#Childcare Essentials

[market-insider]

Nurturing Convenience: Breast Milk Storage Products Market Report

The global breast milk storage products market size is expected to reach USD 834.06 million by 2030, according to a new report by Grand View Research, Inc., expanding at a CAGR of 8.28% from 2022 to 2030. The expansion of the market for breast milk storage products can be attributed to growing public knowledge of the advantages of breast milk. Various governments around the world urge moms to breastfeed their children until they are 6 months old. A number of industry participants, including Medela LLC, Laura & Co., and Ameda, and universities, such as Washington University and Fudan University, are educating women about breastfeeding and its advantages by organizing workshops and offering educational periodicals. This is, in turn, impelling the market growth.

Gain deeper insights on the market and receive your free copy with TOC now @: Breast Milk Storage Products Market Report

Globally expanding milk banks are predicted to significantly increase the demand for breast milk storage products including bottles and bags. For instance, Germany has roughly 18 breastmilk banks that can aid premature children by giving them donor milk. In order to assist clinical institutions in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland with the establishment and management of human milk banks on a national scale, the European Foundation for Care of Newborn Infants (EFCNI) has also launched an international project. This is expected to increase the milk donation, thereby impelling the need for breast milk storage products.

Furthermore, it is anticipated that increasing awareness and a number of government measures to normalize the use of breast milk will benefit the market growth. For instance, a congresswoman introduced a bipartisan bill in August 2022 to safeguard parents who are traveling with breast milk. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is now required to clarify and regulate updates on handling breast milk and infant formula. This law will make it possible for parents to transport breast milk as well as other infant formula while feeling safe and at ease. This could result in driving the demand for breast milk bottles and bags.

[qomrades]

just cleaned shit off the floor and walls ✌️

[sinning-23]

Hot Tatted Uncle Pt.2 (Uncle!SukunaAu x Teacher!Reader)

Thanks so much for the love and support on pt.1 you guys are the besttt lol, honestly might be a 3 parter we'll see! ANyway, enjoy :0

Also pleaseee excuse any spelling errors yall

Link to Pt.1

PART THREE HERE!!!

_______________________________________

You stared at the text message, throat tight with excitement but dread. It had been a few months since the last incident with Yuji and his Uncle. The roguish male often picked up the young boy, tagging along with Yuji’s father. You’d usually just give Jin a rundown of his son’s day, ever so often catching Sukuna’s gaze as he leaned against the door frame. And every time it happened, you’d choke, clearing your throat and focusing your attention on Yuji and his father.

It didn’t help that he was always texting you, asking his his nephew was behaving. Even though it was cordial and polite, you still felt giddy getting texts from him.

This comes to the next point, why you’re sitting here practically gawking over the most recent message request from Yuji’s father.

-YOU HAVE A NEW MESSAGE:

Hello Miss Y/n! Do you babysit? I know Yuji loves having you as a teacher and I was wondering if you’d be interested in babysitting for him along with his Uncle while me and my wife go on vacation. Of course, you will be paid as well.

-Jin Itadori @ 6:28pm-

You wait to open it, pacing for a moment, thinking, first of all if you were available for the weekend and second, why couldn’t his uncle handle it?!

Well, given the man’s track record maybe an experienced hand in childcare could be useful. With a heavy sigh, you respond and you'd have to quickly come to terms with the fact that you would be essentially babysitting over 2 days with your students' hot uncle.

-----------

It's Friday now, and arrangements for you to simply drive Yuji back home and meet up there with his uncle were already in place. You were trusted with a spare house key, and their precious baby boy, who so seemed to be happier than a fly on shit that you would be spending even MORE time with him.

You gather your things and a few activities to pass the time, loading them into your car. Yuji insists on helping, carrying a small container of building blocks with his chubby hands. And god damn does he not stop talking while he does. It's adorable really, whatever comes off the top of the boy's head simply flying free.

"My-My uh uncle, he doesn’t have no girlfriend." He speaks, the statement making you choke.

"Ahaha is that so? He tells you to say that?" You joke, setting the pink-haired toddler in his car seat, and buckling him in with ease.

"MHM! My uh-" He coughs, quickly covering it with his elbow as you give a small 'good job' seeing as he's learning to keep his germs away from everyone, including you.

"My Uncle says uh he says that you got pretty eyes." He explains, your heart fluttering.

You sit in the driver seat finally, the boy still rambling on and on about what his uncle thinks about you. Though all you can do is respond with a simple, "Oh that's very kind, or a awee", Yuji is nonstop.

It’s quiet for a moment and as you’re pulling into the driveway when he says it, clear as day.

"Uncle says your ass is fat too."

You slam the brakes, the car jerking a bit when you do. What. The. FUCK-

The culprit is already awaiting you, arms folded over his chest as they flex. He’s got a white tank top on and a pair of black basketball shorts paired with slides and ankle socks.

Yuji squirms, growing ever more excited as Sukuna takes him out of the car seat and lightly jabs his knuckles to the boy's sides with a 'Rahhhh', as if he were some kind of tickle monster. Yuji of course laughs and if ALMOST makes you forget about what he'd just said a moment ago.

"Wanna help Miss Y/n put this inside?" Sukuna asks the small boy, handing him the block container from before. Yuji is quick to nod and scurry to the front door.

"I can bring the rest of this, Jin gave you the housekey right?" He asks, leaning against the frame of the car, your neck snapping towards him as you swallow thickly. Fuck you can see even more of the tats now in that shirt.

"U-Uhm yes, yes. I'll go get the door. I can get some of this too I-" You speak, fumbling to find the key. He only puts his hand up and shakes his head, the silver chain around his swishing a bit.

"Nah I gotchu. Yuji knows how to turn the TV on so he can watch his lil show for a bit.”

Sure enough, the minute you unlock the door, Yuji crawls atop the couch, using the remote to try his best to navigate. It takes a while, and he mispresses a few buttons but after about 5 minutes he manages to play something entertaining for him.

Sukuna had finished bringing your bags in as well as the one with activities in it, setting it on the stairs. He rolls his shoulder, pointing at Yuji who was immersed in the show.

"See." Sukuna hums, leaning against the countertop next to you, also skimming over the note. His body heat is practically radiating off of him, just standing by him is warming you up.

You nod in response, looking over the brief note Jin left for you both and according to what it said, your next step was to head up some leftovers for Yuji and then run him a bath.

"There’s two bathrooms so I can get the boy.” He offers, resting his hand behind his neck as you give a nervous laugh. FUCK this nervousness was most likely only on you. There’s no way he could be just as filled with anticipation as you were?!

You take the offer, giving a small thank you before fishing the shower and taking one considering you did just get off of work. Packed away in your bag was a set of comfortable clothes and a book with you figured would help pass the time once Yuji went to sleep.

You could hear footsteps and Yuji fussing back and forth with his Uncle.

“Hush man you’re making me look bad.” Sukuna groans, throwing the toddler over his shoulder as he giggles but continues to thrash, pounding tiny fists against the older male's back.

“No! NO BATH! I don’t wanna!” Yuji whines, his Uncle only growling in response.

“I’ll give you candy if you stop.”

And just like that it was quiet.

-8:30pm-

The night had gone smoother than you thought, you and Sukuna both interacting with Yuji as it’s beginning to be time to wind down. His eyes were beginning to get heavy and before you knew it he was slumped against the couch, clutching an unfinished sucker in one hand and a white puppy plush in the other. You smile, scooping him up and patting him when he stirs.

“Be right back, let me tuck him in.” You whisper, seeing Sukuna look up from his phone and nod, one arm slung over the sofa while he practically manspreads

-9:00pm-

Turns out, Yuji took a bit longer to fall asleep when he realized he was being put down and so you had to sit and pat him for an extra 30 minutes. And once you returned to the living room, there was Sukuna, still scrolling. Well, that was until you came in.

“Sorry, he wouldn’t go back to sleep.” You explain, sitting at the farthest end from him, picking up your book in the silence.

“So you like working up there? At the school?” He asks, putting his phone down to hold the conversation with you.

It takes you by surprise for a second but you are quickly to respond.

“Well yeah, I love the kids and I love working there and teaching them things. Yuji is a sweetheart and it’s definitely kids like him that make it all worth it.” You explain, a smile making its way to your lips.

“You got kids?” He asks, eyes on your frame as you laugh a bit in response

“Nah, don’t really plan on it right now either. Kids are difficult.” You answer, now facing him a bit more, body relaxed.

What was there to be so scared of?! He’s a chill guy who just so happened to be hot as fuck asking you about your career and life?!

“How about you? Kids? Working?” You flip, seeing him shift a bit uncomfortably.

“Hell nah. I see how Jin deals with Yuji and I’m not really cut you to be a dad. And for work well, I’m a priest.” He states, smirking at the surprised look on your face.

“R-Really??” You question definitely surprised.

“Nah I’m just fucking with you.” He laughs and you do the same, trying to keep your volume down since Yuji did just fall asleep.

-11:08pm-

It was crazy to believe you’d spent about two hours just talking back and forth, with him about his past, his brother, and his nephew. You about your own life and current living situations. Somehow the conversation took…a turn.

“Y’know, it’s funny because Yuji keeps telling me about these things you say and I think it’s so funny. Like he’s tone little wingman.” You laugh, seeing him grin right back at you.

“Yeah like what?” He asks, more teasing than anything.

“Well he said that you said I have pretty eyes and on the way here he goes, ‘uncle says your ass is fat’” you explain with a laugh that he doesn't return.

Instead you see his lip tuck between his teeth after he licks them.

“I did say that.”

Suddenly the room is hot, and you’re very aware of how sharp his canaines look in that stupid grin. How his hand is grinning the back of the couch cushion. And for some goddamn reason you just had to look down, that fucking print so visible against his inner thigh.

Your breath falters, eyes wide and you swallow back any doubt. So he had said all that stuff and it want just Yuji repeating something or just talking.

“I-Well I…Thank you? I-I mean I’d be lying if I said hadn’t looked at you too.” You admit, his body shifting to face you more, almost caging you in on the couch.

“I figured. Every time I come to pick up you can’t seems to form a sentence correctly .” He notes.

“Suku-“

“Ryo.” He corrects. Lifting the strap of your nightshirt over your shoulder, playing with the fabric for a moment.

“Ryo.” You test, hearing his exhale heavily.

“Let’s stop pretending there’s nothing happing and has been happening here. No rule against fooling around with me is there?” Sukuna tests, his hand trailing up to rest no on your neck, his thumb pulling your lower lip down.

“No.”

And with that your make the hood move to connect your lips, his arms immediately going to lift you up ans set you against his lap.

Damn does that bulge feel to much better resting between your legs than just looking at it.

___________________________________

Authors note: OKAY YEHA ITs gonna be a 3 parter with smut in the next one I cant resist lol yall know smut is my specialty! LMK if you wanna be added to the taglist shawty!

Taglist: @manikosii @ya-boi-v @tergyri @ninacutebee16 @minaloq @kriegsumire-blog @samisfunky @peachhiz @teupaidecalcinhasblog @khaotic-luca @gurutoru @molita111 @snail-squasher @rowrowrowyourboat13

[supplies4ublog]

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We’ve built long-term relationships with our clients by providing dependable and high-quality customer service. Our priority is to ensure that we have what you need, when you need it, to facilitate daily practice. We also work hard to encourage sustainability, with an impressive array of eco-friendly items that support a variety of ‘give-back’ projects. This includes our daycare supplies!

By offering trustworthy and high-quality customer service, we’ve developed long-term connections with our clients. Our first focus is to provide what you need, when you need it, to make everyday practice easier. We also work hard to promote sustainability by offering an excellent selection of eco-friendly goods that benefit a range of ‘give-back’ programmes. Our childcare supplies are included!

[cacaocheri]

comic i don’t think ill ever finish about why sun might be nervous around new daycare employees :000

BAASICALLY i don’t think sun is super possessive about his job. if you’ve worked in childcare, you would understand the importance of diversity and how kids need variety with their caretakers. some kids like to play soccer. some kids like to draw. some kids like to spend time by themselves. one singular person isn’t capable of providing all that, which is why you hire all sorts of employees that think differently than one another! one person to handle the arts and crafts, another to handle the games, etc. 

sun would understand this!!! and welcome new employees!!! because oh boy new friends, but also new friends for THE KIDS!!!!!!! even if sun could handle all the daycare activities on his own, i think he would understand that some kids just need different things. not every kid is going to like sun. some might even be scared of him, which is why you have other workers! the kids can feel safe in that environment because they don’t have just ONE authority figure to go to

essentially, i think sun would GLADLY welcome new employees into the daycare, not because he needs them, but because the children do (sun is the type of guy to always be thinking about what’s best for the children yknow)

i DO, however, think that it’s possible for sun to be super nervous around daycare attendants because they are kind of creeped out by him. like he wants to make good impressions but none of them really like him :(((

so when a new staff comes in, its a mixture of “oh boy new friend” and “Oh Frick I Better Not Screw This Up”

i hope y’all enjoyed my analysis for those who decided to read under the cut

[rainbow-starlight]

Why is Help Wanted 2 Sun… Like That?

Okay, I’ve been putting off making this post until I felt like I had a better idea of what was going on, and now that I’ve watched at least part of a play-through and gone over the lines a whole bunch, I think I’m ready.

I’m gonna talk about my thoughts on Sun as a character as well as HW2 as a whole here, so it’ll be a bit long. Pop some popcorn or something.

Please keep in mind that this is all my personal opinion and you’re free to disagree with it! In fact, if you think I’m totally wrong, please tell me why. I love new perspectives!

SO! Let’s get right into it, shall we?

First things first: Help Wanted 2 Sun is not the same guy as Security Breach/Ruin Sun. If his personality difference was significant enough to surprise you, that’s because he’s a different person.

I’m not entirely sure how much of Help Wanted 2 is meant to be actually happening, but I think that at least the mini games are training simulations.

However, it’s important to note that a lot of the stuff happening in the mini games is just… nonsense. How did Freddy get frozen like that? What’s with those regular batteries in his arms? Why are half the supplies in first aid explicitly for robots and not humans? Why is there a shredder table in the daycare for kids to stick fingers into?

Some of this can be shrugged off with the usual “FazCo is meant to be comedically shitty and the tech often doesn’t make sense anyway,” but the first aid simulation is what really stood out to me. Even with the previous explanations, that doesn’t explain the calming gas mask that could only ever fit Helpy or the steel wool scrubber or the tank cleaner spray bottle among the medical supplies. If the goal is to train new first aid staff to avoid lawsuits, it’s doing a pretty poor job of it. So… what is it for?

I touched on this idea previously with my post about Sun’s AI being trained on kids’ artwork. The idea of FazCo making a silly new employee training game as a means of harvesting behavioral data to train their AIs seems very within their realm of scummy.

This is why the Arts & Crafts mini game exists. It’s literally a task that requires exact copying. Maybe it’s essentially like teaching an AI to solve captchas by feeding it a bunch of data on how humans solve them correctly and incorrectly.

Maybe its presence is explained to employees as fun practice with the VR system or a break activity during training or something.

This would explain several things about the game.

The existence of the shredder table and Sun shredding literally ALL of your artwork: It being a funny way to despawn the stuff you make is a lot more reasonable when that’s exactly what it’s for in-universe, too. The generators in the play structures are unsafe enough, but that would’ve been on another level if it were real.

Sun’s line “Be creative on your own time, we are making ART!” It literally isn’t a creative activity, it’s a task. I know you can’t really apply logic to a lot of FNAF stuff, especially the DCA’s design, but if Sun were actually this detail-oriented and perfectionistic with everything, he’d never be able to function in childcare.

The fact that Sun’s “fear” of the dark seems like a bit. It literally is a bit. There’s no threat, it’s not real. I originally thought he just wanted the player out of his space faster and didn’t know how to assert a boundary there, but I think it’s actually just to make the player finish the tasks faster for data collection purposes.

Possibly also why he’s so comfortable being casually rude to the player. He is a jester, after all, and the player has lots of opportunities to do things they shouldn’t, too. It’s basically all a bit.

Also… what if the minigames have versions of the base AIs in there? It’s a version of the Sun AI with the theater programming and the basics of the childcare stuff? His entire existence is a shitty little simulation where he runs a singular activity for grown adults who can’t (or won’t) follow very simple instructions.

The biggest thing that’s been bothering me about the takes I’ve seen regarding HW2 Sun’s personality is that people have been calling him “mean” while completely ignoring the circumstances he’s reacting to. If a coworker came into my personal space and I was so generous as to share my favorite activity with them and they proceeded to intentionally ignore the rules I set and EAT SUPPLIES I USE FOR WORK? Yeah, no, I’d react like that too.

There’s definitely something interesting about how genuinely excited and happy Sun sounds when first welcoming his new friend the player to the daycare and inviting them to Arts & Crafts vs. when they return. He seems like he WANTS to befriend the player, but the game just assumes you’ll be upsetting him so there’s no option for dialogue where you’re nice to him and respect his boundaries and participate in an activity with him in a way he’s comfortable with.

I say “in a way he’s comfortable with” because he is a little weird about the whole “sit right there and DON’T MOVE” thing. He does seem actually excited and enthusiastic about the idea of shooting darts at the items you want so he can get them for you, though. Maybe because he sees it as a happy compromise, or maybe because it’s supposed to be a fun part of the game he’s programmed to be in charge of.

I saw some other commentary on Sun (primarily thinking of @kazzykatt) talking about how he seems almost excessively self-sufficient, and how this could possibly be due to neglect (he and Moon definitely aren’t as well cared for as the other animatronics, the generators in the daycare are a very lazy fix for actually reprogramming Moon properly, he seems bitter that he can’t fix the carousel on his own and he and Moon don’t seem to trust the player to fix it, their design is clearly better suited to the stage but didn’t get changed for the daycare, I could go on and on), and this would also explain his control issues to an extent.

Sun, in SB and HW2, doesn’t leave the daycare. He has so little that he’s in control of in his own life. He used to be on stage (and based on his dialogue probably misses it quite a lot) but had the job he was built for taken from him. He’s a perfectionist that’s constantly overwhelmed by too many things being marked top priority in his system, working too many hours with too many small children. Of course he’d be desperate to hold onto any little bit of control he has.

Honestly, when I first heard his voice lines, the initial vibe I got wasn’t “wow they made Sun mean” but “wow Sun sounds actually miserable” and I’m kind of surprised more people didn’t pick up on that. He sounds less bitchy and more like he’s lashing out because he’s trapped in an awful situation that’s completely out of his hands.

“Wait, are you saying none of HW2’s characterization should be taken seriously?”

You might be asking that, but my answer is a resounding NO! This is definitely still a Sun, and I think seeing two different Suns (even if we don’t know how much of HW2’s personality we can assume is meant to be taken seriously) is really helpful for interpreting what the base Sun personality might have.

It’s also important to keep in mind that none of the Suns we’ve seen were in a good situation. Security Breach Sun had the virus, Ruin Sun had gone slightly mad from isolation, and HW2 Sun is stuck in a shitty simulation babysitting bored adult staff as they fail to complete simple tasks. What we mostly know about him is how he responds to stress, and this is why there’s so much room for interpretation!

Here’s some traits I think every version of the Sun AI would have.

Love of making things. Despite everything, HW2 Sun seems to genuinely love doing arts & crafts. Especially with googly eyes. This could kind of be assumed from SB Sun, but he was also trying to entertain/bribe a child.

On this note… interest in fixing things? Maybe he just wants to avoid having to rely on staff, but if he and Moon are subject to that much neglect, it makes sense that he’d try to learn to do repairs himself. I saw @pixelchills talking about the possibility that the S.T.A.F.F. Bots in the DCA’s room are not there because Moon broke them, but because Moon collected them for Sun to practice fixing. It seems feasible to me, especially since taking something apart and putting it back together might have the same calming and satisfying effect on Sun as completing something like a paint-by-numbers.

Playful insults and lots of drama. I don’t mean actual rudeness, I mean friendly teasing. Again, he is a jester. A lot of his HW2 insults come across more like this. Hell, even his compliments come across like this with the delivery and immediate shredding. He’s just a theater kid at heart.

Difficulty regulating emotions under pressure. This is the kind of thing that would pop up on his worst days (such as being trapped in his destroyed home with a poor connection to his badly damaged physical form while the only help he’s seen in ages ignores his instructions and puts their own safety at risk, or being trapped in a shitty simulation while his only company ignores his instructions and puts their own safety at risk). He’d have to be able to manage this sort of thing better to work well with children, but everyone’s got their bad days. He’s prone to outbursts and tantrums when he’s overwhelmed and unable to stop people from breaking the rules and/or hurting themselves.

People pleasing and nonconfrontational. Yes, HW2 Sun, too. SB Sun seems genuinely desperate to make sure Gregory’s having a good time, and HW2 Sun is shockingly tolerant of some of the player’s bullshit (ex. how he tries to laugh off them shooting darts at him/throwing things). Even calling the player “good friend” when he’s not so happy to see them or threatening them with Moon instead of just telling them their time is almost up seem like signs of this to me. And letting the player make arts and crafts in the ruined daycare in HW2? Yeah, that’s a people pleaser through and through. Sun needs a lesson in setting boundaries (and for those boundaries to actually be respected).

Perfectionistic + “if you want something done right, you’ve gotta do it yourself” attitude. This would mostly manifest in how he completes work tasks, but I think every Sun’s incredibly detail-oriented and would rather do everything themselves just to make sure it’s exactly how they want. This could manifest in lots of ways, from “insulting the staff for how they put things away and telling them to do it again while he supervises” to “politely thanking them for their help and complimenting their hard work only to redo everything himself the moment they’re gone.” I think where on that spectrum you wind up is dependent on the version of Sun you’re interacting with and the environment his personality developed in.

High-energy and social! A given, of course. He never stops moving and everything is always so exciting. New people are friends he hasn’t met yet until proven otherwise.

Love of pranks… to an extent. Again, jester! I stand by my headcanon of Sun and Moon conspiring to convince the staff Moon’s some sort of spooky monster whenever he’s not actively dangerous. As long as he’s not making a mess, breaking the rules, throwing himself off-schedule, or actually hurting anyone? He’s all over it.

Anxiety. This seems like it’s at least partially caused by the lazy daycare reprogramming. All the Suns we’ve encountered seem to lack knowledge of how to actually get children to behave. It seems more like they programmed him with a bunch of games and activities and then set a bunch of super high-priority tasks for him such as “keep kids safe, keep kids happy, keep kids entertained, keep daycare clean” etc. and he’s unable to really prioritize so he’s just constantly overwhelmed.

Kinda always using “childcare voice.” If you know anyone who’s worked with kids, you know what I mean here. Even with adults, he talks to them like kids sometimes, just because it’s what he knows and what he’s used to and because his processor’s fried from however many hours a week he’s surrounded by kids. Consider his reactions to when you eat the crafts as an example. (IMPORTANT NOTE: I don’t think he’d coddle adults like children. It’s more about tone and vocabulary, like “customer service voice”.)

Stickler for rules. He cares about things being done right! The rules are there for a reason! Order is important to him (probably in no small part because it keeps him out of trouble and reduces his stress).

That’s about all I can think of for now, but as someone who writes a very friendly and sweet Sun, I actually don’t think HW2’s characterization was that far off from what I had already assumed based on Ruin/SB. The only difference is that the Sun I’m usually writing is in a much more supportive environment with lots of helpful staff that care about his well-being. If he didn’t have that, I could absolutely see him becoming more like HW2.

I will finish this off with two final important points:

Being an emotional person and liking “childish” things does not make an adult less of an adult.

(He’s a childcare worker, c’mon.)

If someone gets pissed off after being repeatedly antagonized, that does not make them a “mean/bitchy/sassy person.”

(Yeah, he doesn’t handle it gracefully, but to be fair, I wouldn’t either in his shoes.)

Thank you all for reading!!

[ollie-lolly]

Mind if I send another baby request (because I love the idea of these men with precious beans)? How would the Brothers/Dateables be if they had babies of their own? I just wanna know what kinda fathers all of them would be!💗💖

Thank you for the request! <3

Them as dads

warnings: none!

reblogs are appreciated!

Lucifer

-Will do that thing where he'll place the little ones feet on his, and hold their hands to help the baby learn to walk. TvT

-We now know that Lucifer is at least 10 million years old soooo.

-"He is more than daddy to me, he is like, he's like grandpa."

-Lets just say after being a mom dad to six he is desperately waiting for the baby stage to be over.

-He does not want to handle the little one too roughly, like with his more resilient brothers. So please help him out.

Mammon

-I can see him in front of a white board trying to explain the stock market and the baby is just there like :)

-He is super proud of his little one. 

-He just holds his baby above his head sometimes like >:D

-I can see him buying a smaller version of his sunglasses and putting it on the baby.

-He uses the baby stroller as a place to store stolen things.

Leviathan

-Will take tons of pictures of the baby of any little cosplays he can find.

-Would use his tail like a baby carrier.

-I can see him holding the baby so they can see his figurines and he would go on and on who they are, from what show etc.

-Will watch childrens anime with the baby.

-Is scared for his life during the whole experience. So please try to keep calm, because he sure won't.

Satan

-Loves tucking it in bed.

-Please help him when his patience wears thin.

-Will bounce the baby on his lap while he is reading.

-Probably named the baby after a character in a book he liked.

-Will attempt to teach the baby complex topics, the baby has no idea what he is talking about but keeps listening anyway.

Asmodeus

-Will want to be around it 24/7.

-Will have tons of nicknames for the little one.

-Wants to dress it in so many outfits. ♡

-Customized and patterned diapers.

-Wine dad with Lucifer.

-Will often talk about his new dad life on social media.

Beelzebub

-Will have the little one on his shoulder at all times.

-Please be with him when he feeds the baby, because what is stopping him from eating the baby food.

-Looks really intimidating when he picks the little one up from daycare.

-Will gently use it as a weight when exercising.

Belphegor

-Will want to sleep with it for hours.

-It is so bad to the point that he has trouble falling asleep without his precious baby.

-He loves how warm the baby is.

-He has the little bassinet hanging above your shared bed, so he can check on the baby anytime.

-Beel essentially takes care of it with him.

Diavolo

-Will have a baby carrier on 24/7

-He will be walking in the halls of RAD and the baby is just:  :D 

-Will gain a lot of popularity with students because of the happy baby.

-The baby will most likely inherit Diavolo's adorable smile.

-Would spoil it with the most expensive gifts much to Barbatos' dismay.

Barbatos

-Will take time off to love and appreciate the little one.

-Handles the worst parts of babyhood great.

-Would love to teach you the techniques regarding childcare.

-Diavolo would beg Barbatos often to bring his butler's baby to work.

Simeon

-Somehow always knows why the baby is crying.

-Will insist on you resting while he takes care of the baby.

-Looks so angelic when he holds the baby.

-Simeon is always smiling when he gets to be with his baby.

-Luke loves to take care of the baby with him.

Solomon

-Will dress it in a wizard costume and post "My new apprentice"

-Please don't let him feed it.

-He does not realize how dangerous his house is.

-Next thing you know, the baby has his hands on a wand and almost destroys Solomon's house.

-Lets just say there needed to be A LOT of baby proofing.

-In the meantime, Solomon had to use a spell to make the baby float.

[lilyginnyblackv2]

What are Kazuki and Rei’s Options? - Buddy Daddies - Episode 10 - SPOILERS!

In Japan, same-sex couples cannot adopt children:

Text:  Adoption and parenting Same-sex couples are not allowed to legally adopt in Japan. Lesbian couples and single women are unable to access IVF and artificial insemination.

(From the Wikipedia page on LGBT rights in Japan, which will be linked in the comments.)

However, fostering children is currently an option for same-sex couples:

Now, in another sign of increasing acceptance of the LGBT+ community, it’s come to light that the city of Osaka has awarded foster care of a child to a same-sex male couple. While city administrators confirmed the couple’s foster parent status on April 5, 2017, the pair, consisting of one man in his 30s and another in his 40s, were approved as foster parents back in December of last year. Foster parent certification falls under the jurisdiction of local authorities, but Japan’s central Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare says that it has no previous record of a same-sex couple being awarded foster parent status, so the decision by Osaka appears to be the first of its kind in Japan. The Ministry also confirmed that its guidelines regarding foster parent selection make no specifications barring or giving preferential treatment to same-sex couples.

(Source: All About Japan - “Same-Sex Couples Can Now Be Foster Parents,” full article will be linked below in the comments.)

This is basically what we see Kazuki and Rei do, as of right now, with Miri. They foster her for a year, and she has returned back to her birth mother.

Now, what will happen next is unknown. There are options like Miri never returning to them/staying with her mom, one or both of them dying, etc. etc., but we aren’t going to be looking at those possibilities right now. Let’s look at ones where Miri is a part of their lives.

If they want Miri back in their lives then Kazuki and Rei will have to take care of the Organization and their connection to it, and then find alternative jobs to support themselves. Buddy Daddies takes place in modern day Japan, that is the setting, and they are treating the situations as functioning within the framework of what can and cannot be done in modern day Japan, in regards to childrearing, childcare, and so forth.

Unless they go the route of having Kazuki forge paperwork to be her birth father, since they look very similar:

Of course, this option would be a bit more convoluted. He couldn’t take on Miri’s birth father’s actual identity because he was a mafia boss and is currently, very much so, dead. But, they might be able to change it so that Miri would be Kazuki’s daughter. Then, Kazuki and Rei would be able to raise her, since she would be Kazuki’s birth child. 

But, unless Misaki were to pass away due to her cancer (which is a possibility, especially since she mentioned that it was spreading), the end result would still be a blended family situation:

Because even if Misaki had given Miri up for adoption or had abandoned her, the birth mother is still the legal guardian of their child. Unless the birth mother dies or goes completely MIA or the child isn’t put into the system at all (essentially just living on the streets), then there isn’t a way, in current Japanese society, for a birth mother to be completely divorced from their child.

That being said, blended families do exist in Japan, especially in the modern day when divorce, remarrying, and same-sex relationships being recognized are all becoming more common place. But, we rarely see blended families being portrayed in anime (specifically, I’m sure there is some exploration of this found in manga), and certainly not at a central level of any kind (like with what we have been seeing with Buddy Daddies and how it has been centralizing its focus on childcare and childrearing).

An blended family ending would still be just as queer and progressive as before. This sort of family dynamic would exist outside of the norm, and outside of the nuclear family expectation. The framing has been interesting too, because Miri’s mother is the one that essentially has to prove herself to both Kazuki and Rei and to Miri. She was brought back into the picture because it was the safer option for Miri at this moment, not just because she is Miri’s birth mother.

So I feel like, if a blended family situation does end up happening in the end, they won’t approach it in quite that way. Though, I also think that would be a point of contention at times (especially between Misaki and Kazuki) that wouldn’t be that uncommon for a blended family situation. Navigating issues like that is very common, I see my friends who are step-mothers and step-fathers have to navigate those waters often. If it were depicted in anime, even if it were for a brief bit (or in more depth if there were a second season and this is the route the series ultimately goes down), then that would be pretty neat.

Something else to note is that when Misaki states: “If you consider yourselves her parents as well,” she uses the word “parents,” 親 (oya), not guardians, 保護者 (hogosha) or other similar/related words. 保護者 (hogosha) does mean parent, but in a more inclusive way that is also referencing legal guardians as well. But she is acknowledging them as parents, the same as her.

Of course, there are some who are weary and skeptical of the integrity of Misaki. I think she is talking honestly and sincerely here, along with the rest of the episode, but if she’s not, then what will happen to Miri is that she will likely go to live with her grandparents or, like I mentioned before, the series goes a bit more of a convoluted and complex route with making Kazuki’s Miri’s “birth” father through forgery and the like. Or, they break the more realistic boundaries they’ve been working within so far, and make it so that Kazuki and Rei can just magically adopt Miri, but given the “realistic” mentions in a lot of the interviews with Uchiyama and Toyonaga, I don’t think that is likely.

If the series does go the route of having Miri go to live with her grandparents or mother and Kazuki and Rei aren’t brought into the family in a blended family way, but more so kept out (maybe with only the occasional visit or something). Then another possibility, especially if they do end up leaving the Oraganization and kind of “starting over” with new jobs and the like, is them becoming foster parents in general. 

Miri would be the first and the most precious one to them, but then they find a “normal happiness” with each other and become foster parents to other kids in the future. It would be a nice way to really show them changing right, in the sense of, instead of taking human lives, they would be caring for and fostering children - the future, and hopefully helping them turn out to be good people. That’s always a possibility, especially if there is some kind of large time skip in the last episode. 

Of course, the series could instead go in the direction of criticizing the cruelty that same-sex couples cannot adopt and therefore are basically only left with the option of fostering, unless they have a blood-related child through natural means of birth. That is always a possibility as well, and is something that I feel they do kind of hit on a bit in Episode 10, especially with Rei’s line here:

(Rei: “To say that after we’re all attached...it’s cruel.”)

But yeah, thinking about it, when it comes to positive outcomes, in the sense of Kazuki, Rei, and Miri living and Kazuki and Rei being able to escape the Organization, then I think the ending options are going to be one of the above. Everything in this post is pure speculation, since the series is anime original, we don’t know for sure what direction it will ultimately go in.

But these options here are the ones sticking out the most to me at the moment (once again, if we only look at potentially happy endings, rather than any potential overly tragic/bad end ones). It’s also possible that they may be critical of something (like with Rei’s words on the cruelty of it all), while also still painting an option, like Kazuki and Rei deciding to become foster parents, as something that is still an overall good and positive change for them, specifically. 

I like there is a potential messiness to the situation and overall premise that is presented in Buddy Daddies, because it makes it feel like the series is properly exploring the realities of the situation and the options that are open and available to Kazuki and Rei. It’s bleak in some ways, hopeful in others, and I am intrigued by what direction they will ultimately go in.

As always, feel free to add your thoughts to this as well! :D I always love reading them! <3

[world-of-wales]

BREAKING NEWS -

THE ROYAL FOUNDATION BUISNESS TASKFORCE FOR EARLY CHILDHOOD RELEASES NEW REPORT!

Business investment in early childhood could unlock £45.5bn in value a year for the UK economy, according to a report by a taskforce created by the Princess of Wales.

In the report, CEOs from eight leading companies urged “businesses of all sizes across the UK, to join us and help build a healthy, happy society for everyone”.

The report by the Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early Childhood, set up by the princess in March 2023, said the figure included £12.2bn from equipping people with improved social and emotional skills in early childhood, £16.1bn from reducing the need to spend public funds on remedial steps for adverse childhood experiences and £17.2bn from supporting parents and caregivers of under-fives who work.

The princess, who announced in March she was undergoing preventive chemotherapy after a cancer diagnosis, was said to be “excited” by the report.

A Kensington Palace spokesperson said the release of the report should not be seen as the princess returning to work, but she has been kept fully up to date and seen the report.

Taskforce members announced new initiatives, including:

The Co-operative Group creating a specific early childhood fund as part of its unique apprenticeship levy share scheme, and committing to raise £5m over the next five years, creating more than 600 apprenticeships.

Deloitte focusing its ongoing investment in Teach First to include the early years sector for the first time, supporting 366 early years professionals in 2024.

NatWest Group extending its lending target for the childcare sector to £100m, launching an early years accreditation scheme to its staff and producing a financial toolkit for childcare providers to help them grow and succeed.

Ikea UK and Ireland expanding its contribution of support, design expertise and products for babies and young children to six new locations across the UK to help families with young children experiencing the greatest disadvantage.

The Lego Group donating 3,000 LEGO® Education Build Me “Emotions” sets, supported by training materials, to early years providers in the UK.

Christian Guy, the executive director of the Royal Foundation Centre for Early Childhood, said it was a “rallying cry” to business leaders to “transform the way our country supports the vital early years”.

The princess, Guy said, “feels passionately about the transformational impact of getting this right, together with business, both for the current generation and many more to come. She is looking forward to seeing momentum grow in the coming months and years.” The work of the centre was “rolling on while she recovers”, he added.

The Royal Foundation Business Taskforce for Early ChildhoodThe taskforce – comprising CEOs from the Co-operative Group, NatWest, Unilever, Ikea, Iceland Foods, Aviva, Deloitte and Lego – identifies five areas in which businesses can make the greatest impact for children under five, the adults around them, the economy and wider society.

These are: building a culture prioritising early childhood within businesses, local communities, and wider society; helping the families facing the greatest challenges access the basic support and essentials they need; offering parents and carers greater support, resources, choice, and flexibility with their work; prioritising and nurturing social and emotional skills in young children and the adults in their lives; and supporting initiatives that increase access to quality, affordable and reliable early childhood education and care.

[honeymark]

˗ˏˋ 𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 :: miss soojin!!!!! how do you think the 127 boys would hint that they want to have kids with their wives????? thank uuuuu ´ˎ˗

⇢ 𝐓𝐀𝐄𝐈𝐋 begins thinking about starting a family after noticing how excited you become whenever your neighbors come over with their toddlers. it isn’t a novel idea to him; you have had multiple heartfelt conversations about your dreams for your future together. he drops subtle hints by reminiscing about his childhood experiences and asking for your opinions on raising kids (somehow, it’s always when you show him funny baby tiktoks). you eventually catch his drift, and it isn’t long before your journal is full of potential baby names and your closet of newborn essentials.

⇢ 𝐉𝐎𝐇𝐍𝐍𝐘 tests the waters to gauge your enthusiasm about starting a family before bringing it to you directly. he makes way too many “our baby would be so much cuter than that” comments whenever he sees babies on tv or social media (or even in public, in which case you’d always smack him and tell him to reign himself in). despite his jokes and playful remarks, he’s serious about parenthood and does his best to quell your anxiety about raising a family. also, be prepared for all the milf jokes.

⇢ 𝐓𝐀𝐄𝐘𝐎𝐍𝐆 is apprehensive about starting a family, despite having extensive experience helping his sister with childcare. he’s read way too many birth trauma stories and maternal mortality statistics to be completely comfortable with putting your body through childbirth. he does not want to put you in a dangerous situation and even suggests growing their family through adoption instead. whatever you choose to do, he supports you 110% and does everything he possibly can to prepare for fatherhood.

⇢ 𝐘𝐔𝐓𝐀 is upfront about wanting children. in fact, when you finally have a heart-to-heart talk about starting a family, he presents you with an extensive compilation of all the research he’d conducted about child development. he’s attentive to your feelings and reactions, and he prioritizes giving you the space to express yourself honestly. he listens to your thoughts and concerns with sincere understanding, and he constantly reassures you that he wants to make decisions together as a team.

⇢ 𝐃𝐎𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐆 intentionally chooses a time when you’re relaxed and free from distractions to talk about starting a family. he wastes no time confessing the depths of his love for you, emphasizing how much he values your companionship and affection. when you’re ready for parenthood, he demonstrates an overwhelming willingness to support and protect you in preparing for your future. he’s incredibly warm, thoughtful, and considerate throughout your entire journey.

⇢ 𝐉𝐀𝐄𝐇𝐘𝐔𝐍 isn’t subtle about it at all; he expresses his desire for a family in a particularly affectionate, romantic way. he openly shares his dreams for parenthood with you, often painting a bright and adventurous picture of your future. he’s also proactive about researching child development and different parenting styles, frequently asking for your opinions, values, and beliefs regarding parenting. more than anything, he does his best to make sure you feel comfortable, valued, and supported at all times.

⇢ 𝐉𝐔𝐍𝐆𝐖𝐎𝐎 is absolutely delighted by the idea of having mini versions of you run around the house, and he isn’t shy about mentioning it to you any time the topic of family planning comes up. in fact, he refers to your future children as “y/n jr. #1” and “y/n jr. #2” (and #3, #4, #5…). while preparing for parenthood, he places your well-being above all else, going beyond typical measures to maintain a safe and supportive home for you.

⇢ 𝐌𝐀𝐑𝐊 is visibly nervous when he first brings it up to you. while he might seem easygoing at times, he overthinks and jumps to conclusions about how you’d feel about things like discipline and finances. you’re quick to pick up on his uneasiness, and you’re able to melt away any anxiety he feels after just one heartfelt conversation. when you decide to move on to the next stage of your life together, he does everything he can to be present for you. he validates your feelings and concerns, takes on a more active role in managing household tasks, and adjusts his routines to fit your needs. he also stops calling you “dude,” but only after your kids start calling you “dude."

⇢ 𝐇𝐀𝐄𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐍 is already familiar with the heavy responsibility of parenthood (thanks to his younger siblings). he suggests starting a family right away, especially after noticing how well you interact with the neighborhood children. putting his famously mischievous personality aside, he always expresses his genuine excitement for your future and his readiness to embrace fatherhood. also, again, a lot of milf jokes. too many, in fact.

# AUTHOR'S NOTE: this prompt was a little difficult (i was wacking my caveman brain for a while), but i gave it my best shot! i hope you enjoyed :) thanks for reading!

[max1461]

People who advocate communal living over the nuclear family don’t know anything about communal living or what it’s like, and probably believe the nuclear family was invented in America in the 50s.

Fact: nuclear family styled homes have been the norm among Germanic and Anglo-Saxon since medieval times. Further evidence suggests nuclear families existed in the Stone Age.

Fact: communal living is usually a recipe for gerontocratic inbred filth-living. “Oh, grandpa molested the girls again. Oh well, he’s the patriarch and we can’t do anything about it. Time to go sleep on a wide bed with my six cousins. My mom will cook for me until she dies. They’ll arrange marriages for me because how the fuck would people date in a living situation like this?”

Fact: the nuclear family offers more freedom for the kids and the parents both

Fact: the only reason people rail against the nuclear family now is because homes are so expensive. If homeownership became easy and commonplace again, people would want to live on their own with their spouse and young kids

This is all clearly very BAP influenced, and your latter three "facts" are just opinions (BAP's opinions I gather), and not very well substantiated ones at that.

More importantly, the longhouse arrangement is not what I was referring to when I talked about "more communal child rearing". I described a situation in which

Children have physical autonomy to move around within a community freely and leave the home without parental oversight

The responsibilities of childcare are understood to be distributed throughout the community, to the various adults in whatever measure they can provide

Children are free to associate with those adults they feel most comfortable around. I have heard (but not corroborated), in the context of the Caribbean where I gather childcare is often more distributed in this way, of children essentially "voluntarily adopting themselves" into other families that they liked better than their own.

The interactions that adults have with children are essentially open to public scrutiny by other adults, an expansion of the way that universal public schooling makes the abuses of parents more visible to other adults who can intervene.

The situation you describe, where "grandpa can molest the girls because he's the patriarch", is precisely the situation I'm trying to avoid. That is the outcome of nuclear family. Nuclear family, children isolated to the home and treated as property of their parents with no say in the matter, that's a child abuse factory.

BAP is all aesthetics. I'm not saying he has nothing of value to offer at all (I don't know, I haven't read him), but he does not have policy, he does not offer mechanisms. I (attempt to) offer mechanisms. They might not be perfect, or fully fleshed out, but they are a start. Come debate me at that level instead of saying "FACT: [opinion]".

[quaranmine]

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/09/22/us-braces-calamitous-costly-government-shutdown-eight-days/

Hey, just a heads up--

A (US) government shutdown is pretty imminent right now. They have until September 30 to pass any sort of budget to keep funding the government, but congress has been unable to come to any decisions or compromises. Typically what happens each year on Sept 30 is Congress will pass a continuing resolution (a temporary budget) to buy a month or two to keep arguing about it. This year, they haven't been able to pass even that. McCarthy has sent the House members home for the weekend already, which means they will have even less time next week to figure something out.

So, what happens during a government shutdown? Some parts of the government--deemed essential--will keep operating. Please be nice to these employees, because they will be working without pay. Fortunately a bill passed in 2019 means they are guaranteed to be paid at the end of the shutdown, but still. Thousands of other federal employees will be furloughed and not allowed to work. For hundreds of thousands of employees, they will struggle to pay bills.

What about everybody else, the public being served? Broadly speaking, tons of grants and projects and research and environmental reviews and loans and services will be halted and delayed. Most significantly though:

SSA will continue to issue retirement and disability checks, as well as Medicaid/Medicare benefits. There might be delays, especially in new signups.

FEMA will continue to offer disaster relief and aid, but may run out of funds if the shutdown continues.

Thousands of low income parents will lose access to Head Start programs and childcare programs.

FDA food safety inspections, as well as other safety inspections (including worker safety), may be delayed

Mail delivery continues, as the US Postal Service is independently funded.

Food stamps, housing vouchers, and college financial aid may lapse if the shutdown lasts beyond October. The longest shutdown in US history was in 2018, for 35 days. This one is probably unlikely to be that long, but if it is, people may lose access to these programs.

WIC will only be able to operate for a few days after the shutdown, leaving millions of pregnant people, infants, and children at risk of going hungry.

Weather forcasting, air traffic control, TSA, etc will continue (though the employees won't be paid)

Hopefully a shutdown will be averted, but it's far more likely this year than other years. If you are in a position to be affected by a lapse in government services, I would recommend keeping up with the news so that it doesn't hit you as a surprise. Ultimately I can make no real predictions for how it will turn out or which things will be affected, but I hope this helps.

[hyperlexichypatia]

Having children and going to college are two life activities done by people within an incredibly wide age range, so it’s completely bonkers that either one is considered an age marker.

And by “bonkers” I mean ageist, classist, and eugenicist.

There is a wide range of ages at which people go to college (many people never do, by choice or by circumstance, which is fine). There is a wide range of ages at which people have children (many people never do, by choice or by circumstance, which is fine). They don’t have to be done in any particular time, or in any particular order, or at all. They should both be far more affordable than they currently are, ideally free, but that’s another day’s post. 

Half of college students in the U.S. are over age 25, and 23% are parents. When people refer to college students as “children,” I always correct them on both points – young adults are not children, and also, most college students are not young adults. The notion that all college students are single, childless young adults aged 18-23, who are living essentially an extension of their K-12 schooling controlled by their parents, is a cultural norm of only a minority subculture of people in the U.S., one with… more financial resources than average. I’m reluctant to use the word “privilege,” because I don’t believe being controlled by one’s parents really is a privilege, but it’s certainly a bourgeois class norm. 

Similarly, the cultural norm that people can only start having children when they’re completely finished with schooling, in their late 20s at the earliest, and married or partnered, is not at all reflective of the reality of many people’s reproductive choices. 

Several years ago, I briefly did some freelance writing for a magazine aimed at college students, and in one article, I used a hypothetical example involving "babysitting your friend's kids." My editor returned it with a note that a college student wouldn't have friends with kids. Not even that a college student wouldn't have kids -- already a false premise -- but that a college student wouldn't have friends with kids. This has stuck in my mind for years as an example of how absolutely out-of-touch people in this narrow subculture are about the educational and reproductive choices of others.

There are material consequences of the erasure of student parents, too, like a serious lack of accessible childcare for students' children.

“What could a 20 year old and a 35 year old possibly have in common?? One is still in college, and the other might have kids already!” 

Actually, they might both be in college. 

Or maybe neither is.

They might have met in the same college class. 

They might both have kids. 

Or maybe neither does.

Maybe the 20 year old already has one or more kids, and the 35 year old has none. 

Maybe they each have a baby, and they met in the same parent group and hang out at playdates. 

Maybe the 35 year old is pregnant with xyr first baby and asking advice from the 20 year old who’s pregnant with her third. 

Maybe the 35 year old left school when he had his first kid, and now he and his now-17-year-old are starting college at the same time (I know there’s at least one movie with this premise). 

Or, maybe, the 20 year old is a childless college student, and the 35 year old is a college graduate with kids, and they could still have plenty in common, because age, educational situation, and family arrangement aren’t the sum total of who a person is. 

One of my mom’s longest-lasting friends of several decades was someone she met when they were 44 and 18, respectively, with a 3-year-old and 1-year-old kid, respectively, living in student housing. This is not as unusual a situation as people think it is. Fortunately, this happened before the brain maturity myth had taken hold, so no one accused my mom of "grooming" or being "predatory" or "emotionally inappropriate behavior" towards her younger friend, even if she was occasionally mistaken for her friend's mother.

Age diversity and prevalence of student parents are even more widespread at community colleges and all-online college programs (for obvious reasons, as those types of programs often have more flexible scheduling). In the online college program I'm doing now, my classmates include 20-year-old parents, 50-year-old grandparents, childfree 40-year-olds, and pretty much every combination of age and family type possible.

I'm so glad the real world doesn't conform to the ridiculous notion of "life stages."

[oftenwantedafton]

Moody and Gray - William Afton x Female Reader

Chapter 1

Rating - Explicit

Warnings - no sexual content in this chapter

Also available on AO3

You really hate your job as a waitress at Freddy Fazbear’s Pizzeria.

The pay is lousy, your income largely reliant on tips from adult customers that are rude, their children ruder still. Between the noise of the arcade and the music blasting in the background you end up going home with a headache more often than not. You could happily go without so much as seeing a slice of pizza for the rest of your life.

So why don’t you quit?

Well the answer to that is up one flight of steel stairs to an office that overlooks the entire restaurant. His restaurant: the owner, William Afton.

See, there’s something about him that you just can’t shake free from your mind. Sure, you’ve always had a bit of a thing for older guys, and he’s got a good decade and a half on you easily. But it’s more than that. Messy dark hair and high cheekbones, aquiline nose and piercing pale gray eyes. Not classically handsome in the sense of the word, but compelling all the same. Like a vampire or…yes. That was exactly what he reminded you most of. A real life modern day version of Dracula.

The funny thing about your boss is, he doesn’t seem to like the job much either. He distances himself from the clientele as much as possible. You know he’s married and he has kids, but damned if you’ve ever seen them. Hell, he doesn’t even bother wearing a wedding ring. He spends most of his time either fiddling with the animatronics in one of the back rooms, or brooding in his office, tucked away in that crow’s nest kind of space lined with windows, the blinds sometimes closed, and what does he even do in there when they are?

On this particular shitty work day you’ve just had some brat accidentally/on purpose dump an entire glass of fruit punch on your work shirt. Of course the company shirts are white. You ask one of your coworkers where you can get another one, and wouldn’t you know it, they’re fresh out in the employee locker area, the most recent new hire getting the last one, apparently. As if anyone ever even sees the kitchen staff.

“Maybe ask Afton,” the woman suggests, gathering a stack of dirty dishes to return to the kitchen.

Ask Afton. Well sure, you could do that. No big deal. You’ve never spoken to him personally. It was beneath him to hire waitstaff, apparently. But yes. You can.

You climb the steel steps and knock on the door, glancing out across the dining room, a kaleidoscope of colors rioting below. It really was a spectacular view, even if you didn’t care much for the scenery.

You can hear a muffled voice inside and try the door handle, finding it unlocked.

The owner is seated at his desk, phone in hand. Great, you were interrupting him.

He beckons for you to come inside, continuing his conversation as you shut the door and step forward.

“Yes, we offer a good benefits package. We don’t have on site childcare yet, but that is something we’re looking to add in the future for both staff and visitors.”

Good benefits your ass. Trying to get a vacation was like pulling teeth. And God help you if you got sick and needed some time off. It had been made clear during orientation you were expected to come to work, plain and simple. As if serving pizza and ice cream to children was as essential as, say, being a healthcare worker. It was beyond absurd.

Your attention wavers, and you step to the row of windows. The stage curtains part. It’s time for another round of songs performed by the animatronics. The drink that had soaked your shirt front was cold and it’s unpleasantly plastered to your skin. You shiver and shuffle your feet, hoping the phone call will end soon.

“Great, we look forward to seeing you soon.” At last. You turn and see your boss rising to his feet. He’s incredibly tall, lanky. The man is all lines and angles.

“Can I help you with something?”

God, that British accent. It’s another one of your weaknesses. Not the cockney type, but this smooth mellow tone that strokes silkily along your skin. You blink and recover. “Yes, sorry to bother you. Someone spilled something on my shirt and we’re out of them downstairs. Maybe you have a spare here?”

His eyes flicker down to your chest, where a good deal of the red liquid has seeped in, lingering perhaps a bit longer than was warranted. “I see. Well, let’s have a look, shall we?”

It’s cold in his office, you realize then. Not just because of your damp clothing, but there’s actual air conditioning running. It’s the middle of winter. You wonder how he stands it.

William rummages through a cardboard box set in the back of the office and withdraws a folded shirt. “What size?”

In truth, you’d never liked the fit of yours, choosing a size down.

“Hmm. Well, this will have to do.” Two sizes down. You frown. “You can manage for the rest of the shift with that, surely. I have an order for more coming in soon.” He shuts the box swiftly and you wonder for a moment if he isn’t lying about the sizes available.

But to what end?

“Ok, well thanks, I appreciate it.” You turn as if to leave.

“Wait a moment.”

He joins you at the window and presses a switch. The blinds slide closed.

Huh. Fancy, you think, your brain not catching up to what is happening.

“I imagine you’re eager to be out of that shirt. I’m sure it’s unpleasant. I’ll of course be a gentleman and turn around.”

“Oh, no, I can change in the restroom, it’s fine.”

“No, I really must insist. It wouldn’t do for our customers to see staff looking so…unkempt. Against company policy and all that.” He grins, the teeth flashing at you looking incredibly sharp. God, he really did look like a vampire. He turns around as promised, though. The back of his purple vest has a thin gold buckle at the waist. You turn around for good measure and pull the stained shirt over your head, hurriedly trying to tug the new one on. Your bra’s partially soaked but screw it, you’ll just have to cope.

Yeah, it was definitely too small.

You’re still struggling to get it over your tits when you feel the hands at your back, feverish hands that linger before attempting to assist you.

“Well this really is a bit snug on you, isn’t it?” He chuckles softly and the sound does something, making your insides twist and curl.

His hands are at your front now and there is no pretense when those long fingers of his take a great deal longer dragging across your white satin clad breasts as the rest of the shirt is wrenched into place and you turn to face him.

“There we are. Now you’re presentable.” Another smile. He’s still standing close to you. You can feel the heat wafting from him. Like standing in front of a fireplace.

“Thanks,” you mutter awkwardly, not sure of what else to say.

“My pleasure.”

A little hum of amusement punctuates this last statement and then he hits the switch to open the blinds again.

You can feel his eyes on you all the way down the stairs, his silhouette unmistakable through the slats covering the windows.

You’ve finally gotten your employer’s attention.