#You can't... hire a product owner...

[moose-mousse]

"Product owner" is a confusing job to hire people for. And so, confusing people are hired to do the job.

[mostlysignssomeportents]

A profoundly stupid case about video game cheating could transform adblocking into a copyright infringement

I'm coming to DEFCON! On Aug 9, I'm emceeing the EFF POKER TOURNAMENT (noon at the Horseshoe Poker Room), and appearing on the BRICKED AND ABANDONED panel (5PM, LVCC - L1 - HW1–11–01). On Aug 10, I'm giving a keynote called "DISENSHITTIFY OR DIE! How hackers can seize the means of computation and build a new, good internet that is hardened against our asshole bosses' insatiable horniness for enshittification" (noon, LVCC - L1 - HW1–11–01).

Here's a weird consequence of our societal shift from capitalism (where riches come from profits) to feudalism (where riches come from rents): increasingly, your rights to your actual property (the physical stuff you own) are trumped by corporations' metaphorical "intellectual property" claims.

That's a lot to unpack! Let's start with a quick primer on profits and rents. Capitalists invest money in buying equipment, then they pay workers wages to use that equipment to produce goods and services. Profit is the sum a capitalist takes home from this arrangement: money made from paying workers to do productive things.

Now, rents: "rent" is the money a rentier makes by owning a "factor of production": something the capitalist needs in order to make profits. Capitalists risk their capital to get profits, but rents are heavily insulated from risk.

For example: a coffee shop owner buys espresso machines, hires baristas, and rents a storefront. If they do well, the landlord can raise their rent, denying them profits and increasing rents. But! If a great new cafe opens across the street and the coffee shop owner goes broke, the landlord is in great shape, because they now have a vacant storefront they can rent, and they can charge extra for a prime location across the street from the hottest new coffee shop in town.

The "moral philosophers" that today's self-described capitalists claim to worship – Adam Smith, David Ricardo – hated rents. For them, profits were the moral way to get rich, because when capitalists chase profits, they necessarily chase the production of things that people want.

When rentiers chase rents, they do so at the expense of profits. Every dollar a capitalist pays in rent – licenses for IP, rent for a building, etc – is a dollar that can't be extracted in profit, and then reinvested in the production of more goods and services that society desires.

The "free markets" of Adam Smith weren't free from regulation, they were free from rents.

The moral philosophers' hatred of rents was really a hatred of feudalism. The industrial revolution wasn't merely (or even primarily) the triumph of new machines: rather, it was the triumph of profits over rent. For the industrial revolution to succeed, the feudal arrangement had to end. Capitalism is incompatible with hereditary lords receiving guaranteed rents from hereditary serfs who are legally obliged to work for them. Capitalism triumphed over feudalism when the serfs were turned off of the land (becoming the "free labor" who went to work in the textile mills) and the land itself was given over to sheep grazing (providing the wool for those same mills).

But that doesn't mean that the industrial revolution invented profits. Profits were to be found in feudal societies, wherever a wealthy person increased their wealth by investing in machines and hiring workers to use them. The thing that made feudalism feudal was how conflicts between rents and profits cashed out. For so long as the legal system elevated the claims of rentiers over the claims of capitalists, the society was feudal. Once the legal system gave priority to profit over rent, it became capitalist.

Capitalists hate capitalism. The engine of capitalism is insecurity. The successful capitalist is like the fastest gun in the old west: there's always a young gun out there looking to "disrupt" their fortune with a new invention, product, or organizational strategy that "creatively destroys" the successful businesses of the day and replaces them with new ones:

https://locusmag.com/2024/03/cory-doctorow-capitalists-hate-capitalism/

That's a hard way to live, with your every success serving as a blinking KICK ME sign visible to every ambitious person in the world. Precarity makes people miserable and nuts:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/04/19/make-them-afraid/#fear-is-their-mind-killer

So capitalists universally aspire to become rentiers and investors seek out companies that have a plan to extract rent. This is why Warren Buffett is so priapatic for companies with "moats and walls" – legal privileges and market structures that protect the business from competition and disruption:

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/warren-buffett-explains-moat-principle-164442359.html

Feudal rents were mostly derived from land, but even in the feudal era, the king was known to reward loyal lickspittles with rents over ideas. The "patents royal" were the legally protected right to decide who could make or do certain things: for example, you might have a patent royal over the production of silver ribbon, and anyone who wanted to make a silver ribbon would have to pay for your permission. If you chose to grant that permission exclusively to one manufacturer, then no one else could make it, and you could charge a license fee to the manufacturer that accounted for nearly all their profit.

Today, rentiers are also interested in land. Bill Gates is the country's number one landowner, and in many towns, private equity landlords are snappinig up every single family home that hits the market and converting it to a badly maintained slum:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/05/22/koteswar-jay-gajavelli/#if-you-ever-go-to-houston

But the 21st Century's defining source of rent is "IP" – a controversial term that I use here to mean, "Any law or policy that allows a company to exert legal control over its competitors, critics and customers":

https://locusmag.com/2020/09/cory-doctorow-ip/

IP is in irreconcilable conflict with real property rights. Think of HP selling you a printer and wanting to decide which ink you use, or John Deere selling you a tractor and wanting to tell you who can fix it. Or, for that matter, Apple selling you a phone and dictating which software you are allowed to install on it.

Think of Unity, a company that makes tools for video-game makers, demanding a royalty from every game that is eventually sold, calling this "shared success":

https://pluralistic.net/2023/10/03/not-feeling-lucky/#fundamental-laws-of-economics

Every time one of these conflicts ends with IP's triumph over real property rights, that is a notch in favor of calling the world we live in now "technofeudalist" rather than "technocapitalist":

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/28/cloudalists/#cloud-capital

Once you start to think of "IP" as "laws that let me control how other people use their real property," a lot of the seemingly incoherent fights over IP snap into place. This also goes a long way to explaining how otherwise sensible people can agree on expansions of IP to achieve some short-term goal, irrespective of the spillover harms from such a move. Hard cases make bad law, and hard IP cases make terrible law.

Five years ago, some anti-fascist counterdemonstrators hit on the clever idea of blaring top 40 music during neo-Nazi marches, on the theory that this would prevent Nazis from uploading videos of their marches to Youtube and other platforms, whose filters would block any footage that included copyrighted music:

https://memex.craphound.com/2019/07/23/clever-hack-that-will-end-badly-playing-copyrighted-music-during-nazis-rallies-so-they-cant-be-posted-to-youtube/

Thankfully, this didn't work, but not for lack of trying. And it might still work, if calls for beefing up video copyright filters are heeded. Cops all over the place are already blaring Taylor Swift songs and Disney tunes to prevent their interactions with the public from being uploaded:

https://pluralistic.net/2022/04/07/moral-hazard-of-filternets/#dmas

The same thinking that causes progressives to recklessly argue in favor of upload filters also causes them to demand that web scraping be treated as a copyright crime. They think they're creating a world where AI companies can't rip off their creation to train a model; they're actually creating a world where the Internet Archive can't capture JD Vance's embarrassing old podcast appearances or newspaper editorial boards' advocacy for positions they now recant:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/09/17/how-to-think-about-scraping/

It's not that Nazi marches are good, or that scraping can't be bad – it's just that advocating for the use of IP to address either is a cure that's not just worse than the disease – it's also not a cure.

A problem can be real, and still not be solvable with IP. I have enormous sympathy for gamers who rail against cheaters who use aftermarket hacks to improve their aim, see through buildings, or command other unfair advantages.

If you want to tell a stranger how they must configure their PC or console, IP ("any law that lets you control your competitors, critics or customers") is an obvious answer. But – as with other attempts to solve real problems with IP – this is a cure that is both worse than the disease, and also not a cure after all.

Back in 2002, Blizzard sued some hobbyists over a program called "bnetd." Bnetd was a program that provided a game-server you could connect to with the Blizzard games that you'd bought. It was created as an alternative to Battlenet, Blizzard's notoriously unreliable game-server software that left gamers frustrated and furious due to frequent outages:

https://www.eff.org/cases/blizzard-v-bnetd

To the public, Blizzard made several arguments against bnetd. They claimed that it encouraged piracy, because – unlike the official Battlenet servers – it didn't check whether the copies of Blizzard software that connected to it had a valid license key. Gamers didn't really care about that, but they did respond to another argument: that bnetd lacked the anti-cheat checking of Battlenet.

But that wasn't what Blizzard took to the court: in court, they argued that the hobbyists who made bnetd violated copyright law. Specifically, Section 1201 of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, which bans "circumvention of access controls to copyrighted works." Basically, Blizzard argued that bnetd's authors violated the law because they used debuggers to examine the software they'd paid for, while it ran on their own computers, to figure out how to make a game server of their own.

Blizzard didn't sue bnetd's authors for pirating Blizzard software (they didn't – they'd paid for their copies). They didn't sue them for abetting other gamers' piracy. They certainly didn't sue them for making a cheat-friendly game-server.

Blizzard sued them for analyzing software they'd paid for, while it was running on their own computers.

Imagine if Walmart – one of the biggest book-retailers in America – had a policy that said that you could only shelve the books you bought at Walmart on shelves that you also bought at Walmart. Now imagine that Walmart successfully argued that measuring the books you bought from them and using those measurements to create your own compatible book-case violated their IP rights!

This is an outrageous triumph of IP rights over real property rights, and yet gamers vocally backed Blizzard in the early noughts, because gamers hate cheaters and because IP law is (correctly) understood as "the law that lets a company tell you how you can use your own real, physical property." Hard cases make bad law, hard IP cases make batshit law.

It's more than 20 years since bnetd, and cheating continues to serve as a Trojan horse to smuggle in batshit new IP laws. In Germany, Sony is suing the cheat-device maker Datel:

https://torrentfreak.com/sonys-ancient-lawsuit-vs-cheat-device-heads-in-right-direction-sonys-defeat-240705/

Sony argues that the Datel device – which rewrites the contents of a player's device's RAM, at the direction of that player – infringes copyright. Sony claims that the values that its programs write to your device's RAM chips are copyrighted works that it has created, and that altering that copyrighted work makes an unauthorized derivative work, which infringes its copyright.

Yes, this is batshit, and thankfully, Sony has been thwarted in court to date, but it is steaming ahead to the EU's highest court. If it succeeds, then it will open up every tool that modifies your computer at your direction to this kind of claim.

How bad can it be? Well, get this: the German publishing giant Axel Springer (owned by a monomaniacal Trumpist and Israel hardliner who has ordered journalists in his US news outlets to go easy on both) is suing Eyeo, makers of Adblock Plus, on the grounds that changing HTML to block an ad creates a "derivative work" of Axel Springer's web-pages:

https://torrentfreak.com/ad-blocking-infringes-copyright-ancient-sony-cheat-lawsuit-may-prove-pivotal-240729/

Axel Springer's filings cite the Sony/Datel case, using it to argue that their IP rights trump your property rights, and that you can only configure your web-browser, running on your computer, which you own, in ways that it approves of.

Axel Springer's war on browsers is a particularly pernicious maneuver, because browsers are the best example we have of internet software that serves as a "user agent." "User agent" is an old-timey engineering synonym for "browser" that reflects the browser's role: to go out onto the web on your behalf and bring back things for you, which it displays in the way you prefer:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/05/07/treacherous-computing/#rewilding-the-internet

Want to block flickering GIFs to forestall photosensitive epileptic servers? Ask your user agent to find and delete them. Want to shift colors into a gamut that accounts for your color-blindness? Ask your user-agent:

https://dankaminsky.com/2010/12/15/dankam/

Want to goose the font size and contrast so you can read the sadistic grey-on-white type that young designers use in the mistaken belief that black-on-white type is "hard on the eyes"? That's what Reader Mode is for:

https://frankgroeneveld.nl/2021/08/24/most-underused-browser-feature/

The foundation of any good digital relationship is a device that works for you, not for the people who own the servers you connect to. Even if they don't plan on screwing you over by directing your user agent to attack you on their behalf right now, the very existence of a facility in your technology that causes it to betray you, by design, is a moral hazard that inevitably results in your victimization:

https://pluralistic.net/2023/08/02/self-incrimination/#wei-bai-bai

"IP" ("a law that lets me control how you use your own property") is a tempting solution to every problem, but ultimately, IP ends up magnifying the power of the already powerful, in contests where your only hope of victory is having a user agent whose only loyalty is to you.

The monotonic, dangerous expansion of IP reflects the growing victory of rents over profits – income from owning things, rather than income from doing things. Everyday people may argue for IP in the belief that it will solve their immediate problems – with AI, or Nazis, or in-game cheats – but ultimately, the expansion of a law that limits how you can use your property (including your capital) to uses that don't threaten neofeudalists will doom you to technoserfdom.

Support me this summer on the Clarion Write-A-Thon and help raise money for the Clarion Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers' Workshop!

If you'd like an essay-formatted version of this post to read or share, here's a link to it on pluralistic.net, my surveillance-free, ad-free, tracker-free blog:

https://pluralistic.net/2024/07/29/faithful-user-agents/#hard-cases-make-bad-copyright-law

[emotionalhottiee]

You’re my little secret 💋.

Part 2

(inspired by “My little Secret” by Xscape (kind of).

(This content may include explicit material).

DISCLAIMER: This oneshot is a work of fiction. Unless otherwise stated, all the names, characters, businesses, places, events in this fanfic are either the product of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner.

Part 1

Jey Uso x Ashleigh (OC)

It’s not really a secret, it’s just nobody’s business.

(A couple of hours later)

*phone buzzes*

Bae😍: Meet me in our secret spot 2 minutes 👀.

Me: okay daddy 🥰

It’s a good time to take a break, since it’s a weekday there shouldn’t be too many people. I made sure my bar was closed up, and headed toward an empty VIP section. The room where me & Josh always met up. It’s the ultimate VIP section, & not many people can afford it. Therefore it’s always empty. Plus i always take some time to make sure it’s nice and clean. One of the many perks of being head bartender. So its the perfect place to go & get dicked down while at work. Not the other owner cares anyway he be fucking almost every girl he hires, but that ain’t none of my business.

I handed Josh my keys so that he can open the door, and as i walk in i felt him on my heels. He closes the door and immediately pulls me in for a sensual kiss. Oh how I’ve missed him!! Even though we see each other all the time, at work and outside of work. He just does something to me. He’s 6’2 muscular frame towered over my little 5’4 self. “That boy gone get his ass whooped uce if he don’t watch himself”. He spoke angrily, while i know he’s not angry with me. I abruptly stopped running my fingers over his beautiful tribal tattoos. Honestly i had forgotten all about what happened with Que earlier, that’s how much of a non factor he is. “I know but he literally throws himself onto every girl here, hoping someone will fall for his bs”. I stated to Josh trying my best to reassure him, that he’s the only man i want. I moved my hands up to his face, getting a handful of his salt & pepper beard, staring into those big brown eyes. “Hell would have to freeze over and pigs would be down there ice skating, before he would ever have a chance with me.” I stated calmly but matter of factly, never breaking our stare down. I felt the tension in his body, going away as a smirk grew on that handsome face. Because he knew he had me in the palm of his hand. “I only belong to you, Mr. Fatu.” His smirk turned into a complete smile. Now enough about that loser.

Now that the conservation about Que, was over and done with. My lips met with his for a passionate kiss. His shifted down to my neck as he used his tongue planting wet kisses all over my neck. My ass was in his big ole hands literally as he squeezed ever so firmly, while i let out a soft moan my hands now under his shirt rubbing his chiseled back. He swooped me up in his arms as if it were nothing and walked us over to the U-shaped sectional that sat in the middle of the VIP room.

“I missed you so much baby girl” he softly groaned against my lips. “I missed you too baby” I replied before he kissed me again. This time parting my lips with his tongue, we engaged in a hot and steamy make out session with him only breaking it to remove our articles of clothing (mostly mine). He finally got down to my shorts pulling them over my ankles and tossing them as if we were at one of our respective homes. “Don’t be throwing my clothes all over this room Josh. I’m going to need those to go back to work”. I stated in a serious tone, but he paid me no mind. I was for real, I can't go back on the floor naked! He kept going sliding my Fenty laced panties off. He stared at my pussy for a moment as if it was his first time seeing her. He quietly let out a damn, beforing lowering himself down so that he and my wet pussy were eye level. As started kissing my vagina I let out a soft moan while running my fingers through those reddish brown curls. He picked up the pace a little bit as i laid my head back in awe of how he was eating me up as if he couldn’t waste a drop of me. “Mmmhmm you taste so sweet baby girl” he moaned against my pussy sending chills up my spine.

Right on cue he used some of his weight to hold my legs down as if he knew i was cumming before i even realized. Hell as much as this man knows my body he probably did know i was about to cum. He wasted no time inserting his finger into me, while his attention moved to my clit. Right when i was at the edge he then removed his finger, and went back to only using his mouth. “That’s right baby. Cum for daddy.” He said huskily and i immediately came following his command. My body quivered as he slurped up my juices, making sure to leave nothing behind. We could be on here all night.

As he came up we were face to face again. He kissed me with all of my juices still lingering on his lips. “You are so sweet, baby i will never get tired of eating that pretty lil pussy”, he said to me in between loving kisses. He slowly lowered his hand to my vagina rubbing my clit, grazing her ever so gently. He stood up only for a second to finally remove his jeans and his ethika boxers. He dicked popped out at full attention. I licked my fingers before moving them down to his perfectly shaped member. He watched me caress his dick with my hand for a second before moving his eyes back up to mine. Intensely our eyes locked with each other as i gave his dick a message. I could tell me ready to fuck the shit out of me, so i moved my hand to allow him to bring dick up to my entrance. He slowly rubbed it up and down my vagina. Gliding it over my wetness before slowly inserting himself inside of me. His eyes still honed in on me and my facial expression as I lifted up off of the sectional a little bit.

He took his time at first, slowly bringing his hard dick in and out of me. I had my head back as the moans i let out with each stroke grew louder. But lifted it back up to motion for him to come closer towards me. He brought his body back over mine clasping his hands together above my head so that i could run my hands up and down his smooth back. Without any hesitation he took that as his innovative to pick up the pace a little bit. Hitting my spot with every stroke he gave me. He placed his head in my neck his ear right next to my mouth, so that he could hear each moan loud and clear. “You so damn tight.” He grunted into my neck while my hands roamed all over the large tribal tattoo on his back. My long acrylics digging into his skin as i felt my self reaching my climax. And still on perfect timing “you gone cum all over this dick, just like i like it” he command his voice huskier than usual. He moved his head from my neck back up to my face. Trying to resume our intense gaze from earlier, but i couldn’t look at him right now. I couldn’t even look straight if i wanted to. My eyes rolled tightly in the back of my head as i began to orgasm all over daddy’s girthy dick just as he had commanded. “I’m right behind you baby girl” he let out still trying to make eye contact. Once i was done he sat back upright never pulling out and held my legs outward as him watched himself slide in and out. He took pleasure in watching my juices cover his dick. As it was his turn, he released himself inside of me, stroking until every last drop of his cum filled me up.

Gatdamn i love this man. I thought to myself as we finished up the last of our love making. Josh helped me cleaned myself up, and put my clothes back on. He gave me a kiss on the lips, followed by a kiss on the forehead. We walked back down to the main area of the club my fingers interlocked with his. A few more people had made their way in, but nobody really noticed both of our absences. Or at least they didn’t say anything to me about it. Not that I’m hiding my love for Josh. But we both agreed that putting people in our business when we are working together is a dangerous game. So we just keep that little bit of information to ourselves. Only person that knows about our relationship is Jon. Which of course, that’s his twin. I watched as my baby walked back over to his security station along with his brother. And of course i look over to see Jon saying something to Josh about where he was at for so long. I just quietly giggled to myself at those two. Back to fuckin work.

[eponadolls]

Counterfeit Goods Hurt All BJD Artists

I can't tell and demand what anyone else spreads their money on, but if there is anything I hate the most, it's blatant falsehoods being paraded around as fact. I won't name names since I'm not interested in brigading since spamming someone is never going to productively change someone's mind, but as a reminder: recasts (counterfeit ball jointed dolls) hurt all artists. To pretend that it's OK to participate in the theft and exploitations of BJD artists because "the companies [they work for] exploit the artists because they don't get royalties and are only given a one off payment" is wildly inaccurate for the majority (if not all) BJD companies. The BJD hobby is a global hobby and how one company may operate from another may vary wildly from company to company, country to country, as local laws may dictate artist's rights to their work in specific ways as well as specific employment contracts. By no means is this a end-all, be-all, but most BJD artists are the company. Sometimes the company is solely the BJD artist and whomever they may hire to help with doll production. Sometimes the artist, like Bimong, participates in casting and cleaning up the dolls. Other times they might not have those skills and may need to hire fellow employees or commission another BJD company to do the casting for them - many artists use Harucasting, Resinsoul, Island Doll, Fdoll, and so on for their casting services, for example.

Sometimes the artist also haves on apprentices - have you ever noticed that Supiadoll and Limhwa's works look similar to Bimong? They studied under him. I am unsure if Limhwa casts their own dolls, but I know Supiadoll (as of the last few years) uses Withdoll to cast their dolls (with at least one collaboration doll between the two of them, Xion). The BJD hobby is small and many companies have artists who will leave and start their own company, in time - Cerberus Project (Fairyland) used to work under Luts, Resinsoul and Bobobie are sister-companies, Xagadoll and Asleep Eidolon are sister-companies, Dollits (J Baek) used to work for Doll in Mind, went independent, and for a time Dollits worked with Darak-i under the brand "Macaron Doll" and shared a workspace... Would it even surprise you to hear that the most infamous recaster, who had probably done the most harm in this hobby, used to work as an employee under Xagadoll before he was found to be stealing from them and subsequently fired? The BJD world is small and through a cruel twist of irony, the only properly "large" BJD company probably IS that recaster specifically: Luo. (Quenifs, Shuga Fairy, and whatever other monikers he decides to use for himself)

Needless to say, the average BJD operation is probably 1-4 people. But if the artist isn't the owner of the company, sometimes they are able to take their sculpts with them - whether it's because they still retain ownership or they are able to buy the rights to their dolls, I cannot say with certainty without asking them myself, but when Cerberus Project left Luts to make Fairyland, they also took several of their sculpts with them, too - that's why Luts can't make a Delf Soony anymore, even though it was originally produced under the Luts name. J Baek was a sculptor for Doll in Mind, and when he left them to create Dollits, he took several of his sculpts with him, too - SooHee comes to mind, but she wasn't the only doll.

Some BJD companies are "bigger," Fairyland floats around 40 people all-in-all and Volks - of legitimate companies - ...may be the biggest company, when taking account the Dollfie and Doll Dream branches? I am not sure if we've ever gotten a quote of how many employees Volks employs in that section of their company.

Again, I cannot say what another person can and cannot do with their money. However, if you're pro-recast, you can defend recasts all you want, but you don't need to spout inaccuracies as fact. It's much more respectable to just say you want a cheaper doll, no matter the "actual cost" to the hobby as a whole.

Funding recasts just gives recast companies the funds to steal even more dolls, including from those little single-artist teams like Lillycat, even though sometimes those recasts might not even be particularly profitable for the recasters. (Even Hujoo Freya was stolen, and she a $40 plastic bjd that was widely available at the time!)

It's OK if you think a doll is overpriced and "not worth" the value the company/artist has set for their work, but that doesn't mean artists deserve to have their work stolen. These are small companies, not massive cooperation that can easily weather theft, counterfeit products hurt all legitimate artists. It's just a matter of when. No one needs a doll but BJDs have become more and more accessible as the years have gone by, and will probably continue down this path as STL sharing and printers become better and better. Sometimes we cannot help but support things that perpetrate harm due to needs demanded in our society, but no one needs a doll, and I certainly wouldn't want to hurt someone (or multiple people) because I wanted a doll and damn the consequences to anyone else about me getting the "best deal" I could get (aka: paying the least amount of money possible). To wrap this discussion up... please remember, if you purchased recasts in the past, it's never to late to stop and start purchasing legit dolls, secondhand or directly. How someone "shifts" their collection from recast or legit is an entirely personal choice: personally, I think it's more than OK to keep your recasts and keep them out of the secondhand market and enjoy them as they are, as long as you don't pass them off as legits, and stop supporting the primary and secondhand recast market.

[who-is-ashhhh]

Tales From the Grocery Store

A Tales From the Gas Station AU

At the center of town, just across from the post office/"fire department", to the right of the church, and to the left of the bar, there is a shitty grocery store.

The town has only 2 real sources of pride. 1, the high school football team made it through the first round of playoffs back in '96. And 2, they have the largest grocery store in a 15-mile radius (never mind that the people 2 towns over have a Walmart)

Jack has been here way longer than any other employee. He was originally hired to stock frozen food. One time, he was told to fill in for a cashier who called out (no, he wasnt given any training, why would he?), and ever since, his job each night can fall anywhere between a bakery clerk and a janitor.

not that it matters much, cause since the end of high school, the place has had an unrelenting tight grip on him, sometimes literally.

The constant cycle of new part-timers has long since worn him down. You can only show teenagers how to put something on a shelf or how to ring up groceries so many times. The poor folks never seem to last. Second place for longest time as an employee was 6 months, and that ended with multiple shoppers needing therapy and an FBI cover-up.

The managers come and go like a county fair. Appear out of nowhere and then disappear like they never existed. When the owners are asked who they are, what qualifications do they have, how do they always know what I'm thinking, why do they have 4 extra pairs of hands or any other nonsense like that, they respond by saying that they are transfers from another branch. Ignoring the fact that there are, in fact, no other branches.

Not to mention that the place is a magnet for the unusual and otherworldly. The woman who always seems to be preaching from exactly 5 am to 8 pm every day, whether rain or shine, with no breaks. The alluring voice that comes from the back door by the loading dock, calling out to any poor unsuspecting employee unfortunate enough to hear it, begging them to follow them, no one who has has ever been seen again. The mold that never seems to go away at the bottom of the dairy case. The fish. The products with labels in a language that can't exist appearing out of nowhere. The Fish. What happens when one dares to speak the word Q-U-I-E-T.

----------------------------------------------------------

Jerry is the ex-cultist who came in every other day for the soggy made-in-house sandwiches. Eventually, his cult abandons him and the only place he can go is the shitty grocery store. Jack takes pity on him, and seeing as they just that day they lost a cashier, he suggests the job to Jerry.

Jerry is by no means a good employee, but considering that he is one of the few to actually stay for longer than a few months, the owners don't care that much. He gets the job done (even if in the most inconvenient way) and with minimal property damage.

Rosa is the newest hire and is the only one who is consistently above average at her job. She was hired after the last stocker quit, and ever since the store is the most put together it has ever been.

All the grocery is perfectly stocked and fronted. The backstock is always where it's supposed to be. Expired stock is rarely on shelves. She is the only reason why anything running smoothly.

--------------------------------------------------------

Jack is starting to think that there is more than what meets the eye. What with the owner's weird, nearly religious worship of The Founder and the oddities becoming more frequent than customers, there is definitely something more going on.

But he can't bring himself to care. After all, he is getting paid nowhere near enough to deal with this shit.

[luvsugu]

if gojo worked at starbucks, i'd budget to go see him often

cafe!AU where gojo is a cute barista that everyone just loves, definitely smth i'll continue later too LOL, not so heavy on the x reader but eventually it will be shjdjdhsdjfjsjshdjdj, also uni!AU,,, and AU in general bc no curses

barista!gojo who always begs to stay at the drivethru because it's so fun. he always changes up how he greets customers and he genuinely enjoys flirting with all the older women that come by. it's so fucking cringe but at least they're always in a good mood and they all started getting more tips.

barista!gojo who wears his silly little sunglasses even on cloudy days because his eyes are sensitive. sometimes he gets teased through the drivethru, but they always seem to ask why he does it and customers always melt when he tells them why. he ends up being told they're still cool anyway.

barista!gojo who also loves the drivethru because he gets to see the dogs that come with their owner for a pupcup. he loveslovesloves being able to reach over to say hello not to the customer but to the dog LOL!! (customers definitely wish he'd talk to them the way he talks to their dog). his favourite type of dogs are the smaller ones.

barista!gojo who often hums to himself while he's working. sometimes it's with the song playing on their store speakers, sometimes it's a completely different tune and he's in his own world. it's pretty endearing and other workers find it cute.

barista!gojo who, when asked what his favourite drink is, always laughs and warns the customer playfully that he has a massive sweet tooth. they always say it can't be that bad... but it truly is. a lot of customers don't actually get the drink, but gojo's had some girls say it sounds great (only for their faces to twist after one sip).

barista!gojo who always greets customers right as they enter the door when he can. he smiles and waves, saying something along the lines of "welcome in! how's it going!" (and people enjoy it so much that they actually leave good reviews LOL)

barista!gojo who comes into work even when he's not scheduled so he could study. he finds studying and doing homework there just stimulates his brain better—he doesn't like how quiet his apartment is sometimes. plus, he likes looking like a productive university student.

barista!gojo who referred geto when the store was hiring and put in a GREAT word for him to make sure he got the job. geto isn't as "passionate" as gojo and just wanted out of the mall job he was currently at. eventually though, geto ends up being yet another tip bringing and reason for 5-star reviews.

(i'll continue this later, but) barista!gojo who gives you at least one drink on the house (aka he buys it) when you're studying at his store for more than an hour. he writes silly notes and doodles on a napkin before he gives them to you. he does this to nobody but you!!! UGH!!!!!

[humaninpogresss77]

The ironic part of all of this is that Soyeon has been the member that handle her discomfort over CUBE the most.

Most of the time when the other member talk about the company she kinda does damage control.

I think the only moment she didn't do it is when they were in idol theater, but what she said was mostly a thing about them having a hard time. Not a direct complain about CUBE.

Shuhua, Yuqi and Minnie are constantly dragging the company( I think Miyeon has done it too but she usually don't talk about those things that much).

Then the thing with Soyeon's grandma and the response they did to Soyeon's rap came and is just a mess from there.

If the rumors are true and she says that she's gonna joined BRD entertainment I'm gonna laugh so much.

Although the rumor says she is the secret owner of the company and she created it to keep Soojin active until all the members leave CUBE and joined back as a six member group.

Funny how must of the people are not worried of her leaving. They are very happy over this.

Is very possible that the change in the contract could be something like what happened to the blackpink members so soyeon would still do group activities but her solo stuff is not over CUBE anymore.

How the production part of her job is gonna work? CUBE is gonna hired her as a external advisor or something? They can't do shit without her.

My own personal theory is that she is gonna take some time out of the idol stuff to keep working in her cooking channel and practically being a chef. She has shown a lot of pure happiness in the Youtube Channel.

Queen Whatever you do I am gonna love you so much.

[tacobacoyeet]

me x challengers trio pleak

once upon a time, merry owned a restaurant. merry did not intend to become the owner, but this was the consequence of not paying attention while attempting to order garlic knots via doordash at 3:43am.

now that merry was a restaurant owner, it was time to find employees. 'NOW CONDUCTING INTERVIEWS!' read the big sign on the window. on a day that was very cloudy (seemingly with a chance of meatballs), a hairy man with dark curls and vivid green eyes stepped in. "hello! i would... woah. hey there, sexy," the man was caught off guard by merry's beauty.

"can i help you?" merry asked, but she was also very distracted by the sexy man in front of her.

"yes..." he licked his lips. "i was here for an interview but... there's no way i'll be able to focus if someone as beautiful as you is interviewing me..."

merry smiles at that. "don't worry... there are other ways we can interview."

patrick grins at that, but he'd be selfish if he kept merry all for himself. "by the way," he says, "i have some friends that are also looking... for a job. can i let them know to interview here?"

merry nods. "of course. we can't just run this place by ourselves. come on back, let's get your interview started."

in the back room, the chatting doesn't last long. all merry has to do is ask patrick about his experience and special skills, and then he's showing off. physically. while merry and patrick are freaking it crazy style, the bell on the door jingles, signifying that someone has come in. it startles merry.

"relax..." says patrick. "it's just my friends..."

and merry was relaxed the moment they saw art and tashi's faces, because zoo-wee-mama! they were very hot!

"well," said tashi. "this looks like a productive interview," she remarks about the state of patrick and merry.

"how do we get in on this?" art adds.

"you just need to... show me why i should hire you..." merry winks seductively.

and they do. art, merry, tashi, and patrick all freak it crazy style in the back room of the restaurant and fall in love. when they are all done, patrick is the first to speak.

"well, i guess it makes sense that this is a spaghetti restaurant. since we're all tangled up like noodles!" he laughs.

"i guess this is the knot i got when i tried ordering the garlic ones..." says merry.

the end.

[queenofperv]

leaving the job drama: part 2

so the boss and I had finally The Talk (TM) today

or rather an attempt at it was made, but still only because my collegue and I demanded that he settle a delegation bonus with us that's over a month overdue, he said he doesn't have the time today and anyway he has more important things to think about, like the chief accountant quitting and I reminded him that I'm quitting too

cue pikachu face

also some belittling and patronising comments were made at which I started yelling which cued another pikachu face

anyway, I'm calling it a Talk very generously, since for every word from me there was 300 words from him, and the topics that were mentioned are as below:

Me:

his general shitty attitude and utter lack of respect to me or the other coworkers

his complete disregard towards the amount of responsibilities I have

me demanding those responsibilities are significantly reduced if he ever hopes of changing my mind

Him:

bad financial state of the company (I know, since I make some financial-adjacent raports for him daily)

offering me a wage rise (I refused)

him not seeing the need to hire another worker to my department

the amount of worries he has

the chief accountant's personality

my coworker overreacting (you know, over the month long overdue delegation bonus payment settlement?)

automotive market collapsing

Tesla's stock rates falling

EU's political climate

that he procastinates fixing some family grave

offering me a wage rise (I refused)

current production not being at full capacity but he has to pay every worker full salary anyway

him crying because he's so stressed and sad :(

new production items projects (I know, I helped develop them)

dissing the other co-owner

Chinese sales expansion to EU

offering me a wage rise (I refused)

history of the very recent lay-offs in the company (people leaving more like, see prev's post tags)

hybrid cars being better than electric cars

him saying he's so good-natured and charitable because he cries when he sees someone else cry

gossip about our competition

so many other things, ect., ect., ect...

I stood there like an idiot listening to him talk for THREE (3) HOURS. OVERTIME. ABOUT EVERYTHING AND NOTHING. to receive absolutely NO CONCRETE REPLY to my terms.

but he thanked me for the "honest conversation" and that we "explained to each other some important things" and he's happy that we "reached an understanding" and we'll talk more next week

DUDE xD

end of the notice period can't come soon enough

[dreamingon-forever]

Current WIP Levihan Fics

Just wanted to give a little update on the fanfics and drabbles I'm currently working on. I don't have a set date on when to release them, but I do have them mostly done so I should at least release a few in the next couple of days or weeks.

I've been finding it difficult to put a timeline to my writing as it makes me feel rushed and as if my work is more of a deadline instead of something I enjoy for myself. Sorry if I let anyone down or disappointed anyone because of that. I'll try to make up for it with the works I'm working on.

Here's a list and small description of the works I'm writing currently:

Royalty AU: Levi and Hange are the crown royals of their respective nations. But because of a treaty set by their ancestors, they're forced to marry each other as a sign of peace. Only problem being, they absolutely hate each other.

Tea Shop AU: Levi is a co-owner of a tea shop with his friend Erwin. Thanks to Erwin, Hange had been hired to work with them due to her financial strains as she awaits a research position at the nearby university. It becomes a daily thing where Hange flirts up Levi, trying to get him to accept a date from her, but Levi thinks it's just Hange trying to annoy him and rejects her every time. And it becomes too late when he realizes Hange had been honest about her feelings the whole time.

Childhood Friends Turned Strangers: Where neighborhood best friends Levi and Hange become estranged after Hange overhears Levi saying he wished he didn't become friends with Hange.

Memory Loss: After a fight between Levi and Hange, and a very bad expedition outside the walls, Hange ends up losing her memories, and specially those revolving around Levi, who she doesn't recall meeting at all. Levi tries to figure out his new place in Hange's life when she doesn't hold the same sentiments towards him as before.

Marley Suits: The origin story of Hange's suit worn in Marley. The idea that Levi was actually the one who chose it for her, and their backstory revolving his choice.

Writing Lessons: After Levi came into the Survey Corps, Hange was tasked with teaching him to read and write. They start communicating through diaries and develop a deep connection through them.

Tea Company: Levi is the vice president of a tea company. He hires Hange as a researcher to further their tea leaves production but can't seem to get along with the brunette. Hange eventually teaches him that his methods of treating employees and prioritizing monetary gains is not the best way to live life.

Black Tea is Fine Chapter 14: Hange and Levi finally express their feelings for each other. Only problem is, not everyone agrees with their happiness.

Truth be told, I have so many ideas but neither my schedule nor my my mind have the capacity to sit down and work through it all. I'm really hoping to at least put some out soon. Thank you for all the love and hope you'll enjoy the stories once they're out.

[theliterarywolf]

Can I have an explanation as to what is the Fyre Festival(?) I don't know if I'm too young or not American enough to know ^^''

Long story short, watch this

Short story long and I mean long, so a good portion in will have a Read More break for the sake of people's dashboards:

We have a trust-fund baby by the name of Billy McFarland. Full-on too much allowance and money from mommy and daddy and nowhere near enough brains to use it.

Billy calls himself making a black card (credit cards for obnoxiously wealthy people) company called Magnises where the premise is basically

Billy: 'Why, yes, this is a money-sink of what is already a money-sink, but with this you get amazing deals on concerts and meeting celebrities~!'

Anyone dumb enough to sign up: 'Um... Okay, at least that last part sounds good. How does it work?'

Billy: 'That's the neat part! IT DOESN'T!'

So anyone would think 'okay, you can't even make something as simple as a customized credit card work, maybe you should stay away from business and investments for a bit'. Not Billy! Because during some big party or whatever, he happened to meet the famous (to some people) rapper Ja Rule! And they got to talking and decided 'why don't we throw a music festival with high-profile acts in the Bahamas?!'

So they actually flew out to Great Exuma with a bunch of influencer thots and Instagram models and lived it up to the fullest. Why? So they could get promo material for a festival that literally didn't even exist.

So determined were they to get this footage that when one model expressed discomfort at getting into a swimming pool (it was getting late and she was cold), Ja Rule told her to, quote, 'Get your ass in the damn pool'.

So they got this footage and started promoting online. And they sold out! Awesome, right? For them to see how much interest they got had to mean that they realized they needed to get infrastructure and hospitality squared away, right?

Ha ha -- WRONG.

Because even other people who were employed by Billy and Ja Rule were telling them, begging them 'we need at least 2 years to pull off something like this'.

But remember! Billy McFarland has horrific denial issues! So he kept insisting that they could make it happen! Also, something something -- taking out a bunch of short-term loans that he couldn't afford to default on -- something.

So they go full steam ahead!

...By not paying the local laborers they hired, the restaurant-owner they hired, the staff they hired--

But, traloo-traley! They day eventually arrives! Excited festival-goers are hopping on their flights to the Bahamas, expecting the highest luxury that their $1200 tickets could pay for.

By the way, is it... too late to mention that tickets only ranged from $500 to $1200? For a two week music festival? With all amenities included? IN THE FUCKING BAHAMAS?!

Festival-goers step out of the airport and are directed onto a school bus. ...Okay. Where they are then driven to a pretty miserable looking beach. ...Okay. Where they see a swathe of disaster-relief tents.

Welcome to Fyre Festival*!

*Note: The Festival barely ended up lasting two days from a combination of festival-goers seeing the shitshow, trying to leave but not having any spending money (because the Festival was advertised as cashless), and eventually being rounded up by the Bahamian Government and taken back to the airport.

Also: In addition to the festival-goers being promised premium accommodations that turned out to be those disaster-relief tents, they were promised fine dining which those who arrived early got... At the expense of the restaurant owner who was never paid... But the rest were granted the boon of withered salad greens and 'sandwiches' made of limp bread and Government-Approved Cheese-Product (TM).

And all of this doesn't even go into the rumors of wild dog attacks, festival-goers attacking and stealing supplies from each other, Billy asking one of the event-planners, an elderly gentleman who was supposedly a long-time friend of his, to go to the head of Bahamian Customs and offer to suck his dick so they could import some drinking water, and of course Billy's scumbag denial about anything going wrong, about needing to pay his employees in the aftermath, or his eventual jail-time.

But this already got so long so, if anyone wants me to elaborate on anything else, it would have to be in response to a second ask.

[drgamenstein]

So, going back to some of my older posts about character and setting TTRPGs let's talk about Vampire: the Masquerade. Here's real quick, a fun or stupid way to play each of the 13 clans. First though, if anyone somehow finds this who isn't familiar with the VtM lore, I'll offer a bastardized version of the disclaimer the core rulebook does; there's no such thing as a morally good PC in this game, you're going to be playing as a killer, stalker, monster, however you want to put it. Vampires are monstrous reflections of humanity, and as such can emphasize certain traits that are seen as distasteful or wrong. This isn't an excuse to be an overt and openly bigoted asshole at the table, and no GM or player should ever tolerate real world hate speech at the table when speaking OoC. We cool? Cool.

Ventrue: a new age shop owner, who sells homemade essential oils, skin care products and crystals that mark potential targets for siring based on the virtues each clan upholds. They're cursed blood makes them obsessed with very specific scents, meaning they can't feed on someone unless they're wearing something that makes them smell appealing.

Toreador: a plastic surgeon, who's idea of beauty is the imperfection of the human form. They run a budget clinic and are able to avoid losing their license due to malpractice, because they have a close personal bond with the Nosferatu, and love to skincraft them into an appearance that while still leaving them deformed, could pass as injuries or illnesses, making them less likely to violate the Masquerade. These favors give them connections to blackmail and extort anyone, enough that they can hire a Ventrue lawyer to protect them.

Gangrel: a Pational Park Ranger, who may or may not have connections to many, MANY missing 411 cases. They hold a position of neutrality between almost every faction, by upholding the laws of the Camarilla, by keeping the masquerade intact, while simultaniously cultivating their own open-air human meat restaurant. A safe place for werewolves, and other kindred to engage in their most animalistic urges, without fear of leaving evidence behind.

Malkavian: an autistic dark web information broker, that somehow knows what their customers want long before they even make contact. They have a habit of logging every email, password or other piece of identifying information that pops into their head. Breaking the fourth wall, the player could improve this by listening to business, economics or true crime podcasts during sessions, and talking as if it's a conversation they're having to what's going on at that point in game.

Tremere: a character who wants to form their own autonomous enclave, separate from any form of government be it human or kindred based. This wilderness commune is under constant surveillance by several human law enforcement agencies, and is publicly recognized as a cult, though they are petitioning to be recognized as a religion. They sire high ranking members of their organization, only after several years of indoctrination, at which point the Frog has boiled over and been reduced to a fine broth. The appeal of the cult to outsiders are the opportunity for travel, under the guise of medical and disaster relief efforts. All members are also frequently asked to donate blood for "those in need." Internally they don't believe in any religion, the player could make the argument that Kain wasn't cursed by God, but instead was the first evolutionary offshoot from mankind, and they internally view each vampire clan as related in much the same way as humans are related to other apes. This internalized vampirism racism while a massive negative trait, is effectively used by studying each and every clan solely for the purpose of learning how best to manipulate them.

Bruja: (this one's shorter than all the rest) During life they were a decorated cold war era military veteran, who was honorably discharged with injuries after certain government experiments. After their siring they have dedicated their un-life to spreading good old fashioned western values to the oppressed and impoverished parts of the world as a PMC.

Nosferatu: since almost every nosferatu have the same MO, preferred hiding spots and methods of travel, I think this clan is best defined by they're personality and view of the world. The owner of an Incel forum, who uses it both to unironically post their own thoughts and feelings, but to gather info from their users about all the Chads and Staceys in need of some punishment for their arrogance. They also frequently browse social media, and may or may not be responsible for at least a few throwaway accounts responsible for doxxing public figures. They are an absolute bitch for drama, and spend their downtime binging tea channels and Beauty-tubers but can't see the irony of this hobby.

Lasombre: an old fashioned head of a boston mafia group. He's made a fortune exploiting the working class and extorting the needy for decades, and running a successful shipyard and fishing company. His preferred targets for siring are dock workers, and local gang members that he sees as either beneficial to his criminal empire, or someone that his enemies would hate to lose. He has a unique point of view among most of the kindred, in that he doesn't discriminate among humans, Vampires or oan of the other creatures and organizations around him. They're all of equal value in his eyes, that value being equivalent to a character pip from the Game of Life, meaning tiny l, worthless bits of plastic, that take up space and are only worthy of notice when they directly impact him. His closest friend is actually a human butler, that picks out his clothes, make sure he's in proper order, and takes care of him. He will never sire this friend, as they are fully aware of his true nature and have asked him kindly to not do so. This blatant violation of the masquerade is barely tolerated as an open secret, since covering this particular leak would cause more trouble than just leaving it alone.

Tzimisce: a geneticist, who's network has a hand in every animal centric organization in the world, whether it's pet care, breeding, meat production, pageantry, racing, or law enforcement training, they can somehow be linked to it. They are fascinated by genealogy and genetics, obsessed with the true history of the world and want to prove the lineage of every clan and bloodline, simply for the satisfaction of having that knowledge. They were a successful dog breeder in life and now may or may not be practicing human and clan breeding in secret. They have a strange fascination with the Caitiff, and are regularly observed by many, acting friendly with these undesirables. They have a genuine love for animals, and would never harm any of their precious creatures, but see humans as lower than scum, utterly disgusting parasites hellbent on destroying their precious mother nature. They have no desire to sire an heir, unless eventually forced to do so, have no feelings whatsoever toward the idea of harming humans, seeing their acts as mundane or even justified, and this hatred goes so far that they frequently push themselves to the brink of frenzy just to avoid drinking from these vile creatures. Before their embrace, they had a pet dog that they loved more than anything in the world, but sadly killed during their first frenzy. They keep their friends collar on them at all times, despite the guilt they feel, it's the only thing that gives them comfort and let's them sleep at night.

Hecata: (I thought of this as an experienced player, or storyteller's PC) an elderly person, though not ancient. A member of a long lived and wealthy family dating back possibly to the Methusala. A family man, with an actual family, they sired before their embrace, with the knowledge that they will one day need to make arrangements for their children to be embraced. You take on the role of a mentor figure, teaching them the ways of the kindred, necromancy, and hunting, but are planning to, at the end of their training, have more promising of your spawn, diablerize the other.

Banu Haqim: a vigilante serial killer, think Vampire Punisher, or Dexter. Seeking out rogue kindred who've strayed from their respective code, regardless I'd they're Camarilla, Sabatt, or Anarch. The kindred you hunt are blatant violators of the masquerade and do so without even the little bit of control the Sabatt has over its members. More than anything, they are the biggest threats to kindred society as a whole and expose us all to the threat of human exposure. They are the perfect target for one such as yourself, both as self-proclaimed peacekeepers, and to satiate your own clans curse. It's your solemn duty to ensure that no evidence of kindred society is left behind.

Ravnos: a backpacker, spelunker and base jumper. They are a very popular Social Media personality and travel vlogger that enjoys documenting cave exploration and nighttime adventures into the wilderness. They know all the best tourist spots, what every kind of human blood tastes like, and won't shut the hell up about how they need to take you to Venice to try genuine Venican blood fresh from the source. They have a lot of annoying habits, and frequently humble brag about their enlightened un-life, but are generally good company and easy to get along with. You still wouldn't call them a friend though. They're the type of person that always sleeps over when they visit, but you can never remember them specifically asking if they could crash on your couch.

Ministry: You are a bio-terrorist. After your embrace, you took an interest in medical sciences for all the wrong reasons. Fascinated with your new undeath, and immunity to human illness, you start to question the limits of your new undead body, and decide to push it to new limits, concocting plagues, viruses and diseases and testing them on unsuspecting vampire populations. Occasionally, maybe, sure, some human populations get sick as well, pandemics, happen, and hundreds of thousands die each time you conduct a test, but that's the price of good science.

Caitiff: literally just don't play Caitiff. It's hard to come up with a creative or unique story for this "Clan" since they are effectively nobodies. The best comparison to be made I guess would be that Caitiff are the vampire equivalent of that weird conspiracy theorist who works in retail, has a substance abuse problem and is constantly trying to get you and all his other "work buds" to rise up and unionize against the man, but doesn't have an actual plan or any understanding on how any of that works.

Thin-bloods: Why is this a clan we can pick? Who is picking this one? Don't do it.

[fungalittleweirdo]

Villain Rise Mikey Thoughts: Part Two

a continuation of my first villain mikey post ! this is where it gets more m-rated (using archive ratings) so i'm thinking people 17+ can proceed reading, if you're sixteen about to turn seventeen that's fine too but anyone below that, please do not read !!

cw: graphic depictions of violence, drugs, addiction

i left off on fifteen year old mikey discovering a love for baking edibles

it started off small but eventually he started growing his own green and selling in the hidden city

he made connections and they started helping him out– he was a small business owner, keeping his head down, until he crosses paths with a yokai who knows certain recipes for a higher selection of products (if you know my ccc au ocs, prion, a manticore yokai, and carmine, the daughter of boss bruce from the masters of barbarianism, are part of mikey's hidden city inner circle)

mikey agrees to learning the recipes because the money is coming in quickly and he doesn't even have to steal anymore

draxum catches on to what mikey's doing and he's skeptical about it– how will this help with destroying the humans ?

mikey may dislike humans, but he doesn't necessarily want to destroy them.

subduing them sounds more like his style.

draxum's like "oh ! carry on then son !" (he's such a proud dad)

big mama catches on to mikey's operation and how it's taking away from her own criminal empire's revenue, so he's seen as a competitor.

he had picked up on newer recipes, better than with mere mystic weed, he cooks with mystic mushrooms (his mushroom tarts are BOMB) and makes synthetic substances (i.e. acid, mdma, amphetamine) separately.

after big mama tries to sic the hidden city police on mikey, he moves back up to the surface after conferring with his inner circle that they could take care of things without big mama getting in the way

he moves back to brooklyn and does what he always did, tagging buildings, stealing, killing– but that brought media attention.

as much as villain mikey loves to have fun, he goes on to start business topside, stopping his usual criminal activity.

after using his mystic powers sparingly for a while so that he could heal post krang, he makes portals for deliveries from the hidden city, then he starts baking.

he finally kidnaps a few humans to keep as pets, using them to test doses rather than dote on them like they're pets (they're essentially "lab rats", but he doesn't like the fact that donnie would dub them that, so pets it is).

his edibles are considerably smaller for humans, but costly for good reason.

he opens a mutant friendly bakery/cafe establishment as a front, hiring meat sweats as the head chef because he's been a pain in his brother's asses for years.

mikey hires other mutants and a human to work the cafe.

he doesn't really like the thought of them in charge of selling his goods, even if it's just regular food and drink (the mutants and a human employee are also ccc au ocs of mine, ziva, oscar, and miwa kutsuki)

after mikey is done testing all the products on his pets, he goes back to the hidden city with them, giving them to draxum for him to mutate.

he watches the process for the first time, watching how their bones snap and twist, the blood they cough out as they claw and grip at each other in the vat of empyrean they're thrown in.

that's when mikey realises... draxum put his brothers through that. put him through that.

he was a mere hatchling.

he realised his father isn't as good as he thought he was, therefore going mystic on him for a good reason.

draxum can't talk mikey down from it this time, it's only when he accidentally opens a portal in front of raph that the "red angel of preventing harm" busts in with his ninpo and hugs mikey tightly, whispering in his ear that he's safe and he doesn't have to hurt anyone.

mikey suddenly remembers what he did to raph when they were little and stops, the chains burning and choking draxum loosening and fading as he collapses back on the ground of his lab.

"i... i don't want to hurt my family."

after that ordeal, twenty year old mikey leaves the country, making a portal all the way to south america where he finds another hidden city to hide away in.

he loses his boredom motive to wreak havoc, deciding to start honest work there for a while until some yokai approaches him with a plant he's never seen before in new york's hidden city.

he starts growing it with him and they start a business together.

mikey learns how to make flour out of this plant and bakes edibles with hallucinogenic effects, just like his mushroom tarts.

after a while, mikey brings this plant back to the states and starts selling, revenue growing exponentially on the east coast.

he finds out meat sweats completely took over his bakery/cafe, renaming it and stealing millions from him.

meat sweats also fired everyone, since ziva stole food from her job because she couldn't eat and afford her apartment, oscar wasn't focused on his tasks, and miwa turned out to be an undercover agent from japan.

luckily, rupert swaggart only knew the weed recipe, otherwise mikey would have been cooked.

he had been meaning to cut off his weed supply anyway, especially since he found the flower down in south america.

mikey moves out of brooklyn to have an apartment in tribeca, manhattan, closer to where his new business could be.

he opens a new bakery/cafe in the financial district, it attracts all the upper class businessmen with fixed lifestyles.

and for whoever knows the business is a front, it also attracts the substance addicts looking for something better.

mikey gets rich quickly, but he keeps his studio apartment in tribeca, buying out the whole building instead of renting.

he installs his own greenhouse at the top after the city grants him permission, which alerts his brothers of his location.

he dismantles it and decides to rent all around manhattan, an apartment in each district.

mikey housed homeless mutants in his extra apartments, but his hospitality ran very thin.

the only rules were not to trash the place and to cover for him if anyone comes up to the door and asks for him.

villain mikey grows extra paranoid in his twenties, he feels as though everyone is out to get him, even his regular clients.

he bakes as a stress reliever, manages his bakery/café under an alias.

sometimes he works at the till with a cloaking brooch after long periods of isolation, just to interact with people.

after all the years he's been ingesting mystic weed, he hadn't tried anything else, knowing it could affect him as a business owner.

then after a depressive episode, twenty three year old mikey tries his trademarked mdma.

he joins the rave scene and makes connections there, as well as getting a few new willing pets to try his south american mystic baked goods so his demographic expands.

carmine comes up topside, telling mikey she needs him back in the hidden city.

so mikey returns and finds that prion, his right hand yokai, died from an overdose of mystic opioids, which he thought was bullshit because prion swore he would never touch the crap.

he knew that big mama was behind prion's death and decided to set fire to her auction houses, her third biggest revenue source.

he dipped into mania, selling full sized mystic pastries to whoever asked.

it's been years since mikey talked to his dad.

draxum was converted to his brothers' side and no longer resided in the hidden city.

he used to take pride in who his father was, now looking at him made him ill.

it was time boss bruce made his successor the donna of the masters of barbarianism, proving her worth by managing mikey's drug operation well in the hidden city for a decade.

carmine was allowed a few months before her induction, so mikey decided to bring her up topside.

being a tall dragon lady, she's bound to turn heads, so she wore a cloaking brooch whenever she went out with mikey.

mikey started coming down from mania and carmine was there for all of it, helping him get clean and caring for him when he was crashing.

he always really liked carmine, but everything had to be kept professional, right ? right ?

carmine had to return from her surface vacation to follow in her father's footsteps, and mikey was left alone again to manage everything.

he's sober for the most part, mystic weed still keeps him calm so he doesn't get aggressive.

by the time he reaches his late twenties, villain mikey gets bored again.

what – or rather who – will satisfy him ?

[voltaspistol]

Fuck digital grocery labels. "We'll cut 20% of our paper waste". No, you're replacing an easily recycled renewable resource with electronic waste that almost certainly will not be recycled.

"We'll be able to do in minutes what might take employees a week to do". No, it only takes a week because you don't hire enough staff to keep your store functioning properly and they're always being dragged away by customers who can't find anyone to help them because you've eliminated the customer service desk and you've instituted policies where the stocker has to physically walk the customer to the item instead of just telling them.

"You'll be able to scan a QR code to find out if a product has gluten in it" It takes five seconds to go to google, do a voice search for "Heinz Ketchup Gluten" and get an answer using tech we already have.

"Coca-Cola did surge pricing on their vending machines in the 1990s and it failed so store owners won't do surge pricing" No, people just bought non-vending machine coca-cola because they had the ability to go elsewhere and they knew the price was inflated because it's easy to monitor one machine's prices. If every grocery store is practicing surge pricing, there's no alternative, and we'll lose touch of what a "normal" price is because while it's possible to keep a single cola machine's prices in mind, it's impossible to commit every item in the store to memory and know when you're being price gouged. It's price fatigue and the corporations know this. "Surge pricing will work in reverse, if a bunch of milk is about to go bad, stores will discount the milk" No, stores are going to get lazier about buying excess product because they know that if the gamble of buying excess product doesn't lead to more sales, they can offload bad food onto customers who are just trying to catch a break, and in turn those customers will have to make a return trip for full-priced non-expired milk. That's not reducing waste, that's creating waste.

Also, you KNOW these motherfuckers are gonna price products real low sometimes to encourage bulk buying and then five minutes later when 20 people have 60 units in their cart but have not reached the checkout stands yet, they'll jack up the price suddenly, and exhausted consumers will have to remain vigilant at checkout to spot the difference and then have to go through the humiliation of asking the cashier to put those items back.

Grocery shopping is exhausting. It's a constant fight to not give into deceitful packaging, nonsensical '4 jumbo rolls = 10 regular rolls" label math, psychological pressure to buy buy buy, constant vigilance for bargains, the uptempo music trying to put you in a manic purchasing state...... They really are just trying to push even normal people into such exhaustion that they will pay extra just to fucking escape.

Fuck everything about this.

[dollopheadedmerlin]

Y'all

I have been trying to get a new job and this one place - a confectionery - is my top pick. I have confection experience and this place has antique candy and chocolate molds and equipment from 1911 and UGH it's so lovely and the two interviews I did (one a tour, the other a working interview) were so lovely.

Anywho, after waiting for the owners to get back from holiday, I finally got a response and basically, due to their ongoing changes and my seasonal job in October, they essentially said that I could start in November.

I loath my current job and wish I could quit tomorrow but my goodness this is such a good place, I swear. It's not a chain. It's well established. The staff kept saying that they've been working there for X amount of months/years and waiting for "something to happen" but it never does! It's actually just a lovely environment.

And in the email, they asked if I would reach out to them first if I felt the need to search for other jobs due to the wait time, and - I don't know - I've just never felt so valued by a job before?? And it's not retail or just working in a kitchen, it's a TRADE! It's a CRAFT! They churn their chocolate for ages and can only make some products on certain days because they're super sensitive to humidity and UGH it's so pretty and seems super chill. It was a full house when I toured and everyone was just vibing making candy and I am sooo hopeful for this.

And the fact that they want to hold a spot for me two months out? (They said they would have hours for me in October but want to make sure they can provide full time hours so suggested to start after my seasonal job ends). The way they interacted with me at the interview? The way they prioritize quality over speed? The way they seem to want me specifically because of my experience?

Idk it feels like this is what jobs are supposed to be. I didn't go to college. I just had a past job, got promoted, got experience, and now am applying that to a new and better place. It feels like how apprentices used to work (in fact one of their kitchen managers knew nothing about candy when she first started but got promoted over time). And it's work that I will enjoy!

I hate that I have to keep my current job for another month or two, but man, saying "sorry we can't hire you rn because we have a lot of stuff going on but pls come back in two months we really want you" - that feels good

[karlrose]

Vellus Aureum -Chapter 1-

An exploration of the concept of Happiness, the different characters pursuits of Happiness, and their refusal to have Happiness for themselves.

"Vellus Aureum" translates to "The Golden Fleece", the item that Jason of the Argonauts believed was the key to his Happiness, the key to getting everything he ever wanted, only to end up spurning the actual key to his Happiness, the gift bestowed upon him by his patron Goddess, Hera.

Ao3

He was sure this time she would say yes. The preparations were all complete. The room in which his father used to make all his designs had been renovated into a sewing room and creative workspace for her, his old room had been separated in two, an office in one half and the half with the adjoining bathroom into a smaller bedroom, and his things had been moved to the master bedroom which he would share with her.

He wasn't asking her to marry him. Just to move in with him. He wanted to show her that he was ready to be the partner she needed, that she could depend on him, and that he was ready and willing to work toward making her dreams come true.

He stood in the doorway of what he hoped would soon be her sewing room, deep in his own thoughts of the future he wanted to share with her, when a voice from behind brought him back to the present.

“Atrociously pink,” Felix scoffed as he came to stand beside him in the doorway. He and his mother had come to stay with him after his father's passing as Aunt Amelie's business could be conducted from anywhere, although she did make frequent trips back to England for business meetings and the like. “I would think an aspiring designer would have better taste.”

Adrien couldn't help but roll his eyes but didn't stop gazing at the room, imagining her hard at work on her newest project. “Well, I'm not the designer. It will look much better once she gets her hands on it.”

“Quite...” Felix responded, raising an inquisitive brow before returning his attention to the stack of papers in his hand. “When will she be arriving, exactly? I have some questions regarding this business venture.”

“Run them by me,” Adrien stated, preparing himself to be bored by talk of bottom lines and financial statements.

“No,” was Felix's flat response.

“No?” He finally turned to face his cousin, raising his own eyebrow in question now. “What do you mean 'No'?”

Clearing his throat, Felix stated as if he was explaining the obvious to a child, “This is a design company and she is the designer. She is the head of this business. The business that you, by the way, dear cousin, asked me to manage. Your answers to these questions would be superfluous.” Misinterpreting Adrien's confused expression, he added, “Superfluous means meaningless. Useless.”

“And you're synonymous with insufferable,” he threw back at him, holding the flattest face he could manage. “And what questions could you possibly have that I can't answer for you?”

“Marketing, advertising, product lines, additional employment,” Felix began listing with a bored tone. “How would she like to advertise? Does she have a design for a logo? Who manages her website and how may I get in contact with them? Would she approve of redesigning said website? Does she have any products ready to market? Does she have previous clients that I need to contact? Does she have models? Seamstresses? Will I be in charge of hiring additional personnel unaccompanied or would she prefer to be present for such things?” He stopped to look at Adrien with an air of superiority, knowing he had made his point, then sighed in exasperation, holding out his hand. “Just... give me her contact information. I will call her myself.”

Adrien stuttered for a moment before giving Felix a hesitant, “... No?”

“How am I to manage a business if I'm not allowed to speak with the owner of said business, Adrien?” He questioned with more than a hint of annoyance.

“Well... you see,” he began, scratching the back of his neck the way he did every time he was off put or nervous. “I kinda... sorta... haven't... told her about it yet.”

Adrien let out a slightly strangled laugh as Felix looked at him as if he'd grown a second head.

“You... you haven't...,” Felix took a deep breath and closed his eyes in order to gather his thoughts and not just outright call his cousin an imbecile. “You had an office and workspace built for her, redesigned half the house for her... and you haven't... told her yet?”

“No, but-”

“Have you even asked her to move in or is that in the air as well?” Felix asked, growing more annoyed by the second.

“Not yet, but-”

“No. Stop,” Felix put his hand up to make him cease speaking. “I am done with this conversation. I'm going to get some tea, eat something, and try to reconcile with the fact that we are related.” When Adrien opened his mouth to respond, Felix immediately silenced him, “No. You have unfinished business to attend to and I am out of patience for your... incompetence sounds more cruel than I intend it to be, but it's the most applicable word I can find at the moment.” He paused in the kitchen doorway before adding with a dismissive wave of his hand, “Off with you now.” before I say anything else I may regret.

“I'm no doctor of pepper, but I feel like you're giving me twenty three flavors of sass right now,” he tossed at the closing door.

He heard Felix's voice carry through the door, “It is only one flavor and most people call it salty.”

Adrien was reluctant to follow orders from Felix, of all people, but had to accept that he was right. It was foolish to build and plan for a life with her without talking to her about it first.

So, full of trepidation, he turned on his heel and walked out the door to face the inevitable.

He had to talk to her about it. He had to finally ask if she would move in with him.

And he had to prepare himself for if she said no.

Once outside with the sun shining on his face, pigeons flying overhead, and the wind tousling his hair, he began walking in the direction of the bakery that she lived above, no longer so sure she would say yes.

As he passed Place du Châtelet, gazing up at the statue of the goddess Victoire atop Fontaine du Palmier, he felt as though she was taunting him. In the upcoming tribulations he was to face, victory was anything but assured.

“Why the sullen and sour face, Adrien?” Plagg asked from the inside pocket of his shirt, trying to sound more mocking than concerned. “Usually, you float on cloud nine all the way to the boulangerie.”

“It's Marinette,” he began, eyes fixed on the ground.

“Marinette?! Why would you be all sad about Marinette?” Plagg exclaimed in surprise. “I thought it would be that obnoxious cousin of yours!”

“While I do agree that Felix can be... abrasive, he means well enough.” It was strange to say it out loud, even knowing it to be true. Felix did have his best interests at heart. It was just the methods he was willing to use and the lengths he was willing to go to that made it difficult for Adrien to really trust him. Well, that and the mischievous 'pranks' he often plays and his refusal to explain the actual intentions of such behavior. “Besides, he's right. I didn't think this through. I rushed into everything like I always do and I'm going to push too hard and she's going to pull back again and-”

“Woah woah woah!” Plagg flew in front of his face to break him out of his spiral. “Just breathe and look at me,” he gestured toward himself while trying to give as reassuring a look as he could manage. “Everything is going to be fine, Adrien. This is Marinette we're talking about. She loves you, you love her, the two of you are sickeningly sweet together. Everything will be fine.”

Once he saw his holder visibly relax and breathe deep, he added, “And I want a fresh baguette to go with my brie... Ooh, and some of that artisanal camembert!”

“Right. You're right, Plagg,” Adrien let out a sigh. “Everything... will be... fine.” He wanted so badly to believe it, but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was about to ruin everything.

And what if, this time, she didn't stay?

“I'm always right,” Plagg remarked, replacing his concerned expression with one of smug confidence. “And don't forget my cheese!”

-

“He is overwhelmingly daft,” Felix spoke into the cellphone held by his shoulder as he poured his cup. “Honestly, who rearranges their entire home for a woman without informing said woman?”

“He's afraid to have a conversation with her that could possibly change the status of their relationship,” Kagami's voice came through the line. “And after the fiasco last year, I don't really blame him. Although, I do agree that it was somewhat foolish to put all that work into her business and making a space for her in his home knowing he wouldn't have the courage to ask the question.”

“Oh, please do not remind me,” Felix rolled his eyes, taking a seat at the small table in the kitchen. “I had to deal with him whinging about it for months.” He took a moment to inhale the aroma from his cup before continuing. “How does he expect for this to work if he's afraid to talk to her?”

He heard her giggle before saying, “Like you're afraid of talking to her?”

“We have spoken about this,” he stated through slightly clenched teeth, placing his cup back on its saucer more forcefully than he intended. “I am not afraid. I just know better.”

“Mhm,” she hummed in a tone that clearly conveyed that she did not think he was being sincere. “And by 'know better', you mean building walls like a contractor.”

“I do not believe I appreciate your tone, luv.”

“Good. I've been working on it and I was worried it wouldn't translate without the ability to see my face.”

“Yes, your satire has improved quite well,” Felix responded as evenly as he could muster, taking a sip of tea. “Regardless, I am not building walls. I am maintaining proper boundaries.”

“Of course,” she began with a somewhat playful tone. “Because maintaining walls is what you do after you've built them.”

He pulled the phone away from his ear to glare at it before putting back up to his ear, “Could we focus on my cousin's problem and not mine?”

“So, you admit that you have a problem?” she added as more of a statement of fact than a question.

“My problems are irrelevant to the current situation,” he said with an icy air, staring at the distorted reflection of his visage in his tea. He despised the person he saw looking back at him.

“As much as I know it kills you to watch him struggle,” Kagami's voice broke through his regressive thoughts. “You're going to have to let Adrien handle his own problems. If you solve everything for him all the time, he'll never learn how to do it for himself. You want him to be his own person and be independent, so you're going to need to step back and let him make his own decisions and his own mistakes.”

“I just want him to be happy,” he spoke with more than a hint of melancholy. He knew she was right. He was constantly jumping in to solve Adrien's problems, whether he wanted him to or not. And she was right that, in the long run, it was doing him more harm than good. He had become too dependent on his help. But if one sees someone drowning, are they to just watch and hope they'll learn how to swim before the water takes them?

“His father used to say the same thing.”

“The difference in this instance is that I actually mean his happiness and not my own,” Felix spat back with a bit of bite. “And I am not a terrorist.”

“But you did assist a terrorist,” she interjected frankly. “And there was that one time you snapped the entire population out of existence.”

“I had my reasons,” he grumbled. “And that was one time. I have grown since then and I know better now.”

“I'm not sure that will hold up in court.”

“I am not going to court, luv,” he said with a small chuckle. He knew it was a joke, but playing along made it more fun. “In any case, I was granted Ladybug's complete forgiveness and support. She was quite adamant about that... So adamant that it became proper obnoxious, actually.” He got a warm feeling that made him slightly nauseous thinking back on it. He had hurt her and she still came to his defense. And, what's more, found it in herself to forgive him. His presence on her team had sowed discontent between her and her partner. Discontent that she really couldn't afford with the dangers of her obligations. He felt an immense guilt for it. He wanted to leave. He tried explaining to her that if Chat Noir had a problem with him, a problem which he had every right to have, it would be better if he wasn't there. And he never wanted to be a hero anyway. He wasn't cut out for it. He didn't have the right mentality for it. But, every time he broached the subject, she refused to hear it. And when she gave him that look, like she saw something in him he could never believe was there himself, he couldn't bring himself to fight her on it anymore. She gave him more than he ever deserved and he was indebted at the mercy of her unfathomable kindness and compassion. And that made him feel weak. Like a slave to himself and his emotions.

“You only find it obnoxious because it makes you feel things you didn't consent to feeling,” Kagami commented nonchalantly. He both detested and adored how well she could read him, even when he felt he was being extremely guarded. It was infuriatingly intoxicating.

“If I did not consent to it, it should not be happening,” Felix stated, crossing the arm that wasn't holding the phone in front of himself as he leaned back in his chair to look at the ceiling, no longer wanting to look at the reflection in his cup. “That is just the laws of human decency.”

“Good Afternoon, Felix,” Amelie sang as she came through the door. “What has mummy's special boy looking so dour?”

Felix immediately straightened himself to sit properly and flash a small smile at her. “Good Afternoon, mum. I am doing well,” he hummed happily, hoping it was convincing. “How was your morning?”

He heard Kagami playfully chirp through his phone as his mother spoke of her morning taking business calls and helping Nathalie in the garden, “Mummy's special wittle boy.” She giggled knowing he was glaring again. “Tell her I said hi.”

He rolled his eyes with a soft smile on his face as he relayed the message, “Kagami sends her greetings.”

“Oh, Kagami!” Amelie lit up at the mention. “She's just darling! Will she be joining us for dinner this evening? I feel like it's been forever since I've seen her.”

“She was here last week, mum.”

“That's forever in mum time, dear,” both women said almost in unison causing Felix to uncharacteristically chuckle.

“Kagami, dear,” he began as his laugh died down. “Would it please you to join my mother and I for dinner this evening?” He could see joy fill his mother. She looked as though she was going to start bouncing on her heels in excitement. “I believe mum gravely misses your impeccable wit and grace.”

“I'll be there at six thirty,” Kagami lightheartedly replied, thoroughly entertained by how Felix's whole demeanor always shifts in the presence of his incredibly upbeat mother. “We'll continue our conversation then.”

“Wonderful. See you then, luv,” He spoke warmly before disconnecting the call. He returned his attention to his mother who was impatiently waiting for his response, “She is more than delighted to join us this evening.”

“Marvelous!” she cheered, clasping her hands together, before placing a kiss on his forehead as she moved across the room toward the tea pot to pour herself a cup. Felix smiled as he watched her pour her tea, not into one of the beautifully expensive porcelain cups, but into a misshapen mug he had made for her in grade school. The handle had broken off years ago when he dropped it into the sink basin while trying to help his mother wash the dishes. He had been devastated when it happened, but she said it only made her love it more.

He found it a poignant metaphor for their relationship. They were bonded by pain, by trauma, by the damage that had been inflicted upon them by a monster.

And they were bonded by the love and understanding they found in each other.

He felt guilt for his wish that she could find that love and understanding somewhere else. She deserved to love and be loved in return. She had suffered so much.

It angered him to think of how his grandparents had auctioned her off like cattle to the highest bidder and how she, ever the dutiful and obedient daughter, went along without complaint.

She believed that she would learn to love him, but that never happened. He was too cold, too distant, and too cruel for love to ever blossom in his salted fields. But she had tried. All hope for such feelings died within her the first time she witnessed him gazing upon their child, the first thing to bring her true joy, and he had called him a monster. She had given him a son, an heir, and that man found him monstrous.

She realized she had been sold and married off to a monster who was incapable of love, incapable of understanding. But, ever the dutiful and obedient daughter, she kept up appearances. Appearances were everything in their world.

It had been years since the monster had died and she still wore only black, playing the part of the grieving wife, for a man she never loved for he could never love her. Keeping up the appearance of grief was a shield to keep her parents from, once again, selling her off to another monster. The experience with his father had made her afraid of men, of marriage, of finding happiness outside of being his mother. But she deserved so much more.

She deserved someone who saw their future in her eyes, someone to walk by the Seine with, someone to dance in the rain with, someone to share ice cream with, someone who would hold her close as she slept in their arms, someone she could smile about waking up next to. She deserved love. Real true love.

She deserved to be happy.

“Felix?” a voice reached out for him within the darkness of his thoughts. It took him a moment to shake himself free and focus on his mother's face, etched with concern and kindness. “Dearest, are you sure you're feeling well?” She placed a loving hand on his forehead and cheek to check his temperature, searching his eyes for a reason behind his distance. His eyes widened as she took a step back. She had found the reason. “You shouldn't let him into your head. He's gone. Let him stay that way.”

He wanted to ask why she still allowed his existence to dictate her clothing choices, but could never bring himself to say anything so hurtful to her, so he simply replied, “Yes, mother,” before flashing her a reassuring smile.

His answer seemed to be enough as she quickly returned to her usual cheerful demeanor, talking about her excitement to see Kagami, about her plans for dinner that night, about how happy she was for her son. He politely made chitchat back, laughing with her, sharing in her excitement, giving his thoughts on what they should serve for dinner. Then she asked a question that threw him off balance, “Do you think we could convince Adrien to invite Marinette to join us for dinner as well? I understand that her and Kagami are good friends so I'm sure she wouldn't mind the extra company. And poor Adrien has been wound so tight lately. A nice night in with pleasant company might be exactly what he needs to relax a little.”

“Actually, mum,” he began with some hesitation, trying to choose his words carefully. “Adrien is with Marinette as we speak, but I'm not sure she will be joining us for dinner. She has an... unusually busy schedule.”

“She works too hard,” she spoke with disappointment and sympathy.

“Yes,” he quietly agreed. “She really does...”

-

“And that is why I think it would be a good idea for you to move in with me,” Adrien concluded with an air of cultivated confidence, or that's how he hoped it came across, because under the surface, he was sweating bullets, anxiety filled bullets.

Marinette shifted uncomfortably on the chaise lounge, trying to think of how to respond. Moving in with him would be much too dangerous and make keeping her secret identity much more difficult. As much as she wanted to accept his offer, her duties as Ladybug had to come first. Marinette could be happy after Ladybug recovered the butterfly miraculous.

But would he wait for her? Would it even be fair to ask him to when she couldn't tell him the reason for the wait?

She took a deep breath to steady herself. “Adrien, I-”

“I know, it's really sudden and you don't want to move too fast,” he spoke before she could get her thoughts out. “But you'd have more space to work, and if you're uncomfortable with sharing a room with me, I could bunk with Felix. I'm sure he wouldn't mind.”

“Adrien, as much as I-”

“And I heard that it's not good for your sleep schedule to work in the same place where you sleep,” he continued, gesturing to her creative corner, which was directly under her bed. “This way, your work space and sleep space would be in entirely different areas of the house which should help you get better sleep which will help you have more energy for your projects.”

“While I'm sure that's true, I-”

“And Felix agreed to handle all the business stuff,” he said with a flourished wave of his hand. “So you can focus on being creative.” He looked at her with hope shimmering in his eyes and finally noticed that her eyes were downcast and stormy. “I... I know that there are things,” he took a deep breath to keep his voice from shaking, “that you're not ready to tell me... and it does bother me, but... I'm not going to push it. I don't want to make you uncomfortable or... or pressure you into anything.” He looked up to hold her eyes with his own. “Your secrets are your secrets. Your privacy will not be compromised. I want you to trust me and I understand that trust is earned. I'm just asking for the opportunity to earn it... please.”

There really was no easy way out of this. Saying no at this point would crush him, and after last year, she wasn't sure she could handle causing him so much pain again, even if it was to keep her superhero secrets. And telling him that she was Ladybug was absolutely off the table. She didn't know how, and she didn't want to know how, but Adrien knew Chat Noir and she knew that if she told Adrien that she was Ladybug, Chat Noir would find out. And Chat Noir would truly know that she doesn't love him because of her love for Adrien, and he would get akumatized, and she would have to face him again...

She wasn't sure she'd be able to face him again.

The thought of her partner, her friend, her kitty, broken and crying for her help haunted not only her dreams, but her every waking thought as well.

And the dominoes that lead to that tragic fate start with Adrien finding out who she is.

She would have to be extra careful, she would have to plan some excuses in advance, but every problem has a solution. She could pull this off. It would just take a little more effort. And if it came down to it, she was sure Felix could come up with some cover for her, being that he already knew she was Ladybug and knew how important it was to her to keep it a secret.

She still had some reservations, but had made up her mind, so she nodded her head and uttered a quiet, simple, “Okay.”

“O-okay?” he repeated, not quite believing that she actually agreed.

“Yes,” she said, trying to solidify her answer for him. “You had a lot of good points. It would be good to have a larger work space that is separate from where I sleep and I'm sure that Felix would be a lot of help, giving me more time to focus on my designs... and I'd have more time to spend with you.”

His face lit up with pink dusted cheeks and a smile that couldn't be contained as his entire being buzzed with excitement and radiated joy.

“Yes, okay!” he almost cheered, practically bouncing as he stood. “Um, let me know when you're ready and me and the guys will come over and help you move your things, okay?”

“Okay,” she confirmed with a slight tremble to her voice that she hoped he didn't notice. “I, uh, I should start packing.” She stood and closed the distance between them before anchoring her hands on his shoulders to lift up on her toes high enough to place a small kiss on his lips. “I love you, Adrien.”

“I love you, too,” he almost whispered as he bent down to return her chaste kiss with a slightly more passionate one of his own. “And thank you, Marinette. For everything.”

She watched as the trap door to her room closed behind him before bolting back towards the chaise lounge so fast that the piece of furniture flipped on it's side as she landed across it, causing her face to collide with the hard floor.

“Are you okay, Marinette?” Tikki questioned with a small voice laced with concerned as she appeared from the other side of the lounge.

“I'm not sure, Tikki,” Marinette responded, making no move to peel her face off the floor. “Do you think I made the right decision?”

“What do you think, Marinette?”

“I don't know,” Marinette said, finally pushing herself off the floor and putting the chaise lounge back up right. “I think that I might be putting my secret identity in danger by moving in with him, but I don't think there was a way to say no without telling him that I'm Ladybug anyway. I know that I love him, but I feel like I'm leading him on because I can never fully commit to him the way that he wants. Am I just prolonging the inevitable? He's going to want to get married.”

“Don't you want to marry Adrien?” Tikki asked, making herself comfortable in the crook of Marinette's neck.

“Well, yes, but how am I supposed to make a promise to share our lives when I know that I'm lying to him about half of mine?” Marinette expressed with a mix of conviction and panic. “It just... seems so wrong. I've lied to him about so much already. I... I can't lie to him about that.”

Tikki's eyes filled with sadness as she watched her holder visibly deflate from the weight of her burdens. She lovingly stroked her cheek as she said, “You know, I'll support whatever decisions you make. I trust you and you are a fantastic Ladybug. You'll find the answers.” Marinette turned her head to smile at her before Tikki continued, “I also think you should give yourself the opportunity to be happy. You deserve to be happy, Marinette. I don't want you to miss out on life just because you're Ladybug.”

“I know, Tikki,” Marinette exhaled an exhausted breath, letting her shoulders relax. “Thank you. I appreciate your support. I know I can always count on you.” She gave the small being a peck on the top of her head before collapsing onto the lounge to stare up at her ceiling.

Soon, this wouldn't be her ceiling. Soon, this wouldn't be her room. It was a lot to process and there was a lot to prepare for.

“I'll start packing tomorrow.”

Chapter 2 Preview