating life with conspiracy CC, lol.

I'm really a fan anymore, so I didn't think this article was going to hurt him, but I find it interesting that his agent isn't disproving it...

We will see.

Oh wow 😳

Thanks Anon for providing this backstory on Timmy and your honest thoughts. I guess I had no idea he could be such a diva! 🥴

Even on the "Wonka" set? That's supposed to be a lighthearted KIDS movie! 😂🤣

Anyway, this is disappointing, because while I'm not a HUGE huge fan of Timmy's, I DO like him as an actor, and I did think that he was generally unproblematic and an overall nice guy. Now, I'm not so sure. 👀 Like I said, I've never seen him even looking like he's in a bad mood to anyone, not even fans lol 😆 So this is just kinda shocking to me.

But if there have been other reports in the past of his behavior, then that must mean there is a pattern.

I don't think there's ever an excuse to be mean and rude to people, so if this is the type of person that he is onset, then that's disappointing. 😔

I do agree that sometimes, people don't realize that a set is STILL a working environment, and sometimes it can be pretty serious! Some people just don't take it seriously and can be a nuisance, which can cause some actors to get annoyed. I know some actors can also get into character and have a hard time getting out of it.

Some also are trying to do a serious scene, and an interruption or disruption can break focus, and cause an actor to have to re-do a take, which is more time, energy, and money spent involved for everyone.

Weren't there some reports one year from an extra on the set of "Cherry" that said that Tom got a bit angry/frustrated with someone on set during the Emily overdose scene at the hospital because someone kept breaking his concentration or smthg? 🤔 I feel like I vaguely remember that from somewhere. Correct me if I'm wrong!

Either way, I guess my point is, I suppose it can happen to anyone? 🤷🏾‍♀️ We all can lose our cool sometimes.

I'll give an actor grace if it's a once or two time thing, but if it's a PATTERN with someone, then that is no Bueno for me. 😤

One of my biggest pet peeves are people who are just rude to others for no good reason at all. 👎🏾

[harmonyckrs]

DAY 4 in Twisted Strangetown: A Curious Family Reunion

THE PREVIOUS DAY

WHAT'S UP GANG? Chloe here, back at it again with another report (Chloe, take this seriously. People's lives are at stake here)! So that basic looking nerd dude with the alien baby asked us to temporarily move in so that he would feel more at ease and make sure nobody else would get kidnapped again or whatever. Dunno why Lola agreed to this but yeah

Anyway, I told Lola about what Ajay and I talked about so now we have to go find this Aktu dude or whatever and figure out where Vidcund went. Speaking of Aktu, that dumbass called me today lol. He gave me some kind of cryptic message about meeting him in the "floating world of colors and clay" as if I'm supposed to know what that means. Wack ass bitch

Also I just found out that the bimbo girl that I thought Lazlo was dating isn't actually in a relationship with him! So I guess there's actually one hot single woman in this boring town (don't even think about pursuing her). Maybe I can snag her for myself since Lazlo seems to be taking his sweet time making a move LOL

Anyway, Chloe OUT! Gotta go solve that fucking riddle

A: And that's about everything. Again, I'm really sorry about what happened.

V: Is the entire town really under someone's control?

A: Yeah. Cyd and I suspected something was off for a while, which was why we came here before it started to affect us. Whoever is responsible for it doesn't have any power here, so he told me to grab any human I saw and take them here. And you were the first person I encountered, since you just ran up to me and shoved me out of nowhere yesterday afternoon.

V: You were spying on me! And you couldn't have just asked? I know at least seven people who would've loved to participate in your little experiment, my brothers included!

A: Again, I'm sorry! We'll help you get back to Strangetown once Cyd's powers are fully recharged. Also reversing that other person's mind control took a lot of energy, so he's also passed out. I can introduce him to you once he wakes up.

V: And how long is that going to take?

A: Probably about a week for both...again, sorry. I can find a way to make it up to you.

V: You better! I'm going to be missing a lot of work because of this! I don't want to lose my job, and Pascal still needs my help with Hecate!...oh, fuck! My family's all still being mind controlled, aren't they?

A: Yeah, probably.

V: Can't you do something about that?

A: I'm not the one with mind control reversal powers. And Cyd already had a hard time reversing yours. He'd probably die from exhaustion if he tried to reverse the entire town, unless if you're fine with moving everyone here and waiting several years.

V: Ugh...

A: Yeah, sorry. The easiest thing to do for now is figuring out who it might be. I'm not really familiar with everyone in Strangetown, but maybe you might have a clue.

V: Actually, I think I know who's responsible...

THE NEXT DAY

---

BONUS:

V: So there's that old lady Olive Specter, who's a witch. I'm pretty sure she could be behind everything that happened. And then there's also that asshole Loki-

A: Loki?

V: Yeah! He sent our town into an eternal winter because of one of his stupid experiments going wrong, and now we're stuck having to wear coats all the time. He's just the worst! And he stole my girlfriend, Circe, from me when I was a teenager. It took me ages to get over that. And he's also one of my coworkers and acts all high and mighty just because he's at a higher rank from us thanks to the strings that his parents probably pulled for him...are you even listening?

[genericpuff]

(1) Hello, than you for your posts about Lore Olympus and for recommending the Pyrrhic_Victoria podcast. I'm a very casual reader of the series, at time going months without checking the episodes and it's fascinating how many problems just flew over my head, although I had weird impression when reading the chapter about Persephone defeating Kronos, it felt odd and off (the reporters - just... how?).

Considering you put this into 3 parts, I'll just be responding to all three in one post if that's okay! (hence the copy pastes above!)

The S2 finale was definitely where I really started to go "uhhhhhh" with the series. The trial already had me raising my eyebrows (such as the Eris reveal) but the S2 finale was where I really just started to drop off and lose the love I once had for the series.

ETA: I realize the tone of this post kinda went off but it's a hot button topic of mine that I enjoy talking about so bear with it haha Thank you for wishing me luck with Rekindled, I got big things planned ❤️❤️❤️

To address #2, I actually have a liiiittle bit of beef with that notion. As a writer, I don't think it's necessarily good form to blame the audience for failing to meet expectations. Yes, audience members can come up with some wild theories and expectations especially when it comes to serialized stories like this, but the core of the issue is that LO/Rachel doesn't manage what it sets up well at all. Even the most basic expectations for where the story is going seem to be dropped, expectations that anyone who pays an inch of attention to the series would come up with.

For example, I don't think it was too big of an ask to expect the time skip actually show more than it did. A lot of people were hyped to see Persephone be on her own, forced to do her mother's job, and live up to everything she had bragged about at the start of S2 (about how she had 'peaked' in her mother's duties) not to mention offer her an opportunity to make spring her own. There was also the theory/expectation that it would potentially lead to an actual genuine abduction, through Hades option to go to the Mortal Realm and take her "back" to the Underworld in defiance of Zeus' sentencing.

And of course, there's what happened with the Eros x Psyche myth, the return of Kronos, and the Hymn of Demeter, all of which are stories that not only had setups as far back as S1, but Rachel has butchered within the confines of LO because she wants to try and be "subversive", not realizing that being "subversive" doesn't mean completely screwing over the original meanings of these myths or writing a poorly-constructed story.

These, to me, are not wild expectations to have in the slightest for a comic that's claiming to be a retelling of the taking of Persephone. But LO is as far from being a true retelling as retellings can possibly get. It can hardly even be called fanfiction at this point.

Point is, it's up to the writer to fulfill the expectations they set, and that's a separate thing entirely from an audience setting their expectations "too high". It's not like people are asking for anything that's outside the reasonable realm of what Rachel is tackling, everything that I see people "expecting" is pretty par for the course for the stuff Rachel has noticeably set up (like the return of Kronos, for example).

I see the argument crop up a lot that people should just "lower their expectations" of LO for the sake of enjoying it, but frankly, if I were in Rachel's position, I would be downright insulted and disappointed in myself if I found out my audience had to lower their expectations of me and my work to enjoy it. I don't want an audience out of pity, I want an audience because I've put out a damn good piece of work that's earned that audience. And this isn't something that's unique to me, this is pretty much the viewpoint of every other creator I know, so if Rachel is seriously hiding behind the notion that it's her audience's 'fault' for having their expectations too high, then she's a coward, full stop. She set those expectations herself in a lot of ways, and especially by going so far as to claim LO as a 'retelling' of some of the most beloved myths in literature.

As a writer, it's disrespectful as fuck to see people come up with these kinds of arguments instead of expecting better of someone who claims to be a professional and regularly brags about their awards (which weren't even earned, they were very likely bought).

As an audience member, I shouldn't have to turn off my brain and forgo my own intelligence as a reader to enjoy someone else's work. I'd rather just stop reading it altogether and put that energy into something else far more enjoyable and worth my time.

[reidak-artcreature]

I made an UnVale account. It's not what I expected

UnVale is relatively new, and they sure are having a huge campaing to promote themselves recently, at least on youtube. A lot of the artist I follow there have been promoting them.

It's basically like Toyhouse or other sites to upload your characters, and it's advertised as such. But better and easier! (I'll get back to this later). It is completely free to use, and the only charges they say they will make will be on transactions made on the platform.

Creating an account is pretty easy, they just ask for usename, email and password. But oh boy, did that password give me trouble. Kept saying it needed a "special character". It took me a while to find out what was going on, because I did have special characters in there. Turns out that it doesn't consider dashes as special characters. Don't know why, it's just weird.

How is UnVale different from other character websites? UnVale is the best OC site if you're looking for a simple, easy-to-use platform. We think other sites already do a great job at in-depth customization of character profiles, so that's not what we're going after. We want you to be able to focus on creating OCs, not figuring out HTML and CSS.

Oh, it's sure is simple to use. It's really straightforward to learn, no need to figure out anything, everything is on a button in front of you. Which I agree, it's nice not to have to do a dark ritual to find where or how stuff is or works. But it also means there is absolutely no customization. There are designated places where you can add images to make it look more like you, and you can change the background color for the characters' pages. And that is all. You can't change the general color theme, nor do fancy stuff on your characters pages like adding links.

Everything is completely public. There are absolutely no privacy settings. Everyone, wether they are logged in or not, can see every user profile, every character, every world and every image.

This is everything there is on the account settings:

Absolutely nothing about privacy settings. None. Nothing. Nada. Characters, images nor worlds can be hidden, only fully deleted. Likes or favorites and comments also can't be hidden or dissabled.

How will UnVale help to protect my OCs? We take reports of art theft very seriously, and any accounts caught stealing OC art will be closed. If you suspect someone is using stolen art on their profile, please submit a Support Ticket. Outside of this, our team is brainstorming ways to keep OCs protected and is open to community feedback or suggestions.

This doesn't reassure me at all. What do you mean the only measure against theft is closing accounts? That doesn't block their access from your art and characters.

The shop, transfers, and overall marketing yourself are really highlighted. That combined with that everything has to be public makes me belive that it's not a character library for yourself and friends, but a marketplace to display your characters adopts and commissions and get bussiness and connections. Nothing wrong with that, by the way. It just wasn't what I was expecting from what I had seen and heard. There are probably a lot of people who will find it really helpful and useful. But it's not for me.

I won't be using it for now. Maybe is the future I change my mind, or they change or add features for privacy, but I don't see any reason to use it right now. It has tons of stuff I don't want, and almost none that I like or want.

[struggle-but-its-all-ocean-floor]

I think seven threw me off so much that it's overlaying my experience of all of jungkook's promo, which I hate bc I love him so much. Like in the weverse article where he was asked what his goal was and he said to be a "giant pop star" and be "cool" - like where did the "rather be dead than cool" guy go? But then I realize that that's unfair, because of course he wants to be successful in his literal job, so I shouldn't take it so seriously. Idk it's just been a weird week for me. But I'm happy to report that I like seven a lot more now! That was my venting session sorry

Oh my god, are you me??? Same. And I was also very surprised by that quote because I thought Jungkook didn't particularly care about being a solo pop star. But I guess his quote can be interpreted as him being a giant pop star within the group. Jungkook has always said he wants to be "cool" though (whatever that means, honestly), and even his "rather be dead than cool" quote is a tad pretentious lmao, and something someone who wants to be "cool" would say. Also, I think his interpretation of "rather be dead than cool" is that he'd rather be dead than live without passion, which is a very JK interpretation.

And I agree that it makes sense someone in his position would have that goal. Would BTS work this hard if they didn't want to be/become big? I think it's also a matter of self-esteem to Jungkook, because the Jungkook that people see and the Jungkook he sees are so different (he keeps asking us why we love him), so I think he wants to "feel" like a giant pop star rather than becoming even more famous. Jungkook probably wants to be cool, confident, and impactful like other giant pop stars he admires (eg. Bieber), because he still thinks he's lacking as an artist... I don't know... that's how I interpreted it, at least.

I like Seven a lot more now too! I can ignore Latto's part, and the MV never existed to me lmao. Thanks for the ask!

[archiveikemen]

Abe no Yasuchika Main Story: Chapter 15

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This is a fan-made translation solely for entertainment purposes with no guaranteed perfection; expect mistakes, grammatical errors, and some creative liberties. All original content and media used belongs to Cybird. Please support the game by buying their stories and playing their games. Reblogs appreciated.

Read this before interacting┊aikm’s Genjiden Glossary

Yasuchika: … You need to quit being so reckless.

Yasuchika: I seriously can’t take my eyes off you for even a second.

Yuno: You really came to save me…

I felt a warm hand on my head when I was about to burst into tears.

Yasuchika: You did a good job hanging on by yourself so far. Good girl.

Yuno: … Thank you.

Ayakashi 1: You're in the way!

Yuno: Watch out!

Yasuchika: Oh you’re pretty energetic.

Yasuchika-san raised his hand, and a purple light enveloped the ayakashi.

Yasuchika: But you’re nowhere strong enough to survive in Kyōto.

Yasuchika: Come again another time.

Ayakashi 2: Ggh… these powers… I’ve heard of you!

Ayakashi 3: Abe no Yasuchika! The second coming of Abe no Seimei…

Ayakashi 4: Shuten Dōji's favorite pet! — Argh.

(Shuten Dōji...?)

Yasuchika-san casually reached out and flicked the tip of the ayakashi’s nose, causing some purple sparks to appear.

Yasuchika: We make a pretty good duo, don't you agree?

Yuno: … Yeah.

Yuno: But what are you doing here, Yasuchika-san?

Yasuchika: I received a report saying that one of my men failed to fix the barrier in the area he was put in charge of.

Yasuchika: I went to have a look, and sensed that the air around that place felt off…

Yasuchika: Then I entered the other world by going through a crack, and there you were.

Yuno: Um, did you happen to see a little boy? He was also attacked by the ayakashi.

Yasuchika: Yeah, I had my men look after him.

Yuno: Thank goodness…!

Yasuchika: You’re always so caring towards other people.

(Yasuchika-san…)

Yuno: I knew that you would come to my rescue, so I was fine.

Yasuchika: … Right.

Strangely, there seemed to be something wavering behind those eyes as he gazed at me.

I clenched my fists, not knowing what that look meant.

Yasuchika: … Yuno-san, there are some scratches on the back of your hand.

Yuno: Huh? Oh, yeah.

Yasuchika: …

(Yasuchika-san…?)

A bewitching smile formed on Yasuchika-san's face.

Yasuchika: For some reason… looking at them makes me angry.

Yasuchika: I was glad I could come to your rescue, but… I couldn't make it before you got hurt.

His tone made me shudder.

(Others might not be able to tell… but I know he’s genuinely upset.)

Yasuchika: Fortunately, the town is clean now that the barrier has been repaired.

Yasuchika: This means that I can proceed with my big plan tonight.

The sight of his tongue poking out between his lips as he spoke was so hot, I had to look away for a moment.

But I gathered my courage and made the first move, which was to hold his hand tightly.

Yuno: … Don’t push yourself too hard, okay?

The air surrounding Yasuchika-san suddenly grew less tense.

Yasuchika: Of course. As long as you’re around, I’ll keep it within limits.

(As long as I’m around, huh.)

(How long can I stay by his side?)

Yasuchika: Purse all evil, cleanse and shed light on every corner...

Yasuchika: All that were stripped of their power shall vanish into the darkness.

(— It's so bright.)

Ayakashi: Ah… ahh… the light—

Ayakashi 2: The powers given to us by Ashiya Doman are disappearing…

Yuno: …!

A light shone down the ayakashi's heads and trapped them.

After it slowly faded away…

(Those parasols and white clothes…)

Everything those ayakashi were wearing fell to the ground.

What was left behind were a group of black shadows.

Yuno: What are those…?

Yasuchika: They’re actually low class ayakashi. It was Ashiya Doman who gave them those powers to make them stronger.

Yasuchika: I’ve stripped those powers from them, so they're basically useless now.

Yasuchika: Developing that spell was definitely worth all the effort.

Yuno: It’s finally over now!

(As expected of our amazing Onmyōji.)

Black Shadow 1: Who am I…?

Black Shadow 2: This place gives me the creeps… I want to go home.

Black Shadow 3: I feel lonely… so lonely…

Yasuchika: Oh? It looks like apart from losing their powers, they lost their memories too.

Yasuchika: Doman gained such a great amount of control over them, all the way to their souls… interesting.

The black shadows trembled in fear when Yasuchika-san poked at them.

Yuno: I’m starting to feel sorry for them.

Yasuchika: Uhh even though they attacked you? Aren't you a little too kind-hearted?

Yuno: Imagine if they weren't manipulated by Doman…

(I know I sound super naive right now.)

Yasuchika: You’re not wrong to think like that. It's just who you are.

Yuno: Eh?

Yasuchika: You’re someone who's always healing others, so it's natural that you’d have a soft heart.

(I’m glad he thinks that way about me but…)

It felt as if he was comparing himself to me.

Yuno: … What do you plan to do with those ayakashi?

Yasuchika: They hurt you, so I’m going to make them disappear for good.

(... Erm.)

Yasuchika: — Usually, I would’ve already done that without a second thought.

Yuno: Eh?

Yasuchika-san looked up at the sky with a faint smile.

Yasuchika: But since the ritual has been held, it'd be nice to end the day peacefully without any kids getting hurt, regardless of whether they’ve been good or bad.

(End the day peacefully?)

Yasuchika: I’ll create a portal to the underworld and send these ayakashi back.

Yuno: You can do that…?

Yasuchika: I told you before, remember? I’ve already made all the necessary arrangements for tonight’s events.

Yasuchika-san picked up a lantern hanging from a nearby tree.

Yasuchika: I need to walk a little more to get closer to the portal leading to the underworld. Just give me a moment, okay?

(He makes it sound as if he’s only going for a stroll in a garden.)

Yasuchika-san frequently travels between the two worlds with ease.

— He does it so easily that I can't keep up.

Yuno: Okay… um, Yasuchika-san?

Yasuchika-san nodded when I called out to him.

Yuno: Please come back.

(I know it's not the case, but… it feels as if he might not want to return.)

I wrapped his hands in mine, hoping that the warmth would keep this dangerously fragile man in check.

Yasuchika: — You want me to come back?

Yuno: That's right. The incident just now made me uncomfortable… I want you to stay by my side.

Yasuchika: As you wish.

Yasuchika-san pulled me towards him, in a manner so tender that it was like he was handling something precious.

(Ah…)

The way his fingers touched me was so gentle that I didn't resist.

Yasuchika: I promise you.

I let out an involuntary gasp when I heard his sweet whisper in my ear.

Then he kissed the top of my eyelids…

Yasuchika: …

Yuno: Yasuchika-san…

The way we gazed at each other contained a feeling that neither of us could name.

(It’s not just me. Why is he looking at me like that…)

Yasuchika: — I’ll be right back.

Yuno: G-go ahead.

I had to force those words out of my mouth.

The sight of him turning his back towards me made me feeling somewhat frustrated.

Yuno: … Be careful!

(I have tons of things I want to say to him, but those are the only words I can speak at this moment.)

Yasuchika-san gave me a small smile in response and started walking while leading the ayakashi behind him.

Yasuchika: Come with me, all of you. You won't feel lonely if you follow me.

The candle light in his lamp flickered, and with a flash of purple light, Yasuchika-san vanished through the torii gate.

All the black shadows followed behind him like moths attracted to light.

(— It looks like a procession of spirits.)

(In that case, why would they follow Yasuchika-san’s lead?)

Yuno: We’re all the same after all.

Yuno: … Lonely.

The words I muttered to myself disappeared into the darkness.

After it was all over, we went to meet up with the little boy who was in the custody of Yasuchika-san’s subordinates.

(His mother must be worried sick. I have to send him back to her as soon as possible.)

Child: Onee-san…!

Yuno: I’m so glad you’re safe…

I hugged the little boy who came running towards me.

Child: I… I was so afraid… I even left you behind and escaped by myself.

Yuno: It's alright. I was the one who told you to run away.

Child: Thank you. I…

In the corner of my eye, I could see Yasuchika-san standing there and acting as if this didn’t concern him.

Yuno: The one you should thank isn’t me, it's that Onii-san over here.

Yasuchika: Eh?

I placed a hand on Yasuchika-san's back and pushed him towards the little boy.

Yasuchika: Yuno-san?

Child: Onii-san, thank you so much…!

The little boy wiped the tears off his eyes.

Yasuchika: Uhh you're welcome…?

The little boy was still weeping, he felt so relieved that he couldn't stop his tears.

Yasuchika: You’re safe now. So there's no need to cry, okay?

Child: Ueeuee… I’m sorry

Yasuchika: … It's ok.

Yasuchika-san averted his gaze. It seemed that it was an unusual situation for him.

He then pat the little boy’s head.

Yasuchika: You’re only about seven years old, right? You’ll forget all about tonight as you grow older.

Yasuchika: Therefore, you shouldn't worry anymore and go home to your family.

Child: … Okay.

(Yasuchika-san’s so kind.)

The Yasuchika-san standing before me looked like a completely different man from the Yasuchika-san who was just using black magic for evil deeds this afternoon.

(I wouldn't have gotten so captivated by him if he were even more of a jerk.)

[yunwooz]

Sorry I just saw that post, I now scrolled and saw where was all coming from! About Eden I understand you, I actually said in my post between parenthesis that it still was obviously bad so we actually thought the same😅

And for the rest I didn't say that was the only reason, that's why I said "to say one", as in just an example of other things. Also, I don't think they are mistreating them nor not doing things like the examples you put on purpose (not saying you are), but instead it all comes from a reason: not having time and also bc of planning it for another moment on purpose for marketing reasons like release this thing in another key moment bc it will have more good response(but I wouldn't agree either, I would like them to have freedom without thinking if what's the best moment to do whatever). Which is the root they need to change and put of their part. I get that the guys themselves are workaholics and love their job and also said like Mingi once that even if they don't like it they are freelance so their type of job requires them to work a lot but they still should put boundaries...I don't think there is malicious intent and I can't generalize the company either. Idk, I think is a bigger problem than that from Korea in general (tho can name more countries), of the toxic hussle culture, praising effort and passion to the point of not sleeping much and working a lot..Like, you can see this everywhere including the guys so it's hard to change a whole system and specially in such a competitive world that forces both KQ and the guys to work that much and having to put even more effort bc of being a smaller company, they truly can't afford to stop. But! They still should say no to some things and find other ways bc that's not going to be sustainable long term, everyone involved including the staff that the guys said they even worked even more than them is going to burn out so bad sooner or later🫠

But I'm assuming they will eventually manage that? I mean they will be forced to do it bc.. But also they may thought that once they reach the level of Fame they want they will be able to stop more but that's not going to happen bc they will have to maintain the fame and all that, bts Is the best example. So idk, I hope they find a way seriously😮‍💨

i honestly and truly think that kq are simply terrible at managing ateez well and properly, so yeah i don't think they're intentionally robbing certain members of opportunities but rather they don't manage ateez's time well enough or take enough care to cater to each member's interests and talents well enough either. there most definitely is that toxic hussle culture you mention prevalent all throughout kpop and this mindset of having to move fast and quick as though there's a timer counting down on them and their time as a group. however, i think kq must realize sooner rather than later that with the way they're currently pushing ateez, it's not feasible for them to be able to continue long term solely on account of burnout, mental fatigue, or physical fatigue. i'm not saying they should stop completely but rather slow down for a time. they've got plenty of money. the tours have made them a huge amount of money. ateez pretty much singlehandedly pulled kq out of debt and funded a great deal of other projects kq is doing too, not speaking from a point of bias but from what market reports have shown in recent years. i think they're got enough money to slow down on world tours, festivals, and things like kcon appearances as well.

i also really believe that kq is wildly understaffed still to this day bc they want to maintain the 'family-like' mentality of the company. kq could really make good use of a social media manager, a bigger team of stylists, and certainly more higher-ups who specialize and understand business really well. and i feel like they should have already managed that by this point in time... especially since they debuted a new boy group? like i would hope that they would have had this all sorted and figured out prior to starting a new project like that bc now it affects not only just ateez but also the new group and everyone who manages and works with that new group too. and frankly from the way ateez discuss their trajectory and their fame, i don't see them finding a happy place to be content at in terms of fame. each time they achieve something, they adjust their goals and keep pushing for something bigger and higher than before, which is likely a product of them coming from a company outside the big4 and also just their work ethic in general but i don't see them slowing down any time soon which is another layer of concern for how the company is working them right now