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#i've been planning to go to town this weekend for a while and hate changing plans :(
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zero-body · 7 months
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1/100 days of productivity
Hello everyone! Finally decided to properly do the studyblr blog thing and try out 100 days of productivity.
It's the start of a new semester for me, and I wanted to try out posting about it for a change to keep myself accountable.
Despite having only a weekend off between this semester and last, I can't wait to start the new one.
For this semester, roughly outlined by the 100 days, I need to step my game up a bit. I've been falling behind my peers for a while now, being in a constant state of burnout for more or less two years, but it's finally starting to lessen. So this is my checklist of major things to get done this time around:
pass my second year subjects - I've been dragging a lot of them behind me for a while now, and have really struggled with them, but im making progress and am finally trying out this studying regularly thing
pass my third year electives - obvious, I wanna be a regular student
start enjoying college again - I've been stuck in a loop of self hate for a while so I'm trying out a couple of new things this time around
finally get my driver's licence - halfway there, just got the first aid and a couple of hours of driving to go through
And so, here's my checklist to get there:
get my schedule in order - this one is the main one and controlling all the others, the only way to stay accountable is to have something to follow
stop neglecting basic care of physical health - start exercising again, it's been a long while since I've done that, so far my plan is to run a couple times a week, but that might change to something else based on my schedule
get my sleep under control - I always sacrifice it when studying, gotta get that sorted out
So, what have I done today?
attended two classes, spent most of my day on that
asked one of the professors for class rules since I've joined it halfway through and the rules have changed this year
tried making a class schedule - the college still didn't publish it so we're going in blind, the first week is always rough
hung out with my partner! - its their last day in town for a while so we're making the most of it (playing retro Nintendo games together)
also sorry for no pictures today for the first day, it was a long and hectic one
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lilliesforya · 11 months
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Being tired all the time
Mid to late October
Yesterday, I went to my middle school in the afternoon because of a schedule change, usually I'm there all day. The teacher that I work with told me about the conferences going on for the third years. The school system here is different from the states in that kids work really hard to get into good high schools as opposed to us working hard in high school to get into good colleges. The kids have to meet with the teachers and their parents and talk about what school they want to go to, and the exams they will have to take. The third years are US ninth graders. Their high school is only 3 years. I felt unqualified to choose my university at 18, so I can't imagine having to choose a high school at 14/15 especially because the high school chosen will affect the colleges one can get into. The teacher has to go to all of these meetings back to back and they happen like once a month ish from now until they apply (I'm not sure of the whole timeline). He was like “this is why teachers are always dead during the fall”. And I'd agree. I have never seen that teacher not extremely busy. 
I try to remind myself that this is supposed to be fun. Despite being here to work, my work isnt particularly difficult and I ought to be having fun. More fun? I'm not sure. Considering I have set hours of about 8-4 during the week, it is difficult for me to do much. Though, today is Monday and I am going grocery shopping after work and I'm excited to pick out desserts. Last time I got these waffle pastry cookie things? They're waffles but encrusted in sugar but they're not overly sweet. I love them. I'll also be getting tricolor dango. Anyway, I want to do more stuff over the weekend. But I'm so tired on the weekends that I often don't do that much. It can be difficult to plan things because some information is not accessible to me (websites will be not updated, hard to understand, all in Japanese, etc). Or the events hosted by the Chiba AJET (chiba prefecture jet association) group are so far from me it becomes an all day event and then some. 
Even trying to convince myself to do solo traveling is difficult because I don't think that's my preferred method of traveling. Despite being in a beautiful, new place I am the same person and I have to relax my expectations of how I should be spending my time. Just yesterday, I went to a cafe in the middle of nowhere with a lady from the English circle club in my town. She is very sweet and has lived in California on and off for years, so she speaks great English. The cafe was someone's house but also not? It had a homey feeling, eccentric decorations, and the people there all knew each other. There were also 2 cats that were so cute and friendly. I hadn't seen animals in a while so this was big for me. I got curry rice for 600 yen and it had so many vegetables and beans in it and my friend told me everything was fresh from their farm or garden. I think the cafe was open late for a small event because of the full moon yesterday. My point is that I didn't know I would be going to this place until the morning of when she invited me. I hate doing things spontaneously because it makes my brain anxious and nonfunctional. I agreed despite not wanting to go in the moment because I knew it would be a fun experience regardless. I wonder if pushing myself to do things alone would have the same effect. In the same vein, I could also just let myself enjoy my solitary hobbies in peace. 
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Things I've been enjoying:
Waffle cookies 
Genshin Impacts most recent story quests 
Talking to friends and loved ones back home 
Listening to music in my car 
Trying new sweets from the conbini or supermarket 
Making my students laugh/ giggle/ smile 
When the kids say hello or good morning to me at school or wave to me when they see me in the teachers office 
Trigun anime 
The sunsets lately 
The days where I make moms chicken nuggets for dinner 
I bought a winter coat for like only 30 usd and it resembles a coat one of my favorite anime characters wears
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zoeykallus · 3 years
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Tech – Thank You For Loving Me 10 – Cared For
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Tech x Fem!Reader FF
Warnings: Mention And Description Of Intense Menstrual Pain/ Mention Of Menstrual Bleeding/Mention Of Hormonal Overflow And Hormonal Influenced Behavior
COMFORT/FLUFF
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Author's Comment:
After another exhausting "month", I thought why not use and write about it. I don't know if anyone is feeling addressed, but I thought it would be cute to have the guys react to it, Tech in particular.
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What Happened Before:
Nervous Flutter
Help Me To Let Go
Asking For Advice
Devotion
The Explorer
You're The Best
Experimental (1/2)
Experimental (2/2) - Not Fully Functional
Not Alone
Part 10 - Cared For
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Still fairly early in the morning, first thing you did was sneak into the refresher to get cleaned up, while Tech tried as quietly as he could to change the stained sheets and bedding, which he immediately stuffed sneakily into a laundry bag to go wash at a laundromat later in the day. There was one not far from where the Marauder was landed.
After you finished in the refresher, Tech slipped in right after you to freshen up as well. The others still seemed to be sleeping peacefully. Meanwhile, you headed into town to get a few things for breakfast, you wanted to surprise the guys. It had been a while since they had had a decent breakfast and you were sick of protein bars.
When Tech came out of the refresher, Hunter was sitting in his bunk looking at him critically.
"Good morning," Tech said cautiously, sensing something was in the air.
As it turned out, it was indeed literal.
"Tech. We should have a talk," Hunter said meaningfully, getting up from his bunk and getting dressed.
"Sure. What about?" asked Tech innocently.
The look Hunter gave him was a mixture between reproachful and amused.
"Not here, in the cockpit, where we're undisturbed at the moment."
Tech nodded, he guessed what Hunter wanted to discuss, yesterday in the heat of the moment he hadn't thought about it, but in hindsight Hunter's hyper-sensitive senses had come back to his mind.
He finally followed Hunter into the cockpit, who closed the door behind them both and finally turned to him with a sigh.
"Listen, I'm glad you and Y/N have found each other and that you're finally coming out of your shell. She seems to be doing you good, you seem happier than I've ever seen you before," the sergeant explained.
"Thank you," Tech said "I am indeed happy, she makes me happy. However, I hear a but there."
Hunter nodded and sat down in the copilot's chair.
"It would be better if you guys weren't intimate with each other in the Marauder. Aside from the fact that one of us might catch you at it, the smell overwhelms my senses. As much as I hate to admit it, when I smell Y/N's arousal, even if it's just the remnants of last night, it's.... very distracting," he spoke quietly in a cautious tone.
"Oh," Tech uttered nervously "I um, well, last night I wasn't really thinking about it, I wasn't really thinking at all.... I uh was-"
"Horny?" asked Hunter dryly.
Tech cleared his throat awkwardly and finally nodded.
"Well...yes. I guess that's the term" he said, blushing.
Hunter chuckled, "Happens to the best of us."
Tech shrugged apologetically and tried to explain, "Our time at the hotel was great, but the end of our time there was.... bumpy, without going into details. I misbehaved afterwards and hurt Y/N in some ways, so I really just wanted to.... spend some time with her, hold her and such. I really didn't plan for it to turn into anything more last night."
Hunter nodded, well understanding his brother.
"I know and I know it seems unfair because we rarely ever aren't on the ship or have time for anything else. But it's probably better if you don't sleep in a bunk together."
Tech lowered his eyes and sighed.
"Then we will have to find another solution. I don't think a relationship can work that way. In such a small space, only a weekend in a hotel every few weeks or months," he finally said seriously.
Hunter looked at his brother, startled.
"You're not suggesting that you guys were going to leave us, are you, Tech?"
Tech shook his head.
"No, I don't think either of us want that, but I had an idea when I was in the refresher. I kept putting credits aside and saving some, as far as I know Y/N saved some credits too. I was thinking of buying a shuttle with Y/N that could be connected to the Marauder with a few modifications. This would give us privacy and.... your senses would be relieved"
" Will the Marauder still be mission capable then?" asked Hunter interested in the idea.
"Yes, hence the modifications. The ships should be able to use hyperspace connected to each other and also be able to dock and undock at any time within a few seconds. That's how I envision it, anyway. That's a lot of work, though, and would mean we'd have to stay on the ground for at least a week to make the necessary modifications to both ships," explained Tech, who was already drawing blueprints in his head.
Hunter smiled.
"We'll be able to handle a week. I like the idea if it really works," he said with relief, patting Tech on the back.
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You were on your way back when you noticed a tugging and twinge in your abdomen. Cursing softly, you stopped for a moment, the bag of pastries and fruit for breakfast in your right hand.
You had lost a little sense of time since traveling with the boys. Was it that time again? Apparently it was. Your menstrual period was starting. You had almost reached the Marauder. Usually you had always managed to withdraw at this time of the month under a pretense, until now none of the guys had noticed that you had quite a bit of pain and problems at this time of the month.
There were women who noticed almost nothing or only a slight discomfort, and then there were those like you who at this time of the month felt like someone was trying to tear your uterus out of your womb with a red-hot poker.
Gritting your teeth against the ever-increasing pain, you kept going. You could feel the color draining from your face, the pain making you a little nauseous.
Hastily, you entered the ship with a forced smile, put the bag in Echo's hand and said, "I got us breakfast, you guys get started, I'll be right there."
Tech looked at you with a smile but the smile froze on his face, he could tell by your posture and expression that something was wrong and Hunter of course sensed what was going on but said nothing for the moment.
You disappeared into the refresher with your toilet bag, prepped yourself so you wouldn't stain your clothes with blood, and fished out the bottle of painkillers.
It was empty. Disbelievingly, you shook the small bottle and cursed softly. You had forgotten that you had used up the last two pills last month.
Awkwardly in pain, you sat down on the closed toilet seat and tried to breathe evenly as it felt like your uterus was burning to push its way out of your body.
"Fuck," you growled softly.
There was a knock on the door.
"Ad'ika?"
It was Hunter.
"Yeah, I'll be right there, just a minute!" you called back.
Your hormones went crazy and forced you through a roller coaster of emotions and made you perceive and feel everything much more intensely than you wanted to. The thought that you might not have been able to hide your condition brought tears to your eyes.
"Y/N," Hunter said softly, "are you okay?"
"Yes, of course," you said, forcing yourself to adopt a relaxed, cheerful tone.
"Ad'ika you know I can sense what's going on? You also know I can sense when someone is in pain, don't you?"
Gritting your teeth, you snapped, "What are you getting at? Can't you leave me alone for five minutes?!"
You immediately regretted your tone and words. Hunter was worried, probably wanting to help you, but you were so on the edge you could barely respond rationally.
You heard him sigh, then he said, "Normally I wouldn't push you, but I know you're miserable, so no, I can't leave you alone."
"What's wrong?" you heard Tech's voice ask.
You suppressed an annoyed groan, you didn't want Tech to see you like this, so broken and not yourself.
Hunter hesitated but then answered, "Her body is releasing tons of hormones and she seems to be in a lot of pain, at least that's what my senses say."
"What, why?", Tech sounded concerned.
"Go away," you said pressed.
"Out of the question", Tech grumbled "Cyare, open the door".
You felt so sick from the mounting pain that you hardly dared open your mouth for fear you'd throw up at any moment.
"Cyare?"
When you didn't answer Tech said, "Y/N, sweetie, if you don't open the door I'm going to have to ask Wrecker to open it."
"I'm going to take a shower" you said "Sometimes a hot shower helps a little, after that I'll come out"
"Can you still let me in?" asked Tech softly "I don't like you being in there alone"
You knew he wouldn't budge so you struggled to the door and opened it. Tech immediately slipped into the small bathroom where you barely had room together, between the shower, sink and toilet bowl.
He closed the door behind him to prevent prying eyes from seeing you. He suspected that you were uncomfortable.
You lowered yourself back onto the toilet seat and groaned softly, suppressing a scream as a violent spasm jolted through your abdomen.
Tech frowned worriedly and squatted in front of you
"Since Hunter mentioned a hormonal change, I assume this is about your menstruation?"
You didn't dare open your mouth as the nausea came back, so you just nodded tentatively.
"I've never seen you like this before, it seems bad. Would you mind if I did a scan?" he asked cautiously, taking a small device from his belt.
You shook your head.
"It's not invasive, don't worry," he spoke calmly as he held the device in front of your abdomen.
It buzzed and a glowing mesh seemed to cover your body. You'd seen scans like this before, just never in such a small, handy form.
Tech read the data and raised his eyebrows in surprise. When he looked at you, he seemed concerned and surprised at the same time.
"The cramps you're having are close to contractions during childbirth. I don't know what that's related to, I don't have the appropriate knowledge, but I'll definitely acquire it in the next few days," he said, frowning.
"You don't have to, I don't want you to worry about it," you said reluctantly.
He grabbed the small scanner back to his belt and carefully took your hands in his.
"But I care about knowing how you are and what's going on with you. Is it like this every month?"
"Often, but not always. I usually take my pills and withdraw," you explained, pointing to the prescription bottle.
Tech reached out with one hand and shook the bottle.
" You don't have any left, that's why you're feeling so sick?"
You nodded, clenching your teeth against another spasm. Your hand automatically closed tighter around his without you noticing.
He looked at you searchingly.
"Another cramp?"
Shakily, you nodded and sighed in exhaustion as the spasm finally subsided for a moment, leaving a burning echo behind.
Tech looked at the prescription bottle again and said, "This is a very strong painkiller. Did a doctor recommend this to you?"
Again you nodded.
"Tech," you said softly, "Every little bit takes my strength, can we postpone this conversation?"
He sighed, but nodded. Tech opened the door of the tiny bathroom and took the bottle.
"I need a volunteer," you heard him say.
"What's wrong?" asked Hunter.
"I need a specific painkiller for Y/N."
Echo popped up from the other side and said, "Leave it to me."
Tech tossed him the empty prescription bottle, Echo deftly caught it as he passed and hurried off to get the pills.
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As Tech turned back to you, you pulled yourself straight up onto your unsteady legs, seeking balance at the sink. Your whole body felt achy.
"Let me take you to your bunk," Tech suggested.
"I can walk myself," you said quietly to which you earned a skeptical look.
"At least let me support you a little, if you don't want to be carried," he suggested, carefully reaching around your waist with one arm.
Slowly and patiently, Tech led you to your bunk and helped you lie down, removing your shoes, fluffing your pillow, and carefully tucking you in.
He sat on the edge of the bunk and looked at you examiningly.
"Will it be all right until Echo gets back?" he asked gently.
You smiled tiredly though you didn't feel like smiling.
"I'm not dying Tech, even if it feels like it," you joked.
Crosshair suddenly appeared beside you, bending down to you with a cup of hot tea. You were actually uncomfortable that everyone now knew something was wrong with you, but you were also incredibly touched that they cared and enjoyed the attention.
"Thanks Cross," you said with a touched smile and let Tech help you into a sitting position to sip your tea.
Hunter and Wrecker showed up as well and the hallway between the bunks got pretty crowded. Wrecker held out a plate of small cut fruit and some sweet cookies to you.
"Figured the vitamins in the fruit couldn't hurt," he said almost sheepishly, carefully placing the plate on your lap as if you were fragile.
"Indeed," Tech said "You need to eat and drink a little".
Gratefully you looked around and dutifully ate the small pieces of fruit slowly and carefully. Wrecker always saw you as a little flower, accordingly he had cut the fruit quite small, but that suited you just fine. That way you had to chew less, move less, less movement meant less pain and less nausea.
"You are so sweet," you said, feeling yourself almost on the verge of tears with gratitude. You couldn't remember anyone ever taking care of you like this before and now you had five men around you at once, caring for you and wanting to help you.
"You're family," Wrecker said, "It's only natural that we take care of you."
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Hunter said, "Tech, the comm system repairs can wait for now."
With a wave, Hunter told Crosshair and Wrecker to back off and followed them to give you some rest.
Tech carefully slid onto the bunk next to you.
"Better?"
No, it wasn't, yet you nodded, not wanting him to worry.
"Really?" he probed.
"A little," you said tentatively "Tech, can you tell me a story or something?"
Surprised, he raised his eyebrows.
"I could tell you a lot of things. Any requests?"
You lay down somewhat comfortably, trying to find a position where you could tolerate the pain to some extent, and finally said, "Whatever you'd like to tell me, I just want to hear your voice"
Tech smiled.
"When the pain subsides and you get tired, which is logical, pain is exhausting and tiring, especially the kind like yours, go ahead and accept the tiredness and try to sleep" he asked you gently and adjusted your blanket.
"Okay darling," you said with a grin.
As Tech began to tell you about flora and fauna on Kashyyyk, one of his hands slid to yours and held it gently, stroking the back of your hand in soothing circles with his thumb. You actually managed to relax little by little. You had to smile every time he gave you a scrutinizing look to see if you were all right.
Being cared for like this actually made the otherwise terrible situation bearable.
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@ben-is-a-hoe
@kaminocasey
@nunanuggets
@hypnoash
@brynhildrmimi
@livi-s
@ttzamara
@thebadbatchscyare
@rexandechosandwich
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miss-smutty · 4 years
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The Destructive Secret - Chapter 1
A/N- So first of all, extremely mature themes, strictly 18+ only This is my baby, I love it and I'm so excited for it but oh my lord! My poor heart writing this. This is going to be a super angsty series. Since I got the idea I've been desperate to get it written, even though it's going to break my heart. The dynamics of it have been driving me insane because I want the first chapter to have a air of mystery to it but then how do I tag it without giving it away? 😩 So I've purposefully left out names in this chapter so you don't know who's who and all will be revealed in good time. Can you work out what's happening? I'd love to hear your thoughts ❤️
Disclaimer: This is an entire work of fiction/AU and has no affiliation to real life what so ever! This is a fictional story about fictional characters who happen to share names and faces with some real people.
Summary- You've got a secret to hide and it's going to cause complete and utter destruction.
Word count- 2,197
Warnings- Mature themes, swearing, smut, angst, deceit, lies
18+ only!
Taglist-: @innerpaperexpertcloud @pandaxnienke
Posted: 25th Feb 2021
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"Babe, don't hate me... I have to go out of town for another conference this weekend" The deep confliction you feel everytime you do this to your boyfriend, never gets any easier.
"I don't hate you, we'll make up for it next week. How about a little romantic trip, just the two of us" he says sweetly, making your heart tug, you wish he was a bad guy it would make this a lot easier.
"That sounds like a great plan, I'll make it up to you tonight" you say, distracted by your thoughts.
"Well that sounds... Intriguing. I'll see you tonight babe" he hung up the phone but you kept it to your ear, still deep in thought before finally realising and putting the phone on the desk next to your computer.
You finished typing up the letter you were working on before the phone call, looking back and forth from your phone to the screen of your computer, still distracted by your thoughts. The butterflies in your stomach making you feel sick. You gave in and grabbed your phone, typing out a text quickly.
-I've told him. Pick me up from work at 5.30 Friday - you stop typing to think for a minute, before finishing the text with two kisses - xx
You try to get your head back into work, the neverending pile of deadlines building up on your desk next to you. When your phone vibrates the desk loudly, you look around to make sure no one's watching you before giving in to your curiosity and picking up your phone.
-Great, see you Friday. I can't wait to see you xxx
You try to feel excited but the overwhelming amount of guilt you feel always overrides that. You wish it could be different, that you could've met in a different way. That you could actually thoroughly enjoy the time you have together rather than feeling a deep shamefulness everytime you meet.
You've got yourself into something so deep that you can't think of a way out of it, either way it ends somebody is going to be hurt. In fact, one way or the other, you're all going to be hurt.
                             *******************
"Hey babe, did you have a good day?" Your boyfriend greets you as you walk into the kitchen, filled with the aromas of the food he was cooking for you.
"It was ok, busy. This smells amazing. What you making?" You ask, kissing him on the cheek as he stands over the stove, stirring a pot of delicious smelling liquid.
"I'm just making a sauce for the pasta" he says letting go of his wooden spoon and grabbing you by the hand to spin you around and face him. 
"Did you bring dessert?" He says into your ear, moving your hair to the side and planting kisses down your neck.
"What no, was I supposed to?" You couldn't remember him saying anything about dessert, yet you'd been pretty distracted most of the day.
"I'm sure you said something about making it up to me tonight?" He smirks, pulling you in for a lingering open mouthed kiss.
"Oh, yeah. That kind of dessert" you say, pulling away slightly.
"Are you ok? You seem kinda ... Distracted" he asks, a look of concern on his face as you shuffle though the papers in your bag.
"No, sorry babe. It's just work, I've had a lot on my mind today" you lie, sort of. You had a lot on your mind it just wasn't work related, even though you wish it was.
As you put the papers back into your bag you can feel your phone vibrating. Fuck sake, not now. Becoming flustered you accidentally drop the bag onto the glass table, nearly jumping out of your skin from the loud noise your phone made as it hit the glass. 
You notice your hands shaking as you hold your phone in front of you, cursing yourself under your breath for being so pathetic. Reading the text has your heart beating at an unbelievable pace, making you light headed and dizzy. 
-Can you meet me tonight? I hate this, I hate not being able to see you whenever I like. Please Y/N xxx
You pull out a chair and sit down before you fall down, why do you have to be pulled about in so many different directions? It was so hard leading a double life and keeping your dirty little secret, it literally ate away at your soul. You were a shell of the person you used to be, completely consumed with lies and deceit.
Sleepless nights, tossing and turning caused by guilt and work schedules and then still having to sneak away whenever you could. You lost yourself, trying to keep two people happy while completely forgetting about yourself.
"Babe?" 
"Huh?" You say looking up from your phone, you hadn't realised he'd been speaking to you.
"I said, red or white? He asks, furrowing his brow at you.
"Sorry, what?" You look confused, shaking your head as if to shake the thoughts right out of there. You have no idea what he's talking about.
"Wine? Foods ready. Do you want red or white... wine?" Looking more concerned.
"Oh, white please. Thank you, this looks amazing" you say, putting your phone into your shirt pocket and tucking your chair under the table, ready to get started. It really did look amazing, you don't deserve him. 
You watched him sit down opposite you, his ridiculously blue eyes catching yours as his fork passes to his lips. He smiles that sweet smile at you, the one that made you fall in love with him all those years ago. The memories of the years flash in front of your eyes in an instant, the first time he told you he loved you, the first kiss, the first time you made love, beautiful, beautiful memories. You can feel a tear prickling at the corner of your eye, lowering your head, hoping he didn't see. 
"Are you sure you're ok?" He asks, reaching across the table to hold your hand in his. The feel of his touch on your hand sends shivers down your spine and the tears spill from your eyes without warning. You hear his chair screech as he pushes it backwards and rushes to your side.
"Babe, please tell me what's wrong?" He kneels In front of you while you rest your head in your hands, completely overwhelmed with guilt. This poor man, my man, how could I do this to him?
"Don't be nice to me, I don't deserve it" you say, self-loathing.
"What are you talking about? Come here" he pulls you up and sits down with you on his lap, lifting your face to look at him which makes you cry even more. 
"I've been so distant with you, so consumed in my damn work that I've been totally neglecting you - " you cry, looking up at him sincerely, tears streaming down your face messily " - I'm so sorry" if only he knew how sorry you actually were. You loved him, he was your first everything, which makes it even harder for you.
"Hey don't be so silly. I'm a big boy, I think I can handle you being a little distracted, it just means when we do get time together it's more special. You've put up with so much from me, with the tabloids and papparzzi. You took it all on when we were still so young and never complained once, this is nothing compared to that" he wipes the tears away from your cheeks. Oh baby, please don't blame yourself.
"I would do it all over again, you know? It was worth it, I'd never change it. You're my childhood sweetheart, we've grown up together and I... I" you're balling like a baby now.
"Shh, baby. Please don't worry about it. You need a break, you've been working way too hard" if only he knew.
He nudges the side of your face with his soft bearded cheek until you give in and look up at him. The tears are also starting to well in his eyes and he smiles at you, at how silly and emotional you're both being. You suck it up and wipe the tears away with your arm.
"Come on, I've got some making up to do" you say, leading him to the bedroom. Your phone begins to vibrate in your pocket - an incoming call. You reach in and hold down the off button, you'll deal with that later.
He stops you before you make it to the bedroom and pushes you hastily against the wall, unable to wait much longer. His hands feel their way down your body until he reaches the hem of your skirt and pushes it up to your stomach, revealing your lacey panties. Your breath hitches as he pushes himself against you, the feel of his hard cock against your exposed panties makes you forget everything else for a moment. 
"I love you so fucking much" he says against your lips, biting gently on your bottom one while his hands run up and down your body. You reach down to unbutton his jeans, it's all very rushed and desperate, you need to feel each other, feel the love you have for each other. You need to show him, a painful desire that burns in your chest to show him that you love him.
So you push him backwards towards the bedroom door, your hands still working his jeans as your lips lock, never pulling apart.
Shoving him slightly too hard back onto your super-king bed in the middle of the room, you waste no time straddling him. He reaches up to unbutton your shirt, thrusting into you as he does so, the need so bad it hurt. You stopped his fingers fiddling with your button midway down your torso so you could pull off his jeans and boxers, while he props himself up on the bed with his elbows. Watching intently as you take control.
You kneel between his thighs, smoothing your hands down those thick muscles. Waiting for him to position himself at the end of the bed, making sure he has a good view before you run your pierced tongue up the shaft, all the way to the tip. Teasing him, knowing full well how it makes him feel. The ways his head falls back, his mouth hung open and the sounds falling from his lips, stir something deep inside you. It makes you feel hot to know you're turning him on this much.
Circling your pointy tongue around the tip, a sultry stare straight into his eyes makes him groan. You take his tip into your mouth, swallowing the drop of precum, licking your lips for him. Sucking on his cock, feeling it throbbing in your mouth, growing impossibly harder.
You can tell he can't handle it anymore when he pulls you onto him so you're sitting on his cock, your walls stretching around him making you both suck in air at the sensitivity. He leans back up to finish unbuttoning your shirt while thrusting his big cock, deep within you. Finally getting your shirt off, he grips his fingers into your ass cheeks, squeezing them as he sits up. Bouncing up and down on his dick, while you stare into each others eyes, the intimacy overwhelming you. Lost in the moment for a precious amount of time, feeling the sensation of your loves cock filling you up beyond limits.
You pull his shirt over his head, revealing his beautifully, tanned body. Holding on tightly to you while he pushes himself up the bed so he can lean his back against the headboard. Watching your tits move as you bounce on his cock, thrusting into you with his jaw clenched. You know that look, the way he's desperately trying not to come too quickly.
Both of your breathes are getting faster as you bounce harder, the gripping sensation rises through you.
"I love you" you say between breaths, leaning down to say it into his ear. 
"Fuck - " he groans, pulling out of you quickly before he come, your rising orgasm fading away. 
" - fuck Sorry, babe. That was too fucking much" He rolls you over underneath him and quickly positions himself back at your entrance, easing in painfully slowly.
Now thrusting into you at an unforgivable pace, making you gasp everytime he slammed into you. Pushing your knees back towards your face and settling himself between them, holding your head with both hands and gazing into your eyes. He's ready, you're ready, you can feel it rising as he rolls his hips into you. The look of love in his eyes making you feel emotional, he's panting and you're moaning as he lets go and pumps into you making you lose it and scream out as you gush everywhere. Holding onto the sheets, tightly, as you wait for your toes to uncurl, still inside of you he lays on your stomach trying to catch his breath. Your muscles cramp up and shake making you wince as you try to move out from underneath him
"Are you ok?" His head snaps up, concerned.
"Yeah, just cramp" you whine, stretching out your legs when he rolls to your side.
"I really do love you" you say moving into his arms.
"I know you do. I love you too" he says kissing the top of your head. You're brought back to reality when you hear your phone vibrating again on the floor, in the pocket of your shirt. 
"You're popular tonight" he says noticing the sound of your phone as it vibrates the floorboards.
"It's just work, it can wait until tomorrow" you say, content being in his arms for a little longer and forgetting that anything or anyone else exists. Even if it is only for a moment.
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jtrokujo · 4 years
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𝕵𝖚𝖘𝖙 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝕿𝖜𝖔 𝕺𝖋 𝖀𝖘
✩。: * • .───── ❁ ❁ ─────. • * :。 ✩
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❝𝐓𝐒𝐔𝐊𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐌𝐀 𝐊𝐄𝐈❞
word count: 1.6k
3RD PERSON POV
Like every morning, the big line of glasses is waiting for his girlfriend, but the two youngsters have no plans to go to school because it's the weekend, no, they enjoy their togetherness for all times.
Even if the two have known each other for a long time, that doesn't mean they've been together that long.
For the two of them, it was unimaginable to be in a relationship with the other, but things always happen and change.
Anyone who has asked the respective person about this relationship has long since forgotten because they apparently did not / do not care.
Back to the present.
Tsukishima looked annoyed at the clock on his cell phone and sighed in annoyance, he can't be delayed, even if it's 3 minutes.
It is not rare or common for his girlfriend to be late.
He actually prefers to pick her up instead of waiting for her, not only so that she can hurry up, but also so that she can meet her boyfriend carefree without any bad ulterior motives or any nuisance.
Well that's one of the reasons he hates being late, but he didn't tell his girlfriend about that fact himself.
Because of this particular incident with his brother, he has a strong weakness to trust someone or to trust someone, there are moments when he trusts his girlfriend, sometimes not, it mainly just depends.
But as a good friend, she shows understanding for him, she is too fond of him.
She knows his problems, his fears and the insecurities that almost eat him up, but she still knows the good side that she doesn't see every day, but better than never.
Like, for example, his love for her, his interests in the dinosaurs or his good tutoring when the two do their homework together.
Trapped in thought, someone took him out of it, or rather, something.
The boy's cell phone rang loudly, his heart pounding and he answered the call "Tsuki, where are you?" his girlfriend asked in amazement and tried to ignore the anger.
"In front of our favorite bakery, the question is more where are you, (Y / N) I've been waiting for more than 10 minutes and the weather is not very pleasant at the moment."
"Tsuki, we had agreed that we would meet in front of the museum, that you were present for our last conversation, I knew, but if you went straight into your own world, you have been really so bad in the last few days."
"(Y / N)?" Tsukishima said in a normal tone, "Yes?" she said, however, surprised that he speaks so calmly.
"Didn't we agree that if we'd only go to the museum right after we ate a piece of cake and went for a walk, because it only opens at 2 p.m. and now it's only 10:27 a.m."
"I'll be there in 5 minutes." was the only thing his girlfriend could say hung up as quickly as possible.
Yes, this behavior of his girlfriend wasn't seen every day, but he gets along reasonably well with it.
Of course there are moments or even days when he can lose his last nerve and there have been moments when he insults his girlfriend even though it is not his intention.
Fortunately, however, she knows him too well that she sometimes understands him, but only sometimes.
The one time she showed no understanding was when he was training again with his team and since Hinata was again better than usual, it annoyed him so much that he took all his anger and frustration out on his girlfriend, which caused her ignored him for almost a week.
Back to the present, holding hands, the couple are on their way to coffee.
The fingers are folded together, the wind blows stronger and stronger every second, but if you think that such weather could ruin their mood, you are one-sidedly wrong.
Once there, the two ordered a hot cocoa and a small cake, (Y / N) should already choose a place while Tsukishima delivers the delicacies with a tray.
They talked about their interests and what movie to watch tonight.
While walking around town, Tsukishima looked at his wristwatch that his girlfriend gave him and said, "The museum will open in about 20 minutes."
The friends who make (Y / N) s face shine cannot be overlooked.
Of course, she doesn't really like the museum because she's not really interested, but she knows too well that he likes the dinosaurs that she talked him into going on a date at the museum without any problems.
But he wanted the two to spend more time together, that is to say;
The coffee, the walk and the night at his house had been all his idea.
In the museum, the friend looked at a dinosaur, or rather a Gallimimus.
"What is it, Tsuki?" she asked him and shows it on the Gallimimus. "
From A to Z, her friend explained every information he knows about the Gallimimus.
"They were also a kind of group like wolves, but from the dinosaur genus of the Ornithomimosauria during the Theropoda. They lived for the most part in East Asia. Furthermore, as you can see, they were not small, they were 4 and 6 meters high and weighed up to to an example of 200 kg. "
"You seem to know your way around this, don't you?"
"Because I can." he said roughly, but grabbed his girlfriend's hand and said like a little boy, "Come on, you have to see the others first." and pulled her right after you with you.
TIME SKIP / 3RD PERSON POV
Back at home, the couple meets Tsukishima's brother.
He sighed annoyed and skilfully ignored him, but greeted him out of sheer politeness.
They have known each other for a long time, which is why they have an appropriate relationship.
In other words, a friendship.
You talk now and then.
However, their friendship does not belong in the level where you occasionally write to each other, make phone calls or go to town together.
But that's probably a good thing before Tsukishima gets the last nerve.
Tsukishima is not the kind of friend you ask if you can go out with this person or if he is having trouble going out with this person, knowing other people's passwords or reading through chats.
They know each other too well and also trust what is important in a relationship and therefore find this behavior strange from other couples, because, as I said, trust is part of a relationship.
When he got to his room, Tsukishima took his pajamas and said to his girlfriend "I'm going to get changed in the bathroom, okay?"
She nodded and answered him and also took her pajamas out of her pocket and changed a little faster than usual.
Finished dressed, she stuffed the clothes she was still wearing into her pocket and then put it down.
"Are you ready?" it came out the door.
"Yes I am, can come in."
The door opened and you not only saw Tsukishima in his pajamas, but he also held a small tray with (Y / N) 's favorite sweets.
But not only that, but also a small box.
The friend quickly got up to help her friend "Let me help you." and wanted to grab the tray right away, but Tsukishima pointed to his clothes, which is between his forearm and waist.
"Do you already know which film to watch and how." Tsukishima asked his girlfriend.
"No, I thought you would decide because I was 'allowed' to do it last time." she said and put his clothes where they belong.
"I would prefer if my dwarf would choose a movie." replied Tsukishima and set the tray down on his bed.
"Aww, since when was such a tsuki?" provoked (Y / N) Tsukishima and came a few steps towards him, while at the same time she looked at him gourmet.
Annoyed, he sobbed with his tongue - held a hand on her face and gently pushed her away from him.
He then gave his remote control to his girlfriend and finally said, "Come sit down and choose a movie."
And thus also knocked on the bed.
About half an hour has passed.
While (Y / N) stares obsessively at the screen and slowly eats the candy, Tsukishima secretly observed his girlfriend and the small box.
Breathing deeply, he said her name, while she turned and looked at him, "Is something?" she asked worriedly.
"No, it works. You remember when we were in town about a week ago, there was this shop. It had this chain that impressed you, so I made up my mind yesterday ..." without finishing his sentence he made it to his girlfriend.
She opened the box nervously.
The necklace that (Y / N) wanted, she got from her boyfriend as a present.
She just stared at it with no comments like, 'I want this.' 'Can you get it for me?' or something else, maybe he knows (Y / N) just too well.
He took the chain and asked "May I?"
"(Y / N) turned so he could tie the necklace together," What for, Tsuki? Have you ever seen the price? "She asked him and from now on ignored the film being played.
"When I saw the price, I wasn't too thrilled, but I just had to remember you being pretty amazed as a dwarf, so it wasn't too bad to spend my money."
The tray put away, the television switched off and the blanket over the couple's bodies, they slept cuddled up.
The two of them will not get rid of this event so quickly.
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scarecoen · 3 years
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Trigger warning ⚠️ domestic violence.
I've typed this story a million times so I'm just going to summarize as much as I can.
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A few days ago I was assaulted by my partner's family members. And as I've mentioned, I've typed this a million times and I'm honestly just exhausted thinking about it, but we could use some help.
My partner has always had a transphobic family. (I don't have anyone but my dad, who's in no position to help anyone.)
Her mom used her disability against her and manipulated her into giving her MOST of her checks. She's abused the system and my girlfriend.
When I met Jackie, she was with a terrible biggot. Jackie had came out, and her mother conspired with an abusive long distance ex, to fly her here, to stage an "intervention" and stop my partner from transitioning.
It worked. For years.
I met Jackie here on tumblr, we became good, SECRET friends because she wasn't allowed to talk to anyone.
I told Jackie openly about my views regarding gender and how I myself, was not cis.
Eventually she told her partner about us playing games together, which she responded to by harassing me.
Jackie ended up spilling the beans to me, about her mom, about the ex, everything. I realized that she had been extremely isolated and controlled her whole life.
So I intervened.
I got the two of them to separate, which wasn't smooth because Jackie was scared. She had been with her abuser for 9 years at this point. She's never known anything else.
The ex moved back to her state, and I started seeing Jackie, although she was stuck at her mom's... who was trying to play innocent at this time.
Eventually, I kinda just came and picked her up, she stayed the night, she didn't want to go back home. And I can't blame her. The house wasn't only disgusting, her family microagressed her all the time and they would tell her to pretty much stay in a dark room all day.
Ofc I didn't bring her back.
During early quarantine, we had a lot of self reflection and she started distancing herself from her mother, coming around to holding her accountable for her horrible actions.
Her mom messaged her things like "Why won't you talk to me? It's like you're trying to punish us!" Ect, just every fucking manipulative thing she could say, without ever apologizing.
Unfortunately the place we were staying fell through when my best friend's ex husband decided he wants a divorce and decided to throw in some transphobic hatespeach towards me.
We were all looking for somewhere to go.
I'm sure you know where this is going but listen, she told us EVERYTHING we wanted to hear. She told us she's not hateful now, told us she would go to trans support groups, pride, said she's realized how much she loves Jackie and it's time to accept her- and look- we had NO WHERE TO GO. We have 2 cats and at the time, a car that has no a/c or functional locks. AND I have a chronic autoimmune condition that I recently started taking chemo meds for. (Methotrexate.)
I'm too sick to be on the street, and survive. I had to think about me, Jackie, Zoe, and Boops.
And Jackie wanted to go..
I told her we'd be cautious and try to get out asap.
Well, looking for places right when the housing market crashed really fucked us up. That- and because I had only just finally got approved for disability, means I was set back in life- and had no credit to my name. No credit= no place to live.
I had almost built enough, but things went down hill very quickly with her family. Which leads us to right now:
After weeks of microagressions, giving us breakthrough covid cases, yelling at us to clean other's messes, and forcing us and our cats to isolate in our room, many broken promises, and straight up transphobic hatespeach (because she promised to get vaccinated but then said nvm as soon as we moved in and she went on vacation and got covid and gave it to us, which nearly killed me--) she said not getting the vaccine "IS A CHOICE, JUST LIKE YOU BEING TRANS AND TAKING *gestures to my testosterone* THOSE DRUGS."
We just were avoiding each other while I desperately try to gather resources for us to get out, NOW.
Of course, that wasn't good enough, so when her step father messaged her in all caps about our cats having to stay in our room and "I WON'T FUCKING TELL YOU AGAIN" my partner had a breakdown..
Her mom had let her step dad talk to her like this her whole life, basically.
Out of desperation, we went to her sister for help, maybe hoping she'd give us a place to stay for two weeks while we sign off on the lease for our new apartment.
She pretended to want to help and even said... something fucking weird? She made the comment that I'm a good person and I'm so much like her own boyfriend, that it's "scary"...
A few hours later she came to the house. She talked nicely to us, to gain access to our bedroom.
Then she attacked me.
I called the police right before, and was on the phone with dispatch when she lunged at me because she was aggressively trying to MAKE Jackie go into a separate room WITHOUT ME and Jackie was saying no, BEGGING her to STOP.
I wasn't going to let her take Jackie into that room. She looked fucking crazy.
All of the family came into our room, her two sisters, her mom, and her cousin- When they heard yelling.
It was actually me telling her mom that she's a terrible mother, that triggered her sister to try and attack me- although I knew she was planning on trying to from the moment she came into our room.
And that was after her mom was screaming in my face that if I have something to say, say it now.
Dispatch heard everything and sent emt as well...
But the police stayed outside, talking to them for a WHILE before even asking for us.
Her cousin is the only one that would have stood up for me, saying her sister never should have tried to hit me. But he was in the room with Jackie, giving her support...
I faced the cops alone.
He already had "that look."
He shined a light into my eye, letting the family stay on the porch, throwing insults and just letting it happen. He asked me where I'm hurt, and before I could even show him the scratches on my arm, he said "how do I know YOU didn't put those there?"
I wanted to fucking die in that moment.
This is a conservative city.
No one has equality stickers here. No one flies gay flags. People here that are lgbt- they LEAVE.
This is EXACTLY WHY.
I said "well is there any reason I should tell you anything when, clearly, you're already bias?"
I looked at the emts. I looked at his partner. I looked at all the lights and people coming out of their houses-
And behind me was her family.
Her sister that assaulted me, was laughing about having work in the morning.
All of them were looking at me, with hate in their eyes.
He tried to feed me bullshit about "well if I'm taking someone to jail, there has to be proof."
He dismissed everything I attempted to say, until I just stared at the ground and he decided he did his job here.
I told him my whole fucking body hurts because I had 4 people fucking toss my 100lbs ass all over the fucking room, which was a mess that he refused to look at.
He said "I don't see bruises."
I SPAT "BRUISES TAKE TIME?"
He retorted IMMEDIATELY- "YOU'RE NOT EVEN RED."
I asked what about the dispatcher- she seemed concerned- to which he said "you see, sometimes when people call us- they scream and be dramatic- for a quicker response."
I asked what we could do while the two weeks go by for our new place, and he fucking said "I DONT KNOW. BARRICADE YOURSELF IN YOUR ROOM OR SOMETHING."
Needless to say, we are now safe, in a hotel and I've gotten in touch with a few lgbt organizations that are attempting to help us get justice.
Unfortunately because it's a holiday weekend, all we can do is wait right now.
Our first order of business is getting a protection order, so that we can retrieve the rest of our things without her sister trying to attack us again. (I say us because she kept jumping towards Jackie, like she was threatening to hit her.)
I've been so gaslit and victim blamed that I was too scared to go to the er, even though this all happened in the midst of a flare, possibly including my liver health.
There's so much more to this story, as I'm sure other trans people can relate.. unfortunately.
The emts reluctantly offered to take me to the er, but I was like "and leave my partner here with them?" And he just fucking shrugged dude.
I hate this city.
I want out so bad but unfortunately I've committed to a year, but at least it'll be *our* apartment.
We could NOT stay there for two more weeks. Her step dad is a violent offender that has attempted to murder a homeless prostitute over some fucking pocket change- and he has a GUN in the house.
This hotel might run us into a hole, despite it being the cheapest, shittiest hotel in town, it's still going to be about 700$ for ONE week.
To ADD INSULT TO INJURY, SOMEONE ATTEMPTED TO STEAL MY VEHICLE WHILE WE'VE BEEN STAYING HERE.
I'm feeling incredibly paranoid and unsafe, but I'm on anxiety meds now at least and its SORTA helping us cope (My partner and I have the same Dr and she gave her permission to have some.)
The organization BRAVO is trying to help us with a hotel voucher, but because of all the natural disasters, it's hard to find room in charity for people like us, which is fair enough. We aren't immediately on the street, and for that I'm incredibly thankful.
However, if you or anyone you know wish to help you can donate to venmo: kittyzibby. Or you could just signal boost this.
If you can't help, I understand. And IF YOU'RE STRUGGLING FINANCIALLY, don't worry about it, for real.
Right now I'm just scared we'll go into debt before getting the apartment settled in.
I will update on things once our case moves along more, and we were already considering turning to OF sexwork before all of this, so if there could be support that way, maybe we'll get that going once we get moved in. That way, I feel good about providing a service in return.
Thank you so much for sticking with us during all of this. And really- we're doing much better today. We've given each other pep talks, but we are still determined to start our lives together.
Her family was merely trying to scare me away from her, but I got my girl's name tatted on me for a reason.
I know I'm not the bad person here.
Every time Jackie is feeling more gender euphoric, and showing me her changes, and seeing her get more confident, the more I know that what I'm doing with and for her, is right.
I love her so much. And I will never abandon her, like they tried to get me to do.
Jackie is taking a break from some socials, but she's given me permission to talk about what's been happening.
She needs justice too.
I will update as much as I can, but seriously, I think we both just have a fire under our asses now.
Mentally, we're stronger than ever.
Thank you for reading. My heart really goes out to the rest of the queer community that have experienced or are going through similar things.
It's really made me realize why we need to stick together and fight this bigotry bullshit! 🏳️‍⚧️🏳️‍🌈
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chiliiscereal · 3 years
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Here’s the link for the full version ^ ——
Sister dear (Steve x sister reader)
(This is preseason one to show you what the background is on the whole story)
(let me know if you think this should be published as a separate book!)
You and Steve had a rocky start to being siblings.
You were born four years apart.
He was born in a time when your parents actually loved each other. They had time for birthdays and family weekends together. They went out to the park on saturdays. They were a picture perfect family.
It just so happened that when you were born, your father stopped being quite so faithful to your mother. When you came into the world, your father was in Europe on a business trip. And he wasn't only up to business.
Little Steve had adored you at first. He always wanted to hold you or play with you.
But then their parents no longer had time for him.
It was always work... and taking care of you.
It slowly changed over the years to only work, as your mother could no longer trust your father. Steve was left to watch you for weeks on end. He was good at it at first. He used to watch you carefully. He used to make sure you were happy and well...
Until he could no longer see his friends.
He was ten. You were five.
He began to leave you at home. At first it was only for thirty minutes while he went to the park. Then it was an hour every day during his elementary school days while he went to the movies.
You were seven when you began cooking your own meals.
You TRIED talking to him. You really did.
You tried catching his sleeve whenever he breezed past. You tried showing him crafts you made. You tried playing music you thought he might like.
That ended with twelve year old Steve pushing you away.
It ended with your works of art thrown in the trash.
Your music cassettes were thrown onto the road.
Your mother made sure both of you knew to never walk into the middle of the road, so you could only cry as some unknowing stranger destroyed your wonderful music. The music you had saved up all your allowance for. The music that you had thought your older brother would like. The music that you thought might bring you two together.
When your mother and father returned, you tattled.
Steve was grounded for a whole week.
But he always needed to have the last say. So he sold your boom box and spent all the money on comics. He threw your sketchbook in the quarry water. He shoved you to the floor, saying that if you ever tattled again then you would join your drawing book in the cold water.
You stopped trying to give Steve your attention and love. You no longer wished he would spend more time at home. So you began exploring the town by yourself at the age of nine. You didn't really have friends to hang out with so you would browse through stores.
The arcade was your favorite place.
You loved showing up early on Saturday mornings, before Steve was even awake, and leaving behind a new high score on the dragons lair.
Why?
Because it always riled up a group of boys your age. They had no idea who kept beating them over and over. Every Sunday morning you watched them walk in... only to scream a few seconds later about how someone had beaten their score by ONE point. Again.
You loved having some sort of connection to them. Even if they didn't know it was you. Or even who you were at all. They were a weird little group, strictly sticking with only other A.V club kids. Besides, you hardly ever talked. What would be so special about you?
It also didn't help that your older brother had begun to build himself a reputation. When you were ten, he began to be known as king Steve. You knew he bullied one of the kids (wills) older brother while beginning to flirt with another's (mike's) older sister.
You knew this because your father began forcing Steve to drive you home from school. That was the rule he set when he gave Steve the car.
Every day you trekked to the high school, only to watch Steve hang around Nancy Wheeler and push Johnathan Byers. You would have intervened and told him that you really didn't want to wait twenty minutes (out of sight) for him to be done. But the last time he did that he made you ride the way home in the trunk of his car.
When you were eleven, you started hanging out at Melvald's convenience store in the town square. Your favorite time to go there was at 7:00, because Mrs. Byers would always work the morning shift.
Wills mother was really quite wonderful. Every time you walked in she greeted you with a smile and lowered her magazine.
——-
"Whatcha lookin for today, kiddo?" She smiled softly, leaning on the counter to watch you browse.
"Any new cassette tapes." You shrugged, fingering each music case that caught your eye. "Do you have any Clash? I... lost mine." You didn't lose it. Steve broke it when he heard you mutter about how much you hated Tommy H.
"Yeah, we got a new box of cassettes delivered this morning." She hopped up and waved for you to follow her to the back room. "I miiiight have snagged a Clash cassette for you when I saw it." She grinned as she held the door open for the young girl.
"You didn't need to buy anything for me!" You gasped. You knew that the Byers needed all the money they could get. "Can I pay you back?" You immediately began digging through your pockets for spare change.
She placed a guiding hand on your back as you both entered, pulling you away from your search. "Oh no it's fine! It's the least I can do for my most frequent visitor."
She plucked the music case off the shelf and handed it to you. "You go to Hawkins elementary, right? You should talk to my son. Will. He also loves the Clash."
You turned red and clutched the cassette. "I've...seen him around before. I don't know how to talk to him."
"Oh it's easy!" She grabbed the spare paper and crayons you always used when you visited. "You just need to find common ground. For example," she pulled up a stool beside her for you to sit at, "you both like to draw!"
You placed down the paper and got working on your art. "Will it make a difference if I draw cartoons and he draws realistic? What if the difference is too big for him to want to talk to me?"
"It'll give you more to talk about!"
——
So began your quest to pursue friendship.
You attempted to speak to Will and his friends in the hall.
They were talking too loud about their latest campaign to hear you.
You tried asking to sit by them at lunch.
They were too busy launching potato's at the ceiling to notice.
Right when you almost gave up... Will and you were paired together as partners for a history project.
——-
'Don't mess it up, don't mess it up', you told yourself over and over as you moved to sit by Will. 'Don't be weird. See if he'll talk first. Don't be clingy.'
Wills was equally quiet. He just read through the rubric of the project and stayed silent.
'What can we talk about... what should I say?'
A drawing poking out of wills bag caught your eye. It looked like a wizard casting some sort of spell.
"I like your drawing!" You blurted out, wishing you could just shut up.
Wills jumped, startled. "Yeah... umm.. it's from... uh... it's from our last campaign.." he began fiddling with his thumbs, unsure of what to say to a girl. "Our DnD campaign... I mean."
You nodded along. "I like to draw to! I've never... I've never played DnD before... so I like to draw people."
Will cracked a shy smile. "I'll show you my drawing if you show me one of yours."
You agreed hesitantly.
He took your cartoon and you took his master piece. You desperately wished you could draw like him. Your cartoons looked so simple, as Steve always said.
"You're a cartoonist!" Will smiled, holding the paper out in front of him. It was a caricature of Mrs. Byers. "You must be the girl my mom sees at her job!" His eyes were wide with recognition. "This is so good! I wish I could draw cartoons. But whenever I try... they look like potato's." He laughed.
You flushed a deep red. "I... I'm also the one that beats your scores every Saturday." You admit.
His jaw dropped. "No way. We've been trying to figure out who that was for months! We formed a whole list of people to interrogate!" He ran a hand through his hair.
You giggled. "I can prove it... if you want. Next Saturday I could show you and your friends? At the arcade?"
"Yeah! I'm totally down to hang out at the arcade!"
——
Will had brought you to the A.V club after to ask the rest of the party. You had protested at first. What if they didn't like you? What if they said no? You would look so stupid! You tried to use your brother driving you home as an excuse.
But if you brought Steve up... no. You couldn't start a potential friendship like that.
Will proposed the ideas to everyone excitedly.
It seemed that Lucas had a problem with it immediately.
——-
"Sorry Will, but we can't." Lucas shook his head. "We've got plans."
Your heart dropped.
"Wait," Dustin frowned and turned to his friend. "What plans? I wasn't aware of any plans."
Lucas crossed his arms. "Remember? Our campaign?"
"We don't have a-."
Lucas elbowed him harshly and looked at you. "Can you leave for a second? We need to talk. ALONE."
You nodded and stepped out of the room. "Yeah totally! Just let me know when-."
The door slammed in your face.
You know you shouldn't have but you pressed your ear to the door anyway.
"What's your damage?" Mike Wheeler hissed quietly.
"Don't you know who she is?" Lucas accused.
"No... should we?" Will whispered in confusion.
"That's Y/N Harrington!" Lucas spat out.
"Steve Harrington's little sister." Dustin stated, now understanding.
Mike groaned. "The douche bag my sisters hooked on?"
"Yes! What if she's exactly like him?"
"You mean a total mouth breather? A player? An absolute jackass?"
You sunk to the floor. Of course Steve ruined the only chance you might have of a friendship. How could she think that these kids would look past her family's reputation? No one ever did. Even her teachers expected her to be disruptive and rude.
"Guys." Will intervened. "I talked to her in history."
"What?!"
"Traitor!"
"What about the party?"
Will lowered his voice, causing you to lean a little closer to the door. "She doesn't act like him. She never called me any names. She never told me that I'm a freak. She tried to talk to me about art."
"Steve definitely doesn't appreciate art." Dustin mumbled.
Wills continued. "She's a cartoonist. And I think she might be like us. You know who kept beating our dragon lair record?"
"Who?"
"Please tell me it wasn't Troy."
"Y/N Harrington."
"WHAT?!"
"IT WAS HER?!"
"GIRLS PLAY VIDEO GAMES?!"
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theurbansquared · 3 years
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Guide To Avoiding A Loser Brokerage
by James Hill | theurbansquared
Brokers can be bastards and some even get better at it while other brokers are legitimate life-changing business Sherpas
A broker is supposed to guide you through a career in real estate much like a coach or pimp - offering protection and how to understand a complicated system better and direct it to revenue  without getting your neck broke while playing the game. I created and ran the most well-reviewed, largest full-service brokerage in the fastest-growing city in America.  This gave me access to nearly ever broker and their broker's pay structure and innovations. I also got the agent's version of my same broker buddies brokerages when they eventually joined my brokerage; hovering anywhere from 20–60 agents. Trending insider chatter has blame going to real estate brokers of decades past (and current) and how they’ve managed their agents - - letting unsupervised  agents with no experience run wild on the streets practicing on the public wearing out Realtor love and making a need for all the Mountain Dew-made Zillow-y options that currently exist.
Brokers are out of touch more than ever with today’s current media load, having to understand and use social media platforms for their advertising (since the private Town & Country affair that real estate once was is forever over and the landscape is a bit more like a half Juggalo, half programmer flea market).
Let’s dive into some situations and tenets that most agents don’t consider when choosing a brokerage.
Sales Volume
This is a bit of negotiating psychology and due diligence. Simply ask how much sales they (the brokerage) did last year and how much they’re currently at. If they don’t know these numbers they’re goons. If they don’t give it, you guessed it - they’re hiding something; their lack of revenue. I’ve hired and fired hundreds of agents and in interviews so few ask this question but it’s one of the most important questions you can ask as an agent and you need the information. An agent that doesn’t ask this has already given a tell that they’re not a top producer since they’re not interested in the production capacity of the team they may join. No bueno. Creep the brokerage as well obvi -- reviews, FB & IG engagement and current running ads, and make sure the company Christmas Party isn’t catered by Chic-fil-a at a Burnet Road dive bar.
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Office
40% of your learning and 350% of your work will be done at the office. Those numbers will make sense 90% of the time after a few years in real estate. The rest should be on the streets - your car, properties, driving 75 mph talking and sending out docs, gorging on breath mints. Office, home, tiny homes, motorhomes have all blended into one larger conversation where work/live ethos are all in re-definition.
But, when you do need a more savvy moment in any market when people talk about borrowing or selling something that’s over $100K they don’t want to hear some bullshit too loud pedantic conversation seated right next to them at Starbucks or the local kooky coffee shop. In real estate Murphy’s Law is always in effect. The super important listing sign off that has to go well and they want to hear you pitch again before deciding? There will be someone (at this super ‘caj’ coffee house meeting) there projectile vomiting, or throwing cats, or something else tiresome or bad that takes more calls.
Speech and body language are massive parts of sales so when the entire set is thrown because a barista is running through a whole Sublime album. You want the most inviting cool office you can ever pull off at any given moment in real estate . Was that ever a question? There's a balance  -- you can't afford that year one or three, but it’s called real estate for a reason. Sexy, exciting buildings is what the brochure said when I joined. Also, it’s about style not size.
If you haven’t lost business to coffee house back pressure you really haven’t failed at agency properly.
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Social IQ
Social reach is the only conversation now. Many brokerages won’t make it as the lead generating aspects of the industry aren't powered by a private MLS anyone and the publicly-hated ‘Realtor’ designation have both brokers and agents guessing about tomorrow. Calendars, best practices and free shitty tips & templates are the du jour of the day for anyone trying to get an agent's eyes. You can Google and get all the ‘basic’ social media dance steps, but with everyone at the same happy hunting spot, you’re being covered up, which leaves all your new artistic efforts fruitless and also squandering winning time.
Traffic, leads and engagement are all separate areas that have to be fulfilled properly and even this is in flux with historic corporations and current start ups all on the same advertising playing field. Social reach and engagement is about going to the consumer direct and becoming their friend with soft bribes -- free food, gifts, prizes (trips, events tickets) or industry work tools. The great news is, real estate has always been mostly consumer direct - start up a convoy at the grocery store (bar, church, meetup) and you’re in the car that weekend looking for houses with a new client. While you, your brokerage and the world are figuring out their exact social media mix, you need to make sure a brokerage isn’t lost on social media since many won’t be able to stay in business in the next few short years. Your brokerage needs to have a plan and and at best some presence on social media. Plus, they should be running low-cost performative marketing ad campaigns to get a feel for what and if set user groups are responding to ads. Anyone can post on IG but people engage on IG when they become inspired. A brokerage should have some sort of inspiration and relationship tied in with the local allure of their city --  or heading that direction.
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Mentoring
Much like a neurotic buyer chasing an interest rate for their home mortgage (and then never buying a house) agents too focused on commission may miss the essential career need for mentoring -- for their clients and career. I had a 5 deal minimum for my new agents before they were ever unsupervised and received more commission. I've had new agents with celeb clients in hand and celeb agents with no clients in hand. No one wants to do business with someone with absolutely has no, experience but they do it because they like you as a friend or fam. Your mentor is the person riding shotgun with you at the beginning of your career. On many levels you want to be this person since they embody the position and role. You're literally and figuratively are borrowing experience from them and they deserve to be paid for it. You always have to strengthen your brand outside of your brokerage but if you don’t have any experience your brand doesn’t have ‘strength’ you simply have a logo and a drag & drop website where you're possibly talking about yourself and love of unicorns or football shit but the big boat deals you dream about in bed aren’t gotten this way. Remember, no unicorn could ever throw a football good without a lot of practice and a good mentor.
Support
Support in a brokerage is really communication and solutions for small problems, and systems for managing bigger ones with people. Most of the annoying things in real estate happen outside of the deal - contracts, calls, emails, docs, signatures, more docs. You typically want a super admin, broker, or agent manager that you can call and they pick up the phone. It’s pretty simple. With a mentor, admin, or broker you’re going to have a n 8:30 PM question or deal that’s going down. You’ll need printer help. Real estate always happens now (this was one of the main mantras in my office). Printing, prequal, weekend support and constant post dinner shenanigans.
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Training
Meet Frank Miller, David Mamet, the Sex Pistols, Tony Robbins, Wayne Dyer, Hendrix, Tom Hopkins, The World’s Greatest Detective and Conan The Barbarian. We had a lot of different inspirations for the style and ethos of our urban brokerage. The World’s Greatest Detective is Batman. It was a moniker that became popular in the seventies. We used this example about how important due diligence and proper Fact Finding techniques are for serving and closing deals for clients. (It’s almost essential to be inquisitive in real estate esp about property/development to have success). Training is largely your sales meeting(s). Although I don’t come from a car background I’ve mentored many car guys transferring to real estate (they typically are out of the industry within 2 years and are there only for boom markets). Car guys have meetings every morning 6 days a week and they’re not at 9 or 10 am. They’re already working.
free module: The Burger King Phenomena: Why Agents Do Less Working For Themselves Than If They Were Working At Burger King
Many brokerages have no training/meeting schedule (monthly doesn’t count -- that’s a meet and greet company pump and catch up meeting). If a brokerage doesn’t have training on a schedule then there is no training. You’ll possibly be thrown a 3-ring binder, or given some PDF’s, or links to old bizarre training videos or a soup sandwich of all three and sometimes even a bill for the training. An agent’s training/meetings and their attendance to them are the difference between an agent making it or not when you’re 24 months or less in the role as an agent especially in the fast turbulent waters of the current 2021 market where brokerage and agent purpose and pay are under attack. From my experience, new agents that hide die.
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Media
Having a background as a creative director I’m aware with great detail of agency and brokerage media needs, the cost and time they extract, and the corresponding revenue they’re projected to bring back. Brokerages are looking for their purpose now as simply having a brokerage doesn’t bring in leads like it used to. This is fitting, since the digital dumbass brokers that that didn’t understand the importance of ‘the web’ rickshawed our MLS data and sold the agent/broker centric real estate system for their benefit while current agents are left with an empty greasy enough to-go box to curl up with. Brokerages were never media houses or ad agencies but now that consumer level graphic programs and website builders are ubiquitous and any agent after being licensed for 10 days can drag & drop a website up in 4 hours and make it look like a brokerage that’s been around for years. I know I’m going wide on the subject here but stay with me because this is the crux of where the industry and consumer are renegotiating roles.
A brokerage’s value proposition has changed drastically with the telecommute revolution that was only sped and strengthened by Covid. Also, generational knowledge base gaps in technology are more apparent than ever with technology as younger agents can often be more media savvy than their broker. The market is flooded with self appointed companies or gurus that are taking on the role of the classic ad agency (Mad Men) or media production house. Also beware of real estate coaches with little or no real estate experience offering to guide you in social media. Okay media can’t be used in apex situations (such as the luxury listings you’re after) and doesn’t draw apex listings. Beware of tapioca room temperature tips and general lists from companies that can appear informative but are really boilerplate low grade data to get your attention to ultimately upsell you on a paid service.
As an agent or a brokerage, consumer level graphic and website building programs can be a death ticket to your business as your competitors have the same tools and are cranking out the same type of style of messaging you are now. Now agents, principals, admins and in art class creating flyers. This has been done since the nineties as the valleys of dead agent careers is full of 2-day Microsoft Word (or any of their shitty office offerings) seshes to produce nasty flyers and presentations. These programs are fun and making bad flyers absolutely work related - the kind of work you don’t want’ related to your business because it’s adult crayon coloring. Activity does not equal production. Staying busy doing the wrong things doesn’t make money in real estate. Rather than spending agent winning time staying in the wrong lanes for way too long, get with a team or brokerage that are providing the most exceptional visual media you can find in your market. It used to be cool 2 years ago, now it’s the only thing that matters. Visual content.
free module: Better Agent Media, Less Agent Money (media tips and hacks).
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Access
This is access to your broker. Brokers with families are typically less available. Your best bet as an agent is looking for a grinder broker who sleeps on the couch at their office. This person doesn’t have kids to build into so they’ll build into your career and you’ll get the most out of these brokers. Beware of cheesedick, apathetic, rich boy, bored brokers not around and more concerned with projects like a shitty vanity wine brand that their wife’s forced them to launch since she’s not living her best life anymore as an agent.
Style
What kind of style is your brokerage? Is there an opportunity to bring more style sophistication to the market -- standout in a smaller market? Or, are you in an ultra stylish market currently and butt hurt because you already have a little story about how you’re going to keep it real and be a Dockers wearing slob for eternity? The thing about style in agency is you always need to look like you can list a million dollar house. Oh, is it really that simple? Yes it is. You complicated it. Clients always care about their housing a little bit more than they care about your real estate career. They don’t have time to figure out why you’re wearing shoe styles from 7 years ago. Don’t make it hard for people to do business with you. If you’re ugly, even better. It can be a massive advantage. Everyone on the planet loves when someone who doesn’t fall into our general current ‘attractive’ spectrum doesn’t give af, looks great and puts themselves together in a stylish way that the viewer can understand (can I get away with Teen Wolf?). A great side benefit from this step in the right direction is it’s a great way to make someone who is conventionally attractive insecure.
You want to be in the same style as the people in your area but the secret is you need to lead that style pack if you can -- you always lead and dress apex. Years ago this was anecdotal but after over 100K hours in real estate a good suite (tailored) saved my ass and literally got me business. I listed the largest house in east Austin because of a suit (and got a front page story on the newspaper real estate section for free because the owner saw me walking into the next door neighbor’s house).
Offices, dress, logo, email signature are all elements of you and your brokerage’s style. Style in and of itself isn’t enough to be a top producer in real estate. I’ve had stylish and even celebrity agents that didn't do zilch, but style often is a fingerprint to something more.
Picking the right elements for your agent style is an art because you have to offer something from yourself that’s unique enough as well as something familiar (a bridge to your uniqueness). I have a background as a musician and also as a merchant sailor. Fortunately those are easy convo starters. You could be a philatelist and have some challenges, but regardless it absolutely will take a year or three to develop your own angle and style towards the market as you learn it and the agent role more.
Things that look attractive and familiar puts client’s psychologies at ease. So, if skinny jeans are in you better get in them (that’s like five years old now). You’re on stage. You don’t wear what the worker people behind the camera wear. If you want to wear boring shit get on the other side of the camera. If you want less leads saddle up to a forgettable brokerage. People have hard days. They want you to put an effort into your real estate agency role. Currently it’s a fried role so you’re dealing with that too. People love to be smiled at and sold and especially from someone who smells good. It doesn't ever get old. Don’t make them beg for your charm. Be a nice charming person with a shirt that fits good, it’s a powerful combo.
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Get My Damn Paper
If you’ve never seen a werewolf in daylight mess with an agent’s commission after the deal’s done and funded. Admin? Who is the damn person who does the admin? (accounts payable is the icey pro word if you like). That person that you contact to get your commission check cut? If that person is a weirdo, or there’s an unfriendly or sketchy quality to the office or admin staff, do not go forward (don’t confuse this with new people or industry jitters). Grab some free coffee, leave the smarm and jet to the next brokerage blind date.
Software
CRM is an annoying conversation. Here’s the things with CRM’s - for all the work CRMs curtail, because of their complexity and existence and the work(time) they take to interact with you need to consider how much work you’re putting into operating the CRM software verses how much time it’s saving. Many times brokerages have expensive yearly subscriptions with per agent fees for their CRM which can make the brokerage have a zealot meth thing for the ‘team’ software and promise you can’t have a career without taking a bump too. To understand CRM better before it was a name, Client Relationship Management is what analog Proximity became. Let me explain -  being close to people in Church, bar, school, same building -- all give proximity. This becomes familiarity, then ease, then trust. People do business with people they trust & like. Once people disconnected physically and started using other means more contact attempts have to be made to work for or ‘prove’ worth.
Follow Up is a large component of most CRM’s and there are gobs of money for agents who follow up meticulously. Simply ask the broker what CRM they use and research it. Something to remember - unless you’re extremely busy with your career you don’t need a CRM. You can manage & database your clients & leads ‘by hand’ and strap it to the cloud with G-Suite/Google Sheets.
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Brokerage Name
A small but important aside, if a brokerage have named themselves after a precious metal or a gem, or if it says elite in the name then it’s not elite. If it has the words prestige or worldwide or international it may not be any of those either. I know a handful of exceptions to this rule but this is a great dirty primer to use when choosing a brokerage that’s going to propel your career and have shrimp options at the Christmas Party.
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avenge-the-90s · 3 years
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Tiger parents. Lawnmower parents. Helicopter parents. After some consideration, I've realized there's another type too: the Middleman. Their main way of raising you is making sure that the only way anyone else relates to you is through them. I am my parents' suitcase full of money that occasionally gets lent out.
In school, the friendships I tried to make were very one-sided because the only way we could interact was my parents' way: I wasn't allowed to visit other people's houses at all for any reason, and their parents had to express the same views as mine or else I was discouraged from remaining friends. This made high school group/partner projects hard; because I couldn't get together outside of school hours.
In college, my mother sometimes invited herself to sit in on my class during lab time. •If a conversation was going on across several lab tables, and I joined in to say something, she would call my name and shake her head, as to say, "don't get in grown folks conversations." •another time, the class was confirming attendance for an upcoming trip. The teacher asked if I was going. Mom pipes up and says "AM I INVITED TOO? BECAUSE AVENGE-THE-90S NEVER GOES ~ANYWHERE~ WITHOUT ME."
All of this taught my college classmates to see me as inferior as well. •One day, we had the radio on in class, and a girl commented about hating the song that was playing. I laughed and asked her why, expecting something silly like "ugh it's sooo overplayed", but instead of being responded to like the same-age peer I was, she just ignored me like "I don't have to explain myself to a child".
The young adults ministry at our old church constantly held get togethers but individual members planned trips too. •one girl mentioned wanting to plan a trip to Six Flags. My mother jumped into the conversation to tell the other young adults that if I went, to make sure to keep an eye on me "like a little sister". Some of the group were parents of babies/preschoolers at the time, and definitely did not want to spend a trip away from their own kids having to watch someone else like a kid. So if they went, I was never invited.
We joined a new church when we moved to California, and I belong to their young adults ministry. While my parents still go by their elementary school rules, one change is that now, although I'm not allowed over friends' houses, they are welcome to ours'. •At first, several Millennials group ministry meetings were held at the leader's home outside of church service hours. I didn't even bother telling my parents, because if they didn't know the leader, I wasn't going anyways. If they *did* know the leader, I'd've been the only young adult (ages 19-38) with their mommy attending. Catch-44: quiet avoidance, or known humiliation.
I was also in the church dance group (until mom made me quit because she was tired of me holding a gun to her head each weekend forcing her to take me to practice (/s)). •once, my dance teacher's friend wrote a play, and she invited us to come to the premiere to support them. We got there early enough that a (same age, adult) classmate wanted to walk to the corner store (across a busy road) and get snacks while waiting for it to start. A younger preteen classmate wanted to walk with us, but Older Classmate said it was too dangerous for her. Which ironically gave me the right words to tell her that, the same way she felt about Younger Classmate walking with us; that's how my mom would feel about me going with her. •Dance Classmate also invited me to a concert in a town a few hours away. We'd come back home past midnight. I had to decline, because I already knew my parents would feel I was being selfish for "forcing" them to stay up waiting for me to come home for safety and so they could set the house alarm.
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chiliiscereal · 4 years
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(This is preseason one to show you what the background is on the whole story)
(let me know if you think this should be published as a separate book!)
You and Steve had a rocky start to being siblings.
You were born four years apart.
He was born in a time when your parents actually loved each other. They had time for birthdays and family weekends together. They went out to the park on saturdays. They were a picture perfect family.
It just so happened that when you were born, your father stopped being quite so faithful to your mother. When you came into the world, your father was in Europe on a business trip. And he wasn't only up to business.
Little Steve had adored you at first. He always wanted to hold you or play with you.
But then their parents no longer had time for him.
It was always work... and taking care of you.
It slowly changed over the years to only work, as your mother could no longer trust your father. Steve was left to watch you for weeks on end. He was good at it at first. He used to watch you carefully. He used to make sure you were happy and well...
Until he could no longer see his friends.
He was ten. You were five.
He began to leave you at home. At first it was only for thirty minutes while he went to the park. Then it was an hour every day during his elementary school days while he went to the movies.
You were seven when you began cooking your own meals.
You TRIED talking to him. You really did.
You tried catching his sleeve whenever he breezed past. You tried showing him crafts you made. You tried playing music you thought he might like.
That ended with twelve year old Steve pushing you away.
It ended with your works of art thrown in the trash.
Your music cassettes were thrown onto the road.
Your mother made sure both of you knew to never walk into the middle of the road, so you could only cry as some unknowing stranger destroyed your wonderful music. The music you had saved up all your allowance for. The music that you had thought your older brother would like. The music that you thought might bring you two together.
When your mother and father returned, you tattled.
Steve was grounded for a whole week.
But he always needed to have the last say. So he sold your boom box and spent all the money on comics. He threw your sketchbook in the quarry water. He shoved you to the floor, saying that if you ever tattled again then you would join your drawing book in the cold water.
You stopped trying to give Steve your attention and love. You no longer wished he would spend more time at home. So you began exploring the town by yourself at the age of nine. You didn't really have friends to hang out with so you would browse through stores.
The arcade was your favorite place.
You loved showing up early on Saturday mornings, before Steve was even awake, and leaving behind a new high score on the dragons lair.
Why?
Because it always riled up a group of boys your age. They had no idea who kept beating them over and over. Every Sunday morning you watched them walk in... only to scream a few seconds later about how someone had beaten their score by ONE point. Again.
You loved having some sort of connection to them. Even if they didn't know it was you. Or even who you were at all. They were a weird little group, strictly sticking with only other A.V club kids. Besides, you hardly ever talked. What would be so special about you?
It also didn't help that your older brother had begun to build himself a reputation. When you were ten, he began to be known as king Steve. You knew he bullied one of the kids (wills) older brother while beginning to flirt with another's (mike's) older sister.
You knew this because your father began forcing Steve to drive you home from school. That was the rule he set when he gave Steve the car.
Every day you trekked to the high school, only to watch Steve hang around Nancy Wheeler and push Johnathan Byers. You would have intervened and told him that you really didn't want to wait twenty minutes (out of sight) for him to be done. But the last time he did that he made you ride the way home in the trunk of his car.
When you were eleven, you started hanging out at Melvald's convenience store in the town square. Your favorite time to go there was at 7:00, because Mrs. Byers would always work the morning shift.
Wills mother was really quite wonderful. Every time you walked in she greeted you with a smile and lowered her magazine.
——-
"Whatcha lookin for today, kiddo?" She smiled softly, leaning on the counter to watch you browse.
"Any new cassette tapes." You shrugged, fingering each music case that caught your eye. "Do you have any Clash? I... lost mine." You didn't lose it. Steve broke it when he heard you mutter about how much you hated Tommy H.
"Yeah, we got a new box of cassettes delivered this morning." She hopped up and waved for you to follow her to the back room. "I miiiight have snagged a Clash cassette for you when I saw it." She grinned as she held the door open for the young girl.
"You didn't need to buy anything for me!" You gasped. You knew that the Byers needed all the money they could get. "Can I pay you back?" You immediately began digging through your pockets for spare change.
She placed a guiding hand on your back as you both entered, pulling you away from your search. "Oh no it's fine! It's the least I can do for my most frequent visitor."
She plucked the music case off the shelf and handed it to you. "You go to Hawkins elementary, right? You should talk to my son. Will. He also loves the Clash."
You turned red and clutched the cassette. "I've...seen him around before. I don't know how to talk to him."
"Oh it's easy!" She grabbed the spare paper and crayons you always used when you visited. "You just need to find common ground. For example," she pulled up a stool beside her for you to sit at, "you both like to draw!"
You placed down the paper and got working on your art. "Will it make a difference if I draw cartoons and he draws realistic? What if the difference is too big for him to want to talk to me?"
"It'll give you more to talk about!"
——
So began your quest to pursue friendship.
You attempted to speak to Will and his friends in the hall.
They were talking too loud about their latest campaign to hear you.
You tried asking to sit by them at lunch.
They were too busy launching potato's at the ceiling to notice.
Right when you almost gave up... Will and you were paired together as partners for a history project.
——-
'Don't mess it up, don't mess it up', you told yourself over and over as you moved to sit by Will. 'Don't be weird. See if he'll talk first. Don't be clingy.'
Wills was equally quiet. He just read through the rubric of the project and stayed silent.
'What can we talk about... what should I say?'
A drawing poking out of wills bag caught your eye. It looked like a wizard casting some sort of spell.
"I like your drawing!" You blurted out, wishing you could just shut up.
Wills jumped, startled. "Yeah... umm.. it's from... uh... it's from our last campaign.." he began fiddling with his thumbs, unsure of what to say to a girl. "Our DnD campaign... I mean."
You nodded along. "I like to draw to! I've never... I've never played DnD before... so I like to draw people."
Will cracked a shy smile. "I'll show you my drawing if you show me one of yours."
You agreed hesitantly.
He took your cartoon and you took his master piece. You desperately wished you could draw like him. Your cartoons looked so simple, as Steve always said.
"You're a cartoonist!" Will smiled, holding the paper out in front of him. It was a caricature of Mrs. Byers. "You must be the girl my mom sees at her job!" His eyes were wide with recognition. "This is so good! I wish I could draw cartoons. But whenever I try... they look like potato's." He laughed.
You flushed a deep red. "I... I'm also the one that beats your scores every Saturday." You admit.
His jaw dropped. "No way. We've been trying to figure out who that was for months! We formed a whole list of people to interrogate!" He ran a hand through his hair.
You giggled. "I can prove it... if you want. Next Saturday I could show you and your friends? At the arcade?"
"Yeah! I'm totally down to hang out at the arcade!"
——
Will had brought you to the A.V club after to ask the rest of the party. You had protested at first. What if they didn't like you? What if they said no? You would look so stupid! You tried to use your brother driving you home as an excuse.
But if you brought Steve up... no. You couldn't start a potential friendship like that.
Will proposed the ideas to everyone excitedly.
It seemed that Lucas had a problem with it immediately.
——-
"Sorry Will, but we can't." Lucas shook his head. "We've got plans."
Your heart dropped.
"Wait," Dustin frowned and turned to his friend. "What plans? I wasn't aware of any plans."
Lucas crossed his arms. "Remember? Our campaign?"
"We don't have a-."
Lucas elbowed him harshly and looked at you. "Can you leave for a second? We need to talk. ALONE."
You nodded and stepped out of the room. "Yeah totally! Just let me know when-."
The door slammed in your face.
You know you shouldn't have but you pressed your ear to the door anyway.
"What's your damage?" Mike Wheeler hissed quietly.
"Don't you know who she is?" Lucas accused.
"No... should we?" Will whispered in confusion.
"That's Y/N Harrington!" Lucas spat out.
"Steve Harrington's little sister." Dustin stated, now understanding.
Mike groaned. "The douche bag my sisters hooked on?"
"Yes! What if she's exactly like him?"
"You mean a total mouth breather? A player? An absolute jackass?"
You sunk to the floor. Of course Steve ruined the only chance you might have of a friendship. How could she think that these kids would look past her family's reputation? No one ever did. Even her teachers expected her to be disruptive and rude.
"Guys." Will intervened. "I talked to her in history."
"What?!"
"Traitor!"
"What about the party?"
Will lowered his voice, causing you to lean a little closer to the door. "She doesn't act like him. She never called me any names. She never told me that I'm a freak. She tried to talk to me about art."
"Steve definitely doesn't appreciate art." Dustin mumbled.
Wills continued. "She's a cartoonist. And I think she might be like us. You know who kept beating our dragon lair record?"
"Who?"
"Please tell me it wasn't Troy."
"Y/N Harrington."
"WHAT?!"
"IT WAS HER?!"
"GIRLS PLAY VIDEO GAMES?!"
10 notes · View notes