#bc he doesn't want to be a charity case

[the-crow-binary]

Im quite curious about your opinion on the portrayal of the french revolution; I know it was a super complicated political moment with multiple fronts from the commoners wanting better life conditions, the bourgeoisie wanting to get the nobility out of the way (which it's part as to why it cant be directly translated into 21'st century american capitalism analogy 🙄), how multiple nobles supported the revolution for moral values despite going against their families interests (bc social class influences but doesnt instantly determines your morals) and that many revolutionary groups supported the independence of Haití (heck, many members of my countries independence participated and almost got beheaded in the resulting mess. And ad hundred and something years later France would try to invade us lol). What im trying to say behind my ramble here (sorry for that lol) its that im sure nfcv made it a slavery bad black ppl vs white ppl american dilemma without getting into the complexity of it and i say this as a foreigner with basic history knowledge, so i do wanna see your take on it

Which portrayal of the French Revolution? 🙃

I swear this very important Historical event that affected not just France but all of continental Europe and is considered as one of the world's biggest events was just used as background for the characters to fight and be racist. The characters keep throwing around the word "revolution" from all sides, but we don't see shit. Maria gives context in the first episode (there's a revolution, they overthrown the monarchy and declared a republic, they arrested the king...), talking to a group of revolutionaries, and from then on the story could've literally taken place in an imaginary country with imaginary politics it would've been the same.

Oh, what am I saying, there IS one thing. Our motto. 🙃"Liberty, equality, fraternity" 🙃 Yeah it has been thrown here and there... Except that it wasn't our official motto yet. We had the notion of liberty and equality, sometimes fraternity, and it was in the middle of other words such as "friendship", "sincerity", "charity" and "union". There is some people and even some books who used this motto but it was abandoned then taken back later... Just this is a mess lmao but the point is. I cringed everytime the characters screamed "Liberty! Equality! Fraternity!". And while we're on the subject, Richter, at some point, meets three girls during a festival (I suspect one of the girls to be Marianne, who wasn't a real person but the symbol of Liberty) talking about dressing up as Liberty and Equality and Fraternity. And Richter, thinking he is so smart, say that you need to be a man to dress up as Fraternity, because it means "brotherhood" (and the girls go "sisternity then" and don't correct him). Oh, and the writers clearly thought it was very clever too, since later on Annette's teacher (and even the Messiah I think??) will ALSO talk about the motto, saying "liberty, equality, brotherhood". IT DOESN'T MEAN "BROTHERHOOD". I MEAN IT CAN. BUT IN THIS CASE IT MEANS "FRATERNITY". IT'S A TERM TO TALK ABOUT A BOND EXISTING BETWEEN PEOPLE CONSIDERED AS MEMBERS OF THE HUMAN FAMILY. AKA IT CONCERNS EVERYONE. YOU ARE NOT CLEVER, AMERICAN WRITERS.

Also I thought a fucking festival at a time like that where people dress up at the concepts of our not-exactly-official-motto-yet was stupid, and it is. There was no such festival, however, we did have the "cult of the reason". To put it simply: it was a serie of events and civic holidays wich were organized by a group of atheists. In it there WAS an event called "Fete of the Reason"... Where one ACTOR dressed up as Liberty. It was NOT multiple people representing liberty, equality or fraternity.

The fun fact is, the French Revolution was a pretty good occasion for NFCV to promote it's CHURCH BAD mentality. We were taking away the church's power, more people became atheists, anti-christian vandalism and blasphemy was actually encouraged, it was a mess. Paris even ordered to shut down churches at some point, wich did not happen in the end. So yeah, this precise moment, right before the Vendée War, was perfect for the church-haters those writers are. And it ended up just being as bad as the original show, without any nuance... Ok there might be a little bit of nuance because of Mizrak, a guy who served the church and in the end actually team up with Richter and the gang, and it looks like he's there to stay. Emmanuel (the abbott) tries to be complex, but in the end, he is still a God-obsessed man that makes terrible decisions and is not a good representation for the church. So okay, it might be a BIT better than the original show thanks to Mizrak, but it's not saying much.

Another thing. Only the main characters are shown to have a dislike for the church. We don't see ANY of the french people doing anything against the church (but we do hear the church complaining about the revolutionaries, tell don't show y'know), not even talk about it. It's mostly jokes about how haha priests are sexual predators/they can't keep it in their pants (with the occasional "it exploits the people and take their money" line, and by occasionnal I mean once). There IS a few shades thrown at God here and there, honestly I didn't bother remembering the exact lines because they are so cliché and really not that deep. I think Maria is the one complaining the most.

What angers me the most is the lack of ANY ACTION FROM THE FRENCH PEOPLE. It's like nothing is actually happening except vampire killing people and vampire hunting (wich begs the question: WHY bother making it happen during the FRENCH REVOLUTION?). Nocturne literally made the french people the side (oh what am I saying, the BACKGROUND) characters in their OWN REVOLUTION. AND ALL I HAVE TO SAY IS. WHAT THE FUCK. Maria is supposed to be a revolutionary leader but she doesn't lead anyone. We never see anyone do anything outside of the main characters. The french are literal planks, except from those three girls from the festival and villains, they don't even have a voice. At some point the vampire Messiah arrives in town, in plain view, and people are like "OUR SAVIOR IS HERE! OUR DELIVERER!" and I thought the people shouting were vampires, but no, there is humans TOO. ALL TOGETHER. And you have no idea how much I hate that they basically portray the french people as not doing shit and needing someone else to save them 🙃 To do things for them 🙃 And also. That that someone else is not even french themself. 🙃 Even without the Messiah... the revolutionaries we saw were led by Richter (romanian/american/british idk at this point), Annette (Haitian, even if Saint-Domingue was owned by France at the time), Tera (Russian) and, of course, Maria, who's both Russian and French, at least. Those four were doing most of the work while the french people were in their houses cooking baguettes, I guess. And by "work" I mean fighting vampires and night creatures, there was nothing done about the Revolution. Almost like there is NO REASON TO MAKE A CV SHOW ABOUT THE FRENCH REVOLUTION

Oh and I just HAVE to talk to you about Saint-Domingue, and the BLACK PEOPLE ARE OPPRESSED theme going on with Annette. And that's when I'll have to take out this magnificent dialogue again:

"Even these french with their high ideas, what do they know about we've suffered? And what do they care? They're building new world, but it won't be freedom, or equality or brotherhood for US"

This is said by Annette's teacher. Worth to note that before that, in episode 3, she also shat on the French revolution and our motto. Basically, the show portray the French Revolution as being one thing and the slaves in Saint-Domingue having their own other revolution. And not just that, it implies that the French did not care about slaves, and that they do not know what suffering is (yeah, people just start revolutions because they feel like it y'know 🙃). And the anti-white dialogues are portrayed as normal and are even applauded, btw. And it is BUUUUUUUUUUUUUUULLSHIT. MY FUCKING GOD. OH THIS SHOW MAKE ME SO ANGRY.

First off: Only the colonies were pro-slavery. The french pretty much weren't. A "Society of friends of black people" was even created in France in 1788 to fight for the abolition of slavery. People fought for black people's rights during the French Revolution. Books written by black people to join the fight came out. The French Revolution scared the colonies who were very against losing their slaves and it led to Haiti's own revolution (slaves rebelling, killing their owners, burning the plantations... Nocturne at least got that part right). So both revolutions are very closely linked and the slaves might not have rebelled at this point if it wasn't for the French Revolution threatening Saint-Domingue's economics and creating social upheavals.

And what does those shitty american writers remember? BLACK PEOPLE OPPRESSED. BLACK PEOPLE SUFFERED SO MUCH MORE THAN EVERYONE ELSE. LOOK AT THESE POOR BLACK PEOPLE. WHITE PEOPLE ARE SO POWERFUL. THE FRENCH ARE UNGRATEFUL ACTUALLY. BLACK CHARACTER IS RIGHT TO SHIT ON THE WHITE FRENCH WHO DON'T CARE ABOUT THEM.

FUCK.

Oh, and I mentioned the Vendée War earlier... So, fun fact, during the revolution, we have what we call "la Terreur". It's a pretty gruesome period of time during the Revolution that caused the death of hundreds of thousands of people. La Terreur happened from 1793 to 1794. So one year after this first season of Nocturne. 🙃 I'm just saying. It wouldn't surprise me if they used this for season 2. 🙃(I literally do not trust them)

And the vampires... Look the vampires have their own can of worms that I'm not motivated enough to open. I'll just say that, of course, in classic NFCV fashion, the message the show is trying to pass is not subtle at all. They're just evil. All of them. All of the french nobles. Evil evil EVIL EVIL!! NUANCE AND COMPLEXITY ARE FOR PUSSIES.

Also the count of Vaublanc? Annette's ex-owner? This guy existed. And he never owned slaves. He was pretty pro-royalty, at some point he voted against slavery, then later voted in favor of it... but he did not own slaves. But honestly I don't care about that guy much, I just wanted to show that NFCV really doesn't care about nuance. Everything has to be black or white (lol) and that's why we have no human nobility in Nocturne.

Urgh. UUUUUURGH. I SWEAR WATCHING THIS SHOW WAS A PAIN AND THE MORE I THINK ABOUT IT THE MORE PAINFUL IT BECOMES. THERE IS SO MUCH GOING ON IN THE FRENCH REVOLUTION AND NFCV IS DOING JACKSHIT WITH IT. I MEAN IT'S SO MUCH FUNNIER TO SHIT ON THE BELMONT CLAN AND SHOW TIDDIES TO MAKE THE FANS HORNY.

So, my opinion on the portrayal of the French Revolution: CREATE YOUR OWN FICTIONAL REVOLUTION NEXT TIME AND LEAVE THE HISTORY OF MY COUNTRY ALONE.

[itsjaywalkers]

gimme academic rivals and the feeling good one pls!!!!!

hiiii fra <333 i've talked about academic rivals here and posted a snippy here so . i'm gonna focus on feeling good instead

i think i've only mentioned this fic once??? bc at first it was supposed to be a silly brief one shot but when i started outlining it turned into a longer fic?? and since i wasn't planning on writing it any time soon it became my lil secret and i didn't want to bring it up in case it worsened the brainrot

unfortunately . i've been having thoughts about it . which means it's gone up on the list and i'm definitely starting it this year

but basically it's this idea of james being in really bad terms with his parents, he barely keeps contact with them, bc he's been running around with the wrong kind of ppl and doing not so very legal things to . earn money and basically survive . but now he's pissed off some very dangerous ppl and he owes a lot of money and usually he wouldn't worry too much bc he's pretty chill and careless in this one, and also a Prick, but his parents are at risk if he doesn't pay these guys back and . despite all the resentment and the fights he still cares about them y'know

he's searching for the quickest easiest ways to get as much money as possible when his good friend peter suggests seducing some foolish billionaire and rob them blind!! bc apparently he's done it a couple of times before, and it's simple and kinda fun !!! and james agrees immediately bc this sounds right up his alley and since he's soooo sexy and sooooo charming who could ever resist him right (picture me rolling my eyes so hard)

he begins to search for his victim right after, and he's about to choose randomly when he comes across a pic of the black family on the news, the article talking about this massive charity ball they're organising

at first he considers sirius, but discards him fast, bc he's the oldest, which means he's inheriting the business and he doesn't want to call unnecessary attention to himself. and then decides reg is the safest option <3

peter gives him this stupid list of rules to follow to make sure he doesn't fuck up but . i'm sure u can already guess james ends up breaking each and every one of them

[loveyougoodbi]

I know no one will care or listen or even see this but! This post is show positive for those who will want to give up after the first paragraph.

I already see people getting way too excited about the chief playing poker with buck and eddie. I just want you all to not get your hopes up. The chances of her mentioning them saving each other or shooting or (absolutely impossible) their relationship status? Mistaking them as a couple? The chances are close to 0. Please please pleaseee don't get your hopes up we don't need another 6x11 or the entirety of 6a for that matter. This is not the type of story they're telling. They're not suddenly gonna have them kiss on screen after a character we have barely ever seen tells them they're in love with each other in episode 13. That's not how it works.

I'm guessing the poker will be about Bucks new ability. There will be some charity gala or whatever and buck will discover he has some strange new "ability" while they're all playing poker and its gonna serve as comic relief for the rest of the episode.

The sole presence of captain Mehta there is big enough. Like im still wrapping my head around that. Not bc Mehta will mention to Buck some fanfic moment of "oh you were so shaken when eddie got shot" but because it is a direct call back to the shooting and telling us that the shooting conversation is not over yet. It's still hanging above them like captain Mehta is hanging around them. But even if he doesn't say a single word about the shooting. Even if he doesn't say a single word at all. It's still huge. I don't want people getting their hopes up again and diminishing the importance of him being there just bc they wanted more out of it.

I'm actually so mad at these spoilers were getting bc people will get their hopes up EXTREMELY for DAYS (in this case weeks) and then nothing the show does is ever good enough. That's it I don't have a conclusion just please please manage your expectations it's not difficult just.... please

[mail-posting]

okay so its a little unclear but, i think this is saying he thinks he'll die if he tried to fight back, which is an ingrained response (based on the fact they basically say "even though he has amnesia he thinks that")

this is just. dejecting really considering he both had tranquilizers AND sleeping pills presumably at the same time (the wiki does call his medication a "dangerous amount of sedatives"

i have no idea what defrauding charity funds are, but if i had to guess he had some slight income from an organization or something but the asylum cut him off from that? not too sure though

so. this is abt his mom i'd assume and i think she had some sort of meltdown? i think this might have also contributed to him in the asylum of the staff knew about it since some mental illnesses are genetic

boo for whoever he got sold to fuck that guy

this is what i was talking abt when i mentioned he doesnt like being tied down (obviously for the asylum reasons but. also this) and looking back on it i think this would be another cause for a smaller height, bc on top of the poor nutrition he was also living in a VERY cramped space

again this could be where the "violent tendencies" came from but like when he attacked the guard i think. this can be somewhat slightly excused considering ELECTRIC FUCKING CHAIR

this just. makes me cry and sad oughh

Okay so!! In order:

1: what you said is correct I think but also I think *fighting back* is different from *not being obedient* and depending how strict their standards were it's no wonder he just follows blindly augh

2: he ABSOLUTELY had a dangerous amount of sedation. He's definitely overdosed at least once I think

3: defrauding charity funds in this case likely means that the asylum was paid money to put towards taking care of the patients, but they instead used it for personal reasons and didn't help their patients at all.

4: if the photo is still around then that could have been used as an excuse to sell Emil off? Because "look! His mother is CLEARLY unfit to take care of him!"

5/6: god his conditions were so bad... Also yeah kennels can be VERY small, especially for a human. It's also likely they were used for dogs too, since he was never intended to be in the ring until he tried to escape

7: yeah!! He probably WOULD have lashed out because of fear— goddd

8: aughh he wants to make people happy my heartt,,,,,,,,, he has so much love but he doesn't know what it is aaa

[krys-loves-otome]

For the three names game: 5 + Kenshin, Mitsuhide, Hideyoshi

Three Characters, One Number Asks!

5) Go on a six hour road trip with (no car radio, you choose who drives), sit next to on a six hour plane flight, sit across from on a six hour train journey

Go on a six hour road trip with (no car radio, you choose who drives) - Kenshin

What you mean no car radio, what kind of hell road trip is this!? You gotta have some tunes for the road! Who talks for six hours straight driving?

Uhhh… I'mma choose Kenshin for this one. I'd like to think we would trade off driving, depending on driving conditions (I'm better for long distance and open roads, but nervous with big city driving, and Kenshin has stronger nerves than me, so he can take those portions)

Though I'm sure he would also want to drive all of the way for my sake, but he's bound to get tired after a while (he says he's not, but he so is), so we'll do the compromise.

Both of us are good at keeping track of where rest stops are (just because we say we can hold it, doesn't mean we should) and finding fun, out of the way places to visit. I'd take him into local charity shops and secondhand stores and places like those.

If it's an overnight drive, he'll probably insist on staying at a motel if I get tired. We can cuddle while watching movies on a huge bed, relax in the hot tub, all that fun stuff before we get back on the road in the morning.

------

Sit next to on a six hour plane flight - Hideyoshi

Have not flown on a plane before, so emotional support husbando to the rescue! He'd make sure we got there on time with all our bags checked and secured, make sure we were both strapped in for take off, holding hands once we started ascending, making sure that we're covered properly with a blanket or ask if I needed a neck pillow or my headphones, things like that.

I like to think I get the window seat while he gets the aisle seat, as a subtle way of protection in case something happens cause he knows I would be nervous. Would ask the stewards for extra peanuts to snack on too, because he knows I like peanuts.

Inevitably, we'd probably nap for a bit, me on his shoulder, his head on top of mine, holding hands while sleeping.

-------

Sit across from on a six hour train journey - Mitsuhide

Pls stop me from imagining an American Old West AU for Ikesen, bc that's what first came to mind once I decided where to put Hideyoshi and Kenshin. Mitsuhide in an 1880s style suit, tipping his hat with a wicked wink and grin, like hot damn, as you travel together on an old style steam engine train? Sign me up!

Ahem! Sitting across from Mitsuhide on a train. Less anxiety-inducing than a plane because flying isn't involved, but he's known to tease, so better prepare my heart, especially on a long trip.

If he gets bored enough of looking at the scenery outside (but why would you, it's all pretty outside!), he might play a little footsie, to see what kind of reaction he could get (most likely a bright blush and a hushed 'we're in public dummy, stop that'. Not to say that I wouldn't do it back to him, but the grin on his face when I decide to play along with him… magical.

Refuses to sit across from me the entire six hours, he will either wander if permitted (and sometimes when he's not permitted to), only to sit beside to see what it is I'm doing. He'll look over my shoulder to look at my phone or sketchbook, pull back my headphones to hear what tunes I'm listening to, just be a general nuisance, as per usual. He'd probably swipe my Switch if he's bored enough to play whatever games I brought with me, the jerk.

Sitting side by side, however, also gives ample opportunity for shoulder naps. He'd encourage it if he saw I was sleepy. No tricks this time, just quiet time admiring the passing scenery, holding his little mouse close.

hey, little mouse, got games on your phone~?

Thanks for the ask, Lorei!

[phoneybeatlemania]

omg so according to keith badman, guests at george's 1974 end-of-tour party included john, may, neil, and an independent YOKO…. may pang also says paul was there bc him and john and george all hugged <3 and linda + olivia were both around so presumably they were at the party too! but why... why.. was yoko there……………… i can find NO information on this so i am shouting into the void just in case anyone's read anything bc i think his book is fairly reliable? but he doesn't cite his sources so >:(

Hiya anon!

This is interesting! I hadn't heard of this until now, but I had a look through Badman's book, The Beatles Diary: Volume 2: After The Breakup 1970-2001, and this is what I came across:

Thursday December 19 [1974]

[Georges] opening night at Madison Square Garden fails to sell out, leaving ticket touts outside the venue with red faces. They had originally planned to sell the $9.50 tickets for $25; instead, they are forced to virtually give the tickets away, making a loss of almost $5 on each. Ravi Shankar returns to the show. Paul and Linda, currently in town for the dissolution of The Beatles’ business entanglements, watch the show in heavy disguise. John’s son Julian also attends the show, accompanied by Ringo’s manager Hilary Gerrard. A planned appearance on stage by John fails to materialise because, earlier in the day, he refused to sign the “Famous Beatles Agreement” forms, which were due to be signed by all four ex-Beatles at midnight tonight. According to May Pang in her book Loving John, George, over the phone, tells May to tell John: “I started the tour without him and I’ll finish it without him.” (Ringo, meanwhile, remains in London to sign the papers, refusing to come to America and therefore avoiding a subpoena from Klein.)

Friday December 20  [1974]

Hilary Gerrard again takes Julian to see George’s concert at Madison Square Garden and John meets with Lee Eastman to discuss the “Famous Beatles Agreement”. Later, John, along with May Pang and Neil Aspinall, attends a party celebrating the end of George’s tour at New York’s Hippopotamus Club. Yoko, arriving separately, is among the guests in attendance.  

John recalls: “George and I are still good pals and we always will be, but I was supposed to sign this thing on the day of his concert. He was pretty weird because he was in the middle of that tour and we hadn’t communicated for a while because he doesn’t live here. I’ve seen Paul a bit because he comes to New York a lot, and I’m always seeing Ringo in Los Angeles. Anyway, I was a bit nervous about going on stage, but I agreed to because it would have been mean of me not to go on with George after I’d gone on with Elton. I didn’t sign the document on that day because my astrologer told me it wasn’t the right day, tee hee! (John will finally sign the papers on Friday December 27 at Disneyworld in Florida-see entry.) 

“George was furious with me at the time because I hadn’t signed it when I was supposed to, and somehow or other I was informed that I needn’t bother to go to George’s show. I was quite relieved in the end because there wasn’t any time to rehearse and I didn’t want it to be a case of just John jumping up and playing a few chords. I went to see him at Nassau and it was a good show. The band was great but Ravi wasn’t there, so I didn’t see the bit where the crowd is supposed to get restless. I just saw a good tight show. George’s voice was shot but the atmosphere was good and the crowd was great. I saw George after the Garden show and we were friends again. But he was surrounded by the madhouse that’s called ‘touring’. I respect George but I think he made a mistake on the tour. Mistakes are easier to spot if you’re not the person making them, so I don’t want to come on like ‘I know better’,’ cos I have’t done that…one of the basic mistakes seemed to be that the people wanted to hear old stuff. George wasn’t prepared to do that, and I understand him. When I did that charity concert at Madison Square Garden, I was still riding high on ‘Imagine’ so I was OK for material. But when I did ‘Come Together’ the house came down, which gave me an indication of what people wanted to hear.”*

Following the Hippopotamus Club party, John visits George in his hotel room where they are interviewed separately by the KHJ Los Angeles radio station for a one-hour special.

*Source: John Lennon: Rock On!, interview w/ Chris Charlesworth, Melody Maker, 8 March 1975

For your question about why Yoko was there, John and Yoko apparently began seeing each other again (as in, in the flesh) following Johns Madison Square Garden performance with Elton John. Badman wrote:

Thursday November 28th.

Following the show, John and May attend a special party at the Pierre Hotel, where guests are treated to mind-bending illusions by Uri Geller. Incidentally, John and Yoko have always insisted that John did not know that Yoko was in the audience. However, according to May Pang in her book Loving John, not only did John know well in advance that Yoko was attending but he had also reserved Yoko’s tickets and that she had phoned him more than once to complain about the location of her seats.

So I don't think it's that weird that she ended up attending the Hippopotamus Club party in December? I mean, it doesn't seem like the plan had ever been to completely split from one another given that they never seemed to have made any efforts to divorce.

[blondiest]

Can you imagine an easily flustered, shy mello or Near? Who's harder to picture with this personality.

hahaha, i have to say neither of them are particularly easy to picture this way,,, mostly bc i don't actually think Near would fluster that easy (i can more easily see him getting slightly overly enthused / overwhelmed if that makes sense??) and Mello defaults to getting A Little Mad About It whenever confronted with an unfamiliar / uncomfortable emotion (some exceptions for this ofc).

overall i think it's easier for me to imagine Near getting a bit more flustered, esp in a situation in which they're already involved with one another, since i think perhaps in that case he'd feel less of a need to hide his reactions to things?? i'm gonna be totally real right now, it's pretty late here so i reserve the right to clarify / retract some of this tomorrow when i'm more coherent hfhfhggfhfgfgh.

all this being said i'll add that i personally enjoy writing Mello getting flustered more. in his own way, though. TO THE EXCERPTS, FOR CLARIFICATION.

oh. first. special treat for you, since you specifically asked about them being shy. unpublished bit of a WIP that i currently am not actually working on, linked here ❣️

okay. aside from that. literally the entirety of there's nothing i hate more than what i can't have falls into the "mello falling apart" category, but here's a bit i like particularly well:

Near pokes his head in the door, and Mello is hit with the smell of burnt bread. To his great dissatisfaction, the white-haired boy’s eyes don’t stray from Mello’s face for even an instant.

“I burned it the first two times,” Near says. “But I’m trying again.”

“Okay,” Mello says, shifting slightly to let the shirt— Near’s shirt, which by all logic should make it even sexier— fall open a bit more.

Near doesn’t react. The blonde finds himself almost wanting to scream, but instead runs a hand through his hair and looks at Near through half-lidded eyes. It’s a move that, to date, has had a one-hundred percent success rate in getting the attention of potential sex partners.

“I have white grape juice if you would like any,” Near informs him blandly. He is not giving Mello do-me eyes, or any other sign of being affected.

“I’ll pass,” Mello says, trying to sound like he isn’t edging into hysteria.

okay spoilers below this for two other fics lol

from chapter 5 of hot soup on a cold day:

A high-pitched beeping sound pulls Near from slumber a distressingly short period of time later. His head aches slightly from too little sleep, but he hits the “off” button and silences the alarm. Beside him, Mello stirs, blinking blearily up at Near for a few seconds before seemingly waking up all at once. Near watches with dread as the blonde’s face shifts from sleepy relaxation to embarrassment to panic.

“What—!” Mello stammers, mostly failing to muster up a glare. “What the hell are you doing in my bed?!”

The acting is not Mello’s best, to say the least, but he is clearly having a crisis of some kind.

chapter 2 of what doesn't kill me makes me want you more:

Near tilts her head. “You didn’t complain before, when you were kissing me.”

It’s as if a rod is slipped into the other girl’s spine; she goes rigid, then sneers. “That’s because I feel bad for you.”

Near bites back a question— is it common practice for you to kiss people you consider charity cases?— because it’s pointed enough that it could only worsen the situation. “Mello has a kind heart,” she says instead.

That doesn’t go over well, though, anyway.

“Don’t fucking mock me,” Mello spits. “You’re the one who has— you’re the one who’s obsessed with me. I was just taking pity on you.”

uuhhhhh. yeah. anyhow. thank you for the ask!! hopefully this made some kind of sense? it's genuinely hard for me to tell when it's this late in the day jhjgjghfhhhfhh (<- temporarily a european timezone girlie) but it was fun to answer anyways!

[venusararara]

""KILL ALL BOYS" AND "KILL ALL GIRLS , KILL MYSELF, AND KILL THE WESTERN WORLD!""

<3

CW NSFW

TW sexual assault, stalking

FULL

I know wht kind of audience I have now so I can talk about Carter in detail owo

tl;dr: stalker breaks into Gatherine's house often and tries to kill her girlfriend sometimes, masturbates publically, and is completely insane. She hates him for sexually assaulting her.

* The calendar somehow ended up circulating on the surface, so a bunch of mortals developed demon kinks. The surface's population of younger omioso (born long after demon rebellion) see demons as sexy, while others who are older than that (lived though the demon rebellion lead by Adora, seeing thousands slaughtered by them) are absolutely terrified of demons. Anyway, the post-rebellion omioso have a highly sanitized version of demons and don't even know about benders, how they eat mortals, or how strong they can be. They also believe female demons have vaginas.

Carter Alabaster is a massive incel infatuated with Gatherine bc of this demon pinup *calendar made for charity. Carter's fullbody poster of Gatherine is worn and covered in cumstains because she's his favorite, even though they haven't met. He basically becomes psychotic when he realizes she's real and he can physically touch her. If she just brushed up against him, he'd start panting and get hard. He's very committed and infatuated, to the point where he tried to rape her. She doesn't mind him up until that point, then she actively begins to despise and avoid him. Carter steals her belongings to destroy and leave for her to find, breaks in and eats their food, has tried to kill Bresklyn in her sleep on several occasions, jumps on Gatherine while she's sleeping and tries to fuck her, and visits whenever he wants to. It always wakes either Gatherine or Bresklyn up, but it's dark and he's too fast. Gatherine doesn't explicitly catch him except for one time, to which she says "If I find you within 20 feet of my home again, I will flay the skin from every last inch of your body and leave you outside." She showed genuine disgust when he popped a boner from it.

Carter has blackmail, but hasn't figured out how to use it yet. He masturbates in public and outside of their room. Carter records them fucking without their knowledge. He has a pillow with Gatherine's face on it that he fucks and stabs. He's duel-natured in the way he carries himself, able to act normal when she's not around. She's around a lot though, since he has a deskjob at Nighthive. His life revolves around her. She really does hate him though, mostly because nearly everything he does causes some amount of harm to her or a loved one. He wants to kill her, but he also wants to have her all to himself. He pretends to be sweet and kind around her, but she can easily see through it after the SA incident. He's quick-tempered, fast to call her a bitch or cunt under his breath when she tells him no or stops him from doing something. Carter pretends the incident didn't happen, but she quickly shuts him down and tells him to fuck off. Despite the threats of violence, he's still mad for her. He knows deep down that she'll never love him, so the only way he knows for him to be near her is to actively meddle with her life and ruin it.

So, he had a pretty normal upbringing, a loving family. He shouldn't be the way he is, but does these things because he knows they can't stop him. If Gatherine kills him, his wealthy family can have her put away. She's afraid of what might happen to Bresklyn if that happens, so she doesn't do anything. They have no case against him, he doesn't leave evidence. Carter is untouchable.

[deviantartdramahub]

Hey, so for once I'm not posting about DADramaNow, bc I feel this is a VERY important topic to post here.

So in the HTF fandom, there's this guy called "Nemao". He's this really gross guy who ended up being a grooming pedophile. Here's some proof on him: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EdZ5sDybGRQ https://www.reddit.com/r/happytreefriends/comments/1104q1y/nemaos_grooming/ https://www.reddit.com/r/happytreefriends/comments/1115llv/yikes/ https://www.reddit.com/r/happytreefriends/comments/110ydgu/final_post_regarding_nemao/ https://www.reddit.com/r/happytreefriends/comments/110ooll/more_on_nemao/

So yeah, a very idiotic and gross person. Yet of course, there are still people supporting him. And I'll show you one of the WORST cases: https://www.deviantart.com/gellygirl/status-update/Hey-idk-if-anyone-will-980654919

So yeah, there's someone called the Kaplan boys. Long after Nemao's been exposed as a sicko, he continues to blindly follow him. Doesn't even acknowledge when people point it out. Like, if you're going to support a pedophile, at least try to justify your actions or shit?? He's an absolute moron. And also for a side note, he supports Autism Speaks, which is a corrupt company who pretends to care for and support autistic children, but in reality they treat them horribly and view them as incapable burdens.

So yes, to anyone seeing this, PLEASE look through all of this, and maybe even share it around. Thank you. I want this to be brought to light, even outside the HTF community. Both Nemao and Kaplan deserve to be in jail.

He may technically come here to voice himself, but based on the fact he supports Autism Speaks, my hopes are not high.

Note to readers, despite its name and popularity, Autism Speaks is in part a negative eugenics organization, influenced by New York City’s disability-unfriendly culture. Here is a good gist on that. I live for charity work. Beware false charities like them.

[advernia]

— godfather death. assorted post-reading notes for this post!

to no one's surprise this was SUPPOSED to be longer again LMAO but yeah!!! i was trying to limit my writing into smaller sections in order not to get so hung up on adding details....

anyway!!!! godfather death ft. viper siblings... well... the longer i thought about it, this would've been better if i placed the shroud siblings but i drew jamil on the randomizer so okay????

it's implied, but the viper parents have passed away already for this fic, around when jamil was seven years old. how old najma was then idk bc the game doesn't mention their gap LMAOOO but maybe around three or four years old tops?

actually in some renditions of the fairytale, the godchild is an only child or the youngest in the family. i was toying with the idea of najma being the godchild, but since jamil is the focus.......

now would jamil tell the whole truth about the herb + godfather appearing and stuff to najma??? well... he'd just tell her about the herb, that's all. i've wondered if other renditions of godfather death has the godchild mentioning the knowings of their treatment to others, but....

though i don't think najma wouldn't mind not being in the know as long as it doesn't harm anybody? like yeah nice herb so it heals ppl mhmmm no bad consequence on you or others? alriiight! this is probably the reason why she insisted on tagging along with jamil ever since he had healed her friend. she just wanted to make sure everything's ok (and also, just to see the herb work wonders again).

the thing about the godfather she'd really like to ask though, but if jamil's not gonna talk about it then fine.... but probably over time she decides to drop this completely bc if the herb is that powerful, then what about the person who used to hold it? maybe it was better that she didn't know and instead take things into stride. at first she was pretty skeptic about jamil's godfather like bruh u seriously had a godfather???

jamil here lives a rather ordinary life, very routine. it's no exaggeration to say that receiving the herb turned his and najma's lives upside down. they got by normally before, but as jamil slowly made use of the herb they were able to eat decently on a regular basis then eventually rake in more cash and eventually travel out of their hometown.

in some renditions of the tale, the godchild sets up a clinic themselves. here i find it more appropriate for jamil to choose traveling around healing people instead of opening a clinic himself considering his careful nature. those he heals aren't just for charity, either - he'd definitely account some benefit on the people he chooses to heal. though probably there are also those he chose to heal in order to up his reputation or to get some rumors going.

that aside, as jamil is careful, he'd prefer not many people be looking into him closely. explaining the herb to najma is one thing, but to other people... definitely not. being too renown is dangerous, and while the godfather had not mentioned any drawbacks about losing the herb or whatever, those are chances jamil would not risk.

i wanted to add a portion of najma and how she saw jamil as they traveled.... like, in normal cases, if someone had that powerful herb, they'd go around healing a lot of people as much as possible. someone like a saint, or a hero in fairytales. but the thing is, jamil is no saint, nor was he a hero. he was just... jamil. he could've done better, he could've done worse. but no, he did what he always did - be the older brother who did what he had to in order to live well.

okay now i didn't add a portion explaining the thing about death & the herb either. the if death is by the head of the patient, they could be cured but if death was by the feet they would die part. najma's last words would've made more sense if i added a portion hinting that she was getting an inkling of this. lazy me would say that its implied stuff or she gets to learn about it bc jamil tells her, but yeah. kinda regret not placing that there.

if i'd add that portion, it would probably go around the lines of najma wondering why sometimes, whenever jamil would visit a patient, he'd look at the person from head to toe then nod. well. it's not actually an odd thing to do, but eventually najma gets the feeling that jamil is nodding at someone. someone who is not the patient. thus she says her end line at the last scene: has your godfather come to visit me, too?

big question! would jamil trick his godfather to save najma just like the fairytale??? WELL! if u want an honest answer out of me i'd say no but the sap in me says yes what a pickle lmaoooo real reason why i left this hanging.........

........ the godfather i had in mind was sam but yeaaaah i think crowley would also fit here idk ksksksksksks

[himalayaan-flowers]

can someone PLEASE tell me what the point of my existence is??????? because i really don't know. is it to earn as much money as i can to give to charity or something? to help others as much as i can? because i'm scared i'm losing the ability to care. it's hard to care about helping to save the lives of others when you can't see why life is worth living? i see people asking for help for lifesaving treatments etc and all i can think is "i would feel bad for helping to prolong your suffering"??? alleviating suffering i can understand much more. i can see the point in helping others suffer less. but i still just don't understand why everyone just doesn't stop procreating and end their lives. why do people want to live???? i honestly don't get it. i really don't. i can think of little sensory pleasures. like a nice scent or nice music or food or a pretty sunset. i used to like the sensation of moving fast on a rollercoaster. listening to the rain outside and feeling warm when it's cold outside. but is all the endless suffering in life worth those little pleasures? bc i get bored of everything, so, so fast. and i can't even enjoy those things without guilt when i know others are suffering. and i also don't feel i don't DESERVE anything good. i've done nothing to earn it. whatever i think or do, my brain will find a way to tell me that it's wrong. and i feel like i'm always taking more than i give. and that i don't care enough about others. but how can you be good when the will just isn't there. i talk to religious people and feel like nothing they say makes any sense. why would i even want to go to heaven (other than to avoid hell)? you go there to praise God. but what am i praising God for? why is God worthy of worship? bc He gave us life? but life seems empty and boring? why do i worship God? it seems like circular logic 'i worship God for giving me the opportunity to worship Him'? what exactly is so great about God? am i supposed to be grateful that i'm not suffering /more/ than i am? am i supposed to be grateful for a life of suffering that could be a life with much more INTENSE suffering? am i to worship God for not torturing me in the worst way possible? all my life is is self-hate, guilt, sadness, loneliness, emptiness, embarrassment, shame, anxiety, fear, exhaustion. i don't understand why i should be grateful for this. nor do i feel that i am learning anything from the pain. so all i can think is that the suffering is either meaningless (in which case why not just die?) or i am being punished. but the frustrating thing is i don't even know what i'm being punished for. what is the point of punishment if you don't understand what you're meant to do to change? am i just seen as beyond redemption? i'm so confused and so tired of different people telling me different things which don't actually make sense or mean anything

[hukkelberg]

wrt the show only (haven't read the book, don't know much about it), do you think pen ever put colin on a pedestal? more specifically during seasons 1-2 ig. bc i keep seeing ppl say that (and also that his asshole comment in s2 was him getting knocked off that pedestal for pen) but i don't feel like that's really supported by the show. unless i'm missing something, which i could be. to me it just seems like she has a crush on colin and likes him generally, not that ever considers him infallible or beyond criticism or is blind to his flaws.

i couldn't say for certain so i watched myself a 20min compilation of them on yt lmao in the case of the show i don't think it is so. even in the case of the book, the "i will never marry her" comment is something of a turn point for their relationship but that happens years before romancing mr. bridgerton even begins. if anything, i think it might've been the other way around. colin's comment to pen about her not counting as a woman because she is "pen, his friend" speaks to a very set image he has of her, particularly compounded with the "you will always be there for me" speech he gives her i think either at anthony's wedding or the featherington ball. it's just a platonic idealizing, is all. she's a little like his muse but for charity? i don't mean that in a demeaning way. i mean he can strive to be better and be a good gentleman for her, as he often does, which is a laudable motivation, only that he makes the blunder of erasing her more unsavory traits because, well, he never really gets to see them (she would obviously not show that to him) and he doesn't think to seek them out either, so they might as well not exist.

in my opinion, every bit of praise that penelope gives him throughout s1-2 is well deserved, even filtered through the lens of her infatuation. he is a good man, and he does help her, and he is very gallant--it just does not carry any romantic weight, like it does for her, so i can see how you could read her pining as aggrandizing but to her credit i think penelope has a pretty good handle on who colin is. she is very critical with herself at times as well, so i think she's the type to keep herself on a short leash wrt her crush. i cannot blame her for sounding him out or nearly confessing a couple of times. the man does give mixed signals, whether he means to or not, and he is the only dude to ever 1) speak to her at all 2) speak to her well. kindly. the show can push their stupid "anthony would duel for her!" agenda all they want these people have never spoken to one another in their life benedict has said her name ONCE. be real with me. colin is the only man to show her regard and affection and, while the whole storyline and what it implies (and what s3 changed to accomplish that) is not so much to my taste, pen is not silly for latching onto him because of that.

[charlesgl2017]

I have to prove LJC is good and bad and his afterlife is good and bad. LJC is good bc if taught right like 7 facts. 1) LJC doesn't care about you until you get the lower case g god of your dreams bc he needs a tool. 2). LJC is impossible to get without a clean slate that means no calling on dev. To fix say antidev. 3). If rich cheat a little by giving as much as you can to temples not Churches. Mix and Churches battle spiritually. 4). Nothing to call on. Until you get 1-3. Just talk pray. 5). If you don't have a lot of time, repent"", forgive, give enough charity 10 times more than what you have ideally. 6. If world doesn't want you to have, prove you're good by good works in volunteer organizations. 7). Feed the poor anyway and anyhow.

[substantialfreak]

One year ago, two years ago, three years ago, four years ago (some sad sewer shit imminent)

One year ago... it doesn't seem like much has changed, but it has. All for the better, but my criticisms seem to want to diminish them all, or choose to focus on what was not accomplished. As per usual. I have a less physically demanding job that is a lot more gratifying. It is also one that feels less embarrassing to have at my age given I have no degree. I play dnd with some rad friends I didn't have last year. I have some really enjoyable hobbies and one in particular has finally given me an outlet for a lot of my other creative endeavors that I thought I would never get to put out into the world. And I am finally ready to breed. I think I even met someone who I might be able to make a family with instead of just being a donor. So fingers crossed for that one lol There are things I would love to make better for myself, through my own efforts and not bc someone saw fit to give me charity. Which I am always grateful for when it happens. But I feel like I have been surviving on the charity of others, and generally outside benevolent forces, for a very long time, and not bc I chose to live that way. I'd like to feel like I'm actually steering instead of just weathering and trying to make sure my little vessel doesn't capsize.

Two years ago... I lived in another state but was on the same coast as I am now, I had a partner but I was slowly becoming quite unhappy, as was he. We honestly shouldn't have stayed together as long as we did, but I was still decompressing and trying to find my footing. He was no angel, but was not a monster to me. Just living under the immense weight of his own life and grief over the loss of his sister. I think he had just polished off the last of the 200 case box of whip it canisters he had purchased over the winter, and the p***y seeds he Johnny Appleseed'ed into the garden were starting to sprout. Yeah... he was no angel, but he still managed to not go back to using despite the questionable purchases, and the subsequent o***m and sunflower garden we grew. It would be nice to stop dreaming about him, though. And picking up on his grief like a radio station that usually comes in as static, but will, on occasion, come in clear as day. Especially since we never talk. I'll always cherish the chunk of time we spent as two people just happy to be me making happy memories with someone again. I think we both needed that.

Three years ago... I find myself not wanting to even type out what it was like. All I hear is static when I think about it bc I don't want to think about it and I'm trying to write over it as if it never existed or ever happened. Granted my life at this point three years ago was already drastically improving, and for reasons not even remotely related to covid, it was still as awful as it could get. A month from this point I would finally have my unemployment money coming in from my previous genuinely evil employer, and a month after that I would be living in a tent, and a month after that I would be driving cross country and sleeping in my car, and a month after that I would be living with my now most recent ex bf and enjoying life by the beach for the next year. But this time three years ago I was just trying to stay alive long enough to get away. Once I moved in with my ex, it took six months before I stopped feeling phantom bug crawling on my skin. And I guess I just don't like thinking about it bc all I do is want to make wishes to change things that will never change, bc they already happened and are long behind me. So I just try to remember that I'm not there anymore, that I don't have to live like that anymore.

And finally...

Four years ago... "this isn't your average every day darkness. This is advanced darkness." I was a frightened animal back into a corner, and was experiencing a near constant feeling of fight or flight. A month from this point four years ago I button mashed flight bc I couldn't handle it anymore. But I actually like being alive, so... I lived. But I still know what it feels like to anticipate the sweet embrace of death bc finally... something was going to change and I wouldn't have to live like that anymore. Such a strange experience forgetting what happiness was, and then feeling it again in that moment of all moments. But there it was. The next year I spent my time going to therapy and telling myself and anyone else I talked to that I was going to buy a van and live in Mexico during the winter months, and work the summer months in the US. I was so done with my life the way it was, my awful employer, and my then emotionally and mentally abusive partner, that it didn't matter that I knew I wouldn't get enough money from my tax return to pay for a van so I could make my plan happen. It didn't matter bc no matter what did happen, I was leaving, and was willing to be homeless just so I could. And in a way I did end up having to do that. But I still got out. I still left it behind. It and 25 years of pain and sorrow peppered with some good times and good laughs. But mostly sadness and bitter regret.

I got laid off (20), then I got fired before getting laid off (20), then won my appeal hearing and got to hear the adjudicator verbally read my old manager to absolute filth in a moment of pure vengeful glory (20), then left the awful apartment (20), and the awful ex that was already my ex but was forced to continue to live with bc we were poor and it was southern California (20), then I lived in a tent on my mom's property in the mountains (20), then I drove cross country to the east coast (20), then I lived with a kinky man for a year and decompressed and shakily got back on my feet (20/21), then moved again sad from breaking up but glad to be totally on my own (21), to my grandmother passing away (21), to getting a job that is the least embarrassing to have as someone without a degree (21), to finally providing myself with my own stability, enough that I'm able to enjoy hobbies without feeling guilty (22), and finally being ready to enjoy one of my biggest kinks/fetishes (22).

Idk if that run on sentence is done being written yet. The rest of this shit better just be a nice fucking ride, though. I've done enough. I've experienced enough. It's shaped me enough. THAT'S ENOUGH SLICES. We will now resume the predominantly breeding and pregnancy talk.

[ridiasfangirlings]

What if sarumi met and got into HOMRA earlier while they're still in middle school? At this point while Yata is still friends with Fushimi and thinks he's important, Fushimi still has his doubts (plus they didn't live together yet) and Niki is still alive and would notice Fushimi acting strange. How would this affect Fushimi's decision later on? Also since Niki isn't dead yet, Aya wouldn't be able to use the virus on him but the real one is still there for her to tattle to about Yata and HOMRA.

I wonder if things would be even worse in this case, since we don't just have Fushimi's normal insecurities playing on him but there's also Niki just like right there making Fushimi's mental health into shit. Like I could see Fushimi thinking that maybe since he has power now he doesn't need to be afraid of Niki anymore, he can just burn Niki and make him be the one who's afraid, but then at the same time he doesn't know what would happen if he burned someone just for his own reasons, like would Homra kick him out for that kind of thing. Plus I imagine Kusanagi at least impressed upon the kids the need for some level of secrecy, like obviously there's the whole 'Red Monster' rumor going around and some of Shizume's underground clearly knows about Homra and the Red King but I imagine they can't be too bold about things or Kokujouji won't be very happy about having to cover up any problems caused. So Fushimi knows that he isn't really 'supposed' to threaten to burn his dad's face off but it's hard to keep that in check, trying to tell himself that he can just ignore Niki and there's nothing Niki can do to him now but even so his body just reacts instinctively when Niki's around. Plus on top of that now he has yet another thing that he needs to keep a secret because no way does he want Niki of all people to find out about the whole Kings and clans thing.

Even so I could see Niki finding out that his son is disappearing somewhere constantly, like maybe in this AU Aya even tries to secretly tell him where Fushimi's going in order to use the real Niki the way she does the hallucinations in canon. Niki of course knows that Aya's the one who dropped the hint but he doesn't really care what that shrimp's up to, he's way more interested in seeing what kind of cute friends his son has made. Imagine him following Fushimi to Bar Homra but he doesn't go inside, instead he waits until Fushimi's on his way home and meets him at the door, noting that it's bad for kids to go into adult bars isn't it, Saruhiko's becoming a delinquent right before his eyes. Fushimi freaks out a little that Niki knows where he's going and maybe he even ends up using his Red power almost without thinking, like just from sheer emotional torment, but rather than being scared Niki just laughs and thinks his son has found something really interesting huh. Fushimi runs off and goes to like an internet cafe for the night but now he's all tormented because he doesn't know what Niki's going to do, like what if he tells Homra that Fushimi gave up their whole secret or what if he tries to find a way to keep Fushimi from being able to stay there any longer (and maybe this is part of what makes Scepter 4 ultimately more attractive too, because Munakata notes that as a government agency he can shield Fushimi from such things without any trouble...or he can give Fushimi the means to do so himself, using Scepter 4's resources to keep tabs on Niki and make sure he can't bother Fushimi any longer).

[justslowdown]

Some tips on eating as a poor person that aren't "live on dry beans and rice that take time and effort to make"

Food Pantries Exist For YOU!! I don't need one anymore but am so thankful for them. You may hesitate to go to them bc you don't think you need it as badly as others... but from someone who spent years with their dad going to several, the food is there and they want to help. It isn't embarrassing; the people who volunteer are doing it for a reason, and ime treat you as a shopper, not a charity case. There are sites to find food banks. If you go to one, they usually have pamphlets for all the ones in the area. We never had to prove income or anything like that. They want to help, I promise.

If there's a local farmer's market, check to see if they have a subsidy program for people on food stamps. Another thing my dad and I used. At two separate markets 5 hrs apart, both had a program where you could DOUBLE your food stamp money in farmer's market coupons. Healthy, fresh, local, ethically raised food for less than the grocery store

If you go to a store more than once in a blue moon get the discount/membership/whatever card. It's usually super easy and almost always saves you a LOT of money

When in a supermarket, look at price per ounce if comparing items. Do not look at total price vs visual package size. Companies are experts at packing less and less food into larger packages. Grocery stores with a price per oz on the tags are so so helpful, but if they don't, sometimes it honestly makes a difference to use your phone calculator

CHECK IF YOU HAVE AN ALDI IN YOUR AREA. They sell actual seriously good, usually healthy food way cheaper than crappy stuff at other stores. This is for a lot of reasons I won't get into. But, it's also just a more ethical system for their workers, who make well above minimum wage. Aldi is Life. Tip: if you don't have reusable bags, keep an eye out for empty boxes as you shop. They don't bag anything for you.

BIG LOTS or other similar clearance/discount stores. They get an ever-changing stock of things at deep discounts. Lots of nice luxury and/or healthy groceries at half price as well as your normal staples. Also my go-to for home items and pet supplies

Shop Sales. This one is obvious to some but others just aren't in the habit. I almost exclusively buy things on sales where I save at least 1/3, usually 1/2. You can have a fully stocked pantry and freezer and spend half as much as if you only buy things when you want to eat that particular thing. It does mean less fresh food, but y'know. Just develop a laser eye for a sale tag and know where the clearance section is. Second nature to people who grew up poor but I was amazed shopping with college friends who bought full price name brand food and had trouble paying rent

I haven't done this but my brother swears by it. He went in with a few friends on a communal Costco membership. Could also do this with Sam's Club. They shop together, and then split bulk items if there's a great deal on something one person couldn't eat on their own. Bulk is the way to go if you can find a way to have the up-front cash. Impossible for many which is why the communal thing is so genius!

If this helps even one person it was worth writing out! I've realized last year, I learned a Lot growing up under the poverty line. It doesn't just appear in your brain when you're 22 and can't pay your bills for the first time.

Please feel free to add other tips if you have them. Just don't shame people for eating what they choose to eat like those "vegan dollar cookbooks" or whatever.