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batboyblog · 6 months

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Things Biden and the Democrats did, this week #11

March 22-29 2024

The Administration, with Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg in the lead responded to the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore. Working with Governor Wes Moore and Mayor Brandon Scott (both Democrats) The Department of Transportation promises to clear the harbor and rebuild the bride. DoT has already released $60 million in emergency funds as a "down payment" and President Biden is expected to seek $1 billion from Congress.

Vice President Harris announced a number of actions and investments designed to improve the quality of life of the peoples of northern central America. driven by poverty, lack of economic opportunities, and out of control crime people in Guatemala, El Salvador, and Honduras are taking great risks and trusting criminal human traffickers to try to reach the US. The Administration is working to improve conditions in the Northern Triangle so that is no longer necessary. Vice President Harris announced $1 billion dollars in new investments as part of the Central America Forward public-private partnership, since 2021 it has invested $5.2 billion in the region. Harris also announced $175 million dollars of direct aid from the US to Guatemala at a meeting with Guatemalan President Bernardo Arévalo.

The Department of Energy announced a $1.5 billion dollar loan to help restart the Palisades Nuclear Plant. This would mark the first time a nuclear power plant was brought back online after being decommissioned. The hope is keep the plant running till 2051, this 100% green power source is projected to prevent 111 million tons of CO2 emissions in its new life time, the same as taking 100,000 cars off the road. Michigan Governor Gretchen Whitmer touted it as key for her state reaching its goal of 100% clean energy by 2040.

Vice President Harris launched a social media push to inform the public about the Biden-Harris Administration's SAVE Plan. The Saving on a Valuable Education (SAVE) Plan was launched last year as part of President Biden's efforts to bring student loan forgiveness to millions of borrowers. Currently 7.7 million people are enrolled in SAVE, under which anyone making $16 a hour or less has a monthly payment of $0 on their student loans. 4.5 million SAVE enrollees are making $0 a month payments and another 1 million pay less than $100 a month on their loan repayment, over 150,000 people so far have had their loans totally forgiven. Republicans are suing to try to shut down the SAVE Plan

President Biden took keep steps to ensure quality healthcare this week. Biden extended the window for low-income Americans to apply for Obamacare. The original deadline of July 31st has been pushed back to November 30th. Biden also rolled back Trump era rules that allowed subsidies for "Junk Health insurance" These plans offer very little coverage and often mislead consumers into believing they have insurance when they aren't covered. These short term plans also don't have meet Obamacare standards and can refuse coverage for preexisting conditions.

The EPA announced new regulations aimed at "turbocharging" the number of electric trucks on the road. The new rules aim to have 25% of new long-haul trucks, the heaviest often diesel trucks on the road, and 40% of medium-size trucks (box trucks and landscaping vehicles) be nonpolluting by 2032, currently just 2% are. The regulation would apply to more than 100 types of vehicles including tractor-trailers, ambulances, R.V.s, garbage trucks and moving vans. The new tailpipe limits are expected to prevent about a billion tons of greenhouse gas emissions by 2055.

the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced that thanks to President Biden's Inflation Reduction Act, 41 different drugs will coast those on Medicare Part B less money than it did last year. An estimated 763,700 people on Medicare use at least one of these drugs every year. Some enrollees will save as much as $3,575 per dose.

The Department of Energy announced $6 billion for an effort to decarbonize energy-intensive industries. The investment in 33 projects across 20 states will eliminate 14 million metric tons of CO2 emissions each year when finished. Each project is meant to be highly replicable and serve as a blueprint for future private sector ventures.

President Biden signed an Executive Order to Strengthen the Recognition of Women’s History. The Order will launch a review of all historic sites run by the National Parks Service to determine ways to better highlight the role of women, from all backgrounds, in American History.

The Senate Confirmed President Biden's nominees, Ernesto Gonzalez, and Leon Schydlower to federal judgeships in Texas. This brings the total number of federal judges appointed by President Biden to 190.

#Thanks Biden #Joe Biden #Democrats #politics #US politics #student loans #climate change #health care #immigration #bridge collapse

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silkjade-archived · 2 years

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genshin men x driving

this is so dumb but it had to be said. I've been driving for a while so a lot of these are taken from irl experiences I've had myself or from friends. also I'm american so this is based on driving in the u.s. | modern au, humor, fluff, reckless driving

𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐝𝐭

albedo ;; he has a habit of driving on the inner most lane of the highway but he doesn’t start switching to the exit lane until like 1 exit before. drove klee to the beach once 2 years ago and is still somehow finding sand in his car. all his turns are super wide

diluc ;; probably drives a very classic luxury car, like an aston martin or something. it’s sleek, it’s black, it’s giving batmobile because he drove with his high beams on for like 6 months and doesn’t get why it’s bad. it makes the road brighter he says as he blinds everyone going the other way. drives stick shift (manual), very hot when he reverses and puts his arm around the passenger seat

kaeya ;; he was the first person to get his license and everyone would ask him for rides, so now he drives a tiny sports car that doesn't fit anything. it’s also a luxury car but it’s flashier than diluc’s. follows driving laws to the T except for the fact that he never fully stops at stop signs

venti ;; an okay driver but it’s a terrible experience. you're amazed at how he hasn't run into any trouble yet. like at all. the kind of person who would try to run the yellow light except he’s doesn’t make it and is forced to brake really hard and just goes like "is everyone ok ehe.” you almost die and he says “oops”

𝐥𝐢𝐲𝐮𝐞

xiao ;; pet peeve: slow drivers. absolutely cannot stand sitting in traffic so he rides a motorcycle. always weaving in between cars but does it significantly less if you’re riding with him. has yanfei on speed dial in case of an accident. doesn’t know he’s super hot when he takes off his helmet and shakes his hair

zhongli ;; a slow driver. goes under the speed limit on the highway and gets cut off like no tomorrow. he doesn't think he's the problem though, just complains about how everyone is going way too fast. safety king. fakes injury for insurance money when someone hits him; only feels kind of bad

𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐳𝐮𝐦𝐚

ayato ;; has a driver that takes him everywhere because he does not drive, doesn't even have a license. passed his written exam with flying colors but failed on all three tries behind-the-wheel. his younger sister drives the car their parents bought for him. always likes tweets that are like “hot people don’t have their license”

gorou ;; family van kind of guy. very reliable and will drive you to the airport or help you move. doesn’t signal when switching lanes though which is kind of annoying. gets anxious driving in areas where there are a lot of one ways. always buys fruits from vendors selling it on the side of the road

heizou ;; drives with the top down, windows down and will make you feel like a coming of age movie protagonist. has the best driving playlist but will still hand you the aux if you ask. doesn’t pay for street parking though; parking meter? never heard of her

itto ;; car guy ™ who goes to car meets and mods his car. revs his engine when he sees his friends on the road but other than that he's actually a really good driver. takes very good care of his car— that’s his baby. he’s hot when he backs into parking spaces perfectly. blasts his music too loud at night though

kazuha ;; public transport icon. somehow never misses his bus/train/whatever and always manages to squeeze on even during rush hour. he tells people it's for the environment but that’s only half true. it's not that he can't drive, he just has the jankiest car; it's old as hell, has a dent on one side, and the passenger door doesn't even open from the inside

thoma ;; shining example of a perfect driver, the dmv wants him to do all their instructional videos. was only ever pulled over once before for swerving, but talked his way out of a ticket because he was trying to avoid hitting an animal. has those family stickers on his rear windshield except it's one man and like 3 dogs

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐞𝐫𝐮

al haitham ;; probably has an suv because he thinks it’s the most useful car and can get the most out of it. almost exclusively listens to audiobooks while driving. he had a great record until he accidentally rear ended a bus because he turned around to argue with kaveh in the backseat and now his car insurance is insanely high

cyno ;; super responsible driver, both hands on the wheel at 9 and 3 at all times. secretly really wants a retired police car because he thinks the idea of people suddenly slowing down when they see him on the road, thinking it’s a cop, is hilarious. names his car something stupid like attila the hyundai

kaveh ;; terrible at directions, his gps is constantly saying “rerouting” because he keeps missing turns and exits. cannot parallel park to save his life and will ask you to switch and park for him. generally a polite driver but if he's ever behind al haitham at a stop light, he beeps his horn at him 0.2 seconds after the light turns green

tighnari ;; his trunk is always full of plants and bags of soil, fertilizer, etc. has mild road rage; if he’s forced to brake hard because someone cut him off, especially while he has the right of way, he’s yelling in the car like “I should’ve hit you” because insurance would be on his side. carries snacks in his glove compartment, soccer mom energy

𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫

childe ;; exclusively uses the term 'my tesla' instead of 'my car.' he insists on having it self drive to you from the parking lot; it takes forever and more often than not, it'd be faster to just walk. doesn't matter how far away he is, he's gonna go for that yellow light, it's a race against time and he's gonna win. one hand on the wheel, one hand on your thigh

dainsleif ;; drives in silence, no music no radio— nothing; sometimes he'll listen to self help podcasts though. a lot of the times he zones out and doesn’t know how he got from point a to point b. sits in his car for like half an hour after arriving home. likes holding your hand while driving

dottore ;; mutters “this would be a good place to dump a body” whenever he drives past a ditch. got pulled over for driving in the carpool lane by himself and using a mannequin to fake a passenger. they also found a bunch of questionable things in his car that he swears is for science. no longer drives because his license got revoked

pantalone ;; his car is immaculately clean. charges you for gas and makes you wipe your shoes before stepping in. always wants to stop for coffee first before going anywhere. has a lot of money but doesn’t know shit about cars so he gets way overcharged at bodyshops

scaramouche ;; says things like “I will crash this car right now” if he’s arguing with someone. hates backseat drivers and will threaten to kick you out if you are one. sometimes speeds down an empty highway at night just to feel something but drives extra carefully when nahida’s around. parks in the far corner of a supermarket parking lot to cry

#— 𝓼𝓲𝓰𝓷𝓮𝓭 𝓙. ༯ #genshin impact #genshin impact headcanons #genshin hcs #genshin impact x reader #genshin x reader #genshin x you #genshin fluff #childe x reader #diluc x reader #xiao x reader #scaramouche x reader #zhongli x reader #alhaitham x reader #kaeya x reader #dottore x reader #genshin impact imagines

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writeroutoftime · 1 year

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the one with the labor

pairing: steve harrington x fem!reader

summary: you and steve are expecting your first child, but when you're waiting to head to the hospital, how can the rest of the party help to distract you from your contractions? (based on the labor episode of the office)

warnings: mentions of pregnancy and childbirth? but other than that, nothing I can think of

words: 2.1k

a/n: this is an idea I've had for quite some time and I'm excited to share with everyone! obviously this based on the episode from the office where pam goes into labor. it just seemed to fit so well with steve and the rest of the party, so please let me know what you think!

(some dialogue is from this episode of the office or inspired by it - I do not own or take credit for that dialogue)

oOoOo

From the moment you told Steve you were expecting, he had been over the moon at the news. He spun you around in your shared apartment and peppered kisses all over your face, offering words of praise between your giggles. Finally, a dream that Steve had so dearly longed for was coming true. How did he get so lucky to share this with you?

It wasn't long before that excitement soon manifested itself into overprotectiveness. Of course, Steve always had been and always would be protective over you, but that had been dialed up to an 11.

Eight months later, you and Steve found yourselves with the rest of the party, enjoying a movie marathon at your apartment. Halfway through the movie, you couldn't help but gasp out loud, grasping at your stomach. Steve immediately began to rub his hand up and down your back offering whatever support he could.

"Are you okay?" Nancy asked, eyeing the two of you suspiciously.

Robin's head snapped in your direction and her eyes widened. "Oh my gosh, are you going into labor?"

Eddie and the rest of the kids also turned to look in your direction, the movie quickly forgotten. You couldn't help but chuckle at the mixture of worry and excitement on everyone's faces as your latest contraction passed. Taking a deep breath, you held Steve's hand in your own, offering him a thankful smile.

"I've technically been having contractions all day, but we're not going to the hospital yet." you explained, slightly breathless.

"Isn't that kinda the opposite of what you’re supposed to do?" Max questioned, brows furrowed and head titled to one side.

Steve jumped in. "If we wait to check-in until midnight, then we get an extra night stay at the hospital on our insurance."

"Let's just get back to the movie." you encouraged, turning your attention back to the screen with one more deep breath.

That seemed to silence everyone's queries for the time being, and you worked to keep your mind off the growing contractions. It wasn't until an hour later when a particularly big contraction hit that you couldn't keep quiet.

Steve turned to you in a flash, squeezing your hand. "That seemed like a pretty big one. You think you're ready to head to the hospital now?" you asked, nodding encouragingly to his own question.

A laugh bubbled past your lips at his suggestion. "No, no. I can definitely hold out a little longer. But to be honest, I don't think this movie is really gonna be enough to distract me for the next couple of hours." you admitted, biting your lip worriedly.

"Eddie, go grab your guitar!" Dustin suddenly shouted, pushing the confused, curly-haired boy outside toward his van.

"What are you talking about, Henderson?" Steve asked, standing up with his eyes squinted and hands on his hips.

Dustin rolled his eyes as though his plan was obvious. "Eddie can play his guitar and we'll all find ways to keep y/n occupied until midnight."

Steve opened his mouth to retaliate, but you beat him to the punch. "Actually, that's a really good idea." you said breathing through the residual pain. "I could really use some distractions if I'm going to make it 'till midnight."

With your words of confirmation, everyone seemed to be on board -- some more reluctant than others -- and scrambled to get something together while Steve just stood there in shock. "Okay, I guess we're doing this now." he mumbled, taking a seat next to you, his hand finding yours once more.

Minutes later Eddie was back and ready to go, playing you the newest song Corroded Coffin wrote. Steve might not have been the biggest fan of the genre, but you enjoyed the nice distraction watching Eddie get so absorbed into his music.

After that, all the kids took turns showcasing something they thought would distract you. Dustin was up next with a classic rendition of 'Never Ending Story' much to his chagrin. Afterwards, Lucas, Mike, and Will acted out their latest D&D campaign. Though it didn't make much sense to you, it made your heart swell thinking of how sweet it was the effort they put into it.

After every "performance," Steve would ask how you were doing, suggesting the two of you head for the hospital. Each time you declined, not only because of the insurance, but because of your growing nerves. If you went to the hospital, everything suddenly became real. Instead, you simply laughed and told Steve you were fine.

Up next was Max who made her way to you complete with her walkman and all the Wonder Woman comics she could carry.

"Wonder Woman is a badass, and you're basically stronger than Princess Diana right now." she told you, and you hugged her from the side, blinking away tears.

“Ooo.” you eventually whined, clutching your stomaching and squeezing your eyes shut as a contraction washed over you, dropping the comic from your grasp.

Steve, ever observant, glanced up from his watch and jumped to his feet with a smile, rubbing your shoulders excitedly. “Alright, that’s 6 minutes! Time to go.” he encouraged, running to grab your hospital bag before offering a hand to you.

You chuckled, remaining in your seat, smiling softly up at your husband. "Steve, we can't go yet. It's not even close to midnight."

"You've gotta be joking. y/n, it doesn't matter that it's not midnight. We need to get you to the hospital now." he countered, growing frustrated.

"Steve, I love you, but you're really distracting me from my distractions." you told him.

At your words, Steve stepped back scrubbing at his face. "I'm sorry, y/n, I'm just frazzled! And you know how very rarely I use that word."

"I know, you don't like to be frazzled." you placated, squeezing your eyes in discomfort.

"Oh, and by the way," Steve pointed to the rest of the party. "I hate that you're helping her with this." he scolded, storming off to kitchen, but not before grabbing a pile of books with him.

Robin offered you a reassuring smile and ran off after Steve while Nancy took over holding your hand. When Robin found Steve in the kitchen, he was muttering to himself and frantically flipping through multiple pregnancy books he bought over the past several months.

"5 to 7 minutes." he said, throwing the book aside. "Oh, 5 to 7 minutes." he repeated throwing a second book aside before picking up one more. "6 minutes. Different, Robin, but not really. Not really!" he all but shouted, running his hands through his hair and pulling in frustration.

"Hey, dingus!" Robin said, clapping her hands to get Steve's attention. "I get your panicked, but you've still got time. Right now, y/n is the one in charge. So, give her a little longer and I'm sure she'll be wanting to go to the hospital any minute." she reassured. "Why don't you go outside for a little, get some air, and we'll keeping looking after y/n. Okay?"

Steve nodded, offering Robin a grateful smile. He walked out the back door, instantly feeling calmer from the cool air. He knew it was a tense day, but he truly only wanted the best for you and this baby. So much had gone wrong in Steve's live, and this wasn't going to be another event added to the list. You and your baby just had to be okay.

Once Steve had enough time to process everything, he came back in the house only to be greeted with the sight of you walking down the stairs. As he had down for the past eight months, Steve rushed to help you down the last few stairs with one hand on your back and the other resting on top your belly. Before you could head back to the living room, Steve took gentle hold of your wrist and cupped your cheek.

“Are you sure you don’t want to go to the hospital now?”

With a loving sigh, you looked seriously into your husband’s eyes. “Steve, I’m alright. And she’s alright too, promise. We’ll get to the hospital eventually.” you reassured, but Steve’s eyes widened, and his mouth dropped open in surprise.

“S-she? We’re having a girl?” he whispered, heart thumping wildly and eyes watering instantly.

“Oh, Steve, I’m so sorry!” you rushed, feeling guilty you had ruined the surprise when you both originally agreed to wait. “I just couldn’t stand it anymore, and I looked in the envelope the doctor gave us. You’re not mad are you?”

“Mad? he asked incredulously. “How can I be mad when we’re having a little girl?”

Immediately, Steve pulled you into a kiss before pressing kiss after kiss against your forehead, muttering words of praise and thanks. All that ran though his mind was thoughts of a mini you, a baby girl that was already wrapped around his finger. A daughter that he would love and protect with all his being.

Smiling, you squeezed his hands once before you turned to head back to your circus of distractions. It was only then that the switch in Steve’s brain clicked as he finally put together why you had gone upstairs.

“Did-did you change clothes?” he questioned.

“Oh, yeah.” you chuckled, looking down at your new outfit and turning back to Steve. “My water broke so I changed.” you told him as plainly as if he had asked what the weather was.

"Oh." Steve parroted with a breathy laugh. It wasn't until you had walked away that the severity of your statement hit Steve like a train, and he began to panic even more. "Oh! Oh no!"

oOoOo

An hour later, Steve walked back into the living room only to find you hunched over, gripping Nancy's hand and trying your best not to cry out in pain. He ran to your side in an instant and pressed a kiss to the your head. "Okay, y/n, that's it. We have to get you to the hospital, I'm sorry." he spoke sternly, leaving no room for questions.

Turning his head, Steve looked towards Dustin and Eddie. "How far apart are the contractions?"

The two boys looked at each other then looked back at Steve with panicked looks on their faces. "Ummmmm, we may or may not have lost track of the time." Dustin admitted sheepishly, his voice almost a squeak.

"I'd say like 3 or 4 minutes?" Eddie chimed in, scratching his head, looking quite guilty.

Steve focused all his energy into not blowing up. "3 minutes? I told you to tell me when it reached 5 minutes! What happened to 5 or 4 minutes because 3 minutes doesn't do us any good!" he shouted in their direction before looking at El. "Call Hop and tell him we need an emergency escort to the hospital."

"Steve." you whimpered. "I-I can't do this. I can't have this baby."

"I know, sweetheart. We're going to get you to the hospital, and we're gonna have this baby there." he cooed, moving to help you to stand up.

You fought against his grip and wrapped your arms tightly around your stomach. "No, Steve! I'm not having this baby, I can't do this!" you shouted, tears not masking the fear that could be seen in your eyes.

The rest of the party eyed each other silently, and Nancy ushered everyone outside to give you and Steve a moment alone. "Come on, guys, we'll wait outside for Hopper."

Once alone, Steve knelt in front of you and held onto your wrists gently. "What's wrong, honey? Talk to me." he pleaded.

"I-I'm scared, Steve. This is about to be so much more real. I don't think I'm strong enough to do this, and I'm so scared I won't be a good mother to our baby girl." you confessed, falling against Steve's chest.

Steve's heart ached to hear you speak those things about yourself, but he knew he needed to stay calm to help you stay strong in this moment. "Hey, hey, look at me, sweetheart. You are one of the strongest people I know." he told you with a smile. "I don't know many people who could go against the fucking supernatural - multiple times - and still come out as sweet and hopeful as you. There is no one in this world I would rather do this with. And can I tell you a secret?" Steve asked.

"I'm scared to, y/n. But as long as we're in this together, it'll all be okay. This kid is gonna be so loved, so let's go and meet her, okay?"

You nodded slowly and allowed Steve to help you up, hearing Hopper's car outside. And by the next morning, your daughter was born happy and healthy, the newest addition to your little family.

#steve harrington x reader #steve harrington imagine #stranger things x reader #stranger things imagine #rita writes #steve harrington

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wittyworm · 4 months

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Hey everyone! Long time no update

A LOT has happened since the last update. Back on March 6th, Shorty was admitted to the hospital, taken by ambulance. He had been passed out for several days on the floor unable to move. Lungs and limbs fulled with fluid. Fast forward to now, May 18, 2024, after about a month in the hospital and another month in physical therapy, he is able to walk again on his own! and the swelling in his legs has gone down significantly. But that’s not where the update ends. Because there’s still a lot we need to get set in place.  He was able to get all of that much needed medical attention because we finally got him set up with a GOOD health insurance policy and were able to go to the Social Security Administration and set up his direct deposit to a bank that only him and I have access to. Everything seemed to be falling in place, but then he stopped receiving his social security deposit. He received a letter in the mail claiming that the direct deposit information we had just went and got set up again, had been changed on the 3rd of May, about 2 weeks ago. Neither he nor I understand why he would be getting a letter from the SSA like this, since we had the direct deposit set up to a new bank in February, that only he and I have access to. I’m thinking identity theft or something?

I’m not sure but, now that he is out of rehab, he is back at a motel. We’ve been asking around Davenport if anyone is looking for a potential roommate and recently just visited the house of a very kind gentleman renting out a room for $700 a month. Super ideal if we can get the situation with his Social Security deposit figured out (motels are way too pricey, even the crappy ones!).

The problem is, I do not have a car, though I am able to use my mother’s on Friday and the weekends when she is not at work, I am sort of at my limit with what I am able to do to help anymore. I had to leave my job due to multiple health issues, and though I have applied to many different jobs at this point, actually going in to each place and asking in person, I am having no luck, especially with no car, and only a bike with my declining health. I’m just not sure what to do. I am remaining hopeful.

Before we learned about the new situation with the Social Security Administration, Shorty had very generously offered me $500 to go toward the van I was trying to get. Not sure how to thank him enough for that. It’s now in my savings and I am going to keep trying to make and sell art and do odd jobs until I hear a response from any of the applications. Fingers crossed.

if yall wanna help me out i still have my patreon and kofi and a bunch of prints available. just lmk

#just got a surprise ticket in the mail and im totally broke haha #i am trying so hard

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lace-coffin · 9 months

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OKAY OKAY, I swear I’ll stop requesting Asa Emory, (never 😔) but I js thought abt this, okay so what about a police officer, that has 2 jobs, 1: police officer trying to find the murderer, ‘Asa Emory’ but the 2nd job is like teaching in a class in the same building Asa teaches in 👀?

How would Asa Emory react to a co-worker leading his cop case? (Nsfw)

Asa Emory x Police!Gn!Reader (Nsfw)

Requests are open!

This dynamic really reminds me off Mark Hoffman and Peter Strahm and I love it, I’m fixating on saw so hard right now so I’m excited to write this!

You had to die. There was no other way around it. If Asa wasn’t already stressed out enough with his collection then he definitely was now. You were like a moth to a lamp, moving wherever he did despite his best efforts to shake you off, always finding your way back to him. Usually he adored moths but you’re a different story.

with the kind of ‘extracurricular’ work Asa did cops were a given, the threat of being discovered always hovering over him like flies to putrid meat. He could handle that, people were going missing all over the city and never turning back up, and if they did somehow make a reappearance they hardly resembled humans at that point. He was used to it, no skin off his back.

However when it interfered with his teaching work..this unnerved him. Here he was supposed to be Mr.Emory, unremarkable and flying under the radar, at most people may think of him as “that one kind of quiet entomology lecturer” some people may consider entomology a weird major to choose but that was neither here nor there, if anything Asa was glad it drew in the more reserved types.

It had been quiet until you began working in the same building, he had no idea what you taught, he just knew you worked in the class next door, and that you worked part time as a cop. That was enough for him to avoid you like the plague. Realistically it probably wouldn’t hurt to just introduce himself but he’s not taking the risk.

Unfortunately you didn’t seem to get the memo, too friendly for your own good he supposed. After a week of classes you finally introduced yourself in the staff lounge. Asa couldn’t brush you off or bolt here, not wanting to disrupt or cause a scene amongst the other teachers. It’s almost like you did it on purpose. He swore he had seen an almost sadistic glee behind your eyes as the realisation dawned on him.

Still, he couldn’t find it in him to be upset even after you’d put him on the spot. It felt odd to be the one squirming on the other end, Asa was used to making his projects uncomfortable, not the other way around. It awakened something in him, the way you ushered him over to the staff sofa, prompting him to introduce himself to the other teachers expectantly, making a point of leaving to make you both a coffee, by proxy leaving Asa the centre of focus to these strangers.

Asa’s face was heating up despite his best efforts to calm his breathing, he had wanted to stay a nobody here, now he was on a first name basis with half the staff, brilliant. You throw Asa a knowing look whilst waiting for the styrofoam cup to fill, confusing him even more.

None of this was a coincidence for you, having been working on “The Collector” case for months. Even transferring uni to here was carefully timed, down to the classroom you would be working in. All missing people had records of using a pest control service weeks or months before their abduction. That was the first lead, tracking down said services and requesting them, seeing who turned up and if they were suspicious. It was difficult considering multiple people worked for the company and were sent out in groups, but sure enough one person always snuck off when they thought no one was looking.

You took inventory of the number plate on the van he arrived in and bid them goodbye. It was easy enough going through insurance records and finding the owner of the van. “Asa Emory?”

Considering the unique name it was easy to find information on him, as little as there had been. An article from a few decades ago about a family slaughtered by their father in cold blood, stuffed and sat at the dinner table. The only survivor in the massacre was a young boy, the article didn’t give a first name but did mention the man arrested was an Emory. your eyebrows rose in interest as you read further, the father had worked at a museum, pinning and creating taxidermy out of insects as a licensed entomologist. Supposedly he’d already had some issues leading up to the event but being exposed to the chemicals of the job is believed to have sent him insane.

That would definitely make sense that Asa worked as pest control if his dad had been an entomologist. The only other relevant information was a link to a “meet the tutors” page at a university about an hour from you. The page boasted its unique courses and top of the state tutors. After flittering through the pictures and descriptions for a few minutes sure enough the man who owned the van showed up. Also an entomologist. You deemed this enough reason to investigate.

After months of trailing this guy you knew his routine, you also knew he didn’t stay home long after a class, only being home for an hour or two before leaving in a different car. The location of his after work activities varied but more often than not he ended up at a dilapidated hotel.

Meanwhile in the present day you’d made yourself somewhat of a nuisance to the mystery man, always managing to corner him in the teachers lounge even if he only visited for a few minuets to grab a timetable. It all came to a head when you asked him out for coffee, Asa glanced around to the other teachers at the table and practically shrank behind his turtle neck, he couldn’t make himself look rude or cold in front of his co-workers, he didn’t need a reason for them to deem him an outcast. Asa coughed awkwardly and agreed as neutrally as he could, sending you a quick glare, not knowing what it is you want with him. Meanwhile you looked like the cat who had gotten the cream.

The coffee outing was..fine. Asa answering questions about his personal life as plainly as he could and you pressing despite him being visibly pissed off just to watch him struggle. He should be annoyed, disgusted even at your lack of tact, but at the same time it made his heart race, his face flush deeply, a feeling he never really reserved much time for stirring deep in his gut. He’d had to imagine unsexy things multiple times and will it away before the end of the date. It’s almost like you could tell regardless, pressing and laughing as he stumbled over answers.

Despite how conflicted Asa felt and how desperate and uncomfortable he was when you pried and taunted him for being shut off he agreed to see you again, and a handful of other times. He knew better than anyone else you were a cop and most likely trying to dig and find something on him, but it always ended up being the least of his concerns as you laughed on the other side of the booth at a joke he made, making him feel human again for a moment. He was a glutton for punishment, knowing you were getting way to close to him personally for his secret to be safe anymore but still turning up every week to feel the shame and adoration flood his veins.

Against Asa’s better judgment he had agreed to move from coffee to alcohol, not his smartest move but god were you convincing, all pretty lips and sweet words. Surprisingly to no one it ended in a messy clash of teeth and tongue in the dingy alley behind the bar, one too many drinks finally making the tension between the two of you boil over. Asa groaned as you panted into his mouth, pinning his hands to the grimy brick wall behind him. You lean in close, mouth tracing the shell of his ear before nipping at the lobe. A cold steely feeling envelopes his wrist, tearing his eyes open he sees his now cuffed hands. Before he can even start to wrestle you off you lean back in, spare hand rubbing between his thighs.

“You have the right to remain silent.”

#slashers #slasher x reader #slasher headcanons #asa emory #asa emory x reader #the collection #writing #my writing #slasher hcs #slasher fucker #slasher fandom

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ace-antagonist-writes · 1 year

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Maybe someday soon,

Word count: 3.7k

Summary: After your team’s plans literally go up in smoke, a tense car ride leads into a much tenser situation with a certain natural disaster. (Vash and Reader are both hopeless romantics)

A/N: First actual post on this acc and I’m here to help clear out my Trigun brain rot, might make a part 2 if anyones interested. Also, I wrote this with the OG/ Badlands designs in mind but you could probably imagine other Vash to this as well! (this is also unedited since i hate rereading my own work-)

You’d think it was deadly for a human to run this hot. Maybe it was and maybe you’d drop dead from embarrassment if this would continue, who was to say?

The day had started any other way it had for the last few months. A lone desert horizon staring back at you as your little caravan traveled to a nearby city to take refuge before nightfall hit. Boredom hung over your head like a cloud of dust, so you began to look sound in the small enclosure. The van was high-strung with bated breath, the tension a cough away from popping poor Meryl’s temper. If you hadn’t been so terrified of the feisty woman, you could’ve snorted at the red vein barely visible on her cheek from your backseat angle. Desperate to find something else to focus on, your eyes drifted to Milly in the passenger seat blissfully unaware of the situation. You flashed her a smile when your eyes met in the mirror and she happily returned it before spacing off again on who knows what.

Now here came the hard part.

It was a wonder the silence had managed to dwell so long with the noisy blond and priest sitting beside you. Perhaps the two brain cells the three of you seldom shared–one of which you held on to the longest and the other bounced between the males– sparked together and formed a quiet game of who could outlast Meryl’s rage the longest. Nevertheless, your confidence held strong as you looked to cast a glance at Wolfwood in the opposite window seat. He was turned fully to the window, wispy stripes of dark hair obscuring most of his profile and hand holding up his chin. Thinking you were in the clear of not breaking into laughter looking at him you flicked your gaze onto the window.

Oh no. The two of you had formulated the same idea and were now staring at one another’s blank-faced reflection in the window. The dark tan of his skin pinched together and furrowed at the crease of his nose, clearly taken aback by the reflection as he struggled to re-straighten his face. You quickly turned your head as conspicuously as you could and placed your forehead on the warmed glass. A hearty smile had slipped its way across your face, what a goofball. It was embarrassing how attached you had gotten to everyone in such an objectively short time. Even with the scoldings included, you never once lost any amount of love for any of your friends. There was nothing you would trade for moments like this, despite having grated on Meryl’s nerves the entire morning before now. But to be fair, it was a bit of her fault as well for carrying a humanoid typhoon across No Man’s Land for this long. Insurance company be damned if you were in her place, the amount of times you’ve almost gotten stitched up would’ve put you into early retirement long ago.

….Speaking of the Humanoid typhoon,

Snapping out of your pondering state, you came to realize the silence had strangely returned. You glanced to your left, trying to spare a peek at your agitated driver to see if she was still ill-tempered. You got you answer with haste as her eyes raced to meet your curious ones peering at her through the side mirrors of the vehicle. It was like the devil himself snagged your heart out of your chest as your eyes spasmed trying to grasp at anything else within your range of view. How was someone barely up to your shoulder so scary?? The peeling leather of her seat is what dragged you back away from her wrathful glare, and even then you could’ve sworn the heat from it dug a hole through the sweat of your brow. Maybe it would be best if you didn’t follow your mind’s wonderings and left Vash in the back of your head. Yet as the harsh red of his mangy jacket appeared for a split second in your peripherals, you knew you were a goner. To make things worse, a subtle scraping made itself known alongside the white noise of the van. It was dull and flaky, not unlike the scratching of… a paint brush? Your noise scrunched up in thought as you looked for the source. Milly met you halfway when turning to her, casting a copy of your pensiveness right back as she peek over her shoulder. A honeyed eyebrow rose in a silent question before her gaze shifted up.

A loud clap sent a jolt through the backseat riders up and into a state of alert as Milly slapped a single hand over her mouth. Your own eyebrows kissed the beginnings of your hairline as you reared back in your seat a bit, slowly ascending your head to what she was turning an alarming shade of red at. On the way, you made eye contact again with the equally wired priest across from you. Only briefly sparring a single glance, you both looked up.

You don’t know whether it was due to the unbearable lack of entertainment or if it was just that funny, but only the lord knows how hard of a cacophonous laugh erupted from you either way. Poor, poor tall and lanky Vash sat stiff as a board between Wolfwood and you, caked in soot from the disaster the group had just come from. Wherever the dark graininess hadn’t settled, a brilliant red matching his iconic coat painted his sun-kissed skin. And his hair, the bristled blond strands smushed and sprang outwards, creating the illusion of an angry red pineapple as he slightly swished back and forth with the swaying of the van. Vash looked to be struggling more than you and the priest had–seeing as he had to stare at his reflection through the rearview mirror the entire time since you all had. However, all hell had broke loose upon your cracking up as Vash and Wolfwood burst into cackles and hollering. Tears poured out of all your eyes, soaking dried and dusty faces previously chapped from the heat. And if you had any sense left, you would’ve looked to see the expression on Meryl’s face beside the giggling Milly. Unfortunately, you didn’t get the chance and had to live on without knowing the exasperated smile inching across her face.

——————————————————-

"Why am I the only one in trouble?!" You found yourself wailing into the dark night as you trudged to the bar. "They laughed too Meryl!"

The woman's stride never paused as she walked in front of you with her back straight. Meryl scoffed back at you and dished out a single glance, "But who laughed first?"

"But-"

"Besides! We need someone sober enough to find the motel, and that will surely not be me after the little stunt you guys pulled in the last town!” She huffed a piece of her dark fringe away from her eyes and took a sharp turn, “I pray they weren’t set up with the company’s insurance plan, if so, this might be the last drinking session we can afford.”

You’d have to admit even though she was joking, you felt a little bad for Meryl. Maybe thats why for the rest of the way to the bar, you quietly sulked in front of the batch of traitors behind you. The two bubbly blondes and sleek priest were quiet as mice up until you all entered the bar– trying to camouflage into the darkness to avoid getting a ban on their drinking as well. Yet as soon as you all set foot in the bar, all four of your comrades hauled themselves to the bar and sparked the whole atmosphere of the room.

It was endearing in a way, even though you were a bit bitter you couldn’t be drunkenly stumbling over your words as you chatted the night away. But also if you had, you wouldn’t have been able to be fully enamored by a blond “maniac” who had managed to convince an equally drunk patron to dance with him on a table. You brought the back of your hand to your mouth and stifled the laugh building up in fear of being dragged up while sober enough to remember it happening.

However, all was in vain as you met a pair of teal downturned eyes looking straight at you. Vash was clearly plastered, but somehow managed to start working his way to you without stumbling out of his boots. His laughter made your brain work overtime to keep up with your heart running like a bat out of hell. You were certain that someone could hear the noise as you frantically darted your eyes around to divert your attention away from Vash. The drunken man was not even a foot away from you when he tripped on his way to you. And you could swear for a split second, a brown pair of dress shoes was the object in question. The blonde, dazed and confused, limply fell forward and clung to you tightly. You could’ve died at that single moment.

He was warm, and not in the way the sands were. It was such a comforting warmth that your mind blanked when he had wrapped his arms around you. The noise from the bar faded into a dull hum as Vash fully engulfed your senses. His right arm slightly twitches around you, as if trying to pull you impossibly closer. A rhythmic thumping pulsed inside your chest, and you prayed that he wouldn’t be able to feel it through layers of clothes and burning skin. Your breath hitched as he grazed the side of your neck, slowly moving up and stopping just below your ear. You were sick with anticipation and he slowly opened his eyes to look at you before speaking,

“I really have to use the bathroom.”

Dear lord.

So here you were, holding up a blazing hot Vash who was thoughly struggling to find the ground beneath him. You tried not to look at him too long–you fear if you did you’d let him fall in the chilled sand after the stunt he’d pulled earlier. Your face was still scorched with the heat of embarrassment that should’ve been drunkenness. Nevertheless, you trudged forward and led the train of dazed insurance company workers, a buzzed priest, and a totaled outlaw. It seemed everyone lucked out since the walk wasn’t long at all, the rickety building coming up just short of 3 minutes away.

You reered your head around to shout the news, earning disgruntled groans and a half-hearted cheer from Milly. Old and tired wooden boards wailed underneath yours and Vash’s feet as you both stepped up at the same time. He losely threw his right arm out to reach the door handle, and even though he missed it by a wide mark, you appreciated the effort. Soft lights brighten and illuminate the small motel lobby as you all piled in. The front desk attendee was a pleasantly aged woman, gray wisps spiraling from under her hat and kissing the faint wrinkles of her forehead. You gave an exasperated smile as you lugged Vash forward, “Reservation for Stryfe?”

“Stryfe you say? Okay my dear, let me just look and see-” She leaned forward a bit towards the registry booklet, “Ah! There it is, let me get your keys sweetheart.”

You nodded as you felt a slight tug on your sleeve, glancing upwards you come face to face with a teary-eyed pout. A single brow of yours hitches up, signaling him to continue with whatever he was trying to get at.

“...I need to use the bathroom again.”

“You just went!”

“Please!!” The lanky man twisted you around the best he could, “You don’t want my bladder to explode do you??”

You bit your tongue to not mutter a yes and send the blonde into a crying fit, instead slamming your hand over the first key you saw presented. With a labored huff you turned to Milly, currently the least drunk of the trio bracing themselves against the wall, “Mills, you think you can manage getting you three to your rooms while I’m gone?”

To which she reply with a lazy salute and a “You can count on me!” before grabbing two other keys and darting off with Meryl and Wolfwood draped on her shoulders. What a sweet girl.

And now to deal with your not-so-sweet outlaw that you hurriedly pull to the room where he would be staying. You’d nearly dropped and lost the key in hand when he dramatically clutched his stomach and shouted in the long hallway. Scared out of your skin, you turn to him in fear he actually wasn’t playing with you earlier about the bladder situation; but were met with a sly smile at the shocked expression displayed on your face. You huffed and tugged at him again, trying not to indulge in his antics. Undeterred, he let out another shrill yell as you dragged him closer to his room,

“HELP, HELP! It’s Vash the Sta-mmph!”

You slap a swift hand over his mouth and shove him into the newly opened door, locking it behind you. Red-faced, you shoot a dead glare at the spindly man currently splayed out in front of you. Vash’s lips twist into a playful wobbly smile as he stares up at you, only to shapely point downwards when you point to the bathroom door. His eyebrows crease his sunburnt skin in a sad attempt to imitate a kicked puppy–yet he relents and gives up when a vein makes itself present on your temple. Well after he’s settled into the bathroom, you lean against the wall to catch your breath for a brief second. How in the world was he this hopeless? You’d have to give it to him despite how agitated you were at his earlier stunt, his hopelessness was endearing in a way. A tired hand swiped the sweat from your brow as you flush faintly, god he would be the death of you. A muffled thunk from the other side of the bathroom door rips you from pondering about the culprit at hand. Hopefully Vash would be competent enough to figure out how to survive on his own until daybreak. You push off the wall and leave the room, starting off back down the hall to claim your room key so you can finally retire to bed.

The walk was ten times short without dragging drunken extra luggage on your shoulder throughout the halls. You stop at the front desk, which was now missing the woman attending it just a few minutes ago. It was eerily silent in the lobby, with no one being up and lounging about the area. At a sudden creak, your head swivels to a door not far away from the desk. Seemingly oblivious to your figure standing awkwardly behind the table, the young man glides to a drawer obscured front desk. He pulls out a booklet resembling the registration sheet the kind woman had checked form. The new attendee acknowledges your existence with a sparring glance,

“Name?”

The suddeness of his statement was enough to spike your nerves, “Ah! Oh, registration for Stryfe please! I’m here to pick up the fourth key?”

His eyes narrowed for a split second, “Four? There’s only three in the registry for Stryfe.”

“What?? Surely there must’ve been a mistake, there’s five of us with two sharing a room!” You mentally made a note to hide Meryl’s handover medicine if what the attendee said was true, that you would have to bunk with a clingy blond for the night. The man behind the counter just sighed tiredly at you,

“I’m sorry, but we don’t have any more openings left for the night. You’d have to sleep in one of the other reserved rooms.”

Your ears burned with embarrassment, “Can you at least tell me the other two room numbers?” Maybe you could bribe Wolfwood with the promise of another pack of cigarettes in exchange for a room to yourself.

Unfortunately, the attendee had made it his momentary pleasure to crush your pipe-dreaming. He slowly blinked at you, “Are you Meryl Stryfe?”

“...No?”

“Then I am sorry, we cannot disclose room patrons without consent of the booker themselves. Have a nice night.”

“You’ve gotta be joking me.”

“Not paid enough to do so, unfortunately.” He looked a good decade older as he muttered the statement to you through gritted teeth, “Have a nice night.”

And with that, your one-sided argument came to a close as you had no choice but to secede. In all honesty, you could pass out in the hallway and call it a day with all the walking going on. You wish you knew why this felt so nerve racking, he was your friend and the same went for you—or at least you hoped. Yet, the blonde had such a baffling way of turning your whole world upside down without even trying. It intimidated you just as much as it made your heart flutter. He was so breathtaking, enough to piss you off in a jealous haze if you weren’t his friend. You were set in stone on this revelation, and nothing would be able to shake that away from your perception of Vash. The door knob contrasts your warm palms as you open the frigid door.

Upon opening it, the world seems to instantaneously freeze when you come face to face with a half-dressed outlaw. You didn’t even have time to truly process his reaction, and dignity be damned at this point. Your eyes nailed themselves to Vash’s torso like they were meant to be there; and if you were actually cognitive, you would’ve chastised yourself for staring so shamelessly. But in all honesty, could you be blamed for looking?

Yes, you were hurt by the mangled skin of his body with pink skin coating the sunny canvas of his chest. And yes, you knew somewhere in the back of your mind you would shed tears for every one of them you hadn’t saw happen admits your journey together. But dear lord above, was he ethereal. The lankiness you normally associated with him was heavily disproven from what you could clearly see now. He was sturdily built—even with his arms frozen in a pose reaching for his backpack— and astonishingly lean. There were so many words you wished to say, to voice your unconscious fawning over him. You opened your mouth slowly and dazed,

“Vash, yo-”

“DON’T LOOK DON’T LOOK!” He shrieked out, arms flying up to cover anything they could.

Your hands sounded like gunshots as they collided against your eyes. Stupid, stupid! Everything that had echoed dully in your brain crashed together in a cacophonous tragedy as you came to your senses. And by the sounds of it, Vash found himself in the same predicament. Audible thrashes and shrill “eeks!” were the only way you could tell he still remained in the room. He quieted down a bit as he rummaged through his bag—for a shirt you predicted. There was no doubt in your mind he was sober from your shared mental breakdown, albeit one was far more vocal than the other. You felt ashamed in your actions, and were no better than a peeping Tom!

You scrambled to make an apology, something to atone for the embarrassing act you just committed against him. But before you could, he beat you to it.

“…I’m sorry you had to see that, I really am, it’s not a pretty sight and I’m sorry you-”

“That wasn’t what I was thinking at all,” You exhaled. “I was thinking about how pretty you were… in the…moonlight?”

It came out as a doubting question but the words you spoke couldn’t be any truer. Vash was extremely beautiful, far more than your words could ever tell.

…Meanwhile, he looked at you like you had just shot him in the foot at point blank range. His cheeks were a hazy flush and his eyes darted around your face crazily, looking at every single feature sitting upon it. You slightly shrunk under his intense surveying, a bit confused on what he was doing.

“Sooo, are you gonna say som-”

“YOU LOOK PRETTY TOO!” He jumped to cut you off and leaned forward a bit to accentuate his profession. The blush sitting on his cheeks flowed bashfully to his neck and chest—at least what wasn’t covered by his loose shirt— as he shifted nervously. “In the moonlight as well, I mean.” A cheeky smirk appeared after he spoke, as if he hadn’t fumbled as hard as you did.

What a tease.

“Is that why you were looking at me so hard? You liked what you saw as much as I did, hm?” You leaned forward a bit, mirroring his anxious actions.

“What’s not to like?” Vash’s smirk turned into a charming smile, “Women all across town would want a chance to get with the Humanoid Typhoon, you know!”

“Oh I know alright.” You roll your eyes in exasperation, “So what about me, I got a chance with Vash the Stampede?”

His face blew up in a furious blush again at your teasing tone, you got him. A snickered laugh bubbled from your chest as he tried to come up with something else so that he could win.

You can believe you were nervous to bunk with him for the night, did you seriously forget who he is? The laughter smothered all the attempts he made to make a jab at you, but you couldn’t focus on them anyway. Everything in your mind at the moment was swarming with him instead. Of his genuine laugh, of his jokes, of his lanky arms throwing themselves around you to give you a hug. Memories, thoughts, and words unspoken you always wanted to say just made you giggle all the more at him for just being. With all your heart, you wished he would have the same thoughts as you at least once.

And yet, if you weren’t so oblivious maybe you would’ve seen it.

Another lovestruck fool looking longingly at the one they fell head over heels for.

#vash x reader #trigun x reader #vash the stampede x reader #trigun 1998 #trigun stampede #vash x you #vash the stampede #trigun

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pianokantzart · 1 year

Text

A Picture of Wealth

A quick oneshot for a possible beginning of a Luigi's Mansion movie. Not particularly exciting, but if you like quiet Mario and Luigi slice of life stuff you'll probably like this. I started writing this a while ago, but this post by @theangelofangst inspired me to finish it. AO3: https://archiveofourown.org/works/49496971

_____________________________

After waving ‘goodbye’ to the Mail Toad, Luigi popped open the mailbox and pulled out a stack of envelopes. He scanned them for a moment, loosely sorting them in his mind. It was easy to tell what came from The Mushroom Kingdom and what came from Brooklyn; bright, pastel colored envelopes and fountain pen clashing against cold copy-pasted text on plain white. There was a ‘thank you’ card from a neighboring toad whose sink they had fixed free of charge, a little flier advertising a free upcoming performance in the square, and a pretty, pink envelope embossed with a crown, whose handiwork was easy to recognize. Even the bills were friendly and personable, though they formed as much of a pit in his stomach as the cold typeface from Brooklyn.

For Mario and Luigi, living on their own had been an adjustment, and having an actual income was a serious learning curve. There was an initial high of having money in their pockets, which led to a spending spree to replace much of their oldest tools and equipment before independent living’s new stack of expenses hit them like a train. Still, they had been fairly cautious. Despite a few poor initial decisions they would’ve had enough money to stay out of the red… had it not been for one giant curveball that had been thrown at them.

Luigi stepped back through the front door into the kitchen where Mario sat at the table, hatless and disheveled, hunched over a computer and a stack of papers where he’d been since sunrise. One hand tapped a pencil against a notepad, the other pressed their shared cellphone to his ear.

“Dad, it’s alright. You need it more than we do,” Mario said, “No, forget it, I- no, it’s not a loan.” Luigi couldn’t help but smile as he peeked around the doorway and listened in. It sounded like their father had discovered the check they sent them, and was reacting about as expected. He at least sounded lively from what he could overhear… when they first got the news that he was staying in the hospital for a few days, Mario and Luigi feared the worst. Luckily, it seemed their dad had the family’s hereditary trait of being able to bounce back from just about anything, the bad news was that despite twenty five straight years of company loyalty, getting the help owed to him by the insurance was like pulling teeth.

“Look, I’m a little busy. We’ll talk about it at Sunday lunch, okay?” Mario sighed, “Yeah. Okay. You too. Bye, Dad.” With that he hung up, and set the phone to the side.

“Sounds like he’s feeling better” Luigi laughed, finally stepping into the kitchen to deliver the mail to the table. “Yep.” Mario replied with a tired chuckle, barely even glancing up from his work. “Not well enough to work yet though, as much as he wants to.” “Did the check get deposited?” “Mom managed it under his nose, but it might be the only check that goes through for us this month if I don’t figure something out.” Mario sighed and ran his fingers through his hair, “Ugh, why did I replace our van’s entire engine. All it needed was a few new spark plugs!” “The Garrisons still owe us for rerouting their fountain." Luigi assured, "I’ll send them an invoice.” He stopped for a moment and looked over Mario’s workspace: every possible refund for unnecessary expenses noted and listed, every document scattered about like the stress of the room had caused a miniature explosion on the kitchen table, a mustard-stained receipt for a strap wrench having made it all the way to the empty dishes from lunchtime. Luigi reached over his brother’s shoulder to retrieve the dishes and arrange some of the papers into neat little piles. Mario leaned to the side to give him room.

“You know,” Luigi began hesitantly, “maybe we should ask Princess Peach if-” “We are not asking the princess for money.” Mario interrupted. “No no… I mean, maybe she can void our water bill or something?” “She gave us a free house Luigi! You really think it’s right to ask her for more.” “Maybe?" Luigi shrugged, "I mean, protecting the kingdom has kind of interfered with our work schedule.” “We do that because it’s right, Luigi, not for a paycheck.” “I know!” Luigi raised his voice a little in frustration. He stepped away from the table to deliver the empty plate and glass to the sink, rinsing them off and scrubbing them a little too aggressively to let off steam, “But I’m sure if we explain our situation, she can do something.” “I told you, the answer is no. We’re not bumming off of anyone, especially not Princess Peach.” “It’s not bumming, it’s asking for help! There’s no shame in asking for help. When you need help, you need help!”

Mario didn’t answer, he just grumbled quietly to himself and returned to the bills. Luigi rolled his eyes, scrubbing clean a few extra dishes and placing them in the drying rack before he returned to where his brother sat. He leaned against him, resting his forearm on his shoulder in a purposefully obnoxious way. “You’re as bad as Dad is.” “I am not.” “Are so.” Luigi smiled mischievously, “You look like him too. I’m probably gonna start calling you ‘Dad’ on accident when you start losing your hair.” Luigi tussled his brother’s auburn locks. Mario pulled away, unable to help but laugh as he grabbed one of the pieces of junk mail on the table, crumpled it up, and threw it at Luigi in retaliation. “Will you get out of here?”

Luigi blocked the missile with his hand. He attempted to catch it, but it tumbled out of his slippery grip and landed on the floor. Luigi intended to take it directly in the garbage, but leaning down to pick it up the colors caught his eye… and he realized he did not quite notice this particular piece of mail when he initially emptied the mailbox. Interest piqued, he uncrumpled the paper and read it. His brow raised and his heart skipped a beat. “Mario!” he declared, the sudden exclamation making his brother jump, “We’ve got a free mansion!” Mario let out a loud groan, turning around in his chair. “Oh come on Weegee! It’s an obvious scam!”

Luigi shook his head. “No no, they’ve got a map and an address and everything!” He turned the pamphlet over in his hands in order to reexamine the large block of text on the back, “It says ‘only a select few who apply for noble titles, such as those who are known locally for their heroism’ … that's us!... ‘ are receiving this limited time offer’!” Luigi looked up from his reading to grin excitedly at Mario, who looked back at him with a bored expression. Luigi, undeterred, returned his eyes the advertisement. “There’s a place called Evershade Valley with a big, beautiful mansion in the center of it. Look!” Luigi held the picture out to his big brother, shoving it a little too close to his face in his excitement. “Neo-Gothic architecture!”

Mario took the flier from Luigi’s hands to scrutinize it more closely. The cover image seemed sketchy. The coloration was off, the greenery in the lawn looked doctored, and the giant, garish rainbow plastered into the background reeked of overcompensation. “Sounds like just the kind of padding they’d add to a scam to make it seem like a little less of a scam,” he mumbled, eyes trailing down to the map beneath the image of the mansion. “Evershade Valley… looks like it’s not too far from The Dark Lands. Are you sure about this?” Hearing ‘Dark Lands’ Luigi stiffened a bit, bringing his hands close to his chest as he reconsidered for a few seconds. “It’s near The Darklands, not in The Darklands.” He decided after a moment, “Maybe we can flip this place!: reinstall some plumbing, fix up the wiring, add a fresh coat of paint… boom! Money in our pockets!”

Mario gripped his chin, running a thumb over his mustache thoughtfully. No way it was that easy. If this was really a free mansion like the advertisement said, it couldn’t be anything other than a dilapidated shell that wasn’t worth the investment. If not that, there was no doubt something wrong with the location… nobody simply gave away free mansions.

On the other hand, Mario was impressed that Luigi maintained interest despite its close proximity to The Darklands. Given his past experiences, Mario expected him to back down at the mere mention of that place. The fact that some old building was enough to overshadow those fears made his desire hard to ignore. That, and Luigi was giving him that stupid sad-eyed pleading face that Mario could never say no to. He let out a heavy sigh, smoothed out the pamphlet a bit with his fingers, and handed it back to his brother. “Fine. On one condition.”

“Really!?” Luigi cheered. He threw out his arms to pluck his brother up into a hug, when Mario extended a hand to stave him off a moment.

“On one condition.” He repeated, “You stay here and run the business while I’m away. We can’t afford to miss any clients.”

Luigi deflated. He withdrew his arms and anxiously rubbed the tops of his hands. “Run the business… alone? Just me?” “If I take a warp pipe I shouldn’t be gone longer than a day. You’ll be fine.”

“No I won’t.” Mario cocked his head. He was startled by the terseness of the reply, upsettingly certain in its pessimism. “What do you mean? Of course you will! You just got a few leaky sinks and a running toilet. Nothin’ major.”

“Mario, name one time I did something completely on my own that didn’t turn out a disaster.” Mario opened his mouth to respond, but stopped. He thought things over a bit longer, opened his mouth again, then shut it again to think some more. It was difficult enough recalling a time that Luigi was on his own to begin with– they worked together at every opportunity– but when circumstances drove them apart, even for the briefest of moments, Luigi seemed to always end up in some kind of trouble. Mario’s eyes brightened as one instance popped into his mind. He smiled and snapped his fingers. “Aha! seventh grade! You made it into the Wizard of Oz musical! Played a really good Tinman!” Luigi smiled despondently, crossing his arms. “Mario, I vomited on stage.” “Only during the final bow. The final bow doesn’t count.” Luigi’s expression only grew more troubled as his arms tightened against his chest, and his eyes remained fixed to the ground. Mario stood up from his chair. He walked up to his brother, and took his face in his hands. “Hey, c’mon, don’t look like that,” he said, lifting his Luigi's head to meet his gaze. “You’ve got a good head on your shoulders, you just need a bit more confidence.” Mario’s grip fell from Luigi's face to his shoulders, giving them an endearing squeeze. “Maybe it’ll be good for you to give it a shot on your own. Your luck can’t be all bad, can it?” Neither of them quite knew the answer to that. Both of them stood silent for a moment as Luigi looked at his brother, then down at the pamphlet in his hand, and the big, beautiful mansion on the front. He couldn’t quite figure it out, but something about the place resonated with him. It made him remember being a kid, reading through his mom’s interior design magazines– the sense of wonder and possibility they incited, and the quiet longing to have such a place of his own to wander and explore. He folded the flier, placed it in his pocket, took a deep breath, and sighed. “I’ll do it.”

“Ha ha! That’s my bro.” Mario released his brother’s shoulders to give him a friendly jab with his elbow. “Maybe it’ll be good for you to try to work the business on your own! Just… make sure that clients put their dogs away before you set foot anywhere.”

Luigi grimaced. A small shudder ran up his back as he remembered the incident with Francis The Dog at their first job. Wondering what might have happened to him if Mario hadn’t been there to come to his rescue, second thoughts quickly began to creep in. “Maybe it is a scam–” “Nope! Too late. We’re doing this.” Mario had a fresh determination in his voice as he pulled out his chair and sat back down at the kitchen table. “I’ll finish balancing the checkbook tonight, then leave in the morning– 8 a.m sharp. If I hurry, I might be able to get home in time to help you with the last few jobs.”

Luigi knew that tone. No matter how much his brother initially hated the idea, once he started talking like that there was no stopping him from following through. Luigi had dug his grave, it was time to lie in it. Trying– and failing– not to think about everything that could go wrong in a single work day, Luigi began looking around for something to occupy his mind. The dishes were done, the garden was weeded, and he didn’t need to start dinner for another few hours, so he went to the broom closet and pulled out his vacuum. Plugging it in and unwinding the cord he went to work, allowing himself to get lost in the satisfying rattle of dirt being sucked away as he meticulously went over the carpet and wooden floor bit by bit, until every square inch of the house was clean and tidy.

#my art #Mario #Luigi #Super Mario Brothers #my writing #mario fanfic #Luigi's Mansion #Mario Movie #Aside from Luigi's expected issues with self doubt and anxiety he needs to overcome #I like the idea of them having money troubles at the beginning #Gives more impact to Luigi coming back with both his brother safe and his pockets absolutely STUFFED with cash

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freetheshit-outofyou · 5 months

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This was my home for 4 months though a Texas Summer. Every time someone bitches about how bad they have it I remember August in that van. I spent all the money I had to buy it, I could not afford to register it, insure it or drive it. It sat parked, but it was my home until I got back on my feet. Thank you old Austin Airport shuttle van for being there when no one else was.

#me

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ell0ra-br3kk3r-writes · 1 year

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The Phoenix and the Crow

part nineteen

pairing: kaz brekker x fem!reader

genre: neutral

el's thoughts: 19!! my brain isn't understanding haha hope you enjoy!

series masterlist

Y/N made a sound of disgust, her contempt for the Fjerdan clear, and the Zemeni man next to the inferni stopped fidgeting, his mouth falling slightly ajar. Kaz, however, didn’t seem surprised. If anything, he looked pleased.

“I can give you something better,” said Kaz.

Doubt and suspicion swam in Matthias’ eyes. “There is nothing else I want.”

“I can make you druskelle again.”

“Are you a magician, then? A wej sprite who grants wishes? I’m superstitious, not stupid.”

“You can be both, you know, but that’s hardly the point.” Kaz slipped a gloved hand into his dark coat. “Here,” he said. And gave a piece of paper to the inferni. She brought the paper up to his face for him to read. The document was written in Kerch and Fjerdan. Matthias’ eyes scanned over the paper that had statements of a release due in his favor. His eyebrows furrowed in confusion, “What evidence?”

Kaz leaned back in his chair. “It seems Nina Zenik has recanted her statements. She will face charges of perjury.”

“Perjury? How long will you serve for that, Zenik?”

“Two months,” she said quietly.

“Two months?” Matthias laughed cruelly, his body twitching as if he’d been poisoned.

The others watched him with some concern.

“Just how crazy is he?” Jesper asked, fingers drumming on the pearl handles of his precious revolvers.

Y/N shrugged. “He’s not what I’d call reliable, but he’s all we’ve got apparently.”

Once Matthias got over his laughing fit he cleared his throat. “She can’t be trusted, you know,” he said to Kaz. “Whatever secrets you hope to gain from Bo Yul-Bayur, she’ll turn them over to Ravka.”

Y/N clenched her fists, but before she could say anything Kaz jumped to the defence. “Let me worry about that, Helvar. You do your part, and the secrets of Yul-Bayur and jurda parem will be in the hands of the people best equipped to make sure they stay rumors.”

Y/N eyed Kaz cautiously as she wondered who he planned on handing the drug and chemist over to. There are things that he has kept in the dark and she knew it would come to sneak up on them later if he didn’t bring it to light.

After a bit more of going back and forth Matthias finally agreed to Kaz’s terms.

“We’re going to untie you,” said Kaz. “I hope prison hasn’t robbed you of all your manners or good sense.”

Matthias nodded and Y/N pulled out a knife to cut him free of the ropes that binded him. “I believe you know Nina,” Kaz continued. “The lovely girl freeing you is Y/N L/N, our own personal Ravkan soldier and the best in the trade. Jesper Fahey is our sharpshooter, Zemeni-born but try not to hold it against him, and this is Wylan, the best demolitions expert in the Barrel.”

A rag tag group who had taken the world by storm while they helped save it from the darkest of shadows. Now challenged to take on the biggest heist of their lives. None of them entirely prepared for what came next but they all had their motives. Righteous and good-willed or greedy and selfish, they all had one goal and they hoped it’d be strong enough to hold them together.

“Besides, Wylan isn’t just good with the flint and fuss. He’s our insurance.” Kaz spoke while avoiding eye contact with Y/N.

“Against what?” Nina asked.

“Meet Wylan Van Eck,” said Kaz Brekker as the boy’s cheeks flooded crimson. “Jan Van Eck’s son and our guarantee on four million kruge.”

Jesper stared at Wylan. “You’re a Councilman’s kid? I mean that explains everything… Why didn’t you tell me?” His eyes had grown soft and filled with hurt.

Wylan was red-faced and mortified. Nina looked stunned and irritated. The Fjerdan just seemed confused. Kaz appeared utterly pleased with himself. Y/N glared hard at the side of Dirtyhand’s face.

Wylan’s mouth opened and closed, his throat working. “You knew?” he asked Kaz miserably.

Kaz leaned back in his chair, one knee bent, his bad leg stretched out before him. “Why do you think I’ve been keeping you around?”

“I’m good at demo.”

“You’re passable at demo. You’re excellent at hostage.”

That was cruel, but that was Kaz. And the Barrel was a far rougher teacher than Kaz could ever be. At least this explained why Kaz had been coddling Wylan and brought him on an insanely important job.

The plan in Y/N’s head tilted sideways. Wylan was a hostage. Van Eck was paying Kaz for this heist. He lied to her. Not directly, but he withheld the information.

The bastard continued to make his point of Wylan not really being fit for this line of work. Jesper sat silently with a dazed look in his eyes while Wylan looked like a kicked puppy. Y/N felt uneasy about the whole situation.

“Since Wylan has seen the Ice Court with his very own eyes,” Kaz spoke, “he can keep you honest, Helvar.”

The Fjerdan scowled furiously, and Wylan looked a little ill.

“Don’t worry,” Nina said. “The glower isn’t lethal.”

Kaz tapped his cane on the polished wood floor. “Take out your pen and proper paper, Wylan. Let’s put Helvar to work.”

Wylan reached into the satchel that sat between the sharpshooter and himself. He pulled out a slender roll of butcher’s paper followed by a metal case that held an expensive-looking pen and ink set.

“Start talking,” Kaz said to the Fjerdan. “It’s time to pay the rent.”

Matthias directed his furious gaze at Kaz. Definitely a mighty glower. It was almost fun to watch him pit it against Kaz’s sharklike stare.

Finally, the Fjerdan shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and said, “The concentric circles, like the rings of a tree.” The words came slowly, as if speaking each one was causing him pain.

The merchling and Fjerdan went back and forth on describing the Ice Court, each one fact checking and correcting the other. They explained each level of defence and the coordinating colored protical. Where the prison cells were and where they’d most likely find Bo Yul-Bayur.

“Hringkalla is coming up,” Nina said suddenly.

“Be silent,” Matthias snapped.

“Pray, don’t,” said Kaz.

“Hringkalla. It’s the Day of Listening, when the new druskelle are initiated on the White Island.” Y/N spoke up.

Matthias’ knuckles flexed white. “You have no right to speak of those things. They’re holy.”

“They’re facts. The Fjerdan royals throw a huge party with guests from all over the world, and plenty of the entertainment comesstraight from Ketterdam.”

“Entertainment?” Kaz asked.

“Actors, dancers, a Komedie Brute troupe, and the best talent from the pleasure houses of West Stave.”

“I thought Fjerdans didn’t go in for that sort of thing,” said Jesper.

Nina’s lips quirked. “You’ve never seen Fjerdan soldiers on the Staves?”

“I meant when they’re at home,” Jesper said.

“It’s the one day a year they all stop acting so miserable and actually let themselves have a good time,” Nina replied. “Besides, “only the druskelle live like monks.”

Matthias and the heartrender kept going back and forth, each picking and poking with their words, trying to get a reaction out of each other. Y/N rolled her eyes at the pair in both annoyance and a teasing manner.

“When does this party take place?” Kaz interrupted.

“It’s seasonal,” Nina said, “on the spring equinox.”

“Two weeks from today.” noted Y/N.

Kaz cocked his head to one side, his eyes focused on something in the distance.

“Scheming face,” Jesper whispered to Y/N.

She nodded. “Definitely.”

Kaz inquired about the White Rose sending any delegations. Nina replied, saying she didn’t know anything.

Kaz leaned back. “What’s the easiest way to steal a man’s wallet?”

“Knife to the throat?” Y/N asked.

“Gun to the back?” said Jesper.

“Poison in his cup?” suggested Nina.

“You’re all horrible,” said Matthias.

Kaz rolled his eyes. “The easiest way to steal a man’s wallet is to tell him you’re going to steal his watch. You take his attention and direct it to where you want it to go.” He continued to explain how Hringkalla will do the job for them. They’ll take advantage of the chaos that is hosting such a large gathering of people. “They can’t be looking everywhere at once.” He started to construct his plan of them sneaking into the prison as criminals.

“Let me get this straight,” said Jesper. “You want us to let the Fjerdans lock us up in jail. Isn’t that what we’re always trying to avoid?”

“Criminal identities are slippery. It’s one of the perks of being a member of the troublemaking class. They’ll be counting heads at the prison gate, looking at names and crimes, not checking passports or examining embassy seals.”

“Because no one wants to go to pricon,” Jesper said.

Nina rubbed her hands over her wrists, “I don’t want to be locked up in a Fjerdan cell.” Y/N nodded her agreement.

Kaz flicked his sleeve, and two slender rods of metal appeared between his fingers. They danced over his knuckles then vanished once more.

“Lockpicks?” Y/N asked.

“You let me take care of the cells,” said Kaz.

“Hit where the mark isn’t looking,” mused the inferni.

“That’s right,” nodded Kaz. “And the Ice Court is like any other mark, one big white pigeon ready for the plucking.”

Anticipation mixed with fear and excitement settled in the room as Y/N looked around at the other crows.

Matthias folded his huge arms and said, “You have no idea what you’re up against.”

“But you do, Helvar. I want you working on the plan of the Ice Court every minute until we sail. Mo detail is too small or inconsequential. I’ll be checking on you regularly.”

Y/N traced her fingers over the rough sketch Wylan drew out. “It really does look like the rings of a tree.”

“No,” said Kaz. “It looks like a target.”

#kaz brekker #kaz brekker x reader #kaz brekker x you #kaz brekker x y/n #six of crows #six of crows imagines #six of crows x reader #ellora.writes

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briancampbell0706 · 4 months

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Common Misconceptions about One Day Car Insurance Debunked ?

Don’t Be Fooled: Myths About One Day Car Insurance Busted (UK)

Need to borrow a friend’s car for a quick errand? Inheriting a classic car that needs a test drive? One day temporary car insurance can be a lifesaver in these situations. But there’s a lot of misinformation floating around. Let’s debunk some common misconceptions about one day car insurance in the UK:

Myth #1: It’s Expensive Compared to Annual Policies

One day car insurance might seem pricier at first glance. However, consider the cost-effectiveness. If you only need cover for a short period, it’s far cheaper than paying for a whole month’s worth of unused insurance on an annual policy.

Myth #2: It’s Only for Young or Inexperienced Drivers

Anyone can benefit from one day car insurance! It’s perfect for occasional drivers, borrowing a car, taking a learner vehicle out for practice, or driving a newly purchased car home before registering it permanently.

Myth #3: It Doesn’t Offer Full Coverage

One day temporary car insurance can provide comprehensive coverage similar to your annual policy. This typically includes third-party liability, fire and theft, and even breakdown cover. The specific options will vary depending on the provider, so be sure to check the details before purchasing.

Myth #4: It’s a Hassle to Get

The beauty of one day car insurance is its convenience. Several reputable insurers in the UK, like TempCoverNow.com [TempCoverNow.com], offer online quotes and allow you to purchase a policy in minutes.

Myth #5: It’s Only Available for Cars

One day temporary insurance isn’t limited to cars. You can also get one week van insurance [one week van insurance uk] or one month van insurance [one month van insurance uk] if you need to rent a van for a short period. Similarly, coverage for motorbikes and even classic cars is often available.

Myth #6: It Doesn’t Count Towards My No Claims Bonus

One day car insurance typically doesn’t affect your No Claims Bonus (NCB) if you have a standard annual policy. Since it’s a separate, temporary policy, any claims made on it won’t impact your main insurance.

Considering One Day Cover?

Now that we’ve cleared the air, you can make an informed decision. If you need short-term car insurance in the UK, one day temporary cover offers a convenient and affordable solution. So, next time you need to borrow a car or test drive a new purchase, don’t get caught out — get covered with one day car insurance!

#one day temporary car insurance #one day temporary insurance #car insurance one day cover #one week van insurance #one month van insurance #car insurance for one month #car insurance for one week #car insurance one month

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helly-watermelonsmellinfellon · 1 year

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Housed For Now!

[New]

AS OF DECEMBER 20TH, 2023, WE HAVE BEEN INFORMED THAT OUR NEW LANDLADY WANTS US OUT WHEN OUR LEASE ENDS IN FENBRUARY. EDIT Dec 27th 2023: We just learned that she's adding an electric garage door to the garage. Her ex-husband is working on it with an electrician friend of his and I overheard them. She doesn't intend to move in, she wants to add the small ass garage onto the lease and thinks it's worth adding another $1K+ dollars to the rent.

[Old]

Dave just doesn't get how finances work. Because he's so unhelpful and doesn't fucking listen when people speak, he's whining about how after getting paid, mom has nothing left for the month. "But we don't have to spend $230 on the storage unit anymore!" "That went into other bills, Dave!" He thinks that cuz we don't have that one issue holding us down, we're going to be able to handle everything else easily and have money left over for whatever he wants to waste it on. Because mom has had to pay one bill and let another slide as a result every month. It's how she's had to handle our financial problems this entire time. And people all over have to do things like this, it isn't a new tactic.

Mom finally paid off the bank after Dave bounced her account several times last year. She's been paying $100+ a month for ages to get that handled. That should make things a little easier now.

The car insurance has increased by several dozen dollars so it's over $150 a month now. (EDIT: Dec, 2023: It was increased again.)

Her phone and Bethy's phone have to be kept on because of her schooling and we need a functioning phone number or else we'll be in big trouble in many ways. $100+ just for 2 phones. Dave is in charge of his own damn phone.

She has to handle her Discover and Capital One cards since she's had to use them to save our asses a few times. She NEEDS to pay them off so her credit score doesn't tank, and many places won't give you a chance if your credit is low. She's got monthly payments for those around $100+ in total.

The P.O. Box price has increased. Almost $50 now. (EDIT: Dec, 2023: We had canceled it since we finally got a place to live, and now we'll need to get a new one. I'm so tired.)

Dish Network has been on pause or almost 2 years cuz she can't cancel it before the full year she paid is used up or the fee is astronomical. They keep suspiciously unpausing it and trying to lob thousands in fees at us. (EDIT: Aug, 2023: Mom finally got it taken care of by going to the Better Business Bureau with dozens of emails of proof for her case and they came down hard on Dish Network. So we're fine on that front now.)

Then we have gas for a minivan, that Dave should be paying for, but isn't. A mostly full tank is around $80 every 4-5 days. Gas is average rn. So over $400 monthly in gas. (EDIT Dec, 2023: $20 gets 4 1/2 Gallons right now. It is hell.)

We need the part for the van which is $800+. The van is just so old that finding parts for something considered an antique now is damn near impossible, and not having the money up front makes it worse. (EDIT: Dec, 2023: The van is dead and despite how the alternator was replaced and the battery and starter are fine, there's no vehicle.)

She has to pay for her medication cuz we have shit medical. She's already going without many of them but some health problems, like Asthma, can't be ignored so the inhalers are prioritized. (EDIT Aug, 2023: Our medical changed out of nowhere at the beginning of the year and all of our doctors no longer take it. No doctors take it, in fact, so our attempts to get better help have to start all over again.)

Bethy needs school supplies regularly.

But Dave just thinks that she should have all this extra money left over at the end of paying everything off. Many of these things come out instantly on the 1st of each month btw. She has to then work through what is left for the bills that aren't instantly paid off. He thinks if he works with his friend for 3 weeks, he'll have enough money for an apartment, completely ignoring that he'd only have about $1800 for a full month of work with no breaks. The cheapest 2-bedroom in Delaware requires almost all of that, which is why we're waiting on housing which charges based on your monthly income. Even if he handled the monthly rent of $1400-$1700 for a 2-bedroom, mom still has all this stuff to worry about... and then gas, water, electric, sewage, etc... Dave doesn't listen. In public housing, those things are included. Outside it, they are separate expenses.