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mandosaur · 7 months

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This Little Slice of Life (Mike Schmidt x Reader)

Fandom: Five Nights at Freddy's Film

Pairing: Mike Schmidt x Reader

Word Count: 1,025

Estimated Reading Time: 3:43

Summary:

A tiny little drabble that takes place before the film's events.

When you imagined what your life was going to be like as an adult, you didn’t imagine this.

In your dreams, you saw yourself as a world famous pop star. You imagined yourself in sequin dresses that would cost a fortune standing before a stage of wild fans all screaming your name. You saw yourself on every magazine cover, touring every country, and attending the Met Gala. Paparazzi would flash your photos in your day dreams all while you rode in a limo spending thousands on any little thing that caught your fancy. You had always imagined a life of luxury and wealth for yourself as an adult.

You never imagined your current life.

You never imagined that you’d be in your mid twenties still living in the same street you grew up in. Never imagined that the fancy little college degree you got to appease your parents would bring you nothing but student loans that kept piling on. You didn’t think you’d be working some dead end job for minimum wage at a company with a shitty boss and worse hours just barely scraping by.

However, despite the huge deviation from what your childhood dreams believed would be a good future for you, you find you can’t be happier.

There’s something warm and familiar in the way your life works. Like a puzzle piece clicking together, everything just seems to work. Your life isn’t glamorous or extravagant the way your elementary school dreams all mapped out, but you wouldn’t trade it for the world.

Hell, you wouldn’t trade Mike or Abby for the world either.

Mike and Abby were perhaps the greatest riches you had. Mike had been your childhood best friend. You’d met him in the first day of Pre-K. A little boy holding a metal, superhero lunch box while his mom and dad kissed him goodbye. You’d befriended him on the playground of that first day and formed a friendship that had lasted all your lives.

You’d known him forever. Been there for him when Garrett had been taken, when his parents had died, and when he’d become Abby’s guardian. You’d always been there at his side.

First as a friend, then as a lover.

When you both turned 16, you had started dating. A simple choice between you both. By then, you’d both loved each other and had been pining for years. It was only natural for the two of you to start dating. Both of your parents encouraged the shift and the two of you were very happy.

10 years later, and the two of you had been together for a long time. You’d moved into the little home he shared with Abby. You shared his bedroom and was there to take care of Abby when Max couldn’t. Abby too was a joy in your life.

She had been born when you two were older and you and Mike had become her guardians. Abby really only knew the two of you. She doted on Mike, treasured him deeply if her drawings with him center stage were anything to go by, but she adored you too. She talked to you more than other kids her age, liked you staying home with her when your work allowed it, and drew you in some of her drawings holding hands with her and Mike.

She was a little gift in the life you had just like Mike. You loved them both deeply to the point where nothing else mattered.

To you, it didn’t matter that both you and Mike didn’t have money. Between your student loans and both your minimum wage paychecks, you two weren’t raking in much. Neither of you could boast being wealthy, hell, sometimes you couldn’t even boast being comfortable either.

But that didn’t matter.

Every day that you woke up to that poster of Nebraska on the ceiling and Mike next to you, every day that you got home to Max and Abby in the kitchen table working on homework, and every day that you were able to kiss Mike when he got home from work from the mall covered in fast food stains and all, none of it mattered. Not the debt, not the hardships, and not the struggles.

This little slice of life you’d built with Mike and Abby were paradise. Even if Mike’s aunt threatened custody every once in a while, even if Mike sometimes came home flushed and upset with a new termination notice in hand from his current job, and even if Abby sometimes preferred to talk to her imaginary friends than join you and Mike for dinner. Despite it all, this little home the three of you shared was your personal heaven.

And when Mike came home one day and suggested the two of you marry after talking to Abby, your little paradise increased.

Your wedding wouldn’t be anything that would elicit chatter among your friends. At most, you two would just wear your nicest clothes in your closet and walk down to the court house with cheap rings from Amazon. At most, your honeymoon would be a day where Max took Abby to her house and you and Mike ordered some take out from that Italian place in the mall that was about as fancy as any other fast food place. At most, you’d probably have one weekend to celebrate being married before Mike went to work at the mall and you back to your shitty job.

But it didn’t matter.

You loved Mike and Abby enough to the point where all of that sounded like a luxury. It might not have been the fancy delusions child you had about your future, but it was home. Mike and Abby had always been your home and any moment spent with them was better than whatever money could buy.

So, smiling, you had accepted Mike’s proposal and enveloped him and Abby in a tight hug. Had laughed when you felt Mike’s grin against your cheek and heard Abby’s little giggle against your arms.

Your life might not have been much to someone else, but to you it was paradise. A treasure nothing could ever replace.

#mike schmidt x reader #mike schmidt x you #mike schmidt #mike schmidt fnaf #divider by Saradika #michael schmidt x reader

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verosvault · 4 months

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🚨SPOILERS FOR FANTASY HIGH JUNIOR YEAR EPISODE 4!!!🚨

Dimension20 "Fantasy High Junior Year"

Episode 4 "Under Pressure"

Timestamp: 1:13:28

Video Length: 3min. & 5sec.

Adaine and Aelwyn's Phone Call (Pt.1 | ‣Pt.2)

Aelwyn's options to get money!:

Track down Mum, kill her, inherit. (But if she's alive, she's done some financial shenanigans)

Sell drugs 😭

Sell weapons 💀

Get a job

OMG! Imagine if Adaine is right and there's some crazy weird trust where they have to be 500 in order to inherit anything! 😭✋

Aelwyn asks if Adaine gets paid for any of the Elven Oracle stuff! 😭

I like how AS SOON as Adaine said that these old elves keep showing up that Brennan IMMEDIATELY made it true fr! 😂😂🤣🤣😭😭💀💀

Aelwyn says that she made a lot of money with the Hudol students when she was summoning the cheerleaders for them 😭✋

Adaine "I don't think the party would want the Dry Guys" 💀💀😂😂

Adaine: "How did you get a job?"

Aelwyn: "I blackmailed the principal of Oakshield Middle."

Adaine: "Interesting, with what?"

Aelwyn: "Photographs"

Adaine: "Well, I don't actually need to know any more information."

Aelwyn: "And you shan't dear sister."

Adaine: "Thank you. Thank you for protecting me from that." 💀

Aelwyn has a chest full of rubies 👀

Adaine: "How much do diamonds cost?"

Aelwyn: "three gold pieces?"

Adaine: "How much is minimum wage in Elmville?"

Aelwyn: "I think I heard one of the teachers say that they had a cousin that made five copper a day?"

Adaine: "Great. No, this'll be great for me."

😭😭😭😭 out here crying for Adaine fr!!! 😭😭😭😭

No but fr! All that cursed dragon gold might've been a little helpful this year for sure! 😭✋

Aelwyn: "All right. Ta-ta, I need to go. Bye bye Adaine."

Adaine: "Bye, love you. Can I delete speech?"

Aelwyn: "I heard it! I heard it! I heard you say it!"

Adaine: "No, no, no!"

Aelwyn: "Ha ha ha ha ha! I win. You've exposed yourself to me!" *Click*

I LOVE their relationship SO MUCH!!! 😭😭😭😭❤️❤️❤️❤️

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ukrfeminism · 2 months

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Imagine chasing top medals and trophies for Great Britain while earning less than the minimum wage.

That might sound surprising yet it appears to be the reality for some women competing at the highest levels of sport.

More than a third of 143 respondents in a BBC study of elite British sportswomen said they have considered giving up sport because of the cost of living crisis.

More than three-quarters said they earn less than £30,000 a year from sport - with more than four in 10 earning less than £10,000 and six in 10 earning less than £20,000.

According to Office for National Statistics data, the average salary in the United Kingdom was £34,963 in April 2023. The national living wage for someone aged over 23 working a 35-hour week would be up to £18,964 a year.

The BBC study, released on Monday, covered a wide range of issues affecting sportswomen, which we will be covering in a series of stories this week.

Respondents were asked to fill in an anonymous questionnaire. It was sent to 615 athletes across 28 sports and 143 responses were submitted.

The questionnaire was sent to British sportswomen above the age of 16 who compete for their country in senior sport, or at the highest level in their sport at top club level.

It is the fourth time the BBC has conducted research on elite British sportswomen, having previously done so in 2013, 2015 and 2020.

Below are some of the experiences athletes shared with the BBC about the impact of the cost of living crisis, social media trolling, sexism and maternity in sport.

Chasing medals on 'less than minimum wage'

One athlete, who is aiming to qualify for the 2028 Olympics and has won junior world titles, told BBC Sport she had "thought about" quitting sport because of cost but is "not ready to".

She says the starting salary for a job in the field she has studied at university would be more than double what she currently receives in funding for her sport.

"You'd never think I'd be on less than minimum wage," said the athlete, who receives funding of £16,000 a year.

She added that while she should probably get a job on the side to support herself, it simply was not practical because of training times.

"I'd have to work night shifts - you're not going to get international medals if you've got to do that," she said.

She added that the current economic climate made it "hard" to get sponsorship and that her male counterparts seemed to get more sponsorship than women "even though their achievements are the same".

Her views were echoed by others, with one respondent writing: "As much as the profile of women's sport is on the rise, in the smaller sports, sponsorship is decreasing and making it harder to survive even with world-class results and world top-10 rankings."

Another sportswoman spoke of working five jobs to fund her sport, and another said she had struggled to get sponsorship early in her career because she did not have the right body for "bikini modelling".

Six respondents said their income was between £100,000 and £500,000, two put theirs at more than £500,000 but none made more than £1m.

According to the study, more than three-quarters of respondents felt sportswomen are not paid enough compared with sportsmen.

"If a female sportsperson is doing exactly the same training as their male counterpart, but they get paid less, then it will always mean that women are underpaid compared to men, but I do believe it is all going in the right direction," another anonymous response read.

'Requests for naked pictures' and 'I know where you live'

More than a third of respondents said they had been trolled on social media and a quarter had received social media abuse of a sexual nature.

One athlete was trolled after what she said was a result of people betting on her matches.

"Some matches, if it was a big win or big loss, I'd get 15-20 people messaging me on Instagram or commenting all sorts of things," she said.

"A lot of it was about weight, sometimes people would comment on my upper body being leaner than my lower body.

"Some of it was, 'I'm going to find your mum and do x, y and z. Some of it was, 'I know where you live.'"

Another anonymous athlete said they "receive an influx of sexual abuse" after winning medals and another said they had received "requests for naked pictures" and "offers of sponsorship or funding in return for a relationship".

While not directly comparable, a BBC questionnaire in 2020 found 30% of elite British sportswomen had been trolled on social media, a figure that had doubled since a previous questionnaire in 2015.

'I was told my award was for best bum'

Sexism offline is still a concern for sportswomen too, with almost three quarters of respondents saying they had experienced sexism in their sport.

"I'm just so shocked, I'm just on the edge of tears," one athlete told BBC Sport when recounting the time in the past few years that she had gone up on stage to receive a top award for performance and the presenter had announced it was for having the "best bum" in her sport.

"[It was] in front of a room of all the people that I looked up to and aspired to as a young female," she said. "[I wanted to] just get it over with, just let me get off the stage. Now I know what to say. But then I definitely didn't."

The study also found sportswomen felt they were being treated differently to men in terms of coaching.

A third said they did not get enough coaching support compared with men, and a third said their governing body does not support them equally compared with male colleagues.

More than four in 10 said they had experienced another form of discrimination.

Maternity 'feels taboo'

More than a third of respondents said they do not feel supported by their club/governing body to have a baby and continue to compete.

Almost two-thirds do not know what their club/governing body's parental leave policy would be.

One sportswoman said the topic of maternity "feels taboo", another felt their career might be "in doubt" if they brought up the issue, and another said their governing body "has repeatedly put off signing our maternity policy".

A third have delayed starting a family because of their sporting career. Six women said they had had an abortion because they felt a baby would impact their sporting career.

One athlete said she was returning to sport a year after giving birth and had been "severely let down" by her governing body, which had "not been willing to compromise" or understand her needs.

Another said her decisions around maternity were based on "fear of time out of sport and fear of not returning", and another said theirs were around the cost of childcare she would need to continue training.

However, one anonymous response came from a mother back in full-time training after having a baby.

"There is a very good balance to allow me to train a week full-time in the environment and a week training at home, which helps with being an athlete and mum," she wrote.

There was another example of a national team saying they would support athletes wanting to give birth and "return to sport in the quickest and healthiest way possible".

Is any progress being made?

Sportswomen highlighted many challenges in their responses, but several pointed to the success of the Lionesses' high-profile Euro 2022 win as a sign of progress.

When it comes to media coverage, three-quarters do not believe the media does enough to promote women's sport, but more than nine in 10 think media coverage of women's sport has improved over the past five years.

Sports minister Stuart Andrew said he would be convening the first Board of Women's Sport later this month, where "former sportspeople, industry experts and academics come together to explore opportunities and best practice" for women's elite sport.

"We are at a defining moment for women's elite sport in this country," he said. "I want to see it continue to go from strength to strength, with a collective drive to deliver positive change."

Triathlete Laura Siddall spoke of an expectation of women's sport to "be grateful for where you are now".

"I think we can be grateful, but that doesn't mean we're satisfied," she continued.

"We are super thankful that we've made huge progress and super thankful and grateful that we are here now, but does that mean we should be settling? Because there's still a disparity."

#articles

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eruden-writes · 2 years

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Room & Board - Part 7 - (Tabaeus x Reader)

Anon submitted this prompt: For the prompt submissions a vampire that feels guilty after feeding/attacking someone so they leave obscenely valuable ancient artifacts as payment/an apology?

Part 1 | Previous | Masterlist | Next

x x x x x

Hearing Jemma, your fisted hands instantly release Tabaeus’s trench coat. You push away from the counter, standing straight as you whirl around to see Jemma’s expression.

Luckily, suspicion and horror are not painted over her face. She looks hugely amused, a ‘knowing’ smirk curling at her lips as she crosses her arms. Something in you balks as she raises an eyebrow and smirks, “So what’s going on here?”

“Um…” You clear your throat, trying to buy yourself time. It’s not enough, especially under Jemma’s attention. You step to the side, motioning toward Tabaeus on the other side of the counter. For now, carefully telling the truth seems like the best option. “This is Tabaeus. They’re my roommate.”

“You’re roommates?” Jemma’s eyebrow raises higher, her smirk widening. You both know the joke about two people ‘being roommates. You can literally see the implication playing out in your co-worker’s head.

“It’s a new development.” you rush to say, raising your hands in an attempt to metaphorically stop her from jumping to conclusions. Not to mention the mortification you’d feel if Jemma inferred that your sick days had been spent with Tabaeus. Not that she would know exactly what happened, but she would assume so much. Heat is already beginning to climb up your cheeks at the unuttered implications.

You decide the best route is diversion. Throwing a dirty glare at Tabaeus, you add, “And they just acquired some sugar gliders. Without asking me.”

“Oh! I am so sorry,” gasps Tabaeus, turning a solemn expression to you. “I did not think to confer with you first.”

“Yeah, well, pets are a big thing and expensive.” Mentally, you’ve already ticked off all the costs two exotic pets could cost. A housing fixture, toys, food, finding a vet that treats such pets. Faintly, you wonder if you even need a permit to own sugar gliders. “We don’t even have the right enclosure for them or food. And I don’t even know if we have the space at the apartment.”

Tabaeus smiles and tilts their head at your last comment. “We are not going to live there for much longer, though!”

With wide eyes, you give Tabaeus a look, silently pleading for them to shut up. But their attention is once again on the sugar gliders, cooing and wiggling a long finger at them.

“What? You’re moving?” Your co-worker almost sounds hurt and betrayed.

“Another new development,” you laugh awkwardly as you shoot an apologetic smile at Jemma. Her amusement has drained from her features now. She looks suspiciously between you and Tabaeus. You can only imagine what she’s thinking. That Tabaeus is a sugar daddy or maybe that they’re a bad person and you’ve found yourself in some heinous situation.

Tabaeus continues to dig the hole with painfully cheerful words, “We will be attaining a house soon!”

Just barely, you fight the urge to throw Tabaeus another dirty look. They seem completely unaware of your frantic anger and worry, too enthralled with the sugar gliders snugly placed in the inner pocket of their coat. You didn’t want to rouse suspicion. At all. But you being able to buy a house, while working minimum wage, was suspicious enough.

You’d been contemplating what excuse to use earlier. Now, you can cross ‘willed the house by a old relative’ excuse off the list. Otherwise, Tabaeus’s exclamation of ‘attaining a house soon’ would be viewed suspiciously.

“You’re getting a house?” If Jemma’s eyebrows raise any farther up, you think they’ll permanently combine with her hairline.

“Maybe.” Trying your hardest to make your smile seem natural, you try to distract your inner tension by once again doing menial jobs around the counter. Desperately, you try to land on a plausible excuse, if only to get Jemma’s gaze off you. “I came into some money and poked around the prospect of getting a house. It seems attainable.”

“You sure? The government likes to tax the shit out of cash gifts. Happened to my sister when our bitchy great aunt left her a savings account,” Jemma asks as she leans against a counter. As an aside, she snorts and venomously adds, “Old hag only left me a roll of toilet paper.”

You can’t help but bitterly think she could drop the subject and find something to do. Anything to get away from the topic of you. But, she’s got three years seniority on you. Instead, you embrace another lie. “Oh, I already looked into that. I’m good!”

“No shit?” Jemma’s gaze flickers from you to Tabaeus, who still seems utterly ignorant of the suspicion wafting off your co-worker.

“No shit,” you affirm, trying to pump out as much positivity as you can.

“Huh, well, good for you! Tell you what,” you glance up from refilling ingredients to see Jemma grinning at you. She pushes off the counter she’s been leaning on and takes an empty container from your hands. “Why don’t you take the rest of the evening off?”

“What?” Despite the fact Jemma has let you off early in the past, you can’t help but hear alarms ringing at the back of your head. Something just feels off, this time.

“Yeah, it’s been slow and I can handle the rest of the shift.” Jemma nods and nudges you out of the way. It’s true. The last rush of the evening is over and even that had been a rather light occurrence. A glance around the dead food court affirms how dead the area is. Jemma tosses a teasing glance at Tabaeus, her eyebrows raising again. “You got two new roomies to get comfy, don’t ya?”

You press your lips together, looking out toward the food court and the mall proper. There is a pet store on the upper level and, if you recall correctly, it was having a going-out-of-business sale. As it did every quarter.

“I suppose,” you begin to agree, your lips pursing. The alarms are still ringing in your head, but a little quieter after assessing the situation. “Are you certain you don’t want me to stick around?”

“Nah, I’ll be fine.” Your co-worker has turned her full attention to refilling stock, not even sparing you a glance. She waves a dismissive hand at you.

Unable to push it any further, you nod and smile, “Alright, thanks, Jemma.”

“Yeah, yeah, don’t mention it,” she laughs as you turn toward the backroom, hands behind your back undoing your apron. You freeze as Jemma’s taunting tone returns, her words leaving your insides squirming, “Have fun, you crazy lovebirds.”

“We’re not together!” It was all you could say as you duck into the back, your face flushing hot. Jemma’s laughter follows you to the back, where you finally untangle your apron and hang it up. You gather your things and swipe your badge, going slow just in case a sudden rush came up. But, to your luck, no one seems interested in Jollies or sweets tonight.

As you leave the back exit, shoving your work cap and badge into your bag, Tabaeus surprises you at the door.

“Hello,” they smile down at you, their hands in their pockets. You glance at the spot where their inner pocket resides, though you don’t see a writhing lump of rodentia. For the most part, the sugar gliders seem rather calm, at least.

Casting a suspicious look up at Tabaeus - recalling how they had ensorceled the annoying customer from earlier - you ask, “How’d you know I was coming out?”

“Oh, I overheard you and your colleague.” You were close to chiding Tabaeus about eavesdropping, before they added, “She also spoke to me a bit while you were preparing to leave.”

Instantly, the alarms came back. You narrow your eyes, weighing the options between Jemma ribbing Tabaeus in a friendly way or something a little more worrisome. Grabbing them by the wrist, you led them further down the hall. The thought of leaving the hall, close to the counter of Milk King Lemon Jollies and Jemma’s attention, makes something in you shrivel.

Instead, you lead Tabaeus toward a barely used stairwell. Even though it’s unlikely someone will overhear, you pitch your voice low, “What did she say?”

“Nothing much,” the vampire gives a shrug. You can feel their gaze tilted toward where your hand grasps their wrist and it makes a tingling, hot sensation creep up your arm. “She said I was not the sort you usually ‘go for’ - whatever that means - and to treat you well. That is about it.”

You give an uncertain hum, but decide to drop it. Jemma’s presence always had a habit of making you a little too sensitive. Her near-constant jokey teasing and taunting had been hard to get accustomed to. Especially in the beginning.

“I must confess,” Tabaeus begins, causing you to pause on the empty landing between sets of stairs. You turn, looking up at them curious. “I fear I did overuse my abilities.”

Sensing where this is going, you roll your eyes and drily laugh, “Oh, really?”

“Yes. A snack may help.” Tabaeus smiles, their voice dipping gently to a bashful softness.

Realizing you’re still holding their wrist - due to how the heat moving up your arm worsens - your fingers instantly snap open. Tabaeus startles at the sudden release. You try to ignore the disappointment that dances across their face, instead latching onto incredulity. “Seriously? We’re at the mall!”

“I suppose I can carry on,” Tabaeus sighs, shrugging helplessly. Again, that soft smile pulls across their lips. It’s earnest and sincere and soft. The same smile they’ve been giving you since you met and over the course of your sick days. But you still can’t help wondering how sincere and sweet it truly is. “I just would hate to fall into a swoon. Leaving you to carry not just myself, but also Bjarka and Liuva too.”

For a second, confusion cools the heat of your uncertainty. “Bjarka and Liuva?”

Tabaeus gently patted at a spot a little below their chest, where the sugar gliders lay.

Your lips twist into a puckered frown, as your eyes slip from their hand up to Tabaeus’s face. They return your dry look with one of placid innocence. The curious question of just how conniving the vampire is still rings in your thoughts. But a small part of you worries about having an unconscious vampire on your hands. Or worse, a starved vampire.

It’s doubtful Tabaeus would go blood-hungry, like that first night. But you also don’t want to risk them taking too much at the next feeding. Over the course of your sick days, the two of you even managed a good balance.

As Tabaeus waits, you realize how dim the lights are in the stairwell. The air is a little mustier than the rest of the mall. In the corner, a forgotten styrofoam cup sits. The logo on it is from an event hosted months ago.

No one will stumble on the two of you. And if they do, the stairwell is the perfect excuse for making out. Thinking that very thought makes Jemma's face, with suggestive grin and raised eyebrows, flash through your head.

“Fine,” you sigh, trying to ignore how Tabaeus’s very body language brightens. They take a step closer to you, boxing you into a corner of the stairwell. Their hands grasp at your hips, long fingers strong enough to keep you in place. Quickly, as they stoop over you, you raise a hand to their lips. “Wait.”

Tabaeus watches you carefully, hungrily, as you lean your head and expose your neck to them. You pull at the neckline of your work shirt, baring most of your shoulder to them. Your heart thrums under their gaze. A blush creeps over your cheeks, worsening as your words come out breathy and soft. “Remember, keep the marks somewhere not so obvious.”

The two of you have already discussed this facet of feeding, though you’ve had yet to experiment with novel places. Whenever you think of it, your imagination brings up the thought of Tabaeus between your legs, biting into the flesh of your thigh and your pulse jumps. Then the heat worsens when you think of how Tabaeus might know of that thought, from the other times they’ve sucked your blood.

If they can see what route your thoughts have gone down, or the flush starting to burn at your cheeks, they make no indication. Their lips graze over your shoulder, not exactly cold but not bodily warm. Against your skin, you feel their lips twitch into a smile as their breath ghosts over you, “Of course, amata trinkaĵo.”

Not quite sure when, your hands have found their way to Tabaeus’s chest, beneath their trench coat. As the familiar prick of their fangs pierce your skin, your fingers dig into and bunch the fabric of their top. Your heart pounds, the far-off sound of mall patrons seeming louder than before.

Your eyes wrench shut, imagining being found like this with Tabaeus. Their stooped form and their face against your shoulder, your little half-gasps heard by a stranger. It would look like nothing more than a salacious make-out session, wouldn’t it?

That thought makes heat sink into your core and through your body. You faintly wonder if Tabaeus can taste your blood heating up or if they know what you’re thinking. That thought just intensifies the warmth.

Tabaeus leans closer, their coat curtaining you in its folds. One of their hands skirts up your side, following the curvatures of your body through the fabric of your shirt. They tug at your shirt, freeing it from the pant waistband it had been tucked into.

Their fingers on your flesh make you inhale sharply. Your back arches at their touch, something a little more intense than a half-gasp leaving your lips. Their fingernails shift slightly into the sharper claws you remember from that first night, the sharp tips grazing your soft skin.

Your eyes snap open, realizing just how ragged your breathing has become and how, at the corner of your thoughts, you’re seeing the faintest of strange images, foreign memories. With a struggle, you gather your wits and mumble, “T-Tabaeus, that’s enough.”

The sound of your voice stills their drinking, but your stomach drops when they don’t pull away immediately. One of Tabaeus’s hands has slid to your lower back, the other returns to your hip. A vibration coils out of their chest. Low and rumbly, they growl, “I want more.”

“No, you only said a snack,” you say, your words caught between distressed and desire. You half-think Tabaeus means something other than blood. But you don’t want to think about that. Not when your heart is thrumming and your body is twinging and your head swims. Especially not when you’re both at the mall, you add to yourself, when you catch a staticky announcement playing over the building’s sound system.

“You are correct,” Tabaeus finally sighs, after a moment of silence. Their tongue takes one last swipe at the blood pooling on your skin, before pulling away. Without them so close, without their coat keeping in the heat, you suddenly feel cold.

As you get your bearings, you stare up at Tabaeus, watching as their tongue flicks over their lips. “I might regret this, but what does amata trinkaĵo mean?”

Tabaeus pauses, a flash of awkwardness creasing their features. With a cringy sort of smile, they glance down at you. “You caught that?”

“Yes.” Your eyes narrow, suddenly wondering if this was about to be a sango sako moment all over again.

Tabaeus abruptly turns away from you, taking the steps two at a time now. To their credit, even as they retreat, they answer, “Trinkaĵo means drink. You’re my favorite drink.”

“Excuse me?” You gape after the fleeing vampire, their footsteps pounding up the stairs. Your own footfalls soon follow suit, with a bit more oomph than theirs.

Tabaeus gets to the landing before you and they look around the large corridor of the mall, their hand shielding their eyes theatrically. With an exaggerated motion of their hand, they point to your destination and loudly say, “Oh, is that the animal supply store? Better get there before they close.”

They’re already halfway to the store by the time your feet hit the landing. You glare after them, lips pressed tightly. It takes you a second to follow after them. Your pride still burns at being called a favorite drink. Like you’re nothing more than a soda fountain for the vampire.

But you follow Tabaeus into the pet store, reminding yourself bitterly that this visit is all because of them, as well. They just had to take a pair of sugar gliders from someone on the subway. You shake your head, heaving a sigh. Stepping into the store, you easily find Tabaeus, already assessing a number of enclosures.

You fall into place beside them, but as your shoulder mildly throbs, you half-regret letting Tabaeus bum a snack off you.

Part of you can’t quite discern what the other half is feeling, though. And that worries you.

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talldarkandroguesome · 11 months

Text

7th of Midyear, Middas

Tharn and I arrived ahead of schedule and he expected that his sister was already going to make us wait before seeing us, so he offered to give me some insight into her rule and the way she governed in order for me to better understand the situation.

I indulged him, as I have been instructed to do. I was pretty interested in learning more anyways and it must be said that when Tharn is not being a total arse, he can actually be rather considerate in his observations.

And so we left our beautiful red coach and headed northward, up the long stairs into the upper portion of the city. Tharn wanted to stress to me that, despite the appearance of a peaceful city, the conditions, particularly for the Khajiit were far beyond what could be imagined.

We started with the workhouse. Unlike the workhouses that I have seen before, which, while not the most elegant solution to getting more of the populous employed, are at least, at their heart, a good faith effort to help those in need.

This workhouse was different. It only took Khajiit workers. Those who fell behind in debt, presumably directly money going into Euraxia’s coffers, could join the workhouse. Once there, the costs of room and board were deducted from the already low wages, leaving those who had come to pay off debts, only further indebted.

As we watched the Imperial guards, massive weapons and heavy plate armor, guarding the workhouse, Tharn explained that this was just a part of the method Euraxia used to oppress the Khajiit within their own homeland. She levied taxes and tariffs that only applied to Khajiit citizens.

I knew that the Imperials had horrible methods of government that worked to compound the pressure on those who might seek to escape from under their rule. An enemy who cannot meet their basic needs is not in a good position to have the resources to combat you. That is the sort of thinking of Euraxia. It is smart in some ways but overall disgusting.

Tharn then brought me to the market and showed me that the Khajiit merchants were given higher cost for their stalls and that they had to pay a fur tax. I was already keeping myself steady so as not to tremble with anger. The explanation of it was even more infuriating, extra inspections to ensure that “fur does not enter products sold” and extra money collected under the claim of paying specially trained inspectors. I could have torn Euraxia’s eyes out.

We finished our tour of Euraxia’s immoral practices at the edge of the palace, overlooking the city’s grand walls. Tharn pointed out the trebuchets. In particular, the direction they faced. Not outward, as though to repel invaders, but inward, towards the people. It was a threat against the Khajiit and the Khajiiti Defense Force in particular. Anyone who spoke against Euraxia’s rule faced a minimum of deep fines, seizure of property, and imprisonment. And that for any greater dissonance, maximum force would be used.

Apparently, she tells her non-Khajiit residents, who are made to live in different areas of the city, that only the Khajiit areas of Rimmen will be fired up. I asked Tharn if it was even possible with such crude weapon. He laughed and told me no, there was no way that further destruction would be contained. It was just something told to keep the non-Khajiit compliant and at peace. Despite this, Euraxia would destroy the whole of the city rather than cede control back to its rightful rulers.

Given what I heard the main say about how she had marched in and demanded a meeting with the King and Queen of Rimmen and then slain them and their entire family in order to make sure that there was no other legitimate heir to the throne, I can easily imagine her making such threats. What a horrible woman. Successful, yes, but horrible. There are tactics that work and then there are tactics that work without compromising every ounce of moral fiber inside you.

We returned back to the inn, the appointed time still not yet arrived. And in thanks for his tour and the intelligence he provided, I left Nettle to restock our provisions and the guards to wait outside, and then I showed Tharn my appreciation. I was very thorough, as I always am in such cases. But I thought it was particularly important that he be at his most relaxed before going into such a crucial negotiation.

He has gone to bathe and I have changed into clothes more befitting of my new role. Let us hope that Euraxia will not simply slay us all the moment we enter the palace.

#ESO #TES #RP #Dunmer #Elder Scrolls Online #The Elder Scrolls

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harrison-abbott · 11 months

Text

a helpful vision

Gill worked in the little grocery store. It was supposed to be a fancy place, and they (the company) played classical music on the overhead stereos to make it seem plush. And canned soup which cost 80p in the supermarket cost £2.50 here. That kinda joint. Whilst Gill and the others were on minimum wage. But, hey: at least she had work.

Kids came in every weekday and they almost always stole stuff and she didn’t care. Middle aged men played the lottery. There was this younger regular who bought flowers for his girlfriend a lot and he smelled of this specific type of aftershave that prickled Gill’s nose, and, after he’d paid, made her sneeze.

She worked until midnight. After ten hours of doing nothing but think. About the past. And the tumultuous relationships with her elder sister and her father. When she got home she drank cheap wine.

And the next day, whilst she wasn’t pondering family issues: she did have this image, which seemed to help.

It was a scene, rather. This particular event, in her imagination, that happened inside the store. A bomb. Would explode, inside the shop. And those long rows of cans and jars and bottles would all explode. Gory tomato juice and the milk cartons in the fridge, and the glass on the fridge doors too and they would all whoosh in the air and fly in crazy directions and the lights on the ceiling would smash (and those horrid speakers, too) and none of the customers or Gill’s colleagues or her would be spared from the colourful gnarly debris raging!

Hmm. She thought about that, right now, as this old chap was buying his newspaper. This friendly chap who always asked her how she was. Must’ve been in his eighties.

It wasn’t a cruel thought at all. Just a fantasy she’d developed, and, like a dream, something she had little control over.

A real bomb never did go off. She never told anyone about her explosive vision.

#writeblr #stories #prose #short fiction #creative writing

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sehodreams · 6 months

Note

when i saw that there’d be an update, i was expecting more trauma.

First, i imagine the reader would WANT to leave the toxic work environment but can’t afford to change companies, and can’t take the risk of asking SM to transfer her to a new group. She isn’t choosing to stay because she “loves the boys” or “loves her work”, but rather, as a min-wage worker, she’s has no choice but to stay. (which is kind of sexy in a dubcon world because duh...no choice but to remain victimized.)

next, i also imagine she behaves slightly differently after the incident. Before, she might go to each member to ask one-by-one if they need things, she’s tend to them individually, but now she’d talk to the whole group at once: “you guys need anything?” “Does fried chicken sound good to you all?” She’d place a cooler on the table, “Everyone, take a water bottle.” This allows her to limit engaging one-on-one with wonbin.

I would also imagine she’d be at least a bit traumatized, and that it’d manifest in ways she might not be consciously aware of: loss of appetite; covered head to toe in layers of oversized clothes, nothing form fitting; putting less effort to her appearance (e.g., less makeup, not accessorizing, no longer painting her nails, etc.). She doesn't want wonbin to think she's pretty because that means he'll violate her again and she wants to avoid that at all costs.

Still, she feels the wounded threads of her heart tear even more every time she /has/ to interact with wonbin. her legs go numb when he passes by her and envelopes her in a waft of his cologne mixed with musky sweat, reminding her of the same scent violating her earlier. she swallows the bitter bile in her throat at every roll call when she reaches wonbin’s name. her hands tremble at the door knob of his bedroom as she prepares herself to wake him up. she wants to tear her ears out when she hears him laugh across the room at something sohee said.

I imagined wonbin the same way you did. He’s a gift and a terror. Sometimes, he does her a favor and treats her like she’s the most forgettable, dull, uninteresting, unremarkable grey wallpaper. He never brings up the incident. He doesn’t seek her attention. He doesn’t make special requests. He complies with her instructions. He up & out of bed immediately when she wakes him up.

Other times, he’s salt on her wounds. After events, as the manager comes to collect some of their wardrobe items, he drops his blazer by his feet, forcing the manager to kneel before him as if to taunt “you belong on your knees”. Or, she feels someone staring at the back of head, and when she turns around to face the eyes, she sees him sitting on the waiting room sofa, nonchalantly splitting an apple with his bare hands and taking a bite of a split half as if to remind her how easily he could hurt her.

as you can see, i’m far more obsessed with the reader than wonbin lol! she’s very interesting to me. i want to bubble wrap her but also kind of want to see wonbin break her will hehe! i love this world/fic that you built, it has inspired so much thought in me

Wow, so here comes an spoiler

So there's actually a whole background to reader's personality too, she's older than him and is working as a manager, but she comes from a lot of minimum wage jobs because, sadly, she had problems and couldn't go to college, and one of the reasons she loves her job is because she actually has been a manager before but THEY TREATED LIKE SHIT, sometimes not even paying her because it was one of those many companies that failed, and when she landed with this manager job she decided to give her best to make it endure and get a better position in the future (she doesn't many options neither). Also, the boys are actually pretty cool with her and she feels a connection because they told her how was their manager before and about their real lives and struggles, and she knows how it is to people to treat you like shit, so she has formed a kind of relationship with them (on her head).

But something i kinda wanted to put after time (and okay here comes the spoiler) is that at some point she realizes that they're just coworkers, not the marvelous idea of real friends she made on her head, and that's one of the reasons after so much suffering, she ends up leaving her job (and after one situation I'll put after). So yeah, we'll pop her bubble.

Ego!Wonbin actually believes he deserves everything in this world, and has found a person that struggled to get where she is, even if it's not far for many, and that feels like they doesn't have much to offer so they're an easy target for people like him. Also, he's trying to make her think that she'll never find someone that wants her like him again, to convince her she has to be grateful, adding that reader is scared of going back to her old life.

Reader's always wore clothes that covered her, she has never dressed to impressed so there's not much to change about her wardrobe.

Still, I love how much you've said, i really like the cooler scene because it shows a clear contrast on the treat reader gives to the boys before and after. AND OH GOD, THE APPLE SCENE, it shows so much how he can hurt her with little to no effort, and i imagine him making a smirk and licking the juices that covered his hand too, slowly, showing her how much he enjoys to break her a little more every time. (If I end stealing your ideas please don't hate me, they're soooo good)

And it's true, it'd be better if she tried to engage less with Wonbin, I've seen there are many ways to deal with traumatic experiences, and the things you've mentioned are really usual ways, i guess i focused too much in the ways I've seen in my life, but you've made such an excellent point, there are things one does without even realizing, the nails are one of them and i can completely see reader losing one of the little things she does to feel better with herself. She has bad problems with self-steem so she never did things that showed, afraid of getting laughed at, however the nails would be such a perfect thing because they're so small not many notice it, but a thing that could be important for her to feel better with herself.

I love your ideas, you have a great mind, i hope i continue receiving your comments because i love the way you think!

And oh god i feel a little bad because i think i ruined the idea of many about how ego!wonbin and insecure!plus size!reader story could've been hahaha

#riize x plus size reader #dark!wonbin

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hardynwa · 11 months

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Sallah: Long wait for buyers at ram markets as price skyrockets

Ram sellers are feeling effects of the fuel subsidy removal as they record low sales and many buyers are not turning up ahead of Sallah, TOSIN OYEDIRAN writes The Muslim festival, Eid al-Adha, also known as the “Festival of Sacrifice,” involves the ritual sacrifice of an animal, usually a goat, sheep, cow, or camel, to commemorate Prophet Ibrahim’s (Abraham’s) willingness to sacrifice his son as an act of obedience to God. With barely two days until the festival, the prices of permissible animals for sacrifice have skyrocketed as our correspondents observe in different parts of the country. The PUNCH reports that the May 29 declaration of President Bola Tinubu that “subsidy is gone” has eventually put paid to the decade-long tussle over the removal of subsidy on Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol. Petrol prices jumped from N195/litre to over N500/litre in all states and the Federal Capital Territory, two days after the President’s pronouncement during his inaugural speech as Nigeria’s 16th President. A Nigerian-based business administrator, Mrs Kaosara Fadesere, said that, if consumers were aware and educated that there would be a removal of subsidy they might actually work towards buying it ahead, like in January, and stock it until this time instead of paying this exorbitant price. Being a Muslim too, she said, “I knew someone who bought five rams in January and each was less than N50,000, and now, just five months later, none goes for less than N150,000. So if we had been aware of the removal of subsidy and how it would invariably affect transportation costs, we might have planned ahead. “However, it is only a consumer who is financially buoyant that will be able to do that, that would be able to spare some unused money to get rams or goats, months ahead before the Eid. Even if they’d announced it to all Nigerians, many Nigerians would still not buy because of the nation’s economic instability. Imagine rams going for five to ten times higher and even more than our minimum wage. “Also, the planning would only affect the ram; what about the many other things needed for Eid, whose prices also skyrocketed?” When asked to consider the market dynamics and speculations to determine whether or not the sellers were going overboard with making excessive profits, she quizzed, “Why do they sell less, months before Eid, double and triple the price weeks/days before Eid, and eventually settle for less after Eid? “It is as a result of demand. It will be cheaper when the demand is low but at higher prices when it’s high. Therefore, after Eid, when demand reduces, it drops. Thus, it can be said that the fuel subsidy removal isn’t the real and only cause. It’s the demand. It is a marriage of demand and the multiplier effect of transportation costs and the cost of production (feeding and cleaning). The fuel pump prices jumped from around N190 to N550, or even more. And business owners must maximise profit. That’s a realistic proposition. What you called ‘excessive profits’ that sellers are making is a result of demand. That’s basic economics. May Allah ease our affairs.” In her remarks, a buyer at the Kara livestock market in Ajase-Ipo, Kwara State, Mrs O.N. Bakare, said she had a budget to buy from and did not plan on exceeding it, with or without the subsidy removal. “It is important to note that various other factors, including local supply and demand, animal prices, livestock market regulations, and consumer purchasing power, can influence the sales and price of cattle during the Eid festival. These factors tend to have a greater influence on the pricing and availability of animals for ritual sacrifice than fuel subsidies,” she said. Bakare, who identified herself as a secondary school teacher in Ilorin, Kwara State, said that has been her custom for the last six years as she can’t pay the exorbitant prices they are sold at in Osogbo, where she and her family would join their extended family to celebrate the festival. She added, “The relative effect of the naira devaluation and fuel subsidy removal led to an increase in transportation costs, affecting the overall cost of goods and services, including transportation-dependent industries. “These economic factors are influenced by consumer preferences and market competition. In areas where there are multiple cattle markets with numerous sellers, the biting effect won’t be much. That is why I come down to Ajase to buy it since it is closer to Osogbo, where it would be transported. Cities and developed areas might face more significant challenges. There would be few markets to survey and fewer options to choose from. “Obviously, demand and supply dynami“Sales have been very poor,” said Baba Ahmed, a seller at the Kara Market. “Nobody is lining up to buy anything. Take a look about; you’ll notice how boring the market is. The withdrawal of subsidy has a large impact. I have roughly 120 rams and goats in total, but I haven’t sold more than 50 of them,” he lamented. Similarly, an Ikire-based social analyst and farmer, Mr Abdullahi Adegboyega, agrees that a hike in price is the natural response to an increase in demand for any commodity and that it wouldn’t be wrong to attribute the current hike in the price of rams and other in-demand livestock to the Eid festival. He said, “One might fall into the error of being narrow in one’s approach if the prevailing economic situation is not factored into one’s analysis. Yes, the current high price of PMS and other fuel being used to power automobiles, occasioned by the deregulation of the downstream sector of the economy, has a much greater role to play at this time.” Adegboyega noted that livestock production monopolisation in the North will always affect the market here in the western part of the country. This is because he identified that consumer awareness and planning are essential as much as livestock production must be taken serious in the West to reduce the overdependence on the North. He stated that “The monopoly of livestock production by northern Nigeria and the greed of southerners who travel to the North to bring in the sacrificial animals to maximise profit contribute more to the hike. Consumer awareness and planning, of course, is another thing. I’ll use myself as an example here. Having understood the dynamics that play out vis-à-vis the price of rams during Eid for many years, I planned ahead and bought my rams two months earlier, since I know my farming and animal husbandry basics. As of now, the size of the ram I bought for N60,000 and N70,000 now goes for nothing less than N100,000 to N150,000. I did my market survey before eventually buying within Ikire, Iwo, and Ibadan. I visited livestock markets in Akinyele and Iwo Road (both in Ibadan, Oyo State); Odo-ori and Kara (both in Iwo, Osun State); and Sabo Ikire, Ikire Integrated Livestock Market, Opposite Unity School, Ikire, Osun State. “It is clear that consumer behaviour plays a great role in either escalating or de-escalating hikes in price. If consumers could respond in such a way that demand livestock during this time would be reduced by buying months earlier, it is certain that market forces would not be stopped from tending towards a price hike. Further, the southerners need to wake up and invest more in ram production; that way, the cost of transportation can be eliminated and the price of animals would be more agreeable.” When asked what could possibly be the best way forward and a plausible solution, and if there are interventional approaches to address the ram hike issues, he said government at all levels, non-government bodies, and associations have roles to play. “Some state governors do give festive period bonuses, while others pay the salary of the month corresponding to the festival much earlier, even if the festival comes up at a time that salary payment isn’t due, like the middle of the month. The Federal Government, I think, does this. I know of some other privately-owned businesses that do the same. However, more could be done to mitigate the bite of the current economic realities. Cooperative organisations can be empowered with funds to buy livestock in bulk and sell it among their members at a minimum profit rate. Workers could be given advances and loans to spread over a few months for repayment. “There could also be a scheme that empowers smallholder farmers in the South-West with loan facilities to expand their farms and raise livestock in larger numbers. An increase in production would bring down the price. Improving local production would have a better result within a short while, given that the minimum prescribed age of the sacrificial ram for Eid is six months.” Meanwhile, an Islamic scholar and academic from the University of Ilorin, Ustadh Abdulgafar Sarumi, advises that Muslims must cut their coats according to their size. He advised that just as there are rams that go for half a million naira and even more, there are those within a modest range that will equally be status befitting and presentable. He said, “It is a good intention that matters most. Whoever buys the biggest ram on the street or in the area shouldn’t be our focus. It is not a competition. God forbids unhealthy competition. This is against Islamic doctrine. No one cares who bought the bigger rams, sheep, goats, or camels. You cut your coat according to your size. So, once it (the animal) is within the stipulated age, within your budget range, and in good condition, go ahead and buy it.” The PUNCH reports that Eid-al-Adha is one of the most important festivals in the Muslim calendar, and it is celebrated on the 10th day of Dhul-Hijjah, the last month of the Islamic calendar year. It is the second of two great Muslim festivals, the other being Eid-al-Fitri, marked on the first day of a new month (Shawwal) after the 30 days of fasting in the month of Ramadan. The historical festival marks the culmination of the Hajj (pilgrimage) rites at Minā, Saudi Arabia, near Mecca, and is celebrated by Muslims throughout the world. As with Eid al-Fitr, it is distinguished by the performance of communal prayer (Salat Eid-al-Adha) at daybreak. Read the full article

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youngjaneiro · 2 years

Text

It would take hours upon hours to tell a therapist. Lucky for them, they get paid by the hour. Their job is thus to sustain you over a long period of time rather than actually get to the root. Because if they simply give you the catharsis that you need then how would they be able to live the comfortable middle class life?

I already got to the root of my problems and how my society failed me while trying to make me out to be the one to blame.

All for one, the govt and the 1% that dominates how these politicians will work together or not.

So when cinema is doing all of what she's doing for "business growth"

I wonder how many ppl are currently facing a situation like mine and if someone like her even notices while trying to keep her seat under the lie that she's a democrat.

Why shouldn't the big business have to pay? I have to pay just to defend my life from a system that's literally trying to kill me, why in the fuck sake should a business that makes millions every year not have to pay? How is it that I, a broke-ass American have to pay more in taxes than the actual companies, not even just the rich CEO who found the loopholes and was rich enough to exploit but the actual COMPANY?

And to imagine that sham of a president ran on the slogan, making America great again.

"make America exploit again" should of been the slogan.

America was great in times when the heads of the nation saw a problem within how society was operating then chose to make risky changes at the cost of upsetting the status quo.

It may of been a difficult era but the president who decides jim crow laws are terrible and maybe kids should have access to the same things despite race and a bunch of other factors most likely made America better than your last president. Imagine someone using that lie and ppl galvanizing behind it.

Because a raise in gdp isn't what ever made America great. It was the fact that it was supposedly getting closer to being a place of "equality"

Having the CHANCE to possibly work your way up. Most ppl are trapped at a minimum wage job, what was great about the last decade?

Tell me the advancements so I can open your eyes and shoot that shit down for you.

You got a new phone and with each passing year instead of that phone getting cheaper, it got more expensive. Then you got a wireless signal to connect your phone to because mobile data costs more than you know.

Maybe you got a new burger at a fast food joint.

A television show that most ppl can't even watch because they couldn't afford premium channels where someone is allowed to make thought provoking work.

A laundry mat level washing machine in the home... Wait that was something ppl got access to in the early 2000s and still isn't common place in a majority of homes this proving that classes are further separating.

The washing machine in that Houston home is so out of date. A house in grand mission had much better.

What advancement were made in the last decade that actually mattered or improved the quality of life?

Don't worry, I'll wait.

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whatthefuckisasweep · 3 years

Text

hey, everyone. i dont want to ask much but im in a huge bind. i am not the type to talk about myself or my life but. right now i need as much help as i can get.

I am moving into an apartment soon, and my school covered all my costs until this year. due to my PARENTS tax information they only JUST NOW REVIEWED, they are deeming my financial need to be 0. This is untrue. my father is old, 70+, and he does not work. my mother works a minimum wage job. my brother is in highschool. me and my brother dont have cars, so we cannot commute to work. the reason why we were denied is because our taxes were high last year due to my mother giving into gambling for a while (but she is much better now). this did not earn us much profits, as you can imagine. with COVID and family matters we placed our finances elsewhere, not expecting this. but now… we 100% cannot pay for our tuition + apartment with FIVE roommates - as a dean’s list who just received admission into my major, I cannot pay to get in.

So, I am getting a loan. But the loan can only reach a certain amount for my year. But. I had a scholarship that covered a lot. I thought I was guaranteed that scholarship as long as I had good grades, but I guess I was wrong. It was canceled too, just today, and I do not know why. My parents have horrible credit due to their own past mistakes too, and it is affecting me and their ability to get a loan themselves. We didnt expect this, so I already signed the lease to my apartment. Everything is so last minute that we have decided to sell our house of 19 years that I grew up in, but it will take a while and tuition, rent, food stuff, and moving in is all urgent soon. I am so shellshocked about how quick this happened and how little time I have to fix it, and how slow the contact with any help has been that it’s just been a week of feeling like i have no good luck left. just one thing after another coming down.

If we can just earn the scholarship money back - $4,000 - then we should be good for now. We will need this before October 15. Please, if you can, share this and boost it. If you want anything, commission or a fic, just hit me up and I will do my best to fulfill what you ask and give you something for your work. My comms sheets are attached too, below the cut.

My paypal is janana7676

My venmo is janana76

Literally anything helps, even a dollar or a reblog

Thank you.

#boost #need help #help #i dont wanna ask but. Also. I really need this i am so terrified honestly.#its one thing to be really struggling and another to then realize your school doesnt want to take care of you #and this is all SO last minute. Its terrible. I feel so sick #i have to move in soon and i just. really am struggling #please reblog #share #signal boost #queer asian creative cant go to college bc parents mistakes… fuck…#commission #art #fic #fanfic

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atlabeth · 3 years

Text

transferred part six - atla smau

TRANSFERRED - zuko x fem!reader

masterlist | part 5 | part 7

summary: trying to run from your past is hard, but falling for your brother’s roommate is even harder. little do you know that he’s falling for you as well.

warning(s): mentions of toxic relationships, cursing, very unnecessary details resulting in a very uninteresting chapter. sorry

a/n: guys thank you so so SO much for all the love you’re giving this series oh my god. i didn’t think this many people would like it but!! im so glad you all are. i love you all so much mwah. also this is a bit of a filler chapter but thats okay

taglist: @ourbestfriend-mishacollins @lil-lex1 @xxshad0wxb1rdxx @zuko-is-the-sun @akiris @irohs-teapot @thatarthistorynerd @charlenasaxen @minninugget @marvel-ousnesss @count-thotticus @what-ye-egg @furblrwurblr @thesstuff @mariachiii @ietss

After getting the text from Zuko you grabbed your bag from the spot next to you and hurried over to his car, hopping in the passenger seat and setting your bag on the floor below you. The two of you exchanged smiles and Zuko started to drive as you got settled.

“So, how was your first day of classes? Is BSSU as great as you imagined?” You expected him to push you further about what happened earlier, but he didn’t. You appreciated that more than he knew.

You chuckled and shrugged. “I think it’s a little too early to tell, but I am enjoying my classes. I got to take an online course a while back as a sort of trial run to see if I would like how things were here, and being in person was even better. It’s so much bigger than Kyoshi and I’m into that. I like being able to just.. be another person in the scheme of things.”

Zuko nodded and was about to say something when he suddenly slammed on the brakes. You jolted forward but were stopped by Zuko’s arm, which was held out in front of you as he honked his horn at a car that had gone across the intersection without waiting.

You told yourself that his reaction was pure instinct, you even did it with your passengers when you were driving, but you couldn’t ignore how fast your heart was beating. Just adrenaline from the quick stop. Get over yourself.

“You okay?” He asked, quickly looking over at you before his eyes settled back on the road.

“Yeah,” you said as you fiddled with your hands in your lap. “Just unexpected. And no offense to your driving, but I miss being at the wheel, and I hate making you drive me places. Shame fixing my car is probably gonna cost a ton of money that I don’t have.”

“Y/N, I’ve already told you that I don’t mind driving you places. We live in the same place and we go to the same place every day so it’s not inconvenient at all. But if you’re worried about money, I can put in a word for you at my uncle’s teashop. I’ve been working there since my freshman year of high school just to take a break from school, and it’s surprisingly nice. It pays more than minimum wage too, so it’s probably better than anything else you could get.”

“Are you saying that I can’t get a good job?” You asked with mock contempt.

“Oh, uh- no! Of course not! I just mean that you’re in college and you’re desperate for work so you’ll probably end up getting a minimum wage job anyways and minimum wage work isn’t bad but it’s not great for keeping yourself afloat and—” Zuko cringed as he dug himself into an even deeper hole, and you laughed at how adorable he was.

“Calm down Zuko, I’m just teasing you. That’s a really generous offer, but—”

“You’re not being a burden, you’re not imposing, you’re not making things difficult, and I’m not doing this because I pity you. Y/N, I’m trying to help you because I want to help you.” He glanced over at your stunned expression and gave a slight smile. “Does that cover all your self-deprecating bases?”

You had known the man for less than a week and somehow he was already able to see right through you. You gave a slow nod, still getting over your shock, and smiled back. “Yeah, actually. I guess if it’s really okay with you, then... I’d love to get an interview.”

The two of you smiled at each other for a moment before your eyes focused on a sign outside of his window and you cursed under your breath. “Actually, Zuko, can you drop me off here? I promised a friend that lives in the city that I would meet her at a cafe to talk about what’s been going on the past few years, and I almost forgot. It’s right over there — she can give me a ride home.”

He nodded and pulled into an open spot on the side of the street, unlocking the doors once he had stopped the car. You grabbed your bag and got out of the car, grinning at him as you did so. “Thank you so much for the ride and all of the future rides and the job interview and for letting me live with you and for literally everything you’ve already done for me. I’ll see you tonight!”

You waved as you ran off and he smiled as he returned the wave, very much thinking about how this mirrored the scenario this morning. This time though, he was thinking about you with happiness instead of confusion. Zuko already liked you, and he was looking forward to becoming closer as time went on. It wasn’t anything romantic as far as he knew, but spending time with you was.. nice. And in between living together, working in anthro together, and hopefully becoming coworkers at the Jasmine Dragon, he was going to be able to hang out with you plenty.

He stayed in the spot until he was sure that you had gotten into the cafe safely, then he pulled out and continued on the way home.

~~woohoo timeskip. this is the next morning~~

#zuko x reader #zuko #zuko x y/n #atla #atla fic #atla smau #smau #avatar #avatar the last airbender #zuko smau #social media au #sadie writes

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phoenotopia · 3 years

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The Last Phoenotopia Blog Update

(Date 2021 MAR 01)

I debated how to open this blog post, but perhaps the main crux of this blog post is the best place to start. The blog is being retired.

The purpose of this blog was to be a "development" blog for Phoenotopia, and well, Phoenotopia's development is done. I'll still be doing bug fixes and maintenance on the PC and Switch versions, and playstation and xbox ports are underway (by a publisher). But I'm not going to be making any more major changes to the game. At some point, you put the paintbrush down and say it's done. Blemishes and all.

Recent Events

The game launched on Steam last month, and like any launch, it was hectic. Bugs Galore. This is our first commercial PC launch, so it was a real baptism by fire. Unlike Switch's one configuration, the PC has multiple configurations and factors to account for. The game needed to be able to handle multiple control schemes, screen resolutions, refresh rates, and more! I had a 60Hz monitor going into launch and didn't know anything about Hz (I do now). There was a troublesome stutter that some players were sensitive to that my whole team didn't notice since our eyes compensated it away. There were a few times where in fixing something at one party's behest, it introduced problems for another party. A few times, due to disorganization, I unwittingly rolled back a fix that was meant to be applied. For some, the game couldn't play at all (really glad Steam allows refunds).

It was messy. It was tiring. I.AM.BEAT.

I think the worst of it is over... I'll still be around to do the last updates and bug fixes, but I'm ultimately ready for what's next.

SO what is next?

What isn't next... is Phoenotopia 2. As you may have heard down the grapevine, the game couldn't be what you call successful. No one's earned even minimum wage on it.

Maybe there's hope in the game's long tail. A year or two down the line... maybe. I won't hold my breath though. At some point in the past few months, I finished processing (or grieving) and it's time to move on.

The game has at least earned enough for us to continue our modest operations. As long as we don't expand the team, and we don't take another monster six-year dev cycle like what Phoenotopia took, we can continue. We'll have to be smarter and faster. Perhaps the most valuable thing we gained from all this is experience.

The Experience

It is a dev blog. Here are some of the lessons I've accumulated from this game's development.

- Have a good menu design. Menus aren't just that in-between fluff before you get to the good stuff. Menus are KEY. Your menus need to be robust, expandable, and *understandable* (to you, the developer). Because once the game's out, you will invariably be asked to add more options. And if your menu design is bad, every time you have to add a new menu option, it becomes a whole new pain all over again. Support mouse from the get-go, etc.

- Focus on features that people will actually care about. For instance, I've never seen anyone praise the camera's zoom feature. In practice, people try that feature a few times and then never use it again. But that feature was a constant consideration factor for every level. Run through it multiple times to make sure the level didn't break, think about which zoom levels made sense, resize rooms because they worked at one zoom level but not the other, and so on.

- Don't do boxes that you can move around. Other 2D platformers avoid movable boxes because they're a huge headache to program and they really complicate the game space. Enemies need to respond to boxes you throw in their path and either navigate around or attack it. When you're moving the box, you have to worry about constantly changing your collision size and reconciling when the box gets snagged on the environment. The boxes were also a constant source of bugs because people can manipulate them to soft-lock themselves and more.

- More focused script. Phoenotopia's 100,000+ word script was panned more for being bloated than it was praised for being lengthy. Long scripts take a long time to write and make the game more unwieldy, increasing the costs of translation and upkeep. Every update we're addressing some textual error or mistranslation. There are some highly renowned games (e.g. Hyper Light Drifter) that do without a script at all!

- Be flashy! A bat and a lightsaber take the same amount of work to program, but the lightsaber will draw a lot more attention and interest.

- Slopes, surprisingly! Six years ago when I started, Unity was ill-equipped for 2D games. If you used the physics that Unity provided you'd have a really floaty character that wouldn't adhere to the slope when going downhill. There were a hundred different tutorials saying different things (use forces, use move position, use translation, etc). You can get rectangular collisions done in a day, but to do slopes took weeks. Meanwhile, games can actually get by fine without slopes. Most people won't even notice. Did you know the Phoenotopia flash game didn't have slopes? Neither does Hollow Knight or Rogue Legacy. You can save yourself a lot of work by avoiding slopes.

(big entities look weird on slopes. Bad slope!)

I could write enough little knowledge nuggets like this to fill a book! But I'd rather just make the next game.

So… what IS next?

As mentioned previously, it's not Phoenotopia 2. Pirate and I are mostly just tossing some ideas back and forth right now. We'll go silent for a year (or two). Our next game's scope will be more modest in some ways, more ambitious in others. It will definitely be more smartly designed. (There will be a map!)

We'll announce it when it's ready for the public. It might be necessary for us to do a kickstarter. I've tried to avoid kickstarters having been burnt on quite a few myself and also because I worry that mismanaging a kickstarter would earn the ire of backers.

But I did keep this blog regularly updated for six years. So I've gained some confidence in my abilities to at least manage a kickstarter well.

Is it really the last Phoenotopia Blog update though?

Okay, not really. There is some news that I'll need to announce, and this blog is one of the game's main outreach channels. Here are the events that will cause me to update the blog:

Announcing the launch of the xbox/playstation ports when they're ready

If a physical edition of the game happens

If a new language is getting introduced into the game (Korean is a high possibility)

When we're ready to talk about our next game

If (BIG IF) we begin development on a Phoenotopia sequel. I do want to do a sequel one day if we have the means and the demand is there.

Those updates will be more on a "when they happen" basis, rather than me reporting in every couple months.

Fan Art

As always, I'm very happy to see fanart of Phoenotopia. Major thanks again to Pimez for collecting all the artwork from the corners of the internet! Since this is the "last" blogpost, Sir Pimez can finally take a rest from collecting the fanart :P

ÆV made a series of pictures that tell a story. A Pooki is humanely sheared of its wool to create a hat. The Pooki is unharmed. Nice! Gotta love Gail’s expressions.

Amagoo Mazeru makes a stunning landscape shot of a full moon and shooting stars. It’s a sharp and clear vector art. I like the faint glow of the moon and the fire and the subtle gradient in the night sky. Very skillfully done!

Hah hah. I got a chuckle out of this one. I imagine this is how Gail's enemies see her by the end of the game. CaESar made this image based on TerminalMontage's famous youtube videos. Nailed it!

CrownStar drew two pictures of Gail. I'm a big player of JRPGs, so the first shot instantly reminded me of Persona 4's art style. (Hmmm... Phoeonotopia as a JRPG... there’s potential there...) Next, Birdy is shown carried off after her defeat. I really like Birdy's expression here - she just seems mildly uncomfortable.

There's a bit of a story behind the first image. As Firanka shares it, she wasn't able to defeat the Big Eye monster at the end of the flash game, so she believed a tall tale that what awaited after was a 6 armed Kobold boss. Hilarious! The second is a rendition of the lonely Anuri elder. A rare subject. The loneliness is portrayed well here. I feel lonely just looking at it!

Koo_chop draws the clash between Gail and Katash at the top of the towers. I really like this interpretation of the game's art style. It’s faithful to the in-game graphics. And the lighting, from the glow of Gail's bat, to Katash's sword, and the lightning in the background... Amazing!

Lime Hazard shows Gail with a salute pose. Very appropriate for this occasion. I also like how there's a slight tilt in the angle that Gail is portrayed. Those dynamic angles are always hard to get right, and Lime Hazard pulled it off very skillfully. See you next mission!

Lyoung0J with a digital painting of Gail posed sitting on a rock. I like how it almost seems like she was caught in a candid moment - she’s smiling, but also feeling self-conscious. Cute! The art style really pops, and I like how Gail is sporting what I call the old anime style nose.

MyUesrNameIsSh*t with a sketch of Gail performing a skillful slingshot. I like how Gail is depicted with her tongue out in a mischievous manner, the way all mischievous people with slingshots do.

Niitsu Kentaro returns with a 2021 Happy New Year picture. That happened didn't it? A New Year... Gail's pose gave me a chuckle with how she seems to be waving the bat around as casually as one would wave hello. And "Phoenotopiyear"... Well said! One day we'll have our Phoenotopiyear...

Ochan Nu breaks all records with a stunning NINE pictures in one session :O

There's so many goodies here. My favorite would be the one with Gail staring intently at the screen - it's like she's looking directly at you. You almost feel uncomfortable.

Next, there's an Animal Crossing villager dressed as Gail and sporting her pink hair. It even looks like a house Gail would live in. Gail is a connoisseur of the arts and likes Mona Lisa. Yes :)

There are various comics of Gail pointing out Gail's weird food habits. A picture of Fran looking really cool, and even Gail rocking a bathing suit. (bathing suit image linked here in case NSFW). Wow!

Pimez didn't just collect the arts, he creates them as well! This one, which he aptly named 'The Year 175' is a depiction of when the dragons invaded the towers as told by an elderly Daean woman. Great pixeling skills! I got a good chuckle from the ice dragon leaving with its stuff slung over its shoulder.

Quo made a stunning picture of Gail playing the flute surrounded by the 5 musical notes and the Phoenix logo behind her. The theme seems to be "fire" and it works really well. Gail herself looks awesome depicted in her red suit - it's like she's leading a marching band!

Rai Asuha depicts Gail in the late game with her red suit, and night star bat, and holding a lamp. She looks ready for adventure! I really like the white outline here and Gail's poofy shoulders here - the art style feels reminiscent of Final Fantasy Tactics.

Seri also draws Gail bearing her late game equipment. Unique to Seri's drawing is how all of Gail's equipment is accessible from a pocket on her shirt. I also like how Gail is depicted with her lucky earrings - that accessory is often forgotten.

Treedude depicts Gail with a bat and wearing a funny smirk. She looks like she's ready to hurt someone!

Warotar returns with everyone's favorite Great Drake, Bubbles! It seems so happy to be featured!

I'm really grateful for all the fanart this game has received. From the bottom of my heart, thank you!

Closing Notes

Pirate drew a picture to mark the occasion. It shows Gail enjoying a hot chocolate with marshmallows and a pumpkin muffin. A rest well-earned...

Goodbye! Until next time!

#phoenotopia

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eruden-writes · 2 years

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Room & Board - Part 7 Preview

Anon submitted this prompt: For the prompt submissions a vampire that feels guilty after feeding/attacking someone so they leave obscenely valuable ancient artifacts as payment/an apology?

Want early access to the next part? Join my Patreon!

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