This is what's happening in the Netherlands.
Municipalities see illegal sex work hundreds of times a year.
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Mattress on the floor.
The working conditions are very variable. "From workspaces that are very professionally and neatly furnished to spaces where there is only a mattress on the floor in a polluted room," says the municipality of Sittard-Geleen.
Examples of workplaces that the municipality of Tilburg found during inspections: (see pictures above.
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Many sex workers move around and camp somewhere else every week. "They often come from abroad and live out of a suitcase," notes the municipality of Dordrecht.
The origins of the sex workers (usually women) are extremely diverse, but most come from South America, Eastern Europe or the Netherlands itself.
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Chances of being caught are small.
Amsterdam has the feeling that the illegal circuit is growing. "A conservative estimate is that approximately 6,000 sex workers were active on regular sex advertising websites in Amsterdam last year, the vast majority of which involved illegal prostitution. During inspections we regularly find abuses and exploitation."
Due to a lack of supervision, many municipalities see illegal prostitution as a risk. "The earnings are high, the chance of being caught is small and there is no prospect of voluntariness or [whether the sex workers are underage or not]," according to the municipality of Almelo.
Enforcement officers regularly wonder whether prostitution is forced. For example, Amersfoort came across a Romanian sex worker without papers and a tattoo with the name of a suspected pimp. Sometimes someone other than the sex worker speaks, which municipalities find suspicious.
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Different perspective.
It rarely happens that someone admits to working under duress. "There are often suspicions of a network, but not much information emerges in conversations or interrogations," says the municipality of Assen. "It also plays a role that sex workers sometimes have a different perspective on exploitation," says the municipality of Hilversum. Female sex workers often come from abroad to earn money for their families. "They have more income here than in their home country, even if they have to [pay a part of what they earn.]"
When municipalities discover illegal prostitution, they often choose to warn sex workers and possibly offer help. They can also close properties or impose a so-called cease and desist order on the owners.
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Link to the full article below. It's in Dutch, but it isn't long so an online translator will go a long way for you to get the gist of it:
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Maybe you have an au that works for this— but thinking about accidental baby acquisition maxiel. Like a “life as we know it” (the movie) AU where they have to adopt a kid, live together and suddenly make it work
Oh! Oh!!
BESTIE. This is...
I don't currently have a fic in the works like this but I honestly love this trope so much. There's a fic I read in my last fandom that did it sooooo lovely.
I will say, I don't remember this film but I read the summary and my brain lit up a little. I hope I'm not like scooping the finer plot points
I imagine they met because their mutual friends are together. Maybe they met originally at the wedding years ago and they're the childhood besties of their friends and get named God parents.
Fast forward maybe 3 years and something bad happens and their friends pass. And it's when they both realize that being named God parents meant that they're responsible for their godchild. Max knew but Daniel had no idea that it was so serious. He just thought it was an honour and now he's extra special uncle Daniel.
Let's say their friends had a son, Jack. And Max goes to the house to meet up with Jack's grandparents who ofc are grieving and don't want to give up their grandchild but Jack is supposed to be in Max's care.
He stays at the house, so Jack has some stability. Daniel comes the next day- he travelled all night. Jack runs to him when he gets inside and Daniel breaks down clutching this little boy to him.
Max offers coffee. Jack spent the night clutched into his chest and he's trying to not feel jealous that he's not clinging to Daniel.
They aren't friends. If anything maybe they didn't really get along during the wedding festivities. But it doesn't matter. They stay with Jack at the house while the grandparents plan the wakes and the funerals.
They both try to explain what it all means and argue about whether telling a 3yr old that death was like final was a good thing. They argue about a lot of things because Daniel believes in protecting Jack a little more about he harshness of the world and Max thinks that it's a bit pragmatic to not lie.
There wasn't really a will because Jacks parents were young and full of life. They couldn't have anticipated the car accident. So because of that any legal decisions made while alive count. Meaning Daniel and Max have full custody of Jack.
Daniel thinks they should allow his grandparents to take care of him. Max thinks they should honour their friend's wishes.
One pair of Jacks grandparents agree with him. Daniel figures they can agree to disagree. but they also can stay in the house with Jack for a little longer before they figure out next steps. Max is one of the executors of the estates and he has to go through all the paperwork and heavy shit.
Daniel watched Jack while Max is working. He spends a lot of time with the grandparents. Daniel moved away after uni and well, he works pretty remote so it's not a hardship to move back. At least until everything is sorted.
Max owns a business so paperwork and lawyers are things he knows. And when all is done he comes back to the house to spend time with Jack. And Daniel.
And it kinda continues like that, unconsciously. They don't like intend to become parental figures but they would do anything for Jack. And sure they still argue but they're happy to provide stability for their godson.
One of the grandparents suggests selling the house and it becomes a point of contention. Daniel disagrees. It's all Jack's known. They can't uproot him after everything.
Something something legalese that the only way to keep everything as it is now is for Daniel and Max to adopt Jack. And be his legal guardians. And the easiest way for that to happen is for them to get married.
Max agrees because fuck it. He'll do anything for Jack. Daniel agrees too because he loves the little shit. Jack is his best boy, his baby wayby. So they have a quick signing at the courthouse. No fandangles or fanfare. And they both completely move into the house.
And that's where things get dicey. Because it was fine before. When they were just friends with a mutual purpose but for some reason a title and a legal document has shifted something.
Max had always thought that Daniel was cute. But now he can't stop thinking about how lovely Daniel is while he's reading to Jack at bedtime or dancing around with him in the house to his dad's favorite albums.
And Daniel always tired to lightly flirt with Max where he could but now-- did Max's jaw get sharper? Are his eyes sparkling in the amber light of Jack's nightlights?
And there's tension and they're tripping over each other. And Jack notices something is different. And he gets worried. Cries that they're leaving him too.
And it's a tantrum of all tantrums and Jack is screaming and wailing and crying for his parents, his real parents. And it takes them hours to calm him. And he won't rest or sleep unless he's touching both of them. Clutching Max's shirt in one hand and Daniel's pinky (the one with the 3) in the other.
They're exhausted and crumbled in the main bedroom because it has the biggest bed. Neither of them sleep in there, it didn't feel right. But holding Jack there, cuddling him close, that felt right.
And maybe Max brushes some tears off of Jack's cheek and kisses him in the forehead and looks over at Daniel who is watching him quietly and Max pulls them both close. Daniel threads their fingers together and Max squeezes and kisses their palms
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Accidentally Undercover AU, let's go!
Three idiots and six identities, and all the comedic chaos that entails.
Y/N is a rather particular parkour enthusiast, who happened to catch the eye of someone scouting for new secret agent material. They're damn good at their job, though their lighthearted "ehehe I'm a secret agent" attitude doesn't really give off that impression. They're proud of their reputation though, and worked hard to get where they are.
In come Sun and Moon - one animatronic, two AIs (unbeknownst to Y/N). A tag team that works shorter shifts but due to their shared body still more than Y/N, and is scarily efficient. They quickly ascend the ranks and become respected agents to everyone except Y/N. About the same time, they look for a new place to live - somewhere with more space for all their gadgets and gear, and preferably with a landlord who won't ask too many questions.
Well, Y/N doesn't ask any questions they don't want turned around towards them, so at least with this arrangement everyone is happy. They don't mind the drilling, whirring, and all the other seemingly suspicious noises - because they're used to them, and have their own little workshop (although they invested in soundproofing long before Sun and Moon moved in). They do quite like their new neighbor, not realizing that's supposed to be plural, and find him one of the easier people to deal with in their life.
Not like their rival at work - who really seems hellbent on making their life difficult. Some mission overlap means they meet quite often, and fortunately mutually agree not to tell anyone else when their banter distracts them from the mission itself, almost causing them to fail. They don't truly hate each other. They're just the two smart kids in class who always need to prove themselves (to the other).
They're all very smart to work as secret agents - but I cannot emphasize enough that they are all three extremely, extremely stupid when it comes to their identities. They don't even expect the nice neighbor/ annoying coworker to be both, so of course they don't notice.
Sun and Moon can talk internally, and do sometimes, but mostly while one is active the other is in rest mode. It's a mutual decision - they would drive each other crazy, constantly critiquing actions/ not being able to actually intervene. They can "wake" each other, but mostly do that around the time of the switch anyway.
So when one talks about the respective Y/N identity they're aware of, they do so via recounting, and not shared memories, only increasing the dissonance between "Robin" and Y/N.
A present day to mildly futuristic setting, animatronics and robots are fully integrated into society. There's also enough of them around, so Y/N in turn doesn't question why their neighbor and coworker look so damn similar.
Shenanigans ensue ✨
Edit: Here's the masterlist! (Check reblogs for future updates)
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