#and i am STILL getting lowball offers

[fingertipsmp3]

I love starting to do something and just, immediately realising I have neither the patience nor the communication skills for it lol

[am-i-the-asshole-official]

AITA for telling a friend about a job I know for certain is terrible?

I have a degree in a creative field of work. Years ago I applied for a job in a city out of state, for a small business. I lowballed on the expected salary because I was desperate to get the job and get established before I moved. I figured once I got my apartment squared away I could look for a better, higher paying job.

Well, I got the job, and it turns out I actually really enjoyed working there. It was a pleasant work environment, I had cool coworkers, the boss was understanding and generous. So I stayed despite the low pay. I did get yearly raises, but even with those I was still below the average salary for my position.

That all changed earlier this year, when the old boss decided to sell the business due to health reasons. The new bosses made their fortune in a completely different industry, and knew nothing about our industry. They are in way over their heads.

They don’t fill out orders correctly. They take on orders that are physically impossible and expect us to do them anyway. They buy expensive new machines, don’t train us on them, and immediately start taking huge orders for them when we haven’t ironed on the kinks. We can’t focus on any complex orders because they’re constantly making us switch gears to personal projects, or forgotten orders, or different huge rush orders. The wife has a habit of rearranging our spaces and messing them all up, sometimes when we’re still in them trying to finish projects. They switched to a new shop management system that is counterintuitive and has too many moving parts and as a result mistakes have been piling up. Did I mention I was the only person in my particular department? Because I am.

It got to the point where I was having breakdowns every day. I have reached the point of total burnout. I finally decided enough was enough and turned in my two weeks’ notice plus however long it takes to train someone new.

Well, my “two weeks plus whatever it takes to train the newbie” has turned into six weeks and counting. They didn’t realize how cheap a date I was. They’ve interviewed people, but they’re all asking for twice the salary they’re offering. Which, good for them, get that scratch, but it means I’m languishing here, still suffering.

Now here is where I feel I MBTA. I have a Facebook friend, an acquaintance I met on another creative project, asking around for any local jobs in (creative field). He also lost his job recently, so he’s pretty hard up. I told him about the position opening up. I did not give him any details why I was leaving, or the pay, or the clusterfuck environment.

I feel like I’m leading him into a trap. But I’m so desperate to leave. I don’t want to leave without a replacement in place, because I like all my coworkers and without that one department the whole business will go belly up and they’ll all be out a job.

Am I leading him into a trap? AITA?

[reachartwork]

still looking for artists

since i have a lot more followers now than last time i posted it;

i'm still looking for artists who would like to collaborate with me on a comic adaptation of chum. i am willing to handle the process of turning the existing web novel into a comic script. if multiple artists are interested i'm not averse to handling a paneling-inking-coloring sort of situation for increased rates of production, but let's not get too ahead of ourselves.

while i do not make a ton of money this *is* a paid job offer, i'm not interested in having people work for me uncompensated and i don't believe in paying people for "exposure". we can negotiate per-page rates as we chat - i'm committed to paying people their fair share for their work without lowballing even if it means i need to save up between issues.

having a consistent, professional art style and the ability to deliver relatively on-time without nannying are the only two requirements. being good at drawing action scenes and having an interest in superheroes helps. i've had many, many projects that have gotten bottlenecked by artist collaborators just... not doing it after the planning phase, going radio silent for months, and then being like "oh i forgot let me get right on that :)" and i don't want this to be another one.

if you're not interested but know people that would be, please feel free to forward this to them. if you don't know anyone, reblogging for reach would be appreciated. thanks

[frostbitepandaaaaa]

tell us about day 31 😌

lol so i guess you may have noticed that it may have perhaps resembled a Whumptober prompt? i never actually wrote/posted the last prompt i was responsible for for that month of prompts, but that doesn't mean i don't have a 5k+ word draft for it in my WIPs!!

i started and restarted on that prompt about 4 times until i landed on something i was pleased with. hopefully once i'm done with my RCSS, i can finish that prompt and all will be well with the world.

this fic borrows its premise from an old max/furiosa fic by @sacrificethemtothesquid that i am obsessed with, called Glow. basically, jyn and cassian are on a mission and Cass comes down with radiation poisoning. pain ensues.

snippet, for your pleasure/pain:

“Was it something you ate, you think?” she postulates. He shakes his head, shoulders heaving under his coat. Her blood stops in her veins when he finally looks at her. His eyes are wide and wild, his face pale and strange-angled in the odd, bloody light of Tilo’s brilliant sunset. He looks ghostly, haunted, an animal caught in a trap. “The parts—“ he pants, something in his voice breaking in fear. “You didn’t— you didn’t go near them…?” Jyn hesitates, shakes her head. First in confusion but morphing quickly into hasty confirmation as the fear in his face takes on an edge. She had not touched the half-rusted, nearly unrecognizable pile of parts they had traded for this morning. The man who had traded with them had claimed the parts were from some ruin of an outer-rim rock, now defunct and lost to knowledge. Old Republic and rare as kyber. Or something like that… Jyn hadn’t paid much attention. Cassian had handled the whole transaction (he had more patience for and much more experience in haggling) and she had hated every minute of the exchange. The queer look in the trader’s rheumy eyes, the swiftness of his acceptance of their offer (a stack of Jilib leather and a bag of local moonshine that could strip the paint off a speeder—certainly lowball barter). Jyn had tried to protest, but Cassian had insisted: these fledgling rebel cells they were here to infiltrate traded in scrap and salvage— the more foreign the better, to attract potential collectors and the deep pockets that came with them. Cassian had assured her it was, indeed, a scam as they left, but they could still promisingly trick any rebel leaders for long enough to get what information and recruits they needed before getting the hell off world. “Jyn,” Cassian prompts sharply, eyes growing wider, a bit wilder, as he looked her up and down. “No,” she finally croaks and Cassian collapses in relief on the runner board. “But, Cassian.. what does that have to do—“ He shakes his head, waves a stalling hand so he can cough and sputter between his knees again. Jyn’s very bones are tingling with heightened awareness. She’s never quite seen him this scared, this… dire. Cassian Andor is a constant, a non-variable. Steady, reliable, a force of nature that couldn’t be stopped or diverted. But here he is, her Cassian, cut off at the knees and spilling his guts into the blowing sands of a foreign planet. Looking at her as if she might disappear at any moment. As if he might. If she’s being honest, it’s fucking terrifying. She kneels next to him again. “Cassian… what’s going on?”

[naladraws]

PSA: Full Copyright Transfers are Expensive!!

This is a rehash of a thread I wrote for Twitter that I think is important to share here as well!

some disclaimers:

I don't speak for all artists (but artists, if you didn't know this please look up info about copyright transfer law bc you could be losing out on lots of money)

I'm not a lawyer, this is not legal advice 

I can only speak to my knowledge and experience working as a freelance Illustrator & Art Director in the United States. Laws will be different for other countries.

dear anyone who’s looking for art for their projects:

Full copyright transfers (FCT) are expensive. If you want a full copyright transfer (ie to OWN the art), expect to pay AT LEAST $1,000 (artists should be charging at LEAST double their base price)

Why?

A FCT means you now own the art and can do anything you want with it: make and sell merch/prints, edit it, resell the rights to someone else, etc

Most people/projects don’t NEED a FCT. There are other options for commercial licenses that allow artists to retain rights & are cheaper for the client. I am BEGGING indie game designers to understand this and to stop lowballing artists when asking for exclusivity.

If you want exclusivity, you gotta PAY for that— however:

Exclusivity ≠ Full Copyright Transfer

A Limited or Full Exclusivity license prevents the artist from relicensing the work elsewhere, BUT they retain the rights and can use it in their portfolio, for self-promo, and can (depending on your agreement) sell their own prints if they wish.

The reason why FCTs are expensive is because the client can, via merch/prints/future uses, continue to make money off the art with the artist not seeing a cent of that profit. The client can edit it, and the artist can’t do anything, even though their name is still attached.

This is my PSA hoping that the TTRPG space (and beyond; although I only have experience/knowledge about copyright as it pertains to my career in TTRPGs) absorbs it like a sponge.

FCTs are expensive and (usually) not needed for the average project. What you are probably seeking is an [limited] exclusivity commercial license.

for example, if hiring ME (bc i don't speak for all artists), here are some of the options I offer for commercial licenses:

Basic Commercial License: grants permission to use art in print/pdf and in social media promos for the project w credit

Limited Exclusivity: the above + I can't relicense until X amt of time has passed

Full Exclusivity: the above except I can't relicense it at all, but I do retain full rights to the image

Full Copyright Transfer: You own the art and can do whatever you want w/out getting permission from me, even 10 yrs from now. You don't even HAVE to credit me (but you should...for obvious reasons)

I negotiate licenses to make print/merch separately and on top of one of the above licenses, and that is either an upfront/flat fee, upfront fee + royalties, or just royalties.

Also, I do art consultations!! If you are looking to hire artists and don't know what you're doing, you can hire me and I'll go over your project needs and help give you an idea of what your art is going to cost you depending on your needs!

Thank you for reading, and I hope this helps.

[sweetswesf]

Check In

What I Did Today

Ordered a waffle; have been craving one for A WHILE...it didn't hit like it was supposed to tho :/ :(

Got a lay of the land of all the things I need to study

Spent my monies on the preps...hopefully I REALLY use them this time...I think I will because I have a better sense of what I need and why, before I wasn't convinced; it means more now

Got hit up by some more people checking in on my wellbeing since they heard about the layoffs in the news, some I ain't heard from in FOREVER

Chatted with my old colleague at the company I want to be at

Meal prepped for most of this week

Finished my 4 hour juicing process; you heard that right...I'm good for the next 3 days, and it's good for me, but it's expensive, both financially and time wise, so also financially...

What I Learned Today

The company I want to work at has NO ON CALL! Hallelujah! They do lowball on offer salary though, so, it's recommended I get a good offer somewhere else so that they can match it

The company I want to be at only goes up to T4 instead of T5 like my last spot, which, still works for me, but, maybe for only the next 2 years?...max...was kinda hoping to go for maybe even a T5 position at my next place, but T4 sounds good, especially since it's a new company?...Idk if that is me being conservative & safe22 or insecure

The company I want to be at allows you to do a 6 month fellowship at a non-profit! I've always wanted to work at a non-profit but was afraid of the money situation. This is great news! It looks like an even better choice!

Twitter laid off 50%...gosh damn!

Next month, I'll have to pay for transportation and all of my phone bill, both of which were covered by my job...and the Black tech professional org I was in outside of work I probably cannot participate in because usually I get my job to cover the almost $400 membership, but I need every dolla right now, and I don't want to get to a point next year where I regret that I paid for membership...True, I could dip into my savings for it, but maybe I just need to sit it out next year...I can't keep telling myself, 'Well you have savings and you'll have a job soon to re-up"...or can I??

My company actually paid pretty well compared to other companies in the industry...I just was not getting paid what I wanted to because of my age and what I SHOULD be getting if I didn't make a career transition...

Feeling

Slightly nervous and anxious, but much better than last week. Like, I did my dishes, meal prep, juiced, had a work-related meeting, took some calls, redid my schedule. With SOOO many people laid off, sometimes I worry if I will get a job in 6 months with so much more competition and with hiring generally slowing down for the next 3 months, but, I'm trying not to worry. I am also wondering if I should be helping others more, because so many people are reaching out to help me.

I also feel determined.

I don't want to let myself down...I've been trying to learn these concepts for years but they always get put on the back burner. I have no choice now, but I hope it doesn't take me MONTHS to get my act together...or understand the concepts well enough

I wonder if I need to take the rest of this week off just to relax...And if I do so, I need to do it without feeling guilt/lazy or like "time's a wastin'"...

Takeaways

There's A LOT of things I want to cover in this time to study, but, I'm excited for it all

A lot of people come out the woodwork, but some folks just want to be nosy or bask in your downfall but don't truly care; the realest ones gone pick up the phone or offer to hear your voice, or see you over FT and video; only about 3 have done that, but I'm grateful for every bit of support in any form; we are so used to texting now and I know we're all busy, but, going forward, I'm going to remember what I'm feeling now & try to call and FT instead of just texting for sensitive/traumatic events my friends or family go through

These recruiters out here are reckless; a lot of them are just bombarding my inbox with subject lines, LITERALLY like, "Hello/Lyft Layoff" like, this boilerplate, insensitive template that they replace with whatever company layoff happened the person they're reaching out to is coming from; one RANDO recruiter I've never talked to just called me out the blue at 6:22 PM!...sir, I don't know you, and I'm looking for a job yes, but you are disrespecting a boundary!!! I don't know what he's up against though. He may be trying to avoid being next on the chopping block...but nuh un sir. The disrespect...GOTTA protect my energy because a lot of people are masking as being helpful but are really being self-serving, even when they know it's a sensitive time; very few TRULY GAF about you, but you have to GAF about yourself and your peace

Tumblr's trending again now that Twitter is Elon's now...hopefully more people can check out this blog & maybe it can be helpful to more folks!

Elections are tomorrow & my brain is like, "woah lady, one thing at a time :/". Feeling guilty about not feeling prepared for it...but I'mma go...

Need to stay prayed up, confident, and stop thinking about the worst case scenario & have bigger faith

Goals After Today

Understand the main concepts I need to from Interview Cake, AlgoExpert, etc. in less 3 months

Drop my body fat percentage

Use social media/YouTube less

Improve my relationship with my family

Be more confident & faithful

Move more during my day

DRINK MORE WATER!

[sheltiemomma]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Vintage Ripple Afghan.

[scrambled-meat]

got one of these fuckass ads a little bit ago

usually i don't click on this kinda shit, but i decided to do so b/c over my many years on the internet, if ur randomly offered a survey targeted towards certain marginalized demographics that you belong to, and they tell you that they're going to pay for your time, more often than not--at least in my experience, over 90% of the time--they will actually pay you. so i figured, fuck it, i haven't done one of these in a while, and free money is free money.

i was almost immediately put off because the original site it takes you to, after answering a couple questions about your demographics, redirects you to another site. the "all of us" research project.

i looked into it a little more, via other online research, and found that it is an official countrywide research project in the us, put into place by barack obama himself back when he was still in office.

it's a long ass 10yr+ research project looking for adult consenting volunteers, generally from minority demographics, to share their health history and potentially physical samples in order to get a better look at health statistics in america. they do technically pay you, maybe, if you get approved and consent to measurements/samples. a one-time payment of $25, for a decade-long study.

that's already kind of fucked but filling out the questionnaires kind of was a wake-up call as to how fucked up i actually am and how it's honestly a miracle that i'm still fucking alive.

"have you smoked at least 100 cigarettes in your lifetime?"

"yes"

okay, not that bad so far

"have you had at least one drink in your lifetime?"

"yes"

"how many drinks do you have a week?"

"more than four"

"how many drinks do you have a day on average?"

"five to six"

okay, putting it out on paper makes it pretty fucking worrying, and i was absolutely lowballing it

"have you ever used any of these substances?"

*checks all but one*

"were your parents separated or divorced before you were 18?"

"did you ever live with someone that abused substances before you were 18?"

"did you ever live with someone who was imprisoned before you were 18?"

"did either of your parents ever physically harm each other before you were 18?"

"did either of your parents ever physically harm you before you were 18?"

"were you ever touched inappropriately before you were 18?"

"were you ever made to touch someone more than 5 years older than you inappropriately before you were 18?"

"have you ever thought about physically harming yourself?"

"have you ever physically harmed yourself?"

"have you ever thought about ending your own life?"

"have you ever attempted to end your own life?"

"how many times?"

*survey interrupts itself with a new screen, letting me know all the hotlines i can get in touch with in times of crisis*

"have you ever been prescribed antidepressants?"

"have you ever been prescribed antipsychotics?"

yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, yes, etc

how the fuck am i still alive? how do people view me as mentally stable or okay? how does no one even question anything about this facade i have apparently so flawlessly been able to put on for years?

[michelangelos-left-pinky-toe]

Based on the ‘Michelangelo’s Models’ site and the readings (links below) what is your take on the Vancouver collection?  Michelangelo original models, copies, both, neither?  Does it matter?  Is the vast drop in value deserved?

https://vancouversun.com/news/metro/blockbuster-donation-of-michelangelo-sculptures-turns-into-multi-million-dollar-bust

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/michelangelo-inspired-pieces-find-new-home/article24718231/

http://www.michelangelomodels.com/m-models/vc-gallery/gallery_pic_110.html

These readings make me wonder how easy it is to identify Michelangelo’s models. What is the criteria for his work? And, are there certain students that’s models are more valuable? This feels very “the British Museum should give stuff back” but in a backwards way. The Museum of Vancouver seems to have wanted to do that, but for a ridiculous profit and was disappointed when they were lowballed. I also do not really understand why the Canadian Cultural Property Export Review Board certified any of the terracottas as "nationally important.” Was it because they could have been Michelangelo’s and then would make them big bucks later on? For Canada, even if the models are Michelangelo’s, the models have nothing to do with their cultural and natural history. I also really don’t think its fair of the Canadian government to offer tax breaks to corporations for selling art for exorbitant amounts of money. Not that art isn’t important for cultural edification, but corporations should either a) never receive tax breaks because they are all evil and exploitive or b) get them only for things like saving the environment, and even then I’m not convinced. Honestly, I have no idea if the drop in price was warranted. I do believe that they should not have been sold for tax credits to the government. 

The quote, ‘Noble said that for the time being, the MoV doesn't "actually have a plan" to complete the deaccession of the last nine van der Schardts, "because, to be honest with you, you kind of forget about these things and move onto others."’ really irks me. If the MoV really belived that they were Michelangelo’s, they would not just ‘forget’ about them. Then again, they might be more willing to spend on publicity for them. Ultimately, I am confused as to why the Museum was so interested in them if nothing could be proven or gained from them. These models, regardless of who made them, are in Michelangelo’s style, and artists could find them useful still (likely to view in a controlled environment).  

Now, you’d think that with the amount of money paid for these models would warrant a bit better of a website construction. The Getty at least classifies everything in a similar way, no matter the creator. There is not information of how the models can be identified as Michelangelo’s at all. 

[hellsbellschime]

do you have any youtubers you're friendly with that you could talk to about brand deals? i would think it would be beneficial not just to talk it out with others, but to also verify the brands are trying to lowball you. my friend's sister is a youtuber and she was talking about how there's certain brands who will try to take advantage of her youtuber pals because they don't have the knowledge or team she has built so she tries to look out for those in her own game community.

Yeah I asked for some input but I'm just so generally clueless that I don't know where to aim. And they REALLY REALLY REALLY DO try to lowball you, not even fucking joking because I'm still so mad about it, but my first "sponsor" didn't actually pay me and wanted me to do a second free ad because my first video "underperformed" according to them (which mmmmmmkay A. no it literally did not because I can see my own metrics thanks and B. because they only even cottoned on to this because a month after I posted the video ANOTHER person who worked for that brand emailed me about doing a brand deal and I was like uhh I already did, and the first person got back in touch with me and was like "oh yeah it didn't do well enough so can you do another ad for free as a makegood?"). I was basically like kay well I haven't been paid to begin with and this seems like an insanely low amount for two ads so that's not happening, so they didn't pay me and I cut the ad out of the video.

But the person that I asked for advice from gave me a range of prices (that did admittedly seem shockingly high but again I KNOW NOTHING), and I'm being fucking deadass when I say that the money which was offered for the first ad that they then wanted to cover TWO ads was LITERALLY 1/20TH OF THE HIGH END OF THE RANGE MY FRIEND SAID I SHOULD BE ASKING FOR IN ONE VIDEO AD. SO TWO WOULD HAVE BEEN 1/40TH OF WHAT I SHOULD ACTUALLY GET. But as far as the world goes it was a very good lesson learned and now I'll definitely aim high and am not concerned about just saying no if the deal isn't great.

[cryptiles]

•❅────────✧❅✦❅✧────────❅•

RANDOM TEXTS — PART 1 / PART 2

— details ; brothers x gn! reader ; head-cannon based ; 〘🐙〙 ; obey me m.list ; they/them/you/yours

— summary ; domestic texts between you and the brothers

— requests are open as of 17/8

•❅────────✧❅✦❅✧────────❅•

LUCIFER

“ good afternoon mc , are you home ? “

“ yeah i am , why ? “

“ a package was just delivered to the front porch , do me a favour and check it for me would you ? “

“ ofc ofc , give me a sec. “

“ are these flowers ? “

“ do you like them ? “

“ THANK YOU , OMG THEY’RE SO PRETTY 🥴“

“ i would love to go back to 2 seconds ago where we were relishing in the moment without the mention of fathers name. “

“ 🏃‍♀️“

•❅────────✧❅✦❅✧────────❅•

MAMMON

“ oi ! i’m stuck out in the rain tell lucifer i’ll be late for dinner. “

“ pftt .. imagine. “

“ don’t laugh at me ! i wore an expensive jacket out today too … now its ruined. “

“ wru rn ? “

“ outside some randos shops shelter. “

“ jeez everyones wet and soaked as fuck , smells like shit. “

“ LMAOAAOO HELP 🚶‍♀️ but anyways i’ll come pick you up if you want. “

“ wait what ? you’re gonna walk here in this type of heavy rain ? “

“ umbrellas exist dumbass. “

“ YEAH BUT STILL , i wouldn’t wanna trouble you it’s just a bit of rain. “

“ nothing the great mammon can’t handle ! 😈 “

“ yeah yeah … i’ll wait for you in your room , movie night remember ? “

“ WELL NOW THAT YOU’RE WAITING FOR ME THE GREAT MAMMON WON’T LET YOU MISS ME FOR LONG ! “

“ IM RUNNING BACK NOW , DONT YOU DARE STEP OUT IN THE RAIN. “

“ jackass 😒 “

•❅────────✧❅✦❅✧────────❅•

LEVITHAN

“ MC ! COME TO MY ROOM RN ASAP 💯 “

“ for what ? i’m lazy to leave my bed. “

“ WELL “

“ GUESS WHAT 🤭 “

“ I GOT EARLY ACCESS TO THAT ANIME YOU LIKE FROM THE HUMAN WORLD “

“ EX FUCKING CUSE ME ? HOW ? HUH ? 😀 “

“ SAY SIKE RN 🤨 “

“ IM NOT JOKING MC GET HERE RN , OFFER LASTS FOR THE NEXT 5 MINUTES “

“ ILL BE COUNTING “

“ LEVI I FUCKING LOVE YOU RN IM OMW “

“ YOU WHAT ? “

•❅────────✧❅✦❅✧────────❅•

SATAN

“ pick me’s are more infuriating than popular wannabes. “

“ i rest my case. “

“ they’re equally as annoying , both types can’t keep their mouths shut. “

“ disagree. pick me’s act upon it changing their tone of voice and putting others down for their own gain. “

“ that’s a lowball. “

“ okay yeah valid point but then again you could argue that the wannabes have a chance of dropping their now friends for the more well-known group. “

“ meet me at the library in 5 , i’ll make some tea for both of us while we discuss this. “

“ are we really debating over high school drama … “

“ yes , it’s important. “

•❅────────✧❅✦❅✧────────❅•

ASMODEUS

“ mccc !! “

“ mc ! “

“ sweetieee “

“ answer me love 😾😾😾 “

“ sorry sorry , mammon was speaking to me. “

“ you know , you should stop hanging out with him and instead with me ! 🤗 “

“ but moving on ! i found this adorable pair of boots that would look absolutely gorgeous on you. “

“ ugh ! imagining you in those already makes my heart flutter you’d look so adorable 💕 “

“ mc ! i’ll swing by the house and pick you up get ready in 15 minutes hon , we’re going on a shopping spree. “

“ HEOBDDK SEND ME THE ADDY BABES ‼️ “

“ ILL WALK OVER “

“ NO NO DONT YOU DARE ! “

“ i’ll come pick you up sweetie there’s no way i’m letting you walk here all by yourself ! “

“ what if someone steals you away from me while im not there ? 😾 “

“ alright alright YOU BETTER BE HERE SOON “

“ also you’re spending too much time with satan , the amount of times you’ve used that angry cat emoji is concerning … “

•❅────────✧❅✦❅✧────────❅•

BEELZEBUB

“ BEEL WRU ? “

“ THIS IS AN EMERGENCY ‼️ “

“ mc ! are you alright ? do you need help ? are you hurt ? “

“ NO NO NONE OF THAT “

“ i’m just extremely tired today and i don’t feel like walking down the long hallway for dinner … “

“ could you come to my room and give me a piggy back ride ? 😁 “

“ oh “

“ thank goodness you’re not hurt. ☺️ “

“ but sure :D i’m omw to your room , hang tight mc. “

“ ilysm 🫶 “

•❅────────✧❅✦❅✧────────❅•

BELPHEGOR

“ wru ? “

“ my room , why ? “

“ come to the planetarium “

“ the stars are really pretty tonight “

“ they remind me of the celestial realm , where we couldn’t admire our own stars … “

“ but here , i’m able to do one of my favourite activities with everyone , with you. “

“ i told you i forgave you belphie. “

“ please don’t beat yourself up on it anymore. “

“ how did you know ? “

“ you never have enough energy to type this many words 🥱 “

“ also open the door , i think you accidentally locked it. “

•❅────────✧❅✦❅✧────────❅•

© 2022 cryptiles. please do not repost / translate my work and post it to other social media websites without permission , thank you.

[fuck-customers]

okay this is a random one and not sure if it's the right place but technically still customers...

Fuck people buying stuff on Vinted/Depop/whatever man. Like A ) people get so incredibly demanding as if I'm a big retailer as opposed to just a broke student trying to make some spare change? B ) I had something get stained in transit and they're sending me photos of it like 'this has a stain' (a small scuff line the size of a pin). Like okay what do you want me to do?? You got a second hand item for 1/4 of the retail price. If you want perfect buy it new.

Also STOP LOWBALLING. If I'm selling something that's originally 250$ for 50$ don't offer 20$ ???

Anyway people are entitled.

Yeah I hate that BS. My family was in a bad way a few years ago and I tried  to sell of my game collection. I listed an item that regularly sells on ripyouoffwithfees online auction site for $150, I list it for $100 because I am sure it’ll sell quick and let’s be real we needed food till payday. The highest offer I got off the app was $50 with regular offers of $45. The best part was I put “no offers I expect my asking price” and disabled the option for them to offer. They would click the buy button and then say in a message “But I’ll only pay $45. Like NO you absolute porkchop you won’t. Then on the chance you get desperate enough to accept they would immediately relist it for the full $150 on the same site. Fucking bottom feeders. 

-Rodney

[seat-safety-switch]

When you’re in the “weird but still boring car” community as long as I am, you get to have a bit of a reputation. Meth-heads show up at all hours of the night, trying to sell you the minty Tercel or Colt they just boosted. Folks from impoverished countries send you an email trying to lowball you on what they believe is the last air-conditioning belt tensioner for an Isuzu 117. And you get to meet some truly incredible folks.

One morning, I received a tip through my magazine inbox. It concerned a guy near my town who had owned a 1993 Camry LE since approximately 1992. What’s more, he’d put a bajillion miles on it. By all means, no human being on Earth had more experience driving a 1993 Camry LE than this man. I had to know more, and through a series of bribes to middlemen, I made contact with the man we’ll call Camry Dan.

Camry Dan was everything that was promised to me, and more. When our editorial team pulled up in the parking lot, we saw a robin’s-egg-blue ‘93 LE that could have stepped out of the brochure. It was minty, beloved, and clearly resprayed by someone who was a little bit less drunk than your average Maaco. And the driver was even more impressive. His control over the car was practically innate. Through sheer repetition, I believe he was able to shoot this large sedan through traffic faster than any Formula One driver could. Most of them were born after 1992, anyway, and could not appreciate such a fine vehicle.

After the interview, we made him an offer to join the editorial staff, but he didn’t go for it. We drive too many different cars, he explained, and that was time that he could have spent with his precious Toyota. I couldn’t argue with that, as at the time Left-Foot-Braking Diane (our junior off-road editor) was busy trying to break into the closed Canadian Tire across the street so she could steal a watering can in order to refill what was left of the editorial board’s Econoline’s radiator. I don’t regret doing that story on “Can An Egg Really Plug A Coolant Leak?” After all, it gave me a lot of good experience.

[spine-buster]

The Contract | An 'Alone, Together' One-Shot

gif credit to @/eat-sleep-leafs

A/N: I missed writing these two so much. Also, yes, I'm still crying about the contract being FULL TERM.

There were Cajun-spiced shrimp frying in a pan on the stove while Bee sliced a perfectly ripe avocado into thin slices before scooping it out with a spoon and laying them in the bowl that was already prepped with steaming hot rice. She’d already spooned out refried beans, cheese, lettuce, tomatoes, and red onions into the taco bowls, and with the shrimp almost done, she knew she’d have to call out to Morgan to hurry up in the shower since dinner was ready. Though she knew she still had to chop the green onions and cilantro, she figured everything would be ready in less than five minutes.

Before Bee could call out his name, she felt a strong pair of arms wrap around her waist – like they usually did during nights like this. Like clockwork, she soon felt Morgan’s body press up against hers, his head settling on her shoulder. “Smells delicious,” he said, giving her a quick kiss on her temple.

“Thanks. It’s actually almost ready,” she rubbed on his arm across her waist.

He stayed attached to her, not breaking apart like he usually did to set the table or get their drinks ready. While Bee knew the bowls were right in front of them, she sensed something different coming from Morgan – one that didn’t involve food. Maybe he had a tough practice today and he wanted to talk about it during dinner. Maybe one of his knees or ankles was bothering him again. Maybe he just wanted sex.

“They’re starting negotiations for my next contract,” he said softly.

Okay, that she wasn’t expecting. While she knew this was a contract year for Morgan – they’d talked about it at length already – she hadn’t been expecting talks and negotiations to be starting this early. And while Morgan explained to her that a lot would be negotiated between his agent and Kyle more than anything, he still had a say in what he wanted, how long he wanted, and any other intricacies of the contract. She spun around so she could look him in the eye. “Really?” she asked.

Morgan nodded. “It’s still obviously the very beginning, Bumblebee. Just preliminary talks. But yeah, they’re starting.”

“So your agent is going to tell Kyle what you’re expecting,” she said, as clarification more than anything else. “What…what we talked about.”

Morgan nodded again, wrapping his arms around her waist again, pulling her in. “Mhmm,” he hummed firmly, giving her a light kiss on the tip of her nose. “What we talked about.”

Though Bee had a few butterflies in her stomach, she wasn’t extremely nervous. She felt like Kyle, Brendan, other management, the whole team – hell, the entire city of Toronto – knew that he wanted to stay. But she also knew that hockey was a business, and that if the stories of Naz and Ashley, Jake and Lucy, Tyler, and Alannah and Zach told her anything, it was that anything could happen. Another team besides your own could offer you exactly what you wanted. Your own team could lowball you. Another team could have interest in bringing you in as the hometown boy and letting you become the star of the franchise. It was a complicated league, and a complicated business. She just hoped for the best, as she did with everything. “Okay,” she said, nodding once. “Okay. This is good, I guess.”

“You have to do me a favour, though,” he said.

“What’s that?”

“You can’t talk about it with any of the girls. Not Aryne, not Angie, not anybody. I just want to keep it secret and don’t want anybody knowing and making a big deal out of it by constantly asking questions. You know how I am.”

That would be hard. Bee usually looked to Aryne for help in navigating the hockey world. Aryne was so good with explaining things to her, and using the examples she’d been with through John’s career. And she talked to Angie about everything. Everything. But if Morgan didn’t want her talking, she wouldn’t. She knew how much this meant to him, and if anything got out, even the smallest piece of information, she also knew how much it would balloon and cause a circus in the media.

She pretended to zip up her lips. “My lips are sealed.”

Morgan kissed her. “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

***

“You know what I wonder,” Aryne said as she changed Jace’s diaper on his changing table like a pro, looking between her young son and Bee standing at the foot of the dresser. “I wonder if Kyle or Mo’s agent has actually already approached the other, you know? To start negotiations.”

Bee’s body flared up. It was like Aryne was reading her mind, because it was all Bee had been thinking about since Morgan told her. “I don’t think that’s happened yet,” she said, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly.

“Why not?”

Fuck. Think quick! Think quick! “Because Morgan would have told me,” she came up with, hoping that was enough to satisfy Aryne.

Aryne pursed her lips, and for a brief moment Bee thought Aryne was going to tell her to cut the bullshit. But Aryne nodded instead. “You’re right,” she said as she finished cleaning up Jace. “And you would have told me.”

***

“It’s crazy, don’t you think?” Angie mused as she sipped on her smoothie from Booster Juice.

“You’re gonna have to be a bit more specific,” Bee said as she took a sip from her own smoothie, making sure she didn’t walk in to another pedestrian on the sidewalk.

“It’s crazy that contract negotiations could be happening with Morgan right this very instant and you wouldn’t even know,” she said.

Bee tried not to blush. “The season just started, Angie. It’s not like there’s a time constraint because his contract is up tomorrow. We’re two games in.”

“Okay, fine, but what if it ends up playing out like Mitch Marner’s negotiations?” Angie asked.

Bee stopped dramatically on the sidewalk. “Angela Favero,” she said dramatically, eyeing her best friend. “First of all, Mitch was an RFA, and Morgan’s becoming a UFA. Second of all, do you honestly think Mo – Morgan Rielly – Morgan Frederick Rielly – my Morgan, would ever let his contract negotiations get like Mitch Marner’s?”

Angie cocked her head to the side. “Fair point,” she digressed, as the two women began walking again. “You’re right on that. Besides, you would have told me if they’d started early anyway.”

***

can u come to SBA for lunch?

Bee furrowed her brows as she looked down at Morgan’s text on her phone. Usually if he was off or available for lunch, he’d meet her at one of the many restaurants in the area to treat her. He’d never asked her to go to Scotiabank Arena before for lunch. She figured he was just running late from practice that morning.

I don’t have my pass with me. Can you come get me at the doors?

of course

text when you get here

love you

***

“It’s nice to see you Bee,” Kyle Dubas – yes, the Kyle Dubas – greeted her instead of Morgan at the doors of Scotiabank Arena.

Okay, so maybe Morgan was really running late from practice. “Nice to see you too, Kyle,” she smiled, walking with him across the foyer and through the big, heavy, black doors. Almost three years ago exactly, Ashley Kadri had burst through the same doors when the secretary wouldn’t let her in and thought she was probably some kind of robber or crazed fan girl. So much had changed since. “Is Morgan running late from practice or something?”

Kyle smiled, leading her into the elevator and letting her get in first like a gentleman. “Something like that,” he said, pressing one of the buttons, presumably to bring her to her boyfriend.

When the doors opened, though, she didn’t see her boyfriend. She didn’t see anything super familiar. All she saw were offices and office doors. She figured this was where Aberdeen did most of her work when she worked for Brendan, and Bee had half the mind to take a discreet picture and sent it to her with some sort of stupid caption like ‘I’m you for a day!’, especially since she was going to be waiting for Morgan.

“Follow me,” Kyle led her down the hall before knocking politely twice on a door as a warning before opening it.

When she stepped into the room, she realized it was a boardroom. And after she realized it was a board room, she noticed some familiar faces. Morgan’s agent, for one. Brendan Shanahan was another. Brandon Pridham was there too. And of course, right at the edge of the table, her boyfriend, the love of her life, Morgan Rielly.

“H—Hello,” she stuttered out nervously, even giving a small wave.

“Hi Bumblebee,” Morgan smiled.

“Ms. McTavish, sit,” Brendan gestured to the empty seat beside Morgan. As she took her spot, she noticed Kyle sitting in his, eyeing Morgan. “How are you?”

“I’m good,” she said, still nervous as her eyes surveyed everyone in the room. “Is everything okay?”

“Everything’s perfect,” Kyle smiled wide.

Bee had no idea why he was so happy. She turned her head to look at Morgan, only to find him already staring back at her. “What’s going on?”

“We’re staying in Toronto, Bumblebee,” he said, grabbing her hand in her lap.

Her heart stopped beating momentarily. It was like English suddenly became a foreign language to her, but then when she realized what those words actually meant, and the meaning behind them, her eyes lit up. “We’re staying?” she repeated.

“Morgan’s just agreed to an eight-year, $60 million contract extension,” Kyle said.

If Bee hadn’t been sitting, she would have fainted at that number. Instead, she whipped her head towards Kyle in disbelief before finally whipping her head back towards Morgan. “We’re staying?”

Morgan smiled. “We’re staying.”

***

Brendan had set them up with a dinner reservation at Scaramouche to celebrate, though the press release wouldn’t be released for another 48 hours, so they had to keep it a secret until then. Bee was bursting at the seams. She had finished work early so she could shower and prepare herself for her hot date night with her hunky, handsome, and charming boyfriend, who just so happened to have signed a brand new contract which kept them in the city for another eight years. She put on a dark green dress she knew he liked, along with a pair of heels, and curled her hair like she knew Morgan liked. She wasn’t overly done up, but she looked good, and when Morgan stepped out of their bathroom with his dress shirt on and an open collar, she was ready to cancel their dinner reservations and have her meal right then and there.

But they didn’t. They hopped in the car and drove up to Avenue Road and St. Clair, and took the elevator all the way up to the top floor, and when they were greeted by the host and led to their table, Bee could see the skyline all lit up in the night’s darkness.

Home. She was staying home.

Morgan explained how it all came together. He told her about talking to his agent and what his agent said, and talking to Kyle and what Kyle said, and talking to Brendan and what Brendan said, and he told her about the negotiations – what they went in with, the stipulations, what he wanted – everything Bee knew about, since they talked about it together. He explained to her the different clauses, and the ten team no-trade list, and the structure of his contract. What he didn’t have to explain was what Bee knew – that he took what they called a “team-friendly” deal to stay in Toronto. With all the contracts that had been signed by defencemen this summer, his value had gone up, whether artificially or not. But none of that mattered to him. Morgan wanted to stay with the Toronto Maple Leafs – he didn’t want to go anywhere else. And so he took less money to stay here. Less money, like John had done when he signed with Toronto in 2018.

“And I signed for you, Bumblebee,” he said, reaching across the table and holding her hand.

“For me? I had nothing to do with it,” she said.

“You had everything to do with it,” he countered, giving her a look only he could give her. “This is where we met and built our life, and we’re going to continue to build our lives here. It’s your home and it’s just as much my home now too because you’re here.”

She felt like she was on the verge of tears. She would have followed him anywhere, obviously – even though she would have absolutely loathed to leave Toronto – but he was right in saying that Toronto was their home, that they had built a life here. To know, finally, that they would continue to build their life together in Toronto, the city she loved so much, brought her a happiness she didn’t know she could feel.

***

Bee found herself on her hands and knees, just how she liked it.

Morgan had eaten her out within an inch of her life – seriously, she actually had to tell him to stop because it had been like, a countless amount of orgasms later and he was just being greedy at that point – and she had blown him within an inch of his life. But then he’d asked her to stop, and in his gruff, gravelly voice told her to get on her hands and knees. When she did so, and assumed position, and flipped her hair to look back at him over her shoulder while saying in a sickeningly sweet voice, “Yes, Mr. Rielly,” she knew he was done for.

His slick, hard cock filled her up perfectly, and she moaned out in delight at the feeling of his hands gripping her hips tightly. He wasted no time in pumping in and out of her, hot desperate cries escaping from her. “Fuck yes, Mr. Rielly. Fuck me.”

He spanked her for good measure, garnering a loud, excited yelp that he was desperate to hear over and over again. He did it a second time, and third time, and each time he could feel her pussy tighten around his cock and a string of expletives leave her mouth. There was nothing he loved more in this world than seeing her like this, than having her like this.

“You fuck me so good, Mr. Rielly,” she cried out, bouncing herself back on his cock. He watched her as she gripped their bedsheets, her knuckles white from the pressure.

“That’s cause you’re such a good girl for me,” he said, pulling her back so she was flush against his chest. She leaned her head back into his shoulder. Morgan snaked one hand all the way up her body, stopping to pinch her nipples before gliding along her elongated neck. “You were such a good girl and kept your mouth shut.”

Morgan kissed her temple while he stuck two fingers in her mouth gently, feeling her tongue swirl around them to get them wet. When he took them out, he could see a smirk on Bee’s face. “That’s because I only open my mouth to feel your cock deep in my throat.”

Morgan let out a grunt, and he swore he spontaneously combusted and was brought back to life right then and there. “That’s right,” he said in a low voice. “That’s fuckin’ right.”

“Because I’m your good girl,” she huffed, feeling the fingers she’d just had in her mouth go directly to her clit.

“Cause you’re my good girl,” he began rubbing circles, automatically garnering whimpers from her. “Cause only I can make you feel this way.”

Bee nodded. “Only your big cock, Mr. Rielly. Only yours.”

They continued fucking, hot and sweaty and grunting and moaning, gasping for air and asking for more, legs trembling and overstimulating, spanking and screaming. Bee couldn’t keep count how many orgasms she’d had – she’d lost track when Morgan had been eating her out, if she was being completely honest – but she was still desperate to feel his release, to feel his hot cum in her pussy. “Fill me up, Mr. Rielly,” she begged. “I want you to fill me up.”

He was close – she knew he was. “You want me to fill you up?”

“Yes Mr. Rielly, please,” she continued to beg.

“We gonna build our family here? You and me?”

Bee smiled, biting her bottom lip. “Yes Mr. Rielly,” she whispered. “You and me, baby. Please please please fill me up with your cum.”

Morgan pumped a few more times before Bee could feel him exploding inside of her, filling her up just as she liked and just as she wanted. She cried out in pleasure loudly, her entire body trembling at the sheer amount of pleasure she was feeling before her legs gave way and she collapsed on the bed gently, Morgan following as he kept his cock buried inside of her. As they caught their breaths, Morgan wrapped his arms around Bee’s body, keeping her as close as possible pressed against his body.

“I love you Bumblebee,” he whispered in her ear, his voice coarse.

“I love you too,” she replied, feeling one of his hands over her pussy and another cupping one of her breasts. “I will forever, Morgan.”

***

Aryne sounded like Regina George screaming after realizing Kalteen bars made someone gain weight instead of lose it. She almost broke Bee’s eardrum over the phone, if Bee was being honest. “He signed!” Aryne screamed. “He signed he signed he signed!!!!!”

“He did!”

“And for eight years! Bee! You’re staying! You’re staying with me!”

“We’re staying home!” she squealed, letting Aryne’s palpable excitement excite her too. “We’re staying home!”

***

Angie

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

***

Tyler Ennis

Congratulations, sweetcheeks. So happy for u and Mo. Tell him he’s getting the bill next time I’m in town.

***

Ashley Kadri

AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! So happy for you and Mo, girl!!! You deserve it! Next time we see each other drinks are on me!!!

***

Lucy Gardiner

So much love for you and Mo! Jake, Hank, and Greta send their best wishes. So happy that you guys are staying home.

***

Aberdeen Bloom

We’re going to need to go for drinks to celebrate!!! Willy and I are ecstatic you guys are staying. We love you both so much ❤️ So happy you’re staying in your HOME!

***

Aleida Casillas-Andersen

❤️❤️❤️

Nobody deserves it more.

***

“Well those negotiations were a resounding success,” John mused as he had a giant smile on his face in the locker room. Both he and Morgan were taking off their gear, side-by-side in their stalls. The news had just dropped, and the team had found out during practice when Keefe told them. Everyone went crazy. John was excited. He knew Aryne was already over the moon. “Could have fucking told us, you know.”

Morgan chuckled, taking the tape off his socks. “Negotiations were easy. You boys know how much I wanted to stay. The next part is gonna be equally as tricky to keep from Bee.”

John furrowed his brows. “And what’s that?”

Morgan looked John dead in the eye. “You need to help me get the perfect engagement ring.”

[brownsugar-dreams]

I just came back to the bowl after stepping away for… at least 5 years. I was in NYC the first time around and had such a great experience but was TOTALLY low balling myself (I think I was doing $600/ppm). I just moved to the Boston, Massachusetts area 6 months ago for a doctoral program and came back to SA. I have an offer with a guy I met last Monday, for 3-4 meets a month at $1,500 (allowance). Am I low balling myself again? Is that acceptable? I know each SB has their own criteria, and I’m not looking for a whale SD either because I’m a student who has a full caseload, internship, and courses, and I think a whale SD would be toooooo much work. My potential SD also mentioned that he is active on the SB/SD Reddit and asked me if I follow it. I do not. He was very polite and has been a gentleman the entire time. He had a previous arrangement with the same gal for three years until she finished her grad program and moved. So that’s why he is looking again. Also, Friday I am going to his condo, for what would be our first intimate time together. What do I do about my allowance? He should pay me first of course…right?! But…How do you do it? I don’t want to share my Venmo because I don’t want anyone in the bowl to know my real name. And I don’t want to be awkward either like avoiding intimacy because he hasn’t paid me. With my previous SD he would just give me the money when I arrived to the restaurant in an envelope at the start of the date and I would totally forget about it for the rest of our hours together. Helpppppp! 🙏🏼

Hey babe, welcome back to the sugar bowl 😏 I recently just decided to call it quits BUT I can still give some insight, especially since I used to sugar in Boston. First of all, congrats on getting into the doctoral program!!! I love that most of the people I’ve connected with are professionals in the sugar bowl.

So unfortunately Boston can be hit or miss. The men there have lots of old money however they like to hold their money close to their chests. In my opinion $1500 a month for meeting 3-4 times a month is low. You said you were doing $600 ppm in NY so $1500/month for meeting 3-4 times a week is about $375-$500/meeting which is even lower than what you were getting in NY and even then you feel you were lowballing yourself. The only benefit of the $1500/month is that you get the entire amount upfront rather than smaller amounts each time you meet. So it’s just a different (better) way to structure your allowance. That being said I don’t know your current financial situation. If you are in a position where $1500 is really helpful right now and you don’t mind his company then I would say go for it just make sure you keep intimacy at a minimal and if he wants to increase the level of intimacy, you propose a restructure in your allowance:

If he asks why you can just tell him that your financial situation has changed and to continue spending longer amounts of time with him would have to be compensated for otherwise you are losing out on money you could’ve be making at work.

Or you can tell him you’re not comfortable with that level of intimacy at this time because you like to present your best self but the spa/skin/vagacial/cryotherapy cost more than you can afford at the moment.

I would highly advise against meeting him at his place before you receive your first allowance. Even if you met on SA there’s no guarantee that he is a genuine SD. Anyone can fake and present their best self virtually so it’s important to meet him at a public neutral place for the first few dates. Avoiding intimacy shouldn’t be viewed as awkward by him otherwise he’s definitely a scammer. Contrary to popular belief, he’s not the one in control just because he has what you want (the money). You shouldn’t feel like you have to go along with whatever he says just because he claims to be experienced. If you’re looking for sugaring and not escorting then intimacy definitely should not be expected right away. If he expects intimacy right away then he’s looking for an escort and even escorts always always get paid FIRST and have thoroughly run a background check before meeting. I’ve seen many girls get scammed by having intimacy before receiving an allowance and never hearing from the guy again or even worse: getting physically assaulted. So just be cautious please. And I follow the SD/SB subreddit and it’s mostly advice/sharing of experiences, etc. for both SBs and SDs. It’s a great resource to get information about sugaring but also has its share of scammers.

Your experience with your previous SD is how it’s supposed to be. I’ve had arrangements in Boston where they would do exactly what you described: slide the envelope over at the start of dinner. It was natural and easy. I’ve also used Apple Pay on my second phone to receive payments. I think you can set up Google Pay with a burner email address but honestly cash is the best way. If you’re feeling awkward and uneasy you really shouldn’t go forward with this. Him inviting you to his condo to meet without giving you money or even suggesting a public place is a red flag 🚩🚩🚩 Be safe ✨

[young-dumb-and-vaccinated]

The Sommelier (Hannigram x Female!Reader) pt. 15

Hannibal gives y/n an idea and y/n negotiates.

@viviace @deadman-inc-bikeshop @dovahdokren

Trigger warnings: graphic descriptions of violence

Aftercare was Hannibal's favorite part of the evening. He loved to spend long, indulgent hours pampering his darlings. But usually, there was only one. And that was Will. And Hannibal's clawfoot bathtub, although beautiful, was not big enough for both of you at the same time. Meaning, you had to take turns.

You and Will argued back and forth about who was in more desperate need of aftercare; each advocating for the other, of course. That was Hannibal's fault, really. He should have known better than to ask you to make a decision.

Hannibal emerged from the bathroom, sleeves rolled up and arms soaked to the elbow. "Who is first?"

Before you could speak, Will shoved you forward. "She is."

Hannibal knew better than to let the argument go on, and so did you. You followed him into the bathroom, the smell of lavender bath salts filling the air.

He removed your fluffy robe and watched you step into the warm bath. The water was just hot enough to soothe the aches in your muscles. Hannibal took his seat at the end of the tub where you rested your head. You leaned back and submerged your whole body. 

“You have such soft hair.” Hannibal said, pouring a bit of expensive-smelling shampoo in his palm. 

“Thanks, I use fabric softener and tumble dry it on low heat.” You answered. 

“You have a hard time accepting compliments, don’t you?” He probed, beginning to lather the shampoo into your hair. “Between that and the self-deprecation, I’d say you suffer from low self-esteem.” 

You felt yourself melting into him. The hypnotic motions of his hands chipped away at your defenses. “Is that really that surprising?” 

“For such an intelligent, sophisticated young beauty?” Hannibal chuckled. “I am surprised you don’t understand your worth.” 

“If it makes you feel any better,” You offered. “The fact that a psychotic cokehead fundamentalist Christian cult leader wants me dead tells me I’m doing something right.” 

“You are a force of nature, my indulgence.” Hannibal assured you, still massaging your head. “But you don’t need me to tell you that. You already know your power.” 

That got you thinking. Would it be so bad to just find a hunting rifle and blow Chase Mulvaney’s head off? What was stopping you? It certainly wasn’t your conscious. All your remaining moral fiber had been ripped to shreds over the course of the last month. 

“Tell me something about yourself, Hannibal.” You said, leaning back.

“What would you like to know?” He asked, retracting his hands. He cupped his hands in the water and poured some over your hair. 

“Do you ever think about morality?” You said, bluntly. 

The question pleasantly surprised him. “Quite a bit, actually. I like to think of myself as a student of philosophy, which deals heavily with the subject of ethics, human behavior, and yes, morality.” 

“Do you believe morality is subjective?” you tilted your head. 

“There’s not a doubt in my mind about it.” Hannibal smiled. “Those who think otherwise usually exemplify some of the best arguments for subjective morality.” 

“Religious nuts like Chase Mulvaney.” You said. “He and millions of others believe in objective morality, but can’t even keep it consistent among themselves.” 

“Darling,” Hannibal whispered. “You don’t have to wait for aftercare to talk philosophy with me. I would be happy to do so anytime.” 

You spent a half hour in the bath, Hannibal stroking, kissing and cuddling you. As much as you wanted to enjoy the affection, your mind was elsewhere. Perhaps it was just a hyperfixation, or post-multiple-orgasm clarity, but the only thought in your head was that Chase Mulvaney had to die. 

Your train of thought was chugging along smoothly until it was derailed by the violent buzzing of your phone against the tile floor. You leaned over the side of the tub, trying to make out the contact name from across the room. 

Hannibal dried his hands on a nearby towel and picked the phone up from the ground. 

“Who is it?” You asked. 

“This number is logged into your phone as just a picture of a...red demon?” Hannibal answered. 

“Oh, yeah.” You dropped your head. “I’ll call her back, just let it ring out.” 

“Who’s the demon?” Hannibal chuckled. 

You stepped out of the bathtub and reached for a towel. “Just somebody I know from work. Probably calling about covering a shift or something.” 

“Would that be the same person who believed I was the devil?” Hannibal raised an eyebrow, watching you wrap the towel around yourself.

You were about to say yes, but caught yourself. “No. Just some lady I work with who always refused to share her tips with the buses. Super entitled, total pain in the ass. I’ve been looking for an excuse to tell her off.” 

“Well, we can’t keep you from that, now can we.” Hannibal cupped your cheek in his hand and looked at your face admiringly. “There should be a clean nightgown for you on the bed. Please tell Will I’ll be ready for him in a couple minutes.” 

“Wow, you really did think of everything.” You rocked back on your heels and swung to your tip toes to give him a kiss on the cheek. “I’ll let him know.” 

He kissed you back. “Thank you, my indulgence.” 

“Just one more thing.” You stopped in the threshold. “Could I please use your computer?” 

“I don’t see why not.” Hannibal looked up from the quickly draining tub. “By all means, what’s mine is yours.” 

You smiled and blew him a kiss before absconding into the bedroom. 

The nightgown he’d laid out for you had far more ruffles and lace than you’d consider appropriate for sleepwear, but it was comfortable and fit you well. 

You passed the message along to Will, but hurriedly. You were in a rush to be alone. You had some business to attend to.

You sat at Hannibal's desk, turned on his lamp and logged into your google drive on his computer. While you waited for the content to fully load, you scrolled through your contacts. When you found the demon, you pressed the green dial button.

It didn't take her long to pick up. "[F/N]! Finally, I've been trying to call you all night."

"Yeah, I know." You rolled your eyes. "Some of us have lives to live. Not that you'd know anything about that."

"No need to be snippy." She scolded. "I have an offer for you."

"If it doesn't involve a portion of ad revenue, I'm not interested." You shook your head. "I'm not settling for a flat fee while you make the real money off my experience. My goddamn trauma."

"Sounds like we woke up and chose bitchy today." She teased. "You're not even going to hear me out?"

"Freddie," you began, pulling up a document on the computer. "I happen to have a four-page, comprehensive statement of what happened that night right here. Half of it was cut out for the FBI report."

You could practically hear Freddie drooling already. "And?"

"I won't accept anything under $1200 for it." You finished. "Or 30% of all ad revenue on this article."

"That's not fair." She protested. "Best I can do is $750."

"You made ten times that off my first article." You leaned back in the chair. "Don't try to lowball me, Lounds, I can do this all night."

"Since when were you the assertive type?" She asked, deflecting the conversation.

"Remember when you told me my fifteen minutes of fame was running out and you were my only option to get my story out there?" You recalled.

"At the time, I was right." Freddie contested.

"That was before Chase went from a cokehead to a domestic terrorist." You said. "Now I actually can take it to a more reputable outlet."

"But here you are anyway." She said. "Extorting a small, woman-owned independent news site just for the hell of it. I've got bills to pay, y'know."

"With gaslighting like that, I'm sure they're astronomical." You rolled your eyes. Sighing, you propped your knees against the desk. "Look, I don't hate you, Freddie."

"I don't hate you either." She agreed. "I thought trashing each other was just our mutual love language."

"The only reason I'm considering TattleCrime at all is you." You admitted. "You're loud and unapologetic and it makes people listen to you. I need someone who can take the heat."

"Because you know that mainstream news outlets are going to cut your writing down to maintain the status quo." Freddie finished your thought.

You pursed your lips. "Exactly. You're the only one who's got the cajones to run the whole story."

"I'm flattered." She said, then paused. "If I move some things around, I can probably get you $1000."

You opened a new tab and typed some words into the search bar. You scrolled through the results, leaving Freddie without an answer.

"Hello?" She said. "[F/N]? Did I lose you?"

"How soon can you pay?" You asked.

Your phone buzzed. You had a notification from paypal. A thousand dollars from Fredrica Lounds.

"Right fucking now." She answered.

"You've got yourself a deal." You said, firmly. You typed out Freddie's email address and pushed send. "It's all yours."