#who sold them as part of a fundraiser

[nerdierholler]

I suddenly really want buñuelos because we always got some around the holidays. Unfortunately I’m not sure anyone sells them here. I might call a couple of places tomorrow though.

[ellevandersneed]

SAMI AND HIS FAMILY DREAM OF PEACE. HELP THEM SURVIVE

Hello all, Sami has reached out to me asking if I could make a post for his fundraiser. Before October 7th, Sami ran a small auto-shop that sold used car parts to help pay for his families wellbeing. He has a wife and three children: Jud, Lin, and Misk. He also takes care of his mother, and has four siblings who live with him (Hamza, Bilal, Muhammad, and Layan)

Sami's place of business was destroyed by Israeli bombing, and his family has been forced to relocate several times after their house was destroyed as well, with Sami's father being killed after being trapped inside. They currently live in a tent that is torn and offers little protection from the cold weather, as Gazans like Sami and his family brace for winter. His children need food, and clothes for winter.

SAMI IS VETTED HERE (#21). I HAVE BEEN SPEAKING WITH SAMI WHILE MAKING THIS POST, AND TRUST HIM ALONG WITH THE PEOPLE AT GAZAVETTERS WHO VETTED HIM. YOU CAN DONATE TO HIS CAMPAIGN HERE. He has currently only raised €1,590 out of his goal of €30,000. Can we help give this fundraiser the extra attention it needs, and help Sami and his family reach their goal?

[ginnsbaker]

All Of Your Pieces (14 - The Twins)

Chapter Summary: Stark's Annual Charity Ball pulls the invisible string that finally nudges you and Wanda in the right direction.

Pairing: Wanda Maximoff x Female Reader Chapter word count: 6.2k+ | Chapter Tags: Age of Ultron!Wanda, Mild angst, comfort, fluff

A/N: I haven't written anything new in more than 2 weeks, but I'll just keep posting the chapters I've finished *cries* Anyway, this particular update is a milestone in R and Wanda's relationship, and it involves an auction. Kinda obvious where that will lead us to, yea? Enjoy! // More author's notes here.

Series Masterlist | Main Masterlist

“I can't believe you're letting Tony pimp me out to some geriatric billionaire—” you stormed into Steve's office, tracking mud across the carpet.

It was pouring outside, and as soon as you arrived at the compound, Vision greeted you with a curious question. “What's a human auction? Is it like those slave sales back in the 1500s?” he had asked. You had brushed him off, heading straight for the one person you knew had to have given the final approval on this sort of thing.

“Whoa, hold on a second,” Steve cut in, his eyes going wide as he dropped his pen. He braced himself, clearly prepared for whatever wild accusation you were about to hurl his way. “No one is going to be ‘pimped out’ at Stark's Annual Charity Ball!”

Natasha, sprawled in a leather chair by the window, ankle cocked over knee, quirked an eyebrow at your entrance, a smirk tugging at her lips. “Someone’s fired up today,” she commented dryly.

You paced, the wooden floor creaking underfoot, fingers threading through your hair. “Then what do you call auctioning me off like some kind of prize to the highest bidder?” you demanded.

He leaned back, the chair groaning under his weight. “It’s not like that. You know it’s one of the biggest fundraising events of the year. We make an appearance every time to show our support.”

“Yes, make an appearance,” you jabbed the air with your finger. “Smile for the cameras, shake a few hands—that I can handle. But being part of an auction? That's crossing a line.”

Natasha shook her head, clearly amused by your distress. “You know, the bidders aren't all bad. Sure, some of them might be older, but age brings experience. You might end up meeting an attractive, mature woman. Isn't that your dream?”

You shot her a skeptical look. “Very funny, Nat.”

“Lighten up, darling.”

You squinted at her. “Are you one of the prizes to bid on?”

“Nope,” she replied without elaboration, her face giving away nothing.

Turning back to Steve, you threw your hands up in exasperation. “You said everybody was involved!”

He squirmed, eyes darting away. “Well, not everyone.”

“Great,” you muttered sarcastically. “So who’s actually on the block?”

Steve started counting off on his fingers. “There's me. Vision agreed to participate—some tech leaders are eager to meet him. Sam volunteered; he's offering a personalized flight experience. Bruce is giving a private lecture on gamma radiation. Even Don from accounting signed up.”

“Don from accounting?” you echoed incredulously. “The guy who brings tuna sandwiches for lunch every day?”

“He's offering financial planning sessions,” Natasha said. “Riveting stuff.”

It seemed everyone had a well-thought-out plan tailored to their expertise—everyone, that is, except you.

“So, what are you guys expecting me to offer?” you asked, already dreading the answer.

Steve swapped a look with Natasha, then cleared his throat. “Tony was thinking you could throw in something exclusive—like a dinner, maybe an entire evening out, for the highest bidder.”

“A date?” you scoffed.

“Think of it less as being ‘sold’ and more as donating your irresistible presence for a noble cause,” Natasha said.

“Me?” you said, pointing to yourself with a sardonic chuckle. “Irresistible?”

Natasha smirked. “Don't sell yourself short. Some people might find your brooding charm... appealing.”

“Careful, Romanoff,” you retorted, a sly grin on your face as you sauntered over with a mischievous sway in your step. “Keep talking like that, and I might think you're flirting with me.”

She barely spared you a glance. “Not in a million years.”

“So, there's a number?” you quipped, grinning wider.

“Alright, that's enough,” Steve barked, pushing himself off his chair, trying to look like the picture of authority. “The auction lineup is final; people have already shown interest. All I'm asking is for two hours of you on your best behavior. Can you do that?”

You shrugged, already backing toward the door. “No promises,” you muttered, turning to leave.

As you rushed out of Steve's office, you collided abruptly with what felt like a solid wall—only it turned out to be someone. 

More specifically, Wanda. You caught a wisp of her red before it vanished completely, suggesting she'd instinctively used her powers to cushion her own impact. Good for her. For you? Not so much.

“Sorry, didn't see you there,” you said, rubbing a tender spot on your shoulder. “Are you okay?”

Wanda's eyes widened when she saw you, like a deer caught in headlights. She nodded too eagerly before excusing herself as if she was in a hurry. You shrugged and turned back to the direction you were heading.

It had been over a week since you'd inadvertently caused a scene at a restaurant Wanda often visited, leading you to awkwardly apologize later with takeout. After Wanda stormed out that night, you lost interest in your date and ended up cutting the evening short just as Alex was suggesting drinks. Your relationship with Wanda hadn’t really improved or worsened since then, which was probably for the best, all things considered. You had noticed, however, that Vision seemed to stick by her side even more than before. You’re happy for them. Ever since he told you that Wanda was lonely, you thought she needed someone like him—a truly devoted friend or more.

“Two hours,” you muttered to yourself as you entered your room, closing the door behind you with a soft click. “How hard can it be?”

—

It was a spectacle—exactly what you'd expect from a Stark event.

Hosted at New York's iconic Metropolitan Museum of Art, the fundraiser didn't just rival the Met Gala—it eclipsed it. The guest list was a who's who of the world's elite, pulling not only A-list celebrities from fashion and entertainment but also power brokers from technology, real estate, automotive, food, and pharmaceuticals. 

Your teammates were dispersed throughout the venue. Having arrived half an hour earlier, you hadn't spotted any of them yet, but you suspected they were probably doing the same thing you were—stalling, avoiding the spotlight until the last possible moment when they would have to step forward and be seen. You found yourself lingering near the entrance, fidgeting with the straps of your elegant black dress. It was a daring choice, selected by a fashion guru Tony had brought in specifically for this event. You had resisted this outfit until the final moment, relenting only when Tony threatened to schedule you for more public appearances—gigs he usually delegated to Rhodes or Sam on ordinary days.

“Looking sharp,” Clint remarked, coming up beside you. He was adjusting his bow tie, a slight grin on his face as he took in your outfit.

Finally—someone to stick with for the rest of the evening.

“Flattery won't get you out of babysitting duty tonight,” you teased, trying to ignore the anxious butterflies in your stomach.

He chuckled, his eyes scanning the patrons. “Wouldn't dream of it. Besides, someone has to keep an eye on you.”

“Uh-huh,” you replied, scanning the room yourself. 

You tried to distract yourself by diving into shop talk with Clint, who indulged you but seemed more focused on his martini, sipping and nodding with the occasional terse response. It was fine by you; at least it was a way to pass the time until the event wrapped up. 

Soon, Natasha joined you, wearing a glittery gold dress that was both classy and seductive, covering most but highlighting just enough. You made an effort not to stare too much at your mentor. Back in your rookie year with the team, you'd harbored a bit of a crush on her, but that had faded as she took a more active role in your training. Over time, you came to see her as a sister, finding in her and Clint the semblance of the family you never had.

She complimented Clint on his suit before turning to you. “Enjoying yourself?”

“Trying to,” you replied truthfully.

“Here,” Natasha said, offering you her glass of champagne. “Two more of these and you’ll be fine.”

You accepted the glass, taking a tentative sip. It did little to settle your nerves, but you appreciated the gesture. “Thanks.”

“Look who decided to grace us with their presence,” Clint announced, nodding toward the entrance.

Vision had just arrived, dressed to impress. He resembled a polished gentleman, a look so fitting it was almost comical—like he belonged in a museum exhibit. You stifled a laugh at the thought, chiding yourself for even entertaining such a cheeky idea. Notably absent was Wanda, who you had expected to see at his side. 

“Vision actually looks... dapper,” you observed.

Behind Vision, Sam and Rhodey entered, each with a stunning woman on their arm. Sam's date wore a sleek silver gown that shimmered under the lights, while Rhodey's companion was radiant in royal blue. 

“Where's Bruce?” Natasha asked, glancing around the room. “He was supposed to be here by now.”

Clint emptied his glass of drink just in time for the waiter to arrive with a new one. “Haven't seen him. Steve's getting nervous he's a no-show.”

You frowned. “Wait, we can do that? Just... not show up?”

“If you're the Hulk, yeah, probably.”

“And Tony?” you asked.

“You know he doesn’t attend his own parties these days,” Clint said.

“Anyone seen Wanda?” Natasha asked suddenly.

For a moment, you'd forgotten about her. You hadn't heard anything about her participating in the auction, and you didn't want to ask why. She was still relatively new to the team, and the events of Sokovia were still fresh in everyone's minds. Maybe Tony didn’t want to stir the pot by introducing the newest member so soon.

“Haven’t seen her,” Clint replied. “Maybe she's skipping it.”

“Or maybe she's just running late,” Natasha suggested.

You shrugged, trying to appear indifferent. “Either way.”

Just then, the grand hall’s light dimmed, and the spotlight found its way to the center of the stage where Steve stood, clad in a classic tuxedo, his hair slicked back, the blue of his eyes catching the light and gleaming under the gaze of hundreds who adored him.

“Good evening, everyone,” he started, racking up cheers from the crowd, mostly from the women up front. “On behalf of the Avengers and Stark Industries, thank you for joining us tonight. Your generosity makes a profound difference.”

For a guy who was frozen for half a century, he sure had a knack for working a room and blending into this new era. You shifted your weight, trying to quell the restless energy inside you. Who would make a bid for you? Or worse, what if no one did? Each thought was as mortifying as the other. You reached for your third glass of champagne, trying to drown the embarrassment that had started with Natasha's first toast.

Steve went on, “We're starting tonight's auction with some exclusive items straight from Tony's personal garage—a collection of rare prototypes and unique gadgets.”

The first item was wheeled out—a sleek, custom-built motorcycle with cutting-edge tech enhancements. The crowd murmured appreciatively. Bidding was enthusiastic, and the motorcycle sold for an impressive sum. Next came a high-tech smartwatch with capabilities far beyond anything on the market, followed by a limited-edition arc reactor, encased in glass as a piece of art.

As the last of Tony's treasures was auctioned off, Steve returned to the microphone. “And now, we have something very special. For the first time tonight, we're offering you the opportunity to spend time with two of our own heroes.”

The cheer was resounding. You wanted to throw up at the sound of it.

“First up,” Steve announced, “we have Vision.”

A spotlight found Vision as he made his way to the stage. He nodded politely to the audience and they cheered even louder. 

“The winning bidder will enjoy a personalized afternoon with Vision,” Steve continued. “A chance to discuss philosophy, technology, or any subject of your choosing.”

The bidding began immediately.

“Fifty thousand,” someone called out.

“Seventy-five,” another voice said.

“One hundred thousand!” 

A collective gasp filled the ballroom. From there, the bids shot up even more quickly.

“One hundred fifty thousand!”

“Two hundred thousand!”

“Two hundred fifty thousand!” a woman declared from the back, her paddle held high.

It was the highest bid of the night so far.

“Going once, going twice... sold to bidder number 112 for two hundred fifty thousand dollars!” Steve announced, leading a round of applause.

Vision gave a gracious nod before exiting the stage.

You took a deep breath, realizing your turn was next. And there was no way you could go higher than Vision.

“And now,” Steve continued, “we have another incredible opportunity. An exclusive experience with one of our most skilled team members, Y/N.”

The spotlight swung in your direction. With a gentle nudge from Clint, you made your way to the stage, your heart pounding. Standing beside Steve, you tried to focus on the faces in the crowd, but the bright lights made it difficult.

You were expecting Steve to mention what you had to offer, but you were pleasantly surprised that he went right ahead to the bidding.

“Do I hear twenty thousand?” the auctioneer prompted.

An initial silence stretched on longer than you'd hoped.

“Twenty thousand,” a woman called out softly.

“Thirty thousand,” added a man seated toward the middle.

The bidding was slow compared to Vision's, and you felt a flush rise to your cheeks. You wanted to kill Steve and Tony after this. You swore to yourself you would.

“Forty thousand,” the woman countered.

“Forty-five,” came another bid.

Just as you began to resign yourself to a modest outcome, a new bidder declared his interest.

“Sixty thousand,” declared a man standing near the side of the room.

You squinted, trying to make out his features. He was well-dressed, with dark hair and a pleasant disposition. Something about him seemed familiar, but you couldn't quite place where you'd seen him before.

“Seventy thousand,” the previous bidder upped the ante.

“Eighty thousand,” the newcomer responded.

The crowd began to take more interest.

“Do I hear ninety?” the auctioneer asked. 

Your face was hurting from smiling the entire time, and you could feel sweat starting to roll down from the base of your exposed neck.

“Ninety thousand,” called out the woman from before.

The bids climbed steadily until the man finally offered a hundred-twenty.

Everybody held their breaths, waiting to see if this bid would top Vision’s, despite the auction's sluggish beginning.

“Going once, going twice... sold to bidder number 214 for one hundred twenty thousand dollars!” 

The applause swelled around you as you stood there. You weren't hung up on how well you performed; you were just relieved it was finally over.

“Congratulations,” Steve said, pulling you into a hug. You kept your smile in place, leaned in close, and whispered, “This isn't over.”

The man who had won the bid was being escorted by one of the event staff to meet you.

As you approached him, recognition clicked into place. His name was Daniel—a member of the support staff at the Avengers compound. You'd seen him around, handling logistics and occasionally assisting with training setups.

He had that much amount of money to spend on you? 

“Daniel?” you said, extending a hand. “I didn't expect to see you here.”

He shook your hand with a friendly smile. “Good to see you, Y/N. Actually, I'm here on behalf of someone else."

Before you could ask, he gestured toward a quiet hallway. “The person who actually bid on you and won is waiting for you down that hall.”

You entered a quaint gallery displaying an array of quirky artifacts that seemed centuries old—though your limited attention in history classes made it impossible to pinpoint their exact origins or era. What made you stop and stare was how it was peaceful and kind of personal, with no crowds to elbow through. You could see why some folks find it therapeutic to hang out in museums and galleries like this.

Standing near a large window was a figure. That unmistakable posture was all too familiar.

“Wanda?” you called out, startled.

She turned to face you, and her nervousness was impossible to miss. It clashed with how stunning she looked in her gown—a deep red that draped perfectly, with a daring neckline that plunged but somehow still looked elegant. The sleeves fluttered around her arms, and her brunette hair cascaded in wild waves, shortened by the curls to just past her shoulders. She was breathtaking.

Looking between Wanda and the closed door, you tried to piece it together. “So... you hired Daniel to bid for you?”

Wanda nodded. “I didn't want to draw attention by bidding myself. I hope that's okay.”

Warmth spread through you. Why would Wanda bid such a substantial amount of money for time with you, especially when you saw each other every day? It was odd, a little unsettling, but at least you weren’t paired with a complete stranger whose intentions might be unclear.  

Though… what were Wanda’s intentions?

“Are you okay?” Wanda asked softly, her eyes searching yours. It hit you then—you hadn’t said a word in a while.

“Oh, sorry,” you mumbled, snapping out of your thoughts. “I’m just… surprised.”

Wanda took a few steps, not toward you, but toward the exit. “I didn't mean to—I just... If this makes you uncomfortable, we can just forget the whole thing.”

You could have simply taken her up on the offer, paid her back, and moved on. But instead, something compelled you to reach out and grasp her arm before she could leave. Wanda glanced over her shoulder, her expression a mix of wariness and curiosity.

You searched for the right words, your heart pounding. Then, a small smile formed on your lips as you shrugged lightly. “Do you want to get out of here?”

—

For a hundred and twenty thousand dollars, Wanda Maximoff didn’t just secure a free hotdog sandwich—she also claimed what might be the best view in the city. Better than the one from the Empire State Building, even—an exaggeration, perhaps, but isn’t any view more breathtaking when shared with the right person?

It was hardly the deal of a lifetime, but there you were, actually trying to make it worth her while.

Sitting together on a quiet rooftop terrace, the city's lights stretched out before you like a shimmering sea. You took a bite of your hotdog, moaning at the comfort of a simple snack.

Wanda glanced over at you, a soft smile playing on her lips. “This is nice,” she said.

You swallowed your bite and turned to face her. "Can I ask you something?"

“Of course.”

“Why did you bid on me?” you asked. “I mean, you could've bid on Vision.”

Wanda looked fairly confused. “Why would I bid on Vision?”

You shrugged, biting your tongue to keep yourself from insinuating to Wanda that he’s her boyfriend. Well, wasn’t he?

Wanda laughed softly, causing a smile to form on your own lips. 

“Vision is always there,” she began thoughtfully. “Even when I don't ask for him, he shows up. Some days, it felt like there was too much of him.”

That was… unexpected. “I thought you two were close,” you said.

“We are, in a sense,” she said. “He's got a good heart, smart, well-meaning. But there are times I just need to be left alone. With Vision, it's as if he's always trying to figure me out, not just exist alongside me.”

You took a slow bite, chewing over her words. “Well, Vision does seem like an honorable person. I think he really cares about you.”

She smiled faintly. “I know he does. And I care about him too. But it's complicated.”

“Complicated how?”

Wanda sighed, taking a moment to gather her thoughts. You gave her space, watching silently until she turned to face you. When she did, you were struck by her eyes—a vivid green that outshone the moon itself.

“He's still figuring out what it means to be... human,” she explained. “Emotions, relationships—they're concepts he's learning, and sometimes I feel like a subject in an experiment.”

“I'm sorry you feel that way,” you whispered. Believing Vision would simply cure Wanda's loneliness was naive. You regretted the times you thought it was so simple, pushing her towards someone else just to keep her at arm's length. Now, sitting side by side on the terrace of your apartment—a detail you hadn't mentioned to Wanda—you realized her company wasn't so bad. Removed from the context of her powers and past faults, she seemed almost ordinary. And it didn't hurt that she was undeniably beautiful—a fact that admittedly played a part in why you had kept your distance. Her appearance made it too easy to become distracted.

“I could do a lot worse,” Wanda said lightly.

“Yeah,��� you replied, before pointing to yourself. “You’re looking at her.”

Her laughter erupted, full and unrestrained. You realized you enjoyed hearing it—and even more, being the reason for it.

After a moment, you took a deep breath. “You know, you didn’t have to bid on me just to hang out. I’m sorry if it seemed like I was cold to you. It's just, initially, we were on opposite sides, and I'm kind of a loner by nature.”

“I didn’t bid on you for the company,” she said. “I heard you were upset about being auctioned off. I thought I’d help out.”

“Oh,” you managed, heat creeping into your cheeks in surprise and a bit of shame. “You really didn’t have to do that. Honestly, you could be anywhere else, doing something better with your time.”

She gave a light shrug, dismissing the thought. “I wanted to be here. And you're under no obligation—it’s your time.”

“That was a lot of money, Wanda.”

She flashed a small, knowing smile. “We get paid pretty well, and we live rent-free in a state-of-the-art facility with more food than we know what to do with. Honestly, I don’t know where to put all that money.”

You couldn't help but whistle at her extravagant dilemma about where to spend her money.

“Some of mine went here,” you mentioned, beginning to tidy up. You picked up Wanda’s hotdog box, then yours, and slipped them back into the paper bag they came in.

“Here?”

“This is, uh, my apartment in the city,” you admitted, feeling a bit sheepish about the modest surroundings. It wasn't much to look at—barely furnished since you hardly spent a night here. But it was nice to have a fallback, a place where you could imagine being just another average citizen, cooking dinner and passing out on the sofa to late-night TV. Not that you've actually done that here, but, you know, the possibility's always there.

“Oh,” Wanda breathed, her eyes going wide—and you hadn’t thought it was possible for them to be more disarming than they already were. “I—I didn’t realize. Sorry for intruding—”

“I invited you,” you pointed out, your grin turning amused at her reaction. It was nice to see her a little off-balance. Her gaze met yours, and there was something in her eyes that made you a bit nervous. Usually, you weren't easily thrown off by pretty women, but Wanda was different. She wasn't like anyone you'd ever met.

“It's getting a bit chilly,” she noted after a while, rubbing her arms lightly.

“Would you like to come inside?” you offered. “I can lend you something warmer.”

It didn’t take Wanda another second to accept. “Yes, please.”

“Come on,” you said, leading her to your bedroom. Opening a drawer, you pulled out a pair of soft pajama pants and a cozy sweater. “These should fit well enough. The bathroom is just through that door.”

“Thanks,” she murmured, taking the clothes. She headed into the bathroom, leaving the door slightly ajar.

You grabbed a t-shirt and some comfortable boxers for yourself, beginning to change in your bedroom. As you pulled your shirt over your head, your eyes accidentally darted towards the bathroom. Through the partially open door, you inadvertently glimpsed Wanda from behind as she changed. Her back was turned, revealing a black lace bra as she slipped out of her dress.

You swallowed hard and quickly turned your eyes away, focusing on getting dressed as quickly as you could. You yanked your shirt down and shimmied into your shorts, trying to shake the image from your mind.

Moments later, Wanda stepped out dressed in your clothes, the sleeves of the sweater hanging slightly past her wrists. The outfit was a bit oversized but looked comfortable on her.

“These are perfect,” she said with a grateful smile. Noticing your flustered expression, she tilted her head. “Everything okay?”

“Yeah, fine,” you stammered.

She gave you a curious look but didn't press the matter. Glancing at your attire, she commented, “Won't you be cold dressed like that?”

You looked down at yourself. “Oh, I'll be fine. I tend to get hot,” you replied, then realized the double meaning of your words. Your face grew warmer. “I mean, I warm up easily.”

Wanda smirked and didn’t bother to be subtle about it. “Good to know.”

You grabbed a pillow from your bed and tucked it under your arm. “Well, I guess I'll let you get some rest,” you said, heading toward the door.

“Wait,” Wanda called after you. “You're not sleeping on the sofa, are you?”

You looked up, surprised. “I was actually planning to catch up on some reading.”

She sighed, giving in. “Fine, if you're sure.”

“I'm sure,” you said, fluffing the pillow.

She smiled softly. “Goodnight, then.”

“Night, Wanda,” you replied. After a moment's pause, you added, “And... thanks again for tonight.”

She lingered in the doorway of the bedroom and nodded at you with a smile.

Before she could slip away, you called out, “Hey, wanna train together tomorrow?”

Her face lit up. “Looking forward to it.”

—

It wasn’t that your bed was uncomfortable. Far from it, actually. The mattress was firm but not too firm, the pillows soft enough to cradle her head. By all accounts, Wanda should’ve been fast asleep. But she wasn’t. Everything about the bed—about the room—was a distraction.

She couldn’t stop thinking about how the sheets had probably wrapped around your skin countless times, how your scent lingered faintly in the fabric no matter how often they’d been washed. She wondered what position you usually slept in. Did you curl up on your side, clutching a pillow? Did you sprawl across the bed, limbs outstretched in different directions? The thoughts were small, trivial, and maddeningly persistent.

No matter how many times she turned over, pulled the blanket tighter, or closed her eyes, her mind wouldn’t shut off. So, when she tossed and turned for what felt like the hundredth time, Wanda decided she wasn’t going to just lie there, restless and alone, while you were only a few feet away.

Wanda eased the door open, careful to make as little noise as possible, though the faint creak still gave her away. You were there, of course, exactly where she thought you’d be, sitting on the sofa with a book in your lap. The soft glow of the lamp illuminated your face, and Wanda’s breath hitched when she noticed the glasses perched on your nose.

“Hey,” you greeted softly, glancing up from the page but keeping your finger tucked between the chapters as a placeholder.

There was something about you at this hour, something Wanda couldn’t quite put her finger on. It wasn’t just the glasses or the book or the way the light softened the sharp lines of your face. You seemed different. More laid-back. Almost mellow. Wanda decided this was one of her favorite versions of you.

“Can’t sleep,” she murmured, fiddling with the rings on her fingers—a nervous habit she couldn’t quite kick. 

Wanda bit her lip as you slid your glasses off and set them on the side table. It was endearing to think it was because you were giving her your full attention. You tapped the cushion next to you.

She obliged. The sofa dipped slightly under her weight, and she sat close enough for your shoulders to almost touch but left just enough distance to not assume too much. Wanda’s fingers stopped fidgeting, her hands resting in her lap as she glanced at the book you’d set aside.

“What were you reading?” she asked.

You smiled slightly, reaching for the book and turning it so she could see the cover. It wasn’t anything grand—just a worn paperback with creased pages and a faded title. That’s when Wanda’s gaze wandered to the shelves behind you, packed tight with books, some even spilling over into piles on the floor. Hardcovers, paperbacks, thick, ancient volumes that looked like they belonged in a library—

You weren’t just an ordinary reader.

“Didn’t take you for a… what’s that phrase you Americans use for someone who’s obsessed with reading?” Wanda asked, a light laugh escaping her lips.

“Bookworm,” you replied, grinning.

“Yeah—that.”

You chuckled softly, the sound low and warm. “There’s a lot you don’t know about me, Maximoff.”

The way you said her name sent a small shiver down her spine, but she hid it well, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear as she looked away for a moment. You weren’t sure if it was because it was late and your defenses were worn thin, or because the edges of exhaustion blurred your better judgment after spending the entire night nose-deep in your book. But something compelled you to speak to her.

Not small talk. Not another shallow exchange to fill the silence. No, you wanted to talk to her, really talk to her. About things that mattered, like how she was actually doing—not just the perfunctory “I’m fine” you’d heard her mutter too many times before. About how she was settling in at the compound, surrounded by strangers who were supposed to be her teammates but often felt like little more than colleagues. About what it felt like to start over in a new country, surrounded by a language and culture that weren’t hers. 

About how she was coping without Pietro.

You wondered if anyone had asked her these things before—apart from Vision, maybe. And even then, you could imagine what those conversations might have been like. Vision was earnest, but earnestness only went so far. He probably asked like a child would, curious but detached.

“So, uhm,” you cleared your throat, pulling up your knees to hug them in front of your chest. “How—How have you been holding up?”

It took her a moment to respond, and for a second, you wondered if you’d overstepped, if she didn’t like being asked in the first place. But instead, she tilted her head slightly, studying you like she wasn’t sure if you were serious.

“Why do you ask?” she said finally, her accent curling softly around the words.

You hesitated, suddenly hyper-aware of how vulnerable the question made you feel. You weren’t used to this—to reaching out, to asking someone else to open up. But it was too late to backtrack now, so you shrugged, feigning casualness you didn’t feel. “Just thought… it’s been a lot. For you, I mean. New country, new team, new life.” You paused, glancing away. “It can’t be easy.”

Wanda let out a small, humorless laugh. “That’s putting it lightly.”

You didn’t reply immediately, giving her the opportunity to say more if she wanted to. When the silence stretched on, you pressed gently. “So? How are you holding up?”

She exhaled, a long, tired sound. “I’m... fine,” she said.

“That’s not an answer,” you said. “And you don’t have to give me one if you don’t want to. I just thought... maybe you’d want to talk.”

Wanda looked at you again as if trying to gauge whether you meant it. Whether you really meant that you cared. 

“You’re asking me this now?” she said.

“Seemed like as good a time as any.”

Her lips twitched—almost a smile, but not quite—and she looked away again. “I don’t think anyone’s really asked me that,” she whispered after a moment. “Not like you just did.”

You didn’t know what to say to that, so you stayed quiet, letting her continue.

“It’s... hard,” she said, slow and careful. “Being here. With all of you. Everyone’s been... kind. But I can tell most of them don’t trust me.”

“They’ll come around,” you said, though you knew it wasn’t a guarantee. You knew better than anyone how slow trust could be, how much it took to earn it in a place like this. After all, it had taken you ages to come around yourself—ages of Wanda wearing you down in ways you hadn’t even noticed at first, of her saving your life and an embarrassing predicament.

“Maybe,” she said, her voice distant. She twisted the hem of her sweater between her fingers, her eyes focused on the floor.

“And Pietro?” you asked softly, almost afraid of the question.

“I think about him every day,” she said quietly. “About what he’d say if he were here. What he’d do. Sometimes, I swear I can still hear him in my head—his voice, the things he used to tell me. But then I catch myself trying to shush it, like I’m afraid I’ll get stuck there. In that space. I know it sounds crazy—”

“It’s not,” you cut in too quickly, but you meant them. Whatever grief looked like for her, it wasn’t something you had the right to call crazy.

She turned to you then, a small, rueful smile that felt like hope when her eyes couldn’t pretend she was grieving hard. It was the kind of smile that said she appreciated your words, even though you both knew they weren’t entirely true. You weren’t sure if she believed you or if she just wanted to believe you, but either way, she nodded.

“Thank you.”

“Sometimes,” she continued after a long pause, “I wonder if it would’ve been easier to go with him.”

You swallowed, the ache in her voice pulling something loose in you. You didn’t want to say anything, didn’t want to make it about you—but that feeling hit too close to home.

“I used to think that way, too,” you said quietly.

Wanda turned to look at you, surprised. She didn’t interrupt, though. She waited.

You rubbed a hand over your face, buying yourself a second to organize the thoughts you’d buried for so long. “I’m not saying it to compare,” you added, voice tight. “I just... I know what it’s like.”

“My dad died when I was a kid,” you said, keeping your voice light, like saying it matter-of-factly would dull the edges of it. “I barely remember him. Just flashes—his laugh, his cologne, stuff like that. But my mom... she hated me long before he was gone. She blamed me for everything. Especially for my twin not making it.”

Wanda stiffened beside you, but still, she said nothing.

“She blamed me,” you continued, the memories clawing their way back to the surface. “Said I killed him before he ever had a chance. And she never let me forget it. Never let me forget that it should’ve been me who didn’t make it.”

Wanda finally looked up, her eyes glistening, red-rimmed with tears she refused to let fall. You didn’t have the same strength. A single tear slipped down your cheek, hot and heavy.

“And for the longest time, I believed her. I thought she was right. I thought it would’ve been better if I hadn’t made it,” you said.

“I’m sorry,” she whispered.

You shook your head. “Don’t be. And it’s not like… it’s not like I think that way all the time anymore. But I get it. That feeling like maybe you weren’t supposed to be here, like someone else deserved it more. I know what it feels like.”

Wanda's gaze dropped to your hands that were still gripping your knee like a lifeline. She looked like she wanted to reach out and grasp them, but you weren’t ready for that kind of intimacy. You were barely keeping yourself together, and the thought of her touch, however comforting, might be the thing to break you.

“I didn’t know,” she said softly. “About your twin. About your mom. If this... if this was the nightmare I gave you in—”

“No reason you would,” you interrupted, cutting her off before she could finish, before she could drag Johannesburg, and the bitter, consuming hatred you’d felt for her then, into the room. You’ve forgiven her for that, and it was best that it stayed forgotten too. “It’s not exactly a conversation starter.”

She huffed a quiet, almost bitter laugh, but it faded quickly. “Still,” she said, hesitating, “I think… I think you were meant to be here. I don’t know why, but I do. I think there’s a reason.”

You swallowed dryly. “Maybe there’s a reason for you, too.”

Wanda looked hopeful. “Maybe,” she echoed.

Wanda’s shoulder pressed into yours, solid and warm, like she was holding you in place without even realizing it. Neither of you spoke, the silence stretching out just long enough for it to feel safe. Safe to sit here with the mess between you, around you, part of you.

The words she’d said—I think you were meant to be here—kept looping in your head, circling around all the things you’d told yourself for years. All the things you still believed. Maybe you didn’t deserve to be here, but in that moment, you weren’t sure it mattered.

Because she was here. And maybe that was enough.

[storiesbyrhi]

Part One: A building gets torched

Eddie Munson x Reader Series Masterlist 1710 Words

If the people we love are stolen from us, the way to have them live on is to never stop loving them. Buildings burn, people die, but real love is forever.

Warnings: canon typical violence, references to sexual assault, swearing, drug and alcohol use, sexual references, child neglect, death/grief, references to organised crime

Note: A majority of the characters from The Crow have been replaced with Stranger Things counterparts. However, a few remain in their original form (e.g. Gideon, Grange). Some major characters have been written out, as they don’t work within the context of this story (e.g. Myca – who is one of my favourite characters). I have taken material, including direct quotes, from the film and comics/graphic novel.

After Sunset, October 30, 1994

Jim Hopper stood next to the broken window. He’d been there before. He recalled how he felt when he first saw that window. How its grand scale and clean glasswork made the rest of the ratty apartment seem worth it. The window framed the city in a way that made it seem almost beautiful. Almost.

That had been a couple months before Devil’s Night. There had been whispers that the building was going to be sold off. Hopper hoped it was true. Maybe a new developer would demolish the place. He didn’t want to think about how many ghosts haunted those walls. Between the overdoses and the organised crime related violence, a lot of trips to the morgue began there.

Unfortunately, the buyer was not the up and up real estate type. Hopper heard it was more of the top of the bad guy hierarchy type. Martin Brenner owned half the city and not by any legal or ethical means. In the police files, intel on him was filed under the codename Top Dollar, like even the cops were too scared to put their name to anything that could be used against him.

 When Hopper caught wind of that, he’d paid the apartment a visit – paid you a visit.

“You gotta cool it with this stuff,” he’d warned, gesturing to where you’d been working on a new petition for everyone to sign.

“You’ve never told me to cool it before. Never shown up at my home before,”

“Before when you were feeding the homeless? Helping little old ladies cross the road? This is different. Come on, kid. Don’t play dumb.”

You sighed, but it sounded more like a huff. It hadn’t been feeding the homeless. You’d fundraised to keep the local community kitchen from shutting its doors. And, there had never been little old ladies. Maybe little old raccoons and opossums you’d built little wooden houses for…

Hopper shifted on the spot. “Look… I know you’re tryin’ to the right thing… I know you don’t want to have to move-”

“It’s not about moving. It’s about-”

“The principle, I know,” Hopper interrupted you right back. “I know. But the guy who’s eyeing the place, you don’t wanna mess around with him.”

Even then, you knew Hopper was right. You knew what you were doing was potentially dangerous. Brenner’s name had been mentioned to you before Hopper came knocking. But you were stubborn.

“How’s he even doing this? It can’t be legal. Probably paid off Kline, right?”

Hopper cringed at the name Kline. Larry Kline was the elected official who should have been fighting for the city. Instead, he was lining his pockets with Brenner-shaped coins.

“Eddie know you’re doing this?” Hopper changed tactics. There were three giveaways that Eddie was probably on tour. The first was how quiet the apartment was. The second was the lack of guitars on the wall hooks. The third was that Gabriel, a fluffy white cat, was asleep on the couch. Gabriel only sought the company of others when Eddie wasn’t an option, even though he was technically a birthday present for you.

You bit down on your tongue. “I don’t keep secrets from Eddie,”

“Right, but… Might you have conveniently forgotten to mention who wants to buy the building? Who you’re starting a fight with?”

The conversation had ended with a vague promise that you’d maybe consider ‘cooling it.’ Hopper had left that night uneasy. He never got around to tracking a phone number for Eddie out on the road. Knowing Eddie, which he only kind of did anyway, he’d never tell you to stop doing anything. That man worshipped the ground you walked on.

Hopper stood at the broken window and held a cigarette between his teeth. He looked down to the street below, Eddie’s body being covered with a crime scene sheet while onlookers scrambled to see the carnage.

Behind him, crime scene techs and cops buzzed about the apartment. He turned to survey the scene. The photos on the wall told a story of love. His brain tried to reconcile how you looked in them, compared to how you looked lying on the apartment floor covered in blood. The paramedics were still working on stabilising you, you clinging to life by your fingernails.

Hopper gave the okay to move you while he picked up a thick piece of card off the floor. A wedding invitation for the following day – a sunset event.

“Who the fuck gets married on Halloween anyhow?” one of the cops asked, staring at the mannequin keeping your wedding dress company.

Hopper didn’t answer. He listened to their commentary.

“What’s the count so far?” a rookie questioned.

“143 fires so far… They’re slacking off from last year,”

“Three hours to go; maybe they’re just slow starters.”

Hopper followed the paramedics as they took you downstairs and out to the ambulance. Another detective was there. Detective being a very generous title, as most of the work Phil Callahan was capable of was not of the sleuthing variety.

“This the victim?” he asked.

 “No, it’s Amelia Earhart. We found her, Detective, and you missed it,” Hopper deadpanned.

Before Callahan could come up with something witty to say, Hopper was back at your side. A girl on a skateboard had appeared, pulling at your sleeve.

“Stand back, kid,” he said.

It was Max’s voice that dragged you somewhere close to Earth. “Where’s Eddie?” you croaked.

“Ah… Don’t worry about him,” Hopper told you.

“Tell him to take care of Max.”

Paramedics had you loaded up, closing the back of the ambulance. Hopper stood next to Max for a moment before putting a hand on her shoulder.

“You Max?”

“Yeah,”

“Okay, look… Your sister… She’s gonna be okay,”

“She’s not my sister. She just takes care of me… She’s my friend. Her and Eddie… You lied to her about Eddie.” Max sounded more sad than accusatory.

“I had to,”

“And you’re lying to me about her. She’s gonna die, isn’t she?”

Hopper could deal with a lot of things. A grief-stricken teenage girl was not one of them. He clasped both of her shoulders and held her, looking around the scene with a growing understanding that the misery had only just begun.  

One Year Later After Sunset, October 29, 1995

Max visited the cemetery often. She’d walk along the rows, taking one flower from each bouquet she passed. By the time she was standing in front of the matching graves, she had an offering. One white rose for Eddie, the rest for you.

Losing you and Eddie was bad, but the months since had been worse. Her mother had all but resigned from that role, spending more and more time wherever Neil and Billy Hargrove went. Max hardly saw Susan anymore. The Hargroves, and the people like them, were terrifying.

Max sat down facing the headstones. “I found another one,” she said. “It says that people used to believe that when someone dies, a crow carries their soul to the land of the dead.”

In the weeks after that Halloween, Max obsessed over the science of death. She wanted to know how you and Eddie had felt. What would happen to your bodies, buried under all that dirt? Then, once she knew everything there was to know, she moved on to folklore. What stories had been told about dying? What existed beyond the veil?

“The thing though, is that if the person dies unfairly, if something so bad happens, then that is carried with the soul. The sadness. And the soul can’t rest.”

Max had contemplated magic. She saw a Ouija board put out by the trash cans outside her apartment building and seriously considered taking it inside. Her research had slowly veered into the direction of revenge-driven resurrection, for which many cultures had legends and fables of.

“Sometimes the crow can bring that soul back, to put the wrong things right.”  She paused, looking down and pushing the dirt around with a stick. Max shrugged to herself. “I know it’s a fairytale… But it would be nice…”

Thunder rumbled above Max. After gathering her things, she began to walk away. A crow swooped down, landing on Eddie’s headstone. She was sure it was the same one that always hung around the cemetery; she’d named him The Night Watchman.

“Keep an eye on them for me,” she told him, dropping her skateboard and riding off into the drizzling rain.

It was fear first. Terror. Darkness.

He tried to draw a breath in but it didn’t provide any relief. Something told him to get up. Get out. A voice. A voice in his head. Get up. Get out. But get up and get out of what? He thrashed but all his limbs hit solid wall.

Punching, punching, punching. When he finally broke through the coffin’s lid, his knuckles were raw and bleeding. He dug, splitting nails and swallowing dirt. He reached the surface, pulling himself from his grave.

His body couldn’t decide between curling up or being splayed out on his back. It couldn’t decide between screaming or sobbing. He was twitchy and achy. His knuckles had scabbed and scarred. He’d healed but the healing hurt.

At first, he didn’t know what to do. He didn’t know where he was. He didn’t know who he was.

A crow landed on an overhead branch. It called to the man, a deep and piercing caw. It was there to guide him. It was there to bear witness. It was there to share the burden of the second life of Eddie Munson.

Eddie knew to follow the crow. He knew the crow would take him to where he wanted to go. It would take him to you.

He stumbled, pulling himself through the cemetery and out into the city. Nobody noticed him weaving through alleyways and stalking shadows. He pulled at his burial clothes, hands running over the bullet hole scars on his body.

Eddie’s bare feet walked through filthy puddles and over crumbling asphalt. He only stopped when the crow landed on a dumpster, squawking.  Something dark was sitting on top of the trash. Old worker’s boots, too small for Eddie, but he put them on anyway. He stomped onwards.

End Note:

Thank you to the love of my life @jo-harrington for brainstorming and editing help, and for general support and hype girl shit.

The process of writing this series has been a bit of an isolated one, compared to past work. So, I don't know how it will be received. I am more unsure about it than I have been about my other stuff too. Any feedback would be immensely appreciated.

Happy New Year, xo Rhi

Fic Taglist (open): @mrsjellymunson @princesssunderworld @qweencrimson @b-irock @writinginthetwilight @bornslippys @ali-r3n @lexr86

All Eddie Taglist (open):solomons-finest-rum @ruinedbythehobbit @sweetpeapod @thorfemmes  @corrodedhawkins @grungegrrrl @lilzabob  @averagemisfit03 @ches-86 @ilovecupcakesandtea @onehotgreasymechanic @hazydespair @mel-the-fangirl @eddies-hid3out @siren-lungs @aheadfullofsteverogers @hiscrimsonangel @dashingdeb16 @cultish-corner @em0220

[heathersdesk]

So we had our youth fundraiser last night. I deal with a lot of social anxiety and noise sensitivity, so I made my bids in the silent auction early and sat down on the side pretty quickly. And eventually I made a new friend who came over to say hi.

An older woman came over to say hi and just told me about her day. She mentioned she dyed her hair to not get clocked as "too old" because she was looking for a job, which of course worked because the world is terrible.

And with conspiratorial glee, she showed me her secret leg hair revolt against the patriarchy. So of course I showed her mine. And it was easily my favorite interaction I think I've ever had at any church activity.

My ministering sister, whom I adore, also came over to say hi. And that brought over someone else I've seen around, but haven't spoken to. He showed her pictures of the trip he just took to Boston to a bunch of old game show sets he went to go see, because game shows are his jam. He showed her pictures from his trip, where he was having the time of his life, then showed me because he could see I was taking an interest. He told her about how Family Feud came about, and then showed her artwork he did for autism awareness day.

I won some cookies made by the Young Women, brownies made by the Young Men, and my crochet lap blanket sold for $50 to the bishop. I got to see the delightful contest over the prize of the night—the offer from someone to come clean windows.

It was a good night. I had fun watching people and just being in the energy of the community I'm a part of, getting to know them better.

I may be weird. But we're all a little weird. And we like that about each other. And in a way I can't quite describe well because I've never felt it as keenly as I did then, I felt this unspoken acceptance to be my own kind of weird.

[mariacallous]

This article was produced as part of JTA’s Teen Journalism Fellowship, a program that works with Jewish teens around the world to report on issues that affect their lives.

At a time of rising tension between Jews and Muslims over the war in Gaza, students at Pioneer High School in Ann Arbor, Michigan found a peaceful way to coexist: one pastry at a time.

In November 2023, the school’s Jewish Student Union partnered with the Muslim Student Association to hold a bake sale. The combined clubs sold baked goods to students outside the cafeteria, donating the proceeds to Doctors Without Borders. In total, they raised around $800 for the nonprofit. 

“People weren’t sure if they wanted to talk about [the events of Oct. 7], but it was definitely something we all felt,” said senior Marina Silvergleit, the co-founder and co-president of the newly restarted JSU. “There was a group sense that we had to do something. Quite a few teachers commented to the JSU and the MSA that they were very moved by the joint effort, and that it was a beacon of hope to them.”

The collaboration came at a time of rising antisemitism in the U.S., as well as within the district, when tensions between Ann Arbor’s Muslim and Jewish communities were high. Last January, the Ann Arbor Public Schools board passed a resolution supporting a ceasefire in Gaza after a divisive vote. On the University of Michigan campus, just minutes away from Pioneer High School, protests on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict have become the norm, with two simultaneous demonstrations held on the anniversary of Oct. 7.

Helping bring both sides together was a gratifying early accomplishment for the new Jewish Student Union, which has more than 20 members across grade levels. It’s not the first time Pioneer, the largest high school in the city, has had a JSU. The previous one fell off when classes went remote during the pandemic. In early 2023, a handful of energized students, including Silvergleit, stepped up and brought the club back to life. The club provides a safe community to Jewish students at the school, and forges connections with the wider student body.

“There was no centered place for Jewish students at Pioneer to meet and discuss things that may impact us as a group, and so I decided to create a space for that,” said Silvergleit. “Mostly, it’s a social time for people who are Jewish to talk about anything, just knowing that it’s through that shared lens.” 

Jenna Saeed, co-president of the Muslim Student Association, said that collaborations like the November 2023 bake sale help to demonstrate that members of the Jewish community and Muslim community are standing together. “I think having bake sales where we’re coming together for the common good shows people that we’re all in the same community, we all want what’s best for the local community and the global community,” Saeed, a senior, said. “We’re all people, at the end of the day.” 

Senior Arsalan Alavi, who co-leads the club with Saeed, sees the collaboration as a form of healing conversation. “With events like this we can open up that exchange of dialogue to get to know each other and really get a clear understanding of who everyone is instead of these preconceived notions that you might see in forms of media.”

Both clubs say they hope to combine forces again for more joint fundraisers in the future. 

“Even in times of division, such polarizing times, we can find common ground, build bridges of understanding, and support one common cause,” Alavi said.

The JSU also provided a space for Jewish students post Oct. 7, like Evyatar Eliav, 18, a graduated member of the JSU who is now a freshman in college. “It helped to have a place where other people also had a stronger connection to what was going on, especially with people who had family/friends in Israel, just checking in and making sure they were okay is important,” said Eliav.

Having spaces for Jewish students to connect with one another is becoming increasingly important. More than 70% of Jewish high schoolers say that they have experienced antisemitic harassment or discrimination since Oct. 7, according to a study by BBYO.

That is part of what is so important about Jewish spaces in schools, Eliav said. He describes the JSU at Pioneer as “a place to celebrate Judaism in school with your peers, which is hard to do if you don’t go to Jewish camps in the summer or aren’t a super active member at synagogue or in the community.”

Pioneer’s Jewish Student Union is unaffiliated with NCSY, the Modern Orthodox organization that facilitates Jewish Student Unions at schools around the country, although it provides a similar service.

“People want to come together and have a community in a space where that’s not necessarily a given,” said Devora Simon, the director of NCSY’s Jewish Student Union program. Prior to Oct 7, she would receive 1-2 requests each month from students interested in starting Jewish Student Union clubs of their own. However, this past year, she’s been fielding 3-5 requests per week—sometimes even more. 

“They’re not reaching out to start a club to combat antisemitism, they’re reaching out because, because of the antisemitism, there’s a lot more emphasis on gathering as a community and creating those spaces,” said Simon. NCSY as a whole has seen around a 30% increase in student involvement since Oct 7, she said.

Having a non-denominational, low-commitment space within school gives Jewish students affinity, organizers said. This translates into higher scores on their social, emotional and spiritual well-being, compared to those who are not, according to a 2019 study by the Jewish Education Project.

Club sponsor Melissa Bender sees the students benefiting from the solidarity the club provides, especially in the aftermath of Oct. 7. The club supports students, the science teacher said, by helping them to know “that they’re not alone.”

Silvergleit hopes the club will continue to thrive for years to come, representing the Jewish student body through celebrations of Jewish holidays, fundraisers and more. She emphasizes the importance of growing community and being united against the antisemitism going on in the world today. “As students, we see a path to a better future. We want a better future,” she said.

[leahbug212]

some of y'all are so angry at someone you don't know, for associating with someone else you don't know

you want my opinion? it's a long one, but I don't intend to ever discuss this publicly again, unless some drastically new info is presented.

I understand the emotional response, I do. I had one too, at first. I already knew about all this stuff but I didn't discuss it publicly because it's not my business to speak on. After sitting with the facts for a few days, as they have been presented, I've come to my own conclusions:

1. The accuser is shady af. To, within hours, post a response to photos the accused wasn't even tagged in, having the audacity to claim that they were the one being stalked...no babe, that's stalking. That Google doc is some of the most inconclusive, messy shit I've ever read. There's no point in publicly accusing people of something that requires proof of intent. If it's not proveable, it's irrelevant. You can't prove someone was trying to "skinwalk" you. At most, that suggests mental illness, not stalking. And unless you're 100% tracing and copying a piece, it's hard to prove art theft, too. But what about the stolen merch? The accuser is not the person who was stolen from, so they have no right to claim it. If it's true, it's a matter for the law to handle. I saw no concrete proof of the supposed $18k that was "stolen." It's a number that was calculated based on expected sales, not base value from the supplier. Again, if there was theft, the police should handle it. And if they can't prove it...well, we certainly can't. All I know is, only one of these people is handling this situation professionally...and it's not the accuser.

2. As is true in most cases, I suspect the truth lies somewhere in the middle ground. This is purely speculation, but I think the $ number given is highly exaggerated, and it's very possible that at least part of it was repaid as sales were made. We all know it's been rough the past few years for artists at cons. I know my ADHD brain gets behind in bills sometimes, and I have ample money to pay them. There have also been anons commenting that the accuser is a known liar and manipulator. Do I get a weird vibe from the accused thief and stalker? Absolutely. Their housing and job history is suspicious and unstable. It's gross to plan a "fundraising" stream for your move to one of the most expensive areas of the country. Is any of that a crime? No. Concerning for mental illness? Yes. My point is, no one in this world is 100% good or bad, and reality lies somewhere in the grey area.

3. While I fully don't understand the downright anger towards the person who posted those pictures, I have to admit that any backlash or negative consequences they are receiving is 100% their own doing. I suspect that posting the photos was a "test" to see if the accused person's presence would go unnoticed. Obviously, it didn't. They should have anticipated that the accuser would be all over that shit, even if they underestimated the fans' response. Their continued non-response to the issue only feeds into it.

4. Finally, for supposedly being massive fans of the associated person, and always praising their character, kindness, and morals...y'all sure have no faith in their moral compass or decision-making in a situation that they surely know more about than we do. It reeks of disrespect to question their morals, and if you're that easily dissuaded...how much did you really "respect" that person, and how much were you merely respecting the idealized version of them you'd created?

Is it possible that they are being manipulated? Absolutely. It's also equally possible that, since we only know bits and pieces of the story, that we're being sold a load of shit. Having said that, I at least hope that they won't be bringing this person to Momocon next month...because the accuser will also be there. And last time those 2 were at a convention together, it was a shitshow.

Everyone is allowed to have their own opinions and emotions. For now, I am choosing hope and grace.

[saintmeghanmarkle]

A Year in Review: All the times Meghan Markle been publicly called out in 2023. Highlights and favorite #MarkleMoment from last year? 📌Part 2 of 2

These are her humiliating moments over past year that she’s been publicly called out for in some way. All with proof, all archived from media reports around the world. Get cozy, save this post, and as always, appreciate the upvotes so it doesn't get targeted for downvotes! Posting it now as many of us will be celebrating Christmas with our loved ones. Although we are a diverse bunch, this unites us all :)

Here’s some from 2022 to inspire you:

Harry and Megan of “overseas”

the Funeral candle

no Jubilee balcony

voetsek Megan

I love the part where…(YouTube comments on their Netflix trailer)

Marriott Meg

12% Rotten Tomatoes rating for Netflix flopumentary, with her cutesy (mocking) curtesy

What was your favourite from 2023?

Meg inexplicably marching with the Invictus vets, at the front, while Harry is literally on the sidelines. https://archive.ph/wip/VG5SP

Meg wears a JCrew sweater to the Games. Her fans claim the Meghan effect crashed the site. JCrew comes out faster than Dior to clarify it was a confirmed outage for a website update.https://archive.ph/wufbS

Archetypes trademark abandoned. So much for the other platforms manifested clamouring for it. https://archive.ph/wip/yhziu

Embarrassing video at the fundraiser with Kevin Costner where she assumes she’s going to be given the mic by virtue of her being there, reached for it, and is very intentionally avoided and not given it. https://archive.ph/yeZDN

Despite the NDA attempts, information on how the NY Bench faux Royal visit does not let anyone speak negatively about her visit. Ever. She also demanded a new carpet. https://archive.ph/qAhnb

Snubbed by the Beckhams on their far more popular Netflix documentary. “Humiliated” by the snub from the Clooneys at their New York Foundation for Justice event.https://archive.ph/wip/GsB7j

Snubbed by Kim K birthday party, despite earlier pics with Doria and days before floating PR that Meg may do a cameo on KUWTK. Compounded by Kylie’s ‘boyfriend’ Chalomet talking about the Worldwide Privacy Tour earlier in the week. https://archive.ph/wip/BGvVP

Mocked on Family Guy for Netflix contract getting paid for nothing/ spon con Insta for Del Taco. Del Taco joins in and tweets about it. https://archive.ph/wip/Sm56V

Meg manifests a deal with Audible. Audible spokesperson shuts that down. https://archive.ph/KTLnP

William lands in Singapore for Earthshot to lit up architecture, Union Jack waving crowds, and an official tree planting at the airport. Meg and H attempt to compete by releasing a ‘candid’ pic of them at Katy Perry’s Las Vegas show (implying the standing people, phones were for them and not Celine Dion who walked in behind them). Cameron Diaz was also there, but didn’t get pics sold the same way. None of the other celebs present interact with them on camera. https://archive.ph/gnpjA

Dior signs Meg. No, not that Meg, but Meg the actress who plays Kate Middleton on the Crown. https://archive.ph/wip/lH6dY

Harry and Meg highly publicize their birthday call to Charles. The Palace discretely responds with detailed full itinerary of Charles’s busy day and evening, plus the press runs the fact that Charles doesn’t have a cell phone. Sussexes double down and pivot to it somehow being a prerecorded message sent (to where?) with Archie and Lili singing happy birthday. The world laughs or ignores them. https://archive.ph/i0uz8

Move along Meg on TikTok, after the video of her refusing to leave her basking on the press carpet at the Variety awards. Bonus is the real celebs inside clearly refused any pictures with her. The next day it’s confirmed she wasn’t even on the Guest List, which explains the Table 12 seating in no star names social Siberia. https://archive.ph/uC4Y8

Harry and Meg graciously are open to an invite for Christmas. Palace guest list leaks a day later, NFI. https://archive.ph/wip/0dEoi

Endgame is published. Omid claims to not be a friend of Meghan. Two Royal racist names are leaked to the Dutch publication based on Meg’s letter to Charles post Megxit. Omid blames the translator. No one publicly appears to believe them. There is not one single positive review of Endgame in major world newspapers. Omid later in the week acknowledges the names were in the Dutch manuscript. https://archive.ph/wip/Lr8XR

Hollywood Reporter lists Harry and Meghan as one of the biggest losers of 2023. https://archive.ph/E4hUt

Kitson’s Holiday Hypocrisy celeb window display in LA features Harry and Meg. Tik Tok notices. https://archive.ph/7yA3F

Ranker poll has both Meghan (#2) and Harry (#6) in the Top 10 list for Most Disliked Celebrities of 2023. Oprah, Hilary Baldwin,Ellen, Amber Heard (#1), and Bill Cosby also make the list. Update: They've recently become #1 and #4. https://archive.ph/OpKH5

Archewell 2022-2023 Impact Report highlighting ‘Restoring Trust in Information’, including ethical journalism, drops the same day Harry is fined $60K in court for providing misleading information - where he’s suing a newspaper. Court documents call it “ironic” given the “Duke of Sussex is responsible for misleading the court.” https://archive.ph/wip/1YtSe

Archewell’s 2022 financials reveal they only raised $2 mil (two anonymous $1 mil donations) vs $13 mill (also two anonymous donations) in 2021. Press brand it a “failure.” Notice they literally had only 4 donations in two years. https://archive.ph/wip/LqnuL

Not invited to any parties for Art Basel in Miami. Back in 2014, Markus organized a Soho party, invited Meg, and sat her next to Misha Nonoo. Context shows Meg has even less clout now than her pre Royal days.https://archive.ph/wip/aKYPL

Christmas card released. Largely ignored by world media. The response from other media: where are the kids? Called out for its embarrassing corporate look. https://archive.ph/fldEw

WME is "horrified" by Meghan Markle's sinking brand and association with Endgame, and may drop her in 2024. https://archive.ph/mye6j

(Honorable mentions to specific Harry’s moments: with Charles too busy to met, not going to France and hiking in Transylvania, and “in the realms of total speculation”. Harry pitches a Spotify show interviewing Putin, Zuckerberg, the Pope, etc on their shared bond of childhood trauma, Spare the most dumped holiday book of 2023. “Peace talks” between KCIII and Harry since he’s nearby in Germany for Invictus shut down less than 24h later. Persona non grata).

​Which ones did you not know or forget about?

It's been quite the year! To quote the Sussexes, thanks for all the support in 2023!

post link: A Year in Review: All the times Meghan Markle been publicly called out in 2023. Highlights and favorite #MarkleMoment from last year? : SaintMeghanMarkle (reddit.com)

author: somespeculation

submitted: December 17, 2023 at 02:25PM via SaintMeghanMarkle on Reddit

[black-arcana]

WITHIN TEMPTATION's SHARON DEN ADEL Guests On 'Labyrinth' Single From Ukraine's BLIND8

Ukrainian band BLIND8 has released a new song, "Labyrinth", featuring Sharon Den Adel of Dutch symphonic metallers WITHIN TEMPTATION.

This collaboration is a landmark moment for BLIND8, which formed just before the Russian invasion of Ukraine and has become a leading light for rock music in its homeland whenever circumstances allow. They will be joining WITHIN TEMPTATION as the opening act on their "Bleed Out 2024" European tour this autumn, playing arenas across mainland Europe and the U.K.

The song is also being released worldwide via WITHIN TEMPTATION's own record label Force Music Recordings.

Sharon comments: "'Labyrinth' is not just a song; it's a testament to the enduring power of music. And even with Roman, the singer, and Ihor, the bass player, currently having been mobilized and in training for the war, BLIND8 continue to defy the odds, proving that even in the most challenging times, art can shine a light in the darkness."

BLIND8 remain committed and hopeful of spreading their message of solidarity, perseverance and defiance across Europe at the end of this year, playing to their largest audiences yet in huge arenas, when they support WITHIN TEMPTATION. The musicians have said that this song is their testament to the fact that even in the darkest times, music has the power to inspire and unite people.

WITHIN TEMPTATION will embark on a huge arena tour of Europe in the autumn of 2024. Joining them on this tour will be both WITHIN TEMPTATION's recent collaborative artists and longtime friends: singer Tarja Turunen (on select dates),German metalcore band ANNISOKAY, BLIND8, GREEN LIZARD and Ukrainian producer and vocalist Alex Yarmak.

The tour starts in September with two shows in The Netherlands (that sold out within days) and will continue throughout Europe in an array of impressive arenas. A number of dates have already sold out, with tickets running low across Europe.

Last fall, WITHIN TEMPTATION co-sponsored the Ukraine Aid Operations boat fundraiser for the Ukrainian Marines. They donated 6,000 euros for 30 patches, which they packaged with a limited-edition box of their latest album, "Bleed Out"

Four months ago, Den Adel spoke to Metal Musikast about WITHIN TEMPTATION's music video for the band's "A Fool's Parade" single, featuring Ukrainian producer and vocalist Alex Yarmak. Recorded amidst the streets of Kyiv with renowned Ukrainian video director Indy Hait, the clip captures Sharon at important Ukrainian landmarks. Asked what it was like to make a music video in the capital city of a country at war, Den Adel said: "Well, I was never scared to go there, because I was in good hands, to my opinion. We were helped to do this video and to organize everything, what we wanted to do in Kyiv, by the organization called Music Saves Ukraine. And they told us about the app that you had need to have. For instance, if you go into Kiev, which we did by night train from Poland, because there's no commercial flights from Amsterdam to Kyiv anymore. So we had to go by night train from Poland to Kyiv. And they told us to download an air-alerts app because everyone in Ukraine has that, and you can select a region that you are in and any incoming dangerous drones or airplanes, like MiGs, who are carrying a supersonic bomb or anything, they will put that in the app and you know what the danger is and how much time you have to go to a shelter. And there's shelters everywhere, even in the hotel that I was. And we once had to go underneath the metro station, because there was a MiG on their way. And sometimes it has a bomb, sometimes it doesn't. It's sometimes just looking and scouting where they can do something with the next airplane. And this time it wasn't wearing any supersonic bomb, which was good for us because it can wipe out a complete area in a matter of seconds."

In March 2022, WITHIN TEMPTATION was one of the artists who took part in a telethon concert in support of Ukraine. "Save Ukraine - #StopWar" united more than 20 countries and bring together more than 50 participants. The marathon was broadcast from Warsaw on the Polish TV channel TVP. In addition, broadcasters from many countries around the world rebroadcasted the marathon on their local channels.The "Bleed Out" album was released last October.

[digitaldoeslmk]

woe, idle hcs be upon you:

Mei has hyperpigmentation/melasma, and due to her rough and tumble disposition, she's covered in pockmarks from bruises, scrapes and the occasional acne;

Mei also has little budding horns on her head, she just covers them with her pigtails so they don't snag or catch into stuff;

she has several social media accts, her largest ones are her speedrunning stream channel and her bike racing and modding blog;

she finds dragon tattoos funny cus "lmao that looks like my great-cousin before he hit his growth spurt bahahaha!";

MK is nonbinary masc trans; he got blockers prior to his teens, but he stopped T only a year before the events of the series;

He has a small cloud handpoke tattoo on his ankle, he did it himself on a whim and its shaky and wonky but he treasures it a lot;

He has several piercing scars on his ears and nose, and on his eyebrows. He tried to make them last, but the moment he loses piercings like you wouldn't believe. He eventually stopped when one got torn during martial arts practice;

Hai'er isn't too bothered by pronouns, but he prefers masc adjectives;

He often wears traditional clothes, but he prioritizes practicality overall, especially qhen he's at his workshop;

He's incredibly strict when it comes to safety gear and measures. If you won't respect his labs and workshops for the SAW traps that they are, then be gone;

Pigsy used to ride bikes, he was big on wheels until he sold his pride and joy to get the remaining money he needed to open the noodle shop;

Pigsy and Sandy met on the bike "gang" scene, though it was less a gang and more several younger folk who enjoyed riding and causing the occasional trouble, but not real gang-related crimes;

And the two met Tang when he walked in on them doing a small fundraiser for the shop;

he became a regular on Pigsy's food stand and even rambled about his food to his colleagues;

Tang and Pigsy are in a steady relationship together, and they are both legal guardians of MK;

The monkeys at FFM call MK either "little sage" or "prince", much to his bashfulness. it's cute when the cubs do it though;

after MK had a proper introduction to the folks of the mountain, he's constantly invited to take part in their life. festivals, holidays, birthday parties, he always get invited to come over and join them for it;

before the novelty of the Monkie Kid went away, Pigsy had to install some safety measures on the noodles delivery app, cus people kept ordering noodles only to see MK and ask for signatures and such;

Mei is a restaurant's worst nightmare because she's So Picky when it comes to seafood;

'Mei' and 'MK' are nicknames they both got in the martial arts academy, their names are still Long Xiaojiao and Qi Xiaotian;

Sandy used to do boat transportation, but he retired to do engineering work instead. he got a degree thanks to Tang's encouragement and support;

Mei is on prep school for electrical engineering college; her parents wanted something more law-oriented but this was their compromise, since Mei didn't want to do college At All;

Tang is an academics jack-of-all-trades; he messed up his tenure so now he does academic book revisions, translations and editorials. Hes also affiliated with a number of libraries, and manages read-alongs, study groups and other events. On occasion he gets advisory jobs on documentaries and such, and he's even been asked on a few interviews;

He gets supremely insufferable about his curriculum if you get him talking about it;

He's got a near flawless memory of every book he's read, able to quote exact lines and identify the chapter and pages from them;

Tang speaks a number of languages, and sometimes takes students from fellow teachers who might need some private lessons to catch up;

His tenure was put on pause so he could help Pigsy with raising baby MK, and he doesn't regret his choice one moment;

[dhplover]

#OTD in 2001:

Niles: “Hello, all. Notice anything different?”

Roz: “I like it.”

Niles: “Thank you. I've never worn an undergarment in public before.”

Frasier: “Is that my sweater?”

Niles: “Oh yes. Here. What's the emergency?”

Frasier: “Well actually, I was going out this evening & I was thinking about changing my attire. While the suit projects a certain professionalism, you know ‘Dr Frasier Crane,’ I was thinking perhaps the sweater could impart a more casual feel, ‘Just Fraz.’ Any thoughts?”

Roz: “So I bet you & Daphne have big Valentine's Day plans.”

Niles: “Oh, yes. She's cooking dinner for me & then I've a big surprise planned. I'm taking her to Cancun for a long romantic weekend.”

Roz: “Not bad!”

Niles: “Yes, I'm whisking her to the airport in a limo filled with exotic orchids. You don't think that's a little too over the top, do you?”

Roz: “No, I think that boat sailed with your t-shirt.”

Frasier: “Here's an idea: What if I put the sweater under the jacket? Then I'll get the best of both worlds.”

Niles: “Honestly Frasier, could you be more self-absorbed? Goodbye, Roz. If you want to know more about our trip, we'll have pictures on our website when we get back.”

#Frasier #SlidingFrasiers #DHPLover

Does anyone else remember the week after this episode first aired & about half a dozen of these t-shirts popped up on eBay for sale by a member of the crew?

I was so tempted to bid & buy one but got distracted by something else instead since I was only 20 & living off my student loan at university so couldn’t afford both.

I think I made the right decision in the end & so bought a script instead which was the first draft of Something Borrowed, Someone Blue. And just in case anyone is interested in it, that first draft wasn’t all that different from the final one that aired. The most notable thing about it was that it ran a little longer, mainly because in part one when Daphne is anxiously waiting for Niles to arrive, Donnie also drops by on top of Roz & Simon, making her task all the more complicated.

eBay was awesome at that time for buying stuff from set & costume. Along with this t-shirt I remember seeing the various charity fundraising KACL t-shirts from the bike ride & weight loss contest.

But without a shadow of a doubt the best thing I bought was one of the Frasier themed Monopoly sets given to all members of the cast & crew to celebrate the 200th episode. I wish I knew who it belonged to and subsequently who sold it to me so that I could thank them because it is one of the best & most unique pieces of film and television memorabilia I own.

[rabbitcruiser]

Remembrance Day

Honoring those who served with respect, gratitude, and ceremonies that pay tribute to their sacrifice and dedication.

Set aside as a time to honor those who served and lost their lives fighting in wars and national conflict, Remembrance Day also allows people to remember the devastation that comes out of war, encouraging them to try to live at peace with one another. 

History of Remembrance Day

Remembrance Day has a history that can be followed back to what was originally Armistice Day. A key part of the celebration is the fact that the formal end of World War I was scheduled to take place at the 11th hour on the 11th day of the 11th month of the year in 1918.

So, the following year, this date was celebrated in honor of those who fought in the war, especially those who lost their lives, and reminding everyone about the brutality and hostility of war. The original Armistice Day was celebrated in November 1919, with events hosted by King George V and held at Buckingham Palace.

During World War II, the day changed its name. Armistice Day in the UK and other Commonwealth nations became Remembrance Day, while the United States changed the name to Veteran’s Day. Since then, other conflicts and wars have arisen in various nations, and Remembrance Day may be used to remember and honor all of the soldiers and veterans, whether recently or a century ago. 

In some countries, Remembrance Day is a public government holiday, where schools and many offices are closed, while other countries simply encourage people to pay their respects in their free time on Remembrance Day.

Take some time on this Remembrance Day to show some appreciation for those soldiers, sailors, airmen, officers and others who were committed to fighting for freedom.

How to Observe Remembrance Day

A wide range of opportunities are available for people to celebrate Remembrance Day on a very small scale or on a larger scale. Join in with millions of others to show respect for those who lost their lives or fought in a war, and also take some time to think on and remember how important it is to strive for peace in the world today. Consider some of these ideas for observing Remembrance Day:

Wear a Red Poppy

In the United Kingdom, the symbol that shows support for the armed forces is a red poppy flower. This originated from a poem written after World War I that described the poppies marking the graves of soldiers who were killed fighting for their country. The poem, named “In Flanders Fields” was written by a Canadian doctor after he had lost a friend in the war. In 1921, the emblem of the red poppy was chosen by the British Legion to honor those who had died and also encourage those still living.

All throughout the month of November, the red poppy is worn as a symbol of hope for the future and remembrance of the past. They are sold as fundraisers for charitable efforts that help veterans with housing, jobs or other assistance. Some of these poppies are sold along with the theme “Lest We Forget”. People who choose to get poppies can place them on their coat lapels or wear them in other places in support of Remembrance Day.

Take a Moment of Silence

At 11am on this day, many people stop what they are doing, at work, at school or in public spaces, to hold a moment of silence. This moment is meant to be a solemn remembrance of those who lost their lives as part of serving and defending their country. Some Remembrance Day events hold two minutes of silence and then will have a ceremony or other way for people to gather, listen, speak and remember.

Honor or Thank a Veteran

Those who have friends, family members, coworkers or other loved ones who are veterans may want to take some time on Remembrance Day to thank them for their service in protecting their country. And those who have special veterans who have already died may want to pay respect and honor them by sharing a photo of them on social media as a tribute to their memory.

Attend a Remembrance Day Event

Many cities, states and governments across the world host events related to Remembrance Day or Veteran’s Day. Find out what events or ceremonies are taking place in the local area, whether a memorial service, parade, dinner or some other way to mark the occasion. Community leaders who don’t already have events planned in their local area might be interested in starting one through their town, school, local chapter of a veteran’s support group, or some other foundation.

Learn About the History of Remembrance Day

One important way to observe a day that acts as a reminder of the horrors of war might be to learn more about its history. The catalyst of Remembrance Day was World War I, which took place more than 100 years ago now, and many modern people are not well educated on the details of this war. The internet has all kinds of different resources for people to grow in their knowledge of the world wars, and a local library would also be a great place to check out some history books for more information.

Support a Veterans’ Charity

Those who leave their homes and families to serve in the military often have to make very large sacrifices. And many times, when they come home after serving in a war or conflict, they have difficulty getting their lives back on track. From financial and personal hardship with finding a job or emotional distress from post-traumatic stress, many veterans need extra support.

In honor of Remembrance Day, some people might think it’s a good idea to make a donation to financially support a veterans charity. Or it might be a time to find out if there are ways to volunteer to help. This could include something like transporting veterans to medical appointments, leading recreational programs, serving coffee and refreshments at events, or simply providing companionship to those in need.

Source

[contrasting-realities]

From the archives of the Canterlot Center For Emergency Outbreaks

Name: Arcus Plaga

Date of Discovery: 500 years ago

Description: Despite being known to ponykind for over centuries, Arcus Plaga has only been well documented for the last ten thanks to a localized outbreak. Victims of this disease tend to experience flu-like symptoms at first, before loss of motor control and excessive drooling sets in. The most terrifying part of this disease is how it puppeteers the infected and poses as them to lure others into a sense of security. Those who have been taken over hunger only for more sources of Arcus Plaga and what is required to keep their bodies functional. As per its defining symptom, subject's drool is filled with Arcus Plaga particles, to the point of appearing a dull rainbow around the mouth.

Life Cycle: Despite what many think, ponies aren't the end host for this illness, but rather a means to an end as they cannot reproduce inside of us. Instead, they leave via bodily fluids into nearby soil to infect plants and certain animals to reproduce and produce a certain scent which attracts their equine hosts to restart the cycle. As such, a bite from an Arcus Plaga victim won't do much aside from making the victim slightly ill for a few hours, assuming it breaks the skin.

Ponyville Outbreak: From half a millennia to a few years ago, Arcus Plaga was believed to have been restricted to Rainbow Falls due to the infrequency and short lifespan of prior outbreaks, but an incident in the town of Ponyville proved otherwise. This particular epidemic was started when one Rainbow Dash swapped what she thought were normal joke cookies with the ones sold during the Fillyguide fundraiser. Unfortunately, she was unaware that said batch of cookies was severely contaminated, and due to the fundraiser's popularity, infected the whole town with Arcus Plaga. Under normal circumstances such as previous epidemics, one or two ponies under this infection would eventually fight it off on their own without contact with external sources of Arcus Plaga, however the sheer number of infected made this impossible as the environment quickly became contaminated. Today, a research and quarantine center has been set up to find a way to research the disease and potentially clear the contamination in the future.

There are only 6 known survivors from the Ponyville Outbreak, the aforementioned Rainbow Dash alongside Rarity, Applejack, Scootaloo, Sweetie Bell, and Apple bloom. The first has gone missing ever sense she was sued by both the Filliescouts and Equestrian Government for causing the outbreak while the second is now the leader in attempting to find a way to safely decontaminate her home. Applejack, Scootaloo, and Apple Bloom have been staying with their family in Appaloosa while Sweetie Bell remains with her sister in Canterlot.

[the-blind-assassin-12]

Hi Alyssa!

I have a random question for you today…

What’s the strangest thing you have ever done for money?

Hi Kat!! Happy Monday!

Oh BOY that sure is a loaded question! hahahaha I have done quite a few strange things for money, honestly. Some of them might not be... how should I put this... sharable. But I have a couple that I certainly can tell you about.

1- Bartender at a Catholic High School fundraiser event. I think it was a fashion show? So I had already been a bartender for about three years when I started student teaching (there was a brief moment in time when I was going to be a HS English teacher) at my old high school (Yes, I attended catholic school for 12 years. Fun fact, that school has since shut down and was most recently used to film the new Mean Girls movie which I have not seen but the trailers trip me out because there's Tina Fey standing in my old history classroom lol) and was also coaching the girls' track team, so I was around the school often. Someone in the main office overheard me talking to one of the other teachers - who just so happened to be a friend that I bartended with in the summer - about being a bartender, so they asked me to "bartend" (it was just wine and beer) this event (that was held in the cafeteria). I guess it's not that strange, but it was a weird like... worlds colliding thing for me. Still, it was an easy $100.

2- I wrote social media posts for a cab company in London. For a while I was freelancing on Fiverr and was hired to write... so many strange articles, posts, press releases etc. (One time a really small scale rapper contacted me to write some reviews for his music and told me he was gonna take me to the top and I literally have not stopped laughing about that because no, sir, you are not taking me to the top you are paying me $5 to say your music is good which it wasn't horrible but it definitely wasn't going anywhere near the top. Another time I had to write 1500 words about different types of mattresses.) But my one repeat client was this cab company in London that had me rewrite all the copy for their website. And I have never been to London.

3- I sold donor recognition plaques. This one was strange in so many ways. I worked for a tiny company that specialized in making those like big wall installations and like trees that you see in hospitals and temples/churches and universities and other institutions where boosters/donors have their names on like plaques or leaves. It was strange working there for a lot of reasons. The company had been around for 100 years at the time I was working there, and if you looked around the office and workshop, you could tell. There was an entire room of paper records (non digitized, despite the fact that digitization exists and despite the fact that this company had already suffered a fire like 40 years ago and lost all their records) the workshop was like part functional creative space, part fucking museum because some of the tools were like The Original Tool. But the strangest part about working there was the fact that the three owners all seemed to be locked in a constant battle with each other which made it impossible to get anything done. But yeah. If you've ever been in a temple or hospital in NY, NJ or the surrounding area, chances are the tiny dysfunctional company I worked for made their plaques.

[literaticat]

This is a question about school visits / bookstore appearances. I know that when authors and illustrators are sent on tour, the Publisher is paying for that (it's publicity) and it's unpaid. But when arrangements for these kinds of visits are are made outside of that: How do authors and illustrators get paid? Do they invoice the school/school district? Do they get paid prior to or after the event? What's the deal with Author Village? Not much info online about how this actually works, and was curious about the inner workings of author visits. Thanks!

I've never been involved on the author side of school visits (though as a bookseller, I have sold books at them!), so I asked my client Kate Messner, who does a lot of them. She says:

"When authors do school visits that aren't part of a publisher-sponsored book tour, they typically charge an honorarium plus travel expenses and invoice either the school or the PTA (which often fundraises for author visits, among other things.) Most schools pay on the day of the event, though some make arrangements to mail a check afterwards.

Author Village is a booking agency that represents a number of authors & illustrators who do school visits. They book appearances for authors when schools and conferences approach them to ask about an author and take a percentage of the honorarium, just like literary agents do."

I could leave it at that, but idk, I can't help embroidering. You didn't ask about this, so Kate didn't answer it, but, it'd be smart to have a list of the different kinds of talks/presentations you are able and willing to give on your website -- these will range from short virtual presentations (that maybe you do for free or for a very low honorarium, for book clubs or classrooms who buy the book), vs in-person, different programs for different age groups, etc. Here are the different offerings Kate has on her site, for example. Author Brad Herzog has a lot of info on his site, too. Look up some of your favorite authors who you know do a lot of school visits, and see what kind of programs they do!

Also, it's best practices to have a contract / memorandum of understanding with the school. That will specify what YOU are supposed to be doing -- how many talks, how big a group, how long, etc. What happens if you (or they) have to cancel. And what THEY are supposed to be doing: Paying x amount, when they are paying, if they are covering travel expenses, providing lunch, making sure that any tech you need such as a projector and screen, or microphones, are set up, asking them to prepare the kids in advance, or making sure that they have made arrangements with a bookstore or have some way to provide books. (they may send an order form home with kids ahead of time and have a bookstore drop them off day of, or order in advance and have somebody there to sell them, etc-- but whatever they do, they should have it in the agreement so you are all on the same page.)

This is important because you'll find that different schools have different levels of experience with these kind of visits, and a poorly coordinated visit can be a real shit-show, so it's best to really make it CRYSTAL CLEAR what you are each doing, and what they need to do to prepare. That's not to say you can't be flexible, obviously different schools have different needs, but whatever you have agreed upon in advance should be memorialized in a contract signed by both you and them. Here's an example of Brad's contract. Here's an example of a generic one.

Re Booking Agencies: You don't NEED to have a booking agency, and most authors probably don't until/unless they are doing a LOT of school visits. I have clients who use the following (but I personally have no direct experience with any of these, I'm not vouching for them or anything, there may be other ones, no idea, but these are just ones that I have heard of!):

Author Village 

Booking Biz   

Booked Authors 

How Now Booking 

Also it would probably be smart to either make friends with a bunch of other authors who do school visits, or at the very least join a Facebook group or SCBWI group or something, so you have people to ask questions of who actually have experience doing this professionally, rather than me, a random agent who has never booked a school visit a day in her life!

(ETA: I'm adding this in the FAQ because it might be useful!)

[hexjulia]

"So far, I haven't been able to find much more about the wider landscape settings of the gamma gardens; they are still within the grounds of national laboratories, both in the U.S. and abroad.

Pruned: Outside of these laboratory grounds, where did the mini atomic gardens pop up? If the public wanted to start their own, would C.J. and the Atomic Gardening Society have been their only commercial source of the irradiated seeds? As a matter of fact, how would they have known about them in the first place? You mention that they weren't exactly a secret. Johnson: There is much less documentation of atomic gardening outside the laboratory. C.J. was the only way for the public to buy irradiated seeds. I can trace the marketing of the seeds—at garden fairs, and in the back of magazines, in grocery stores, and through high school science clubs, which sold them as fundraisers. But I don't yet know who bought them, or how many, or where.

[...]

Pruned: I'm curious as to how C.J. irradiated the seeds. What kind of equipment are we talking about? Johnson: C.J. obtained a license from the Atomic Energy Commission for a Cobalt-60 source, probably similar to those still used in radiotherapy. He encased it in a small cinderblock chamber, into which he slid trays of seeds. He often showed his backyard “bunker” to tourists and school groups. That's about all I know so far. I had high hopes of traipsing through Tennessee to find the bunker, but the site was incorporated into flood plain as part of a river project, and near as I can tell no longer exists. No documents have turned up on what happened to the source."